Grand Master with this answer doth both ashame them and also encourage their quailing minds the Turks that this day as the other three before should not pass without assault with the dawning of the day assailed the very same places with the greatest fury possible especially at the ruines of the Castle where San Romanus an Avergnois which had the charge of that place lost this short and transitory life winning thereby immortal Fame and at St. Michaels Adurnius one of the Knights and Fagio with certain others were grievously wounded for the Enemy 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 Heavens to burn and the Air to be darkned with smoke In the mean time Valetta throughly wearied with the mornings fight had withdrawn himself a little to breath himself when suddenly a Spanish Priest with his hands cast up to Heaven came running to him roaring and crying out That all was lost and forlorn and that three or four Ensigns of the Enemies were by the Castle breach broken into the Town Which the great Master hearing suddenly clapt his Helmet upon his head and with a Pike in his hand said unto them that were about him Lo Fellow-Souldiers the hour is come wherein you may shew your selves the most valiant Champions of the Christian Religion if it be so that you now also retain the same valour which you have in other battel 's shewed There is no cause wherefore you should doubt of this last for the Enemy is the same and the same God which hath hitherto preserved us will not now forsake us wherefore follow me valiant hearts This said he hasted to the place where most danger was and with him all the Souldiers all the Citizens Men and Women old and young yea the very Children all against the Common Enemy There was fought a most dreadful and dangerous battel some kept the Enemy from entring some set upon them that were already entred whom they wounded chased and slew although they notably resisted Within without all was covered with Weapons Darts dead Bodies and Blood. The Great Master was careful of all and in every place present commending exhorting directing as occasion required performing at once all the duties of a most valiant Souldier and worthy General At length the Turks with the setting of the Sun retired and so the Assault ceased Thus was the Great Master the undoubted Victor but not without much blood of his people considering his small number for in this fight he lost above 200 Men whereas of the Enemies beside them which were entred whereof not one escaped were slain above 2000. These are those four terrible Assaults presently given one after another unto the besieged Garzias the Vice-Roy in the mean time tarried for nothing else to transport his Army to Malta but for the coming of Io. Cardona who with twelve Gallies was gone to Panormo to conduct thence four Ships laded with provision 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 forth those Ships he should spend no longer time but take out the provision into his Gallies and with speed to come away So the Vice-Roy with a Fleet of 72 Gallies the twentieth day of August set forward from Messana to Syracusa wherein he carried ten thousand select Souldiers amongst whom were above two hundred Knights of the Order of St. Iohn and above forty of the Order of St. Stephen which is an Order of Knights instituted by Cosmos Medices Duke of Florence to the imitation of the Knights of Malta in the year 1561. and have their residence at Cosmopolis a new built City in the Island of Elba in the Tuscan-Sea over against Piombino Besides these Knights in this Fleet were divers noble and valiant Gentlemen of Italy Sicily and other Countries The Fleet being arrived at Syracusa the Vice-Roy sent Auria with one Gally and a Boat to Malta to land a man to know of Paccius left as we have before said for a Watch in the Island at Maleca what News or what he had seen By whom it was understood That no Ship was seen at Sea but one Galliot which the one and twentieth day of August in the morning made towards Gaulos and the same day towards night as he was informed by the Watchmen of Maleca sixteen Gallies came to water at Saline but what became of them afterwards by reason of the coming on of the night could not be descried In this while the besieged had notably repaired the Breach at the Castle Bulwark and had in sundry places aptly placed certain great Pieces to Flanker the Ditches and to beat the Mount cast up by the Enemy at the Bulwark of Boâ—insegna that they might from thence annoy all the plain of the Castle with their small shot But the Turks having determined with all their Forces at once to assault both the Towns as before brought an Engine made of Spars and Boards able to cover thirty Men under the Breach at St. Michaels whereby it came to pass that none of the Defendants could without danger shew themselves in the Breach which when they could by no means endure they suddenly sallied out and putting them to flight which were there covered set fire on the Engine and burnt it In like manner they which besieged the new City were repulsed at the Castle breach and another like Engin burnt The next night certain of the Watch of the Castle issued oâ—t and having destroyed the Turks Engins prepared for the assailing of that place and slain them that were set for the keeping thereof returned in safety into the Castle But when the Enemies both that day and others following rested not but repairing their Mines Mounts and Engins laboured in both places to have beaten the Christians from the Walls all their endeavour and labour was by the industry and valour of the Defendants made frustrate The besieged had at the Castle breach made a Mine and laid in it eight Barrels of Powder that if the Enemy should again assault that place he might there be blown up but whilst the Turks were for like purpose working a Mine in the same place they chanced upon the Mine before made which they spoiled and carried away all the Powder Thus whilst they labour both on the one side and the other Mustapha the General a most expert and famous Commander considering that Summer now so far spent he was not to use longer delay and withall that resolute perseverance oftentimes in War findeth out a way to Victory determined with all his Power once again to assault the Castle St. Michael Wherefore displaying the stately Standard of the Turkish Emperor upon the point whereof was fastned a Globe of Gold he commanded his Souldiers to enter the Breach who now like desperate men attempted to have performed his Command
Ecclesiastical men should be so much favoured as formerly they had been That Officers should not be bound to give account of the Administration of their Offices but before the Treasurers of Presburg being natural Hungarians born That from henceforth Money should not be carried out of the Kingdom as hitherto it had been That the Palatine being dead the King should within a year chuse another the chief Justice in the mean time after the old manner supplying his room The Protestant States of Austria had a little before sent their Ambassadors unto the Nobility and States of Hungary then gathered together at Presburg with request that forasmuch as they could not by any intreaty obtain of the King the free Exercise of their Religion as well within their Cities as without and that very necessity had driven them by force of Arms to seek for the same that they would by sending of them Men afford them such Aid as was unto them due by the former Pacification made at Vienna in the year 1606. Which troubles of Austria the Nobility and States of Hungary desiring to have appeased sent George Turson and some others with Letters of Intercession in their behalf unto the Arch-duke Maximilian which when they had delivered unto him they received from him this answer That King Matthias never thought to disturb the common quiet of that Country or to attempt any thing against the Priviledges thereof granted by the Emperour Maximilian of happy Memory but to grant unto the Cities the liberty of Religion he could by no means partly in respect of Conscience partly for the danger that might thereof ensue from the Pope and the King of Spain and yet nevertheless that he would promise to suffer and tollerate the free Exercise of Religion without the Cities and in the bestowing of publick Offices to have no respect of Religion yet with this Condition that they should lay down Arms submit themselves unto the King acknowledge their Fault and crave Pardon for the same for that in so doing the States should haply prevail more than by force of Arms. With which answer seeing no better could be got the Hungarian Ambassadors going unto the Protestant States of Austria began by divers reasons to perswade them to submit themselves unto the King. If the Hungarians should as they said give aid unto them of Austria they should in so doing instead of helping them but do them more harm for that the Hungarian Power could not be brought into Austria but to the utter destruction thereof That the League betwixt the Hungarians and them of Austria was a general League and concerned as well the Catholicks as the Protestants That the Christian Religion was never with the Sword planted or defended Christ himself saying them to be happy which therefore suffer Persecution and commanding Peter to put up his Sword into his Scabbard That it was an easie matter for every man to raise Stirs and Tumults but that again to appease them was a far harder matter That by the taking up of Arms the free exercise of Religion could not be furthered or provided for it being rather dangerous lest the contrary part prevailing it should be utterly suppressed That by this means Hungary it self should be exposed to many dangers for that not only new Stirs might upon this occasion by the Subjects thereof be raised but other foreign Princes take up Arms against it also the Emperour by force of Arms seeking for his Right and the Turkish Sultan by a new Invasion going about to bring the same under his Subjection and telling them farther the Arch-duke to have promised to take good order for all things so that they would lay down Arms and that the Clemency and Bounty of those Princes being known they were not to doubt but that they would indeed perform what they had in word promised and that the Hungarians could not now do or attempt any thing against the King but that if it should happen these two Arch-dukes being dead without Heirs-male the Government of these two Provinces should come unto the Arch-duke Ferdinand that then they should have more cause to help them of Austria against him Moravia they said to be a free Country and yet the King to have thereunto given no more assurance for the liberty of Religion more than his bare promise Wherefore seeing that both the fortune and chance of War was doubtful and that War was not without the great expence of Money to be maintained that they were of opinion it to be best for the Protestant States of Austria to lay down Arms and by way of request to sollicite their cause with the King. In the mean time the Griefs whereof the Hungarians complained being taken away and all Controversies happily ended Illishascius was by a general consent chosen to be Palatine and Matthias the 14th of November openly proclaimed King of Hungary and the 19th of the same Month in St. Martins Church at Presburg in this manner crowned first the Royal Crown was in a stately Chariot carried out of the Castle unto the Church with a great number of the Counsellers and Nobility of Hungary attending the same in which Chariot were also carried ten Ensigns with the Arms of the Kingdom in them frilled up four of the Hungarian Counsellers taking it out of the Chariot in a little Chest covered with Cloth of Gold and so carrying of it into the Chancel of the Church After which King Matthias together with the Arch-duke Maximilian his Brother followed on Horse-back both attired in Hungarian Apparel and so going into the Chancel there stayed about half an hour until that he was by two Bishops brought forth unto the Altar before whom ten of the Hungarian Nobility carried the ten aforesaid Ensigns after whom followed the Palatine with the Crown Endeodius with the Royal Scepter Forgatsie with the Apple of the Kingdom Turso with King Stephens Sword Tsechius carrying the Pax as they call it Budian the Cross the Cardinal Forgatsie saying Mass with divers Bishops and Prelates helping of him by whom the King was at the beginning of Service anointed with Oyl where while the Epistle and Gospel were in reading the Cardinal set the Crown upon the King's Head all the People crying out Long live Matthias the King of Hungary But the King with the Crown upon his head taking a drawn Sword out of Sigefred Collonitz the Marshal's hand thrice brandished it a cross over the Clergy-mens heads and received the Sacrament at the Cardinals hand The Mass being ended he by an high-way covered with Cloth going in his royal Robes from S. Martins Church unto the Bare-foot Friers Church as he went caused money to be cast abroad among the People In which Church after the first Chapter of the Gospel of St. Iohn being read he made 28 Knights From thence the King with the Crown yet on his Head and in his stately Robes went out of the City at St. Michael's Gate and there on
not permit them to be sold within the Territories of Tripoly X. That if any of the Ships of War of the said King of Great Brittain do come to Tripoly or to any other Port or Place of that Kingdom with any Prize they may freely sell it or otherwise dispose of it at their own pleasure without being molested by any And that his Majesties said Ships of War shall not be obliged to pay Custome in any sort And that if they want Provisions Victuals or any other things they may freely buy them at the rate in the Market XI That when any of his said Majesties Ships of War shall appear before Tripoly upon Notice thereof given to the English Consul or by the Commander of the said Ships to the chief Governors of Tripoly Publick Proclamation shall be immediately made to secure the Christian Captives And if after that any Christians whatsoever make their escape on board any of the Ships of War They shall not be required back again Nor shall the said Consul or Commander or any other his Majesties Subjects be obliged to pay any thing for the said Christians XII That if any Subject of the King of Great Brittain happen to dye in Tripoly or its Territories his Goods or Monys shall not be seized by the Governors or any Ministers of Tripoly but shall all remain with the English Consul XIII That neither the English Consul nor any other Subject of the said King of Great Brittains shall be bound to pay the Debts of any other of his Majesties Subjects Except that they become surety for the same by a Publick Act. XIV That the Subjects of his said Majesty in Tripoly or its Territories in matter of Controversie shall be lyable to no other Iurisdictions but that of the Dai or Divan except they happen to be at Difference between themselves In which case they shall be lyable to no other Determination but that of the Consul only XV. That in case any Subject of his Majesty being in any part of the Kingdom of Tripoly happen to strike wound or kill a Turk or a Moor if he be taken he is to be punished in the same manner and with no greater Severity than a Turk ought to be being guilty of the same offence But if he escape Neither the said English Consul nor any other of his said Majesties Subjects shall be in any sort questioned or troubled therefore XVI That the English Consul now or at any time hereafter living in Tripoly shall be there at all times with entire freedom and safety of his Person and Estate and shall be permitted to chuse his own Druggerman and Broaker And freely to go on board any Ship in the Road as often and when he pleases And to have the Liberty of the Country and that he shall be allowed a place to pray in And that no Man shall do him any Injury in Word or Deed. XVII That not only during the Continuance of this Peace and Friendship but likewise if any Breach or War happen to be hereafter between the said King of Great Brittain and the City and Kingdom of Tripoly The said Consul and all other his said Majesties Subjects shall always and at all times both of Peace and War have full and absolute Liberty to Depart and go to their own or any other Country upon any Ship or Vessel of what Nation soever they shall think fit and to Carry with them all their Estates Goods Families and Servants although born in the Country without any Interruption or hindrance XVIII That no Subject of his said Majesty being a Passenger from or to any Port shall be any way molested or medled with although he be on Board any Ship or Vessel in Enmity with Tripoly XIX That whereas a War hath lately happened between the most Serene King of Great Brittain and the most Illustrious Lords Halil Bassa Ibraim Dai The Aga Divan and Governors of the Noble City and Kingdom of Tripoly in Barbary by reason of the Injuries done unto the King of Great Brittain and his Subjects by the Government and People of Tripoly contrary to the Articles of Peace We Halil Bassa Ibraim Dai Aga Divan and Governors of the Noble City and Kingdom of Tripoly in Barbary do acknowledge the Injuries done And that the Breach of the Peace between his most Excellent Majesty of Great Brittain and Us of Tripoly was committed by our Subjects for which some are banished and some fled from our Iustice And for further Satisfaction to his most Excellent Majesty for the Breach of Articles we are sorry for the same and do by these engage to set at Liberty and Deliver unto the Right Honourable Sir John Narbrough Knight Admiral of his Majesties Fleet in the Mediterranian Sea All English Captives Residing in the City and Kingdom of Tripoly and Dominions thereunto belonging without paying any Ransom for them And likewise by setting at Liberty and delivering unto the said Sir John Narbrough Knight all other Persons taken under English Colours without paying any Ransom for them And by paying eighty thousand Dollars in Mony Goods and Slaves to the aforesaid Sir John Narbrough Knight And moreover we do engage our selves and successors That if any Injuries for the future be done contrary to these Articles by the Government and People of Tripoly to the King of Great Britain and his Subjects if upon demand of satisfaction from the Government and people of Tripoly We or they refuse or deny to give satisfaction therefore so that a War be occasioned thereby between the King of Great Britain and the Government and people of Tripoly We do engage our selves and successors to make restitution for the Injuries done and likewise to make satisfaction to the King of Great Britain for the full charge and damage of that War. XX. That no Subject of the King of Great Britain c. shall be permitted to turn Turk or Moor in the City and Kingdom of Tripoly being induced thereunto by any surprizal whatsoever unless he voluntarily appear before the Dei or Governor with the English Consuls Druggerman three times in twenty four hours space and every time Declare his Resolution to turn Turk or Moor. XXI That at all times when any Ship of War of the King of Great Britain c. carrying his said Majesties Flag at the main-top-â—ast-head appear before the City of Tripoly and come to Anchor in the Road That immediately after notice thereof given by his said Majesties Consul or Officer from the Ship unto the Dei and Government of Tripoly They shall in honour to his Majesty cause a Salute of one and twenty Cannons to be shot off from the Castles and Forts of the City and that the said Ship shall return an Answer by shooting of the same Number of Cannons XXII That presently after the Signing and Sealing of these Articles by us Halil Bassa Ibraim Dei Aga Divan and Governors of the Noble Kingdoms and City of Tripoly all Injuries and Damages
ghost the two and twentieth day of August in the year 1131. whereof he reigned with much trouble thirteen years and was solemnly buried in the Temple upon Mount Calvary with the other two Kings Godfrey and Baldwin his Predecessors year 1131. The Kings Funeral ended the Princes of the Kingdom with one accord made choice of Fulk the old Count Earl of Anjou for their King who the 16 day of September was with all solemnity by William the Patriarch crowned in Ierusalem This man in the beginning of his Reign besides his troubles abroad was also vext with domestical and intestine discord Pontius Count of Tripolis seeking by force of Arms to have rent the Dukedom of Antioch from the Kingdom and Hugh Count of Ioppa for fear of due punishment for his Treason joyning himself with the Sarasins of Ascalon and so with them infesting the Territories of Ierusalem to the great hurt of the Christian State and advantage of the Infidels Which troublesome broyls were yet afterwards by the King partly by force partly by the mediation of the Patriarch and other Princes who seeing the danger thereof like to ensue had interposed themselves well again appeased Vengeance yet nevertheless still following both the aforesaid Traitors Pontius being shortly after slain by the Turks and Hugh dying in exile Besides these domestical troubles the Turks also invaded the Country about Antioch where they were by the sudden coming of the King overthrown with the loss of their Tents and exceeding great Riches And that nothing might be wanting unto the disquieting of the State of that new erected Kingdom not long after Iohn the Constantinopolitan Emperor together with the Empire Inheritor also of his Fathers malice against the proceeding of the Christians in Syria with a puissant Army passing through the lesser Asia and by the way taking by force Tarsus the Metropolitical City of Cilicia with the whole Province thereunto belonging came and besieged Antioch which Fulk but a little before had together with Constance the Daughter and Heir of the late Duke of Antioch given in marriage to Raymund Count of Poitou for that purpose sent out of France But in this so dangerous a state of that Christian Kingdom the other zealous Christian Princes interposed themselves as Mediators betwixt the Emperor pretending the same to belong unto his Empire and Raymund that was in possession thereof And in fine brought it to this end that Raymund for the present submitting himself unto the Emperor should from thenceforth hold his Dukedom of him as of his Lord and Sovereign upon which agreement the Emperor returned unto Tarsus where he wintered and so afterwards unto Constantinople Much about the same time Sanguin one of the Turks great Princes invading the Country about Tripolis besieged the Castle of Mont-Ferrand unto the relief whereof Fulk coming with his Army was by the Turks overthrown and for the safeguard of his life glad to take the refuge of the Castle the Count himself being in that battel taken Prisoner After which Victory the Turks laid harder Siege unto the Castle than before the besieged in the mean time being no less pinched within with Famine than pinched without by the Enemy In this the Kings hard distress the other Princes having raised the whole power of the Kingdom were coming to his relief whereof the Turk understanding offered of himself to give them all leave freely to depart and to set the Count at liberty so that they would deliver unto him the Castle of which his offer they gladly accepting yielded up the strong Hold and so departed The King by the way meeting with the Army thanked his Friends for their forwardness and so returned to Ierusalem About four years after Iohn the Constantinopolitan Emperor with a great Army came again into Syria with purpose to have united the famous City of Antioch unto his Empire and so to have made a way into the Kingdom of Ierusalem whereafter he had now a good while longed But coming thither in hope to have found the Cilicians and Syrians ready to have received him he was deceived of his expectation being shut out by the Latines and not suffered to enter but upon his Oath and that with some few of his followers and so after due reverence done unto him quietly to depart without any stir or innovation in the City In revenge of which disgrace at his departure he gave the Suburbs of the City as a prey to his greedy Souldiers pretending the same to be done for want of Victuals who made havock of whatsoever came to hand not sparing the very Fruit Trees but cutting them down to dress their meat withall Having thus under colour of necessity revenged the disgrace received he returned into Cilicia and there wintered where one day for his disport hunting of the wild Boar and having wounded him with his Boar-Spear the wild beast therewith enraged and with all his force bearing forward upon the weapon forced the Emperors hand backward upon the poynt of a poysoned Arrow that was hanging in a quiver at his back and so was therewith lightly wounded Nevertheless as light as the wound was such was the strength of the Poyson that the grief thereof still encreasing and his hand and Arm more and more swelling there was no remedie to be â—ound but that his Arm must be cut off which desperate and uncertain cure he abhorring in the extremity of his pain oftentimes pleasantly saying That the Greek Empire was not to be governed with one hand overcome with the strength of the Poyson died In whose place succeded his youngest Son Emanuel Alexius and Andronicus his two Elder Sons being both dead at his setting forth unto this so unhappy an expedition It fortuned about this time also that the Kingdom of Ierusalem being now at peace that Fulk the King with the Queen his Wife lying at the City of Ptolemais in the time of Autumn it pleased the Queen for her disport to walk out of the City unto certain pleasant Fountains there by in the Country for whose company the King would needs go also with certain of his Courtiers where by the way it chanced that certain Boys running along the field put up an Hare that was sitting in a furrow after which all the Courtiers on horseback galloped amain with notable outcry and hollowing Amongst the rest the King to be partaker of the Sport forcing his horse to the uttermost of his power in the midst of his course fell together with his horse foundring under him and in falling chanced to fall his head under the horse with whose weight and the hardness of his saddle he was so crushed that his Brains came out both at his nose and ears In this pitiful case being taken up for dead and with great heaviness being carried back he yet breathing lay speechless three days and so died the thirteenth of November in the year of Grace 1142. His dead body afterwards brought to Ierusalem was
common good and liberty of the Emperor By which means he had drawn unto him a wonderful number of the rude Country People by the way as he came But coming into Bythinia he was by Iohn Ducas Governour of the great City of Nice shut ouâ— as an Enemy to the State and so at Nicomedia also Nevertheless passing by those Cities he held still on his way until at length he was near unto a Castel called Charace encountred by Andronicus Angelus sent with a great power against him by the great President Alexius who otherwise as an effeminate man given over 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 curtains close drawn as if it had been night yet doubtful now of the coming of his Enemy left nothing undone which he thought might help for the assuring of his State. Many of the Nobility of whom he stood in doubt he gained unto him by means of the Emperors Mother who by her rare Beauty sweet Words and gracious Behaviour as with a Line drew all men to her Other some he overcame with Gifts and great sums of Mony whereof he now made no spare And so wrought the matter that no man of any account or mark went over to Andronicus Who nevertheless with such followers as he had joyning battel with Angelus sent against him as is before said overthrew 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 Mony delivered unto him for the defraying of the Charges of that unfortunate War who seeing his misfortune to be so taken as if he had framed it himself and of purpose betrayed the Army committed to his charge by the Counsel of his six Sâ—â—s being all men of great Valour and Wisdom first took the refuge of his own house but finding himselfe there in no safety with his Wife and his said Sons two of which came afterwards to be Emperors presently fled over the Straight to Andronicus who seeing of him coming towards him is reported to have used this Text of Scripture Behold I will send mine Angel before thy face to prepare thy ways alluding to his name of Angelus as the Presage of his good Success Wherefore incouraged with the coming of these Noblemen his Kinsmen he without longer stay marched directly unto the Sea-side and there a little above Chalcedon encamped almost right over against Constantinople causing many great fires more than needed to be made in his Army to make it seem unto them of the City greater than indeed it was and with the sight thereof to keep the Citizens in suspence with the doubtfull expectation of some great matter to ensue Wherein he was no whit deceived for they having him now as it were in fight leaving their work ran some to the Sea-side some up to the Hills and high Towers to behold his Army a far off willing with their friendly looks if it had been possible to have drawn him over the Straight into the City Alexius knowing himself not able by Land to encounter with so strong an Enemy for now some which on foot could not go over to Andronicus were secretly in heart already with him othersome thought themselves sufficiently to shew their fidelity to the Emperor if sitting still at home they should take part with neither for so have subtil heads and aspiring minds for the furtherance of their desires taught the common people both to say and think thought it best by Sea to avert the present danger and therefore comanded all the Emperors Gallies being before rigged up and ready to be strongly manned and put to Sea for the keeping of Propontis and the Straight of Bosphorus that Andronicus should not that way pass Now had he determined to have made especial choice of some assured Friend of his own to be General oâ— this Fleet as he had done of the Captains and Masters being all of his own Kinsmen and Domestical Servants but as he was about to have so done Contostephanus sirnamed the great Captain opposed himself against it challenging that place as due to himself before all others so that overcome by his Authority which it was no time for Alexius now to dispute he was glad to commit the charge and trust of the whole Fleet unto him as General Thus having as he thought made the Sea sure he sent over unto Andronicus as from the Emperor for all was done in his name one George Xiphilinus with Letters and other Instructions whereof the effect was To command him forthwith in peace to return to the place from whence he came and not farther to trouble the State promising him in so doing the Emperors Favour with many great Honours and Preferments to be afterwards bestowed upon him which otherwise might turn to his utter destruction Which Letters Xiphilinus having delivered and done his Message is reported to have secretly advised Andronicus to proceed in his purpose and not in any case to yield to that which was of him required wherewith Andronicus encouraged proudly rejected the graces offered and willed the Messenger to tell them that sent him that if they would have him to return unto the place from whence he came they should first displace the proud President Alexius and call him to an account for the Villanies he had done then the Emperors Mother they should deprive of her honours and shut her up as a Nun into some Cloyster there to learn to amend her life and last of all that the Emperor according to his Fathers Will should take upon himself the Government and not be overtopt by others by whose too much Authority his Majesty and Honour was as he said too much impaired But within a few days after Contostephanus the great Captain and General carried over all the Gallies to Andronicus leaving nothing but their names for the President in his Rolls to look upon whose revolt above all other things encouraged Andronicus and cast Alexius even into the bottom of despair For now Andronicus his Friends flockt together in the City not secretly as before but openly in all places and such as wisht a change in the State impudently scoffing at Alexius passed over the Straight to Chalcedon in great numbers to Andronicus where having filled their Eyes with beholding of his goodly Person his chearful Countenance and reverent Age and their Ears with his sweet words and great Promises returned home merry and joyful as if they had been in some terrestrial Paradice filling the City with his praises After that Andronicus his two Sons Iohn and Manuel with divers others whom the President had cast in prison were set a liberty and other of his chief Favourites laid fast in their rooms As for Alexius the President himself with all his Friends and Faction in the Court they were taken and committed to
so great a charge with one consent made choice of Baldwin Count of Flanders and Haynault for Emperor of Greece a brave and valiant Prince about two and thirty years old who was afterward the sixteenth day of May in the year 1204. or after the computation of others in the year 1205. in the great Temple of S. Sophia solemnly crowned by Thomas Maurocenus a Venetian first Patriarch of the Latines in Constantinople From which time the Greek Church in Constantinople began to receive the Rites and Ceremonies of the Latines and to acknowledge the Supremacy of the Church of Rome It was not long after that Constantinople was thus taken by the Latines but that they dividing their Forces without any resistance took in the most part of the great Countries and Provinces on Europe side belonging to the Greek Empire in the time of Isaac Angelus the late Emperor the fortune of the whole Empire as it were following the fortune of the Imperial City Which large Countries so gained from the Greeks the Latines divided amongst themselves as good prize taken from their Enemies Unto Baldwin the Emperor and his Sucessors in the Empire was assigned the Imperial City of Constantinople and the Country of Thracia with a limited Soveraignty over all the rest of the Provinces by the Latines already or afterwards to be gained Unto the Venetians in this division of the Empire was allotted for their share all the rich Islands of the Aegeum and Ionian with the famous Island of Candy also which although it were before by the young Emperor Alexius in the beginning of these Wars given unto the Marquess of Mont-Ferrat yet in this division of the Empire it was taken from him not without his good liking and given to the Venetians as for them more fit instead and lieu whereof the Marquess had the City of Thessalonica with all the Kingdom of Thessaly and a great part of Peloponesus assigned unto him with the Royal Title of a King. Of the aforesaid Islands in number many and exceeding rich the Venetians in the name of the State fortified some few of the greatest with convenient Garrisons the rest they left to be possessed and defended by the better sort of the Citizens at their private cost and charges who according to their ability took into their possession some one Island some another and some two or three as they were able to set out their Gallies one two or more for the keeping of the same over all which the Seigniory nevertheless had a general care still keeping a Fleet with one of their Admirals at Sea by whom they not only repressed the Genoa Pirates then busie in those Seas but also took in certain strong Towns in the Main upon the coast of Peloponesus namely Modon and Corone all which they of long time after held as a part of their Seigniory Some other particular places yet parts of the Empire were given unto particular men as the Dukedom of Athens unto one Geffrey of Troy in Champaigne a Frenchman a valiant Captain whom they also made Prince of Achaia another Dukedom was also given to the Count of Bloys as were divers other Countries and Towns also unto other more private men who nevertheless were bound to hold the same of the Emperor as of their Lord and to pay him yearly a fourth part of the Revenue arising thereof towards the maintenance of his State. Yea the Greeks themselves in this shipwrack of their State and Empire although they disdained nothing more than the strange Government of the Latines yet could they not be perswaded to joyn together in so common a calamity but after their wonted manner sought every man how to share out something for himself without regard of the common good one seized upon one strong Town or City and so likewise another which for all that they held not long driven thence for the most part by a greater power either of the Latines or of their own Countrymen The man whom the discontented Greeks most looked after was Theodorus Lascaris the Emperor Alexius Angelus his Son-in-Law who at the taking of the City fled to Adrianople and afterward into Bythinia where he was of the People not of that Country only but of others also farther off joyfully received and honoured as their Emperor So taking into his hands the Countries of Bythinia Phrygia Missia Ionia and Lydia even from the windings of the famous River Maeander Southward unto the Euxine Sea Northward he with the general good liking of the People took upon him the Estate of an Emperor and so in the renowned City of Nice made the seat of his Empire At the same time also David and Alexius Comneni the Nephews of the Tyrant Andronicus sometime Emperor of Constantinople by his Son Manuel possessing the more Eastern Countries of Pontus Galatia and Capadocia erected unto themselves another Empire in Trapezond where their Posterity of the honourable house of the Comneni reigned in great glory many years after until their Empire together with the Empire of Constantinople was by the great Emperor of the Turks Mahomet the Second subverted and brought to nought as shall afterward in due time and place be declared Thus the Greek Empire exposed as it were to the general Spoil was no longer one but many Empires Baldwin reigning in Constantinople the Marquess of Mont-Ferrat in Thessaly Theodorus Lascaris at Nice Alexius Comnenus in Trapezond and the Venetians in the Islands all in Royal Dignity Besides whom were many other lesser Princes which had here and there according to their ability seized upon some one or other part of the Empire and there erected their Toparchies reigning therein as petty Kings as did Aldebrandinus in Attalia Michael Angelus in Epirus with divers others too long to rehearse Baldwin as is aforesaid created Emperor of Constantinople by the help of the Venetian Admiral Dandulus and other great Commanders of the Army in short time brought under his obeisance all the Cities of Thracia excepting the City of Adrianople whereunto the better sort of the discontented Greeks together with Theodorus Lascaris disdaining the Government of the Latines were fled as unto a most safe Sanctuary which Baldwin knowing and withal desiring whilst 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 evil entreated by the Latines and grieved to be governed by them were some of them fled into other their Neighbour Princes Countries but especially into Bulgaria otherwise called Misia a large Kingdom lying betwixt the great Mountain Aemus and Danubiuâ— by whose perswasion Iohn King of that Country aided by the Scythians a fierce Northern People but lately come into those quarters and by the fugitive Greeks themselves took upon him to relieve the besieged City and so with a great Army approaching the same sent before certain Troops of the Scythian Archers on horseback to
the setting forward of the Emperor Fredericks Son-in-Law for the recovery of his Wives Right to the Kingdom of Ierusalem which although he solemnly vowed at such time as he with all Princely Magnificence married the said Lady at Rome yet otherwise letted with troubles nearer home performed not the same untill almost seven years after all which time the Christians in Syria enjoying the fruit of the late concluded Peace for eight years lived in great rest and quietness where so leaving them until the arising of new troubles let us in the mean time return again unto the troubled affairs of the Turks Greeks and Latines at Constantinople and in the lesser Asia Henry the Second Emperor of the Latines at Constantinople after he had as is aforesaid with much ado repressed the Fury of the Bulgarians and Scythes his barbarous Enemies and so given peace to the miserable Country of Thracia died having reigned a most troublesome Reign about the space of eleven years Afteâ— whom succeeded Peter Count of Ausserre his Son-in-Law third Emperor of the Latines in Constantinople who in the beginning of his Empire willing to gratifie the Venetians and to revenge himself of Theodorus Angelus a great Prince of Epirus Competitor of his Empire besieged him in Dirrachium which strong City the said Theodorus had but a little before surprised belonging unto the Venetian Seigniory At which Siege Peter the Emperor lying was so cunningly by the wilie Greek used that a Peace was upon most honourable conditions betwixt them concluded and a familiar kind of Friendship joyned Insomuch that the Emperor at his request not well advised came unto him as his Guest who now of his Enemy became his Host entertaining him with all the formalities that feigned Friendship could devise But having him now in his power and fearing no harm regarding neither the Laws of Fidelity or Hospitality he most traiterously slew him as he was yet in the midst of his Banquet Of whose end some others yet otherwise report as that he should by the same Theodorus have been intercepted about the pleasant Woods of Tempe in Thessalia as he was travelling from Rome to Constantinople and so afterwards to have been by him cruelly put to death Of whose misfortune Tepulus Governour of Constantinople understanding for the more safety of the State in that vacancy of the Greek Empire made peace with Theodorus for five years and the Turks for two Shortly after came Robert the Son of the aforesaid unfortunate Emperor Peter with his Mother to Constantinople and there in his Fathers stead was solemnly saluted Emperor but not with much better luck than was his Faâ—her before him for shortly after his coming he took to Wife a fair young Lady the Daughter of a great rich and noble Matron of the City but before betrothed unto a gallant Gentleman a Burgundian born with whom the old Lady broke her promise and more careful of her Daughters preferment than fidelity gave her in marriage unto the new Emperor The joy of which so great an Honour was in short time converted not into a deadly heaviness but even into death it self for the young Burgundian more enraged with the wrong done him than discouraged with the greatness and power of the Emperor consorted himself with a company of lusty tall Souldiers acquainted with his purpose and awating his time when the Emperor was absent by night entred the Court with his desperate Followers and first meeting with the beautiful young Empress cut off her Nose and her Ears and afterward threw her old Mother into the Sea and so fled out of the City into the Woods and Mountains with those desperate cut-throats the ministers of his barbarous cruelty The Emperor pierced to the heart with this so great a disgrace shortly after went to Rome to what purpose was not certainly known but in returning back again through Achaia he there died leaving behind him his young Son Baldwin yet but a Child begotten by his first Wife to succeed him in the Empire who by the name of Baldwin the Second was crowned the fifth and last Emperor of the Latines in Constantinople And for because he was as yet but young and unfit for the Government he was by the consent of the Nobility affianced and afterward married unto Martha the younger Daughter of Iohn Brenne King of Ierusalem a worthy old Captain but as then Governour of Ravenna which City he being certain years before sent for out of France for that purpose by Honorius the Pope he notably defended against the Emperor Frederick his Son-in-Law but that affinity was before broken off by the death of the said Emperors Wife who now sent for out of Italy unto Constantinople had committed to his charge and protection both the Person and Empire of the young Emperor Baldwin now his Son-in-Law Which great and heavy charge he for certain years after worthily and faithfully discharged until such time as that Baldwin was himself grown able to take upon him the government Now although the Imperial City of Constantinople with the Countries of Thracia Thessalia Macedonia Achaia Peloponesus and the rest of the Provinces of Greece were all or for the most part under the Government of Baldwin the Emperor the Venetians or other the inferior Latine Princes yet were the oppressed Greeks the natural Inhabitants thereof in heart not theirs as abhorring nothing more than that their forreign government but wholly devoted to their own natural Princes Theodorus Lascaris and Alexius Comnenus the one reigning at Nice in Bithynia the other at Trapezond in Pontus both called by the Greeks Emperors and so of them generally reputed Lascaris of the two the better beloved and by far of greatest power had during the time of his Government fought many an hard Battel as is in part before declared and strongly fortified his chief Cities against the invasion of his Enemies as well the Turks as the Latines and so having as it were erected a new Empire in Asia and there reigned eighteen years died leaving behind him one Iohn Ducas Batazes that had married the fair Lady Irene his Daughter and Heir to succed him in the Greek Empire in Asia This Iohn was a man of a great Wit and Spirit and of more gravity for his years than was Theodorus his Father-in-Law never undertaking any thing before he had thereof well considered and once resolved not omitting or neglecting any thing for the performance thereof So that it was not unfitly said of the Greeks The planting of this new Empire to have required the celerity of Lascaris but the stay thereof to have been the gravity of Ducas He in the beginning of his Reign in very short time having set all things in good order greatly augmented his Legions and shooting at a fairer mark than the Empire he held even the Imperial City it self and the recovery of all Thracia and Grecia out of the hands of the Latines which could not be done
the Mamalukes and others with a full purpose to have utterly rooted out all the remainders of the Christians in Syria and the Land of Palestine and so to have entirely joyned those two great Countries unto his own Kingdom But what he had so mischievously devised he lived not to bring to pass being in the midst of those his great designs taken away by sudden death After whom Alphix or as some call him Elpis succeeding him in the Kingdom and with a puissant Army entring into Syria laid Siege to Tripolis which he at length took by undermining of it and put to the Sword all the Christians therein except such as by speedy flight had in time got themselves out of the danger and rased the City down to the ground which calamity betided unto the Christians the ninth of April in the year 1289. Presently after he had the strong Castle of Nelesine yielded unto him year 1289. whereinto he put a strong Garrison to hinder the Christians from building again the late destroyed City In like manner also he took the Cities of Sidon and Berythus which he sacked and laid them flat with the ground And after that he removed to Tyre which aâ—ter three months straight Siege was by the Citizens now out of all hope of relief yielded unto him upon condition That they might with bag and baggage in safety depart With like good Fortune he in good time and as it were without resistance took all the rest of the strong Towns and Castles which the Christians yet held in Syria and the Land of Palestine excepting only the City of Ptolemais whereunto all the poor Christians fled as unto a Sanctuary to be there defended by the honourable Knights Templars and Hospitalers Nothing now leâ—t unto them more than that strong City the Sultan of his own accord made a Peace with them for the space of five years fearing as was supposed to have drawn upon him all the Christian Princes of the West if he should at once have then utterly rooted out all the Christians in those Countries together The Christians affairs thus brought to the last cast in Syria and yet faintly as it were breathing by the benefit of the late obtained Peace Peter Beluise Master of the Templars with the grand Master of the Knights Hospitalers suddenly passed over as Embassadors from the rest into Europe unto Nicholaus quartus then Pope craving his fatherly aid Who moved with so great miseries of the poor afflicted Christians solicited the other Christian Princes to have sent them relief especially Rodolph the German Emperor who then busied 〈◊〉 the affairs of the Empire and his Troubles nearer home as were the other Christian Pâ—inces also gave good words but no help at all Yet some of them under the colour thereof got from their Subjects great sums of Mony which they imployed to other worse uses only the Pope sent fiâ—teen hundred men at Arms whom with devout perswasion and much earnest Preaching he had induced to take upon them that sacred Expedition and entertained them of his own charge unto whom also many others out of divers Countries upon a Religious Zeal joyned themselves as voluntary men who meeting together at Brundusium and there embarked with the two grâ—nd Masters of the Templars and Hospitalers in safety at length arrived at Ptolemais There was then in the City a great number of People of all sorts of able men there was about fifty thousand and about forty thousand of the weaker sort amongst whom divers Murders Felonies Rapes and such other shameful Outrages all hastning the dreadful judgments of God were dayly committed and let pass unregarded more than of them that were injured For all the chief Commanders were then at variance among themselves every one of them laying claim not worth a rush unto the vain Title of the Kingdom of Ierusalem Henry King of Cyprus coming thither with a great Fleet charged the Templars to deliver him the Crown of that Kingdom which they had as he said wrongfully taken from Almericus and Guy his Ancestors And Charles King of Sicilia by his Embassadors laid claim unto the Title of that Kingdom as due unto the Kings of that Island and understanding it to be given unto Henry King of Cyprus caused all the Revenues of the Templars within his Dominion to be brought into his Treasuries and their Lands and Houses to be spoyled Hugh also Prince of Antioch laboured with tooth and nail to defend the overworn Right that his Father and Grandfather had unto that lost Kingdom And the Count of Tripolis laid in for himself That he was descended from Raymund of Tholous and that beside himself remained no Prince of the antient Nobility which had won that Kingdom out of the hands of the Sarasins and that therefore that regal Dignity did not of better right appertain unto any other than unto himself Neither did these four Princes more strive for the Title of the lost Kingdom than for the present Government of the City straightway about to perish The Popes Legate pretending thereunto a right also for that King Iohn Brenne had before subjected it unto the See of Rome As for the claim unto the City of Ptolemâ—is the Patriarch of Ierusalem challenged unto himself the Preheminence for that the Metropolitical City of Tyrâ— under which the City of Ptolemais was the third Episcopal Seat was under his jurisdiction even by the Decree of the West Church The Templars also and the Knights Hospitalers whose power in the City was at that time far the greatest pretended the Government thereof of best right to belong unto them as the just reward of their blood already and afterward to be spent in the defence thereof promising great matters if it might be wholly referred unto them Neither spared the French King or the King of England by their Messengers to claim the Soveraignty of the City by their Predecessors sometimes won And they of Pisa having still a Consul therein and by often Marriages with the natural Inhabitants grown into great affinity with them did what they might to get the Government into their Hands The Venetians also by their Authority and great Wealth laboured to gain the good Will of the People sparing therein no Cost And they of Genoa no less cunning than the rest supplanted the strongest Factions by giving aid both apertly and covertly unto the weaker that so having weakned the Faction they most doubted and hated they might by the joynt favour of the weaker aspire unto the Government of the stronger and so consequently of the City it self The Florentines also by their continual Traffique thither were not out of hope by one fineness or other amongst so many Competitors to find a mean to step up above the rest But the greatest part of the People for all that were most inclined unto the Armenians and Tartars as both for their nearness and power most like of all other to stand them in stead All
Paul wrote two Epistles in the latter whereof he forewarneth them of a great Defection to come before the latter day Before this Christian City then in the Protection of the Venetians Amurath encamped his great Army of misbelieving Turks and laid hard Siege to it with most terrible Battery at which time he by secret means corrupted certain of the wicked Citizens to have betrayed the City by a secret Mine and to have let him in which Treason was by the Venetian Governors perceived and the Plotters thereof for safeguard of their lives glad to leap over the Walls and to fly into the Turks Camp. Amurath having greatly battered the Walls of the City the more to encourage his Souldiers promised to give them all the Spoil thereof if they could by force win it The greedy desire of this rich Prey wherein every common Souldier promised unto himself whatsoever his foolish fancy or unbrideled affection could desire so inflamed the minds of these barbarous Souldiers and especially of the Janizaries that giving a most terrible Assault to the City they by force entred the same and won it The Venetian Souldiers fled to their Gallies lying at Anchor in the Haven and so got to Sea but the infinite miseries which the poor Christian Citizens endured in the fury of that barbarous Nation no Tongue is able to express or Pen describe death was less pain than the ignominious Outrages and unspeakable Villanies which many good Christians there suffered heartily wishing to die and could not and yet the furious Enemies Sword devoured all the people without respect of Age or Sex except such as for strength of body or comeliness of person were reserved for painful labour or beastly lust which poor Souls were afterwards dispersed into most miserable servitude and slavery through all parts of the Turkish Kingdom The infinite Riches of that famous City became a spoil unto the barbarous Souldiers the goodly Houses were left desolate void of Inhabitants Thus the beautiful City of Thessalonica sometime one of the most glorious Ornaments of Graecia the late pleasant dwelling-place of many rich Christians was by the Tyrant given for an habitation to such base Turks as at their pleasure repaired thither to seat themselves and so is by them at this day possessed This Calamity happened to Thessalonica in the year of our Lord 1432. Thessalonica being thus taken Amurath returned to Hadrianople himself and at the same time sent Caratze with the greatest part of his Army into Aetolia Charles Prince of that Country dying a little before the coming of Amurath to Thessalonica and having no lawful Issue had divided the Country of Acharnania amongst his three base Sons Memnon Turnus and Hercules leaving all the rest of his Dominion to his Brothers Son called also Charles But shortly after such discord â—ell 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 Country of Aetolia into Subjection to Himself leaving nothing for the foolish Brethren to strive for more than the bare titles of imaginative Honour The other Grecian Princes of Athens Phocis Boetia and all the rest of Graecia unto the strait of Corinth terrified by their Neighbours harms were glad to submit themselves to the barbarian Yoke and to become Tributaries unto the Turkish Tyrant under which slavery they of long time most miserably lived if intollerable slavery joyned with Infidelity may be accounted a life Thus the Grecians lost their Liberty which their Ancestors had many times before to their immortal Praise worthily defended against the greatest Monarchs of the World and are now so degenerate by the means of the Turkish Oppression that in all Graecia is hardly to be found any small remembrance of the ancient Glory thereof insomuch that whereas they were wont to account all other Nations barbarous in comparison of themselves they are now become no less barbarous than those rude Nations whom they before scorn'd Which misery with a thousand more they may justly impute to their own Ambition and Discord At this time amongst the distressed Princes of Macedonia and Graecia one Iohn Castriot reigned in Epirus who seeing how mightily the Turk prevailed against the Princes his Neighbours and considering that he was not able by any means to withstand so puissant an Enemy to obtain Peace he was glad to deliver into Amurath his Possession his four Sons Stanisius Reposius Constantine and George for Hostages whom Amurath faithfully promised well and honourably to entreat But assoon as he had got them within his reach he falsified his Faith and caused them to be circumcised after the Turkish manner and to be instructed in the Turkish Superstition to the great grief of their Christian Parents and afterwards when he understood of the death of Iohn Castriot their Father he poisoned all the three elder Brethren and by Sebaly one of his great Captains seised upon Croia his chief City and all the rest of his Territories as if they had by good right devolved unto him But George the youngest whom the Turks named Scander-beg or Lord Alexander for this excellent Feature and pregnant Wit he always entirely loved as some thought more passionately than he should have loved a Boy Him he caused to be diligently instructed in all kind of activity and feats of War wherein he excelled all other his Equals in Amurath his Court and rising by many degrees of Honour came at last being yet but very young to be a great Sanzack or Governor of a Province and was many times appointed by Amurath to be General of his Armies in which Service he so behaved himself that he got the love of all that knew him and increased his credit with Amurath until at last he found opportunity by great policy and courage to deliver both himself and his native Country from the horrible slavery of the Turkish Tyranny as shall be afterwards declared Shortly after that Amurath had thus danted the Princes of Graecia he turned his Forces into Servia but the Prince of Servia unable to withstand so mighty an Enemy to procure his Favour sent Embassadors offering to pay him a yearly Tribute and to do further what he should reasonably demand Amurath beside the yearly Tribute required to have Mary this Princes fair Daughter in marriage and that he should not suffer the Hungarians to pass through his Country to invade him and further not at any time to deny passage unto the Turkish Army when he should send forth the same for the Invasion of the Kingdom of Bosna All which unreasonable conditions the Prince was glad to agree unto and fent his fair Daughter by Saratze who was afterwards married to Amurath About this time Iosephus and Machmutes Amurath his Brethren and Orchanes the Son of Solyman who had his Eyes put out by his Uncle Mahomet with many other Men of great account among the Turks died of the Plague at Prusa
had before worn and for the further gracing of her to be deckt with many most precious Jewels of inestimable value Whereunto the poor Soul gladly obeyed little thinking that it was her Funeral Apparel Now in the mean while Mustapha altogether ignorant of the Sultans mind had as he was commanded caused all the Nobility and Commanders of the Men of War to be assembled into the great Hall every man much marvelling what should be the Emperors meaning therein who had not of long so publickly shewed himself But being thus together assembled and every man according as their minds gave them talking diversly of the matter behold the Sultan entred into the Palace leading the fair Greek by the hand who beside her incomparable Beauty and other the greatest graces of Nature adorned also with all that curiosity could devise seemed not now to the beholders a mortal Wight but some of the stately Goddesses whom Poets in their Extasies describe Thus coming together into the midst of the Hall and due Reverence to them done by all them there present he stood still with the fair Lady in his left hand and so furiously looking round about him said unto them I understand of your great discontentment and that you all murmur and grudge for that I overcome with mine affection toward this so fair a Paragon cannot withdraw my self from her presence but I would fain know which of you is so temperate that if he had in his possession a thing so rare and precious so lovely and so fair would not be thrice advised before be would forego the same Say what you think in the word of a Prince I give you free liberty so to do But they all rapt with an incredible admiration to see so fair a thing the like whereof they had never 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 whereunto the barbarous Prince answered Well but now I will make you to understand how far you have been deceived in me and that there is no earthly thing that can so much blind my senses or bereave me of reason as not to see and understand what beseemeth my high Place and Calling yea I would you should all know that the Honour and Conquests of the Othoman Kings my noble Progenitors is so fixed in my Breast with such a desire in my self to exceed the same as that nothing but death is able to put it out of my remembrance And having so said presently with one of his hands catching the fair Greek by the hair of her head and drawing his Falchion with the other at one blow struck off her head to the great terrour of them all and having so done said unto them Now by this judge whether your Emperor is able to bridle his affections or not And within a while after meaning to discharge the rest of his choler caused great preparation to be made for the Conquest of Peloponnesus and the besieging of Belgrade At the same time that the barbarous Turks took the Imperial City of Constantinople Thomas and Demetrius Palaeologi Brethren to the late unfortunate Emperor Constantinus governed a great part of Peloponnesus one of the most famous Provinces of Grecia which in form of a leafe of a Plane-Tree is almost in manner of an Island environed with the Seas Ionium and Aegeum which running far into the Land on either side thereof separateth the same from the rest of Grecia by two great Bays leaving but a strait neck of Land called of the Greeks Istmos in breadth about five miles which was sometimes by the Grecians and afterward by the Venetians fortified by a strong Wall and five great Castles near unto which place stood the great and famous City of Corinth This Province is in length 175 miles and almost as much in breadth wherein are contained the Countries of Achaia Messenia Lacedemonia Argolica and Archadia with many famous Cities and goodly Havens wherein it far exceedeth all the other Provinces of Grecia These two Princes Thomas and Demetrius dismayed with their Brothers disaster Fortune began now so far to despair of their own Estate that upon the first bruit thereof they were about presently to have fled by Sea into Italy And as it commonly falleth out That one evil happeneth not alone so at the same time it fortuned that the Albanians rise in Arms against the said two Princes their Soveraigns and under the leading of their Rebellious Captain Emanuel Catecuzenus grievously troubled both the poor Princes These Albanians were a rough and hardy kind of people which living after the manner of the rude Scithian Herdsmen by feeding of Cattel had of long time planted themselves in Peloponnesus differing from the natural Greeks both in their manner of living and Language which diversity was no small cause that they oftentimes spurned as now against the Government of the Grecian Princes In this extremity the two distressed Princes not well knowing which way to turn themselves sought for Peace at Mahomets hands year 1454. offering to become his Tributaries Of which their Offer he willingly accepted as an induction to the full Conquest of that Country and sent Turachan Governor of Thessalia one of his greatest Men of War with an Army into Peloponnâ—sus to Aid those Princes against the Albanians by whose help the masterful Rebels were in short time discomfited and the Country of Peloponnesus quieted yet so that it was now become Tributary to the Turkish King. These two Princes Demetrius and Thomas the last of all the Christian Princes that reigned in Peleponnesus having thus lost their Liberty lived for a few years as the Turks Vassals paying such yearly Tribute as they had before promised During which time many Displeasures arose betwixt the two Brothers being both jealous of their Estate and desirous by all plausible means to win the hearts of their Subjects one from another whereby it came so to pass that whiles they both desired to become popular they weakned their own Credit and had not their Subjects at such command as best stood with the safety of their Estate Nevertheless as soon as they understood that the Christian Princes of the West were making great preparation against the Turk and that Calixtus the Third of that Name then the Bishop of Rome had already put a Fleet of Gallies to Sea which did great spoil upon the Borders of the Turks Dominions they vainly perswading themselves that the Turks would in short time be again driven out of Grecia refused to pay any more Tribute to the Turkish King or to keep League any longer with him Upon which occasion Mahomet with a puissant Army came down and first besieged Corinth and afterwards entring into Peloponnesus took divers strong Towns and destroyed the Country before him and forced the two Princes for safeguard of their lives to fly the one to Mantinia and the other into the strong
City of Epidaurus now called Ragusium The poor Princes destitute of such Aid as they expected and altogether unable to withstand the Power of the mighty Tyrant began again to sue for Peace which he having now spoiled their Country granted upon condition That all such places as he had already taken should be still his own and also that the City of Patras with the Country adjoyning should be delivered unto him and that for the rest the said Princes should pay unto him a yearly Tribute which hard conditions the poor Princes now in danger to lose all were glad to accept of whereupon a Peace was for that time again concluded In his return he took the City of Athens in his way which he not long before had taken from Francus Acciavol by Composition by means of Omares the Son of Turachaâ— one of his great Captains promising to give him the Country of Boetia with the City of Thebes in lieu thereof This Francus was Nephew to Nerius sometime Prince of Athens and had of long time been brought up in the Turks Court as one of Mahomet his Minions and was of him as was supposed entirely beloved But when he had received the Dukedom of Thebes in exchange for his Princely State of Athens he was shortly after as if it had been in great Friendship sent by Mahomet to Zoganus his Lieutenant in Pâ—loponnâ—sus by whom he was at first courteously entertained but afterward being about to depart he was according as Mahomet had before commanded suddenly stayed and when he least feared cruelly murdered About three years after the Peace before concluded betwixt Mahomet and the two Brethren Mahomet understanding that the Christian Kings and Princes had combined themselves against him with a purpose to drive him again out of Grecia thought it now high time and much for the assurance of his Estate to root out the small Reliques of the Grecian Empire which yet remained in Peloponnesus in the two Princes of the Imperial Blood Thomas and Demetrius whereunto he saw a fair occasion presented Forasmuch as those two Brethren were at that time at great Variance betwixt themselves neither payed him such Tribute as they had before promised hereupon he with a strong Army came to Corinth where Arsanes a Nobleman of great Authority and Power in that Country whose Sister Demetrius had married came to him from the Prince his Brother in law attended upon with many gallant Gentlemen his Followers of purpose to Aid him against the other Prince Thomas nothing fearing any harm to have been by the Turk intended against himself or his Brother in law Demetrius whom they both reckoned of as of a Friend But when Mahomet was entred into Peloponnesus and come to Tegea he caused the same Arsanes with all his chief Followers to be laid hold upon and cast into bonds knowing as it should seem no man for Friend which might any way hinder his ambitious Designs Demetrius hearing what was hapned unto Arsanes fled to Sparta now called Mizithra whither Mahomet in few days after came and laid Siege to the City But the poor Prince considering that he must needs at length fall into his hands went out of the City and humbly submitted himself with all that he had into his Power Which so well pleased the Turkish Tyrant that he courteously received him comforted him and promised him in stead of Sparta to give him other Lands and Possessions of like value elsewhere nevertheless he committed him to safâ— custody and carried him about with him as his Prisoner until he had finished those Wars After he had taken Sparta he besieged Castria where he lost divers of his Janizaries for which cause when he had taken the City he put all the Souldiers therein to the Sword and cut the Capâ—ainâ— overthwart in two pieces From thence he marched to Leontarium called in ancient time Megalopolis which he took with another City called Cardicea whither they of Leontarium had before conveyed their Wives and Children as to a place of more safety There he cruelly put to death all the Inhabitants of those Cities Mâ—n Women and Children in number about six thousand of whom he left not one alive and yet not so satisfied commanded the very Beasts and Cattel of those places to be killed Many Cities of Peloponnesus terrified with the dreadful Example of their Neighbours forthwith yielded themselves and amongst others Saluarium a great and strong City of Arcadia where he caused all the Inhabitants Men Women and Children to the number of ten thousand to be cast into bonds looking for nothing but present death all which afterwards he commanded to be sent Captives to Constantinople and with them peopled the Suburbs of that City After that he by the counsel of Demetrius sent one of his Captains called Iosua with certain Companies of Greek Souldiers unto the strong City of Epidaurus to command them in the Name of the Prince to deliver unto him the City with the Prince his Wife and Daughter which lay there But the Governor trusting unto the strength of the City refused to deliver the same yet suffered the Princess with her Daughter to depart out of the City being willing to go to her Husband whom the Captain having received returned and presented them to Mahomet By whose Commandment they were presently sent into Beotia there to attend his return to Constantinople and an Eunuch appointed to take charge of the young Lady who had so warmed Mahomets affection that he took her afterwards to his Wife At the same time he also subdued the most part of Achaia and Elis by Zoganus Bassa his Lieutenant whither he came not long after himself and laid Siege to the City of Salmenica which for lack of Water was at length yielded unto him but the Castle was by the space of a whole year after valiantly defended against the Turks left to besiege it by Thomas the Prince of whom Mahomet afterwards gave this commendation That in the Country of Peloponnesus he had found many Slaves but never a Man but him This valiant Prince seeing the miserable ruine of his Country and the State thereof utterly forlorn after he had most notably endured a years Siege in the Castle of Salmenica got to Sea and so arrived in Italy where traveling to Rome he was honourably received by Pius Secundus then Bishop there who during his life allowed him a large Pension for the maintenance of his State. Thus Mahomet having thrust both the Grecian Princes out of their Dominions and subdued all Peloponnesus excepting such strong Towns and Castles as bordering upon the Sea coast were yet holden by the Venetians left Zoganus Bassa his Lieutenant to Govern that new conquered Province and with great Triumph returned himself 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 Royal Seat he removed the Eunuch
done he returned again to Euboea Shortly after he with the same Fleet put to Sea again and sailing alongst the coast of Macedonia and Thracia surprised the City of Aenus which standeth upon the mouth of the River Meritza called in ancient time Hebrus upon which River the famous Cities Andrianople and Philippopolis are also situate Canalis after he had taken the spoil of the City returned to his Gallies carrying away with him two thousand Captives into Euboea At the same time also the Venetians giving Aid unto Nicholas Duchaine against his Brother Alexius then at variance for the Principality of Zadrima near unto the River of Drino in Epirus gave a great Overthrow to the Turks which came in the quarrel of Alexius Mahomet not a little offended with the harms done unto him by the Venetians year 1470. and perceiving that the Island of Euboea now called Nigroponte was for the commodious situation and strength thereof the chief place from whence they wrought him all these wrongs and whither they afterwards retired again as unto a most sure place of Refuge determined with himself at once to be even with them for all and to imploy his whole Forces both by Sea and Land for the gaining of that place This Island of Euboea is about an hundred miles in length and lieth over against that part of Graecia which was of old called Boeotia from whence it is separated with a narrow strait of the Sea it aboundeth with Corn Wine Oil Fruit and Wood fit for shipping The chief City thereof was in ancient time called Chalcide and of latter time Nigroponte by which name also the whole Island was known albeit the Turks now call it Egribos a populous rich and strong City so fortified with Walls and Bulwarks that in most mens judgment it seemed a place impregnable Unto this strong City Mahomet resolved to lay siege knowing well that upon the fortune thereof dependeth the state of the whole Island Wherefore he assembled a mighty Army and made great preparation both by Sea and Land and when all things were in readiness sent Mahomet the great Bassa of the Court with a Fleet of thâ—ee hundred Gallies and certain other small Vessels well furnished with Souldiers Mariners and all things necessary by Sea into Euboea and with a great Army marched himself by Land through Achaia until he came over against the City of Chalcis The Venetian Admiral hearing of the coming of the Turks Fleet set forward to have met them near unto the straits of Hellespontus but after he had by his espials descried the great number of the Enemies Fleet finding himself too weak shaped his course to the Island of Scios The Bassa coming out of the Straits of Hellespontus covered the Sea with his Fleet and holding on his intended course without let came to Euboea where at his first landing he took Stora and Basilicon two small Towns which he rased to the ground and from thence went directly to Chalcis As soon as this great Fleet was there arrived Mahomet caused a great Bridge to be made of his smaller Vessels over the Strait betwixt Achaia and Euboea whereby he passed all his Army and so belayed the City round both by Sea and Land. And after he had planted his Battery began most furiously to shake the Walls wherein he had in short time made fair Breaches and the sooner for that one Thomas of Liburnia chief Canoneer of the City before corrupted by the Turks by signs agreed upon gave them certain knowledge in what places the Walls were weakest whereby they so aptly planted their Battery as if they had taken view on the inside of the Walls Which foul Treason was at length perceived and the Traytor therefore worthily executed Yet little prevailed the Tyrant thereby for such was the industry of the Defendants that whatsoever he had by the fury of his great Ordnance beat down by day that they with restless labour repaired again by night Thus was the Siege continued thirty days in which space many a sharp Assault was given by the Turks to their great loss and the City still valiantly defended by the Christians At length the Venetian Admiral to the great comfort of the besieged came with his Fleet within view of the City making semblance as if he would have given the Turks battel Whereupon it is reported that Mahomet was about to have raised his Siege and have got himself over into the Main for fear the Venetians should with their Gallies have broken the Bridge and so have shut him up into that Island which thing it was thought the Admiral might have done to his great praise if he would as a couragious Chieftain have adventured the matter as he was earnestly requested by the Captains of every private Gally who generally grieved to see him so great a Commander to let slip so fair an opportunity But he fearing to come any nearer came to an Anchor and moved not neither gave any sign of comfort or relief to the besieged Which thing the Turkish King quickly perceiving and therewith encouraged having now in divers places beaten down the Walls and made them assaultable brought on his Men to the Breaches promising them the spoil of the City with many other great Rewards and high Preferments according to their particular Deserts whereof he said He would Himself be an Eye-witness Hereupon the Turks gave a most fierce and furious Assault which the Defendants with invincible courage received and made such slaughter of them that the Ditches were fill'd and the Breaches made up with the bodies of the dead Turks But such was the number of that populous Army the greatest strength of the Turks that the living little felt the loss of the dead Mahomet continually sending in new supplies of fresh Men in stead of them that were slain or wounded so that one could no sooner fall but two or three stept up in his room and so successively as if new Men had sprung out of the Bodies of the dead Twice they had even won the Breaches and were both times with wonderful slaughter beaten out again This deadly and dreadful Assault was maintained a whole day and a night without intermission At length the Defendants being for the most part slain or wounded and the rest wearied with long fight and unable to defend the Town now assaulted almost round retired from the Breaches into the Market-place and there like resolute Men sold their lives at a dear price unto the Turks Amongst the slain Christians were found the dead bodies of many notable Women who seeing the ruine of the City chose rather to die with their Friends in defence thereof than alive to fall into the hands of their barbarous Enemies Mahomet being now become Lord of the City and having lost forty thousand of his Turks in that Siege in revenge thereof caused all the men that were found in the City alive to be put to most cruel death especially the
set forward from Hadrianople his Europeian Horsemen going before him conducted by Abraham the great Bassa and Achomates Michael-Ogli General of the Acanzij or voluntary Horsemen and his Asian Souldiers led by Becrambeius Bassa following after him he himself with his Janizaries and Souldiers of the Court keeping in the middle And marching on in this sort came in fifteen daies to Belgrade where King Iohn accompanied with Lascus and such of the Hungarian Nobility as took his part came unto him of purpose to make himself known unto him which was to protect him and doing him all the honour he possibly could to request him to proceed to revenge his quarrel Solyman with grave and yet friendly countenance raising himself a little from the Cushion whereon he sate gave him his right hand protesting That nothing could happen unto him better or that he more desired of God than to be able to relieve distressed Princes especially such as were wrongfully oppressed by his Enemies wherefore he willed him to be of good comfort promising of his bounty frankly to bestow upon him whatsoever he should in that War win with the Sword from the Enemy King Iohn obtained this rare favour of Solyman by the earnest mediation of Abraham the commanding Bassa whom he had before at Constantinople by his Embassador Lascus so now with Gifts and Requests that he throughly took upon him the defence of the Kings cause wherein Lascus was especially holpen by Aloysius Grittus the Duke of Venice his Son who then followed the Turks Camp and was for his Fathers sake and the great sufficiency he held himself had in great reputation amongst the Turks and in such favour with Abraham who did all in all with Solyman that he could perswade him to any thing he would For this Aloysius Grittus born and brought up in Constantinople and wonderful eloquent in the Turkish Tongue had by the honourable carriage of himself and the great Port he kept in his House so throughly possessed Abraham that all commanded that he would many times bring Solyman himself over the Haven to Pera to solace himself in Grittus his pleasant Gardens and Banqueting Houses which he had there most sumptuously made after the Italian manner whereby to his great profit he obtained to be the chief man in receiving of the Turks Customs The fame of Solymans coming directly from Belgrade to Buda so terrified the Citizens of Buda that they almost all forsook the City and fled unto other places further off some to Strigonium some to Alba Regalis some to Possonium so that at his first coming he entred the City almost desolate without any resistance the Castle holden by a Garrison of Germans he commanded to be besieged The Captain 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 perceiving his Souldiers dismaied with the sight of so great an Army and willing to surrender up the Castle as beseemed a valiant Captain forbad his Souldiers to have any talk with the Enemy commanded the great Artillery to be bent and discharged upon the Turks and seeing his Souldiers slack and timerous reproved them of Cowardise and Treason threatning them with shameful death if they did not hold out the Siege to the uttermost and shew themselves valiant men both for the honour of their Country and of King Ferdinand whose Pay they received and of whose bounty 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 undermined and smelling or at leastwise imagining themselves to smell the sent of the Gunpowder which they supposed to be in the Mine and doubting to be presently blown up were struck with such a suddain fear that neither the fear of future punishment neither the shame of so foul a Fact nor the reverence of so worthy a Captain could stay them but that they would needs without further delay deliver up the Castle which when they could by no means perswade the resolute Captain to consent to but that he still with stern Countenance exclaimed against their Cowardise and Treason they laid hands on him and bound him Hand and Foot and so presently concluded with the Enemy to yield to him the Castle so that they might in safety depart thence with Bag and Baggage which their Request Solyman granted But when the Garrison Souldiers in number about seven hundred were about to depart with their baggage towards Possonium as was before agreed and the Janizaries coming into the Castle having loosed the Captain were about to let him go also Solyman advertised of the treachery of the Garrison Souldiers and of the Fidelity of the Captain changing his mind judged such villanous minded men unworthy of his mercy and in detestation of their perfideous dealing with their Captain gave them all to his Janizaries to be slain but to the Captain himself 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 Enemy Which bloody execution done by the commandment of the bloody Tyrant the Turks said was not only lawfully done but also to the immortal glory of his name in the execution of Justice which might peradventure seem reasonable if the perpetual hatred of that most barbarous Nation against the Christians gave not just occasion of suspect that it proceeded rather of their ancient 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 worthy of so cruel death when as Solyman himself in punishing the perjury of another ran into wilful perjury himself perverting the commendation of Justice which he so much desired by his most bloody and unjust sentence Buda the chief City of Hâ—ngary thus taken by Solyman he resolved forthwith to besiege Vienna the chief City of Austria in good hope that by the carriage away of that the other Cities of less strength both of Hungary and Austria would without any resistance be yielded unto him Wherefore he sent before him Achometes with the voluntary Horsemen who according to the manner of the Turkish Wars running through the heart of Hungary and entring with Fire and Sword into Austria passed by Vienna miserably burning and destroying the Country before him as far as Lyntz The poor People not knowing where to hide themselves from the fury of their Enemies nor of whom to crave help fled as Men and Women dismaied carrying with them their beloved Children the unfortunate pledges of their love and what else they could as things saved out of the midst of the Fire For whatsoever fell into the Enemies hand was lost without recure the old men were slain the young men led
upon another Mans weakness and necessity have encreased his insatiable desire and not granted them Peace being brought low and forsaken except they would deliver unto him the Islands of Cephalenia Zacinthus and Corcyra a matter no less grievous than the destruction of the very City of Venice it self So that the great Embassadors Vastius and Hanebald who came of purpose to have hindred the League with the Turk by their great diligence wrought nothing more effectually than that the Venetians the better foresâ—eing the danger of their State should as they did make haste to conclude the same for it falleth out in Mens purposes and Actions That a good and happy success otherwise well hoped for is oftentimes marred with too much diligence and care Neither was it any doubt but that Hanebald was sent by the French King but for fashion sake and secretly underhand by Pellicerius the old Embassador perswaded the Venetians to hasten the conclusion of Peace with Solyman Which as Badoerius their Embassador was carefully soliciting the matter at Constantinople and being loath to yield the strong Cities which Solyman required offering unto him in stead of them a great sum of Mony Solyman took him up with threatning words as a shameless Dissâ—mbler earnestly protesting That he would never grant him Peace without the yielding of those Cities rehearsing unto him the most secret points of his Embassage and how that he was authorized from the Decem-Viri to yield them unto him which thing the Embassador little thought Solyman had known year 1540. Wherefore Badoâ—rius so shamefully reproved and standing in doubt of his life seeing the greatest secrets of his Embassage revealed to Solyman and his Bassaes was glad to accept of Peace by yielding unto him Nauplium and Epidaurus two Cities in Peloponnesus and with them Nadinum and Labrania two Castles of Dalmatia to the great grief of the whole Senate for granting whereof the Common people ignorant of the secret Decree of the Decem-Viri and supposing that Badoerius had given away that which he had no authority to give were so inraged against him at his return that there was much ado to save the guiltless Man from exile and his Goods from confiscation although the Traitors were then known which had discovered the Secrets of the State unto the Turks These were Mapheus Leonius a Senator and Constantinus Cobatius Secretary to the Colledge of the Decem-Viri and Franciscus Valerius one of the Senators base Sons the Traiterous disperser of the Turks Mony for the corruption of others who with other his Complices were for the same Fact hanged in the Market-place when as Leonius and Cobatius were a little before fled into France About the same time which was in the Year of our Lord 1540 died Ioannes Sepusius King of Hungary Solymans Tributary after whose death ensued great Wars in Hungary and the lamentable subversion of that flourishing Kingdom for the better conceiving whereof it shall not be amiss with as much brevity as the plainness of the History will permit to open the causes and grounds of the endless calamities which afterwards ensued and never took end until that warlike Kingdom was to the great weakning of of Christendom utterly subverted King Ferdinand and this tributary King Iohn had with like desire of Peace and quietness made between them a League profitable to them both as their Estates then stood rather than honourable yet most welcome to the Hungarians who divided into Faction and having followed some the one King and some the other enjoyed nevertheless their Lands and Goods by the benefit of this Peace the Towns and Castles being still kept by them in whose possession they then were at the making of the Peace In the capitulations of which Peace it was comprised That Ferdinand should from thenceforth call Iohn by the Name of a King whereas before he had both in his common Talk and Letters called him by the Name of the Vayvod only It was also expresly set down in the same Articles of Peace and subscribed by the Hands of divers of the Nobility of Hungary That if King Iohn should die King Ferdinand should succeed him in the whole Kingdom of Hungary which condition was suppressed and kept very secret for fear of Solyman who accounted of that Kingdom as of his own gotten by Law of Arms and bestowed upon King Iohn as upon his Vassal neither was it to have been thought that if he should have known thereof being of a haughty mind by nature and not able to endure an injury he would have suffered that Kingdom got and defended with so great danger and cost to be by the Will of an unthankful Man transferred unto his Enemy This matter of so great importance was as it is reported by Hieronimus Lascus Embassador for King Ferdinand to Constantinople revealed unto Solyman and the Bassaes to bring King Iohn into hatred So much did this noble Gentleman for his rare Vertues otherwise greatly to have been commended yield unto his grief and desire of revenge 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 angry with King Iohn called him unthankful Churl and turning himself about to Luâ—zis Bassa his Brother in Law said How unworthily do these two Christian Kings wear their Crowns upon their faithless Heads who as shameful deceivers are not afraid either for worldly shame or fear of God for their profit to falsifie their Faith But King Iohn understanding thereof and wonderfully fearing his own Estate did by good Friends and rich Presents pacifie Solyman again laying all the blame upon King Ferdinand as better able to bear it Not long after King Iohn having set his Kingdom in good order and strongly fortified the City of Buda being now far stricken in years at the earnest request of most of the Nobility of Hungary and other his best Friends married Isablla the Daughter of Sigismund King of Polonia a gracious Lady and of great Spirit which King Sigismund had long before married Barbara King Iohns Sister after whose death he married the Lady Bona Sfortia the Daughter of Ioannes Galâ—acius Duke of Millain by whom he had this Lady Isabella whom King Iohn now married Which Marriage Solyman liked well of having many times by way of talk 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 have a Son would forthwith look upon him as their natural King and reject himself as but a Stranger This young Queen in short time as he had feared conceived with Child and was now very big when King Iohn was enforced to make an expedition in person himself against Maylat famous for the death of Aloysius Grittus and Balas both Governours of Transylvania whereof
of the War and for ever to hold his Kingdom of the King of Spain as his Vassal and Tributary Which his request well considered of and the matter thought of no small consequence for the safety of the Christian Countries lying over against that part of Africk to have so dangerous an Enemy removed Don Iohn the year following in the beginning of October by the commandment of the King of Spain his Brother year 1573. departing from Drepanum in Sicilia with an hundred and five Gallies and forty Ships arrived the next day about noon at Guletta where the Gallies of Malta came unto him and shortly after Iohn Andreas Auria the Admiral with nineteen more and Columnius the Popes Admiral with fourteen more all well appointed At his arrival at Guletta he understood by Amida and the Governour the whole estate both of the City and of the Kingdom of Tunes and that the Turks and Moors terrified with so great a Fleet were about to forsake the City Wherefore having well viewed the place he the next day after landed his Forces about four miles from the City and sent two thousand five hundred Footmen before the rest of the Army to the City who found it all desolate the Turks and Moors being before for fear fled some to Caravana some to Biserta who entring without resistance came to the Castle wherein they found two hundred Moors who said they kept it for Amida their King but yet would by no means suffer the Christians to enter All which was forthwith made known to Don Iohn who then because it was almost night would not move but early the next morning set forward with his whole Army and entring the City before abandoned by the Inhabitants and so coming to the Castle found nothing therein but great store of Oil Butter and Wood. Amida the late King by the commandment of Don Iohn all this while staied at Guletta But whilst Don Iohn was yet at Tunes news was brought to him the thirteenth of October That the Turks Garrison before fled out of Tunes with divers Moors coming to Biserta were there kept out by the Citisens and not suffered to enter for which cause they began to burn and spoil the Country thereabout Whereupon the General sent Tovares the Captain of Guletta thither with part of the Army who encountring with those Turks overthrew them and had the City by the Citisens peaceably delivered unto him The Kingdom of Tunes thus easily once again recovered from the Turks Don Iohn throughly informed of the faithless and cruel dealing of Amida the late King and that in detestation of the Christians and their Religion he had already had intelligence with the Turks and procured the death of some of the Christians gave this definitive sentence upon him being yet in the Castle of Guletta That forasmuch as he had long time been the author of great discord and endless troubles in that Kingdom and had most unnaturally deprived Muleasses his Father first of his Kingdom and afterward of his sight and in like manner tyrannised over his natural Brethren the rightful Heirs of that Kingdom whereby the Turks had taken occasion both to invade and possess the same he should therefore by the commandment of the King of Spain be carried Prisoner with his two Sons into Sicilia there to remain for ever Which heavy doom he taking most grievously and yet crying out for mercy was forthwith thrust into a Gally and with his Wife and Children transported into Sicilia there to live in perpetual Exile The just reward of his merciless and unnatural dealing with his Father and Brethren God no doubt requiting him with the like measure he had before measured unto them After that the King of Spain so commanding Mahomet Amida his elder Brother and right Heir of that Kingdom was appointed King in his place who departing from Guletta to Tunes was received as King and there by solemn Oath promised for ever to be the King of Spain his Vassal and to do whatsoever he should command There was before departed out of Tunes forty thousand Moors who now came and offered their supplication to Don Iohn that they might again return and live with their new King which their request being easily granted they in great numbers every day returned into the City Shortly after 1500 Turks with 3000 of those wild People which some call Arabians some Alarbes sore troubled all the passages about the City who were at last by the Christians overthrown and 150 Christians whom they had taken Prisoners rescued After that Don Iohn by the advice of his most expert and skilful Captains commanded a strong Castle to be built in the middle way betwixt Guletta and Tunes and for the performing thereof left Gabriel Serbellio with 2000 Italians and Calazar a Spaniard with other 2000 at Guletta And so having performed that he came for and disposed of all things as he thought best returned again into Sicilia A grief of griefs it is and sorrow almost unconsolable when worthy actions most happily begun sort not to such happy end as was in reason hoped for The greatest and most famous Victory of all Ages gained against the Turk seemed to have lightned the Christian Common-weal and great hope there was that the Christians falling into unity amongst themselves would by an happy exchange make the Turkish Empire the Seat of their Wars and to turn into the Turks Dominions the terror slaughter and other calamities of War which had so many year afflicted the Christian Common-weal But by how much the more the joy was amidst such daily calamities and tears so much greater was the sorrow so great an hope to be come to nought and Men to be so blinded with the darkness of envy and disdain that they could not so much as think with what dishonour and danger of the Common-state they should shrink from so just so honourable and so needful a service including in it self the general good of all Christendom When posterity shall consider what things might then have been done and the devices whereby the common cause was overthrown it will worthily blame and greatly lament so notable a Victory and fit opportunity sent as it were from Heaven for the effecting of great matters to have been let slip and passed over so lightly regarded This made that they who before had reposed all their hope in Arms had now no other confidence or hope of their welfare but in concluding of Peace Truly the Venetians both spoke and thought honourably of King Philip as of a most faithful just devout and honourable Prince yet greatly blaming his Officers and others of great authority about him as Men more regarding their own private than the good of the Christian Common-weal In these perplexities of the Venetians King Philip promised them to set forth a greater and stronger Fleet against the next year and to be sooner in readiness with all his Forces and warlike Provision and so to help
causing him withall to swear Faith and Obedience to Amurata And so having at least to shew set in order the Affairs of those Mountains which an hundred of the Turks great Captains had in former time vainly attempted he returned to Damasco where he staied 12 days by shameful shifts extorting Money from divers Persons At last having no more to do in those parts he turned himself towards Gazir and Baruto Places under the Government of Ebne-Mansur where he arrived with all his Army and found the Gallies which he had left in the Port of Sidon now in the Haven of Baruto as he had before commanded Now upon a certain Hill above Baruto near unto the Sea Ebrain had pitched his own Tent only and none other and having sent all the rest of his best and goodly things which he meant to carry with him to Constantinople aboard the Gallies shrowded himself only under that narrow and base Tent. Thither he called Ebne-Mansur and in pleasant manner told him That now it was time for him to make payment of the Debt of an hundred and threescore thousand Duckats which he owed the King's Lord for the Custom of Tripoli and Baruto for that he could not longer stay in those quarters but was to return to Constantinople which he knew how to do unless he carried with him the discharge of that Debt Whereunto Ebne-Mansur made Answer That it would not be long before his Macadamoes would come with his Monies and that then he would without further delay make Payment Which thing Ebrain well knew to be an excuse and therefore determined with himself to thrust him into the Gallies and because he could not carry the Money unto the King yet at the least to bring him his Debtor But forasmuch as he doubted to put this his Determination openly in Execution for fear 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 beloved and favoured of the other two Drusian Lords Ebne-frec and Ebne-carfus he therefore thought it better Policy by concealing this his purpose to shew him in his outward Actions all good Countenance and by secret and subtil means to take him Prisoner Whereupon he deceitfully told him That forasmuch as he was to stay there for his Business that Night and was resolved the next day to make a road into the Country of Man-Ogli he therefore prayed him to do him the Favour to be his Guide and for that purpose when he should send for him at Midnight that he would come unto him very secretly because he was minded to depart without any stir only with five hundred men in his Company The Drusian Lord verily believed the matter that so it was and withall was in good hope by that means to find some way to escape his hands Whereupon being called up at Midnight he readily went to the Tent of Ebrain who presently charging him whom all men thought he had especiall affected with many abominable and foul terms caused a Chain to be cast about his Neck and his Armes and so fast bound to be carried into the Gallies And yet not so contented took the spoil of all his Country whereby there was levied such a Prey as was marvellous to behold for besides Money whereof there was a very huge sum the store of Cloths of Silk and Gold was such and so great as might better beseem some great Prince than such a mountain rustical Lord as he was When the Bassa had conveyed all this into his Gallies he sailed to Tripoli where he found Serafadin in the Custody of Veis Bassa and Aly Bassa and having stayed there some few days wherein he committed sundry villainous and abominable Robberies he caused the said Serafadin to be put into the Gallies with all his Silks and other Wealth and so departed for Constantinople where at such time as he entered into the Channel of the City accompanied with four and twenty Gallies he was encountered and received by a wonderful number of his Friends and Favourites and saluted with an honourable Peal of Artillery out of the Seraglio Iohn Thomas Minadoi the best Reporter of this History as also of the late Wars betwixt the Turks and the Persians being then at Constantinople and having as he reported of himself good means to see the bountiful and beautiful Presents which the spoiling and ravenous Bassa gave the Turkish King reporteth the sum thereof to have been a million of Gold besides the yearly Revenue of Caire amounting to six hundred thousand Duckats with threescore Horses most richly garnished of singular beauty but especially of the Arabian Race a live Elephant and a live Giraffâ—e which is a beast like a Camel and a Panther two great Crocodiles dead a Chair of massie Gold richly set wâ—th precious Stones a Casket also beset with precâ—ous Stones and Gold many Packs of most fine Cloaths Wollen and Silks certain other Cloaths with Fringe of Gold and Silver and the Barbarian cut-work most fine Linnen of Alexandria and all the Harquebuzes taken from the Drusians besides sundry rich Presents given by the proud Bassa to the great Ladies of the Court reported by Leunclavius to have been worth two hundred thousand Sultanines But now forasmuch as we have before made mention of the Sanzack of Ierusalem and his flight it shall not be altogether impertinent to our History though somewhat out of time in few words to declare what passed between him and the Arabians of Palestine a little before the coming of Ebrain the great Bassa into those quarters by which little the desirous Reader may easily perceive the woful and troublesome state of that some time most blessed and fruitful but now most miserable and barren Land of Jury and of those Places in Holy Writ so much renowned In the Confines of Sodom and in the Places that lie not only between the Lake Asphaltites and Damasco but also in the Plains and in the Vallies of Iericho and of Samaria and in other Places about Bethlehem Emaus Bethanie Bethfage Capharnaum Nazareth Levir Bethsaida Naplos and other Towns of Name thereabouts there do haunt and live certain Arabian Captains who spreading themselves even as far as Rama and Ioppa over-run at their Pleasure all the Countries there round about and continually commit grievous outrages as well against the said Cities as also upon the Goods and Wealth not only of the Inhabitants there but also of the Strangers yea and their Insolency oftentimes groweth so great that they dare to assault the fenced Cities beside the spoiling of Travellers that by reason of their business have occasion to pass from one City to another They are good Horse-men but use no Armour their Horses are very swift to run and spare of Diet and are themselves bold and adventurous Theeves These Arabians having had Intelligence that the aforesaid ambitious Youth appointed Sanzack of Ierusalem was
commandment was given thro' the Camp That every man upon sign given should be in readiness to follow his Leaders for that the County had determined forthwith to remove yet whither the Army was to be removed few or none knew more than certain of the chief Commanders As for to go to Strigonium few there were that so much as dreamed thereof all was kept so secret yet was it the Counties purpose even from the beginning to attempt the winning of that City which the Arch-duke had in vain the last year besieged The next Night being both dark and foul the County rise with all his Army and the next day being the first of Iuly came to Strigonium they of the City not hearing of his coming before they saw him under their Walls Wherefore the Turks in the Suburbs called the Rascian City and they in the Fort under St. Thomas Hill despairing of the keeping of those Places setting fire on the Houses and defacing the Fort so much as in that sudden fear they possibly could fled into the lower Town The next day the County without resistance took the foresaid Places forsaken by the Turks which he manned with certain Companies of Wallâ—ns and made a Bridg of Boats over Danubius cast up certain Mounts and did many other things for the furtherance of the Siege In three days he had again repaired the Fort under St. Thomas Hill abandoned by the Turks and therein placed four great pieces of Artillery wherewith he began to batter the lower Town and in other Places to straiten the besieged more than they had been the year before The Bassa of Buda not ignorant of the want both of Men and Munition in the besieged City and the rather for that they had but a little before sent part of their Garrison with Shot and Powder to Rab and Dotis attempted thrice as he did many times after during the time of the siege to have by the River put new Supplies both of Men and Munition into the City but was still by the Diligence of the Christians excluded and inforced with loss to return In short time the lower Town which they call Wasserstat or the Water-town was with continual battery sore beaten so that scarcely any House or Building was left whole and a Counterscarf made the last year beaten down Whereunto certain Wallons were sent only to have viewed the bredth and manner of the Ditches after whom certain Companies of the Hungarian Heidons presently followed without any Command of their Captains who with great Courage got to the top of another high Counterscarf and there set up some of their Ensigns Which the Turks beholding and coming on close together by plain force inforced them with loss to retire Among these Hungarians were divers also of the Wallons slain with some others of good Name and Place to the great Grief of the County being not a little offended with that disordered Service yet Day and Night the Battery ceased not and the Christians out of their Trenches with their Musquet-shot slew many of the Turks upon the Walls receiving little or no hurt again the Turks still shooting sparingly for fear of wanting Shot and Powder at their greater need yet that they spent they bestowed so well that amongst others they had slain four of the Christian Canoneers and one Wallon Captain About the midst of Iuly the County with continual battery had made the Water-town as he thought assaultable and therefore sent certain Companies to begin the assault who having passed the Counterscarf found the Ditch full of deep Mud and but newly cut broader certain paces by the Turks so that it was thought scarce possible to be passed without a Bridg behind which Ditch was an high Wall with strong Bulwarks and within all this was another new cast Ditch and upon the very brink thereof a thick and high Parapet all which for all that certain Companies of Wallons with great Labour and Danger adventured to pass but such was the Valour of the Defendants and the small number of them that came on to the assault with the Disadvantage of the Place wherein they stood that at length they were glad to retire with the loss of many of their Fellows The Christians in the beginning of this Siege had taken a little Island in the River before the City which was kept with some few Companies of the Lord Palfi's Heidons whereof the Turks having Intelligence at Buda with three Gallies and certain other Vessels landed in the Island 3000 Souldiers which slew the Heidons unto whom no Succour could be suddenly sent and so recovered again the Island wherein they left a sufficient Garrison for the keeping thereof furnished with all things necessary and so departed About three days after the former assault the Christians in hope of better Success the second time assaulted the Water-town in which assault the chief Leaders were the Lord Greis and Anthony Zinne a famous Captain had he not stained his Honour with County Hardeck at Rab but being pardoned by the Emperour did now together with the rest appointed to that Service most courageously assault the Breach but were again by the Turks notably repulsed and inforced at last to give over the assault and so to retire with the loss of 150 men among whom Zinne himself was slain with one Captain Ruger and some of the Counties own Guard the Lord Greis was wounded in the Head and the younger Lord Schuendi with divers other Captains grievously hurt The next day after 600 of the Mountain People came into the Camp unto the County with Supplications to request him Not to give over the siege until he had won the City promising him in the Name of those Towns and Villages from whence they were sent of their own Charges to repair for him what harm soever he should do in the City for the taking thereof yea though he should lay it even with the Ground for why the Harms they daily received from the Garrison of that City were wonderful At the same time also he was advertised by his Espials of whom he maintained many for the Discovery of the Enemies doings that Mahomet the Turkâ—sh Sultan had writ unto the Bassa of Buda carefully to provide that his beloved City of Strigonium took no harm and not to spare either for Men or Money in time to relieve it and therein to do nothing without the Advice and good liking of his old and faithful Servant Alis Beg who of long time had governed and also defended that City and to the intent that nothing should be wanting for the performance hereof that he had sent Alexander Aga of the Ianizaries from the Court whose Service he might ill have spared whose approved Counsel and Help he might also use in all things for that he had rather lose some other whole Kingdom than that one City And that therefore he should beware that it were not won by the Enemy or by any Composition yielded
wherein if he failed he threatned unto him his heavy displeasure not to be appeased without the price of his Head. Which so severe a Commandment of the great Sultan's the Bassa sent to them of Strigonium with most grievous threats from himself if they terrified with any Battery undermining or assault should yield the City and not hold it out as became valiant Souldiers unto the last man swearing to impale them all upon Stakes that should consent to the yielding up thereof The old Governour Alis Beg having received this so strait a Command from him that was both able and like enough to perform what he had threatned utterly to deterr the Souldiers from once thinking of yielding caused diligent Enquiry to be made throughout the Garrison if any of them had at any time made any motion of yielding up the City or otherwise murmured against their Captains or Commanders appointing them to any Service and such as he found to have so done he to the terror of others caused to be presently executed and after that went down himself into the lower Town to see that nothing were there wanting or amiss where most danger was But when he would have again returned into the upper Town he was stayed by the Janizaries who told him That seeing he was of so valiant and couragious a mind and their Governour 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 Buda and Temesware with divers Sanzackes as well of those parts of Hungary which the Turks possessed as other places were assembling their forces for the relief of the besieged in Strigonium whereof the Transilvanian Prince hearing made shew as if he would forthwith have besieged Temesware so that the Bassa thereof leaving the intended Expedition for Strigonium was glad to return for the defence of his own Charge They also of Stiria Carinthia and Croatia with the Troops of County Serinus had so stopped all the Passages that twelve thousand Turks which were coming from Zigeth and the places thereabout could by no means come to joyn themselves with their Fellows for the relief of the distressed City The County leaving nothing unattempted or undone that might help for the gaining of Strigonium had made a notable Fort upon S. Thomas Hill and therein placed five great Culverins wherewith he furiously battered the higher City and did therein great harm and thereby also brought to pass that no man could go up or down the Hill betwixt the upper Town and the lower but he was in danger to be fetch'd off with those Pieces or the Musquetiers who defended by those great Pieces lay upon the side of the Hill in Caves and Bushes awaiting for such as should go up or down betwixt the two Towns. Thus the Christians at one time battered the upper Town the lower Town and the strong Town and Fort of Gokara standing on the farther side of Danubius over against Strigonium besieged by the Lord Palfi But of all these Places Gokara was with the fury of the great Ordnance most shaken which the County perceiving caused the Battery to be increased and so continued until he had beaten down the Counterscarf and made certain fair breaches in the Wall. Whereunto the Moravians unto whose Lot it fell the one and twentieth of Iuly gave an Assault in five divers places whom the Lord Palfi seconded with his Hungarians of whom certain were of purpose appointed besides their Arms to bring things with them for the firing of the Town which they in the time of the Assault found means so well to bestow that in a while the Town was all on a light Fire The Turks at first made notable Resistance but finding themselves over-pressed and seeing the Town now on a fire about their ears which with the Wind so increased that it caught hold of the lower Town on the other side of the River they retired to the River-side where some of them by Boats got over to Strigonium other some perished in the River 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 repairing the Breaches and storing it with all warlike Provision left in it a strong Garrison Within a night or two after were two hundred of the Turks Horse-men descried in a Field fast by which caused an Alarm to be raised in the Camp as if the whole Army of the Turks had been at hand howbeit those Horse-men retiring and no other appearing it was afterwards known that they were only Scouts sent out by the Turks to take view of the Army of the Christians in what sort they lay encamped The latter end of this Month it fortuned that a young country fellow secretly sent out of the City by the Governour and falling into the hands of Palfi was by him sent to the County by whom he was in friendly manner demanded from whence he came whither he was going and whereabouts Whereunto the Youth frankly answered That he was sent from the Governour with Letters to the Bassa of Buda which he presently drew out of his Bosom and delivered them unto the County who after he had read them caused them to be closed up again and so delivered to the Young-man with some few Crowns commanding him to carry them to the Bassa as he was about and in his Return to bring him the Bassa's Answer promising for his so doing to reward him bountifully which the Young-man undertook to do and so departed Now the purport of the Governours Letters was That if the Bassa did not within six or seven days send him aid and relieve him he should for want of Victuals and other things necessary for the holding out of the Siege be inforced either to abandon the City or to yield it up into the Enemies hands Whereunto the Bassa returned Answer by the aforesaid Messenger That he would within the appointed time be with him willing him in the mean time to be mindful of his wonted Valour and not to be with any thing discouraged appointing him the day the hour the way the means with all the other Circumstances how he would relieve him Which Letters the Young-man according to his Promise delivered unto the County who thereupon provided accordingly for the welcoming of the Bassa Within a day after also one of the Turks Canoneers considering the danger the City lay in and fearing that it would be lost fled out of it into the Camp who besides that he aptly declared the state of the City and the wants the Besieged were in did also afterwards good Service during the time of the Siege The Turks had in this while many times sallied out to their great loss yet now upon hope of better Success they adventured the twenty ninth of this Month to sally out again but with like fortune as before
leaving fourscore of their men behind them having slain but five of the Christians Now had the Turks in great wants by the space of a Month right worthily defended Strigonium expecting still for relief At length News was brought into the Camp That the Bassa of Buda with 20000 men was coming to raise the Siege who the second of August came accordingly and with his Army encamped within four miles of the Christians lying so nigh that certain of the Turks Horse-men seeking after Booty came very near unto the Camp of the Christiâ—ns and out of the Pastures even under their Noses carried away some few Horses Against these desperate Adventurers certain Troops of the Hungarian and German Horse-men issuing out had with them an hot Skirmish but the Turks of purpose retiring as men over-charged and the Christians still following on had at length drawn them unto the place where divers other Troops of the Turks lay in Ambush for them who now starting forth on every side hardly charged them The Hungarian light Horse-men well acquainted with such Skirmishes seeing the danger presently fled and left the Germans to themselves who for a while valiantly encountred their Enemies but oppressed with multitude were glad at last to fly also In this Skirmish of the Christians were lost and grievously wounded about an hundred The Turks encouraged with this so prosperous a beginning came on the next day with all their Army being before resolved by plain force to open themselves a way into the City and so to relieve the besieged Of all these things the County was not ignorant as thereof forewarned by the Bassa's Letters before delivered unto him and had therefore with his Army strongly belayed all the ways unto the City Nevertheless the Enemy came still on between the Hills S. Thomas and S. George and near unto the Suburbs called the Rascian City put themselves in order of Battel as did also the Christians giving the Enemy leave to come even to their Trenches In the mean time the Lord Palfi with his Hungarian Horse-men fetching a compass about the Hill on the one side and the Lord Swartzenburg with his Horse-men on the other had so inclosed the Turks behind as that they could not without great danger retire Both Armies orderly ranged and the signal of Battel given the Turks having before without any great harm done discharged seventeen Field-pieces came on after their wonted manner with a most hideous cry and at the first Onset with their Turkish Arrows as with a thick shower darkned the Sky when on the other side the German and Wallon Horse-men with their Petronels sent their deadly shot as thick as Hail amongst them again and the Men at Arms after them taught the Turks to their cost how unfit their light and half-naked Horse-men were in a set Battel to meet with them so well appointed in a trice but not without great slaughter the Battel was brought to the Sword and to be tried by true Valour There was to be heard a cry Heavens high the thundering of Artillery both great and small the clattering Armor the glistering Weapons the neighing of the Horses the crying of the Wounded the heavy groanings of the Dying with the noise of the Trumpets Drums and other warlike Instruments made deaf the ears of the Hearers presenting unto them nothing but horror and even present death It was a most miserable sight to see so many men in so short time slain for the Battel had scarce endured half an hour when many thousands of the Turks lay dead upon the ground and the rest seeing the Victory incline to the Christians betook themselves to flight leaving behind them their great Ordnance and whatsoever else they brought for the relief of the besieged whom so flying the Lords Palfi and Swartzenburg who had before taken the straights whereby they were to pass between the Mountains so received with their fresh Horse-men that of them that came that way few escaped The Bassa himself who stood upon the Hill seeing the discomfiture of his Men fled also himself The Bassa of Natolia with about 100 of the Turks more by good fortune got into Strigonium The number of the Turks slain in this Battel was great and is of divers diversly reported some saying that there were slain 14000 and some fewer Besides them that were slain many were also taken and some of them men of great Name and Place There was also taken 27 Ensigns with a multitude of Camels Asses and Mules laden with Mony Shot Powder and other necessary Provision all which brought thither for the relief of the besieged became a prey unto the Christians In the heat of this Battel they of the City sallying out had entred a Fort of the Christians upon the River-side but were again presently driven out and with loss enforced to retire After this Victory the County sent certain Companies of the Hungarian and German Horse-men with 500 Waggons to the Enemies Camp not far off in the Mountains who coming thither found it utterly forsaken by the Enemy but well stored with all manner of necessary Provision which they carried all away together with 600 Tents many whereof were lined with Damask Satin and other Silk richly embroidered or layed with gold-lace or gold-twist The Bassa's rich Tent taken by the Collonel of the Horse-men was afterwards by him given unto the County as was also the Plate and Money there found all which he divided among the Souldiers according to their Deserts In the Turks Camp were also found certain Heads of the Christians with the dead Body of the Lord Brandensteine slain in the conflict but the day before which the Christians carried away with them into the Camp and there honourably buried them Those that remained of the Turks Army hid themselves in the Mountains and Woods and so holpen by the darkness of the night made best shift for themselves that they could The Bassa himself accompanied but with twenty Horse came to Buda about midnight and by his coming filled the City with great heaviness every man lamenting his lost friends The Hungarian Heidons best acquainted with the Country pricking up and down the Mountains and by-ways for certain days after the Battel brought in daily into the Camp such Prisoners as they took or else the Heads of such Turks as they slew Of this so notable a Victory the County by a speedy Messenger certified the Arch-duke at Vienna who rewarded him for his good News with a chain worth five hundred Duckats and presently caused the Song or Thanksgiving to be sung in the Church of the Augustine Friers and afterward in all the Churches of the City The County also to gratifie the Emperour sent him by the Lord Chalon his Nephew unto Prague two of the chief Prisoners taken in the late Battel with four Horse-men's Guidons cunningly made of Horse-hairs such as are commonly carried before the greatest Commanders of the Turks Armies and fourteen other
Departure sent for the Arch-duke to come into the Camp and for Blankemier into Bavaria to supply his own room But his Disease still increasing became at last desperate so that the Physicians themselves now despaired of his Health Yet lying thus drawing towards his end he almost every hour enquired how the Army did and whether the City were yet taken or what hope there was of the taking thereof But when it was told him a little before his Death that the lower Town was won he thereat greatly rejoyced and the next day being the Fourteenth of August towards night quietly departed this World to the great loss of the Christian Commonweal and the exceeding grief of the whole Army A Man even from his Child-hood brought up in Arms of Stature great but of Courage greater and painful above measure not the least cause of his untimely Death All the time of this Siege he took little Rest either by day or night scarce so much as to lie down upon his Bed in two or three nights together The little Meat he did eat he most part eat it standing or walking yea and sometimes on Horse-back He was a most severe Observer of Martial Discipline which caused him to be of his Souldiers both beloved and feared His Bowels were with due Solemnity buried at Komara where he died but his Body was brought back again to Luxenburg there to be honourably interred with his Ancestors About which time Theodore the great Duke of Muscovia heaâ—ing of the Wars betwixt the Emperour and the Turk sent two Ambassadours with Letters and Presents to the Emperour which Ambassadors coming to Prague the sixteenth of August accompanied with two hundred and fifty Horse were by the Emperours appointment honourably received and entertained And afterward having Audience first delivered the Letters of Credence from the great Duke reported to have been of this purport YOur Majesty hath sent unto us your Ambassador Nicholas Warkotsie requesting our brotherly Aid against the hereditary Enemy of all Christianity the Turkish Sultan Wherefore we also desiring to live with you our dear and well beloved Brother in all perpetual Amity and Friendship send unto you by our faithful Counsellor and Servant Michael Iwanowitze and John Sohnie Aid out of our Treasury against the said Enemy unto whom we have also given other things in charge to be propounded to your Majesty requesting you to give unto them full credit in all things Given in the great Court of our Power at Musco in the year of the World 7103 and from the Nativity of Christ 1595 in the Month of April What things in particular these Ambassadors were sent for was not commonly known but among others it is said That the Muscovite requested the Emperour to send an Ambassador unto the Persian King to draw him also into the League with them against the Turk which Ambassadour should first come into Muscovia and that way to pass into Persia. The Presents which the great Duke sent unto the Emperour were an hundred and fifty thousand Florens of Gold great store of most rich Furs and precious Perfumes deemed to be of exceeding value two white Faulcons and three Leopards alive And Iwanowitze the Ambassador himself presented unto the Emperour of himself certain rich Turky Persian and Babylonian Hangings and Carpets certain Timbers of Sables with other rich Furs no less precious than Sables so many as eight Porters could hardly carry These Ambassadors tarried at Prague until the seven and twentieth day of December and then taking their leave returned with the Emperours answer to the Duke But to return again unto Strigonium The Christians now possessed of the lower Town bent their whole battery upon the higher Town where it fortuned the fourteenth of August that the old Governour Alis-Beg whilst he was carefully walking from Place to Place to see where most danger was had his Arm struck off with a great shot of which huâ— he presently died He was as man of great Gravity about the Age of fourscore years and had of long time notably both governed and defended that famous City the loss whereof was like enough to have been unto him greater Grief than was the loss of his Life there Much about the same time also died the Aga of the Ianizaries being before mortally wounded Both the chief Commanders thus slain the Ianizaries with the other Souldiers and Citizens made choice of the Bassa of Natolia who as is aforesaid escaped out of the late Battel into the City for their Governour who with heavy chear took upon him that forlorn charge The Christians not ignorant of the death of these two worthy Men in whose great and approved Valour they supposed the chief Defence of the City to have 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 whilst there were some Mercy left yield the City Who though they had lost their chief Commanders with the greatest part of the Garrison and were in great wants both of Victuals and all Things else necessary for their Defence yet their Answer was in few Words That they would hold it out even to the last man. The greatest cause of which their obstinate Resolution was the strait charge the Bassa of Buda had given them for the defence thereof besides that they accounted their City holy as won by their magnificent Emperour Solyman whom the Turks generally yet have in a devout remembrance and therefore thought it a great Impiety to deliver it up unto the Christians The next day after came Matthias the Arch-duke into the Camp who after he had well viewed the whole Army and the manner of the siege he called together into his Tent the chief Commanders namely the Marquess of Burgaw his Cousin Iohn de Medices the Florentine and the Lord Palâ—i the Hungarian to consult with them what was further to be done for the winning of the City Shortly after he commanded the City to be assaulted in two Places at once which was by the Walloons and Germans 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 give over the assault and with loss to retire About this time came the Duke of Mantua with the three Counties his Brethren to the siege and now the Turks began again to draw together near unto Buda there to make head for the relief of Strigonium and to be revenged of the loss they had there before received Whereof the Arch-duke having Intelligence sent out against them eight thousand chosen Souldiers out of the Camp who suddenly setting upon the Turks in their Camp before the rising of the Sun made a great slaughter amongst them and took certain Prisoners of whom the Sanzack of Copan was one and so with Victory returned to the siege The besieged Turks in Strigonium understanding of this overthrow
General That he would not in any wise so do for that they greatly feared lest the Wallons being Men altogether given to the spoil not finding the Rebels to prey upon should after their wonted manner prey upon them the Emperours faithful Subjects At whose instance the former purpose for the sending of the Wallons being changed Collonitz himself was appointed unto that Service with whom Monsieur de Laual a Noble young Gentleman of France who but a few days before was newly come unto the Camp for the honourable desire he had to see Service and to serve himself with his Troop of Horsemen whom he had brought with him out of France went over into the Island also Whereinto when as the Rebels shortly after again entered they were by Collonitz overthrown and driven out of the Isle two hundred and fifty of them being slain and above fifty more of them taken Prisoners In which Conflict the noble young Gentleman Laual so bravely behaved himself as that he gained unto himself much Honour and Renown every mans Mouth being full of his Praises and wondering to see so great Courage in so young years he being then scarce nineteen years old With which loss the Rebels rather enraged than discouraged shortly after returned again in greater number and better resolved where betwixt them and them that were left for the defence of the Island was fought a more sharp and bloody fight than was the former yet so as that the Rebels were enforced again with loss to retire In which so hot and bloody a Skirmish Monsieur Laual having most valiantly born himself against the Enemy and done enough for his Honour but not so contented but carried away with the heat of Youth and the desire of Glory and not otherwise to be perswaded but still adventurously pressing on the retiring Enemy was there with a small shot slain all they which knew him much lamenting his untimely Death But the Rebels not so discouraged but still in one place or other invading the Island and threatning the Islanders with all Extremities except they would take part with them what by Force what by Perswasion so much prevailed with them that the most part of them revolting from the Emperour upon the sudden set upon the Count of Rhene being then in the Island and having slain three hundred of his men grievously wounded himself also For the speedy appeasing of which Multitude Basta sent over into the Island certain Companies of the Ratzians and Wallons who not regarding that the Islanders were daily damnified by the Rebels most miserably spoiled them of whatsoever the Rebels had yet left them The Turks encamped before Strigonium first planted their Battery against the strong Fort standing aloft upon Saint Thomas's Hill for that from thence they should have received infinite harm if they should before the winning thereof have attempted to have won the City it standing on their Backs and all the plain betwixt the Hill and the City wherein they were to plant their Battery being subject unto it Which Fort though very strong they with continual Battery by the space of almost three weeks having with infinite charge and the loss of a number of their Men made assaultable the four and twentieth day of September mounted the Hill to assault the same Unto which assault they went up the Hill so thick one thrusting another forward that the Hill seemed now to be nothing but a mount or heap of armed Men scarce any part of it being to be seen it was so covered with them Upon whom so swarming up the Christians in the Fort having reposed all the hope of their Welfare in their Valour and resolved thereby to die or live courageously discharged their murthering shot both great and small scarce any of their deadly Bullets falling in vain Howbeit the Turks resolutely set down for the performing of that they had taken in hand without respect of Death or Danger came still desperately on until that they were come to the push of Pike and so to handy blows even in the very Breaches which the long Fury of the Turks Cannon had made very assaultable Five hours this furious assault was by the Turks maintained and by the Christians with invincible Courage and Resolution endured many brave and valiant men falling on both sides and thrice the Turks repulsed were enforced to retire but were still by their Commanders brought on again The loss was to both sides common many worthy Men there ending their Days worthy of eternal Fame The Christians fell dead upon the Turks slain by their Valour and the Turks upon the Christians slain by their Multitude But what should we say The Turks by numbers died but not their Force that being by their great numbers still maintained even in despight of Death and always living in their great Multitude yet left alive Which was not so with the Defendants but even quite contrary who could not lose one only man without diminishing of their Forces and means of resistance so that they still lost without hope of safeguard and yet could not be in safety without continuing of their so great losses But he that still fighteth only for to save his Life without hope of killing his Enemy being too mighty for him to overcome must needs at last die overcome if it were but with very weariness So in the end of this long and furious assault nine hundred of the Christians being slain together with the Count Oetingen their Chieftain and his Lieutenant mortally wounded and nothing now more left but a few sore wounded men and the dead Walls for the Turks to overcome they entered the Place slew those few whom they found yet breathing made booty of their Death Blood and Arms and by the infinite price of their own Blood gained that place which had now no more Blood or Life left in it From whence they carried certain great pieces to help to batter the City withal and to vanquish them for whose defence they were but a little before appointed The Turks having thus gained Saint Thomas's Fort even as they were yet embrued with Blood and prick'd forward with Fury forthwith planted thirty great pieces of Battery against the base Town of Strigonium standing low by the side of Danubius and commonly called the Water Town which they with all their Force and Fury most terribly battered This base Town was environed with a Pallisado of Wood to defend it against all sudden Surprises as almost all the Towns of Hungary are Whereunto the confused Multitude of the Turks carried a number of brush Faggots stuffed with Gunpowder and Brimstone which being set on fire presently set fire upon the Pallisado also and burnt it down to the Ground making a way for the Turks to come even to the Walls of the City which they with their great Ordnance both Night and Day incessantly most terribly battered untill that by the Fury of the Cannon they had therein made a fair
Province is peopled by three several Nations the Sicules Saxons and Hungarians The Sicules descended from the Scithians came with Attila King of the Hunnes in Pannonia now called Hungary and taking their way towards their Country they inhabited that part of Transilvania which lies next to Moldavia and dividing themselves into seven Colonies they built the Towns of Kisdi Orbai Scipsi Cykuduarheh Aranios and Maros The Saxons mutinying against the Government of the Emperour Charlemaigne King of France for certain Impositions wherewith he had charged them retired into Transilvania and by force seised on that part of the Country which confineth upon Valachia where they built the Towns of Hermenstad otherwise called Cibin Cromstad Nezen or Bistric Meduvisch Sciespourg Clausenbourg and Alba-Iulia The Hungarians inhabited this Province from the time of Saint Stephen King of Hungary and having mastered the other Nations they obtained such Preheminence among them as since their Successors have caused themselves to be called Nobles of Transilvania and the Vayvods or Princes of the Country have been taken from among them The Towns of Varradin Dever Zilahi Gela and some others owe their beginnings unto them The greatest part of these three Nations which inhabit Transilvania were revolted against Battori but particularly the Saxons had taken Arms against him his great Cruelty having forced them to this extream Remedy Battori being thus abandoned by his Subjects prosecuted by his Nobility and forsaken of all the World knowing not whither to flie for Succour and not daring to trust unto the Turk who openly favoured Gabor he resolved to try if he could by Presents draw the Emperour Matthias to give him any Assistance Wherefore he sent Ambassadors unto him to promise all Subjection and Obedience and he sent for Presents a long Robe or sacerdotal Cloak of Gold set with Pearl and precious Stones certain Plumes of black Herons adorned with precious Stones a Turkish Sword the Scabberd being of Silver richly set with Jewels ten black Horses with rich furniture embroidered with Gold and Silver and a Turkish Horse having half the Body and Legs of the colour of Gold with his Furniture of Crimson richly embroidered He laboured to have the Emperour give notice to the Bassa of Buda That this Attempt of the Turks against Transilvania was against the Articles of Peace but the Bassa made answer That his Emperour was not to be blamed if he seised upon that Province which did immediately belong unto him and kept it quiet from the Practices of others But Battori relying not wholly upon this support but desiring to have more strings to his Bow sent Ambassadors to the Sultan with rare and rich Presents who had secret Treaties and Councils with the Bassa's the which Negronius the Emperours Ambassador residing at Constantinople discovering he sent word unto the Emperour that he entertained a Monster among Men. About the same time there came Ambassadors from the Saxon Towns of Transilvania complaining much of the Cruelty and Tyranny of Battori The Saxons said they living many years in Transilvania had beautified the Provinces with Towns Villages and Markets and had by their vertue obtained many Priviledges from former Emperours but Battori against his promised Faith and the Oath which he had taken had deprived them of their Priviledges and afflicted them in such sort as they were in a manner ruined that from his first entrance he had sought to root out the antient Family of the Saxons that he had afflicted them with Imprisonments and miserable Servitude and had detained Iohn Benner three years in Prison for no other cause but for that he knew he had brought a great Estate out of Germany he had deprived honest Widows of their Estates and had opprest others with unjust Exactions he had surprised Hermstad the chief City of the Saxons and suffered the Haiducks to spoil it and to commit all sorts of Insolencies That he had expelled the Magistrate banished honest Citizens ravished Women slain the Parents to deprive the Children of their Inheritance and committed all the barbarous Cruelties that could be devised That he had sent three hundred Captives to the Sultan for a Present many he cut into small pieces some he had thrown down from the tops of Mountains and Towers some he had hung up by the Feet others he had drawn in pieces with Horses and Trees and to conclude he had practised all kinds of barbarous Cruelties That having expelled Religious Princes out of Moldavia and Valachia he had made them subject to the Turk for no other end but getting an occasion to circumvent the Christians he might waste all with Fire and Sword having Multitudes of Barbarians to second him and for a Conclusion of his notable Cruelty having freed the Town of Gaudin he made choice of twenty of the principal Inhabitants and delivering to every one of them a Pike he forced them in his Presence to kill one another in the midst of the Market-Place But God revengeth his Excess by his Ruine whereinto we shall presently see him run headlong miserably for Bethlem Gabor his capital Enemy having joyned his Forces with those of Bassa Serder they both entered together into Transilvania forced Lugasti took Deve and struck a great Terror into the whole Country Ogli Bassa on the other side surmounts the difficulty of the ways and lodgeth with his Troops in the Suburbs of Cromstad and from thence went and camped over all the Tract of Barry or Barsac Thus Battori sees himself opprest by an Enemy from whom he can expect nothing but his Misery and Ruine he attended Succours from the Emperor under the Conduct of the Palatine of Hungary and Fortgatsie they came but not such as were able to resist the Turk This made him write to Trinau for the levying of Souldiers but the hatred they bare him generally deceived his hopes no man would march under his Ensigns This refusal makes him distrustful he dares not confer with any man touching the Affairs of the War. A treaty of Peace seems more fit for his Affairs he makes an overture to his most familiar Friends and tells them that he holds it necessary to purchase his Peace with Serder Bassa at what price soever yea were it in delivering into his hands the Places of greatest Importance But he receives no other Answers from them but that they had rather die than advise him to it Thus he sees himself void of all hope of safety in his Affairs he wanted Money his Subjects yea even his Souldiers hated him as a Prince abandoned to all Cruelty and for his last Remedy and the most ordinary in base and cowardly Minds he fell into despair intreating one of his Servants to kill him but the other refused him that honour suffering him to draw on his miserable Life till that within some few days after going forth to view where his Troops were lodged being in an open Chariot accompanied only with two
of Bulgaria so appointed for the commodious scituation thereof for the better command of the rest of the Provinces of Europe howbeit that he for the most part or rather altogether abideth at the Court which the other Beglerbegs cannot do for they are bound not to depart from the Government of their Provinces in which charge they ordinarily continue but three years only the great Sultan still changing and altering them at his Pleasure This Beglerbeg hath under his own Ensign and Command forty thousand Timariots always ready at his call under the conduct of these one and twenty Sanzacks following namely the Sanzack of 1 Sophia in Bulgaria 2 Nicopolis 3 Clisse or Quadraginta Ecclesiae 4 Vyza in Thracia 5 Kirmen all in Macedonia 6 Silistria all in Macedonia 7 Giustandil all in Macedonia 8 Bender near unto the Euxine 9 Acherman in the Confines of Moldavia 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 Province 16 Ioannina in Aetolia 17 Delvina both in Achaia 18 Elbassan both in Achaia 19 Avelona or Aulona in Albania 20 Ducagin in Epirus 21 Iscodra or Scodra in Albania The Beglerbeg of Buda who there resideth in the Frontiers of the Turkish Empire having under his charge eight thousand Timariots beside 12000 other Souldiers which in continual pay lie still ready in Garrison in the Confines of Hungary Croatia Stiria and other Places bordering upon the Christians but especially the Territories belonging to the House of Austria He had of late under his Ensign and Command these fifteen Sanzacks viz. the Sanzack of 1 Novigrade 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 Ecclesiae 14 Sirmium 15 Semendria Of which Filek Zetschen and Strigonium are in these late Wars won from the Turks by the Imperials and so yet by them holden as was also Alba Regalis which but of late was by the Turks again recovered The Beglerbegh of Temeswar in Hungary who there hath his abode having under his command seven thousand Timariots with these eight Sanzacks the Sanzack of 1 Temeswar 2 Mudava 3 Vilaoswar 4 Tsâ—hinnad 5 Wischitirni 6 Iswornick 7 Vidin 8 Lippa The Beglerbegh of Bosna who lyeth at Bagnialuca hath under him these Sanzacks the Sanzack of 1 Bagnialuca 2 Poschega 3 Clissa 4 Hertzegovina 5 Lika 6 Sazeschna 7 Giula 8 Brisrem 9 Alatschia Chissar The Beglerbegh of Coffe or Capha who there resideth in Taurica Chersonesus and beside the Country thereabout commandeth over all the Sanzacks near unto the great River Tanais and the Fens of Meotis It was at first but a Sanzackship subject to the Beglerbeg of Graecia and is in truth rather a Beglerbeghs place in Name than in Strength and Power The Beglerbegs or Great Commanders of the Turks Empire in Asia The Beglerbeg of 1 Anatolia who hath his resiance in Cutay the Metropolitical City of the greater Phrygia called in antient time Catyai and hath under his Ensign and command thirty thousand of the Timariot Horsemen with twelve Sanzacks 2 Caramania who hath his abode at Caisaria in antient time called Caesaria a City of Cilicia and hath under him seven Sanzacks with twenty thousand Timariots 3 Sivas who hath his abiding at Sebastia a City of the lesser Armenia and hath under his Government ten thousand Timariots 4 Tocatun who resideth at Amasia the Metropolis of Capadocia and hath under him five Sanzacks 5 Dulgadir sometime part of the Kingdom of Aladules and commandeth over four Sanzacks 6 Halep commonly called Aleppo a City of Syria and one of the most famous Marts of the East who hath under his Regiment five and twenty thousand Timariots 7 Sham otherwise called Damasco a most famous City of Syria who commandeth over forty thousand Timariots 8 Tarapolos or Trapolos commonly called Tripolis another famous City of Syria 9 Maras a City upon the great River Euphrates betwixt Aleppo and Mesopotamia who hath under his command 10000 Timariots 10 Diarbekir otherwise called Mesopotamia who maketh his abode at the City of Amida or as the Turks call it Cara-hemid who commandeth over twelve Sanzacks and thirty thousand Timariots 11 Bagdat or new Babylon where he resideth not far from the Ruines of old Babylon who hath under him forty thousand Timariots 12 Balsara not far from Bagdat upon the Persian Gulf who hath under his Rule or Government fifteen thousand Timariots 13 Laxa towards Ormus and near unto the Persian hath under his Regiment ten thousand Timariots 14 Gemen and Aden two famous Cities in Arabia Foelix upon the Coast of the Red-Sea who hath under him thirty thousand Timariots 15 Chebetz or Zebet upon the Coast of the Arabian Gulf near unto the Kingdom of the great Aethiopian King Prejanes commonly but corruptly called Presbiter Iohn 16 Cyprus who lieth at Nicosia or Famagusta commanding over all that great Island sometime of it self a Kingdom 17 Scheherezul in Assyria bordering upon the Persian who hath under his Government ten thousand Timariots 18 Wan a City in the Confines of the greater Armenia toward Media who hath under him twelve thousand Timariots 19 Artzerum or Erzerum in the Borders of Armenia towards Capadocia about four days Journey from Trapezond who commandeth over twenty thousand Timariots 20 Teflis near unto the Georgians erected by Mustapha Bassa General of Amurath the third's Army against the Persian in the year 1578. 21 Siruan or Media erected by the same Mustapha and at the same time commandeth over all that great Country sometime a famous Kingdom 22 Temir-Capi or Derbent near unto the Caspian Sea taken by Osman Bassa the same year 1578 who having slain Schehemet Chan his Father-in-Law reduced that Country into the form of a Beglerbegship 23 Cars a City of Armenia the greater distant from Artzerum four days Journey by Mustapha Bassa made a Beglerbegship in the year 1578. 24 Tschilder or Tzilder in the Confines of the Georgians erected by the same General Mustapha in the same year 1579. 25 Fassa or Phasis in Mengrelia near unto the Georgians erected by Vluzales the Turks Admiral the same year 1579. 26 Sochum in the Borders of the Georgians erected by the great Bassa Sinan in the year 1580. 27 Batin there erected also by the same Sinan Bassa 28 Reivan erected by Ferat Bassa General of the Turks Army taken from Tochomac Chan the Persian in the year 1582 whereof Cicala Bassa was the first Beglerbeg 29 Sumachia in the Country of Media erected by Osman Bassa in the year 1583. 30 Tauris a most famous City of Armenia the greater sometime the Regal Seat of the Persian Kings but of late taken from them by Osman Bassa and converted into a Beglerbegship in the same year 1583. But these late erected Honours namely the Beglerbegships
Provinces of Albania Bossena and Licca which confine on the Venetian Territories and though in reality those Forces were not intended against those parts but in order to a more warm prosecution of the War in Candia whether the Vizier inâ—ended to transport himself in Person yet the Venetian State not fully penetrating the Design took the Alarm chiefly in Dalmatia and reinforced their Garrisons of Cataro and other Fortresses And that matters there might be well provided and all things acted with due circumspection Marquiss Villa was ordered to visit those Garrisons in his Voyage to Candia so that departing from Venice attended with two Gallies he arrived in a few days at Zara and thence proceeding to Spalato where the Proveditor General Catarin Cornaro made at that time his residence they both joined together to survey the most important places of that Province They began with the City of Spalato which rather seems a place intended by Nature for a Palace of delights than a Garrison of Arms being the Seat which Dioclesian who was born at Salona six miles distance from thence chose for his Garden of retirement after he had renounced the Empire and is now turned into a ruder shape of War since the invasion of the Turk made it necessary to be fortified for security of it self and the parts circumjacent Spalato is now very strong being secured by divers Redoubts the chief of which is scituated on a little rising called Grippâ— distant about a Musket-shot from the Town is strengthened with four Royal Bastions and with good Artillery there is also a new Line of Fortification drawn round the Town which renders it the strongest and most considerable of all Dalmatia But to make this place the more impregnable tâ—ese Generals laid the foundation for another Bulwark and as an evidence of their Union they cast a Medal with a stamp on one side of Caâ—naro and on the other of Marquis Villa and â—â—â—rendring thanks to God the Service ended with firing all the Guns of the Town Afterwards both the Generals Embarking passed that Night to Curzola anciently called Coâ—sina Negra which is one of the greatest and best of the Isles of this Gulf Thence passing by Ragusi where the Deputies of that Government in recognition of that Soveraignty which the Venetians have over the Adriatick Seas presented the usual refreshments to the General of the Province and in a particular manner treated Marquis Villa with a Present in name of their Republick That Night they arrived at the Entrance of the Channel of Cataro and taking Perasto in their way which is a strong Fortification about six miles distant from Cataro they were received there with firing all the Guns of the Town which were doubly multiplied by an Eccho returned from the sound of the neighbouring Mountains Thence they proceeded to visit Budua a place well fortified as also Fort St. George in the Island Liesina which is the usual Rendezvous of Brigantines and armed Barques at length they went to Almissa where they made a general Muster of all the Forces of the Province in all which places having viewed and amended the defects in Fortification and given order for supplying them with Ammunition and Provisions necessary they returned back to see the famous Fortress of Clissa the Situation of which seems to have been planted when Nature desired to sport and be wanton for it issues as it were out of the Bosom of two Mountains which are at an equal distance from the Town and then drawing themselves at each end into the fashion of a Bow seem to form a Triumphal Arch. The passage through these Mountains is so narrow and crooked that it appears like a Labyrinth and being supplied with plenty of Fountains and Cisterns both within and without the Fortress the Suburbs demolished and no incumbrances to câ—oy and weaken its strength is certainly more obliged to Nature for its defence than to Art. From hence they proceeded to view Sebenico which is another strong Fortress situated on a rising Hill and overviews a spacious Port the entrance to which is secured by the Fort St. Nicholas and the City it self besides its own Walls is guarded by a Cittadel and by the new works of St. Iohn situated on two Hills From hence the Generals returning to Zara the Capital City of the Province which being encompassed by the Sea annexed to the Land only by a Bridg which is also defended by a Fort is rendered the strongest and most impregnable of all the Fortresses And here having made a general Muster of all the Forces and visited the Country of Novigrade and Possidaria the habitations of the Morlach Militia the Marquis returned again to Venice being called thither by the Senate for the Year being now well spent and the Winter approaching too near to admit of any considerable action the time grew seasonable for Counsels in which manner the Affairs of Wars might best and most advantageously be directed for the succeeding year Yet in regard Advices were come from Candia That the Turks were much afflicted with the Pestilence and scarcity of all Provisions it was judged requisite to prosecute the War the more eagerly against them before the Great Vizier arrived there with such an Army as commonly attends his Person it being advised from Count Leslie the Emperors Ambassador at Constantinople that the whole force of the Ottoman Armes was to refund it self speedily on that Island This Intelligence hastned the departure of Marquis Villa from Venice with such Force as was then in a readiness being directed with necessary Instructions of what he ought to act in Candia In his Voyage thither he touched at Corfu Cefalonia and Zant and afterwards happily arrived on the sixth of December at the Isle of Paros or Paresi in the Archipelago where he met with the Captain-General and other Chief Commanders of the Fleet together with Vuertmiller the Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance and here the Marquis reforming several Companies which were much diminished in their numbers a general Muster was made of all the Forces which being ranged in form of Battel they were accounted to amount unto eighteen hundred Horse and eight thousand two hundred ninety five Foot. This Army had some want of Fire-Arms and other Necessaries of which the Senate being advised they promised to supply all by a Convoy then preparing and congratulating in their Letters to Marquis Villa the good News of his happy Arrival at Paros raised and prompted him to Atchievements worthy his Courage and Grandeur for being a Person now elevated on the Bulwarks of Candia he seemed to stand on that Theater where he had all Europe for his Spectators The Troubles which the English Trade found this Year in Turky THE Currant of our Negotiations ran smoothly this year without any considerable interruption in all parts of Turky unless at Aleppo where the Emim or Customer according to his usual practice began a new pretence not only
a. returneth in haste and with false suggestions stirreth up Solyman himself against his Son ib. b. his exceeding Treachery at the coming of Mustapha to his Fathers Camp 515 a. disgraced by Solyman flieth to Roxolana at Constantinople 516 b. â—y her means restored again unto his former Honours dieth afterwards of a dropsie 517 b. Russeworme a great Lord beheaded 867 a. The Russians and Tartars make Incursions upon the Turks 908 b. S. SAcmar yielded to the Haiducks 860 a. Sahib after the death of Sultan Aladin by Master taking upon him the Government is by the Nobility thrust out and the Turks Kingdom in Asia rent in sunder amongst them 89 a. Sahamal the Georgian cutteth off the Head of Aider 659 a. submitteth himself to Mustapha the Great Bassa 662 b. slain by Osman Bassa his Son-in-Law 666 a. Saladin the Turk chosen Sultan of Egypt killeth the Calyph and all his Posterity 40 b. invadeth the Kingdom of Jerusalem and by Baldwin suddenly sallying out of Ascalon overthrown 42 a. besiegeth Berythus both by Sea and Land taketh Edessa and Carras 42 b. 43 a. spoileth the Holy Land 43 a. in vain besiegeth Ptolemais 44 b. besiegeth Tiberias and by the Treason of the County of Tripolis overthroweth Guy the King coming to the relief thereof and taketh him Prisoner 45 a. winneth Jerusalem with all the other Cities and Towns in the Holy Land except Tripolis Tyre and Antioch ib. a. besiegeth Tyre and with the loss of his best Soldiers and of his Tents retireth ib. b. taketh Antioch with all the Provinces and Towns thereunto belonging ib. b. putteth to death the Christian Captives 50 a. dieth and forbiddeth any funeral Pomp to be used at his burial 51 b. Salvagus a worthy Knight 538 b. Salazar a Spanish Captain goeth as a spy into the Turks Camp at the siege of Malta 548 b. Sauguin the Turk overthroweth King Fulke coming to the relief of the Castle of Mont-ferand and hath the Castle yielded unto him 21 a. taketh Edessa and there useth all manner of Cruelty against the Christians 22 a. besieging Cologenbar is there stabbed by one of his own Friends and slain ib. a. Sarmentus slain 466 a. Sarugatin Osmans Brother slain and accounted of the Turks for a Saint 96 b. Scanderbeg with his Brethren by their Father John Castriot given in Hostage to Amurath 177 a. wisely dissembleth his desire for the delivery of himself and his Country 193 a. by great policy recovereth the City of Croin out of the hands of the Turks 193 b. hath the strong Cities of Epirus yielded unto him 194 a. spoileth Macedonia 195 b. in a great battel overthroweth Alis Bassa with two and twenty thousand of his Turks 196 b. going to the Aid of King Uladislaus is by the faithless Despot denied passage through Servia 201 a. spoileth the Despots Country and so returneth into Epirus 204 a. his resolute answer unto Amurath's melancholy Letters 205 b. putteth Ferises to flight 206 b. overthroweth Mustapha the second time and taketh him Prisoner 213 b. carefully setteth all things in order against the coming of Amurath 214 b. his effectual speech unto the Soldiers and Citizens of Sfetigrade to encourage them against the coming of the Turk 215 a. cunningly entrappeth some of the forerunners of Amuraths Army 216 a. troubleth his great Army 217 b. with his own hand killeth Feri Bassa 218 b. troubleth Amurath's great Army at the Siege of Croia 222 a. in danger to have been slain or taken ib. a. deceiveth Mahomet the young Prince in his own device 223 a. flieth by night into Epirus 259 a. his answer by Letters unto the Letters of Mahomet 262 b. his answer unto Mahomets Letters concerning the renewing of the League 265 b. in danger 271 b. Scanderbeg dieth 275 a. buried at Lissa ib. a. his bones digged up by the Turks and of them greatly honoured ib. a. Scodra besieged by Solyman Bassa 280 a. relieved by Matthias King of Hungary 281 a. a yearly fee appointed by Mahomet to one to put him daily in mind of the siege of Scodra ib. a. Scodra the second time besieged by Mahomet the Great 283 a. sore battered 285 a. the fourth time assaulted 286 a. twelve thousand Turks slain in this last assault 287 a. most furiously the fifth time assaulted by the Turks 287 b. by composition yielded unto the Turk 291 a. The Scrivano rebelleth against the Turk in Caramania and giveth Mehemet Bassa a notable overthrow 792 b. in a great battel overthroweth him again the next year with an Army of fifty thousand Turks 797 a. having over-run a great part of the Turks Dominions in Asia dieth 804 a. his younger Brother steppeth up in his stead and in a great battel overthroweth Hassan Bassa and killeth him ib. a. Selymus ambitious and of a turbulent spirit and therefore of the Ianizaries and men of War better beloved than his other Brother 326 a. aided by Mahometes the Tartar King riseth against his aged Father 326 b. coloureth his rebellious purpose with the Invasion of Hungary 327 a. marcheth with his Army towards Hadrianople 328 a. in a great battel overthrown and put to flight by his Father Bajazet at Tzurulum 331 a. by the perswasion of the Bassa's by his Father sent for home 335 a. chosen General by his Father to go against his rebellious Brother Achomates is by and by after by the Ianizaries saluted Emperour 336 b. causeth his Father to be poysoned 337 b. putteth three of his Fathers Pages to death for mourning for their Master 338 a. bountifully rewardeth the Soldiers of the Court 339 a. murthereth five of his Brothers Sons ib. b. causeth Corcutus his Brother to be strangled 341 a. Treason intended against him discovered 342 a. craveth Aid of Aladeules and the other mountain Princes against the Persians 345 a. Selymus perplexed ib. b. receiveth great loss in passing the River Euphrates 349 a. he and Hysmael compared together 350 b. Selymus with a great Army entreth into Armenia and taketh Ciamaâ—fum a City of the Persian Kings 352 b. vanquisheth Aladeules the Mountain King putteth him to death and converteth his Kingdom into the form of a Province 354 a. invadeth Hungary ib. b. sendeth his Ambassadors with Presents to Campson the Egyptian Sultan 357 a. encourageth his Soldiers to go against the Mamalukes 358 a. passeth the Mountain Amanus and cometh into Comagena ib. b. in the battel of Singa overthroweth the Mamalukes 360 b. in doubt lest Sinan Bassa had been lost becometh exceeding melancholy 364 b. meeteth with Sinan Bassa at Gaza 365 a. passeth the sandy Desarts and meeteth with Tomombeius at Rhodanus 365 a. giveth him battel and putteth him to flight 367 a. encourageth his Soldiers to the winning of Caire 370 a. fighteth a great and mortal battel with the Mamalukes in the City of Caire 370 b. causeth the City to be set on fire 371 a. putteth Tomombeius and the Mamalukes to flight and so taketh the City ib. a. his Ambassadors sent to
Eunuch Bassa dealeth treacherously with the Kings of Arabia 451 b. Solyman hardly perswaded that his Father was dead 581 a. saluted Emperour by the Ianizaries ib. b. his Letters to Villerius Great Master of the Rhodes 384 a. his Oration to his men of War declaring his purpose for the besieging of the Rhodes ib. b. he maketh great preparation for the siege 385 a. his threatning Letters unto them of the Rhodes 388 b. cometh himself in Person to the siege 392 a. his cholerick Oration to his Soldiers ib. b. displaceth his Admiral and punisheth him like a slave 396 a. about to have forsaken the siege ib. b. comforteth his discouraged Soldiers perswading them with patience to continue the siege 397 a. his Letters to the Great Master and the Rhodians sent by their own Ambassadors 399 b. his speech unto the Great Master at his coming to yield up the City 403 a. he entereth into the Rhodes upon Christmass-day in the year 1522 404 a. Solyman upon the discord of the Christian Princes and disordered State of Hungary taketh occasion to invade that Kingdom ib. b. cometh into Hungary against King Lewis with an Army of two hundred thousand men 405 a. overthroweth him in battel at Mohatz ib. b. cometh to Buda 406 a. Solyman in the quarrel of King John against King Ferdinand cometh into Hungary with an Army of 150000 men 410 a. without resistance entreth into Buda and besiegeth the Castle ib. b. layeth siege to Vienna 411 a. without ransome releaseth certain Christian Prisoners 412 a. loseth his great Ordnance upon the Danubius ib. b. burieth 8000 of his Turks in the Mines 413 a. having lost 80000 of his Turks raiseth his siege and returneth to Buda 414 a. he restoreth the Kingdom of Hungary unto King John ib. a. returneth himself to Constantinople ib. b. maketh great preparation for the subduing of the Territories belonging to the House of Austria as also for the Conquest of Germany with the short time he prefixed unto himself for the performance thereof ib. b. Solyman with a mighty Army cometh again into Hungary 416 b. besiegeth Gunza ib. b. his proud Letters to Charles the Emperour 417 a. shunneth to meet him at Vienna and so turneth out of the way into Carinthia 418 b. the causes moving him so to do ib. b. returneth towards Constantinople 420 a. Solyman perswaded by Abraham Bassa resolveth to go against the Persians 436 b. cometh with his Army to Tauris 437 a. followeth Tamas the Persian King into Sultania ib. a. his Army strangely distressed by Tempest ib. b. hath Babylon with the Countries of Mesopotamia and Assyria yielded unto him 438 a. he ransacketh Tauris ib. b. discouraged by the harm done him by Delymenthes giveth over his Wars in Persia and returneth to Constantinople 439 b. he with a wonderful charge prepareth a great Fleet at Suetia against the Portugals in the East-Indies 451 a. Solyman by the French Ambassador incited to invade Italy with an Army of two hundred thousand men cometh to Aulona 452 a. sendeth Lutzis Bassa and Barbarussa with his Fleet before him into Italy ib. a. converteth his Forces prepared for Italy against the Venetians 453 b. in danger to have been slain in his Tent in the midst of his Army ib. b. invadeth Corcyra ib. b. carrieth away above sixteen hundred Prisoners and doth good Iustice upon such Turks as had violated their Faith at Castrum 454 b. Solyman angry with the secret Consederation between King Ferdinand and King John 468 b. promiseth to protect the Queen and her Son 473 a. with a great Army cometh to Buda 478 b. sendeth for the young King into his Camp 479 a. courteously receiveth him ib. a. craftily surpriseth the City of Buda 479 b. detaineth the Nobility of Hungary ib. b. diversly perswaded by his Bassa's for the disposing of that Kingdom ib. b. he sacrificeth after the Mahometan manner in Buda 481 a. pronounceth the doom of Hungary and converteth it from a Kingdom into a Province of his Empire ib a. his proud answer unto King Ferdinand's Ambassadors 482 a. he returneth to Constantinople ib. b. sendeth his Fleet to Barbarussa his Admiral to aid the French King against the Emperour 496 a. Solyman with a great Army cometh again into Hungary 497 a. taketh Strigonium 498 b. entereth into the City and there setteth up the Mahometan Superstition 499 a. winneth Alba-Regalis 501 b. returneth to Constantinople ib. b. by the Instigation of Dragut the Pyrate sendeth out Sinan Bassa with a great Fleet to revenge the wrong done unto him by Auria 509 a. Solyman amorous of Roxolana 512 a. manumiseth her 513 a. marrieth her ib. a. by her persuaded resolveth to put to death his eldest Son the noble Mustapha ib. b. goeth himself with a great Army into Asia to kill his Son 514 b. sendeth for Mustapha who coming is cruelly strangled in his sight 515 b. his stout Speech unto the Ianizaries up in Arms for the unworthy death of Mustapha 516 b. he glad to yield unto the Ianizaries ib. b. Solyman desirous with as little stir as might be to appease the grudges betwixt his two Sons Selymus and Bajazet sendeth Partau and Mehemet two of his Visier Bassaes to bring them to the Provinces by him appointed for them 322 b. maketh preparation against Bajazet and sendeth Aid to Selymus 323 a. for countenancing of Selymus goeth himself in person with his Army over into Asia 525 a. dissembleth with Bajazet 526 a. seeketh to stop his flight into Persia deceived of his purpose procureth to have him and his four Sons strangled in prison in Persia 529 a. Solyman by his Ambassador Abraham Strotza confirmeth his League with Ferdinand the Emperor for eight years 533 a. his proud Letters unto the Emperor Ferdinand ib. a. his Presents sent unto the Emperor 534 b. he maketh preparation against the Knights of Malta 535 a b. his Oration unto his Captains for the Invasion of Malta ib. b. his Fleet arriveth at Malta 537 a. with shame returneth 552 b. Solyman purposing now the seventh time himself in person to invade Hungary causeth a Bridge of a mile long with incredible labour to be made over the great River Savus and the deep Fens toward Sigeth 555 b. besiegeth Sigeth ib. b. cometh himself with a great power into the Camp 556 a. winneth the old Town ib. a. falleth sick and dieth of the bloody Flux at Quinque Ecclesiae ib. b. his Death by Muhamet the Visier Bassa concealed and the Siege continued ib. b. his body with great solemnity by his Son Solymus buried at Constantinople 559 b. The Spahies and Ianizaries mutiny 809 b. their proud Speech to Sultan Mahomet 810 a. their Insolency justly punished 807 a. The Spaniards rejoycing at the Overthrow of the Italians by Salec are themselves foiled by Tabacces 443 b. The States of Bohemia their Requests to the Emperor 888 a. Stellusa with Desdrot the Governor thereof delivered to Scanderbeg 194 b. Stephen Rozwan instead of Aaron by
he capable of any for when any thing was propounded to him He answered Yes or No or with some very short Reply after the manner of Laconick brevity and then presently turned away to read the Alchoran He was at first reputed after the manner of his Father to be impotent as to Women but afterwards taking five or six into his Embraces he gave the World cause to conceive another Opinion of him He sat as aukwardly on Horse-back as his Father that Exercise being uneasie to him his chief Divertisements were his Books which we may believe he ill understood and sometimes taking the Air on the Water and in Chiosks or Garden Houses on the side of the Bosphorus he passed his pleasant time Yeghen still continued to Ravage the Country between Sophia and Belgrade as his Comrade Yedic that Arch-robber did in Anatolia And the Government being too weak to suppress two such Thieves or Highway-Men how much less was it able to contend with the German Troops They were forced to dissemble and give way to the present Extremities by making Yeghen Seraskier in Hungary whilst Hassan Pasha was forced to give way and fly privately out of the reach of his Competitor The News hereof flew with great hast to the Thieves in Anatolia who being encouraged with the Success of Yeghen under whose Government they all fancied to be made Pashas or Grandees came over in great numbers to joyn with him Amongst which one Temac Boluckbashee a leading Man with Four hundred of his Robbers passed boldly over from Asia to Constantinople and Yedic their General was not only pardoned but made a Pasha To this hard Plight and Extremity was the Ottoman Empire reduced when the Turks placing their greatest hopes in the Tartars dispatched away an Aga to Apafi Prince of Transilvania with a Patent to confirm him in his Principality and with Orders to demand of him in consideration thereof a round Sum of ready Money wherewith to Succour and pay the Garrisons on the Boristhenes and to provide for the Maintenance of Caminiec which was in want of Ammunition and all things necessary And to persuade Apafi hereunto he told Stories very improper and unfit to compass his ends for he rehersed all the Tumults of the Zorbas at Constantinople and that the Grand Seignior was forced to create Yeghen who was their Chief and Leader to be Seraskier in Hungary That in Constantinople there was want of every thing even to a Famine caused by the Seditions and Mutinies of the Soldiers and that for the appeasing these Tumults and for the Donative unto the Soldiers which is usually given by the Sultans at their Inauguration the Exchequer had been drained of Twenty Millions of Dollars wherefore he urged the States of Transilvania to grant him his Demands in failure of which he threatned them with the Incursions of the Tartars who had already passed the River Prut and were enter'd into the Neighbouring Provinces where they had left sad Marks of their cruel and miserable Devastations And that Sultan Galga and Noradin with a mighty Army were marching to oppose the Emperors designs upon Belgrade General Carafa having notice of these Practices upon Transilvania went with all hast thither and in a short time not only defeated this Aga in his Negotiations but also so well disposed Apafi and the States of Transilvania with entire Devotion to the Emperor that in despight of the Message brought by the Aga they absolutely renounced all Obedience and Duty to the Ottoman Port The which Renuntiation follows in this manner We Michael Teleky de Szek General George and Alexius de Bethlem Laodislaus Szekel of Boroszeno Valentine Frank one of the Iudges Christian Zato Consul of the City of Hermanstadt Counsellors to the Illustrious Prince of Transilvania As also Nicholas of Bethlem Stephen Appor Peter Alvinzy and John Starosy Principal and publick Notaries Michael Filstrick Iudge of the City of Braslavia Plenipotentiaries deputed by the Prince aforesaid and by the States of the Kingdom of Transilvania do hereby declare and make known unto all the World desiring that these Presents may remain upon Record for a lasting Testimony unto all Ages With great Reason may this present Age remain astonished and envious Eyes become dazled with the Splendor of the Divine Clemency which not suffering its beloved Christendom to Groan longer under the Yoak of Barbarous Pride nor remain in Bonds to Tyrannical Servitude nor longer to be overwhelmed and drowned after so many Wars in a Sea of Innocent Blood hath at length out of his great Compassion been pleased to exert the strong Power of his Omnipotent Arm to Rescue so many Kingdoms and Provinces from an unsupportable Slavery under the Turks who transported with senseless Fury had rendered themselves formidable to the World ruinous to their Neighbours and Despisers of all People besides their own But behold How the God of Hosts being justly displeassed with these vain Boastings hath thrown his Thunder-bolts amongst them and dispersed them making the most August Emperor Leopold the First an Instrument of his Vengeance and having showred Flouds of Blessings on his Glorious and Triumphant Arms hath encompassed his Royal Head with Wreaths of Victorious Laurel whilst the Ottoman Throne is dressed up with Mournful Cipress Such were the astonishing operations of the Divine Power made manifest to all the World. For when the barbarous Tyranny was in its full Career and was in the Trail of a hot Scent after Christian Blood then was God pleased to stop them in their Course and reduce their unstable and depressed Fortune to the doubtful Terms of Hope and Fear It is now near an Age that unhappy Transilvania hath been depressed by the unsupportable Ottoman Yoak and bewailed the loss of her lawful King and Lord And after having been Turmoiled tossed with Storms of War with Fire and Sword and Civil Dissentions all things have been so confused and defaced that scarce any thing hath remained on the Registers of it's ancient Glory only since the Dominion of the Turk gained by the intestine differences of it's own Princes some Memorials are written and reserved to represent to the World a History of a most direful Tragedy But now the maligne Influence of the Stars being either abated or entirely exhausted and the Ambitious Pride and Designs of private Men defeated Transilvania embraces the Paternal and Powerful Protection of the most August Emperor of the Romans Leopold the First and Hereditary King of Hungary and of all his Successors and particularly of the most Serene Prince Joseph King of Hungary whose Life may God long continue and of his Heirs after him according as it hath been concluded and agreed in the year 1687 at the last Diet at Possonium with full Consent Approbation and Concurrence of all the States of Hungary who have for a long time poured out their Prayers and Tears and Sighs before God that at length through the Divine Mercy they might
persuasions might have with his Transilvanian Friends and those of his Faction inviting them to cast off the Yoke of Germany from their Necks and reassume their Ancient Liberties and to that end he wrote this following Letter Ad Capitaneos Directores Magistratus Inclyti Regni Transilvaniae Omnia bona det Deus Regno Transilvaniae vigile Ingenium oculos Incolis ejus opto Nolim Ingratitudinem vestram quâ Caesaream amplexi fuistis protectionem respicere imò potius certiores vos facere commune facere velim vehementer volens Regnum Transilvaniae in tantis afflictionibus exactionibus versari Non dubito quin satis perspexeritis hucusque iniquas Germanorum Machinationes Volunt se in regnum intrudere ut vos ex regno expellant Vos peribitis illi manebunt Pellite itaque corrigite ceaecitatem vestram Ad Arma currite omnes Nobiles Libertini Subditi pro felici Patria certate certe vos libertatem consecuturos quam turpiter perdidistis ad Comam usque Nisi omnes audacter insurrexeritis peribitis vos filii vestri Nobilissimum Regnum in manibus barbarorum manebit Valete et vigiliate vobis Patriae vestrae Datas trans Danubium proximè ad Transalpinas And to leave no Stone unturned he sollicited the Ottoman Port for new Succours promising mighty Successes in case the Tartars would invade Transilvania the which accordingly was designed and had taken effect had not the Cosacks made an unexpected Irruption into Tartary and thereby obliged those Barbarians to quit their design that they might attend to the safeguard of their own Country All places in Bosnia being now subdued and brought under the power of the Emperor Bertzka only excepted situate on the Save Prince Lewis after he had fortified Proot and Gradisca marched against it being a place of such importance as secured all the River from thence to Belgrade The Turks having advice of the approach of Prince Lewis with Terror and terrible Consternation abandoned that vast City pleasant for its Situation in a delicious Country abounding with all sorts of Provisions and Fruits both for the sustenance and delight of the Inhabitants into this Commodious Dwelling made void by the flight of the Turks a Garrison of Two thousand Germans was lodged which served them for Winter-Quarters wherein to refresh themselves after all the fatigues dangers and tedious Marches of the passed Campaigne and to secure this City so plentiful of all sorts of Provisions a regular Fortification was Erected on the rising of a Hill which served to cover and very much to strengthen the City Now in regard Advices were brought to Bertzka that the Pasha of Bosnia was making Levies of men and recruiting his Forces in the Neighbouring parts General Piccolomini was dispatched to Vienna to render an Account of the State of that Country and to press for Forces immediately to be dispeeded for security thereof it being a Province inhabited by many Christians who with encouragement and protection would be ready to submit and do Homage to the Emperor Piccolomini so well Negotiated his Affairs at Vienna that he soon procured Orders directed to the General at Belgrade to reinforce Prince Lewis with a considerable Body of men But because the French were now in motion and had already entred Germany with a formidable Army to oppose which there was need of the Counsel and Direction of the best and most Experienced Captains who had lately with such auspicious Fortune conducted the Imperial Forces against the Turks it was resolved to recall Prince Lewis of Baden to Vienna and to commit the Charge of Bosnia to the Courage and Conduct of Piccolomini year 1688. So soon as Piccolomini was returned to Gradisca Prince Lewis took Post for Vienna having some few days before his departure taken possession of Oliva and Sbornich or Swornich a City and Castle of considerable importance of the latter of which the Charge was committed to Major Thomas Stracharta a Scotch Gentleman who bravely maintained it against Two Assaults of the Turks These places were situate on the River Drine After which this Valiant Prince departed leaving most manifest Evidences and Proofs behind him of his Courage assisted with Fortune for that in the space of about Nine Weeks he had subdued all the Province of Bosnia defeated the Pasha with double Numbers taken Proot Gradisca Bertzka and divers Castles with no more than Eight thousand Germans Hungarians and Croatians Tho' it was now time to end this Campaigne yet still the Blocades of Sigeth Canisa and Grand-Waradin were continued year 1688. the Defendants tho' reduced very low remained howsoever very obstinate and resolute to maintain the Garrisons to the last extremity in hopes rather that their Ambassadors would succeed in the Conclusion of a Peace than in any apparent probability there was of rescuing themselves by their own force or other expected Succours And indeed the Turks might then on very good Grounds have hoped for a peace since that they readily offered to have quitted all pretensions to the Conquered places and suffered the Emperor to remain in quiet possession of all whereof he had made himself Master which had been a vast advantage to the Empire at that time when the French were entered into Germany with a formidable Army burning laying waste and destroying all the Palatinate threatning War on the Empire which continued for several Years with such fury that had not King William of England joyned with Spain Holland and some of the Princes of Germany opposed this terrible Foe all the Empire and other Countries had sunk under the weight of the Arms of France But God knows by what Fate the Emperor refused to hearken to those fair Propositions of Peace which that they might not be urged or pressed on his Counsellors the Turkish Ambassadors were committed Prisoners to the Castle of Puffendorf where they passed some Years under a tedious restraint and loss of Liberty contrary to the Law of Nations And tho' the Turks may be much blamed for this kind of Violation of the Law of Nations and disrespect to the persons of Ambassadors which in all Countries have been esteemed sacred yet it is a new thing to be so practised by Christian Princes especially by the Austrian Family which is Renowned over all the World for their Piety Justice and Clemency As there was at that time no Reason or Sense for not closing with the Turks in a Peace so afterwards the Folly and Misfortune was so apparent that the Court of Vienna hath often lamented the unhappy Consequences of that evil Counsel which the Ministers of State to throw off from themselves have cast on the prevailing Faction of the Jesuits and Clergy which have ever carried a great sway in that Counsel And thus having by God's Assistance finished the Wars in Hungary by a full and ample Relation of all that passed in that miserable Country during the Course of the
up and so to hold himself content The next year Bajazet by Ferises-Beg took the City of Vidina with many other strong Towns and Castles in Servia and afterwards returned to Hadrianople But whilst that he thus raged in Europe the Caramanian King invaded and spoiled the Frontiers of his Countries in Asia which although he was not then at leisure he forgot not afterwards to revenge to the full At the same time Eurenoses Lord Governor of the Marches of his Kingdom in Europe towards Grecia departing from Seres where he then lay took the City of Sitros in Thessalia And Ferises-Beg not content to have taken Vidina as is aforesaid passed over the great River of Danubius and grievously spoiled Valachia from whence he returned loden with a great Prey This was the first time that I read of that the Turks ever passed over the River Danubius At this time also Iegides Bassa entred the Kingdom of Bosna from whence he carried a great number of Captives to Hadrianople where Bajazet spent that Winter †BAIAZETHES PRIMVS QVRTVS TVRCARVM REX In the time of this Siege Aidin Ogli Prince of Caria a Mahometan came to Bajazet and yielded himself into his power as his Vassal unto whom Bajazet restored certain places which he had in this expedition a little before taken from him yet upon such condition as that he should not from that time coin any Mony in his own name either be remembred in publick Prayers as a Prince in their Mahometan Temples as he had before been but that all such things should be done in the name of Bajazet as his dread Lord and Soveraign With which disgrace the poor Prince was glad to content himself and to live as his Vassal From Philadelphia he led his Army into the Country of Saruchania in ancient time called Ionia Maritima which he subdued unto himself upon like conditions After that he passed farther to Mentesia or Mentz sometime called Myndos in Caria the Prince whereof for fear fled to Cutrun Bajazet Prince of Castamona and part of Pontus leaving his Country to the pleasure of the Tyrant And forasmuch as the young King of Caramania had invaded his Countries whilst he was busied in Europe Bajazet in revenge thereof entred with his Army into Caramania and took Cesaria with divers other places there so that the young King discouraged with the loss of his Towns and fearing Bajazet his greatness was glad to hold himself contented with his loss and to make Peace with him as it pleased him to grant it As Bajazet was making this expedition into Caramania another young Mahometan Prince the Son of Prince Germian came unto him with one of his chief Counsellors and were both by him sent Prisoners over the Strait to the Castle of Ipsala where they lay in durance many years after Thus Bajazet having oppressed and wronged most of the Mahometan Princes the Successors of Sultan Aladin in the lesser Asia at last returned again himself in triumph to Prusa The Prince of Mentesia who for fear of Bajazet was fled out of his Country as is aforesaid had now incited Cutrun Bajazet Prince of Castamona with a great power to invade that side of Bajazet his Kingdom which bordered upon him Which Bajazet understanding gathered a great Army to go against this Mahometan Prince At which very time the Vayvod of Valachia hearing of Bajazet his troubles in Asia with a strong Army passed over Danubius into those parts of Servia and Bulgaria that were by the Turks as then possessed where he spoiled the Country and slew great numbers of the Turks making Mahometan Saints and Martyrs by heaps for so the Turks account all them whom the Christians kill in their War which done he retired back again into Valachia carrying with him also many of the Turks Prisoners Bajazet thus at once invaded both in Asia and Europe deferred his Wars purposed against the Prince of Pontus until a more convenient time converting his Forces against the Valachians Wherefore passing over the Strait to Hadrianople he sent his Army from thence to Nicopolis and there passing the River of Danubius entred into Valachia burning and spoiling the Country before him as he went. Where the Vayvod to repress his Fury met him in the Field and gave him Battel but was therein overthrown and many of his People slain so that at last he was glad to sue for Peace which he obtained by submitting himself to Bajazet and yielding to pay him a yearly Tribute Whilst Bajazet was thus busied in Valachia news was brought unto him That the Christians of the West with a Fleet of Gallies did great harm alongst the Coasts of his Dominions in Asia In revenge whereof he entred with his Army into Thessaly destroying all the Country unto Thessalonica in which expedition he took the City of Neapolis in Greece and Ioannina in Aetolia and after that returned into Asia where he spent that Winter In the beginning of the next Spring he with a great Power passed the Strait of Callipolis to Hadrianople intending to have invaded Hungary But as he was upon the way it chanced that a Constantinopolitan Spy was by the Turks intercepted with Letters from the Greek Emperor to the King of Hungary giving him warning both of the Turks preparation and coming By which Spy Bajazet also understood of another Messenger before sent into Hungary for like purpose Whereupon Temurtases then his great Lieutenant in Europe perswaded him to desist from his intended Wars in Hungary and to besiege the Imperial City of Constantinople as a thing of more honour and less danger the City being already as he said and as in truth it was surrounded with the Turkish Provinces bringing in Philadelphia but a few years before won for example of the like exploit Of whose Counsel Bajazet liking well returned with his Army and shortly after came and sate down therewith before Constantinople 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 years in which long time he drave the Emperor Emanuel Paleologus to that Strait that he was glad to leave his City and himself in person to crave Aid of Wenceslaus the German Emperor and Charles the Sixth the French King and other Christian Princes also At which time the Citizens were at length brought to such extremity that they were even at the point to have yielded up the City and happily had so done had not Sigismund King of Hungary assisted with a great Army of the French and other voluntary Christians almost out of every part of Christendom to the number of an hundred and thirty thousand under the leading of Iohn Count of Nivers and after Duke of Burgundy for the relief of the besieged Emperor passed over Danubius into the Turkish Dominions and there having recovered Vidina with certain other strong Holds in Bulgaria laid Siege to Nicopolis
out of which City the Turks oftentimes fallied and gave him many an hot skirmish It is reported That the young King Sigismund beholding the greatness of his Army in his great jollity hearing of the coming of the Turks Army should proudly say What need we to fear the Turk who need not at all to fear the falling of the Heavens which if they should fall yet were we able with our Spears and Haldberts to hold them up from falling upon us But Bajazet understanding what Spoil the Hungarian King had made in his late gained Countries and of the Siege of Nicopolis commanded the Ladders and other great provision now in readiness for the scaling and assaulting of the City of Constantinople to be burnt because they should not come into the hands of the Christians and so raising his Siege marched with a right puissant Army to Nicopolis sending Eurenoses before of purpose to intercept some of the Christians thereby to learn the State of their Camp and Army But they hearing of his coming so well looked to themselves that he with shame returned to his Master as he came without any one Prisoner taken Which thing much troubled Bajazet as fearing he should have to do with a wary Enemy Sigismund understanding of the approach of Bajazet leaving a sufficient Power for the continuing of the Siege rose himself and with the rest of his Army went to meet his proud Enemy Of whose coming and approach Bajazet understanding divided his Army into two parts and being now come within the sight of the Christian Army made shew but of the one half keeping himself close in secret ambush not far off with the other The Christians deeming themselves as they were far more in number than the Turks which they saw divided their Army also into two parts purposing betwixt them to have inclosed the Turks Of all the Christians that were there present the French desired to have the honour of the first charge to be given upon the Turks and in their heat upon good hope set forward the Hungarians with a great part of the Army not yet set in order and so began the Battel where betwixt them and the Turks was fought a right cruel Fight and in a little time many thousands slain But this Fight had not long endured when Bajazet with the other half of his Army suddenly arising came on with such violence as well became his sirname of Gilderun or Lightning and so hardly charged the French that they amazed at the suddainess of the danger and oppressed with the fury and multitude of the unexpected Enemy stood at the first as men dismaid but seeing no remedy encouraging one another valiantly fought it out until they were almost all either slain or taken Prisoners still in hope to have been relieved by the Hungarians and the rest In this hard conflict divers of the French Horsemen having forsaken their Horses fought on Foot as their manner was which Horses running back without their Riders upon the Hungarians caused them to doubt that the French were quite overthrown wherewith dismaied they without further coming on all turned their backs and fled in so great hast as that it booted not the King or any other great Commander to go about to stay their Flight The French thus by their too much hast overthrown 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 River Danubius At which time also the Turks took so many Prisoners that it was thought every several Turk had his Prisoner King Sigismund himself who but a little before had despised even the falling of the Heavens had then also undoubtedly fallen into his Enemies hands had he not in a little Boat by good hap got over Danubius not unlike another Xerxes who having covered the Seas with his Ships and with a world of men passed over into Grecia was afterwards by the strange change of Fortune himself alone in a small Fisher-Boat glad to get back again into Asia Sigismund being thus got over Danubius and fearing the violence of the Hungarians for the loss of the Battel fled by Sea into Thracia unto Constantinople from whence he failed unto the Island of the Rhodes and from thence sailing through the Aegean and Ionian Sea landed at length at Dalmatia and so having wandred from place to place tossed with many Fortunes after eighteen Months long and painful travel returned again into Hungary Where he found the State of his Kingdom in his absence much troubled the contrary Faction in the mean time having made choice of Ladislaus King of Naples for their King who was even then with a great Army going to have taken possession of the Kingdom had not Sigismund in good time by the help of certain of the chief of the Hungarian Nobility prevented him In this Battel called the Battel of Nicopolis were of the Christians twenty thousand slain and of the Turks threescore thousand The Count of Nivers the French Kings near Kinsman was there taken Prisoner with three hundred great Commanders more where after he had endured great contumely and reproach in the presence of Bajazet he was commanded to make choice of five other of the Captains such as he liked best all the rest being cut in pieces before his Face and he with the other five left alive sent Prisoners to Prusa from whence they were afterwards ransomed for two hundred thousand Ducats This bloody Battel of Nicopolis was fought in the year of our Lord 1396. Bajazet after this great Victory having worthily relieved his besieged City returned again to the Siege of Constantinople laying more hardly unto it than before building Forts and Bulwarks against it on the one side towards the Land and passing over the Strait of Bosphorus built a strong Castle upon that Strait over against Constantinople to impeach so much as was possible all passage thereunto by Sea. This strait Siege as most write continued also two years which I suppose by the circumstance of the History to have been part of the aforesaid eight years Emanuel the besieged Emperor wearied with these long Wars sent an Embassador to Bajazet to intreat with him a Peace which Bajazet was the more willing to hearken unto for that he heard news that Tamerlane the great Tartarian Prince intended shortly to war upon him Yet could this Peace not be obtained but upon condition that the Emperor should grant free Liberty for the Turks to dwell together in one Street of Constantinople with free exercise of their own Religion and Laws under a Judge of their own Nation and further to pay unto the Turkish King a yearly Tribute of ten thousand Ducats Which dishonourable Conditions the distressed Emperor was glad to accept of So was this long Siege broken up and presently a great sort of Turks with their Families were sent out of Bithynia to dwell in Constantinople and a Church there built for
he was at length forced to fly and abandon the field following Chusaein Pasha of Sivas and Ciddi-ogla who made better use in saving themselves of their horses heels than their own Arms But in this Flight his Horse pitching his foot into the hole of a wooden Bridge which he was to pass was there stopped until he was overtaken by a Souldier with a Hat who shot him through the Body so that continuing his flight more faintly than before he was overtaken by a Polonian Hussar who with a Lance bore him to the Ground where he was trod under foot and cut in pieces by the Enemy The other three Pashaws were wounded the Generals of the Green and Yellow Sangiacks of the Spahees were taken Prisoners and two other principal Commanders of the Spahees were killed The Zagaâ—geebashee who commanded eighteen Chambers of Janisaries was taken prisoner the Standard of the Janisaries taken and they wholly cut in pieces and destroyed consisting of eight thousand five hundred men all the Troops and Attendants of those Pashaws with four Sangiacks of Spahees were slain upon the place which in all were computed to be about twenty five thousand men The booty taken was very considerable for besides the ordinary Baggage they took two thousand purses of money then newly brought for payment of the Souldiery and twenty five thousand Waggons of Provisions and Ammunition After this success and important Victory the Poles became Masters of the strong Fortress of Chotin and other smaller Palanchas on the Banks of the Niester making their Incursions into Moldavia as far as Iash which is the principal City of that Country And thus far was Kaplan Pasha proceeded with the Recruits of about four thousand men when the News came of the fatal Rout and the fame thereof encreasing by the fearful Relations of such as fled from the Battel alarmed the Turks with such frightful apprehensions that they retreated back again to the other side of the Danube and united themselves to the Forces of the Vizier But Chusaein Pasha though he saved his life yet could not conserve the Air of the Sultan's favour for so soon as he arrived at the Court he received an ill welcome for according to the manner of Turks who punish the ill success of a General equal to Crimes committed he was immediately put into Chains depâ—ived of his estate and honours and sent prisoner with the attendance only of two servants unto the Castles of the Dardanelli where the disturbance and unquietness of his mind reduced him to an infirmity of Body so that being sick and without Friends or Physicians he sent to Sir Iohn Finch his Majesties Ambassador as he passed up the Hellespont to afford him the use and assistance of his Physician but the Ambassador excused himself letting him know that his Retinue being passed before on another Vessel he was sorry it was not in his power to accommodate him in the manner he desired The Winter being now well entered which is very wet and cold in those Countries caused the Armies on both sides to draw into their warmer Quarters there to meditate and contrive their designs for the more active season During these Affairs the King of Poland died so that the Election of a new Prince the manner of reconciling their intestine Differences and the means to defend their Countries were Subjects of important Consideration and matters more than sufficient to employ the wisest heads of that Nation for a longer time than their common Enemy was resolved to afford them The Turk on the other side though full of revenge and anger for their last misfortune yet patiently took this loss as the paring only of his Nails that his Claws might grow the longer and was so rowsed with this blow that he summoned all the Nations of his large Empire to come in to his assistance towards which forty thousand Carts laden with Provisions were appointed to rendezvous on the Banks of the Danube towards the end of the month of March. Yet in the mean time the Turks not having patience to see their perfidious Prince avail himself of his Revolt and in Despight of the Ottoman Power to to seat himself in his Principality of Iash were resolved to drive him thence and in order thereunto not expecting a milder season immediately dispeeded some Troops of Tartars and two thousand Spahees under the Command of a new Prince to drive him out of the Country In the mean time the Poles since their late Victory kept the Fortress of Kemenitz straitly blocked up on all sides and thereby reduced them to such a want of food and other provisions as might probably cause them to surrender before the Summer could open a way to their â—elief But before I conclude this Year I must not omit to acquaint the Reader that in the month of September an English Factor at Smyrna descended of good Parents and educated under a severe and religious Master one who had a reasonable Estate of his own and in good business and employment did notwithstanding in the absence of his Partner with whom he was joyned in Commission carry out of the house 215½ fine Cloths belonging to several Principals of England with a considerable Sum of ready Mony Jewels and things of value of which having possessed himself he went before the Kadi and there in presence of divers Officers of the City turned Turk hoping by the Priviledge of the Mahometan Law whereby no Christian testimony can pass against a Turk to appropriate unto himself that whole Estate which he had thus treacherously got into his sole custody And it being impoâ—sible for Turks to attest the Marks Numbers or know the Estates of Persons being in England he judged himself out of the reach of any Power or Art to dispossess him of his unjust and wicked acquests Howsoever the Consul did so closely pursue him both at Smyrna and at the Turkish Court that in the space of seven months he regained all the Cloth and the best part of the Mony and Jewels out of his hands and in fine reduced this Renegado to so low a condition that he humbly supplicated the Consul to contrive a way for his passage into England at which time His Majesties Frigate the Centurion being then in Port he was imbarked thereupon and so returned into his own Country The Particulars of all which having been amply related in Writing and Letters to private Friends I purposely omit the same in this place that so I might cast a veil over the nakedness and shame of our Nation in that City Howsoever I judge it requisite to recount this Story in brief and in general heads That men may know there is a God who rules above who rejects impious and licentious persons confounding the designs of those who betraying their Trust deviate from the common Rules of Morality and Honesty Anno 1674. Hegeira 1085. THis Year began at Smyrna with the happy Arrival of Sir Iohn Finch sent
by His Majesty for Ambassador to the Grand Signior in the place of Sir Daniel Harvey who dyed in August 1672. at his Country-house not far from Constantinople His Excellency entred the City on the first day of Ianuary 1673 4. rejoycing the English Factory with the sight of their new Ambassador that Office having been now void for the space of sixteen months who was welcome also to people of the Country judging him fortunate for arriving at the Feast of their great Biram nor less pleasing was the News thereof to the Court especially to the late Pasha of Tunis whose Goods and Monies taken by one Dominico Franceschi out of an English Ship called the Mediterranean in her passage from Tunis to Tripoli this Ambassador had recovered from Ligorne and Malta which being an action without example was greatly admired and applauded by the Turks and esteemed an evident demonstration of that great Interest and Power which the Glory of our King hath acquired in Foreign parts and of the singular dexterity of such a Minister About the 18 th of March Sir Iohn Finch arrived at Constantinople being transported to the Dardanelli on his Majesties Fregat the Centurion and thence on a Gally hired at Smyrna for that purpose Some few days after his arrival the Grand Signior and Vizier being at Adrianople the Lord Ambassador had audience of the Chimacam whom he saluted with this speech I am come Ambassadour from Charles the Second King of England Scotland France and Ireland sole Lord and Soveraign of all the Seas that environ his Kingdoms Lord and Soveraign of vast territories and possessions in the East and West-Indies Defender of the Christian Faith against all those that Worship Idols or Images To the most Powerful and mighty Emperor of the East to maintain that peace which hath been so useful and that commerce which hath been so profitable to this Empire For the continuance and encrease whereof I promise you in my station to contribute what I can and I promise to my self that you in your will do the like But to proceed to the Wars The Pâ—landers being thus prosperous made use of their success and the sharp cold of the Winter-sâ—ason to make their Incursions and Winter-quarters through all the Principalities of Moldavia for they being born in cold Countries and accustomed to the Snows and Frosts were more patient and enduring of extremity of weather than were the Turks who were brought forth from more mild and moderate Climates so that neither could the Poles be driven out from those Countries nor Keminitz be relieved by them until such time that the Sun getting high and thawing the Snows and warming the Earth prepared a season fit for return of the Turks who marching according to their custom with an Army composed of great multitudes quickly compelled the Poles to retire For the Grand Signior and Vizier having both seated their Winter-quarters on the Banks of the Danâ—be were ready at the first opening of the Summer to enter their Arms into the Enemies Countries and having called the Tartars to their assistance did according to the usual custom make Incursions for depredation of Slaves Cattel and whatsoever else was portable in a running March. The Chan or King of this People was at that time greatly indisposed in his health of which he advised the Great Vizier as if he intended thereby to obtain a release from his personal attendance that year in the War But the Vizier who either supposed this excuse to be only a pretence or that he had a kindness for his Person immediately dispatched away his own Physician called Signior Masselini an Italian born a worthy Learned man a good Christian and my intimate Friend with whom maintaining a constant correspondence by Letters he wrote me That from the Grand Signiors Quarters which were at Batadog near the Banks of the Danube he arrived after seventeen days Journey in Chrim where he said he was received with singular honour and kindness by the Great Chan whom he found to be a Prince of admirable prudence gentleness and generosity but greatly afflicted with a Hypochondriacal Melancholy which being an infirmity of some years standing was with the more difficulty removed howsoever he was so far from being uncapable to follow his Army that he advised him to divert his mind with the thoughts of War which counsel having taken after thirty days abode in the Camp he found himself much more chearful than before and greatly relieved of that pressure of Melancholy and caliginous Vapours which offended his Brain We are now said he at Vssia at the Mouth of the Boristhenes which we have passed from the other side unto this where the River is nine miles brâ—ad from hence we are marching towards Bender upon the Niester to pass into Moldavid and there to joyn with the Ottoman Army The Poles have sent to demand Peace but with condition that Kemenitz be restored to them which Proposition was with great disdain rejected and will never be granted whilst this Emperour reigns These people greatly desired a Peace with Poland which the Election of Sobieski for King may probably facilitate for not only they but the Turks also dread a March into Poland and are so inveterately bent to take revenge on the Muscovites and Cosacks who lately became their Subjects that they could accept of any reasonable Terms of Accommodation with Poland I for my part found Tartary a very pleasant Country plentiful of all Provisions and the people much more courteous and obliging to the Strangers and Christians than those Turks with whom you and I have conversed Thus far Masselini writes in commendation of the Tartars and in farther confirmation hereof I have read in some Books That as to their Morals there are very few Nations to be found less vicious they are extremely severe and faithful they have no Thieves or false Witnesses amongst them little Injustice or Violence and live in union and great tranquillity the marvellous fidelity of the Captive Tartars in Poland is every day to be observed who never fail to return at the time appointed when they are licensed upon their word to go and procure their Liberties by the exchange of Polish Prisoners which they execute punctually or return themselves not failing a minute And it is observed That the Polish Gentlemen do rather trust the young Tartars which are in their Service with the keys of their Money and Jewels than any of their Houshold The time for Armies to draw out of the Winter-quarters and take the Field being now come the Grand Signior and Vizier with great numbers both of Horse and Foot passed the Danube and prosecuting their March to the Câ—nfines of Poland they relieved Kemenitz in the first place the Poles at the News of their approach rasing the Siege Thence they proceeded to Chuâ—zim a strong Fortress on the Niester taken from them in the last year by the Christians after the defeat given to Chusaein Pasha