againe into his trenches In this so terrible an assault not repulsed without some losse also of the Christians the Grand master and gouernour of the citie was wounded with a poysoned dart whereof hee in three dayes after died with whom the courage of the defendants fainted also no man being left like vnto him to vndertake so great a charge although many there were that ouerweening of themselues desired the same In the beginning of this siege the Christians had sent away all their aged and weake people vnfit for seruice into CYPRUS where they in safetie arriued But now many of the better sort both captaines and others discouraged one after another conuaighed themselues away out of the citie of whom a great number in passing thence to CYPRUS were vpon the coast of the Island together with the Patriarch drowned In the citie remained only twelue thousand which were thought sufficient for the defence thereof who afterwards as some report fled also by sea after their fellowes and so left the citie emptie vnto the barbarous enemie some others reporting of them more honourably as that they should right valiantly defend the citie against the assault of their enemies vntill such time as that most of them beeing slaine or wounded and the rest by force driuen from the wals into the market place and there for a while notably defending themselues in flying thence vnto the ships were by the way all cut in sunder or else drowned But howsoeuer it was the Sultan entering the citie by the Christians abandoned or by force taken gaue the spoile thereof vnto his souldiors who after they had rifled euerie corner thereof by his commaundement set it on fire and burnt it downe to the ground and digging vp the very foundations of the wals churches and other publicke and priuat buildings which the fire had not burnt left there no signe of any citie at all but purging the place euen of the very heapes of the stones and rubbidge left of the rased citie made it a fit place for husbandmen to plough and sowe corne in which he did both there at SYDON BERITUS and other townes alongst the sea coast because they should neuer more serue for a refuge vnto the Christians or giue them footing againe into those countries Thus together with PTOLEMAIS was the name of the Christians vtterly rooted out of SYRIA and the land of PALESTINE in the yeare 1291 about 192 yeares after the winning of HIERUSAREM by Godfrey of BUILLON and the other Christian princes his confederats This losse as tending to the great disgrace of the Christians in generall mooued not a little euen the greatest of the Christian princes wronged all or most part of them in the persons of the Templars or knights Hospitalers their subjects so shamefully now quite cast out of SYRIA and the land of promise howbeit troubled with their owne turbulent affaires at home or with their neighbour princes not farre off none of them once stirred for the redresse or reuenge thereof Onely Cassanes the great Tartar prince hauing of late subdued the Persians and married the daughter of the Armenian king a ladie of great perfection and of a Mahometane become a Christian at the request of his wife and his father in law tooke the matter in hand And for that purpose hauing raised a most puissant armie of two hundred thousand fighting men and aided by the Armenians and Georgians passing ouer the mountaine AMANUS into SYRIA not farre from the citie HAMA met with Melcenaser the Aegyptian Sultans lieutenant with a mightie armie whom hee ouerthrew in a great and mortall battell wherein fortie thousand of the Aegyptians are reported to haue beene slaine and so draue him quite out of SYRIA sending Molais one of his captaines with part of his armie to pursue him who neuer left him vntill hee had chased him ouer the desart sands into AEGYPT The victorious Tartar after this battell tooke the citie of HAMA where lighting vpon the great treasures of the Sultan hee bountifully deuided it together with the spoile amongst his souldiours reseruing nothing thereof vnto himselfe more than a sword and a casket full of secret letters The Aegyptian thus put to flight he without resistance tooke in most of the cities of SYRIA with the citie of HIERUSALEM also which in many places by the Turkes and Aegyptians defaced he againe repaired and together with the temple of our Sauior gaue it to the Armenians Georgians and other Christians repairing thither out of CYPRUS CRETE and other places to inhabite And hauing himselfe honoured the holy places with great gifts returned with his armie to DAMASCO which was foorthwith deliuered vnto him But lying there with purpose in Autumne following to haue gone into AEGYPT and to haue vtterly destroyed that kingdome hee was certefied of new troubles arising in PERSIA and some other parts of his empire for repressing whereof hee with the greatest part of his armie returned himselfe into PERSIA leauing one Capcapus gouernour of DAMASCO who after the ouerthrow of the Sultans armie had reuolted vnto him and Molais of whom wee haue before spoken gouernour of HIERUSALEM commaunding them at his departure to reedifie the citie of TYRE and to send embassadours vnto the Christian princes of the West to joine in league with them for the more sure holding of those new gained countries And so TYRE was indeed repaired as he had commaunded and deliuered to the Christians with a conuenient garrison for the keeping thereof but the embassadours comming to the proud bishop Boniface the eight then Pope whom of all others it beseemed to haue furthered their businesse they could of him obtaine nothing but returned as they came For he at the same time fallen out with Philip the French king thundering out his excommunications discharging his subjects of their loyaltie and so much as in him was depriuing him of his kingdome had giuen the same vnto Albertus duke of AUSTRIA whom he had declared emperour whereof arise great troubles Besides that he being of the Guelphes faction was not in any thing more carefull than of the vtter extinguishing of the contrarie faction of the Gibellines especially of the most honourable family of the Columnij of whom some hee had slaine some he had depriued of their honours some he had imprisoned and driuen othersome into exile so that thus wickedly busied for the maintenance of his owne proud estate he had no leisure to further the good of the Christian common weale which his intollerable pride and forgetfulnesse of dutie long escaped not the reuenging hand of God being when he thought least suddenly taken prisoner at his fathers house in the citie of ANAGNIA where he was borne by Sara Columnius his mortall enemie whom but lately before redeemed out of a pirates gally the French king had sent for that purpose with one Longaret or as some call him Nogaret a French knight By whom the proud prelate brought to ROME in the castle S.
he caused his vauntgard to march towards ALEXANDRIA and hauing passed ouer the riuer euen in an instant turned directly vnto CAIER to the great astonishment of the Sultan who made prouision for the defence of ALEXANDRIA as the neerest vnto danger But vnderstanding of these newes vsed such diligence that he entred into the citie with fortie thousand horse and threescore thousand foot euen as Tamerlane his armie aproached purposing in person himselfe to defend it By whose comming the great citie readie before to haue reuolted was againe in his obedience confirmed to the great hinderance of Tamerlane his affaires for to remaine long before it was impossible for want of victuals for so great an armie in the enemies countrey Yet notwithstanding all this did not Tamerlane forbeare to draw neere vnto it and with all his armie to encampe neere vnto the same hauing caused a great trench to bee made for to couer his horsemen and thereby to lodge his armie more safely during which time he caused diuers onsets to be giuen as well to trie what confidence the enemie had in himselfe as to see how the people of the cittie especially the slaues which in that populous cittie are infinite were affected towards him who certainely enformed him of the state of the cittie and the armie as glad to see the same by him shut vp and the proud Mamalukes still put to the worst But thus lying still at the siege one day he thought it good to shew his armie before the citie for to trie whether the enemie had a desire to come to a daie of battaile or not as also to view what forces he had and so indeed to seeke occasion to fight In hope also that if the Sultan did come foorth with all his armie into the field some reuolt might happen within the cittie as well by the slaues vnto whom libertie was by him promised as by the cittizens themselues discontented with the insolencie of the Mamalukes entered of late into the cittie with the Sultan vnto whom he had made it knowne by certaine slaues for that purpose fled as fugitiues out of his armie into the cittie how that hee was not come to hurt them but onely for the destruction of the Mamalukes both his and their enemies But betimes standing so in battaile array no man came foorth neither was there any tumult or sturre raised in the cittie as hee had expected For the Sultan in so great a cittie well prouided of all things was resolued to wearie him out with lying still and not to put all to the hazard of a battaile Which Tamerlane perceiuing and set downe not to depart thence but victorious resolued likewise to force him euen in his greatest strength in the heart of his greatest citie although it were not to be done but with great aduenture such confidence he had in the strength and multitude of his armie Now his purpose was first to take one of the cities for CAIRE is diuided into three therin encamping himself by litle litle to aduance forward as he might stil fighting with the enemy Vpon which resolution he commaunded an assault to be giuen and hauing brought his footmen vnto the place where he would haue them to giue the onset for the citie was not walled but onely fortified with ditches and trenches he commaunded the prince of THANAIS with fiftie thousand footmen to begin the assault euen in the face of the enemie which hee most valiantly perfourmed and there began a most terrible and cruell fight Axalla in the meane time deeming as the truth was that the Sultan had drawn his greatest forces vnto the place where the prince of THANAIS sought to enter as vnto a place of greatest danger fet a compasse about and vpon another quarter of the citie with small resistance passed the trenches where he presently left thirtie thousand men to fill vp the ditches and to make way for the horsemen to enter aduancing forward himselfe against twentie thousand sent by the Sultan to haue stopped his further passage the prince of THANAIS being at the same time almost beaten backe by the Mamelukes But the way being made plaine by them that were for that purpose left by Axalla and ten thousand horse entred which charged vpon the backs of the Mamelukes where the Sultan himselfe was and they seconded by ten thousand moe sent in by Tamerlane following himselfe after with all his power the Sultan retired vnto a second strength which he had made in the next citie The fight endured full the space of seauen houres wherein were slaine of the Sultan his men aboue sixteene thousand and of Tamerlanes betwixt seauen and eight thousand Who contented to haue dislodged the enemie and gained a third part of the citie caused a retrait to be sounded in hope the next daie to winne all the rest as indeed he did For the prince of THANAIS the next daie forcing the enemies trenches in one place and Axalla in another the Sultan after a great fight finding himselfe hardly pressed by the obstinate enemie and too weake long to hold out retired and so forthwith abandoned the citie and encamped himselfe along the side of the riuer NILUS with purpose to passe the same and to flye to ALEXANDRIA his second strength and refuge Which Tamerlane suspecting followed after him with his horsemen who onely were in order and some few foot hardly drawne from the citie which their fellowes were in spoiling so as hee was glad to promise them especially to regard and reward their good seruice Against whom the Sultan vpon a narrow cawsey had opposed twelue or fifteen thousand men whom he called his slaues to fauour his passage but were indeed his best souldiours and stood fast the place seruing greatly for their aduantage who for all that at length forced by their enemies still increasing vpon them though not without great losse cast themselues into the great riuer and made a most honourable retrait euerie man hauing his weapon in the one hand and swimming with the other to the farther banke The Sultan flying with some eighteene thousand horse for the rest were sundrie waies fled or else drowned is reported in his flight to haue comforted his men by telling of them That they were not men that had vanquished them but gods there appeared in them so great wisedome force and valour diuers of the Mamelukes taken in the late fight being brought before Tamerlane and by him courteously vsed were of him demaunded if they could be content to serue him now that their maister was fled and gone which they all vtterly refused Whom notwithstanding for their fidelitie Tamerlane set at libertie to goe againe vnto the Sultan as no lesse desirous to be admired of his enemies for his bountie and courtesie than feared for his force and valour The wonderfull wealth of this so great and famous a citie became a preie vnto his souldiours who for the space of foure and twentie houres
repaired thither out of ITALY FRANCE SPAINE GERMANIE and other places of Christendome cheerfully to aduenture their liues in defence both of the place and of the Christian religion against the common enemie of Christianitie The Great Master taking a generall view of all the forces he had to oppose against so puissant an enemie found that he had in the citie sixteene thousand able men in which number were reckoned manie Iewes and other men of seruile condition who in the siege following did right good seruice The great Bassa conducted by the false traitour Demetrius safely landed both his armie and artillerie in the island the two and twentith day of Iune not farre from the citie At which time the Great Master considering that the safetie of the citie consisted more in the liuely valour of the defendants than in the strength of the dead wals or other warlike prouision thought 〈◊〉 requisite as a part of his duetie by cheerfull persuasions to encourage them valiantly to wiâ—hstand the force of their enemies And therefore calling them all together spake vnto them as followeth At length valiant souldiours and fellowes at armes we see the Turkes our mortall enemies 〈◊〉 we were before aduertised as well by letters from our friends as by common fame breathing after 〈◊〉 destruction in readinesse to destroy our churches our oratories our alters our religion and whatsoeuer els we account sacred or religious seeking the ruine of this noble citie and the cruell death of vs all gaping at once to deuour our liues our wealth our hope with all our former honour And 〈◊〉 as I cannot denie but that the chance of warre is doubtfull and the euent thereof vncertaine so when I consider your valiant courage and cheerfulnesse of mind I presently conceiue a most assured hope of victorie They haue entered into armes against vs not so much for anie desert of ours or vpon 〈◊〉 other quarrell as for the vnsatiable desire of rule and the great despite they beare against vs and the Christian religion But to withstand their furie and to frustrate their designes we want neither wâ—â—pons nor artillerie nor prouision for many yeares we haue a most strong garrison of Frenchmen Spaniards Germaines English and others the verie chiualrie of Christendome and that which 〈◊〉 is Christ Iesus our Captaine and Generall by whose power we shall no doubt easily repulse the 〈◊〉 force of our most wicked and gracelesse enemies The care wee haue for the defence of the Christiâ—â— faith wherunto we are by speciall profession bound will animate and encourage vs against them which seeke for nothing more than to extend their wicked and grose superstition to the great dishonour of God and of his sonne Christ Iesus Besides that we are warlike Frenchmen Italians Germaines and other worthy Christians they are of CARIA LYDIA CAPADOCIA and the other delicat countries of ASIA effeminat persons brought vp to pleasure I say it not to draw you into anie manifest or ineuitable danger neither to feed you with vaine hope or to fill your eares with windie words bâ—â— this I promise and assure you of that if this siege shall continue long hither will come such strong 〈◊〉 out of FRANCE ITALY GERMANIE and SPAINE as will serue not onely to raise the siege bâ—â— to recouer againe the empires of CONSTANTINOPLE and TRAPEZONDE Then shall our enâ—mies see no good end of their counsels but all their deuises so confounded as that they shall hardly be able by speedie flight to saue themselues But suppose the hardest should happen which I feare 〈◊〉 would not anie man account his life most happely and honourably spent in defence of a good conscience and the quarrell of Christ Iesus Truely my great yeares and course of life now almost spent 〈◊〉 defeâ—â— of the Christian religion as I euer desired doth call me forth as one so assured of that good laid 〈◊〉 for me in heauen by Christ Iesus whose battell we are to fight that I no whit feare anie enemies force or future chance which for all that I haue as farre as I could and to the vttermost of my power so prouided for as that we will not I hope be therwith ouerwhelmed Be you therefore of good cheâ—re and comfort as I know you are and shew your selues valiant and couragious which resteth wholy iâ— your selues and as for all the rest time and our discretion shall right well prouide I doubt not The valiant men and worthy souldiours resting vpon the assurance of their aged gouernor departed euerie man to his charge full of hope and courage Now had the Bassa landed his great armie and sent Demetrius the traiterous knight Meligalus his companion with certaine troupes of horsemen and some foot to view the ground where he might best encampe with his armie Demetrius in great pride riding about the citie was knowne by Anthony Damboyse the Great Masters brother by whose leaue he sallied out with a troupe of gallant horsemen and skirmished with them but the Turkes being mo in number cast about to haue encloased them which Anthony perceiuing turned vpon them that were comming behind him and that with such force that he slew or wounded most part of them In this hoat skirmish Demetrius hauing his horse slaine vnder him and himselfe ouerthrowne was there troden to death vnder the horses feet an end too good for so false a traitour Muratius a French knight vnaduisedly dispoiling his dead bodie was by the Turkes slaine and his head presented vnto the Bassa in stead of Demetrius The Bassa approaching the citie at the first comming tooke a great orchard which the Great Master had strongly entrenched and therein placed certaine companies of souldiours with some small pieces of ordinance which place if it could haue beene kept might haue fitly serued the defendants to haue at their pleasure sallied out vpon the enemie But they which were appointed to the keeping thereof either terrified with the sight of so great an armie or else doubting to be able to hold it against so great a power abandoned it by night and retired into the citie leauing the great ordinance behind them for hast In this place the Bassa by the counsell of George Frapaine a Christian fugitiue of the RHODES and now master of his ordinance began to plant his batterie from thence to batter the tower called Nicholea or S. Nicholas his tower distant froÌ„ the citie three hundreth paces But against this place Damboyse had so aptly mounted two great Basiliskes that he made him glad quickly to forsake the same yet finding no other place more conuenient for his purpose shortly after he neere vnto the same place planted againe his batterie of farre greater force than before Wherein beside the ordinance of greatest charge he had three hundred smaller pieces for batterie wherewith at the first he did small harme for that this George Frapaine repenting himselfe as it was thought of his foule treason bestowed the shot to small purpose
our hard fortune liue and serue vnder thy worthie conduct Selymus for that he right well knew Gazelles both for his vertue and valour wherewith valiant men win credit euen with their greatest enemies and also desiring to joyne in league and friendship with the Arabians or rather Alarbes whom he knew of all others to be most to be feared receiued them all courteously appointing vnto euery one of them an honourable pention and persuading them to forget their old estate willed them to looke for farre greater things of his bountie Not long after when as the Moores and wild Arabians with certain Mamalukes that were fled to the citie of ACHASIA made incursions into the countrey about CAIRE and oftentimes did cut off the Turkes which went any thing farre from the citie to seeke abroad for forrage he sent Gazelles with part of his armie to represse them who hauing quickly woon and sackt ACHASIA and slaine most part of those aduenturers to his own great praise and the wonderfull contentation of Selymus honourably returned in lesse time than was expected In the meane time Tomombeius in the countrey of SEGESTA which is on the other side of Nilus towards CYRENAICA miserably beset with so many mischeefes began to make head againe There were come vnto him a strong companie of Mamalukes from ALEXANDRIA which he had by letters sent for out of the garrison of that citie and many others had followed him in his flight from CAIRE And there were not wanting many great men amongst the Arabians and Moores the inhabitants of that countrey which promised him their helpe and furtherance Beside that many of the Aegyptians whose houses and families were become a prey and bootie vnto the insolent Turkes promised him That if he would by night come to CAIRE they would raise such a tumult in the citie as should easily worke the confusion of the Turkes for as much as they all hauing endured most horrible indignities and villanies could no longer abide those most insolent men to rage and raigne ouer them They sent him word also that the Turkes huge armie was now brought to a contemptible number most part of them being slaine in the battell at CAIRE and the rest being for the greatest part brought to extreame weaknesse with wounds and sicknesse For which causes as Tomombeius his forces encreased dayly so hope also which neuer failed the poore vanquished and distressed king began now also to reuiue in his inuincible heart aboue the condition of his miserable estate So that fawning fortune which euen then most cruelly despightfully went about vtterly to supplant him of all other distressed princes most miserable seemed but then first to change her frowning countenance and to promise vnto him more happie and prosperous successe Whilest Tomombeius was making this preparation one Albuchomar an Aegyptian for authoritie and wealth the greatest man by farre in all the countrey of SEGESTA whether it were to auert the miserie of the present warre out of his countrey or els by the pleasure of his reuolt to gaine the good liking of Selymus vpon whom all things seemed to fawne came and certified him both of Tomombeius his strength of the new practises of the citisens of CAIRE Wherupon Selymus caused strong watch and ward to be kept in all places of that great citie and such citisens as hee suspected to fauour Tomombeius hee shut vp into the castle which being before abandoned by Tomombeius was then together with the citie in his possession and placed all alongst the riuer boats furnished with men and artillerie to keepe and defend the farther banke of Nilus and to impeach Tomombeius his passage ouer Yet considering with himselfe with how great danger he had so many times fought with those desperat enemies and what a difficultie it would be to intercept Tomombeius protracting the warre in those vast and vnknowne countries and still preparing greater forces without whom he could nothing assure himselfe of all his former victories to proue if he might be woon by clemencie and bountie he resolued to send embassadours vnto him to persuade him to lay downe armes and after so many ouerthrowes at length to acknowledge the fortune of the victor and withall to promise him vpon the faith of a prince That if he would come in and submit himselfe he should of the courtesie and bountie of the conqueror vpon conditions reasonable repossesse that his late kingdome which he should neuer be able by force to regaine But if he would needs desperatly proceed to make head againe forgetting this offered grace together with his owne disabilitie he should afterward when the matter was againe tried by battell by his owne just desert neuer more find at the hands of his angrie enemie any regard of his princely state or dignitie For Selymus seeing himselfe by the course of his victories drawne into a farre countrey and not without cause fearing with so small a power as hee had left to bee oppressed in that so great and populous a citie euen with the very multitude men of doubtfull faith thought it better by some honourable composition to assure himselfe of some great part of that he had woon than by going on to thrust himselfe with his armie into new dangers with the hazard of all Besides that he was certainely aduertised That the Mamalukes before fled into diuers countries were in euery place leuying new supplies of horsemen and that the fleet which was gone into the Arabian gulfe against the Portingales was dayly expected at the port SVEZZIA wherin were three thousand Mamalukes vnder the leading of Amyrases and Ray Salomon two expert captaines with great store of good brasse ordinance by which good helpes Tomombeius stood in faiâ—e possibilitie to recouer his former losses and to returne againe to CAIRE whether he was by his secret friends most earnestly inuited But aboue all things the care he had of the Persians most induced him to thinke of peace for feare that if the Bassa whom he had left at the mountaine TAVRVS should not be able to withstand the forces of the Persian king he should so be excluded out of ASIA the lesser and SYRIA also before his fleet could from CONSTANTINOPLE arriue with new supplies of men and victuall at ALEXANDRIA Wherefore hee sent certaine of the most reuerend of his Turkish religious and with them some of the most honourable Aegyptians embassadours to Tomombeius who passing ouer Nilus into the countrey SEGESTA were without further hearing with more than barbarous crueltie slaine by certaine Mamalukes which chaunced vpon them thinking thereby to gratifie Tomombeius as yet not knowing of any such matter to manifest their affection towards him as also that they were not desirous of any peace with the Turkes This proud and insolent fact vtterly brake Selymus his patience and shortly after made an end of that mortall warre together with the honour of the Mamalukes For he being a man of an hot and cruell
the sea defending the hauen vpon the right hand where sometime stood the great Colossus of the Sunne accounted the greatest amongst the seauen wonders of the world Which castle was both strongly and sumptuously built at the charges of the Dukes of BVRGVNDIE as appeared by their armes there engrauen in many places in marble This tower was valiantly defended by Guido a French man who had the charge thereof with 300 souldiours amongst whom were 30 knights of the Order The Turks artillerie planted against that tower was by the skilfulnesse of the Christian canoniers in short time dismounted with shot from the tower and many of the gunners slaine so that they were glad to surcease any more to batter the tower by day but lying still all the day they began to batter the same by night wherein they preuailed no more than they had before done in the day time for the defendants warily obseruing such places as were likest for the enemie to place his batterie in did so aptly place their ordinance against the same and to so good purpose that the Turkes swore heir doings were by some meanes discouered vnto the enemies So when they had in vaine bestowed 500 great shot and made a small breach which they durst not once attempt to enter they shamefully abandoned that place also All this while Pyrrhus was busie in working of mines to vndermine the citie two and thiâ—â—ie of which mines the defendants frustrated with countermines in which kind of worke many were lost on both sides yet for all the carefulnesse of the Christians the English bulwarke was vnderminded by the enemie and vpon the fourth day of September part therof blowne vp with such violence that vnto them in the citie it seemed at the first to be a generall earthquake and therewith diuers English men were there ouerwhelmed The Turks attempting presently to enter were by the Graund master and his followers with great slaughter repulsed But Mustapha the Bassa comming on with fresh supplies and crying out of the cowardise of them which retired renewed the assault where for a while was fought a most sharpe and cruell fight the leaders cheerfully encouraging their souldiours and they likewise doing what was possible for men to doe All mens eares were filled with the thundring of the shot noise of trumpets and drums and crying of men And vnto the Turkes it seemed that ouer their heads it rained deadly shot stones and fire for the townesmen and women mingled with the souldiours cast downe vpon the Turkes fire stones timber and whatsoeuer else came to hand so that they vnable longer to endure the courage and force of the Christians turned their backs and ran away by heapes not expecting any signe of retrait euerie man seeking to saue one amongst whom as they fled the great ordinance shot off from the wals made a wonderfull slaughter At this assault of the Turkes were slaine as some write almost 2000 and amongst them the master of the Turkes ordinance a man whom Solyman greatly loued which victorie the Christians gained not without some losse for besides some few others that were slaine fiftie knights of the Order men worthie of eternall memorie there ended their daies also The fift day after which was the ninth day of September Solyman by the persuasion of Mâ—stapha the great Bassa commaunded a fresh assault to be giuen to the English bulwarke which was attempted by the Turks with greater resolution than the first Seauen ensignes of the Turks were broken in by the ruines of the bulwarke and had enforced the defendants oppressed with number to giue ground when the Graund master comming in with the ensigne of the Order guarded with a companie of most valiant knights draue them out againe by force and made good the place Mustapha seeing his men retire couragiously restored the battell by bringing on of new supplie and other captaines with threats strokes and terror of death enforced the souldiours who had before turned their backs now againe to fight So that there began a more cruell fight than had before beene from the beginning of the siege which was vnto the Christians more dangerous for that they were ouerwhelmed with the multitude of the Turkish shot But in that extremitie no man regarded either danger or life onely this they remembred That those were their barbarous enemies whom they must either victoriously ouercome or die therefore with which furie the assault was continued by the space of three houres vntill at length Mustapha with his Turks discouraged with the losse of 2000 of their fellowes and of three great noble men whom Solyman especially fauoured and sore beaten by the Spaniards out of their flankers were enforced to retire Few of the Christians in respect of so many enemies were slaine yet had the ensigne of the Order been then lost Ioachimus Cluys the ensigne bearer hauing both his eies shot out had not Emericus Ruiaulx an Auernois and one of the knights of the Order with incredible courage rescued the same After this second assault falling out so vnluckily to the Turkes Mustapha the great Bassa began to grow in contempt with Solyman and Pyrrhus to keepe his credit by doing something with continuall batterie of 17 great pieces did batter the mount neere vnto the Italian bulwarke At which time also Cassius Gouernour of BITHYNIA another of the Turkes great commaunders laboured by vndermining to haue ouerthrowne the French bulwarke so glad they were to attempt any thing to content their imperious great lord and master But the endeuours of Cassius was by countermines through the carefull diligence of Gabriell Chierus hauing charge of those works frustrated and Pyrrhus in the other place after he had by hoat assault slaine them which were appointed for the defence thereof and gained the mount and brought a great feare vpon the citie was againe with great losse shamefully repulsed and by the commaundement of Solyman caused to retire At this assault the Gouernour of EVBOEA Solyman his lieutenant generall a man of great honor if any of the Turks slaues are so to be accounted was slaine for whose death Solyman was exceeding pensiue and heauie Mustapha the Bassa finding himselfe in disgrace with Solyman for the two vnfortunat assaults by him giuen at the English station determined if it were possible by a third to recouer his lost credit and for his better successe therin agreed with Achimetes another great Commander at the same time to assault the Spanish bulwarke according to this resolution Achimetes hauing with a mine suddenly blowne vp a great part of the wall of the Spanish station in the thicke of the dust and smoke presently entred his men who by the ruines of the wall recouered the top of the rampiers Mustapha also at the same instant hardly charged the English so that in both places was made a hard and doubtfull fight Mustapha desiring nothing more than with better successe now to redeeme his former dishonour did what he
purpose by Sultan Tocomac whereby he might plainly perceiue the good mind and zeale the Persian king had for the maintenance of the peace And although in the short raigne of Ismahel there was some rumor raised that he meant to go vnto BABYLONIA and some such like newes yet that was but a youthfull part and an effect of that heat which is commonly proper to such as being kept long in straight prison cannot vse their libertie with moderation and had therefore receiued due punishment for it by sudden and vnexpected death But as for the king that now is he did aboue all others embrace amitie with his majestie and therefore did most earnestly desire that it would please him to temper his anger conceiued which had incensed him to take vp armes against a king so much his friend being of the same religion and better affected towards him than all the rest of the nations in the world This embassadour the Turkish emperour dismissed without any resolution at all but onely gaue order that whatsoeuer he had to say touching this peace he should communicat it with his Visier Many were the discourses that happened for that the Turke required all those cities and countries which till that time he had conquered with the sword or as their prowd manner of phrase is whereon his Generals horse had trod to be yeelded again vnto him and the embassadour on the other side had no warrant from his king to yeeld any more than that part of GEORGIA which is on this side the riuer of Araxis Whereupon the said embassadour began to feare least he should be suspected for a spie and so be euill intreated wherewithall he did find himselfe too manifestly charged by the hard speech that the Visier vsed towards him Being thus doubtfull whereupon to resolue perceiuing himselfe strained to the grant of these demaunds and receiuing also some threatnings withall he determined with himselfe to enlarge his speeches with the Visier in diuers and sundrie particularities and to giue him good hope that he should be able to persuade with his king the yeelding vp of so much as Amurath had and did demaund Hereupon was Maxut Chan the embassadour in friendly manner and without any outrage sent from CONSTANTINOPLE to CHARS and commission giuen to Sinan then at CHARS that without delay and with all fidelitie he should cause the embassadour to be conducted to VAN and from thence into PERSIA wheresoeuer he did desire all which was faithfully performed But to returne againe to Sinan the Generall who from SIVAS had sent the said embassadour to CONSTANTINOPLE as is before declared and being departed thence arriued at ERZIRVM where he tooke a suruey of his armie and other prouision necessarie for this expedition and so from thence was now come to CHARS from whence he dispatched the Persian embassadour much discontented that no other conclusion for peace could be wrought Maxut Chan at last arriuing at the Persian Court reported vnto the king all that had happened in this his embassage the summe whereof was That Amurath would not condiscend to any condition of peace vnlesse the whole countrey of SIRVAN might be yeelded vnto him for that he had once as he said conquered the same Neither did the same embassadour forbeare to tell the king the suspition Amurath had conceiued of him to haue been a spie rather than an embassadour and of the large promises he was faine to make to the Turke to auoid the manifest danger of imprisonment or death all which for all that now lay in his majesties power to performe or not The king for the present remained well satisfied with that Maxut had done and in reward of his great trauell and expences gaue him the charge of the chamber at TAVRIS naming him the chamberlaine of that rich and great citie Of which new office though verie honourable and of great importance he tooke small pleasure for that one Emir Chan his auntient enemie was chiefe Gouernour of that citie from whom he feared some dangerous treacherie wherefore he appointed his deputie for the execution of the office and withdrew himselfe from TAVRIS to CASSANGICH a place of his owne there to passe away the time vntill it should please the king otherwise to dispose of him But Emir Chan who still nourished in his mind the auntient hatred he had conceiued against him tooke this as a most fit occasion to bring him into disgrace with the king certifying him That Maxut not contented with the great preferment it had pleased him to bestow vpon him had in contempt of his rewards abandoned TAVRIS and subsisted in his place a most base person to represent the kings majestie and to mannage his treasure and that he absented himselfe farre from that citie and the court there hauing withdrawne himselfe into the confines of TVRKIE no doubt for some mischieuous intent either to yeeld himselfe vnto them or els to haue intelligence with them and was like ynough to be guiltie to himselfe of the great errour he had alreadie committed by offering SIRVAN vnto the Turkish king and making promise of so large conditions whereby he had obtained such a sure and saâ—e conuoy to conduct him when as he had before discouered himselfe to be a fauorer of the Turks and a traitor to his owne king and that therefore it were good to make triall of his inclination and so peraduenture to decline some great mischeefe tending to the danger of the Persian state This malitious accusation slily contriued so wrought in the mind of the suspitious king that he commaunded Emir Chan secretly to apprehend Maxut and to bring him to the Court and if he could not by other meanes then by torture to wrest from him the truth of all those matters Glad was Emir to haue his enemie thus put into his hands and thought it long 〈◊〉 he had brought this shame vpon Maxut who hauing alreadie heard some iâ—ckling thereof resolued with himselfe to doe any thing rather than to fall into the power of his hatefull enemie And therfore at such time as fifteene tall fellows were for that purpose sent vnto him from Emir Chan who in the kings name summoned him to the Court he without making any shew that he took the matter otherwise than well entertained them courteously and made them great cheere but when he perceiued them to be ouercome with sleepe which crept vpon them by reason of the excesse wherewith they had ouercharged themselues he caused them to be straightly bound and with long cords hanged them downe into a deepe well and there shut them vp secretly couered Then gathering together the most precious things he had in his house and setting his wiues his children his brethren and nephewes on horsebacke fled with all his familie in the euening and the next day arriued at SALMAS and was there friendly entertained by the Turkish Bassa and from thence conueyed to VAN where he was also courteously welcommed by
the houses and defacing the fort so much as in that sudden feare they possibly could fled into the lower towne The next day the Countie with resistance tooke the aforesaid places forsaken by the Turkes which hee manned with certaine companies of Wallons and made a bridge of boats ouer Danubius cast vp certaine mounts and did many other things for the furtherance of the siege In three daies he had againe repaired the fort vnder Saint Thomas hill abandoned by the Turkes and therein placed foure great pieces of artillerie wherewith he began to batter the lower towne and in other places to strait the besieged more than they had been the yeare before The Bassa of BVDA not ignorant of the want both of men and munition in the besieged citie and the rather for that they had but a little before sent part of their garrison with shot and pouder to RAB and DOTIS attempted thrise as he did many times after during the time of the siege to haue by the riuer put new supplies both of men and munition into the citie but was still by the diligence of the Christians excluded and enforced with losse to returne In short time the Lower towne which they call WASSERSTAT or the Water towne was with continuall batterie sore beaten so that scarcely any house or building was left whole and a counterscarfe made the last yeare beaten downe Whereunto certaine Wallons were sent only to haue viewed the breadth and manner of the ditches after whom certaine companies of the Hungarian Heidons presently followed without any commaund from their captaines who with great courage got to the top of another high counterscarfe there set vp some of their ensignes Which the Turks beholding and comming on close togither by plaine force enforced them with losse to retire Among these Hungarians were diuers also of the Wallons slaine with some others of good name and place to the great griefe of the Countie being not a little offended with that disordered seruice yet day and night the batterie ceased not and the Christians out of their trenches with their musket shot slew many of the Turks vpon the wals receiuing little hurt againe the Turkes still shooting but sparingly for feare of wanting shot and pouder at their greater need yet that they spent they bestowed so well that amongst others they had slaine foure of the Christian canoniers and one Wallon captaine About the middest of Iuly the Countie with continuall batterie had made the Water towne as he thought saultable and therefore sent certaine companies to begin the assault who hauing passed the counterscarfe found the ditch full of deepe mud and but newly cut broader certaine paces by the Turks so that it was thought scarce possible to be passed without a bridge behind which ditch was an high wall with strong bulwarkes and within all this was another new cast ditch and vpon the very brinke thereof a thicke and high parapit all which for all that certaine companies of the Wallons with great labour and danger aduentured to passe but such was the valour of the defendants and the small number of them that came on to the assault with the disaduantage of the place wherein they stood that at length they were glad to retire with the losse of many of their fellowes The Christians in the beginning of this siege had taken a little island in the riuer before the citie which was kept with some few companies of the lord Palfi his Heidons whereof the Turks hauing intelligence at BVDA with three gallies and certain other vessels landed in the island 3000 soldiors which slew the Heidons vnto whom no succour could be suddenly sent and so recouered againe the island wherein they left a sufficient garrison for the keeping thereof furnished with all things necessarie and so departed About three dayes after the former assault the Christians in hope of better successe the second time assaulted the Water towne in which assault the chiefe leaders were the lord Greis and Anthonie Zinne a famous captaine had he not stained his honor with countie Hardeck at RAâ— but being pardoned by the Emperour did now together with the rest appointed to that seruice most couragiously assault the breach but were againe by the Turks notably repulsed and enforced at last to giue ouer the assault and so to retire with the losse of an hundred and fiftie men amongst whom Zinne himselfe was slaine with one captaine Ruger and some of the counties owne guard the lord Greis was wounded in the head and the yonger lord Schuendi with diuers other captaines grieuously hurt The next day after six hundred of the mountaine people came into the campe vnto the countie with supplications to request him Not to giue ouer the siege vntill he had woon the citie promising in the name of those towns and villages from whence they were sent of their owne charges to repaire for him what harme soeuer he should doe in the citie for the taking therof yea though he should lay it euen with the ground for why the harmes they daily receiued from the garrison of that citie were wonderfull At the same time also he was aduertised by his espials of whom he maintained many for the discouerie of the enemies doings that Mahomet the Turkish Sultan had writ vnto the Bassa of BVDA carefully to prouide that his beloued citie of STRIGONIVM tooke no harme and not to spare either for men or money betime to relieue it and therein to do nothing without the aduice and good liking of his old and faithfull seruant Alis Beg who of long time had gouerned and also defended that citie and to the intent that nothing should be wanting for the performance hereof that he had sent Alexander Aga of the Ianizaries from the Court whose seruice he might euill haue spared whose approued counsell and helpe he might also vse in all things for that he had rather loose some other whole kingdome than that one citie And that therefore he should beware that it were not by the enemie woon or by any composition yielded wherein if he failed he threatned vnto him his heauie displeasure not to be appeased without the price of his head Which so seuere a commaundement of the great Sultans the Bassa sent to them of STRIGONIVM with most grieuous threats from himselfe if they terrified with any batterie vndermining or assault should yield the citie and not hold it out as became valiant souldiors vnto the last man swearing to empaile them all vpon stakes that should consent to the yielding vp thereof The old Gouernour Alis hauing receiued this so straight a commaund from him that was both able and like ynough to performe what he had threatened vtterly to deterre the souldiors from once thinking of yielding caused diligent enquirie to be made throughout the garrison if any of them had at any time made any motion of yielding vp the citie or otherwise murmured against their captaines or commaunders
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
enforced to forsake it and to retire into the citie But shortly after sallying out againe they with such force assailed the Turkes now got within the counterscarfe that hauing slaine most part of them that were entered they forced the other out againe at the brute whereof an alarum being raised throughout the campe infinit numbers of the barbarous enemies came running thither with such beastly furie that without regard of their liues they as desperat men pressing still on fell twice as many as before insomuch that the Christians wearie of that long and bloudie fight and on euery side charged or rather ouerwhelmed with the enemies shot were glad againe but not without great losse to abandon the place With which skirmishes and diuers others that they had the number of the defendants was greatly deminished yet was not the courage of the valiant Gouernour any whit therewith abated but by his letters gaue the Archduke Matthias to vnderstand in what case things stood with them in the citie requesting him with all speed to send them reliefe for that otherwise the citie would be in danger to be lost as well for that many of the garrison souldiors were alreadie slaine in the defence thereof as also that diuers of the Hungarians forsaking the wals daily fled vnto the Turks campe promising yet neuerthelesse himselfe to doe the vttermost of his deuoire Vpon the receit of which letters the Archduke gaue order vnto the lord Russworm master of his campe to goe forthwith to COMARA and there with such forces as were from diuers places come thither to go forth and to proue if by any meanes the weake garrison of ALBA REGALIS might so be relieued by putting in some good supplie of fresh souldiors According vnto which commaund Russworm comming thither without delay tooke the field with twelue thousand men which he found there to see if he might with them put into the citie the desired reliefe But whilest the matter was in the performance thereof too long delaied by discord arising betwixt him and the other colonels about the commaund the Bassa had time to effect his purpose who the eight and twentith of the same moneth of August after a long and terrible batterie caused a generall assault to be giuen vnto the citie which the Turkes from time to time renewing continued all that day and the next night with some part of the day following also without intermission so that the defendants now brought to a small number and they also so wearied or wounded as that they were not well able to make any longer resistance and the Countie himselfe who gaue as it were life vnto them all being now also carried away dangerously hurt in the thigh with a musket shot gaue vnto the enemie a signe of their yeelding Whereupon the furie of the assault being staied whilest they were yet talking with the enemie from the wall about the conditions of their yeelding a renegate Christian which knew the citie well in the meane time conducted a great squadron of the Turkes vnto a place but weakely defended who forcing the wals entered the citie and with a great crie gaue signes of their enterance vnto the rest of the armie on the other side who thereupon breaking off the parley presently renewed the assault and by force gained the wals where the few Christians that were left now both before and behind enclosed with their fierce enemies were there valiantly fighting for the most part slaine the Countie onely with some few others found wounded in their lodgings the furie ouerpast being taken prisoners and spared So the Bassa hauing in eighteene daies taken ALBA REGALIS now being eleuen moneths possessed by the Christians caused the breaches he had made to bee againe repaired and the citie well prouided for both of victuals and munition leauing therein a strong garrison of six thousand good souldiours and with his people hauing ouerrun all the countrey as farre as STRIGONIVM rise with his armie and retired againe to BVDA where as he was making a bridge of boats ouer the Danubius betwixt BVDA and PESTH for the more easie transporting of victuall and better relieuing of the one the other as need should require and hauing brought that worke to passe and was about to haue gone to the siege of STRIGONIVM commaundement came from the great Sultan That he should with all speed returne to CONSTANTINOPLE for that Mahomet accounting of him as of a most valiant man was now minded to employ him in his warres against his rebels in NATOLIA where things now went not well as shall hereafter be declared Vpon which commaundement the Bassa gaue leaue to all such in his armie as had charge of any place forthwith to returne to their seuerall places of gouernment appointing some others with thirtie thousand souldiors in the companie of Zachael Moises but of late prince Sigismund his lieutenant to goe with him into TRANSYLVANIA who after the ouerthrow he had there receiued by Basta was come vnto this great Bassa offering vnto him with such an aid as was now appointed for him and the helpe of such other his friends as he had in TRANSYLVANIA to chase Basta with his Germanes from out thence and to reduce that prouince againe vnto the deuotion of the Othoman emperours as it had in former time beene And so by the way of BELGRADE hasted himselfe with the rest of his armie towards CONSTANTINOPLE which hee was thought the more willingly to doe for that the great Sultan before his setting forth had put him in good hope to marrie one of his aunts a woman of great wealth and honour if by the winning againe of ALBA REGALIS he should make himselfe worthie so honourable a match after which he now longed But long it was not after his departure but that the Imperials now at last assembled together at COMARA to the number of about thirtie thousand men with twelue Nassadies and two gallies some by water some by land marched downe alongst the riuer to STRIGONIVM where were also twentie other ships readie to receiue them and so all embarked were by the lord Russworm and other the imperiall captaines conducted to BVDA there with some notable enterprise to redeeme the disgrace by them before receiued in not relieuing of ALBA REGALIS Whose comming was so sudden and so vnlooked for of the Turkes there as that they had no time to take in any greater helpe or prouision than was alreadie in the citie And for as much as the Christians knew the good successe of this their enterprise taken in hand not so much to depend of their strength as of their politicke proceeding and speedie dispatch of the matter begun they thought it not good to vse any long delay or to spare for any labour but so soone as they might by taking of the Water citie or as some call it the Iewes suburbes so to cut off the passage of them of BVDA to PESTH as also from thence to
their farther passage with whom Robert duke of NORMANDIE who had the leading of the vauntguard had a hard conflict vntill that the Turks discouraged with the sight of the armie still comming on forsooke the bridge and betooke themselues to flight So the Christians passing the riuer came and encamped with their armie before the famous citie of ANTIOCH the one and twentith day of October in the yeere 1097 the gouernour whereof vnder the Persian Sultan was one Cassianus of some also honoured with the name of a king who at the comming of the Christians had with him in the citie seuen thousand horsemen and twentie thousand foot of the Turks with great store of victuals and all manner of other prouisions necessarie for the defence thereof This citie called in antient time EPIDAPHANE or EPIPHANE and of the Hebrewes REBLATHA sometime the seat of the Sirian kings and afterwards the Metropoliticall citie of SIRIA hauing vnder it an hundred and fiftie bishops famous for many things and amongst others for that it was the seat of the blessed Apostle Saint Peter and first place whereas the professours of the Christian religion tooke the name of Christians is situate vpon the riuer ORONTES about twelue miles from the sea and was then strongly fortified both by nature and art being compassed about with a double wall the vttermost whereof was of hard stone and the other of bricke with 460 towres in the same and an inpregnable castle at the East end thereof whereunto was joyning a deepe lake comming out of the great riuer which watred the South side of the citie Round about this strong citie one of the most assured refuges of the Turks although it were in circuit great lay the Christian princes encamped except on that side which being defended with the high broken mountaines is not there to be besieged Vpon whom the Turks out of the citie duing the time of the siege made many a fierce desperat sally being stil by the Christians most valiantly repulsed especially at the bridge which the Christians had made of boats for their more commodious passage too and fro ouer the riuer In this sort was the siege continued vntill the beginning of Februarie with many a bloodie skirmish At which time such abundance of raine sell as that hardly could a man find any place to lie drie in and the scarsitie of victuall grew so great in the campe that many horrible it is to say to assuage their hunger were glad to eat the dead bodies of their late slaine enemies In these extremities many died of hunger and cold yea their horses also perished for want of meat so that in the whole campe were scarcely left two thousand horses fit for seruice the rest being either all dead or brought so low as that they were altogether vnseruiceable These miseries dayly increasing diuers men of great account whom no terrour of the enemie could haue dismaid began secretly to withdraw themselues out of the campe with purpose to haue stolne home among whom were Peter the heremit authour of this war and Tancred the nephew of Bohemund who taken by the way and brought backe with the rest as fugitiues were sharply reprooued by Hugh the French kings brother as cowards and traitors to their brethren and fellow souldiers and so enforced to take a new oath for their fidelitie and perseuerance Bohemund in the meane time going to ARETHVSA a towne not far off by good fortune cut off a great part of the Turks there in garrison who after their vsual manner sallying out to haue cut off the forrages of the Christians were now themselues caught tardie whereby the countrey for a time was more open for the distressed Christian souldiers to seeke abroad for reliefe But this libertie so lately gained lasted not long when newes was brought vnto the campe That the Turks in great number out of the prouinces about ALEPPO and DAMASCO were comming to the reliefe of their besieged friends in ANTIOCH Neuerthelesse the Christians trusting vnto their owne strength the strength of the place wherein they were encamped lay still and at their comming so encountred them that they slew 2000 of them and put the rest to flight In which conflict the Christians got great store of prouision victuals which the Turks had thought to haue put into the citie The heads of the slaine Turks the Christians set vpon stakes before the citie to the more terrour of the defendants This ouerthrow of the Turks wherein Cassianus had lost his eldest sonne with others of his best captaines so daunted the besieged that they requested a truce for a time of the Christian princes which granted they of the citie came oftentimes into the campe and they of the campe likewise into the citie Cassianus still expecting reliefe from the Persian Sultan Whilst the Christian princes were thus busie in ASIA the Venetians with a great fleet of two hundred gallies scouring the seas vnder the conduct of Henrie Contarenus the bishop and of Vitalis the dukes sonne meeting with the gallies of Pisa at the RHODES and falling out with them had with them a great fight wherein the Venetians hauing the vpper hand tooke eighteene of their gallies and in them fiue thousand souldiers whom they seeing to be marked with the red crosse the cognisance of the sacred warre they presently set at libertie together with the gallies detayning onely thirtie of the better sort as hostages After that the Venetians sayling into IONIA tooke the citie of SMYRNA and spoiled all along the costs of LYCIA PAMPHILIA and CILICIA before for feare abandoned by the Turks The truce before taken betweene the Turks and the Christians at the siege of ANTIOCH being in short time after broken by the death of one Vollo a French man slaine by the Turks the war was againe begun and the citie more hardly laid vnto than before At which time the gouernour who in the time of this long siege which had now continued nine months had lost most part of his best souldiers was glad for the defence of so great a citie to vse the seruice of diuers Christians then dwelling in the citie Amongst whom was one Pirrhus a citizen of great reputation vnto whom he had committed the guarding of a tower called the two Sisters but afterward saint Georges tower This Pyrrhus had secret intelligence with Bohemund prince of TARENTVM with whom he agreed to giue him there entrance into the city vpon condition That he should of the other Christian princes procure the gouernment of the citie vnto himselfe and that he with the rest of the Christian citizens in the citie might be at his hands well vsed Which thing being easily obtayned and all things agreed vpon Bohemund with his souldiers were by night by Pyrrhus let into the citie who made way for the rest of the armie to enter The citie thus taken many of the Turks fled into the castell the rest were put vnto the
whom he was kept prisoner by the space of a yeare and three months and then ransomed for the summe of an hundred and fiftie thousand pounds About this time died the great Sultan Saladin the greatest terrour of the Christians who mindfull of mans fragilitie and the vanitie of worldly honours commanded at the time of his death no solemnitie to be vsed at his buriall but onely his shirt in manner of an ensigne made fast vnto the point of a launce to be carried before his dead bodie as an ensigne a plaine priest going before and crying aloud vnto the people in this sort Saladin Conquerour of the East of all the greatnesse and riches hee had in his life carrieth not with him after his death any thing more than his shirt A fight woorthie so great a king as wanted nothing to his eternall commendation more than the true knowledge of his saluation in Christ Iesu. He raigned about sixteene yeares with great honour and dying left nine sonnes which were all murthered by Saphradin their vncle excepting one called also Saphradin Sultan of ALEPPO who by the fauour and support of his fathers good friends saued himselfe from the treacherous practises of his vncle Of this Saphradin the vncle discended Meledin Sultan of AEGYPT and Coradin Sultan of DAMASCO and HIERUSALEM Saladin his great kingdome being by them now againe rent in pieces The death of Saladin in short time bruited abroad with the discord amongst the Turks and Sarasins about his dominions put Celestinus then Pope in good hope that the citie of HIERUSALEM might in that change and hurle be easily againe recouered and that kingdome established But when hee had in vaine dealt to that purpose with the kings of FRANCE and ENGLAND then altogether busied in their wars the one against the other he persuaded Henrie the sixt then emperor to take the matter in hand who for that he well could not or else would not himselfe in person vndertake that long expedition sent Henrie duke of SAXONIE his lieutenant with a great armie into ASIA vnto whom were joyned two Legats Conradus Archbishop of MOGUNSIA another of the electours and Conradus the bishop of HERâ—IPOLIS At which time also many other great princes tooke vpon them that holy war namely Herman Lantgraue of THURIN Henrie Palatine of RHENE Henrie duke of BRABANT Conrad marques of MORAVIA Frederick duke of AUSTRIA and Albertus Hapspurgensis with some others vnto whom also joyned themselues the bishops of BREME HALBERSTAT and RATISBON with diuers other great prelates Who hauing passed through HUNGARIE and THRACIA and by the Greeke emperour Alexius Angelus relieued with all things necessarie were by the Graecian ships transported vnto ANTIOCH and so by land came to TYRE and from thence to PTOLEMAIS with purpose to haue gone to relieue the Germains besieged in IOPPE who before their comming were all by treason slaine and the citie rased wherefore being come to the ruins thereof they departed thence to SIDON which they found also abandoned by the Turks After that they tooke BERITHUS which citie they fortified and so went to besiege TORONE which citie when they had brought vnto the extremitie as that it must needs as it was thought either yeeld or bee taken the Turkes came on so fast to the reliefe therof that the Christians were glad to raise their siege and to be gone which they in garrison at BERITHUS perceiuing seeing the enemie to approch them they abandoned the citie and joyning themselues vnto the rest of the armie marched all together to IOPPE a little before ruinated which they now againe fortified But the enemie comming to BERITHUS and finding it forsaken rased it downe to the ground and so in few moneths space was BERITHUS both repaired and rased in the yeere 1197. But whilest the Christians were repairing the citie of IOPPE the Turks proud of that they had done at BERITHUS came now to disturbe also the fortifying of that place Of whose comming the Christians vnderstanding remooued by night about fiue miles from the citie of purpose to draw the Turks vnto a conuenient place for battell The Turks thinking them to haue beene fled for feare sent part of their armie to assaile the citie and with the other followed after them disorderedly as if it had beene after men they had had in chace Vpon whom the Christians turning had with them at the first a sharpe encounter but afterwards put them to flight in which conflict certaine thousands of the Turks fell of whom the Christians taking the spoile and hauing put the rest to flight returned againe vnto the fortifying of the citie But the joy of this victorie was by the sudden death of two of the greatest princes in the armie greatly diminished for the duke of SAXONIE hauing in the battell taken great paines in performing the parts both of a woorthie generall and valiant souldier had ouer heated himselfe and thereupon without regard of his health taking cold died of a feauer the fourth day after The duke of AUSTRIA mortally wounded in the battell died also the night following About this time or not long after died Celestinus the pope author of this expedition and Henrie also the Germaine emperour after whose death great troubles began to arise in GERMANIE about the chusing of a new emperour Whereof the bishop of MOGUNSIA then chiefe commander of the armie of the Christians in SIRIA one of the electors and the other Germaine princes with him hauing intelligence could not by any persuasion or praiers of the poore Christians in whose quarrell they were come bee persuaded longer to stay but that needs home they would indeed home they went the same way that they came After whose departure the Turks tooke IOPPE hauing one of the ports betraied vnto them by one of the citie at such time as the Germains there in garrison after the manner of their countrey vpon S. Martins day were carelesly making merrie together in their pots vpon whom so surcharged with wine the Turks entring by the port giuen vnto them put them all with the rest of the Christians to the sword and so afterward rased the citie downe to the ground Of which victorie they became so proud that they had thought without stop to haue driuen the Christians quite out of SIRIA but by the comming of Simon countie of MONT-FORT a most valiant and expert captaine sent thither by Philip the French king with a regiment of tall soldiers at the instance of Innocentius Tertius that succeeded Celestinus in the papacie and by ciuill discord then raigning among the Turks themselues for soueraigntie their furie was repressed and a peace betwixt them and the Christians concluded for the space of ten yeares during which time the Turks promised not to molest the Christians in TYRE or PTOLEMAIS which hapned in the yeare 1199 or as some others say 1198. After which peace so concluded the woorthie countie returned again with his souldiers into
their naturall king or rather their brother borne and brought vp amongst them they all with one consent answered That they would spend their liues and goods in his quarrell so long as he should keepe his armie whole and defend the citie of CAPVA But if it should so chance that the Aragonians should be ouerthrowne or els for feare abandon that citie and the French king as victor to approch the citie of NAPLES he should doe both against reason and equitie if by exacting fidelitie and allegeance of his subjects apprehended with so just a feare he should so expose that noble citie with the fruitfull countrey thereabout to bee spoiled and destroyed by a mercilesse and cruell enemie Whilest Ferdinand was thus busied in appeasing and confirming his wauering subjects at NAPLES the French king had taken diuers cities and was come before CAPVA The citizens of CAPVA although they were alwayes well affected to the Aragonian kings yet seeing the French king as a most violent tempest to beare downe all before him began now to consult amongst themselues of yeelding vp the cittie whereunto they were the more prickt forward by the suddaine reuolt of the great captaine Triuultius with his followers as also by the departure of Verginius and Petilianus two great and famous commaunders who seeing themselues forsaken of Triuultius fled with their companies vnto the citie of NOLA In this discomfiture of king Ferdinand his armie the Frenchmen had entered into the suburbes of the citie which thing Gothfredus and Gaspar two valiant Germane captaines beholding sallied with their companies out of the citie of purpose to abate the pride of the French to confirme the doubtfull citizens These worthie captaines when they had with exceeding valour repulsed the French and thought to haue againe returned into the citie could not be suffered to enter but were by the citisens shut out of the gate in danger to haue had their throats cut by the enemie In which perplexitie they were glad vpon their knees to entreat the cowardly citisens standing vpon the wals not in such traiterous manner to betray their friends readie in their defence to bestow their liues and with much entreating at length obtained of those heartlesse men that they might by ten and ten in a companie be receiued in at one gate of the citie and so put out at another farthest from the danger of the enemie in which sort when they had passed through the citie they tooke the way towards NAPLES and vpon the way met with the king at AVERSA vnto whom they declared all that had happened in his absence at CAPVA Who although he saw his armie dispersed and all things now desperat yet went hee on forward and came to the very gates of CAPVA and there called vpon diuers of the cheefe men of the citie requiring to be let in But when hee saw there was none to giue him answer and an ensigne of the French king displayed vpon the wall in token that the citie was become French hee returned to NAPLES where he found the gates now shut against him and all the citisens vp againe in armes and not willing to receiue any of the souldiors which came from CAPVA more than the king himselfe for flying fame preuenting his returne had filled euerie corner of the citie with report That all the cheefe captaines of his armie were either gone ouer to the enemie or els for safegard of their liues fled That the whole armie was broken vp and CAPVA yeelded to the French Wherfore the Neapolitanes framing their fancies according to the condition of the time began now also to fawne vpon the good fortune of the French and to haue king Ferdinand in contempt which hee well perceiuing and fetching a compasse farther off from the cittie came vnto the castle whereinto he was receiued with his followers by his faithfull captaines therein before left But prouidently foreseeing that he could not there long stay but that hee should bee besieged by his enemies both by sea and land he commended the keeping of that peece vnto Alphonsus D'aualus a most valiant captaine and departed himselfe with twentie gallies well appointed vnto AENARIA an Island not farre from NAPLES hauing in it a commodious harbour and a strong castle where fortune neuer firme but in miserie seemed againe to deride the poore remainder of his honor For comming thether the captaine of the castle vnworthely named Iustus forgetting his dutie towards his soueraigne of whom he had before receiued many extraordinarie fauours most traiterously now in his so hard distresse shut the gates of the castle against him at his landing and vnkindly refused to receiue him With which vnexpected ingratitude the poore king was wonderfully perplexed and almost abashed yet with earnest entreatie and ample commemoration of the benefits and preferments which both his father and himselfe had in times past bestowed vpon him he preuailed so much with this vnthankefull man that hee was content to receiue him into the castle so that he would come but himselfe alone of which his offer when no more could be got the king seemed to accept So the captain hauing opened a port to receiue him in was in the very entrance thereof suddenly stabd to the heart with a dagger by king Ferdinand and slaine in the middest of his armed souldiours Which was done with such a countenance and majestie that the warders with their weapons in their hands dismayed with his look forthwith at his commaundement opened the gate and receiued him in with all his followers Whereby it appeareth That in the countenance of princes resteth a certaine diuine majestie in all fortunes aboue the common course of nature which is of power to daunt the hearts of most disloyall traitors in the performance of their vnnaturall treasons The next day after the departure of king Ferdinand from the castle of NAPLES Charles the French king was receiued into the citie with such pompe triumph and acclamation of the Neapolitanes as if they had euen then by the benefit of that forraine king been restored vnto perfect libertie and deliuered out of some long and hard bondage Shortly after the castle of NAPLES with all the strong places thereabout were yeelded vnto the French and embassadours sent from all the princes and people of that kingdome yeelding themselues into the power of the French king Then Ferdinand seeing all lost and gone departed from AENARIA where he lay expecting the euent of his hard fortune and sailed into SICILIA Thus the house of ARAGON in lesse than fiue moneths lost the kingdome of NAPLES about 63 yeares after that it was first taken from the French by Alphonsus the elder this Ferdinand his great grandfather The report of the great preparation made by the French for this warre had long before filled the eares of them which dwelt in any part of the Turks dominions in EVROPE but when they saw the French ensignes displayed vpon the wals of the castles and
present our selues before the gates of TVNES Then shall it be at your pleasure to appoint whom you will haue to gouerne the Numidian kingdome it shall be vnto me glorie enough when the greatest part of AFFRICKE conquered shall be peaceably deliuered into your hands at your returne with the triumphs of PERSIA But by the way as I returne I assure you vpon mine owne priuat so to vse the matter that the Christians shall also haue good cause to bewaile their calamities and if I hap to meet with Auria he shall haue smal cause to reioyce of the mischiefe he hath done for him alone I challenge to persecute as my proper and peculiar enemie both for the remembrance of the harmes we haue receiued at his hands and for the despight I haue at his fame who once taken out of the way the seas shall be open onely to you and your fleets And beleeue me he that shall be able to commaund the seas shall easily also subdue the kingdomes by land But Solyman who after the manner of wise princes vsed well to consider and afterward with ripe judgement to resolue of such matters as he had with attentiue eare hearkened vnto commending Barbarussa for his forwardnesse in his seruice for that time brake vp the counsell Not long after a decree was made according to Abraham the great Bassa his aduise That Barbarussa should be joyned as fourth with the other three chiefe Bassaes of Solymans counsell and be made great Admirall so that all the islands ports and people all alongst the sea coast thorow out Solymans empire should be at his commaund and that it should be lawfull for him to take vp such marriners and souldiours for seruice at sea as pleased him in what place soeuer This being solemnly proclaimed Solyman with his owne hand deliuered him a scepter and a sword willing him by worthie deeds to performe what he had promised After which Aiax and Cassimes the two great Bassaes with the captaine of the Ianizaries brought him with exceeding pompe from the court to the Nauie at which time was carried before him all the tokens of his new obtained honour And toward the maintenance of that warre at sea he had deliuered vnto him out of Solymans treasures eight hundred thousand duckets and eight hundred Ianizaries But for as much as much it was that he did in the seruice of Solyman and more is of him hereafter to be spoken it shall not be amisse here to present vnto the view of the world the sterne but liuely countenance of this so famous a man who liuing kept all the Mediterranean in feare as it is by Boisardus expressed togither with the Elogium following BARBARVSSA Littora te Hesperiae timuere vtriusque Lybesque Oppressi dextra succubuere tua Nunquam te Lypare Corcyraue diliget harum Cum sis immeritos depopulatus agros The coasts of ITALY and SPAINE of thee were sore afraid And so the Moores did stoupe to thee by thy right hand dismaid LYPPAROS will thee neuer loue ne yet CORCYRA strong For that thou causelesse didst to them so great and open wrong Barbarussa sped of that he desired staied not long after at CONSTANTINOPLE but departing out of HELESPONTVS with eightie gallies and certaine galliots shaped his course towards ITALIE leauing Amurathes a sea captaine with twelue gallies to transport Solyman and his armie readie to set forward against the Persian ouer that narrow sea into ASIA Who after hee had so done ouertooke Barbarussa at METHONE who holding on his course to AFFRICK and sodainly passing the strait betwixt ITALIE and SICILIE brought a great feare vpon both the countries but passing by the bay of HIPPONA alongst the coast of the lower CALABRIA he set vpon the towne of S. Lucidius called in auntient time TEMPSA which although it stood vpon a rocke and was reasonable well walled yet such was the violence of the Turkes assault that it could not be defended but was taken with so much more hurt to the inhabitants for that the Maior of the towne to keepe the people from flying away had lockt vp the gates on the other side of the citie from the enemie From thence he with rich spoile and many prisoners went to CITRARIVM where he had learned of his prisoners a fleet of gallies was in building This towne forsaken of the inhabitants for feare he tooke without resistance ransaked and burnt it where he also fired seauen gallies not yet altogither finished But after he was come with his fleet as farre as the island CAPRI within the sight of NAPLES such a terrour was strucke into the minds of all that dwelt alongst that coast that it was thought if he had landed and gone directly to NAPLES the Neapolitanes would for feare haue abandoned the citie But holding on his course he came to PROCHITA which he tooke and rifled so passing by the port of CAIETA which he might easily haue taken he came to SPELVNCA a towne in the hithermost part of the kingdome of NAPLES They of the towne dismaied with the sudden arriuall of so great a fleet yeelded the same without resistance The enemie entring the towne tooke twelue hundred prisoners Pelegrinus a chiefe man amongst them of SPELVNCA was fled into the castle him Barbarussa commaunded to yeeld which if he would presently doe he promised to let him go free but if he should stand vpon his defence he threatned in short time to make him repent his foolish hardinesse with the vtter destruction both of himselfe and the towne The fearefull gentleman without delay came out of the castle and fell downe at his feet who according to his promise gaue him his libertie and with rare courtesie restored to him his wife his sonne and niece whom hee had taken prisoners who receiued them with many teares falling from their eyes for joye The same night also two thousand Turkes came from the fleet thorow the rough and bushie mountaines to the citie FVNDI ten miles distant from SPELVNCA in the vttermost borders of the kingdome of NAPLES conducted as was thought by certaine Italians of that countrey who a few yeares before taken at sea and ouerwearied with the heauie burthen of the Turkish slauerie had reuolted to the Mahometane religion But such was the suddennesse of their comming and their celeritie in entring the citie that Iulia Gonzaga the paragon of ITALIE and the chiefe prise which they sought after had scarce time to get to horse halfe naked and so with much difficultie to escape into the mountaines It is reported that Barbarussa which thing he himselfe afterwards seemed not to denie moued with the same of her incomparable beautie and wonderfull perfection desired exceedingly to haue taken her as a present for Solyman The citisens were for most part either slaine or taken prisoners by the Turkes who loded with the spoile of the citie returned againe to the fleet Another part of Barbarussa his fleet came to TARRACINA which the
in the territories that lay vnder ALTVNCHALA or Golden castle the princely widowes pallace where they had all manner of reliefe for all the miseries they had endured since their departure from CHIVRCHALA by the space of six daies which if it had been a faire common trauelled way might haue been performed in one onely daies journey The widow with Alexander her eldest sonne came downe from her castle and went vnto the pauillion of Mustapha offering him diuers presents and promising vnto him all faithfull obedience Whom Mustapha courteously receiued declaring vnto her what honourable entertainment he had giuen to Manucchiar her yonger sonne there present who had been with him in all the expedition into SIRVAN And for the present dissembling the priuie displeasure he bare against Alexander whom he thought to haue been one of them that spoiled the Sorians in their returne from the campe he embraced him courteously and praied her to be content to leaue him also there with him giuing her farther to vnderstand that he would send both her sons to CONSTANTINOPLE to Amurath with letters of credence for their yeelded obedience for their fauour shewed to his armie in giuing it so secure passage and so many helpes and lastly that for their good deserts they might be of the said great Sultan both honourably entertained and rewarded The aged ladie although her mind was herewithall sore troubled yet outwardly in her countenance shewed her selfe pleased and seemed courteously to yeeld what she was of necessitie constrained to grant as well for that he was alreadie possessed of one of her sonnes as also for that both her selfe and her whole state were now in his power and as it were at his deuotion And therefore leauing both her sonnes behind her she returned her selfe heauie to her castle In this place Mustapha hauing refreshed his armie two daies departed thence toward CHARS and after many dayes trauell at last arriued at ERZIRVM to the great rejoycing of the whole armie which was there presently discharged by the Generall without any mustering at all leaue giuen for euery man to returne into his countrey Mustapha setling himselfe in ERZIRVM dispatched postes with letters of plentifull aduertisements to his great lord and master of all things that had passed not forgetting to magnifie his owne exploits aboue measure He certified him of the battels he had had with the Persians the obedience he had receiued of the Georgians and Siruanians the mutinie of his owne souldiors the fortresse he had built at ERE 's the garrisons left in that citie with Caitas Bassa and in SVMACHIA with Osman Bassa and in breefe whatsoeuer els had passed and whatsoeuer he had taken from the enemie Neither did he faile to propound vnto Amurath what he thought conuenient to be attempted the next yeare for the strengthening of those places he had alreadie conquered and for preparing the way for new enterprises And principally he put him in mind of a fortification to be made at CHARS a place very fit for any passage into GEORGIA or ARMENIA by situation fruitfull and commodious both for men and cattell And withall he sent vnto him the widdowes two sonnes Alexander and Manucchiar the Georgian princes certifying him of their submission and that he had receiued in their country all good entertainment and friendly welcome and withall declaring his opinion That Manucchiar was the meeter man for gouernment than his brother Alexander and the readier to doe him seruice Greatly did Amurath commend the valour and diligence of Mustapha and highly pleased himselfe with this conceit That of these beginnings might grow mightie conquests to the enlargement of his empire and that by this meanes he should be able to surpasse the glorie of his predecessours And the more his ambitious thoughts were occupied about these wars the lesse he troubled himselfe with thinking how to annoy EVROPE with his forces It was not long after the departure of Mustapha from ERE 's but that the Tartarians hauing left the fennes of MEOTIS and the vnmountable shores of the Blacke sea and hauing passed ouer the rockes vpon CHOLCHIS and surueyed the frosen crags of the mountaine CAVCASVS were now arriued vpon the confines of SIRVAN and there attended the commaundement of the Turkes These Tartarians being of them that are called Praecopenses to the number of thirtie thousand conducted by their lord and captaine Abdilcherai a young man of great valour and fame and of a comely personage were come according to the faithfull promise of Tatar Chan with a full resolution to attempt whatsoeuer should be commaunded them in the name of Amurath Now Osman Bassa vnderstanding of their approch according to the charge before giuen him by Mustapha the Generall enuited them to enter into SIRVAN and by encreasing of the Turkes forces to further these beginnings of Amurath his glorie and these his conquests or more truly to say these magnificall famous tearms of victorie All which was most diligently put in execution by Abdilcherai who hauing entred the yron gates where DERBENT standeth which by the Turks at this day is called Demir Capi and signifieth the gates of yron and so from thence passing into the countrey of SIRVAN there stayed and thereof gaue aduertisement to Osman as was by him appointed Ares Chan late gouernour of SVMACHIA who for feare of the great armie of the Turkes had abandoned the citie the cheefe place of his charge and betaken himselfe to the safegard of the mountaines hearing of the departure of the Turkish Generall resolued with the other Gouernours of ERE 's and SECHI who following his example had in like manner fled now to returne againe to their forsaken countrey and to make proofe if he could by any meanes take reuenge of the injurie done vnto him by the Turkes So passing vnder SVMACHIA and hauing put to the sword certaine of Osmans stragling victuallers that were gone out of the citie he encamped with all his people a little from SVMACHIA and by good fortune surprised certaine messengers sent from Abdilcherai the Tartar to certifie Osman Bassa of his arriuall and to know his pleasure what he should put in execution These Tartarians brought before Ares after much torture disclosed the letters they carried which the Persian captaine read and considering the great number of the Tartarians that were come for the letters made mention of thirtie thousand he resolued not to stay any longer in those quarters but presently raised his campe and retired towards Canac meaning from thence to certifie the king of these nouelties and vpon the bankes of the said riuer to attend the kings answere The Tartarian captain comming to SVMACHIA was appointed by the Bassa to passe ouer the riuer of Canac into GENGE the countrey of Emanguli Chan with the spoyle thereof to enrich himselfe and by all meanes to make his arriuall vnto the Persians most terrible With this charge the Barbarian departed thirsting now for nothing more than for the bloud
aware of his approch were readie all at once with their weapons to receiue him Who now perceiuing his errour repented himselfe to haue so rashly assaulted his enemies seeing now no other remedie but to be vtterly vndone But seeing that he had now so farre engaged himselfe as that he could not by flight but encrease his griefe and make the issue more lamentable with those few souldiours which he had he endured the furie of the great armie of Resuan so that on both sides there was joyned a most cruell battell wherein the strange and vnusuall valour of those few Christians was much to be wondered at Yet in the end the huge number of the Turkish swords and speares so preuailed vpon that small number of the Georgians as that they were brought to great extremitie yea Simon himselfe hauing his horse slaine vnder him fell downe headlong to the ground and in his fall was very neere to haue beene taken prisoner as was his lieutenant and many other his followers had he not beene relieued by an vnexpected and maruellous chance for whiles the battell was euen at the greatest heat betweene them Resuan discouered the two Bassaes of CARAMANIA and MARAS who as is before said were newly sent by Generall Ferat to succour him but both by the said Resuan and also by the rest of his armie were indeed thought to be Persians whereupon they were incontinently surprised with a sudden feare insomuch that they now became very doubtfull of the victorie wherof they thought themselues before assured In this suspence and doubtfulnesse of mind the battell was also intermitted and the victorie by the sight of those their friends disturbed whereby the Georgians and especially Simon whose state was almost desperat tooke the opportunitie to escape and saue themselues leauing behind them most sure signes of their valour among the Turkes of whom many remained there slaine many wounded and many filled with great maruell and vnexpected feare Thus escaped poore Simon with the remainder of his followers into his knowne places of refuge there to bewaile the death and captiuitie of his subjects But Resuan after he had discouered the Bassaes approching towards him to be his knowne friends and well-willers fretted in himselfe exceedingly that Simon had so escaped his hands yet holding on his way to TOMANIS he arriued there in great triumph drawing the standerds of Simon all along the ground and causing many of the heads of the Georgians to be carried vpon his souldiours launces to the great joy of Generall Ferat to whom he deliuered all the prisoners taken in the battell and wicked Daut Chan who hauing in times past renounced his first faith was become a Persian and now againe despising the vaine superstition of the Persians had yeelded himselfe to the vanitie of the Turkes and made himselfe a voluntarie slaue to Amurath Now was the yeare so farre spent that euery man began to feare the Winters approch and therefore the Generall determined to remoue thence and to withdraw himselfe into places of more safetie And so hauing set all things in order in the new fort he appointed Hassan to be the Bassa of TOMANIS and left with him eight thousand select souldiours chosen out of all the armie for the defence of that fort and the countrey thereabout Deepely had Ferat layed vp the outrage committed by Mustaffa the Georgian being now returned to his old name of Manucchiar in taking away the kings treasure and killing the two Capigi and the Chiaus and therefore he resolued with himselfe not to returne to CHARS or ERZIRVM vnlesse he had first passed into the countrey of the said Georgian and in most cruell manner reuenged those notable injuries before receiued In three daies he arriued at TRIALA and there encamped But lying there such an vnwonted dearth and scarcitie of all things rise in the armie but especially of victuals that euery fiue bushels and an halfe of Wheat was sold for fiue hundred duckats to the vniuersall calamitie of the whole armie From this place the Generall was minded to goe on forwards towards the countrey of Manucchiar but whiles he was vpon the raising of his tents one Veis Bassa of ALEPPO came vnto him and told him That it was not good now to spend the time in wandering about those countries for that there were three very great enemies confederat together to make this enterprise very difficult and almost impossible and desperat one was the season of the yeare being now full of snowes frosts and tempests another was the want and scarcitie of all things necessarie especially of victuall the third was the people of GEORGIA who by a common vniting of themselues together and peraduenture aided by the Persians might worke some notable mischeefe against the armie This speech of Veis so much offended the Generall that he most sharpely rebuked him and with bitter tearmes reproued him telling him flatly That he well perceiued he was brought vp among mountaines and villages and of a villaine as he was vpon some superfluitie of grace or foolish importunitie aduanced to the honour of a Bassa and that therefore he should not haue presumed so much as to think it lawfull for him so impudently and malapertly to come and giue him such aduertisements whereas it had beene his dutie rather to haue held his peace and to haue hearkened vnto the commaundements of his betters and superiors yeelding himselfe obedient and deuoted with all his power to performe the same With this rebuke the Generall passed on to ARCHELECH burning and in a manner destroying the country before him though indeed it was in amitie and confederacie with the Turkes But the inhabitants of ARCHELECH vpon the comming of the Turkes had abandoned the citie and for feare withdrawne themselues into the mountaines In ARCHELECH Ferat encamped staied the space of foure daies among the rockie crags and in a barren soyle yeelding necessarie sustenance neither for man nor beast so that euery man there endured vnspeakeable miseries yet for the space of foure dayes the souldiours with patience endured this so great a calamitie But in the end the fall of an huge snow being added to these extremities did so greatly encrease their greefes that all the Ianizaries and Spaoglans of CONSTANTINOPLE arose in a tumult and comming before Ferat in despightfull and contemptuous manner with very haughtie and resolute tearmes said vnto him And how long shall we endure this thy tedious and insolent gouernment Where is the due commiseration that thou oughtest to beare towards the vassales of thy Soueraigne thou rusticall and vnreasonable captaine Doest thou thinke happily that we keepe our harlots as thou doest vnder thy sumptuous pauillions all fat and in goodplight with delicat viands whilest others liue in miserie Doest thou beleeue that we haue as thou hast our daintie sugars spices and conserues whereby to restore vs in the common calamitie of others And that we haue at commaund meat and pretious wines
their arrowes and some few arcubuses they did the Turks that entred great harme Yet were they not able to kill and destroy so many of their enemies but that at the last they were too mightie for them and wrought many grieuous mischiefes in that wofull citie And so a great number of this rascall people that remained aliâ—e returned to the Turkish campe carrying away with them too manifest tokens of the poore oppressed citie wherein the miserable women and impotent soules stood embracing and straining the doores and poasts of their houses and kissing their natiue soile with prayers mournings and complaints bewailing their present miserie and yet fearing worse to come Osman the Turks Generall now made acquainted with these calamities caused proclamation to be published That no man should be so hardie as to molest the Taurisians in the meane time went himselfe about the citie viewing throughly the situation of it and surueying the place wherein he might both encampe himselfe safely and with better foundation and greater securitie erect a castle or fort for the more assurance of that conquered countrey The citie of TAVRIS is seated at the foot of the hill ORONTES about eight daies journey from the Caspian sea and is subject to winds cold and snow yet of a verie wholesome ayre abounding with all things necessarie for mans life and wonderfull rich with perpetuall concourse of merchandise brought thither out of the East to be conuayed vnto the West and also of others brought out of these Westerne parts to be dispersed into the East It is verie populous so that it feedeth almost two hundred thousand persons but yet open to the furie of euerie armie without wals and vnfortified The buildings after the manner of those of the East are of burnt clay and rather low than high For all things it carrieth the name and was the place of the Persian kings residence vntill such time as that the late king Tamas remoued his seat from thence farther into his kingdome to CASBIN neuerthelesse both before and since although it had been sundrie times molested by the inrodes and furie of the Turkish emperors yet was it still in great estimation and renowme Of this citie Osman Bassa hauing taken diligent view caused his tents to be pitched on the South side thereof where was a spatious garden all flourishing and beautifull replenished with sundrie kind of trees and sweet smelling plants and a thousand fountaines and brookes deriued from a pretie riuer which with his pleasant streame diuided the garden from the citie of TAVRIS and was of so great beautie that for the delicacie thereof it was by the countrey inhabitants called Sechis Genet that is to say the eight Paradises and was in times past the standing house of their kings while they kept their residence in this citie and after they had withdrawne their seat from thence to CASBIN became the habitation and place of aboad for the Gouernors of TAVRIS Of these gardens and places Osman made choise to build his castle in whereof he gaue the modell himselfe and commaunded that all the whole circuit of those pleasant greenes should be enuironed with wals and trenches digged round about them to conuay the water from the foresaid riuer Which was accordingly begun with the greatest care that possibly might be the foundation of the embatteled wals laid the ditches digged fourteen foot broad a mans height in depth and in the space of six and thirtie daies the whole worke finished and brought to an end great store of artillerie mounted vpon the walles and diuers bathes lodgings and such other houses necessarie for the Turkish vses built within the castle The first day of this building Osman fell sicke of a feauer with a bloudie flix which happily was the cause both of the slownesse of the building and of many other losses that afterwards happened as shall be hereafter declared Fiue daies after the building of the castle was begun newes was brought into the Turkish camp That eight Ianizaries and diuers Spaoglans were seene strangled in a bath within the citie of TAVRIS Whereupon the Zaini Spahini and Ianizaries came presently vnto the Generall declaring vnto him That although he had with too much clemencie giuen order that no man should hurt or molest the Taurisians and that according to his pleasure euerie man had vsed modestie towards them and obedience to him yet the Taurisians themselues had most audatiously strangled in one of their baines eight Ianizaries and certaine Spaoglans which injurie and insolencie they said in their judgement was not to be suffered This outrage so moued the Generall that without any farther delay he commaunded the citie to be sacked leauing it wholly to the pleasure of his souldiors who forthwith so vsed the matter not as if they would haue reuenged an injurie but rather at once haue brought an vtter destruction vpon the whole citie Euerie place was filled with slaughter rauishment rapine and murther virgins were deflowred men-children defiled with horrible and vnspeakable sins younglings snatched out of their parents armes houses laid euen with the ground and burnt riches and money carried away and in briefe all things ruinated and wasted Neither were these mischiefes committed once onely but the second followed worse than the first and the third vpon that worse than the second so that it was a miserie almost inexplicable to behold that citie so populous so rich sometimes the court and pallace of the Persian kings and honour of that empire now subject to the furie of the Turkes plunged in calamitie and vtter destruction The wofull aduertisement hereof sore troubled the Persian king but the young prince his sonne much more who moued with the passions of most inward griefe disdaine and dispaire and desiring nothing more than reuenge resolued to attempt any thing whereby to require so great a wrong In which resolution hauing confirmed his armie he commaunded fiue hundred of his horsemen to present themselues euen to the verie sight of their enemies tents and as it were to dare them to battell which thing they performed accordingly and made a gallant show of themselues At the discouerie whereof the Turks imagining that the Persians were come in great number to assaile the armie order was giuen by the sicke Generall that Cicala Bassa and Mahamet the Bassa of CARAEMIT with the people of GRaeCIA and all their owne forces should go to encounter the enemie who presently with their ensignes displaied vnder which there stood about foure and thirtie thousand strong besides a number of seruile people yet men exercised in labours and perils in all well neere fortie thousand set forward Now the fiue hundred Persians with a maruellous cunning kind of skirmishing dallied with the Turkish souldiors and drew them forward for the space of eight miles and more and being brought so farre on and now forewearied with the skirmish were lustily assailed by the Persian prince who with part of his
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
appointing them to any seruice and such as he found to haue so done he to the terror of others caused to be presently executed and after that went down himselfe into the lower towne to see that nothing were there wanting or amisse where most danger was But when he would haue againe returned into the vpper towne he was stayed by the Ianizaries who told him That seeing he was of so valiant and couragious a mind and their Gouernour he should there stay with them and take such part as they did were it better or worse and so would he or would he not there needs stay he must Now the Bassaes of BVDA and TEMESVVAR with diuers Sanzackes as well of those parts of HVNGARIE which the Turks possessed as other places were assembling their forces for the reliefe of the besieged in STRIGONIVM Whereof the Transyluanian prince hearing made shew as if he would forthwith haue besieged TEMESVVAR so that the Bassa thereof leauing the intended expedition for STRIGONIVM was glad to returne for the defence of his own charge They also of STIRIA CARINTHIA CROATIA with the troupes of countie Serinus had so stopped all the passages that twelue thousand Turks which were comming from ZIGETH and the places thereabout could by no meanes come to joyne themselues with their fellowes for the reliefe of the distressed citie The countie leauing nothing vnattempted or vndone that might helpe for the gaining of STRIGONIVM had made a notable fort vpon S. Thomas hill and therein placed fiue great culuerines wherewith he furiously battered the higher citie and did therein great harme and thereby also brought to passe that no man could goe vp or downe the hill betwixt the vpper towne and the lower but he was in danger to be set off with those pieces or the musketiers who defended by those great pieces lay vpon the side of the hill in caues and bushes awaiting for such as should goe vp or downe betwixt the two townes Thus the Christians at one time battered the vpper towne the lower towne and the strong towne and fort of GOKARA standing on the farther side of Danubius oueragainst STRIGONIVM besieged by the lord Palfi But of all these places GOKARA was with the furie of the great ordinance most shaken which the countie perceiuing caused the batterie to be encreased and so continued vntill he had beaten downe the counterscarfe and made certaine faire breaches in the wall Whereunto the Morauians vnto whose lot it fell the one and twentith of Iuly gaue an assault in fiue diuers places whom the lord Palfi seconded with his Hungarians of whom certaine were of purpose appointed beside their armes to bring things with them for the firing of the towne which they in the time of the assault found meanes so well to bestow that in a while the towne was all on a light fire The Turkes at first made notable resistance but finding themselues ouerpressed and seeing the towne now on a fire about their eares which with the force of the wind so encreased that it caught hold of the lower towne on the other side of the riuer they retired to the riuers side where some of them by boats got ouer to STRIGONIVM othersome perished in the riuer the rest falling into the hands of the Christians were by them all put to the sword GOKARA thus taken and the fire quenched the Christians repaired the breaches and storing it with all warlike prouision left in it a strong garrison Within a night or two after were two hundred of the Turks horsemen descried in a field fast by which caused an alarum to be raised in the campe as if the whole armie of the Turks had beene at hand howbeit those horsemen retiring and no other appearing it was afterwards knowne that they were onely scouts sent out by the Turkes to take view of the armie of the Christians and in what sort they lay encamped The latter end of this moneth it fortuned that a young countrey fellow secretly sent out of the citie by the Gouernour and falling into the hands of Palfi was by him sent to the countie by whom he was in friendly manner demanded From whence he came whether he was going and whereabouts Whereunto the youth frankely answered That he was sent from the Gouernour with letters to the Bassa of BVDA which he presently drew out of his bosome and deliuered them vnto the countie who after he had read them caused them to be closed vp againe and so deliuered them to the young man with some few crownes commaunding him to carrie them to the Bassa as he was about and in his returne to bring him the Bassaes answere promising for his so doing to reward him bountifully which the young man vndertooke to doe and so departed Now the purport of the Gouernours letters was That if the Bassa did not within six or seauen dayes send him aid and relieue him he should for want of victuals and other things necessarie for the holding out of the siege be enforced either to abandon the citie or to yield it vp into the enemies hands Whereunto the Bassa returned answere by the aforesaid messenger That he would within the appointed time bee with him willing him in the meane while to be mindfull of his wonted valour and not to be with any thing discouraged appointing him the day the houre the way the meane with all the other circumstances how he would relieue him Which letters the young man according to his promise deliuered vnto the countie who thereupon prouided accordingly for the welcomming of the Bassa Within a day after also one of the Turkes canoniers considering the danger the citie lay in and feating that it would be lost fled out of it into the campe who besides that he aptly declared the state of the citie and the wants the besieged were in did also afterwards good seruice during the time of the siege The Turkes had in this while many times sallied out to their great losse yet now vpon hope of better successe they aduentured the nine and twentith of this moneth to sallie out againe but with like fortune as before leauing fourescore of their men behind them hauing slaine but fiue of the Christians Now had the Turks in great wants by the space of a moneth right worthily defended STRIGONIVM expecting still for reliefe At length newes was brought into the campe That the Bassa of BVDA with twentie thousand men was comming to raise the siege who the second of August came accordingly and with his armie encamped within foure miles of the Christians lying so nigh certaine of the Turkes horsemen seeking after bootie came very neere vnto the campe of the Christians and out of the pastures euen vnder their noses carried away some few horses against these desperat aduenturerers certaine troupes of the Hungarian and Germane horsemen issuing out had with them an hot skirmish but the Turkes of purpose retiring as men ouercharged and the Christians still following
man of great experience and valour was appointed lieutenant Generall for that countrey to the great contentment of the souldiors in generall all shewing themselues most readie at his commaund The lord Swartzenburg in the meane time remaining in the lower HVNGARIE at RAB with eight thousand good souldiors and the Archduke Matthias at VIENNA for the dispatch of George Basta and the hasting of him foeward for that the vpper HVNGARIE to the great hurt thereof began now to feele the incursions of the Turkes and Tartars besides that he was afterwards to returne himselfe to speake with the emperour his brother still expecting a Chiaus of the Turkes by the appointment of the Grand signior sent by the way of POLONIA for PRAGE to intreat with the emperour concerning a peace They of BVDA in the meane while seeing the delay of the Turks of whom not one band yet appeared in those quarters and on the other side perceiuing the great preparation of the Imperials and the great garrison at RAB so neere at hand began now to doubt some new resolution of the Christians wherein they were no whit deceiued for no armie of the Turks being then in field in the lower HVNGARIE and the countrey plaine and open the lord Palâ—i with a conuenient power and certaine pieces of batterie set forward to attempt the enterprise and the sixteenth of October with sixteene pieces of artillerie began to batter the citie of BVDA to the great feare and discomfiture of them within hauing first taken the fort S. Gerarde with hope to haue gained the rest also For which cause the men the women and all that dwelt in the citie most instantly besought the Bassa not to endure the destruction of the same with the inhabitants and wealth thereof altogither but being not able long to hold out against so furious a batterie in time to hearken vnto some reasonable composition that so they might yet euerie man at least with life depart Whereunto the Bassa for all that would not hearken but put them still in hope that they should be presently relieued Howbeit the batterie still continuing and they not able longer to endure the force of the Imperials nor any reliefe yet comming they were glad at length to abandon the citie with the losse of two thousand of the Ianizaries and but three hundred of the Christians slaine and eight hundred hurt the rest of the Turkes at the same time retiring themselues into the castle where they might for a space deeme themselues safe So the lord Palfi possessed of the citie with all his forces laid siege vnto the castle which although it were in some places shaken with the continuall furie of the cannon yet were the defendants still readie to make good the same insomuch that Palfi vpon good hope of successe giuing thereunto a generall assault was by their valour enforced to retire they within in the meane time with great labour and industrie repairing the breaches and gaules made by the artillerie So that Palfi considering the difficultie of the assault thought it better by vndermining to shake the rock whereon the castle stood than by a new assault to expose so many worthie men vnto so manifest a danger which his purpose by the enemie discouered was by them also by countermining disappointed yet for all that were the Christians still in good hope by an other mine not yet by the enemie perceiued to sort to the full of their desire and the more for that they saw not so much brauerie or shew of courage in the defendants as before Who now kept themselues silent and quiet as if they had been consulting about the yeelding vp of the castle as men bereft of all hope of reliefe and succour the Christians being now possessed of a strong abbey and fortresse fast by and hauing broken downe all the bridges ouer the Danubius in such sort as that the besieged could not receiue any reliefe either by land or water But forasmuch as the time of the yeare began now to grow tedious and the winter weather sharpe the Christians thought it not best there long to protract the time and therefore resolued to present vnto the castle another generall assault and at the same instant to blow vp the mine but in giuing this assault they were againe repulsed with the losse of two hundred men At which time also a number of the Turks â—allying out of the castle couragiously encountred the Christians but not with successe answerable to their valour being there almost all cut in pieces neither did the mine take the desired effect but being blowne vp did little or no harme at all So that the Christians wearie of their long suffering of the extremitie of the weather and withall considering the great courage of the defendants were euen vpon the point to haue risen yet willing to giue a fresh attempt by the mine they began againe to worke in the same and in hope to preuaile began to parley with the defendants about the giuing vp of the castle but all to little or no purpose for that the mine hauing taken no effect the souldiors could hardly be drawne on through the deepe and muddie ditches to giue a new assault In fine seeing no hope to preuaile and hearing also of the comming of a great armie of the Turkes for the reliefe of the besieged they raised their siege and at their departure burnt their suburbs carrying away with them a great bootie and so retiring towards STRIGONIVM expected farther direction where to winter Where shortly after order was taken that the forces disbanded should be dispersed some into the garrisons and some into the countrey thereabout to the intent they might so be in the more readinesse with the first of the next Spring to take the field or as occasion should serue to be otherwise imploied But Sigismund the Transyluanian prince in the mean time repenting himselfe of the vnequall exchange he had made with the emperour in disguised apparell hasting in post out of SILESIA came to CLAVSENBVRG in TRANSYLVANIA and there joyfully receiued of his subjects and taking of them a new oath of obedience by messengers sent of purpose certified Maximilian the Archduke appointed by the emperour for the gouernment of TRANSYLVANIA and now vpon his way as farre CASSOVIA of the causes of his returne persuading him rather to conuert his forces against the Turkes for the recouerie of AGRIA than to trouble himselfe to come any farther for TRANSYLVANIA now againe by him to the great contentment of his subjects repossessed as did also the princesse his wife Maximilian his cousin german wishing him to consider what hurt and dishonour he should doe vnto the Emperour his majestie himselfe the Roman empire and the whole Christian common-weale in generall if in so dangerous a time hee should attempt any thing against the prince her husband and vnto him by her so neerely allied Now the Turkes great armie being come into the vpper HVNGARIE lay