of that place lost this short and transitorie life winning thereby immortall fame and at S. Michaels Adurnius one of the knights and Pagio with certaine others were greeuously wounded for the enemie suddenly retiring from the assault presently so thundred into the breaches with their great and small shot that all the island seemed to tremble the heauens to burne and the aire to be darkened with smoake In the meane time Valetta thorowly wearied with the mornings fight had withdrawne himselfe a little to breath himselfe when suddenly a Spanish priest with his hands cast vp to heauen came running to him roaring and crying out That all was lost and forlorne and that three or foure ensignes of the enemies were by the castle breach broken into the towne Which the Great master hearing suddenly clapt his helmet vpon his head and with a pike in his hand said vnto them that were about him Loe fellow souldiors the houre is come wherein you may shew your selues the most valiant champions of the Christian religion if it be so that you now also retaine the same valor which you haue in other battel 's shewed There is no cause wherefore you should doubt of this last for the enemie is the same and the same God which hath hetherto preserued vs will not now forsake vs wherefore follow me valiant hearts This said he hasted to the place where most danger was and with him all the souldiors all the citisens men and women old and yong yea the very children all against the common enemy There was fought a most dreadfull and dangerous battell some kept the enemie from entring some set vpon that were alreadie entred whom they wounded chased and slew although they notably resisted Within without all was couered with darts weapons dead bodies and bloud The Great master was carefull of all in euery place present commending exhorting directing as occasion required performing at once all the duties of a most valiant souldior and worthie Generall At length the Turkes with the setting of the Sunne retired and so the assault ceased Thus was the Great master the vndoubted victor but not without much bloud of his people considering his small number for in this fight he lost aboue 200 men wheras of the enemies beside them which were entred whereof not one escaped were slaine aboue 2000. These are those foure terrible assaults presently giuen one after another vnto the besieged Garzias the Viceroy in the meane time taried for nothing els to transport his armie to MALTA but for the comming of Io. Cardona who with twelue gallies was gone to PANORMO to conduct thence foure ships laded with prouision but when he saw him stay long he sent to him in post That if he could not with such speed as was required tow foorth those ships he should spend no longer time but take out the prouision into his gallies and with speed to come away So the Viceroy with a fleet of threescore and twelue gallies the twentith day of August set forward from MESSANA to SIRACVSA wherein he caried ten thousand select souldiors amongst whom were aboue two hundred knights of the Order of S. Iohn and about fortie of the Order of S. Stephen which is an Order of knights instituted by Cosmus Medices duke of FLORENCE to the imitation of the knights of MALTA in the yeare 1561 and haue their residence at COSMOPOLIS a new built citie in the island of ELBA in the Tuscane sea oueragainst PIOMBINO Besides these knights in this fleet were diuers noble and valiant gentlemen of ITALIE SICILIE and other countries The fleet being arriued at SIRACVSA the Viceroy sent Auria with one gallie and a boat to MALTA to land a man to know of Paccius left as we haue before said for a watch in the island at MALECA what newes or what he had seene By whom it was vnderstood That no ship was seene at sea but one galliot which the one and twentith day of August in the morning made towards GAVLOS and the same day towards night as he was informed by the watchmen of MALECA sixteene gallies came to water at SALINE but what became of them afterwards by reason of the comming on of the night could not be descried In this while the besieged had notably repaired the breach at the castle bulwarke and had in sundry places aptly placed certaine great pieces to flanker the ditches and to beat the mount cast vp by the enemie at the bulwarke of BONINSEGNA that they might from thence annoy all the plaine of the castle with their small shot But the Turkes hauing determined with all their forces at once to assault both the townes as before brought an engine made of spars and boords able to couer thirtie men vnder the breach at S. Michaels whereby it came to passe that none of the defendants could without danger shew themselues in the breach which when they could by no meanes endure they suddenly sallied out and putting them to flight which were there couered set fire on the engine and burnt it In like manner they which besieged the new citie were repulsed at the castle breach and another like engine burnt The next night certaine of the watch of the castle issued out and hauing destroyed the Turkes engines prepared for the assayling of that place and slaine them that were set for the keeping thereof returned in safetie into the castle But when the enemies both that day and others following rested not but repairing their mines mounts and engines laboured in both places to haue beaten the Christians from the wals all their endeuour and labour was by the industrie and valor of the defendants made frustrate The besieged had at the castle breach made a mine and laid in it eight barrels of pouder that if the enemie should again assault that place he might there be blowne vp but whilest the Turks were for like purpose working a mine in the same place they chanced vpon the mine before made which they spoyled and carried away all the pouder Thus whilest they labour both on the one side and the other Mustapha the Generall a most expert and famous commaunder considering that Summer now so farre spent he was not to vse longer delay and withall that resolute perseuerance oftentimes in warre findeth out a way to victorie determined with all his power once againe to assault the castle S. Michael Wherfore displaying the stately standerd of the Turkish emperour vpon the point whereof was fastened a globe of gold he commaunded his souldiors to enter the breach who now like desperat men attempted to haue performed his command and were by the Christians valiantly encountred so that in the breach was made a most terrible and doubtfull fight But when the Turkes had now beene twice rejected and beaten downe Mustapha perceiuing his souldiors as men halfe discouraged but faintly to maintaine the assault came himselfe to the places praying and exhorting them not to be discouraged but
were then fighting against them were glad to raise their siege in vaine begun and so to retire Whilst things thus passed in SYRIA Fulke countie of TVRIN MAYN and ANIOV a man almost of threescore yeeres hauing as he thought best disposed of his things at home had for deuotion sake taken vpon him an expedition into the Holy land In the time of which his preparations embassadours came vnto him from king Baldwin offring him in marriage Melisenda or as some call her Margaret his eldest daughter with the succession into the kingdome of IERVSALEM in dowrie if he should suruiue the king and in the meane time to content himselfe with the cities of TYRE and PTOLEMAIS of which offer he accepted and so held on his journey before intended It fortuned about three yeeres after that the king fell dangerously sicke and feeling his death drawing on hauing laid aside all regall dignitie caused himselfe to be remooued out of his owne palace into the Patriarchs house which was neerer vnto the temple of the Sepulchre and there calling vnto him Fulke the countie his sonne in law with his daughter and his sonne Baldwin then but two yeeres old in the presence of the Patriarch and diuers other princes great commanders commended vnto them the gouernment and defence of the kingdome appointing Fulke to succeed him And taking vnto himselfe the habit and profession of a munke if he should haue longer liued presently after gaue vp the ghost the two and twentith day of August in the yeere 1131 whereof he raigned with much trouble thirteene yeeres and was solemnly buried in the temple vpon mount CALVARIE with the other two kings Godfrey and Baldwin his predecessors The kings funerall ended the princes of the kingdome with one accord made choise of Fulke the old countie earle of ANIOV for their king who the sixteenth day of September was with all solemnitie by William the Patriarch crowned in IERVSALEM This man in the beginning of his raigne besides his troubles abroad was also vext with domesticall and intestine discord Pontius countie of TRIPOLIS seeking by force of armes to haue rent the dukedome of ANTIOCH from the kingdome and Hugh countie of IOPPA for feare of due punishment for his treason joyning himselfe with the Sarasins of ASCALON and so with them infesting the territories of IERVSALEM to the great hurt of the Christian state and aduantage of the infidels Which troublesome broiles were yet afterwards by the king partly by force partly by the mediation of the Patriarch other princes who seeing the danger like thereof to ensue had enterposed themselues well againe appeased Vengeance yet neuerthelesse still following both the aforesaid traitours Pontius being shortly after slaine by the Turks and Hugh dying in exile Besides these domesticall troubles the Turks also inuaded the countrey abouâ— ANTIOCH where they were by the sudden comming of the king ouerthrown with the losse of their tents and exceeding great riches And that nothing might be wanting vnto the disquieting of the state of that new erected kingdome not long after Iohn the Constantinopolitan emperour together with the empire inheritour also of his fathers malice against the proceeding of the Christians in SYRIA with a puissant armie passing through the lesser ASIA and by the way taking by force TARSVS the metropoliticall citie of CILICIA with the whole prouince thereunto belonging came and besieged ANTIOCH which Fulke but a little before had together with Constance the daughter and heire of the late duke of ANTIOCH giuen in marriage to Raymund countie of POITV for that purpose sent for out of FRANCE But in this so dangerous a state of that Christian kingdome the other zealous Christian princes interposed themselues as mediatours betwixt the emperour pretending the same to belong vnto his empire and Raymund that was in possession thereof And in fine brought it to this end That Raymund for the present submitting himselfe vnto the emperour should from thencefoorth hold his dukedome of him as of his lord and soueraigne vpon which agreement the emperour returned vnto TARSVS where he wintred and so afterwards vnto CONSTANTINOPLE Much about the same time Saguin one of the Turks great princes inuading the countrey about TRIPOLIS besieged the castell of MONTE-FERRAND vnto the reliefe whereof Fulke comming with his armie was by the Turks ouerthrown and for the safegard of his life glad to take the refuge of the castell the countie himselfe being in that battell taken prisoner After which victorie the Turks laid harder siege vnto the castell than before the besieged in the meane time being no lesse pinched within with famine than pressed without by the enemie In this the kings hard distresse the other princes hauing raised the whole power of the kingdome were comming to his reliefe whereof the Turke vnderstanding offred of himselfe to giue them all leaue freely to depart and to set the countie at libertie so that they would deliuer vnto him the castle of which his offer they gladly accepting yeelded vp the strong hold and so departed The king by the way meeting with the armie thanked his friends for their forwardnesse and so returned to IERVSALEM About foure yeeres after Iohn the Constantinopolitan emperour with a great armie came againe into SYRIA with purpose to haue vnited the famous citie of ANTIOCH vnto his empire and so to haue made a way into the kingdome of IERVSALEM whereafter hee had now a good while longed But comming thither in hope to haue found the Cilicians and Syrians readie to haue receiued him he was deceiued of his expectation being shut out by the Latins and not suffred to enter but vpon his oath and that with some few of his followers and so after due reuerence done vnto him quietly to depart without any stir or innouation in the city In reuenge of which disgrace at his departure he gaue the suburbs of the city as a prey vnto his greedie souldiers pretending the same to be done for want of victuals who made hauocke of whatsoeuer came to hand not sparing the verie fruit trees but cutting them downe to dresse their meat withall Hauing thus vnder colour of necessitie reuenged the disgrace receiued he returned into CILICIA and there wintred where one day for his disport hunting of the wild boare and hauing wounded him with his boare speare the wild beast therewith inraged and with all his force bearing forward vpon the weapon forced the emperours hand backward vpon the point of a poysoned arrow that was hanging in a quiuer at his backe and so was therewith lightly wounded Neuerthelesse as light as the wound was such was the strength of the poyson that the griefe thereof still increasing and his hand and arme more and more swelling there was no remedie to be found but that his arme must be cut off which desperat and vncertaine cure he abhorring and in the extremitie of his paine oftentimes pleasantly saying That the Greeke empire was not to be
become emperour flockt in great numbers as birds about an owle to see him and with vaine praises to chatter about him In this sort he came as farre as PAPHLAGONIA in euerie place honourably receiued as if he had beene a deliuerer of his countrey sent from God And in the imperiall citie he was not longed for of the vulgar people onely as their light and load stat but diuers of the nobilitie also by secret messengers and letters persuaded him to hasten his comming and to take vpon him the gouernment assuring him that there would be none to resist him or to oppose themselues against his shadow but all readie to receiue him Especially Marie the yoong emperours sister by the fathers side with her husband Caesar who being a woman of a great spirit and grieuing much to see her fathers empire made a prey vnto Alexius the president and the empresse her stepmother whom she naturally hated had raised a great and dangerous tumult in the citie against them both which was not without much bloodshed appeased and now ceased not by often and most earnest letters to her owne destruction and her husbands as it afterwards fell out to pricke forward Andronicus and to hasten his comming who by letters and messengers dayly comming vnto him from the court still more and more encouraged leauing behind him the countrey of PAPHLAGONIA came to HERACLEA in PONTUS and still on towards the imperiall citie with great cunning and dissimulation winning the hearts of the people as he went For who was so stonie hearted whom his sweet words and abundant teares flowing from his gratious eies as from two plentifull fountaines downe by his hoarie cheeks might not haue mooued All that he did or desired was as he said for the common good and libertie of the emperour By which meanes he had drawne vnto him a woonderfull number of the rude countrey people by the way as he came But comming into BYTHINIA he was by Iohn Ducas gouernour of the great citie of NICE shut out as an enemie to the state and so at NICOMEDIA also Neuerthelesse passing by those cities he held still on his way vntill at length he was neere vnto a castle called CHARACE encountred by Andronicus Angelus sent with a great power against him by the great president Alexius who otherwise as an effeminat man giuen ouer to his pleasure spending the greatest part of the night in rioting by candle light and most part of the day in his bed with courtaines close drawn as if it had beene night yet doubtfull now of the comming of his enemie left nothing vndone which he thought might helpe for the assuring of his estate Many of the nobilitie of whom he stood in doubt he gained vnto him by meanes of the emperors mother who by her rare beautie sweet words and gratious behauiour as with a line drew all men vnto her Other some he ouercame with gifts and great summes of money whereof he now made no spare And so wrought the matter that no man of any account or marke went ouer to Andronicus Who neuerthelesse with such followers as he had joyning battell with Angelus sent against him as is before said ouerthrew him and put him to flight Wherewith Alexius much troubled in great displeasure and without reason called Angelus now fled to CONSTANTINOPLE to an account for the money deliuered vnto him for the defraying of the charges of that vnfortunat war who seeeing his misforturne to be so taken as if he had framed it himselfe and of purpose betraid the armie committed to his charge by the counsell of his six sonnes being all men of great valour and wisedome first tooke the refuge of his owne house but finding himselfe there in no safetie with his wife and his said sonnes two of which came afterwards to be emperours presently fled ouer the strait to Andronicus Who seeing of him comming towards him is reported to haue vsed this text of Scripture Behold I will send mine Angell before thy face to prepare thy wayes alluding to his name of Angelus as the presage of his good successe Wherefore encouraged with the cōming of these noblemen his kinsmen he without longer stay marched directly vnto the sea side and there a little aboue CHALCEDON encamped almost right ouer against CONSTANTINOPLE causing many great fires moe than needed to be made in his armie to make it seeme vnto them of the citie greater than indeed it was and with the sight thereof to keepe the citizens in suspence with the doubtfull expectation of some great matter to ensue Wherein he was no whit deceiued for they hauing him now as it were in sight leauing their worke ransome to the sea side some vp to the hils high towers to behold his armie a far off willing with their friendly looks if it had ben possible to haue drawn him ouer the strait into the citie Alexius knowing himselfe not able by land to encounter with so strong an enemie for now some which on foot could not goe ouer to Andronicus were secretly in heart alreadie with him othersome thought themselues sufficiently to shew their fidelitie vnto the emperor if sitting still at home they should take part with neither for so haue subtill heads aspiring minds for the furtherance of their desires taught the cōmon people both to say thinke thought it best by sea to auert the present danger And therefore commanded all the emperours gallies being before rigged vp and readie to be strongly manned and put to sea for the keeping of PROPONTIS and the strait of BOSPHORUS that Andronicus should not that way passe Now had hee determined to haue made especiall choice of some assured friend of his owne for to bee generall of this fleet as he had done of the captaines and masters being all his owne kinsmen or domesticall seruants but as he was about to haue so done Contostephanus surnamed the Great captaine opposed himselfe against it challenging that place as due vnto himselfe before all others So that ouercome by his authoritie which it was no time for Alexius now to dispute he was glad to commit the charge and trust of the whole fleet vnto him as generall Thus hauing as he thought made the sea sure he sent ouer vnto Andronicus as from the emperour for all was done in his name one George Xiphilinus with letters and other instructions wherof the effect was To command him forthwith in peace to returne vnto the place from whence he came and not farther to trouble the state promising him in so doing the emperours fauour with many great honors and preferments to bee afterward bestowed vpon him which otherwise might turne to his vtter destruction Which letters Xiphilinus hauing deliuered and done his message is reported to haue secretly aduised Andronicus to proceed in his purpose and not in any case to yeeld to that which was of him required wherewith Andronicus encouraged proudly rejected the graces offered and willed
LYDIA euen from the windings of the famous riuer MaeANDER Southward vnto the EUXINE sea Northward he with the generall good liking of the people tooke vpon him the state of an emperour and so in the renowmed citie of NICE made the seat of his empire At the same time also Dauid and Alexius Comneni the nephews of the tyrant Andronicus sometime emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE by his sonne Manuel possessing the more Eastern countries of PONTVS GALATIA and CAPADOCIA erected vnto themselues another empire in TRAPEZOND where their posteritie of the honourable house of the Comneni raigned in great glorie many yeares after vntill their empire together with the empire of CONSTANTINOPLE was by the great emperour of the Turks Mahomet the second subuerted and brought to naught as shall bee afterward in due time and place declared Thus the Greeke empire exposed as it were to the generall spoile was no longer one but many empires Baldwin raigning in CONSTANTINOPLE the marques of MONT-FERRAT in THESSALIE Theodorus Lascaris at NICE Alexius Comnâ—nus in TRAPEZOND the Venetians in the islands all in royall dignitie Besides whom were many other â—eller princes which had here and there according to their abilitie seized vpon some one or other part of the empire and there erected their Toparâ—hies raigning therein as pettie kings as did Aldebrandinus in ATTALIA Michael Angelus in EPIRVS with diuers others too long to rehearse Baldwin as is aforesaid created emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE by the helpe of the Venetian Admirall Dandulus and other great commanders of the armie in short time brought vnder his obeisance all the cities of THRACIA excepting the citie of ADRIANOPLE whereunto the better sort of the discontented Greekes together with Theodorus Lascaris disdaining the gouernment of the Latines were fled as vnto a most safe sanctuarie which Baldwin knowing and withall desiring whilest yet he had his friends about him to set his new empire in some good stay without farther delay came and laid hard siege to the same Now the Greeks generally euill entreated by the Latines grieued to be gouerned by them were some of them fled into other their neighbours princes countries but especially into BVLGARIA otherwise called MISIA a large kingdome lying betwixt the great mountaine AEMVS and DANVEIVS by whose persuasion Iohn king of that countrey aided by the Scythians a fierce Northren people but lately come into those quarters and by the fugitiue Greekes themselues tooke vpon him to relieue the besieged citie and so with a great armie approching the same sent before certaine troupes of the Scythian archers on horsebacke to fetch in such booties of horses or cattle as they should find neere vnto the emperours campe and withall commaunded them that being charged by the imperials they should foorthwith retire so to draw them out of their trenches into the place where the king with the greatest part of his armie lay couertly to entrap them Which the Scythians well acquainted with such seruice so well performed vnder the leading of one Cozas their generall that hauing once or twice drawn their enemies vnto some light skirmishes and so retyring and ere long againe with a greater number returning they at length cunningly drew the emperour with all his armie in hope to doe some great matter vpon them euen as they wished into the place whereas the king with his armie lay in wait among the woods and mountaines for them where they wearied and out of breath in the former pursuit and now on euery side beset with fresh enemies were ouerthrowne with a great slaughter In which conflict to increase the losse Baldwin the emperour himselfe was taken and sent prisoner in bonds to TERNOVA where afterwards by the commandement of the Barbarous king he was most cruelly put to death hauing his hands and feet cut off and so dismembred was cast out into a deepe valley where he yet lay miserably breathing three daies after and so died leauing his bodie as fortunes scorne for a prey vnto the wild beasts and birds of the aire no man vouchsafing to burie it Thus perished this woorthie prince for his vertues commended euen of the Greeks themselues being about the age of three and thirtie yeeres and not hauing raigned yet a full yeare in the yeare of our Lord 1206. The victorie thus gained the citie relieued the barbarous king with his sauage souldiors hauing tasted the wealth of the Latins ouerthrowne in the late battell and the pleasures of THRACIA now subject to their lust greedily pursued their good fortune without respect of all humanitie the open countrey they ouerran spoiling whatsoeuer came to hand the rich and famous cities they rifled and afterward rased them downe to the ground namely SERRae PHILIPPOPOLIS APRI RHEDESTUM PERINTHUS DAONIUM ARCADIOPOLIS MESENA ZURULUS and ATHYRA the citizens and countrey people fled into the cities for refuge they put all to the sword without respect of age sex or condition except some few whom they carried away with them prisoners so that of all the prouinces of that rent and ruinated empire the countrey of THRACE was most miserable as first spoiled by the Latines and now laid desolat by the Bulgarians and Scythians Onely some few of the strongest cities as DIDYMOTICHUM and ADRIANOPLE valiantly defended by the Greekes and Latines escaped this furie of the Barbarians all the rest that fell into their hands being laid wast and desolat In this so troubled a State of the new erected Empire of the Latines in CONSTANTINOPLE the Latines made choise of Henrie the late Emperour Baldwins brother as of all others the fittest to succeed him in the empire who aided by the marquesse now king of THESSALIE and the other Latine princes notably repulsed the Barbarians and left them not vntill that at length he had recouered from them all such townes and cities as they had before taken and driuen them quite out of the countrey and so well established himselfe in his new empire But to leaue this dismembred empire now in the hands of many and to come neerer vnto our purpose Alexius Angelus the vsurper driuen out of the imperiall citie by the Latins to saue himselfe fled into THESSALIE and from thence vnto Leo Scurus then a man of great fame among the Greekes who tyrannising at NAUPLUS as had his father before him was in these troublesome times growne greater by surprising of the two famous cities of ARGOS and CORINTH by whose meanes he cunningly entrapped Alexius Ducas surnamed Murzufle the traitor and for a secret grudge not commonly knowne put out his eyes himselfe an exiled man being a most heauie enemie vnto the other also exiled and himselfe thrust out of the empire a deadly foe vnto the other oppressed with the like calamitie Shortly after which losse of his sight he was by chaunce taken by the Latines and so brought backe to CONSTANTINOPLE where he was for murdering the young emperour Alexius worthily condemned vnto a strange and horrible
because he was as yet but yoong and vnfit for the gouernment he was by the consent of the nobilitie affianced and afterward married vnto Martha the yoonger daughter of Iohn Brenne king of HIERUSALEM a woorthie old captaine but as then gouernour of RAVENNA which citie he being certaine yeares before sent for out of FRANCE for that purpose by Honorius the Pope he notably defended against the emperour Frederick his sonne in law but that affinitie was before broken off by the death of the said emperours wife who now sent for out of ITALIE vnto CONSTANTINOPLE had committed to his charge and protection both the person and empire of the young emperour Baldwin now his sonne in law Which great and heauie charge he for certaine yeares after worthely and faithfully discharged vntill such time as that Baldwin was himselfe grown able to take vpon him the gouernment Now although the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE with the countries of THRACIA THESSALIA MACEDONIA ACHAIA PELOPONESUS and the rest of the prouinces of GREECE were all or for the most part vnder the gouernment of Baldwin the emperour the Venetians or other the inferiour Latine princes yet were the oppressed Greekes the naturall inhabitants thereof in heart not theirs as abhorring nothing more than that their forraine gouernment but wholly deuoted to their owne naturall princes Theodorus Lascaris Alexius Comnenus the one raigning at NICE in BITHYNIA and the other at TRAPEZOND in PONTUS both called by the Greekes emperours and so of them generally reputed Lascaris of the two the better beloued and by far of greatest power had during the time of his raigne fought many an hard battell as is in part before declared and strongly fortified his cheefe citties against the inuasion of his enemies as well the Turkes as the Latines and so hauing as it were erected a new empire in ASIA and there raigned eighteene yeares died leauing behind him one Iohn Ducas Batazes that had married the faire ladie Irene his daughter and heire to succeed him in the Greeke empire in ASIA This Iohn was a man of a great wit and spirit and of more grauitie for his yeares than was Theodorus his father in law neuer vndertaking any thing before he had thereof well considered and once resolued not omitting or neglecting any thing for the performance therof So that it was not vnfitly said of the Greeks The planting of this new empire to haue required the celeritie of Lascaris but the stay thereof to haue been the grauitie of Ducas He in the beginning of his raigne in very short time hauing set all things in good order greatly augmented his legions and shooting at a fairer marke than the empire he yet held euen the imperiall citie it selfe and the recouerie of all THRACIA and GRECIA out of the hands of the Latines which could not be done without a fleet at sea built a great number of gallies in the ports of the lesser ASIA And so hauing rigged vp and manned a strong fleet and scouring the seas in one Summer tooke in most of the Islands of the AEGEUM namely LESBOS CHIOS SAMOS ICARIA COOS with the famous Island of the RHODES and many others also And not so contented to haue encreased his empire the next spring crossing the HELLESPONT and landing his forces first inuaded CHERSONESUS and afterward to terrifie the Latines forraged the countrey far and neere euen to the gates of CONSTANTINOPLE no man daring to oppose himselfe against him At which time also he took many cities strong towns alongst the sea coast as CALLIOPOLIS SESTUS CARDIA with diuers others therabout some by force some by composition the Greeks almost in euery place yeelding themselues where they were not so oppressed by the Latines as that they could not helpe him Now by these proceedings of the Greek emperor in EUROPE was plainly to be seen again the ruin of the Latin empire in the East all things prospering in his hand according to his hearts desire Assan the Bulgarian king no small terror both vnto the Latins the Greeks moued with the fame hereof by his embassadors sent of purpose vnto Iohn the Greek emperor offred his daughter Helena in mariage vnto yong Theodore his son of which offer the emperor gladly accepted For being busied in his greater affaires he was loth to haue so great a king as was Assan his enemie able at his pleasure to cal in the Scythes who with their multitude as a great flood breaking ouer the bankes had oftentimes caried away whole countries before them Wherefore the match agreed vpon the two great princes by appointment met together about CHERSONESUS where Helena king Assans daughter being then about ten yeares old was with great joy and triumph solemnly married vnto yong Theodor the emperours sonne much of the same age Not long after embassadours were also sent vnto the emperour from the Sultan of ICONIUM to confirme and prolong the league betwixt them for the Tartars not contented to haue driuen the Turkes out of PERSIA and the farre Easterne countries began now also to cut them short in their prouinces in the lesser ASIA wherefore the Sultan of ICONIUM fearing least whiles he had his hands full of those his most dreadfull enemies of themselues too strong for him he should behind be set vpon by the Greeke emperour and so thrust out of all sent these embassadours vnto him for peace which he for many causes easily graunted First for that he foresaw what an hard matter it would be for him to maintaine warre at once both in ASIA against the Turks and in EUROPE against the Latines then by this warlike nation as by a most sure bulwarke to keepe his owne countries safe from the inuasion of the barbarous Tartars vnto whose furie he should himselfe lie open if the Turks were once taken out of their way Both sufficient reasons for the emperour to yeeld vnto the Sultan which he did so was the peace concluded and the embassadors dispatched This peace exceedingly comforted and afterward inriched the emperours countries for now the people generally deliuered of the feare and miserie of continuall warre began on all hands to fall to their fruitfull labours of peace Yea the emperour himselfe to the stirring vp of others to the like good husbandrie caused so much land to be plowed vp for corne so many vineyards to be planted as might plentifully suffice his owne house and such poore as he daily relieued with a great ouerplus which he caused to be carefully laid vp in store He kept also great heards of cattell flockes of sheepe and foules of all sorts without number The like he caused his kinsmen other of the nobilitie to doe to the intent that euery great man hauing sufficient for his own spending at home should not take any thing from the poore countreyman that so euery man contenting himselfe with his owne might liue in peace without the grieuance of others By which means in a few
all the cheefe commaunders were then at variance among themselues euery one of them laying claime not woorth a rush vnto the vaine title of the kingdome of HIERUSALEM Henry king of CYPRUS comming thither with a great fleet charged the Templars to deliuer vnto him the crowne of that kingdome which they had as he said wrongfully taken from Almericus and Guy his auncestors And Charles king of SICILIA by his embassadours laid claime vnto the title of that kingdome as due vnto the kings of that Island and vnderstanding it to be giuen vnto Henry king of CYPRUS caused all the reuenewes of the Templars within his dominion to be brought into his treasuries and their lands and houses to bee spoyled Hugh also prince of ANTIOCH laboured with tooth and naile to defend the ouerworne right that his father and grandfather had vnto that lost kingdome And the countie of TRIPOLIS laied in for himselfe that hee was descended from Raymund of THOLOUS and that beside himselfe remained no prince of the auntient nobilitie which had woon that kingdome out of the hands of the Sarasins and that therefore that regall dignitie did not of better right appertaine vnto any other than vnto himselfe Neither did these foure princes more striue for the title of the lost kingdome than for the present gouernment of the citie straight way about to perish The Popes Legate pretended thereunto a right also for that king Iohn Brenne had before subjected it vnto the See of ROME As for the claime vnto the citie of PTOLEMAIS the Patriarch of HIERUSALEM challenged vnto himselfe the preheminence for that the metropoliticall citie of TYRE vnder which the citie of PTOLEMAIS was the third episcopall seat was vnder his jurisdiction euen by the decree of the West church The Templars also and the knights Hospitalers whose power in the citie was at that time farre the greatest pretended the gouernment thereof of best right to belong vnto them as the just reward of their blood alreadie and afterward to be spent in the defence thereof promising great matters if it might be wholly referred vnto them Neither spared the French king or the king of ENGLAND by their messengers to claime the soueraignetie of the cittie by their predecessours sometimes woon And they of PISA hauing still a Consull therein and by often marriages with the naturall inhabitants growne into great affinitie with them did what they might to get the gouernment into their hands The Venetians also by their authoritie and great wealth laboured to gaine the good will of the people sparing therein no cost And they of GENUA no lesse cunning than the rest supplanted the strongest factions by giuing aid both apertly and couertly vnto the weaker that so hauing weakened the faction they most doubted and hated they might by the joint fauour of the weaker aspire vnto the gouernment of the stronger and so consequently of the citie it selfe The Florentines also by their continuall traffique thither were not out of hope by one finenesse or other amongst so many competitours to find a meane to step vp aboue the rest But the greatest part of the people for all that were most enclined vnto the Armenians and Tartars as both for their neerenesse and power most like of all other to stand them in stead All these aymed at one marke which was the gouernment and commaund of the cittie and most of them had in the same their owne proper lawes and courts to deside their causes and controuersies in Whereby it came to passe that euery man might without checke or controulement almost doe what he list the offenders from one court to another remoouing their sutes as best serued their turnes Thus were murders as is beforesaid dayly committed in the streets men abused houses robbed shops broken vp and many other outrages done to the hastening of the wrath of God and greefe of all good men Diuision and dissention the ruine of all commonweales thus raigning in the cittie the souldiours of late sent thither or in zeale come of themselues for the defence thereof gaue occasion for the speedie destruction of the same Such is the power of the Almightie in his wrath and judgements for sinne euen by those things wherein wee most trust and joy to worke our vtter ruine and destruction These souldiors for want of such pay as was promised them were enforced to seeke abroad and therefore contrarie to the league before made with the Aegyptian Sultan oftentimes went out in great parties into the frontiers of his territories taking the spoile of such things as they light vpon Whereof the Sultan vnderstanding demaunded by his embassadours That restitution might be made and the offendors deliuered vnto him to bee punished according vnto the league But in that so sicke a state of a dying commonweale neither was restitution made as reason would or yet the embassadors courteously heard With which insolencie the Sultan prouoked sent Emilech Araphus a notable captaine and as some say his sonne with an hundred and fiftie thousand men to besiege the citie who comming thither and hauing made his approches had by a mine in short time ouerthrowne a peece of the wall but in seeking to haue entered by the breach he found such strong resistance that hee was glad with losse to retire Whilest Araphus thus lay at the siege of PTOLEMAIS Alphir the Sultan died at DAMASCO in whose stead the Mamalukes made choice of this Araphus for their Sultan who more desirous of nothing than of the glorie of the vtter rooting vp of the Christians in SYRIA was so farre from raising of his siege either for the death of the Sultan or the newes of his kingdome that hee more straitly beset the citie than he had in the three moneths space that he had there lien before Now had they in the citie chosen Peter the master of the Templars their gouernour a man of great experience and valour vnto whom and the rest of the nobilitie the Sultan offered great rewards and vnto the souldiors their pay with free libertie to depart so that they would without more adoe yeeld vnto him the citie which they could not long hold Which his offer the master rejected and flattly told him That hee had not learned of his auncestours to sell for money vnto the Infidels a citie bought with so much Christian blood either did so much regard his vaine threats as therefore to forget his seruice due vnto his Sauiour Christ and the Christian commonweale With which answere the tyrant enraged the next day with all his forces assaulted the citie and that in such desperat and furious manner as if hee would euen then haue carried it hauing before filled the ditches and promised the spoile vnto his souldiors the more to encourage them Yet hauing done what he could and lost a number of his men slaine both in the assault and in a sallie which the Christians made out at the same time he was inforced to retire backe
few years before woon for example of the like exploit Of whose counsaile Baiazet liking well returned with his armie and shortly after came and sat downe therewith before CONSANTINOPLE laying hard siege thereunto first by land and after by sea with his gallies sent from CALLIPOLIS Which hard siege continued as most histories report the space of eight yeares in which long time hee draue the emperour Emanuell Palaelogus to that straight that he was glad to leaue his citie and himselfe in person to craue aid of Wenceslaus the Germane emperour and Charles the sixt the French king and other Christian princes also At which time the cittizens were at length brought to such extremitie that they were euen at the point to haue yeelded vp the cittie and happily had so done had not Sigismund king of HUNGARIE assisted with a great armie of the French and other voluntarie Christians almost out of euery part of Christendome to the number of an hundreth and thirtie thousand vnder the lâ—ading of Iohn countie of NIVERS after duke of BVRGUNDIE for the releefe of the besieged emperour passed ouer Danubius into the Turkish dominions and there hauing recouered VIDINA with certaine other strong holds in BULGARIA laied siege to NICOPOLIS out of which citie the Turks oftentimes sallied and gaue him many an hot skirmish It is reported that the young king Sigismund beholding the greatnesse of his armie in his great jolitie hearing of the comming of the Turke should proudly say What need wee to feare the Turke who need not at all to feare the falling of the heauens which if they should fall yet were we able with our speares and halberts to hold them vp for falling vpon vs. But Baiazet vnderstanding what spoile the Hungarian king had made in his late gained countries and of the siege of NICOPOLIS commaunded the ladders and other great prouision now in readinesse for the skaling and assaulting of the citie of CONSTANTINOPLE to be burnâ— because they should not come into the hands of the Christians and so raising his siege marched with a right puissant armie to NICOPOLIS sending Eurenoses before of purpose to intercept some of the Christians thereby to learne the state of their campe and armie But they hearing of his comming so well looked to themselues that he with shame returned to his master as he came without any one prisoner taken Which thing much troubled Baiazet as fearing he should haue to doe with a warie enemie Sigismund vnderstanding of the approch of Baiazet leauing a sufficient power for the continuing of the siege rose himselfe and with the rest of his armie went to meet his proud enemie Of whose comming and approch Baiazet vnderstanding diuided his armie into two parts being now come within the sight of the Christian armie made shew but of the one halfe keeping himselfe close in secret ambush not farre off with the other The Christians deeming themselues as they were farre moe in number than the Turks which they saw deuided their armie also into two parts purposing betwixt them to haue inclosed the Turks Of all the Christians that were there present the French desired to haue the honour of the first charge to be giuen vpon the Turks and in their heat vpon good hope set forward the Hungarians with a great part of the armie not yet set in order and so began the battaile where betwixt them and the Turks was fought a right cruell fight and in a little time many thousands slaine But this fight had not long endured when Baiazet with the other halfe of his armie suddenly arising came on with such violence as wel became his surname of Gilderun or lightning and so hardly charged the French that they amazed at the suddenesse of the danger and oppressed with the furie and multitude of the vnexpected enemie stood at the first as men dismaid but seeing no remedie encouraging one another valiantly fought it out vntill they were almost all either slaine or taken prisoners still in hope to haue been releeued by the Hungarians and the rest In this hard conflict diuers of the French horsemen hauing forsaken their horses fought on foot as their manner was which horses running backe without their riders vpon the Hungarians caused them to doubt that the French were quite ouerthrown wherewith dismaied they without further comming on all turned their backes and fled in so great hast as that it booted not the king or any other great commander to goe about to staâ—e their flight The French thus by their too much hast ouerthrowne the Turks pursuing the Hungarians and the rest of the Christians made of them a great slaughter of whom also many were drowned in the great riuer DANUBIUS At which time also the Turkes tooke so many prisoners that it was thought euerie seuerall Turke had his prisoner King Sigismund himselfe who but a little before had despised euen the falling of the heauens had then also vndoubtedly fallen into the enemies hands had hee not in a little boat by good hap got ouer DANVBIUS not vnlike another Xerxes who hauing couered the seas with his ships and with a world of men passed ouer into GRECIA was afterwards by the strange change of fortune himselfe alone in a small fisher boat glad to get backe againe into ASIA Sigismund being thus got ouer Danubius and fearing the violence of the Hungarians for the losse of the battaile fled by sea into THRACIA vnto CONSTANTINOPLE from whence he â—ailed vnto the Island of the RHODES and from thence sailing through the Aegean and Ionian sea landed at length in DALMATIA and so hauing wandered from place to place tossed with many fortunes after eighteene moneths long and painefull trauaile returned againe into HUNGARIE Where hee found the state of his kingdome in his absence much troubled the contrarie faction in the meane time hauing made choice of Ladâ—slaus king of NAPLES for their king who was euen theÌ„ with a great armie going to haue taken possession of the kingdome had not Sigismund in good time by the helpe of certaine of the cheefe of the Hungarian nobilitie preuented him In this battaile called the battaile of NICOPOLIS were of the Christians twentie thousand slaine and of the Turkes threescore thousand The countie of NIVIERS the French kings neere kinsman was there taken prisoner with three hundred great commaunders more where after he had indured great contumelie and reproch in the presence of Baiazet hee was commaunded to make choice of fiue other of the captiues such as he liked best all the rest being presently cut in peeces before his face and he with the other fiue left aliue sent prisoners to PRUSA from whence they were afterwards ransomed for two hundred thousand duckats This bloodie battaile of NICOPOLIS was fought in the yeere of our lord 1396. Baiazet after this great victorie hauing worthily releeued his besieged citie returned againe to the siege of CONSTANTINOPLE laying more hardly vnto it than before building
this Christian cittie then in the protection of the Venetians Amurath encamped his great armie of misbeleeuing Turkes and laied hard siege to it with most terrible batterie at which time hee by secret meanes corrupted certaine of the wicked cittizens to haue betrayed the cittie by a secret mine and to haue let him in which treason was by the Venetian gouernors perceiued and the plotters therof for safegard of their liues glad to leape ouer the wals and to flie into the Turks campe Amurath hauing greatly battered the wals of the cittie the more to encourage his souldiors promised to giue them all the spoile thereof if they could by force winne it The greedie desire of this rich prey wherein euerie common souldior promised vnto himselfe whatsoeuer his foolish fancie or vnbrideled affection could desire so inflamed the minds of these barbarous souldiors and especially of the Ianizaries that giuing a most terrible assault to the citie they by force entred the same and wan it The Venetian souldiors fled to their gallies lying at anchor in the hauen and so got to sea but the infinite miseries which the poore Christian citizens indured in the furie of that barbarous nation no tongue is able to expresse or pen discribe Death was lesse paine than the ignominious outrages and vnspeakeable villanies which many good Christians there suffered heartily wishing to die and could not and yet the furious enemies sword deuoured all the people without respect of age or sex except such as for stength of bodie or comelinesse of person were reserued for painefull labour or beastly lust which poore soules were afterwards dispersed into most miserable seruitude and slauerie through all parts of the Turkish kingdome The infinite riches of that famous cittie became a spoile vnto the barbarous souldiours the goodly houses were left desolate void of inhabitants Thus the beautifull cittie of THESSALONICA sometime one of the most glorious ornaments of GRaeCIA the late pleasant dwelling place of many rich Christians was by the tyrant giuen for an habitation to such base Turkes as at their pleasure repaired thether to seat themselues and so is by them at this day possessed This calamitie happened to THESALONICA in the yeare of our Lord 1432. THESALONICA being thus taken Amurath returned to HADRIANOPLE himselfe and at the same time sent Caratze with the greatest part of his armie into AETOLIA Charles prince of that countrey dying a little before the comming of Amurath to THESALONICA and hauing no lawfull issue had diuided the countrey of ACHARNANIA amongst his three base sons Memnon Turnus and Hercules leauing all the rest of his dominion to his brothers sonne called also Charles But shortly after such discord fell among these brethren that Amurath sending his Turks to aid one of them against the other as he was by them requested in fine brought all that countrey of AETOLIA into subjection to himselfe leauing nothing for the foolish brethren to striue for more than the bare titles of imaginatiue honour The other Graecian princes of ATHENS PHOCIS BOETIA and all the rest of GRaeCIA vnto the strait of CORINTH terrified by their neighbours harmes were glad to submit themselues to the barbarian yoke and to become tributaries vnto the Turkish tirant vnder which slauerie they of long time most miserably liued if intollerable slauerie joyned with infidelitie may be accounted a life Thus the Grecians lost their libertie which their auncestors had many times before to their immortall praise worthily defended against the greatest monarchs of the world and are now so degenerate by the meanes of the Turkish oppression that in all GRaeCIA is hardly to be found any small remembrance of the ancient glory thereof insomuch that wheras they were wont to account all other nations barbarous in comparison of themselues they are now become no lesse barbarous than those rude nations whom they before scorned Which miserie with a thousand more they may justly impute to their owne ambition and discord At this time amongst the distressed princes of MACEDONIA and GRaeCIA one Iohn Castrioâ— raigned in EPIRUS who seeing how mightily the Turke preuailed against the princes his neighbours and considering that hee was not able by any meanes to withstand so puissant an enemie to obtaine peace he was glad to deliuer into Amurath his possession his foure sonnes Stanisius Reposius Constantine and George for hostages whom Amurath faithfully promised well and honourably to intreat But assoone as he had got them within his reach he falsified his faith and caused them to be circumcised after the Turkish manner and to bee instructed in the Turkish superstition to the great griefe of their Christian parents and afterwards when he vnderstood of the death of Iohn Castriot their father hee poisoned all the three elder brethren And by Sebalie one of his great captaines ceized vpon CROIA his cheefe citie and all the rest of his territories as if they had by good right deuolued vnto him But George the youngest whom the Turks named Scander-beg or lord Alexander for his excellent feature and pregnant wit he alwaies entirely loued and as some thought more passionatly than he should haue loued a boy Him he caused to be diligently instructed in all kind of actiuitie and feats of warre wherin he excelled al other his equals in Amurath his court and rising by many degrees of honor came at last being yet but verie yong to be a great Sanzack or gouernor of a prouince and was many times appointed by Amurath to be generall of his armies in which seruice hee so behaued himselfe that he got the loue of all that knew him and increased his credit with Amurath vntill at last he found oportunitie by great policie and courage to deliuer both himselfe and his natiue countrie from the horrible slauerie of the Turkish tyrannie as shall be afterwards declared Shortly after that Amurath had thus daunted the princes of GRECIA he turned his forces into SERVIA but the prince of SERVIA vnable to withstand so mightie an enemie to procure his fauour sent embassadours offering to pay him a yearely tribute and to doe further what he should reasonably demaund Amurath beside the yearely tribute required to haue Marie this princes faire daughter in mariage and that he should not suffer the Hungarians to passe through his countrey to inuade him and further not at any time to denie passage vnto the Turkish armie when he should send forth the same for the inuasion of the kingdome of BOSNA All which vnreasonable conditions the prince was glad to agree vnto and sent his faire daughter by Saratze who was afterwards maried to Amurath About this time Iosephus and Machmutes Amurath his brethren and Orchanes the sonne of Solyman who had his eies put out by his vncle Mahomet with many other men of great account among the Turks died of the plague at PRUSA Whilest Amurath was thus busied in his wars in EUROPE the king of CARAMANIA his brother in law inuaded his
the part of a trustie faithfull seruant carefull of his masters honour But yet the beautie of the Greeke was still so fixed in his heart and the pleasure he tooke in her so great as that to thinke of the leauing of her bred in him many a troubled thought Hee was at warre with himselfe as in his often changed countenance well appeared reason calling vpon him for his honour and his amorous affections still suggesting vnto him new delights Thus tossed too and fro as a ship with contrarie winds and withall considering the danger threatened to his estate if he should longer follow those his pleasures so much displeasing vnto his men of warre hee resolued vpon a strange point whereby at once to cut off all those his troubled passions and withall to strike a terrour euen into the stoutest of them that had before condemned him as vnable to gouerne his owne so passionate affections Whereupon with countenance well declaring his inward discontentment hee said vnto the Bassa yet prostrate at his feet Although thou hast vnreuerently spoken as a slaue presuming to enter into the greatest secrets of thy soueraigne not without offence to be of thee once thought vpon and therefore deseruest well to die yet for that thou wast of a child brought vp togither with me and hast euer been vnto me faithfull I for this time pardon thee and before to morrow the sunne go downe will make it knowne both to thee and others of the same opinion with thee whether I be able to bridle mine affections or not Take order in the meane time that all the Bassaes and the chiefe commanders of my men of warre be assembled togither to morrow there to know my farther pleasure whereof faile you not So the Bassa being departed he after his wonted manner went in vnto the Greeke and solacing himselfe all that day and the night following with her made more of her than euer before and the more to please her dined with her commanding that after dinner she should be attired with more sumptuous apparell than euer she had before worne and for the further gracing of her to be deckt with many most precious jewels of inestimable valour Whereunto the poore soule gladly obeyed little thinking that it was her funerall apparell Now in the meane while Mâ—stapha altogither ignorant of the Sultans mind had as he was commanded caused all the nobilitie and commanders of the men of warre to be assembled into the great hall euerie man much marueiling what should be the emperors meaning therein who had not of long so publikely shewed himselfe But being thus togither assembled and euerie man according as their minds gaue them talking diuersly of the matter behold the Sultan entred into the pallace leading the faire Greeke by the hand who beside her incomparable beautie and other the greatest graces of nature adorned also with all that curiositie could deuise seemed not now to the beholders a mortal wight but some of the stately goddesses whom the Poets in their extacies describe Thus comming togither into the midst of the hall and due reuerence vnto them done by al them there present he stood still with the faire lady in his left hand and so furiously looking round about him said vnto them I vnderstand of your great discontentment and that you all murmur and grudge for that I ouercome with mine affection towards this so faire a paragon cannot withdraw my selfe from her presence But I would faine know which of you there is so temperat that if he had in his possession a thing so rare and precious so louely and so faire would not be thrice aduised before he would forgo the same Say what you thinke in the word of a Prince I giue you free libertie so to doe But they all rapt with an incredible admiration to see so faire a thing the like whereof they had neuer before beheld said all with one consent That he had with greater reason so passed the time with her than any man had to find fault therewith Wherunto the barbarous prince answered Well but now I will make you to vnderstand how far you haue been deceiued in me and that there is no earthly thing that can so much blind my sences or bereaue me of reason as not to see and vnderstand what beseemeth my high place and calling yea I would you should all know that the honor and conquests of the Othoman kings my noble progenitors is so fixed in my brest with such a desire in my selfe to exceed the same as that nothing but death is able to put it out of my remembrance And hauing so said presently with one of his hands catching the faire Greeke by the haire of the head and drawing his falchion with the other at one blow strucke off her head to the great terror of them all And hauing so done said vnto them Now by this iudge whether your emperour is able to bridle his affections or not And within a while after meaning to discharge the rest of his choller caused great preparation to be made for the conquest of PELOPONESVS and the besieging of BELâ—RADE At the same time that the barbarous Turkes tooke the imperiall cittie of CONSTANTINOPLE Thomas and Demetrius Palaeologi brethren to the late vnfortunat emperour Constantinus gouerned a great part of PELOPONESVS one of the most famous prouinces of GRaeCIA which in forme of a leafe of a Plane tree is almost in manner of an Iland enuironed with the seas Ionium and Aegeum which running farre into the land on either side thereof separateth the same from the rest of GRaeCIA by two great bayes leauing but a straight necke of land called of the Greeks ISTMOS in breadth about fiue miles which was sometime by the Graecians and afterward by the Venetians fortified by a strong wall and fiue great castles neare vnto which place stood the great and famous citie of CORINTH This prouince is in length 175 miles and almost as much in breadths wherin are contained the countries of ACHAIA MESSENIA LACEDEMONIA ARGOLICA and ARCHADIA with many famous cities and goodly hauens wherein it far exceedeth all the other prouinces of GRaeCIA These two princes Thomas and Demetrius dismaied with their brothers disaster fortune began now so farre to dispaire of their own estate that vpon the first brute thereof they were about presently to haue fled by sea into ITALY And as â—t commonly falleth out That one euill happeneth not alone so at the same time it fornined that the Albanians rise in armes against the said two princes their soueraigns and vnder the leading of their rebellious captaine Emanuel Catecuzenus grieuously troubled both the poore princes These Albanians were a rough and hardie kind of people which liuing after the manner of the rude Scythian heardsmen by feeding of cattell had of long time planted themselues in PELOPONESVS differing from the naturall Greekes both in the manner of their liuing and language which diuersitie was no small cause
strong citie of EPIDAVRVS to commaund them in the name of the prince to deliuer vnto him the citie with the prince his wife and daughter which lay there But the Gouernour trusting vnto the strength of the citie refused to deliuer the same yet suffred the princesse with her daughter to depart out of the citie being willing to goe to her husband whom the captaine hauing receiued returned and presented them to Mahomet By whose commaundement they were presently sent into BEOTIA there to attend his returne towards CONSTANTINOPLE and an Eunuch appointed to take charge of the young ladie who had so warmed Mahomets affection that he tooke her afterwards to his wife At the same time hee also subdued the most part of ACHAIA and ELIS by Zoganus Bassa his lieutenant whether hee came not long after himselfe and laied siege to the citie of SALMENICA which for lacke of water was at length yeelded vnto him but the castle was by the space of a whole yeare after valiantly defended against the Turks left to besiege it by Thomas the prince of whom Mahomet afterwards gaue this commendation That in the great countrey of PELOPONESVS hee had found many slaues but neuer a man but him This valiant prince seeing the miserable ruine of his countrey and the state thereof vtterly forlorne after he had most notably endured a yeares siege in the castle of SALMENICA got to sea and so arriued in ITALIE where trauelling to ROME hee was honourably receiued by Pius Secundus then bishop there who during his life allowed him a large pension for the maintenance of his state Thus Mahomet hauing thrust both the Grecian princes out of their dominions and subdued all PELOPONESVS excepting such strong townes and castles as bordering vpon the sea coast were yet holden by the Venetians left Zoganus Bassa his lieutenant to gouerne that new conquered prouince and with great triumph returned himselfe towards CONSTANTINOPLE carrying away with him Demetrius the prince with his wife and daughter and many other noble prisoners But after he was come to HADRIANOPLE and placed in his royall seat he remooued the Eunuch from the faire young ladie and tooke charge of her himselfe As for Demetrius her father hee gaue to him the cittie AENVM with the custome arising of the salt there made as a pension for him to liue vpon Thus this most famous and populous countrey of PELOPONESVS fell into the Turkish thraldome about the yeare of our Lord 1460 seuen years after the taking of CONSTANTINOPLE Which I haue here togither set downe as it is reported by them who liued in that time and in the same countries omitting of purpose other great occurrents of the same time which shall also in conuenient place be hereafter declared to the intent that the fall of that great Empire with the common miserie of the delicate Graecians might appeare vnder one view which otherwise being deliuered by peecemeale as it did concurre with other great accidents according to the course of time would but breed confusion and require the Readers greater attention The Christian princes especially such as bordered vpon the dominions of the Turkish tyrant were no lesse terrified than troubled with the subuersion of the Constantinopolitane empire for they saw by the continuall preparation of the Turk that his ambitious desires were rather encreased than in any part satisfied with his so great and late victories Wherefore they with all carefulnesse fortified their frontier towns and prouided all things necessarie for defence of themselues and for the repulsing of so mightie an enemy Amongst the rest George the old Despot or prince of SERVIA whose dominions of all others lay most in danger of that tempest speedily mustred his men of warre fortified his strong citties placed his garrisons and left nothing vndone that he thought needfull for the defence of his countrey for he had many times before to his great losse endured the furie of the Turkish kings although he were joyned vnto them in the bonds of neerest allyance And hauing thus politikely set all things in order at home in person himselfe tooke his journey into HVNGARIE from thence to procure aid against such time as he should haue need But the Hungarians and especially Huniades who at that time bare greatest sway in that kingdome hauing before had sufficient triall of the vncertainty and light faith of that aged prince who had so often fashioned himselfe according to the occurrents of the time that he was accounted neither right Turke nor good Christian refused to promise him any aid but left him to his owne fortunes wherewith he returned discontented and full of indignation But shortly after he was come home he died of an hurt receiued in a skirmish with Michaell Zilugo gouernor of BELGRADE whose brother Ladislaus he had but a little before trecherously murdred as he was trauailing by wagon to BELGRADE with his said brother Michael who at the same time hardly escaped This was the end of George Despot of SERVIA when he had liued nintie yeares in which time of his long life he had plentifully tasted of both fortunes A man assuredly of great courage but of a maruellous vnquiet nature by profession a Christian yet a great friend vnto the Turkes whom he many times stood in great steed a deepe dissembler and double in all his dealings whereby he purchased vnto himselfe that credit that he was not of any his neighbour princes whilest he liued either beloued or trusted and after his death of his subjects so detested that the people of that countrey euen at this day in their countrey songs still tearme him The faithlesse and gracelesse Despot Lazarus his youngest son after his death succeeded in his place hauing depriued both his elder brethren Stephen and George of the gouernment for Amurath the Turkish king had long time before put out their eies of purpose to make them vnfit for the gouernment of so great a countrey yet these blind princes found meanes to flie away from him to Mahomet carrying with them a great masse of money and so incited him against Lazarus their younger brother that to keepe friendship with the tyrant he was glad to promise vnto him a great yearely tribute and so to become his tributarie But within few moneths after Lazarus died the last Christian prince that raigned in SERVIA after whose death great troubles arose in SERVIA for the soueraigntie The blind brethren still crauing aid of Mahomet with whom they then liued and the desolate widow of Lazarus putting her selfe with her three sons Iohn Peter and Martin into the protection of the Hungarians by which means she with much trouble held her state for a season Vntill such time as that the Seruians seeing small assurance in that manner of gouernment and wearie of the harmes they daily receiued of the Turkes yeelded themselues with their countrey vnto the obedience of the Turkish emperour Mahomet who foreuer vnited the same vnto his empire as
Turkes to breath vntill he had by force wrested all that kingdome out of their hands Wherewith Mahomet being exceedingly grieued in great furie came with a strong armie into BOSNA and laid hard siege to IAZIGA which was by the Christians right valiantly defended vntill Mathias with a puissant armie came to the reliefe thereof who so troubled the Turkes campe with continuall skirmishes on the one side and they of the towne with desperat sallies on the other that at length the prowd Turke was driuen to such extremitie that he was glad secretly to steale away by night with all his army into SERVIA and for hast to leaue behind him both his tents and great ordinance which the Turks histories report he caused to be cast into the riuer because it should not come into the hands of the Christians Mathias after he had thus valiantly put to flight his enemies and relieued his citie followed the Turkes into SERVIA and tooke part of that countrey also which togither with BOSNA he vnited to the kingdome of HVNGARIE In these warres Mahomet had such proofe of the force and power of Mathias and the Hungarians that for a good while after he had no great stomacke to prouoke them farther for why the name of Mathias was now become vnto the Turkes no lesse dreadfull than was sometime the name of his father the valiant Huniades The Venetians at the same time also with their gallies scoured the seas and landing their men sometime in one place sometime in another did great harme in manie places of the Turkes dominion neere vnto the sea coast Amongst other their generals at diuers times sent from that state one Nicholas Canalis succeeding Lauretanus whom we haue before spoken of as soone as he had receiued his charge came with his fleet into the bay of SALONICHI and landing his men burnt diuers townes and villages alongst the sea side Afterwards returning into PELOPONESVS he fortified the towne of LEGOSTICIVM in the gulfe of PATRAS which worke the Turkes with their often skirmishes laboured to haue hindred but in despite of all they could doe it was brought to perfection and a strong garrison therein left for the defence thereof which done he returned againe to EVBoeA Shortly after he with the same fleet put to sea againe and sayling alongst the coast of MACEDONIA and THRACIA surprised the citie of AENUS which standeth vpon the mouth of the riuer Meritza called in auntient time Hebrus vpon which riuer the famous cities ANDRINOPLE and PHILIPPOPOLIS are also situate Canalis after he had taken the spoyle of the citie returned to his gallies carrying away with him two thousand captiues into EVBoeA At the same time also the Venetians giuing aid vnto Nicholaus Duchaine against his brother Alexius then at variance for the principalitie of ZADRIMA neere vnto the riuer of DRINO in EPIRVS gaue a great ouerthrow to the Turkes which came in the quarrell of Alexius Mahomet not a little offended with the harmes done vnto him by the Venetians and perceiuing that the island of EVBoeA now called NIGROPONTE was for the commodious situation and strength thereof the chiefe place from whence they wrought him all these wrongs and whither they afterwards retired againe as vnto a most sure place of refuge determined with himselfe at once to be euen with them for all and to imploy his whole forces both by sea and land for the gaining of that place This island of EVBoeA is about an hundred miles in length and lieth ouer against that part of GRECIA which was of old called BaeOTIA from whence it is separated with a narrow strait of the sea it aboundeth with corne wine oyle fruit and wood fit for shipping The chiefe citie thereof was in auntient time called CHALCIDE and of later time NIGROPHONTE by which name also the whole island was knowne albeit the Turkes now call it EGRIBOS a populous rich and strong cittie so fortified with wals and bulwarks that in most mens iudgement it seemed a place impregnable Vnto this strong citie Mahomet resolued to lay siege knowing well that vpon the fortune thereof depended the state of the whole island Wherefore he assembled a mightie army and made great preparation both by sea and land and when all things were in readinesse sent Mahomet the great Bassa of the court with a fleet of three hundred gallies and certaine other small vessels well furnished with souldiours mariners and all things necessarie by sea into EVBoeA and with a great armie marched himselfe by land through ACHAIA vntill he came ouer against the citie of CHALCIS The Venetian Admirall hearing of the comming of the Turkes fleet set forward to haue met them neere vnto the straits of HELLESPONTVS but after he had by his espials descried the great number of the enemies fleet finding himselfe too weake shaped his course to the island of SCIROS The Bassa comming out of the straits of HELLESPONTVS couered the sea with his fleet and holding on his entended course without let came to EVBoeA where at his first landing he tooke STORA and BASILICON two small townes which he rased to the ground and from thence went directly to CHALCIS As soone as this great fleet was there arriued Mahomet caused a bridge to be made of his smaller vessels ouer the strait betwixt ACHAIA and EVBoeA whereby he passed all his armie and so belaid the citie round both by sea and land And after he had planted his batterie began most furiously to shake the wals wherein he had in short time made faire breaches and the sooner for that one Thomas of LIBVRNIA chiefe canonier of the citie before corrupted by the Turkes by signes agreed vpon gaue them certaine knowledge in what places the wals were weakest whereby they so aptly planted their batterie as if they had taken view on the inside of the wals Which foule treason was at length perceiued and the traitor therefore worthely executed Yet little preuailed the tyrant thereby for such was the industrie of the defendants that whatsoeuer he had by the furie of his great ordinance beaten downe by day that they with restlesse labour repaired againe by night Thus was the siege continued thirtie daies in which space many a sharpe assault was giuen by the Turkes to their great losse and the citie still valiantly defended by the Christians At length the Venetian Admirall to the great comfort of the besieged came with his fleet within view of the cittie making semblant as if he would haue giuen the Turkes battell Whereupon it is reported that Mahomet was about to haue raised his siege and haue got himselfe ouer into the maine for feare the Venetians should with their gallies haue broken the bridge and so haue shut him vp into that island Which thing it was thought the admirall might haue done to his great praise if he would as a couragious chieftaine haue aduentured the matter as he was earnestly requested by the captaines of euerie priuat
fiftie thousand men set forward from HADRIANOPLE his Europeian horsemen going before him conducted by Abraham the great Bassa and Achomates Michael-ogli Generall of the Acanzij or voluntarie horsemen and his Asian souldiours led by Becrambeus Bassa following after him he himselfe with his Ianizaries and souldiours of the court keeping in the middle And marching on this sort came in fifteene daies to BELGRADE where king Iohn accompanied with Lascus and such of the Hungarian nobilitie as tooke his part came vnto him of purpose to make himselfe knowne vnto him which was to protect him and doing him all the honour he possibly could to request him to proceed to reuenge his quarrell Solyman with graue and yet friendly countenance raising himselfe a little from the cushion wheron he sat gaue him his right hand protesting That nothing could happen vnto him better or that he more desired of God than to be able to relieue distressed princes especially such as were wrongfully oppressed by his enemies wherefore he willed him to be of good comfort promising of his bountie frankly to bestow vpon him whatsoeuer he should in that warre win with the sword from the enemie King Iohn obtained this rare fauour of Solyman by the earnest mediation of Abraham the commaunding Bassa whom he had before at CONSTANTINOPLE by his embassadour Lascus so woon with gifts and requests that he thorowly tooke vpon him the defence of the kings cause wherein Lascus was especially holpen by Aloysius Grittus the Duke of VENICE his sonne who then followed the Turkes campe and was for his fathers sake and the great sufficiencie he held himselfe had in great reputation amongst the Turkes and in such fauor with Abraham who did all in all with Solyman that he could persuade him to any thing he would For this Aloysius Grittus borne and brought vp in CONSTANTINOPLE and wonderfull eloquent in the Turkish tongue had by the honourable carriage of himselfe and the great port he kept in his house so thorowly possessed Abraham that all commanded that he would manie times bring Solyman himselfe ouer the hauen to PERA to solace himselfe in Grittus his pleasant gardens and banquetting houses which he had there most sumptuously made after the Italian manner whereby to his great profit he obtained to be the chiefe man in receiuing of the Turkes customes The fame of Solymans comming directly from BELGRADE to BVDA so terrified the citisens of BVDA that they almost all forsooke the citie and fled vnto other places further off some to STRIGONIVM some to ALBA REGALIS some to POSSONIVM so that at his first comming he entred the citie almost desolate without any resistance the castle holden by a garrison of Germains he commaunded to be besieged The captaine of the castle was one Thomas Nadastus a man of great account among the Hungarians both for the honour of his house and his qualities answerable to the same graced with singular learning He perceiuing his souldiors dismaied with the sight of so great an armie and willing to surrender vp the castle as beseemed a valiant captaine forbad his souldiours to haue any talke with the enemie commanded the great artillerie to be bent and discharged vpon the Turkes and seeing his souldiours slacke and timorous reproued them of cowardise and treason threatning them with shamefull death if they did not hold out the siege to the vttermost and shew themselues valiant men both for the honour of their countrey and of king Ferdinand whose pay they receiued and of whose bountie they were to expect rewards and preferments answerable to their deserts But they misdoubting by the running too and fro of the Turks that the castle was vndermined and smelling or at least wise imagining themselues to smell the sent of the gunpouder which they supposed to be in the mine and doubting to be presently blowne vp were strucke with such a sudden feare that neither the feare of future punishment neither the shame of so foule a fact nor the reuerence of so worthie a captaine could stay them but that they would needs without further delay deliuer vp the castle which when they could by no meanes persuade the resolute captaine to consent vnto but that he still with sterne countenance exclaimed against their cowardise and treason they laid hands vpon him and bound him hand and foot and so presently concluded with the enemie to yeeld vnto him the castle so that they might in safetie depart thence with bag and baggage which their request Solyman granted But when the garrison souldiours in number about seauen hundred were about to depart with their baggage towards POSSONIVM as was before agreed and the Ianizaries comming into the castle hauing loosed the captaine were about to let him go also Solyman aduertised of the treacherie of the garrison souldiours and of the fidelitie of the captain changing his mind judged such villanous minded men vnworthie of his mercie and in detestation of their perfidious dealing with their captaine gaue them all to his Ianizaries to be slaine but to the captaine himselfe he offered honourable entertainment which when he refused Solyman courteously sent him away holpen therein by the commendation of king Iohn although his sister was married to Stephanus Maylat his deadly enemie Which bloudie execution done by the commaundement of the cruell tyrant the Turkes said was not onely lawfully done but also to the immortall glorie of his name in the execution of justice which might peraduenture seeme reasonable if the perpetuall hatred of that most barbarous nation against the Christians gaue not just occasion of suspect that it proceeded rather of their auntient malice than of any regard of justice For why should the Germans who had offended to his great good and therefore obtained his safe conduct be thought worthie of so cruell death when as Solyman himselfe in punishing the perjurie of another ran into wilfull perjurie himselfe peruerting the commendation of justice which he so much desired by his most bloudie and vnjust sentence BVDA the chiefe citie of HVNGARIE thus taken by Solyman he resolued forthwith to besiege VIENNA the chiefe citie of AVSTRIA in good hope that by the carriage away of that the other cities of lesse strength both of HVNGARIE and AVSTRIA would without any resistance be yeelded vnto him Wherefore he sent before him Achomates with the voluntarie horsemen who according to the manner of the Turkish warres running thorow the heart of HVNGARIE and entring with fire and sword into AVSTRIA passed by VIENNA miserably burning and destroying the countrey before him as farre as LYNTZ The poore people not knowing where to hide themselues from the furie of their enemies nor of whom to craue helpe fled as men and women dismaied carrying with them their beloued children the vnfortunat pledges of their loue and what else they could as things saued out of the middest of the fire For whatsoeuer fell into the enemies hand was lost without recure the
souldiours in defence of the common Christian cause so much preuailed with the princes of the empire and the embassadours of the free estates that they highly commended his forwardnesse and all other matters for that time set apart agreed all with one consent at a prefixed day to send vnto VIENNA such warlike forces as they had in any time before set forth for the defence of the Christian religion and the majestie of the empire Whereupon he wrot vnto Alphonsus Vastius his lieutenant Generall in ITALIE and one of the greatest captaines of that age that he should without delay call together the old captaines and to leuie so many companies of harquebusiers as they possibly could and with them and the Spanish souldiors to repaire forthwith vnto him into AVSTRIA He also enjoyned Andreas Auria his admirall that hee should with like diligence rig vp a strong fleet of gallies and marchants ships and to goe against the Turkes nauie into GRaeCIA At the same time he sent for his choise horsemen out of BVRGVNDIE and the low countries and many noble gentlemen and old soldiours out of SPAINE for the guard of his owne person he entertained twelue thousand Germanes such as had longest serued in his warres in ITALIE ouer whom commaunded Maximilian Herbersthene and Tamisius both famous captaines At the same time Clement the seuenth then bishop of ROME although his cofers were greatly emptied by the late Florentine warres which had cost him ten hundred thousand duckats yet to make some shew of his deuotion in so dangerous a time with the great good will he bare vnto the emperor after he had with greeuous exaction extorted from the cleargie a great masse of money whereunto his rich cardinals contributed nothing as if it had been a thing vtterly vnlawfull for them in so good a cause to haue abated any jot of their pontificall shew in the court of ROME sent the young cardinall Hyppolytus Medices his nephew being then about twentie yeares of age a man indeed fitter for the warres than for the church as his legate vnto the emperour accompanied with mo good captaines than cleargie men and his cofers well stuffed with treasure whose comming to RATISBONE was vnto the emperour and the Germanes very welcome for besides that hee was a young gentleman of very comely personage and exceeding bountifull he entertained for those warres besides the companie he brought with him eight â—housand Hungarian horsemen of all others best acquainted with the Turkish warres King Iohn vnderstanding that the formost of Solymans great armie were come as farre as SAMANDRIA in SERVIA thought it now a fit time to wring from king Ferdinand such townes as he yet held in HVNGARIE wherefore he sent Aloisius Grittus whom Solyman had left as a helper for his estate to besiege STRIGONIVM which is a citie of HVNGARIE situat vpon the side of Danubius about thirtie miles from BVDA the castle whereof was at that time holden with a strong garrison of king Ferdinands whereunto for all that Grittus laid such hard siege both by the riuer and by land that the defendants doubting how they should bee able to hold out especially if Solyman should take that in his way as it was most like he would sent for releefe to Cazzianer a warlike captaine then gouernour of VIENNA and generall of all king Ferdinand his forces by whose appointment certaine small frigots were sent downe the riuer of Danubius from POSSONIVM well manned who suddainely setting vpon the Turkes fleet which so kept the riuer that nothing could that way be possibly conueyed either in or out of the castle should by their vnexpected comming open that way but Grittus hauing intelligence thereof by certaine Hungarians which though they serued king Ferdinand made no great account to flie sometime to the one part sometime to the other as best fitted their purpose presently resolued to send his fleet vp the riuer and by his sudden comming to oppresse his enemies in like sort as they had thought to haue done him And the more to encourage his souldiours hee promised great rewards to all such as should performe any extraordinarie peece of seruice in that action and so hauing thorowly furnished all his fleet with good souldiours but especially with Turkish archers sent them vp the riuer to seeke their enemies who fearing no such matter as men surprised with the same mischeefe they had prepared for others were at the first exceedingly dismayed yet considering that they were reasonably well prouided for their comming although they yet wanted such helpe as Cazzianer had appointed to send them they thought it a great shame to flie and therefore putting themselues in order of battell came downe the riuer and with great courage encountred their enemies There began a sharpe and cruell fight many being slaine and wounded on both sides but at last they of POSSONIVM not able longer to endure the deadly shot of their enemies and especially of the Turkish archers who with their arrowes sore gauled both the souldiours and the marriners they turned their backes and fled in which fight of sixtie frigots which came from POSSONIVM onely thirteene escaped with Corporanus the Generall all the rest being either sunke in the fight or els taken by the enemie being run ashore and forsaken by the Possonians trusting more vnto their legs by land than their oares by water Besides this losse of the frigots there was slaine of the Possonians almost fiue hundred After this victorie Grittus hoping that they in the castle of STRIGONIVM despairing now of releefe and fearing the comming of Solyman would not long hold out left off to batter or vndermine the castle wherewith he perceiued he little preuailed purposing by lying still and keeping them in the castle from all releefe to enforce them in time to forsake the place Thus whilst the deuided Hungarians with their owne hands inconsideratly sought one anothers destruction with the ruine of their countrey Solyman the great enemie of all Christians was readie at their backes to deuour both the one and the other as in few yeares after he did Much about this time the old Spanish souldiors in ITALIE drawne together by Vastius as the emperour had before commaunded were come to the Alpes In this campe of one sort of men and other was aboue twentie thousand whereof almost the third part was not seruiceable for the old souldiors enriched with the long warres in ITALIE and the spoile of the rich countrey of LVMBARDIE wherein they had of late beene billited brought with them all their old gotten spoiles and substance not forgetting so much as their women and whatsoeuer els serued their pleasure for carriage whereof they drew after them a great multitude of carriages and vnnecessarie people all which serued for no other vse but for the soldiors pleasure and to consume victuals Which their licentious wantonnesse Vastius desiring to reforme gaue straight commaundement thorow all the campe That they should leaue
thenceforth call Iohn by the name of a king whereas before he had both in his common talke and letters called him by the name of the Vayuod onely It was also expressely set downe in the same articles of peace and subscribed with the hands of diuers of the nobilitie of HVNGARIE That if king Iohn should die king Ferdinand should succeed him in the whole kingdome of HVNGARIE Which condition was suppressed and kept verie secret for feare of Solyman who accounted of that kingdome as of his owne gotten by law of armes and bestowed vpon king Iohn as vpon his vassaile neither was it to haue been thought that if he should haue knowne thereof being of a hautie mind by nature and not able to endure any injurie he would haue suffered that kingdome got and defended with so great danger and cost to be by the will of an vnthankfull man transferred vnto his enemies This matter of so great importance was as it is reported by Hieronymus Lascus embassadour for king Ferdinand to CONSTANTINOPLE reuealed vnto Solyman and the Bassaes to bring king Iohn into hatred So much did this noble gentleman for his rare vertues otherwise greatly to haue been commended yeeld vnto his griefe and desire of reuenge when after the death of Aloysius Grittus he fell from the friendship of king Iohn being as is before declared by him committed to prison and hardly afterwards enlarged at the request of king Sigismund Whereupon Solyman being exceedingly angrie with king Iohn called him vnthankfull churle and turning himselfe about to Lutzis bassa his brother in law said How vnworthely doe these two Christian kings weare their crownes vpon their faithlesse heads who as shamefull deceiuers are not afraid either for worldly shame or feare of God for their profit to falsifie their faith But king Iohn vnderstanding thereof and wonderfully fearing his owne estate did by good friends and rich presents pacifie Solyman againe laying all the blame vpon king Ferdinand as better able to beare it Not long after king Iohn hauing set his kingdome in good order and strongly fortified the citie of BVDA being now farre stricken in yeares at the earnest request of most of the nobilitie of HVNGARIE and other his best friends married Isabella the daughter of Sigismund king of POLONIA a gratious ladie and of great spirit which king Sigismund had long before married Barbara king Iohn his sister after whose death he married the ladie Bona Sfortia the daughter of Ioannes Galeacius duke of MILLAIN by whom he had this ladie Isabella whom king Iohn now married Which marriage Solyman liked well of hauing many times by way of talke before condemned the single life of the king but king Ferdinand liked thereof nothing at all plainly foreseeing that the Hungarians if the king should chance to haue a sonne would forthwith looke vpon him as their naturall king and reject himselfe as but a stranger This young queene in short time as he had feared conceiued with child and was now verie big when king Iohn was enforced to make an expedition in person himselfe against Maylat famous for the death of Aloysius Grittus and Balaâ— both Gouernours of TRANSILVANIA whereof Maylat not contented with the name of Vayuod or Gouernour sought to make himselfe king But Solyman detesting the impudent arrogancie of the faithlesse man and hating him for the death of Grittus and the Turks slaine with him aduertised king Iohn of all the matter wishing him to be more circumspect whom he trusted with the gouernment of so great and rich a countrey So Maylat shamefully rejected of Solyman and out of hope of a kingdome fearing also to be thrust quite out of his gouernment by king Iohn thought it best for his owne safetie to raise vp all the prouince into rebellion and to take part with king Ferdinand which thing Ferdinand by his diuers agents secretly furthered to the vttermost For these two kings although they were at peace the one with the other and in words and shew made semblance of friendship yet in heart they enuied and hated each other as if they should presently haue waged warre At that same time king Iohn exacted of his subjects and especially of them of TRANSILVANIA a great summe of money to pay the Turke his tribute then two yeares behind which thing serued Maylat and his complices as a fit occasion to raise the people into rebellion persuading them that there was no reason to pay vnto the Turke such a tribute as would serue well to wage ten yeares honourable warre against him so that by that and such like persuasion all the prouince was in an vprore little differing from manifest rebellion To appease these dangerous troubles thus arising king Iohn sent certaine of his chiefe nobilitie and best captaines with a great power into TRANSILVANIA following after himselfe in his chariot not yet well recouered of his late sicknesse These noble men entring in two places into TRANSILVANIA and scouring vp and downe the countrey had in short time so vsed the matter that what by force what by policie the tumult was well pacified and diuers of the chiefe offenders worthely executed Maylat the ambitious author of this sedition not able to hold the field against the king and seeing himselfe beset on euerie side with his enemies retired himselfe with all his wealth into a towne called FOGARAS a place of great strength which the kings power shortly after hardly besieged the king himselfe then lying at SIBYNIVM the chiefe citie of TRANSILVANIA about a mile distant from FOGARAS sicke of an ague whereinto he was againe fallen through too much care and paines taken in trauelling in that hoat time of the yeare the daies being then at the longest Whilest he thus lay sicke at SIBYNIVM and his armie fast by at the sige of FOGARAS newes was brought vnto him from the court That the queene his wife was deliuered of a faire young sonne which was no sooner bruted abroad but the Hungarians as men ouerjoyed came flocking to the court where the king lay discharging their pieces in triumph with all other signes of joy and mirth they could possible deuise the noble men came from the campe to rejoice with the king and all the armie was filled with gladnesse And for the greater solemnitie of this so common a joy a royall feast was prepared which the noble men would needs haue the king to honour with his presence though he were thereto vnwilling being as yet but a little recouered Howbeit yeelding to their importunitie hee suffered himselfe to be ouerruled and brought to the feast by them which was vnto him the merriest and the last that euer he made for willing to shew his inward joy and to content his nobilitie there present he forgot himselfe and eat and dranke more liberally than was for the health of his weake bodie whereby the feauer which had but a little before left him was againe renewed in such sort as
pretending that he was by the king commaunded forthwith to returne So the expectation of great matters to haue been this yeare done came to nought but vanished into smoake and nothing performed worth so long a discourse more than to see with what difficultie great actions are managed wherein the hands of many great ones are required who jealous of their owne honour or enuying at others corrupt with delaies the fairest opportunities and by their crosse dealing no lesse than the enemie hinder the common good whereat they would all fainest seeme to aime From CORCYRA Don Iohn departed to MESSSANA and Columnius vnto ROME Fuscarinus with greater honour than successe returned to VENICE where he was with great joy receiued both of the Senat and the citisens in generall and so no lesse famous for his patience and moderation towards the other confederats than for his pollicie and valour with the good liking of all men gaue vp his charge in few yeares after to receiue a greater About this time Amida king of TVNES of whom much is before spoken in the life of Solyman being but a little before driuen out of his kingdome by the Turkes who had of long by little and little encroached vpon him and as a priuat man liued in exile with his two sonnes at GVLETTA with Franciscus Touares Gouernour thereof hearing of the great ouerthrow of the Turkes at LEPANTO and of the good successe of the Christians sent embassadours to Don Iohn Generall of the confederat princes then lying in SICILIA humbly requesting his aid for the recouerie of his kingdome promising to defray the whole charges of the warre and for euer to hold his kingdome of the king of SPAINE as his vassaile and tributarie Which his request well considered of and the matter thought of no small consequence for the safetie of the Christian countries lying ouer against that part of AFFRICKE to haue so dangerous an enemie remoued Don Iohn the yeare following in the beginning of October by the commaundement of the king of SPAINE his brother departing from DREPANVM in SICILIA with an hundred and fiue gallies and fortie ships arriued the next day about noone at GVLETTA where the gallies of MALTA came vnto him and shortly after Io. Andreas Auria the Admirall with nineteene mo and Columnius the Popes Admirall with fourteene mo all well appointed At his arriuall at GVLETTA he vnderstood by Amida and the Gouernour the whole estate both of the citie and of the kingdome of TVNES and that the Turkes and Moores terrified with so great a fleet were about to forsake the citie Wherefore hauing well viewed the place he the next day after landed his forces about foure miles from the citie and sent 2500 footmen before the rest of the armie to the citie who found it all desolat the Turks and Moors being before for feare fled some to CARAVANA some to BISERTA who entring without resistance came to the castle wherein they found two hundred Moores who said they kept it for Amida their king but yet would by no meanes suffer the Christians to enter All which was forthwith made knowne to Don Iohn who then because it was almost night would not moue but early the next morning set forward with his whole armie and entring the citie before abandoned by the inhabitants and so comming to the castle found nothing therein but great store of oyle butter and wooll Amida the late king by the commaundement of Don Iohn all this while staied at GVLETTA But whilest Don Iohn was yet at TVNES newes was brought vnto him the thirteenth of October That the Turks garrison before fled out of TVNES with diuers Moores comming to BISERTA were there kept out by the citisens and not suffered to enter For which cause they began to burne and spoile the countrey thereabout Whereupon the Generall sent Touares the captaine of GVLETTA thither with part of the armie who encountring with those Turks ouerthrew them and had the citie by the citisens peaceably deliuered vnto him The kingdome of TVNES thus easily once againe recouered from the Turkes Don Iohn throughly enforced of the faithlesse and cruell dealing of Amida the late king and that in detestation of the Christians and their religion he had alreadie had intelligence with the Turkes and procured the death of some of the Christians gaue this definitiue sentence vpon him being yet in the castle of GVLETTA That for as much as he had of long time been the authour of great discord and endlesse troubles in that kingdome and had most vnnaturally depriued Muleasses his father first of his kingdome and afterward of his sight and in like manner tyrannized ouer his naturall brethren the rightfull heires of that kingdome whereby the Turks had taken occasion both to inuade and possesse the same he should therefore by the commaundement of the king of SPAINE be carried prisoner with his two sonnes into SICILIA there to remaine for euer Which heauie doome hee taking most grieuously and yet crying out for mercie was forthwith thrust into a gallie and with his wife and children transported into SICILIA there to liue in perpetuall exile the just reward of his mercilesse and vnnaturall dealing with his father and brethren God no doubt requiting him with the like measure he had before measured vnto them After that the king of SPAINE so commaunding Mahomet Amida his elder brother and right heire of that kingdome was appointed king in his place who departing from GVLETTA to TVNES was receiued as king and there by solemne oath promised for euer to be the king of SPAINE his vassaile and to doe whatsoeuer he should commaund There was before departed out of TVNES fortie thousand Moores who now came and offered their supplication to Don Iohn that they might againe returne and liue with their new king which their request being easily granted they in great numbers euerie day returned into the citie Shortly after fifteene hundred Turks with three thousand of those wild people which some call Arabians some Alarbes sore troubled all the passages about the citie who were at last by the Christians ouerthrowne and an hundred and fiftie Christians whom they had taken prisoners rescued After that Don Iohn by the aduise of his most expert and skilfull captaines commaunded a strong castle to be built in the middle way betwixt GVLETTA and TVNES and for the performing thereof lest Gabriell Serbellio with two thousand Italians and Salazar a Spaniard with other two thousand at GVLETTA And so hauing performed that he came for and disposed of all things as he thought best returned againe into SICILIA A griefe of griefes it is and sorrow almost vnconsolable when worthie actions most happily begun sort not to such happie end as was in reason hoped for The greatest and the most famous victorie of all ages gained against the Turke seemed to haue lightened the Christian common-weale and great hope there was that the Christians falling into vnitie among themselues
himselfe to thrust him into the gallies and because he could not carrie the money vnto the king yet at the least to bring him his debtor But for as much as he doubted to put this his determination openly in execution for feare of some insurrection amongst the people as well for that he was within the territories of the said Ebne-mansur as for that he saw him greatly beloued and fauoured of the other two Drusian lords Ebne-frec and Ebne-carâ—us he therefore thought it better pollicie by concealing this his purpose to shew him in his outward actions all good countenance and by secret and subtile meanes to take him prisoner Whereupon he deceitfully told him That for as much as he was to stay there for his businesse that night and was resolued the next day to make a road into the countrey of Man-ogli he therefore praied him to doe him the fauour to be his guide and for that purpose when he should send for him at midnight that he would come vnto him verie secretly because he was minded to depart without any stirre onely with fiue hundred men in his companie The Drusian lord verily beleeued the matter that so it was and withall was in good hope by that means to find some way to escape his hands Wherupon being called vp at midnight he readily went to the tent of Ebrain who presently charging him whom all men thought he had especially affected with many abhominable and foule tearmes caused a chaine to be cast about his necke and his armes and so fast bound to be carried into the gallies And yet not so contented tooke the spoile of all his countrey whereby there was leuied such a prey as was maruellous to behold for besides money wherof there was a verie huge summe the store of clothes of silke and gold was such and so great as might better beseeme some great prince than such a mountaine rusticall lord as he was When the Bassa had conueied all this into his gallies he sailed to TRIPOLI where he found Serafadin in the custodie of Veis Bassa and Ali Bassa and hauing stayed there some few dayes wherein he committed sundrie villanous and abhominable robberies he caused the said Serafadin to be put into the gallies with all his silkes and other wealth and so departed for CONSTANTINOPLE where at such time as he entered into the channell of the citie accompanied with foure and twentie gallies hee was encountered and receiued by a wonderfull number of his friends and fauourits and saluted with an honourable peale of artillerie out of the Seraglio Iohn Thomas Minadoi the best reporter of this historie as also of the late warres betwixt the Turkes and the Persians being then at CONSTANTINOPLE and hauing as he reporteth of himselfe good meanes to see the bountifull and beautifull presents which the spoyling and rauenous Bassa gaue the Turkish king reporteth the summe thereof to haue beene a million of gold besides the yearely reuenue of CAIRE amounting to six hundred thousand duckats with threescore horses most richly garnished of singular beautie but especially of the Arabian race a liue Elephant and a liue Giraffâ—e which is a beast like a Cammell and a Panther two great Crocodiles dead a chaire of massie gold richly set with pretious stones a casket also beset with pretious stones and gold many packs of most fine clothes woollen and silkes certain other clothes with fringe of gold and siluer and the Barbarian cutworke most fine linnen of ALEXANDRIA and all the arcubuses taken from the Drusians besides sundrie rich presents giuen by the prowd Bassa to the great ladies of the Court reported by Leunclauius to haue beene worth two hundred thousand Sultanines But now for as much as we haue before made mention of the Sanzacke of IERVSALEM and his flight it shall not be altogether impertinent to our historie though somewhat out of time in few words to declare what passed between him and the Arabians of PALESTINE a little before the comming of Ebrain the great Bassa into those quarters by which little the desirous Reader may easily perceiue the wofull and troublesome state of that sometime most blessed and fruitfull but now most miserable and barren land of IVRIE and of those places in holy Writ so much renowned In the confines of SODOME and in the places that lie not only betweene the lake ASPHALTITES and DAMASCO but also in the plaines and in the vallies of IERICHO and of SAMARIA and in other places about BETHLEHEM EMAVS BETHANIE BETHFAGE CAPHARNAVM NAZARETH LEVIR BETHSAIDA NAPLOS and other townes of name thereabouts there doe haunt and liue sundrie Arabian captaines who spreading themselues euen as far as RAMA and IOPPA ouerrun at their pleasure all the countries there round about and continually commit grieuous outrages as well against the said cities as also vpon the goods and wealth not onely of the inhabitants there but also of strangers yea and their insolencie oftentimes groweth so great that they dare to assault the fenced cities beside the spoiling of trauellers that by reason of their businesse haue occasion to passe from one citie to another They are good horsemen but vse no armour their horses are very swift to run and spare of diet and are themselues bold and aduenturous theeues These Arabians hauing had intelligence that the aforesaid ambitious youth appointed Sanzacke of IERVSALEM was in mind to raise all the Sanzackes thereabout and joyning himselfe with them and his father the Bassa of DAMASCO to restraine their insolent libertie and to worke their destruction resolued with themselues not to stay vntill he and his confederats were readie but rather by sundrie inuasions vpon him euen vnto the gates of IERVSALEM to prouoke him to come out into the field And the rather to induce him so to do they compacted with a certaine Subbassi of BETHLEHEM their friend to encourage and animate the Sanzacke thereunto by promising vnto him good successe and prosperous euents The ambitious young man seduced with the glorious persuasions of the false Subbassi of whom he made good reckoning and prouoked by their insolencies resolued as they had wished to issue out of the citie into the open field and thereupon hauing armed an hundred of his vassales and raised all the horsemen that were vnder his gouernment to the number of six hundred he made a rode towards IERICHO sending before defiance vnto them against whom the Arabians came accordingly and with their arrows and Indian canes ouerwhelming his arcubuses as if it had been a raging floud wrought him great woe when in the very nicke the battell yet being at the hotest the traiterous Subbassi fled towards BETHLEHEM and left the souldiors of IERVSALEM in the hands of the Arabians who put most part of them to the edge of the sword and scarcely gaue libertie to the Sanzacke to saue himselfe by flight The Sanzacke certainely enformed of this fraud of the dissembling Subbassi to be reuenged vpon him began
VIENNA to ALTENBVRG where he mustered his whole armie and departing thence with some few of his followers came to WALKENBVRG a village vpon the side of Danubius where he made choise of a place to encampe his armie in which after he had marked out he returned again with speed to ALTENBVRG and by open proclamation through the campe gaue straight commaundement That against a certaine houre euery man should be in readinesse to remoue and to set forward toward the enemie But diuers of the souldiors and especially the Germanes began forthwith after their wonted manner to crie out for their pay before they would stirre any farther so that the countie was glad by a second proclamation to commaund them to rise promising them their pay within eight dayes But they still standing vpon their former resolution for their pay refused any further to follow their captaines and sent six of the best sort among those mutinous souldiors to the countie in the name of all the rest to demaund their pay whom he forthwith commaunded to be all hanged but three of them hauing reasonably excused themselues he let them goe and causing the other three to cast lots for their liues hanged vp two of them Which seuere execution so terrified the rest that vpon the signe giuen they all rise and with the rest of the armie followed the Countie The whole armie being come to WALKENBVRG vnto the place where they were to encampe the Countie himselfe with others of the nobilitie began with spades and shouels to dig and cast vp the trenches and so wrought vntill they sweat againe with whose example all the rest of the armie of what degree soeuer being moued to labour had in short time cast vp a verie great trench from Danubius vnto the marishes large enough for four score thousand men to encampe in the great worke with restlesse labour going forward both night and day vntill it was fully finished The Countie lying thus entrenched with his armie was still carefull by his espials to vnderstand where the enemie lay and what he did He was readie still to heare all but to beleeue that which seemed to be most like to be true what he purposed he kept most secret so that the enemie could neuer discouer any of his dessignes wherein the Generals of late yeares before him had much erred and commonly his most certaine resolutions were shadowed vnder the open shew of some other matter nothing meant securitie he much abhorred as neuer free from danger and although it was by diuers messengers brought vnto him That the enemie was but of small strength vnable to meet him disorderedly encamped and in great distresse for want of victuals yet would he giue little credit therunto as knowing such reports to haue oftentimes been of purpose giuen out by the Turkes to lull the Christians in securitie the more easily to oppresse them The Christian armie thus strongly entrenched and the trenches planted with great ordinance the Countie himselfe with certaine troupes of horsemen would oftentimes shew himselfe before RAB and sometime before DOTIS viewing sometime the one place and sometime the other as if he had verily purposed to haue besieged the one of them and to giue the greater shew that he had so determined he caused the ground to be marked out for his armie most conueniently to encampe in and for the casting vp of his mounts Which caused the Turkes of STRIGONIVM VESPRINIVM PALOTTA and other places farther off to send part as well of their warlike prouision as of their garrison souldiors some to RAB some to DOTIS for the defence of those places neerest as they thought vnto danger The Countie in the meane time hauing now put all things in readinesse came with his armie and sat before DOTIS demaunding to haue it yeelded vnto him And the more to confirme the Turkes that he would assuredly besiege that place he began to cast vp his trenches and to raise his mounts as seemed most conuenient straitly commaunding euerie man of what condition soeuer to put his hand in some measure to the furtherance of those workes and the more by his owne example to encourage others would oftentimes himselfe carrie a fagot or some other thing before him vpon his horse for the raising of the mount For all that certaine Hungarian gentlemen disdaining such base labour as they deemed it refused to doe any thing therein which the Countie perceiuing straitly charged one of them by his example to carrie a fagot to the mount which the Hungarian gentleman refusing the Countie therwith much moued laid the fagot he was carrying himselfe before the Hungarian vpon his horse charging him to see that he caried it to the appointed place the Hungarian disdainfully taking it caried it vntill he thought he was out of the Counties sight and then in scorne threw it downe which the Countie hauing still an eye after him perceiuing commanded him to be taken and all armed as he rid to be presently hanged vpon the next tree for his obstinacie Which wholsome seueritie both then and afterwards caused others more diligently to doe what they were commanded by their superiors It happened about this time that three Turkes being taken prisoners were brought into the campe whom the Countie straitly examined of many matters But the first of the three could neither by faire or foule meanes be induced to answere to any thing that he was asked and was therefore by the commaundement of the Countie in the sight of the other two cut into small pieces Who terrified with his dismembring confessed many things whereof they were asked and among others that the Turkish Sultan had determined to turne his greatest forces into TRANSYLVANIA MOLDAVIA and the vpper part of HVNGARIE and therefore would this Sommer send small forces or else none at all into those quarters Now was DOTIS so belaid by the Countie as that no man doubted but that he had theron purposed to haue gaged his whole forces when suddenly the last of Iune commaundement was giuen through the campe that euerie man vpon signe giuen should be in readinesse to follow his leaders for that the Countie had determined forthwith to remoue yet wâ—ither the armie was to be remoued few or none knew more than certaine of the chiefe commaunders As for to go to STRIGONIVM few there were that so much as dreamed thereof all was kept so secret yet was it the Counties purpose euen from the beginning to attempt the winning of that citie which the Archduke had in vaine the last yeare besieged The next night being both darke and foule the Countie rise with all his armie and the next day being the first of Iuly came to STRIGONIVM they of the citie not hearing of his comming before they saw him vnder their walles Whererefore the Turkes in the suburbs called the Rascian citie and they in the fort vnder Saint Thomas hill despairing of the keeping of those places setting fire on
appointing them to any seruice and such as he found to haue so done he to the terror of others caused to be presently executed and after that went down himselfe into the lower towne to see that nothing were there wanting or amisse where most danger was But when he would haue againe returned into the vpper towne he was stayed by the Ianizaries who told him That seeing he was of so valiant and couragious a mind and their Gouernour he should there stay with them and take such part as they did were it better or worse and so would he or would he not there needs stay he must Now the Bassaes of BVDA and TEMESVVAR with diuers Sanzackes as well of those parts of HVNGARIE which the Turks possessed as other places were assembling their forces for the reliefe of the besieged in STRIGONIVM Whereof the Transyluanian prince hearing made shew as if he would forthwith haue besieged TEMESVVAR so that the Bassa thereof leauing the intended expedition for STRIGONIVM was glad to returne for the defence of his own charge They also of STIRIA CARINTHIA CROATIA with the troupes of countie Serinus had so stopped all the passages that twelue thousand Turks which were comming from ZIGETH and the places thereabout could by no meanes come to joyne themselues with their fellowes for the reliefe of the distressed citie The countie leauing nothing vnattempted or vndone that might helpe for the gaining of STRIGONIVM had made a notable fort vpon S. Thomas hill and therein placed fiue great culuerines wherewith he furiously battered the higher citie and did therein great harme and thereby also brought to passe that no man could goe vp or downe the hill betwixt the vpper towne and the lower but he was in danger to be set off with those pieces or the musketiers who defended by those great pieces lay vpon the side of the hill in caues and bushes awaiting for such as should goe vp or downe betwixt the two townes Thus the Christians at one time battered the vpper towne the lower towne and the strong towne and fort of GOKARA standing on the farther side of Danubius oueragainst STRIGONIVM besieged by the lord Palfi But of all these places GOKARA was with the furie of the great ordinance most shaken which the countie perceiuing caused the batterie to be encreased and so continued vntill he had beaten downe the counterscarfe and made certaine faire breaches in the wall Whereunto the Morauians vnto whose lot it fell the one and twentith of Iuly gaue an assault in fiue diuers places whom the lord Palfi seconded with his Hungarians of whom certaine were of purpose appointed beside their armes to bring things with them for the firing of the towne which they in the time of the assault found meanes so well to bestow that in a while the towne was all on a light fire The Turkes at first made notable resistance but finding themselues ouerpressed and seeing the towne now on a fire about their eares which with the force of the wind so encreased that it caught hold of the lower towne on the other side of the riuer they retired to the riuers side where some of them by boats got ouer to STRIGONIVM othersome perished in the riuer the rest falling into the hands of the Christians were by them all put to the sword GOKARA thus taken and the fire quenched the Christians repaired the breaches and storing it with all warlike prouision left in it a strong garrison Within a night or two after were two hundred of the Turks horsemen descried in a field fast by which caused an alarum to be raised in the campe as if the whole armie of the Turks had beene at hand howbeit those horsemen retiring and no other appearing it was afterwards knowne that they were onely scouts sent out by the Turkes to take view of the armie of the Christians and in what sort they lay encamped The latter end of this moneth it fortuned that a young countrey fellow secretly sent out of the citie by the Gouernour and falling into the hands of Palfi was by him sent to the countie by whom he was in friendly manner demanded From whence he came whether he was going and whereabouts Whereunto the youth frankely answered That he was sent from the Gouernour with letters to the Bassa of BVDA which he presently drew out of his bosome and deliuered them vnto the countie who after he had read them caused them to be closed vp againe and so deliuered them to the young man with some few crownes commaunding him to carrie them to the Bassa as he was about and in his returne to bring him the Bassaes answere promising for his so doing to reward him bountifully which the young man vndertooke to doe and so departed Now the purport of the Gouernours letters was That if the Bassa did not within six or seauen dayes send him aid and relieue him he should for want of victuals and other things necessarie for the holding out of the siege be enforced either to abandon the citie or to yield it vp into the enemies hands Whereunto the Bassa returned answere by the aforesaid messenger That he would within the appointed time bee with him willing him in the meane while to be mindfull of his wonted valour and not to be with any thing discouraged appointing him the day the houre the way the meane with all the other circumstances how he would relieue him Which letters the young man according to his promise deliuered vnto the countie who thereupon prouided accordingly for the welcomming of the Bassa Within a day after also one of the Turkes canoniers considering the danger the citie lay in and feating that it would be lost fled out of it into the campe who besides that he aptly declared the state of the citie and the wants the besieged were in did also afterwards good seruice during the time of the siege The Turkes had in this while many times sallied out to their great losse yet now vpon hope of better successe they aduentured the nine and twentith of this moneth to sallie out againe but with like fortune as before leauing fourescore of their men behind them hauing slaine but fiue of the Christians Now had the Turks in great wants by the space of a moneth right worthily defended STRIGONIVM expecting still for reliefe At length newes was brought into the campe That the Bassa of BVDA with twentie thousand men was comming to raise the siege who the second of August came accordingly and with his armie encamped within foure miles of the Christians lying so nigh certaine of the Turkes horsemen seeking after bootie came very neere vnto the campe of the Christians and out of the pastures euen vnder their noses carried away some few horses against these desperat aduenturerers certaine troupes of the Hungarian and Germane horsemen issuing out had with them an hot skirmish but the Turkes of purpose retiring as men ouercharged and the Christians still following
on had at length drawne them vnto the place where diuers other troupes of the Turkes lay in ambush for them who now starting forth on euery side hardly charged them The Hungarian light horsemen well acquainted with such skirmishes seeing the danger presently fled and left the Germanes to themselues who for a while valiantly encountered their enemies but oppressed with multitude were glad at last to flie also In this skirmish of the Christians were lost and grieuously wounded about an hundred The Turkes encouraged with this so prosperous a beginning came on the next day with all their armie being before resolued by plaine force to open themselues a way into the citie and so to relieue the besieged Of all these things was not the Countie ignorant as thereof forewarned by the Bassaes letters before deliuered vnto him and had therefore with his armie strongly belayed all the wayes vnto the citie neuerthelesse the enemie came still on betweene the hils S. Thomas and S. George and neere vnto the suburbes called the Rascian citie put themselues in order of battell as did also the Christians giuing the enemie leaue to come euen to their trenches In the meane time the lord Palfi with his Hungarian horsemen fetching a compasse about the hill on the one side and the lord Swartzenburg with his horsemen on the other had so enclosed the Turkes behind as that they could not without great danger retire Both armies orderly raunged and the signall of battell giuen the Turkes hauing before without any great harme done discharged seuenteene field pieces came on after their wonted manner with a most hideous crie and at the first onset with their Turkie arrowes as with a thicke shower darkened the skie when on the other side the Germane and Wallon horsemen with their petronels sent their deadly shot as thicke as haile amongst them againe and the men at armes after them taught the Turks to their cost how vnfit their light and halfe naked horsemen were in a set battell to meet with men so well appointed in a trice but not without great slaughter the battell was brought to the sword and to be tried by true valour There was to be heard a crie heauens high the thundering artillerie both great and small the clattering armour the glistering weapons the neighing of the horses the crying of the wounded the heauie gronings of the dying with the noise of the trumpets drums and other warlike instruments made deafe the eares of the hearers presenting vnto them nothing but horror and euen present death It was a most miserable sight to see so many men in so short time slaine for the battell had yet scarcely endured halfe an houre when many thousands of the Turks lay dead vpon the ground and the rest seeing the victorie encline to the Christians betooke themselues to flight leauing behind them their great ordinance and whatsoeuer els they brought for the reliefe of the besieged whom so flying the lord Palfi and Swartzenburg who had before taken the straits whereby they were to passe betweene the mountaines so receiued with their fresh horsemen that of them that came that way few escaped The Bassa himselfe who stood vpon the hill seeing the discomfiture of his armie fled also himselfe the Bassa of NATOLIA with about an hundred Turkes moe by good fortune got into STRIGONIVM The number of the Turks slaine in this battell was great and is of diuers diuersly reported some saying that there was slaine fourteene thousand and some fewer Besides them that were slain many were also taken and some of them men of great name and place There were also taken seuen and twentie ensignes with a multitude of cammels asses and mules laded with mony shot pouder and other necessarie prouision all which brought thither for the reliefe of the besieged became a prey vnto the Christians In the heat of this battell they of the citie sallying out had entred a fort of the Christians vpon the riuers side but were againe presently driuen out and with losse enforced againe to retire After this victorie the countie sent certaine companies of the Hungarian and Germane horsemen with fiue hundred waggons to the enemies campe not farre off in the mountaines who comming thither found it vtterly forsaken by the enemie but well stored with all manner of necessarie prouision which they carried all away together with six hundred tents many whereof were lined with damaske sattin and other silke richly embrodered or layed with gold lace or twist The Bassaes rich tent taken by the colonell of the horsemen was afterwards by him giuen vnto the Countie as was also the plate and money there found all which he deuided among the souldiors according to their deserts In the Turks campe were also found certaine heads of the Christians with the dead bodie of the lord Brandensteine slaine in the conflict but the day before which the Christians caried away with them into the campe and there honourably buried them Those that remained of the Turks armie hid themselues in the mountaines and woods and so holpen by the darkenesse of the night made best shift for themselues that they could The Bassa himselfe accompanied but with twentie horse came to BVDA about midnight and by his comming filled the citie with great heauinesse euery man lamenting his lost friends The Hungarian Heidons best acquainted with the countrey pricking vp and downe the mountaines and by waies for certaine daies after the battell brought in daily into the campe such prisoners as they tooke or else the heads of such Turkes as they slew Of this so notable a victorie the Countie by a speedie messenger certified the Archduke at VIENNA who rewarded him for his good newes with a chaine worth fiue hundred duckars and presently â—aused the song of thankesgiuing to be sung in the Church of the Augustine Friers and afterward in all the churches of the citie The Countie also to gratifie the emperour sent him by the lord Chalon his nephew vnto PRAGE two of the chiefe prisoners taken in the late battell with foure horsemens Guidons cunningly made of horse haires such as are commonly carried before the greatest commanders of the Turks armies and fourteene other ensignes of the Turks with fourteene most goodly horses of the Turks for a present The next day after this battell the Countie sent the lord Palâ—i with an interpreâ—or vnto the citie to demaund it to be yeelded who hauing audience declared vnto the Turkes in what danger they were that the helpe they looked for was now quite ouerthrowne new reliefe could not but in long time be sent vnto them and that therefore it should be good for them whilest yet they might to be well aduised and betime to bethinke themselues of yeelding vp the citie least happily when they would it then would not be accepted promising to intreat with the Generall that they might in safetie depart and with sure conuoy be brought vnto such place of safetie as were
vp in armes of stature great but of courage greater and painfull aboue measure not the least cause of his vntimely death All the time of this siege he tooke little rest either by day or night scarce so much as to lie downe vpon his bed in two or three nights togither The little meat he did eat he most part eat it standing or walking yea and sometimes on horsebacke he was a most seuere obseruer of martiall discipline which caused him to be of his souldiors both beloued and feared His bowels were with due solemnitie buried at KOMARA where he died but his bodie was brought backe againe to LVXENBVRG there to be honourably enterred with his auncestours About this time Theodore the Great duke of MVSCOVIA hearing of the warres betwixt the emperour and the Turke sent two embassadours with letters and presents to the emperour which embassadours comming to PRAGE the sixteenth of August accompanied with two hundred and fiftie horse were there by the emperours appointment honourably receiued and entertained And afterward hauing audience first deliuered the letters of credence from the Great duke reported to haue been of this purport Your Maiestie hath sent vnto vs your embassadour Nicholas Warkotsie requesting our brotherly aid against the hereditarie enemie of all Christianitie the Turkish Sultan Wherefore we also desiring to liue with you our deare and welbeloued brother in all perpetuall amitie and friendship send vnto you by our faithfull counsellor and seruant Michael Iwanowitze and Iohn Sohnie aid out of our treasurie against the said enemie vnto whom we haue also giuen other things in charge to be propounded to your Maiestie requesting you to giue vnto them in all things full credit Giuen in the great Court of our power at MVSCO in the yeare of the world 7103 and from the natiuitie of Christ 1595 in the moneth of Aprill What things in particular these embassadours were sent for was not commonly knowne but among others it is said That the Muscouite requested the emperour to send an embassadour vnto the Persian king to draw him also into the league with them against the Turke which embassadour should first come into MVSCOVIA and that way to passe into PERSIA The presents which the Great duke sent vnto the emperour were an hundred and fiftie thousand Florens of gold great store of most rich furs and pretious perfumes deemed to be of exceeding valour two white faulcons and three leopards aliue And Iwanowitze the embassadour himselfe presented vnto the emperour of himselfe certaine rich Turkie Persiâ—â—â— and Babylonian hangings and carpets certaine timbers of Sables with other rich furs no lesse pretious than Sables so many as eight porters could hardly carrie These embassadours tarried at PRAGE vntill the seuen and twentith day of December and then taking their leaue returned with the emperours answere to the duke But to returne againe vnto SRIGONIVM The Christians now possessed of the lower towne bent their whole batterie vpon the higher towne where it fortuned the fourteenth of August that the old Gouernour Alis-Beg whilest he was carefully walking from place to place to see where most danger was had his arme strucke off with a great shot of which hurt he presently died He was a man of great grauitie about the age of eight and twentie yeares and had of long time notably both gouerned and defended that famous citie the losse whereof was like enough to haue been vnto him greater griefe than was the losse of his life there Much about the same time also died the Aga of the Ianizaries being before mortally wounded Both the chiefe commaunders thus slaine the Ianizaries with the other souldiors and citisens made choise of the Bassa of NATOLIA who as is aforesaid escaped out of the late battell into the citie for their Gouernour who with heauie cheere tooke vpon him that forlorne charge The Christians not ignorant of the death of these two worthie men in whose great and approued valour they supposed the chiefe defence of the citie to haue rested were in good hope that now the rest would the more readily hearken to some good composition and therefore sent a messenger to demand if they would yet whilest there were some mercie left yeeld the citie Who though they had lost their chiefe commaunders with the greatest part of the garrison and were in great wants both of victuals and all things else necessarie for their defence yet their answere was in few words That they would hold it out euen to the last man The greatest cause of which their obstinat resolution was the strait charge the Bassa of BVDA had giuen them for the defence thereof besides that they accounted their citie holy as woon by their magnificent emperour Solyman whom the Turkes generally yet haue in a deuout remembrance and therefore thought it a great impietie to deliuer it vp vnto the Christians The next day after came Matthias the archduke into the campe who after he had well viewed the whole armie and the manner of the siege he called togither into his tent the chiefe commaunders namely the Marquesse of BVRGAVV his cousin Iohn de Medices the Florentine and the lord Palâ—i the Hungarian to consult with them what were farther to be done for the winning of the citie Shortly after he commanded the citie to be at once in two places assaulted which was by the Wallons and Germanes couragiously performed but such was the valour of the defendants that when the Christians had done what they could they were glad at last to giue ouer the assault and with losse to retire About this time came the duke of MANTVA with the three Counties his brethren to the siege and now the Turkes began againe to draw togither neere vnto BVDA there to make head for the reliefe of STRIGONIVM and to be reuenged of the losse they had there before receiued Whereof the Archduke hauing intelligence sent out against them eight thousand chosen souldiors out of the campe who suddenly setting vpon the Turkes in their campe before the rising of the Sunne made a great slaughter amongst them and tooke certaine prisoners of whom the Sanzacke of COPAN was one and so with victorie returned to the siege The besieged Turkes in STRIGONIVM vnderstanding of this ouerthrow of their friends from whom they expected most speedie reliefe and beside the terrour of the continuall batterie and still feared assaults pinched also with extreame wants of all things began now to faint Wherefore the Bassa with the other captaines ouercome with the aforesaid difficulties and the generall outcrie of the fearfull people resolued with one consent to come now to parley and vpon reasonable conditions to yeeld vp the citie whereupon a flag of truce was set vp and parley craued Which granted the Archduke after the going downe of the Sunne came into the lower towne where nine of the Turks attended his comming who entring into parley required that they might vnder safe conuoy with bag and baggage depart
Silistria all in Macedonia 7 Giustandill all in Macedonia 8 Bender neere vnto the Euxine 9 Aâ—herman in the confines of Moldauia 10 Vscopia 11 Prisrem all in Thessalia 12 Salonichi all in Thessalia 13 Trichala all in Thessalia 14 Misitra of old called Sparta in Morea 15 Paloeopatra in the same prouince 16 Ioannina in Aetolia 17 Deluina both in Achaia 18 Elbassan both in Achaia 19 Auelona or Aulona in Albania 20 Ducagin in Epirus 21 Iscodra or Scodra in Albania The Beglerbeg of BVDA who there resideth in the frontiers of the Turkish empire hauing vnder his charge eight thousand Timariots beside twelue thousand other soldiors which in continuall pay lie still readie in garrison in the confines of HVNGARIE CROATIA STIRIA and other places bordering vpon the Christians but especially the territories belonging to the house of AVSTRIA He had of late vnder his ensigne and commaund these fifteene Sanzacks viz. the Sanzacke of 1 Nouigrad 2 Filek 3 Zetschen 4 Zolnock 5 Gran or Strigonium 6 Segedin 7 Alba Regalis 8 Sexard 9 Simontorna 10 Copan 11 Muhatz 12 Zigeth or Saswar 13 Petscheu or Quinque Ecclaesiae 14 Sirmium 15 Semendria Of which FILEK ZETSCHEN and STRIOONIVM are in these late warres woon from the Turkes by the Imperials and so yet by them holden as was also ALBA REGALIS which but the last yeare was by the Turkes againe recouered The Beglerbeg of TEMESVVAR in HVNGARIE who there hath his abode hauing vnder his commaund seuen thousand Timariots with these eight Sanzacks the Sanzacke of 1 Temeswar 2 Mudaua 3 Vilaoswar 4 Tschianad 5 Wtschitirni 6 Iswornick 7 Vidin 8 Lipa The Beglerbeg of BOSNA who lieth at BAGNIALVCA hath vnder him these Sanzacks the Sanzacke of 1 Bagnialuca 2 Poschega 3 Clissa 4 Hertzegouina 5 Lika 6 Sazeschna 7 Giula 8 Brisrem 9 Allatschia chissar The Beglerbeg of COFFE or CAPHA who there resideth in TAVRICA CHERSONESVS and beside the countrey thereabout commaundeth ouer all the Sanzacks neere vnto the great riuer Tanais and the fennes of Moeotis It was at first but a Sanzackeship subject to the Beglerbeg of GRaeCIA and is in truth rather a Beglerbegs place in name than in strength and power The Beglerbegs or great Commaunders of the Turkes Empire in ASIA The Beglerbeg of 1 Anatolia who hath his resiance in Cutaie the metropoliticall citie of the greater Phrigia called of auntient time Catyai and hath vnder his ensigne and commaund thirtie thousand of the Timariot horsemen with twelue Sanzacks 2 Caramania who hath his abode at Caisaria in auntient time called Caesaria a citie of Cilicia and hath vnder him seuen Sanzackes with twentie thousand Timariots 3 Siuas who hath his abiding at Sebastia a citie of the lesser Armenia and hath vnder his gouernment ten thousand Timariots 4 Tocatun who resideth at Amasia the metropolis of Capadocia and hath vnder him fiue Sanzackes 5 Dulgadir sometime part of the kingdome of Aladeules and commandeth ouer foure Sanzackes 6 Halep commonly called Aleppo a citie of Syria and one of the most famous marts of the East who hath vnder his regiment fiue and twentie thousand Timariots 7 Sham otherwise called Damasco a most famous citie of Syria who commandeth ouer fortie thousand Timariots 8 Tarapolos or Trapolos commonly called Tripolis another famous citie of Syria 9 Maras a citie vpon the great riuer Euphrates betwixt Aleppo and Mesopotamia who hath vnder his commaund ten thousand Timariots 10 Diarbekir otherwise called Mesopotamia who maketh his abode at the citie of Amida or as the Turkes call it Cara-hemid who commaundeth ouer twelue Sanzackes and thirtie thousand Timariots 11 Bagdat or new Babylon where he resideth not farre from the ruines of old Babylon who hath vnder him fortie thousand Timariots 12 Balsara not farre from Bagdat vpon the Persian gulfe who hath vnder his rule or gouernment fifteene thousand Timariots 13 Laxa towards Ormus and neere vnto the Persian hath vnder his regiment ten thousand Timariots 14 Gemen and Aden two famous cities in Arabia Foelix vpon the coast of the red sea who hath vnder him thirtie thousand Timariots 15 Chebetz or Zebet vpon the coast of the Arabian gulfe neere vnto the kingdome of the great Aethyopian king Preianes commonly but corruptly called Presbiter Iohn 16 Cyprus who lieth at Nicosia or Famagusta commaunding ouer all that great island sometime of it selfe a kingdome 17 Scheherezul in Assyria bordering vpon the Persian who hath vnder his gouernment ten thousand Timariots 18 Wan a citie in the confines of the greater Armenia towards Media who hath vnder him twelue thousand Timariots 19 Artzerum or Erzerum in the borders of Armenia towards Capadocia about foure daies journey from Trapezonde who commaundeth ouer twentie thousand Timariots 20 Tiflis neere vnto the Georgians erected by Mustapha Bassa Generall of Amurath the third his armie against the Persian in the yeare 1578. 21 Siruan or Media erected by the same Mustapha and at the same time commaundeth ouer all that great countrey sometime a famous kingdome 22 Temir-Capi or Derbent neere vnto the Caspian sea taken by Osman Bassa the same yeare 1578 who hauing slaine Schehemet Chan his father in law reduced that countrey into the forme of a Beglerbegship 23 Cars a citie of Armenia the greater distant from Artzerum foure daies journey by Mustapha Bassa made a Beglerbegship in the yeare 1579. 24 Tschilder or Tzilder in the confines of the Georgians erected by the same Generall Mustapha the same yeare 1579. 25 Fassa or Phasis in Mengrelia neere vnto the Georgians erected by Vluzales the Turkes Admirall the same yeare 1579. 26 Sochum in the borders of the Georgians erected by the great Bassa Sinan in the yeare 1580. 27 Batin there erected also by the same Sinan Bassa 28 Reiuan erected by Ferat Bassa Generall of the Turkes armie taken from Tocomac Chan the Persian in the yeare 1582 whereof Cicala Bassa was the first Beglerbeg 29 Somachia in the countrey of Media erected by Osman Bassa in the yeare 1583. 30 Tauris a most famous citie of Armenia the greater sometime the regall seat of the Persian kings but of late taken from them by Osman Bassa and conuerted into a Beglerbegship in the same yeare 1583 as it is by them yet holden But these late erected honours namely the Beglerbegships of TIFLIS SIRVAN TEMIRCAPI CARS TSCHILDER FASSA and the rest gained by Amurath from the Persians and the Georgians although they containe a great territorie are not of themselues any of them worthie of those proud titles or yet able to maintaine the same SIRVAN REIVAN and TAVRIS onely excepted but were by the great Bassaes Mustapha Sinan Ferat and Osman Amurath his lieutenants for their owne greater honour and the encouraging of them which were to defend those their new conquests erected being indeed nothing either in power or strength comparable with the other more auntient Beglerbegs either in EVROPE or ASIA But hauing thus passed through the great kingdomes and
Caire 589 d. by Solyman sent as Generall of his armie to Malta 794 l. landeth at the port Marza Siroc in the isle of Malta 796 k. besiegeth the castle S. Elmo 797 a. assaulteth the castle e. in vain giueth a second assault 798 g. with losse assaulteth it the third time m. in most furious manner battereth it by the space of eighteene dayes and assaulteth it the fourth time 799 c. with great furie giueth the fift and most terrible assault vnto the castle 801 a. with all his power giueth the sixt and last assault 802 i. winneth the castle 803 a. exerciseth most barbarous crueltie vpon the bodies of the slaine knights b. in vaine assaulteth the castle S. Michael 809 c. at one time assaulteth the new citie and the castle S. Michael 810 i. he by messengers certifieth Solyman of the successe of the siege 811 a. leaueth nothing vnattempted 812 i. at once assaulteth the townes S. Angelo and S. Michael and in both places notably repulsed 813 a. giueth a fresh assault and entâ—reth the new citie 814 g. with a great slaughter driuen out againe i. desperately assaulteth the towne of S. Michaell 815 c. repulsed raiseth his siege 817 a. put to flight by the Christians c. hauing lost about foure and twentie thousand of his Turkes at the siege departeth from Malta d. he with Piall Bassa impugneth the counsell of Muhamet the chiefe of the Visieâ— Bassaes and persuadeth Selymus to inuade Cyprus 839 c. for his hatred against the Christians made Generall of his armie for the inuasion of Cyprus 846 g. his letters vnto the Venetians in the isle of Cyprus i. he landeth his armie in Cyprus m. besiegeth Nicosia 848 c. in vaine persuadeth them of Nicosia to yeeld 850 k. he encourageth his souldiors and giueth a most terrible assault 851 a. winneth the citie e. besiegeth Famagusta 852. raiseth his siege b. returneth againe to the siege 862 m. after many assaults hath the citie by composition yeelded vnto him 866 m. shamefully and contrarie to his faith before giuen murthereth the valiant Gouernor Bragadinus 867 b tyranniseth vpon his dead bodie d. by Amurath made Generall of his army against the Persians 929 d. commeth to Erzirum e. mustereth his armie in number an hundred and ten thousand strong 930 g. relieueth his souldiors distressed by the Persians 931 c. maketh a bulwarke of the heads of the slaine Persians d. he surueyeth his armie at Archichelec and lacketh fortie thousand of his men 932 k. fortiâ—ieth Teflis 933 a. looseth ten thousand of his forragers 934 h. reuengeth their death l. his notable answere vnto his mutinous souldiours 935 b. looseth eight thousand of his men in passing the riuer Cannac c. famine in his hoast e. he fortifieth Ere 's 936 g. sendeth Osman Bassa to take in Sumachia and Derbent h. relieueth his distressed garrison at Teflis m. his armie in great miserie in passing the straits of Georgia 937 c. commeth to Erzirum and dischargeth his armie 938 g. maketh preparation for the next yeares warres 942 k. assembleth his armie at Erzirum 943 d. in three and twentie daies fortifieth Chars f. sendeth succours to Teflis 944 c. returneth to Erzirum there dischargeth his armie 945 d. discharged of his Generallship and called home to Constantinople 946 l. maligned by Sinan 949 a. dealeth warily with the messengers sent of purpose to haue strangled him d. appeaseth the displeasure of Amurath e. dieth suddenly 952 k Mustapha Solyman his eldest sonne in great estimatioÌ„ with the people 757 b sent Gouernour into Caramania d. maligned by Roxolana e. in danger to haue been poysoned 760 k. sent for by his father warned of his present danger e. conferreth with his doctor 762 g. troubled with his melancholie dreame k. commeth to his fathers tent 763 a. in the sight of his father most cruelly strangled c. his son Mahomet strangled also d. a prouerbe taken from his death 765 c Mutius Tortona a Spanish captaine raiseth a mutinie in the Christian fleet at Paxo 873 c. Tortona and his Ancient hanged d. Muzalo by Theodorus the Emperour appointed Gouernour to his young sonne Iohn 100 g. enuied by the nobilitie is traiterously murthered in the Church 111 a N NAupactum otherwise called Lepanto in vaine besieged by the Turks 413 b. yeelded to Baiazet 459 c. Neapolis the first regall citie of the Othoman kings 143 b Negligence seuerely punished 856 g Neocastron built by Mahomet the Great 339 d. Neritos now called S. Maura taken by the Venetians 462 k Nice taken by the Turks 142 k. recouered by the Christians 180 g. againe surprised by the Turks 181 c. by Orchanes made the regall seat of his kingdome 183 e Nicholaus Catalusius prince of Mitylene turneth Turke and is executed 364 k Nicholas Keretschen corrupted betrayeth Giula to the Turks 824 i. the traitor iustly rewarded k. Nicephorus Botoniates displaceth his master the Emperor Michaell Ducas and taketh vpon him the Empire 11 e Nicomedia yeelded vnto the Turks 183 c Nouigrade yeelded vnto the Christians 1030 l. O OThoman of greater courage and spirit than his other brethren the sonnes of old Ertogrul 135 d. amorous of Malhatun a countrey maid f. in danger for his loue 136 k. by generall consent chosen Gouernour of the Oguzian Turks 137 d. surpriseth the castle of Calce 138 h. fighteth a battell with the Christians at Opsicium k. winneth the castle of Cara-Chisar and killeth the captaine m. setteth in order his little commonweale 139 c. killeth the captaine of Cupri-Chisar e. his death contriued by the captaine of Bilezuga 140 i. turneth the trecherie deuised against himselfe vpon the head of the captaine that deuised it whom he killeth and surpriseth his castle 141 e. surpriseth the castle of Iar-Chisar e. taketh the castle of Einegioll and cruelly executeth the captaine 142 g. by the good administration of iustice strengthneth his gouernment h. taketh the citie of Nice k. taketh vpon him the honour of a King or Sultan 143 a. maketh Neapolis his regall seat b. in a great battell ouerthroweth the Christians 143 c. besiegeth Prusa d. whilest the Greekes are at discord among themselues layeth the foundation of the great Othoman empire that now is 162 g. 166 k. dieth and lieth buried at Prusa 177 a. the wealth he left vnto his sons Orchanes and Aladin 179 c Orchanes his father Othoman yet liuing manageth the Turks kingdome 179â— surpriseth the castle of Tzupri-Chisar 180 g. fighteth a doubtfull battell with Andronicus the Greeke Emperour at Philocrene m. surpriseth Nice 181 e. hath Nicomedia yeelded vnto him 183 c. committeth the gouernement thereof vnto his son Solyman c. first of the Turks that built monasteries e. subdueth the countrey of Carasina 184 h. dieth 187 b Orchanes Mahometes two of Baiazet his nephewes ouerthrowne by Chelife and Techellis the rebels 471 c Osman Bassa by Mustapha made Gouernour of Siruan taketh Sumachia 936 h. hath Derbent yeelded vnto him i. by the Persian prince driuen out of Sumachia flieth
21 l Ramadan Bassa slaine by the insolent Ianizaries 978 m Rayschachius for sorrow of his sonne slain by the Turks suddenly dieth 760 k Rhodes by the knights hospitalers recouered from the Turks in the year 1308.162 h. besieged by Mesites Palaeologus 428 l. for feare of the Turks the Rhodians destroy their suburbes and places of pleasure without the citie 578 l. the Rhodes described 581 d. besieged by Solyman 584 g. in fiue places at once by the Turks assaulted 587 b. the distressed estate of the Rhodians and their resolution therein 592 g. the Rhodes yeelded vnto Solyman 600 i Richard the first king of England setteth forward toward the Holy land 68 h. reuengeth the iniuries done to him by the Cypriots taketh prisoner Isaack Comnenus their king 69 a. arriueth at Ptolemais c. causeth all the Turks his prisoners in the sight of Saladins armie to be executed 71 a. giueth Cyprus to Guy in exchange for the titular kingdome of Ierusalem f. with great slaughter ouerthroweth Saladin in plaine battell 72 h. returning homeward taken prisoner by Leopold duke of Austria 73 b Rodolp the Emperour prayeth aid of the Germane princes against the Turks 1017 c. his embassadour shut vp close in his house at Constantinople 1018 l. his letters to Amurath 1019 a. his letters to Sinan Bassa d. presented with the spoile of the Turks ouerthrow at Alba Regalis 1029 b. requesteth aid of the great duke of Muscouia the king of Polonia and of the prince of Transyluania 1031 b. holdeth a Diet of the Empire at Ratisbone for the withstanding of the Turks 1038 m. receiueth aid from the Pope the king of Spaine and the princes of Italie 1134 k Robert duke of Normandie by generall coÌ„sent chosen king of Ierusalem which honour he refuseth 22 f Robert sonne of Peter fourth Emperour of the Latines in Constantinople 96 l goeth to Rome and in his return dieth in Achaia 97 a Rogendorff his name terrible vnto the Turks 613 e. with king Ferdinands armie entereth into Hungarie and besiegeth Buda 702 i. threateneth the queene k. derided by the bishop l. in vaine assaulteth Buda 703 d. in raising of his siege by night receiueth a great ouerthrow 708 k. conueyed vp the riuer to Komara there dieth 709 b. Ronzerius sometime a notable pyrat entertained by Andronicus the Emperour against the Turks 150 k. relieueth Philadelphia l. for lacke of pay spoileth the Emperours territories in Asia 151 a. suddenly slaine c. Roscetes riseth against his brother Muleasses king of Tunes 642 l. flieth to Barbarussa and by him carried to Constantinople 643 a Rouerius robbeth Dautius Baiazet the great Turks embassadour to Pope Alexander 451 e Roxolana conspireth with Rustan Bassa against the noble Mustapha and faineth her selfe religious 758 g. sent for by Solyman refuseth to come i. plotteth the confusion of Mustapha 759 f bringeth him into suspition with his father 760 g. she with Rustan put Solyman in feare of his life and Empire by his sonne Mustapha 761 a. loueth her younger sonne Baiazet better than her eldest sonne Selymus 768 g entreateth Solyman for Baiazet and obtaineth his pardon 770 i. comforteth him going in feare vnto his father 771 a Rustan Bassa a man of a mischieuous nature 757 e. furthereth the deuices of Roxolana for the destruction of the noble Mustapha 760 g. sent by Solyman with an armie into Asia to haue taken or slaine Mustapha 761 c. returneth in hast and with false suggestions stirreth vp Solyman himselfe against his sonne d. his exceeding trecherie at the comming of Mustapha to his fathers campe 762 i. disgraced by Solyman flieth to Roxolana at Constantinople 765 a. by her meanes restored againe vnto his former honours dieth afterwards of a dropsie 765 e. S SAhib after the death of Sultan Aladin his master taking vpon him the gouernment is by the nobilitie thrust out and the Tinks kingdome in Asia rent in sunder amongst them 127 c Sahamall the Georgian cutteth off the head of Aider 922 i. submitteth himselfe to Mustapha the great Bassa 936 k. slaine by Osman Bassa his sonne in law 941 d Saladin the Turke chosen Sultan of Aegipt killeth the Caliphâ— and all his posteritie 57 e. inuadeth the kingdome of Ierusalem by Baldwin suddenly sallying out of Ascalon ouerthrowne 59 d. besiegeth Beritus both by sea and land taketh Edessa and Carras 60 l. spoileth the holy land at his pleasure 61 c. in vaine besiegeth Ptolemais 63. b. besiegeth Tiberias and by the treason of the countie of Tripolis ouerthroweth Gâ—y the king comming to the reliefe thereof and taketh him prisoner 63 e. winneth Ierusalem with all the other cities and townes in the holy land except Tripolis Tire and Antioch 64 g. besiegeth Tire and with the losse of his best souldiors and of his tents retireth l. taketh Antioch with all the prouinces and townes thereunto belonging 65 a. putteth to death the Christian captiues 71 a. dieth and forbiddeth any funerall pompe to be vsed at his buriall 73 c Saluagus a worthie knight 797 c Salazar a Spanish captaine goeth as a spie into the Turks campe at the siege of Malta 811 d Sanguin the Turke ouerthroweth king Fulke comming to the reliefe of the castle of Mont Ferand and hath the castle yeelded vnto him 30 h. taketh Edessa and there vseth all manner of crueltie against the Christians 31 a. besieging Cologenbar is there stabbed by one of his own friends and slain b. Sarmentus slaine 691 d Sarugatin Osmans brother slain and accounted of the Turks for a saint 138 k Scanderbeg with his brethren by their father Iohn Castriot giuen in hostage vnto Amurath 260 l. wisely dissembleth his desire for the deliuerie of himselfe and his countrey 283 d. by great pollicie recouereth the citie of Croia out of the hands of the Turks 284 i. hath the strong cities of Epirus yeelded vnto him 285 c. spoyleth Macedonia 287 c. in a great battell ouerthroweth Alis Bassa with two and twentie thousand of his Turks 288 l. going to the aid of king Vladislaus is by the faithlesse Despot denied passage through Seruia 295 b. spoileth the Despots countrey and so returneth into Epirus 299 c. his resolute answere vnto Amurath his melancholie letters 301 d. putteth Ferises to flight 302 l. ouerthroweth Mustapha the second time and taketh him prisoner 313 b. carefully setteth all things in order against the comming of Amurath 314 g. his effectuall speech vnto the souldiours and citisens of Sfetigrade to encourage them against the comming of the Turke 315 b. cunningly entrappeth some of the forerunners of Amuraths armie 316 l. troubleth his great campe 319 a. with his owne hand killeth Feri Bassa 320 g. troubleth Amurath his great armie at the siege of Croia 324 l. in danger to haue been slaine or taken m. deceiueth Mahomet the young prince in his own deuice 326 h. flieth by night into Epirus 371 c. his answer by letters vnto the letters of Mahomet 385 c. his answer vnto Mahomets letters concerning the
Sigismund King of Polonia his letters vnto Amurath 1003 c Simon Countie of Montfort sent by Philip the French King into the Holy land represseth the furie of the Turks and so concludeth a peace with them for ten yeares 74 k Sinan Bassa the Eunuch ouerthrowne by Achomates 503 c. restoreth Selymus his battell against Campson before almost lost 530 g. by Selymus sent before into Iudea 533 c. hath Gaza yeelded vnto him 534 g. discomfiteth Gazelles comming to haue oppressed him at Gaza 535 c. slaine in the battell at Rhodania 540 g Sinan the Iew his short answere to Barbarussa 661 b Sinan Bassa by Amurath chosen Generall for the Persian warres 951 b. relieueth Tefâ—is 954 l. looseth seuen thousand of his souldiors 955 b. derided of his own souldiors 956 g. his proud answere to Amurath 962 h. displaced and cast into exile l. againe receiued into fauour 1003 d. ouerthrowne in the vpper Hungarie 1006 h. his letters vnto the Emperor 1020 g. sent Generall of the Turks armie against the Emperour 1023 f. taketh Vesprinium 1025 c. hath Palotta yeelded vnto him d. with an armie of an hundred and fiftie thousand men commeth againe into Hungarie 1040 i. taketh Dotis S. Martins l. besiegeth Rab. 1041 b. in assaulting thereof looseth twelue thousand of his men 1044 h. by corrupting of the Gouernour hath the citie yeelded vnto him l. besiegeth Komara 1045 b. raiseth his siege and breaketh vp his armie d. craâ—tily seeketh to trie the Emperours mind concerning peace 1058 l. sent for home to the Court. 1060 l. by Sultan Mahomet appointed Generall of the warres against the Emperour 1073 b. inuadeth Valachia d. in a great battell ouerthrown by the prince of Transyluania e. in flying in danger to haue beene drowned f. with a great armie commeth againe into Valachia 1075 b. seeing the generall feare of his armie vpon the comming of the Transyluanians flieth d. for feare delayeth his comming to Constantinople vntill his peace were made and there shortly after dieth 1087 d Siseg by the Turks besieged 1022 g. notably relieued 1023 a. againe besieged and taken by the Turks 1024 l Solyman Orchanes his sonne by his father made Gouernour of Nicomedia 183 c. taketh the castle of Zembâ—nic in Europe 185 b. he the first that brought the Turks ouer into Europe with purpose there to conquer and inhabit d. taketh the castle of Maditus c. winneth Callipolis 186 g. dieth 187 a Solyman the vnfortunat Baiazet his eldest sonne by the great Bassaes set vp in his fathers slead at Hadrianople 221 b. goeth ouer with a great armie against his brother Mahomet 241 e. by pollicie taketh the castle of Prusa 242 i. besiegeth his brother in Amasia i. returneth into Europe to appease the stirres there raised by his brother Musa and recouereth Hadrianople 244 b. in his excesse regardeth not the approch of his brother Musaâ—k forsaken of his souldiors flieth l. taken prisoner is by the commaundement of his brother Musa strangled 245 a. Solyman the Eunuch Bassa dealeth treacherously with the Kings of Arabia 670 m. Solyman hardly persuaded that his father was dead 567 d. saluted Emperour by the Ianizaries f. his letters to Valerius Great Master of the Rhodes 571 b. his Oration to his men of war declaring his purpose for the besieging of the Rhodes e. he maketh great preparation for the siege 573 a. his threatening letters vnto them of the Rhodes 578 h. commeth himselfe in person to the siege 583 b. his chollericke Oration to his souldiors d. displaceth his Admirall and punisheth him like a slaue 589 a. about to haue forsaken the siege b. comforteth his discouraged soldiors persuading them with patience to continue the siege f. his letters to the Great Master and the Rhodians sent by their owne embassadours 593 d. his speech vnto the Great Master at his comming to yeeld vp the citie 598 l. he entreth into the Rhodes vpon Christmasse day in the yeare 1522. 600 i. Solyman vpon the discord of the Christian princes and disordered state of Hungarie taketh occasion to inuade that kingdome 601 b. commeth into Hungarie against King Lewes with an armie of two hundred thousand men c ouerthroweth him in battell at Mohaiz 602 k. commeth to Buda 603 a Solyman in the quarrell of King Iohn against King Ferdinand coÌ„meth into Hungarie with an armie of an hundred and fiftie thousand men 609 a. without resistance entreth into Buda and besiegeth the castle 609 d. laieth siege to Vienna 610 k. without ransome releaseth certaine Christian prisoners 612 g. looseth his great ordinance vpon the Danubius k. burieth eight thousand of his Turks in the mines l. hauing lost fourescore thousand of his Turks raiseth his siege and returneth to Buda 614 i. he restoreth the kingdome of Hungarie vnto King Iohn k. returneth himselfe to Constantinople 615 a. maketh great preparations for the subduing of the territories belonging to the house of Austria as also for the conquest of Germanie with the short time he prefined vnto himself for the performance thereof 615 c. Solyman with a mightie armie commeth againe into Hungarie 618 e. besiegeth Gunza i. his proud letters vnto Charles the Emperour and his brother King Ferdinand m. shunneth to meet with Charles the Emperour at Vienna and so turneth out of the way into Carinthia 621 a. the causes mouing him so to doe b. returneth towards Constantinople 623 d. Solyman persuaded by Abraham Bassa resolueth to goe against the Persians 649 a. commeth with his armie to Tauris f. followeth Tamas the Persian King into Sultania 650 g. his armie strangely distressed by tempest k. hath Babylon with the countries of Mesopotamia and Assyria yeelded vnto him 651 a. he ransacketh Tauris f. discouraged by the harme done him by Delymenthes giueth ouer his warres in Persia and returneth to Constantinople 653 c. he with a wonderfull charge prepareth a great fleet at Suetia agaâ—nst the Portingals in the East Indies 670 b. Solyman by the French embassador incited to inuade Italie with an armie of two hundred thousand men commeth to Aulona 671 c. sendeth Lutzis Bassa and Barbarussa with his fleet before him into Italie d. conuerteth his forces prepared for Italie against the Venetians 673 b. in danger to haue beene slaine in his tent in the middest of his armie 173 d. inuadeth Corcyra â— carrieth away aboue sixteene thousand prisoners and doth good iustice vpon such Turks as had violated their faith at Castrum 674 k. Solyman angrie with the secret confederation betwixt King Ferdinand and King Iohn 695 c. promiseth to protect the queene and her sonne 701 c. with a great armie commeth to Buda 709 b. sendeth for the young King into his campe e. courteously receiueth him 710 h. craftily surpriseth the citie of Buda i. detaineth the Nobilitie of Hungarie l. diuersly persuaded by his Bassaes for the disposing of that kingdome 711 b. he sacrificeth after the Mahometane manner in Buda 712 m. pronounceth the doome of Hungarie and conuerteth it from a kingdome into