as if he should forthwith haue joined battell with the enemie and so in seemely order marched on The Turkish Generall continually feared least the Persians should come vpon him with some sudden assault besides that the constant report of the princes comming to TAVRIS with his armie much encreased his troubled thoughts But on the other side he reposed great confidence in the conspiracie that was now plotted against the life of the prince with the priuitie of Aliculi Chan the protectour and champion of Abas Mirize of HERI who vnder colour of accompanying the prince to assist his forces had resolutely concluded with himselfe and absolutely promised Abas hauing also giuen intelligence thereof to the Turkish Generall to rid the prince Hamze of his life or at least which he thought might more easily be brought to passe in the sundrie reuolutions and variable chances of the battell at some time or other to make him fall into the hands of Ferat and so to settle his lord and master Abas in his estate Vpon these treacheries Ferat grounding himselfe began with greater confidence to dispose his designments and somewhat lesse to feare the fame of the huge preparations of PERSIA against him Which preparations in truth as by most wicked deuices and malicious conspiracies they were turned quite contrarie from that end whereunto the prince Hamze had continually appointed them so if they had beene employed with such faith and fidelitie as so righteous a cause required without all doubt the writers of our time should haue had matter ynough in this fourscore and sixt yeare to shew and represent vnto the world such accidents as should be nothing inferior to those of the yeare before going But for as much as rebellion and discord the two infernall ministers of the diuell haue for the vtter vndoing and ouerthrow of the glorie of PERSIA continually fauoured the Turkes armies no maruell it is that the Persian nation cannot vaunt of any reuenge taken for the indignities offered them by their enemies and that our writers cannot chuse but write of the true and vndoubted victories of the Turkes and the bare shaddowes of the Persian exploits which notwithstanding many Christians vainly beleeue because they most earnestly desire them to be true although they doe see to the contrarie the manifest prospering and euident conquests which the Turkes haue in diuers their states and countries The Persian prince about the latter end of Iuly arriued at TAVRIS with the greatest part of his armie where he contrarie to the opinion of all men stayed not for what cause is vncertaine But vnderstanding that Zeinel Bassa of SALMAS by nation a Curdo lay encamped before the citie who of a Persian was become a Turke and had done great harme against the state of PERSIA he determined suddenly to set vpon him and to chastise him for his rebellion According to which resolution being accompanied with twelue thousand souldiors he rode to SALMAS where finding Zeinell with all his people encamped as he had beene before enformed he gaue him the assault Zeinell more readie to flie than to fight and his souldiors as readie as he fled presently and fell before the Persians so that the Bassa himselfe with a few others had much adoe to escape and saue themselues in the closest corners thereabouts leauing the citie committed to his charge for a prey vnto the angrie enemie who entering into the same sacked and spoyled it exercising thereon all such cruelties as partly the naturall desires of souldiors vse to practise and partly such as the Turkes themselues shewed vpon them in that miserable and most lamentable sacking of TAVRIS the last yeare The like spoyles did the Persian armie in all those quarters round about and so would haue peraduenture returned to TAVRIS but that certaine spies arriued vpon them with aduertisement That the Bassa of REIVAN being issued out of his fortresse with fifteene hundred harquebusiers had committed the like outrages in the villages and fields thereabouts as the prince had done about SALMAS With which newes the prince was greatly mooued and immediatly rising with his armie and marching towards REIVAN not farre from the citie encountered the Bassa who discouering the enemies forces afarre off began in great disorder to flie and retire into his fort leauing the greatest part of his souldiors making not so much speed in flight as himselfe to the furie of the prince who put them all to the sword and did what harme he possibly could in all the places thereabouts At the very same time great troubles arose in the Drusian countrey for Man-ogli the valiant Drusian of whom we haue before spoken in reuenge of the injuries done vnto him and his people by Ebrain Bassa and by a violent kind of restitution to recompence himselfe of all those bribes and presents which by so many shifts and subtilties were by the couetous Bassa wrung from him as is before declared had now taken vp armes and hauing wasted and sacked all the territorie of Ebne-mansur and of his other enemies who had yeelded their obedience vnto the Turkes without let forced all that countrey with sudden inuasions and inrodes euen very neere vnto the cities of BALBECKE and TRIPOLI and did there exceeding harme For redresse whereof Amurath was glad to dispatch away from the Court Ali Bassa borne at ALEPPO with the title of the Bassa of DAMASCO and with authoritie to muster fresh souldiors and so wholly to attend the vtter subuersion of Man-ogli But comming thither he found all againe quiet so that his presence in that countrey serued rather for a reconciliation and peace making amongst them than for the prosecuting of any further warre which at that time was most necessarie for the Turkes to be auoided as well for want of money in the common treasurie as for the exceeding scarcitie of victuals Now the Persian prince hauing made an end of the outrodes and spoyles before mentioned retired himselfe to TAVRIS and so towards his fathers campe where the rest of his armie was now arriued to the number of about fortie thousand of whom the prince dispatched away the souldiors of HERI to the number of eight thousand vnder the conduct of the traiterous Aliculi Chan their Generall and part also of the Turcomans vnder the leading of Emanguli Chan with speciall charge That they should by the way in places of most aduantage meet and receiue the enemies armie and in those narrow and troublesome passages to doe them what mischiefe they possibly could Which the prince thus appointed thinking by this meanes to weaken the enemies forces and so at their arriuall at TAVRIS to come vpon them with all his power and so vtterly to destroy them Both these captaines departed accordingly making shew that they would with all affection accomplish the commaundement of their prince yet neuer was there heard any seruice of moment put in execution by them For Aliculi full of treason after their departure began to alleage
emperour and that his purpose in bringing of him from CONSTANTINOPLE was to no other end but to haue vsed his helpe in concluding a peace betwixt the Great Sultan and the emperour and so to haue set him with all his at libertie but now that he was dead he would send them his treacherous seruants to the emperour to be by him examined and withall to tell him That he was sent from the Great Sultan whose power was not by any but God onely to be withstood to besiege VIENNA which he could as he said the last yeare haue taken with lesse labour than he had done RAB and that therefore it were best for him betime to seeke for peace before so great a power had taken the field And that for farther instructions he would referre them to his sonne the Bassa of BVDA to whom he sent them from BELGRADE togither with the new come treasurer Being come to BVDA they were forthwith brought before the Bassa and amongst them the late embassadours secretarie vnto whom after he had said somewhat of the hard dealing with the embassadour and his followers he declared that he had alwaies disliked of that manner of proceeding and oftentimes entreated his father for their libertie and now at last to haue obtained that the embassadour being dead his seruants might be set free and so put them in good hope that they should in short time be restored to their wonted libertie In the meane time that one of them should go vnto the emperours Court and there speak with one of his Secretaries whom he had before aduised to bethinke himselfe of peace vnto whom also hee afterwards writ vpon what conditions he thought peace might be at the Sultans hand obtained Which were if all the castles and strong holds taken by the emperours forces in these warres as FILEK SETCHINE and NOVIGRAD with their territories should be restored SISEG in CROATIA surrendred if the emperour should from thenceforth refuse to aid or protect the Transyluanians Moldauians and Valachians and leaue them to the Great Sultan to be chastised as rebels if finally the emperour would at once send vnto the Turkes Court his wonted tribute for the yeares past and so yearly afterwards so he could be content by the mediation of his father to attempt to appease the fierce and inueterat displeasure of the Sultan and to farther the treatie of peace This he commaunded the Secretarie to write and to send it by the young lord Perling and to require thereof answere yet that he should go with this condition That if the said Perling within the space of fiue and twentie daies returned not with answere all the rest should for his default lose their heads A subtile deuise and full of deceit wherein the craftie Bassaes both the father and the sonne sought for nothing else but to see what confidence the Christians had in themselues and to breake the confederation made betweene the emperour the Transyluanians Moldauians and Valachians and that other princes whom God had stirred vp in defence of so just a cause hearing of a rumour of peace might grow cold and deferre to send their promised aid For now the Turkes had found by experience how hurtfull and dangerous the reuolt of the three countries of TRANSYLVANIA MOLDAVIA and VALACHIA was vnto them as they which brought ten hundred thousand duckats yearly into the Great Sultans treasurie besides that those people now become their enemies were of all other fittest to intercept all manner of prouision to be brought by land either to or from CONSTANTINOPLE were it victuall or other warlike prouision Notwithstanding this motion of peace made by the two Bassaes Sinan the old Bassa in the meane time with great diligence at BELGRADE prepared all things necessarie for warre and caused three bridges to be made whereby he might in diuers places as he thought best transport his armie ouer Danubius and at the same time sent for the garrisons round about and other souldiors before billited in the countrey and put in readinesse all things necessarie for a most mortall warre Within the appointed time came Perling from the emperours Court with answere to the letters written by the embassadours Secretarie at the commaundement of the Bassa the effect whereof was That he had receiued his letters by Perling and did thereby vnderstand what had passed betweene the captiue seruants of the late embassadour and Sinan Bassa at BELGRADE and also betweene them and Sinan Bassa his sonne at BVDA and that the emperours mind was neuer other but that a firme peace might haue been made betweene him and the Sultan and that the emperour had done nothing else by his embassadour at CONSTANTINOPLE or by others in other places but that such reasonable conditions might haue been found out as might haue ended those warres and haue on both sides deliuered their innocent subjects from their great and daily calamities which might easily haue been done if Sinan the authour and fautor of this warre had with like desire furthered the peace But that it was manifest vnto the whole world that all complaints of infinit grieuances being by the embassadour yea and by the emperour himselfe by his letters laid open vnto the Sultan and his chiefe Bassaes had not onely nothing preuailed but also to haue been with great contempt rejected and the treatie of peace once begun to haue by the insolencie of the Bassa of BOSNA been interrupted That the emperour because the matter should not breake out into open warre had sent his double tribute into the confines of HVNGARIE which was a great while laid vp at KOMARA vntill the Sultans mind were knowne But when all his dessignes tended to warre and the Christian prouinces were by his robbers on euerie side spoiled the inhabitants led away into most miserable captiuitie the townes and villages burnt yea whole countries left desolat and all manner of outrages were vpon a meere pride and contempt as it were of the whole world exercised then the emperour to haue taken his refuge vnto the defence of his just cause and to haue vsed such remedies as are both before God and the world to be allowed and so by lawfull war to haue repulsed warre And that although all had not the last yeare prospered in his hand but that he had receiued some losse yet that Sinan Bassa himselfe and the Bassa of BVDA his sonne with other of the wiser sort of the Turkes must needs confesse that to haue chanced not by their wisedome pollicie or power but by the sufferance of God by a rare misfortune through the inexcusable negligence and treason of such as he had put in trust with the confines of his empire worthie most seuere chastisement And that no man could denie but that great powers of the Turkes had not once but oftentimes been ouerthrowne and discomfited by small handfuls of the Christians therefore their power not to be so inuincible as they vainly vaunted of But whereas it is
the Sarasin Caliphes his seduced successours with greater forces maintained was by them together with their Empire dispersed ouer a great part of the face of the earth to the vnspeakeable ruine and destruction of the Christian Religion and State especially in Asia and Affricke with some good part of Europe also But the vnitie of this great Mahometane Monarchie being once dissolued and it diuided into many kingdomes and so after the manner of worldly things drawing vnto the fatall period of it selfe in processe of time became of farre lesse force than before and so lesse dreadfull vnto the Christian princes of the West by whom these Sarasins were againe expulsed out of all the parts of Europe excepting one corner of Spaine which they yet held within the remembrance of our fathers vntill that by their victorious forces they were thence at length happily remooued also after that they had possessed the same about the space of seuen hundred yeares In this declination of the Sarasins the first champions of the Mahometane superstition who though they had lost much yet held many great kingdomes both in Asia and Affricke taken for the most part from the Christians arise the Turks an obscure and base people before scarce knowne vnto the world yet fierce and courageous who by their valour first aspired vnto the kingdome of Persia with diuers other large prouinces from whence they were about an hundred threescore and ten yeares after againe expulsed by the Tartars and enforced to retire themselues into the lesser Asia where taking the benefit of the discord of the Christian princes of the East and the carelesnesse of the Christians in generall they in some good measure repaired their former losses againe and maintained the state of a kingdome at Iconium in Cilicia now of them called Caramania holding in their subiection the greater part of that fruitfull countrey still seeking to gaine from the Christians what they had before lost vnto the Tartars But this kingdome of the Turkes declining also by the dismembring of the same there slept vp among the Turkes in Bythinia one Osman or Othoman of the Ogâ—zian tribe or familie a man of great spirit and valour who by little and little growing vp amongst the rest of his countreymen and other the effeminate Christians on that side of Asia at last like another Romulus tooke vpon him the name of a Sultan or King and is right worthely accounted the first founder of the mightie Empire of the Turks which continued by many discents directly in the line of himselfe euen vnto Mahomet the third of that name who now raigneth is from a small beginning become the greatest terror of the world and holding in subiection many great and mightie kingdomes in Asia Europe and Affricke is growne to that height of pride as that it threateneth destruction vnto the rest of the kingdomes of the earth labouring with nothing more than with the weight of it selfe In the greatnesse whereof is swallowed vp both the name and Empire of the Sarasins the glorious Empire of the Greekes the renowmed kingdomes of Macedonia Peloponesus Epirus Bulgaria Seruia Bosna Armenia Cyprus Syria Aegipt Iudea Tunes Argiers Media Mesopotamia with a great part of Hungarie as also of the Persian kingdome and all those churches and places so much spoken of in holy Scripture the Romanes onely excepted and in briefe so much of Christendome as farre exceedeth that which is thereof at this day left So that at this present if you consider the beginning progresse and perpetuall felicitie of this the Othoman Empire there is in this world nothing more admirable or strange if the greatnesse and lustre thereof nothing more magnificent or glorious if the power and strength thereof nothing more dreadfull or dangerous which wondering at nothing but at the beautie of it selfe and drunke with the pleasant wine of perpetuall felicitie holdeth all the rest of the world in scorne thundering out nothing but still bloud and warre with a full persuasion in time to rule ouer all prefining vnto it selfe no other limits than the vttermost bounds of the earth from the rising of the Sunne vnto the going downe of the same The causes whereof are many and right lamentable but for the most part so shut vp in the counsels of the Great as that for me to seeke after them were great follie yet amongst the rest some others there be so pregnant and manifest as that the blind world taketh thereof as it were a generall knowledge and may therefore without offence of the wiser sort as I hope euen in these our nice dayes be lightly touched Whereof the first and greatest is the iust and secret iudgement of the Almightie who in iustice deliuereth into the hands of these mercilesse miscreants nation after nation and kingdome vpon kingdome as vnto the most terrible executioners of his dreadfull wrath to be punished for their sinnes others in the meane while no lesse sinfull than they in his mercie enioying the benefit of a longer time calling them vnto repentance Then the vncertainetie of worldly things which subiect to perpetuall change cannot long stay in one state but as the sea is with the wind so are they in like sort tossed vp and downe with the continuall surges and waues of alteration and change so that being once growne to their height they there stay not long but fall againe as fast as euer they rise and so in time come to nothing As we see the greatest Monarchies that euer yet were vpon earth haue done their course being run ouer whom Time now triumpheth as no doubt at length it shall ouer this so great a Monarchie also when it shall but then liue by fame as the others now doe Next to these causes from aboue without offence be it said is the small care the Christian princes especially those that dwelt further off haue had of the common state of the Christian Commonweale whereof euen the verie greatest are to account themselues but as the principall members of one and the same bodie and haue or ought to haue as sharpe a feeling one of anothers harmes as hath the head of the wrongs done vnto the feet or rather as if it were done vnto themselues in stead of which Christian compassion and vnitie they haue euer and euen yet at this time are so deuided among themselues with endlesse quarrels partly for questions of religion neuer by the sword to bee determined partly for matters touching their owne proper state and soueraignetie and that with such distrust and implacable hatred that they neuer could as yet although it haue beene long wished ioyne their common forces against the common enemie but turning their weapons one vpon another the more to bee lamented haue from time to time weakened themselues and opened a way for him to deuour them one after another Whereas with their combined forces the greedie enemies greatest terrour they might long since not onely haue repressed his furâ—e and abated
his pride but with small danger and much glorie God fauouring their so honourable attempts haue againe recouered from him most of those famous Christian kingdomes which he by force against all right holdeth at this day in most miserable subiection and thraldome many millions of the poore oppressed Christians in the meane time out of the furnace of tribulation in the anguish of their soules crying in vaine vnto their Christian brethren for reliefe By ciuile discord the noble countrey of Graecia perished when as the father rising against the sonne and the sonne against the father and brother against brother they to the mutuall destruction of themselues called in the Turke who like a greedie lyon lurking in his den lay in wait for them all So perished the kingdomes of Bulgaria Seruia Bosna and Epirus with the famous islands of the Rhodes and Cyprus betraied as it were by the Christian princes their neighbours by whom they might haue easily beene relieued So the most flourishing and strong kingdome of Hungarie in the reliques whereof the fortune of the Turkish Empire hath longer stucke than in the conquest of any other kingdome by it attempted whatsoeuer diuided in it selfe by the ambition of princes and ciuile discord the weaker still calling vnto his aid the mightie power of the Turke is long since for the most part become vnto him a prey the poore remainders thereof being at this day hardly defended by the forces of the Christian Emperour and of the princes his confederats sildome times meeting together with such cheerefulnesse or expedition as the necessitie of so great a matter requireth Vnto which so great a cause of the common decay may be added the euill choice of our souldiours emploied in those warres who taken vp hand ouer head out of the promiscuous vulgar people are for most part vntrained men seruing rather for shew and the filling vp of number than for vse and in no respect to be compared with the Turks Ianizaries and other his most expert souldiours continually euen from their youth exercised in feats of armes Not to speake in the meane time of the want of the auntient martiall discipline the wholesome preseruatiue of most puissant armies which breedeth in the proud enemie a contempt of the Christian forces with a full persuasion of himselfe that he is not by such disordered and weake meanes to be withstood But to come neerer vnto the causes of the Turks greatnesse and more proper vnto themselues as not depending of the improuident carelesnesse weaknesse discord or imperfections of others first in them is to be noted an ardent and infinit desire of soueraignetie wherewith they haue long since promised vnto themselues the monarchie of the whole world a quicke motiue vnto their so haughtie designes Then such a rare vnitie and agreement amongst them as well in the manner of their religion if it be so to be called as in matters concerning their state especially in all their enterprises to be taken in hand for the augmenting of their Empire as that thereof they call themselues Islami that is to say men of one mind or at peace among themselues so as it is not to be maruelled if thereby they grow strong themselues and dreadfull to others ioyne vnto this their courage conceiued by the wonderfull successe of their perpetuall fortune their notable vigilancie in taking the aduantage of euery occasion for the enlarging of their Monarchie their frugalitie and temperatnesse in their diet and other manner of liuing their straight obseruing of their auntient militarie discipline their cheerefull and almost incredible obedience vnto their princes and Sultans such as in that point no nation in the world was to be worthily compared vnto them all great causes why their Empire hath so mightily encreased and so long continued Whereunto may be added the two strongest sinewes of euery well gouerned commonweale Reward propounded to the good and Punishment threatened vnto the offendor where the prize is for vertue and valour set vp and the way laied open for euery common person be he neuer so meanely borne to aspire vnto the greatest honours and preferments both of the Court aâ—d of the field yea euen vnto the neerest affinitie of the great Sultan himselfe if his valour or other worth shall so deserue when as on the contrarie part the disloyall or cowardly is to expect from the same soueraigne power nothing but disgrace death and torture And yet these great ones not contented by such commendable and lawfull meanes still to extend or establish their farre spreading Empire if that point once come in question they sticke not in their diuellish policie to breake and infringe the lawes both of Nations and Nature Their leagues grounded vpon the law of Nations be they with neuer so strong capitulations concluded or solemnitie of oath confirmed haue with them no longer force than standeth with their owne profit seruing indeed but as snares to entangle other princes in vntill they haue singled out him whom they purpose to deuour the rest fast bound still looking on as if their own turne should neuer come yet with no more assurance of their safetie by their leagues than had the other whom they see perish before their faces As for the kind law of nature what can be thereunto more contrarie than for the father most vnnaturally to embrue his hands in the bloud of his owne children and the brother to become the bloudie executioner of his owne brethren a common matter among the Othoman Emperours All which most execrable and inhumane murthers they couer with the pretended safetie of their state as thereby freed from the feare of all aspiring competitors the greatest torment of the mightie and by the preseruation of the integritie of their Empire which they thereby keepe whole and entire vnto themselues and so deliuer it as it were by hand from one to another in no part dismembred or impaired By these and such like meanes is this barbarous Empire of almost nothing growne to that height of maiestie and power as that it hath in contempt all the rest being it selfe not inferiour in greatnesse and strength vnto the greatest monarchies that euer yet were vpon the face of the earth the Romane Empire only excepted Which how farre it shall yet farther spread none knoweth but he that holdeth in his hand all the kingdomes of the earth and with his word boundeth in the raging of the sea so that it cannot further passe Moued with the greatnesse and glorie of this so mightie and dreadfull an Empire growne for the most part out of the ruine of the Christian commonweale with the vtter subuersion of many great and flourishing kingdomes and wofull fall of many moe right puissant and mightie princes not without griefe to be remembred I long since as many others haue entered into the heauie consideration thereof purposing so to haue contented my selfe with a light view of that which might well be for euer of all good Christians
written by me as meaning in any thing to preiudice thy better iudgement but to leaue it to thy good choice in such diuersitie of reports to follow that which may seeme vnto thee most true By which courtesie thou maiest hereafter encourage me to performe some other worke to thy no lesse contentment So wishing thee all happinesse I bid thee farwell From Sandwich the last of September 1603. Thine in all dutifull kindnesse R. KNOLLES The names of the Authors whom we especially vsed in the collecting and writing of the Historie of the Turks following ABrahamus Ortelius Achillis Traducci Aeneas Syluius Pont. Alcoranum Turcicum Antonius Sabellicus Antonius Bonfinius Antonius Pigafetta Antonius Guarnerius Augerius Busbequius Bernard de Girard Blondus Foroliuiensis Caelius Secundus Curio Dauid Chytreus Franciscus Sansouinus Henricus Pantaleon Iacobus Fontanus Ioannes Leunclauius Laonicus Chalcocondilas Lazarus Soranzi Leonardus Chiensis Leonardus Goretius Marinus Barletius Martinus Chromerus Nicephorus Gregoras Nicetas Choniates Nicholaus Honigerus Nicholaus Reusnerus Paulus Iouius Philippus Lonicerus Petrus Bizara Sebastianus Monsterus Thomas Minadoi Theodorus Spanduginus Germanicae Continuationes Relationum Historicarum Andreae Strigelij Theodori Meureri Iacobi Franci THE GENERAL HISTORIE OF THE TVRKES BEFORE THE RISING OF THE OTHOMAN FAMILIE WITH ALL THE NOTABLE EXPEDITIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN PRINCES AGAINST THEM THE glorious Empire of the Turkes the present terrour of the world hath amongst other things nothing in it more wonderfull or strange than the poore beginning of it selfe so small and obscure as that it is not well knowne vnto themselues or agreed vpon euen among the best writers of their histories from whence this barbarous nation that now so triumpheth ouer the best part of the world first crept out or tooke their beginning Some after the manner of most nations deriue them from the Trojans led thereunto by the affinity of the words Turci Teucri supposing but with what probabilitie I know not the word Turci or Turks to haue beene made of the corruption of the word Teucri the common name of the Trojans as also for that the Turks haue of long most inhabited the lesser ASIA wherein the antient and most famous citie of TROY sometime stood No great reason in my deeming yet giue the authors thereof leaue therewith to please themselues as well as some others which dwelling much farther off borrow or rather force their beginning from thence without any probabilitie at al and that with such earnestnesse as if they could not elsewhere haue found any so honourable ancestours Othersome report them to haue first come out of PERSIA and of I wot not what citie there to haue taken their name neither want there some which affirme them to haue taken their beginning out of ARABIA yea and some out of SYRIA with many other far fet deuises concerning the beginning and name of this people all seruing to no better purpose than to shew the vncertaintie thereof Amongst others Philip of MORNAY the noble and learned Frenchman in his woorthy worke concerning the truenesse of the Christian religion seemeth and that not without good reason to deriue the Turks together with the Tartars from the Iewes namely from the ten Tribes which were by Salmanazar king of ASIRIA in the time of Oseas king of ISRAEL caried away into captiuitie and by him confined into MEDIA and the other vnpeopled countries of the North whose going thither is not vnaptly described by Esdras where among the great Hords of the Tartars in the farthest part of the world Northward euen at this day are found some that still retaine the names of Dan Zabulon and Nepthaly a certaine argument of their discent whereunto also the word Tartar or Tatar signifying in the Syrian tongue remnants or leauings and the word Turke a word of disgrace signifying in Hebrew banished men seemeth right well to agreee Besides that in the Northern countries of RVSSIA SARMATIA and LYTHVANIA are found greater store of the Iewish nation than elsewhere and so neerer vnto the Tartarians still the mo whereunto Io. Leunclauius the most curious searcher out of the Turks antiquities and monuments addeth as a farther conjecture of the discent of those barbarous northern people from the Iewes That in his trauell through LIVONIA into LYTHVANIA in the countrie neere vnto the metropoliticall citie of RIâ—A he found there the barbarous people of the Lettoes quite differing in language from the other countrey people of the Curons and Estons no lesse barbarous than themselues who had alwaies in their mouths as a perpetuall lamentation which they with doleful moanes daily repeated abroad in the fields Ieru Ieru Masco Lon whereby they were thought to lament ouer IERVSALEM and DAMASCO as forgetfull of all other things in their antient countrey after so many worlds of yeeres and in a desolat place so far distant thence And Munster in his description of LIVONIA repeating the like words reporteth That this rude people being demaunded what they meant by these words so often and so lamentably by them without cause vttered answered That they knew no more than that they had beene so of long taught by their ancestors But to leaue these opinions concerning their beginning so diuers and vncertaine and to follow greater probabilities as concerning the place from whence they came it is vpon better ground thought by diuers others and those of the best historiographers That this barbarous nation which hath of late brought such fatall mutations vpon so great a part not of Christendom onely but euen of the whole world tooke their first beginning out of the cold and bare countrey of SCYTHIA induced thereunto both by the authoritie of the greatest Cosmographers as by most apparant reasons Pomponius Mela the describer of the world reckning vp the people neere vnto the great riuer TANAIS the bounder of EVROPE from ASIA Eastward amongst others maketh expresse mention of the Turks in these words Geloni vrbem ligneam habitant Iuxta Thyrsagete Turceque vastas syluas occupant alunturque venando Tum continuis rupibus late aspera deserta regio ad Arympheos vsque permittitur The Geloni inhabit a citie of wood And fast by the Thyrsagets and Turks possesse the vast forrests and liue by hunting Then a rough and desart countrey with continuall rocks is spaciously extended euen as far as vnto the Arympheians Plinie also in like manner reckning vp the nations about the fennes of MaeOTIS agreeing with that Mela reporteth saith Deinde Euazae Cottae Cicimeni Messeniani Costobocci Choatrae Zigae Dandari Thussagetae Turcae vsque ad solitudines saltuosis conuallibus asperas vltra quos Arymphet qui ad Riphaeos pertinent montes Next vnto them are the Euazae Cottae Cicimeni Messeniani Costobocci Choatrae Zigae Dandari the Thussagets and Turks vnto the desarts rough with wooddie vallies beyond whom are the Arympheians which border vnto the Riphean mountaines And Ptolomie in the description of SARMATIA ASIATICA maketh mention of the Tusci whom many
learned men suppose to haue been the same nation with the Turks Vnto which antient testimonies of reuerend antiquitie adde the manners and conditions of the Turks their antient attire their gesture their gate their weapons and manner of riding and fight their language and dialect so well agreeing with the Scythians and a man shall find matter enough sufficient to persuade him in reason that the Turks haue vndoubtedly taken their beginning from the Scythes whom they in so many things resemble and with whom of all other nations they best agree Now it hath beene no lesse doubted also among the writers of the Turks histories at what time and for what causes the Turks to the trouble of the world left their naturall seats in the cold countrey of SCYTHIA to seeke themselues others in more pleasant and temperat countries more Southerly than it hath beene of their originall beginning Blondus and Platina report them enforced with a generall want to haue forsaken their natiue countrey and followed their better fortune in the yeere of our Lord 755 with whom also Segonius agreeth in the cause of their departure but not in the time or place when or whereby they departed For they as he saith issued out of their dwelling places in the yeere of grace 844 by the straits of the mountaine CAVCASVS whereas the other with greater probabilitie suppose them to haue come foorth by the Caspian straits which the Turks also as saith Sabellicus affirme of themselues their ancestors as they say being by their neighbours driuen out of the Caspian mountaines Some others there be that report them to haue forsaken their natiue countrey neither enforced thereunto by necessitie or the power of others but for their valour sent for by the Sultan of PERSIA to aide him in his wars vnaduisedly supposing that to have beene the cause of their first comming out which in deed hapned long time after as in the processe of this historie shall appeare But whatsoeuer the aforesaid causes of want or of the enemies power might enforce them vnto a greater power no doubt it was that stirred them vp euen the hand of the Almightie who being the author of all kingdomes vpon earth as well those which he hath appointed as scourges wherewith to punish the world as others more blessed will haue his worke and purpose full of diuine majestie to appeare in the stirring of them vp from right small beginnings in the increasing establishing of their greatnesse and power to the astonishment of the world and in the ruine and destruction of them againe the course of their appointed time once runne As for the difference of the time of their comming foorth before remembred it may reasonably be referred vnto the diuers emotions of that people who being not vnder the command of any one but of their diuers gouernours as the manner of that people was are not to be thought to haue come foorth all at once either for one cause but at diuers times some sooner some later and that for diuers causes This people thus stirred vp and by the Caspian ports passing thorow the Georgian countrey then called IBERIA neere vnto the Caspian sea first ceased vpon a part of the greater ARMENIA and that with so strong hand that it is by their posteritie yet holden at this day and of them called TVRCOMANIA of all other the most true progenie of the ancient Turks In which great countrey they of long vnder their diuers leaders in the manner of their liuing most resembling their ancestors roamed vp and downe with their families and heards of cattell after the manner of the Scythian Nomades their countrey men without any certaine places of aboad yet at great vnitie among themselues as not hauing much to loose or wherefore to striue The first kingdome of the Turks erected in Persia by Tangrolipix Chieftaine of the Selzuccian family with the successe thereof THis wandring and vnregarded people but now the terrour of the world thus first seated in ARMENIA long time there liued in that wide countrey after their rude and woonted manner from which the Turcoman nation their posteritie in that place euen at this day as we said much differeth not and not onely notably defended the countrey thus by them at the first possessed but still incroching farther and farther and gaining by other mens harmes became at length dreadfull vnto their neighbours and of some fame also farther off whereunto the effeminat cowardise of those delicate people of ASIA with whom they had to do gaue no lesse furtherance than their owne valour being neuerthelesse an hardie rough people though not much skilfull or trained vp in the feats of war The fame of these Turks togither with their fortune thus daily encreasing and the mightie Empire of the Sarasins as fast declining which vnder their Chaliphes the successors of the false prophet Mahomet hauing in lesse than the space of two hundred yeeres ouerspread not onely the greatest part of ASIA and AFRIKE euen vnto GADES and the pillers of Hercules but also passing ouer that strait had ouerwhelmed almost all SPAINE and not there staying but passing the Pyrenei had pearsed euen into the heart of FRANCE and diuers other parts of Christendom as namely ITALY SICILY the famous Iland of the RHODES with many others of the MEDITERRANEAN now diuided in it selfe and rent into many kingdomes turned their victorious armes from the Christians vpon one another to the mutuall destruction of themselues their empire Amongst other the Sarasin Sultans which forgetting their obedience vnto their great Chaliph tooke vpon them the soueraigntie of gouernment which admitteth no partner was one Mahomet Sultan of PERSIA a right great prince who hardly beset on the one side with the Indians and on the other with the Chaliph of BABYLON his mortall enemie praied aid of the Turks his neighbours who were now come even to the side of ARAXIS the bounds of his empire Vnto which his request the Turks easily granted in hope therby to find a way for them afterwards to enter into PERSIA and so sent him three thousand hardie men vnder the leading of one Togra Mucalet the sonne of Mikeil a valiant captaine and cheefe of the Selzuccian tribe or family whom the Greeks commonly call Tangrolipix and some others Selduck or Sadock names as I suppose corrupted of the great family whereof he was descended By the aide of this Tangrolipix for now we will so call him as by the name most vsed Mahomet the Persian Sultan ouercame Pisasiris the Chaliph of BABYLON his Arabians being not able to endure the force of the Turkish archers This war thus happily ended the Turks desiring to returne home requested of the Sultan leaue to depart and with a safe conuoy to be conducted vnto the riuer ARAXIS and there to haue the passage of that swift riuer opened vnto them which was by the Persians strongly kept by two castels built vpon each
for what reason I know not emperour of the Griffons prisoner yet was he indeed neither king nor emperour but being a man of great nobilitie and power and of the honourable stocke of the Comneni had in the troublesome raigne of Andronicus Comnenus the emperour his cousin laid hold vpon that fruitfull island and there tyrannized as a reputed king vntill that now he was by king Richard taken prisoner and for his vnfaithfull dealing sent fast bound in chaines of siluer into SIRIA The king thus possessed of the whole island there at LIMOZIN married the ladie Berengaria the king of NAVARS daughter brought thither by Ioan late queene of CICILIA the kings sister And so disposing as he thought best of all things for the safe keeping of the island set forward againe with his fleet towards SIRIA Where by the way he light vpon a great ship of the Sultans laded with victuals other warlike prouisions for the reliefe of the besieged all which became a prey vnto him So holding on his course hee at length arriued at PTOLEMAIS where he was by the French king and the rest of the Christians there lying most honorably receiued Now had the citie of PTOLEMAIS beene three yeares besieged by the Christians and notably defended by the Turks during which time many an hot assault and bloodie skirmish had passed betwixt them And now the eies of all men were fixed vpon the two kings of ENGLAND and FRANCE vnto whom all the rest offred their obedience and seruice The Christian campe was great composed especially of Englishmen Frenchmen Italians and Almaines not them that were left of the emperour Frederick his armie for they were for the most part dead or else returned home againe into their countries but of such as mooued with the zeale they bare vnto this religious war came dayly in great numbers thither as did also many others of diuers nations desirous in some measure to be partakers of so honourable a war These religious and venterous Christians thus lying at the siege had with much painefull labour vndermined one of the greatest towres of the citie called the Accursed Towre with some part of the wall also by meanes whereof they were in hope to find a way into the citie Wherefore all things being now in a readinesse for the fiering of the mine it was thought good by generall consent that an assault should also at the same time be giuen vnto the citie And thereupon euery regiment was by lot appointed which part of the wall to assaile which they all with great courage vndertooke In the heat of which assault the aforesaid vndermined towre with some part of the wall the timber whereon it staied now burnt fell down with a great fall laying open a fair breach for the Christians to enter Wherwith the Turks dismaied forthwith craued to come to parle which graunted they for safegard of their liues yeelded foorthwith to giue vp the citie and to restore vnto the Christians the Holy Crosse with two thousand captiues and two hundred horsemen such as they should require of all them that were in the power of Saladin besides 200000 Constantinopolitane duckats to bee by him giuen vnto the two kings for the cost by them bestowed in the siege For payment whereof the Turkes in the citie were to remaine as hostages vnder the safe keeping of the Christians so that if all the couenants aforesaid were not within fortie daies performed by Saladin they should all for their liues be at the kings mercie So was this strong citie after it had been almost three yeares besieged deliuered vp vnto the Christians the 12 of Iulie in the yeare 1191. The first that entred were the Germanes of AUSTRIA who as if they had been the only men by whose valour the citie had been woon at their first entrie presumptuously aduaunced their ensignes vpon the top of the wals to the great offence of all the rest of the Christian princes but especially of king Richard who not vnwoorthely for his princely courage commonly called Richard Cueur de Lyon not brooking so proud an indignitie caused the ensignes of Leopold their duke to be puld downe and foiled vnderfoot which shortly after gaue him occasion of repentance as shall be hereafter seene The two kings possessed of the citie deuided the same with all the people and spoile thereof betwixt them without regard of the rest of the other noble Christians that had sustained the whole trauaile of that long siege for which cause most part of them seeing themselues so deluded withdrew themselues from them with one consent sent them word That they would forsake them except they were made partakers of the gaines as they had beene of the paines Which the two kings to content them promised they should Howbeit they delayed so long their promises that many worthie men constrained by pouertie departed discontented from them into their countries But long it was not that this one citie so lately gained could containe these two great kings whom two large kingdomes could not retaine in peace For albeit that they were in bodie together present and in one and that a most honourable action combined yet were they in hearts â—arre asunder and their secret designes much different enuie and distrust still reuiuing vnkindnes past and ministring new matter of greater discontentments King Richard according to his noble nature was of nothing more desirous than to haue the warre continued vntill they had made a full conquest of SYRIA the land of PALESTINE and for that cause requested the French king to bind himselfe together with him by solemne oath there to stay yet three yeares for the regaining of those countries But he in mind long before estranged from king Richard and in his deepe conceit plotting matters neerer home better fitting his purpose would by no meanes bee persuaded so to do but still found one occasion or other for to colour his departure And shortly after as the French Chronicles report falling extreamely sicke he requested king Richard and the other Christian princes to come vnto him vnto whom being come he in few words declared his purpose of returne as followeth I cannot my lords longer endure the inclemencie and intemperature of the aire in this extreame hot season If my death might profit the Christian Religion or any one of you or the Christian commonweale there should be no distemperature whatsoeuer that could seperate me from you or withdraw me from hence But more may the lise of one absent serue and profit you than the death of him present I must of necessitie depart yet at my departure I will leaue you fiue hundred men at armes and tenne thousand footmen the flower and choice of all the forces of Fraunce vnder the conduct of my cousin Odo duke of BVRGVNDIE vnto whom I will giue pay and intertainement with a continuall supplie of all things for them necessarie This excuse of the French kings king Richard
yeares euery barne and garnarie was full of corne euery sellarfull of wines euery stable full of cattell euery storehouse full of victuals the fields were couered with corne and cattell and in euery mans yeard were to be seene all kinds of tame foules without number At which time also there fortuned a great famine among the Turkes insomuch as that they were inforced to fetch their greatest reliefe from out of the Christian countries Then might you haue seene euery way full of Turks men women and children trauelling to and fro into the emperours prouinces for victuals their gold their siluer their other rich commodities they gaue vnto the Christians for food a little corne was woorth a good commoditie euery bird sheepe and kid was sold at a great rate by which meanes the countrey mens houses were full of the Turkes wealth and the emperours cofers stored with their treasure The greatnesse of the profit arising of this plentie of the Christians and penurie of the Turks may hereby easily be gathered for that of egges daily sold so much money was in short time gathered as made the empresse an imperiall crowne of gold richly set with most orient pearle and pretious stones of great price which the emperour called Ouata for that it was bought with egge money Thus flourished the Greeke empire in the lesser ASIA vnder the good emperour Iohn Ducas The Turks at the same time declining as fast daily pilled in one corner or another by the Tartars and consumed with famine at home Fredericke the Germane emperour had of long time vowed to take vpon him an expedition into the Holy land for performance whereof he was hardly called vpon first by Honorius quartus the Pope and afterward for his long delay excommunicated by Gregorie the ninth not so much for the zeale they had vnto the sacred warre as to busie the emperour a farre off in warres abroad whilest they in the meane time to increase their owne power drew from him some one part or other of his empire which he not without cause fearing from day to day and yeare to yeare delayed the performance of his vow so much vrged by the Pope by his presence and power still disappointing all the slie designs of the Popes conceiued or put in practise against him But now at length mooued or more truly to say enforced with the thundering and lightning of Pope Gregorie he resolued to set forward in the yeare 1227. About which time Iolenta or Yoland his wife the king of HIERUSALEM his daughter died in childbed being before deliuered of a faire sonne Now were met together at BRVNDUSIVM an exceeding great number of couragious and deuout souldiors out of all parts of Christendome especially out of GERMANIE vnder the leading of Lodowicke Lantgraue of THURINâ—E Sigefride bishop of ANGUSTA all stirred vp with the same of so notable an expedition But whilest they there staied somewhat long the plague arise among the Germanes whereof in short time after both the Lantgraue and the bishop died with many of the other best souldiors The emperour himselfe was vpon his way as farre as MALEA vpon the farther side of PELOPONESUS where falling desperatly sick of a burning feauer and put backe with contrarie winds he returned againe to BRUNDUSIUM and there staied a great while after Then began the Pope againe to fret and fume and to cast out his excommunications against the emperour as if it had beene thunder and lightening accusing him of perjurie infidelitie and many other grieuous crimes of all which the emperour was readie to haue cleared himselfe in an open assemblie of the princes of GERMANIE to haue beene holden at RAVENNA had it not beene by the Pope and the troubles of LOMBARDIE disturbed Neuerthelesse he by open protestations and writings fully answered all the Popes vnjust accusations wherewith he had been so hardly charged And yet desirous to performe the expedition by him taken in hand hauing set all things in good order and put himselfe againe in readinesse he set forward from BRUNDUSIUM in August in the yeare 1228 leauing the charge of his territories in ITALIE vnto the care of Reynolde duke of SPOLETO The Pope displeased for that the emperour at his departure had neither reconciled himselfe nor taken his leaue of him and deeming therein his excommunications and fulminations to be contemned set at naught fell into such a rage and choller that he forbad all the Christian forces that were in SYRIA to follow him or to yeeld to him their obedience and writ letters also vnto the Sultan not to come to any agreement with the emperour or to yeeld vnto him any part of the Holy land which very letters the Sultan afterwards sent vnto the emperour Neither yet so contented immediatly after his departure ran vpon his kingdome of NAPLES and so filled all ITALIE with troubles Neuerthelesse the emperor happely arriuing at PTOLEMAIS was there honourably receiued of the Christian forces notwithstanding the Popes threats and cursings Of whose arriuall Sultan Meledin hauing intelligence and loath to draw so mightie an enemie as was the emperour vpon him by his embassadours offered him most honourable conditions of peace Which before he would accept of he by conuenient messengers sent vnto the Pope to haue his consent approbation But such was his rage as that he would not suffer the messengers to come into his presence or vouchsafe to read the emperours letters being brought vnto him but like a mad man presently rent them in peeces All which indignities the emperour neuerthelesse tooke in good part and concluded a peace with the Turks for ten years vpon these conditions first That he should be annointed and accounted king of HIERUSALEM then That the holy citie with all the land of PALESTINE should be deliuered vnto him thirdly That he might at his pleasure fortefie the cities of NAZARETH and IOPPE fourthly That all such places as were sometime in the power of Baldwin the fourth king of HIERUSALEM and taken from him by Sultan Saladin should be restored and last of all That all prisoners on both sides should be set at libertie without ransome So the peace concluded the emperour with his armie came to the desolate citie of HIERUSALEM and there vpon Easter day was with great solemnitie crowned king therof in the yeare 1229. And so hauing repaired the wals of the citie with certaine churches fortified NAZARETH and IOPPE and furnished them with strong garrisons and appointed Raynold duke of BAVARIA his leiutenaÌ„t in SYRIA he with two gallies only returned into ITALIE Euer since which time the kings of SICILIA haue beene also called kings of HIERUSALEM and haue oftentimes borne the armes of both kingdomes The next yeare Pope Gregorie in despite of the emperour Frederick more than for any zeale vnto the Christian religion did by the Dominicans Fransciscans two orders of friers but then lately erected as by his trumpeters stir vp a woonderfull
called Anne with whom amongst other honourable and beautifull dames sent by the king her brother for the accompanying of her to CONSTANTINOPLE was one Marcesina a rare paragon of such a feature as if nature had in her meant to bestow her greatest skill From whose mouth alwaies flowed a fountaine of most sugred words and out of her eies issued as it were nets to entangle the amorous in vpon this so faire an object the emperour not fearing further harme tooke pleasure oftentimes to feed his eies vntill that at length caught with her lookes he had lost his libertie and was of a great emperor become her thrall in such sort as that in comparison of her he seemed little or nothing to regard the yoong empresse his wife but so far doated vpon her that he suffered her to be attired and honoured with the same attire and honour that the empresse was her selfe whom she now so farre exceeded both in grace and fauour with the emperour and honour of the people as that shee almost alone enjoyed the same without regard of her vnto whom it was of more right due Whilest she thus alone triumpheth at length it fortuned that shee in all her glorie attended vpon with most of the gallants of the court and some of the emperours guard would needs goe whether for deuotion or for her recreation I know not to visite the monasterie and faire church which Blemmydes a noble man of great renowne both for his integritie of life and learning had of his owne cost and charges but lately built in the countrey where he together with his monkes as men wearie of the world liued a deuout and solitarie contemplatiue life after the manner of that time with the great good opinion of the people in generall This Blemmydes was afterward for his vpright life and profound learning chosen Patriarch of CONSTANTINOPLE which great honour next vnto the emperour himselfe he refused contenting himselfe with his cell Marcesina comming thither in great pompe and thinking to haue entred the church had the dores shut against her by the monkes before commaunded so to doe by Blemmydes their founder and so was to her great disgrace kept out For that deuout man deemed it a great impietie to suffer that so wicked and shamelesse a woman against whom he had most sharply both spoken and written with her prophane and wicked feet to tread vpon the sacred pauement of his church She enraged with this indignitie hardly by so proud a woman to be with patience disgested and prickt forward by her flattering â—ollowers also returning to the court grieuously complained thereof vnto the emperour stirring him vp by all meanes she could to reuenge the same persuading him to haue been therein himselfe disgraced Whereunto were joyned also the hard speeches of her pickthanke fauourits who to currie Fauell spared not to put oyle as it were ynto the fire for the stirring vp of the emperour vnto reuenge Who with so great a complaint nothing mooued vnto wrath but strucke as it were to the heart with a remorse of conscience and oppressed with heauinesse with teares running downe his cheekes and fetching a deepe sigh said Why prouoke you me to punish so deuout and just a man whereas if I would my selfe haue liued without reproch and infamie I should haue kept my imperiall majestie vnpolluted or stained But now sith I my selfe haue beene the cause both of mine owne disgrace and of the empires I may thanke mine owne deserts if of such euill seed as I haue sowne I now reape also an euill haruest After the death of this good emperour Theodorus his sonne borne the first yeare of his fathers raigne being then about three and thirtie yeares old was by the generall consent of the people saluted emperour in his stead who in the beginning of his empire renewed the league which his father had made with Iathatines the Turkish Sultan And so hauing prouided for the securitie of his affaires in ASIA he with a puissant armie passed ouer the strait of HELLESPONTUS into EUROPE to appease the troubles there raised in MACEDONIA and THRACIA by the king of BULGARIA his brother in law and Michaell Angelus Despot of THESSALIA who vpon the death of the old emperour began to spoile those countries not without hope at length to haue joyned them vnto their owne by whose comming they were for all that disappointed of their purpose and glad to sue to him for peace But whilest he was there busied he was aduertised by letters from NICE That Michaell Paleologus whom he had left there gouernour in his absence was secretly fled vnto the Turks with which newes he was not a little troubled The cause of whose flight as Paleologus himselfe gaue it out was for that he perceiued himselfe diuers waies by many his enemies brought into disgrace and the emperours eares so filled with their odious complaints so cunningly framed against him as that they were not easily or in short time to bee refelled and therefore fearing in the emperours heauie displeasure to be suddainely taken away to haue willingly gone into exile if so happely he might saue his life from the mallice of them that sought after it At his comming to ICONIUM he found Iathatines the Sultan making great preparation against the Tartars who hauing driuen the Turks out of PERSIA and the other farre Easterne countries as is before declared and running still on did with their continuall incursions spoile a great part of their territories in the lesser ASIA also and now lay at AXARA a towne not far off from ICONIUM against whom the Sultan now making the greatest preparation hee could gladly welcommed Paleologus whom he knew to be a right valiant and worthie captaine commending to his charge the leading of certaine bands of Greekes whom he had retained to serue him in those warres as he had others also of the Latines vnder the conduct of Boniface Moline a nobleman of VENICE and so hauing put all things in readinesse and strengthened with these forraine supplies of the Greekes and Latines set forward against his enemies the Tartars who at the first sight of the strange ensignes and souldiors were much dismayed fearing some greater force had been come to the aid of the Turkes Neuerthelesse joyning with them in battell had with them at the first a most terrible and bloodie conflict wherein that part of the armie that stood against Paleologus and his Greekes was put to the worse to the great discomfiture of the Tartars being euen vpon the point to haue fled had not one of the greatest commaunders in the Turks armie and a nigh kinsman of the Sultans for an old grudge that he bare vnto the Sultan with all his regiment in the heat of the battell reuolted vnto the Tartars whereby the fortune of the battell was in a moment as it were quite altered they which but now were about to haue fled fighting like lyons and they that were
into ASIA and by the same ships returned souldiors as fast as he could into EUROPE so that he had in one day two hundred souldiors more brought ouer vnto him And manning such small vessels as hee had left about the castle sent Ezes-beg alongst the coast on EUROPE side to burne such shipping or vessels as he could find least the Christians should by them hinder his passage vpon the strait of HELLESPONTUS So in a few daies Solyman had transported into EUROPE two thousand good souldiors of the Turks whom he so gouerned that they did not in any violent sort injurie the vulgar Christians by reason whereof the common people began to like reasonable well of the Turks and to conuerse with them without feare This was the first comming ouer of the Turks into EUROPE with purpose there to conquer and inhabit vnder the fortune of the Othoman kings For albeit that some of that nation had at sundrie times before come ouer as men seeking after spoile or otherwise sent for yea sometimes by the Greeke emperours themselues yet neuer stayed they long but hauing done that they came for or els lost themselues returned back againe into ASIA vntill that now conducted by Solyman and possessed of the little castle of ZEMBENIC as is aforesaid they there tooke so fast footing as that they and their posteritie after them were neuer thence to be since that time remoued but still more and more encroching vpon the Christians haue vnto their Asian kingdome joyned a great part of EUROPE also to the terrour of the rest that yet remaineth as in the processe of this Historie shall if God will at large appeare About two miles from ZEMBENIC in CHERSONESVS was another castle called MAITO or more truely MADITVS which Solyman also tooke so that now he had gotten two castles in EVROPE both which he stongly manned After which time the Turkes in great numbers came out of ASIA into EVROPE ouer that narrow strait of HELLESPONTVS to dwell in CHERSONESVS and Solyman in stead of them to make roome for his Turkes sent Christians out of EVROPE to be placed amongst the Turkes in ASIA The report of this comming ouer of the Turkes into CHERSONESVS and of the taking of the castle of ZEMBENIC carried in post to CONSTANTINOPLE was sufficient to haue stirred vp any prouident or carefull men presently to haue taken vp armes for the recouerie of the lost castle and the driuing out againe of the barbarous enemies out of EVROPE before they had gathered any greater strength or setled themselues in those places but such was the carelesse negligence and great securitie of the proud Greekes that in stead thereof they to extenuate the greatnesse of the losse commonly sayd That there was but an hogstie lost alluding vnto the name of the castle and vainely as sayth a graue Father of their owne jeasting at that was not to be jeasted at and laughing at that was not to bee laughed but lamented for as in few yeares it prooued their foolish laughter being not without good cause conuerted into most bitter teares Solyman his strength so still increasing by the dayly comming ouer of the Turkes hee proceeded farther to spoyle the countrey of CHERSONESVS almost as farre as CALLIPOLIS distant from the castle ZEMBENIC about two and twentie miles after which pleasant citie the proud Turke began now to long Which the gouernour thereof perceiuing by the Turkes continuall encroaching vpon him raysed what power he was able to make and so went out against them all the rest of the Greekes in the meane time lying still as if they had beene a sleepe or that the matter had not concerned them but meeting the Turkes he was by them after a great conflict ouerthrowne and for sauegard of his life glad to flie into his citie after whom the Turkes following spoyled the countrey round about and in their returne by plaine force tooke the citie together with the castle also which hapned in the yeere of our Lord 1358 Where the madnesse of the Greeks was againe more than before to bee wondred at for the newes of the losse of CALIPOLIS being brought to CONSTANTINOPLE the people there made small account thereof although it was indeed a right great losse and much concerned the state but to extenuate the matter when they had any talke thereof in jeasting wise commonly said That the Turks had but taken from them a pottell of wine but by taking of such hogstyes and pottels of wine as they termed it the Turks in a few yeares after had gone so farre in THRACIA that Amurath this same Solyman his Nephew which now tooke from the Greekes the citie of CALLIPOLIS euen in the heart as it were of the Greeke empire placed his royal seat at HADRIANOPLE and immediately after him Baiazet his sonne hauing subdued all the countrey euen to the walles of CONSTANTINOPLE for certaine yeares layd hard siege vnto the imperiall citie it selfe and had no doubt then carried it had not the great expedition of the mightie Tartar prince Tamerlaine vnto Baiazet fatall in the meane time hapned whereby God so appointing it the prosperous succeedings of the Turkes were for a space well stayed that they should not before the time by him prefined deuour the reliques of the Greeke empire And it were to be wished that the Christians of our time also by their example warned would at length awake out of their dead sleepe who of late haue lost vnto the same enemie not the castle of ZEMBENIC or the citie of CALLIPOLIS but whole kingdomes as HVNGARIE and CYPRVS and are still faire in the way I say no more for greefe and foreboding of euill fortune But againe to our purpose Solyman hauing made this prosperous entrance into EVROPE and there got strong footing by speedie messengers certified his father what he had done and that it was expedient for him with all speed to send vnto him a great supplie of men of warre as well for the sure defence and keeping of the castles and forts by him alreadie gotten as for the further inuasion of the countrey This message was woonderfull welcome vnto Orchanes and whereas many families of the Sarazins at that present were come into the countrey of CARASINA to possesse the dwellings and places of them which in hope to better their estate were before gone ouer into EVROPE all these Sarazins hee commaunded to passe ouer into EVROPE likewise which they did accordingly seating themselus for a time in the countrey neere to CALLIPOLIS In the meane time Solyman omitted no oportunitie to enter further into the countrie winning small forts and holds and still peopling the same with his Turkes And on the other side they of CARASINA passed ouer into EUROPE placing thēselues as it were in a new world For which cause and for the great desire they had to extend the Turkish dominion and religion they refused no paines of warre so that all things at that time prospered with the
said vnto the confederate princes that were with him Verilie Amurath threatneth to take from vs our cities of ICONIUM and LARENDA but let him take heed that we take not from him his faire citie of PRVSA Then demaunding of the embassadour of what strength Amurath might be It was answered by him that he deemed him to bee about seuentie thousand strong Whereat Aladin not a little rejoycing said Assuredly when he shall see our armie he will not dare to giue vs battaile or if he do he shall fight vpon great disaduantage his men being both fewer in number than we and sore wearied with long and painefull trauaile In the meane time Amurath held on his way towards CARAMANIA daily encouraging his souldiours with persuasions and gifts bountifully bestowed vpon them filling their heads with promises of greater the warres once happily ended At length he came to the great plaines in CARAMANIA called the French plains because in former time the Christians whom the Turks for most part call Frankes in those places encamped their great armies as they went to the winning of IERVSALEM as in the former part of this historie is declared into these plaines also came Aladin with his armie and was now encamped within one daies march of Amurath and so rested that night The next morning Amurath put his armie in order of battaile appointing the leading of the right wing to his youngest sonne Iacup with whom he joyned Cutluzes Beg Eine Beg Subbassa Egridum Subbassa Seraze and Custendil two Christian princes all captaines of great experience the left wing was led by Baiazet his eldest sonne with Ferize and Hozze both valiant captaines in which wings were also placed the Christian souldiors sent by Lazarus out of SERVIA according to the late conuention of peace in the maine battell he stood himselfe the vauntgard was conducted by Temurtases and the reareward by the Sabbassa of OXYLLITHUS called also Temurtases and Achmetes Aladin on the other side with no lesse care and diligence set his men likewise in order of battaile placing himselfe in the maine battaile as did Amurath and the princes his Allies with his other expert captaines some in the right wing and some in the left as he thought most conuenient in such sort as that in all mens iudgement he was in force nothing inferiour to his father in law These great enemies thus ranged with ensignes displaid came on couragiously one directly vpon the other where approaching together the confused noise of trumpets drummes fifes with other instruments of warre the neighing of horses and clattering of armour was so great that whilst warlike minds thereat rejoyced cowards thought heauen fell But the signe of battaile on both sides giuen Samagazes one of the confederate princes with exceeding courage first charged Temurtases in the vauntguard and broke his rankes at which time Teberruses a Tartar prince and Varsacides another of the confederats deliuered their arrowes also vpon the vauntguard as if it had been a shower of haile Which Baiazet seeing and how hardly Temurtases was charged hauing before obtained leaue of his father brake in vpon the enemie with such violence as if it had been the lightening whereof he was euer after surnamed Gilderun which is to say the Lightening Ferizes and Hozza with the other valiant captaines in that wing following Baiazet with inuincible courage entred the battaile where for a great space was made a most dreadfull and doubtfull fight A man would haue thought two wrought seas had met together swaying one against the other doubtfull which way the current would at length fall In this conflict many thousands were on both sides slain so that the field lay couered with the dead bodies of worthie men and valiant souldiors yet at length these confederate princes finding themselues ouermatched by Baiazet and his souldiors reseruing themselues to their better fortunes turned their backes and fled when Aladin seeing a great part of his armie thus ouerthrowne and himselfe now readie to be charged with Amurath his whole power despairing of victorie sped himselfe in all hast to ICONIUM his strong citie The spoile which Amurath got in this battell was great most part whereof he gaue in reward to Temortases and his souldiors which had endured the greatest furie of that battaile Amurath after this victorie with all speed marched to ICONIUM and there besieged Aladin the Caramanian king in his strongest cittie giuing out proclamation in the mean time That none of his souldiours vpon paine of death should vse any violence to any of the countrey people or take any thing from them to the intent it might appeare vnto the world that he made that warre against that Mahometan king rather to propulse injurie and wrong than for desire of soueraigntie or spoile Which his so straight a proclamation the Christians sent by Lazarus amongst others transgressed and therefore by his commandement suffred many of them exemplarie punishment which was the cause of the Seâ—â—ian waâ— which not long after ensued fatall both vnto Amurath and Lazarus the Despot as hereafter shall appeare Aladin now on euerie side besieged in ICONIUM and without all hope of escape sent vnto the queene his wife Amuraths daughter bewailing vnto her his desperat estate and requesting her by all the loue that so honourable a minded ladie might beare to her miserable husband to aduenture her selfe to goe to her angrie father and to craue pardon for his great trespasse and offence The queene forthwith attiring her selfe as was fittest for her husbands present estate came vnto her father where falling downe at his feet vpon her knees with wordes wisely placed and teares distilling downe her faire cheeks from her fairer eies as if it had been from two fountaines in most sorrowfull manner craued her husbands pardon imputing vnto the heat of youth whatsoeuer he had done and would not be comforted or taken vp vntill she had obtained grace Amurath most entirely loued this his daughter and therefore for her sake not onely graunted vnto her her husbands life which in short time was like to haue been in his power to haue spilt but also his kingdome which he as a victorious conquerour might by law of armes haue of right detained She now assured of her fathers promise sent vnto her husband Aladin willing him the next day without feare to come out of the citie and in humble sort to acknowledge his fault before her father Who the next morning accordingly came out and prostrating himselfe before Amurath acknowledged his vndutifulnes of whom for his wiues sake he obtained pardon and restitution to his kingdome with many other great gifts contrarie to his euil desert The Latine histories mistaking the man report that this Caramanian warre to haue been fought against the king of CARAMANIA Amurath his owne grandfather by the mothers side and that he was by Amurath then spoiled of a great part of his kingdom but it agreeth not with the Turkish histories which make
friendship was the best bargaine they could make therein But they receiued answere from this worthie prince farre beyond their expectatation For he with a mild countenance beholding them answered them That he was not come from so farre a countrey or vndertaken so much paines for the enlargement of his dominions alreadie large inough too base a thing for him to put himselfe into so great danger and trauaile for but rather to winne honour and thereby to make his name famous vnto all posteritie for euer And that therefore it should well appeare vnto the world that hee was come to aid him being requested as his friend and allie And that his vpright meaning therein was the greatest cause That God from aboue had beheld his power and thereby brused the head of the greatest and fiercest enemie of mankind that was vnder heauen And now to get him an immortall name would make free so great and flourishing a citie as was CONSTANTINOPLE gouerned by so noble and ancient an house as the emperours That vnto his courage hee had alwaies faith joyned such as should neuer suffer him to make so great a breach in his reputation as that it should be reported of him That in the colour of a friend he came to inuade the dominions of his allies That he desired no more but that the seruice he had done for the Greeke emperour might for euer be ingrauen in the memorie of his posteritie to the end they might for euer wish well vnto him and his successours by remembring the good he had done them That long might the noble emperor liue happily to gouern his estate And that before his returne he would so well consider for the establishing of the same as that he should not lightly fall againe into the like jeopardie alwaies assuring himselfe of his good will and fauour towards him Easie it is to judge what joy these Greeke embassadours receiued to heare this so kind an answere from the mouth of Tamerlane himselfe who rather than he would seeme to breake his faith refused an empire offered vnto him with one of the most stately and magnificent cities of the world Few princes I suppose would performe such a part but so there be likewise but few Tamerlanes in the world These embassadours by the commaundement of Tamerlane were by Axalla royally feasted and all the honour done them that might be One of them being sent backe to carrie these vnexpected newes vnto the Greeke emperour filled both him and all the citie of CONSTANTINOPLE with exceeding joy and gladnesse which both he and his subjects in generall spared not with bonfires and all other signes of joy and pleasure to manifest And the more to shew his thankefulnesse shortly after by the aduice of his graue counsailours passed ouer the strait into ASIA to see Tamerlane at PRUSA and in person himselfe to giue him thankes who hearing of his comming and very glad thereof presently vpon the first dayes journey sent the prince Axalla to meet him and to certefie him of the joy that he conceiued to haue the good hap for to see him as also to conduct him to PRUSA where those two great princes with the greatest magnificence that might be met and so spent one whole day together The Greeke emperour the next day taking his leaue was by Tamerlane with much honour conducted out of the cittie Now had Tamerlane himselfe conceiued a secret desire to see this so famous a citie as was CONSTANTINOPLE from which he was not now farre yet would he not goe thither as a conquerour but as a priuat person which by the meanes of Axalla was accomplished and he thereinto by the Greeke emperour priuatly receiued and with all familiaritie possible entertained the emperour shewing vnto him all the rare and excellent things that were therein to be seene and the other Greeke princes deuising all the meanes they could to do him pleasure and them which did accompanie him who were in a manner all apparrelled after the Greeke fashion At which time the Greeke emperour himselfe was curious to shew vnto him all the faire gardens alongst the sea coast a league or two from CONSTANTINOPLE and so priuatly conducting him spent fiue or six daies with all the mirth that might be possible Tamerlane by the way oftentimes saying That he had neuer seene a fairer citie and that it was indeed the citie considering the faire and rich situation thereof of right worthie to commaund all the world He wondered at the costly buildings of the temples the faire ingrauen pillars the high pyramides and the making of the faire gardens and oftentimes afterwards said That he nothing repented him of his so long and dangerous a voyage if it had been onely but to haue preserued from fire and sword so noble a citie as that was In the Greeke emperour he commended greatly his mild nature and courtesie who knowing him aboue all things to take pleasure in faire seruiceable horses gaue vnto him thirtie of the fairest strongest and readiest that were possible to be gotten all most richly furnished and sent likewise faire presents vnto all the princes and great commaunders of the armie and bountifully caused to bee deliuered vnto them all things which he thought to be necessarie for the armie So after many great kindnesses in short time passed and a strait bond of friendship made and by solemne oath confirmed betwixt the two great princes Tamerlane with great contentment tooke his leaue of the emperour and returned againe to his armie at PRUSA Wherewith he now at his pleasure without resistance wasted and spoiled all Baiazet his dominion in ASIA no man daring to make head against him The yeare being now well spent and Winter drawing on Tamerlane dispersed his armie into diuers of the prouinces of the lesser ASIA expecting still when some of Baiazet his sonnes or other friends should make sute or meanes vnto him for his deliuerance but none came some fearing Tamerlane his heauie indignation and others no lesse dreading the fierce nature of Baiazet himselfe who if hee had beene deliuered was like ynough as was thought to haue taken sharpe reuenge vpon all them which forsooke him in the late battaile and therefore neuer made intercession for him Whereupon Tamerlane one day passing by him said vnto him I maruell that none of thy sonnes or friends either come to see thee or to entreat for thee it must needs be that thou hast euill deserued of them as thou hast of others yet how thinkest thou If I should set thee at libertie would they againe receiue thee as their lord and soueraigne or not To whom Baiazet boldly answered Were I at libertie thou shouldest well see how that I want neither courage nor meanes to reuenge all my wrongs and to make those disobedient forgetfull to know their duties better Which his proud answere made Tamerlane to keepe a straighter hand ouer him In this great and bloodie warre wherein the Othoman empire
at length to SAMERCAND the famous place of his birth and glorious seat of his empire Now had Baiazet but a little before one of the greatest princes on earth and now the scorne of fortune and a byword to the world with great impatiencie laine two yeares in most miserable thraldome for most part shut vp in an yron cage as some dangerous wild beast and hauing no better meanes to end his loathed life did violently beat out his braines against the barres of the yron grate wherein he was inclosed and so died about the yeare of our Lord 1399. Yet of his death are diuers other reports some saying That hee died of an ague proceeding of sorrow and greefe others that he poysoned himselfe and the Turks affirming that he was set at libertie by Tamerlane being by him beforehand poysoned whereof hee died three dayes after hee was enlarged a report not like to be true but howsoeuer it was his end appeareth to haue ben right miserable His dead bodie at the request of his sonne Mahomet was by Tamerlane sent to ASPRAPOLIS from whence it was afterwards conueyed to PRUSA and there lieth buried in a chappell neere vnto the great Mahometane temple without the citie Eastward where also lieth his beloued wife Despina with his eldest sonne Erthogrul And fast by in a little chappell lieth buried his brother Iacup whom he in the beginning of his raigne murthered These two great and mightie princes Tamerlane and Baiazet both of them whilest they liued a burâ—hen vnto the world as they tooke their beginning from the Scythes or Tartars so were they of like honourable progenitors descended Baiazet being the fourth in discent from the warlike Othoman the raiser of his familie and Tamerlane in like degree from the great Zingis the first and most fortunat leader of the Tartars his countreymen vnto the pleasures of the East both princes of great power and like spirit wise hardie painefull resolute and most skilfull in martiall affaires but ambitious aboue measure the ground of all the former troubles by them raised to the astonishment of the world Howbeit the great vertues and other the honourable qualities of Baiazet were in him by his chollericke and waiward nature much obscured which made him to exceed both in crueltie and pride being also much more handfast than were his honourable predecessors For which causes he was much feared and lesse beloued of his souldiors and men of warre in generall and of them at his most need forsaken He vsed commonly to say That his treasures were his childrens meat and not his souldiors pay which by way of reproch was by a common souldior cast in his teeth when hee raged to see himselfe by them forsaken in the great battell against Tamerlane telling him as he fled That he ran not away but went to seek his pay wherewith to prouide his children bread Whereas all the aforesaid vertues in Tamerlane were graced with diuers others of like nature no man being vnto his friends more courteous or kind either vnto his enemies more dreadfull or terrible The good seruice of his seruants hee neuer forgot either left the same long vnrewarded being thereof so mindfull as that he needed not by them or others in their behalfe to be put in remembrance thereof hauing alwaies by him a catalogue both of their names and good deserts which he daily perused Oftentimes saying that day to be lost wherein he had not giuen them something and yet neuer bestowing his preferments vpon such as ambitiously sought the same as deeming them in so doing vnwoorthie thereof but vpon such as whose modestie or desert he thought worthie those his great fauours so tempering the seueritie of his commaunds with the greatnesse of his bountie as that it is hard to say whether he was of his nobilitie and men of war for the one more feared or for the other beloued both the great staies of princes states feare keeping the obstinat in their obedience and loue the dutifull in their deuotion But with Baiazet it was not so who deeming all done for him but dutie and by nature chollericke and proud after the manner of tyrants desired aboue all to be of his subjects feared not much regarding how little hee was of them beloued not the least cause of his great fall and miserie and that therein he was of his owne so smally regarded wherin for all that he is to be accounted more fortunat than the other great conquerour his enemie hauing euer since in the lineall descent of himselfe had one of the greatest Monarchs of the world to succeed still in his kingdome and empire as hee hath euen at this day the great Sultan Mahomet the third of that name who now in great majestie raigneth in CONSTANTINOPLE Whereas the glorie of Tamerlane his empire euen in his owne time growne to the height therof and labouring with the greatnesse of it selfe and by him deuided amongst his sonnes shortly after his death decayed rent in sunder by ambition and ciuile discord and not long after together with his posteritie rooted out by Vsun-Cassanes the Persian king to the worlds woonder tooke end nothing of the huge greatnesse thereof now or since then remaining more than the fame thereof as doth also the miserie of the other so brought low But leauing this mirrour of mishap Baiazet vnto his rest and Tamerlane for a while to triumph in SAMERCAND let vs now proceed in the course of our Historie yet not forgetting by the way to remember such Christian princes as then liued together with these two great Monarchs FINIS Christian princes of the same time with Baiazet the first Emperours Of the East Emanuell Palaeologus 1387. 30. Of the West Wenceslaus son to Charles king of Bohemia 1378. 22. Rupertus duke of Bauaria 1400. 10. Kings Of England Richard the second 1377. 23. Henrie the fourth 1399. 12. Of Fraunce Charles the sixt surnamed The welbeloued 1381. 42. Of Scotland Iohn Stuart otherwise called Robert the third 1390. 16. Bishops of Rome Vrban the VI. 1380. 11. Boniface the IX 1390. 14. MAHOMET I. MAHOMETHES PRIMVS QVINTVS TVRCARVM REX FLORVIT ANNO 1405 Vindicibus Mahomet patrium sibi vendicat armis Imperium fractas feruidus auget opes Quod patri abstulerat violentia Tamberlani Imperio reddit Marte fauente suo Ille sagittiferosque Dacas validosque Triballos Contudit populos Ister amoene tuos Turcica sic rursus sublata potentia stragem Attulit imperio Romule magne tuo By force of armes stout Mahomet his fathers kingdome gaines And doth the broken state thereof repaire with restlesse paines What so the force of Tamerlane had from his father tane He by his fortune and his force restor'd the same againe The Dacians he vanquished and Seruians in field And forc'd the people neere to thee faire ISTER for to yeeld So once againe the Turkish state by him rais'd vp on hie Hath to thine empire Romulus brought great
withstood whose furious impression wheÌ„ the Turks could not by plain force endure they began with their fresh horsemen cunningly to delude their desperat fiercenesse at such time as the Hungarians began most hardly to charge them they by by turned their backs suffering them a while to follow after theÌ„ far scattered dispersed who allured as it were with the hope of a present victory eagrely pursued them in the pursuit slew diuers of them And they again vpon a signall giueÌ„ closing together turning back vpon the dispierced troups well reuenged the death of their fellows with their often charges retraits wonderfully wearied the Hungarians notably deluding their furious attempts with that vncertain kind of fight all the day long Many of the Hungarians were there slain and the Turks had that day the better and so both armies being wearied night and wearines ended the fight both retiring into their trenches there keeping most carefull watch The next morning by the dawning of the day the battaile was again begun Huniades his brother Generall of the Valachians with his light horsemen setting first forward after whom in seemly order followed the rest of the nobilitie with their companies Where for certaine howers the battaile was hardly fought with like hope on both sides and a great slaughter made but especially of the Hungarians who wearied with the long fight most part of them wounded were now all to endure this third daies labour Zechel Huniades his sisters sonne valiantly fighting in the front of the battaile was the first of the leaders there slaine in the thickest of the Turks Emericus Marzalus and Stephen Bamffi both great commaunders enclosed by the Turks there died also Amurath seeing the formost ensignes of the Christians which stood in Zechel his regiment taken and his soldiors discomfited with the death of their colonell turning their backs presently commaunded all the companies which were manie yet left in the trenches for fresh supplies to issue foorth and at once to ouerwhelme the Christians being as hee said but few and ouerweried with three daies continuall fight Vpon which the kings commaund they fiercely breaking out presently ouerthrew both the wings of the Christians before wauering and in a great battaile wherein most of the chiefe commaunders were slaine and their ensigns taken discomfited the rest and with a great slaughter put them to flight Huniades seeing his brother now slaine the ensignes taken and the battaile quite lost betooke himselfe to flight also leauing behind him his tents and baggage all which shortly after became a prey vnto the Turkes who from noone vntill night furiously followed the chase with most cruell execution but at length staied by the comming on of the darkenesse they returned againe vnto their trenches The rest of the Turkes armie that followed not the chase compassing in the Hungarian campe were there by the wounded souldiors the wagoners and other drudges of the armie kept out so long as they had any shot left but yet were in the end euerie mothers sonne slaine though not altogither vnreuenged two or three of the Turkes in many places lying dead by the bodie of one Hungarian Amurath to couer the greatnesse of the losse he there receiued commanded the bodies of his captaines there slaine to be forthwith buried and the bodies of his common souldiours to be for the most part cast into the riuer SCHICHNIZA For which cause the inhabitants of the countrey there by of long time after abstained from eating of any fish taken in that riuer The plaine by this great battaile made once againe famous lay neuerthelesse many yeares alter couered with dead mens bones as if it had been with stones neither could be ploughed by the countrey people but that long time after armour and weapons were there still in many places turned vp and found Thus albeit that this bloudy victorie fell vnto the Turkes yet was their losse farre greater than the Hungarians hauing lost as was reported by them that say least foure and thirtie thousand of themselues for eight thousand of their enemies Howbeit they themselues report the losse to haue beene on both sides far greater as that of the Christians were slaine seuenteene thousand and of themselues fortie thousand which in so long and mortall a fight is not vnlike to haue been true In this vnfortunate battaile fell most part of the Hungarian nobilitie all men worthy eternall fame and memorie whose names we for breuitie wil passe ouer Many in the chase taken and the next day brought to Amurath were by the commandement of the angrie tyrant slaine Such as escaped out of the slaughter by the way of ILLYRIA returned in safetie but such as sought to saue themselues by returning back againe through SERVIA the Despots countrey found the same so troublesome as that few of them escaped but that they were by the way either slaine or quite stripped of all they had Neither was the fortune of the noble Huniades much better than the fortune of the rest who hauing on horsebacke all alone by vncouth and vntract waies trauailed three daies without meat or drinke and the fourth day tired his horse and cast him off being on foot and disarmed fell into the hands of two notable theeues who in dispoiling him of his apparell finding a faire crucifix of gold about his necke fell at strife betwixt themselues for the same whereby he tooke occasion to lay hand vpon one of their swords and with the same presently thrust him through and then suddenly assailing the other put him to flight also So deliuered of this danger trauailing on and almost spent with thirst and hunger the next day he light vpon a sheepheard a sturdâ—e rough knaue who hearing of the ouerthrow of the Hungarians was in hope of prey roaming abroad in that desolat countrey Who at their first meeting strucken with the majestie of the man stood at gaze vpon him as did also Huniades fearing in his so great weaknesse to haue to doe with him Thus a while hauing the one well regarded the other they began to enter talke the sheepheard bluntly asking him of his fortune and he for Gods sake crauing of him some thing to eat When as the sheepheard hearing of his hard happe mooued with his estate and hope of promised reward brought him vnto a poore cottage not farre off causing to be set before him bread and water with a few oynions Who in the pleasant remembrance of that passed miserie would oftentimes after in his greatest banquets say That he neuer in his life fared better or more daintily than when he supped with this sheepheard So well can hunger season homely cates Thus refreshed he was by the sheepheard conducted to SYNDIROVIA whereof the Despot hauing intelligence whose countrey was all layd for the staying of him caused him by the captaine of the castle to be apprehended and imprisoned But after certaine daies spent in talke about his deliuerance it
at all Wladus by his espials vnderstanding of this the manner of Mahomets encamping came in the dead time of the night and with all his power furiously assailed that quarter of the Turkes campe where the Asian souldiours lay and slew many of them in their tents the rest terrified with the suddennesse of the alarum fled out of their tents for refuge vnto the Europeian souldiours the prince following them at the heeles and entring into that quarter of the campe also did there great harme and strucke such a generall terrour and feare into all the Turks army that they were euen vpon the point to haue wholy forsaken their tents and betaken themselues to flight Yea Mahomet himselfe dismaied with the terrour of the night and tumult of his campe and fearing least the Hungarians had joyned their forces with the pâ—ince not knowing which way to turne himselfe had vndoubtedly fled had not Mahomet Bassa a man of great experience in martiall affaires persuaded him otherwise and by generall proclamation made through the campe That no man should vpon paine of death forsake the place wherein he was encamped slaied the flight and with much adoe enforced them to make head against the prince Wladus perceiuing the Turkes now to begin to stand vpon their guard and to make resistance after great slaughter made returning tooke the spoile of the tents forsaken by the Asian souldiours and vpon the approach of the day againe retired with victorie into the woods As soone as it was day Mahomet appointed Haly-Beg with certaine companies of select souldiours to pursue the Valachies who ouertaking part of the princes armie tooke a thousand of them prisoners and put the rest to flight all which prisoners were by the tyrants commaund presently put to the sword From that time Mahomet euerie night entrenched his army and caused better watch and warde to bee kept in euerie quarter of his campe than before As he marched along the countrey he came to the place where the Bassa and the secretarie were hanging vpon two high gibbets and the dismembred Turks empailed vpon stakes about them with which sight he was grieuously offended And passing on farther came to a plaine containing in breadth almost a mile and in length two miles set full of gallowes gibbets wheels stakes and other instruments of terrour death and torture all hanging full of the dead carkases of men women and children thereupon executed in number as was deemed about twentie thousand There was to be seene the father with his wife children and whole family hanging togither vpon one gallowes and the bodies of sucking babes sticking vpon sharpe stakes others with all their limbes broken vpon wheeles with many other strange and horrible kinds of death so that a man would haue thought that all the torments the Poets faigne to bee in hell had been there put in execution All these were such as the notable but cruell prince jealous of his estate had either for just desert or some probable suspition put to death and with their goods rewarded his souldiours whose cruell manner was togither with the offender to execute the whole family yea sometimes the whole kindred Mahomet although he was by nature of a fierce and cruell disposition wondred to see so strange a spectacle of extreame crueltie yet said no more but that Wladus knew how to haue his subjects at commaund After that Mahomet sent Iosephus one of his great captaines to skirmish with the Valachies who was by them put to the worse but by the comming in of Omares the sonne of Turechan they were againe in a great skirmish ouerthrowne and two thousand of their heads brought by the Turkes vpon their launces into the kings campe for which good seruice Omares was by the king preferred to be gouernour of THESSALIA When Mahomet had thus traced VALACHIA and hauing done what harme he could saw it to be to no purpose with such a multitude of men to hunt after his flying enemy which still kept the thicke woods or rough mountaines he returned againe to CONSTANTINOPLE leauing behind him Haly-beg with part of his army to prosecute that warre and with him Dracula the younger brother of Wladus who was also called Wladus as a stale to draw the Valachies into rebellion against the prince This Dracula the younger was of a little youth brought vp in Mahomets court and for his comely feature of him most passionatly affected which inordinat perturbation so preuailed in the intemperat nature of the lasciuious prince that he sought first by faire words and great gifts to corrupt the youth and not so preuailing attempted at last to haue forced him wherewith the noble youth being enraged drew his rapier and striking at him to haue slaine him grieuously wounded him in the thigh and thereupon fled Neuerthelesse being drawne backe againe to the court and pardoned he was afterwards reconciled to the king and so became his Ganimede and was of him long time wonderfully both beloued and honoured and now set vp for a stale as is before said for the Valachies his countreymen to gase vpon It fortuned that after the departure of the king diuers Valachies came to Haly-Beg the Turkish Generall to raunsome such friends of theirs as had been taken prisoners in those warres and were yet by him detained to whom the younger Dracula by way of discourse declaring the great power of the Turkish emperour and as it were lamenting the manifold and endlesse miseries of his natiue countrey cunningly imputed the same vnto the disordered gouernment of his cruell brother as the ground of all their woes assuring them of most happy and speedy redresse if the Valachies forsaking his fierce brother would cleaue vnto him as their soueraigne in speciall fauour with the great emperour Which speech he deliuered vnto them with such liuely reasons and in such effectuall tearmes that they their present persuaded by him and others by them in short time all as if it had been by a secret consent forsooke Wladus the elder brother and chose Dracula the younger brother to be their prince and soueraigne Who joyning vnto him the Turkes forces by the consent of Mahomet tooke vpon him the gouernment of that warlike countrey and people yet holding the same as the Turkish tyrants vassaile the readiest way to infidelitie Wladus seeing himselfe thus forsaken of all his subjects and his younger brother possessed of his dominion fled into TRANSYLVANIA where he was by the appointment of the Hungarian king apprehended and laied fast in strait prison at BELGRADE for that he had without just cause as it was laid to his charge most cruelly executed diuers Hungarians in VALACHIA yet such was his fortune after ten yeares hard imprisonment to be againe enlarged and honourably to die in battaile against his auntient enemies the Turks Mahomet returning out of VALACHIA to CONSTANTINOPLE sent the same fleete which hee had vsed in his late warres into the AEGEVM to take in such islands
who by chance then lay not farre off Moses comming vnto him with his girdle about his necke in token that he had deserued death as the manner of that countrey was found him walking before his tent and there with heauie cheere falling downe vpon his knees at his feet submitted himselfe vnto his mercie and with great humilitie and signes of repentance craued his most gracious pardon Which his request Scanderbeg presently granted and taking him vp by the hand embraced and kissed him in token he had from his heart forgiuen him and within a few daies after caused all such things of his as were before confiscat to be againe restored vnto him with all such offices and promotions as he had before enjoyed and by open proclamation commanded That from thenceforth no man should either publikely or priuatly speake of that Moses had trespassed Mahomet vnderstanding that Moses was returned againe into EPIRVS and honoured of Scanderbeg as in former time was much grieued thereat and fumed exceedingly First for that he had at all trusted him and then that he had so let him slip out of his hands being verily persuaded that all that Moses had done was but a finenesse of Scanderbeg to deceiue him Shortly after that Moses was returned into EPIRVS Mahomet by like practise allured vnto him Amesa Scanderbeg his nephew promising to make him king of EPIRVS in his vnckles steed For by that meanes the craftie tyrant thought it a more easie way to draw the mindes of the people of EPIRVS from Scanderbeg vnto him descended of the princes bloud than to Moses or to any other stranger he should set vp Amesa vpon this hope of a kingdome fled to CONSTANTINOPLE and because he would cleere the mind of the tyrant of all suspiâ—ion and distrust he carried with him his wife and children as the most sure pledges of his fidelitie This Amesa was of stature low and the feature of his body not so perfect as might sufficiently expresse the hidden vertues of his mind He was of courage hautie aboue measure subtill and of a pregnant wit wonderfull painfull and thereto courteous and bountifull the chiefe meanes whereby aspiring minds steale away the hearts of men whatsoeuer he got of himselfe or had by the gift of his vnckle he deuided it amongst his souldiours or friends he was verie affable and could notably both couer and dissemble his affections for which things he was aboue all others both beloued and honoured of all the people of EPIRVS next vnto Scanderbeg himselfe At his first comming to Mahomet he filled not his eares with great promises and vaine praises of himselfe as had Moses but only excusing his owne reuolt laboured to persuade him That he had for just causes left his vnckle with a desire now faithfully to serue him And to that purpose spake vnto him as followeth If it should please thee most noble Mahomet to call to remembrance the old iniuries and auntient displeasures by vs committed against thine imperiall Maiestie we might seeme now rather to haue come hither to receiue the just guerdon of our euill deserts than vpon any hope of honor or preferment For what could haue been done more in disgrace of the Othoman empire than that you haue seene long since done by vs in the most dangerous time of the Hungarian war rather of a malicious set purpose than for that we were just enemies When as in the same perfidious course I my selfe being a helper and partaker therein for now no excuse is to be pretended for our doings more than repentance your fathers army was betrayed at MORAVA and the kingdome of EPIRVS by great treacherie wrested out of your fathers hands the only cause of so many calamities and of so much bloudshed But vaine is this feare and our suspition needlesse with so wise and mercifull a prince especially for that my yeares then greene and youth prone vnto the harme of it selfe and a mind not resting vpon his owne resolutions deceiued me I beleeued mine vnckle for the ignorant beleeue many things and allured with the desire of soueraigntie the proper disease of that age and too much credulous I forsooke you and followed his promises but discretion growing with yeares I haue by little and little perceiued both the slie persidious dealing of mine vnckle as also that my reuolt from you was more hurtfull vnto my selfe than to any other Scanderbeg recouered and also enlarged the kingdome of EPIRVS but not without my great labour and helpe I expected long time that he should haue giuen me if not my fathers whole inheritance yet at least some part thereof as a small reward of my so great trauell and danger Not long after he married a wife and hath begot a young heire a new successour in his kingdome vnto me for shame of the world because I should not altogither lead a priuat life he hath assigned a base corner of EPIRVS where he enioyning the rest I might lead a poore and contemptible life In this case I had much adoe to bridle my affections and could neuer disgeast that iniurie yet the iniquitie of the time with the insolent disposition of the man compelled me to smother vp my thoughts and to make faire weather least finding some suspition he should craftely haue entrapped me as he did of late George Stresie his sisters sonne whom wrongfully charged with fained surmises he hath almost depriued of all his possessions I would willingly haue fled vnto the feet of your highnesse I would gladly haue forsaken my ingratefull vnckle with the staines of his infamous kingdome but that the remembrance of the old rebellion and many iniuries sithence done did make me afraid vntill that now God I thinke so appointing it I came most gladly following your most royall faith and promise You had scarcely beckned vnto me you had scarcely inuited me hauing of long intentiuely waited euerie occasion but straight way I came with such speed as if I would haue flowne I lingred not I expected not either Scanderbeg or his euill happe or your more prosperous successe as of late did Moses least I might thereby justly seeme either for feare or regard of some imminent danger rather to haue prouided for mine owne safetie than to haue embraced your magnificence Neither haue I left any thing for you in me to suspect nor any cause wherefore I should desire to returne againe into EPIRVS here are present most sure bonds of my loue and faithfull pledges of my loyaltie Behold worthy Mahomet you haue whatsoeuer is deere vnto me yea whatsoeuer nature could giue pleasing vnto men in the course of mans life These I haue brought vnto thee which should with violence haue been taken from an enemy such pawnes as might assure thee of the faith of a most doubtfull man More than this haue I brought nothing for in so great speed and secret departure I could not haue regard of my substance And if I might haue had time to haue
neerer first arriued but finding the empire alreadie possessed by Corcutus his younger sonne and himselfe excluded he in the griefe of his heart poured forth most grieuous complaints before God and man calling heauen and earth to witnesse of the great wrong and injurie done vnto him by the prowd Bassaes. And what by teares and humble obtestations what by great gifts and greater promises but most of all by the earnest labour solicitation of Cherseogles the Viceroy of GRaeCIA and the Aga or captaine of the Ianizaries both his sons in law preuailed so much with the great Bassaes and soldiors of the court that Corcutus being of a mild and courteous disposition ouercome by their entreatie and the reuerence of his father resigned vnto him the imperiall gouernment which he presently tooke vpon him with the generall good liking of the people and made Corcutus gouernor of LYCIA CARIA and IONIA with the pleasant and rich countries thereabouts allowing him a great yearly pension for the better maintenance of his estate with promise also of the empire after his decease and so sent him away to his charge where he most pleasantly liued during the raigne of his father Baiazet giuing himselfe wholy to the studie of Philosophie which made that he was afterwards lesse fauoured of the Ianizaries and other men of warre Zemes thus preuented by his elder brother and vnderstanding by his friends how all things stood at CONSTANTINOPLE and that Baiazet was alreadie possessed of the empire returning with great speed raised a puissant armie in the countries which were vnder his commaund and marching through the heart of ASIA the lesse by the way as he went tooke into his possession such cities and strong places as he thought best and so entring into BYTHINIA tooke the great citie of PRVSA the auntient seat of the Othoman kings Purposing in himselfe that as Baiazet had shut him out of EVROPE so he would also in requitall thereof exclude him out of that part of the Turkish empire which is beyond HELLESPONTVS in ASIA and to make himselfe lord thereof Wherein fortune at the first seemed vnto him most fauourable all the people wheresoeuer he came yeelding vnto him obedience as vnto their prince and soueraigne so that in short time he seemed both vnto himselfe and to others in strong possession of that part of the empire Of these his proceedings Baiazet hauing intelligence and perceiuing the greater part of his empire now in danger to bee lost and doubting farther that Zemes his ambitious mind would hardly rest therewith long contented for remedie of so great a mischeefe leuied a strong and puissant armie wherewith he passed ouer into ASIA and came to NEAPOLIS a citie of ANATOLIA neere whereunto Zemes lay with his armie strongly encamped As Baiazet was vpon the way against his brother Achmetes the great Bassa in the confession of all men the best man of warre and most expert captaine amongst the Turkes and of all others most entirely beloued of the Ianizaries came and vnarmed presented himselfe vpon his knees before Baiazet his sword hanging at his saddle bow to the great admiration of many who could not but wonder to see so worthie a cheefetaine of so great place in time of seruice without any apparent cause in such humble manner to appeare before his soueraigne as if he had had nothing to doe with armes It chanced many yeares before in the mortall warres betwixt Mahomet the late and great emperor of the Turkes and Asymbeius Vsun-Cassanes the king of PERSIA that Baiazet hauing the leading of the right wing of his fathers armie had not martialled it in so good order as was to Mahomet his liking for which cause he commaunded this Achmetes to goe and set that part of the battell in better order Which his soueraignes commaund whiles hee most skilfully performed Baiazet taking it in euill part as tending to his owne disgrace in great choller threatened the Bassa to find a time when he would be reuenged vpon him But he being a man of great spirit and one that durst both do and say much perceiuing his meaning bid him do what pleased him and laying his hand vpon his sword solemnly vowed That whensoeuer he came to command as emperour he would neuer after weare sword in field the remembrance wherof was the cause that he then came in manner aforesaid readie to serue if he were thereto commaunded or otherwise to endure what so his princes pleasure was Baiazet perceiuing that the vnkindnesse so long before conceiued was not yet disgested in token of grace stretched out to him his scepter and taking him vp commaunded him to girt his sword vnto his side and not to remember that which he had long before both forgiuen and forgotten And knowing right well that he was a most valiant and expert captaine made him Generall of his armie to the great contentment of the Ianizaries and the rest of the armie who so soone as they saw him gaue out diuers great shouts for joy as if victorie had most assuredly attended vpon him Achmetes taking vpon him the charge came and encamped so neere as he could to Zemes and so lay by the space of ten daies during which time many sharpe skirmishes were made with diuers fortune sometime the one side preuailing and sometime the other At length the matter was brought to a generall battell wherein after a long and cruell fight and great slaughter on both sides the fortune of Baiazet conducted by the policie of Achmetes preuailed against Zemes. Who seeing his armie ouerthrowne betooke himselfe to flight and came to ICONIVM in which flight many of Zemes his followers were taken prisoners whom Baiazet would haue pardoned and enlarged but that by the persuasion of Achmetes he changed his mind and to the terrour of others suffered them all to be put to the sword Zemes doubting after this ouerthrow to fall into his brothers hands and finding no means to make head againe when he had stayed three daies at ICONIVM caused his treasure plate jewels and other things of great valour and light carriage to be trussed vp and taking with him his mother and his two yong children a sonne and a daughter accompaied with a small retinue fled into SYRIA then part of the dominion of Caytbeius commonly called the great Sultan of AEGYPT and SYRIA It was not long after the departure of Zemes from ICONIVM but that Baiazet came thither with his armie to haue surprised him but vnderstanding of his flight he took order for the peaceable gouernment of that part of his empire And so hauing suppressed that dangerous rebellion and againe reduced that troubled part of his empire to his obeisance returned with victorie to CONSTANTINOPLE The distressed prince Zemes trauelling through SYRIA came at length to HIERVSALEM where he stayed a good space deuoutly visiting the monuments of that most auntient and famous citie From thence he trauelled into AEGYPT where at his
his safe conduct come vnto him into his island of the RHODES Which his request the Great Master easily graunted deeming the flight of so great a prince from the Turke to be a thing much profitable to the Christian commonweale and thereupon he presently sent forth certaine gallies to fetch him from the troublesome coast of CICILIA But before these gallies were come Zemes was enforced by the sudden accesse of his enemies for the auoiding of present danger to go aboord on that ship which he had prouidently before prepared to be in readinesse for such purpose And hauing put a little from the shoare shot backe againe an arrow with letters made fast vnto it directed vnto his brother Baiazet containing as followeth Thou knowest most vnkind and cruell brother that I flie not vnto the Christians the mortall enemies of the Othoman family for hatred of my religion or nation but enforced thereunto by thy iniurious dealing and dangerous practises which thou incessantly attemptest against me yea euen in my extreame miserie But this assured hope I carrie with me that the time will come when as thou the author of so great wrong or thy children shall receiue the iust guerdon of this thy present tyrannie against thy brother It is reported that when Baiazet had read these letters he was so troubled in mind that for certaine daies he gaue himselfe wholy to mourning and heauinesse and would in no wise be comforted insomuch that he was brought into the campe by the Bassaes as a man halfe distraught of his wits shunning for a season all mens speech and companie Zemes sailing to the RHODES was there honourably receiued of the Great Master and all the rest of the knights of the order to whom in their publike assembly three daies after he openly declared the causes of the discord betwixt his brother and him alleadging for the colour of his rebellion That although Baiazet were his elder brother yet that he was borne whilest his father yet liued in priuat estate vnder subjection and commaund long before hee possessed the kingdome and so no kings sonne whereas hee himselfe was the first borne of his father being an emperour and so not heire of his fathers priuat fortune as was Baiazet but of his greatest honour and empire and yet not of such an hautie mind but that he could haue beene content to haue giuen place vnto his brother so that he could haue beene contented likewise to haue granted him some small portion of the empire wherein he might safely haue liued as a poore prince and his brother but that such was his pride as that he would not vouchsafe to suffer him to liue so much as a poore priuat life in anie corner of so large an empire and was therefore by his vnnaturall and tyranous dealing enforced to craue aid of the Christian princes Of whom for so much as he had alwaies heard much honour he was in good hope to find succour and reliefe in that his distressed estate protesting vnto God and the world that if euer it should be his good fortune by their meanes and helpe to obtaine the empire he would neuer be vnmindfull of so great a benefit but to make with them a perpetuall and inuiolable peace and so to rest their fast friend for euer The Great Master on the other side comforting him with cheerfull speeches promised to keepe him in safetie from the furie of his brother and farther to commend his cause to the other great kings and princes of Christendome This exiled prince Zemes was about the age of eight and twentie yeares when he came to the RHODES of stature tall somewhat corpulent and well limbd gray eied but looking something a squint hooke nosed and in the middle rising in such manner as the Persians commend in their kings of colour browne spare of speech and by nature cholericke a great feeder so that he seemed rather to deuoure his meat than to eat it much delighted in swimming and to lie abroad in the night pensiue and melancholy which men imputed to his great cares neuer merrie but in the companie of the graund Master a religious obseruer of his superstition from which he could neuer be drawne during the long time he liued in exile learned as among the Turkes so that he writ the historie of his fathers life But leauing him in safe keeping with the Graund Master of the RHODES let vs againe returne to the course of our historie Baiazet hauing now the second time chased away his brother after he had well quieted that part of his troubled kingdome in ASIA returned againe to CONSTANTINOPLE carefully attending when some new motion should be made by his brother to his farther disquiet But after he vnderstood that he was with the Great Master of the RHODES he sent certaine of the Bassaes amongst whom Achmetes the great souldiour is reported to haue beene one vnto the Great Master requesting him to deliuer vp Zemes offering for him a wonderfull summe of money Which dishonourable request when it could by no meanes be obtained the same embassadors in the name of their master concluded a peace verie commodious for the Rhodians wherein amongst other things it was agreed That the Great Master should keepe Zemes in safe custodie so that he should no more trouble the Turkish empire in consideration whereof and for his honorable vsage Baiazet should yearly pay vnto the Great Master thirtie thousand duckets the first of August which was afterward accordingly paied It fortuned that whilest Achmetes the great Bassa emploied in matters abroad was absent from the court Baiazet discoursing with the other Bassaes his graue counsellors vpon his late expedition into ASIA against his brother seemed to be highly offended with the vntrustinesse and doubtfull faith of some of his greatest captaines and souldiours yet vpon whom he might justly lay the blame he well knew not although it seemed by his talke he should somewhat distrust the great captaine Achmetes Hereupon Isaack the most auntient Bassa of the court and of greatest authoritie next vnto Baiazet himselfe whose daughter a ladie of exceeding beautie Achmetes had long before married but doubting that she had yeelded her honour to the wanton lust of Mustapha the eldest sonne of Mahomet the late emperoer had put her from him and would by no meanes be reconciled for which cause there was a secret hatred euer after betwixt those two great Bassaes perceiuing the emperours discontented and suspitious humor and desiring nothing more than the destruction of Achmetes tooke hold vpon this opportunitie and by all meanes he could deuise encreased the suspition of the treason which had alreadie too much possessed the jealous emperour sometimes craftily imagining intelligence to haue passed betwixt Zemes and Achmetes and forthwith amplifying his power and authoritie which as hee said was so great with the Ianizaries and souldiors of the court that they by reason of his often imploiments were wholy at his deuotion
through ROME And neuer satisfied with bloud which he without measure shed he tooke the citie of FAVENTIA from Astor Manfredus a young gentleman of rare perfection whom after the beastly tyrant had most horribly abused against nature he caused to be cruelly strangled and his dead bodie to be cast into Tiber. Hauing thus filled the measure of his iniquitie and as a fretting canker hauing either deuoured or driuen into exile most part of the Roman nobilitie and purposing by the supportation of his father to make himselfe lord and soueraigne both of the citie and of all LATIVM in the pride of his thoughts he was by the hand of the most highest attached and cast downe and that by such meanes as he least feared For being with his father at a solemn supper in the Vaticane of purpose prepared for the destruction of certaine rich Cardinals and some other honourable citizens they were both poisoned by the fatall errour of one of the waiters who mistaking of a flagon gaue the poisoned wine to the accursed bishop and his sonne which was prepared for the guests whereof the old bishop in few daies after died But his sonne who had drunke the same more delaied with water although he died not of long time after yet presently fell into such an extreame sickenesse that he was not able to helpe himselfe or to commaund his desperat followers whereof he had great store but lying sicke in short time saw himselfe of them forsaken and two of his enemies Pius the Third and Iulius the Second one after another sitting in his fathers place Of which two Pius enjoyed that pontificall dignitie but sixteene daies and Iulius succeeding him caused this Caesar Borgia who of right had deserued a thousand deaths to bee shut vp in the castle called MOâ—ES ADRIANI from whence he set him at libertie vpon the deliuerie of certaine strong holds which were yet holden by his garrisons After he had thus rid himselfe out of Iulius the bishops hands he fled to OSTIA and so by sea to NAPLES where he was by the commaundement of Ferdinand king of SPAINE apprehended by Consaluus the Great and transported into SPAINE for feare least he being of a most troublesome nature and much resorted vnto by his old fauourits should raise some new stirs in ITALIE He was no sooner arriued in SPAINE but he was cast into prison in the castle of MEDINA where after he had lien three yeares he deceiued his keepers and with a roape which he had gotten let himselfe downe from an high tower of the castle and so escaping fled to the king of NAVARRE whom he afterwards serued in his wars and was in an hoat skirmish against the kings enemies wherin he had obtained the victorie slaine with a small shot Vnworthy after so manie horrible villanies to haue ended his daies so honorably His dead bodie was found stript and so brought vnto the king vpon a bad beast as if it had been a dead calfe all naked which was by his commandement honourably buried at PAMPILONA But to returne againe from whence we haue something too long with this troublesome body gone astray The French king hauing thus lost both his great hostages Zemes the Turke by death and the Cardinall Borgia by escape held on his journey towards NAPLES and with wonderfull successe preuailed as hee went all places yeelding vnto him without any great resistance Alphonsus seeing himselfe destitute of such aid as he had in vaine requested both of the Turkish emperour and of the Venetians and now almost beset with his mightie enemy to whom so manie strong places had in shorter time been deliuered than anie man had before imagined and withall considering with himselfe how that he had lost the hearts of his subjects the strongest defence of princes for that most of the nobilitie and especially the Neapolitans hated him for his too much seueritie in punishing the offenders in the late rebellion wherein the princes of SARNE and SALERNE were chiefe and the common people were no lesse offended with the grieuous and heauie exactions required of them for the maintenance of these warres insomuch that their murmuring speeches came oftentimes to his owne hearing as oftentimes it falleth out That the hatred of the subjects against their princes which hath for feare of long time beene dissembled during their prosperitie more frankly and fiercely breaketh out in their declining estate For these causes Alphonsus fearing to be forsaken of his people as a man in despaire with aboundance of tears openly in the sight of all the Neapolitans resigned his kingdome of NAPLES vnto his sonne Ferdinand when as he had as yet scarcely raigned one whole yeare after the death of Ferdinand his father and with foure gallies passed ouer to MAZEREA a citie of CICILIA His son Ferdinand a prince of rare perfection and singularly graced with all the vertues of true nobilitie and thereto deerely beloued of all the people was to the wonderfull contentment of the Neapolitans with great joy and acclamations saluted king and so hauing performed all the ceremonies belonging to his coronation returned presently to his armie By this time the French king with all his forces was entered farre into the kingdome of NAPLES and hauing taken by assault certaine cities which trusted too much to their owne strength strucke such a generall terrour into the minds of the Neapolitanes that they thought no place now strong ynough to abide his batteries or power sufficient to encounter his forces Ferdinand the young king with his armie had taken the straits of the forrest of S. Germane thereby to impeach the further passage of the French king But whilest he was there busied he was suddenly aduertised that Fabritius Columna with a great power of Frenchmen had by the Appenines broken into CAMPANIA and so was marching towards him wherefore doubting to bee shut vp betwixt two strong armies of the enemies he retired speedily to CAPVA a strong citie situat vpon the riuer Vulturnus purposing there by meanes of that deepe riuer to stay the French from passing farther But whilest hee lay there newes was brought vnto him That all the cittie of NAPLES was in an vprore and that the citizens were all vp in armes as men in doubt which way to turne themselues Ferdinand not a little troubled with these bad newes commended the charge of his armie and the defence of the citie of CAPVA to his cheefe captaines and rid himselfe in post backe againe to NAPLES It is a strange thing to tell what a suddaine alteration ensued vpon his arriuall there for suddenly all the tumult was appeased euery man laied downe his armes and welcommed him with a generall gratulation for he was a man of a great and an inuincible courage and of so comely a personage as might easily win the hearts of his subjects insomuch that when he earnestly requested them that they would not traiterously betray him vnto his barbarous cruell enemies being
vnwilling to be knowne When he had thus seene his father the court and the imperiall citie he went againe aboord and so with speed returned to MAGNESIA The report of this his doing had in short time filled both the citie and the court and was at last brought to Baiazet his eares which raised in his suspitious head manie a troublesome thought greatly fearing that in these slie practises lay hidden some secret and desperat conspiracie dangerous to himselfe and his other children Wherefore after long discourse had with the three great Bassaes then of his secret counsell concerning the matter to rid himselfe of all feare he resolued in anie case to take him away And therefore caused them in his name to write vnto Asmehemadi a gallant courtier and alwaies neere vnto Mahometes to poison him with a secret poison for that purpose inclosed in those letters sent vnto him with promise of great rewards and preferments for that his seruice to be afterwards receiued from the emperour Charging him withall that if he could not effect the matter he should so conceale it as that Mahometes should haue no distrust thereof the least suspition whereof would tend to his vtter destruction This Asmehemedi for some vnkindnesse bare a secret grudge against Mahometes which Baiazet knowing of made choise of him the rather And he on the other side partly to performe the old tyrants commaund and partly to reuenge his owne priuat vigilantly awaited all opportunities to bring to effect that he had in charge At length it fortuned that Mahometes hauing disported himselfe in his gardens of pleasure and being thirstie after his exercise called for drinke Asmehemedi alwaies at hand in a gilt boule fetcht him such drinke as he desired wherinto he had secretly conuaied the deadly poison sent from Baiazet Mahometes hauing drunke thereof in short time began to feele himselfe euill at ease and presently sent for his phisitions who thinking that he had but something distempered himselfe with drinking too much cold drinke in his heat perceiued not that hee was poisoned vntill that within six daies after he died Of whose death Baiazet aduertised could not abstaine from mourning although he himselfe had beene the onely author thereof and the more to manifest his heauinesse commaunded all the court to mourne with him and prayers to be made in their temples after their superstitious manner and almes to be giuen to the poore for the health of his soule His dead bodie was afterwards carried to PRVSA and there honourably buried with his auncestors Asmehemedi the traitour in reward of his vnfaithfulnesse towards his master was by the commaundement of Baiâ—zet cast into prison and neuer afterwards seene being there as it was thought secretly made away Now had Baiazet but three sonnes left Achomates Selymus and Corcutus Achomates gouernour of AMASIA was a man both politike and valiant but much giuen to pleasure and delight him Baiazet and most part of the great men of the court fauoured aboue the rest of his brethren except such as were before corrupted by Selymus Corcutus for his mild and quiet nature was of most men beloued but not thought so fit for the gouernment of so great an empire especially by the Ianizaries and souldiours of the court for that he was as they thought altogither drowned in the studie of philosophie a thing nothing agreeing with their humour Yet might Baiazet seeme to doe him wrong if he should not according to his promise againe restore him vnto the possession of the empire which he had almost thirtie yeares before receiued at his hands as is before in the beginning of his life declared But Selymus being of a more hautie disposition than to brooke the life of a subject vnder the commaund of either of his brethren and altogither giuen to martiall affaires sought by infinit bountie faigned courtesie subtile pollicie and by all other meanes good and bad to aspire vnto the empire Him therefore the Ianizaries with all the great souldiours of the court yea and some of the chiefe Bassaes also corrupted with gifts wished aboue the rest for their lord and soueraigne desiring rather to liue vnder him which was like to set all the world on a hurlie burlie whereby they might increase their honour and wealth the certaine rewards of their aduentures than to lead an idle and vnprofitable life as they tearmed it vnder a quiet and peaceable prince Whilest men stood thus diuersly affected towards these princes of so great hope Baiazet now farre worne with yeares and so grieuously tormented with the gout that hee was not able to helpe himselfe for the quietnesse of his subjects and preuenting of such troubles as might arise by the aspiring of his children after his death determined whilest he yet liued for the auoiding of these and other such like mischeefes to establish the succession in some one of his sonnes who wholly possessed of the kingdome might easily represse the pride of the other And although he had set downe with himselfe that Achomates should be the man as well in respect of his birthright as of the especiall affection he bare vnto him yet to discouer the disposition of his subjects and how they stood affected it was giuen out in generall tearmes That hee meant before his death to make it knowne to the world who should succeed him in the empire without naming any one of his sonnes leauing that for euery man to deuine of according as they were affected which was not the least cause that euery one of his sonnes with like ambition began now to make small account of their former preferments as thinking onely vpon the empire it selfe First of all Selymus whom Baiazet had made gouernor of the kingdome of TRAPEZOND rigging vp all the ships he could in PONTVS sayled from TRAPEZOND ouer the Euxine now called the Blacke sea to the citie of CAPHA called in auntient time THEODOSIA and from thence by land came to Mahometes king of the Tartars called Praecopenses a mightie prince whose daughter he had without the good liking of his father before married and discouering vnto him his entended purpose besought him by the sacred bonds of the affinitie betwixt them not to shrinke from him his louing sonne in law in so fit an oportunitie for his aduancement and withall shewed vnto him what great hope of obtaining the empire was proposed vnto him by his most faithfull friends and the souldiors of the court if hee would but come neerer vnto his father then about to transferre the empire to some one of his sonnes and either by faire meanes to procure his fauour or by entering with his armie into THRACIA to terrifie him from appointing either of his other brethren for his successour The Tartar king commending his high deuise as a kind father in law with wonderfull celeritie caused great store of shipping to bee made readie in the Ponticke sea and MoeOTIS but especially at the ports of COPA and TANA
two wings so that all his spearemen were in the right wing and the archers and carbines in the left in the maine battaile stood the Ianizaries with the rest of the footmen On the otherside Achomates hauing no footmen deuided his horsemen into two wings also Whilest both armies stood thus raunged expecting but the signall of battaile a messenger came from Achomates to Selymus offering in his masters name to trie the equitie of their quarrell in plaine combat hand to hand which if he should refuse he then tooke both God the world to witnesse that Selymus was the onely cause of all the guiltlesse bloud to be shed in the battaile and not he whereunto Selymus answered that he was not to trie his quarrell at the appointment of Achomates and though he could be content so to doe yet would not his soldiors suffer him so to aduenture his person and their owne safetie and so with that answere returned the messenger backe againe to his master giuing him for his reward a thousand aspers Achomates hauing receiued this answere without further delay charged the right wing of his brothers armie who valiantly receiued the first charge but when they were come to the sword and that the matter was to be tried by handie blowes they were not able longer to endure the force of the Persian horsemen who being well armed both horse and man had before requested to be placed in the formost rankes by whose valour the right wing of Selymus his armie was disordered and not without great losse enforced to retire backe vpon their fellows Which thing Selymus beholding did what he might by all meanes to encourage them againe and presently brought on the left wing with their arrowes and pistols in stead of them that were fled and at the same time came on with the Ianizaries also who with their shot enforced Achomates his horsemen to retire Achomates himselfe carefully attending euery danger with greater courage than fortune came in with fresh troupes of horsemen by whose valour the battell before declining was againe renewed and the victorie made doubtfull but in the furie of this battell whilest he was bearing all downe before him and now in great hope of the victorie Canoglis with his Tartarian horsemen rising out of ambush came behind him and with great outcries caused their enemies then in the greatest heat of their fight to turne vpon them at which time also the footmen standing close together assailed them afront and the horsemen whom the Persians had at first put to flight now moued with shame were againe returned into the battaile so that Achomates his small armie was beset and hardly assailed on euery side In fine his ensignes being ouerthrowne and many of his men slaine the rest were faine to betake themselues to flight Where Achomates hauing lost the field and now too late seeking to saue himselfe by flight fell with his horse into a ditch which the raine falling the day before had filled with water and myre and being there knowne and taken by his enemies could not obtaine so much fauour at their hands as to bee presently slaine but was reserued to the farther pleasure of his cruell brother Selymus vnderstanding of his taking sent Kirengen the same squint-eyed captain which had before strangled Corcutus who with a bow string strangled him also His dead bodie was forthwith brought to Selymus and was afterwards by his commaundement in royall manner buried with his ancestours in PRVSA Now Amurat Achomates his sonne vnderstanding vpon the way by the Persian horsemen who serred together had againe made themselues way through the Turkes armie of the losse of the field and the taking of his father returned backe againe to AMASIA and there after good deliberation resolued with his brother to betake themselues both to flight he with the Persian horsemen passing ouer the riuer Euphrates fled vnto Hysmaell the Persian king but Aladin the younger brother passing ouer the mountaine AMANVS in CILICIA fled into SIRIA and so to Campson Gaurus the great Sultan of AEGYPT After this victorie Selymus hauing in short time and with little trouble brought all the lesser ASIA vnder his obeisance and there at his pleasure disposed of all things determined to haue returned to CONSTANTINOPLE but vnderstanding that the plague was hot there hee changed his purpose and passing ouer at CALLIPOLIS and so trauelling through GRECIA came to HADRIANOPLE where hee spent all the rest of that Summer and all the Winter following and afterward when the mortalitie was ceased returned to CONSTANTINOPLE where it was found that an hundred and threescore thousand had there died of the late plague Hysmaell the Persian king whose fame had then filled the world hearing of the arriuall of Amurat sent for him and demaunded of him the cause of his comming The distressed young prince who but of late had lost his father together with the hope of so great an empire now glad for safegard of his life to flie into strange countries oppressed with sorrow by his heauie countenance and abundance of teares more than by words expressed the cause of his comming yet in short strained speech declared vnto him how that his father his vncle with the rest of his cousins all princes of great honour had of late beene cruelly murdered by the vnmercifull tyrant Selymus who with like furie sought also after the life of himselfe and his brother the poore remainders of the Othoman familie who to saue their liues were both glad to flie his brother into AEGYPT and himselfe to the feet of his imperiall majestie Hysmaell moued with compassion and deeming it a thing well beseeming the greatnesse of his fame to take the poore exiled prince into his protection and to giue him releefe willed him to be of good comfort and promised him aid And the more to assure him thereof shortly after gaue him one of his owne daughters in marriage For it was thought that if Selymus for his tyrannie become odious to the world should by any means miscarie as with tyrants it commonly falleth out that then in the Othoman familie sore shaken with his vnnaturall crueltie none was to be preferred before this poore prince Amurat besides that it was supposed that if hee should inuade him with an armie out of PERSIA that vpon the first stirre all the lesser ASIA mourning for the vnworthie death of Achomates would at once reuolt from him who for his crueltie and shamefull murthers had worthely deserued to bee hated together both of God and man Wherefore in the beginning of the Spring Hysmaell furnished Amurat his new sonne in law with ten thousand horsemen willing him to passe ouer the riuer of Euphrates at ARSENGA and to enter into CAPADOCIA as well to make proofe how the people of that countrey were affected towards him as of the strength of the enemie after whom he sent Vsta-Ogli the most famous cheefetaine amongst the Persians with twentie thousand horsemen moe with
souldiours in defence of the common Christian cause so much preuailed with the princes of the empire and the embassadours of the free estates that they highly commended his forwardnesse and all other matters for that time set apart agreed all with one consent at a prefixed day to send vnto VIENNA such warlike forces as they had in any time before set forth for the defence of the Christian religion and the majestie of the empire Whereupon he wrot vnto Alphonsus Vastius his lieutenant Generall in ITALIE and one of the greatest captaines of that age that he should without delay call together the old captaines and to leuie so many companies of harquebusiers as they possibly could and with them and the Spanish souldiors to repaire forthwith vnto him into AVSTRIA He also enjoyned Andreas Auria his admirall that hee should with like diligence rig vp a strong fleet of gallies and marchants ships and to goe against the Turkes nauie into GRaeCIA At the same time he sent for his choise horsemen out of BVRGVNDIE and the low countries and many noble gentlemen and old soldiours out of SPAINE for the guard of his owne person he entertained twelue thousand Germanes such as had longest serued in his warres in ITALIE ouer whom commaunded Maximilian Herbersthene and Tamisius both famous captaines At the same time Clement the seuenth then bishop of ROME although his cofers were greatly emptied by the late Florentine warres which had cost him ten hundred thousand duckats yet to make some shew of his deuotion in so dangerous a time with the great good will he bare vnto the emperor after he had with greeuous exaction extorted from the cleargie a great masse of money whereunto his rich cardinals contributed nothing as if it had been a thing vtterly vnlawfull for them in so good a cause to haue abated any jot of their pontificall shew in the court of ROME sent the young cardinall Hyppolytus Medices his nephew being then about twentie yeares of age a man indeed fitter for the warres than for the church as his legate vnto the emperour accompanied with mo good captaines than cleargie men and his cofers well stuffed with treasure whose comming to RATISBONE was vnto the emperour and the Germanes very welcome for besides that hee was a young gentleman of very comely personage and exceeding bountifull he entertained for those warres besides the companie he brought with him eight â—housand Hungarian horsemen of all others best acquainted with the Turkish warres King Iohn vnderstanding that the formost of Solymans great armie were come as farre as SAMANDRIA in SERVIA thought it now a fit time to wring from king Ferdinand such townes as he yet held in HVNGARIE wherefore he sent Aloisius Grittus whom Solyman had left as a helper for his estate to besiege STRIGONIVM which is a citie of HVNGARIE situat vpon the side of Danubius about thirtie miles from BVDA the castle whereof was at that time holden with a strong garrison of king Ferdinands whereunto for all that Grittus laid such hard siege both by the riuer and by land that the defendants doubting how they should bee able to hold out especially if Solyman should take that in his way as it was most like he would sent for releefe to Cazzianer a warlike captaine then gouernour of VIENNA and generall of all king Ferdinand his forces by whose appointment certaine small frigots were sent downe the riuer of Danubius from POSSONIVM well manned who suddainely setting vpon the Turkes fleet which so kept the riuer that nothing could that way be possibly conueyed either in or out of the castle should by their vnexpected comming open that way but Grittus hauing intelligence thereof by certaine Hungarians which though they serued king Ferdinand made no great account to flie sometime to the one part sometime to the other as best fitted their purpose presently resolued to send his fleet vp the riuer and by his sudden comming to oppresse his enemies in like sort as they had thought to haue done him And the more to encourage his souldiours hee promised great rewards to all such as should performe any extraordinarie peece of seruice in that action and so hauing thorowly furnished all his fleet with good souldiours but especially with Turkish archers sent them vp the riuer to seeke their enemies who fearing no such matter as men surprised with the same mischeefe they had prepared for others were at the first exceedingly dismayed yet considering that they were reasonably well prouided for their comming although they yet wanted such helpe as Cazzianer had appointed to send them they thought it a great shame to flie and therefore putting themselues in order of battell came downe the riuer and with great courage encountred their enemies There began a sharpe and cruell fight many being slaine and wounded on both sides but at last they of POSSONIVM not able longer to endure the deadly shot of their enemies and especially of the Turkish archers who with their arrowes sore gauled both the souldiours and the marriners they turned their backes and fled in which fight of sixtie frigots which came from POSSONIVM onely thirteene escaped with Corporanus the Generall all the rest being either sunke in the fight or els taken by the enemie being run ashore and forsaken by the Possonians trusting more vnto their legs by land than their oares by water Besides this losse of the frigots there was slaine of the Possonians almost fiue hundred After this victorie Grittus hoping that they in the castle of STRIGONIVM despairing now of releefe and fearing the comming of Solyman would not long hold out left off to batter or vndermine the castle wherewith he perceiued he little preuailed purposing by lying still and keeping them in the castle from all releefe to enforce them in time to forsake the place Thus whilst the deuided Hungarians with their owne hands inconsideratly sought one anothers destruction with the ruine of their countrey Solyman the great enemie of all Christians was readie at their backes to deuour both the one and the other as in few yeares after he did Much about this time the old Spanish souldiors in ITALIE drawne together by Vastius as the emperour had before commaunded were come to the Alpes In this campe of one sort of men and other was aboue twentie thousand whereof almost the third part was not seruiceable for the old souldiors enriched with the long warres in ITALIE and the spoile of the rich countrey of LVMBARDIE wherein they had of late beene billited brought with them all their old gotten spoiles and substance not forgetting so much as their women and whatsoeuer els serued their pleasure for carriage whereof they drew after them a great multitude of carriages and vnnecessarie people all which serued for no other vse but for the soldiors pleasure and to consume victuals Which their licentious wantonnesse Vastius desiring to reforme gaue straight commaundement thorow all the campe That they should leaue
so good order making many stands with their harquebusiers all drawne into the reward that such of the Turkes as were most forward to pursue them did by their death cause the rest to make lesse hast Acomates with such of his horsemen as had escaped the fire hasted thither also bringing with him two hundred harquebusiers which he had caused his horsemen for hast to take vp behind them vpon their horses but whilest he sought eagerly to be reuenged vpon his enemies and with too much heat pressed on with the formost he was shot into the bodie with a bullet and slain So the horsemen which had before receiued a great losse as they lay in their lodgings accounting it in their good haps that they were not there all slaine and hauing now lost their captaine ceased any further to pursue their enemies but returned The Spaniards and Greekes although they were wearied both with their long march and euill successe retired still as resolute men readie to fight and so returned to CORONE Presently after the Turkish garrison remoued from ANDRVSSA to MEGALOPOLIS now called LONDARIVM after whose departure the Christian souldiours of CORONE came thither and buried the dead bodies of their slaine fellowes which till then lay vnburied and brought backe with them the head of Macicaus their late Generall which the Turks had there set vp vpon a long pole which they honourably buried at CORONE Not long after the plague began to grow hot in CORONE so much the more grieuous for that it came accompanied with many other hard difficulties For which causes the Spaniards as men at once enforced with many extremities embarked themselues with all the great ordinance and such Greekes as would goe with them in certaine ships which came with corne out of SICILIA and so departed leauing the towne emptie for the Turkes to come vnto It was commonly reported that the Spaniards left CORONE not without the secret consent of the emperour which was the rather thought to be so because that they which forsooke the place receiued thereby no disgrace and the emperour himselfe had offered to giue the towne to Clement bishop of ROME the Venetians and the knights of MALTA who all refused to receiue it as loath to be at so great a charge in keeping a place seruing for no greater purpose the verie cause why the emperour was so willing to depart with it Now Clement the great bishop had by meanes of Aloysius Grittus made a motion of a peace to haue beene concluded for ten yeares betwixt Solyman and the Christian princes and therupon the towne to haue been againe deliuered vnto the Turkes which peace Solyman was not altogither vnwilling to grant being then wholy bent to inuade the Persian king Ferdinand was also in good hope that his brother Charles the emperor would for the yeelding vp of that towne haue couenanted with the Turke some great matter for his benefit in HVNGARIE which as was thought would also haue beene easily obtained But whilest the emperour drawne diuersly with the consideration of his honor in keeping it and of his profit in giuing it vp stood too long in resoluing the towne in the meane time was by the Spaniards their necessitie daily increasing abandoned and so left to the Turkes for nothing Solyman now purposing to returne his forces against the Persians of whom hee had in the frontiers of his dominions receiued great hurt especially in COMAGENE renewed the league he had with the Venetians and some other Christian princes but of all other his affaires with the Christians he was most carefull of the interest he had alreadie gotten in HVNGARIE For it was reported that king Iohn his vassale induced by the continuall solicitations of his subjects was desirous of peace with king Ferdinand vpon condition that hee might quietly enjoy the kingdome during his life and after his decease it to remaine to king Ferdinand and his heires Wherefore Solyman that nothing should be there done in his absense without his knowledge sent Aloysius Grittus the Duke of VENICE his sonne of whom we haue before spoken a man both for the honour of his house the good carriage of himselfe and the speciall commendation of Abraham the chiefe Bassa in great credit with him with commission as his Lieutenant to be assistant vnto king Iohn in such magnificall sort as that without him the king might conclude nothing in matters of state concerning either peace or warres with any other the Christian princes With this proud commission from the Graund seignior Grittus entred into TRANSILVANIA then a part of the kingdome of HVNGARIE much about the same time that Solyman set forward from CONSTANTINOPLE against the Persian attended vpon with seauen thousand persons of one sort and other amongst whom were Vrbanus Batianus and Ianus Docia two famous Hungarian captaines with their companies and many of the Turkes Ianizaries also At his first comming to make his authoritie the more knowne he sent out his proud commaund vnto the great men and Gouernours of the cities of that warlike prouince charging them forthwith to repaire vnto him as great Solymans deputie authorised by him to heare and determine all the controuersies and matters of state concerning the kingdome of HVNGARIE At that time Americus Cihachus bishop of VERADIVM a man of great nobilitie and power withall singularly well qualitied was Vayuod or gouernour of TRANSILVANIA an honour next vnto the king he vnderstanding that Grittus was come into his prouince and making small hast to welcome him as one not greatly moued with his comming or much regarding the commandement of Solyman wonderfully offended Grittus who desired nothing more than at his first entrance to haue confirmed the opinion of his authoritie in the minds of the vulgar people by the prest and readie attendance of the Vayuod But it was commonly bruted that the stout bishop vpon a Christian zeale detested the friendship of the Turkes and could not well brooke that they should be too much acquainted in his prouince for feare least that fruitfull countrey abounding with men and horses should by one meanes or other fall into their hands Grittus was come to BAXOVIA when he vnderstood by many messengers that the Vayuod was comming with a great traine and lay about ten miles off encamped with diuers gallant troupes of horsemen in warlike manner appointed for the bishops of HVNGARIE being wonderfull rich were by old custome bound to keep great nuÌ„bers of horsmen which as occasion serued they vsed to bring into the fields against the Turke accounting it great honour with their religious hands to defend the cause of religion But then especially the nobilitie of the countrey well appointed resorted on euerie side of courtesie to honour and countenance their great bishop and Gouernour at whose commaundement they were in so much as the bishops retinue made shew of a good armie Which thing moued Grittus exceedingly that he should be enforced contrarie â—o
Persian warre is to be taken in hand rather than the warres in GERMANIE and especially for that you haue sufficiently enlarged the bounds of your empire Westward which you haue extended euen vnto nations very far distant So that it is now a great matter to defend so much as you haue alreadie gotten and therefore partly for the difficultie of the defending thereof and partly vpon an honourable contempt according to the infinit bountie of your heroicall inclination haue thought good to bestow whole kingdomes vpon strangers yea halfe your enemies Wherefore how much more glorious shall it be now vpon iust occasion to seeke for that which ioyneth vnto your owne confines and may therefore easily be vnited vnto your owne empire if you according to the example of your grandfather and father shall force your selfe to driue that accursed and abhominable race of Ismaell out of ASIA For it shall be a great glorie vnto the name of the Othoman kings for euer if you shall after your wonted manner zealously respect the cause of religion a worke of an incomparable fame if the authors of a most detestable superstition shall by you be chased quite out of ASIA For what more iust or honourable cause can there be to make warre than to professe your selfe the defendor of the deuine precepts of our great prophet Mahomet against the wicked and irreligious impugners thereof And by the way to reuenge and vtterly to destroy the capitall enemies of your auncestours which was the last prayer of your father Selymus Can you endure them which rule so insolently that they account euery one that is neere them their enemies and prey and dare also with their pilfering inuasions prouoke your selfe liuing contented within the bounds of your owne empire in peace both in EVROPE and ASIA and they forsooth such as haue by most horrible wrong crept into the royall seat of the most lawfull and noble kings descended of the bloud of Vsun-Cassanes who after their wonted manner still liue by rapine and robberie Beleeue me noble emperour if you shall vpon a zeale to your religion with your victorious hand take away this staine and plague of ASIA there shall vndoubtedly be erected vnto you so glorious and magnificent a trophie in the middest of PERSIA as may be compared yea preferred before the triumphs of your victorious father Selymus For it is not so much to haue destroyed the Mamalukes by condition slaues and the proud Sultans of AEGIPT and SIRIA as to haue subdued the Persians famous in antient time for their martiall prowesse who so oftentimes vanquished by Alexander of MACEDOM gaue vnto him the name of Great Solyman prickt forward with many such discourses dayly sounded in his eares by the Bassa began to yeeld to his persuasion Whereof Abraham in himselfe greatly rejoiced for it was thought of many that he did neuer in heart renounce the Christian religion but was onely in outward shew a Turke and in heart a Christian. Which was the rather conjectured for that he maruellously fauoured and protected the Christian marchants furthered by all meanes the leagues of the Christian princes with Solyman and laboured alwaies to turne his forces from them vpon the Persians And the more to whet him forward the Bassa had cunningly insinuated into his acquaintance one Mulearabe of DAMASCO a man at that time famous in CONSTANTINOPLE for the opinion the people had generally conceiued of his holinesse and profound knowledge in the secret causes of things and the art of Magicke vsing him as a prophet to fill the ambitious mind of Solyman with assured hope of prosperous successe which thing the hypocriticall wisard after the manner of such deceiuers slily performed prophesieng vnto him all happinesse in so religious a warre and so much as he said pleasing God This the Bassaes purpose was much furthered also by Vlemas a noble and valiant Persian who hauing married the great Persian king Tamas his sister was reuolted from him to Solyman fearing to be called to account for the extorsion wherewith he had grieuously oppressed the countries whereof he had the gouernment and being wonderfully countenanced in Solymans court by the great Bassa did after the manner of disloyall fugitiues persuade Solyman by all means he could to take that war in hand discouering vnto him the power strength and state of the Persian kingdome which he could well doe and plotting vnto him the easiest way for the conquering thereof offering also vnto him the vttermost of his deuoire So Solyman filled with the vaine hope of the conquest of PERSIA yeelded fully vnto the persuasions of the great Bassa and gaâ—e out his commissions into all parts of his empire for the raising of a mightie armie for the performance of so great an enterprise commaunding all his captaines and men of warre to be readie at the citie of NICE in BYTHINIA at a certaine day appointed Which his purpose although it was mightily impugned by his mother and faire Roxalana his best beloued as that which altogether proceeded from the Bassa the one alleadging with what euill successe his grandfather and father had before him attempted that same war the other assailing him with her passionat affections but both of them indeed repining at the credit of the Bassa and in their hearts disdaining that so great a monarch should at the pleasure of his seruant be led vp and down the world so farre from their companie for which cause they did what in them lay to haue ouerthrowne the purpose of Abraham and to haue altered Solymans former determination But so strong was the Bassaes credit with his great lord and master that all these great ladies deuises and prayers were as womens affectionat passions rejected and the Bassaes counsell to their no small greefe in all things regarded The time appointed being come and all things in readinesse Solyman sent Abraham the Bassa and Vlemas the Persian before him into SYRIA with a strong armie to be readie with the first of the Spring to inuade the Persian king Which thing the Bassa gladly tooke vpon him and comming into SIRIA wintered with his armie at ALâ—PPO whither Barbarussa came vnto him for his letters of credence to Solyman as is before declared The Spring now approching Abraham sent Vlemas the fugitiue Persian prince before him with the light horsemen the forerunners of his armie into MESOPOTAMIA as his guide because the countrey was vnto him best knowne following not farre after himselfe with all his armie And marching still forward in that manner came at length without resistance vnto the famous citie of TAVRIS in ARMENIA the greater called in auntient time ECBATHANA as is probably by some conjectured a great and rich citie but vnwalled and of no strength where the Persian kings for the pleasantnesse of the place and freshnesse of the ayre vsed commonly to be resiant in the heat of the yeare From whence Tamas the Persian king was as then absent busied in warres
courteously looked vpon him and familiarly talked with the nurse and commaunded his sonnes there present to take him in their armes and to kisse him in certaine token of the loue they would beare him whom they were in time to haue their friend and tributarie when he was growne to mans estate these were Selymus and Baiazet begotten of his faire concubine Roxalana bearing the names the one of his grandfather the other of his great grandfather As for Mustapha his eldest sonne by his Circassian wife he then liued in MAGNESIA a great way off who though he was a prince of so great hope as neuer any of the Turkish kings had a sonne of greater and was therefore exceedingly beloued of the men of warre yet was he not so well liked of his father brought out of fauour with him by Roxalana as if he had traiterously gone about to take the empire from him yet liuing as did Selymus his grandfather from Baiazet for which cause Solyman secretly purposed to take him away as afterwards he did and to appoint Selymus for his successor as hereafter shall appeare But Solyman at such time as the noblemen of HVNGARIE were dining merrily with the Bassaes had commaunded certaine companies to whom he had before giuen instructions what he would haue done vnder the colour of seeing the citie to take one of the gates called SABATINA and the cheefe streets which was done so quietly and cunningly that a warie watchman standing there and beholding the manner of the Turks comming and going too and fro could hardly haue perceiued how the gate was taken vntill it was too late For many of the Turkes walking faire and softly by great companies into the citie as if it had beene but for pleasure to haue seene it and othersome to colour the matter walking likewise backe againe as if they had sufficiently viewed the citie by that meanes they without any tumult or sturre quickly tooke the appointed gate with the market place and cheefe streets of the citie Which so finely done the captaine of the Ianizaries caused proclamation to be made in all parts of the citie That the citisens should without feare keepe themselues within their houses and forthwith as they would haue their liues libertie and goods saued to deliuer all their weapons which they seeing no remedie did and hauing deliuered their armes and taken the Turkes faith for their securitie they receiued them into their houses as their vnwelcome guests But such was the quietnesse and modestie of the Turks by reason of the seueritie of their martiall discipline that no citisen which tooke them into their houses was by them wronged by word or deed Solyman vnderstanding that the citie was thus quietly and without resistance taken sent the child backe againe vnto the queene although it was now almost night but the cheefe noblemen he retained still with him these was George the bishop and treasurer Petrus Viâ—che the yong kings nigh kinsman and one of his tutors Valentinus Turaccus Generall of the queenes forces Stephanus Verbetius chancellor and Bacianus Vrbanus gouernour of the citie of BVDA This sudden and vnexpected change exceedingly troubled all their minds and so much the more for that the great Bassaes with changed countenances began to picke quarrels with them and as it were straightly and impudently to examine them and to call them to account for all that they had done The queene seeing the citie so craftily surprised and the nobilitie injuriously detained in the campe troubled with feare and greefe by humble letters requested Solyman not to forget the faith he had long before giuen vnto her and euen of late confirmed by his embassadours but mindfull both thereof and of his wonted clemencie to send backe vnto her the noblemen who for their fidelitie and valiant seruice had well deserued both of him and her this she did by Rustemes Bassa whom she had loded with gifts and amongst other things of great price had sent him a faire coronet of her owne of orient pearle and a goodly jewell set with rich stone to send vnto his wife Solymans daughter for a present After that Solyman consulted with his Bassaes foure dayes what order to take concerning the kingdome of HVNGARIE In discourse whereof his great Bassaes were of diuers opinions Mahometes aduised him to carrie away with him to CONSTANTINOPLE both the child and all the nobilitie and to leaue such a gouernour in BVDA as by his wise and moderat gouernment rather than by rigour might put the people out of feare of seruitude and bondage by defending them from wrong and yet by little little lay vpon them the yoke of the Turkish gouernment But Rustemes Bassa before corrupted and a man in greater fauour than the rest because he was Solymans sonne in law and therefore farther from all suspition of flatterie stood altogether vpon tearmes of honour saying That nothing could be more dishonorable vnto so great and mightie a monarch who neuer had at any time with any spot or staine blemished the glorie of his name than after victorie against all right and reason to breake his faith at once with a weake woman and sillie infant whom he had before taken vpon him to protect and defend On the other side Mahometes gouernour of BELGRADE an old mortall enemie of the Christians of all the rest best acquainted with the state of HVNGARIE and for his great experience and approued valour then extraordinarily admitted by Solyman into counsell amongst the great Bassaes disliked of both the former opinions as too full of lenitie and being asked his owne deliuered it in mischieuous manner as followeth I know said he most mightie Solyman that he which in consultation of matters of so great consequence is to deliuer his opinion last shall if he discent from the rest be subiect to enuie and reprehension And therefore it cannot be but that I being of a quite contrarie opinion to them that haue before spoken my speech must also be vnto your eares both vnpleasant and tedious But I refuse not to be counted by my selfe yea and presumptuous if you will so haue it rather than a smoother vp of other mens sayings as one of no iudgement whilest I recount those things which as the present case standeth may wonderfully profit your designes the imperiall state for of right I may desire you to yeeld a little to my yeares and if I may by your good fauour so say to that I haue alreadie done when as I now growne an old man in warres against these Hungarians haue by experience learned those things of the state and strength of this kingdome and the disposition of the people which being here laid downe may much auaile for your better determination of this so waightie a cause as amitteth no repentance if you shall now be ouerseene therein You haue now within the space of these twentie yeares come in armes your selfe in person fiue times into this countrey
and at the same time to send Barbarussa with a great fleet against the Spaniards their common enemies for the imparting of which his designes he would shortly send vnto them Iunusbeius his embassadour As for the euent of the warre they needed not to doubt when as they of themselues were strong ynough quickly to thrust the emperour out of the dukedome of MILLAN being generally hated of the people feeding his souldiors with the spoile of the countrey and on euery side beset both by sea and land by two of the greatest monarchs of the world Whereunto the Senat delaying the time for certaine dayes that Iunusbeius might in the meane time come thither grauely answered That the amitie they held with king Francis ought to be vnto them an ornament but no burthen the like also they held with the emperour whom they would in no case seeme to cast off although they had beene by him ouer-raught Wherefore the Senators and all the citisens generally were of opinion to preserue their peace as they which in the hard times of war had endured great extremities which would hardly be recouered with long peace But if they did once see the ensignes displayed and the wars begun they would then take further aduice Whether it were good for them to thrust themselues into those warres or not when as they were in league and friendship with three of the greatest princes of the world In the meane time Iunusbeius arriued at VENICE and was there honourably receiued He requested that the league before made at CONSTANTINOPLE by Badoerius their embassador might by the authoritie of the Senat be confirmed so coÌ„mended the French kings cause to the Senat that he requested no more but that vnto that amitie which they alreadie held with the French they would joine further courtesies the rather for that Solyman had accounted him for his brother and had vndertaken to aid him against Charles king of SPAINE but as to joine in league with him or in his quarrell to take vp armes he requested nothing Which was quite beside the expectation of Polinus and Pellicerius who by vrging of the matter and by telling of all had thought easily to haue persuaded the Senat to haue graunted what they requested and therefore thought the Turke who had so coldly spoken in the cause to be some way corrupted But as it afterward appeared there was such equitie and modestie in Solymans letters who was otherwise of a proud and insolent nature that he would not as then exact any thing of them which should not stand with the good of their estate Wherfore Polinus hauing in vaine staied certaine daies at VENICE was in one of their publike gallies transported to RAGVSIVM and from thence trauelled by land to CONSTANTINOPLE where he found all things more difficult than euer he dreamed of For the great Bassaes said There could no fleet be set out that yeare by reason that he was come too late to sue for such a matter the Spring of the yeare being now past of all other times most fit for to take in hand so long a voyage So that Polinus was aboue measure vexed with care and griefe that he had so euill sped and was come so out of season both to VENICE and CONSTANTINOPLE Dixius also one of the masters of the Rhodian gallies was come to CONSTANTINOPLE to carie newes into FRANCE of the comming of the Turks fleet who told Polinus That the kings sonnes were with strong power far entred into the low countries and had alreadie inuaded SPAINE expecting nothing more than the comming of the Turks gallies Wherefore Polinus as it easily chanceth to men deceiued by trust reposed in any other mens promises and bewailing the euill successe of their vaine trauell wonderfully tormented himselfe cursed the froward and vnconstant manners of the Bassaes called vpon the faith of Solyman and besought the great Bassaes one by one that they would not contrarie to their promise forsake the king who vpon the hope of the comming of the Turks fleet had now inuaded both the low countries and the kingdome of SPAINE for as much as by that delay which was vnto them neither honourable nor profitable was as he said betraied the majestie of his king and a most assured victorie now as good as gotten quite marred In which his obtestations he was so importunat and tedious that he became vnto those proud Bassaes rather loathsome than gratious insomuch that to end his sute they thought it best sharply to take him vp and so for that time to shake him off And therefore sending for him and the other French gentlemen which followed him to the court the great Bassaes then sitting in counsell and Barbarussa with them for the honour of his place as soone as they were come into the counsell chamber Solyman Bassa the eunuch turning himselfe about spake vnto them in this sort Frenchmen said he this place for dâ—spatch of most waightie affaires appointed by the graue iudgment of our most mightie emperor to vs his faithfull seruants doth as it best beseemeth receiue vs daily comming vnto it void of loue and hatred and withall doth notably put vs in remembrance to speake our minds freely Neither would I that this franknesse of speech the messenger of truth and therefore the faithfull keeper of friendship should be vnto your eares vnpleasing or troublesome for sithence your king hath beene called the friend and fellow of the Othoman name we may not now either forget the duties of loue or loath your friendship seeing that our emperour doth maruellously affect you and is not a little desirous to strengthen you with his power and by ouercomming your enemies to increase your power and honour But in your demaunds is no equitie no modestie so that wee tearme you vnmodest and importunat and others which fauour you not so well call you plainly by your right names vnreasonable and shamelesse men who as too too forgetfull of your dueties doe most fondly trouble the lawes of amitie and friendship For leagues are confirmed by like profit by making euen the charge and mutuall dangers but if neglecting your friends kindnesse and courtesie you will make no requitall they will quickly grow wearie of you So happeneth it vnto you Frenchmen who euer forgetfull and negligent in our dangers but in your owne alwaies mindfull and diligent haue shewed your selues friends vnto vs when need was not in deeds and certaine aid but onely in bare letâ—ers and embassages Tell me I pray you where euer you shewed any signe or token of your good will or aid whereby the minds of our enemies might at the least wise haue but beene kept in suspence of some doubtfull feare when as Charles with all the power of the West came into HVNGARIE and CORONE and PATRAS were in the meane time shaken in GRaeCE with the enemies fleet and last of all TVNES taken with so great a fleet But all this we pardon you yet
sent Amurathes Gouernour of DALMATIA and Vlamas the Persian gouernour of BOSNA to besiege WALPO a strong town scituaâ— vpon the riuer Dranus not far from EXEK famous for the ouerthrow of the Christian armie vnder Cazzianer after whom followed also Achomates the great commaunder of his Europeian horsemen This towne part of Perenus his possessions was against all these forces kept and worthily defended by Perenus his wife her husband then lying in prison at VIENNA and her friends by the space of three months but was at last by the trecherous souldiors deliuered to the enemie togither with their Generall whom when they could by no means persuade to consent to the yeelding vp thereof but that he would needs hold it out to the last they tooke him perforce and so deliuered him with the towne to the Turkes who receiued him with all courtesie and vsed him honourably but those traiterous souldiors whether it were in detestation of their treacherie or for the spoile of them were all put to the sword the just reward of their treason The rest of the citisens were by the Turks taken to mercie and well vsed The bishop and chiefe men of QVINQVE ECLESIE a famous citie not far off on the other side of Dranus hearing of the losse of WALPO and terrified with the greatnesse of the Turkes armie fled for feare leauing none but the meaner sort of the people in the citie who willingly yeelded the same vnto the Turks The next towne of any strength was SOCTOSIA belonging also to Perenus which for a while held out against the Turks for that diuers gentlemen of the countrey which were fled into the citie encouraged the citisens to stand vpon their defence But after much harme done on both sides when they were no longer able to hold out they retired into the castle in hope to haue so saued their liues and libertie by yeelding but Amurathes was so offended with them that he would come to no reasonable composition or promise them any thing more than that they should at their pleasure come forth and so as they came out at the gate slew them euerie mothers sonne thereby to terrifie others from making like resistance Solyman vnderstanding all these things gaue those townes which were taken to Amurathes the Generall and hauing put all things in readinesse departed from BVDA with all his armie to besiege STRIGONIVM which was then kept by Liscanus and Salamanca two proud couetous Spaniards with a garrison of thirteene hundred souldiors whereof some few were Spaniards and Italians and the rest Germans Paulus bishop of STRIGONIVM got himselfe out of the citie betimes despairing of all mercie if he should haue fallen into the power of Solyman by whose intermission he had been once before reconciled to king Iohn and had againe reuolteâ— from him to king Ferdinand The castle of STRIGONIVM was scituat vpon a high hill ouerlooking Danubius running vnderneath it the wals were built euen without any flankers after the old manner of building before the inuention of guns For which cause Vitellius and Tâ—â—niellus two expert captaines the yeare before sent from the king to view the place and the manner of the fortification were of opinion that the citie could hardly be defended if it were be sieged by any strong enemie being subject also vnto a hill not far from the gates of the citie â—gainst which inconueniences the old garrison souldiors which wintered in STRIGONIVM cast vp new bulwarks and fortifications and after the manner of windie headed men making great boast before the danger what they would do seemed to wish for the comming of Solyman But after that the barbarous enemie had with his tents couered the fields and mountains round about the citie and withall brought a gallant fleet vp the riuer all those brags were laid in the dust euery man began to grow doubtfull of his owne safetie for that they being but few although men of good worth were to withstand the infinit number of such enemies as oftentimes vsed â—â—ost desperatly to expose their liues to all maner of dangers This their feare was also increased by the comming of certaine messengers from Solyman who vnderstanding of what nations the garrison consisted sent vnto the citie three of his owne guard one a Spaniard another an Italian and the third a German all renegate Christians that euerie one of them might without an interpretor speake vnto their countreymen in their owne language These men admitted into the citie offered great rewards and large entertainment in the name of Solyman to such as would in time yeeld denouncing all torture and extremities vnto them which should endure the summons of the cannon Whereunto it was answered by the captaines That those faithfull and valiant souldiors who had reposed their last hope in their armes were neither to be woon by gifts nor terrified with threats With which answere the messenger returned and the same day the Turkes great ordinance was planted vpon the hill before the gate of the citie and the weakest parts of the wals round about the citie so well pickt out by the Turks to be assaulted as that they could not more skilfully or commodiously haue been chosen out of them which had within most diligently viewed euerie thing so that it is to be thought that the Christians wanted not onely fortune against the Turks but also faith amongst themselues Salamanca distrusting the fortifications of the suburbs retired into the citie contrarie to that he had before vainly boasted Achomates Generall of the Europeian horsemen laid siege to that part of the wall which was next to the bishops gardens Vlamas the Persian besieged the towre neere vnto the gate towards BVDA The Asapi or common souldiors were by their captaines brought on to dig trenches and cast vp mounts as was thought most conuenient It is incredible to be spoken with what furie the great ordinance was discharged without ceasing insomuch that the towre with a great part of the wall neere vnto it shaken with continuall batterie fell downe with such violence as if all had been shaken with a most terrible earthquake neither was any man able to stand vpon the wals but that the Ianizaries with their harquebusiers out of their trenches and from their mounts would most certainly fetch him off and many which stood within farther off were with the Turkes arrowes falling from high as if it had beene out of the ayre grieuously wounded But that which most troubled the defendants and did them greatest harme was the stones which beaten in sunder with the great shot and not to be auoided did with their pieces kill or maime the souldiors neere hand With which dangers they were enforced to forsake the vttermost wall and to cast vp new fortifications within that they might with lesse danger defend the place Neither in the enemy wanted courage to assaile the breach thrise they desperatly attempted to haue entered and were alwaies with losse
the comming of the fleet begun to trusse vp their baggage but as soone as they heard that the fleet was come and the armie landed there suddenly arose a wonderfull tumultuous confusion amongst them some cried arme arme and othersome as fast to be gone and being generally all afraid euery one according to his disposition betooke himselfe to his weapons or to his heeles the greatest number thrust together into their trenches as neere as they could vnto their great ordinance and so burning the engines and fortifications with all the speed they could embarked their great ordinance and baggage Which they in the towne S. Angelo perceiuing not expecting the commandement of the Great master in so sudden an opportunitie couragiously sallied out to BVRMOLA where certaine Turks kept a huge great peece of ordinance who now hauing no mind to fight betooke themselues to flight and forsooke the peece which they of the towne presently drew within their wals And if the newcome forces had that day charged the enemie as they disorderly ran to their gallies happily they had either found an occasion of victorie or at leastwise taken from them the greatest part of their artillerie But it may be that they followed the old militarie saying That vnto the flying enemie a man should make a bridge of siluer Besides that they thinking it not conuenient to depart from the prouision and things which they had brought for the releefe of the besieged which for the roughnesse of the way and want of horses were hardly caried would not prouoke the enemie with any skirmish whereby it came to passe that the Turkes without let embarked their great ordinance their baggage and most part of their armie The eleuenth of September whilest the Turks fleet was brought out of the hauen MARZA MOXET a fugitiue of GENVA came in hast to the Great master and told him that ten thousand Turks were marching towards MELITA to meet with the Christians vpon the way Which thing the Great master hearing presently sent a sufficient number of good souldiours to the castle Saint Elmo there to set vp one of the ensignes of the sacred Order who comming thither found there foure and twentie great peeces some for batterie some for the field which they could not in so great hast remooue thence The Turkes fleet departing out of the hauen MARZA MOXET to the port S. Paule there landed seuen thousand men with Mustapha their Generall who was falsely informed That the Christians were not aboue three thousand strong and from thence encouraged with the small number of the enemie as they supposed they marched directly toward MELITA The Christians also marching orderly and readie to giue battell held on their way to meet them and at the rising of an hill both armies meeting together they gaue a great shout and withall the formost began the battell where some few were at the first slaine on both sides But the Christians still growing vpon them both in number and strength the Turkes finding themselues ouercharged fled the Christians pursuing them and killing them vntill they came to their gallies where in striuing who should get in first about foure hundred of them were drowned in the sea besides eighteene hundred slaine in the battell at land and had the Christian souldiors well knowne the countrey they had slaine them euery mothers sonne The Turks thus driuen to their gallies lay there in the hauen all the next day and most part of the night following but a little before day vpon the shooting off of a great peece the signe of their departure they all hoised saile for GRECIA leauing the island of MALTA sore impouerished and wasted In this siege the Turkes lost about foure and twentie thousand whereof most part were of their best souldiours and of the Christians were slaine about fiue thousand besides two hundred and fortie knights of the Order men of diuers nations but all worthie eternall fame whose dead bodies the Great master caused to be honourably buried The Turkes in their batterie during the siege spent as is accounted threescore and eighteene thousand great shot If a man doe well consider the difficulties and dangers the besieged passed thorow in this fiue moneths siege the manifold labours and perils they endured in so many and so terrible assaults the small releefe to them sent in so great distresse with the desperat obstinacie of so puisâ—ant an enemie he shall hardly find any place these many yeares more mightily impugned or with greater valour and resolution desended The laâ—e besieged and now victorious prince honourably acquitted of so great an enemie first commaunded publicke prayers with thanksgiuing to be made vnto the giuer of all victorie after that hee rewarded the valiant commended the rest and gaue thankes to all he charitably relieued the sicke and wounded bewailed the spoile of the island and carefully prouided for the repairing of the breaches and places battered and yet in all this doing diligently enquired after the enemies course and purpose was not in any thing remisse or secure as in victorie most men are But because so great harms could not without great helpes in short time be repaired and the returne of the prowd enemie not without cause the next yeare feared he by letters to diuers great princes and especially to the graund priors of the Order in diuers countries requested helpe amongst whom George graund prior of GERMANIE and founder of the castle of S. Elmo was one of the chiefest The coppie of which letters because they briefly containe what we haue before in this historie at large written I haue thought good here to set downe that the same may in such order be read as it was by the Great master himselfe reported Brother Valetta Master of the hospitall of Ierusalem to the reuerend and religious our welbeloued brother in Christ George of Hohenheim called Bombast prior of our priorie in Almanie greeting Although we doubt not but that by the letters and relation of many you alreadie vnderstand of the comming of the Turkes to inuade these islands or rather vtterly to subuert our societie and the happie and heauenly victorie by vs obtained of it Yet if the same things shall by our letters also bee brought vnto you we haue thought the same will be vnto you a thing much more pleasing For seeing that we are certainely persuaded that you in this no lesse happie than wholesome successe will giue most heartie thankes to Almightie God and that the fruit of this good shall most of all redound vnto you for the honour which you beare in our Order we haue willingly determined to participate this our ioy with you and plainely and openly to protest That we attribute this so notable and wonderfull a victorie to our Lord Christ Iesus the greatest king of all kings and author of all good things Which that you may the more worthely and willingly doe wee will declare the whole matter not at
vnto the Turks Court with some resolute answere concerning that matter So it was that during the reigne of the late emperour Ferdinand that the Turke his subjects in HVNGARIE payed all their taxes and tributes vnto their old lords and masters abiding and liuing in the emperours jurisdiction as did the subjects of Ferdinand to their lords that dwelt in the Turks dominion and territories Now in this treatie for peace the Turks amongst other their vnreasonable requests demanded to haue their subjects freed and yet the subjects of the emperour to pay as they were before accustomed Which as it was a request nothing indifferent so was it no lesse prejudiciall and hurtfull vnto the emperour his subjects in HVNGARIE for which cause the embassadours would not by any meanes consent thereunto before they knew the emperours farther pleasure concerning the same Whereupon they dispatched one Sig. Odoardo a gentleman of MANTVA very skilfull in the Turkish language and in such like affaires by reason that as well about this businesse as at diuers times before about other the like he had beene employed from VIENNA to CONSTANTINOPLE in the emperours seruice So Selymus shortly after viz. the twentieth of October departing from CONSTANTINOPLE in great magnificence passed by the gate where the embassadours lay with his whole Court in armes and in the same order that is vsually kept when he goeth to warre or taketh any great journey After whose departure the embassadours hauing sufficiently viewed the citie of CONSTANTINOPLE and then at good leisure to passe the time and to see the countries they had so often both heard and read of together with the ports and hauens on both sides that narrow sea which deuideth EVROPE from ASIA embarking themselues and crossing the mouth of the hauen betwixt CONSTANTINOPLE and PERA passed all alongst the coast on EVROPE side vnto the Euxine or blacke sea and so backe againe by the other side of that straight sea curiously noting the great ruines of the antient cities of BITHYNIA with some others alongst the Asian shore together with the pleasant situation they in former times had whilest they yet flourished in their glorie but now for most part or rather altogether laied in the dust brought to nought and so returned againe to CONSTANTINOPLE But whilest they thus deceiued the time and lay long expecting the returne as well of their owne messenger sent vnto the emperor as of Selymus himselfe they were aduertised in all hast to repaire vnto him to HADRIANOPLE whether the aforesaid messenger was now come with full instructions of all things concerning the treatie for peace For which cause they with great speed making themselues ready and taking their leaue of Piall Bassa who for that he was Selymus his great Admirall then lay at CONSTANTINOPLE set forward the first of Ianuarie in the yeare 1568 and so after nine dayes trauell at length arriued at HADRIANOPLE about an hundred fiftie three Italian miles distant from CONSTANTINOPLE Here they stayed vntill the peace was concluded which was the seuenteenth of Februarie the cheefe capitulations whereof were That either of those great princes should still hold what they had got each from the other in the late warres That the emperour should yearely pay thirtie thousand duckaâ—s to the Turkish Sultan as a tribute for HVNGARIE the tribute to begin in the beginning of Ianuarie last past this yeare 1568 That the subjects of the Turke should pay nothing to the subjects of the emperour neither the emperours any thing to the Turks but to be both of those paiments free And that vpon these conditions there should be a firme sure peace betwixt these two great Monarchs for eight years next following wherin the Vayuod of TRANSILVANIA was as the Turkes tributarie to be also comprehended Neuerthelesse all things at this time thus agreed vpon the Turkes after their subtile manner finding sundry cauillations and raising many doubts about the aforesaid capitulations did what they might to haue in some part altered what they had before agreed vpon to the bettering of themselues and the hurt of the Christians and so with many their vnreasonable demaunds stayed the departure of the embassadours vntill the twentith of March following At which time hauing their dispatch and taking their leaue of the Great Turke and the Bassaes accompanied with Hebraim-Beg Selymus his embassadour vnto the emperour they by land returned towards VIENNA where they with the joyfull newes of peace the tenth of May arriued being there two daies after at the Court most honourably receiued And fiue daies after audience was giuen vnto the Turks embassadour who well heard and better rewarded shortly after returned with a full conclusion of peace from the emperour to CONSTANTINOPLE But whilest this peace was thus in concluding and the embassadours yet resident at HADRIANOPLE the sixteenth of Februarie came an honourable embassage from Shach Tamas the Persian king vnto the Great Sultan Selymus to entreat a peace betwixt them or rather to conclude the same being before agreed vpon the controuersies for which they afterwards fell to open war Which embassage for that it is no lesse truly than plainely set downe in a letter sent from ERZIRVM a citie then in the confines of the Turkes dominions towards the Persians written by a Chiaus to Muhamet cheefe of the Visier Bassaes which Chiaus was of purpose sent from CONSTANTINOPLE to meet the said Persian embassadour I thought it not amisse for the better vnderstanding thereof to set downe the effect of the same letter as it was translated out of the Turkish into the Italian by the emperours embassadours interpreter The effect of the letter written to Muhamet Bassa the cheefe Visier by a Chiaus sent of purpose to meet the Persian Embassadour After due salutations this is the effect of that which we thought good to make knowne vnto your lordship Now at this present to wit in the beginning of the month Giuma Sulacchir is in good health arriued the embassadour of Persia the kings cheefe counsellour called Schach Culi Soltan attended vpon with a hundred and twentie gentlemen with guilt turbants on their heads well furnished with spare horses led in mens hands Besides whom he was accompanied also with two hundred knights all apparrelled in cloth of gold with foure hundred Persian marchants in all aboue seuen hundred persons with a thousand nine hundred beasts cammels mules and horses fiue couple of drums euery couple being placed vpon a seuerall cammell fiue Nacars three trumpets fiue flutes and other instruments in all about thirtie musitions playing vpon these instruments There were also two queristers or chaunters of the Alcoran one Organist one playing vpon a Turkish instrument like a Lute two players vpon Sagbuts with two other musitions eight in all There were also foure bondwomen seruing in the embassadours owne chamber Who when he was with all this magnificent pompe come within one dayes iourney of ERZIRVM the Sayms and
for wealth allured the pouertie of the people of ROME to lay hold vpon it so that we haue rather couetously than justly got the rule thereof In the heart of the island standeth NICOSIA sometime the regall and late metropoliticall citie thereof And in the East end thereof FAMAGVSTA sometime called TAMASSVS a famous rich citie the cheefe and onely port of all that most pleasant island Other faire cities there be also as PAPHOS AMATHVS now called LIMISSO and CYRENE This island of it selfe long time maintained the majestie of a kingdome as then when Richard the first king of ENGLAND passing that way with his fleet for the releefe of the Christians then distressed in the Holy land about the yeare 1191 was prohibited there to land and certaine of his people by force of tempest there cast on shore were by the Cypriots either cruelly slaine or taken prisoners which barbarous violence king Richard tooke in so euill part that he there by force landed his armie and rested not vntill he had taken Isaak the king prisoner and subdued the island The king he sent in chaines of siluer to TRIPOLIS there to be kept in close prison the kingdome he kept a while in his owne hand which not long after he gaue or as some say exchanged with Guido the titular king of HIERVSALEM for which cause the kings of ENGLAND for a certaine time afterwards were honoured with the title of the kings of HIERVSALEM This kingdome by many descents came at length to Ianus son of king Peter who in the yeare 1423 was by Melechella Sultan of AEGIPT taken prisoner but afterwards for the ransome of an hundred and fifteene thousand Sultanins was set at libertie and restored to his kingdome paying vnto the Sultan and his successours a yearely tribute of fortie thousand crownes This Ianus left a sonne called Iohn who after the death of his father married the daughter of the Marques of MONT-FERRAT after whose death he married one Helena of the most noble house of the Paleologi in GRaeCIA by whom he had one onely daughter called Carlotte but by another woman a base sonne named Iames. This king Iohn was a man of no courage altogether giuen to pleasure and according to the manner of his effeminate education shewed himselfe in all things more like a woman than a man which Helena his wife a woman of a great spirit quickly perceiuing tooke vpon her the soueraignetie and whole gouernment of the realme gracing and disgracing whom she pleased and promoting to the ecclesiasticall dignities such as she best liked abolishing the Latine ceremonies and bringing in them of the Greeks and tooke such further order as pleased her selfe in matters of state concerning both peace and warre her husband in the meane time regarding nothing but his vaine pleasure whereby it came to passe that all was brought into the power of the Greekes the queenes friends Now the queene her selfe was much ruled by the counsell of her nurse and the nurse by her daughter so that the people commonly said The daughter ruled the nurse the nurse the queene the queene the king The nobilitie ashamed and wearie of this manner of gouernment by generall consent of the people sent for Iohn the king of PORTINGALS cousin Germane whom some call the king of PORTINGALL to whom they gaue Carlotte the kings daughter in marriage with full power to supplie that want of gouernment which was in king Iohn his father in law He taking the authoritie into his hands quickly reformed the disordered kingdome as well in matters concerning religion as ciuile policie The Latine ceremonies were againe restored and the gouernement of the daughter the nurse and the queene brought to an end But the mischieuous daughter doubting the countenance of the new king persuaded her mother as she tendered her owne life to poyson the king Which thing the wretched woman by the consent of the queene mother as was reported in shorttime performed and so brought that noble prince well worthie longer life vnto his vntimely end whereby the gouernment was againe restored to the Greeke queene who in the name of her weake husband commaunded againe at her pleasure But aboue all the nurse and her daughter insulted vpon the young queene Carlotte which shee not well brooking grieuously complained thereof to Iames her base brother requiring his helpe for redresse therof who not long after slew the nurses daughter not so much in reuenge of the wrong by her done vnto his sister as to prepare a way for himselfe for the obtaining of the kingdome grieuing inwardly that shee or her husband whosoeuer should bee preferred before himselfe Which thing Helena the queene quickly perceiuing persuaded the king her husband to cause his base sonne to enter into the orders of priesthood and so to become a church man thereby to cut off all his hope of aspiring vnto the kingdome which the king at her instance did and made him archbishop of NICOSIA In the meane time Carlotte by the persuasion of her mother and the nobilitie of the countrey married Lewes sonne to the duke of SAVOY who being for that purpose sent for came with all speed to CYPRVS After that the queene mother and the old nurse desiâ—ing nothing more than to reuenge the death of the nurses daughter vpon Iames now archbishop deuised first how to thrust him out of all his spirituall promotions which were great and afterward quite banish him the kingdome Hereupon the queene wrote letters against him to the Pope to haue him disgraded for that he being a man base borne with his hands embrued with guiltlesse blood was vnworthie of holy orders Which letters by chance came to Iames his hands who enraged therewith accompanied with a number of his friends and fauorits suddenly entred the Court slew such of his enemies as he found there deuided their goods amongst his followers and as king possessed himselfe of the regall citie In this broile the Greeke queene Helena died and shortly after her husband also All things being thus in a hurle and out of order certaine of the nobilitie for redresse thereof sent for Lewes the husband of Carlotte as for him to whom that kingdome in the right of his wife most justly belonged who vpon his arriuall was of all sorts of men joifully receiued and welcommed as their king Iames the vsurper vnderstanding before of the comming of Lewes and perceiuing the inclination of the people towards him fled with diuers of his friends to ALEXANDRIA to craue aid of the Aegyptian Sultan in whose Court he found such fauour as that he was by the Sultans commaundement royally apparrelled and honoured with the title of the king of CYPRVS which he promised for euer to hold of the Sultans of AEGIPT as their vassale and tributarie At which time the Sultan also by his embassadours commaunded Lewes to depart the isle who by all meanes sought to haue pacified the Sultan declaring vnto him his rightfull title yet
at that time of the yeare haue put into those dangerous seas which Quirinus well knowing came foorth againe with his gallies and roaming vp and downe at his pleasure tooke two of the enemies ships richly laded comming vnto the camp with which bootie he enriched his souldiors and farther incited by occasion landed his men in diuers places alongst the sea coast in PAMPHILIA and there did great harme So hauing filled the countrey with the terrour and fame of his name he returned againe to FAMAGVSTA where he notably encouraged the garrison souldiors persuading them to remember their woonted valour and filling them with hope that the Christian fleet would be with them in the beginning of the next Sommer to deliuer them from their enemies and to raise the siege So hauing in twentie daies dispatched that he came for and done what good seruice else he could he departed from FAMAGVSTA and within fiue daies after arriued at CRETE It was not long but Selymus had knowledge of this late supply put into FAMAGVSTA and of the harmes done by Quirinus wherewith he was so highly displeased that he commaunded the Gouernour of CHIOS his head to be strucke off and the Gouernour of the RHODES to be disgraced whose charge it was to haue kept those seas so that nothing should haue been conuaied into FAMAGVSTA Neither spared he Pial Bassa but depriued him of his Admiraltie and placed Pertau Bassa Admirall in his stead for that he had not the yeare before discomfited the Christian fleet at the island of CRETE as it was supposed he might haue done From the beginning of this warre the Venetians with Pius Quintus then Pope who greatly fauoured their cause had most earnestly from time to time solicited Philip king of SPAINE to enter with them into the participation and fellowship of this warre which their request standing in deed with the good of his state he seemed easily to yeeld vnto and therefore sent Auria his Admirall the last yeare with his fleet to aid them but with such successe as is before declared As for to joyne with them in a perpetuall league and confederation as it was tearmed against the common enemie that he referred vnto the discreet consideration of the two Cardinals Granuellan and Pace and Io. Zunica his embassadour sent for that purpose to ROME promising to performe whatsoeuer they should on his behalfe agree vpon or consent vnto At the same time and for the same purpose lay also Surianus the Venetian embassadour at ROME vnto whom the Pope joyned Cardinall Morone Aldobrandinus and Rusticucius with certaine other of the chiefe Cardinals as men indifferent to both parties to moderat and compose such differences and difficulties as should arise betwixt the aforesaid commissioners for the king and the Venetians concerning the intended league But these graue men sent from so great princes about so great a matter as well there could not be a greater were no sooner met togither and set in consultation but that forthwith they began to jarre about the capitulations of the league Necessarie it was thought that a league should be agreed vpon against so puissant and dangerous an enemie but to find the way how the same might be concluded to the contentment of all parties seemed a matter almost impossible Oftentimes these commissioners sat but the oftener the farther off if one difficultie were by the discretion of some appeased in stead thereof at the next meeting arise three others The chiefe commaund of the armie to be raised the proportion of the forces the maner of the war with many other such like circumstances incident to so great actions made great differences among them but most of all the indifferent proportioning of the charge the Spanish commissioners seeking to turne the greatest part therof vpon the Venetians and the Venetians vpon them which was done with such earnestnesse and studie of euerie man towards his owne part as if they had all there met for the bettering of the particular state from which they were sent rather than for the common good For the Spaniard who in former time was glad to keepe the frontiers of his large dominions in ITALIE SICILIE SARDINIA CORSICA MAIORCA MINORCA yea and of SPAINE it selfe with strong garrisons for feare of the Turke now that the warre was risen betwixt the Venetians and him and the danger thereof translated farre off into other mens territories enjoyed now in his owne an vnwonted quietnesse to the great content of his subjects easing of his owne charge in maintaining of so many garrisons as before whereof many were now thought needlesse Besides that he by the indulgence of the Pope raised such great summes of money vpon his cleargie as was thought by many sufficient to discharge the charge of the warre For which causes he cared not for entring into any farther league with the Venetians but as it were of courtesie to send them a yearely aid to maintain a defensiue lingering war and so to keepe the Turke busied vpon the Venetian a far off from his owne territories But the Venetians in whose dominions the fierce enemie daily raged as well in DALMATIA as in CYPRVS were euen for the same reasons moued to hasten and shorten the war that the Spaniard was to protract it for beside the neerenesse of the danger and the infinit calamities by the sustained their yearly reuenues arising for most part of their customes were greatly empaired and their traffique the maintenance of their State almost quite cut off which caused them more earnestly to confederat themselues with the Spaniard But hard it was to joyne in one States so farre differing in respect of their particular profit and almost by nature contrarie Thus was all the last yeare and a great part of this also spent by the aforesaid commissioners in turbulent and fruitlesse conferences but nothing as yet concluded concerning the league which troubled the Venetians not a little being of themselues too weake for so mightie an enemie as was Selymus and yet no other certaine strength from their friends to rest vpon But whiles they stood thus doubtfull of the league with SPAINE and quite out of hope of any attonement with Selymus vpon the sudden when they least expected it was by good fortune laid as it were in their laps to make choise whether they would as they had before most earnestly desired joyne in league with the Pope and the king of SPAINE or else fall to agreement with Selymus and that by this meanes Muhamet the chiefe Bassa a secret friend vnto the Venetians of whom he had been of long time honoured had no great liking of the prosperous successe of Mustapha in CYPRVS and therefore deuised night and day how to crosse the rising of him the competitour of his honour and withall to help the Venetians vnto whom he was much beholden He by secret messengers had before oftentimes sounded the mind of the Venetian embassadour and put him in hope that if
all that grieued with the losse of CYPRVS gaue not so ouer but repairing their nauie with thirtie gallies wherein were embarked six thousand souldiors woon a castle in EPIRVS called MARGARITA and also recouered the towne of SVPPOTO which the Turkes had that Sommer before taken from them but now hearing of this ouerthrow did vpon the approach of the Venetian fleet againe forsake it The gallies also of CRETE conducted by Canalis intercepted many of the Turkes vessels laded with captiues and the spoiles of FAMAGVSTA as they were passing thence to CONSTANTINOPLE Although vpon the late obtained victorie a certaine reconciliation had beene made betwixt Don Iohn and Venerius yet of the former dissention remained an inward heart-burning of one of them against the other for which cause the Spaniards requested the Venetians to appoint an other Admirall in his place Venerius was now indeed a man of great yeares and his strength far spent yet for that in his aged bodie rested great wisedome and courage and that they thought him for his great deserts worthie all honour they were wonderfull loath and vnwilling therein to gratifie the Spaniard for why they well knew there was no other cause of the Spaniards prowd hatred but that he had stood against them vpon the honour of the Venetians and farther they liked not that the Spaniard should so presumptuously prescribe vnto them whom they should place or displace in or out of their honourable offices Neuerthelesse not forgetting what commoditie came by concord and what euils of discord and that they might not against so mightie an enemie well spare the helpe of the Spaniard they resolued to make choise of some other who succeeding Venerius might with one consent manage their wars togither with Don Iohn and Columnius There was then one Iacobus â—uscarinus their chiefe Gouernour in DALâ—ATLA who but a little before had notably fortified IADERA and the other frontier towns and for the space of fourteene moneths had notably repressed the furious incursions of the Turkes of him then absent and not desirous of the place as of a man of worthie desert the whole State by generall consent made choise for their Admirall and Generall by sea against the Turke which most honourable place he receiued not with all the solemne ceremonies thereto belonging at VENICE as the manner was but at IADERA from whence he in the Admirall gallie sent for that purpose by Aloysius Grimanus his successour in IADERA sailed ouer to CORCYRA where he found the old Admirall Venerius with no lesse care prouiding for all things than if he should himselfe haue still continued the warre Of which great care Fuscarinus at his comming eased him by taking it wholy vpon himselfe Whilest Fuscarinus thus lay making his preparation against the next Spring at CORCYRA Sara Martinengus who had the charge of the Adriaticke by the counsell of Venerius who was now returned to VENICE vpon the sudden landed his men and besieged CASTRO NOVUM a strong towne of the Turks in the borders of ISTRIA where at his first comming he tooke the suburbs and had in short time brought the towne to great extremitie But in the height of his hope to haue woon the towne hearing that the Beglerbeg of GRECE was with great power comming thither he was glad to raise his siege and with all speed to get him againe to sea The Turkes in like manner to distresse the strong towne of CATARO holden by the Venetians in the borders of DALMATIA built a great and strong fort vpon the passage from sea to the town wherein they placed great store both of men and artillerie in hope by keeping them of the towne from all reliefe by sea at length to gaine the towne which they had many times in vaine attempted by force for by land it was alreadie enuironed with the cruell enemie possessing the countrey round about it Iacobus Superantius the great Prouidetour then lying at CORCYRA with the Admirall vnderstanding how CATARO a towne of no small importance was thus both by sea and land by the enemie distressed with twentie gallies manned with the most choise souldiors could be pickt out of the whole fleet tooke vpon him the rasing of the fort and relieuing of the towne Superantius with this select companie and certaine other gallies which met him by the way came by night before the mouth of the bay of CATARO and there diuiding his fleet left the one part thereof at anchor before the fort and with the other himselfe couragiously passed by the fort further into the bay at whom the Turkes out of the fort made diuers shot but by reason it was darke to small purpose In passing by Superantius tooke such view as he could of the fort and by and by began on that side to batter the same as did also the other gallies on the other side and withall landed their men on both sides who vpon signall giuen ran resolutly to the fort and by plaine force entring the same preuailed vpon the fearefull Turks and put them to the sword euerie mothers sonne so that of all that great garrison was not one left aliue to carrie newes of the slaughter This fort was in length fiue hundred paces but not strong towards land from whence no such feare was doubted In it was taken seauenteene great pieces of ordinance with much faire armour and great abundance of victuals and seauen galliots which lay at anchor vnder the fort CATARO thus relieued Superantius with victorie returned againe to CORCYRA Fuscarinus the Venetian Admirall with all things in readinesse hauing long lien at CORCYRA expecting the comming of the confederats as was before appointed sent Superantius the Prouidetour with fiue and twentie gallies to MESSANA to hasten the comming of Don Iohn and to attend vpon him by the way But comming thither and thinking to haue found a great fleet and a strong power in good forwardnesse to haue set forward he found such small preparation as well shewed the Spaniards small care for repressing of the Turke and that they would not be verie forward in the seruice intended Which filling him with griefe and indignation caused him to complaine vnto himselfe of their vnfaithfulnesse and to bewaile the state of his countrey with the whole Christian common-weale for Don Iohn had before solemnly promised vnto the Venetian embassadour that all things should be in readinesse against the appointed time but now a great part of Sommer was past when scarce some few companies and about fiftie gallies were met togither at MESSANA and when Auria would come with the rest no man could tell So that the carefull Prouidetour stood now no lesse in doubt of the Spaniards delay than of the Turks furie Selymus after the great ouerthrow he had receiued at the islands CVRZOLARES for feare he should be driuen quite out of the sea was aboue all things carefull for the renewing of his nauie And hauing partly new built partly repaired
And that if the action well begun should be effectually prosecuted by the goodnesse of God the direction of the commaunders and the resolution of the souldiors in short time the Christians should carrie the victorie from the Turkes and make him their Generall equall not onely with the great cheefetaines of the present time but euen with the most famous commanders of all former ages Whereunto Don Iohn replied That the action then in hand no lesse concerned the Spaniards than the Venetians and that he had in his life desired nothing more than to stand the Christian commonweale in stead That he pointed at the same marke with Fuscarinus and in zeale to doe good vnto the Christian commonweale gaue place to no man but indeed to performe it was a thing much more difficult than to say it Lesser things he said were to be ouerpassed to reserue themselues for the performance of greater and therefore maruelled that Fuscarinus alone could not see things most manifest before his eyes who otherwise could with his piercing wit see through the deepest matters Could he thinke by any other meanes to abate the power of the Turke than if they kept their fleet whole That it was euer the manner of the greatest and most worthie commaunders rather to shun the present dangers than to encrease their territories That nothing was so well purposed which might not be of some wrongfully suspected but his faithfull meaning to be pure and without spot and albeit that the oportunitie serued not for him to shew it yet was his desire and endeuour nothing the lesse And that Fuscarinus should doe well more intentiuely to consider what the cause the matter and the time required That the manner of warre at land and at sea were much different And that although warres of both sorts were to giue place vnto the most vnseasonable time of the yeare vnfit for any kind of warre yet might men at land better endure the winter stormes in their tents and cabins than at sea in their gallies where oftentimes will skill wisedome nor valour helpe not but that except it be so prouided and foreseene that the seasonable time of the yeare and commodious for sayling may be taken all must togither perish by shipwracke What would hee haue them to striue aboue their power with the winter stormes and famine the greatest extremities of nature Besides that he was verily persuaded that the Turks enjoying the commodities of a good harbour and of a rich citie would there in safetie winter the countrey of PELOPONESYS relieuing them with all necessaries When as the Christians in the meane time except they in time returned home should lie exposed to the rage of the sea standing as it were in a continuall watch not laying away their weapons in the depth of winter and dead time of the yeare which in reason ought to giue rest to all men And that therefore euerie man ought for the present to beare his owne grieuances and not by the harmes of his friends and confederats to seeke his owne auaile And that he bearing himselfe vpon the inward integritie of his good will toward the Venetians would this say howsoeuer Fuscarinus should vnderstand it That if the kings fleet should by long staying there perish it would no lesse concerne the Venetians than the king himselfe and taking God to witnesse would solemnly promise Nothing to be vnto him more leifer or religious than to be prest so soone as the time of the yeare would giue leaue and by his endeuour to make all men to know that he had no lesse care of the Venetian State than of the kings affaires neither desired any thing more than to be accounted and in deed to be a most constant vpholder of that most Christian league and that beyond all expectation euen in the judgement of the Venetians themselues but for the present they must pardon him if he gaue place vnto the necessitie of the time As for the offer of the communicating of their victuals that would not be any helpe but the destruction of both the fleets for so they should both sooner feele the want wherefore it were much better to preserue the fleet which they might vse in the next yeares warres than wilfully to cast away the same by famine and the rage of the sea In briefe what an indignitie should the Christians sustaine if they themselues should by the same meanes be ouerthrowne whereby they had thought to haue ouerthrowne others Now the Spaniards were so resolutely set downe for their departure that not only without the consent of the Venetians but euen without their priuitie their departing was resolued vpon and secret commandement giuen vnto the masters of the gallies with all the hast that might be to depart thence to MESSANA Which the Venetian Admirall vnderstanding and therewith troubled as with an vnexpected matter came aboord the Generall and greatly complained of his purpose for so sudden a departure requesting him a while to stay vntill the two gallies made fast togither in the harbour of NAVARINVM as is before said with the ordinance vpon them might be put in good safetie and neither they or any thing else left for a prey vnto the enemie With much adoe Fuscarinus persuaded him to stay that night that those gallies might bee brought out of the harbour and all things put in order for their departure The rest of the night was spent in debating of the matter too and fro where Don Iohn would needs haue it conceiued into a publike instrument in writing That the fleet by the generall consent of the three Admirals returned for lacke of victuals whereunto the Venetian Admirall hardly consented But when the instrument should haue been made and confirmed Don Iohn better aduised by one of his secretaries That the same would redound vnto the great dishonour both of the king and himselfe that the fleet comming out of the fruitfull countrey of SICILIA should in a moneths space want victuals changed his mind for the writing and onely requested the Venetian Admirall to credit him and Columnius in that they had said concerning the want of victuals promising him that if vpon the way he should meet with the victuals that were sent for he would forthwith returne and giue him aid as the time and occurrents should require but in the meane time to proceed by common consent to doe that which was most needfull Hereupon they returned and comming to CORCYRA they met the expected ship laded with victuals Now is not Fuscarinus vnmindfull of his dutie but comming to Don Iohn put him in remembrance of his promise telling him That it was not vnlike but that the enemie so soone as he vnderstood of their departure would come out of the bay and returne with his fleet towards CONSTANTINOPLE and being but weakly manâ—â—d and worse furnished of marriners might easily be ouertaken vpon the way and ouerthrowne But Don Iohn was not by any meanes to be thereunto persuaded
downe Euen so with many others moe must perish my renowne R. Knolls THE LIFE OF AMVRATH THE THIRD OF THAT NAME SIXT EMPEROVR OF THE TVRKES THe death of the late emperour Selymus was for feare of the insolent Ianizaries notably concealed by the great Bassaes vntill such time as Amurath his eldest sonne then in ASIA by speedie messengers aduertised thereof about twelue dayes after arriued at CONSTANTINOPLE and there receiued into the Seraglio tooke possession of the empire the fiue and twentith day of September solemne amongst vs Christians for the natiuitie of our Sauiour Christ Iesus He was about thirtie or as some write seuen and twentie yeares old when he began to reigne of a manly stature but pale and corpulent wearing his beard thin and long in his countenance appeared not the fierce nature of the Othoman princes being indeed himselfe of a peaceable disposition a louer of justice and in the manner of his superstition very zealous The roiot and excesse growne amongst the Turks by his fathers euill example he reformed by his owne temperance and the seuere punishment of notorious drunkards yet is it reported that he would oftentimes himselfe drinke plentifully of wormewood wine he was much subject to the falling sicknesse and sore troubled with the stone more spare handed than was for the greatnesse of his state and yeelding more to the counsell of his mother his wife and sister than of his great Bassaes which was of many imputed to him for simplicitie At his first comming to CONSTANTINOPLE to appease the murmuring of the Ianizaries grieued to see themselues so disappointed of the spoyle of the Christians and Iewes which they were wont to take in the vacancie of the empire he beside the vsuall largesse which the Turkish emperours at their first entrance into the empire bestow vpon them augmented also their dayly wages and graunted them this priuiledge That their sonnes as soone as they came to be twentie yeares old should be enrolled amongst the number of the younger Ianizaries and be partakers also of their immunities wherby he woon their fauors exceedingly And immediatly to rid himselfe of all competitours he after the vnnaturall manner of the Turkish policie caused his fiue brethren Mustapha Solyman Abdulla Osman and Tzihanger to be all strangled in his owne presence The mother of Solyman pierced through with the cruell death of her young sonne as a woman ouercome with sorrow desperatly strucke her selfe to the heart with a dagger and so died At which so tragicall a sight it is reported that Amurath let some teares fall as not delighting in such barbarous crueltie but that the state and manner of his gouernment so required In the beginning of his reigne he established diuers wholesome lawes altered the coyne and bountifully relieued the poore And albeit that he was of a mild and peaceable nature yet because he would not seeme to degenerate from the Othoman princes his progenitors he prosecuted his fathers warres and by the Tartars called Praecopenses in the moneth of October in the yeare 1575 entred into RVSSIA part of the Polonian kingdome where he burnt and destroyed two hundred noblemens houses besides an infinit number of townes and villages made great slaughter of the poore countrey people and carried away great numbers of cattell and prisoners bound in thongs made of raw hides But whilest they were deuiding the spoyle with Peter the new Vayuod of VALACHIA who had before solemnely promised to giue the Tartars no passage that way the Polonian Cossackes who had lien waiting for their returne vpon the riuer Borysthenes brake into the Tartars countrey and there requited them with like harme and brought backe with them a number of old captiues who little expected that their so sudden deliuerance The Polonians at this time were at variance among themselues about the election of their new king Henry Valois their late king being the last yeare after the death of Charles his brother the French king secretly stolne from them into FRAVNCE to take vpon him that kingdome after whose departure some of the Polonian nobilitie made choice of Maximilian the emperour othersome no lesse enclining vnto the choice of the great duke of MOSCOVIE and some vnto others also Whereof Amurath vnderstanding and loth that either of those two great princes his enemies should be inuested or strengthened with that so great a kingdome and so neere vnto him to hinder that their election and to bring in another of lesse power and so lesse dangerous vnto himselfe euen in the beginning of his reigne wrote vnto the Polonians to that purpose commending vnto them Stephen Battor the Vayuod of TRANSYLVANIA for their king in manner as followeth Amurath God of the earth Gouernour of the whole World the messenger of God and faithfull seruant of the Great Prophet vnto the most honourable Nobilitie and Counsellors of the kingdome of POLONIA greeting It is not vnto the world vnknowne most honourable and mightie Senatours our noble progenitours to haue of long time and for many yeares holden good friendship and religious leagues with the kingdome of POLONIA For which cause it hath seemed good and reasonable vnto vs to put you in remembrance of this so auntient a league and bond of friendship for that we vnderstand your kingdome to be of late become destitute of a king by the departure of the noble king Henry your crowned king descended of the royall race of the French kings our friend who for the small regard you had of him so great and worthie a prince and for your disloyaltie is departed out of your kingdome without purpose of returning any more into POLONIA Whereupon as it is reported vnto vs but how truly we know not you passing ouer your said crowned king Henry are about to make choice of a nâ—w king and especially of Maximilian the emperour or of the duke of MOSCOVIE both men of running wits and of vs greatly hated for why you may well know they will bee troublesome and grieuous not vnto euery one of you onely but euen vnto vs also Wherefore be you ware that you be not deceiued and take heed least your confederations and leagues cannot long by their valour and prowesse be established and withall consider well the great dangers and losses which you may thereby fall into whereof we haue thought good to giue you a tast wherefore beware that heauier things befall not your State We know there are right noble and wise men amongst you which know better than they how to rule and gouerne and if so be it please you not to make choice of any of your owne nation there is not farre from you one Stephen Battor prince of TRANSYLVANIA a man of great honour and valour by whose labour and dexteritie you may easily procure the peace and quiet of your kingdome Whereas if you shall doe otherwise we take to witnesse your God and his seruant our Great Prophet to
the great trouble of all his souldiors for whereas the journey was wont to be two waies worke ordinarily as well in respect of the length of the way as the difficultie of the passage the Generall would now needs haue it done in one the rather thereby to grieue his souldiors But of this his wilfulnesse he receiued euen the same day the just reward for that the chariots wherein his women rode were conuaied away togither with the eunuchs that were their keepers some say by the Georgians that lay in wait for such a prey some others say by the Ianizaries who the more to dishonour their Generall wrought him this injurie Great was the reproach that Ferat receiued in the armie but farre greater at CONSTANTINOPLE when these newes were there knowne but there was no remedie he must now perforce endure it and discontented as he was keepe on his way towards ERZIRVM In ARDACHAN he tooke a surueigh of his armie and there gaue his souldiors leaue to depart himselfe afterwards arriuing at ERZIRVM hated of all his souldiors enuied by his captaines derided for the losse of his women and fallen into the disgrace of euerie man No lesse than the rest was the Turkish emperour discontented with him also first for that he had done nothing worth the speaking of in reuenge of the shamefull injurie done by Manucchiar the Georgian and yet so mightily discontented his souldiors and secondly for that without any care he had suffered Aliculi Chan the Persian prisoner to escape away about whose flight it was thought he could not chuse but haue some intelligence For Ferat after he was by new order from the court to diuert his journey from NASSIVAN to the straits narrow passages of GEORGIA being desirous to be throughly enformed of those dangerous waies in this second yeare when he remoued from ERZIRVM tooke Aliculi Chan out of prison of purpose to vse him as his guide in those dangerous straits and therefore carried him vnder a guard whatsoeuer it was afterwards of his most faithfull vassals still intreating him well and taking such order as that he wanted nothing at last being come to the straits of TOMANIS in GEORGIA where the Castle as we haue before said was erected he from thence secretly escaped into PERSIA The manner of his escape is diuersly reported some say that Ferat in discharge of his promise for his good direction had gratified him with his libertie others say that Ferat corrupted with money gaue him opportunitie to escape some others with more probabilitie that this escape was made neither for money nor discharge of promise but by the onely vigilancie of Aliculi himselfe and the sleepinesse of his keepers and that watching the opportunitie of the night a friend to all escapes he started away Howsoeuer it was in fine hee was deliuered from his long captiuitie to the discredit of Ferat and returned into PERSIA to performe such enterprises against the Turkes as shall bee hereafter declared Generall Ferat before his departure out of GEORGIA had commaunded Aly the Bassa of GRaeCIA whom he left as is before declared in the new castle of LORâ— to fortifie a certaine castle called SAITAN CHASI in our language the Castle of the Diuell which he with great diligence performed and left therein fiftie pieces of arâ—illerie and a thousand souldiors vnder the charge of a Sanzacke and so quieted the passages from fort to fort as that all the waies from REIVAN to CHARS and from CHARS to TEFLIS were made easie and safe and all the means taken away whereby the enemie might be able to plot any new treacherie vpon those passages which was no small piece of good seruice The Persian king in the meane time lying at TAVRIS with his armie vnderstanding that the Turkes had changed their purpose from NASSIVAN to GEORGIA so that there was no further need to employ his armie against them for the defence of TAVRIS or NASSIVAN at last resolued with himselfe to licence his souldiors to depart and to apply himselfe to more priuat reuenges For calling Emir Chan vnto him whom he had left Gouernor of TAVRIS and Generall for that part of his kingdome he required of him the occasion why he had not performed the great promises which he had made to him before his departure to HERI nor done his endeuour to hinder the Turks Fabrik at REIVAN and why he went not ouâ— with other souldiors appointed for that purpose and namely with the Turcomans as he had promised to reuenge so great an injurie and in best manner he could to haue endomaged the Turkish forces Sundrie excuses did Emir Chan alleadge for the colouring of his manifest default but none sufficient to cleare him of the crimes objected against him by the king and the Sultans wherefore he was by the king adjudged to haue his eies burnt out with an hoat yron and so depriued of his sight to be despoiled of all his goods and shut vp in close prison Which heauie doome was without further delay accordingly put in execution whereof within the space of a few moneths the wicked Chan but yet a famous souldior miserably died in prison Whose death so highly offended the Turcoman nation who had him alwaies in great estimation that they absolutely denied their defences for the crowne of PERSIA and the more when they heard that the king had bestowed the roume of Emir Chan vpon Aliculi who although he had in many respects deserued all preferment yet for that he was an auntient enemie to certaine Turcoman captaines they would not in any wise endure that he should be exalted to so great an honour And therefore they waxed more disdainfull and ill affected towards the king whereby the Persian forces became the more weakened and diuided The Turkes notwithstanding the league yet in force betweene Amurath and Rodolph the Christian emperour that now is did many times make incursions into the vpper part of HVNGARIE burning the countrey villages and carrying away the people into captiuitie but in their returne they were oftentimes cut off by the emperours souldiors and slaine Which being reported at CONSTANTINOPLE much moued the Turkish tyrant but when he vnderstood that his men had without any cause made those inrodes into the territorie of the Christians and so receiued the foresaid losses he was againe appeased and in the beginning of this yeare 1584 renewed the league betwixt him and the emperour for eight yeares more Ferat from ERZIRVM aduertised Amurath of all that had happened in his late expedition desiring him to commaund what he would haue taken in hand the next Spring But besides this information from him there wanted not many others which did the like also although in another manner declaring vnto the king and that in an odious sort the whole proceedings of Ferat the escape of Aliculi Chan the shamefull losse of his women his quarrels with the Ianizaries his falling out with Vies Bassa a man well
regarded of Amurath himselfe the disorders of his whole campe for his want of discretion and to be short the particularities of all such actions as had not altogither so honourably been by him performed that yeare causes of themselues sufficient to induce the king to remoue the said Ferat from his Generalship To which occasions were also added sundrie other secret respects for euer since the last departure of Ferat from ERZIRVM Amurath had still in his head the next yeare following to attempt the enterprise of TAVRIS and thereby to stirre vp through the world a famous report of his conquests correspondent to his greatnesse Now among the captaines whom he esteemed to be worthie men to whom he might with trust commit this so great an enterprise he bethought himselfe of Osman Bassa left at SVMACHIA in SIRVAN by Generall Mustapha in the first yeare of this warre who hauing in that prouince remained euer since had without any helpe of the Tartarians by his owne industrie and valour to the great contentment of Amurath brought that large countrey into a reasonable obedience of the Turkish empire and that which most of all pleased the Turkish emperour had in a countrey so farre distant maintained his armie wherewith he had done all this without any expences at all to his king hauing now a good while leuied his souldiors stipends vpon the lands and territories of that region and still exercised a kind of gouernment and soueraigntie ouer those places Of all which his good proceedings he had caused intelligence from time to time to be sent vnto the court by which meanes and other fauourers which he had about the king there was fostered in the mind of Amurath a wonderfull good opinion of him so that now without delay he resolued to send for him to CONSTANTINOPLE and for that purpose before Ferat was arriued at ERZIRVM he had dispatched certaine Capigi and Chiaus to call this famous warriour vnto him yet wanted there not some and those not of the meanest sort that went about to hinder both his comming to the court and also these designments of so great importance For Sciaus the chieâ—e Visier who rather for the comelinesse of his person and alliance with the king than for any other his vertues was mounted to that high roome did greatly feare least Osman whose course it was to sit next vnto him in the order of the greatest Bassaes partly for his experience in matters of warre and partly for the good affection the king did beare vnto him should at his comming to CONSTANTINOPLE persuade the king to what he listed and so peraduenture take from him the chiefest office and get into his hands the whole gouernment of the empire whereby so great wealth was to be gained Wherefore to rid himselfe of these feares he cast about by all meanes to keepe him from comming to the Court but because that to attempt the same openly might proue a matter both difficult and dangerous he thought it better to make triall of a more commodious and secret meanes This Sciaus in consideration of many gifts bestowed vpon him by Mahomet the Cuman Tartar king had many times excused him to Amurath of diuers accusations which Osman by his letters had laid to his charge For not aiding him in the subduing of SIRVAN as he was both by promise and dutie bound and for all his ouersights alleadged such reasons in his behalfe as if they did not altogither persuade Amurath to be kind vnto him yet at the least not to carrie a mind of reuenge against him and had so far proceeded in countenancing this Tartarian king that there was betwixt them confirmed an interchangeable amitie and mutuall confederacie Him Sciaus imagined to find willing and readie by all meanes possible to hinder the comming of Osman his enemie to the Court if he were but made acquainted with the matter And therefore Sciaus as soone as he vnderstood the certaine resolution of Amurath to call Osman to the Court secretly wrote to the Tartar king who lay encamped neere to the hauen of CAFFA vpon the Fens of MEOTIS certifying him That Osman was to come to the Court and that therfore it were good for him to call to mind how great an enemie he had been to him and how much he had endeuoured by letters to Amurath to turne all his hatred and displeasure against him and withall That if he was able to doe so much by letters as if Sciaus had not defended him with verie reasonable excuses the king had executed his wrathfull indignation vpon him to his great danger he should then imagine with himselfe what Osman should be able to doe when he should come in person to the presence of Amurath and without any mediator betweene themselues determine of all matters what they should thinke conuenient These and peraduenture worse letters which Sciaus wrote to the Tartar ministred matter enough vnto him to resolue to doe what he might not to suffer so pernicious an enemie of his to arriue at CONSTANTINOPLE and especially perceiuing that Sciaus in whose breast he reposed all his hope and all his protection did so greatly feare his comming Wherefore to rid himselfe of that feare he commaunded twelue thousand souldiors that changing their weapons and appparell they should go and lie in wait for Osman in the borders betweene COLCHIS and Iâ—ERIA towards the Tartarian Nomades by which way he was to come and so making an assault vpon him to bereaue him of his life Hoping that such an outrage once done could not or would not be imputed to his procurement but rather to the Tartar Nomades or to the Mengrellians or to the Georgians or to the Moscouites or to the robbers by the high way and to be short rather to any bodie else than to him This commaundement of the Tartar king was accordingly by the souldiors put in practise who without further stay joyned themselues together and so rode towards the place appointed And now were the messengers sent from Amurath come to Osman who readily put himselfe on his way towards CONSTANTINOPLE hauing left behind him at DERBENT and SVMACHIA two Bassaes thought to be the most sufficient men in SIRVANIA hauing also appointed very good orders in the same and an assured establishment of all those countries and places which Mustapha first had subdued and he himselfe had afterwards maintained vnder the obedience of Amurath He had also prouided for the safetie of his own person in passing those troublesome and dangerous passages through which he was to trauell by chusing out foure thousand souldiors which he had tried in diuers battels and brought vp vnder his own discipline through whose valour he doubted not safely to passe through the treacheries of the Albanians and the populous squadrons as well of the Tartarians as of the Mengrellians Thus departed he from DERBENT and coasting along the rockes of CAVCASVS that at all times of the yeare are all white and hoarie
sent when as our embassadour shall haue with you appointed any certaine time wherein it may be sent And we also assuredly hope so to preuaile with your Emperour that on your part the places within our territories by your people forcibly possessed together with all such things as haue beene wrongfully taken away may be againe restored and the fort of PETRINIA rased The Bassa of BOSNA also who we think would haue beene kept within the compasse of dutie if you had at that time held the place of the chiefe Visier and whosoeuer els guiltie of the wicked breach of the league to be worthily according to their deserts punished and displaced and your soldiors seuerely charged not to make any further incursions nor to do any thing that may tend to the breach of the league as we likewise shall with new and straight commaunds most carefully restraine our garrison souldiors vpon our frontiers from all such excursions and enemies actions But of these things our embassadour is more fully and at large to entreat with you vnto whose speech we desire such credence to be giuen as vnto our owne and we will so prouide that you shall haue good proofe of our great good will towards you From PRAGE the eight of March 1593. Vnto which the emperours letters Sinan returned answere as followeth Sinan Bassa cheefe Visier to Amurath the third Emperour of the Turkes vnto Rodolph the second Emperour of the Romanes greeting By these we giue your Maiestie to vnderstand That two of your Maiesties letters were brought hither before wee were chosen and confirmed cheefe Visier in this most royall Court wherein your Maiestie excuse your selfe and shew the causes why the sending of the wonted Presents hath beene so long deferred by laying the fault vpon the insolencie of our garrison souldiors in BOSNA and the breach of the publicke peace Which your letters being by vs read before our most mightie emperour his Highnesse in great choller burst out into these words And thy sonne the Beglerbeg of BVDA hath still hitherto writ and giuen vs to vnderstand that the vsuall Presents would certainely come and that the king of VIENNA would not in any case consent vnto the breach of the league or of the amitie betwixt vs and him and yet for all that the presents are not hitherto come wherefore thy sonnes writings and relations are not true But now the Bassa of BOSNA hath sent word vnto the Court that your Maiestie will not send them and all your doings to be but meere deceit and fraud For which cause our most mightie Emperour hath remooued my sonne from his place in BVDA and rewarded the Bassa of BOSNA with honorable garments wheras my sonne is for your Maiesties sake displaced Now on our behalfe nothing is done against the peace but our souldiors as with a bridle kept in whereas on your Maiesties part excursions and harmes into the territories of our emperor neuer cease especially into BOSNA whereinto your souldiors haue of late in warlike manner broken although they were by our garrisons ouercome their great ordinance taken and brought hither vnto the Court Wherefore seeing the case so standeth your Maiestie is to resolue vs vpon two points whereof the first is Whether you be minded to keepe friendship with vs as beseemeth and to send hither the two last yeares Presents or not and the second Whether you will set at libertie our captiue Sanzacks or no Now if your Maiestie shall be content to keepe the league and within these two months next to send the two yeares Presents as also to dismisse our Sanzackes the league shall on our part be likewise vndoubtedly kept your territories shall be in no case molested such Christian captiues as your Maiestie shall require be enlarged and a most firme and sure friendship by vs continued Whereas if you shall vpon any cause or excuse longer delay the sending of those honourable Presents and vnto these our demaunds send vs nothing but certaine vaine and windie answeres let God on high be therefore for euer praised for now our most mightie and victorious emperour who wanteth neither abilitie nor power hath commaunded That we our selfe should in person goe in this warre and putting our confidence in the highest with the armie of the right beleeuing Turkes to come into those parts And therefore assure your Maiestie that we will not faile there to encounter you at which time shall appeare vnto the world what is by God our Creator whose holy name be for euer blessed in his deepe wisedome preordained and set downe for vs. Wherefore seeing that all which concerneth the league together with the safetie and quiet of our people on both sides is vnto your Maiestie thus declared you are to consider the end and to follow our good aduice whereas if otherwise you shall be the cause of the breach of this so wholesome a peace and vnitie which we hitherto haue so sincerely and firmely kept the excuse thereof both in this world and in the world to come shall lie vpon your selfe Now we request of you no more but forthwith to send vs answere of these our letters As for the rest well may he speed that taketh the right way From CONSTANTINOPLE the last of the month Giuma Zuleuel in the yeare of our holy Prophet Mahomet 1001. Yet for all these faire offers of peace thus made by Sinan Bassa in his letters was his purpose nothing lesse than to haue performed the same seeking onely to haue drawne the two yeares Presents from the emperour amounting to a great summe of money and so neuerthelesse to haue prosecuted the intended warre the emperour being the onely man of whom Amurath his great master had amongst all the Christian princes made choice of to exercise his force vpon Of all which things the emperour was not ignorant being thereof as we said fully before by his embassadour aduertised from CONSTANTINOPLE These troubles of the Spring thus past ensued the Sommer much more troublesome for Hassan Bassa of BOSNA chiefe authour and deuiser of all these broiles ceased not for the encrease of his credit to worke what mischiefe he could against the Christians that bordered vpon him This great Bassa mortally hated the Gouernour or as some call him the Abbot of SISEâ— a strong castle situat vpon the borders of that part of CROATIA yet holden by the Christians where the riuer Kulp falleth into the famous riuer of Sauus or Saw and was in deed the verie bulwarke of that countrey the cause of which his hatred is reported to haue beene this The yeare before the Bassa had sent a messenger to this Abbot to require him to deliuer the castle or monasterie vnto him which messenger for certaine daies the Abbot entertained with many honourable speeches learning in the meane time of him so much as he possibly could of the Bassaes intention with what power in what place and with what engines he had determined to besiege the castle
vnto the Admirall of the Turkes gallies lying below in the riuer That he should at an appointed time come vp the riuer with his gallies as high as the fort and on that side at leastwise to make shew as if he would assault it at which time they of the towne would be likewise readie to sallie out and to assaile it indeed on the other side by land The Admirall accordingly came vp the riuer with his gallies and by discharging of certaine great pieces made shew as if he would on that side haue battered the fort but was so welcommed thereout of that he was glad with his rent gallies quickly to fall downe the riuer againe further off out of danger But whiles the thundering shot was thus flying too and fro towards the riuer they of the towne sallying out assaulted the fort on the other side toward the land and that with such desperat resolution that some of them were got vp to the top of the rampiers and there for the space of two houres maintained a most cruell fight wherein many of them were slaine and wounded and the rest enforced with shame to retire The Christians thus still lying at the siege and intentiue to all occasions partly by their espials and partly by such as they had taken prisoners vnderstood that a new supplie both of men and victuals was shortly to be put into STRIGONIVM and therefore sent out certaine companies of souldiors who lying in two conuenient places the one vpon the riuer the other by land might intercept the said supply Both which places were before by the prouident enemie possessed who suddenly assayling the Christians comming thither and fearing no such matter slew some of them and put the rest to flight who neuerthelesse in their retreat brake the bridge which the Turkes had made of boats vnder the castle of STRIGONIVM ouer Danubius Of which boats some were carried away with the violence of the streame and of the rest thirtie fell into the hands of the Christians without losse of any man more than fiue who making too much hast out of a little boat fell into the riuer so perished In this time Fame the forerunner of all great attempts had brought newes into the Christian campe That Sinan Bassa the Turks great Generall was comming to the reliefe of STRIGONIVM of whose power diuers diuersly reported But the greater part doubting the worst and wearie of the long siege and of the calamities incident thereunto added still something to the last report to make the danger of longer stay to seeme the greater certaine it is that the newes of the comming of so great and puissant an enemie raised many a troubled thought in the minds of so great a multitude Now were the besieged Turks in great wants in STRIGONIVM as appeared by letters intercepted from the Sanzacke to the Bassa of BVDA declaring vnto him the hard estate of the besieged and humbly crauing his promised helpe without which the citie could not for want of victuals possibly be defended by the fainting souldiors aboue three dayes Which letters being read in the campe caused great preparation to be made for the continuing of the siege and the withstanding of the enemie whose comming was euery houre expected All this while the great ordinance neuer ceased on either side wherby many were slaine as well of the Christians as of the Turks and amongst others many of the cannoniers But for as much as the rife fame of Sinan Bassaes comming encreased dayly and the Christian campe possessed with a generall feare gaue vnto the wise just suspition of some great mischiefe likely to ensue Matthias the Generall entered into counsell with countie Ferdinand Hardeck the lord Palfi the lord Vngenade president of the counsell for the warres and Erasmus Eraun gouernor of COMORA What were best to be done in so dangerous a time who with generall consent agreed betimes before the comming of Sinan to raise the siege and to remoue with the armie into some place of more safetie Which their determinat resolution the day following being the six and twentith of Iune they made knowne to the other princes and great commanders in the armie who wonderfully discontented therewith especially the Germans both openly by word and solemnely by writing protested against the same as most dishonourable and altogether made without their knowledge or good liking To whom the president of the counsell for their further satisfaction declared That the enemie was comming with a very great armie and euen now at hand whose strength encreased dayly and with what power hee had purposed to assaile them in their tents was vncertaine besides that it was manifestly knowne vnto the world how that in the former assaults they had lost many of their best souldiors beside others that died in the campe and that the place wherein they lay encamped was subject to many dangers For which so vrgent causes the Generall had resolued to raise his siege and before the comming of so strong an enemie to remoue his armie into a place of more safetie Which reasons for all that did not so well satisfie the Germane princes and commaunders but that they still vrged their former protestation requesting his excellencie to haue them excused before God and the world if they yeelding to his commaund as to their Generall did that which they thought not altogether best and which they would not haue otherwise done For the more euidence whereof the said Germane princes and great commaunders caused their said protestation to be solemnely conceiued in writing which they firmed with their seales and subscribed with their owne hands in order as followeth Francis duke of SAXONIE Augustus duke of BRVNSWICK Sebastian Schlick countie Wigand Maltzan Ernestus of ALSTAN Henry Phlugk Iohn Nicholas Ruswormb Henry Curwigger Heerrath Iohn of OBERHAVSEN Henry Rottcirch Melchior of NOTHVVITH But the Archduke with the rest constant in their former resolution first sent away the great ordinance and raising the siege the eight and twentith of Iune followed after with the whole armie passing ouer Danubius not farre from KOKARA doubtfully expecting what course Sinan the great Bassa who was then reported to be euen at hand would take Yet before their departure they set the old towne on fire and rased the fort S. Nicholas before taken from the enemie which they had once purposed to haue kept This vnexpected departure of the Christians much gladded the besieged Turkes who for want of victuals had not beene able long to haue holden out Yet lay the lord Teuffenbach still at the siege of HATVVAN labouring by all meanes to take from the besieged Turkes their water and with earth and faggots to fill vp their ditches which worke he had now happily brought to some good perfection Whereof they in the towne by letters aduertised the Bassa of BVDA and that except they were within the space of three daies relieued they should be enforced to yeeld the towne Which their distresse the
Bassa considering with speed assembled all his forces and so set forward to relieue them hoping to haue come vpon the Christians before they were aware of his comming But Teuffenbach vnderstanding thereof with fiue thousand chosen horsemen went out of the campe to meet him suddenly comming vpon him fearing no such thing slew fiue thousand of the Turkes put the Bassa to flight and together with the victorie obtained an exceeding rich prey Now was there no lesse expectation and hope of the winning or yeelding vp of HATWAN than was before of STRIGONIVM but according to the chance of warre it fell out otherwise For Teuffenbach hauing with continuall batterie layed the breaches faire open and made choice of such souldiors as he thought meetest for the assault was in the performing thereof so notably repulsed by the Turkes that he was glad to retire with the losse of his best and most resolute souldiors which put him out of all hope of taking the towne by force For beside the losse of these good men he had scarce so many sound men left as might suffice to furnish his garrisons for defence of those frontiers by reason that the Hungarians were almost all shrunke home and of the Germanes were left scarce two thousand Besides that he had oftentimes craued new supplies of the archduke but all in vaine for which causes he was glad to abandon two strong forts he had built before HATVVAN and to leaue the towne now brought to great extremitie Thus two notable cities which were now as it were in the hands of the Christians and by the recouerie whereof the broken state of the afflicted Christians in HVNGARIE had been much strengthened were as it were againe restored vnto the barbarous and cruell enemie Whilest the Christians thus lay at the siege of STRIGONIVM and HATVVAN the Rascians of whom we haue before spoken striuing still more and more to rid themselues from the Turkish thraldome gathered themselues togither to the number of fifteene thousand betweene BVDA and BELGRADE vnder a Generall of their owne chusing For feare of whom the Bassa of TEMESVVAR with an armie of foureteene thousand went to fortifie and victuall LIPPA doubting least it should by them be surprised but hauing done that he went for in his returne he was met with by the same Rascians and twise fought withall in one day and both times put to the worse with the losse of the greatest part of his armie After which victorie the Rascians tooke BECZKEREK a strong towne standing in a marish foure miles from BELGRADE and slew all the Turks they found therein After that they tooke a castle called OTTADT and dealt with the Turks in like manner From thence they went and besieged BECHE a castle standing vpon the riuer Tibiscus or Teise where the towne adjoyning vnto it yeelded presently but they in the castle standing a while vpon their guard offered at last to yeeld also vpon certaine conditions But the Rascians knowing that the Turkes thereabouts had conuaied into that castle the best part of their wealth and withall that it was but weakely manned would accept of no conditions but needs haue it absolutely deliuered vp to their pleasure In the meane time the old Bassa of TEMESVVAR and his sonne knowing it to tend to their dishonour to suffer this base people so to rage at their pleasure about them gathered togither 11000 Turkes and so in great hast came to relieue the besieged castle Vpon whom the Rascians turned themselues and in plaine battell ouerthrew the Bassa and so pursued the victorie that of those 11000 Turks scarcely escaped 1000 the Bassa himselfe being there slaine and with him three Sanzacks his sonne escaped by flight In this battell the Rascians tooke 18 great pieces of artillerie and not long after tooke also WERSETZA and LVTZ two strong places After which so happie successe they sent vnto the archduke Matthias for aid but especially for canoniers professing themselues now vtter enemies vnto the Turkes The Rascians also about TEMESVVAR sent word vnto the other in the campe that they would come and joyne with them And they which inhabite the countrey betweene the riuers Danubius and Tibiscus by messengers sent of purpose vnto the lord Teuffenbach the archdukes lieutenant in the vpper part of HVNGARIE offered in short time to send him ten or twelue thousand men so that he would receiue them and their countrey into the emperours protection which he easily granted them and thereof assured them by writing And to the archduke himselfe they sent also their trustie messengers requesting him to send them a Generall to lead them promising vnto him all obedience which messengers departing from them the fourteenth of Iune shortly after returned with such answere as was thought most conuenient for their present state Thus against the comming of Sinan was HVNGARIE almost all on a broile The emperour long before distrusting the Turkes purpose for warre and well considering what a difficultie it would be for him with his owne forces only to withstand so puissant an enemie as was Amurath had by his embassadours praied aid of diuers Christian princes but especially of them of the empire as those whom this warre concerned most Wherfore he after the auntient and wonted manner of his state in so common and imminent a danger appointed a generall assembly of the Princes and States of the empire to be holden at RATISâ—ONE in the latter end of Februarie which for sundrie vrgent causes was put off vntill March and againe vntill Aprill and so afterward vntill May. At which time the emperour in person himselfe with the Princes Electors and other the great States of the empire being met togither with great pompe at RATISBONE and solemnly assembled into the bishops pallace began there to sit in counsell the 2 of Iune Vnto the which Princes and States so assembled after that the emperour had first by the mouth of Phillip Countie Palatine of RHENE giuen great thanks for their so readie apparance briefly declared the cause of their assembly he himselfe after some complaint made of the Turkish infidelitie in expresse words declared vnto them how that he by his embassadour then lying at CONSTANTINOPLE had in the yeare 1591 made a league for eight years with the present Turkish Sultan Amurath which league Amurath himselfe had approued and confirmed and thereof sent him publike and solemne instruments wherein it was prouided That no hostilitie should be on either side during that time attempted And yet notwithstanding that he contrarie to his faith giuen as an hereditarie enemie of the Christians had violated this league and by sundrie incursions barbarously spoiled and wasted not HVNGARIE onely but other of his imperiall prouinces also But especially by Hassan Bassa of BOSNA who first with a strong armie besieged battered and tooke REPITZ an antient frontier castle and after that WIHITZ DRESNIK CRASSOVVITZ with other places of name And had in his dominion and
written that the great Visier Sinan and the Bassa his sonne are of opinion that the emperour is brought to so low an ebbe that he must be glad to accept of most hard and dishonourable conditions of peace propounded by them therein they erre much and deceiue themselues farre for by the power of God they should shortly by experience know that his imperiall majestie wanteth neither power nor wealth to repaire the losse receiued through the treason of them he trusted yea and to recouer whatsoeuer he had lost else and that it should in short time be witnessed vnto the whole world by the helpe of God and the defence of a most just cause that the emperour was not so poore and weake as they supposed him to be Yet as he of his owne naturall goodnesse and clemencie with his own incomparable losse and harme had alwaies sought for the quiet and profit of his subjects and to the vttermost of his power staied the effusion of innocent bloud so now also forgetting all injuries he could happily be content to thinke of an honourable peace whereunto he was more enclined than to protract the warre with the vnspeakable harmes of the subjects on both sides Yet aboue all things it behooued Sinan to know that he was to restore all such castles and townes as haue in this warre been taken by the Turks beginning at WIHITZ in CROATIA euen to the last innocent subject by them carried away into captiuitie And that the Transyluanians Moldauians and Valachians people many ages joyned and vnited as inseperable members to the kingdome of HVNGARIE as vnto the true bodie and now of late by the practise and treacherie of certaine rebellious persons seperated from the same were from henceforth to be left vnder the protection and gouernment of his imperiall majestie and neuer more to be impugned by the Turkes If these things were done and order taken that the injurie and disgrace done vnto the emperours late embassadour a fact that all the princes of the world cried shame of might not remaine vnpunished and that his seruants in durance at BVDA and CONSTANTINOPLE might be restored vnto their wonted libertie then some good forme of peace and bounding of their territories might happily be agreed vpon without which conditions all talke of peace was but vaine for that God the just and mightie protectour of such as put their trust in him would not faile to helpe his imperiall majestie with the rest of the confederat princes in their so just a quarrell and abate the pride of such as trust in their owne strength and power This answere the captiues at BVDA were commaunded to giue vnto the Bassa either by writing or by word of mouth and withall earnestly to request him both for their owne libertie and their fellowes wrongfully detained at CONSTANTINOPLE Which if it could not be obtained yet to comfort themselues with that that they should in bounteous manner receiue from the emperour such allowance as should suffice to prouide them all things necessarie as he had granted to Perling whom he might haue justly detained and not sent him backe againe but for his oaths sake being no lawfull prisoner Thus were the vnreasonable conditions of peace craftily by the Bassa propounded by others answered but by whom he knew not no mans name being set thereunto The emperour not ignorant with what an enemie he had to doe and of nothing more carefull than of the kingdome or more truely to say of the reliques of the kingdome of HVNGARIE lying now as it were in the lyons mouth ceased not to pray aid not of the princes electors onely but of others also farther off yea euen as farre as ITALIE and SPAINE but especially of the king of POLONIA as his neere alliance and neighbour Vnto whom both he and the States of HVNGARIE sent their embassadours at such time as he moued with the daily incursions of the Turkes and Tartars into the countries adjoyning vpon his had for the safetie of his owne kingdome called a parliament of all his States in Februarie last at CRACOVIA Whereof Mahomet the Great Turke hearing sent also two of his chiefe Chiaus his vsuall embassadours vnto the king and his States so assembled to craue his aid in his warres in HVNGARIE which if the king should not refuse then to promise him to want no coine to pay his souldiors and that Mahomet mindfull of so great a courtesie would at all times be readie to requite him with like when his occasions should require These embassadours hauing obtained safe conduct from Michael the Vayuod of VALACHIA for their passage through his countrey comming thither were by the Vayuod himselfe honourably entertained and welcomed and so brought into a faire lodging where they discoursed with him of many matters But the Vayuods followers grieued to see so great honour done to these their sworne and mortall enemies with weapons in their hands brake into the roume where the embassadours were and without more adoe slew them both and in the same furie setting vpon the rest of the Turkes their followers cut them all in pieces so that of them none came into POLONIA to do their Great masters message either yet returned to CONSTANTINOPLE to carrie newes of the rest but there altogither perished Of which outrage Mahomet yet vnderstanding was therewith wonderfully enraged threatning all euils both to the Moldauians and Valachians and forthwith sent out other embassadours to the same purpose who with better fortune afterwards in safetie arriued in POLONIA The Tartars in many places as is before declared ouerthrowne and many strong castles and forts taken from the Turkes by the Transyluanians Valachians and Moldauians the Turkish affaires going to wracke in those quarters and sore shaken on that side of HVNGARIE Mahomet the Turkish emperour called home to the Court Sinan Bassa his Generall in HVNGARIE to conferre with him as it was thought of some great matters In whose place hee sent Ferat Bassa he who sometime had the leading of Amuraths great armies against the Persians who now departing from CONSTANTINOPLE came to BELGRADE in Aprill and there tooke the charge vppon him Where at his first comming in the night time all the ropes and cordes of the tents were suddenly cut in sunder and so his tent let fall about his eares which some supposed to haue been done to his disgrace by the procurement of Cicala Bassa before by him wronged or as others thought by the insolent Ianizaries who disliking of him did it in despight wishing rather to haue been led by Mahomet himselfe Now at his comming the famine which the last yeare began amongst the Turkes was growne exceeding great not at BVDA and BELGRADE onely but euen generally in most places of HVNGARIE possessed by the Turkes insomuch that the Tartar women that followed the campe were faine to roast their owne children and eat them This famine was also accompanied with a most terrible plague whereof great numbers of the
to BVCARESTA found it abandoned by the Turks and so tooke it without resistance yet had therein certaine field pieces with good store of shot and pouder left there by Sinan Hauing there stayed a while for the manning of the place he set forwards againe towards ZORZA and that with such speed that he ouertooke great numbers of the Turks whom he put all to the sword so that the fields betwixt BVCARESTA and ZORZA were in many places couered with the dead bodies of the Turkes Neuerthelesse he could not make so great hast marching still in good order but that the fearefull Bassa disorderly hasting was about some six houres or more before come to the bridge he had with great charge made ouer the riuer of Danubius the forme whereof you may here see The picture of the Bridge made ouer Danubius by Sinan Bassa Anno 1595. Ouer the hithermost part of which bridge being in length about a mile was Sinan with the greatest part of his armie before the comming of the prince got ouer into an island in the middest of the riuer wherein he had at his comming ouer encamped but doubting now there to stay with all the speed he could got him ouer the other part of the bridge also vnto the farther side of the riuer with so many of his men as in so short time possibly could Where to stay the farther pursuit of the prince he brake the bridge on that side and set fire vpon it and thereby cut off also many of his owne men that were not as yet come ouer Whom the prince enclosing forced many of them into the riuer where they perished the rest flying into the island were by the Christians fiercely pursuing of them either there slaine or seeking by the other part of the bridge to haue got ouer whereof the farther end before broken downe by Sinan and the hither end toward the island now cut off by the Christians were togither with the bridge carried away by the violence of the riuer and so altogither perished Othersome of the Christians in the meane time tooke the bridge that leadeth vnto the castle of ZORZA which standeth compassed about with an arme of Danubius and being not verie great was kept by a garrison of seuen hundred select souldiors Vnto which castle the prince presently laid siege the resolute souldiors being not by any meanes to be persuaded to yeeld it vp but to hold it out euen vnto the last man and after he had sore battered it by plaine force tooke it and put to the sword all the garrison souldiors he could lay hands vpon About an hundred of these Turkes seeing they must needs fall into the power of their enemies desperatly leapt from the top of the castle into the riuer where not one of them escaped being all either drowned or slaine with small shot In the winning of this castle two hundred and fiftie of the Christians were lost and many wounded but of the Turkes and Tartars betwixt the eighteenth and the last of October perished aboue six and twentie thousand In this castle were taken thirtie nine great pieces with such store of armour and other warlike prouision as might haue serued for an whole kingdome and foure thousand Christians beside women and children whom Sinan had taken out of VALACHIA restored to their former libertie With whom the prince after hee had set all things in order returned in great triumph to TERGOVISTA and so afterwards to his pallace at ALBA IVLIA where as also at CLAVDIOPOLIS and other cities through his dominions he caused publike prayers with thankesgiuing to almightie God to be deuoutly made for so great a victorie as did also Michael the Vayuod in VALACHIA who in all these great warres against the Turkes was nothing inferiour vnto the Transyluanian himselfe A greater losse than this the Turkish emperour receiued not at land in many yeares before being by this so happie and victorious a prince and the reuolt of these three countries depriued of so much territorie as they had not from the Christians of long time gained It was by some of them of the better sort of the Turks that were taken reported that Sinan Bassa should oftentimes say That this young Transyluanian prince had bereft him of all the honour and renowme he had with great trauell got in the course of his long life and that although he had escaped his hands yet that he feared he would be the cause for him in these his great yeares euen in the winding vp of all to loose his life togither with his goods and honour Now was the Transyluanian princes name after the ouerthrow of this great Bassa become dreadfull vnto the Turkes and also famous through all Christendome Which as it hath filled the eares of many with admiration so happily may the liuely representation of his feature by cunning hand set forth feed the longing eies of some with delight and serue in better stead than the rude description of his person SIGISMVND Prince of Transyluania Valachia and Moldauia Miles er as Christi nulli pietate secundus Et solus patriae gloria magna tuae Inclita si virtus quae te super aethera vexit TÃ m stabili cursu continuata foret R. Knoll Of Christ thou wast a souldior true inferiour vnto none Thy countries joy and glorie great vnto the world well knowne If worthie vertue that thee raisd aboue the starrie skie With stedfast pace had run the race so well begun by thee Whilest this worthie Prince was thus busied in this expedition against Sinan he caused the castle of IENNA standing vpon the hie way betweene TEMESVVAR and GIVLA to be besieged by certaine of his captaines appointed to that seruice in which castle lay one of the Turks Sanzackes with a garrison of seuen hundred Turkes who much troubled such as passed that way They now brought to some extremitie and terrified with the successe of the prince offered to giue vp the castle so that as souldiors with their scimitars by their sides they might in safetie be brought to PANODA Which their offer being accepted of and they now vpon their way the Hungarian light horsemen that should haue conducted them enformed that these Turkes now vnder their charge had secret intelligence with the Turkes in garrison at GIVLA and TEMESVVAR that they should lie in ambush for them neâ—â—e PANODA and so cut them off by the way set vpon these Turkes whom they should haue conducted and cut the throats of foure hundred of them and yet still holding on their way met with these Turkes that lay in ambush for them whom they after a sharpe skirmish ouerthrew and hauing slaine a great many of them put the rest to flight By the taking of IENNA the waies thereabout were quieted especially for them of WARADEN The Sanzacke of IENNA reported that Mahomet had a little before sent word vnto his Bassaes and Sanzackes in HVNGARIE that such castles and townes as
sorts executed and three hundred of their complices to the terrour of their fellowes had their noses and eares cut off By which wholsome seueritie all those troubles were appeased and the countrey againe quieted At the same time also the Transyluanians obtained of the Turks a notable victory with an exceeding rich bootie Mahomet the Turkish Sultan had about this time sent a new Bassa for the gouernment of TEMESVVAR against whose comming the old Bassa before Gouernour had in seuentie fiue wagons trussed vp a wonderfull deale of wealth which he had there gotten in the time of his former gouernment to haue been togither with himselfe with a strong conuoy conducted to BELGRADE Of this his purpose the Hungarian Heidons lying at LIPPA and IENNA hauing intelligence lay in wait for him vpon the way and in his passing by set vpon him where in a sharpe conflict they ouerthrew the conuoy and slew the Bassa whose head they sent for a present to the princesse at ALBA IVLIA and tooke the spoile of the Bassaes carriages wherein was taken a wonderfull wealth for in one of those wagons is reported to haue beene found twentie thousand Hungarian duckats In this absence also of the prince ten thousand of the Rascians reuolting from the Turke came and offered their seruice vnto the princesse whereof she by letters with great speed certified the prince her husband who thereupon hasted to dispatch with the emperour and hauing procured both from him and the Pope the promise of some aid to be afterward sent him tooke of him his leaue and being honourably accompanied departed from PRAGE to VIENNA where he arriued the eleuenth of March sitting in a princely chariot drawn with six most beautifull horses the gift of the emperour At his comming thither he was met by the nobilititie of the countrey and by Aldobrandinus the Popes nephew who presented him with three goodly horses for seruice most richly furnished Him the prince tooke into his chariot and so accompanied entered the citie where he was with all due honour receiued and joyfully entertained and so brought vnto the emperours pallace where by the learned students of that Vniuersitie was for his pleasure acted before him the notable historie of Iosua Hauing staied there three daies and purposing to haue in his returne visited his mother in law at GREICZ in CROATIA newes was brought him that the Turks and Tartars by the setting on of Stephen Bator his vncle were about to breake into TRANSYLVANIA Wherefore changing his purpose he departed thence to PRESBVRG and so with all speed kept on his way towards TRANSYLVANIA where he to the great joy and comfort of his subjects in generall arriued in safetie in the beginning of Aprill In this while many hoat skirmishes passed betwixt the Christians and the Turkes in the frontiers of their territories and now the plague and famine which had of long raged in CONSTANTINOPLE and other places of the Turkes dominious began to asswage Of which so great calamities as had deuoured many thousands of his people the Turkish emperour finding himselfe somewhat eased forthwith caused the continuation of his warres against the emperour and the Transyluanian prince to be three daies togither proclaimed in CONSTANTINOPLE and a great armie to be raised to be sent into TRANSYLVANIA and HVNGARIE giuing it out that he would with that so puissant an armie in person himselfe come into HVNGARIE At which time it was also reported that he had alreadie sent his tents and other his necessarie prouision before to HADRIANOPLE for now was nothing more odious in the Turkes court than the name of the Transyluanian prince Of all these things was not the emperour ignorant as fully thereof certified both by letters and espials as also by the vniforme confession of such Turks as were daily taken prisouers For which cause he also with as much speed and care as he could prouided for the raising of his armie as he had the yeare before as also for the leuying of mony and prouision of all things necessarie that the enemie at his comming might not find him vnprouided Neither spared he to pray aid of the other Christian princes his neighbours especially of the Polonian whom he had diuers times sought after to haue drawn him into the confederation with the other Christian princes against the Turke To which purpose he now also sent vnto him the bishop of PRESLAVV and the lord Poppelius his embassadours as did the Pope also send vnto him the Cardinall Caietane his legat and the princes electors also their embassadours vnto whom the Polonian gaue good hearing and good words but would not by any meanes be persuaded to breake his league with the Turke or to affoord any aid vnto the Christians although the Cardinall with many pregnant reasons shewed him what small assurance there was in the Turkes leagues and how dangerous it might be to his State if the Turke making peace with the emperour should turne his force vpon him which it was like enough he would as knowing no man longer for friend than stood with his profit beside the immortall blemish of his honour by disseuering himselfe from the vnion of the Christian princes to hold friendship with the Turkes and infidels But all this and much more to no purpose so resolutly was the Polonian set downe for the keeping of the Turks fauour so that of all the Christian princes so neere vnto the deuouring enemie none stood the Christian common-weale in lesse stead than he Which for all that most men imputed not so much vnto the king as to others about him especially to Zamoschie the great Chancelor by whom that state was most swaied who was not onely supposed but openly reported to haue secret intelligence both with the Turke and the Tartar All this while the lord Palfi Gouernor of STRIGONIVM ceased not with continuall inroads to vex the Turks euen to the gates of BVDA as did also the other Christian captains in other places of the Turkes frontiers in HVNGARIE Neere vnto BVDA were two great countrey villages for most part inhabited by Christians who hauing giuen their oath of obedience vnto the Turke liued a miserable life for the payment of an excessiue tribute yearly These poore Christians wearie of the Turkish thraldome and the continuall spoile of their labors by them of STRIGONIVM by secret messengers requested of the lord Palfi of mercie to carrie them with their goods and cattell away into some other place of the Christian territorie that so they might yet liue amongst Christians as he had but a little before done for them of old BVDA Vnto which their so reasonable a request the Christian Gouernor charitably harkened willing them against a certaine appointed time to put themselues with all their things in readinesse There was of these Christians about 755 families who with their wiues and children and such trash as they had packt vp into eightie wagons drawne with fourteene and sixteene oxen apiece at the
gained the distressed citie But whilest they thus lay vpon the passages behold newes was brought vnto them how that the Bassa of BOSNA with the Sanzackes of SIGETH QVINQVE ECCLESIae and COPPAN with ten thousand Turkes were comming to oppresse them and to open the passages by them holden But they knowing their owne strength and nothing fearing so small a force stayed not for their comming but went to meet them and in a place of good aduantage waiting for them vpon their first appearance with great assurance and courage charged them brake their array and slew the greatest part of them together with the Bassa himselfe yet with so much adoe as that had not the lord Palfi in good time sent in vnto their aid certain companies of fresh men it was not without cause doubted but that the Haiduckes had been put to the worse aboue three hundred of them hauing there alreadie lost their liues The Tartars yet neuerthelesse in good number held on their way towards BVDA with purpose to haue ouerrun the countrey and so to haue withdrawne the Imperials from the citie but for as much as that base nation was knowne to be good for nothing but to rob and spoile the lord Swartzenburg his regiment only going against them and encountering them ouerthrew them in such sort that part of them being there slaine in fight and part for feare driuen into the Danubie the greatest number of them there most miserably perished Basta the emperours lieutenant in the vpper HVNGARIE at the same time lay at CASSOVIA with eighteene thousand men doubting least the enemies armie which he heard to bee at hand should come to besiege that citie In the meane time Ibrahim Bassa Generall of the Turkes forces came to SOLNOCH with an armie of fiftie thousand strong amongst whom were ten thousand Ianizaries but for all that vnderstanding that Basta nothing dismayed awaited his comming at CASSOVIA not thinking it good to goe any further his souldiors being alreadie wearie with long trauell neither yet safe there to stay so neere vnto his strong enemie retired backe againe to BELGRADE a place of more strength and securitie expecting a great fleet of ships which charged vpon the Danubius were to bring victuals for the armie as also for the reliefe of BVDA ALBA REGALIS and other such distressed places with diuers great pieces for batterie and other lesse artillerie vpon carriages with a number of ladders and other instruments of war declaring their purpose for the performance of some notable exploit all guarded with fiue thousand Turkes which conducted it vp the riuer Of all which the Imperials vnderstanding the lord Palfi dispatched his lieutenant with a conuenient power and the captaine of the Hussars with his followers all good and valiant souldiors to cut off this conuoy Who to make the matter short suddenly assailing them and so comming to handy blowes cut in peeces the conuoy and rifled the ships of whom the greater part were there sunke in the deepe riuer and so tooke an exceeding great bootie deemed to be worth a million of gold where amongst other things of great value there was found abourd an hundred thousand dollars which were all deuided amongst the souldiors as a reward of their trauell This great ouerthrow once knowne at BVDA ALBA REGALIS and the cities thereabouts brought vpon them a great feare yea the armie of Ibrahim grew thereby much discontented as being at once disappointed both of their victuals and their pay Besides that the Imperials ouerran all the countrey thereabout ransacking sacking and destroying the countrey villages and castles without mercie although the poore inhabitants offered them large contribution to haue staied their furie which would not bee accepted Vpon this notable ouerthrow also the lord Swartzenburg was determined with all his forces to come againe to the siege of BVDA in hope in so great a discomfiture and want of victuals to haue had it deliuered vnto him and for that purpose sent for certaine great pieces of artillerie to VIENNA But whilest things went thus well in the lower HVNGARIE colonell Rodoler of S. Andrewes in the vpper countrey tooke occasion also vpon this ouerthrow of the Turkes with fiue hundred horse and six hundred foot to shew himselfe with this small companie before AGRIA hauing yet left the greatest part of his forces a little off in secret ambush Which small companie the Bassa of AGRIA beholding presently put himselfe in arms and so sallying out began an hot and braue skirmish when suddenly the other souldiors left in ambush starting out and couragiously assailing their enemies brake their order put them to flight pursuing them at the heeles euen to the gates of the citie and had there beene a greater force of footmen it was verely thought that the Turks dismaied with the flight and altogether confounded had abandoned the defence of the place and the Christians euen then become masters of the citie which had beene the cause of their notable ouerthrow in the yeare 1596. Neuerthelesse they with great brauerie and small losse retired hauing slaine a great number of the Turkes and carrying away with them an hundred prisoners with a bootie of fiue hundred horse and much other cattell The free Haiduckes also strengthened with new supplies had done great harme in the countrey about BVDA scouring freely all ouer it finding none to oppose themselues against them for which cause the poore Christians which yet dwelt in that country rise vp against the Turks promising their obedience vnto the emperour and moreouer to the intent they might bee no more molested by the Imperials offered to take vp armes themselues against the enemie and to the vttermost of their power to hinder his passage both by land and water These same Haiduckes also had broken downe all the bridges which the Turkes had made betwixt BVDA and ALBA REGALIS to the end they should not that way commodiously bring either victuals or munition from the one place to the other And the lord Palfi and Nadasti vnderstanding by their espials That the Tartars deuided into three companies had ouerrun a great part of the country and with a great bootie were retiring towards BVDA presently went out against them and enforced them to fight which barbarous people better inured to filtch than to fight there lost all their liues together with that they had before stolne After which victorie these valiant men turning their forces against certaine other places of the Turkes there by tooke two of their castles with much rich spoile which castles they sacked and burnt together with the great towne of ZOINA breaking downe also the bridge vpon the riuer Traua Now at this time the Turkes at BVDA held themselues male content within the citie hauing no Gouernour their Bassa being before taken by the Haiduckes and they themselues pinched also with great want of victuals T Wherefore doubting some sudden attempt of the Christians as men dismaied they for their more
souldiors And immediatly after without resistance forraged the countrey round about CANISIA burning all before him as he went the poore Christian inhabitants still flying as fast as they could for safegard of their liues But hauing thus with the spoile of the countrey well pleased his souldiors he desirous to haue the same againe in time repeopled as thereby to yeeld vnto the Turks the more profit staied their farther outrage vpon great paine forbidding the same by open proclamations in euerie place set vp inuiting the Christians without feare of farther harme to returne againe into the countrey where submitting them vnto the great Sultans obeysance they should vnder his protection safely dwell without any tribute to be of them exacted for the space of three yeares next following Which proclamations were in his name thus published Ibrahim Bassa to the Inhabitans of the countrey about CANISIA greeting We Ibrahim Bassa by the grace of God Visier and Cousin vnto the most puissant and inuincible Sultan Mahomet Emperour of the Turkes vnto all the Inhabitants of the marches about CANISIA and the rest of the countrey of STEIRMARCK from the greatest to the least greeting Whereas we haue willingly heard that some of you willing to submit your selues vnto the great Sultan and to sweare vnto him fealtie are againe returned vnto your old dwellings We promise and assure you vpon the faith of the said Emperour that whosoeuer shall be found neere vnto the fortresse of CANISIA now belonging vnto the great Sultan with all reuerence submitting himselfe as his subiect vnder his gouernment acknowledging him for his Soueraigne shall enioy moe priuiledges than euer he did before and also be protected in the same And for that we know that your houses are for the most part destroied as also your posteritie you shall therefore for these three yeares next following be exempted and free from all tributes and charges whatsoeuer to the intent you may the better recouer your selues Of which grace if you shall willingly accept we promise you that neither you your wiues or children shall be in any thing wronged or your goods in any part impaired but so much as in vs possibly is to be defended so that so many of you as please may in safetie returne vnto your owne old dwellings giuing before knowledge thereof vnto the Gouernour of this our fortresse Giuen in our campe after the conquest of CANISIA Many of these poore countrey people before fled for feare of the Turkes and not knowing where to bestow themselues now vpon this proclamation returned againe to their antient dwelling places there to begin the world againe vnder the Turkish obeisance But for that Countie Serinus was the man whom of all others in that countrey the great Bassa sought after as him whom hee most feared after his departure to trouble this his new conquest and to seeke to bee reuenged hauing in this so generall a calamitie of STIRIA his countrey lost twentie villages of his owne quite burnt by the Turkes and the people most slaine or els taken prisoners the Bassa hauing many times before sought to haue persuaded him to haue yeelded his obedience vnto the Turkish Sultan and now in hope after so great a losse to bring him in before he were come vnto the vtter ruine of all his fortunes now by the losse of CANISIA and the entrance of the Turkes into STIRIA not a little endangered writ vnto him as followeth We Ibrahim Bassa chiefe of the Visier Bassaes and cousin vnto the most puissant Sultan Mahomet to the Countie Serinus sendeth greeting We haue oftentimes heretofore written vnto thee concerning the matter thou knowest of but what the cause is that we receiued no answere we cannot tell Yet could I not but write to thee againe that if yet thou canst be content to begin the matter aright and to submit thy selfe vnto our protection we will be readie to receiue thee Thou seest that what we foretold thee is now more than fulfilled both vpon thee and thine which thou wouldest neuer beleeue Neuerthelesse for the staying of the further effusion of the blood as well of thy subiects as ours and to come to some good attonement it is high time for thee to lay thine hand vpon thine heart and to consider how much more it concerneth thee than vs and that the benefit thereof redoundeth more vnto thine than ours What our affection is towards thee Hierome the Vayuod can tell thee Fare thou well from our campe after the conquest of CANISIA the seuenth of Nouember 1600. But these letters being also as the rest answered with silence the great Bassa hauing disposed of all as he thought best at CANISIA and in the countrey thereabout returned with his armie to BELGRADE there to Winter hauing before fully certified the great Sultan of all his proceedings and the successe of this war vaunting after his vaine manner the next Spring to besiege VIENNA also if it should please him so to commaund Of all which things Mahomet vnderstanding and not a little therwith pleased caused great triumphs to be made by the space of foure daies at CONSTANTINOPLE and in token of his loue and fauour sent a rich robe of cloth of gold with a leading staffe all set with pearle and pretious stones vnto the Bassa yet lying at BELGRADE This losse of CANISIA much troubled all that side of Christendome especially them of the territories belonging vnto the house of AVSTRIA in a sort dismaied to see the Turkes so easily possessed of a towne before thought almost impregnable and the strongest defence of all that countrey against the furious impressions of the Turks to whom it was now become a most safe and sure receptacle all men with one voice blaming the discord of the captaines in the imperiall armie for so retiring without any good doing but aboue all detesting the cowardise of Paradiser who knowne to haue in the towne a strong garrison with good store of munition and victuals as was supposed had so basely deliuered the same vnto the enemie not doing the vttermost of his deuoir as had beseemed him for the defence thereof whereas if he had so done happily in the meane time the cold and vnseasonablenesse of the weather though no other reliefe had beene Winter being now come might haue enforced the Turkes to haue raised their siege Whereupon he was for this so foule a fact by the emperours commaundement apprehended and cast in prison at VIENNA where after he had long line and his cause oftentimes examined he was the next yeare following condemned of fellonie and cowardise and so the fifteenth day of October executed hauing first his hand at foure strokes of the executioner struck off and after that his head with him was also in like manner executed his Ensigne-bearer and after them his lieutenant with the maior of the town who both bound fast to a stake had first their tongues cut out and afterwards their heads chopt off
conuenient Whereunto the besieged Turkes answered That the Christians had now fiue weekes lien at the siege and must yet lie three weekes longer and that whereas of late some few of their friends came to haue relieued them and had failed therein there was yet an hundred thousand moe to come after them who if they should not be able to performe that they came for yet that they would not for that deliuer or forsake the citie before they were readie to be drawne out of it by the heeles and that yet they would then take three daies to resolue thereupon Now had the Christians with long and continuall batterie sore beaten both the vpper and the lower towne which batterie they now maintained with greater furie than at any time from the beginning of the siege and within the citie their wants increased daily hauing nothing left to liue vpon but a little wheat and barley with some horseflesh vnto whom thus distressed the lord Palfi by the commandement of the Countie to trie what confidence they yet had in themselues the ninth of August sent two Gentlemen to the citie to doe a message from him to the Gouernour Who aduertised thereof being a verie aged and courteous man accompanied with the Aga of the Ianizaries came to the wals to heare what they had to say where one of the said gentlemen in few words deliuered him this short message My most gratious Lord the lord Palfi most worthie Gouernour greeteth thee well and knowing thee to be a captaine both valiant and wise and one that hath alwaies courteously vsed such as haue fallen into thy hands hath compassion of thy desperat obstinacie and therefore whereas thou art to looke or hope for nothing else but present death and destruction he as thy neighbour and a louer of thy vertues aduiseth and exhorteth thee if thou wilt saue thy selfe and thine from most vndoubted and imminent death and vtter confusion without delay to deliuer vp this citie which thou canst not longer hold Vnto whom the old Gouernour thus without stay courteously answered Thy speech my friend and thy masters aduise are vnto me both vaine Tell the lord Palfi in my name that I cannot pleasure him with the least stone in this citie One foot I haue alreadie in the graue and will with honour carrie these my graie haires into the same and am yet comforted with a most certaine and vndoubted hope that my most dread and mightie soueraigne and my lord Sinan Bassa will not forsake me yea and that if they should write vnto me that they could find no meanes or way to relieue me which I am sure they can yet would I well and at leisure consider whether it were fit for me to deliuer vp this citie or not seeing that of the defence thereof dependeth all mine honour and credit Besides that what reward they haue on both sides that so easily deliuer ouer the cities they haue in charge all the world doth see With this answere he sent them away All this while the Aga of the Ianizaries standing by spoke not one word but sighing in silence and grinding his teeth declared by his countenance his indignation and inward griefe In the mid way betwixt BVDA and STRIGONIVM in the middest of the riuer of Danubius lieth a little island called VIZZE wherein many rich clothiers dwelt this island the Hungarian Heidons spoiled and in returning thence met with foure and twentie wagons laded with corne going to BVDA which they tooke with eight and twentie prisoners which they brought into the campe The lower towne being with long and continuall batterie made saultable was by the Christians the thirteenth of August in three diuers places at once assaulted The Bauarians were by lot to giue the first charge who in the performing thereof beginning to faint for that they were notably repulsed by the Turks but seconded by them of REITNAW and SVEVIA pluckt downe a great palisado filled the ditches remoued whatsoeuer stood in their way and so long fought with the Turks in the breaches that by the comming in of the Marquesse of BVRGAVVE with six ensignes of fresh men they preuailed vpon the enemie and so altogither brake into the towne In the middest of this dangerous fight was the Marquesse himselfe who both with his presence and cheerfull speech so encouraged his souldiors that they as men fearing no perill ran headlong into all danger vntill they had entred the towne There might a man haue heard a most miserable crie especially of women and children throughout the citie when as the Christians breaking in on euerie side slew whosoeuer came in their way without respect of age or sex sparing neither women great with child neither the little children hanging at their mothers breasts Yet did not all that were entred so much attend the present execution as some of them did the spoile and prey and especially the Hungarians vnto whom all was good bootie euen the verie hinges of the doores and windowes whereby many escaped into the castle and vpper towne with the Bassa and Alis-Beg the old Gouernour The Christians had not many houres possessed the towne but that diuers fires began to breake out in diuers places but by what meanes was not at the first knowne At last it was found out that the Turks doubting the losse of the towne had before where they thought best left gunpouder which taking fire by matches left burning for that purpose should at a certaine time set all on fire by which meanes many most horrible fires were raised in the towne which consumed many goodly buildings and other things which might haue stood the Christians in great stead and could hardly be in a day or two quenched This so joyfull a victorie saw not he by whose good direction next vnder God it was gained the worthy Countie for he a few daies before being fallen sicke of a feauer taken by drinking too much cold drinke in his heat with immoderat paines taking in the late battell and so afterwards falling into a great flix with a feauer was by the counsell of his physitions for the better recouering of his health remoued to KOMARA as a place of more quietnesse hauing before his departure sent for the Archduke to come vnto the campe and for Blankemier into BAVARIA to supply his owne roume But his disease still encreasing became at last desperat so that the physitions themselues now dispaired of his health Yet lying thus drawing towards his end he almost euerie houre enquired how the armie did and whether the citie were yet taken or what hope there was of the taking thereof But when it was told him a little before his death that the lower towne was woon he thereat greatly rejoyced and the next day being the fourteenth of August towards night quietly departed this world to the great losse of the Christian common-weale and the exceeding griefe of the whole armie A man euen from his childhood brought
vp in armes of stature great but of courage greater and painfull aboue measure not the least cause of his vntimely death All the time of this siege he tooke little rest either by day or night scarce so much as to lie downe vpon his bed in two or three nights togither The little meat he did eat he most part eat it standing or walking yea and sometimes on horsebacke he was a most seuere obseruer of martiall discipline which caused him to be of his souldiors both beloued and feared His bowels were with due solemnitie buried at KOMARA where he died but his bodie was brought backe againe to LVXENBVRG there to be honourably enterred with his auncestours About this time Theodore the Great duke of MVSCOVIA hearing of the warres betwixt the emperour and the Turke sent two embassadours with letters and presents to the emperour which embassadours comming to PRAGE the sixteenth of August accompanied with two hundred and fiftie horse were there by the emperours appointment honourably receiued and entertained And afterward hauing audience first deliuered the letters of credence from the Great duke reported to haue been of this purport Your Maiestie hath sent vnto vs your embassadour Nicholas Warkotsie requesting our brotherly aid against the hereditarie enemie of all Christianitie the Turkish Sultan Wherefore we also desiring to liue with you our deare and welbeloued brother in all perpetuall amitie and friendship send vnto you by our faithfull counsellor and seruant Michael Iwanowitze and Iohn Sohnie aid out of our treasurie against the said enemie vnto whom we haue also giuen other things in charge to be propounded to your Maiestie requesting you to giue vnto them in all things full credit Giuen in the great Court of our power at MVSCO in the yeare of the world 7103 and from the natiuitie of Christ 1595 in the moneth of Aprill What things in particular these embassadours were sent for was not commonly knowne but among others it is said That the Muscouite requested the emperour to send an embassadour vnto the Persian king to draw him also into the league with them against the Turke which embassadour should first come into MVSCOVIA and that way to passe into PERSIA The presents which the Great duke sent vnto the emperour were an hundred and fiftie thousand Florens of gold great store of most rich furs and pretious perfumes deemed to be of exceeding valour two white faulcons and three leopards aliue And Iwanowitze the embassadour himselfe presented vnto the emperour of himselfe certaine rich Turkie Persiâ—â—â— and Babylonian hangings and carpets certaine timbers of Sables with other rich furs no lesse pretious than Sables so many as eight porters could hardly carrie These embassadours tarried at PRAGE vntill the seuen and twentith day of December and then taking their leaue returned with the emperours answere to the duke But to returne againe vnto SRIGONIVM The Christians now possessed of the lower towne bent their whole batterie vpon the higher towne where it fortuned the fourteenth of August that the old Gouernour Alis-Beg whilest he was carefully walking from place to place to see where most danger was had his arme strucke off with a great shot of which hurt he presently died He was a man of great grauitie about the age of eight and twentie yeares and had of long time notably both gouerned and defended that famous citie the losse whereof was like enough to haue been vnto him greater griefe than was the losse of his life there Much about the same time also died the Aga of the Ianizaries being before mortally wounded Both the chiefe commaunders thus slaine the Ianizaries with the other souldiors and citisens made choise of the Bassa of NATOLIA who as is aforesaid escaped out of the late battell into the citie for their Gouernour who with heauie cheere tooke vpon him that forlorne charge The Christians not ignorant of the death of these two worthie men in whose great and approued valour they supposed the chiefe defence of the citie to haue rested were in good hope that now the rest would the more readily hearken to some good composition and therefore sent a messenger to demand if they would yet whilest there were some mercie left yeeld the citie Who though they had lost their chiefe commaunders with the greatest part of the garrison and were in great wants both of victuals and all things else necessarie for their defence yet their answere was in few words That they would hold it out euen to the last man The greatest cause of which their obstinat resolution was the strait charge the Bassa of BVDA had giuen them for the defence thereof besides that they accounted their citie holy as woon by their magnificent emperour Solyman whom the Turkes generally yet haue in a deuout remembrance and therefore thought it a great impietie to deliuer it vp vnto the Christians The next day after came Matthias the archduke into the campe who after he had well viewed the whole armie and the manner of the siege he called togither into his tent the chiefe commaunders namely the Marquesse of BVRGAVV his cousin Iohn de Medices the Florentine and the lord Palâ—i the Hungarian to consult with them what were farther to be done for the winning of the citie Shortly after he commanded the citie to be at once in two places assaulted which was by the Wallons and Germanes couragiously performed but such was the valour of the defendants that when the Christians had done what they could they were glad at last to giue ouer the assault and with losse to retire About this time came the duke of MANTVA with the three Counties his brethren to the siege and now the Turkes began againe to draw togither neere vnto BVDA there to make head for the reliefe of STRIGONIVM and to be reuenged of the losse they had there before receiued Whereof the Archduke hauing intelligence sent out against them eight thousand chosen souldiors out of the campe who suddenly setting vpon the Turkes in their campe before the rising of the Sunne made a great slaughter amongst them and tooke certaine prisoners of whom the Sanzacke of COPAN was one and so with victorie returned to the siege The besieged Turkes in STRIGONIVM vnderstanding of this ouerthrow of their friends from whom they expected most speedie reliefe and beside the terrour of the continuall batterie and still feared assaults pinched also with extreame wants of all things began now to faint Wherefore the Bassa with the other captaines ouercome with the aforesaid difficulties and the generall outcrie of the fearfull people resolued with one consent to come now to parley and vpon reasonable conditions to yeeld vp the citie whereupon a flag of truce was set vp and parley craued Which granted the Archduke after the going downe of the Sunne came into the lower towne where nine of the Turks attended his comming who entring into parley required that they might vnder safe conuoy with bag and baggage depart
of the euill successe of the affaires of HVNGARIE on the one side and the desire he saw in the Persians to recouer their lost fortresses on the other and grieued also with more particular wrongs concerning himselfe as a man altogither discontented resolued to take vp armes and calling vnto him his souldiors and as he was a well spoken man laying before them the deformities of the present state gallantly persuaded them with the promise of honour soueraigntie and rich rewards what an easie thing it were to chase the grand signior out of ASIA and to set themselues with all that part of the empire at libertie And so euen at the first hauing woon vnto him three thousand harquebusiers and fiue thousand horsemen tooke the field to the great hurt of the Turkes and trouble of the state A strange matter in that tyrannicall empire The newes whereof comming in post to the Court commission was forthwith directed vnto foure of the Sanzackes of ASIA neerest vnto him for the speedie suppressing of that rebellion but euen then arising Whereof Cusahin vnderstanding and that they with ten thousand horse and foot were comming to oppresse him without farther stay went couragiously to meet them and so encountring of them ouerthrew them with a great slaughter and tooke from them their baggage with six pieces of great ordinance And after with his people seized vpon all the castles thereabouts giuing whatsoeuer he found therein for a prey vnto his souldiors who also much enriched themselues with the spoile of the Iewes as the people whom they most hated and neuer rested vntill he had made almost all the countrey of CARAMANIA his owne After that he laid siege to COGNA a citie in the confines of NATOLIA which was forthwith yeelded vnto him And yet not so contented gaue it out by open proclamation that for the reformation of the disordered state he would ere long go to besiege the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE and that therfore all such as would follow him should of him be intreated as his friends and companions threatning vnto the rest most cruell death and destruction Of which his proceedings Mahomet as then disporting himselfe at his gardens of pleasure in the countrey all alongst the side of PROPONTIS vnderstanding and fearing to be there surprised or that some sudden innouation might be raised in the citie hasted with all speed to CONSTANTINOPLE and from thence in all hast dispatched Mehemet one of the Visier Bassaes the sonne of Sinan with all the forces he could make to go against him Who passing ouer into ASIA with a great power and yet fearing to come to the triall of a battell with him whom he knew to be a man of himselfe desperatly set and not a little fauoured also euen of his owne souldiors so secretly wrought by large promises that Cusahin his footmen were euen vpon the point to haue forsaken him Which he quickly perceiuing fled forthwith through SIRIA into ARABIA with his horsemen and the horsemen of Simon the Georgian purposing the next Spring by the helpe of Arabians and Persians to appeare in the field with greater forces than before After whom Mehemet the great Bassa following came with his armie to ALEPPO there to Winter and to expect the returne of the rebell together with the Spring This so dangerous a rebellion with the troubles of TRANSYLVANIA and VALACHIA were the cause that the grand signior seeing himselfe in so many places forsaken of his subjects was the readier to encline vnto peace with the emperour whereunto for all that the emperour was not hastie to hearken but vpon honourable conditions as knowing that the Turke required the same not for any desire he had to liue in quiet but for that his troubled affaires both at home and elswhere abroad so required his Ianizaries and other men of warre in this his so weake gouernment being growne so insolent as that they were hardly to bee by him commaunded openly threatening in their discontented humors not only the deposing of the principall officers about him but of himselfe also and of the banishment of the Sultanesse his mother saying that she had bewitched him to the end she might her selfe rule which she indeed doth in all his greatest affaires But the rebell Cusahin the next yeare growne againe very strong was now come into the field and euen readie to haue giuen the Bassa battell who as hee was a man of great wisedome and experience well considering with what a desperat enemie hee had to doe thought it best againe to proue if his rebellious followers might by faire meanes bee drawne from him and so comming neere vnto him by open proclamation promised a free and generall pardon to all such as had followed the rebell in those wars if forsaking him they should forthwith returne home to their dwellings and so to the obedience of their just and lawfull prince and soueraigne Which generall pardon so proclaimed was the ruine of Cusahin for that the greatest part of his followers now enriched with the great booties they had gotten and now also hauing free pardon offered them returned home into their owne countries there at ease to liue of their euill gotten goods leauing their captaine with some few others which staied with him with little hope to be saued So that within a few daies after Cusahin thus forsaken of his followers was himselfe taken and brought prisoner to CONSTANTINOPLE where shortly after hee was with most exquisit torments tortured to death The troubles of this yeare thus past Rodolph the Christian emperour with the beginning of the next whilest the ground yet couered with snow and the vnseasonablenesse of the weather would not suffer the souldiors to keepe the field caused a Diet of the princes of the empire to be called to consider with him of such helpes as were by them to be giuen against the Spring for the maintenance of the warres which yet he had against the Turke who all promised to send their souldiors with their pay and such further contribution as might serue for the maintenance of that defensiue warre against the common enemie Whereunto also Clement now bishop of ROME this yeare of Iubilie put to his helping hand as he had diuers times before by sending thither such aid both of men and money as hee had before promised so that by this meanes great preparation was made by the Christians for the taking of the field with the first of the Spring At which time the Turkes also began to stirre who although Ibrahim Bassa their Generall by the appointment of his great lord was then in some speech with the emperour about a peace yet ceased not they in the meane time that this treatie was from day to day prolonged with their companies scattering here and there to doe what harme they could vpon the frontiers of the emperours territories the cause why he with more speed called vpon his friends for their promised aid And for the
better managing of this yeares warres against the Turke he appointed duke Mercurie who had drawne a great number of Frenchmen both horse and foot out of FRANCE Generall of all his forces sending Ferrant Gonzaga surnamed the Lame whom for his approued valour and experience in martiall affaires he had sent for to MANTVA gouernour into the vpper HVNGARIE So the souldiors now day by day by companies resorting from diuers parts into AVSTRIA were from thence sent vnto such places as were by the Turkes most molested so to represse their often incursions as in many places they did For eight thousand of the Turkes going out vpon the sudden to haue surprised PAPPA were by the garrison souldiours of that place encountered and ouerthrowne And on the other side whilest Ferdinand the Archduke was assembling his people in CROATIA for the defence of that countrey against the incursions of the enemie six thousand Turks without resistance entring the same as farre as BVCCARI and burning the countrey villages as they went had taken many prisoners with a great bootie of cattell and so merrie and out of feare being about to haue returned were suddenly set vpon by the Countie Serinus in certaine straight and troublesome passages where they least feared any such matter and ouercharged also with their prey were I say easily by him for the most part ouerthrowne and the rest put to flight and so the prisoners with all the rest of the bootie againe recouered At which time also one of the imperiall colonels with fifteene hundred horse making an inrode into the countrey about ALBA REGALIS and meeting with the Turkes and Tartars thereabouts slew six hundred of them and tooke diuers of their captaines prisoners Six thousand other Tartars also at this time returning out of HVNGARIE home towards their owne countrey were by the Cossackes neere vnto the Blacke sea set vpon with such force that many of them being slaine the rest for feare ran into the sea leauing all the prey they had got in HVNGARIE vnto their enemies In the heat of these broiles the noble lord Palfi gouernour of STRIGONIVM a man that all his life long had done great seruice for his prince and country whom we haue so often in this historie remembred died the three and twentith of March in his castle at BIâ—ERSPVRG to the great griefe of many especially the Hungarians his countreymen And for that STRIGONIVM so neere vnto the enemie required in his stead to haue a right valiant and couragious gouernour the emperour appointed the lord Swartzenburg to that charge the same still running that Ibrahim Bassa would come thither with the great armie he was in prouiding if the peace went not forward which was now still lesse and lesse hoped for by reason of his prowd and insolent demaunds But whilest these troubles with such others too long to rehearse thus passed in diuers paâ—ts of this miserable countrey of HVNGARIE twelue hundred Frenchmen and Wallons in garrison at PAPPA a strong frontier towne of the emperours in the lower HVNGARIE for want of pay began to mutinie For which cause it was thought good to the chiefe commanders to haue them thence remooued and others placed in their roume Which they perceiuing and withall knowing themselues too strong for the rest of the garrison all Hungarians or Almaines not partakers of their conspiracie they first resolued to thrust their owne captaines out of the towne as lets vnto their desires and then laying hands vpon Michael Marotti the paymaster and other the Hungarian and Dutch commaunders with their souldiors tooke from them their weapons and caâ—â— the said Marotti with the other captaines and some of the better sort of their souldiors into yrons exacting of the rest as well Hungarians as Dutch in number about a thousand persons a thousand duckats threatening otherwise to deliuer them into the hands of the Turkes and albeit that Marotti offered for his libertie eighteene hundred duckats yet would they not bee so contented but spoyling both him and the rest of all that they had with their apparrell and weapons furnished such Turkes as were there prisoners and so sent them away to ALBA REGALIS and afterwards rifling euery mans house as if they had beene enemies tooke from them whatsoeuer pleased themselues and that which worse was to encrease these outrages compacted with the Turkes of ALBA REGALIS and BVDA for the pay which they said the emperour ought them to deliuer them the towne certifying them withall how that the lord Swartzenburg within two daies was comming with money to giue them contentment promising if hee came into the towne to deliuer him with the same into their hands or to bee the more sure of him they might if they so pleased intercept him at the passage ZESNEGKH whereby he must needs come For the more credit of which their wicked purpose they sent an ensigne of the emperours as a token vnto the Turkes at ALBA REGALIS who for all that altogether belieued them not yet willing farther to trie them sent them for hostages two Chians for whom the rebels sent also two others of the better sort of them to ALBA REGALIS with conclusion that the fiue and twentith of Iune at the furthest the money should be paied and the towne deliuered For the receiuing whereof and for feare of some hidden treason the Turkes and Tartars began to make themselues strong the Imperials also doing what they might for the appeasing of so dangerous a tumult So the tenth of Iune the lord Swartzenburg with two thousand horse and foot came within two miles of the towne and from thence sent foure and twentie horsemen to dissuade the rebels from yeelding the towne vnto the Turks and to tell them that they should shortly receiue their pay who shamefully deriding them sent them backe againe as wise as they came so that Swartzenburg perceiuing himselfe with so small forces to be able to doe nothing against them neither yet by faire meanes to persuade them retired againe to RAB vntill some greater strength were come vnto him Immediatly after doctor Petzen Councellour for the warres a man of great authoritie grauitie and wisedome was by Matthias the Archduke with foure hundred horse conducted to PAPPA to see if he by his discretion could haue dissuaded them from their so vngodly a purpose for the yeelding of the towne vnto the enemie whom they not onely refused to heare although he spake vnto them most kindly but also bent their muskets and harquebusies vpon him threatning to kill him if he did not forthwith depart When shortly after twentie of the Hungarians imprisoned in a cellar in the towne brake out and comming to RAB brought newes thither That the Frenchmen and Wallons in PAPPA were at variance among themselues about the yeelding vp of the towne vnto the Turkes some better minded than the rest not willing to consent thereunto insomuch that they in the castle shot at them in the towne and