to theyr King and so perchaunce in th' ende worke vnto the Romanes some myckle woe and disturbaunce And therfore â—ooding him out with faire wordes and noseling hym in good hope he kept him at a doubtfull staie without geuing any resolute aunswere to his requestes Azatine for that his Parentes were Christians and he himselfe also Christened washed in the SacrameÌ„t of holy Baptisme in his infancie resorted dayly with the Emperour to Sermons and hard the holy Scriptures dayly preached and remained so long with the Emperour till at length by the meanes helpe of the EuropiaÌ„ Scythians he made an escape and fled with his Sun Melecke out of the towne Aenum and passed the ryuer Ister and within a while after dyed and Melecke by Sea passed into Asia to the Tartarians and of them obtained the Kingdome of the Turkish Nation as his fathers enheritance But a certayne Duke named Amurie with a Warlike power him encountred and ouerthrew so that he was faine to flie vnto Heraclea a Citie of Pontus and within a while after again returning to his natiue Cuntry recouering his fathers kingdome within short space was trayterously murthered Thus was the Turkishe Empire subuerted and brought to finall ruyne and from a State of well ordered discipline and magnificence fell to vtter decay and extreeme confusion the cause whereof was for that not onely the Nobilitie and higher Powers dyuided the Kingdome into many sections and partes but many also of baser degrée and obscurer Parentage associatyng vnto them the rascall Peazauntes and vulgar sort practised pylfering and robberie carying nothing with theÌ„ but their Bowe and Quiuer of Arrowes and taking vp their Rowst in the Streictes of the Mountaines made many roades into the Countreys about and the Cities belonging to the Romane Empire For it happened a little before that the garrisons defending the Castles fortresses of the Empyre for want of payment of their féees yéerely stipendes at the Emperours handes woulde serue no longer but departed thence whych being at the first as a thing of small waight and moment neglected was in the ende the cause that the Romane Empyre sustained and incurred most gréeuous daungers and calamities For when the Turkes were displaced and expulsed by the Tartarians they displaced and expulsed the Greekes and looke howe weake they were in comparison of the Tartarians so stronge were they against the Greekes insomuch that at length the matter was decided with open warre and dent of Sworde For the Emperour vnderstanding that a great power of Turkes were vp in Paphlagonia leuyed a very competent Armye to represse and as much as might he to inhibite their violent insolencie least if they shoulde bee still suffered impunely to raunge spoyle without resistaunce it might breede further daunger and inconuenience And therfore when bee had assembled his power together he sent the same being wel appointed against them who encountring the Turks had of them the victory But whilest they disorderly and ouerfarre in chase beyond the ryuer pursued them they fell into the bandes of an Ambushe which the Turkes the night before had there layd for them By meanes wherof they being on th' one side beset with an Haost of freshe Souldiours well appointed in battle aray and on th' other side pent in and enclosed with the ryuer they were slaine almost euery man The Turkes triumphing for thys successe and victorie enroaded afterward within the Roman Territories and came as farre as the ryuer Sangarius and subiugated vnder their obesaunce all from the Pontique Sea and Galatia to the Sea Lycium and Carium and the ryuer of Eurymedon At this time also the Mamalukes which worde by interpretation signifieth Seruauntes or Slaues obtained the Kingdome in Aegypt and aduaunced the limittes of theyr Empyre into Aphrica Lybia as farre as Gades and subdued Phaenicia and Syria and all the Countrey ioyning vpon the Sea coastes Nowe how this came to passe we wyll declare The Caliphes and all the Saracenes lulled in case and noseled in effeminate nycenesse engendred by the delicious and tender allurementes of that pleasaunt Clime and region became so slouthfull that althoughe they possessed a most wealthy and fertile kingdome yet were they easie to bée vanquished and subdued by any and the Caliphes béeyng all geuen to lust Sensualitie and pleasures tooke no care to any thing neyther attempted any enterpryses themselues but executed and administred all their Affaires by a Vicegerente which was called an Admyrall Therefore when as Baldwine King of Hierusalem had made the Kingdome of Aegypt tributarie vnto him which tribute Almericke his brother and Successour claymed as due and payable vnto him and the Aegyptians flatly denying the same Almericke with an Army entred into Aegype and in the deserie vanquished in battayle Dargan the Admirall of the Kingdome wyth all his power and compelled him to flye for his sauegarde into the Citie Bilbis This was about that time of the yéere wheÌ„ the ryuer Nile by course had his yéerely incremente and ouerflowed his Bankes whose Dammes and Scluses the Aegyptians of purpose brake downe because they would stoppe Almericke from further pursuite and victoryewherefore laden wyth spoyle and ryche boofyes of hys enemyes hée retyred backe agayne into hys owne Countrey and Kingdome for feare least hee wyth hys whole Hoast if they had longer raryed should haue bene drowned and swallowed by with the mercylesse water Thys ouerthrow and aduerse fortune of Dargan gaue occasion to Sanar whom the same Dargan a lyttle before perforce had displaced and put out of the office and dignitie of Admyrallship and caused to flye for succour to the Arabians hys Tribe fellowes to go to Norandine the Sonne of Sanguin the most mighty King of Damasco by him to be shrowded from the malice of hys aduersary that Realme and Countrey eftsoones inuaded Aegipt and tooke by force the Citie Bilbis shewinge much crueltie with fire and Sword to all sortes of people sparing neyther age nor Sex. Wherfore Sanar desired ayd of Norandme vpon promise of great Summes of money so long staied and repressed the impetuous course of Almerick his victory till such time that his ayde came of whose comming when Almerick had vnderstandinge he raised his Campe and departed out of Egipt Therfore Syracon who had the leading and conduct of Norandines men finding Egipt without any foraine ayde or succour marched straight to Cayr the chéefe royal Citie of the whole realme â—nd slew Sanar comming out to parle and confer with him And when he had got the possession of the Citie he went to do his dutie and exhibit honour to the Caliph of whom hee was created Admirall of the Lande which dignitie he enioyed a yéere and then died leauingâ— behinde him for his Successoure Saladine his Brothers Sonne a man of a surpassing and polytique wit stoute valyaunt and of nature most franck and lyberall Who immediatlie murthered the Caliph with all his bloudâ— and Progenie
be put to execution aboue CCC persons the residue he gaue to his Sauldiours The excéeding crueltie that they vsed at the winninge of this Citie towards al sort◠of Men Women Children and their spightfull demeanour towarde Christian religion it would me any mans hart to heare or read of Mahomet besieged Belgrad of some called Alba Greca with a hundred and fiftye thousand men The Christians assembling their powers together at the exhortation of Iohn Capistrane Huniades their chiefe Capitaine and Ringleader slue aboue xl thousande of his Enemies and put to shamfull flight all the reste of them in whiche encountre Mahomet himselfe was wounded with an Arrowe This battaile was fought vpon the 22. day of Iuly This Turke ioyninge battaile with Assimbey kinge of Persia whō they call by the name of Vsuncassane signifiing a worthy drad prince in the first cōflict at Euphrates lost x. M. men but in the second he obtained the victorie Corynth was taken by Mahomet The Turke wan from the Christians the Empyre of Trapezunce beheading Dauid the Emperour therof and beside the sayd Empire and Constantinople also he tooke from the christians xii kingdomes conquered 200. cities The I le of Malta conquered by Turkes The Venetians furnished out a great nauy well apointed into Grecia to recouer Corynth but they retourned without bringing their purpose to passe The same yéere the king of Hungarie recouered Geisa a citie of Bosnia the which the Turk had now the second time besieged and hearing of the approche of the Christians he cast 4. great Gunnes or Cannons into the riuer Drina fled trusting better to his legs then to his hands Mahomet requiringe the Prince of Mysia to come to speake with him vnder coulorable speaches and pretence of peace when he had him within his daunger he fleyed and pulled his skinne ouer his eares and caryed his brother and Sister about with him in triumph The Turke wan a very strong holde in Epyre. George Castriot otherwise surnamed Scanderbeg king of Epyre discomfited put to notable foyles the Turks in sundry skirmishes It is testified of this Scanderbeg the being prouoked he neuer denied to fight and in fighting neuer tourned his back neither yet was he euer wounded but once with an Arrow in the foote neither did he euer set vpon the Turks with moe then 6000 horsmen 3000 footemen He is cōstantly said to haue slayne with his owne handes of Turkes 2000 whome with such violence he strake that many of them he clefte a sunder from the head to the middle Mahomet discomfited the Syrians and Aegyptians tooke the Cities of Narrantana Scandolora and fiered them killing all the Inhabitantes most rufully and throwing downe the Nobles and Gentlemen from the toppes of Turrettes and high places to breake their neckes The same yeere he entred into League with Cisime King of India to whō he gaue in mariage a noble Damsell out of his owne brothelhouse or Nurserie with royal giftes and noble magnificence Mahomet was put to many afterdeales by the power of King Vsuncassane The same yéere Nicolas Canalis Admyrall of the Vetian fléete gaue a mightie ouerthrow to Mahomet on the Sea and slue two thousand Turkes At the same time many Christians were taken and led into captiuitie by the Turkes out of diuerse quarters The Turke sent 400 Sayle and 120000 men into the the I le of Euboea vnder the leading of Omar one of hys Bassaes in which enterprise and inuasion he lost almost 40000 of his men notwithstanding after xxx dayes he tooke it pytching the Italian Souldiours vpon Poales stakes and shewing all kind of horrible crueltie and violent rape vpon the Inhabitauntes The same yéere the Turkes army entred into Hungarie spoyling and robbing as farre as Zagabria and caried away with them 10000. Prisoners In the same yéere also they inuaded Dalmatia Foriulij and Styria and haried great booties of men and Cattell The King of Portugall passing the Gaditane Sea recouered many Cities in the borders of Mauritania from the Turke and laid them to his owne dominions King Vsuncassane hauing the vpperhand of the Turks wonne from them sundry Cities whereby he purchased to himselfe a perpetuall fame ouer all the East Nicholas Throne the same yéere ioyned the Venetian fléete with the Armie of the Kyng of Parthia against the Turke Vsuncassane in a skirmish vanquished and put to flight 3000 of the Turkes Army The same yéere the Turke entring into Hungarie with a maine power spoyled al the Cities néere the water side The Persian kyng and the Turke ioyning battayle néere to the Ryuer Euphrates the Turke had the victorie and tooke of his Enemyes 6800 of whom in his retourne homewarde at euery staying place and Tent pitching he commaunded euery day fiue hundreth to be cut in peeces with a sword and then cast them out like dogs vnburied filling all the Countrey of Armenia with thys loathsome spectacle of dead Carkasses In a part of the Countrey that lyeth by the ryuer Ister called Muldauia and Walachia the Turks had an ouerthrow and were slayne by Stephan the Palatine of Muldauia Foure Turkishe Bassaes were heere taken and xxxvj Ensignes Matthias king of Hungarie at the Ryuer of Saue wan a strong Forte from the Turkes to his high praise and commendation The same yéere Capha a Colonie of the Genowayes in the coast of the Sea Euxine was by treason delyuered vp to the Turke This yeere dyed Kyng Vsuncassane who had vnder his gouernment the Persians Parthians Medians and almost all the East beside After whom succéeded his eldest sonne who puttyng his other brothers to death reigned alone The same yéere the Turkes practyzed much Pyracie in Nicosia to the great blemishing and detriment of that Citie A great multitude of Turks were ouercome in Mysia The Venetians made league with the Turke Chalcis was by force of Armes subdued and Scodra by subtile practyze gotten and persuaded to yeelde They promysed to paye hym yeerely 8000 Crownes condicionally that their Nauigation and traffique ouer Pontus myght bee open for their Marchauntes as before it had bene Mahomet sent a great Nauie into Puell and he himselfe went with an Armye into Hungarie and brought out of both places a great multitude of Christian Prisoners And afterward by force subdued the Iles Leucadia Neritus Cephalenia and Zacynth Mahomet went with an Armie into Aegypt to cōquere Alexandria and at home made preparation for all things néedefull for his expedition to Rhodes which he nowe mindedout of hande to besiege and had framed his plat which way to attempt it This Mahomet by Mesich his Generall a Bassa besieged Rhodes and beate the same with iiij Nauyes most terribly But the same was so manfully defended that hee was fayne to his great reproche and shame to departe and leaue his Siege which he had there continued lxxxix dayes in which while he loste of his men which were slaine out of hande ix thousande beside .xv. thousande whiche were
Solyman the xii Emperour of Turkes This Solyman conquered the Citie Belgrade a moste strong Buttresse and Garrison for Christendome and wan diuers other Castles and strong Holds in Hungary He also besieged the I le of Rhodes with a Nauye of foure hundreth Sayle and a mightie multytude of men He beganne the siege in the later end of Iune and tooke it vpon Christmas day next folowing to the great shame dishonour of al christian Princes The knights of the same I le valyauntly a great while defended it often skirmisshed with hym but in th' ende after many notable ouerthrowes for want of ayde and power they yéelded Lewys Kinge of Hungarie desired by his Ambassadours aid of the Princes of Germany against the Turke inuading his Countrey and Kingdome whiche they appoynted to sende but it came to late For the Turke was already come wherefore king Lewys in his owne person leading his whole power against hym encountered with hym in battayle wherein hes was ouercome and thinking to haue saued himselfe by â—light was drowned in certayne Bogges or Fennes both Horse and man Many worthy Gentlemen in this Battayle were slayne to the great weakeninge of that noble Kingdome The chiefe Citie of the Realme called Buda was sacked and spoyled and the noble Librarie of Kinge Matthias vtterly consumed with fire The Knights of the Rhodes planted theÌ„selues against the Turkes in the I le of Malta The same yéere Solyman came agayne into Hungary besieged the second time the strong fortresse of Bude but séeing he could not according to his minde by force win it he perswaded the Defendauntes by certayne offers and conditions to yelde it into his handes From thence he marched to Vienna a noble Citie of Austrich and vppon the xxij day of September gyrded the same about with a most terrible Siege beate it with Ordinance and shooke the walles with most hydeous noyse of roaring Canons But through the courage of the defendauntes he lost many of his Souldiours and being brought into a vtter despaire of any good successe he trussed vp his trinkets and in flying maner trudged away toward his owne Countrey with all spéede that coulde be fearing least the Emperour and other Princes had folowed at heeles after him During this siege he haried great booties out of the Countrey thereabout and caryed away many thousande Prysoners He cast out young Virgins auncient Matrones starke naked and pitched little Children vpon stakes and poales In his Armie he had a hundreth and fortye thousand men whereof partly in this Siege of Vienna and partly in their flight perished for famine and colde the number of .lxxx. thousand The Citie was most valiantly defended by Philip of Bauary Earle Palatine of the Rhine brother to the Palsgraue a young Gentleman in yéeres but of noble courage with the Lord William Rogendorf and Nicolas Erle of Salme and with them onely xx M. Almeynes and two M. horsemen In his iourney through Austrich the Turke vsed vnspeakeable crueltie of some he cut of their noses some he put out their eyes of some he cut of their priuy members of women they cut their pappes Virgins they rauished and of women great with childe they rypped their bellyes and brent the children beside this all along as they went they brent Corne Trees Houses and all that was combustible to make the countrey desolate Solyman with CC.M. armed souldiours assaulted the Castle of Guntz in Hungarie geuing thereto xiiâ— terririble assaultes Which Castle was valiauntly defended by a noble Gentleman named Nicolas Iuryze At length it was surreÌ„dred vnto him not as wonne by force but as yeelded by composition The great Tâ—rke himselfe hearing that the Emperour Charles was comming agaynst him wyth lxxx thousande footemen and .30000 well appoynted horsemen of Germaines Italians and Spanyardes beside the Horsemen of Hungarie thought the Countrey woulde bée too hoate for hym to staye anye longer and therevppon fledde homewarde through the Hillishe Downes of Norica and wyth great booties retourned home wythout dooyng any thing worthye of memorie Solyman yet againe meant to haue an other flinge at Hungarie and to scourge the Kingdomes of Africa Wherevppon he sent one Corradine Barbarossa Capitayne of his Nauie into Africa against the King of Tunice Whom he draue out of his Kingdome and deposed from hys Crowne And into Hungarie he sent Lewys Gritte Bastard sonne of Andrew Grytte Duke of Venyce to expulse and dryue out thence Vaiuode But Meilane Vaiuode wynninge the Cytie of Medeuisch which the saide Lewys Grytte before had gotte into hys possession slewe both hym and all his Armie And cutte hys Children into pieces before theyr fathers eyes Charles the fifte with a great Nauie sailed into Africa and restored the king of Tunice to his Crowne againe and deliuered out of miserable captiuitie about the number of .xx. thousand Christian Prisoners The same yéere Taurus a Citie of Persia was taken by the Turke Where the Turkishe Souldiours lyuing in carelesse securitie were sodainly set vpon by Tahames king of Persia and .xx. thousande of them slayne The Persians caryed thence manye spoyles and the Great Turkes Concubines to the great shame and reproche of their Enemies Solyman assembled out of the Countreyes of Pontus Propontis C l. Gallyes lxxx Brigandines Foystes and CC. lxx other vesselles of diuers sortes wherwith he inuaded Corsica an Ile belonging to the Seigniorie of Venice and it besieged the space of .x. dayes Then setting the Suburbes on fier making great spoyle of the countrey beside killing or else taking Prisoners many of the Inhabitauntes he departed thence and wasted the I le of Zacynth and Cythera Hee conquered and layde euen with the grounde the I le of Aegina subdued Paros and make Naxos Tributarie He sent into Puell the greater and better part of his Nauie which were in number ten thousand picked footemen and M M. of his stoutest Horsemen which haryed and spoyled all the Coast of the Tyrrhene Sea. The fléete of the Emperour the Pope and Venetians ioyning together at the first through discorde and ambition of the Captaines among themselues were disseuered and scattered a sunder Inuasion and Roades were made into Styria by the Martyloys a rude sort of Peyzauntly Lurdens altogether geuen to Pylfery and Theft but by the valiantnesse of the Countrey Inhabitauntes they were repulsed The same yéere throughe Treason of Duke Calcian the Christians had an ouerthrowe at the handes of the Turkes in Sauia The Venetians entred a Truce with the Turke by paying vnto him thrée hundreth thousand Crownes and yelding vp into his handes the Townes of Neapolis and Maluasia in the borders of Macedonia The Towne of Newcastle in Dalmatia wherein was a Garryson of Spanyshe and Germaine Souldiours was this yeere conquered and sacked by the Turks and all the Inhabitauntes and Souldiours therin according to their vsuall custome put to the Sword. The Venetians all this while wynked at the matter in whom it lay to haue holpen this outrage
After the death of Iohn Vaiuoda who committed the ouersight and tutorship of his young Sonne to his Cosen Georgius Monachus it chaunced the Ferdinando leuied an Army to recouer his Landes right in Hungarie WhoÌ„ Monachus in the behalfe of the Infant resisted At length the matter betwéene them beyng brought to a Parle and conuention for the quieting of all stryfe it happened among Ferdinando his men sodainely a Dagge to be hard goe of which by the heaâ—e of the daie as it is thoughte discharged of it owne accorde But Monachus iudging that it was shotte at him charged Ferdinando with great iniurie saying that from that time he woulde neuer beléeue the promyses of Christians And vppon thys rashe suspicion sent to the Turke desiring hym to come into Hungarie with hys power to ayde him who glad to haue this occasion came spéedely with a great Army and discharging the Hoaste of Ferdinando from the Siege of Buda seyzed the Cytie into hys owne handes and to hys owne vse commaundyng the young Infant and his mother to folowe after his Campe. Then entred he himselfe and tooke possession of the Castle and wanne also Pestum a Citye ryght ouer agaynst Buda well stored wyth Ordinaunce and Munition At the same time he also won Stridon and the Towne called Quinquecclesiae or Fynffenkyrken he rased and made lâ—auell with the grounde At the wynnynge of Buda two Ensignes yéeldinge themselues to the Turke vppon promyse of lyfe and limme were first by him coÌ„maunded to put of their Armor theÌ„ to put it on again to ranke theÌ„selues in battaile aray after the Christian fashion which they readily accoÌ„plishing according to his coÌ„mauÌ„dment he riding about the bankes to view and behold them at length hadd them put of their Armure againe whiche done certaine of the tallest and strongest he picked out the residue he coÌ„maunded his Souldiours comminge behinde to hew in péeces with their Swordes Of the other which he had chosen out some he set for Marks or Buttes to be shott at and some he appointed to his two Sonnes to slashe with their Falchions and to trye their strength whether of them coulde geue the déeper wounde or as they tearmed it strike the fayrer blowe that most bloud might flow and gush out of their bodies Ioachim Marques of Brandeburge Prince Electour was appoynted with a great power to goe into Hungarie to recouer Buda and other péeces from the Turke At the first he séemed so forward and couragious as though he woulde haue conquered the whole World. But his great heate in shorte space so slaked that he was full glad to be discharged of his office againe before any wronge were offered him and with shame ynough retourned home agayne Whose cowardise the Turkes perceiuing thought to shew hym some cast of their office before hys departure and set vpon the right Winge of his Armye and thence tooke 500. Duchmen prisoners Whom in derision they horriblye mangled and disfigured and so sent them through Grecia to bee witnesses of their victorie The kinde of their punishment was this first they thrust them cleane through the right Arme with an yron redde hoat to make them euer after vnhable to laboure and warfare secondly their heades were shauen to the verye Sculles lyke Monkes or Friers and thirdlye their pryuye members were cut of to make them vnfrutefull for propagacion of Children Notwithstandinge Maurice Duke of Saxonie in his expedition shewed himselfe a gentleman of haultye courage and was lyke to haue bene taken prisoner This yéere the Emperoure Charles spéeding hymselfe somwhat late in the yéere with a goodly Nauy into Mauritania Caesariensis against Barbarossa to recouer Argiers staying as some say somwhat long at Luke to coÌ„ferre with the Pope by force of tempest contrary Windes suffred a lamentable Shipwrack and loste a great number of his goodly Shippes with the Ordinaunce and Habyliments of Warre that were within them The Emperoure himselfe by force of weather was cast vpon the Baleare Islands In this expedition the Germaines valyantly quitte themselues in skirmysh against the Barbarians in the Emperours behalfe but the Italyans recuyled and fled back Truce was for a certeyne time taken with the Turke which to both parties with longe warres wearied was welcome and very acceptable Sigismund King of Poleland by Breuitz one of his Capitaynes conquered and rased a stronge Fortresse which the Turke had buylt néere to the Marches of his Realme and Kingdome Mustapha the Turkes eldest Sonne thought he taryed too longe if he shoulde be kept from the Crowne tyll his father were dead wherefore he incensed the Egiptians to take part with him and stirred vp the Persians to make sharpe Warre vpon Solyman his father Solyman the Turke with a huge army marched against Tolcha â–ª King of Persia where the Turke in battayle had a great ouerthrow and lost many of his men in Persia The Tartarians which were comminge to ioyne their powers with him for his defence were slayne and spoyled in the lesse Armenia The same yéere one Curculey a Turkishe Pyrate with twenty Galleyes and Foystes contrarye to the League and truce practized muche Pyracie and rouerye about the Coastes of Sicilie and Campania sodaynlye surprisinge the Inhabytantes and thence caryed away incredible spoyle The same yéere the Saracenes in Barbaria bruynge newe sedicious vprores were by the valyauntnesse of Sestian and Albane two of the Emperours Capitaines repressed who also delyuered Portugall and Spaine from their malicious inuasion The Turke intending to make amendes for the late ignomynie and foyle that he had receiued leuyed a newe Armye againste the Persians and firste he inuyted hys Souldiours by augmenting their wages and afterward by his Ambassadours insinuated himselfe to all his confederates and confirmed such Leagues as were betwéene them But he lost of this is very well appoynted Armye in this iourney by famine and plague a great multytude The plague also beinge very hoate and raiginge in Constantinople which Citie in his absence he had strengthned with a Garrison of a hundreth Galleyes consumed well néere lxx thousand persons In the beginning of this yéere whiche was a yéere of Iubylie Solyman was reported but vntruelye to bee dead which mercilesse Tyraunt sore afflicted the people of God the space of xxx yéeres The same yéere the Emperoure Charles the fifte by the Viceroy of Sicile conquered and wan the Citie Affrica from whence he brought 8000 prisoners and draue out the Archpyrate Dragute King therof who fled to the Turke The Turkes after they had in vaine for a time besieged the Casâ—le of Malta tooke the Citie of Tripolis a Porte of Barbarie Solyman at this time caused his eldest Sonne Mustapha to be strangled with a Bowstringe by his dumbe men ministers of Murther a vizured he himself being present and looking on for suspition of treason layd to his charge And there was a truce taken betwéene hym and Ferdinando king of Romanes After which act committed he woulde haue geuen
and South with the Atlantique Ocean on the East with the East red Arabian Sea and is ioyned to Asia by a little narow part of dry land lying betwene the vttermost end of the. Arabiā Gulph our Sea yet Egypt which Prouince extendeth frō the Cataractes and fludgates of the riuer Nilus to the mouth of the same together with Aethiopia which lieth aboue it of many old writers yea of late Authours also is not reckened into Affrica And as the riuer Nilus parteth the East part of this halfe Isle that is to wit Aegypt Aethiopia where the large mightie dominions of Presbiter Iohn lye so the riuer Nigir springing as many write from the same fountain and hauing as the other hath his course from the South into the North so this frō the East into the Weast and falling into the Athlantique Ocean parteth and separateth the most wealthie Kingdomes of the Nigrites from it So that the Lybia which we here meane is contained within the boūdes of Nilus and Nigir the Athlantique Ocean and our Sea. All which as farre as it stretcheth from the Weast into the East the buyge Mount Athlas cutteth and seuereth a sunder béeyng at this daye diuided into three partes Barbaria Numidia and Lybia Lybia which in the Arabian tongue is called Sarra that is to say Desert is bound on the Southe wyth the kingdomes of the Nigrites on the North with the moūt Athlas on the East with the riuer Nilus on the west with the Oceā Numidia called in the Arabiā tongue Biledulgerid which is to say a Countrey wherein groweth great store of dates stretching frō the borders of Aegypt to the Oceā lyeth South frō the moūtain Athlas Barbarie from the East to the West cōtained within the same limittes and borders comprehēdeth all that which lyeth betwene Athlas and our Sea. And this is also diuided into foure Prouinces Mauritania Tingintana which containeth the Kingdomes of Marrocco Feze Caesariensis wherin is the king dome of Telensine the .iii. part both in thold time now is properly called Affrica wherin in aunciēt time the Carthaginians flourished conteining now at this day the Citie Affrica Tunice and Tripolis After this foloweth Cirenes which is cōprehended in the kingdome of Bugia At the first inuasiō and irruptiō made into this Prouince during the raigne of Ozmen the Saracens swarming out of Aegypt wan Cyrenaica Affrica But making peace afterward with the Emperour they were cōmaūded to depart from al the places néere to the Sea coastes and so they remooued further into the Confines of Numidia and Lybia and in the raigne of Muauias they againe entring into the Territories of the Carthaginians subdued the coūtrey of Affrica all about the Sea coastes And nowe auauncing forward their Standards they inuaded both the Mauritaines appointed for the limites of their Empire the Oceā the riuer Nigir Ouer which prouince Vlite thē chief Bishop of the Mahumetane sect made Mucas high deputée appointed vnto him a strōg power But yet the part of Tingintana that lyeth toward the straictes of Marrocke was vnder the rule of Roderike Visigotte king of Spaine For the Gothes expulsing all the Romane garrisons were lordes of the whole countrye of spaine from 300. yéeres almost passed acknowledgyng for their King none but this Rodericke who was not onely King of both the Spaynes the néerer and furthér but also possessed all that laye toward the straict Sea in Mauritania Tingintana The Straictes in Affrica hath thrée Promontories makyng two Bayes or Elbowes into the landwarde and in Spaine as many Promontories with so many bosomes or Elbowes of the Sea. The famous and noble Cities by the Sea in Spayne were Carteia situate by the Promontorie Calpe which afterwarde was called Tarifa in Aphrica Tingis of whom Mauritania Tingintana hath his name standyng by the Promontorie Abyle and Cepta called of Ptolomaeus Essilissa The Romanes deuided all Spayne into two Prouinces and sent into them two Proconsulles or Propretors whereof the one gouerned the néerer and the other the furder But these partes were not alwayes of one greatnesse for when as they had not yet the whole possession of all Spayne the hyther Spaine was contayned within the riuer Iberus and the Pyrenee Mountaynes and all beyond Iberus was of the further Spayne which belonged to the Carthaginians But after that they had driuen out the Punique Garrysons out of euery quarter of the Countraie and had got the possession of all Spayne they called that which on the East and south is enuironed almost Ilandwise without Sea on the West with the Athlantique Ocean on the North with the Sea Cantabricum and the Pyrenee Mountaynes exceptinge Lusitania and Betica by the name of the néerer Spaine and those partes which be deuided by the riuer Anas and compassed about with the Ocean as far as to the Asturians thei called the further Spaine callyng that which marcheth vpon the straicts Betica which now contayneth Vandalusia the Kingdome of Granado the which extendeth from the riuer Anas to the riuer Duria they called Lusitanie and al the hyther part Tarraconensis Which tripartite diuision Geographers in their descriptions haue obserued Ouer these thrée Prouinces and also ouer the Asturians and Cantabrians which be on this side the Pyrenees by the North ocean and also ouer the Prouince called Narbonensis so farre as the Riuer of Rhone which was then called Gallia Gottica this Roderike Visigot was as we haue sayd king gouernour at that time when the Saracenes extended the limits of their Dominyon in Aphrica to the ocean which was in the yéere of our Lorde .712 This Rodericke made Iuliane Earle of Cepta descended of the bloud of Visigottes a man of great power and wealth in Spayne and chief ruler ouer a certayne Ilande now called Viridis lying in the narow Sea and many other places aswell in Spayne as in Tingintana his high Deputie and warden in Betica and all other such places as were vnder his rule in Tingintana Vnto hym hee committed the whole charge to defend Spayne on that side from the inuasions of the Saracenes and to kepe the narow Seas This Iulyan had a Daughter named Caba a beautyfull young Ladye insomuch that for her parsonage she was no lesse pernitious to Spayne then faire Helena was to the Troyanes For Rodericke fallynge in loue with her whether it were by force or by fraud for it is reported both waies made a breach into her virgynitie Which vnprincely trick she as soone as she conueniently could vttered and discouered vnto her Father Who dissimuling as though he had knowne nothyng of this iniurie done to him in his Daughter and kéepyng to hymselfe the desire of iust reuenge till a tyme for his purpose conuenient desired leaue of the Kinge to departe the Courtand to go to Cepta because being there as he said he could much better defeat the Saracens entended enterprises Which request obtayned he
and came to ruyne But to retourne agayne to our purposed narration Malsamas aduaunced his power to besiege by lande that part which we sayde stoode in the Isthmos or streict péece of grounde betwéene the Horne and Propontis whiche could be oppugned none other way but onely by land He because his purpose was vtterlye to disapoynt the Citizens that no victuall shoulde be conueighed vnto them and for that his desire was to encroche as néere to the walles as could be so politiquely lodged his Garrisons Host on euery side that the fronte of his Armye was as though it had bene a Horhe next to the walles thence as the Féelds farder of from the narrow land stretch out in breadth scope raught out along about the Cape or Bay vnto the mouthes of the riuers which we sayd had their yssu es fallynge into the same For this Host was merueilous populous and formydable and therfore required greatground elbow roome From thence making many roades into the country adioigning he lamentably distressed the same and threatning vtter subuersion to the Citie laide battrye and siege to it with Mynes Bastiles and all kinde of Engynes that might any way further his pretence On thother side Zulciminie with his Nauye on the Sea enuironed the whole Citie on that side towarde Propontis and Bosphorus from the narowe lande to the Promontorye Metopick insomuche that to them that looked out of the Citie the Seas Propontis and Bosphorus séemed all ouer to be couered with wodde lyke a Forest He slept no more in his businesse then Malsamas dyd but with sea skalyng ladders and such Gunnes as then were in vse assaulted the citie and most fiercely shooke it But the besieged Citizens were so vigilaunt and so hardy withal that all their attemptes and deuoyres were wholy frustrate Wherfore seing they could not this way preuaile they thought to win their purpose by long siege and tract of time But Zulciminie in the meane season died in his owne Campe whereby there arose a seditious tumult among the Saracenes for the chosinge of a new bysshop and for that cause the siege was for a time intermitted At length Aumar the sonne of Abdimazid was created Byshoppe in the dead mans place in the yéere 721. The wynter was then so extréemly colde that all the riuers were hard frosen ouer with yce And also they had victuall dayly brought into their Campe out of Egipt yet because the number of the men and Beastes was excéedyng great and the winter extreamely colde a great sorte of them dyed some with colde some for famyne and some of diseases a great rablement of them thinking to get some booty abroad yssued out of their owne Campes and made incursions into the frontiers of Bulgaria where they were of the Bulgarians incountred withall and in manner all slayne as they were about their pyllage At which time there were as some affirme of them slaine xxx thousand Leo the Emperour also was with them to bring by an artificiall deuise of fireworke wrought by a Glasse as Archymedes of Syracuse aforetime did By meanes of which Glasse he set on fire the fléete of the Saracenes and so spoyled them that few of them escaped vnburnt and they which escaped were takeÌ„ of the Greekes by reason that the Captaines of them for feare of the fire yelded themselues fledde for succour vnto the Gréekes This fine inuention â—ounde out by a certaine cunning Architect merueilously appauled their spirites for the verie Sea about the Shippes séemed to be al on a light fire Such another kind of burning glasse as this wée reads was at Alexandria in Aegypt in the watche Tower named Pharus wherewith the inhabitauntes when they lysted holding the same ful against the Sunne Beames set the Shippes of their enemies on fire a great way of During this while Mucas Tarifa hauing subdued Spaine began to bée had in suspicion by Aumar Whervpon they came both together to salute their new Bishop and to cleare themselues from all suspicious crymes that coulde be obiected against them Where Tarifa accused Mucas of extortion and layde to his charge that hée had purloyned the Princes treasure during his regiment in Spaine of which crime he being attainted and found giltie against the high Bishop tooke such inward griefe that he dyed In whose place Aumar preferred Gizid to the Lieutenauntship of Affrica and Tarifa he appointed Regent of all Spaine Wherefore Gizid with a well appoynted Nauie of thrée hundreth and sixtie Saile wyth the supplie of the other Legions and victuall made hys course directly toward Constantinople but hearing by the way tidings how the Constantinopolitanes had consumed the most part of the Saracenes Ships with fire he durste not aduenture any further but stayed vpon the coastes of Bithynia robbyng and makinge spoyle of the Country round about In which place he had but a colde welcome géeuen hym by the Romane Legions beynge there in Garrisons who setting fiercely vpon hym kylled many of his people and so skarred the residue that they were glad to retire Yet neuertheles the terrestrial army vnder the conduct of Malsamas desisted not their Siege before the Citie and yet they were so sore pinched with famine and hungre that they were fayne to eate the dead Carion of any maner of Beaste yea they eat dryed ordure and dung and are reported also to be so nere driuen that for very néede they eate their owne fellowes fleshe being dead such an excéeding desire had they to conquere that Imperiall Seate and Citie royall of all the Romane Empire orientall Constantinople in the meane season escaped not frée but was plagued with as great mortalytie an other way For the pestilentiall plague consumed wel néere CCC thousand persons When tydinges of these so great and so many ouerthrowes and infortunate calamyties was brought to Aumar he was therewith so dismayd that hée immediatly addressed his letters to Malsamas with commaundement foorthwith vpon the receipt thereof to retourne home with all his Army left aliue Wherevpon Malsamas shipped his Souldiours and departed But there sodenlye arose such a vehement tempest and boysterous wynd that all their Shippes sauing onely tenne perished in the Sea whereof fiue were taken by the Romanes the residue retourned home to bringe newes of this their heauy chaunce mysfortune But Abdeluzite the Nephieu of Mucas whome Mucas at his departure out of Spaine appointed his Deputie marying the Quéene Egilona late wife of Rodericke by her counsell proclaymed himselfe king of Syuyle Whereat the Saracenes greatly fumyng chafyng kylled both him and his wife and in his roome substituted an other of Mucas his kinsmen named Aiub tyll such time as their high Byshoppe should take order for lendinge some other This Aiub repayred and reedified the Citie Bilbilis wherein the noble Poet Martiall was long before borne ruinated and much defaced durying those warres and many other Cities in Spaigne and named it by his
stoode and what he purposed to do willing him spéedily to come with more power to ayde him and be partaker of that glorious noble enterprise The Antiochians knowing their chiefe Tower to be taken ranne couragiouslye to repell and dispossesse the Romanes out of the same Now the Maister of the Tentes had in charge from the Emperour that he should not in ani wise inuade Antioch because the common brute went that the captiuitie of that Citie did portende within awhile after the Emperours confusion whiche bred in him such doubtfull cares that he knew not what to doo in that case nor which way to take Neuerthelesse loath that so manye valiaunt men should through his default perysh thinkyng it no poynt of humanytie to sée them thus fall into the lapse for want of a small ayde marched with all his power and inuaded Antioche at whose comming the Saracenes were so dismayde that their hartes fainted and their stomackes immediatly quayled Burzes his company which before dispayred of any help or remedye looking for nothing but present death tooke new hart agrace and were reuiued and bursting open the Gates with his battayle Axe made frée passage and ingresse for the maâ—ster of the Tentes and his traine to enter Thus was Antioche one of the noblest Cities in the world brought into the power of the Romanes whiche shortly after in the time of the Emperoure Iohn Zimisca the Saracenes with all their ioynt powers and forces both of the Orient and occident attempted to recouer And so vnder the conduct of the Caliph of Cairoan in Affrica because the power of the Caliph of Syria was now sore weakened and brought to a lowe ebbe they planted their Siege about it Whose inuasions and malyce the Citezins and Inhabitauntes manfullye and constantlye withstoode tyll the Emperour might hereof be certyfied Who hauing intelligence of this generall conspiracie of the Gentiles commaunded his Prouost of Mesopotamia to ayde his besieged Fréendes and Subiectes Who according to his charge and coÌ„mission in a pitched battaile wherein the Saracenes were in number farre moe then the Romanes them disparcled chased and discomfited Now because I sée the empire of the Saracens to draw apace towarde an ende and finall ruyne we must before we procéede any further briefelye and compendiouslie wryte of the remnauntes and reliques of them that yet lurked in Africa and Spayne and firste wee wyll speak of Spayne then afterward of Africa In Spayne therefore Ramire Kinge of Lyon in the yéere of our Sauiour Christ 901. making war vpon the Saracenes destroyed a Towne of theirs named Madrite and put them to flight néere vnto Osma and made Benaiam King of Saragoza Tributary vnto hym Whom afterward rebelliouslye ioyninge in league with Abduramen King of Corduba and tourning to his olde vomyt agayne Ramire eftsoones vanquished and tooke Prisoner in battayle néere to a Towne called Synâ—ncas wherein there were slayne of the Saracenes thyrtye thousande and many other annoyances and harmes did hee vnto them Afterwarde lying at the Siege of Talauâ—ra he ouercame the Toletane Saracenes whiche came to reyse the Siege and to rescue the Citie of whom vii M. were taken and xii M. slayne After this Sancius kinge of Lyon beinge depriued and driuen out of his kingdome by his owne people came to Abduramen king of Corduba to be cured of a certayne disease by the help of his Phisicions whom for conning and knowledge he had heard to be the expertest and skilfullest that were then in al the world Whom the king of Corduba did not onely cause to be healed but also with his power and help maugre all his foes restored him to his Roome and dignitie But after that hee was dead the Saracenes wanne Symancas Duengas Sepulueda and Gormas Townes belonginge to the kingdome of Lyon and rased Zamorra And within awhile after destroyed and euerted Portugall the head of all Lusitanie and Compostella After the death of Abduramen Alliagib his Successoure in that kingdome naming him selfe Almansor which is as much to say as the Protectoure of king Mansor his Lorde and maister because bee hoped therby the rather to allure the peoples goodwils and vnder that coloure to insinuate himselfe into their fauoures for at that time Mansor raigned at Marrocco Which Citie as we haue afore shewed was the Seate royall of all the Saracenes Empire Occidentall vnder whose iurisdiction and rule all the inferiour kinges of the Saracenicall nacion in Spayne lyued gathered a mighty power and inuaded the Territories of the Castulonians Lyon and Bâ—â—kaye The Citie of Lyon he almost vtterly defaced the Towers and Bulwarkes thereof which were all of Marble he rased and heat downe to the grownde leauinge onelye one vntouched and vnblemished to the intent that the memorye of the beautye and gorgeousnes of that Citie might appeare and remayne to posterytie He tooke Asturia and Coiaca which is now called Valenâ—ja not that Valentia which standeth vpon the midland Sea but an other in the kingdome of Leon by the Pyrenes and Sansagnium with many other Townes And in the Precinct of the Castulonians he destroyed Osma Alcobetla Berlanga and Atienza and of the Gallycian Townes he tooke S. Iames and commaunded the Belles to bee caryed away thence to Corduba where he vsed them in stéede of Lampes in his prophane Temples in this sorte he continued outraging and kéeping sharpe warres for the space of twelue yeares Tyll at length Bermudes King of Lyon with the powers of the Castulonians the Byskayes and his owne bad vnto hym battayle in a place called Calataicor This battayle was fiercely foughten on both sides for the space of a whole daye where were slayne of the Saracenes many thousandes and in th' end Almansor with all his retinew and Adherents fled and shortly after died for sorow of his ouerthrow The Spaniardes ruffling and spoiling their camp found therin great booties prayes which they at their flight had left behind them Abdimelick greatly mooued with his fathers misfortune and purposing to recouer and haue amendes for the same was also vanquished But afterward in the reigne of Alphonsus the Son of Bermudes the Saracenes agayne inuading the borders frontiers of the Castulonians destroied Auila tooke Ormetum with any other townes And Alphonsus reedifled the citie of Lyon. After al this there sprang vp ciuile warres among the Spanish Saracenicall Kinges and Princes whereby the power of the Christians in that prouince dayly encreased insomuch that Mahomet Enasâ—r Bishop of Marrocco being vanquished in Gottalonia néere to Valentia and ix M. Saracenes slaine with him in the yéere of our redémption 1150. the Christians within xxx yéeres folowing recouered Valentia Deuia Alicante Muria new Carthage Corduba Syuile Iaen and Vbeda and the Saracenes had no more in their possession but onely the Kingdome of Granado from whence at length they were vtterlye expulsed and driuen out by Ferdinando the last king of the Tarracomans or Aragon Grandfather by the Mothers side
was verye stoutely defended by the Inhabitants Wherfore raysing their Siege and passing ouer the Riuers of Zebul Zabar and Brai they came by priuie wayes and vnhaunted places before Berytus a Citie standing vpon the Sea coast and from Berytus to Sagitta and from thence the tenth day after they came to Caesarea afterward to Rama and so at length they pitched their Tentes and planted their Siege before the noble Citie of Hierusalem whiche with most cruell bloudsheading and incredible labour was wonne about the yéere of our redemption one thousand and one hundreth Godfroye crowned King therof The streates in this assault stood full of congeled bloude the thicknes of a foote But the Turkes AegiptiaÌ„s leuying a fresh power renued warre Against whom Godfrey with his Christian army marched and finding them encamped at Ascalon gaue them battaile and slew of them 100000 or as some say 50000 and discomfited all the rest But before that Hierusalem was taken the Venetian Nauy coastinge alonge Lycia Pamphylia Cilicia and Syria lay at Road in the Hauen of Ioppa being then in the French Hoastes subiection because thei might helpe the Christians with victual and necessary prouision waighing vp their Ankers they departed thence tooke Ascalon Porphyria a Citie néere to Ptolemai◠〈◊〉 Tyberias Cities standing vpon the Sea side After the death of Godfroye who departed this lyfe within the Citie of Hierusalem his Brother Baldwine was made King and the rest of the Princes retourned home He through the aide and helpe of the Venetians Genoways and Boemund King of Antioch tooke Ptolemais with Sydon and Beryâ—us cities of Phaenicla But when that Boemund was dead and Tancrede his Brother sucéeded in the Crowne and Kingdome of Antioch the Turkes Aegyptians againe inuading the frontiers of the Ierosolymitane Kingdome Balwine sente for Tancrede so come and ayde hym and then gaue vnto them battayle but the Turkes discomfited him and all his Hoast wherevpon with great losse of his men he retyred to Hierusalem and Tancrede to Antioch and the Turkes got into their handes the possession of Mount Sinai Within a while after Baldwine dyed and in his steade an other Baldwine surnamed Burgensis was made King. Afterward in the raigne and Empire of Alexius Emperour of Constantinople because Baldwine the seconde sent for ayde to the Latines to withstand the malignaunt enterprices of the Turkish Rakehelles an other voyage was made into Syria Therein went VVylliam duke of Aquitanye Hugh the Great Brother to Philip the French King Stephen Earle of Chartiers lately retourned home from the other expedition before Stephen earle of Burgundie and Tholouse The Venetians also sent thither a great Nauye The Christian Champions and Latine Capitaines with their Hoast after many afflictions labours and sharp stormes sustayned by the miscreaunts insomuche that they were almost dispearsed and scattered came at length to Hierusalem But Baldwine inconsideratelie fightinge with the Turkes before the comming of the other christians was taken prisoner his Host discomfited and he himselfe brought to Carras and after a time payinge his Raunsome was deliuered and set at lybertie But the Venetian Nauye encountringe with 700. Sayle that belonged to the Caliph of Aegipt whiche laye at the Siege of Ioppa ouercame them tooke the Citie of Tyre During the time that they lay before that Citie geuing sundrie Battries and assaultes there vnto there was a Doue séene flyinge ouer their Campe and Tentes for the Venetians had set parte of their men on shore carying the Letters of the King of Damasco tyed aboute her neck the contentes wherof was that he with a great power would shortlye come to rescue them The Souldiours séeing her flying ouer their heades towards the Citie at one instant all together showted and cryed which shout so deuided cut the Ayre that the Doue fell downe to the ground Then the Venetian Capitaynes perusing and reading ouer the letters forged others like vnto them in preportion and wrighting but cleane contrary in effect and meaninge the tenor whereof was that the besieged parties should shift for their sauegarde as well as they coulde and onely trust to themselues for of him the could haue no ayde nor rescue Wherevpon they immediatelye surrendered themselues and their Citie to the Christians At this time there raigned among the Saracenes or Turks a certaine kind or Sect of men called Assassines which killing whoÌ„soeuer they lifted lyke théeues Murtherers wrought much skath and harme to the Christians in Syria And hereof it came that afterwarde among the Italians al théeues murtherers were called by the name Assassines Which Sect first sprong vp as it is reported in this sort One Aloadine a Saracenist raigned in that parte of Persia whiche lyeth nexte the Riuer Indus not farre from the borders of the Prouince of Arriana vnder the Mount Caucasus which Region at this day is called Mulehet In the which in times past the Asacenes inhabited of whom Arrianus speaketh in his historie of the Actes of Alexander the great placing them betwéene the riuers of Cophe and Indus which Cophe as I think is that whiche is called of Iosephus in his Iudaicall Antiquities Cuthus that into this Region those ten Tribes of Israel were translated This Aloadine hauing an intent to inueigle and perswade his people that hee was hable to bringe all such to the fruition of a blessed lyfe as obserued and kept his Lawes and commandements had trimmed and planted in a right pleasant valley betwéene two very high Hils moste goodlye Gardaines of solace replennished with all kinde of fragraunt Floures and beautiful Trées yéelding smel fruite most delectable which gardains were most finely contriued and on euery side enuironed with notable gorgeous buildinges garnished with Golde and other colours and stored with precious furniture and rich householde stuffe of value inestimable In diuers places of the same were Fountaines and riuers of Milk Honey Wyne and swéet waters Within the same also were fine Damoselles and beautifull Pucelles which with Melodies Songes musicall Instrumentes mincing daunces and all other allurementes of Femynine flattereies delighted and fed the tender eares of such as were brought thither Moreouer there were other she Seruantes and housewifelie Trulles which being kept close within dores dressed all thinges that could be deuised or thought necessarie aswel for meate drinke as for the pleasure and delectacion of the Ghestes and Straungers therein All the place without was most curiously strengthened both by nature and arte When this delightfull Gardaine of pleasure was fully ended and made perfect Aloadine preached and professed himselfe to those downish people to be the felow and Mate of Mahomet and that he had power geuen vnto him to dispose and bestow the benefit and fruition of Paradice and blessed lyfe vpon such as should be to his lawes and hestes obeysaunt And of them he chose out certayne yong Stripelinges aboute the age of twelue or fouretéene yéeres such as séemed
the goodnes of God slew of their Enemies with the sworde 7000 and 5000 drowned so that the victorye fell to the Christians In Syria the Christians discomfited the Saracens in two notable ouerthrowes in the first conflict 2500 of them were slaine In the other although both Armies were afflicted yet the Christians obteined the victory The king of Ascalon was by Baldwine repressed and the king of Damascus in thrée battailes ouercome After the death of Baldwine the third king of Hierusalem Fulco was made the fourth king The Erle of Tripolis by treason was slaine king Fulco was put to flight by his Enemies and condiscended to very hard conditions to be clearely deliuered from siege The Christians coaped in fight with the Egyptians and were superiours Ascalon was recouered by the Christians Fulco the fourth king of Hierusalē in hunting the Hare and ryding fast after the game through a fall from hys horse dyed after whom succéeded his Sonne Baldwine who was the fift king The Citie Edessa and almost all Mesopotamia was wonne by the Saracens Alaph Captaine of the Turks which now were of great name and power in the East where they kylled without all mercy a wonderfull number of Christiās rauishing mens wiues in the Church of Saint Iohn Baptiste in despight of Christianitie euen vpon the Alter Baldwine the thirde of that name and the fifte king of Hierusalem conquered Gaza and Ascalon and cast out al the Saracens And at Hierico he ouercame and put to flight Norandine Maister of the Chiualry of Damascus and slue 5000. of his enemyes Manuel Emperour of Constantinople with muche ouersight and negligence led through daungerous wayes and desert places his Christian Hostes against the Saracens insomuch that for scarcitie of vittayles and other necessaries they could atchiue no notable enterprise against the myscreaunt people Roger King of Sicilie and Normannes made the Africane Saracens tributarie to him for .xxx. yéeres and tooke their king Prisoner This yéere Conrade the second Emperour leuyed a great power against the Saracens against whom he had in battaile but ill successe Lewys King of Fraunce assembled a mightie Armie to go against the Infideles Out of England Flaunders and Loraine were furnished out 200 saile against the Saracens This yéere Conrade the Emperour passing ouer Bosphorus without anye resistaunce came néere to his enemies but for want of victuals and as some say his corne being corrupted and mingled with lyme and plaister he was glad to stay himselfe and go no further and to bring backe his Armye The Saracens vnderstanding hereof set vpon them behind and slue of them certain thousands The same yéere the French king came to the Emperour to aide him but by reason that his Army was greatly distressed and pynched with famine he could bring no notable atchieuaunce to passe The same time the Venetians with a well furnished Nauie went into Asia to aide the Emperour against the Saracens The Spanyardes expulsing the Saracens recouered Almaria and Tortosa two goodly embattailed Cities The same yeere Damascus was besieged by the Syrians Frenchmen and Hierosolymitanes and the Vamures thereof defaced And when they were euen at the poynt to haue wonne the Citie and subdued the Saracenes the chiefe Princes and Capitaines disagreyng and fallyng out amonge themselues called theyr owne Souldiours euery man together and departed thence leauing the siege Raymund King of Antioch with hys whole Hoast was discomfyted by the Saracens who spoyled all hys Countrey Antioch it selfe by the Kinge of Hierusalem was hardly rescued and saued Baldwine King of Hierusalem discomfited the Aegiptians and Babilonians The Saracenes draue the Spanyardes by force of Armes out of Almaria Baldwine set at libertie and restored many Cities expulsing thence the Saracens Baldwine dyed and in his stéede reigned hys brother Almericke the fixt king of Hierusalem Almericke in Aegypt obteined a noble victorie The same king befieged Damiata but in th' ende he agreed to a peace vppon conditions neither honorable nor profitable The Saracenes of Africa made manye Roades into Spaine Almericke King of Hierusalem dyed of an Ague And his sonne Baldwine was annoynted the seuenth king Baldwine in two battailes vanquished Saladine Kyng of Aegypt and brought much treasure into Hierusalem The Daughter of the king of Saracens being maryed to Prince Pagane was taken prisoner on the Sea by the King of Sicilie in hir voyage and iourney homewarde to hir husband Thys yeere the Christians in Hierusalem were ouercome Mausamunth king of the Saracens with great costes and charges repayred Carthage Baldwine the .vij. king of Hierusalem beyng infected with Leprosie dyed His Nephew Baldwine his Sisters sonne was elected king after him but by frouning destenies he was kepte backe from his dignitie After whom succéeded the .viij. king Guye of Lesingham Betweene this Guye kyng of Hierusalem and Raymund Earle of Tripolis there arose dissension and hartburning whiche was the cause that the Christians were brought into extreme daunger The Christians ioyning battayle with the Armye of Saladine had a lamentable ouerthrow In this battayle were slaine 20500. Christians King Guye was taken Prisoner and the Erle of Tripolis dyed sodainly Hierusalem hauing now bene enioyed and possessed by the Christians lxxxbiij was this yéere by surrendrie deliuered vp to the king of Saracens and the Christians there expelled the second day of October This yéere all Iurie was wonne from the Christians by the Saracens the Cities of Tyre Tripolis and Antioche being with much a doe and hardly kept Fridericke Emperour of Romans with his sonne Fridericke Philip king of Fraunce Richarde king of England with manye other Princes and Nobles assembling their Parliamentes decreed throughly determyned to ayde the Christians in Iurie Great preparation was made for this voyage Fridericke leadyng hys Armie into Syria and wynning the lesse Armenia went in the hoate time of Sommer into the Riuer Selephus to bathe washe himselfe where by misfortune he was drowned Lewes Kinge of Fraunce went with an Armye toward the holy Land with entent to supplant the Saracenes and relieue the Christians The sayd King Lewes ioyning battayle with the Saracenes brought vnder his subiection Damiata a populous citie and curiouslye embatteyled The same King Lewes in a terible conflict at Faramia was taken prisoner by the Saracens with his two brethren Charles and Alphonse Wherevpon Damiata was redeliuered into the hands of the Saracens whereby he saued his owne lyfe and his fréendes and was delyuered out of Prison This kinge was taken the fifte day of Aprill The Saracens lost the I le called Baleares which the Duke of Aragon subdued The kinges of Spaine fallynge at variaunce and discord the one brother fled into Fraunce to craue ayde the other into Africa to desire assistaunce of the Saracens against his owne brother whereby they wrought much scath both to themselues and to their countrey Deadly hatred and grudge fell betwéene the Venetians and the Genoways whereby the Christians inhabyting Ptolomais and Tyre were gréeuously
afflicted The Saracens draue the christians cleane out of Siria Antioch was sacked by Bodegar the Sultane Yet againe Lewes the french kinge with his thrée Sonnes sayled into Africa against the Saracens with a great power Where by his knightly prowesse he had the victorie of them and besieged Carthage but by reason of the vnholsome countrey and chaunge of ayre the pestilēce infected his Hoast wherof the king himself dyed and his sonne Iohn also and then brake vp the siege The Armenians and Scythians at Gamala a citie of Iurie were destroyed by the Saracens with the citie also The citie Tripolis was taken fiered by the Sultan of Aegipt and the Christians in most cruell wyse slayne or els caryed away captiue The cities of Tyre Sydon Tripolis and Bericus by the same Sultan were fiered rased euen with the ground Ptolomais also being afore a place of refuge for the dispearsed christians was taken without any resistance and destroyed and the very foundations digged vp The christians which fled away and for sooke the citie in their way toward Crete perished by shipwrack and were drowned And thus were the Christians vtterly chased out of syria 190 yéeres after they wan it vnder Godfrey of Bolleine The kingdome of Turkes OThoman a man of obscure byrth very ambicious growing in great wealth riches by spoyle and robberie was the first that tooke vpon him the name of Kinge of Turks He within x. yéeres space subdued to his seigniorye a great part of Bythinia other countreis about the Euxine Sea whose generation since hath wrought much mischiefe to Christendome The I le of Rhodes was won frō the Sar. by the hospitelers Alphonse King of Castile in a notable conflict ouercame the Saracens and tooke two mighty cities Othoman king of Turks dyed and after him succéeded Orchanes his Sonne the second king of that Nacion While Cantacuzen Paleologus contended for the Empire of Constantinople Orchanes by force wan the most noble citie of Prusia Orchanes in a battayle against the Tartarians for so ar the Scythians called lost the féeld and was with many of his army slaine After him succéeded Amurathes the third kinge of Turkes Amurathes through the couetousnes and treason of the Genowais lending their ships vnto him passed the streicts of Hellespont to Abydus where he conquered the cities of Philippople and Hadrianople vnto his subiection This Ammurathes inuaded Seruia and Bulgaria conquered them from the Christians and at the same tyme tooke and slue Lazarus King of Seruia Ammurathes inuading the higher Mysia was thrust into the flanke with a Dagger by one that was a faithful seruaunt to the aboue named King Lazarus whose pretence was to reuenge his maisters death of the whiche wound he dyed After Ammurathes thus slaine Baiazeth his sonne obteyned the kingdome was the fourth king of Turkes and slue his owne brother Marke Cratenique king of Bulgaria with all the nobilitie of his realme was vanquished in battayle by Baiazeth He spoyled Bosna Croacia Illyria Albania and VValachia kyllyng many thousandes of Christians being partly slaine and partly caryed into captiuitie Constantinople was afflicted and besieged fully .viij. yéeres by this vnmercifull Tyraunt the Turkish king The Lordes of England and Fraunce at the instance of the Genowayes ioyning with them made a voyage into Africa against the Saracenes and compelled them to restore and set at liberty the Christian Prisoners liuing among them and to pay 10000 Crownes The Walachians craued ayde of the Turkes against the Hungarians whom notwithstanding the Hungarians vanquished and put to flight The Christians and the Turks mette and ioyned battayle at Nicopolis vpon the. 28 day of September But the victorie fell to Baiazeth who had there 300000. stoute fighting men well appoynted wherof 60000 were horsemen The Army of the Christiās being French Hungarians was not aboue lxxx thousande among whom there were about .xx. M. Horsemen The French Capitaines were in a maner all taken Prisoners Sigismund the king of Hungarie himselfe escaped hardly by flight In this battaile were slaine of Christians 20000. and of Turkes 60000. This lamentable ouerthrowe happened throughe the discorde of the Christian Host among themselues by reason that one whyle the Frenche and another while the Hungarians claimed the first onset and the leading of the Vauntgard After this battaile the Turke retyred backe to the siege of Constantinople Tamburlane Kyng of Scythia a man of obscure byrthe and Pedagrew grew to such power that he maynteined in his Court daily attending on him a thousand and CC Horsemen This Prince inuadyng the Turkes dominions in Asia with an innumerable multitude of armed Souldiours in the confynes of Gallitia and Bithynia néere to Mount Stella gaue to the Turke a sore battaile in the which he slew of them two hundreth thousand He tooke Baiazeth the Great Turke Prisoner and kepte hym in a Cage tyed and bounde wyth golden Chaynes When so euer hee tooke Horse he caused the sayde Baiazeth to be brought out of hys Cage vsed his necke as a Styrrope and in this sorte caryed hym throughout all Asia in mockage and derysion He vanquished the Persians ouercame the Medians subdued the Armenians and spoiled all Aegypt He built a Citie and called it Marchantum wherein he kept all his Prisoners and enriched the same with the spoyles of all such Cities as he conquered It is reported in Histories that in his hoast he had an incredible nūber of thousands he vsed cōmōly to haue xij hundreth thousand vnder him in Campe. When he cam in sight of his enemies his custome was to set vp thrée sortes of Pauylions or Tentes the first was white signifying therby to his Enemyes that if at that shew they would yelde there was hope of grace and mercye at hys handes the next was redde whereby he signified bloude and flame lastly blacke which betokened vtter subuersion mercilesse hauocke of all things for their contempt The same yéere Walachia Transyluania Moldauia and all the Region beyonde the ryuer of Danowe by procurement of Stephan Vaiuoda their Captaine sediciously mutyned and stirred vprores against Sigismund Whereby all men might perceiue and vnderstande that the same Vaiuoda was the very Authour of the late discomfiture in procuring the Turkes to come thither Cyriscelebes whom some do call Calepine after that the Great Turke his father was takē prisoner and his Host vanquished by Tamburlane the Scythian King saued himself by flight tooke vpon him to be king of Turkes being the fyst from Othoman The Turkes after their king was thus taken their power daunted atchieued nothing worthy of any remēbraunce vnder this Cyriscelebes Cyriscelebes the kinge this yéere dyed leauing behind him two Sonnes Orcannes and Mahomet Orcannes throughe the great fauour of the Nobles of Thracia was appointed Successour to the Crowne béeing yet a very young man but in a conflict at Gazar not farre from the ryuer Hebrus he was slaine chiefly by the villanie of his
wounded The Maister of the Rhodes at this Siege for the Christians was the valiaunt Peter Dabuson The same yéere the Turke with a great Nauie inuaded Puell and by Acomate one of his Capitaines wanne Otronto a goodly large and populous Citie standyng vppon the Sea and put all the Inhabitauntes to the Sworde In this yeere also 6000 Turkes were slaine at the Citie Mantinea in the kingdome of Lacedemon In this yeere also this raging Helhounde Mahomet the Great Turke first of all others tooke vpon him the name of Emperour Hee wanne from the Christians two flourishing and Noble Empyres Constantinople and Trapezunce twelue Christian Kingdomes and CC. cities After which sundry conquestes he yéelded vp his blasphemous soule and payed his debt to nature to the great relaycing aswell of his enemies as of his owne people because of the horrible vnspeakeable iorueltie without respecte aswell to fréendes as foes most rigorouslye shewed Baiazeth the viij Emperour of Turkes appeasing all ciuile dissensions and domesticall discorde at home chased his brother Zizime out of all Turkiâ— and was himselfe enstalled in the Empire The same yeere Ferdinando King of Naples sent his Sonne Alphonse with an Armye who recouered from the Turkes the Citie Otronto before wonne by Mahomet Also this yéere Iohn Castriotte the Sonne of Scanderbeg assembled a power and recouered his enheritaunce that was by force taken from his father by Mahomet The same yéere also Stephan Vamoda and King Matthias wanne from the Turke the higher couÌ„trey of Mysia which now is called Bosna Baiazeth often ioyning battaile with the Sultan of Aegypt had the worse and in the ende was glad to make a league with him The Turkes inuaded and wanne Walachia 〈◊〉 Brother to this Baiazeth the Great Turke liuing an exile in Rhodes whither he fled for scare of the sayd Turke his brother was this yéere sent to Rome to Pope Innocent the viii And after a certeyne time of abode there was poysoned together with Alexander the Pope his Sonne Ferdinando king of Spaine with x. M. Horsemen and fifty thousand footemen wan from the Saracen Moores the kingdome of Granado and chased them vtterly out of that Countrey beyond the Sea. This Turke Baiazeth with a great power both by Sea and Land inuaded the Inhabitaunts of the Hils in Greece called Ceraunij and all the frée Corporacions of Epyre and them subdued to his Turkish Empyre The same yéere Matthias Kinge of Hungary conquered a strong Holde from the Turkes called Sabatrum whereby his Countrey lyued in more quietnesse and out of â—eare A mightye Armye was sent into Hungarie vnder the leading of Cadume Bassa by whom were slayne vii M. Hungarians and for testimony of this spoyle and ouerthrow géeuen to the Christians they sent many Christian mens Heades with their noses cut of and in lothsomâ— wise disfigured to Constantinople The Turks rushing into Croacia were put to flight by Maximilian The Turke warred against the Venetians spoylinge with fire and Sword the Countrey Dalmaâ—ia â—â—aryed away with him great prayes In Foriulij also he coÌ„manded aboue 4000. men to be beheaded because he coulde not cary them away with him by reason of a great deluge of the riuer there The Citie of Venice for dread of hym was in great perplexitie and feare The Turkes wanne this yéere Modona and Corona two cities of Peloponese The Citie Methon was by the Turkes wonne from the Venetians vpon S. Laurence daye Baiazeth commaunded the Byshop of that place to be beheaded in hys sight and killed the Townesmen euery one and for the most part consumed all the Houses with fire By lyke misfortune also the sayd Venetians lost Naupactum and Dyrrhachium Certayne Kings Princes of Christendome fréends and fauorers of the Venetian state ioyned their Nauye with the Venetian Fléete ouer the which Benedict Pisaure was Admirall and spoyled the Iles of Aegina and Zacynth inuaded Leucas and Cephalenia tooke the I le of Neritus at this day called Sainct Maures Ilande and reskued Nauplia The Turke greatly fearing his owne state by reason of the brute and rumour that went vpoÌ„ Elias the Prophet of Persia commaunded aboue CC. Houses in Constantinople with all the Inhabitauntes therein to be burnte This Prophet was in such credit and estimation among the People that aboue CL. thousande men leaned to his Sect and folowed after hym in Campe. His Tentes were excéeding rich and gorgeous and all thinges among them were common The same yéere the Turke entred into League and concluded peace with the king of Hungary and the Duke of Venice The King of Spaine in Mauritania Caesariensis wan Mayneport from the Saracenes The Sophie of Persia vanquished chased and slew the Turkes in Asia Grane a populous and wealthy citie of Africa this yere was wonne by the Spaniardes The Spaniardes by force of Armes conquered Bugia in Africa Zelime youngest Sonne to Baiazeth the great Turke rebelliously and most vnnaturally lay in wayt to kill his olde Father expelled him out of his kingdome in his olde dayes with all his Brothers and Kinsmen At length he caused his Brothers and their Children to be strangled and by a certayne Iew whom for that intent he had hyred he caused his sayd father to be poysoned This Zelime by the factious election of his disordered doultiours and affectionate Rakehelles was chosen and annoynted the ix Emperoure of Turkes Acomathes the brother of Zelime being ayded by the Persians warred against his Brother but Fortune so frowned on him that he was strangled Zelime concluding a peace renewinge League with the Venetians and Hungarians made sharpe Warre vppon Ismael the king of Persia him neere to a towne called Chalderan vanquished and put to flight And tooke Taurum the chiefe Citie of his kingdome somtime called Artaxata without any resistaunce or bloudshed Hee waged fresh warres against Aladule Kinge of Cappadocia and taking his chiefe Capitaine in the chase cut him shorter by the head and sent his head to Venice for a Trophée or signe of his victory This bloudy Zelime discomfited Campsor the Sultane of Aegypt with all his power and slue the Sultane hymselfe in the chase And folowing his good fortune and prosperous successe in this battayle conquered and annexed to his Empyre Alkaire and Alexandria two goodly embatteled Cities and all Aegipt beside He also wanne Damascus the large and renowmed Citie of Syria Hee made a passage or a Brydge of Shippes ouer the riuer Nilus to the intent hee might pursue and coape with Tomombey the new Sultan of Aegipt Whom by treason hee tooke and after all kindes of most cruell tormentes and spightfull contumelies commaunded hym to be hanged Charles Kinge of Spayne draue out of his Realme the Marranes which were a remnaunt of the Saracens and slue welnéere of the Barbarians .40000 Zelime the Great Turke was this yéere as he had well deserued murthered in that place where before he had moste vnnaturallye and rebelliouslye persecuted hys Father After him succéeded his Sonne
most deare friendes can witnesse For I neuer spared any labour neuer refused any daunger neuer any miseries or perillous extremitie where I thought my painfull trauaile might be auaileable or redound to the benefite and soules health of all people and where without disturbaunce and molestation I might conueniently execute the charge and office to mée committed and enioyned from the mouthe of god All which I haue done to this ende that I myght reclayme and call home the people runnyng a stray from their wicked wayes to a holy syncere integritie of life and out of the dongeon of Hell whither they runne headlonge bring them backe into the ioyes of the celestiall Kingdome following herein the steppes and bountifulnes of God him selfe whose message and ministerie we in earth do execute Who when as all mankinde through Adams transgression and faulte was forfeyted and fallen into the handes of the Deuill yet of his méere mercy vouchesafed to deliuer and saue his people as before he had promised to our father Abraham that is to wit by appoynting vnto them a law whereby they might obtaine euerlasting lyfe and saluation And therfore first he sent Moses to lay the first foundations and beginnynges of this doctrine and to call them for feare of euerlastyng payne and damnation to a newnesse and amendment of lyfe But when the Lawe of Moses little profyted that way he sent Iesus Christ by gentler wayes and meanes to allure and wynne them and to persuade them to lyue in the seruice and obedience of god Now mankind béeyng againe so much depraued and gone a straie that there is no certaine nor constant Religion among them no discipline no order nor honest maners but all out of square and forlorne he hath enioyned me whom euen from the beginning of the world he had made choyse of and predestinated for that purpose to this office and function that I should recure extréeme euilles with extreme remedies and with fire and sword cut of all iniquitie and make hauocke of all them that once should dare to againe say or opē their mouth against this law that I should enlarge the kingdome of God constitute a more sacred a more imperiall cōmon wealth on earth then euer any hath heretofore béen for who is so blind which séeth not that vnlesse we whō God hath appointed to that office do set to our helping handes to redresse these so great mischiefes all mankind shall shortly perishe for mans nature withoute a Lawe which in so great varietie and licenciousnes of life can be none nor stand in any force must néedes most greuously sinne and offende But howe shall wée make and constitute any holesome Lawe to them that are vnwilling to lyue vnder any and despise all godly order What spightfull reproches and slaunderous reportes wée that are carefull and diligent to accomplishe thys Commission and commaundemente of Almightie God do sustayne at theyr hands you most louing friendes and companions haue séene and howe they pursue after vs as after wylde Beastes to haue our innocent bloud But happie are you and blessed whom God hath chosen to bée as ministers and helpers vnto me in the exploite and atchieuing of these so great mysteries and affayres whose diuine will it is that you should not only be partakers Coheires with mée of eternal felicitie in the lyfe to come but also héere in this world shoulde bee enriched with great wealth possessions the which vndoubtedly if you shew your selues men and constantly persist in faith you shall shortly enioy by subduing innumerable Nations and conquering most wealthie Countries For vndoubtedly it is the good will and pleasure of God that all those Countries and heapes of wealth shall be yours which now wicked men enemies and aduersaries to this law doe wrongfully possesse That all these things shall thus happely succéede both the wickednesse of our aduersaries which God will not suffer any longer to escape vnpunished and your trustie ayde and valiauntnes most worthy friendes and felowes yea and the most infallible oracles of Almightie God do put vs in hope most assured Therefore if you desire to bée partakers of the kingdome of Heauen and of so great rychesse and glory vpon Earth it is méete and expedient that you all sweare and do homage vnto me that must be your Captaine and Ringleader When he had thus made an ende the chiefe Princes and Rulers of the people and namely Zaid the Sonne of Zuzara Aomar and all the rest one after an other with their swordes drawen promised by a solemne Oth to allow of none other law but that which Mahomet should make in the defence and setting out wherof they then and there protested at all assayes when néede should require to spend their life and bloud This ended Mahomet againe commaunding them to kéepe silence knéeled down on his knées a pretie while as though he had pattered ouer som mumbling meditatiōs afterwards with a loude voyce vttered these wordes folowing Now most couragious champions make your selues readie to battaile looke that you want neither weapons nor stomacke to wynne our purpose withall wée haue the victorie most sure alreadie in our handes Behold the things which you haue often desired and wyshed for Richesse Glorie Renowne and perpetual felicitie are before our eyes God hath set thē before you as rewardes for your valiant and victorious seruice your owne valiaunce the excellencie of the cause and all the things aboue named ought more to stirre vp your hartes and pricke you forward then any Oration that I can make After he had thus spoken he appointed tenne Capitaines ouer the people chosen out of the noblest in byrth and chiefest in dignitie among the rest and such as were allyed vnto him by mariage and them did he appoint into Ensignes and Bands The names of which capitaines were these Vbequar Omar Ozmen Alifre Talaus Azubeir Zadin Zaedine Abuobeid so he marched in battail aray toward the Citie of Mecca The Magistrates of the Citie vnderstanding thereof made out a power against him which encoūtring with Mahomet his Host discomfited and put them all to flight Wherefore for the space of foure yéeres after Mahomet neuer durst make any profer to besiege that Citie any more Notwithstanding he ceassed not continually with Orations in the open fieldes and Countrey villages to mooue and stirre vp the people to sedition by meanes whereof he also caused certain vprores and tumultes among the Scenites which acknowledged for their Lordes and Soueraignes the Romane Emperours Then once againe he marched with a freshe supply of moe Souldiours against Mecca where he was againe repulsed and myssed his purpose and two yéeres after he againe the thirde time attempted the same and sped as he had done twise before In this meane while Heraclius the Emperour perceiuing the youthfull sort of the Scenites to begin mutyne seditiō for the better quieting therof dispatched sent a great nūber of thē vnder
thereof to his Souldiours he ranscaked and made hauocke of the towne but as for all the Iewes which partly in the citie and partly in other places of Arabi because they being skilfull in the diuine law greatly withstood his attempts procedings he hated deadly in the ende in.xi. battailes them vtterlye vanquished and destroyed Thence retourninge to Itraripe he appointed Azeib his Lieutenant of Mecca who entred into the Citie with a great route of Arabians or Saracens For Mecca then was and yet is as well because of an opinion of great auncientie for it is thought to be builded by Ismael or else by Abraham himselfe as also for the bignesse of the Citie and resorte of people most noble and famous Then againe within the same yéere discharging the said Azeib of his office he appointed Moad the Sonne of Gadel Lieutenant of the same Citie in his roume with this commauÌ„dement that after Mahomet his death he should desend and maintayne his lawe and diligently looke that the same should of the people be reuerently obserued and so in the meane season to minister iudgement and execution of his lawes to the Mecchyans Al things in this sort beyng set in good frame and order he remooued to Tambicum and there buylded a Temple which is to be séene at this day Thence he sent an armye vnder the conducte of Zalid and Malid two of his chiefe Captaines agaynst Alozaid the Sonne of Almathaliph King of Aliendel whom by force of armes they ouercame and made tributarie And thus all Arabia being brought in subiection he commaunded Eubocar with parte of his Hoste to go to Mecca he himself lying still at Itraripe and charged him that he should leaue neuer a mothers Sonne a liue in it nor suffer any forrayner to enter sauing only such as willingly would obey his Law and beléeue his doctrine For his meaning and entent was as afterwarde he brought it to passe that Mecca should be the Metropolitane Citie of his religioÌ„ and Empire And thus within a short space Mecca was replenished wyth none but Mahometanes And not onely Mecca but all Arabia besides as they are people by nature lyght of beléefe and newfangled embraced his pestilent errours And from that tyme all they whych yelded themselues to that Secte were called by the name of Saracens both because that errour sprong vp and was first begonne by the Saracens and also for that Mahomet persuaded them that all the promyses in the Scriptures promysed to the Séede of Abraham belonged appertayned to them Beyng puffed vp with arrogance by reason of thys good successe in hys affayres he sent Ambassades to Kinges and Princes néere adioyning aduisyng them to embrace his Religion and vnto them addressed hys letters sealed wyth a Signet of Syluer wherein were engrauen these woordes Mahomet the messanger of God namely to the Emperour of Constatinople to the King of Persia the King of Egypte and to other Princes Afterwarde he created soure Tribunes or chiefe Capitaynes in warres commonly called Admyralles whyche had euerie one vnder them many Peticapitaines and Centurions and these foure hee woulde commonly vse to call the sharpe Swordes of God and them he commaunded to goe into the foure partes of the worlde euerie one by him selfe a seuerall waye and to kyll all suche as repugned hys law There names were Ebubezer Omar Ozmen and Ali the Sonne of his vncle Salutelib vnto whom he also ioyned in mariage Fatema hys daughter in Lawe by hys first wife Of these foure Ebubezer called of some Vbequar and of some other Buback or Eubocar father in Law to Mahomet tooke hys voyage to Palestina and there layde Siege to a certayne towne called Muchea the Capitayne whereof was one Theodorus Begarius who had the rule of the towne in the behalfe and name of Caesar Who gathering together his power sodainly set vppon the Saracens with such valiaunt courage and force that many of them beyng slayne the residue lyke tall fellowes ranne away At which time 〈◊〉 thirde Ides of March Mahomet dyed in the yeere of our saluation .637 when he had raigned tenne yéeres in the house of Aissa his wife in the Citie Medina and in the very same bedde wherein he was wont to sléepe and take his rest His bodie without any Princely furniture or ceremonial solemnitie was shrined and lapped in a white Shéete thrée tymes double and so beyng chested in an yron coffin was after a homely sort buried where afterwarde his kinsfolkes and Allyes edified a sumptuous and magnificall Temple of bricke worke and arched the same wyth a vault so pargetted with Lodestones whose nature is to draw yron vnto it that the yron Coffyn wherein Mahomet his body was inclosed was drawen vp euen vnto the toppe of the Churche and there hangeth For which cause that place is yet with great deuocion and Pylgrymage worshipped of all the East They say that while he was banished his Countrey going once on Pylgrimage into Mauritania Tingintana he crossed the Seas ouer into Spaine But when he vndestoode that Bishop Isidore laide waite to haue caught him he immediatly shifted thence and conueyed himselfe away Vpon his death bed he appointed Ali his sonne in lawe to bée his Successour and the Caliph that is to saye the chiefe Prelate of hys Secte and vnto him togither with his daughter he committed the whole charge of his body But Eubocar his father in law stopped them a tyde in that matter alledging that for as much as Mahomet deceassed in his house and by his only meanes had stepped vp to such credite welth estimation and gouernment as being bolstered mainteyned and preferred by his countenance and fréendship none other by good reason was fitter to succéede then he that had béene his chiefe supporter Against whom Ali durst not once open his mouth to reply because Eubocar himselfe was a â—an of great power and also his kinsmen Omar and Ozmen tooke part with him whiche were men valiaunt and factious whose wordes would be heard and whose commaundements before his would be obeyed Who forasmuch as by good right they iudged the kingdome to appertayne vnto them being Coadiutours to Mahomet in the exployte of all his affaires had leifer haue Eubocar succéede beinge olde their nere Kinsman then Ali being young and in his lusty yéeres who might perchaunce raigne so long that no hope euer to enioy the Kingdome by the order and course of nature shoulde be left to them and also for that he was nothinge of kin vnto any of them Wherefore Eubocar was made high Bisshoppe of Mahomet his Sect who immediatly after his creation departinge out of his owne Territories with a great Armye discomfited the Roman Garrisons and retourning into Arabie with victorye dyed not without some suspition of poyson when he had raigned not fullye three yéeres and without any princely funeralles buried néere to Mahomet After him succéeded Homar who as we before shewed was his Kinsman Hesubdued Bosra the chief citie of
all Arabie with many mo and conquered all the country as farre as Gabata At which successe of the Saracens the Emperour Heraclius greatly storming sent his Brother Theodorus with a great army against them Who encountring in a bloody battell with Homar was ouercome and fledto Emessa Heraclius hearing tydings of this heauy chaunce furnished out Baanes with a greater power against them who incamped himself nere Emessa Where the Saracens settinge vpon hym with great force and violence were by hym vanquished insomuch that they were fayne to trudge into the borders of Damasco and lodging their campe by the banke side of the riuer Bardanes made such outragious roades and incursions into the Countraye adioynynge that no man was hable to represse their furye nor withstand their invasion Wherefore Heraclius mistrustinge any good successe in the pursute of further warres and hauynge great diffidence in his owne power fearynge also his owne lyfe and safetie if hée should any longer stay within that Prouince and Countrey for hee was at that time in Hierusalem out of which since the League and composition made with Persia hee had not departed tooke awaye with hym all the precious Shrines and snmptuous Ornamentes of the Temple of Hierusalem least the barbarous Enemies should despoyle them and retourned agayne to Constantinople The next yéere the Saracenes layde siege to the Citie Damasco wherewith Baanes who defended the Citie with the sayd Emperours Garrisons being greatly moued desired Theodorus Sacellarius Lieutenaunt for the Emperours Maiestie in Assyria to come to ayde and assist hym Which hee making hast to doe was by the way surprised by the Saracenes and discomfited The Souldiers vnder Baanes not willing to serue vnder a Capitayne of small credit and countenaunce but rather desirous to haue a Gouernour of most high power and aucthorytie saluted hym their Emperour But they which came with Sacellarius and escaped the handes of the Saracenes in their laste bickeringe willynge to kéep their true allegiaunce to Heraclius departed thence and would not in any wyse consent to the depriuation and deposing of their lawful Prince and Emperour The number of Baanes his Souldiours was 4000. And Sacellarius had almoste as many The Saracenes hauing intelligence of this variance and deuision among the Romane Souldiers discamped from the place where they were lodged and set vppon them The bickering was sore on both sides for a while but the Wind blowyng ful in the faces of the Roman Host which in that drye and sandye Countrey raysed vp the dust they neither could sée their Enemies nor skantly fetch their breath Which oportunytie the Saracenes not neglectinge but takeyng the same to their most aduantage and commoditie put the Emperials to flyght in which chase they fléeinge through thicke and thinne by daungerous wayes and sleepe places did almost all perishe and were drowned in the Riuer Ermeta Which luckie victory so puffed vp the haultie mindes of the proude Saracenes that they aduaunced theyr Armye agaynste Damasco and wynnynge that Cittie subdued and brought al Phoenicia vnder their subiection Then they made preparation to goe into Egipte whiche hearynge the Romanes who were Lordes and possessours of that Prouince appoynted Cyrus Bysshoppe of Alexandria to be Chieuetayne who sendyng a solemne Ambassade to the Saracenes for peace obtayned it vppon condition that he should pay vnto them yéerely a Tribute of .200000 Crounes And so for the space of thrée yéeres they were quiet and receiued no kind of molestation at their handes But the Emperour Heraclius vnderstandyng this geare and thinkyng this composition greatly sounded to his dishonour sent for Cyrus home agayne to Constantinople and in his stéede made Emanuel an Armenian ruler ouer EGYPT who flatlye and playnelye denyed the payment of anye money before by Cyrus promysed to the Saracenes Wherefore in great displeasure they inuaded Egipt with a buyge power and Emanuel with a small compaignie for his sauetie wente to Alexandria But Heraclius to late now and to hys coste beynge taught that promyse and faith oughte to be kepte and perfourmed euen to the Enemies when hée well sawe that hée had not strength ynough to match in battayle against such mighty foes sent Cyrus agayne to the common supplications should bée made during the whole moneth of September and after the same ended the whole volume of Mahomet hys lawe shoulde be openly redde to the people He was tall of stature broune coloured balde headed thinne bearded and the same som what enclining to whitenes and was buryed néere to Mahomet But before he dyed feeling himselfe so sore wounded that he despaired of recouerie he appoynted for his Successour Ozmen who also had béen a great furtherer and fauourer to Mahomet in all matters and had twyse beene his Sonne in Lawe For he maryed his two daughters which both deceassed wythout children in the life time of Mahomet which dignitie he chiefely attained through giftes and briberie For receyuing at the handes of Homars Treasurer all hys money and goodes hée frankely distributed bothe it and all that hée himselfe had lefte vnto him by his Parentes among his Souldiours Ozmen therefore béeyng inuested the thyrde Bishop after Mahomet sente the nexte yéere following a huyge armye vnder the conducte of Hucba into Affrica agaynst the Lorde Gregorie chiefe and supreme gouernour of all that Prouince He béeyng ouercome in battayle and Carthage also subuerted he vnyted all that Prouince to hys other Saracenicall Dominions But fearyng to bée surprised and taken nappyng wyth some sodayne Alarum out of Europa if they shoulde lye long in Carthage they dislodged thence and remooued to Tunice a Citie standing within the Baye of Golet and there rousting themselues for a season greatly enlarged the same But afterwarde receyuing a commaundement from Ozmen that they shoulde not dwell in any Port towne or other places vppon the Sea Coaste because he had taken suche agréement and order wyth the Emperour they departed sixe and thirtie myles from the Sea and aboute a hundreth from Tunice where they buylded themselues a Citie called Cairoan After this in the thirde yéere of thys mans raygne Muauias who was wée shewed before was Lieutenant of Egypte wyth a Nauie of a thousande and seauen hundreth or as some saye wyth seauen hundreth Shippes onely arryued in Cypres and takyng by force the noble Citie Constantia spoyled the whole Islande But béeyng certefyed that Carcozir one of the Emperour Constans hys Capitaynes was commyng agaynst hym with a greate fléete for feare of further harme he departed thence and planted hys Siege before another Citie in the same Islande named Aradum where he nothynge preuayled Séeynge therefore hys purpose to quayle hée broughte backe hys Hoaste to Winter in Damasco In the meane whyle Ozmen caused the odde papers and Schedules of Mahomet before by Homars procurement collected together to bée brought into a better order and to bée deuided into Chapters makyng of them a Booke whiche is called the Alcorane wherin all the opinions and Institutions
of Mahomettes Sect are contained and at large specifyed The nexte Spring after Muauias with a greater Nauie then before arryued in Cypres and assaulted the Citie of Aradum which at length after many battryes he wanne and permitting the Inhabitantes to go whither they woulde wythout hurte or bodely harme he rased the Citie to the grounde and layde all the Islande waste and left it dispeopled At the same tyme also an other army of Saracens vnder the conducte of Busurre inuaded Isauria and spoyled the whole Countrey wyth fyre and sworde and retourned home from thence with fiue thousand Prisoners After these so many ouerthrowes and miserable discomfitures receaued Constance Caesar desired a truce for .ij. yéeres of Muauias which beinge not obtayned while Muauias prepared a great Nauye at Tripolis a Citie of Syria to inuade the Prouinces and Territories belonging to the Romane Empire his purpose by the worthynesse and valyaunt demeanure of two Brothers was for a litle while frustrate Who breaking open the prisons wherein a great number of Christians were set them al at lybertye insomuch that they sodenly geuing an onset on the Saracens killed a maruelous number of them and putting the rest to flight with victorye ran to their ships and takeing so many of them as woulde serue to transport them they set the reste on fire and came saue into Thracia But Muauias nothing dismayed with this mischance and ouerthrow prepared a greater naâ—y and furnished the same with all habilimentes and Municions necessarye with whom he landed at Phoenice a Hauen of Lycia where Constance with his Nauy laye and geuing the charge vpon him made such a slaughter of the Romanes that the Sea was red with the bloud of them that were slayne Constance disguising himselfe in the habite and apparrell of a poore man fled in a Small ship with a fewe others in his company to Constantinople Which victory set Muauias in such a hoygh and conceipt that he thought nothing inuincible or able to withstande hym Where vpon he tooke Rhodes and pulled downe the huge Image of the Sun called Colossus Solis which Chares was in making as Plinie sayth .xij. yéeres and the charges thereof drewe to thrée hundreth Talentes The brasse of this Image beyng bought by a certen Iew of Emessa was somuch as nine hundred Camels coulde carie The Saracenes caryed away thence not onely this Image which was in height .70 Cubites but innumerable others For Plinie writeth that in that I le there were beside this Colosse of the Sunne .73 thousand Statues or Images and a hundreth lesse Colosses Hauinge spoyled Rhodes they cut their course alonge by the Sea Agaeum and plagued the Cyclades with lyke calamitie At this time also laid Generall of an other army of Saracenes entred into the borders of Armenia and wasted al farre and neere tyll he came to Mount Caucasus And Muauias retourning from Rhodes furnished a Nauye with all thinges necessary to inuade Sicile which wasted and ruynated the Countrie with Sword and fire without mercy tyll Olimpius the Exarche of Italy for so was he that had the gouernaunce ouer Italy at that time for the Emperour of Constantinople called encountringe with them in a bloudye Conflicte with much effusion of Christian bloud discomfited and expelled them In which battell he so eagrely fought was so fore wearied that he tell sicke and shortly after dyed Muauias himselfe leuying an Armye by land conducted them into Cappadocia to besiege Coesarea the head Citie of that Prouince But before he could atchieue any notable exploite worthy to be remembred hearinge that Ozmen the Caliph was dead in hope to be his Successour retyered with his Host back agayne This Ozmene in the twelfth yéere of his Pontificall dignytie being in his owne house beset and besieged with a company of Saracenes which would haue had Ali to be Caliph slue hymselfe because he would not fall into their handes He by chaunce lost the Ring of Mahomet which all the Caliphes before hym wore and caused an other to be made of Siluer wherein by his commaundement were ingrauen these wordes O PERTINACES O POENITENTES He was white of coulour graue and curteous of visage a long Beard and of a meane stature highlye and dearelye beloued was he of the common people both before and after he embraced this Secte and gotte very great wealth by Marchaundize Notwithstandyng he was alwayes verye lyberall yea rather magnificent and honourable and as we haue shewed disbursed and gaue bribes largelye to the Souldiours that hee might obtayne the Pontificate He lyued .lxxxvij. yeeres and was buryed in the night without any Funerall pompe because he slue himselfe Therefore after hys death there arose great contention amonge the Saracenes aboute the election of a newe Bysshoppe Some woulde haue Ali to succéede hym some Muamad sonne to Ozmen and some Muauias But Ali raysed warres againste Muamad and preuayled agaynste hym so that he was installed and made Bysshoppe by all mens consent sauynge onelye Muauias Who reposinge greate truste and confidence in the Aegiptian and Assyrian Souldiours whose prowesse and magnanymytie he had sufficientlye tryed aforetime in so manye Battayles made sharpe warres agaynst hym colourablye pretendynge that hée tooke the same in hande onely to reuenge the death of Ozmen When both the Armyes were come to the Riuer Euphrates Muauias hauynge more skyll in warlyke pollices and also hauinge olde beaten Souldiours vnder hym so fortyfied and entrenched hys Campe néere to the Riuer side and the Citie Babylon that neyther coulde he be inforced by hys aduersarye to fight vnlesse he would hymselfe and also hys Armye shoulde not be destitute of water whereof in that Region there is great scarsitye nor yet be vnprouided of victayles and moreouer néeded not to feare anye Alarmes behynde at their backes Whereas in the meane whyle Ali his Armye was extremely pinched for lacke of water And so for the space of eleuen Monthes keeping his Souldiours within the Trenches of hys Campe he weryed hys Enemye and lyngered the tyme onely now and then with Skirmishes tyll at length by the intercession of certayne Priestes and others skilfull in the Lawe of Mahomet order was taken betwéene them that the whole cause shoulde be decided by the iudgement and awarde of two olde men On Ali his side was chosen Alascates and for Muauias parte Alascius These two comminge to a Towne called Algendel to sit vpon this waightie matter of both their tytles the one thought it necessarye that Ali should be disgraded and deposed from his pontificall dignitie and the other stiflye helde opinion that he was a man moste worthy for the office Thus pleading to and froe neyther absolutely determyninge nor fully concludinge any attonement Ali and Muauias retourned agayne either of them to his owne Campe. And neuer ceased with often Skirmishing to molest and kill one an other spoylynge and wastynge one an others Countries till at length Ali in a certayne Temple néere Cufa a
Citie of Arabie was by the insidious driftes and Ambushes of Muauias slayne and in the same buried for which cause the place at this daye is called Massadale which is as much to saye as the house of Ali. In his Ringe hee had this inscription Corde syncero Deum Dominum veneror Hee was shorte and lowe of Stature his Bearde was side and longe his Armes and Legges full of haire and in his goynge neuer lyfted vp hys Eyes After Ali was dead the Citizens of Cufa and Aratha created Alhaccem his eldest Sonne by his wife Fatema the Daughter of Mahomet Bysshope a man in all poynctes of bodelye feacture and comelye shape resembling his Graundfather Mahomet He with an armie marched against Muauias but when both the Hostes were ordered in battaile araie readie to geue the onset and the voward of the one standing full against the fronte of the other whether it were because he feared the doubtfull hazard of battaile or else as some do write that he was ouercome with the goodnes and integrite of nature vnwilling that so great effusion of bloud and destruction of men shoulde be made for his sake he voluntarilie went and submitted himselfe to Muauias acknowledging him to be his Superiour Beyng thus reconciled one to the other they went both together to Cufa and there finding great store of money and treasure they departed thence to Ietrib where Muauias with his owne handes crowned Alhaccem with the royall Diademe and called him King because he well knew that he shoulde not liue long For within sixe monethes after his Coronation he dyed beyng poysoned by the same Muauias His Poesie engrauen in his Signet was Solus Deus potens est Thus Muauias hauing now dispatched and ridde out of the way all his aduersaries raigned alone Hauing thus set his affaires in order he inuaded the frontiers of the Romane Empire But Constantius sendyng vnto him for peace had the same graunted condicionally that Constantius should pay vnto him euerie day ten poundes of gold and a Slaue with a Horse At this time Damascus was the chiefe Seate and Metropolitane Citie of the Saracenicall Empyre But in this their so great successe and felicitie there arose dissensions among themselues for theyr religion by reason of the varietie and repugnance of Mahomettes scrowles and Schedules The Persians béeyng as we haue shewed now made Saracens helde opinions muche differing from them that folowed Homars Alcorane in Syria Wherefore Muauias with his power spéeding him into Persia suppressed that Sect and established his owne faction which bore al the swaie in Syria and appointed an order that the Souldiours of his Secte should haue allowance of two hundreth pence by the day wheras the Persians had but only thirtie Then inuading Cilicia he spoyled all the Countrey with sword and fire And when he was retourned to Damascus Sapor Pretor of all suche places in Persia as yet acknowledged the Romane Empire now traiterously reuolting from the Emperour sent vnto Muauias one Sergius master of the horsemen with request that he woulde ayde him to the Empyre of Constantinople Who beyng nowe come to Muauias his presence and shewing the effect of his Commission for which he was sent beholde there came also an Ambassadour from the Emperour to Muauias whose name was Andrew promising vnto him in Caesars behalfe large and ample rewardes so that he would not aide nor further the procéedinges of Sapor Muauias hearing both their errandes and their offers aunswered that foras much as he accompted both of them for no better then his enemies he would ayde and take part with him that would geue most And so Sergius geuing more then Andrew woulde Muauias entered into a league with him Andrew taking hys leaue in hys waye homewarde intercepted Sergius as he was retourning into Persia and hanged him on a gybet hoping and persuading himselfe that now the partie to whō the promise was made beyng ridde out of the way Muauias with a safe conscience retaining kéeping still the rewardes alreadie to him giuē might and would dodge finde cauillations with Sapor that he was discharged of his promise But there was more constancie faithfulnes in the barbarous Infidel then the Greekes wit could conceiue or forsée For Muauias meaning to kéepe touch and promise inuiolably sent a bande of Arabians to ayde hym vnder the conducte of Fadala who being kylled by a fall from his horse he appoynted in his stéede his Sonne Iazid Capitaine for that expedition by which power and armie Chalcedonia was miserablie afflicted and Armaria a Citie of Phrygia taken and leauyng in it a garryson of fyue thousand Saracens because Winter approched they retourned with their Hoste into Syria In this meane season the Emperour althoughe Winter were now at hand and all places couered with Snow sent Andrew with a small crew of Souldiours to expulse the garrysons of the Saracens and to recouer Armaria The Greeques therfore sodainely skaled the walles and brake into the Citie without any resistaunce and to reuenge their many ouerthrowes and discomfitures before time receyued slew all the Saracens within who suspecting no suche thing kepte within their houses cowring ouer the fire in that extreme colde weather After thys victorie gotten by the Imperialles Constantius béeyng now come into Italie out of Grecia tooke his progresse straight towarde Rome where he taking a diligent view of all thinges fell to the spoyle and caryed away wyth him all such auncient monumentes and workes as were of Marble or brasse and generally whatsoeuer myght delyght and content the eye and lading his Shippes therewith sent it firste vnto Naples and from thence to the Citie Syracuse in Sicilie So that he tooke awaye from the Citie more ornamentes in seuen dayes space then so many barbarous Nations had done in CClviij yéeres before for there were so many since the first inclinatiō of the Romane Empyre During his abode there leadyng his life effeminately libidinously and looking to receiue the subsidie and tribute that he had with much rigour and crueltie exacted and assessed the Cities and Islandes of Italie to pay in so much that many were spoyled not only of their goods but also of their wiues and children he was by his owne people slaine and murthered After whō succéeded in the Empyre his Sonne Constantine whom the Saracens perceiuing to be a Coward and vnwarlike person priuily made preparation for a nauie to inuade Thracia and Greece if any tumult or seditious vprore should fortune to kindle in Constātinople But because al things were there quiet they sayled into Sicilie wherin the late spoyles of Rome and of all Italy were laid and hoorded vp and with sodaine force tooke the citie Syracuse which was not defended nor kept with any garrison And when they could not roust there in safetie by reason of the néerenes of Italie they shipped all the ornamentes and treasure that was in Syracuse and with incredible richesse retourned into
Egypt Albeit there be some which write that Constantine hearing of the deathe and murther of his father Constanoius sayled into Sycilie and caryed the Spoyles from thence with him to Constantinople After this an other populous armie of Saracens entring into Affrica had suche successe that they destroyed and wasted all the Countrey néere the Sea coastes for a great part of the maine land and middle soyle was alreadie in their subiection and haryed away with them into slauerie and thraldome .800000 Prisoners And on an other side Muauias furnished out a huige Host vnder the conduct of Muamades and Caises whiche subdued Lydia and Cilicia two other of the Romane Prouinces And within a while after to thintent he might conquere subiugate Constantinople he sent another armie after the other wherof Saeuus was General which being ioyned to y other marched both directly toward the citie Constātinople girded it about with a terrible stege And for there more strēgth he appointed a nauie to help thē which stopped all the passages and places frō the West promontorie of Hebdomum to Cyglobium With al this force they oftentimes gaue terrible assaultes to the citie but their attempts were all in vaine This siege lasted from the month of Aprill till September fléete left which then vexed Crete vnder the guydaunce and conduct of Fadall and Cadall Through these good fortunes and prosperous successes the Maiestie of the Romane Empire séemed eftsones to flourish and somewhat to reuiue and recouer his pristinate glory But Muauias hauynge thus concluded a peace and league which to the Christians was most pernicious because the Saracens beinge nowe weake and without force mighte haue bene vtterly oppressed and easly vanquished if Caesar had not more delighted in present Idlenesse and quiet reste then studying for the long tranquillytie of his Common wealth which by no meanes is made more longer of continuaunce and safer with barbarous nations then by perfect victory tourned his power made his quarell against the Mardaites and dispossessing them from their high descrying places in the Mountaines which before they enioyed he studyed and bent his mind to appease certayne controuersies and Sectes newly sprong vp about his religion Therfore he called a generall Counsell or Synode of his sect vnto whom by publique proclamation he commaunded all the learned men of his Empire and such as had any wryting or Schedule either of Mahomet or of any his predecessours Bishoppes before hym to come and bring the same writinges with them This Tartarical Synode was holden and celebrated at Damasco where when as nothyng coulde be determyned by reason of the contrarietie of repugnaunt sentences hee commaunded sixe of the wisest in the company by the common consent of them al to be picked out so there were chosen Mulcine Boari Buor Anoeci Atermind Dauid These six being shut vp together into one house with all such writinges as were thither brought hee gaue straight charge that they should lay their heades together out of these writinges gather into one volume such actes sayings of Mahomet as shuld some to haue ani likelihod of truth And whē they had made sixe volumes the residue of the writings be caused to be throwne into a riuer which were so many that 200. Camels were laden with the cariage of them away Then he apoincted by a law a greuous paine punishement to as many as in thought word or déede beléeued otherwise then in those sixe Alcoranes was prescribed Of the which six volumes afterward procéeded and spronge vp soure Sectes of Saracens which are called Melicians Asafians Alambelians Buanifians The Aphrycans were Melicians the Arabians and Damascenes Asafians the Armenians and Persians Alambelians the Alexandrians Assyrians were Buanifians In Cayre the greatest Citie of Egypt all these Sectes no man agaynsaying are vsed and embraced When Muauias had finished taken this order in his matters at Damasco which was the head seat of his Empire he died and was there buried He was the first of the Saracen Capitaines that with Ozmen during Homars raigne entred into the Roman prouinces with an host and was the first that enlarged amplyfied the limites of the Saracenicall Empire as far as Aegipt and Aphrica westward into Mesopotamia Eastward and into Asia northward and was the first that constituted a certen seate royall at Damasco which citie for the fertilitie of the soyle and pleasantnes of the ayre far excelleth any other He vsed firste of his race to haue Slaues and Eunuches after a princely state guise to stand bare headed before hym for he was a man altogether marcial and warlike and in the atchiuing of his deuises prudent and wise His coulour was white his face pleasaunt and graue his eyes of diuers coulours his stature meane his Bearde alwayes blacke for euer as it beganne to waxe graye hee dyed it and conserued it in his former state He lyued lxxvij yeares and raigned twenty and foure His Signet which he caryed about with hym had in it this Posie engrauen O Deus ignosce mihi Of learnyng he was altogether ignoraunt in so muche that he could not write his own name whereas otherwise he had by nature a verie profound witte Wherfore it is reported that Mahomet on a time making his prayers at a banquet in presēce of many as his custome was said these wordes O God teach Muauias to write to number and defend him from all daungers By which words that craftie Pseudoprophete who knewe the nature of Muauias to be fierce and prompt withall shewed and signified two things First that he if he had the ayde of any learning might greatly helpe and furder his Secte For they which can write can also reade and thereby become wyser Then because he saw him to be of suche a fierce courage that he was lyke to aduenture and obiect himself to many perilles and hazardes he desired of God to teach him the Arte of numbring wherby he might skanne and obserue due times and tempestiuities and to haue the skil to take the occasions that shoulde be fittest for the exployting of his affayres when they fell and for the same cause he desired of God to protect deliuer him from all daungers But he being a man craftie ynough of himselfe and naturally geuen to pollicie néeded not these helpes After that Muauias was dead immediately his sonne Iezid was saluted Bishop and King who atchieued no notable acte in his time worthie of remembraunce For he was a man altogether giuen to slouth idlenes and riot and moreouer was sickly and of a body nothing lustie sauing that he put many of the nobilitie of Arabie to death He loued his owne Sister lividinously and was greatly delited in learning and Poetrie and made many verses a most spightfull contemner of Mahomets Law and euerie other Religion During this mans raigne Mutar whom he had made President ouer the Prouince of Persia perceiuing his drowsie sluggishnes and
altogether barraine and vnfruitful but that part which is next Spayne is full of trees and well peopled wyth many townes and villages We will therfore beginne our description of them at the Ocean where they ioyne in Spayne to the region called Guipuzque but in Fraunce they border vpon the confines of the Vasconians On the side of Spayne there is Stephans vallay aboue the which are Besaca and Guciutha townes of the Vardulians confinyng vpon the region of Nauarre containeth Cantabria and Asturia then are there other smaller hilles lying out from the Pyrenees within which are conteined Basse and Squa which doe make the vallayes Rocida or Ronus on Fraunce side néere to the confines of the Vasconians is Iean Pedeportesburie a strong well fortefied place Néere to the valley Rocida the arme which before wée talked of is from them let into the Ocean reaching and extending to the mayne Sea through Gallicia or the Gallecians the Asturians But from the valley of Rocida Eastwarde they make the valley called Salazar wherein standeth a towne called Ociogauia then Ronceuall wherein is Isaua and the frontiers of the King domes of Tarraconensis Nauarre which was once called Nagiera Next Fraunce are the townes of Bierne Now foloweth the hill of Camfrank wherevnto in Fraunce is néere ioyning the countrey of Peiraner Vrdos in Spain Villa noua an auncient noble Citie Iaca Saint Christinsburie and Iean Pigniasburie and in the same tract lower is the Mount Aragon Hosca and frō them the Occetanes and Caesaraugusta now at this day called Saragoza Out of the Mount that lieth ouer Saint Christines springeth the Ryuer Aragon and because out of the moūtaines of Ronceuall there springeth an other little Ryuer of the same name called the lesse Aragon or Subordam therefore thys is called the greater Aragon and the whole region lying betwéene them was of them called Aragonia There followeth in the Pyrenees a hill named Gauas abutting on Fraunce syde vppon Larount a countrey of the Bigorians and on Spaynes syde on the countrey of Tenia In which Countrey are the townes Salent Saint Helens and Biesca Out of the hill Gauas springeth a Ryuer named Gallecus whiche hauing hys course through the valley Tenia falleth into Iber néere to the Citie Saragoza Then is there nexte the Cragge of Horca the stiepest and roughest of them all on which on Fraunce syde confyneth the Countrey of Arne and on that side towarde Spaine the same valley Tenia then the Cliues of Tarla from whom springeth the riuer Ara which afterwarde runneth into the ryuer Cinca néere to the towne Iuza hauing on Spaines side the valleyes of Brote and on Fraunce Voteia a valley of Guyenne In the valley of Brote are these towns folowing Torla Brotum Oto Linares Faulum Bresse Sarbise Aierue Laresitalla Scartinum and Giasa Then foloweth the craggie mount of Bielsa from which a part of the Ryuer Cinca spryngeth and the valley of Bio and belowe in this same very tract is the region Sobarbria then in the Pyrenees the vale Gistau out of whose Hilles springeth an other Braunche of the ryuer Cinca whiche hauing hys course through Sobarbria is augmented by receauing into it the ryuer Segre néere to a towne called Scarpe and then falleth into Iber néere Meschinentz The chiefest townes of fame in the valley Gistau are these Gistaine Senias Serbetum Iean Carauelsburie Plannium Poma Gistaina Cerquetum Lamian Catalauigna Badaine Then is there moreouer in the Pyrenees the valley Bonasia and the longe region of Ribagorge wherein are Gabaleria Grausium Benauarre Peralt and Paniello Then are the Hilles of Castrum Leonis vnder whome is the valley Aran or Fiscalia which hath in it these townes Biolla in Fiscalia Lardies Vorastrium Saint Iustus Ligarre Aretiza Sciabierre Saint Olalia Acortum Tricase Abese Planiell Saint Foelix Sason Silues Spierle Ascase and beneath it is the valley named Solana Agayne in the Pyrenees there followe Petrae Blaniae Altalauaccae where there is a passage throughe the Hylles of Torre and of the Countie Pimorent and Pallasium Vnder these is the valley of Henui wherein standeth the Citie Valentia and Palasia then the Clyues of Andoria where there is a passage oute of Spaine into Fraunce wyth a valley of the same name ouer agaynst which in Fraunce is Arachsium in Aquitanie Hitherto the places of Nauarre Then a long Cerdania is the Mount Bellamir the valley Bibesia the Mount Liuia and the pitche of Persa Then they enter within the Countrey of Rocilion ouer against the townes of Puigiualed Caudiese Arotonie Galamij Fanum Perapertuza Eitor and Leocata where theyr precinctes boundes end by the Mediterranean Sea. In the end wherof in Spain there standeth Salses a Castle impregnable hauyng with in it a most plentifull fountaine where in tymespaste stoode the Citie Gerunda or Girona ouer against it in Fraunce is Tēplū Veneris now called Cap de Creux Directly on the other side in Gottalonia other hilles do aunswere vnto it which may be called the lesse Pyrenees or Antipyrenees throw of Rodericke and what hast the Saracenes vsed in the pursuite of their victory tooke his Sister with hym and departed to Gigion supposing that place to be surer for his securytie But when Mugnuza duke of Gigion contrarie to his hope expectation had entred into league and was assistaunt to the Saracenes in their exploytes Pelagius dissimulyng what he inwardly thought and for the time bearyng two faces vnder one hood remayned styll with the same Duke vntyll Mugnuza fallyng sore in loue with his sayde Sister and deuisinge whiche way to frame his plat to enioy his desired lust sent her Brother Pelagius to Corduba to consult entreat about certaine affaires with the Saracen Princes In whose absence bearyng her in hand that he would mary her he had the spoyle of her maydenhead Whereof Pelagius at his retourne beynge by his Sister certefied departed thence with her into the higher Country til a time fitter to bring that to passe which he purposed Mugnuza greatly mooued with his departure tolde Tarifa that Pelagius intended somwhat against the Maiestie of the Saracenicall Empire Wherefore Tarifa sent one of his Captaines with a band of Souldiours if it were possible to apprehend Pelagius And now the Souldiours were come to Brette in which towne Pelagius was then resiaunt who being priuelie aduertised by a Christian one that was with them and knew all their counsailes tooke his Horse and ridinge all vpon the Spurre tyll he came to the great riuer Pionia tooke the water and swamme ouer Whiche they that pursued hym not daryng to doo for dread of drownyng hee escaped their clutches and came with heauy cheere into the Vale of Canica Where by the prouidence of God hee mette with the Magistrates and Péeres of many Cities of Cantabria and Asturia whiche were goyng to surrender and yéelde themselues and their Cities to the Saracenes And when hee vnderstoode the errand and cause of their iourney it is reported
owne name Calataiub which is now called Calacaiud But he coulde not perfourme his purpose so fullye aboute the rest because there was diuers in sundrye partes of Spaine whiche vsurpyng the Kingdome were obstacles in his waye For whereas Corduba was the head Citie and Seats royall of all Spayne and the Captainshippes or gouernaunce of al the other Cities and Prouinces were distributed and bestowed vpon the noble men of the Countrey euery one imitating the fact of Abdeluzite called themselues Kinges of those places where their auctoritie and Iurisdiction laye Whereby Spayne was deuided into many Kingdomes as the Kingdome of Syuyle Granado Giaen Murtia Denia Sciatiua whiche was once called Setaba Valentia Tortosia Lerida Fraga Saragoza and mani other les places not of so great fame as these which Kinges so long as they agréed among themselues oftentimes afflicted Christendome with great ouerthrowes and oppressions but after that they fell at discord and intestine variaunce among themselues they gaue occasion to the Christians to recouer Spaine againe into their owne rightfull possession Which thing was first attempted as before we haue shewed by Pelagius who vsinge his valiauntnesse wisedome and myracles to his best commoditie and happelye takyng occasion by this dissention and discorde of his Enemies amonge themselues wanne agayne many cities and deliuered sundry townes out of the miserable thraldome of their tyrannie With hym did Alphonsus the sonne of Peter Duke of Calabria ioyne and take parte being descended of the ancient line of Richared King of Gothes vnto whome Pelagius gaue his Daughter Orismunda in mariage and they two atchiued many notable victories ouer the Miscreaunte Moores In the East after the discease of Aumar the Caliph Gizide the Sonne of Abdimelik succéeded and was installed in the pontificate in the yéere of our Lorde 722. In whose raigne there stepped vp an other Caliph and Gizid in Persia whose name was Moalabs Against whom was sent with a great army Masabnak who vanquished hym in battayle and subdued all Persia and thus Gizid the sonne of Abdimelick was the onely Caliph of all the Saracenes who raigned thrée yéeres and then died After whom his Sonne Euelide was created Caliph who entred the Romane Prouinces in Asia and Europa with a huge power but within a short while without perpetrating any notable exployte worthy of remembraunce he gaue hymselfe altogether to ydlenesse slouth and voluptuousnesse Notwithstanding in the seconde yéere of his Empire he sent Malsamas with an Hoast againe into Cappadocia who tooke the Citie Caesarea and Euelite he sent by an other way into Thracia who hauing wasted and spoyled it retourned into Syria About this time néere the Sea coastes of the lesse Asia the earth in the bottom of the sea burned in such sort that at the first there appeared nothynge but smoke but within awhile after such incredible store of hoat burning Pumise stones as though they had bene litle hilles in the Sea swam aboue water that with the same Pumyses al the shoares of lesse Asia Lesbos Abydos and Macedonia were full and the Sea it self semed all couered ouer a certaine Island at that time appeared and was discouered néere the holy Isle After this Euelide sent one Muauias and Amer with an Hoaste of .90000 Saracenes to besiege Nicaea a Citie of Bithynia which being most fiercely and strongly with all arte and pollicie by them assayled the Christians most valiauntly defending and beating them alwayes back with great slaughter and effusion of bloude at length they raised their Siege and returned home without any harme doing sauing that in their retourne they tooke a little Towne called Ateum Afterward the Prince of Gazaria sonne to Cagan king of Bulgaria warred vpon the Saracens in the borders of Armenia and Gradack the Pretor of Armenia Media a Saracene borne being in battaile vanquished and slaine he brought those two Prouinces againe vnder the subiection of the Romane Empire And in the yéere 730. Malsamas with a huige power entred into the Streightes of Caucasus and gaue battayle vnto the Turkes who at those dayes were called the Hunnes Teutazites which is to saie Gentile a fierre terrible people dwelling within those Mountaynes This blouddy battaile continued a whole day and many slaine on both sides till night came and brake of their fight vncertaine as yet to whether side the victorie woulde incline But Malsamas retired into Armenia for he had now concluded a peace with the sonne of King Cagan During all this while Pelagius hauing good successe in his Spanishe affaires against the Saracenes the Tarraconians liuing in the mountaines by the example of the Asturians created Garcias Scimenecius their King in the denne of Iean Pignia called Panouio And within a while after Pelagius when he had raigned .xiiij. yéeres dyed in the yéere of our Lord. 732. After whom his sonne Fafila succéeded who in the secōd yéere of his raigne was in a wodde deuoured of wilde Beares leauing no childrē behind him These kings appointed the chiefe Citie of their Kingdome at Legio which is now called Leon and bare in their Coate Armour a Lyon purple in a Shielde Argent Not because of the name of the citie where their Seate royall was whiche hath his name not of a Lyon but of a Legion of Souldiours whiche Cocceius Nerua placed there but because they fought so couragiously and eigrely for the sauegard and libertie of their countrey as though they had béene most fierce Lyons In the raigne of this Fafila the Saracenes passed into Fraunce by that part of the Pyrenees that was in their possession by the Mediterranean Sea. Fraunce was then possessed of the Frankes a people of Germanie who about 400. yéeres after the incarnation departing out of their natiue Countrey to séeke some other place where to plant thēselues had that part of high Bourgoyne next to Germanie geuen vnto them to inhabite by Aetius a Romane Senatour who then was Pretor of the Prouince of Gaule because he would haue some strong garrison and defence against the Hunnes who were then issued in great plumpes out of their owne Countrey and vnder the conduct of Attila spoyled and wasted Europa if they shoulde fortune to inuade Gaule which Realme is yet of their name called Fraunce For the Frankes were the warlikest stoutest people in all Germanie inhabiting as I thinke that region or portion thereof which is yet called Franconia or Frankland who afterward by little and little enlarging their dition obtained at length the regiment and Empire of all Fraunce in so muche that the name of the Frankes extended very farre But when the Franke or Frenche Kings addicted themselues to an ydle and voluptuous life and degenerated from the former stoutnes and valiaunce of their Progenitours not executing the administration of their affaires in their owne proper persons but exployted the same by vnder officers of their Court and Graund maisters of their Houshold Pipine the first of that name Sonne of Arnolph
Nauarre pight his Pauilions before Pompelon the head Citie of the Kingdome of the Cantabrians Which Citie the saracenes had strongly fortified with a mighty Garrison And for that they had béene alredy sufficiently schooled in the auncient tricks and feates of Spayne they would no more commit the euent of their good or ill Fortune to the hazard of one entire battaile as they had before done but determined to protract and lynger out the warre with delayes tergiuersacions and sKirmishes where they might espie their best aduauntage Charles dispatched and sent an Herauld at armes to sommon the Towne to know whether they would yelde or els abide the doubtfull hazard of war. They first asked a time to consult among themselues what were best to doo ere they woulde resolutelye answere to the Sōmaunce Vnto whom was granted the space of one day wherein they demaunded and entreated that thei might haue space graunted to send to their kings Frends and Confederates and geue them to vnderstand of their distresse so that if they were not rescued and the siege reysed within xv dayes then they would wyllingly yéelde themselues and their Citie into his hands Alleadgyng that it should be much for the auaile and commodytie of the French to conquere and wyn the Citie being vnperyshed and neither by the Conquerour in his ragynge moode defaced nor by the conquered defendaunt through desperation blemished and disfigured Neither that this taryaunce should in any poyncte hinder his Procéedinges but rather be greatly beneficiall for hym For why though he bent all the force he was able to make against the Citie yet was it able to holde hym out for so many dayes as they craued And furthermore that the French if their Fortune were to get the vpperhande in fight of their Fréendes that came to succour them should with a worde onely commaunde the Portecullesses and strong grated Gates of the Citie to be broken downe opēned for them quietly to enter whiche shoulde be much for the honour Dignitie and profite of both parties least otherwise those innocent Cities that haue committed no fault for whose deliuerie and regaignynge the French protested themselues to be come should suffer such ruthfull and iniurious examples of warre on both sides as the nature and insolencie of a Siege necessarilye bringeth Charles prudently perceiuing all these protestations and surmises of the Saracenes to be subtilly and craftelye deuised for none other entent but onely to abate the heat and courage of his Souldiours being now most sharply set to haue their purpose by protracting the time and geuyng longer day would in no wise agrée to graunt them any respite to make any further preperation and purueighaunce for war which mighte peraduenture tourne hym to greater inconuenience afterwarde but immediatlye sendeth defiaunce against them and commaundeth hys Souldiours to prouide and make ready such thinges as to the battrie and siege of the Citie were requisite The Siege of this Citie continued many dayes and diuers assaultes fiercely geuen The Assaylauntes were not so busie without but the Defendaunts were as dylygent within many times yssuinge out of their Gates not after the Arabian guyse but accordinge to the Spanish manner armed with Sword and fire quick swift nymble and sodaine deluding their enemyes with many stratagemes and subtyll pollicies facinge and shifting from place to place pretermittinge no occasion that made for their purpose dealynge euery where and at all times so deceiueablye that when the other partye thought themselues surest of their purpose they were fardest of and when their desires were likest as thei thought to sorte to effect then were they soonest beguiled and lykely themselues to fall into the lapps of their enemies so secret and spéedy that they were many times in the middest of their enemies flashing among them before any man suspected their cōming killing them and setting fire in their tentes and gone againe out of sight ere any resistaunce could be made or any time to go against them They skirmished ruffled with their enemies in a maner within their owne tents And although there was a band apointed at the gates of the Citie to kéepe them from comminge out yet notwithstanding they could not be so pent in nor debarred from their purposes but with lyke bouldenesse as afore they would often set vpon them and by no meanes wolde be brought to kepe within the wals of the citie til the same wer throughly entrenched and rampired and all their works within finished to their minde Thē did they stand at defiaunce valiauntly not as men defending their manhood with walles but kéepyng defending their walles with manhood This Siege contynuing somwhat longe the other kings which were daily looked for to reyse the siege came in deed albeit furnished with any hoast able to fight a maine battaile but euer as they espied any aduauntage or occasion they would make out Dimilaunces and light Horsemen by knowen pathes and waies to annoy King Charles Which Horsemen oftener by night then by day alitle disquieted his Campe and made some disturbance and Outcries therein An other crewe of them killyng the watchmē perforce making way through their enemies Bulwarkes and Fortifications entred the citie greatlye relieued them within whereby thei conceiued great hope of future successe Charles with a courage vnappauled and inuincible exhorting his men tolde them that the victory was to be obtained with paines taking vigilancie that martiall prowesse appeareth not only in the encountrie and conflict but a great deale rather in good discipline and obseruance of martiall orders not to be lulled in ease and securytie bestowing the greatest part of the night in sléepe and bodely rest but in studie and deuise for the atchiueaunce of their waightye businesse in the day time incessantly to be busied abstaining from riot libidinous lustes euermore abandoning werines and lingering of time Geuing them further to vnderstand that the cages and walles wherin those Sathanistes had enclosed themselues for their sauegard must ether perforce be brokē in péeces beaten downe about their eares or els the enemies thēselues to be tamed and brought vnder awfull obedience Wherfore he had them to aduance their standards with banners displaid to march against thē not suffer them to rest Then was ther made fortificatiōs habiliments to serue ech way and on euery side wherby their Camp was kept both before behind and on either side Then they that fisked and raunged out as thei did before were faine to hyde their heades within their Fortresse or els were shamfully compelled to retire and so the matter was brought to a perfect Siege Then beganne there a sharpe and terrible battrye whiche contynued day and night without intermission fresh Souldiours euer comming in the places of the weary and fighting by course one after an other rounde aboute with all kinde of deuises Engins Ordinaunce Ladders Bridges pollicie and valyauntnes in somuch that the Saracenes courage being wel cooled
causes of the Realme Charles still abode in the Valleye which for this cause is to this day called Charles Valley whyther he had remoued his Campe out of Hospita Who vnderstandinge of the great ouerthrow and losse of his Men retyred with al spéede againe into Fraunce Alphonsus excused himselfe by Ambassadours vnto him that all these thinges were attempted and done without his consent and knowledge with whome Charles renewed the former amytie and league betwene them stroken and concluded Then deuisinge in his minde to procure an atonement and vniuersall peace to the whole world sent his Ambassadours into Syria and Aegypt to conclude an amytie and peace with the Princes and Chiefe Rulers of the Infideles to the ende that they should the better vse and entreate the Christians liuing vnder their subiection Which he obteined insomuch that Aaron the high Caliph of Persia and Arabia who not longe afore rufflingly inuadyng the Prouinces of Asia that were vnder the Constantinopolitane Empire with CCC.M. men had enforced and by compulsion dryuen Nicephorus the emperour to redéeme and as it were to ferâ—â—e peace at his hands by paying yéerely an annuall fée in gold from thenceforth not onely not infested and vexed the Christians but also gaue yéerely a great Masse and summe of moneye to the reliefe of those poore Captiues that liued vnder his rule and also sent his Ambassadours with great rewardes to King Charles For when Aaron had with many ouerthrowes and pillages miserably afflicted and frusshed the Romane empyre surpryzed and taken Tyana where he erected and dedicated a temple vnto Mahomet an infinite numbre of townes moe Nicephorus séeinge his matters goe to wrecke and distrustinge any better fortune sent his Letters to the Arabian to obteyne and request a peace accordinge to the tenour folowinge Why thoâ— shouldest thus vniustlie warre againste me and my dominions sythens I haue not wronged nor offended thée or who they be that counsaile thee therunto I know not neither do I se any cause reasonable to moue thée vnles it be peraduenture because thou hast a delight and pleasure in murther robberie and rapine For that thou doest it for religion sake thou canst not pretend a ny excuse sithens Machomet thy high Prophet commauÌ„deth you to vse and accoumpt al Christians as Brothers Doest thou thinke that Almightie God the creatour of all thinges and the staie of both the People whome he hath created and made after his owne similitude and lykenes is delighted with effusion and shéeding of innocent bloud God forbid For your Prophet Mahomet did not commaund you to offre vnto him any such sacrifice or satisfactorie expâ—ation Or else perchaunce doest thou inuade the territories and prouinces belonginge to other men for some néede and want of Syluer Golde and such other thinges But alas there is no such store of these thinges with vs yea all precious iewelles and wares that are rare and hard to be gotten are among you in great plentie But if there be any thinge in our Countreys that may do thee pleasure why doest thou not aske it fréendly and we will bestow the same vpon the without delaye moste louingly If thou care not for man nor any force the mortall man can annoye thee with all yet know thou that there is a God which séeth and remembreth right and wronge For sythens we be mortall it is not comely nor fitte for vs to beare immortall grudge and endlesse enemitie one toward an other in that poinct to resemble imitate the Diuell which euer spighteth at mans felicity and soulehealth and is at perpetuall warre with all mankinde With these lettres sent not without rewardes and sumptuous presentes Aaron being appeased sent agayn many presentes and gyftes to Nicephorus concluded a peace with hym vpon a condition that the Emperour should pay yéerely vnto hym xxx M. Crownes and thrée for his owne head and as many for his Sonne and that he should not reedifie nor repayre such Townes as were rased and wasted by the saracenes But in the perfourmance of this agreement there was les faith in the Greke then in the Barbarian For Nicephorus after the departure of the Saracenes out of those townes immediatly reedified and fortyfied them Which dealyng when Aaron vnderstood he furnished out an other Armye into Grecia which tooke Thebes and sendinge a Nauy into Cyprus subuerted the Churches and expulsed the Cyprians And when Aaron had raigned xxiij yéeres he payed his debte to Nature after whom succéeded in the Pontificate his Sonne Muamat Who fallynge at mortall debate with his Brother Halad and with him coapynge in conflicte wherein his side went to wrack Fortune more fauoring his Brothers part grew to a composition with hym that they twaine should ioyntly with egal authoryty hauing both one and the same tytle or style enioy the Empire Then ther were created foure Tyrauntes whereof one had for his share Spayne an other Aphrica the third Aegipt and the fourth Syria and Palestina Wherevpon the Saracenical power began to decline for awhile the affayres of the Orient were indyfferently quiete among the Saracenes And Muamat the Caliph of Syria woulde not now haue his imperiall Seat at Damasco but buylded a newe citie néere where olde Babilon once stoode and called it Bagadat and it constituted the Pontificall Sea of Syria and all the Orient For the Persians were yet vnder his rule iurisdiction The Aegiptian kept his residence at his Metropolitane Citie of Cayre whiche was as before wee haue shewed buylded néere the place where olde Memphis earst stood Which after the Sea royall was in it appoyncted and kepte so encreased that at this daye it is thought to be one of the greatest Cities in the whole Worlde the chiefe Sea of Aphrica was accounted by Elagleb to be at Caioran whiche Citie was builte in Affrica when Ottmen had the regiment and gouernaunce of the Empyre and is distaunte from the Citie of Tunice about an hundreth Myles and from the Sea thyrtie and sixe Spaigne although it obeyed had in it many kings yet they all acknowledged the Byshop of Marrocco for their Diocesan whiche is a Citie of Mauritanie Tingitana He that gouourned Assyria was called the Caliph whiche name signyfieth a successoure because he boasted and bragged himself to be the Successoure of Mahomet The Aegiptian Byshoppe was called the Sultane and hee of Caioran lyke as the Assyrian dyd named himselfe a Caliph and hee of Marrocco by the auncient name of the Founder and buylder of that Citie was named a Miralmumine Vnder these there also arose certayne other lesse Kingdomes in Affrica as the Kyngdome of Tunice of Tripolis of Algeria of Oran of Fess and an innumerable sorte moe lesse then these For as euerye one was Ruler ouer anye Citie or Prouince So he called hymselfe Kinge of the same and possessinge the Stile and name thereof as due by inheritaunce lefte and delyuered the same as it were by hand to his
Aquitanie by treacherye and guylefull dealinge surprysed and ruffled the Citie Ausonia and because he was not of power hymselfe to keepe the same he procured ayde from the Spanish Saracens by whose helpe he spoyled farre and néere both Aquitanie and the hither part of Spayne Whose purpose and pretence Lewes within shorte space repressed And Alphonsis surnamed Magnus Kinge of Asturia and Lyon néere to the riuer Duerro vanquished two Armies of the Saracenicall King of Toleto whiche were thyther sent to besiege and oppugne the Citie of Lyon. Moreouer hee raysed the Siege that the Saracenes had bent agaynste Coimbra and set the same frée from their dreadfull oppugnation And when hee was in buyldinge the Citie of Zamorra the same Saracenes vnder the conducte and leadinge of a Prophet of theirs named Alchama came agaynst hym whom he vanquished and of them slew a great number and among the rest their Capitayne Alchama and tooke Abboaline prisoner a Capitayne of great fame ann estimation among them who raunsomed himselfe for two C.M. Ducates and so was delyuered With which money the Kinge newe buylded the famous Temple of S. Iames in Ouiedo of Marble whiche was before but of Bricke But in Italie the Saracens had taken Palermo the most famous and noble Citie in all Sicile neyther was there any man that woulde take vppon him to resiste their furious attemptes or once goe about to preuent or represse their malycious deuoyres sauynge onely Boniface Countée of Corsica who accompaignied with his Brother Beatrius and a fewe other of the Barons and Lords of Hetruria sayled into Aphrica and landynge betwéene Vtica and Carthage slewe so manye of his Enemyes in foure cruell Battayles that like as the Carthaginians whilome were enforced to call home Anniball out of Italie so the Saracenes were faine to call home their people that were then in Sicile and so Sicile was deliuered from the pestiferous oppression and extreme daunger of Saracenicall Hostilitie After which victories gloriously by Boniface atchieued he with great foyson and plenty of pray and riche booties retourned home with his victorious Nauie out of Africa But the Saracens could not in any sauce abyde to be long quiet but within a while with a greater power and puyssaunce then at any time before they inuaded Italie and againe tooke the Citie Centumcell From thence in post hast with a running Campe they spedde them toward Rome and with little labour got the possession of Vaticanum and after they had spoyled the goodly Church of S. Peter which standeth in that place and takē away the Doores of Syluer which it had of price and valew inestimable they prophaned it with fire and sworde most sacrilegiously And tarying there certaine dayes they were fully bent to haue layd Siege to the Citie but hearing that an armie was leuyed and in comming against them out of Lumbardie they departed and ruthfully wasted al the Suburbes and villages néere the Citie that laye betwéene the two wayes Appia and Latina They spoyled and robbed the Cathedral Church of S. Paule in the way called Via Ostiensis and consumed the most part of it with fire from thence turning into Latina Via they spoylingly rushed into the precincte and Chase of Cassinum and robbed the Temple of Cassinum of all the holy Ornamentes Vestures Reliques and Gyftes whereof it had marueilous great store and vtterly ruynated a great part therof Then kéeping their way by the right side of the riuer Leire they spedde them apace toward the Sea in such populous Plumpes that they were like vnto a violent swifte storme or terrible whirlewinde and fraughting their Shippes with their spoyles and booties which lay there ready they hoysed vp theyr Sailes and launched into the maine Sea. And in Hispaine Abduramen King of Corduba entring into the borders of Biskaye fought most valiauntly and fiercely the space of a whole day with the Armies and power of Ordonius King of Lyon and Gartias Ignigenius of Biskaye and fortune séeming for that daye to dispose and enclyne the victorie to neither party departed the Battaile Ordonius meaning to requite pay home Abduramen entred into his Countrey and subuerted the Towne of Cintilia which is now called Santiliana But in Asia Imprael the Caliph of Syria succéeding Muamat with a huige power brake into the confines and limittes of the Romane Empyre Against whom the Emperour Theophilus marched with his royall Army and hauing in his company two most valiaunt Capitaynes Theophobus and Manuel in whose prowesse and dexteritie in armes he reposed his whole trust and confidence was fully resolued and determined to giue vnto him battayle of whose approche and comming Imprael béeyng certefied whether he did it vpon an arrogance disdaine or that he feared the euent and fortune of Battayle leauing behinde him one Abuzachar with .lxxx. thousande good fighting and well appointed men to try the quarell by stroke of mortall conflicte departed and went hys way with part of hys Armye The battayle béeyng ioyned and clasped together and the Saracenes getting the vpperhande Theophilus wyth his Praetorian bande and two M. Persians and Theophobus escaped and attayned into the toppe of a little Hill which being fiercely assayled and beset wyth Saracenes whose onely desire was to take the Romane Emperour Prisoner the Romane Souldiours most valiauntly fighting for the sauegarde and incolumitie of theyr Lorde and Maister the Emperours sacred Maiestie defended The conflicte continued sharpely and desperately foughten on both sides tyll the Euening But as soone as night was come Theophobus by a pretie fleight and Stratageme deluded the Saracenes and brought themselues out of that present daunger and extremitie For he commaunded his Souldiours as loude as they coulde to shoute and make a noyse and to sounde theyr Trumpettes and play vpon their Harpes and musicall Instrumentes as thoughe there had come some freshe ayde and succour to releeue and rescue them at that present pynche of distresse Which deuise fell out accordyng to his first imaginacion For the Saracenes surely thinking that more ayde was come and fearing leaste they should bée entrapped and on euery syde enclosed by their enemyes discamped and remooued sixe Myles further of and so the Emperour with all hys retinewe and Hoast being delyuered out of daunger came safe to the residue of hys Armye whiche saued themselues by flight at the last conflicte For which politique Stratageme and wyse shifte the Emperour made Theophobus chiefe Generall and Lieutenaunt of the whole Armie And the yeere folowing makyng another voyage and expedition against the Saracenes vanquished them in a notable Battayle at Charsianum and so wyth twentie and fiue thousande Prisoners he retourned home Agayne the thyrde yeere he leuyed his power and marched against them and ioyning Battayle with them was so circumuented and beset with his enemyes that he had almost fallen into theyr handes Which daunger of the Emperour Manuel chiefe Capitaine of the Army vnder him perceyuing encouraged and incensed the mindes of
to Charles the fift late Emperour In Africa a newe Prophet vaunting himself to be one of the right ligne race of Mahomet whose name was Eâ—mahelis a man both borne brought vp in the Mountains about the yéere of our Lord 1000 brued a new broyle and set abroch certayne quaynte fashions about Religion He expulsed out of their Kingdomes the high Bishop of Cairoan which Citie before we shewed was not farre of from Carthage was the head Citie in the mayne land of Africa l also Abraem the king of Marocco which done he subdued both the Mauritanies all Africa all Numidia and Lybia vnto the borders of the Negroes and Aegypt constituting his royall and Pontificall Seate at Marocco The King of Marocco fléeing from Habdulmumen who pursued after him with part of Elmahelis Army arriued and came to Oranum a Citie situate vpon the midland Sea in Mauritania Caesariensis But the Citizens not receiuing him the poore wretched King being comfortlesse and without all hope of better fortune with hys wife who for want of better store roade behind him both on one horse went vp into the toppe of a very high mountaine lying into the Sea and there dashing the Spurres into the horse sides cast himself his wife and horse down headlong from a Eraggie rocke and so al thrée dyed together at one instant and were found in the Shore all bruised and dismembred And Habdulmumen retourning back to Marocco found Elmahelis dead and was creafed King and Byshop in his place Whose posteritie and Successours that is to wit Iosippus his Sonne Mansor his Nephieu and Machomet Enasir of whom we made mencion before his Nephieus sonne enioyed possessed that Kingdome But when the tenne Sonnes after the death of Mahomet their father coÌ„tended and bickered among themselues for the Garlande the house of the Marines popped into the Kingdome of Fess and the Habduluadean familie inuaded the Kingdome of Telensine and displacing there the Tunetane Magistrate created and made there a king And all the other Kings Princes of Africa renounced their homage and reuolted from the Kings of Maroco wherby the power of the Saracens decreased in Africa aswell as in other places and the name of their Empyre vtterly extinct ¶ The Thirde Booke Wherein is expressed and plainly declared the euersion of the Saracenicall Empire and the originall beginning continuaunce increase of the Turkishe domination till the first yeere of the raigne of Ottomanne from whom louius and diuerse others both Greeke and Latine Turcographers begin their Histories also the first originall of the Tartarians Mamalukes Assassines and Sophians Containing a true and perfect discourse of Turkishe Affaires for three hundreth yeeres space before Ottomanne for pleasure and varietie very delectable BVt now must I procéede in a newe kind of order and discourse vpoÌ„ matters most worthy to be remembred for we haue already so orderly successiuely treated of Saracenicall affayres that now we be come by order of Historie to speake of those times wherin the auncient and true Saracene Empire decaying and as it were the lawfull Stocke and ofspring of Mahomet excluded and dispossessed Bastards and vpstartes of an other ligne stepped in and vsurped the principalitie A people I saye shuffling in for the best game and bearing themselues not as the other vnder a painled shewe and coulorable glose of gaie Religion and holines but planted themselues in a more firme and harde Empyre mainteining and amplifying the same by force of Armes and violence Whose State differeth as much from the former Empire as the hardnesse of Yron from the softnesse of Leade For albeit the huygenes of the Saracenicall dominion were great and mighty insomuch that vnder the patched cloake and preteÌ„ce of false doctrine and diabolicall Religion it ouerflowed and almost drowned the whole world yet the violent rage therof was by the valiaunt encountrie of couragious Souldiours and Martiall knightes from time to time either brydled and repressed or at least brought vnder such awe that many times they were faine to kéepe bill vnder wing and to be pent within narrower roome then they were before Yea many times such flames of ciuil discord among theÌ„selues burst out that the same being dispersed into sundry partes farre disseuered from the fire where it was first forged about Babilon and Arabie waxed in processe of time so keyecold frostbitteÌ„ the they were not able to wagge bestirre themselues as they did before And so béeyng distract and pulled from the whole Masse and consequently made weaker were either cleane vanished and buryed in the pit of Obliuion or else wyth an other Fire in some other place newly kindled were coÌ„sumed and quite burnt euen with their owne flame which thing hapned vnto this aforenamed Forge till such time that new and stronger Smithes tooke that office in hand forged a harder mettall vppon the Anuill to harden and streÌ„gtheÌ„ the softnes of this Leade throughly to beare out the dignitie of the Shop For although as it euideÌ„tly appeareth by the which hath bene alredy declared in the two first Bookes our Auncestors Predecessors haue continually warred with the Saracens welnigh 400 yéeres space with diuers fortune and doubtfull victorye in so much that although their power euen from their firste beginning were very mightie and great and Christendome all that tyme neuer quiet but continually floted in ciuil discorde beside the often incursions of Barbarous Nations the Emperours of Constantinople shewing themselues that while no better then Meycockes effeminate persons yet dyd they oftentymes plague them with manye great ouerthrowes and recouered out of theyr possessions sometyme Syria sometyme Armenia nowe a part of Persia and nowe some other Prouinces but yet alwayes and styll they kept in their possession all Europa sauyng a peece of Spayne onely Asia the lesse Media and the Kingdomes of Parthia Bithynia and Cappadocia with many other Realmes and Kingdomes But the power of the Turkes encroching and wynning vpon vs now almost for the space of .600 yéeres they neuer could represse neyther hinder the course and procéeding of their Empyre neither yet expel and driue them out of such places as they had once gotten Of such force is warlike discipline and so much differeth the fiercenes of the NorthreÌ„ people from the tendernes and effeminacie of the Southren How wherof and by what occasioÌ„ they brake out we shall now declare Basilius Porphyrogenitus being Emperour of Constantinople about the yéere of our Lord 1000. many Tyrannes wrestled for the GarlaÌ„d and diuided among them the Empire of Saracens as before in the last Booke was shewed wherof foure alwayes contending for the Supremacie kéeping deadly warres one with another for the tryal of their titles there began great diuision hartburning betwene Mahomet Prince of Persians Corasmiorians of diuerse other people on the one part and the Caliph of Syria whose royall Seate Metropolitane Sea was at Bagadet In
which wars Mahomet being put to the wors and by the Babilonian through helpe and ayde of Sclerus and the Roman captiues vanquished sent to the Turks for aide whose helpe and furtheraunce at a pinche as afore hath beene specified the Saracenes for certayne yeeres passed were accustomed in theyr Warres too vse and ioygne vnto them and the rather because they professed and embraced euen at the firste eruptions swaded that they were begotten and dyd come of the wylde Faunes But the Turkes and Tussagetes discendynge of their race and inhabityng the Northside of Mount Caucasus as before wee haue shewed differed muche from them as well in lyfe as manners and Lawes beinge notwithstandynge so lyke amonge themselues and so lynked together in League one with an other that they were taken and accompted for one People and peraduenture they were all one and were so called and named as prophane Persones by the Armenians their Neighbours from whome they receiued their Rites and whiche were called Sagae as muche to saye as holie For this worde Teutazites as in the Seconde Booke was shewed signifyeth in their language Gentiles or a prophane People For these names are of many Writers so mingled and taken together that the one seemeth to be theyr name the other their Surname Procopius saieth these People were nothing néere to the other Hunnes neyther had any thinge to doo with them but that they brodered vppon the Northe partes of Persia that is to witte Armenia For Armenia was euer lyghtlye subiect to the Crowne of Persia Neyther were they Wanderers from place to place as hauynge no habitation sauynge there where their Cattayle stayed and grazed as the other Hunnes or Scythians were but had in their Possession and inhabyted the beste Plottes and moste fertilâ— Regyon that was amonge the Dounes and Mountaynes rounde aboute and amonge the Hunnes they onely were white of complexion and coloure and not so ouglye nor so sterne visaged neyther lyuing so sauagelye and beastlye as the others dyd but lyke true Subiectes liued orderly in due obedience and humble subiection vnder one Prince whome they accepted as their head and King hauing also a well ordered Common wealth with due execution and imbracynge of Iustice and other politicall Lawes both at home amonge themselues and abroade with other forraine Nacions borderynge vppon them as the Greeques Romanes and dyuers other ciuile and well gouerned Nacions dyd also The chiefe Citie of all their Kingdome was called Gorga The noblest sorte and wealthyest persones amonge them had contynuallye seiourninge at their Houses as Gestes twenty or moe of their famylier Fréendes accordinglye as their Substaunce and Rychesse extended with whom both wealth authoritie and power was in common as the same Procopius sheweth and as their institution and manner of lyuinge to this day witnesseth Some there be whiche referre the firste originall of the Turkes to those tenne Tribes of Israell whiche as wee reade in Iosephus were translated into Media For proofe and Testimonye whereof they alledge the likenesse and similitude of their maners and conuersation Some referre their pedagrew to Gog and Magog of whome there is mencion made in the holie Scriptures from whom we rather be of opynion that the Tartarians yea and peraduenture also the Gothes be lineallye descended And some there bee whiche doo deriue the ofspringe and Progenie of them from the auncient Troians Whose seuerall opinions by waye of Argument either to confirme and allowe or confute and disprooue is no parte of our purpose and intent in this place sythince our onely meanyng is not to reason vppon probabilities but to bringe such certainelye knowen truthes as are in the histories and Chronologies of auncient writers aswell of Greekes and Thracians as of the Turkes themselues and other Nations confining vnto them published and mencioned which is euen so as before we haue declared Muchumet therfore desired ayde of their Prince in his warres against the Caliph of Babilon throughe whose helpe and valiaunce sent vnto him vnder the conducte of Tangrolipix Mucalet he encountred with Pisasire the Babylonian Caliph and him with litle labour and lesse daunger discomfited by reason that the Arabians were not hable to abyde the thicke shotte of the Turkishe Arrowes Beyng from this warre retourned home wyth victorie he mynded also to vse the ayde of the same Turkes in his Warres against the Indians At which season the Turkes weary of that seruice desired leaue of Muchumet not onely to retourne home but also that a garrâ—son might be appointed to wafte them in safetie ouer â—â—e bridge that stoode vppon the Riuer Araxes Which request he tooke in suche disdaine and impacience that with frowning looke he charged them from thenceforth not to vrge him any more with that sute The Turkes had no other way in their retourne homeward but must néedes passe the said Riuer Araxes which is the limite and Border of the kingdome of Persia ouer the which there was no other Bridge but onely this which was on bothe sides merueylous strongly garded and fortified with Blocke-houses Turrettes and Garrisons The Turkes dreading further dauÌ„ger priuily shranke away as closely as they could departed into the desert of Carbonitis For considering their number was not aboue three thousande men they durst not aduenture to fight and buckle wyth such a great multitude Béeyng in those desertes they made many vagaries into the Saracenes Territories and wasted theyr Countrey terriblye Whereat Muchumet merueilously stomacking and storming sent an Armye of 30000. men against them committing the charge and conducting of the whole Armie vnto tenne Tribunes of the noblest stoutest and wisest in his traine They beyng come néere to their enemies would not aduenture to enter into the desert for feare they should be distressed for lacke of water and victuall but encamped themselues euen in the verye entraunce into the same desert The Captaine of the Turkes hauing intelligeÌ„ce by his Espialles of the Persians approch called his Souldiours together and making them priuie to his deuise purposed sodainly to set vpon them and vnawares to surprise both the Saracenes and Persians while they were yet secure and mistrusted nothing And spéeding apace toward them by great iournayes within two dayes was come néere vnto them The thirde night he set vppon them beyng in their Tentes carelesse and quiet suspecting nothing lesse then any such matter whom he put to flight euen at the first onset After this discomfiture of his enemies hee fell to spoyle and ransacke their Tentes where finding great store of Wagons Horses and Money lyued no longer by Robbery and Thefte lyke a Vagabonde or fugitiue as afore but from thence forthe pitched hys Tentes and encamped himselfe abroade in the open playne When the report of his victorie and good fortune was blowen abroade there resorted vnto him from all quarters thereaboute all suche Cutthroates and Villaines as for their vngracious demerites feared punishment wyth a great route of Slaues and pylfering Roges lyuing of the spoyle of
into a gréeuous sicknesse and maladie insomuch that he saw himselfe not like any longer to liue and fearing least his Sonne Caceme beinge a younge man woulde after the death of him deliuer these young Orphans and fatherlesse Children to Rocene which raigned after his Father Iacob furnished them with money Horse and Guides néedfull for their iourney and sent them home againe to their Mother and Kinsfolkes These Orphans being enformed of their state and noble byrth and by what meanes they had béene preserued which thing before that present thei knew nothinge of their Kinsmen Adherents and fauorers for their fathers sake flocking in from euery part vnto them Ismael the elder of the twaine whose wit was both more pregnant and déeper then his Brothers drawne therto by destiny naturall zeale openlie before his fréends protested that he would neuer rest till he had reuenged the murder and death of his father and after he had made certaine roades into the Marches and Precinctes of the Georgians his power also daylie encreasing he named himselfe Protectoure of Ali his doctrine and defendour of all his authorities and therwithall denounced open Warre vpon Rocene King of Persia and all his pertakers And because he had xij Brothers which contended with him for the succession of the Crowne he flew him and al the rest sauing only Marabeck This Marabeck fledde to Solyman Prince of Turks and requested his ayde wherupon ensued much trouble and great Warres betwéene the Othomannians and Sophians But before he had obtained any ayde of the Turkes to succour him Ismael had wonne not onely al Persia but also atchieued and won many notable victories of the Tartarians And thus the Saracenes expulsing the Turks began agayne to raigne in Persia in the yéere after the natiuitie of our Sauiour Christe 1500. and there do raigne tyll this day And the Turkes with all their powers together hauing conquered all the Romane Prouinces in Asia as farre as the Sea distributed and cast lottes for the same among themselues in which distribution and Lotterie the maigne countrey of Phrygia as far as Philadelphia and néere to Antioch situate vpon the riuer Meander fell vnto Carman Alisure whereof the Countrie was afterwarde named Caramania All from thence to Smyrna and the inner Coast of Ionia happened vnto one Sarcane Magnesia Priene and Ephesus were allotted vnto Sasan From Lydya and Aetolia to Mysia situate by Hellespont Calames and his Sonne Cerasus enioyed From the riuer Sangar to Paphlagonia the Sonnes of Armurius parted among them All within Olympus and the whole Countrey of Bythinia fell vnto Atman otherwise named Othoman of whose race the Emperours of Turkes which euer since and now at this day raigne in Turkye and lineally descended in the yéere of our saluation 1300. Albert the firste of that name descended of the house of Austrich being then Caesar and Emperour of Germanie And from this Othoman Laonicus Chalcondyla an Athenian Paulus Iouius and other both Gréeke and Latine Turcographers doo beginne their Histories wherfore to auoyd tediousnes least after Homere wee shoulde seeme to write an other Ilias héere we make an ende FINIS ¶ A Summarie or breefe Chronicle of Saracens and Turkes continued from the birthe of Mahomet their first péeuish Prophet and Founder till this present yeere 1575 MAhomet the Sonne of Abedela and Emma of the ligne of Ismael was borne at Itraripe in Arabia in the time that Maurice was Emperoure and Gregory the first Pope of Rome Mahomet patched together his Alcorane a Booke containing his pestilēt doctrine grosse opinions through the instinction and procurement of two hereticall Monkes Iohn of Antioch and Sergius of Italy And therewith seducing the light brayned Arabians and other fickle minded people of Asia called them Saracens At the age of xl yéeres he dyed and was burried in Mecha a Citie of Persia Hierusalem after it had bene besteged by the Saracens the full space of two yéeres was taken and spoyled All Syria ouerrunne and wasted by the Saracenes The Saracenes reuolted from the Emperoure of Romanes Antioch destroyed by Saracenes Damascus taken Phaenicia inuaded and Egipt subdued The Saracenes wanne the greatest part of Africa and layed it to their Empyre The moste Noble I le of Rhodes inuaded by the Saracenes and taken out of whiche they caryed awaye with them great abundaunce of Golde and a Noble Image of the Sunne called a Colosse whiche was in height 110. foote The Brasse therof being solde to the Iewes was as much as 900 Camelles coulde carye away They practyzed outragious Pyracie on the Aegean Sea and did much harme to the Isles called Cyclades The Saracens discomfited Olympius the Exarch of Italy with all his Hoast in Sicilie Constantine the fourth entred into league with Muchamed King of Saracens vpon condition that the Saracens shuld pay a great Summe of Gold to the Romanes with a goodly Horse and a Childe of noble byrth The Saracens rushed into Sicilie and after they had taken Syracuse and wasted the whole Countrey they returned backe to Alexandria Constantinople was besieged by the Saracens vnto which they gaue sundry assaultes but al in vaine wherefore they shipped themselues entending to haue returned home but the greater part of them through Shipwracke perished by the way The Romanes ouercame the Saracens and slewe of them 30000. Peace the second time was made betwene the Romanes and the Saracens for xxx yéeres vpon condition that the Saracens should pay yéerely to the Romanes 3000. li. of Gold 50. noble Prisoners and as many Horses The Saracens in the reigne of their King Ammirath inuaded Africa and Lybia caryed away many spoiles After the death of Constantine the Emperour Iustinian entred into league with the Saracens vpon these conditions that they shoulde restore vnto the Empyre Africa and Lybia and pay euery day for the space of ten yéeres a thousande Crownes a Horse and a Childe of noble byrthe in the name of a Tribute Iustinian breaking this League and ioyning battayle with the Saracens receyued at theyr handes much harme and great ouerthrowes The Saracens putting the Romanes to flight greatly enhaunced their name and authoritie contrariwise the dignitie of the Romanes therby greatly decayed Abimelech King of Saracens inuading Africa enioyed not his victory there long The Romans spoyling Syria discomfited 200000. Saracenes While Iustinian and Leontius were striuing for the Empire the Saracens againe inuader 〈◊〉 The Saracens sayling out of Lybia thus yéere set first foote into Spaine wasting Aragon Betica and Lusitanie The Saracens of Asia landed at Constantinople with 300. Saile and fiercely besieged the same both by Sea and lande The same yéere in Bulgaria there were slaine 22000. Saracens Zulcemō King of Saracens dyed in his Camp before Constantinople in whose place succéeded Amirath During this Siege of Constantinople many of the Saracens dyed of famyne plague and colde They that remained alyue meaning to retourne home by tempest on the Sea and Lightening perished being
partly cōsumed by fire and partly drowned in the waters insomuch that of their whole fléete which was 3000. Shippes more and lesse there escaped but only fiue This Siege lasted fully two yeeres The same yeere the Saracens thinking to recouer some of theyr former losses wyth a huyge Army entred into Spayne and spoyled all the Countrey sauing onely Gallicia Abidimar Capitaine of the Saracens in Africa sacked and spoyled Burdeaux a Citie of Fraunce and remoouing thence to Poytiers was mette withall and repressed by Charles Martellus Their Captaine and Prince Abidimar being slaine the Saracens for a while were quiet and medled not with any moe warres The Saracenes bringyng wyth them theyr wyues Children and whole Householde entred a freshe into Fraunce as thoughe they had meant there continuallye to haue dwelled and planted themselues for euer Wyth them Charles the Great ioyned Battayle hauyng the ayde of the Frenche Nation and slewe of them 380000. and loste of his owne men onely 1500 Souldiours Charles King of Fraunce by hys valiaunt Knyghthood delyuered out of the handes of the Saracens the noble Citie of Auinion whyche they had before guilefully surprized Charles restored many other Cityes to peace and libertie expulsing out the Saracens slaying Amorrheus one of their Captaines putting Athine another of their Guydes to flight The same Charles by helpe of Luitprand Kinge of Lumbardie draue and expulsed all the Saracens out of Fraunce Constantinus Copronymus Emperour of Constantinople furnished out a Nauie against the Saracenes in Aegypt The Saracens in the East were euer wynning somewhat that belonged to the Romans and layed it to theyr owne Empyre by meanes that the Romanes disagreed among themselues and bent themselues only against the French Kings Charles the Great had a noble victorie agaynst the Saracenes in Spaine Rowlande in combate ouercame a Saracen that often chalenged the Christians Through which Victorie and vpperhande he made the waye the easyer for the rest of his fréendes and Countreymen to wynne the victorie Leo the fourthe Emperour made a voyage against the Saracens in Syria Aaron Prince of Saracens wyth 300000 lyght Horsemen inuaded Nicephorus Emperour of Constantinople and made hym glad to become Tributarie and to accepte such offers as greatly mislyked and diseased hym but there was no remedy Sardinia and Corsica two Islandes were spoited by the Saracens The Saracens wanne the I le of Crete and ouercame the Gréekes in two Battayles The Saracens of Asia rushed into Palestina and they of Africa into Sicilie Boniface Countee of Corsica hauing no helpe of the Chrystians sauyng onely the Hetrurians sayled into Africa and in foure Battayles betweene Carthage and Vtica had of them the Victorie and vpperhand and so feared the Saracenes wyth the terrour of his onely name that they were faine to depart out of Sicilie and get them home to defend theyr owne Many Countreyes receyued greate damage at the handes of the Saracenes and manye Cyties for feare in euery quarter fledde and submitted themselues vnto them Saba Kynge of Moores and Capitayne of the Saracenes wasted Sicilie and all the Countrey about Crotona and tooke Tarento agaynst whom Theophilus the Emperour and the Venetian fleete stoode at resiststaunce but all in vaine The Saracenes inuadyng Hetruria and Latium spoyled and sacked Rome but before theyr retourne home the greatest parte of them perished by Shypwrecke Hauyng wasted Illyrium and Dalmatia they coasted alonge the Adrian Sea and burned Ancona a Citie of Picene after they had taken the spoyle thereof Leo the fourth Pope of Rome compelled the residue of the Saracens to packe oute of the Hauen of Ostia and strengthened all the Countrey beyonde Tyber againste them The Saracens agayne onely for bootie and spoyle brake into Italie and wasted with fire and sword all the Countrey aboute Beneuent by the Samnytes But by King Ludouick and Kinge Lotharius they were put to flight The Saracens renewed Warres with the Persians The Persians through the help of the Turkish Souldyours at that time the Turkes inhabited Mount Caucasus and were called Tartarians ouercame them Euer after from that time the Turkes neuer left Asia and not onely encroched vpon the Domynions of the Saracens but also were called by the same name as they were After the Saracenes had enioyed Sicilie xlvii yéeres they were thence cleane expulsed Charles surnamed the Thicke repulsed the Saracens breaking into Italy Nicetes one of the Capitaines of the Constantinopolitane Emperoure had a notable victorie ouer the Saracens The Saracens inuaded Puell and Calabria At Lyris a riuer of Campania the Saracens as they were spoylynge the Cities belonginge to the Romans were ouercome The Saracens breaking out of Fraxinete came as far as Aquisgrane where encountringe with the Inhabytantes they were vtterly destroyed and Sagitus theyr Capitaine slayne The Saracens spoyled Geane a Citie of Liguria and with great booties retourned into Afryca Hugh King of Italie wanne Fraxinete and burned the Nauie of the Saracens Ramyre King of Gallyce discomfited a great Armye of Saracenes in Spayne The Saracenes committing many murthers and firyngs in Calabria Puell and Lucania by the Knightlye prowesse of Alberick Marquesse of Hetruria were repressed and néere to Minturne in Campania by the Ryuer Lyris vanquished There intentes were to haue come to Rome The Saracenes by force kéeping the Mount Garganus made out of it many Roades into the Countrey néere adioyninge and burned Beneuent Otho the first Emperour of Germanes draue the Saracenes out of Italie and dispossessed them cleane out of their holde in Mount Garganus The Saracenes recouered Consentia out of the which a litle before they were throwen out by the Hungarians The I le of Crete taken from the Saracenes Otho the seconde receiued a great ouerthrowe at the handes of the Saracenes in a battayle fought with them in Calabria the Ides of Iulie with whom the Greekes had stricken a League and ioyned powers His stoutest souldiours and Capitaines being in this conflict slaine he himselfe had much a doo by flight to saue himselfe Alphonsus King of Spaine besiedging a stronge holde of the Saracens called Viseum was wounded with an Arrowe and therof dyed The Saracens deuidinge their hoast into two partes landed in Italie tooke Capua and besieged Barum The Saracenes of Asia tooke Hierusalem Henry the second Emperour of Germanes draue the Saracens out of Capua and persecuted with gréeuous Warre certayne Capitaines which fauored their side The Egiptian Caliph through the ayd of an army of Saracens and Turks which then ruled all the roast in Persia spoyled the Temple of our Lord at Hierusalem Baldwyne after .xviij. monthes Imprisonment deceyued his kéepers and escaping out of Prison retourned to his owne people Dominicus Michael Duke of Venice with a well furnished Nauie greatly annoyed the Saracenes in Syria To the Venetians for their worthy seruice and valiauntnes were graunted sundry great Priuiledges An Army of 400000 men set vpon the Christians and were encountred withall by 3000. Christians who thorow
owne vncle Moses Mahomet the sixte Kyng of Turkes when his brother was thus rydde out of the way enioyed the Crowne alone This Mahomet subdued Seruia Walachia and a great part of Sclauonie Sigismund king of Hungarie in a battaile against the Turkes foughten in the fieldes of Salumbeze whyche were somtimes called Philadelphia was put to the worse and fledde Mahomet imposed gréeuous and intollerable tributes vpon the Walachians He translated the Seate royall or chiefe Citie of his Empire out of Bythinia into Thracia and gaue prerogatiue to Adrianople preferring it before Prusia He was the first king of that race that passed the ryuer of Danowe he subdued Macedonie and came as farre as the Ionian Sea. Ammurathes the seuenth King of Turkes vanquishing Mustapha the sonne of Baiazeth by force of Armes obteined his fathers kingdome This Turke made his first voyage against George the king of Seruia otherwyse called Rascia from whom after foure yeeres siege hee wanne Newmound and Scopia and myserably afflicted Synderouia The kinges ij sonnes whom he tooke in battaile he berest of their eyes and cutte of their priuie members But he maryed and tooke to wife his daughter for her rare beautie and comely personage Thessalonica a famous Citie belonging to the Seigniorie of Venice was won by the Turkes who left there no kinde of villanie and spightfull dealing agaynste the Christians vnpractyzed Amurathes besieging Belgrade in Hungarie loste 10000 of his men and was faine to retyre into his owne Countrey after he had in vayne and to his great shame continued his siege vij monthes Iohn Huniades encountred with the Turkes spoyling Hungarie and them discomfited Ladislaus king of Polonie and Hungarie sending out a power against the Turkes vnder the guydaunce leading of the same Iohn Huniades had ouer thē a noble victorie in the fieldes of Haemus and draue the Turke to such a streict that he was faine to condiscend to a peace This peace made with the Turke contrary to league and othe was violated and broken by the vnabuised procurement and exhortation of Pope Eugenius whiche breache to the Chrystians was verye pernicious and hurtful For first the Christians in the Streicts of Hellespont lost lxx Gallyes Afterward in a battaile foughtē at the féeld aboue xxx thousand of them slaine belīde a great number drowned in the Bogges In that battayle was slayne Iulian Caesarine a Cardinal Legat for the pope who came thither to procure and incense the Princes to violacion of their League and Oth and warranted them from daunger the king Vladislaus himself was ther slaine who was merueilous desirous to enterprise this War. Huniades with much adoo escaped by flight and saued himselfe The Turke could not haue brought his Nauy through the Streictes of Bosphorus in Thracia to do this mischief had not the couetous Genowayes winked at the matter and suffered them hauing in bribe and rewarde for euery Turke a péece of Golde payed vnto them Ammurathes wanne the Isthmos of Corynth and vanquished the Gréekish Garrysons together with the emperours Brother of Constantinople and ouercame with pitifull spoyle all Peloponesus The Kinge of Polonie encountred with the Turkes as they inuaded Hungary and obtayned the victory The Turkes desirous of reuenge assembled a huige power afresh and renewed Warre Wherin both parties were lamentably damnyfied loosing welnéere 800000 men betwéene them Notwithstanding the number of the Turks there slayne was farre greater then of the Christians But the Generall of the Christian Armye was there slayne and his head brought to the Kinge of Turkes In the same battayle also was slayne the sonne of the sayd King of Turkes The Hungarians vnder the leadinge of Huniades to the number of 600000 entred into the Turks Countries and ioyning battayle with them at the firste conflict they had the victorye but in the seconde they were slayne in maner euery one except 1000. or ther aboute which by flight saued themselues The great Turke besieged Croia a citie of Aemathia many Monthes but by the worthy prowesse of Scanderbeg he was defeated from his purpose and with losse of many of his men was sent away packing with a Flea in his eare Amurathes Emperoure of Turkes dyed bequeathing his Crowne and kingdome to Mahomet his Son the 8. King of Turkes Who least his Father should be buried alone without company slew at his first entraunce his owne Brother and commaunded them to be buried both in one graue The first Warre that this Mahomet tooke in hande was against Scanderbeg Besieginge Croia with lxxx thousand men but he departed away without his purpose to his great shame and reproche leauing behinde him at the sayde Siege Ballabano one of his chiefe Bassaes The famous and renowmed Citie of Athens the Vniuersitie and Nurce of all worthy Artes Disciplines was conquered and rased to the ground by this most cruel Tyrant the Turk who in some places therof digged vp the very foundacions for extreeme hatred that he bare to learning He threw all the Bookes and Monuments that he could finde into dyrtie Sinkes and filthiest places in the citie and to be put to the vilest vses that could be And if any man séemed to lament it the same partye was streight wayes put to death The Castle of Pyruaem and Munychia was also most furiously rased to the grounde This Tyraunt the xxix day of May after a continuall assault geuen thereto from the ix of Aprill afore that is to say 50. continual daies by his innumerable multytude of Turks conquered the noble citie of Constantinople to the vnspeakable hindraunce of all Christendome and high aduancement of the Turkes Domynion At the taking of this citie most horyble prophanacion of the Temples was vsed As for Imags which the Turks themselues cannot abyde in great scorne and contempte were throwne downe Among others Mahomet himself laughing at the supersticious Citezens in great be rysion gaped and laughed at the Crucifix and caused it in scornfull maner to be caryed about the Stréetes with Trumpettes and wrat vpon the head of the said Picture these wordes Hic est Christianorum Deus This is the God of the Christians Thrée dayes together he gaue leaue to his outragious Souldiours to kill spoyle and rauishe both Wyues Matrons and Maydes without any reuerence of nature The citizens some they murthered some they rosted vppon Spits some they steyed the skinnes and afterwarde hanged them vp to consume with fainyne of others they put Salt into their woundes the more to encrease theyr payne contending amonge themselues who could deuise most straungest kind of new torment insomuch that the Citie was no Citie but rather a Slaughter House or Shambles of Christian bodyes The Emperoure hymselfe being there slayn his head was pitched vpon a speare and caryed about At euery dinner and Supper some of the Emperours Cosens and Nobles of the Countrey were put to death so longe as anye remayned of that ligne Of the inferior sorte no day passed wherein he caused not to
went vnto the Pauilion of Mustapha with the keyes of the Citie of whom at the first they were curteously enterteyned and caused to sit downe by him discoursing with them of sundrye matters and drawing them froÌ„ one tale to another till at leÌ„gth picking a surmysed quarel and specially to Sig. Bragadino sodainly commaunded them all to be pynyoned and to be layde bounde one by one in the market place and in hys presence there to be hewen in péeces As for Sig. Bragadino he first commaunded his eares to be cut of and most vilely to be stretched a long vpon the grounde while Mustapha talked and blasphemously demaunded of him where his Christ was that he helped him no better Then he led him to all the breaches of the Citie making him to carie at once two baskettes of rubbish and earth th' one on hys backe and th' other in his hand slauelyke to euery sundry battry being enforced also and commaunded to kysse the grounde as often as he passed by him After this he was ledde to the Sea side where being set in a Chayre he was wynched vp and fastened to the maineyard of a Galley and hoysed vp with a Crane so high that al the Christian Souldiours and Slaues in the Hauen alreadye shipped might behold and was afterward let downe againe and vpon the Pyllorie in the market place most cruelly fleyed quicke After which most sauage tyraÌ„nie his skinne was stuffed with Straw and hanged vpon the Bowsprit of a foyst to be caryed along the coastes of Syria that al the Port townes might behold and vnderstand who he was The Turkish Army at this Siege of all sortes were in number 200 thousande persons In 79 dayes all which time the Battry still continued 140 thousande yron pellettes were shot into the Citie numbred and séene The Christian Nauy being in number 207 Gallyes 6. Galeazes beside a great nuÌ„ber of Pynnesses and other Shippes and 20. thousande â—all Souldiours of Spayne Italy and Germanie beside the Labourers and Rowers wherof was chiefe General Don Iohn de Austria tooke the Sea at Messana from thence sayling to Coreyra so to Cephalenia séeking the Turkes where being out of Candy enformed of the miserable taking and cruell dealyng at Famagosta were further geuen to vnderstande that the Turks lay at Anker in the Gulph of VelapanÌ„t Spéeding themselues thytherward the Turkes were in a ioly ruffe marueilyng that the Christians curste so fondly hazard themselues vnto certayne death and makyng full reckenyng so to afflict and crush the Christian power at that time that they should neuer be able afterwarde to withstand theÌ„ more But they reckened before their Host and God gaue the victorie For there were taken burnt and sunk of the Turkish Gallyes Galiots and Brygandines 230. There were slayne of the Turkes 30. thousand beside a great number taken prisoners and about xiiii thousand Christians that had bene kept in lothsome captyuitie were set at libertie breaking their chaynes to be reuenged of their extréeme slauerie to helpe the Christians when the Turkishe side began to goe to wreck The chiefe brunt of this conflict was vpon the 6. day of October and lasted foure houres but the slaughter and chase continued all day from morning tyll night insomuch that the Sea séemed redd with bloud for none escaped thence aliue sauing 40. Gallyes which fled at the first beginning The Christians lost seauen Gallyes and were slayne betwéene the number of vi or vii thousande The wind and Sunne was on the backs of the Christians and full in the faces of the Turkes whiche greatlye helped them at this pinch and furthermore the Stemmes of the Turks Gallies were so high that they ouershotte our men which made them to vasten to grappling there beside a great sort of Ianyzaries and commoÌ„ Turkes their Bassa was slaine This yéere the seauenth of October the noble and valyaunt Prince Don Iohn De Austria with 105 Gallyes and 40. great Shippes was sent by Phylip King of Spayne to take and set order in the kingdome of Tunice where was great ruffling and hurly burly for the State. He therfore takyng Ship at Iauagnana had the wynd so fauorable that by noone the next day he arryued at Goletta Afterward there folowed and came to him Marcellus Auria with 29. well trimmed Foysts and the Duke of Sessia with 14. of the Popes gallyes The Turkes in Tunice for dread of his puissaunce whom to their cost not long before they had tryed fled out of Tunice some to Carauana and 400. of them to Bisana sometime called Vtica whom the Bisanes would not receiue nor succour whervpon after many hoat wordes on either party they fell together by the eares among themselues The Bisanes to be the stronger in that byckeringe vnclogged and vnchayned 150. Christian Prisoners whom the Turkes had vsed for Gallye Slaues and them furnished with Weapon and armure By whose help and meane specially the Bisanes got the vpperhande and slue many of the Turkes Which done Don Iohn hauing the goodwyl of the Townesmen sent thither Sig. Salazara the Spaniarde to take possession of the Towne and to sweare the Aâ—â—habitauntes to be true obedient Subiectes to Kinge Philip. Then landing his Army within foure miles of Tunice he sent 2500. Footemen to the citie where they found no body to resist them but onely 200 Moores in the Castle who sayde that they kept the same to the vse of Amidas their Kinge Whom Don Iohn sent Prisoner with his Wife and Children into Sicile because he had bene cause of great discorde and faction in that Countrie and dispossessing the lawfull heyres thereof had violentlye vsurped the same and procured the Turkes to come thither In whose roome be appoynted young Muleasses who sware to be true Vassall vnto Kinge Phylip and to holde his Crowne of hym by Homage whom the Citezins with a goodly peale of Ordinaunce receiued gladlye séemed to admit for their Souereigne Ouer the Castle or chiefe Fort of the Citie he appoynted Sig. Serbellane Captaine The iiij of February 200 footemen and 150 Horsemen of the Garrison of the sayd Sig. Serbellan ioyning also vnto theÌ„ for helpe 4000 Moores yssued out of their Fort and encountred with 1500 Turkes and 3000 Arabians which robbed and spoyled the goods of the Tunicians and gréeuously molested them In which conflict the false harted Moores reuolting and refusing to fight there was taken 150 Christians and two Gunnes Still the Turkes stamping and staring for rage to see the Spanyardes beare rule and authoritie in those quarters priuely in the night the 21 of Februarie surpryzed Canisum killing therein and slaying aboue a thousande persons and after they had vtterly burnt the towne euen to the Castle gate they retyred backe whence they came The Garrison in the Castle to their great griefe all thys while beholding this outragious dealing durst not once aduenture to coape with them for frare of loosing all because they were in number farre fewer their they
the Bishop and a few other old meÌ„ all the other multitude commoÌ„ sort they caried thence away with them The Emperour Michael sent out another Nauie wherof was Captain Craterus the Lieutenant of Cyberetes against the Saracenes which rousted nestled in Crete Who with .lxx. Sayle of his owne and an infinite number of Galleys of other Islandes well manned appointed couragiously landed in Crete where he found the Saracens neuer a whit abashed of his arriuall neither refusing by dent of sword and stroke of battaile to darraigne their quarell Whervpon they mette together in a place méete for such a purpose where betwene theÌ„ was fought a sharpe and cruell Battaile lasting from the dawning of the day till Noone in such doubtfull fortune that hard it was to iudge whether part in th' end would cary away the victory But at length toward Euening the Saracens were ouercome and fled wherof many were slain in the fielde but moe throwing away their weapons were taken insomuch that that daye theyr Citie was lyke to haue beene taken and wonne if it had not béene so néere nighte Which night and victorie was the destruction and ouerthrow of the Greekes as afterward shall appéere For being now in their iolitie and pryde hopyng the next day folowing with small labour or none at all to bring those fewe of theyr enemyes yet left a liue into their power gaue themselues to biâ—ynge ryot and bellychere as though they had not bene in their enemies precincte and daunger but at home in their own houses taking no regard to set heir watch kept or any other expedient order obserued Insomuch that minding no other thing but sléepe ease and stouth the vtter ouerthrowers of al goodnes they were set vpon in the dead time of the night snortinge with their dronken nowles by the Saracenes who espyed the aduantage and oportunytie and were slayne euery Mothers sonne not somuch as a Messenger left aliue to carry home newes of their yll spéede Onely Craterus the Captaine embarkinge himselfe in a Marchauntes Craer sought to saue his life But when the Chieuetayne of the Saracenicall Armye after longe séekinge and tumblinge among the dead Carkasses and Prisoners could not finde him knowing him then to be escaped and fled sent in all post hast to pursue and hunt him out Who being taken and apprehended in the I le of Coo was hanged vpon a Gibbet The Emperour Michael hearing these newes commanded Orypha a wiseman and verie skilfull in Martiall affaires to gather together the Praetorian Legion which because euery souldiour of that Legion had for his wages xl Crownes was then called Quadragenaria and with them he spedde himselfe against the saracenes whome he greatly endamaged somtimes killinge them as they raunged licentiously and excursiuely abroad into other Ilandes for spoyle partly breaking out vpon them out of Stales and Ambushes layd for the nonce to intrap them and partly by open conflictes pitched battailes He also cooled the courage and abated the pride â—â—moderate audacitie of them that vsurped the Countrey of Crete At this time there was one Euphemius Capitayne of a certayne Band of Souldiours in Sicilie who not hable to master the lasciuious passions of inordinate loue perforce tooke a virgin out of the Cloyster wher she was professed Nun and had vowed chastytie from her tender age and her by the example of his Lorde and Maister the emperour who also had aforetime perpetrated the lyke enormity rauished and carnally knew against her consent and wyll For whiche impyous acte her Brothers made complaynt to the Emperour with humble request the this detestable exaÌ„ple might not escape the penalty punishmeÌ„t due for such a villanye Whereupon the Emperour sent Commaundement to the Regent of Sicilie that if this were true he should slitte and cut of Euphemius his nose Euphemius vnderstanding what sentence and iudgment the emperour had geueÌ„ against him entred into a conspiracie with his owne Souldiours and other Capitaynes besides and they altogether fled to Ambulak Bysshop of the Saracenes in Mauritania Promysing vnto him that if he might by his help and meanes be proclaymed Emperour of Romanes he would delyuer and bring all Sycile in subiection vnder him and woulde moreouer paye vnto hym a great Tribute Whiche offer and condition Ambulak not refusing inuested hym with the tytle of Romane Emperour and furnished him with a great Armye by meanes whereof he wan the possession of Sicile but Euphemius making his progresse and walkes about Sicile in the habit and stately gesture of Emperour was at the Citie of Syracuse slaine Then began the Saracens to set foote into Calabria and diuers other partes of Italye making therin great hauock and spoyle of whom one Nauy perished and was cast away about the Coastes of Sardinia the other for there were two sent out in fléeinge wyse retourned home Whiche caused Ambulak to conclude a peace with the french Kinge But within a while after Bernard the Sonne of Pipine raigning in Italy the Saracens despising and reiecting the peace that Ambulak had made inuaded Corsica who in their returne homwarde beinge laden and full fraught with booties and great store of Pyllage were in the mayne Sea encountred by one Ermengarius a man of great power in the greater of the Baleare Ilands to the behoofe of the king of Italy maintained a garison ther by whos prowesse the Saracenes at the first onset were cleane discomfited and put to flight and diuers of their Shipes intercepced and taken beside 500. Christian Prisoners in them which were rescued and saued Notwithstandinge all this misfortune and discomfiture the Saracens would rest but coasting about Italie with their Fléet sodaynely landed and surprised a towne in the Coast of Hetruria named Centumcel whiche nowe is called the olde Citie Which being so taken they sacked and with Sword and Fire defaced most rufully From thence holding on their vioage toward Narbon they destroyed haryed and spoyled the Country al about and that doone inuaded Sardinia where they practised all kinde of wast and robbery But as they fetched their vagaries and licencious roades Ermengarius agayne with the power of the I le by hym assembled vpon a sodayne gaue the charge vpon them put them to flight and with great slaughter on their side draue them to the Sea where for hast as they thicke and thréefolde striued who might first get a boorde they were killed downe right at the pleasure and full desire of their Enemies Being thus gréeuously afflicted and hauynge lost a great part of their Nauy they waighed vp their Ankers and sayled into Africa And they which were in Sycile hearinge that the Venetians to gratyfie the Constantinopolitan Emperoure vnto whom that Ile was subiect purposed to send a Nauy against them filled their Bagges and stuffed their powches with such spoyle and pray as they lyked and went their way After this Haido whom Lewes Kinge of Fraunce and the Emperour had made Ruler of
and infestinge the Romane Prouinces were vaunted and ouercome by Mychael Comnenus Generall and Chieftaine for the Emperoure and within awhile after the same Michael being sent by the Emperoure into Syria with a lesse power for certayne spight and hartburning borne agaynst hym was vanquished and taken of the Turkes After this the Emperoure in person with a great power went into the orientall Prouinces and entamping at a place called Criapega in a battayle whiche hee fought with his Enemies wher the Scythians that were in his Army forsoke him and fled to the Turkes most manfully fightinge was taken and brought before the Sultane whose name then was Axan for Tangrolipix was now dead This Axan as he was a most precise man and of great moderation and prudence when hee certainlye knew that it was the Emperour for he would not beléeue it was he till the Ambassadours vnto him before sent affirmed it was he indéede and certayne Greeke Capitaines whiche hee had in Prison being brought before him fel downe and prostrated themselues at his féete curteously lifted hym vp from the ground lying prostrate and knée lynge at his Feete as the custome and manner is for them that acknowledge themselues vanquished and so louinglye embraced him as though he had bene his owne Brother speakinge vnto hym these comfortable wordes folowyng I would not wish you moste noble Emperour to lament and sorow for this your present chaunce and miserie For such is the state and course of this worlde that the fortune of Warre sometime allotteth victorie to one sometime to an other humbleth one and aduaunceth an other Your Maiestie hath moste puissauntlye quitte your selfe in many notable Battayles your valiaunt courage and inuincible prowesse in warlyke affaires shall euer be renowmed and spoken of yf you now shew your selfe to be no lesse pacient and stoute in aduersitie then you were prudent and wise in prosperitie Albeit at my handes you shall not be vsed as a Captiue and prisoner but lyke an Emperour and as is most sitting for one of your estate And immediatly he apointed vnto him a most Princelye and rych Tabernacle with seruauntes to await and geue attendaunce vppon his Person and all other furniture méete for an Emperour And caused him to sit at his owne table next vnto himselfe for his sake set at lybertie as many Prisoners as he would demaunde Which Princely curtesie argued that he had regarde to humane mutabilitie and fickle state considering the same missehappe might as well haue happened vnto hym Thus these two mighty Princes keping company famylyerly together for certayne dayes talking most fréendly one to an other at last established and concluded a perpetuall and infringible peace for euer to continue betwene them and vpon promise of affinitie by Mariage betwéene their Children to be solempnised hee franklie delyuered and fréely dismissed Diogenes with a great traine of honorable Personages awaighting vppon him and gaue vnto hym a riche sute of Princelye Apparaile But after that Diogenes was at Constantinople murthered by his owne People Axan the Sultane hearinge thereof and greatlie lamentinge his death for reuenge thereof sent out his Armies not now to pylfer and robbe as before but to subdue and vtterlie to reduce the same vnder his subiection Against whom Michael Ducas the Emperour sent Isaac Comnenus with a great power who was ouercome and taken of the Turkes and payde a great Summe of Money for his Raunsome After this Cutlume Nepheiu to Tangrolipix as before hath béene declared leuyinge agreat Power some the Citie of Hierusalem and some with muche labour and effusion of bloude regained other Cities and there constituted a Christian Kingdome Nowe this while the Emperour of Constantinople was in league with the other Sultan of the Turkes was Lord of the Prouinces confyning and bordering next vnto Constantinople for wée shewed before howe that those Prouinces were alotted and geuen to Cutlume the which hys Heires after him enioyed and Tangrolipix his Successours had the regiment ouer the Persians and Babylonians and in Aegypt there were yet remayning the remnauntes and residue of the Saracenes But after the death of Cutlume and his Sonne Sultanes of the Occident and Lordes of all Cappadocia one Tanismanye succéeded Of these Christian Capitaines when they were arryued in safetie in Asia the Turkes gaue a great ouerthrowe vnto Raymund watching him at a vauntage when he was entred into the Countrey about Nice vnaduisedly without searche and hym compelled to flie vnto a poore desert towne called Exorgum where after he had bin a certain space besieged throughly wearied with a sewe others yelded to his enemyes The rest which would not yelde and submit themselues after long Siege were partly consumed in skirmishes and partly perished by famyne and such as were taken alyue were slaine euerie one So many as were leste departed first to Nicomedia and from thence remooued to Nice a Citie of Bithynia Whiche Citie while they fiercely assaulted Tanismany or Solyman with lx thousande Turkes yssued out and bent his full force agaynst that part of the Christian Campe which was ledde by the Byshoppe of Podie but the Frenche stoode so stoutly at the receipt that the enemyes were easely repulsed and so at length the Citie of Nice was taken After this there was a sharpe bickering and conflict with Solyman at the fourth Tent pitch from Nicaea For he had gathered together the power of the whole Orient and had procured as much aide from else where as he could TheÌ„ â—conium a Citie standing by Mount Taurus the Seate Royall and Metropolitane Citie of Solyman which at this day is called Cogni and the Pallace of the Princes of Phrygia now called Caramania and Heraclea were wonne Afterwarde Baldwyne diuiding hys Armye into two partes tourned into Cilicia and tooke Tharsus Edessa and Manussa the greater Hoaste wynning Armenia delyuered the regiment and rule thereof to Palmurus an Armenian After this good successe they tooke Cappadocia Caesarea Sororgia and Sura in the Straicts of Mount Taurus When they had passed the Mount Taurus the Turkes aduaunced themselues in a faire plaine but they were easely and with litle adoe discomfited and put to flight by the Latines and from thence marched straight to Antioch a noble and strong Citie in Phaenicia by which the riuer Orontes runneth for there is another of the same name in Pamphilia néere vnto Seleucia and tooke the same by surrendre by reason that the Turkes were afore vanquished in battaile and yelded themselues In which battaile were slaine of the Tuâ—ks a hundreth thousand and xv M. Camelles taken During these broyles the Venetian Fleete beynge CC. sayle and sent to ayde the Latynes wanne a Citie in the Coast of Ionia called Smyrna and the Latines after they had taken Antioch wanne Rugia and Albaria and there Wintered In the Spryng folowing departyng thence they layde Siege fyrst to Tortosa and Tripolis The king of Tripolis submitting himselfe was receiued vnder Protection but Tortosa