and easie to bee graunted to require that thing of Amurath which age and riches had denyed him that is to say that hee woulde driue his Brother out of the kingdome and to substitute him in his place And thus wente the good young man to the courte where hauing bestowed a fewe small presentes he did not sticke to shew himselfe to bee a suiter for the nowme of his Brother who hauing had intelligence before of his going to Constantinople had presentlye written to his Embassadours there that they should not regarde any expences they should not omit any duety or intreatie they should not forget any Art or diligence to retain him stil established in his possessed dig nitye to procure his foolish audatious Brother to be clapt vp in some place where he might not disturb him in his kingdom And so whiles the one labored with the power of his toung and by meanes thereof conioyned with the other ornamentes of his mind hoped to haue become his Brothers superiour the Agentes of the other did not cease to imploy also the force of their guiftes and Stratagems and in the end it fell out that neither learning nor beauty of person nor good reporte coulde preuaile somuch for the one as rich presentes and crafty deceites legitimated by gold could doe for the other notwithstanding a number of filthy vices that were in him And what is it that money cannot doe amonge couetous people at this day if it bee bestowed in measure and in time and distributed in fitte occasions The young man was committed prisoner sent by safe watch to Gogna sometimes called Iconium a City of Licaonia and his Brother stil confirmed in his possessed kingdome With great patience did the vnhappy young man remaine at Gogna apparelled like an Eremit and in that his captiuity liued a life altogether conformable to his miserye and as al men iustified it vnto me at my passage through that Cytye when I went to Constantinople by his continuall and treacherous execrations and a kinde of externall innocencye hee made shewe that hee was voide of all hope or ambitious desire to be brought to a kingdome thought the matter was nowe no longer to bee foreslowed but that it was verie expediente to attempt the famous enterprize of Tauris and by erecting a Forte in that Citie to raise a terrour ouer al Persia and a glorirous renowme of their mightie conquestes amonge the Nations of Europe For it was alreadie well knowen what the Georgians were able to doo the people wherof had already partly of their owne voluntary motion and partly enforced by necessity feare yeelded their dutiful obediēce although Mustaffa had rebelled returned to his former libertie natiue Religion yet he might peraduenture by this time repent himselfe thereof neither was there any cause at all to feare the treacheries of one that beeing without any traine to followe him and of himselfe verie poore woulde rather seeke to saue himselfe in his obscure and base villages and to keep his pittifull holdes within the mountaines neither could bee able to endure the sounde of their victors much lesse bee so hardie as to assault the victoreis So that all thinges now were open neither was there any feare of any noueltie arising but that the iourney to Tauris might resolutely bee performed for the accomplishment wherof hee thought that either the same Armie or at the most a verie little greater would suffize so that it were of the choisest souldiers By reason of one of the letters which Sciaus Bassa had written to the Cuman Tartar and was founde I know not howe Amurath had depriued the saide Sciaus from the office of the chiefe Visier and banished him from the Courte so that hee liued afterwardes about Calcedone vpon the borders of Asia towardes Constantinople in a certaine Serraglio or close Palace that yee had there builte for his owne pleasure and recreation And in the rowme of this his son in law he had appointed Osman to bee chiefe Visier in the ranke of the Bassaes of the Court and not contented to haue committed so great a trust vnto him hee nominated him also the Generall and Soueraigne Captaine in the enterprise of Tauris Such power and force hath vertue that euen from the verie skomme of the rascall sorte and out of the rustical route of Mountaine Peasauntes which notwithstanding cannot bee truely iustified of this Osman it doth oftentimes in this variable worlde drawe diuerse men into Princes Courtes and aduaunce them to the highest dignities This Osmans father was a Circassian borne who in the common losse and conquest of his countrey was one of those that to escape the slaughtering sworde of Selim submitted themselues to the Turkish yoke and afterwardes fighting in defense thereof hee ouercame the Aethtopians and thereby obtained immortall renowme Of these his vertues hee lefte the saide Osman his heire who beeing broughte vppe in aboundance of all thinges and trayned vp in the Arte of warrefare became verie couragious and skilfull therein and at last from a priuate Souldier was called to the highest dignities of so greate an Empyre and from thence to the chiefest place of authoritie in the Armie of the Easte and to bee shorte was at one instante created a Counseller and Generall of Ottoman Greate was the ioye that Osman conceiued hereat and greate was the desire that hee had to make himselfe woorthie of so honourable fauours and the greater confidence that hee perceiued Amarath had reposed in him the more eagerly was he spurred on to doe any thing possible whereby hee might shewe himselfe to haue deserued the same And therefore aduising with himselfe that forasmuch as there must bee a greater Armie nowe Leuied then there was in the former years so sent into very far Countreyes it was also necessarie for him the sooner to send out his aduertisementes into all his subiect Prouinces and he himselfe by his owne example to prouoke the other Captaines and Souldiers therunto he determined euen in winter thought it were as yet somewhat troublesome to passe to Chalcedon and from thence to Angori to Amasia to Siuas and in those territories to driue out the time vntill hee might vnderstand that all his souldiers which were summoned were gathered together But because vpon this his great speed it might fal out peraduenture that his enemies also woulde beginne to prepare a greater number of Souldiers if they should vnderstande for certaine that Osman had appointed all these preparations for Tauris he thought it a better pollicie for so it pleased Amurath also to spreade a rumour abroade that they must goe for Nassiuan whither Ferat Bassa had giuen out speech that he should haue gone the last yeere before to the end that the Persians beeing so beguiled shoulde not regard the gathering of so mighty an Armye as they woulde haue done if they should haue heard of their
conceaued of the person of Ismahel that there was not a man to be found which changed not his former hopes into new fears bitterly sorrowing for the calling of such a Lord to rule ouer them did not hate this new fiercenes of his mind bewayle so vntymely miserable a massacre But much greater and farre more lamentable did these miseries growe assoone as certayne speeches were published and spred of the king That hee would change the religion if we may so call it assoone as he commanded openly that whosoeuer desyred to liue vnder his standard loued to obey his lawes should detest the superstitious worships of Aly the foolish and false prophet of the Persians according to the impious custome of the Ottomans obserue and mayntaine the impure and wicked rytes of Abubac Osman and others that were reuerenced honoured by the Turkes with a profane worship So that by this great nouelty quite contrary to the late publike and famous actes of Ismahel and altogether repugnant to their hope whereby they expected glorious matters from him to the generall benefite of Persia the myndes of all men were so afflicted that the country neuer felt greater trouble nor euer indured a more dangerous vncouth a change by meanes whereof by force of this publike Edict of the new king whether he did it because he was in loue with this wicked worship and had learned this abomination rather then any other as we sayd before or whether he did it to reuoke his neighboures the Mesopotamians the Babilonians and Assyrians vnder his banners many of his prophane priestes many of the Gouernors of his frendly and subiect Citties being too much inflamed with the former superstition were dryuen into exile many put in prison some had their eyes pluckt out among whome was the Califfe of Casbin and not a few others in sondry sortes depriued of their liues yea many Ladyes ioyned in bloud with Ismahel himselfe dyuers others of his kinsfolkes to whom neither sex nor age nor innocency could be a sufficient defence did endure sondry tormentes and strange calamities In this so great an innouation and among these tumultes there went abrode with all an vniuersall rumor not onely among the Citties of Persia but in the regions of the Turkes also Fame the publisher of euill rather then of good newer arriuing euen to the Citty of Constantinople that with all these disorders Ismahel sought to put in order a great number of such soldiers as fauoured this new proclaimed vanity passing with them to the citty of Babylon now called Bagdat there to the imitation of Soliman would receaue the Crowne of the Empire at the hand of him that who soeuer he was he should find to be the successor of their great Califfe and in the cheefest place among theyr vncleane priestes In this dyuers variety of matters and in so great nouelty of euentes beyond all common expectatiō whiles there encreased rather feares of newe motions then ensued hopes of auncient quyetnesse by the helpe of the aforenamed Lady Periaconcona who as the kinges greatest fauorite suruiued all the rest he was sodainely bereaued of his lyfe whether it were that this his death happened by occasion of certaine amorous practises of Ismahel himselfe or whether his sister had cuningly conueighed poyson into some electuary prepared for him or as some more probably do affirme that his sayd sister hauing priuately conspyred with Calil-chan Emir-chan Piry Mahamet Curchi Bassi being al at that time captaines of great accompt as it were Presidentes of the kingdome had brought them in apparelled in womens weedes gowns that they strangled him at such time as Ismahel had priuately withdrawen himselfe among his paramoures Howsoeuer it was sufficient it is that by the helpe of the saide Periaconcona the 24. day of Nouember being S. Katherins euen in the yeare of our saluation 1577. this king being generally tearmed by his people a seditious man a contemner of the lawe was suddenly taken out of this world to the exceeding ioy of all those Nations that by his death thought they should remaine freede from great and manifold troubles Ismahel being thus dead the Lady began presently to parlee with al those Sultans that were the ministers of this fraudulent death told them that as they had giuen aduise for the greater benefit of all Persia that Ismahel should be depryued both of his kingdome lyfe and that as yet it was not knowen who should worthely succeed in that Crowne which now remayned in their handes forasmuch as the king that dead is hath left no issue behind him so it touched them verye neere to take vpon them the protection thereof and preseruing the maiestie of the Scepter the liberties of the people and the peace of the subiect Citties strongly to defend and deepely to settle the safety of that nation which onely possesseth the true orders of the elect disciples of crafty and wicked Mahamet There were at that tyme many gouernours and Capitaines assembled in Casbin and euery one of them had withdrawen himselfe thether for the accomplishment of his owne priuate designementes these gaping after the mutations of the world Emir-Chan he burned in ambitious desires and hoped by the meanes of a match to be concluded with a sister of Periaconcona who was already greatly inclyning to him that he should be exalted to the soueraigne degree of all Persia. Mirize Salinas cheefe among the Sultans of that court he hoped on the other syde to aduance into the estate eyther Mahamet brother to the dead king or els Hamze the eldest son of the sayde Mahamet Codabanda and by bestowing vpon him his daughter to be his wyfe as afterwarde hee did so to encrease the glory of his house Others there were that hoped they should be able to draw Abas out of Heri and to create him king of the Empyre There was also one of the Tutors of the infant Tamas who waited likewise for some oportunity to settle Tamas in the kingdom and so by meanes of his greatnes to exalt himselfe to the soueraigne Tytle of cheefe captaine among his fellowes Neither did there want a nomber of others that secretly watched to vsurpe any occasion that might be presented vnto them How be it in this so great variety of thoughts the Sultans aunswered the Lady with one consent and promised her in most liberall termes all the protection that their forces could afforde or their wepons procure and yet did euery one of them both in action and worde clerkly dissemble their seuerall imaginations where unto they myrid was as proue and deady as their harte was cunning to conceale them closely And in this sort were ended those great noueltyes which arose I know not vppon what occasion were brought in by this ambitious king In the meane space which was one yeare seuen monthes and six dayes of king Ismahels raigne Amurat
sometymes called Palus Mantiana sent him most perfect information of all these stirres in Persia discoursing vnto him of the death of Ismahel the consultations of the Sultans the treacheries death of Periaconcona the broyles betweene the king and the Sultans the nature of the new king being diseased in his eyes little esteemed by his subiectes besotted in his affections towades his three sonnes at whose handes he foresaw notwithstanding that hee should receaue many iniuries and troubles the facility to ouer-rule the cheefe Gouernours of the Georgiani and the people of Atropatia otherwyse called Seruan which were euill affected towardes the new king and to be briefe whatsoeuer had in truth succeeded in Persia and might inflame the mynd of Ottoman to conuert his forces agaynst an enemy of small counsell and much cnofusion adding thereunto that neuer was there greater opportunity to ouercome that kyng then now was offered and that in any case hee should not let slip such an occasion as the Ottoman kings neuer had before to obtayne so certayne and so famous victoryes with so great glory and felicity in these enterpryses Amurat whose eares had along time beene filled with those stirres that Ismahel had raysed and whose cogitations were wholly bent to marke what wold be the issues thereof liued with a mynd altogether inflamed with an vnmeasurable desire of the newes and assoone as to his owne naturall inclynation and to other mens reportes there was added also this information of Vstres who peraduenture had that charge particularly enioined him he setled himselfe more deepely in his former conceytes vz to proue his forces in subduing a king of an ancient time dissenting and estraunged from the lawe of Mahamet a contemner of his maiesty and to be short his onely corriuall and odious competitor in all the East and therewithall began to call to his remembarnce how Selim father to his grandfather and Soliman his grandsyre would haue taken this enterprise to hart recording priuately to himselfe how they being captains of most mighty armies went themselues in person fought with the Persian kings sacked and tooke many of their Citties and reduced their bordering enemyes into very strait termes But no one thing did more enflame the Turkish Emperour then did so rare an occasion which he thought was now offered vnto him to haue for his enemy a king not well practysed in feats of war besotted confounded in affection conceyttowardes his children and weakened through the dissention of his subiectes he measured and weighed his owne forces he considered the peace which his people had enioyed from the taking of Goletta euen vntill this tyme he collected the infinite number of his vassalles aswell horsemen as footemen he surueighed the rentes of his customes his meanes to fynd money his engynes of war wherein he did far surpasse the Persians the citties of his enemy layde all open and without any defence of fyre or by such lyke instruments of death and in breefe when he had called to mind whatsoeuer he durst attempt and promisse to himselfe he did more and more resolue with himselfe to take the occasion that was now offered him to begin this warre For the compassing of which his purpose he was greatly fauoured by the present state of Christendome at that tyme being wholly in league amity with him and the peace yet continuing that the Emperour had made with him and the rather because he was verily perswaded that he should not haue any disturbance by the Catholike king who no doubt would graunt him a truce by reason of his warres in Flanders wherewith hee perceiued hee was shrewdly occupied which truce afterward ensued by occasion of the kingdome of Portugall The State of Venice also obseruing that faith and promise which with publike capitulations they had faithfully established in concluding a peace after that singular victory which they had obtayned neere to the Islandes Echinades against the Turkish Fleete And to be shorte the Turke assured himselfe that he should not any way suffer any annoiance or impedimenr by any prince of Europe In this generall tranquillity common peace with the Potentates of Christendome did Amurat with more security and bouldnes discourse with him selfe about the broaching of this warre in Persia and at last not fynding any thing contrary to his designementes he resohied to haue a treaty with those chief Bassaes called Visiers that vse to sit at the Court gate to take sound aduise with those that had the vniuersall gouernement of the whole Empyre in their handes whether it were better vpon this present occasion to begin the prepensed warre or if they thought this oportunity not to be so fit then to lay it aside to conuert their forces and counselles against the common wealth of Christendome So impiously and so barbarously is this Empyre managed that whensoeuer there is any treaty to attempt any enterpryse for the aduauncing thereof it is lawfull to violate any truce and to breake promisse whereupon although this warre could not bee moued eyther agaynst the Persians or agaynst the Princes Catholike without breach of theyr promised sayth altogether counterfetting and pretending capitulations of peace leagues oathes that ought to be inuiolable yet in the manifold consultations that passed among these Visiers there was not a man found that had any consideration or made any accompt of that defect but euery one of them as their manner is in all thinges preferring violence before reason thought it conuenient to set forward the wicked desyre of their Lord without any godly or honest respect at all And among the rest Mahamet the Visier being cheefest in authority experience and yeares of gouernement was of aduice that it would proue a more easy and lesse dangerous attempt to warre with the Persians then with the christian princes aswel for that the ciuil dissentions lately sprong vp in the kingdome of Persia and the condition of the new successor of the Persian Empyre in his gouerment and warre promised all fortunate victory as also for that to wage battell agaynst the Christian Princes was not to make that Prince onely his enemie against whom he should fight whose forces notwithstanding bee what Prince soeuer he may bee haue euer beene most terrible some by sea some by land but it was to bid battell to all the Potentates of Christendome at once those potentates I say that not many yeares before had discomfited a fleete of 300. Gallies mo awhile after that had put to flight another fleet either as great as it or not much inferior peraduenture was still able to performe whatsoeuer they desyred In these consultations other like discourses in the end they al agreed that it would be much better to make war in Asia against dartes agaynst swordes agaynst Citties eyther lying open or slenderly fenced then in Europe agaynst lightninges and fyres against bowes and arrowes agaynst deuouring flames agaynst
hatred as it were agaynst a whetstone in the yeare 1577. the abouenamed Mustaffa was elected Generall of the Turkish Campe prouision was made ready for him and authority giuen him to prepare whatsoeuer was needefull So messages were sent and commandement giuen ouer all the countreyes heareafter named that all the Bassaes Sangiacchi Agaes Spahini Gianissaries and souldiers of all sortes that were bound by their perpetuall annuitees to go to warre should take their iourney in the beginning of the spring to the Citty of Erzirum which if it be any of the old citties it is very likely to be Simbra mentioned by Ptolomee there to bee ready for the charge that should be enioyned them by their new Generall who hauing his dispatch from Constantinople passing to Chalcedon which Herodotus in respect of the founders errour calleth Blynde and now is named Scutari through the countryes of Amasia and of Siuas the one being the natiue soyle of Strabo and the other in old tyme called Sebastopolis hee arriued in Erzirum in the very beginning of Sommer and there stayed till such tyme as all his people corne artillery and other necessarye prouision were gathered together and at last departed for Struan hauing first taken an vniuersall and diligent surueigh of all his Army whereby distinguishing the sound strong from the sicke feeble the armed from the vnarmed the couragious from the cowards weighing in equall ballance his owne forces hee might assuredly know what to looke for at their handes Then he deuided his troupes and first in order were mustred the people of Mesopotamia to the nomber of xij thousand their Captayne being well checked by the Generall for bringing so few this yeare all of them for the most parte Archers not of any great courage and accustomed to the vse of the Scimitarre The second were the Assyrians and Babilonians watered with Euphrates Tigris coming from the very confines of Balsara in old tyme called Teredon in nomber no more then xiiij thousand horsemen yet all armed with sword and darte after the manner of their neighbours the Mesopotamians The third in order were the Sorians a people more riche in apparell then stout in armour rather alluring their enemies with the goodly shew of their spoiles then terrible to them being ij thousand in nomber all of them being very cunning to vault and turne themselues round about in fighting Then were mustred the men of Siuas of Amasia of Maras of Bursia of Angori and other places comprehended vnder the name of Natolia where in tymes past were the Magnesians the Bithynians the Phrygians those of Pontus Lydia to the nomber of x. thousand hardy people and well armed but for the most part archers on horsbacke There came next after them those of Iury and Palestina vpon swift coursers continuall darters archers more ready for flight and spoyle then for fight and foyle poore in apparrel and vertue to the nomber of one thousande The Cilicians succeeded them now inhabiting Caramania to the nomber of iiij thousand armed with Scimitarre battell axe and bow a harde and rough nation giuen to spoyle and robbery Then followed the glory and hope of all the Campe the people of Grecia souldiers full of franke courage armed with arcubush and sworde mounted vpon good and valiant horses to the nomber of 10000. And after them the familiar faithfull garde of the Generall iij. thousand Gianissaries of Constantinople with arcubush on the shoulder and sword by the syde Vnder the standard of Beyran Bassa were lykewise mustred the people of the Citty and iurisdiction of Erzirum leuied out of those places where in tymes past the Cappadoces bordering vpon the Armenians did inhabite to the nomber of iiij thousand souldiers accustomed to braules and battelles and first in the field to meete their enemies armed with sword and arcubush dartes or Indian Canes and yet all of them on horsebacke Euery troupe had their seuerall Captaynes who notwithstanding were changed at the Generalles pleasure whose names seruing to no purpose we will quite leaue out the rather to auoyde the tediousnes of the reader being not acquaynted with barbarous tearmes These were then the squadrons of such souldiers as were stipendiaries to the Turkish king to the nomber of whom those which went as voluntarie aduenturers were little inferior yet better armed peraduenture and more hardy to fight so that there were found in this surueigh about a hundred and ten thousand horsemen Neither was there any stirred out of Arabia Felix out of AEgipt out of Hungarie out of Africa or out of other places remore or situate vpon the sea coastes as also those Prouinces that had sent the squadrons afore mentioned were not leaft destitute of their ordinary guards and garnisons no nor without a great multitude of idle persons yea Damasco which in old tyme carried the name and pryce for matters of warre kept backe their band of Gianissaries being Arcubusiers to take their ease at home vnder the standerds of their owne captaines Mustaffa brought with him fiue hundred peeces of small Shotte aswell for safety of his army as also for seruice in defending such fortresses and castelles as he should be enforced to erect in the new-conquered countries He had also of the king many loades of money for his souldiers pay with furder order and direction to vse the chamber of Aleppo and of other Citties if he should stand in neede He caused likewyse to be brought from the prouinces aforenamed by imposition of Tenthes for graine and taskes for cariage of camells which they call Nosul and Auaris an exceeding great quantity of corne which he made to bee transported in Gallies by the great sea in tymes past called Pontus Euxinus to the hauen of Trapezuntia or Trabizonda vnder the generall conduct of Aly-Vcchiali that for the ease of the army it might so be conueighed from Trabizonda to Erzirum being but onely foure dayes iourney distant from thence He had also gathered together a great nomber of Pioners and Myners and to be short hauing taken order for all thinges that he thought might be necessary for the warre he departed in comely manner seemely aâ—ray from Erzirum and in the end of eyght dayes arriued at the ruines of Chars where among good pasture and abundance of come frute and waâ—â—â— herested himselfe And being surprised with an excessiue raine which falling in great quantity made newe pooles and brookes and being mixed with stormes and tempesturous winds rent his tents asunder wrought great harme both to men cattell he was compelled to stay in that place three whole dayes together not without some inconuenience by meanes whereof many fell sicke were constrayned to abandon the army From Chars he departed with al his people that were not hindred with sicknes and tooke vp his lodging
that eueninge vnder certayne mountanes now called Chielder being in myne opinion the hilles of Periardo and because he was aduertised that the Persians were in the field to make battell with him being now passed beyond their own borders which were so set out by Soliman in the peace concluded with Tamas as before we haue said doubting least peraduenture they might encounter him where he little looked for them he thought it best for the more security of his hoast to pitch his Tentes in such a place as he might well discouer them and yet not be assaulted at vnawares And therefore he planted himselfe in the plaine and gaue order that Beyran the Bassa of Erzirum should take possession of a certaine hill that was on the right hand Dreuis the Bassa of Caraemit should keepe another hill that stood on the left hand and with them Osman Bassa Mahamet Bassa Mutassade Bassa being aduenturers with many others aswell of the kinges stipendiaries as voluntary men should like wyse pitch their Tentes vpon the same hilles in such sorte as they making as it were two Cornettes or winges to the campe might discouer the comming of euery man and he himselfe being shadowed with the two hilles might be perceaued of no man But whiles all these thinges with such military preparations were made ready by Amurat the new king of Persia who was yet scarce setled in his kingdome being stirred vp by the same of these motions resolued with himselfe to send men against the Turkes for defence of his state and was content for the tyme to dissemble his conceaued and hatred which he bare to some of the Captaines of Persia and of Georgia to make some apparant shew that he was reconciled with them for that without them he could not promisse himselfe any forme of an army or defence and for all the hurley-burley wherwith his kingdome was troubled for all the disorders whereintoo both the Sultans people were fallen yet he wrought so throughly that all the Captaines of accompt tooke vpon them the protection of his honour kingdome And so Tocomac a Sultan the Chan and gouernour of Reiuan being elected generall of this expedition a souldier very famous and well knowen to the Turkes for the many embassades wherein he serued often tymes to Selim and Amurat and in Persia deemed to be a man of singular vertue he gaue him in charge that gathering together the greatest nomber of men he could out of Atropatia out of Media the greater and other places neere to the Turkes he should seeke all the meanes he was able to stop their passage into Georgia Media Atropatia And thereupon Edictes and preceptes were sent out to all the citties of the kingdome and principally to Amadan to Genge to Taiuris to Nassiuan to Marant to Ardeuil to Soffian to Carachach to Turcomania to Giaunt to many other places on this syde and beyond Casbin that all the Chans Sultans and souldiers whatsoeuer should come ready prest to follow the commandementes of their new Generall Many there came that were obedient to the kinges proclamation but many there were that would not stirre a foote for their obstinacy in the broiles begun and for the suspition which they had of vnlooked-for mischeefes wherefore the king remayned greatly discontented and much greeued at this first disobedience of his subiectes and cleerely perceaued how much better it had beene for him to haue liued in peace and amity with Amurat how be it to make the best of the matter he was inforced to take this defence vpon him as also for the satisfaction of the subiectes of Georgia which desyred the same with earnest request by certain embassadors sent particularly from Daut-Chan for that purpose to salue his owne honour and the succession of Emir Hamze his eldest sonne And therefore with those fewe which for the loue of iustice were met together in those partes being not aboue twenty thousande Tocomac was dispatched about his busines hoping that the enemyes army wherein he heard say the king in person was not might be such as with these his smal forces it were not impossible for him to oppresse them in some narrow straites where the multitude commonly vseth rather to be in confusion perplexity then ready and able to helpe one another These xx thousand were all horsemen armed with Scimitarre and bow with some Arcubuses among and which is wont to stand this nation in great steed they were furnished with very syne and well tempeted Armour but specially couragious they were and resolute and made more hardy by the vertue and valour of their Captayne And therefore with all their prouision necessary for victuall and fight keeping the way of Tauris and Genge they came to the turning of Chars where they were aduertysed that their enemyes army was passed They were now arriued within a daies iourney neere to Chielder when they were resolued to send quicke and faithfull spies 〈◊〉 might bring them certayne newes of the 〈◊〉 condition and nomber of the Turkish souldiers who 〈◊〉 thether euen at the very tyme that the Turkes were encamping themselues betweene the two hilles whereupon the two Bassaes Beyran and Dreuis with their people had already pitched their Tentes The Persian spyes discouered the Turkish hoast aloft and perswaded themselues that there were not any other battell then those which they saw vpon the two high hills whereof with all the speede they could they returned news to Tocomac who at ease had followed these his spies a farre off When Tocomac vnderstoode theyr information agreeing with his former conceit which he brought from Casbin of the nomber of his enemyes peraduenture also perswading himselfe that if a greater army were to come out of the borders the same might now bee at Chars and these onely troupes sent before to discouer the cuntrey he became very bould foole-hardy through too much desyre of glorie and determined with himselfe to go and assault them and hauing discouered his enemyes tentes he was throughly confirmed in his former opinion and the spyes relation and with so much the more confidence went forward to assayle them But Beyran and Dreuis who quickly from the hill had perceaued the Persians comming in the plaine against them although they knew them to be full of courage yet reposing great confidence in their fellow battell which did not shew it selfe with all speed mounted vpon their horses and ranne to meet them and in the foresaid plaines vnder Chielder within one houre after noone they ioined a most bloudy battell wherein there were slayne at last seuen Turkish Sangiacchi with a very great nomber of souldiers both stipendiaries voluntary without any apparant losse at all among the Persians who closing themselues together in great heat and all bee-bloudied in the battel did prosecute their happy and fortunate victory But Generall Mustaffa who perceyued all
for somuch as not onely the Tributaries but also the very naturall subiects doo not send in their ordinary and due aydes and succours hereupon it springeth that in all their occasions their forces prooue so weake and their Armies of a very small nomber Of the discordes and diuisions in Georgia which haue now bene tried by long experience to haue bene no lesse hurtful to them selues then to the Persians we haue already spoken asmuch as may suffice and now we will speake of some others beginning with Amet-Chan who hath a long time been Lord of Gheilan This man although he were of hability to haue yeelded singular aide to this crowne it being the generall opinion of all men that he could gather together xx thousand horse yet could hee neuer be induced to serue in warre but rather enioying a base and infamous lyfe he is become both vyle to himselfe and vnprofitable and hatefull euen to his neighbours kinsfolkes For which cause king Tamas when hee was free from the Turkish warres employed all his forces against him and followed him so hardly that in the end hee tooke him prisoner so kept him till he dyed which was for the space of xv yeares But assoone as the now king Mahamet was inthronized in his kingdome being carried away with a vaine and foolish pittie hee deliuered him out of prison hoping lyke an vnwyse man as he was that this most couetous and suspicious wretch would haue proued curteous and kynd towardes him which was a thing quyte contrary to his nature and disposition And behold neither thoseuerity of Tamas nor the lenity of Codabanda could euer perswade him to change his mynd for in the greatest daungers of this present warre hee could neuer tynde in his hart to apply himselfe to the performance of any noble acte that was not only worthy of his great forces but also especially required by the present necessities The like treacherie shewed Rustan Mirize the king of Candahar and sonne to a brother of king Tamas who neither for neerenesse of bloud nor for common honour nor for the estimation and reputation of his owne superstition could euer be wrought to pitty the calamities of Persian and yet the kingdome of Candahar was very well hable to gather about xxv thousand horse Neither may his excuses auaile him that he alleadged touching the far distance of his countrey For if distaunce of place was no hinderaunce to the enimie to bring his Armies euen to Tauris to annoy the Persians Lesse reason had Rustan Mirize to withdraw his ready forces frō defending his frends the iourney from Constantinople to Tauris beeing no shorter then it is thither from Candahar Like vnto these was and still is Emir-Miran the Lord of Iest a hard man and very obstinate in coueteousnesse who doth not onely not send any voluntarie aide but also refuseth to pay those tributes which by couenant composition he is bound to send And yet is he able to yeeld foure or fiue thousand horse of great valour in warre The Lord of Lar also called Ebrain-Chan famous for his mightinesse although in times past hee hath alwayes helped the common forces with his priuate succours yet at this day he vtterly denieth both the one and the other and threateneth rather to suppresse all Estates then to aduaunce and encrease any that belong to this crowne But aboue al the rest me thinketh that Abas Mirize this kinges sonne is most impious and wicked who not onely would neuer fauour his fathers enterprises against the cruell enimies of the common libertie but also hath sought by all meanes possible to driue both his brethren and his father out of the State and to enter himselfe into the succession and gouernement of this diuided and troubled kingdome So that vnder his Iurisdiction there are idlely fed eighteene thousand horse which would prooue very stout and strong in warre if they wanted not discipline In Cussestan those Arabians that were wont to be ready for any seruice to the Persian kinges haue yeelded thēselues to the Turkes and often times worke great annoyances to the Persians by their suddaine incursions But within the very bowels of the kingdome the Turcoman nation that would haue beene a great strength to these forces if they would haue ioyned with them Behold how it hath not failed to procure many ouerthrowes to this kingdome a great parte whereof we haue described in the fourth booke of this history The kingdome of Seruan also is in such sort spoyled and decayed that the cities of Sumachia Eres Sechi Derbent and others out of which there was wont to bee leuied a good reasonable nomber of people as also Reiuan Teflis and other countries of Georgia and Armenia are not able to yeeld any succours in the time of warre so that the Crowne of Persia beeing depriued of such and so many helpes is at this day constrayned to wage warre with very slender forces which very briefly shall be heere set downe Out of Hispahan and the territorie thereof to reckon their Stipendiaries to the vttermost they leauie eight thousand souldiers on horseback out of Bargo two thousand out of Cassan foure thousand out of Seua one thousand out of Sultania one thousand out of Casbin twelue thousand out of Ardouil one thousand out of Siras eight thousand out of Tauris foure thousand out of Cum and Cuohiue-Tauris two thousand out of Genge the rest of Georgia foure thousand Besides these they may hire others when their occasions do so require and they haue alwaies volūtary souldiers that in som good nomber so that the greatest Armie that they can possibly gather will hardly amount to threescore thousand horse alwayes prouided that euery cittie aforenamed do send in their Stipendiarie Souldiers according to their duety Whereas if all the other Capitaines that are noted aboue to be obstinate and rebellious would agree and concurre in one vnitie they might make an hoast of an hundred thirty or an hundred and forty thousand persons or thereaboutes Their Souldiers are armed for the most parte with Scimitarre Launce and Darte but specially the Scimitarre is most familiar vnto them and all the Persians do make a singular profession and vse of it although there want not among them some that can handle the Arcubuse also the exercise whereof hath of late yeares growen more familiar and vsuall then it was in the time of Ismahel and in the first yeares of the raigne of king Tamas For their owne defence they are armed with good Corselets and strong helmets many of them able to keepe out an Arcubuseshot much more to daunt the force of a Darte Some of their horses also are armed with very good Armour most finely and soundly tempered And these their horses are of a singular vertue equall with those of the old time which as Strobe writeth were accustomed to be fed and brought vp in Armenia for
Abubacher for the matter is quite contrary Likewise that Scutar was in old tyme Chrysopolis whereas it is a most cleere case that it was Chalcedon the founders whereof were termed blynde because they did not see what errour they committed in buylding a Citty there and leauinge the place where Constantinople nowe standeth as farre excelling the situation of Chalcedon as gold excelleth leade Also that Esrum or Erzirum as it should be called is a citty of Assyria whereas indeed it is not a citty of Assyria but of Cappadocia if we speake properly That Seruan is the auncient Media it being in truth Atropatia That Osman Bassa tooke Teflis Mustaffa himself being there in person with all hys hoast not as one of them saith Citra memorabile damnum without any memorable losse no not with any losse at all because he found it emptie That Mustaffa poysoned himselfe voluntarily which he did not indeede but fell into an Apoplexie And many other such tales wherof it is not now conuenient to make any particular confutation And therefore passing them ouer wee will prosecute our former order of this History The end of the second Booke The Third Booke The Argument The Turkish Armie departeth for Teflis and commeth to Archichelech A reuiew of the Armie and the nomber of those that wanted in the Army It commeth to Triala It winneth a Castell It taketh Teflis and fortifieth it and then departeth for Seruan The Sorians forsake the Armie of Mustaffa and in their returne home to Aleppo they are assayled and discomfited by the Georgians The Ambassadours of Leuentogli entertayned by Mustaffa Leuentogli himselfe also entertained Seclis a Cittie vnder Seruania yeelded to Mustaffa A Dearth in the Turkish Armie Victuallers go out for prouision of Corne and Victualles but they are discomfited and vtterly destroyed by the Persians Mustaffa with all his Armie goeth to fight with his enimies and foyleth them miserably Diuers disturbances and losses in the Turkish Armie by passing ouer the Riuer Canac A wonderful kind of â—oorde found out The Turkes being refreshed froÌ„ diuers annoyances arriue at Eres in Serâ—â—â— Mustaffa fortifieth Eres and leaueth Caitas Bassa in it Mustaffa departeth and leaueth Osman Bassa as Generall and Visier in Sumachia The people of Derbent yeeld themselues to Osman Bassa Mustaffa returneth home is in the countrey of Leuent commeth to Teflis and there leaueth succours and a gaâ—â—ison Mustaffa departeth thence in his iourney he enduâ—eth great cold and losses in his Armie through the cunning stratagemes of the Georgiani and namely Hassain Bey discomfited Mustaffa at Altunchala receiueth the Widow and her other Sonne Alessandro He goeth to Clisca and so to Erzirum He sendeth both the Sonnes of the Widow to Constantinople Abdilcherai the Tartarian Captaine commeth to succour Osman Bassa Ares-Chan withdraweth himselfe to the Riuer Canac and is discomfited by Abdilcherai Genge sacked The Tartarians pitche their Tentes in certaine champeines and there take their ease Caitas Bassa and his people vtterly destroyed by the Persian Prince The Tartarians also destroyed by the same Prince Abdilcherai taken aliue and sent to Casbin Osman Bassa flyeth from Sumachia to Demir-Capi Sumachia destroyed by the Persian Prince and the people of Sechi also chastised Abdilcherai at Casbin falleth in loue with the Queene he is discouered and both he and the Queene slaine by the Sultans Osman Bassa taketh to wise the daughter of Sahamal the Georgian He discouereth the treacheries of his Father in Law hee putteth him to death and causeth his countrey to be destroyed Aly-Vechiali returneth from Mengrellia to Constantinople and reporteth what he hath done in his Nauigation THE THIRDE BOOKE AFter the solemne entertaynment of the Georgian Manucchiar Generall Mustaffa had geuen order ouer all his Campe that the next morning they should remoue from those mountaynes And now was euery man bucklinge himselfe to accomplish the Captaines commandement when as there happened very obscure and darke stormes that couered the heauens as it were with night and terrour and being turned into raine and wind casting out flashing fyres scouring the aire with terrible lightnings did freshly afflict the Turkish armie Which raine continued so vehement for the space of foure daies together that it seemed the heauens were melted into waters by meanes whereof it came to passe that out of the dead carcasses heads before mentioned there issued a most horrible stinke so that partely thereby and partely by the myre and other filth of the Cammells Mules and horses they spoyled their armour their apparrell their deuises their plumes their pauillions and all things els that was of any worth yea all their brauery and beautie and in the bodies of the people there arose dyuers diseases and infirmities though not very pestilent but breeding rather annoyance then death to the Turkes But at last the heauens hauing ceased the raine the lightning the blustring and the stormes and the Sunne hauing cleered all the ayre Mustaffa raysed his campe to passe towardes Teflis because the ground was still very moyst and slabby with the raine that had fallen in such aboundance the Camells that carried the heauiest burdens could not go onwardes and the horses that drew the artillery were subiect to the same difficulty so the army could not that daye passe any further then the plaines where the lake called Chielder Giol standeth which if the distance of places the nouelty of names do not deceiue vs may wel be thought to be that wheÌ„ce Euphrates taketh his beginning And there they stayed to drye and trim their apparrell their weapons and their harnesse and to yeeld to their sick and wounded souldiers their due and deserued refreshing The Turkes remouing from thence the next day about noone arriued at a Castell called Archichelec sometymes belonging to the Georgiani but conquered by Soliman in his late warres against Tamas and euer sithence possessed by the Turkes Heere Mustaffa taking fit occasion of this frendly castell and hauing commodity of pasture and opportunity of faire wether by reason of the losse which happened vnto him in the last battell the necessity of continuall trauelling through his enemyes cuntry resolued to take a surueigh of all his army wherein hauing ranged them in due order marshalled them with exquisite diligence he found his nomber diminished aswel by meanes of his late battel as also of the forenamed infirmities by forty thousand persons or there aboutes Of which nomber there was not a few that fled away from the hoast and being wearie with following so rough and perrillous a iourney closely and by night departed from the Campe and returned into their owne citties to take their ease at home From hence the Army departed and lodged the next night neere to a vile filthy marish called by the Turkes Peruana-Giol which wee may well call The Lake of Slaues and the next day at Triala where there are to be seene at this
Canac and euery man being euen desperate knew not what to doo to auoid that dangerous passage whose feare and griefe the example of their vnfortunate fellowes that were drowned did greatly increase And no doubt some pestilent sedition had ensued thereupon that would haue bredde much harme to the Turkish affayres if by the death and ouerthrow of those that were drowned there had not beene discouered a shallow Forde that assured safe passage to those that were left wherin they were much more happy then their former fellowes in that their delay had wrought them great ease For in the passage which the people made that followed Mustaffa the grauel of the bottome of the riuer being raised and remoued by the heauy hooues of the cattell was driuen downe along the saide water to a place where by great good hap there was also a Foorde and there gathering it selfe together in a heape had in such sort raised the depth of the channell that it made as it were a shelfe for their commodious passage so that the remnant of the people carriages and artillary passing ouer the same there was not so much as one man that perished And in this manner did the Turkish people passe ouer Canac and vpon the bankes thereof did they rest themselues that day and the next and there made stay till the whole army was mustred and set in order From thence remouing themselues all together not hauing any meanes at all to fynde victuailes eyther for themselues or for their beastes they encamped the day following in certaine barren champaines where there was neyther corne nor cattell neyther could they learne that in those quarters there were any villages at all By meanes whereof the hunger of their beasts encreasing greatly a thing affirmed by dyuers faithfull credible souldiers that were present in those calamities they were constrained to geue to their horses and mules the leaues and stalkes of verie drie and withered reedes such other like thinges of no sustenaunce at all And the men themselues were faine to satisfy their hunger with those vttermost reliques that they went vp and downe piking gathering out of those poore victuailles which now by corruption were abhominable to mans nature There was not a man in the whole army but perceaued that it was high tyme to rid himselfe of these inconueniences howbeit to returne backward was odious to them all in respect of the present famine and to go on forward was more terrible vnto them in respect of the great feare that they had to continue some longer tyme in these commenced miseries Notwithstanding needes must they follow the fortune of their captaines among whom Mustaffa the next morning before all the rest set himselfe forward on his determined iourney Hee had not long marched onward but there was discouered good store of sundry plantes neere vnto them a very large plaine all greene and flourishing garnished with many trees by the onely sight whereof euery man was refreshed for the hope of good harbour and hastened their paces somwhat more then ordinary vntill they were entred into those champaines being abundantly fertile in all kind of corne and fruites that could be desyred of hungry man and horse In this place did euery man satisfy his appetite with meat and his body with rest and forgat in parte the calamities and damages that were ouerpassed and the next morning with willing mindes they were all ready to follow Mustaffa who remouing his campe and leading it still through the fruitfull and pleasant fieldes abounding in all thinges necessary for mans sustentation arriued at the citty of Eres beeing as we haue before declared the chiefe cittie in that coast of Siruan as you trauaile from Georgia This cittie of Eres was forsaken by a great number of her inhabitantes as soone as it was noysed that the Turkes were come to Canac and they all followed the Standards of Samir Ghan Gouernour of the said cittie beeing allured there vnto by the example of Ares-Chan whome also a good while before the Persian king had trusted with the gouernement of the cittie of Sumachia and assoone as he likewise heard that Mustaffa was come to Canac hee abandoned his owne cittie and withdrew himselfe into the mountaine as a sure and safe place There did Samir Chan remaine with him and other the Gouernours of Sechi and other places of the said Prouince all of them ioyntly together attending the end of these great nouelties So that the entrie of the Turkes into Eres was not by the enimies sword in any sort disturbed nor yet with any spoyles that were found therein any thing enriched for that the people had carried away with them all the best thinges they had and euery man endeuored in the common losse of his countrey to keepe and preserue his priuate goods at the least and his owne proper life Two twenty dayes did Mustaffa remayne vnder Eres in all which time although somewhat long there was not one man that felt any inconuenience in any matter of sort but during those dayes employed himselfe to the erecting of a Fortresse within the said citty vpon whose walles were placed two hundred peeces of shot and for the custodie thereof was appointed Caitas Bassa one of the voluntary Captaines with fiue thousand souldiers In this meane time for that the cittie of Sumachia now called Sumachi stood not farre distant from thence it being the Metropoliticall cittie of that Prouince and of great accompt because it standeth vpon the way that leadeth to the cittie of Derbent now called Demircapi but in tymes past Alexandria Mustaffa commanded Osman Bassa one also of the voluntarie Captaines as before we haue noted to possesse that cittie with ten thousand men vnder the tytle of Visier Gouernour Generall of Siruan Giuing him further in charge that in any case hee should cleere the passage to Derbent abouesaid and so giue present aduertisement to the Tarrarians of his arriuall who without all doubt hauing passed through Colchis could not choose but by this time be arriued in those quarters at the least for so had they promised to Amurath with al faith and fidelitie Osmen departed to Sumachia accordingly and had frendly entertainement of those that remayned there and were determined to commit their liues to the fury of the conquerers so that he did presently surprise the cittie entreating all the inhabitantes in frendly maner without doing or suffring any outrage to be done vpon them Which vsage being vnderstood by the Alessandrians a people that by naturall in clination in ceremonies in worship and in obseruation of that their religion liued not as Persians in deede but subiect to the Persians principally to Mustaffa Sultan the gouernor of that cittie yet for all that being of the Turkish beliefe they sent presently to offer themselues to Osman beseeching him to receiue them into his protection and in all
passage to Tauris And so this Generall cosening Rumour touching Nassiuan was published abroad not onely through all the Cities subiect to the Turk but the fame therof flew also euen into the Countries of the Persians who notwithstanding beeing very iealous of the Citie of Tauris and fearing that the matter would fall out as indeed afterwardes it did ceased not to make curious diligent enquiry about it And although the indignitie and disgrace that was offered to his Embassadour dissuaded him from sending any other for treaty of peace yet to spie out the secretes of the Turkes and to vnderstande certainely whether their intent were to passe to Nassiuan or to Tauris hee coulde doe no lesse but dispatch diuers Chiaus or Messengers to Osman and by making a shewe that he ment in very deed to feele his minde touching conditions of peace to try whether he could learne and discouer the trueth or no. But by all the meanes and by all the cunning that he could possibly vse he could neuer find out any certaine knowledge thereof so that there still remained in him many doubtfull and confused cogitations which were engendered and fostered by some carelesse and simple reporters that Osman had giuen out speeche for the enterprize of Nassiuan And nowe according to the commandement gone out through all the Cities of the Empire the Souldiers of all sortes beganne to flocke together and all those that either were desirous to be established in their former charges and gouernementes of Cities or sought ambitiously to bee honoured with some Office and dignitie made repaire vnto him as vnto a king and Soueraigne moderator of the Ottoman Empire presenting him with very large liberal guiftes Wherby his estate was so greatly enriched that through these meanes he had gathered together a huge heape of infinite treasure And so entertaining them with all affable curtesie and also with promising both rewardes and honours to all that woulde followe him in his purposed voiage he leauied a wonderful great number of Men and Moneyes But nowe was the time come that called him away to goe towardes Erzirum where hee was greatlye expected by his huge armie there assembled together notwithstanding the great dearth of all things belonging to vittel that commonly raigneth in those quarters yet he was enforced to make his iourny to that citie where he arriued about the latter end of the Moneth of Iuly and there with all possible speed taking a viewe of his whole Army and of all the prouision necessary for so important and famous an enterprize he dailye laboured to hasten his departure In the saide citie of Erzirum were mette together all the souldiers of the Prouinces that were woont to send helpe but yet in a greater number then euer was gathered by any Generall before for that euerie man forsooke and abandoned his own priuate busines vpon assured hopes of new rewards vnwonted honors they were al induced to follow the fame of their newe Visier Onelie the people of Aegypt and Damasco were busied with other more priuate Quarels wher of because they are both of great importance and also fel out at this verie instant it wil not be amisse to make some briefe rehearsal for a manifest and euident example heerafter how great harme and mischiefe the diuersitie of opinions and dissension of neighbours doth breed among all sortes of men The ende of the Sixt Booke The Seauenth Boke The Argument HAssan the Bassa of Cairo in Egypt is called to the Court. Ebrain the Bassa chosen to be the Kings son in Lawe is sent to Caireo in the rowme of Hassan Hassan in the companie of the Master of the Kings horse goeth to Constantinople Hee is committed to prison and spoiled of all his wealth At the instant suite of the Queene Hassan is set at libertie Ebrain is called to Constantinople to finish the mariage Ebrain commeth with an Armie of twelue thousand horse The Ofspringe religion customes Territories and weapons of the Drusians Three of the chiefe Lordes of the Drusians come to meete Ebrain Serafadin also commeth to Ebrain Serafadin being accused by his three enemies speaketh in his owne defence Serafadin is committed to prison Manogli standeth obstinate and refuseth to come to Ebrain but writeth his letters vnto him Ebrain resolueth to burne the countrie of Manogli Veis the Bassa with his sonne the Sangiacco of Ierusalem discomfited by the Drusians Gomeda is sent to Manogli but returneth without speeding in his Message Aly the Bassa goeth to Manogli and speedeth Manogli sendeth his Mother to Ebrain Gomeda goeth againe to Manogli and returneth with a verie rich present Gomeda goeth once againe to Manogli and returneth with newe presents Andera belonging to Manogli is sacked and nineteene other townes burnt Three hundred and fiftie persons belonging to Manogli hewen in peeces The Matademo or chiefe Agent of Manogli is slayed quicke The Souldiers of Serafadin slaine The Souldiers of the Turkish Gallies sacke all the Sea coast of Serafodin and Manogli Aly Carsusogli buieth the Title of a Bassa with a hundred thousand Duckats Mansurogli laied in chaines and sent to the Gallies The territorie of Mansurogli is sacked Ebrain is ioyfully receiued into Constantinople Ebrain giueth great presents to the Sultan Quarrels betweene the Arabians and the Sangiacco of Ierusalent The Subassi of Bethlehem is slayed quicke by appointment of the Sangiacco Osman the Bassa is in a readinesse to departe from Erzirum with speeche giuen out that hee woulde not goe to Tauris but to Nassiuan The seauenth Booke AMurath had heertofore taken Hassan the Eunuch out of the Serraglio from the charge that hee had there to serue in the Quenes Court and had sent him as Bassa to Cair in Aegypt in whose fauoure for recompence of his continual seruice employed in het behalfe the Queene had obtained this great Office which besides the honour belonging vnto it was also verie beneficiall and profitable vnto him as in deede it is to any other person whose good happe it is to bee aduaunced thereunto the riches and multitude of people inhabiting therein being so great that it seemeth not to be one Citie but rather that it containeth within the large Circuite of it a number of Cities This man beeing coueteous of money and desirous to handle the matter in such sorte as this place of gouernment might yeelde him so great benefit that hee shoulde little neede to seeke for any more suche grauntes at the kinges handes by all manner of meanes aswel indirectly as directly sought to oppresse al the whol Nation and spared neither any state nor age nor sexe but by all importunities and vndue courses hee would wring and extorte rewardes and bribes from euerie man By which his sinister and corrupt dealing hee had now made himselfe so odious and intollerable vnto them that there was not a man but would choose to doo anie thing possible rather then to remaine vnder these his continual tyrannies
pauilion of Ebrain who presently charging him most shamefully with many abhominable and foule termes caused a chaine to be cast about his neck and his armes and commanded him to be carried into the Gallies The fiftie men which hee had appointed to be ready armed hee sent forthwith to Baruto to fetch Mendel aliue vnto him who was by the common people intytled with the name of an Emir but in deed was no other then a simple Macademo to Ebne-Mansur willing them also vpon a sudden to sack all the whole countrey of Ebne-Mansur Whereby there was leauied so rich a pray and so great a booty gathered that it was a maruell to all men For besides money siluer wherof there was a very huge somme the store of clothes of silke and gold was such and so great that it was worthy for a great Prince and not fit for such a Mountainerusticall Lord as this was Hauing conueighed all this into his Gallies hee sailed to Tripoli where he found Serafadin in the custody of the two Bassaes aboue named and hauing stayed there some few daies wherein he committed sundry villanous and abhominable robberies hee caused the said Serafadin to bee put into the Gallies with all his silkes and his other wealth and so departed for Constantinople When he entred into the chanell of the citty accompanied with foure and twenty Gallies encountred and receâ—â—ed by a wonderfull troupe of kinsfolkes and frendes and saluted with an honorable peale of Artillary out of the Serraglio I was also my selfe at Constantinople where I had good meanes to see the bountifull and beautifull presentes which the spoiling Bassa gaue the Turkish king The somme whereof besides the yearely reuenue of Cair amounting to sixe hundred thousand Cecchini was a Million of gold threescore horses most richly garnished of singular beauty and particularly of the Arabian race a liue Elephant and a lyue Giraffle which is a beast like a Cammell and a Panther two very great Crocodiles dead a chaire of gold and precious stones a Casket also beset with precious stones and gold many packes of most fine clothes wollen and silkes certaine other clothes with fringe of gold and siluer and the Barbarian cut-work most fine linnen of Alexandria and all the Arcubuses taken from the Drusians But now returning to the place from whence I was caried into these digressions I say againe that excepting the soulders of Egipt and those of Damasco and Iurie all the rest of the souldierie that was bound to these enterprises was raised with their newe Generall Osman Bassa as wee told you before And the multitude of them that came both to Siuas and to Erzirum was so great that neuer was there seene a greatter in all the occasions that happened about these warres as in the boke following shalbe shewed vnto you For now hauing made mention of the Sangiacco of Ierusalem it will not be amisse to declare the feates of Armes that passed betweene him and the Arabians of Palestine before Ebrain the Visier came into those quarters In the confynes of Sodome in the places that lie not onely betweene the Lake Asphaltites and Damasco but also in the plaines and in the valleies of Iericho and of Samaria and in other places about Bethlehem Emaus Bethany Bethphage Capharnaum Nazaret Leuir Betsaid Naplos and other townes of name thereaboutes there do haunt and liue sundry Arabian captaines who spreading themselues euen as farre as Rama and Ioppa ouer-runne all the countries there round about and continually commit diuers outrages aswell against the said Citties as also vpon the goods and wealth not onely of the Inhabitants there but also of Straungers yea and their insolency oftentimes groweth so great that they dare assault the fenced Cities besides the spoyling of poore traueilers that by reason of their businesse haue occasion to passe from one cittie to another They handle a speare well and are perpetuall shooters but Armour of defence they haue none at all The horses which they ride are very swifte to runne and spare of diet they are very bold in pilling and theeuing Neither could I my selfe escape their handes when I traueiled to the holy Cittie to worship the great Sepulcher of our Lord. These Arabians hauing had intelligence before hand that the foresaid ambitious yongman was appointed the Sangiaccho in Ierusalem and that hee was in minde to raise all the Sangiacchoes there aboutes and ioyning himselfe with them and his Father the Bassa of Damasâ—â— to worke some great annoyance to their Libertie to put diuers of theÌ„ to death resolued with theÌ„selues not to stay in any case till he and his confederacy were ready but rather by making sondry inuasions vpon him euen to the very Cittie of Ierusalem to prouoke him to come out into the field And to induce him so to doe they conspired with a certaine Subassi of Bethlehem who was their frende that he should encourage and embolden the Sangiaccho therevnto by promising him great successe and fortunate euentes The ambitious youth being moued with the perswasions of the Subassi of whome hee made good reckoning and beeing shrewdly prouoked by their insolencies resolued with himselfe to issue out of the cittie into the open field and therevppon hauing armed a hundred of his Vassalles and raysed all the horsemen that were vnder his gouernement to the nomber of sixe hundred he made a roade towardes Iericho sending before to defy them to battell The Arabians came accordingly and against the Arcubuses of the Souldiers of the Sangiaccho opposing their Indian Canes and their Arrowes ouer-whelming hym withall as it were a floud they wrought him great mischiefe And in the very nicke euen while the bartell was at the hoattest the traiterous conspirator the Subassi fled towardes Bethlehem and leaft the souldiers of Ierusalem in the handes of the Arabians who put them all for the most part to the edge of the sword scarcely gaue any liberty to the Sangiacco to saue himself by flight The Sangiacco was certainely enformed of this fraude of the dissembling Subassi and to reuenge himselfe vpon him hee began also to practise deceit with him faining that he wold once more try his forces against the same Arabians insomuch that hee caused the Subassi to arme himselfe and to come vnto him without shew of any suspition that he went about any mischeefe against him But when he came to him he tooke him aliue and in most â—olorous maner caused him presently to be fleaed quick Such end had these youthly and sudden stirres of Iury by occasion whereof as being thereunto induced in a resonable respect we were constrained with a due digression to runne out a little from our first course of the affaires of Persia. And now staying vpon the same we will returne to Osman Bassa who being now come to Erzirum and there hauing taken a muster of all his souldiers was in a readines
with resolute mindes to sacke it and to enrich their owne priuate estate with the spoiles and pillage of that welthie Citty And now were they come to the guarded gates where contrary to their expectation they found a terrible rescue and were enforced to ioyne a hard and mortall medley wherein the walles the entrance yea all the ground thereabout was bathed with blood as it were paued with weapons and carcases And yet for all that though the Persians stood firme stout at the arriuall of this insolent and seruile troupe at the last they were constrained to yeeld the entrance being ouercome by the multitude of them that flowed in vpon them lyke a floud and retiring thēselues into the cittie which was now astonied amased on euery side they fortified themselues in their houses vnder the grounde and in the corners and winding tourninges of the streetes from whence by their arrowes some few Arcubuscs they did great scath to the Turkes that entred Howbet the Persians were not able to kill destroy so many of their enimy people but that at the last they were too mighty for them and wrought many grieuous mischiefes and calamities in the wofull Citty And so a great nomber of this rascall people which remayned aliue returned to the Turkish Campe enriched with booties and slaues leading away with them both virgins and children and shewing too manifest tokens of the poore oppressed Citty wherein the miserable wemen impotent soules embracing and strayning their domesticall doores and kissing their natiue soyle with prayers with mourninges with complaints bewayled their present misery and feared also worse more deadly euents Osman who was now made acquainted with these calamities and with this particular misaduenture caused proclamation to be published that no man should be so hardy as to molest the Taurisians those I meane which were naturally there borne and in the meane time he himselfe went round about the saide Citty viewing thoroughly the situation of it and surueighing the place wherein he might both incampe himselfe safely and also with the better foundation and greater security erect a Castell or Forte of defence of that conquered countrey Tauris is seated at the roote of the hill Orontes which standeth as it were ouer it vpon the North side distant from the shore of the sea of Bachu eight dayes iourney or thereaboutes It hath Persia vppon the Southside which leauing the Caspian mountains on the West reacheth out to Great Media and therefore the Citty is subiect to windes cold and full of snow but of a very holesome ayre It aboundeth in all manner of thinges necessary for mans life It is enriched aswell by the perpetuall concourse of merchandises that are brought thether from the countryes of the Leuant to be conueighed into Soria and into the countries of Europe as also of those that come thither out of the Westerne partes to be distributed ouer all the East It is verie populous so that it feedeth almost two hundred thousand persons but yet open to the furie of euery Armie without strength of walles and without bulwarkes It hath a great number of houses vnder the ground The buyldinges after the fashion of those that are buylt in the East are of burnt clay rather low then high It hath Springs Gardens and running waters And for all things it caried the name as also of their Kings residence Tamas was the man that remoued his seat from this Citie and translated it to Casbin but still for all that both before and sithence although it hath bene molested by the inroades and spoyles of the Turkish Emperours yet it hath alwayes maintayned it selfe in great estimation and renowme Now of this Citty Osman did diligently view the situation and at the last caused his Pauilions to be pitched vpon the side that looketh towardes the South commanding that all the rest of this Souldiers should do the like that all the Workemen and Ditchers should repaire thether to beginne the building of a Castell On the same side of Tauris there was a garden all flourishing beautyfull replenished with a thousand sundry kindes of graftes trees and sweete-smelling plantes among which the Lilly the Hyacinth the Gillyflower the Rose the Violet the Flower gentle and a thousand other odoriferous flowers did yeeld a most pleasaunt and delectable sight both to the Inhabitantes and to Straungers There were a thousand Fountaines and a thousand brookes among them all as the Father of them all a prettie Riuer which with his milde course and delight some noyse deuided the Garden from the ground of Tauris and one onely bridge for those to passe ouer it which for pleasure repayred out of Tauris to recreate themselues in the shadowes and walkes of those greenes whose beauty was so great being also made famous by reason of antiquity that it was also called by the countrey Inhabitantes Sechis-Genet which in our language is as much to say as Eight Paradises This was in times past the standing house of their kinges whiles they kept their residence in this Citty and after they had withdrawne themselues from thence and translated their seate to Casbin it became the habitation and place of aboade for the Gouernours of Tauris and namely Emir-Chan kept altogether there whiles hee had the gouernement of it These gardens and places Osman did choose to builde his Castle in whereof hee gaue the modell himselfe and commaunded that all the whole circuite of those Greenes should bee enuyroned with walles and trenches digged round about them to conveigh the water from the foresayd Riuer And so the fabricke was begunne with the greatest care that possibly might be the foundation of the embattelled walles layd the ditche digged foureteene foote broade and a mans heigth in depth and in the space of sixe and thirty dayes wholy finished and brought to an ende The first day of building the Visier fell sicke of a feuer with a bloudy flixe as it was told me in Constantinople by one of the Phisitions that was alwayes assistant at the cure which infirmity peraduenture was the cause of the slownesse in building and of many other losses that afterwardes happened as shall be declared vnto you In the saide space also of sixe and thirty dayes there was distributed vppon the walles great store of Artillery and within the Forte there were built diuers bathes lodginges and such other housing necessary for Turkish vses Whiles this Fabricke was in hande there wanted not sondry Accidentes and straunge newes to fill the eares and mindes of all men which it shalbe necessarie to report in order as they fell out Fiue daies after the buylding of the Fort was begon there came newes into the Turkish campe that within the Citie of Tauris in a certain baine there were eight Iannizzaries and diuerse Spaoglanj seen strangled wherof the Zaini Spahini and Iannizzaries being certified went presently before
of battell he would make him good accompt of his valour cause him to know not onely that Amurath had most iniuriouslie and vniustly raised this warre but also that it had been good for him not to haue withstood his force and valiance Osman accepted his offer but being not hable himself to go and aunswer the Prince in person hand to hand by reason of his sicknesse which euery hower encreased more mortally vpon him he sent out all the Captaines of his armie The Persian Prince remained ten miles of there aboutes distant from the Campe of Osman and that vpon verie good consideration least peraduenture in the heate and furie of the battel he might haue been spoiled by the Artillarie so that of necessitie the Turkish armie must needes ryde to encounter with him The Turkish Captaines marched in this maner The middest of the battel was guided by the Bassa of Caraemit and Sinan Cicala with all the Souldiers of Assiria and Babylon The left hand was lead by the Bassa of Natolia with the band of Graecia And the right hand was conducted by Amurath the Bassa of Caramania with the people of Soria to the number in all of three score thousand besides all those that were slaine in the two former conflicts and besides a great multitude of seruile people diuerse voluntarie and sundrie waged souldiers also that were stil within the Citie busied about their new pillages and searching for hidden treasures and other rich booties euen in places vnder the ground and in their Churches and besides the trustie guard of the Iannizzaries of Constantinople with all the Artillarie which was left behind for the safegard of the sick Visier and all the Tentes Being thus ordered and deuided they confronted the Persian Prince who was himselfe in the middest of his Army and had placed all his people in very good order on all sides hauing on his one side the souldiers of Persia and Hircania and on his other side the souldiers of Parthia and Atropatia in all to the nomber of forty thousand I do not belieue that Ida the mountaine or Xanthus the riuer by Troy did euer see so terrible and bloudy battels as these were that were fought neere to the Riuers and mountaines of Tauris by these nations who though they be all in deed of Asia yet as Aristotle saith are not very martiall The Turkes were in a feare least the Persians would haue fetched a great compasse and with all celerity and fury would haue runne to set vpon their tentes the riches which they had layed vp together in their pauillions and therefore at euery motion of theirs they continually feared this suddain outroade Whereof they had such speciall care that retiring themselues asmuch as they might and faining that they yeelded and gaue place to the Persians they withdrew so neere to their Army that they wanted but a little from being brought euen within the iust leuill and marke of their artillarie Which when the Persians had espyed and perfectly discouered the cunning and craft of the Turkes without any further dallying they began to seise vpon the maine body of the battell And the Prince himselfe being entred among the souldiers of the Bassa of Caraemit who as wee tould you a little before as Generall sustayned the place of Osman pressing into the middest of the battel dispatched euery man that came in his way and hauing drawen out the Bassa from among the rest he smote of his head and gaue it to one that waited vpon him to carrie about vpon the top of his launce The speechles head being openly discried wrought a terrour to the Turks and a courage in the Persians who being imbrued with blood in the battell and remembring also the crueltie vsed vpon the Taurisians accounted it an impiety to shew any pitty to their enemies and a great point of cowardise to foreslow the victory ouer them Whereupon they entermingled themselues more and more made a most confused and generall slaughter wherein besides the Bassa aboue named there died also the Bassa of Trabizonda the Sangiacco of Bursia with fiue other Sangiacchi and many other Chiaus and diuers common souldiers taken prisoners It fell to the lot also of Amurath the Bassa of Caramania to be taken prisoner being as they say fallen into a Well or ditch whiles hee was fighting and to be shorte it is the common report that the number of those that were slain in this battell amounted to twentie thousande Turkes The night came vpon them and the Persians were now somewhat too nigh to the Turkish Artillerie and therefore they resolued to leaue fighting and as they were occasioned by the darkenes of the night to withdraw themselues backe to the pauilions of the king the Princes father But now there were many daies spent wherein as we told you afore the fabricke of the Fortresse was fully finished And after so many victories and so many losses that fell out on both sides the souldiers of Grecia and Constantinople being nowe wearied with seeing their frendes and louing fellowes thus slaine before their faces hauing also layed vp safely in their owne custody those praies and booties which they had gotten in the sack of the Cittie resolued with themselues to procure their owne departure being partly moued thereunto by the violent and sharpe season of the winter which was nowe comming vpon them And for that purpose they came to the Visier who being already brought into a most dangerous estate of his health and waxen very faint through the aboundant issue of blood that mortally flowed out of his bellie was as a man might say in despaire with himselfe to liue any longer and quite abandoned of all hope by his Phisitians And therefore they were faine by the mouth of such as were trustie about him to represent vnto him the necessity of their returne and withall after many frendly and reuerent entreaties they caused also to be signified vnto him that if he stoode obstinate vnwilling to yeeld to their request and wold needes stay dallying and spending the tyme in those quarters where there was no such need they should be inforced to withdraw themselues forsake him Osman who had nothing els to do in those countries but onely to leaue at Tauris within the new fort for the custody thereof some cōuenent garrisō of soldiers did liberally promis to gratify thē in their suit to yeeld them al satisfactiō as they desired by departing from thence the next morning And there fore for asmuch as he was now to remoue before his remoue to leaue such a garrison in the new fort as might be sufficient to maintaine and defende it vntill the next spring wherein there should be some new captaine and fresh supplies sent thether for their succor he concluded that Giaffer the Eunuch being thē the Bassa of Tripoli who as we told you in the last booke
consideration of many matters Daut-Chan who to deserue some reward at Amurathes hand neuer ceassed to remember and vrge whatsoeuer might set forward the conceits of the Ottomans offered himself to performe this so important seruice could so well discourse vpon the maner how to bring it to passe and to make the enterprise certaine and secure that at the last Cicala Bassa deliuered vnto him thirtie thousand Cecchini to cary to the Fort at Teflis Daut-Chan went and returned and releeued those souldiers without any thing hapning vnto him in his voyage worthie the writing And yet was this seruice so well accepted by Amurath that he honoured the Rinegate with the dignitie of the Bassa of Maras a Citie seated in the confines of Cappadocia and Armenia neere to the riuer Euphrates where also the same Daut gouerneth euen at this present day although there was a speech deliuered out by the same that King Amurath had caused him to be strangled which was not true Maxut-Chan also he that was the guide of the Turkish Armie to Reiuan and to Tauris was honoured by the same King with the great rich Office of the Bassa of Aleppo Of whom as also of his children and of his vassals I haue had verie many particulars both touching this warre and matters of peace wherein this man was a dealer So that I haue not written to my knowledge any thing herein which hath not been certified vnto me from persons of credite and auctoritie euen of their owne sight for that they were present and Agents themselues in these enterprises Whereunto that such credite may be giuen as an Historie deserueth I haue thought good in this place to translate a certain Letter sent from the Sangiaccho of Aman to Aly the Bassa of Aleppa who was with Ebrain and so could not be at the actions of Tauris A Copie whereof was also sent to the Senate of Venice by Giouanni Michele at that time Consul for that most honourable Common wealth of whom we haue a little before made mention It was written in the Arabike and beeing translated into our toung it was word for word in this maner To the rich and mightie among the rich and mightie the noble Lord of Lordes among honourable and great persons the honourable and great person the Lord Aly Bassa Humble salutations and long prosperitie Your Lordship hath giuen me to vnderstand that you desire to be aduertised of all that hath hapned this yeare betweene vs and the Cheselbas and I now I haue good leasure to doo it will not fayle readily so to do So you shal vnderstand that from Erzirum we came to Tauris in forty dayes and the day before wee arriued at Tauris at the Bridge of salt-water our Vanigard was assaulted by the Sonne of the King of Persia who quite discomfited it and gaue vs a great ouerthrow with the death of almost fiue thousand of our men among whom Aly the Bey of Grecia was one And because you would know the very day that we entred into Tauris I do let you vnderstand that two dayes before our feast we entred into it in great number Two daies the Citie was kept locked because the Persians had gotten the gates and in that time there was a great fight both within and without the Citie with the slaughter of our men more then eight thousand and little losse to the Persians For Alycull-Chan the Gouernour of the Citie with the best of his people were readie to flie and abandon the defence of the Citie who as he went out met with the Bassa of Maras and flew him with many of our men But afterward being scarred with the Artillarie that was set right vpon him he fled away and all the rest of the Cheselbas-Captaines who vpon that occasion also at the last retyred with him You desire to know how those of Tauris were entreated and I tell you that three dayes after we were entred into it and Alyculi-Chan fled with those aboue named order was giuen for the buylding of a Fortresse in the middest of the Citie which was then all sacked in such sort as it was great pitie to see and yet without any direction or commaundement from the Visier although in deed they haue giuen out speeches that it was by his appointment The Iannizaries and the Spahini of the Porta tooke away all their goods and houshold stuffe and twice afterwards sacked it againe and the second time they slew many of the inhabitants of Tauris and found a great quantitie of stuffe hidden vnder the ground and sold their children for ten and twelue Ducates apeece The buylding of the Fort was finished in six and thirtie dayes and twelue dayes before this Fabrik was finished newes came to the Visier that the Persians were comming to assault him Wherevpon he sent out the sonne of Cicala and Mahamet the Bassa of Caraemit who from the topp of an hill discouered the Persians that were comming and so they descended into the plaine and ioyned battell with them Wherein it seemed at the first that the Persians would haue taken their heeles but they returned vpon our men and pursued them with slaughter to the number of fower thousand Turkes and took prisoners Sinan the Checaia or Lieutenant of Cicala Chenan the Kings Chiaus or Embassadour and the Clerk of the Spahinj of the Porta A few dayes before the Fort was finished the Visier was certified againe that the Persians were comming in a verie great number to assault him whereupon he began to set all his Armie in an order but while he was busied there abouts the Persians arriued about noone and setting vpon our men they faught such a battell from that time till two howers within night that it cannot be expressed either with toung or pen. But as farre as mens iudgments can reach it is verily thought that there may be about fortie thousand of our men slaine with great losse also of the Enemie Among our men the Bassa of Caraemit had his head stroken off Muraâ— the Bassa of Caramania was taken aliue in fight being fallen into a water whiles he was in fighting Mustaffa the Sangiaccho of Bursia and Schender the Bey of Grecia and fiue other Sangiacchâ— were hewen in peeces and the Bassa of Trebisonda also left his carcase in the field In verie trueth the battell was so great that it cannot well and sufficiently be described Afterwards the Visier being departed from Tauris and arriued at Sancazan would needes stay there and pitch But whiles they were drawing out their Tents and euery man busie to encampe the Prince of Persia was discouered with a great number of souldiers who seeing vs in this plight hastened his pace and betweene our Rereward and the Visier began battell vpon vs. It was then an hower after day-light and we had trauailed all that night From that hower euen vntill euening did this fight last with such effusion of bloud as is not credible and the common
Erzirum and of Van made the Wing with the Souldiers of both the Armeniaes and the Sangiacchi of the Curdi watered with the Lakes Tospite and Martiano dwelling in the middle betweene the Iberians and the Mesopotanians on the one side frozen with the colde of Taurus and on the other side warmed with the prospecte of the South in all to the number of twelue thousande This last Cornette was kept with a perpetuall watch by the Knight Marshall of the fielde and the other was defended with a continuall trench of artillery And in them both were mustered the voluntarie Souldiers that after so longwarre being greedy of spoyle and ambitious of glorie were equallie diuided betweene them to the number of twenty thousande The Vaunt garde went alwayes a mile before the Armie with two thousande Horse and foure companies of the readiest light Horsmen to the number of three thousande and before all these foure or sixe Fore-runners or Spies on horsebacke After the Auauntgarde rode the Master of the Kinges Horse called the Imbrahur Bassi with foure hundred Ianizzaries Nexte after them followed foure hundred Solacchi and then foure thousande Ianizzaries more and presently after them the Long-shot wrought in Algier and called Sciemete being the ordinarie and perpetuall Guarde of the Generall who without any company by his side sauing onely his twelue footmen came next vpon them And behinde him his Standerdes his Drummes his Trumpettes and the whole bodie of his Battell betweene vvhich and the Rere-vvarde follovved his huge carriages for the necessarie vse of his Armie and on both sides the two greate and large Cornettes before described The watch of the night whether the Armie were martching or lodged was committed to the truste of the Bassaes of Cilicia and Natolia aboue named And thus had the Generall Ferat marshalled his Armie with further direction that they shoulde not hazarde battell with the enemie but vppon certaine hope that they might shunne and auoyde such cruell and memorable slaughters as the laste yeare vnder the vnhappie gouernement of Osman had left heapes of deade Carcasses almoste euen and leuell vvith the tops of hilles And vvithall hee failed not to comforte and encourage all such as quaked in their heartes at the remembraunce of those mischances that they had seene or heard The Generall was greatlie perplexed in his minde with continuall feare least his enemies shoulde come vpon him with some sudden assaulte and the fame also that was spread before in Amasia and after confirmed in Erzirum of the arriuall of the Prince Amze at Tauris with such an Armie as was publikelie reported did euerie moment encrease his irksome cogitations But on the other side hee reposed great confidence in the conspiracy that was plotted against the life of the Prince with the priuitie of Alyculi-Chan the Protector and Champion of Abas the Mirze of Heri Who vnder collour of accompanying the Prince to assist his forces had resolutelie concluded with himselfe and absolutely promised Abas hauing also giuen intelligence thereof to the Turkish Generall that hee would rid the Prince Amze of his life or at least which he thought might more easilie be brought to passe in the sundrie reuolutions and variable chances of the battell at some time or other to make him fall aliue into the handes of Ferat and so to settle his Lord and Master Abas in his estate Vpon these treacheries Ferat grounding himselfe began with greater confidence to dispose his designementes and somewhat lesse to feare the reportes of the Fame that blazed abroad the huge preparations of Persia against him which preparations in trueth as by moste wicked deuices and malicious conspiracies they were turned quite contrarie from that end whereunto the Prince Amze had continuallie appointed them so if they had bene employd with such saith and fidelitie as so righteous a cause required without all doubt the writers of our time shoulde haue had in this four-skore and sixth yeare matter ynough to shewe and represent to the vvhole worlde such accidentes as shoulde be nothing inferiour to those of the yeare before going And Persia should haue seene some reuenge at the least of those most mischieuous iniuries that it hath receaued But forasmuch as rebellion and discorde those two infernall Ministers of the Deuill haue for the vtter vndoing and ouerthrowe of the glorie of Persia continually fauoured the Turkish Armies No maruell it is that the Persian Nation cannot vaunt of any reuenge that they haue taken of anie one indignity offered vnto them by their enemies and that our Writers cannot choose but write of the true and vndoubted victories of the Turks and the bare shadowes of the Persian exploytes Which notwithstanding but all in vaine our Christian Nations euen vntill this day although they doe see the manifest prospering and euident conquestes which the Turkes haue had in diuers States and Countreyes yet doe they easilie beleeue because they doe moste earnestlie desire them to bee true But wee vvill not fayle as trulie as possiblie wee may to reporte whatsoeuer wee vnderstande to haue happened that out of our writinges the Readers may take such aduise as out of such aduertisementes may bee gathered The Persian Prince arriued at Tauris with the greatest parte of his Armie about the twentie eighth of the Moone Regeb which may bee about the latter ende of Iulie In which place euery body thought verily he would haue stayed and attended the conquest of the Forte which now hee might haue vtterlie destroyed with more ease than before he coulde haue done because the souldiers that were in it were reduced to a very small number and those that did remayne were greatly impayred by sundrie inconueniences and withall shrewdlie terrified with the expectation of the Princes arriuall Notwithstanding this common opinion and publike conceite was vtterlie frustrated For Amze did not onelie forbeare to attempt this expugnation but hee scarse taried any while in the Citie of Tauris The cause of this his so doing is diuerslie yea and vainlie reported The Persians and all their adherentes say that Prince tooke this course not because hee was not able immediately to besiege the Forte and easilie to haue gotten the victorie ouer it for they did not sticke verie gloriouslie to vaunt that it was in his power so to doe but onelie because if hee had taken and destroyed the Forte then woulde the Turkes haue for borne to come to Tauris and so the Prince should haue loste the opportunitie of ioyning battell with them and plaguing the Turkish Armie with such losses and discomfitures as hee earnestly desired to afflict them withall meaning notwithstanding to destroy the Forte after hee should haue satisfied his longing to bee reuenged on his enemies Campe. Others cannot beleeue that the Prince woulde relinquish so necessarie and honourable enterprise for any such respect for they were of opinion that Amze could not haue had a more glorious reuenge nor more
grieuouslie endommaged his enemies then by ouerthrowing that Forte which to the greate daunger and perill of the Persians was erected euen in the middest of them yea that Forte for the building and accomplishment whereof they had compassed all those mischiefes the laste yeare Another cause also there is yeelded of this his so doing And that is the infirmitie which the Prince knew to be in himselfe as a man vnacquainted with the daungerous attemptes of a siege verie fearefull of Artillery and more corragious in anie other kinde of battell then these that are vsed to be foughten vnder the walles of any place But let it be that he was lead by eyther of these two respectes it maketh no greate matter The trueth is that Amze with all the troupes which hee brought with him the number and order whereof shall bee shortly hereafter declared vnto you did scarse make any stay in Tauris For he had vnderstood that before the Cittie of Salmas Zeinel the Bey by nation a Curdo and by office the Bassa of that Cittie had encamped himselfe whome hee determined suddenly to set vppon and chastise not onely for his rebellion whereby of a Persian hee became a Turke but also for many other his insolent behauiours which hee had diuers times vsed against the liberties and priuiledges of the Citties of Persia. This determination hee put in execution and being accompanied with twelue thousande Souldiers hee rode to Salmas where finding Zeinell with all his people hee gaue him the assault Zeinell was more readie to flie and make escape then minded to fight or make rescues and his Forces also as ready to followe his example who beeing more intentiue to saue themselues with their housholde stuffe and other implementes to resist their enemies the more they sought by all meanes to preserue their liues and slippe out of the Persians handes the more they fell into the spoyle and were woonderfully ill entreated so that the Bassa himselfe with a fewe other fugitiues coulde hardly saue themselues in the cloasest and darkest corners thereaboutes And in this sorte was Zeinello and the Cittie of Salmas that was committed to his charge and defence endommaged and left for a praie to the Conquerours Who entring into their streetes houses and Temples sacked and spoyled the same exercising thereon such cruelties and indignities as partlie the naturall desires of souldiers doe vse to practise and partely such as the Turkes themselues shewed vpon them as it were for an example howe to doe in the like case in that miserable and most vnfortunate sacking of Tauris the laste yeare The like spoyles did the Persian Armie make in all those quarters rounde aboute and so woulde peraduenture haue returned to Tauris but that certaine Spies arriued vpon them who brought aduertisement howe the Bassa of Reiuan being issued out of his Fortresse with fifteene hundred Harquebusiers had committed the like outrages in the villages and fieldes thereaboutes as the Prince had done about Salmas With this newes Amze was greatlie mooued and immediatlie raising all his Armie he iourneyed euen vntill night towardes Reiuan and not farre from the Cittie encountred the Bassa who discouering his enemies forces a farre off beganne in great disorder to flie and retire into his Fort leauing the greatest parte of his Souldies being nothing so speedie in flight as himselfe to the fury of the Prince who slewe them all and exercised all mischiefe that might be deuised and al terrible maner of crueltie in those quarters But notwithstanding all these wrathfull conflictes and broyles of warre the two famous Prisoners Ebrain-Chan and Amurat the Bassa of whom we haue made mention in the former books of this historie ceassed not by peaceable enter course and treatie about their own liberties to procure that they might interchangeably be inlarged and restored to their owne Lordes This practise continued verie hote for manie dayes together and at the laste the Turkes were contented to enlarge Ebram-Chan vppon condition that Amurat also might be set at libertie But the offer was thought to be verie vnequall For say the Persians Ebrain-Chan was emprisoned against all right by the dishonourable treacherie and infidelitie of Amurath to the great contempt and vtter subuersion of al lawes which towardes Embassadours ought most sacredlie and religiously to bee maintayned in any cause whatsoeuer and Ebrain-Chan ought not in any respect to be kept in prison but with most manifest iniustice and iniquitie Whereas on the other side Amurath the Bassa was lawfully taken captiue and brought into thraldome not by deceite of wordes nor breach of faith but in plaine battell euen with the daunger of those that tooke him prisoner and to bee shorte agreeablie and according to the lawes of warre and Enemy-Nations And therefore so vnequall and vnproportionable an exchaunge was not onelie vtterlie to bee denyed and reiected but also vnreasonable on the Turkes behalfe to be offered These sounde and effectuall reasons of the Persians coulde not be answered but eyther by money or by some other meanes that mighte supplie the defeates of the Turkes inaequalitie Whereunto they woulde neuer agree to yeelde and so the two Captaines remanyned still in prison as thy did before At the verie same time in the confines of Tripolie certaine Drusians of the territorie of Manogli who after the departure of Ebrain the Bassa were quietlie and peaceablie retired to their owne homes beganne to raise new stirres and troubles Whereuppon the Drusian Captaines that were carried prisoners to Constantinople by Ebrain the Bassa and were nowe vpon the poynt to bee set at libertie and to returne to their woonted habitations at the reporte of these fresh troubles and tumultes were againe restrayned and clapt vp in close custodie and in great daunger also to haue lost their liues Nowe the rumour of these stirres was this that Manogli perceauing all the Souldiers and garrisons to bee now departed for the warre of Persia as wee haue tolde you and none other prouision sent for the defence of those places hee determined to issue out into the fielde and not onelie to reuenge the death of his people which vniustlie and by treacherie they had suffered but also to licke himselfe whole and by a kinde of violent restitution to bee recompensed for all those bribes and presentes which with so manie shiftes and subtilties as before is declared were extorted from him by the Messengers and Stratagemes of Ebrain the Bassa For which purpose beeing issued out into the playnes and Champeignes of Tripoli and hauing first wasted and sacked all the territorie of Ebnemansur and of his other enemies hee forced all that Countrey with sudden inuasions and inroades euen verie neere to the Citties of Balbecke and Tripolie As for the defence and rescue of Balbech Acra woulde not stirre a foote fearing belike least hee might bee endaungered by the valour and resolution of Manogli wherewith hee was verie well acquainted But for Tripoli there
and Tatar B. the Tartarians inhabiting Scythia and Sarmatia Tatar-Chan B. the chiefe Lord or Gouernour of the Tartarians He is called the great Chan of Tartaria Tauris and Taruis Read the Letter to S. Mario Corrado in the end of this booke Techisnandan B. Certain Mountaines in Caramania Deserta Teflis and Tiflis a Citie in Armenia but belonging to the Georgians Teftis T. a Processe or Bill of complaint put vp by the Plaintife Teracan B. a Citie in Parthia Tocca B. the round Roll which the Barbarians vse to weare on their heades It is also called Sessa and Turbante Tomanis a Citie in Armenia but belonging to the Georgians verie famous for the notorious treacherous straites that are neer it Trabisondo B. a Sea-coast Citie vpon Pontus Euxinus called in old time Trapezuntium A. Triala B. a place in Armenia renowmed for a number of Churches there which held of the Romish Religion Triala B. a Sea-coast Citie in Asia and 〈◊〉 Triala B. a white Roll which the Barbarians were vpon their heades Look Tocca Turbat B. a Citie in Parthia Turcoman a Citie betwixt Tauris and Casbin Turcomanni a people mingled among the Turkes and Persians Turcomania the greater of old called Great Armenia A. Tursis B. a Citie in Parthia V. UAn B. a Citie in the Martian Marish Visier B. a chiefe Counsailour or Gouernour generall of the State of Turkie Vlac and Volacchi T. Postes or Currors to run of a message in hast Vlu-Bassi B. the Captain of a certain number of Souldiers but not so high in degree as an Aga is Z. ZAffo and Giaffa B. a Citie by the Sea-side in old times called Ioppa A. Zagatai B. certain Tartarians comprehended vnder the name of the Sogdiani Zaghen B. a City in Armenia inhabited by the Georgians Zaini T. a noble companie of valiant Souldiers Zanga B. a Citie in great Armenia Zante B. an Island in the Ionian Sea called in old time Zacynthus A. Zine B certain festiual signes and shewes of publike ioy Zuiria B. a Region lying at the rootes of Mount Caucasus towards the Hircanian Sea and was called in old time Albania A. FINIS The warre in Persia commodious for the state of Christendom The causes that moue the author to wryte this historie A peace betweene Tamas Soliman the conditions thereof Soliman Selim dead Tamas dyeth Tamas leaueth eleuen children Tamas his last will The simulation of Ismahel Why Mahamet was called by surname Codabanda Mahamet lo ueth not the charge of a king Abas Mirize Mahamets sonne in Her Emir Hamze Mahamets sonne Ismahel called to Casbin to be crowned king of Persia. Stirres in Casbin Periaconcona sister to Mahamet Aidere Ismahel yet elder in yeares then they The singular boldnesse of Aidere Aidere procureth to bee made king be fore Ismahel The subtilty o Periaconcona to entertayne Aidere Aidere stalled king in Casbin Aidere acknoledging his publike derision ssieth all fearefull among certaine women Aidere beheadded by Sahamal his vncle The head of Aidere throwne among the conspirators Ismahel putteth to death many kinsfolkes and frendes of his dead brother Aidere Euery man bewaileth the cruelty of the new king Ismahel Ismahel publisheth a new superstition New publike griefes new deathes happening by occasion of Ismahel The Califfe of Casbin depryued of his eyes by the commandement of Ismahel A rumor spread that Ismahel would passe to Babilon with an army King Ismahel suddenly perished the manner of his death Periaconcona parleeth with the captaines of Persia. The answere of the Captaynes to Periaconcona Amurat at the stirres in Persia entreth into mind to make warre vpon them An auncient custome of the Turkes Amurat intentiue to the matters of Persia. Mahamet Codabanda resolueth to come and be crowned King Periaconcona beheadded New stirres and mischeefes in Persia. Sahamal the Georgian flyeth from Casbin into the mountayneâ— Leuentogli desyrous of innouation The people of Seruan euill affected towardes the new king Vstress the Bassa of Van aduertyseth Amurat of the stirres in Persia. Amurat is confirmed in his opinion to make warre Amurat in peace with the Christian Princes Amurat in peace with the Christian Princes Amurat taketh counsell of his Visiers Turkes make no accompt of breaking Promisse Mahamet the Visier aduiseth to make warre The generall conclusion of them all Two difficulties found in the resolution to make warre The difficulties aunswered Mustaffa Bassa the infamous hath great hope in this warre Mustaffa preferre th the valour of the Latines before the valour of the Georgians Persians Discord dangerous to a common wealth Amurat protesteth to the Visiers that of this warre he would both reape profit and honour The opinion of some touching the manner of the warre The opinion of others A third opinion The deliberation of Amurat Amurat goeth not in person to this warre and the reasons why Order giuen by Amurat to the borderers to annoy Persia. Vstref doth much harme to the borderers Mustaffa elected Generall of the Turkish Campe against the Persians A. 1577. Mustaffa at Chalcedon Mustaffa at Erzirum The muster of the army in Erzirum The Aâ—esâ— potamians The Assyrians and Babilonians The Sorian The Natolians The Iewes Philistims The Caramanians The Grecians The Constantinopolites The men of Erzirum Voluntary men little inferior to the number of stipendaries but better armed Places that sent no souldiers this yeare to the warres of Persia. 500. peeces of small artillary with Mustaffa 500. peeces of small Artillary with Mustaffa Many loades of money Taxes and Tenthes for corne and cariage Trabizonda but 4. small daies iourney distant from Erzirum Mustaffa departeth from Erzirum to the ruines of Chars An excessiue raine Somefall sicke Mustaffa departeth from Chars The mountaines of Chielder The artificiall manner of encamping which Mustaffa vsed The King of Persia moued by the fame of this expedition made against him dissembleth his hatted toward the Sultans Tocomac generall of the Persians Order giuen by king Mahamet to Tocomac Commandement giuen ouer all Persia to gather men against the Turke The places whence the souldiers were gathered The disobedience of many Embassadors from Georgia The army of the Persians â—x thousand and no moe The manner how the Persians are armed their conditions Tocomac with his host commeth toward Chars Tocomac sendeth spyes The errour of the Persian spyes Tocomac falleth into the same errour that the spyes did Tocomac commeth boldly to assaile his enemyes The Persians obtaine a happy and fortunate victory Mustaffa is moued against the Persian conquerors and succoureth his owne people The Persians endure the assault The Persians retire through the benefite of the night Mustaffa returneth to his rentes The Persians newes to Casbin Mustaffa sendeth postes with newes of the battell to Amurat. 5000. heades and 3000. Persians aliue presented to generall Mustaffa The arte of Mustaffa his cruelty A bulwarke made of heades Embassadors from Manucchiar the Georgiano Manucchiar honorably receaued by Mustaffa The speech of Manucchiar The aunswere