Feet suddenly stabbed him in the bottom of his belly with a short Dagger which he had under his Souldiers Coat of which Wound that great King and Conqueror presently died The name of this man for his courage worthy of eternal memory was Miles Cobelitz who before sore wounded was shortly after in the presence of Bajazet cut into small pieces The Turks in their Annals somewhat otherwise report of the death of Amurath as that this Cobelitz one of the Despot his Servants in time of the Battel coming to Amurath as a Fugitive offering him his Service and admitted to his presence in humbling himself to have kissed his Feet as the barbarous manner of the Turks is stabbed him into the belly and so slew him being himself therefore shortly after as is aforesaid in the presence of Bajazet most cruelly hewen into small pieces Whereupon ever since that time the manner of the Turks hath been and yet is that when any Embassador or Stranger is come to kiss the Sultan his hand or otherwise to approach his Person he is as it were for honours sake led by the Arms unto his presence betwixt two of the great Courtiers but indeed by so intangling him to be sure that he shall not offer him the like violence that did this Cobelitz unto Amurath The dead body of Amurath was presently with all secrecy conveyed into his Tent by the Bassaes and Captains present at his death whether Bajazet was also brought with an Ensign before him as the Successor in his Fathers Kingdom His younger Brother Iacup sirnamed Zelebi or the Noble yet ignorant of that had hapned was by the great Bassaes sent for as from his Father who casting no peril but coming into his Fathers Tent was there presently by them strangled by the commandment of Bajazet as most Histories report howbeit the Turks Annals charge him not therewith This was the beginning of the most unnatural and inhumane custom ever since holden for a most wholsome and good policy among the Turkish Kings and Emperors in the beginning of their Reign most cruelly to Massacre their Brethren and nearest Kinsmen so at once to rid themselves of all fear of their Compâ—â—itors This Amurath was in his Superstition more zealous than any other of the Turkish Kings a man of great courage and in all his Attempts fortunate he made greater slaughter of his Enemies than both his Father and Grandfather his Kingdom in Asia he greatly inlarged by the Sword Marriage and Purchase and using the Discord and Cowardise of the Grecian Princes to his profit subdued a great part of Thracia called Romania with the Territories thereto adjoyning leaving unto the Emperor of Constantinople little or nothing more in Thracia than the Imperial City it self with the bare name of an Emperor almost without an Empire he won a great part of Bulgaria and entred into Servia Bosna and Macedonia he was liberal and withall severe of his Subjects both beloved and feared a man of very few words and one that could dissemble deeply He was slain when he was threescore and eight years old and had thereof reigned thirty one in the year of our Lord 1390. His dead body was by Bajazet conveyed into Asia and there Royally buried at Prusa in a fair Chappel at the West end of the City near unto the Baths there where upon his Tomb lieth his Souldiers Cloke with a little Turkish Tulipant much differing from those great Turbants which the Turks now wear Near unto the same Tomb are placed three Launces with three Horse-tails fastned at the upper end of them which he used as Guidons in his Wars a thing in ancient time not strange There standeth a Castle with a Tomb made in remembrance of him in the Plains of Cossova where he was slain and his Entrails buried which giveth occasion for some to report that he was there also himself enterred FINIS Christian Princes of the same time with Amurath the First Emperors Of the East John Paleologus 1354. 30. Andronicus Paleologus 1384. 3. Emanuel Paleologus 1387. 30. Of the West Charles the Fourth 1346. 32. Wenceslaus Son to Charles King of Bohemia 1378. 22. Kings Of England Edward the Third 1327. 50. Richard the Second 1377. 23. Of France John Valois 1350. 14. Charles the Fifth 1364. 16. Charles the Sixth sirnamed The welbeloved 1381. 42. Of Scotland David Bruce 1341. 29. Robert Stewart 1370. Bishops of Rome Innocent the VI. 1354. 10. Urban the V. 1364. 8. Gregory the II. 1372. 7. Urban the VI. 1378. 11. The LIFE of BAJAZET The First of that NAME The FOURTH and most UNFORTUNATE King of the Turks BAjazet or as the Turks call him Baiasit of his violent and fierce Nature sirnamed Gilderun or Lightning succeeded his Father Amurath in the Turkish Kingdom his younger Brother Iacup being strangled immediatly after his Fathers death as is before declared He in the first year of his Reign invaded Servia and there besieged Cratova a City of the Despots whereunto the Silver Mines of Servia not the least cause of that War belonged Which City was yielded unto him upon condition That the Christian Inhabitants might with Life and Liberty depart Who were no sooner gon out of the City but that by his commandment they were all most cruelly slain by his men of War for that purpose sent out after them At this time he also won Uscupia with divers other Castles in the Country near unto Cratova Sigismund at the same time King of Hungary a young Prince of great hope and Brother to Wenceslaus then Emperor of the West advertised from the Servians his Allies and Confederates of these proud proceedings of Bajazet by his Embassadors sent of purpose requested him That as he was a just Prince and wished to live in quiet with his own to desist from doing of such open wrong and from invading of such Countries of his Friends and Confederates as he had no right in Which Embassadors so sent Bajazet detained without answer until such time as he had overrun a great part of the Despot his Country and therein done what he thought good Then calling the said Embassadors unto him into one of the strong Towns which he had in every corner filled with his own Souldiers told them that they might there see that his Right both unto that Town and the rest by him taken was good enough for as much as the very Walls acknowledged the same And so giving them leave to depart willed them so to tell their Master Which his proud answer by the same Embassadors reported unto the young King no less troubled him than if open War had by them been denounced unto him seeing the Tyrant as it should seem pretended Right unto whatsoever he could by force get nevertheless being himself not yet well setled in his Kingdom and in doubt of the contrary Faction that altogether liked not of his Election into Hungary for their King he was glad at that time to put it
War not only much decaied but almost quite lost after that Uladislaus far unlike in Policy and Prowess had succeeded the renowned Matthias in that Kingdom Neither had he as he said from his cradle learned to be afraid of death or of the common chances of War as knowing that neither God nor Man would be wanting unto him who with an honourable resolution did adventure upon vertuous and worthy attempts and that therefore he was fully resolved for his own honour which his Father had in some sort blemished by the immoderate advancement of his Brethren either to die honourably in the Field in battel against the Enemies of the Mahometan Religion or else gloriously to extend the bounds of the Turkish Empire and that he would not though one of the youngest in the Othoman Family be accounted inferior to any of his Brethren in Vertue and Prowess Thus was the Hungarian War never by Selymus entended notably by him pretended and with no less dissimulation by Bajazet disswaded The Embassadors although Selymus in all his Speeches shewed no token of Peace yet in his Fathers name presented unto him divers Gifts thereby if it might be to appease his fierce and cruel mind Unto his old Government they adjoyned Scamandria which the Hungarians call Schenderovia a strong City of Servia upon the borders of Hungary with many other strong Towns in the same Country they gave him also threescore thousand Ducats beside a thousand Garments of Cloath and Silk with good Store of Provision wherewith to relieve and content the Souldiers by him entertained lest that they drawn far from home in hope of Spoil should take it in evil part if they should be sent away empty handed Selymus in a happy time having received these Gifts returned the Embassadors unto his Father with more doubtful answer and uncertain hope than before yet changing nothing in himself of his former resolution secret Messengers and Letters from his Friends in the Court still whetting him forward too much already inflamed with desire of Sovereignty perswading him to make hast and to repose his greatest hope in his quick speed for that they understood that about the time of his setting forward his Brother Achomates was coming with a great power being sent for out of Cappadocia by his Father In the mean time Bajazet moved the rather with the fear of Selymus resolved upon that whereof he had long before in his mind deeply considered and now said openly That he would appoint his Successor who instead of himself spent with years and sickness should bring with him the flower of Youth and strength of Body fit to govern so great an Empire But when those things were propounded unto the Souldiers of the Court by the four great Bassaes who in all things both of Peace and War had next place unto the Emperor himself it was forthwith gainsaid by those Martial Men crying aloud with one voice That they would know no other Emperor but Bajazet under whose conduct and good fortune they had now served above thirty years and therefore would not suffer him to live a private life in obscurity who with so many Victories and strong Cities taken had brought the Othoman Empire unto that height of Renown and Glory They said moreover that there was in him yet strength enough if he would but with the reverend honour of his Age retain the Majesty of his place and the Glory he had gotten with his long and happy Reign and most famous Victories and that of his Children such an one should undoubtedly in his due time succeed in the Empire as of right ought only they wisht that the old Emperor might in the mean time live in health with a long and happy Reign neither needed he as they said to fear that after his death any controversie should arise among his Sons about the Succession for that the Othoman Progeny used to attain the imperial seat according to the old custom of their Ancestors the Othoman Kings by Right and Order only and not by Corruption or Faction But if he would needs upon his own private good liking or as it were by new adoption proceed to make choice of such an one as the People and the Men of War his most loyal and faithful Subjects could not so well like of it would be an occasion of much more trouble and happily the means to bring in that confusion of the State which he thought thereby to eschew For then beside the dislike of the People the other Brethren would never endure so notable an injury or ever be at quiet until they had as men wrongfully cast off and disinherited by strong hand and endangering of all recovered their honor lost by the headstrong Will of their aged Father The Souldiers thus before instructed by the Friends and Favourites of Selymus who with Mony and large Promises had corrupted their Captains and chief Officers spake these things frankly to have deterred the old Emperor from his purpose But he thinking that they had as he himself did especially affected Achomates his eldest Son for that they had generally protested That they would against all injuries defend his honour unto whom the Empire should of right appertain said he would make choice of Achomates if it should stand with their good liking But the chief of the Souldiers who corrupted by Selymus had together sold both their Faith and themselves cunningly commended Achomates and seemed wonderfully to like of him yet to accept of him for their Sovereign Bajazet yet living they said was not agreeing with the ancient custom of the Othoman Kings neither for the behoof of the men of War neither yet good for the State of the Empire forasmuch as neither his Brethren Corcutus and Selymus neither the Souldiers of the Court could patiently endure the least touch of the suspition of Infidelity which they must needs do if he as a suspitious Father should doubt either of the Love or Loyalty of his most dutiful Sons or of the Faith and Constancy of his most faithful Servants whereof he had made so many trials Besides that it seemed unto them all unreasonable that by the odious prejudice of that Fact the Souldiers should be left defrauded of the rewards usually granted unto them during the time of the vacancy of the Empire arising of the Spoil taken from them which are of Religion different from the Turks For it is a custom that immediately upon the death of the Turkish Emperor all the Jews and Christians which dwell at Constantinople Pera Hadrianople Thessalonica and Prusa especially Merchants exposed unto the injuries of the Turks are by the Janizaries and other Souldiers of the Court spoiled of all their Wares and Goods and become unto them a Prey neither will they give their Oath of Allegeance unto the new Emperor until he have granted unto them all that Prey as a Bounty and have solemnly sworn by his own Head the greatest assurance that can by Oath be
the Turks who live of the Revenues of the Church of them there was in the Army thirteen thousand who had at Constantinople vowed their Lives for their Superstition Out of Thracia and Peloponesus were come two Colonels and one Lieutenant with twelve hundred Horsemen and three thousand five hundred Volunteers out of divers Countries There also Pial Bassa Solymans Admiral took view of the Fleet wherein were found a hundred and thirty Gallies two and twenty Ships for burthen some greater some lesser besides one that was cast away near unto Methone where was lost six thousand Barrels of Powder thirteen thousand great Shot and four hundred Spahi besides these there were ten Gallies from the Rhodes commanded by Halyport a Man of seventy years two Gallies from Mitylene and about seventeen Galliots and other small Pyrats Ships With this strong Fleet the Turks departing from Methone the thirteenth of May arrived at Malta the eighteenth of the same Month and put into a Haven in the North-East part of the Isle which the Inhabitants call Marzasiroc but perceiving themselves not to be there in safety they removed to another Port called Major The Island of Malta lying betwixt Africa and Sicilia might be doubted whether it were to be accounted in Africk or Europe but that the ancient Cosmographers and the Moors Language which the Malteses have always used claim it for Africk it is in length from the North-East to the South-West twenty Miles and in the broadest place twelve It regardeth Africk Southward over against Leptis Parva and Sicilia towards the North but more towards Pachinum than Lilybeum and is in circuit about threescore Miles It seemeth to have taken the name of Melita of Mel or Hony whereof it yieldeth plenty The Trees there bear Fruit twice a year and they have oftentimes twice Harvest especially of Barly and Cotten Wool yet is the Isle in some places stony gravelly and bare of Wood nevertheless it beareth Figs Apples Almonds Grapes and other Fruit Trees planted by the industry of Man Date Trees also but not fruitful it beareth Thistles of such bigness that the Inhabitants use them for Wood fresh Water is there wonderful scarce and such Wells as they have are filled with Rain in Winter for in Summer they are either clean dry or else the Water becometh brakish The Inhabitants are so burnt with the Sun that they differ little in colour from the Aethiopians they are of a wholesome constitution of Body spare of Diet industrious rather painful than Warlike dying more for Age than of Sickness their Buildings except it be in the City which is in the midst of the Island and in the Suburbs are long and low like unto the Moors covered with Turf or Reed It is commonly supposed that Saint Paul was by Shipwrack cast upon this Island but it is with greater reason to be thought that it was the other Melita in the Adriatick betwixt Corcyra and Illyria and better agreeth with that which Luke writeth of the Apostles Trouble and Shipwrack in the Adriatique out of which Sea it is not to be gathered by the Text that Paul and the rest were driven But again to our purpose That side of Malta which respecteth Sicilia hath in it many good Harbors and commodious Havens fit for shipping where besides the Port of Marzasiroc towards the East where the Turks Fleet first landed and the Port of Saint Thomas with another called Scala not far off it hath two other notable Havens the one called Major and the other Marzamoxet divided the one from the other by a narrow piece of ground which with a ridg runneth in length from the South to the North almost in manner of an Island having the Haven Major on the East Marzamoxet on the West Upon the head of this high ridg standeth the Castle of Saint Elmo of great strength both by Nature and Art. As a Man entreth into the Haven Major upon the left hand are four Promontories pointing far into the Haven on that side almost in manner of Islands making so many Bays upon the first standeth the Gallows whereof also it taketh name upon the very point of the second on a rough and high Rock standeth a most strong Castle called the Castle of Saint Angelo whereunto adjoyned the Town separated from the Castle only with a Wall and a Ditch and is placed in a hollowness cut out of the main Rock strengthened also with the Sea and the industry of Man and is of some called the Burg of others the new City in this Castle resideth the Grand Master and the Souldiers in the Burg upon the third Promontory standeth another strong Castle which they call also the Burg of Saint Michael the fourth Promontory is not inhabited from whence the Sea runneth alongst the winding Banks almost into the midst of the Island unto a place called Aqua Marfia Again after the Port Marzamoxet Westward is the Harbor of Saint George and after that another called Bennorrat then followeth the Port Saint Paul no less than the Port Marzasiroc after which cometh the Port called Salinarum Sinus but on that side of the Island towards Africk is only one Port called Milliaria near unto the Island of Malta lie certain other little Islands as Gauloso now Goza two other called Cuminia and another called Piper all subject to the Malteses Thus much I have thought good to set down concerning the Turks Fleet and for the description of those places wherein this great action was performed the brute whereof then filled the World. Now shall it not be amiss in like manner to declare upon what strength next unto God Valetta the Grand Master stood against so mighty and puissant an Enemy First there was in the Island athousand and three hundred Mercenaries some Spaniards some French some Florentines and the rest of Naples there was also a thousand Seamen of the Knights Fleet and five hundred in the Town of Saint Angelo and of the Country People which were fled into the strong places five thousand Men not altogether unskilful of the Wars there were also five hundred Knights of the Order besides Priests and Squires for of these three sorts of Men are they which are called Brethren of the Order This was the number of them which defended the Castles and Towns of Saint Elmo Saint Angelo and Saint Michael whereunto they were proportionably divided and in the City it self which is called Melita being in the middle of the Island was two hundred Souldiers and as many Citizens with three hundred of the Country People all Horsemen commanded by Io. Vagno a valiant Captain Besides this every place was furnished with plenty of Victual Armor Weapons Artillery and whatsoever else was needful for the enduring of a long Siege and a War that should want many things and that which passed all the rest Minds armed with invincible Courage against whatsoever should chance which oftentimes maketh of the vanquished Victors All these things
do answering That compassion and regard was to be had of the just sorrow of the Christians his Subjects for that they had lost such a King the like was hardly again to be found in the World. But leaving the Kingdom of Ierusalem with the greater part of Servia thus victoriously gained from the Infidels let us for the orderly continuation of our History again return to see the proceedings of the Turks at the same time in the lesser Asia also wherein they yet held the state of a Kingdom though not so great as before the coming of the Princes of the West into those Countries After the death of Sultan Solyman with whom Duke Godfrey and the other Christian Princes had much to do as they passed into Syria as is aforesaid one Muhamet succeeded him betwixt whom and Masut Sultan of Iconium great discord arose which at length broke out into open War to the further weakning of that late shaken Kingdom For the maintenance of which Quarel as profitable for his State Iohn Comnenus the Greek Emperor gave Aid to Masut against his Enemy Muhamet Nevertheless in short time the two Infidels professing both one Superstition became Friends and joyning their Forces overthrew the Emperor with his whole Army as he lay at the siege of Iconium at which time he himself with much ado escaped by flight Masut afterwards having got into his hands the whole Kingdom of the Turks at the time of his death divided the same among his three Sons unto Clizasthlan his eldest Son he gave Iconium his chief City with the Towns and Provinces subject thereunto unto Iagupasan his other Son or rather as some will have it his Son in law he allotted Amâ—â—â—a and Ancyra with the fruitful Country of Cappadocia and the places adjoyning but unto Dadune his other Son or Son in law he gave the great Cities of Caesarea and Sebastia with the large Countries thereabouts all sometime a part of the Greek Empire but then the portions of the Turks Long it was not after this division of the Kingdom but that these Brethren after the manner of ambitious men forgetful of the bonds both of Love and Nature fell at discord among themselves the Sultan seeking the destruction of Iagupasan and he likewise of him and that not by secret means but even by open force of Arms. Emanuel the Greek Emperor in the mean time wishing the destruction of them both heartily rejoycing thereat and by his Embassadors secretly animating the one against the other yet in open shew more favouring of the part of Iagupasan than of the Sultan by whose Aid he obtained against him many notable and bloody Victories insomuch that the Sultan weary of the Quarrel was glad not only by his Embassadors to seek the Emperors favour but even in person Himself to go and meet him as he came with his Army out of Syria and so to accompany him unto Constantinople where he was together with the Emperor most honourably received with all the signs of Joy and Triumph that could possibly be devised The Emperor no less rejoycing to be sued unto by so great a Prince than did the Sultan at his so honourable entertainment Among other queint devices of many for the solemnizing of so great a Triumph there was an active Turk who had openly given it out That against an appointed time he would from the top of an high Tower in the Tilt-yard fly by the space of a furlong the report whereof had filled the City with a wonderful expectation of so strange a novelty The time prefixed being come and the people without number assembled the Turk according to his promise upon the top of an high Tower shewed himself girt in a long and large white Garment gathered into many pleits and foldings made of purpose for the gathering of the Wind wherewith the foolish man had vainly perswaded himself to have hovered in the Air as do Birds upon their Wings or to have guided himself as are Ships with their Sails Standing thus hovering a great while as ready to take his flight the beholders still laughing and crying out Fly Turk fly how long shall we expect thy flight The Emperor in the mean time still disswading him from so desperate an Attempt and the Sultan betwixt fear and hope hanging in doubtful suspence what might happen to his Country-man The Turk after he had a great while hovered with his Arms abroad the better to have gathered the wind as Birds do with their Wings and long deluded the expectation of the Beholders at length finding the Wind fit as he thought for his purpose committed himself with his vain hope unto the Air but in stead of mounting aloft this foolish Icarus came tumbling down with such violence that he brake his Neck his Arms his Legs with almost all the bones of his Body This foolish flight of the Turk gave such occasion of sport and laughter unto the vulgar people always ready to scoff and jest at such ridiculous matters that the Turks attending upon the Sultan could not walk in the streets underided the Artificers in their shops shaking their Arms with their Tools in their Hands as did the Turk and still crying out Fly Turk fly whereof the Emperor hearing although he could not chuse but thereat smile Himself as not ignorant of the scoffs and taunts of the vulgar people yet in Favour of the Sultan who was not a little grieved therewith he commanded such their Insolency to be restrained The Solemnity of the Triumph overpassed which by an ominous Earhtquake at the same time hapning was somewhat obscured the Emperor to shew his Wealth and to gratifie the Sultan gave unto him many rich and Royal Presents with such a Mass of Treasure as that he much wondred thereat In requital whereof and in token of his Thankfulness he again honoured the Emperor with the name of his Father and terming himself by the name of his Son promised to restore unto him the City of Sebastia with the Territory thereunto belonging then part of Dadune his Inheritance Nevertheless all this was nothing else but meer dissimulation as afterward by proof appeared for returning home he thrust Dadune indeed out of Sebastia which he spoiled with the Country thereabout but forgetful of his promise kept it wholly to himself and by force took also from him the City of Caesarea with the Country of Amasia by him before but lately possessed In like manner he bent his Forces also upon Iagupasan his other Brother who in the very preparation of those Wars died by whose untimely death the City of Ancyra with all his Dominions in Cappadocia fell into the Sultans hands Who now possessed of all his Fathers Kingdom and swelling with Pride forgetting all former courtesies invaded the Emperors Territories and took from him the City of Laodicea in Phrygia where he did great harm as also in the Country thereabouts killing the people as he went or else carrying them away with
These two great men Cairadin Bassa and Cara Rustemes before named sometimes two Doctors of the Mahometan Law were as the Turkish Histories report the first that corrupted the Turkish Court with Covetousness and Bribery and are therefore of them even yet much blamed Whilst Amurath thus wintred in Asia News was brought unto him That the Christians of Servia and Bulgaria had gathered a great Army for the besieging of Hadrianople which caused him to prepare great Forces in Asia to aid his Captains in Europe But in returning out of Asia he by the way took the Town of Boga where he put to the Sword all the Christians that were therein able to bear Arms leading the rest into Captivity and with the spoil rewarded his Souldiers This strong Town was not long after again recovered by the Christians who requited the Turks with like measure and doubting the keeping thereof rased it down to the ground yet was it afterwards reedified by the Turks as it is at this present to be seen which was done in the year of our Lord 1365. In the mean time the Christian Army of Servia and Bulgaria in number betwixt forty and fifty thousand marching towards Hadrianople and now come very near the same fell in mutiny among themselves Whereof the Turks by their Espials having intelligence suddenly in the night set upon them who blinded with inward hatred and no less fearing one another than their Enemies neglected to joyn their Forces against them but were ready to turn their Weapons one upon another and so by their own discord more than by the Enemies force were made a prey to the Turks by whom they were put to flight and slain with so great a slaughter that the place wherein they fell not far from Germia is thereof at this day called Zirf-Zindugi that is to say the place wherein the Servians were overthrown The news of this so notable a Victory with the fith part of the Spoil and a great number of the heads of the slain Christians were after the barbarous manner of the Turks sent to Amurath into Asia being now ready with a great Power to have come over to Callipolis who joyful thereof and glad to see such a Present the assured witness of the Victory returned again to Prusa This was done in the year 1366. In which year also Amurath with wonderful Triumph circumcised his two Sons Bajazet and Iacup At which time he also built a Temple with a Monastry and a Colledge at Bilâ—zâ—ga and another fair Church at Neâ—opolis At Prusa he also built a stately Palace in the Castle with a great Church at the Gates thereof in which City he also founded an Abbey and a Colledge Germean Ogli a great Mahometan Prince in Asia whose Territory for the most part lay in the greater Phrygia and the Countries thereabout bordering upon the Oâ—homan Kingdom having always envyed at the rising of the Othoman Kings as did all the rest of the Mahometan Princes of the Selzuccian Family and fearing that their Greatness might after his death grow dangerous to his son Iacup being now himself very aged thought good for the more safety of his State to joyn in Alliance with Amurath And for that purpose sent Isaac a learned Doctor of the Mahometan Law Embassador to him with many rich Presents and to offer his Daughter the Lady Hatun in marriage unto his Son Bajazet promising with her in Dowry divers great Cities and Towns with their Territories in Phrygia and Bâ—thynia adjoyning upon the Othoman Kingdom namely Cutaie Sâ—maâ— Egrâ—giâ—s Taâ—sanle and others Neither was this a small Dowry but well beseeming so great a Prince the City of Cutaiâ— being at this day the pâ—ace whereat the Turkish Emperors great Lieutenant or Vice-Roy in Asia is always resiant as in the heart of his Kingdom in the lesser Asia Of which Mâ—tch so offered Amurath liking well contracted his Son Bajazet unto the said Lady and for Solemnization of the Marriage prepared all things with great Magnificence sending his Embassadors to most of the Mahometan Kings and Princes both far and near to invite thereunto commanding also most of the Nobility of his Kingdom to honour the same with their presence The time of this Marriage drawing near Embassadors came to Amuraths Court from all the Princes before invited amongst whom the Embassador from the Egyptian Sultan had the highest place These Embassadors brought with them many great and rich Gifts such as well beseemed the great Princes their Masters which they with all Reverence presented unto Amurath At length amongst the rest of his own Nobility came the Lord Eurenoses whom he had before left Governor of the Frontiers of his Kingdom in Europe who besides many other rich Gifts not easily to be valued presented unto Amurath an hundred goodly Boys with as many beautiful young Maidens all Christian Captives sutably attired in Garments richly embroidred with Gold and Silver every one of them carrying a Cup of Gold in the one hand and a Cup of Silver in the other the Cups of Gold having in them divers precious Stones of great value and the Cups of Silver being filled with Gold. The richness of this Present was so great that all the Embassadors of the foreign Princes much wondred thereat All which rich Gift Amurath most bountifully bestowed upon the strange Embassadors and the Presents which were sent unto him from other Princes he liberally gave to Eurenoses The Learned and Religious which came to that Marriage he so bountifully rewarded also that none came to the same poor but he went away rich He had before sent divers of his Nobility with an hundred Ladies and Gentlemen and a Guard of three thousand Horsemen to attend the coming of the Bride On the other side the old Prince Germean-Ogli meeting this honourable Company upon the way saluted every man of Account according to his Degree and bringing them to one of his Cities in most Royal manner feasted them bestowing upon them many rich and princely Gifts all which things with great Solemnity performed he delivered his Daughter the Bride to two of the most ancient Ladies whereof the one had been Bajazets Nurse and so taking leave of his Daughter sent her away accompanied with his Wife Ienses and other of his Courtiers who conveying her to Prusa she was there in most Royal manner married to Bajazet The Cities and Towns promised in Dowry were accordingly delivered into the Possession of Amurath who shortly after took Possession of the same and furnished them with his own Garrisons At this Marriage Chusen-Beg Prince of Amisum in Galatia by his Embassador sold his Territory of Amisum unto Amurath with many fair Cities and Towns doubting as it was thought how to be able to keep them now that Amurath was come so near him whom he saw not to let slip any occasion offered unto him for the inlarging of his Kingdom When Amurath had in this sort spent great time in Asia he gathered
Turk the sixth of August in the year of our Lord 1456. Shortly after this most valiant and renowned Captain Huniades worthy of Immortal Praise died of a hurt taken in these Wars or as some others write of the Plague which was then rise in Hungary who when he felt himself in danger of death desired to receive the Sacrament before his departure and would in any case sick as he was be carried to the Church to receive the same saying That it is not fit that the Lord should come to the house of his Servant but the Servant rather to go to the House of his Lord and Master He was the first Christian Captain that shewed the Turks were to be overcome and obtained more great Victories against them than any one of the Christian Princes before him He was unto that barbarous people a great terror and with the spoil of them beautified his Country and now dying was by the Hungarians honourably buried at Alba Iulia in St. Stephens Church his death being greatly lamented of all good men of that Age. Mahomet the Turkish Emperor no less desirous to extend his Empire with the glory of his Name by Sea than by Land shortly after the taking of Constantinople put a great Fleet to Sea wherein he surprised divers Islands in the Aegeum and hardly besieged the City of the Rhodes At which time Calixtus the Third then Bishop of Rome aided by the Genoways for the grudge they bare against the Turks for the taking of Pera put to Sea a Fleet of sixteen tall Ships and Gallies well appointed under the Conduct of Ludovicus Patriarch of Aquilla who with that Fleet scoured the Seas and recovered again from the Turks the Island of Lemnos with divers other small Islands thereabout and encountring with the Turks Fleet near unto the Island of the Rhodes at a place called The Burrow of St. Paul discomfited them sunk and took divers of their Gallies and forced them to forsake the Rhodes After which Victory at Sea he for the space of three years with his Gallies at his pleasure spoiled the Frontiers of the Turks Dominions all alongst the Sea coast of the lesser Asia and wonderfully terrified the effeminate people of those Countries and so at length returned home carrying away with him many Prisoners and much rich spoil After that Mahomet was thus shamefully driven from the Siege of Belgrade and his Fleet at Sea discomfited as is before declared he began with great diligence to make new preparation against the next Spring to subdue the Isles of the Aegeum specially those which lay near unto â—â—loponnesus But whilst he was busie in those Cogitations in the mean time Embassadors from Usun-Cassanes the great Persian King arrived at Constantinople with divers rich Presents sent to him from the said King. Where among other things they presented unto him a pair of Playing-Tables wherein the men and dice were of great and rich precious Stones of inestimable worth and the Workmanship nothing inferior to the matter which the Embassadors for Ostentation said That Usun-Cassanes found in the Treasures of the Persian King whom he had but a little before slain and bereft of his Kingdom and had there been left long before by the mighty Conqueror Tamerlane Together with these Presents they delivered their Embassage the effect whereof was That those two mighty Princes might joyn and live together in Amity and that whereas David the Emperor of Trapezond had promised to pay unto Mahomet a yearly Tribute enforced thereunto by George his Lieutenant in Asia he should not now look for any such thing forasmuch as that Empire after the death of the Emperor then living should of right belong unto Usun-Cassanes in right of his Wife who was the Daughter of Calo-Ioannes the elder Brother of David the Emperor then living and further required him from that time not to trouble or molest the said Emperor his Friend and near Alliance so should he find him his faithful and kind Confederate otherwise it was as they said in his choice to draw upon himself the heavy displeasure of a most mighty Enemy Mahomet before envying at the rising of the Persian King and now disdaining such peremptory Requests little differing from proud Commands in great choler dismissed the Embassadors with this short answer That he would ere long be in Asia himself in Person to teach Usun-Cassanes what to request of a greater than himself This unkindness was the beginning and ground of the mortal Wars which afterwards ensued betwixt these two then the greatest Princes of the East as shall be hereafter more at large declared The Embassadors being departed and Mahomets Fleet of an hundred and fifty Sail ready to put to Sea he altered his former determination for the Islands of the Aegeum which after the loss of Constantinople had for the most part put themselves under the Protection of the Venetians and commanded his Admiral with that Fleet to take his course through the Straits of Bosphorus into the great Euxin Sea now called the Black Sea and so sailing along the coast to come to Anchor before Sinope the chief City of Paphlagonia and there to expect his coming thither with his Army by Land. This great City of Sinope stands pleasantly on a point of the Main which runs a great way into the Euxin sometime the Metrapolitical City of that Province but as then with Castamona and all the Country thereabout was under the Government of Ismael a Mahometan Prince upon whom Mahomet had now bent his Forces for no other cause than that he was in League with Usun-Cassan the Persian King. Now with great Expedition had Mahomet levied a strong Army and passing therewith over into Asia was come before he was looked for to Sinope Ismael seeing himself so suddenly beset both by Sea and Land in his strongest City although he wanted nothing needful for his defence having in the City four hundred pieces of great Artillery and ten thousand Souldiers yet doubting to be able with that strength to indure the Siege offered to yield up the City to Mahomet with all the rest of his Dominion upon condition That he should freely give him in lieu thereof the city of Philippopolis in Thracia with the Country thereto adjoyning Of which Offer Mahomet accepted and so taking possession of Sinope with the strong City of Castamona and all the rest of the Princes Territory sent him away with all his things to Philippopolis as he had promised This Ismael was the last of the Honourable House of the Isfendiars who had long time reigned at Heraclea and Castamona in Pontus From Sinope he marched on forward with his Army to Trapezond This famous City standeth also upon the side of the Euxin or Black Sea in the Country of Pontus where the Emperors of Constantinople had always their Deputies whilst that Empire flourished and commanded the East part of the World as far as Parthia but after it began again
Christians besides the noise of Trumpets Drums and other instruments oâ— War with the horrible cry of the hellish Turks was so great and hideous that it seemed as if Heaven and Earth should have gon together nothing was to be heard but the very terror of the Ear nothing to be seen but death and the very instruments of death And now in this extremity a fearful cry ran through the City That without present help all would be lost at the great Gate whereupon not only they which were whole which were the fewest in number but they also which lay wounded or sick in their beds chearing up themselves with Weapons in their Hand ran with speed to the place where the danger was chusing rather there to die than to be slain in their beds Thus whilst the Christians of all sorts and from all parts of the City ran desperately to the Gate the Turks were on every side hardly pressed and in great number slain yet fresh men still coming up as if they had sprung out of the Earth the deadly â—â—ght was by them still maintained for the Turks on the one side for fear of the Tyrant laboured with might and main to win the City and the Christians on the other knowing no hope left for them if they should be overcome with no less resolution defended the same In this obstinacy of mind many fell on both sides sometimes the Turks seemed to have the better and were straitway by the Christians put to the worse Which manner of mortal Fight with doubtful event was continued most part of that day until that at length many being on both parts slain and the rest for the most part sore wounded and hurt the fury of the Assault began to asswage for the Turks now weary of that long and deadly Fight and fainting with their wounds had no great stomach to mount up the Rampiers where they saw no hope to prevail but all things threatning present death Mahomet beholding the wonderful slaughter of his men and that having done what was possible for men to do they now fought as men discouraged and in despair of Victory himself caused a Retreat to be sounded which the Turks no sooner heard but that they left the Assault and without order ran to their Tents as men half scared out of their Wits Of this Victory the Christians as they had good cause rejoyced greatly yet was this joy mingled with much sorrow and heaviness for the loss of such worthy men as were slain in that Assault many of whose bodies they were glad to gather up by piecemeal some here some there some cleaving on this Wall and some on that which they as the time would give leave honourably buried with the rest of the slain At which time also they with all diligence and expedition repaired their breaches and put all things in such readiness as if they should have presently received a fresh Assault Mahomet wonderfully grieved with the shameful dishonour and great loss he had received at the last Assault repented himself that ever he had taken the matter in hand wishing that he had never heard of the name of Scodra and in his choler and frantick rage most horribly blasphemed against God most wickedly saying That it were enough for him to have care of Heavenly things and not to cross him in his Worldly Actions in which fury he descended from the Mount and got into his Tent where he again tormented himself with his melancholy Passions by the space of two days wherein he would neither be spoke withal or admit any man to his presence Upon the third day he called a general Counsel of his Commanders and best Souldiers and thereupon openly before them all said That he was determined to give the Enemy a fresh Assault for that being weakned with so many Assaults he could not possibly be able to hold out another and therefore hoped for an easie Victory But he had no sooner so said but that all they that heard him cried out with one voice to the contrary saying That it was not by any means to be attempted for as much as his best Souldiers were already slain and the greater part of them that were left either sore wounded or brought to that weakness that they were not able to do any more service and that therefore it were better for them to kill one another or else himself to kill them one by one than to expose them to be so shamefully butchered by the Christians In this diversity of opinions Achmetes Bassa the great Champion of the Turks a man reverend and of great authority for his birth years and rare experience in Martial Affairs and one by whom Mahomet had done great matters standing up with pleasing speech calmed his furious mind and with substantial reasons perswaded him to desist from that his intended purpose and to take another surer course as followeth A notable Speech of the great Bassa Achmetes YOUR great Valour and worthy Praises invincible Emperor said he who is able to express the greatness whereof the mind of man cannot conceive and my dull Spirit but wonder at my Tongue faltereth to speak of them neither would this time serve so much as to recount them It is of all men deemed a thing of great honour most dread Soveraign when a Prince hath received a Kingdom from his Ancestors to be able in safety to keep and defend the same greater than this is it honourably to increase and augment it so left but of a small thing by worthy prowess to bring it to the highest type of worldly honour is of all other things the greatest Which most rare excellency all men worthily ascribe unto your perfection and felicity and I of all others can thereof bring the most assured testimony who have oftentimes heard it of mine Ancestors which following the Othoâ—an Princes out of Asia into Europe that your worthy Predecessors at their first coming into Europe without offence be it said possessed but a corner thereof to whom you afterward by divine appointment succeeding have adjoined so many Provinces Kingdoms and Empires as were tedious to rehearse them For who can worthily express how you have in Europe subdued Constantinople the Imperial City of the East Empire with all Thracia Achaia Grecia Peloponnesus Boeotia Thebes and the noble City of Athens the Mother and Nurse of all good Learning The Empire of Trapezond with the Emperor thereof is by you overthrown The Kingdoms of Servia and Bosna with the Princes of Peloponnesus are by you gloriously vanquished You have at your command twelve Kingdoms in Asia the lesser Pontus Bithynia Cappadocia Paphlagonia Cilicia Pamphilia Lycia Caria Lydia Phrygia Nicomedia and Nicea with the famous City of Prusa Besides these Ionia Doris Smyrna Colophon Ephesus Miletum Halicarnassus Pergamus with the Country of Taurica are under your Subjection The great Country of Armenia hath felt your force The Islands of Lesbos Chios and Euboea are parts of your
of their Emperour Near unto Temeswar the Bassa of Buda was overthrown by the valiant Captain Gestius Ferentz and the Transilvanians And in Valachia the Turks General entring with a great Army was there also by the Lord Nadasti and the Valachians aided with the Transilvanians in a great Battel discomfited and overthrown Eight thousand of the Turks heads in token of this Victory the Lord Nadasti sent to Alba-Iulia to the Transilvanian Prince and certain Ensigns amongst which one was most richly garnished with precious Stones and Pearl thought to be worth thirty thousand Dollars which the Prince afterward restored again to Nadasti offering him great Possessions in Transilvania if he could have been content there to have seated himself All this Spring the Turks countenanced their Wars with greater Boasts and Threats than true force giving it out That they would in short time work Wonders both by Sea and Land. For the more credit whereof Murat Rays a notable Pirate was sent out with twelve Gallies who landing here and there upon the Coasts of Italy did much harm causing it to be reported in every place where he landed That this was but the beginning of a greater War and that a wonderful Fleet was to follow him which raised a great fear as well in other places as in Italy Howbeit no such Fleet afterwards appeared for why the Turkish Emperour much troubled with the Revolt of Transilvania Valachia and Moldavia and the great Mortality then raging both among his Souldiers and their Horses was not at leisure to look into the Sea having his hands full enough with the Troubles of Hungary where his men of War enjoyed little rest in the Frontiers of his Territories Sigismund the Transilvanian Prince had upon some just causes of late suspected Aaron the Vayvod of Moldavia to have Intelligence not only with the Polonians but also with the Cardinal Bator and other his mortal Enemies and secretly to have been about to make his Peace with Mahomet and so again to fall off from him unto the Turk which vehement Suspicion growing daily more and more was about this time manifestly confirmed by certain Letters intercepted concerning that matter For the preventing whereof the Prince caused Aaron to be apprehended and with his Wife and Son to be sent as Prisoners to Prague in whose Room he by the consent of the Nobility of the Country placed one Stephen Rozwan a wise and discreet man amongst them and such an one as had been always faithful unto him so as much as in him was providing that that Country should not be rent from him and the Union of the other But against the secret Practices of the Polonians he protested openly by Letters unto the Emperour by the Power of God and Aid of his faithful Subjects to redress those so great Injuries himself by the Sword. In the midst of these Troubles came three Chiaus Ambassadors from the Turkish Sultan unto the Prince to persuade him again to put himself into his Protection and to give him Passage through his Country as in former time into Hungary promising him that all the Injuries done by him or his People should be for ever forgotten and forgiven and that he should have those three Countries of Transilvania Valachia and Moldavia as his own free Inheritance without paying any Tribute and so to be accounted as the Turk's most loving Friend and Vassal What the Prince answered thereunto was not known but by his doings afterwards it was easily to be gathered that he hearkened not unto the deceitful Charms of the faithless Tyrant trusting more unto the League he had with the Christian Emperour These Ambassadors were scarce gone but that a secret Messenger came with Letters from the chief of the Christians in Bulgaria to the Prince declaring unto him That if he did with any good Success prosecute his Wars they would be ready to follow his Fortune and to joyn hands with him against the cruel Tyrant and to shut up all the Passages that way into Valachia Moldavia and Hungary Whilst these troublesome times thus passed in Transilvania and Hungary one of the old Janizaries called Wasvode Giezi an old Souldier but a confident bold spoken Fellow moved as should seem with the Discontentments of the time came unto Mahomet the Great Sultan at Constantinople and there openly set upon him with this rough and abrupt Speech HOW long at last most mighty Emperour wilt thou endure thy self to be seduced and blinded by the great Bassaes of thy Court and Commanders of thine Armies How long wilt thou suffer thy self to be deceived to the great danger of thy self and hurt of thy Subjects See'st thou not how overthwartly fraudulently and cunningly they moved only with their own covetous and ambitious Humour have hitherto dealt with thee and thy Father especially in that that persuaded by them thou hast dishonourably broken thy League and taken up Arms against the Christian Emperour At length open thine eyes and see their deceit and how much they abuse thy Power Sinan Bassa who must have himself honoured and exalted above all others hath not by strong hand honourably won Rab as hath been the manner of thine Ancestors but hath craftily bought it with thy money and thereby cast thee into a most dangerous War and infinite Troubles O Rab Rab now the cause of great triumph and rejoycing as if thereby all Christendome should in short time be subdued to thy Scepter But thou art therein much deceived thy Barns thy Store-houses as are Transilvania Valachia Moldavia Bulgaria and other Provinces adjoyning from whence this thy Imperial City of Constantinople with the Country about it thy Court yea thy Self are to be relieved are by this War shut up so that down the River of Danubius out of the West or by the Euxine out of the East thou art not able to look for any Provision From whence then O most mighty Emperour wilt thou maintain thy self thy Court this populous City and the Country hereabout Not to speak in the mean time of thy mighty Army now in Hungary Flesh Fish Corn all manner of Victual are now at such a price that the common Souldier cannot buy them In this extream dearth of all things not men only but even the very Beasts and Cattel starve for Hunger Thy Horses go fat perhaps into Hungary but neither thou nor thy select Souldiers can live by Grass and Weeds all that is left in that Country This Misery and Calamity of thy People thou seest daily and yet thou wilt not with sound Iudgment lift up thine eyes to see from whence these harms come and how that they by thee put in greatest trust study not for thy Profit or the profit of the Commonweal but only how by all means to enrich themselves Mahomet much moved with the confident Speech of the old Janizary commanded him to be forthwith committed to Ward and by fair means to be examined by whose setting on and for what Cause
the Country thereabouts was so plagued with such clouds of Grashoppers as they did shadow the very Sun beams and fell upon the City and Country round about The Turks consulted with their Wise-men what it might portend Who answered That they did foreshew great Plenty to follow But indeed they left not a green Herb nor Leaf in all the Country adjoyning not in the City where they entred into their very Chambers and annoyed them much being almost as big as Dormice with red wings And soon after there fell such extraordinary great Hail in Constantinople and Gallata with such abundance of Rain as the violence of the Water did suddenly shut up one of the Gates of the City and so rebounding filled their Shops and Houses that very many were in great danger of drowning Some Houses fell down and some People were slain the pavements of the streets were torn up and the stones carried together into great heapes We have formerly made relation of the Persians Victories and of the defeat and death of Cicala General of the Turks Army in the year 1605. And that the year following the Sophy having recovered whatsoever the Turks had taken from his Predecessors had extended the bounds of his Empire unto the black Sea from whence he sent an Ambassador unto the Grand Seignior to let him understand that having recovered what had been unjustly usurped from him he would proceed no further but desired to live in Peace the which might now be the better assured the one holding nothing from the other Moreover this Persian Ambassador having remained seven Months at the Sultans Port was in the end forced to retire into Persia without audience And lastly That Amurath Serder the Grand Visier was afterwards forced to convert his Arms against Gambolat and the Rebels of Asia and to neglect the War of Persia. year 1611 Notwithstanding the Persian War there arrived this year at Constantinople an Ambassador from Persia who according to the Turks manner was attended on by a great Troop of Ghaoux on Horseback Capigi's Janizaries and other Captains sent by the Sultan to conduct him to his lodging Within few days after his arrival there was a great show made in Constantinople by the several Trades of the City every one marching by themselves before the Grand Seigniors Serrail and representing unto him their manner of marching in the Wars and the order of their Provision some carrying on their Shoulders Sheep others Lambs Calves Beef c. All which was done of Policy to daunt and dishearten the Persian Ambassador and to encourage their own People and withal to let him know that there should be as great plenty in their Camps as he saw at that present And to abuse him still with the Imagination of their great Preparation the Chimacham or Visiers Lieutenant sent the next day for this Persian Ambassador and during their Conference had taken order That the Emperour of Tartaria's Brother who was then in the Sultans Court should come in at whose entrance the Chimacham arose from his Place Oh said he I know for what you come It is for Money for your Souldiers you shall receive it at such a Place Which words were heard by a Dragoman to the English Ambassador being then present the which was done to terrifie the Persian Ambassador and at the same time and to the same end they sent over divers Troops of Souldiers to Scudaret as if they had been ready to march with an Army The Turks great Armies are not raised in haste neither do they march in post when as the Spahi's that is to say the Horsemen which make the greatest part of his Army and have no other Pay or Entertainment than the Revenues of certain Land are discharged they must have a whole year to recover their Revenue and to put themselves in Equipage and moreover it is threescore days march for an Army from Constantinople into Persia. Also in the year 1609 and 1610 the Turk had not attempted any thing against the Persian who still sollicited him for Peace The greatness of the Othoman Empire could not resolve to make a Peace having receiv'd so great defeats they would give it but as Victors not as vanquished But this year Achmat resolved to send a puissant Army of above 150000 men against this antient Enemy of his House under the command of Amurath Serder his Grand Visier But before the Army entred into Persia it was without a Commander by the death of Serder in the end of Iuly so as they were forced to stay and attend the Sultans pleasure from Constantinople It was suspected that he had been poisoned by Nassuf Bassa one that stood out in Rebellion against the Grand Seignior and yet he had many Friends in the Turks Army wherefore to prevent all Mutinies and consequently the overthrow of the whole Army Amurath Bassa in his Sickness advised the Grand Seignior by Letters which he sent unto him to make Nassuf General of the whole Army and so by fair means to draw him home and then to dispose of him at his pleasure The Sultan with his Bassaes approved well of this Advice and chose him Grand Visier and General of the Army who having received the Seal and Authority did forthwith put many of Amurath's friends to death and with their money paid all the Souldiers which had wanted pay whereof some had been without five years before he also sent unto the Grand Seignior threescore and ten Mules laden with money of Amurath's treasure and threescore with goods all which the Sultan gave to Amurath's Wise and Children It is strange to read how the Grand Seignior doth tyrannize over his Subjects and how severely he doth punish the least omission in any of his Officers for I find it observed that the seventh of Ianuary in the end of this year 1611 the Grand Seignior being abroad in the Snow and not well provided for of fuel he caused Stambol Aga who had that charge to be strip't naked and sâ—t in the Snow four or five hours Indeed this Winter was very rigorous and there fell abundance of Snow throughout all Turkie with great Storms many Houses were beaten down and amongst others the French Consul at Aleppo was slain with the fall of his own house Nassuff parted from Asia and marched with his Army unto the Frontiers of Persia where he committed such Spoils as the Sophy was constrained to draw all his Forces together to prevent the ruine of his Countrey being then about the midst of August But when they were come to a Battel the Persian finding the Party unequal for him and dangerous offered Conditions of Peace and promised to give the Turk a quantity of Silk which should make the charge of two hundred Camels for a yearly Tribute in acknowledgment of some Countreys which he had conquered from the Othomans These offers were accepted at Constantinople but there was added that the Persian's Son should be called
of Boiaria and Antivari the Turks were so confounded thereby that they knew not where to apply themselves until at length some Venetians Landing near Antivari were Attacked by one Ahmet Aga the Son of the Governour of that place whom they repulsed with much Vigour and killed Ahmet upon the Place and stranded a Brigantine belonging to Castel Nuovo on the Shoar But the grand Design and Enterprize of this Year being the Siege of Negropont the whole Venetian Fleet with the Gallies of the Pope and Malta having made their general Rendezvous in Porto Poro on the 19th of Iune Old Stile weighed Anchor directing their Course towards the Archipelago The Fleet was divided into three Squadrons one Commanded by his Excellency Veniero Captain Extraordinary of the Ships another Squadron consisted of Gallies under Command of the Governour of the Condannata or of such who are Condemned to the Oar whose Post was to keep to Windward of the Fleet. The third Squadron was Commanded by the Doge himself who with the remaining part of the Galleasses Gallies Galleots and Ships were to take their Station to Lee-ward besides which a Squadron of Ships with 13 Christian Corsairs making in all 26 Sail were dispatched before with Orders to advance as far as the Dardanelli and give a stop to the Captain Pasha who upon the News of this powerful Fleet durst not adventure Abroad but kept within the Reach and Covert of the Castles For indeed the Turkish Fleet which for many Years past had not been of equal force to engage the Venetians was this Year also much weakened by the want of Eight Gallies which the Captain Pasha had dispatched to the Black Sea for relief of their Saicks against the Cossacks who much infested that Coast and for want of forty Galleots which were remaining on the Stocks in the Arsenal at Constantinople having neither Slaves for the Oar nor Soldiers for Fight and Defence nor Seamen to Sail and direct them Nor was the Captain Pasha of sufficient force to give Convoy to the Fleet expected from Egypt consisting of nine great Soltanaes and diverse Saicks laden with Ammunition and Provisions of which tho' the Grand Seignior had great want and had dispatched divers Commands unto Alexandria to hasten their Voyage yet the fear they had of being intercepted by the Venetians was a sufficient Defence for them against the reiterated Commands of the Port. This Squadron of Ships coming to Anchor before the Mouth of the Dardanelli kept the Turkish Fleet within the Castles whilst the Doge advanced with the main Fleet towards the Island of Negropont in the Form and Manner before described The Island of Negropont is the most considerable of all the Isles in the Archipelago the ancient Name of it amongst the Greeks and Latines was Eubaea it had also other Names as Macris from the narrowness of the Channel which passes between the Island and the Main Land Abantias and the People Abantiades the chief Town was Chalcis now named after the Denomination of the Country Pliny calls the Island Asopis and Strabo Ocha it had also the Name of Ellopia from Ellope the Son of Iupiter This Island as believed was once joined to the Main Land but separated from thence by some Earthquake and now adjoyned by a Bridge it is 365 Italian Miles in compass 90 Miles in length and 40 in breadth The City of Negropont anciently Chalcis is situated on the Euripis which is a narrow Channel that in a wonderful manner Ebbs and Flows seven times in 24 Hours The Walls of the City are about two Miles in compass but the Suburbs are much larger and more Populous by reason of the many Greeks and Iews which Inhabit therein The Captain Pasha is the Chief Commander thereof but commonly governs by his Deputy There is a Bey also belonging to it a Man of great Power by reason that he draws from thence a Yearly Revenue for Maintenance of a Gally This Island of Negropont formerly belonged to the Venetians and to this Day the Arms of St. Mark remain over one of the Gates of the City when Pietro Zani was Doge it was given by the Emperour of Constantinople to the Venetians in recompence and reward of some good Services performed by that Republick towards him or rather because he could not defend it he gave it over into the Hands of a good Ally But in the Year 1469 Sultan Mahomet being desirous to joyn that Pleasant Isle to his other Conquests endeavoured to make a Bridge for the more easie Transportation of his Troops into the Land but being repulsed by the Inhabitants and the Bridge overthrown the Turks were forced to betake themselves unto their Boats and Vessels Howsoever in less than a Month afterwards the Turks returned before the Place with 300 Sail and then having formed the Bridge as was intended Mahomet himself came with an Army of 120000 Men and Attacked the City which was Fortified after the manner of those Times and defended by a Garrison of 24000 Men under the Command of Giovanni Bondulmiero Ludovico Calvo and Paolo Erizzo The Turks raised several Batteries in different Places against it by which they made such large Breaches that they made four terrible Assaults thereon in which above 40000 Turks were Slain and the Enemies bravely repulsed but at length being overwhelmed with Numbers and tired with a long Siege the Guards which defended the Porta Bureliana conveyed themselves secretly away and abandoning their Post they entered the Gate without much opposition killing all the People who passed the Age of 20 Years Calvo was killed on the Place and Bondulmiero in his House Erizzo having Intrenched himself in some fast place defended himself Valiantly and at length surrendred on Conditions of Life but the Turks maintained them not but caused him to be Sawn in two His Fair Daughter chose rather to die by her own Dagger than to give up her Chastity to the Lust of the Turks The Turks having remained Masters of this City ever since the Year 1469 it came at length to be Attacked in hopes of Recovery in this Year 1688 in order unto which the Captain Extraordinary Veniero was appointed with nine Ships belonging to the Republick a Fire-ship and a Palandra to guard the Channel of Negropont and to hinder the Turks from bringing Succours to the City to which also seven Gallies were added under Proveditor Pisani At the same time also several light Gallies were ordered to scower the Channel of Volo and hinder all Succours from passing on that side All the Land Forces being Embarked upon the Ships Gallies Galleases Galleots Palandras and other Vessels the Venetian Fleet weighed Anchor on the 7th of Iuly from Porto Poro and Sailed with a fair Wind directing their Course towards the Island of Negropont but by what Misfortune not known a great Ship called the Smyrna Merchant ran upon a Rock which being high and easily seen it was suspected to
French whose Emissaries began now to spread in all the great and considerable Towns as well in Hungary as in Germany Towns and Countries were burnt and vast Devastations committed thereon The City of Cronstadt in Transilvania was in the Month of May totally destroyed and consumed by fire which was kindled at the four Angles thereof which in a few Hours by the help of a strong Wind was reduced to Ashes notwithstanding the Endeavours of Colonel Baron de Pace to extinguish it only by the help of his Soldiers he preserved the Castle and the Ammunition therein notwithstanding the Flames which by the forcible Winds were carried to the very Walls of it At the same time the like Misfortune befel the Fortress of Honot in the Upper Hungary and the Citadel of the Iews at Prague so that both one and the other were in a few Hours miserably reduced to Ashes all which was suspected to have been done by Treasonable Practices and not by Chance or Accident and that which gave undoubted Assurances thereof were certain Sacks of Powder found at the Gates of some Houses in Vienna and a Fire breaking out in a House adjoyning to the great Hospital of the City being kindled at a time when the Wind was very high put all the City into a great Combustion but by the Vigilance of the Magistrates and the activeness of the Soldiers it was soon extinguished The which horrid Practices were some Days afterwards discovered to have been acted by certain Frenchmen who being convicted by course of Justice were sentenced as Incendiaries to be cast into the Fire and committed to the Flames The which Tryals and Proofs being produced and laid before the Council of State extorted from the benign Nature of His Imperial Majesty a severe Edict for Banishing all the French out of his Dominions unless such as had been Naturalized or for the space of 10 Years past could prove their Abode or Residence with their Wives established in some City were all without any exception to depart in the space of 14 Days The which Edict how severe soever it might seem at another time was in the present Conjuncture no less than necessary when the French Nation was crept into every City and Country and entertained for Valets de Chambre Pedants Dancing Masters Cooks and such like in most of the Houses and Families of Princes and Nobles of principal Quality where they served for Spies and Traytors to the Empire But the Wars in Germany not being the Subject of this History let us proceed to the Affairs of Turkey where it was reported That the Turks were assembling all the force they were able to recover the City of Belgrade and that the Seraskier was already in the Field and had prepared Bridges to pass the Morava above Iagodina and began to march so fast as if he intended to force Belgrade before the Grand Vizier was joyned with him the noise whereof caused some Consternation at Belgrade but at the appearance of Prince Lewis of Baden sent thither with Commission of General of the Imperial Forces in Hungary all the Fears of the Soldiers vanished and every one reassumed his Courage and at the Command of the Prince fell to work about the Fortifications the which Work being by direction of His Highness put into a way of dispatch he proceeded forward to the Army And on the 14th of Iune being arrived at Semendria he made it his business in the first place to enquire and inform himself of the true State of the Affairs of the Enemy who according to common report of the Spies were said to be very near being encamped in the Plains of Iagodina to the Number of 40000 Men under Command of the Sâ—raskier the greatest part of which were Asiaticks raw and Undisciplin'd Soldiers to which very speedily the Grand Vizier was to joyn with 10000 Turks and a considerable Train of Artillery which was already on the way from Sophia The Prince being alarm'd hereat by reason of the small force he had with him dispatched an Express away to the Counts of Veterani and Piccolomini with Orders to hasten their March what was possible and come to his necessary reinforcement against so formidable an Enemy and in the mean time the heavy Baggage was sent to Belgrade with about 30000 Inhabitants of that place who for their better security were ordered to pass the Save But for the more certain Intelligence of all the Prince dispatched an Express to Hassan Pasha Palanca where Count Hofâ—kirchen was Quartered to know of him what News he had received there from the Camp of the Enemy At this Palanca I lodged one Night as I remember which is no other than a small Fortress built of Stone in a Woody and a Desolate Country at the Charge of one Hassan Pasha with intent only to cover a Chan or Inn for Reception of Travellers and their Goods from Spoilers and Robbers which often infested that place where notwithstanding by means of this Fort Garrison'd by 60 Soldiers Strangers may sleep and remain secure from Robbers The Messenger being returned from Hoffkirchen brought Intelligence that the Turks were neither so numerous and strong nor so near as common Fame reported And they only appeared sometimes in Parties on the River Morava but with some Care and Caution in apprehension of the Germans whose Numbers tho' they knew not yet they were sensible enough of their Valour and Vigilance This News and the Conjunction with the Militia of Veterani and Piccolomini greatly encouraged and animated the Prince and more especially because that Piccolomini had passed a Bridge over the Save between Belgrade and Sawaz for the more commodious Transportation of Ammunition and Victuals which came from the Parts of Hungary In the mean time Tekeli did not remain idle but made several Incursions with design to relieve Temeswaer Giula and Waradine which were streightly blocked up by the Imperialists In which tho' he did not succeed yet having joyned with the Pasha of Silistria he fell upon Fetislau a Garrison of the Rascians which after a stout defence for 12 Days and having no hopes of succour they were forced to yield at Discretion and being made Prisoners several of the principal Men with their Colours were sent in triumph to the Grand Seignior who in recompence thereof sent a Scimetar a Vest of Sables and some Money unto Tekeli with an Aferum or You have well done and do still better Tekeli having put a Garrison of 1000 Janisaries into Fetislau he marched to Orsoua a place which Heisler had lately deserted and demolished which he possessed and delivered it into the Hands of the Prince of Walachia to be Garrison'd and made a place of Arms and a Magazine for divers sorts of Provisions and Ammunition expected from Nicopolis and which if well fortified and provided might be considered as the Key of the Upper Hungary About the same time Count
Summons given promising to yield the City after they had once won the City of Ierusalem From thence they came to Cesarea in Palestine where they solemnly kept the Feast of Whitsontide and so to Rama which they found for fear forsaken of the Infidels Marching from Rama and drawing near to Ierusalem they in the Vantgard of the Army upon the first descrying of the Holy City gave for joy divers great Shouts and Outcries which with the like applause of the whole Army was so doubled and redoubled as if therewith they would have rent the very Mountains and pierced the highest Heavens There might a man have seen the devout passions of these most worthy and zealous Christians uttered in right divers manners some with theâ—r Eyes and Hands cast up towards Heaven called aloud upon the name and help of Christ Jesus some prostrate upon their faces kissed the ground as that whereon the Redeemer of the World sometime walked others joyfully saluted those holy places which they had heard so much of and then first beheld in brief every man in some sort expressed the joy he had conceived of the sight of the Holy City as the end of their long travel This most ancient and famous City so much renowned in holy Writ is situate in an hilly Country not watred with any River or fresh Springs as other famous Cities for most part be neither yet was it well seated for Wood or Pasture ground but what wanted in these and such other benefits of Nature was by the extraordinary blessings of the most High so supplied as that the Jews there dwelling so long as they kept the Ordinances of the Lord were of all other people in the World justly accounted the most happy and fortunate Yet in those so blessed times was this City for the sin of the people oftentimes delivered into the Enemies hand and the glory thereof defaced as well appeareth by the whole course of the History of holy Scripture as also by the ancient and approved Histories as well of the Jews themselves as others Nevertheless it still rose again though not in like glory as before in the time of King David Solomon and the other next succeeding Kings and so was still repeopled by the Jews until that at last according to the foretelling of our Saviour Christ it was with a great and of all others most lamentable destruction utterly rased and destroyed by the Romans under the leading of Vespasian the Emperor and his noble Son Titus forty years after our Saviour his precious Death and Passion Since which time it was never until this day again repaired or yet well inhabited by the Jews but lying buried in the ruines of it self all the Reign of Domitian Nerva and Trajan until the time of the great Emperor Aelius Adrianus it was again by him re-edified about the year 136 and after the name of him called Aelia who together with the name changed also in some part the ancient situation of the City For whereas before it was seated upon the steep rising of an hill in such sort that towards the East and the South it overlooked the whole ground having only the Temple and the Castle called Antonia in the highest part of the City Adrian translated the whole City unto the very top of the hill so that the place where our blessed Saviour suffered his most bitter Passion with the Sepulchre wherein he was also laid and from whence he in Glory rose again before without the City were then inclosed within the Walls thereof as they are at this day to be seen Yet for all that the Emperor being dead in process of time this new built City recovered again the ancient name of Ierusalem whereby it hath ever since and is at this day yet known This City so re-edified the Emperor first gave unto the Jews whom he afterwards thrust out again for their Rebellion and gave it to the Christians to inhabit over whom one Mark first Bishop of the Gentiles there had the charge But forasmuch as the Roman Emperors were at that time altogether Idolaters and Persecutors of the poor Christians the Church also at Ierusalem with others endured sundry and many grievous Persecutions under the Emperors Antonius Commodus Severus Maximinus Valerianus Aurelianus Dioclesianus and Maxentius until that at length Constantine the Great converted unto the Faith of Christ about the year of Grace 320 suppressing the Pagan Idolatry gave general Peace to the afflicted Church whereby the Christian Church at Ierusalem for the space of three hundred years after happily flourished under the Greek Emperors until the time of the Emperor Phocas who having most cruelly slain the good Emperor Maurice with his Children and so possessed himself of the Empire gave occasion thereby unto Chosroe the Persian King in revenge of the death of Maurice his Father in law with all his Power to invade Syria who as a tempest bearing down all before him took also by force the City of Ierusalem having that year which was about the year Six hundred and ten slain almost an hundred thousand Christians But Phocas the Usurper being by them of his Guard most cruelly slain and Heraclius succeeding in his stead Chosroe was by him again driven out of Syria and the Holy City again recovered about the year 624. In these great Wars against the Persians Heraclius had used the help of the Arabians called Scenite a warlike people of Arabia Deserta altogether given to the Spoil who the Wars now ended expecting to have received their pay were contrary to their expectation and without all reason rejected by them that should have paid them with very foul and contumelious words as that there was not mony enough to pay the Christian Souldiers of the Latines and the Greeks much less those vile dogs whom they so called for that they had but a little before received the damnable Doctrin of the false Prophet Mahomet the great Seducer of the World who even in that time flourished Upon which discontentment they at their return revolted from the Empire and joyned themselves unto their great Prophet and so afterwards unto the Caliphs his Successors extending his Doctrin together with his Soveraignty to the utmost of their power and that with so good success that in short time they had overrun all Aegypâ— Syria the Land of Promise and taken the Holy City With these the Disciples of Mahomet and his Successors the Sarasins for so now they would be called the Greek Emperors ensuing had for certain years divers conflicts with diverse fortune for the possession of Syria But at length wearied out and by them overcome they left the aforesaid Countries wholly to their Devotion Hereby it came to pass that the Sarasins for the space of 370 years following held these Countries with many others in great subjection oppressing still the poor Christians in Ierusalem with most grievous Tributes and exactions unto whom they yet left a third part of the City
for them to dwell in with the Temple of the Sepulchre of our Saviour and Mount Sion not for any devotion either unto them or those places but for that it yielded them a great profit by the recourse of devout Christians travelling thither reserving in the mean time unto themselves the other two parts of the City with the Temple of Solomon before re-edified by the Christians Now whilst the Sarasins thus triumph it in the East and not in the East only but over a great part of the West also contenting themselves with such Tributes as they had imposed upon the subdued Nations and Countries up start the Turks a vagrant fierce and cruel people who first breaking into Asia as is before declared and by rare fortune aspiring unto the Kingdom of Persia subdued the Countries of Mesopotamia Syria with the greatest part of the lesser Asia and Iudaea together with the Holy City who both there and in all other places held the poor oppressed Christians in such Subjection and Thraldom as that the former government of the Sarasins seemed in comparison of this to have been but light and easie Neither was there any end or release of these so great miseries to have been expected had not God in mercy by the weak means of a poor Hermit stirred up these most worthy Princes of the West to take up Arms in their defence who having with their victorious Armies recovered the lesser Asia with a great part of Syria were now come unto this Holy City The Governour of Ierusalem understanding by his Espials of the proceedings of the Christians had before their approach got into the City a great garrison of right valiant Souldiers with good store of all things necessary for the holding out of a long Siege The Chrstians with their Army approaching the City encamped before it on the North for that toward the East and the South it was not well to be besieged by reason of the broken Rocks and Mountains Next unto the City lay Godfrey the Duke with the Germans and Lorains near unto him lay the Earl of Flanders and Robert the Norman before the West gate lay Tancred and the Earl of Tholouse Bohemund and Baldwin were both absent the one at Antioch the other at Edissâ— The Christians thus strongly encamped the fifth day after gave unto the City a fierce assâ—ult with such chearfulness as that it was verily supposed it might have been even then woon had they been sufficiently furnished with scaling ladders for want whereof they were glad to give over the assault and retire But within a few days after having supplied that defect and provided all things necessary they came on again afresh and with all their power gave unto the City a most terrible assault wherein was on both sides seen great valour policy and cunning with much slaughter until that at length the Christians weary of the long Fight and in that hot Country and most fervent time of the year fainting for lack of Water were glad again to forsake the assault and to retire into their Trenches only the Well of Siloe yielded them water and that not sufficient for the whole Camp the rest of the Wells which were but few being before by the Enemy either filled up or else poysoned Whilst the Christians thus lay at the Siege of Ierusalem a Fleet oâ— the Genowaies arrived at Ioppa at which time also a great Fleet of the Aegyptian Sultans lay at Ascalon to have brought relief to the besieged Turks in Ierusalem whereof the Genowaies understanding and knowing themselves too weak to encounter them at Sea took all such things out of their Ships as they thought good and so sinking them marched by Land unto the Camp. There was amongst these Genowaies divers Engineers men after the manner of that time cunning in making of all manner of Engines fit for the besieging of Cities by whose device a great moving Tower was framed of timber and thick planks covered over with raw Hides to save the same from fire out of which the Christians might in safety greatly annoy the Defendants This Tower being by night brought close to the Wall served the Christians instead of a most sure fortress in the assault the next day where whilst they strive with warlike Valour and doubtful Victory on both sides from morning until midday by chance the wind favouring the Christians carried the flame of the fire into the face of the Turks wherewith they had thought to have burnt the Tower with such violence that the Christians taking the benefit thereof and holpen by the Tower gained the top of the Wall which was first footed by the Duke Godfrey and his Brother Eustace wâ—â—h their followers and the Ensigns of the Duke there first set up to the great encouraging of the Christians who now pressing in on every side like a violent River that had broken over the Banks bare down all before them All were slain that came to hand Men Women and Children without respect of Age Sex or Condition the Slaughter was great and the sight lamentable all the Streets were filled with blood and the bodies of the dead Death triumphing in every place Yet in this confusion a wonderful number of the better sort of the Turks retiring to Solomons Temple there to do their last Devoir made there a great and terrible Fight armed with dispair to endure any thing and the victorious Christians no less disdaining after the winning of the City to find there so great resistance In this disperate conflict fought with wonderful obstinacy of mind many fell on both sides but the Christians â—ame on so fiercely with desire of blood that breaking into the Temple the foremost of them were by the press of them that followed after violently thrust upon the weapons of their Enemies and so miserably slain Neither did the Turks thus oppressed give it over but as men resolved to dy desperately fought it out with invincible courage not at the gates of the Temple only but even in the midst thereof also where was to be seen great heaps both of the Victors and the vanquished slain indifferently together All the Pavement of the Temple swam with blood in such sort that a man could not set his foot but either upon some dead man or over the shooes in blood Yet for all that the obstinate Enemy still held the Vaults and top of the Temple when as the darkness of the night came so fast on that the Christians were glad to make an end of the Slaughter and to sound a Retreat The next day for Proclamation was made for mercy to be shewed unto all such as should lay down their weapons the Turks that yet held the upper part of the Temple came down and yielded themselves Thus was the famous City of Ierusalem with great bloodshed but far greater honour recovered by these worthy Christians year 1099. in the year 1099 after it had been in the hands of the Infidels above