should haue paid them with verie foule and contumelious words as that there was not money enough to pay the Christian soldiers of the Latines and the Greeks much lesse those vile dogs whom they so called for that they had but a little before receiued the damnable doctrine of the false prophet Mahomet the great seducer of the world who euen in that time flourished Vpon which discontentment they at their returne reuolted from the empire and joyned themselues vnto their great prophet and so afterwards vnto the Caliphs his successors extending his doctrine together with his soueraigntie to the vttermost of their power and that with so good successe that in short time they had ouerrun all AEGYPT SIRIA the land of promise and taken the Holy citie With these the disciples of Mahomet and his successors the Sarasins for so now they would be called the Greeke emperors ensuing had for certaine yeeres diuers conflicts with diuers fortune for the possession of SIRIA But at length wearied out by them ouercom they left the aforesaid countries wholy vnto their deuotion Hereby it came to passe that the Sarasins for the space of 370 yeeres following held those countries with many others in great subjection oppressing still the poore Christians in IERVSALEM with most grieuous tributes and exactions vnto whom they yet left a third part of the citie for them to dwell in with the temple of the Sepulcher of our Sauiour and mount SION not for any deuotion either vnto them or those places but for that it yeelded them a great profit by the recourse of deuout Christians trauelling thither reseruing in the meane time vnto themselues the other two parts of the citie with the temple of Salomon before reedified by the Christians Now whilst the Sarasins thus triumph it in the East and not in the East onely but ouer a great part of the West also contenting themselues with such tributs as they had imposed vpon the subdued nations and countries vp start the Turks a vagrant fierce and cruell people who first breaking into ASIA as is before declared and by rare fortune aspiring vnto the kingdome of PERSIA subdued the countries of MESOPOTAMIA SIRIA with the greatest part of the lesser ASIA and IVDEA together with the Holy citie who both there and in all other places held the poore oppressed Christians in such subjection and thraldom as that the former gouernment of the Sarasins seemed in comparison of this to haue beene but light and easie Neither was there any end or release of these so great miseries to haue beene expected had not God in mercie by the weake meanes of a poore heremit stirred vp these most woorthie princes of the West to take vp armes in their defence who hauing with their victorious armies recouered the lesser ASIA with a great part of SIRIA were now come vnto this Holy citie The gouernour of IERVSALEM vnderstanding by his espials of the proceedings of the Christians had before their approch got into the citie a verie strong garrison of right valiant souldiers with good store of all things necessarie for the holding out of a long siege The Christians with their armie approching the citie encamped before it on the North for that towards the East and the South it was not well to be besieged by reason of the broken rocks and mountaines Next vnto the citie lay Godfrey the duke with the Germans and Loranois neere vnto him lay the earle of FLANDERS and Robert the Norman before the West gate lay Tancred and the earle of THOLOVS Bohemund and Baldwin were both absent the one at ANTIOCH the other at EDESSA The Christians thus strongly encamped the fift day after gaue vnto the citie a fierce assault with such cheerfulnesse as that it was verily supposed it might haue beene euen then woon had they beene sufficiently furnished with scaling ladders for want whereof they were glad to giue ouer the assault and retire But within a few daies after hauing supplied that defect and prouided all things necessarie they came on againe afresh and with all their power gaue vnto the citie a most terrible assault wherein was on both sides seene great valour policie cunning with much slaughter vntill that at length the Christians wearie of the long fight and in that hot countrey and most feruent time of the yeere fainting for lacke of water were glad againe to forsake the assault and to retire into their trenches onely the well of Siloe yeelded them water and that not sufficient for the whole campe the rest of the wels which were but few being before by the enemie either filled vp or else poysoned Whilst the Christians thus lay at the siege of IERVSALEM a fleet of the Genowaies arriued at IOPPA at which time also a great fleet of the Egyptian Sultans lay at ASCALON to haue brought reliefe to the besieged Turks in IERVSALEM whereof the Genowaies vnderstanding and knowing themselues too weake to encounter them at sea tooke all such things out of their ships as they thought good and so sinking them marched by land vnto the campe There was amongst these Genowaies diuers enginers men after the manner of that time cunning in making of all manner of engines fit for the besieging of cities by whose deuice a great moouing tower was framed of timber and thick plancks couered ouer with raw hides to saue the same from fire out of which the Christians might in safetie greatly annoy the defendants This tower being by night brought close vnto the wall serued the Christians in steed of a most sure fortresse in the assault the next day where whilst they striue with like valour and doubtfull victorie on both sides from morning vntill midday by chance the wind fauouring the Christians carried the flame of the fire into the face of the Turks wherewith they had thought to haue 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 with their followers and the ensigns of the duke there first set vp to the great encouraging of the Christians who now pressing in on euerie side like a violent riuer that had broken ouer the banks bare downe all before them All were slaine 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 euerie place Yet in this confusion a woonderfull number of the better sort of the Turks retiring vnto Salomons temple there to do their last deuoire made there a great and terrible fight armed with dispaire to endure any thing and the victorious Christians no lesse disdaining after the winning of the citie to find there so great resistance In this desperat conflict fought with woonderfull obstinacie of mind many fell on both sides
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
wherewith he had couered his rich and royal garments and presently knowne to be the yong emperour the people came flocking about him and with many joyfull acclamations receiued him as their dread lord and soueraigne yet some few more fauouring the old emperor fled into the castle and there stood vpon their guard which after they had for a space notably defended was at length taken from them THESSALONICA thus yeelded Demetrius Andronicus and Asan Michael the old emperor cheefe captaines then lying with his armie not farre off and not well trusting one another fled most of whose souldiors presently went ouer vnto the young emperour who departing from THESSALONICA came to SERRE which by composition was deliuered vnto him also but not the castle for that was by Basilicus Nicephorus the captaine thereof still holden for the 〈◊〉 emperour This Basilicus was a man honourably descended but of no great capacitie or wit as the finer sort supposed and therefore not of them much regarded or thought fit for the taking in hand of any great matter whom yet the old emperour for his plaine sinceritie more than for any thing els had made captaine of that castle and gouernour of the country thereabouts which he yet still held and in these most troublesome times shewed himselfe wiser than them all that had so thought of him of whom some died in despaire some fled some were taken prisoners and so suffered a thousand euils the rest with the losse of their honour traiterously reuolting from the old emperour to the yong whereas he alone looking but euen forward vpon his allegeance with his trust in God so long as the old emperour liued opposed himselfe against these troubles and stood fast for him and was not to be moued with any faire promises or cruell threats of the yong aspiring emperour whereof he lacked none But hauing strongly fortefied the castle committed to his charge there kept himselfe vntill that hearing of the death of the old emperour he then reconciling himselfe vnto the yong as vnto his right soueraigne deliuered vp vnto him the castle who in reward of his fidelitie gaue it him againe to hold for him in as ample manner as he had before held it from his grandfather for wise men honour vertue euen in their enemies as did king Philip in Demosthenes when as he said If any Athenian liuing in Athens doth say that he preferreth me before his countrey him verely would I buy with much money but not thinke him worthie my friendship But if any for his countries sake shall hate me him will I impugne as a castle a strong wall or a bulwarke and yet admire his vertue and reckon the citie happie in hauing such a man And so in few words to conclude a long discourse the yong emperour in short time hauing romed through all MACEDONIA and without resistance taken all the strong townes and cities therein he there tooke also Demetrius the Despots wife and children with all his treasure as also the wiues of Andronicus and Asanes and of all the Senators that followed them after whom the great commaunders their husbands were also for the most part taken and cast in prison some at THESSALONICA some at DIDIMOTICHUM some of the rest afterwards most miserably perishing in exile Wherewith the old emperour discouraged was about to haue sent his embassadours vnto his nephew for peace whilest he was yet thus busied in MACEDONIA and had indeed so done had not another hope arising in the meane time quite altered that his better purpose It fortuned at the same time whilest the old emperour was thus thinking of peace That Michael the Bulgarian prince in hope of great profite thereof to arise secretly offered his aid vnto him against the young emperour his nephew of which his offer the old emperour gladly accepted and embassadours were sent too and fro about the full conclusion of the matter no man being acquainted therewith more than two or three of the emperour his most secret friends and trustie counsellors Yet in the meane time disdayning to be so coupt vp as he was by Synadenus one of his nephews captaines euen in the imperiall citie sent out one Constantinus Assan with the greatest part of his strength against him who encountring him at the riuer MAVRVS was there by him in plaine battell ouerthrown and taken prisoner the rest of his discomfited armie flying headlong backe againe to CONSTANTINOPLE All things thus prosperously proceeding with the yoong emperour and the countries of MACEDONIA and THRACIA now almost all at his commaund he returned in hast with all his power to CONSTANTINOPLE to preuent the comming of the Bulgarians thither as fearing least that they finding the citie weakly manned should trecherously kill the old emperour with such as were about him and so ceize vpon the citie themselues or at leastwise giue him such aid as might keepe him out and so cut off all his hope for obtayning of the same At which time also there was great want of victuall in the citie he with his armie hauing shut it vp on the one side by land and the Venetians with their gallies on the other side by sea who then at ods with the Genowaics dwelling at PERA kept all that strait sea betwixt EVROPE and ASIA in such sort as that neither victuals nor marchandise could be brought that way either to CONSTANTINOPLE or PERA The yoong emperour comming to CONSTANTINOPLE attempted at his first comming to haue entred the citie in hope without any great resistance to haue beene receiued but repulsed by the defendants was glad to get him further off About this time came also vnto the citie three thousand horsemen the promised aid of the Bulgarian prince vnto the old emperour who although he wanted men and was right glad of their comming yet remembring the harmes he had before receiued by forrein aid and not now daring to trust them too far suffered not them to come into the citie more than their Generall and some few others of their commanders with him Now the yoong emperour vpon the comming of this aid least some great harme might betide either the old emperour or himselfe to the vtter subuersion of their state secretly sent vnto his grandfather requesting him to be well aduised how he trusted those forrein people too far offering himselfe to do whatsoeuer he should commaund rather than so great a harme should happen vnto either of them as was from them to be feared But the trust the old emperour had conceiued of this Bulgarian aid had so confirmed his mind as that hee little listened vnto his nephews request besides that how could hee well trust him that had so oftentimes deceiued him Wherewith the young emperour much grieued and now againe almost dispairing of his farther successe dislodged and drew neere vnto the place where these Bulgarian horsemen lay encamped from whence hee sent certaine embassadours with great gifts and presents vnto the Generall and the rest of the chiefe
had the spoile therof being then by open proclamation commaunded euerie man to repaire to his quarter The citizens he set all at libertie not suffering any of them to be taken prisoners And so leauing ten thousand good souldiours with a great number of others whereof he caried a great multitude in his armie planting euerie where as he passed as it were new colonies and carying away with him such of the inhabitants as he thought might hurt him and taking order for all things necessarie for the keeping of such a citie he caused his armie to passe ouer the riuer for to follow the Sultan vnto ALEXANDRIA to the end not to leaue his victorie vnperfect Axalla hasting before with the avauntgard for to hinder the Sultan for joyning his forces againe together and the rest of his armie conducted by the prince of THANAIS He himselfe with an infinite number of boats and souldiors to attend vpon him going by water taking great pleasure to behold the faire riuer and his swift course sometimes and in an instant to become so calme as if it scarce mooued The cittizens of ALEXANDRIA hearing of his comming and fearing what might betide them besought the Sultan to haue compassion of their estate and to withdraw himselfe into LIBIA whether Tamerlane for the barrennesse of the countrey could not with any great power follow him resolued for their parts to giue place vnto fortune and to doe as the time required and no more to resist so great a force whereof they had alreadie made sufficient triall promising yet to remaine in heart still his and vpon the first occasion offered to make the same to him appeare Whereupon the Sultan seeing all things desperate determined for a time to retire in hope that time would bring some change as also that Tamerlane his populous armie would not long remaine there And so departing out of ALEXANDRIA with teares standing in his eyes oftentimes said That God was angrie with him and his people and that hee must of necessitie suffer the fatall ouerthrow of his estate himselfe hauing done as much as in him lay according to his charge and the expectation the world had of him and yet that he hoped at length to returne againe and deliuer his people from the bondage whereunto they must now needs submit themselues Tamerlane comming to ALEXANDRIA before yeelded to Axalla there staied a great while sending Axalla to pursue the Sultan exceedingly grieued that he could not get him into his hands and therefore still fearing some innouation to be by him raised which caused him to deale the more hardly with them whom he suspected to fauour him Now the bruit of these victories hauing with Axalla passed beyond ALEXANDRIA into LYBIA had brought such a feare not onely vpon the people adjoyning vnto these conquests but also vpon all AFFRICA they supposing that Tamerlane did follow that two and twentie of the Moore kings sent their embassadours vnto him to offer vnto him their obedience the Sultan as a man forsaken of fortune still flying before him Of the nearest of which kings Tamerlane tooke hostages as for the other farther off he contented himselfe with their faith giuen and with the other outward signes of their good wils Now after this long trauaile and paines taken was Tamerlane more desirous than hee had before vsed to see the pleasures of his owne natiue countrey the rather thereunto moued by the request of his wife then longing for his returne and the newes hee heard of the sicknesse of the old Tartarian emperour his father in law besides that age it selfe began to bring vnto him a desire of rest with whom also the desires of his souldiors well agreed as men now wearie â—o haue run so many and diuers fortunes The onely stay was that hee expected the comming of Calibes an old and faithfull seruant of his whom he for his good desert had of his owne accord appointed gouernour of all his new conquests in AEGYPT and SYRIA A great honour no doubt but not too great for him that had so well deserued So mindfull was he of the good deserts of his faithfull seruants as that he needed not by others to be of them put in remembrance were they neuer so farre off as was now Calibes who at this time was with the third part of his armie making way for him along the great riuer EUPHRATES for the conquest of MESOPOTAMIA and PERSIA whose comming was now with great deuotion looked for of the whole armie desirous to returne Which their expectation he long delayed not but being sent for came to ALEXANDRIA whither the whole armie was now by the commaundement of Tamerlane againe assembled Vpon whose comming Tamerlane departed from ALEXANDRIA hauing there left the prince Zamalzan a man of great reputation with six thousand horsemen and ten thousand foot as gouernour of that place and lieutenant generall vnder Calibes whom Tamerlane as I haue said had now appointed to commaund ouer all AEGYPT and SYRIA together with the countries newly conquered in LYBIA and BARBARIE and now conducting him vnto the great citie of CAIRE and there taking the best order he could for the preseruation of his new conquest left him with fortie thousand horse and fiftie thousand foot And so hauing sufficiently instructed him how he would haue those kingdomes gouerned dismissed him not like a master but as a companion seeming very sorâ—ie to leaue him destitute of his presence So setting forward with his armie conducted by the prince of THANAIS Tamerlane himselfe with a few to guard him by the way turned aside vnto IERUSALâ—M where he remained eleuen dayes daily visiting the Sepulchre of Christ Iesus whom hee called the God of the Christians and the ruines of Salomon his temple much wondering thereat and at IERUSALEM the seat of Dauids kingdome and of that great Salomon but grieued that he could not see them fully in their former beautie He only despised the Iews which had committed so cruell a murder against him that came to saue them And to shew his deuotion towards the holy citie commaunded it to be free from all subsidies and garrisons of men of warre and gaue great gifts vnto the monasteries and honoured them so long as he remained there Departing from IERUSALEM he came to DAMASCO which great citie as well for that it was infected with the opinion of Iezides accounted an arch hereticke among the Mahometanes as also euill affected to his proceedings he caused to be rased and the bones of Iezides the false prophet to be digged vp and burnt and his graue before much honoured in despight to bee filled with dung So marching on and blasting the world before him as he went for long it were and from our purpose to recount all his victories he passed ouer the riuer EUPHRATES and hauing conquered MESOPOTAMIA with the great cittie of BABILON and all the kingdome of PERSIA loaded with the spoile of the world and eternized for euer he returned