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
resolution neuer to decline from the truth not to suffer that vpon any occasion whatsoeuer any thing should bee discoursed therein but that which eyther I my selfe haue seene or possibly could vnderstand to be true Wherein although I haue found many difficulties and vsed great labours aswell through the ignorance of the people who being not able to tell me any other name of the Cittyes of the cuntries of the fieldes of the Riuers of the hilles but onely the barbarous names of them they made the certaine knowledge of those places wherein these battells were foughten to be very difficult vnto me As also because it was very requisite that I should haue an eie to the seuer all qualities of dyuers nations who are sometimes giuen to lying and by whom many thinges are wont to bee spoken and many thinges concealed for their owne particular respectes Notwithstanding I haue endeuored by all the best meanes I possibly could to discharge my duty therein ouercomming these such other difficulties with continuall conference among dyuers men in dyuers places to the end I might find them agree together in their reportes and expecting withall that Tyme it selfe would at last bring forth the truth Neither did I euer content my selfe with the first or second aduertisement deliuered vnto me but alwaies iustified the first with the last by conferring together the testimonies of both sides And lastly without regard of danger of expenses or of labour I haue enformed my self of euery particularity that possibly I could by such men as were esteemed no liers but men of great authority who were present for the most part at al these actions Which purpose and resolution of myne was greatly fauoured and assisted by three priuate extraordinary meanes First by the credit and authoritie of Theodoro Balbj and Giouanni Michele being then the right honorable Consulles in Soria for the Venetian Senate two most noble prudent and valorouse subiectes of the State of Venice who most magnificently without sparing of any costes did fauour me herein in all my other studies where vnto I applyed my selfe in those countries Secondly by the familiar conuersation which I had with one Christoforo de Buonj cheefe Interpreter to the said most honorable Lordes a person of great valour well frended and beloued among those nations and aboue all of singular faith and dexterity Thirdly by my knowledge in Phisicke which I was not squemish to practise among those people to the end I might the better without ministring any suspition to any man enter into their most secret important aduertisementes and so by this meanes to purchase familiarity in the principall howses of those Citties wherein for the space of almost seuen whole yeares together I liued and was entertayned And of thus much it shall be euen sufficient to haue aduertised the readers who without any other Apologie or iustification of mine mayrest contented and satisfied with my desyre which hath beene to represent vnto the world Accidentes that haue happened so far off so strange and so important that thereby they may reape great profit both in peace and warre Which satisfaction if I shall obtaine of their gratitude I shall thinke my selfe to haue gayned enough in lieu of all the trauelles of all the dangers of all the expences that I haue susteyned I shall rest assured that I haue not beene an vnfruitfull labourer herein The First Booke The Argument The causes that moued the Author to write this Historie The Originall of this warre The causes of the same warre Aidere beheaded Ismahel the king vseth great cruelties publisheth a new Religion and spreadeth abâ—â—ad a speech that he would passe into Babylonia Amurath resolueth to moue warre against Persia. Periaconcona beheaded New stirres in Persia wherof Vctres Bassa aduerti seth Amurath who therby is confirme in his opinion to make this warre Consultations at Constantinople of the maner how to manage this warre Amurath will not in person go with the Armie but choseth Mustaffa Bassa to be his Generall who passeth to Chalcedon and from thence to Erzirum where he mustereth and surueigheth his Armie and then departeth for Siruan Mustaffa a trueth at Charâ—â— goeth vnder the Mountaines of Chiâ—lder and there encampeth himselfe artificially The King of Persia sendeth Souldiers against the Turkes and ouer them he maketh 〈◊〉 the Sultan his Generall Tocomac cometh toward Chars he findeth out his Spies and being deceiued by his Spies he doth confidently assault the Turkes At the first Tocomac doth happely ouercome the Turkes but afterwardes he was discomfited and saued himselfe by the oportunitie of the night The particular of the Victorie Manucchiar the Georgian yeeldeth himselfe to Mustaffa and is interteined by him The warres betweene the Turkes and Persians I Write the sondry successes of the warre betweene Amurat king of Turkie Mahamet by surname caled Codabanda king of Persia both of them among the Barbarians beeing most mightie most warlike Princes A warre not onely long bloudie but also very commodious and of great oportunitie to the Christian Common-wealth for that it hath granted leisure to the Champions of Christ to refresh and encrease their forces being now much weakened by warres both Forreine and Ciuill A matter in truth rather diuine then humane there being now newly arisen among the Turkes fresh hopes of victories by meanes whereof contrary to the custome of such contentions the wrath of these two Princes was drawne in length which if they had bene conuerted against Europe might haue made our state most troublesome and turbulent These successes and all the rest that together with the like motions haue come to passe sometimes intermingling among them the priuy treacheries of the Tartarians sometimes the oppressions of the people of Drusia and sometimes also the insolencies of the Arabians I here take in hand to describe being therunto moued principally vpon two occasions The one is for that they all seeme to me of themselues very worthy to be knowne both of the men that liue at this day also of those that shall come after vs neither haue I as yet seene any man that hath made any full or true report thereof Which notwithstanding I hope shalbe herein performed by my myselfe who haue bene entertained almost seauen whole yeares during the said warres partly in Soria partly in Constantinople and by occasion of my practise in Phisicke haue bene familiarly conuersant with many Bassaes Embassadours and other great men aswel Persians as Turkes that haue beene agentes and dealers in these affaires The other is for that I doe verily persuade my selfe that I shall breede great profite and delight to all nations Christian by the reading of this history wherein they shall vnderstand how mighty the forces are of these two enimies of the name of Christ and in what termes they stand euen at this day by meanes of which knowledge it may peraduenture fall out that our Christian Princes
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
the false Prophet deceased openly made challenge thereunto At whose first demaund it seemed that Abubacher was some what willing to haue yeelded making a shew that he would do it to gratify such persons as sued for Aly being a man more worthy for his neerenesse in bloud for his agility in body for his valour in Armes rather then for that hee was resolued to surrender to another the honor that Mahamet had graunted to him But afterwardes hauing secretely vnderstood the mindes of some that were more mighty then his aduersaries who counsailed him in any case not to spoyle himselfe of the honor which he had obtayned he began openly to resist Aly and to vse not onely reasons but force also against him so that he established himself in the said Succession Which Aly for that he would not disturbe the new-deuised sect did brooke better then it was thought hee could although at last in recompence of this his tolleration being forsaken of all his freendes and fautors hee and hys wife Fattime were also spoyled of all the substaunce that was left vnto them by his Vncle Abubacher vouching for a reason of this his cruelty That the enheritance of riches belongeth vnto him to whome the Charge of the Law and of Wisedome belongeth and That he being adiudged lawfull heire of the Wisedome ought also to inherite the riches Leauing it as it were for an Ordinaunce to the people That a Prophet cannot separate his substance from his dignities and knowledge but whosoeuer is left heire of a mans wisedome is also to be taken for the heire of a mans wealth Wherevpon diuers wise men of that age tooke occasion to write bookes and therein disputed whether a Prophet might haue authority to make one and the selfe same person the heire of his learning and of hys riches Howbeit this Aly liued so long that he saw the death of his predecessors Abubacher Omar and Ottoman and after their decease he himselfe also succeeded in the Dignity which till then they had vsurped vpon him For conseruation whereof he was compelled to make battell with Maui Lord of Damafco ouer whome with great glory he gayned the victory and so euer after to his immortall praise and commendation hee exercised that Office At the last he died also leauing behind him the report of a magnanimous variant and iust Prince and was buried with two of his Sonnes Hassan and Ossain in Cafe a place with in two dayes iourney neere vnto Babylon among whose Successors was allwayes thoroughly obserued whatsoeuer Mahamet had commaunded to be obserued for a Law And although the East was diuided into diuers and sondry States and Gouernementes of many persons yet notwithstanding the superstition of Mahamet was with all conformity mainetained by them all neither was there heard either of any schisme or insurrection or waighty dissention among that people but for all the inequalitie of those countries and dominions this opinion continued equall and vniforme At what time euen on a sudden beyond all expectation there arose a superstition in the mindes of certaine Mahometanes which in few yeares being sowen and scattred ouer all Asia did breed a great contention and warre among those nations that beeing before vnited together by Mahometes deuise seemed to be more then frendes and in league one with an other Of this nouelty one Sexchiuni or more distinctly to expresse his name one Siec Giunet was the author who vnder the name of Sofi and of Siec that is to say of a wiseman an author of Religion or rather vnder the pretence of holynesse began to persuade the people being by nature inconstant superstitious That those three first Successors of Mahamet were vniust and vnlawfull vsurpers of the dignitie That modest iust Ali onely ought to be named the lawfull Successor That he alone ought to be called-vpon in their prayers for helpe and that by all possible meanes all honors should be yeelded and rendred to him and taken from those three first as from persons that were vndoubtedly damned and altogether reprobate With many argumentes did Giunet approoue his Inuention at last persuaded many therevnto that beganne very readily to follow him as the head and founder of so new a verity Whereupon by the appointment of this new master they did all with one conformitie vse this forme of Prayer Cursed be Abubacher Omar and Ottoman and God be fauourable to Aly and well pleased with him From the time of this inuention forwardes the Sepulcher of Aly and hys sonnes in Cafe grew in great credite and the followers of this new superstition began euery yeare to visite it in all respectes euen after the same sort that the Turkes do visite the Sepulchre of the three first Successors Yea the very kinges of Persia themselues vsed to be crowned and girte with their sword in Cafe neere vnto Babylon as it is sayde before where euer after their great Calife was woont to keepe his residence as being the mā that represented Aly and occupied the chiefe roome of their filthy and damnable Priesthood Vppon this occasion it is not amisse to aduertise the Reader how false that rumor hath bene and is whereby it is noysed abroad that the kinges of Persia perfourmed these ceremonies in Babylon The cause of which falshood was for that Case lying neere vnto Babilon and being a very little place as resembling rather a village then a towne or a Citty the people reported that all these thinges were doone in Babilon that famous Citty no otherwise then as Strabo writeth to haue happened about the ouerthrow that Darius had when he lost the Empyre Which ouerthrow although it was at a little village called Gaugamela that is to say the Cammelles house yet the wryters and people do say that it was at Arbella a notable Citty neere to the said place called Gaugamela Whereupon it is not much from the purpose to note also how greatly they are deceaued that thinke Arbella to be that which is now called Tauris whereas Strabo doth playnely say that Arbella lyeth in the Countrey of Babilon which is Assyria and it is very manifest that Tauris is in the Countrey of Media By this briefe narration it appeereth that Paulus Giouius hath erred where he writeth that the superstition of the Persians did begin in Persia at the very same tyme that the heresy of Luther was sowen in Germany and where he maketh one Arduelle who was also called Aidere to be the author of the Persian Faction whereas he is notably deceaued both in respect of the tyme and also of the person of the tyme for that it sprang vp before the publication of Luthers religion and of the person lykewise for that Arduelle was not the first inuentor thereof as hee saith but Giunet Siec called also the Sofi as shalbe declared a little after The Turkes in the meane tyme by reason of this new deuysed nouelty
their kings vse Swift in course fierce in battell long breathed and very docible When they are vnsâ—dled gentle and milde but when they are armed warlike hardie and manageable euen at the pleasure of the Ryder so that it is no meruaile if one of them haue bene sold for a thousand or a thousand three hundred Cocchini Those that follow attend the exercises of warre are for the most part men of noble meâ— and therevpon it coÌ„meth that they are more hardy and valiant to foyle then to flie And beeing compared with the Turkish people who for the most part are very â—ascalles of vile race ready to fly and to rauine they are by good right very worthie to be highly esteemed The Persians are great deceiuers full of craftie Stratagemes vnconstant and breakers of their word a vice that seemeth to haue beene alwaies proper to the Barbarians Neuer content with any mans gouernement and louers of nouelties wherein Persia was alwaies noted particularly specially to haue offended For testimony whereof we may vouch those ancient poysoninges and wicked treacheries which were plotted not onely by Subiectes against their kinges but also by children against their naturall father which name as Iustinus writeth was in so small estimation with those fiftie sonnes of Artaxerxes that with one consent they all conspired vpon a most wicked pretence to murther their father without that any one of them either in regard of his Fatherly Maiestie or reuerence to his age or naturall pietie did attempt to prohibite so great an iniquitie An Acte as it seemeth very well marked by the Sofian kings who as we may read of Vngher Mahamut and others and as it is written in this Historie the Children with the Father the Father with the Children and the Children one with an other haue learned it by course and dayly doe practise it to destroy one another and so weakening their owne forces do make themselues spectacles of infamy to all the world The people of Persia are afrayde of Artillery beyond measure and yet sometimes they haue not beene afraide with suddaine assaultes to assaile their enimies trenches lodginges in their Campes And although they be so timorous and fearefull of that Engine and know of what moment it is in a battell yet haue they not hetherto receiued the vse thereof being rather obstinate in their blind ambitious conceite that it is a sinne and shame to exercise so cruell a weapon against mankinde then ignorant how to make it or destitute of matter to cast it The manner of ordering their battell is after the fashion of a horne or of the Moone as a man may call it and in open battell their Squadrons are ordered on this sort In the right horne or wing by auncient custome were placed those troupes that were guyded by the captaynes of Istigelu which is now called the Traytors lyne by reason of Zalchan and the rest that were so ready resolute in the conspiracy which was made in the fauour of Aidere whereof we haue already written in this history In the left cornet or wing were placed the people that were led by the captaines Zambeluzes who vaunt of their auncient discent from Damasco and from the Tacaluzes a nation neuer greatly esteemed for any valour or knowledge that they had in warfare In the body of the battel was appointed the kings guard who was alwaies accustomed to be present at warre with his Armies although this king partly by reason of the infirmity of his eies and partly for the dissentions in his kingdome durst not venture to goe in person but in his steed sent Prince Amze a valorous good warrier In the middest of the battell also about the King went the people of Ausares which are pressed out of Persia all of them accounted very warrelike and more valiant then all the rest Neyther would it bee greatly amisse to thinke that from hence were those troupes fetched in tymes past which Xerxes was wont to terme by that proude tytle Immortall the immortall souldiers The Rere-ward was kept by those that descended from Calirchan which were neuer as yet depryued of that honour for the good desertes that Calirchan shewed to Ismahel when he strained himselfe to passe with a mighty Army euen into Cafe to performe the Regall Ceremonies at his Coronation and yet for all that neuer stirred the ordinary guarde of Casbin The people of Caribdiler and Chiaperis made-vp the Vaunt-Guarde accompted also to be men of good sort and very warlike because they haue alwaies shewed themselues ready in any occasions or troubles of warre and performed their partes very valiantly And this was the manner of ordering their battelles in late tymes Touching the reuenues of this kingdome the common opinion is that in the dayes of Kinge Tamas the crowne did yearely receaue into the Chamber of Casbin foure or fiue millions of gold which afterward he caused to be worth eight millions by a sudden enhaunsing of the value of his coyne geuing in commandment by most seuere Edictes that ouer all his Empyre for a certayne space all the money that he had receaued should bee taken and accompted for asmuch more as it was worth and accordingly made pay to his souldiers and Sultans all other that were in his pay Which example meethinkes was well followed by Amurat the now-king of the Turkes who receauing at the Citty of Cairo the Cechino of gold for xliii Maidini he put it out againe in Constantinople to pay his Capigi and Ianissaries withall lxxxv Maidini commanding that it should be of that value ouer all the Citty and countryes subiect vnto it But in the dayes of this king of Persia the reuenues of this crowne are thought to be so much diminished that it is the opinion of all men they amount to little more then two millions in all Neither is there to be found in him that industry prouidence which was in Tamas and though it were yet peraduenture it would not be regarded by his subiects it seemeth that the occasion of this decay is the losse of so many countries as Soliman conquered and particularly Mesopotamia and Assyria besydes Erzirum and the Tributes that are denyed by the people of Georgia and by other nations of this kingdome Next after this kinde of reuenue which is payed in ready money and collected into the Chamber of Casbin from among the Citties that are subiect vnto it although all the countrey that was possessed by these kinges were not appoynted by diuision to the payment of a certayne nomber of souldiers as the Turke vseth to doo in those Countries that he subdueth yet is there a great sort of towns and villages which are very Feudataries to the croune of Persia are so many that they supply a part of the pay that is due to the horsemen aboue mentioned to foure thousande of the Curchi of Casbin
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
Beyran Bassa ran out himselfe to meet Hossain Bey and shewed him the way to escape as afore And vpon this rising of the Turks the Georgiani retired themselues with their gotten pray and so the rest had leasure to withdraw themselues together into more sure safe places The next morning the Campe remoued and in the euening came to a castell called Ghiurchala where it stayed a whole day to make prouision of victuaile which was attempted by sending many of their slaues abroade into the fieldes conducted by the men of the said castell In the meane while there arriued certain embassadors from one that was then called the nephew of Simon signifying to Mustaffa that if it would stand with his good pleasure their lord would come to salute him to offer himselfe vnto him as his vassaile whereof Mustaffa was very glad and declaring vnto them that his comming should be very acceptable vnto him he sent them backe againe with presentes and curteous wordes But although hee was expected all that day yet made he not his apparance indeed all those that were sent out into the fieldes for reliefe were miserably hacked in peeces to the great griefe of Mustaffa thinking himselfe too much abused by those fained embassadors who in truth proued to bee cunning and craftie spyes rather then embassadors From this place the army departed with great hunger ouer diuers vneasy hilles and rough places of the Georgianj where they were faine oftentimes to rest themselues at last came to the confynes of the widdowes territory vpō the feast day of the Turkes Ramadan In the entrance whereof they must needes passe through a narrow strait betweene certain mountaines where the riuer crankleth it selfe with a thousand tourninges and windinges about the low valley A very difficult place and indeed so narrowe that no more then one man alone could passe through it Betweene this straite and a very thicke and hilly wood they lodged vpon the banks of the said riuer and from thence the next morning they remoued and trauelledouer very steep mountaines and wooddy Forrestes ouer ice and snow more harde then marble-pauemente and ouer other hanging rockes in such miserable sorte that many camelles mules and horses aswell for cariage as for saddle fell downe headlong into the whirle-pittes of the riuer to their vtter spoyle Through this ruinous cragges and dyuers other miseryes they iournyed all the next day and after that another day also as miserable and dammageable to the Army as the former but at last being shrewdly spoiled and ill handled by hunger foyled and slaughtered by their enemies afflicted with the harde season and situation of the place they arriued within the territories that lay vnder Altunchala the widdowes Pallace where they had all manner of desyred reliefe for all the miseries that they had endured since their departure from Chiurchala vntill this place being the space of sixe daies which ordinarily if it had beene a common trauelled way would haue beene performed in one onely daies iourney The Widdow with her elder sonne Alessandro came downe from the Castel and went to the pauillion of Mustaffa offering him dyuers presentes and promising vnto him all faithfull obedience Mustaffa receaued her curteously and declared vnto her the good entertaynement that he gaue to her yonger sonne Manucchiar that went with him to Siruan who being there present shewed euident token thereof to his mother Mustaffa dissembling for the present tyme his priuie displeasure that hee bare the widdows son Alessandro embraced him courteously and praied her that she would bee pleased to leaue him also there with him for that it should turne to both their contentmentes signifying furder vnto her that he would send both her sonnes to Constantinople to Amurath with letters of credence for their yeelded obedience for their fauour shewed to his army in giuing them so secure passage and so many helpes lastly for their good deserts the rather that by the said Sultan they might be honourably entertained and enriched with honours dignities The Widdow although her mynd was herewithall sore troubled perplexed yet outwardly in her countenance shewed her selfe to be pleased and seemed curteously to yeeld what she was of necessity constrained to grant aswell because Mustaffa had one of her sonnes already in possession as also for that her selfe her whole state were now in his power as it were at his deuotion therefore leauing both her sonnes behind her she returned to her Castell Mustaffa after hee had stayed in that place with his army two whole dayes without feeling the want of any thing departed thence towarde Chars and so did all the rest who hauing now no feare of the enemie as being in a sure and frendly countrey deuided themselues into seuerall companyes by fiues by twenties by fiftyes in a troupe as euery man thought it best and conuenyent The first day they lodged at Clisca in the widdowes countrey where they wanted no manner of necessaries but had most plentifull aboundance of all thinges From thence they tooke their next lodging vnder certain rough mountaines by which they trauelled two whole dayes through many difficulties where some of them also dyed for cold Then they came to Messeardachan sometimes belonging to the Georgianj but now to the Turkes so to Biucardacan belonging also to the Turkes where they kept the feast of Ramadan which till now they could not celebrate And from thence to Olti a Castell also of the Turkes where the Sangiacco that gouerneth those quarters is resident a countrey very fertile in all thinges well situated and very conuenient for these and greater passages From Olti by the way of Neneruan in two daies they arryued at Hassanchalasi a Castell likewyse of the Turks called also Passin and from thence afterward they came to Erzirum with the great reioicing of the whole army which was there presently discharged by Mustaffa without any numbring or mustring at all and so they returned all home into their owne countries But Mustaffa setled himselfe in Erzirum dispatching Poastes with letters of plentifull aduertysementes to the king touching all thinges that had passed but yet in such sort that he magnifyed his owne exploites without measure and among diuers other newes that were scarce true which he wrote one was That Teflis which hee had taken was in greatnes beauty equal vnto Damasco besydes the situation that was exceeding strong He certifyed him also of the battelles that he had with the Persians the obedience that he receaued of the Georgiani the Siruanians the stirres and insurrections of the people of Constantinople of Greece the Fortresse built at Eres the garrisons of souldiers left in that Citty with Caitas Bassa and in Sumachia with Osman Bassa the offers of the Alexandrians and in briefe whatsoeuer els had passed whatsoeuer he had taken from the enemy Neither
the Embassadour Maxut Chan at Constantinople His speech to Amurath The Persian king at Tauris The leauie of Souldiers in Persia. The consultations of the Persians The Turcomannes follow the Persians Tocomac chosen to goe with an Armie in to Georgia The treaty of Peace with Amurath at Constantinople Maxut Chan made Treasurer or Chamberleine of Tauris Maxut-Chan accused by Emir-Chan Maxut Chan flyeth out of Persia and runneth to the Turkes Maxut-Chan at Constantinople THE FOVRTH BOOKE ASsoone as Amurath was certifyed by the letters of Mustaffa of all that which had happened since his departure vntill his returne to Erzirum and vnderstoode the battelles that followed the obedience that was yeelded by the Georgianj the conquering of citties the building of new Fortes and to bee short so good a beginning of so desired an enterprise Of these prosperouse successes which by Mustaffa were described to bee far greater then in'deed they were hauing geuen order that Alessandro Manucchiar who were sent vnto him by Mustaffa should bee safely kept with all good entertainment he began to cast many deuises in his head touching such matters as were to bee attempted the next yeare And especially there arose at one instant many sundry considerations in his mind which told him that the manner of sending his army to a newe resting place might be altered diuers waies so amiddest so many doubtes he remayned in a mammering what to doo On the one side hee was of opinion that it must needes be necessary to passe againe into Siruan and to recouer those Citties that were first conquered by Mustaffa and after subdued againe by the Persians For by that meanes it would come to passe that the countrey of Siruan should remaine quietly vnder the gouernement of Amurath and so the great trauells the troublesome voyages the harde conquestes the bloud already spilled the dangerous perrilles the losses of the next yeare should not altogether be frustrate But this opinion of his hee himselfe euen of himselfe chaunged as it is reported for the great hope that he had in the aide that was promised him by Tatar-Chan who did faithfully assure both him and Osman that he would ouerrunne that region anew and set forwarde those notable designementes that he had intended and gaue his word to doo great matters in his seruice In respect of this hope which notwithstanding fell-out to be but vaine through the default of Tatar-Chan as in place it shalbe shewed hee laide Siruan asyde and committed the defence thereof to the false promises of the Tartarian to the valour of Osman consulting with himselfe whether it were not expedient to send his army in a straite course to Tauris to find meanes that there might be erected in that Citty a Fortresse which being well fenced with artillary and arcubuse and strengthned with the vertue of valourous souldiers should neuer be subdued by the power of Persia. And so bringing this his purpose to effecte without the other difficulties which if the warre should fall out to bee long hee must needes endure there might remaine in his possession all the cuntrey that lyeth betweene Tauris and Erzirum The easinesse and speed wherewith this his purpose might be brought to effect did fauour his conceit in this pointe wonderfully for there was no man but thought that the Forte might be built in very few daies euery man perswaded him that it was an easy matter for so great an hoast not onely to pierce into Tauris but also to passe whether soeuer hee would desire This his designement was of great weight importance neither did there want some that priuily and familiarly did aduise him that it was to be preferred before the rest and comforted the king to goe forward withall by promising prosperous successe therein But albeit that Amurath had his minde enkindled with ambitious desires and lustes burning after glorie and being pricked on with sharpe spurres of Auarice longed to carrie away the victorie ouer his enemies landes Notwithstanding laying aside all his foresaid consultations as being too eager and importunate and weighing his affaires in a more vpright ballance he deemed it better to preferre the safetie of his Armie the honor of this warre and the certaintie of victorie before the doubtfull speed in attempting the enterprise and in the end he did resolutely conclude with himself that he had rather though but slowly ouercome triumph ouer his enemies then too soone with shame to forsake and abandon his designements begun and therefore did fully determine first to assure and strengthen his owne borders to lay open the wayes that were shut against him with woods bushes to confirme his conquests that were as yet but doubtfull to discouer all secret and treacherous ambushments and to make the voiage plaine and open rather then to runne headlong with vncertain conceits into another mans coūtrie and to conquer places that were farre of fenced and defended not onely by mightie enemies but also by Nature it selfe In this his resolution he was confirmed by the state of the Georgiani whom he perceaued as yet not to be reduced to such assured obedience as he durst altogether trust them and in particular he feared the treacherie of Daut and more then that the comming of Simon For by these occasions it might fall out that his Armie going to Tauris might be assailed on the one side by the Georgiani and on the other side by the Persians and so brought into verie great miseries And this misfortune might happen vnto him as often as he should haue occasion to send new supplies to the Fortresse By these deliberations and with this resolution Amurath being moued he did absolutely signifie to Mustaffa by writing that it was his pleasure that against the next spring he should prepare all such prouision as he thought necessarie for the buylding of certayn Fortes in the waies that lead from Erzirum into Georgia to the end that hauing made all those wayes safe and secure and brought that people into due obedience the next yeare he might employ his courage to more noble and haughtie enterprises Hereupon Mustaffa presently directed out his precepts to the Cities of Aleppo of Damasco of Caraemit and to all the other places of Soria and Mesopotamia that they should take-vp cunning workmasters Pioners and other such persons to the number of twentie thousand And likewise wrote to all the Countries specified in the first Booke that all their Souldiers yea and in greater number then they were the last yeare should be in a readinesse the next Spring to returne to the warre Whereof he caused the rumour to be spread euen as farre as Egypt He commaunded likewise that they should make collection of the Taxes and Tenthes and that in greater quantitie then it was the yeare before and made such prouision of Money from the Chambres of Aleppo and other places as he thought necessarie for these purposes In this meane while at Constantinople
that he had long expected For hee deemed it a verie likelie and reasonable matter for the King to desire and wish with all his heart that hee carrying the name of a famous Captaine throughly acquainted with al the aduantages that might be taken in Georgia to the great losse and anoyance of the Turks would offer himself to go into that prouince and there gathering his souldiers together with a soueraigne authoritie ouer all that people to defend those cities that were yet vntouched far better than his brother Dant could doe and in another maner a sort than he also could to trouble and offend the Turks which must needes come that way to succour Teflis Neither did hee protract the time long after he was entred into this cogitation but with conuenient speed dispatched his supplication to the King wherin he declared his request reproouing his brother for his cowardise flight promised to perfourme greate matters himselfe This Simon in the time that he remained prisoner at Cahaca entred strait familiarity with Ismahel late son to King Tamas deceased who as we told you before was sent thither by his father to be safelie kept in this mutual familiarity there passed such enterchangeble offices of loue betweene them that as Ismahel shewed himselfe louing and affectionate to the conditions of Simon so much did Simon for his part shew himself dutiful deuoted to the vertues magnanimity of Ismahel wherby there arose an extraordinary loue of the one towards the other which coÌ„tinued in such sort that Simon I know not by what sophistry deluded or by what flattery enticed was perswaded by the Persian prince to forsake his religion and to follow that barbarous superstition What might be the reasons that were able to change the mind of Simon being before so constant and so wel instructed in the Greek-Christian faith for the maintaining wherof he had chosen to liue depriued of his libertie and estate it can not bee so precisely declared but it seemeth there were three principall and powerfull respectes that wrought this vnexpected noueltie in him Namely the perpetuall imprisonment which he knew hee could not auoyd as long as he continued of that mind the friendship of Ismahel friendship I say that oftentimes changeth mens natures much more their opinions and thirdly the great honours that Prince Ismahel did dayly promise him whensoeuer it should happen that hee were named King While they were thus mutually affected one towards another it happened that King Tamas died and Ismahel being accompanied from Cahaca to Casbin was with meruellous pompe saluted King of all his father dominions Among all the rest whome the King full dearely beloued hee could not forget but preserue in memorie the vertue and fame of Simon who was already according to the Kings pleasure circumcised and made a Mahometan yea and in such sort did he remember him that hee was most desirous to bestowe greater honours and rewardes vpon him than he himselfe could request But sudden and vnexpected death lighting vpon before he was aware of it was the occasion why Simon remained without any aduancement and yet so greatlie contented as his recouered libertie could breed contentment in him Notwithstanding among the many varieties of his thoughts did Simon long time wander being after the death of Ismahel shreudlie destracted in his mind coursing and discoursing with himself whether it were better for him either to remaine still in Casbin and to stay the comming of the new King or els to resolue vpon departure and so to returne to his forsaken faith and wasted Citties But in the end after many consultations hee concluded that it should bee more safe and commendable considering the state of his affaires to stay for the new King and vnder his protection and fauour to find some means that he might berestored to the dignity and rule that was vsurped vpon him rather than to flie away alone and hauing no stay to leane vppon to seeke for quarrels and contentions with his brother yea and peraduenture to purchase himselfe a bitter death And therefore he did willingly maintaine himselfe in Casbin looking and hoping that the chaunge of his schisme for so it is rather to be accounted than a religion his imprisonment endured his libertie recouered his fame of great valour his present necessitie his deuotion and obedience to the king manifestlie declared should deserue at the new kings hands some honour and reward or at least if it would please him to commit any charge of the warre in Georgia to his care a constant and assured protection of him And therefore when Mahamet was now established in his kingdome and was certified of the losse of Teflis Simon besought him of lawfull leaue to returne vnder his protection into his own ill-defended countrey offering himselfe withall to venture vpon any perill or trauell whatsoeuer and promising that he would neuer either feare any great enterprise or auoyd any base exployt so that he might know he might do good seruice to Mahamet With great satisfaction did the King consent to the requests of Simon and named him the Chan of all that kingdome which hee possessed before by the name of a Christian and with all diligence was he sent with Aliculâ—-Chan into Georgia for the endammaging of the Turkish Armie and defence of his neighbour Citties And to them both were deliuered certaine peeces of Artillerie that were taken at the rocke or Castle of Eres when Caitas Bassa was slaine as in the booke next going before we haue told you and besides the Artillerie there were assigned vnto them fiue thousande Horsmen that were leauied out of the Citties bordering vpon the one and the other Media Simon afterwardes comming to Georgia where hee was greatlie welcommed and honoured pressed about three thousande Souldiers out of all those countries both of his owne and of his neighbours signifying vnto them all though with a false and impious excuse that he was now become a Persian not because he preferred the faith and lawe of Mahamet before Christian Religion but onely because he might bee deliuered of his imprisonment and imploy his forces in the seruice of our Sauiour and onely Prophete Christ Iesus and so by that meanes also maintaine his owne estate And in this order were the affayres of Georgia assured and strengthened after the best maner that might be But now was the new season of the spring in beginning and euery man prepared himselfe to the discontinued trauels of the warres begun And nowe were there met together in Erzirum out of all the woonted prouinces all the souldiers withal were gathered together all the Engines all the Moneys al the prouision of corne Barley and Rise and all other things necessarie for the sustenaunce of Cattel Souldiers Aegypt also had sent thither her squadronst whereof notwithstanding little more than the one halfe arriued at Erzirum partlie by reason of
before in preparing for the disturbance of his enemies and to minister also matter himselfe of some attempts that he likewise entended And being certified whether by the meanes of Sinan or of any other the certenty is not yet come vnto vs that this new Turkish General was a man greatly giuen to cogitations how this war might be quieted these wrathful broiles reduced to a good peace whiles he was setting al things in order areadines to send me into Georgia to gather an army for the defeÌ„ce of his cities he be thought himself that it was very conuenient to put this matter in execution being exhorted thereunto by Leuentogli who although hee had bene iniured by the Persians yet he could not but think it a dangerous thing to haue these warres so neere him and being likewise hartened in it by his Visier Mirize Salmas who was more intentiue towards the vniust suppressing of Abas Mirize of Heri then he was for any sufficient reparations or due prouisions for this warre he resolued to sende Ambassadors to Constantinople to demand peace of Amurath And deeming Maxut-Chan to be a man very fit for that purpose he made choyce of him to performe that businesse adioyning vnto him for an Assistant an old Priest belonging to the said Lâ—uentagli as one that was a common friend to both parties and very desirous of this quietnes And so hee dispatched Maxut-Chan with charge that hee should goe to Sinan and of him receiue guides to conduct him to Constantinople with letters vnto the king and that he should as much as lay in him labour for the pacifying of all these troubles and in any case conclude vpon it so that Amurath would be contented with Chars and Teflis And thus being departed from Casbin keeping the way of Sultania Zanga Miana Turcoman and Tauris leauing on his right hand Chiulfal Nassiuan Reiuan and by Coy Van wher the Bassa appointed him one to guide him he arriued at Chars It is generally known and I haue in particular vnderstood how great the ioy was which the Turks conceaued of the comming of this Ambassadour and how Cicala-Bassa did with all diligence dispatch certain postes to the court with these good newes From Chars the saide Embassadour was sent by the way of Hassan-Chalasi to Erzirum from thence with new guides he went towards Amazia But when he came to Siuas there he found Generall Sinan encamped gathering together his Armie from the cities aboue named to lead them with him to the execution of his designements The Persian Embassadour entourmed Sinan of all that whereof hee had to treat with the Turkish king on the behalfe of his king Mahamet and laboured earnestly to perswade him of the honesty of the request and the equitie of the cause declaring vnto him that as vnder the lawe of Mahomet their common Prophet both the nations are conioyned together so that they ought with one vnitie and speciall concord defend and encrease their Names by subduing the Christian people who professing to worship the true God and the true Prophet do possesse the most noble Cities of Europe so was it a matter very inconuenient to contend among themselues and seeke to ouerthrow yea and vtterly to destroy one another it being a thing quite contrarye to that vnion which should be among people of one the selfe same religion it being also rather the property of brute sauage beasts thaÌ„ of men to driue expulse out of their natiue nest those that are the followers and worshippers of one the self same Prophet And although among so much people and in such bredth largenes of cuntries ther be found peraduenture some signe of contrariety some small shew of difference yet for all that the matter is not so great as that it shuld deserue such troublesom stirs and kindle such ardent indignations wherby he that is of greatest power shuld be moued to enter into another mans cuntries endommage his neighbours And that therfore he did hope to obtaine at the hands of Amurath this desited peace if hee had no other cause wherwith he did find himselfe agreeued as in trouth there was not no nor euer was there any such thought towards him Wherefore he besought him that he woulde conueigh him with trustie guides to Amurath to the end that if it were possible they might not suffer these bloudy warres to goe forwards at the report whereof the most remote Nations of the East yea and of all the whole worlde did reioyce and stood wayting attentiuely to see what would be the issue of them Sinan entertained the Embassadour after the best maner that the rudenesse of his nature woulde permit him and thinking with himselfe that not onelie the losses and disaduantage of the Persian king but also the very fame of his valour in matters of warre had wrought in the mindes of his enemies this resolution to come and demaund peace which he procured afterwards he determined to pleasure the Embassador in the request which hee made vnto him for the conueighing of him to the Court and accompanying him with a sure conuoy to send him to Constantinople And wrote to Amurath in his letters all that which hee thought was fit to be demanded representing vnto him what great and important matters he hoped might now be obtained and raising in him woonderfull expectation of all happie successe rather than motioning vnto him any feare or suspition of any vaine treatie But before he dismissed the saide Embassador he thought it good to aduise him not to go to Amurath without resolution to offer him some great good conditions and to yeeld vnto him all those landes and all that countrey which he with the valour of his Subiectes and with Armes had conquered by ouercomming the forces of his enemies by passing through the most hard and difficult waies by climing the rough and craggierockes by vvading ouer the moste violent riuers that are in all Media and Iberia For hee knewe the minde of Amurath verie vvell that hee vvas resolued in himselfe not to yeeld so much as one hande breadth of that grounde which his subiects had valiantlie and worthyly won with the sword This demaund did greatly trouble Maxut-Chan so that he began to fancie within himself that he should not be able to conclude any thing and if the said Embassadors son did not tell vs a lie who diuers times did moste familiarly discourse with vs vpon euery particularitie whiles we visited him in Aleppo he was in a peraduenture to returne into Persia againe and not to passe ouer to Constantinople Notwithstanding considering better with himselfe what belonged to his dutie and doubting that this protestation might bee but an ambitious demand of Sinan himselfe and hoping to râ—ceaue more reasonable conditions of peace from the mouth of the Turkish king and also to the end his own king might be the better certified that he had not
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
were diuerse Souldiers that remayned in that Cittie and liued as it were in Idlenesse which with a greate sum of money they had purchased at the handes of the couetous Officers of the Sultan Emperour And these souldiers beganne to bestirre themselues lustelie In this number of idle mates was one Mamut Bey sometime a Sangiaccho but nowe cassiered and put out of Office who by meanes of his bribes hauing auoyded to serue in these warres of Persia imagined with himselfe that such a fitte occasion whereby hee might shewe himselfe willing and readie to represse the insolent inuasions of the Drusian might make him deserue so well at the Sultans handes that hee woulde bestowe vpon him the office of Customer in that Cittie which so greatlie he desired And therefore hee before any of the rest displaying his Standerd and mustering all his bandes of Souldiers in so much that hee did not spare the verie Caddi and the Deftardar that is to say the Iudge and Chamberlaine of the Gittie but made them to ride out with him he roade to encounter the Drusians and to ioyne battell with them hoping eyther to destroy them or honourablie to put them to flight Or els as others doe discourse of the matter in deede not to meete with them at all but onelie to beare away the commendation that he was readie with his weapons in his hande for the publike defence of the Cittie and custodie of his Lordes Countreyes These Souldiers of Tripolie were not farre departed from their Cittie but the Drusians presentlie confronted them and with continuall shot of Harquebusies began to disorder and diuide them But the people of Tripolie although indeede somewhat negligently yet did they continue the skirmish a great while and would peraduenture also haue endured the battell a longer time but that in the sight of all the Armie to the generall astonishment of them all the Caddi or Iudge of their Cittie was shot starke deade with a Peece and fallen from his horse Who as among all other men that came out of the Cittie should haue bene the last man that should haue entermedled in such like actions so was he the first man that was slain in the sight At this spectacle there arose such a confused feare among the Turkes that the Deftardar or Chamberlaine of the Cittie without any longer stay fled as fast as hee could into Tripolie and all the rest after him The Sangiaccho also who was the chiefest and busiest instrument of raysing these stirres had his Standerde bearer slaine and his Ensigne taken away with manie other losses that happened besides among the baser sorte Aduertisementes hereof was sent to Constantinople and presentlie thereupon the Drusian Captaines as wee tolde you before were againe restrayned Mendel as a great confederate with Manogli that had raised all these troubles and Mansurogli with his complices as friendes vnto Acra that woulde yeelde no defence in so greate a necessitie Howbeit the Turkish King dispatched away Aly Bassa borne at Aleppo with the title of the Bassa of Damasco and with authoritie to muster fresh Souldiers and so vvhollie to attende the vtter subuersion of Manogli But comming thither hee founde no innouation at all but his presence in that Countrey serued rather for a reconciliation and peace making amongst them then for moouing any vvarre againste them And in trueth if euer at anie time there vvere good cause to auoyde newe vvarre at this time of all other it vvas moste necessarie to auoyde it because neither the common treasure nor aboundance of victualles nor the desire or readinesse of the Souldier did yeelde anie courage to enterprise such troubles Besides the huge number of Locustes vvhich vvere in such aboundance ouer all the Countrey of Soria that in the memorie of all the oldest men there liuing neuer vvas there seene so greate a multitude of those Excrementes in those Quarters did as a moste horrible specctacle mightilie encrease the vniuersall feare of grieuous calamities to ensue thereupon Nowe the Persian Prince hauing made an ende of those outroades and spoyles vvhich before wee haue mentioned retyred himselfe to Tauris and towardes his Fathers Campe gathered together all the reste of his Armye that vvas novve arriued The Order Number and Condition vvhereof it is not amisse to describe in such manner and sorte as I hearde it reported at Aleppo vvhen I made diligent and due enquirie of these nevves there They reported that vvhat vvith the Souldiers of Heri the Turcomannes and the bandes of Gheilan and vvhat vvith all the reste of the Armie sent from the Citties that vvere subiecte and obedient to the King of Persia The Prince had gathered fourtie thousande Souldiers whereof notwithstanding that I and others had some doubt and suspition yet was it commonlie maintained by conferences among the Turkes and Persians and by letters among the Persian Merchantes and afterwardes it was confirmed also to bee true in deede From Heri vnder the conduct of Alyeuli Chan they say there came an Armie of eight thousande From Ghetlan vnder the gouernment of a sonne of Amet-Chans they say there came feuen thousande Horsemen Of the Turcomannes there were gathered together about sixe thousand And all the rest leauied by the subiect and obedient Citties of Persia whereof wee haue often made mention before And besides all this multitude the King was guarded by his ordinary Guarde of Churehi and Esahul whose number and necessarie prouisions we haue already described in the second booke The companie of Heri with some part of the Turcomannes were dispatched by the Prince vnder the conduct of Alyculi-Chan to encounter the Turkish Generall And the like order giuen to Emanguli-Chan who had the Souldiers of Media and the borderers of Armenia vnder his gouernement Both these Captaines had in speciall charge that in the moste narrowe and most deceitfull places by the way they should meete and receiue their enemies Armie and worke them the gretest mischiefe and losse that possibly they coulde All which Amze did thus order and appoint because hee thought by this meanes to weaken his enemies Forces and then being so weakened to come vpon them with a fresh bartell and vtterlie to destroy them at their arriual to Tauris Both the Captaines departed accordinglie making shewe that they woulde with all affection obey and accomplish the commaundementes of their Prince But neuer was there heard any seruice of moment put in execution by them For Alyculi went about to alleage reasons and excuses why they shoulde surcease from meeting with the Turkes and Emanguli being as yet vtterly ignorant of the wicked purposes and mischieuous treacheries of Alyculi followed also his example But these excuses and delayes of these two Persian Captaines the Turkish Generall tooke leisure without any losse or hindrance at all to arriue at Tauris and to place the expected succours within the Fort. At what time by good hap but by what meanes I knowe not the Prince
mountaines and still to iourney eastward leauing behind them the Mantian marish the Cittie of Coy and the Caldaran champaines which whether they be the Champaines of Araxis or some other neere vnto them let other men vse their owne iudgment for wee can hardly certify the truth of that particularitie But if Tauris were Terua which is in the middest of Great Armenia then should they not neede to make this iourney For neither should they trauell so much towards the east neither should they leaue behind them either Coy or the Mantian Marish or the Caldarane Champaines This opinion of mine is no lesse confirmed to be true by others also that comming from the furthest partes of the East Indies doo first arriue at Cassan a famous Citty of the Persian kings and then trauell to Tauris from Tauris to Coy and to Van making alwaies about eight or nyne daies iourney towardes the west which could not be so if Tauris were either Terua or Tigranoama or Tigranocerta Like vnto these reasons is that also which may be drawen from the iourney that is vsually made from Tauris to Babylonia For as euerie man doth testifie and namely Angiolello in his viage lately made into Persia they trauell by south southweast Which is a manifest token that Tauris is iust in the situation of Ecbathana not of Terua For whosoeuer trauelleth from Terua to Babylonia hee must of force trauell not by south southweast but by southeast These are the reasons whereby I haue beene perswaded not to leaue this parcell of my history to remaine in such doubt but haue taken vpon mee resolutely to decide the same Which although they be very pregnant and strong yet shall I account the better of them if your W. will willingly accept of them and vouchsafe to continue the reading of this my letter vntill you vnderstande also in what sorte Iouius and his followers haue on the other side confirmed their opinion For three causes doo they belieue that Tauris should bee Terua The first Argument is drawen from a verie subtile consideration which they haue touching the similitude likenes of the names of all those places whereof they doo find that many auncient Citties doo yet at this day retaine the first nomination although by the alteration of speeche it bee somewhat different from the same As for example the Turkes call Constantinople by the name of Stambul which is a terme borrowed from the Grecians who call this Cittie Stimboli And this terme which the Graecians do vse was first brought in whiles their Emperours raigned at what time the Citty of Constantinople was called by excellencie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say the Cittie and such as went thither or came from thence vsed to say euen as we vse also at this day to say of Rome We go to the Cittie we come from the Cittie alwaies vsing the terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which Greek worde being corrupted by the common people of Graecia began first to bee Stimpoli and afterwardes being more deformed and depraued by the Turkes it came to be Stanbul The like may bee said of the Cittie of Charsa which Ptolomee calleth Corsa of Anguri which in old time was called Ancyra of Euphrates and Araxis the one being now called Frat and the other Arais of Cesarea which still is called Caisarie of Alexandria which yet is called Schenderie of Ioppa which is called Iaffa of Antiochia which is called Tachie of many others among whom Terua may also be nombred which afterwarde with a small alteration of the worde came to be called Taruis Teruis and Tauris To this first argument they added also a second For they say that those which trauell from Amida beeing at this day called Caramita the cheefe Cittie of Mesopotamia go to Teruis do passe ouer the riuer Tigris which riuer runeth from the one side of the Mantian Marish vnto the other side thereof with such swiftnes that it is likened to an arrow and thereof it purchased the name of Tigris which it hath at this day as Strabo teacheth vs Neither doo they passe ouer any other Riuer of fame there And that is a manifest token that Tauris is in Armenia euen in the very situation of Terua Besides these two reasons they haue also a third argument fortified vpon the relation and report of those Armenians that come to Venice to Rome and to other partes of Christendome from whom it may be peraduenture that Iouius tooke his information For all these haue geuen and at this day doo giue vndoubted testimony that Taruis is in truth in Armenia Which testimonie if it bee true then must it needes bee concluded say they that Taruis can be no other but Terua These three argumentes I haue not deemed to bee so pregnant sure as that they do deserue or enforce that I should commit the truth of mine opinion to the authority of Iouius And therefore rather then I wold yeeld vnto them I haue founde out a most easie way to resolue them and to aunswere them most sufficiently Wherevpon concerning their first argument I say that although the similitude of wordes do fall out well in many matters yet in many other it doth greatly erre may easily deceaue vs. For whosoeuer should go about to recon vp all the Citties and all the Riuers and all the Mountaines and all the Prouinces hee should finde a great want and errour in the most parte of them And therefore wee will alledge some fewe of them by whose example a man may know the slender force of the reason that is drawē from this similitude of words And in truth what similitude hath Damasco with Siam Ierusalem with Godz Arsacia with Casbin Persepolis with Siras Bithinia with Bursia Calcedon with Scutar Tyrus with Sur Ptolemaida with Acri Derbent with Alexandria Albania with Zuiria Iberia with Gurgistan Atropatia with Siruan Mesopotamia with Diarbech Appamea with Aman Seleucia Pieria with Soldin Anazarbo with Acsara Arabia Faelix with Giamen Cilicia with Caramania and many others the recitall whereof wold bee troublesome and tedious And in deed with great reason ought we to hold this for an vncertaine kind of argument which is taken from the liknes of wordes For those nations that haue gouerned these regions haue not alwaies had one and the selfesame regard in naming the places which they had subdued But as in some of them they haue still retained their verie proper names although their language hath made them somwhat to differ as in some aforenamed may be seen and as now of late we haue obserued in Cipris which yet they call Cupros So in some others altogether forgetting their former names they haue called them by diuers names according to diuers occasiōs in diuers respects Yea and Iouius himselfe saith that Amida was called by the Turkes Caramita for the blacknes of the earth and we also besides the obseruation of Iouius doo
Castell Chan P. and also vsed in Tartaria and is the same that the Turkes call a Bassa Chars B. peraduenture it is that which Ptolomie calleth Corsa A. Checaia T. a Deputie or Agent Cheiserie B. we think it to be Caesarea in Palaestina A. a litle from Ioppa Ptolomie saieth it is Caesarea wherof Strabo maketh mention It hath many notes of antiquitie Cheselbas B. a Red-Capp It is a title giuen to the Persians who are also called the Soffians the Cheselbas the Persians and the Aggiami Look Persians Chianichie B. a place neere to Ragusa verie famous because it was the natiue Countrie of Ebrain Bassa sonne in law to Amurath Chiaus T. a Nuntio or an Embassadour Chielder-Giol B. the Lake of Chielder for Giol signifieth a lake and it may be thought without any error to be the Poole of Euphrates A. Chielder Monte B. the hilles of Periardo Chielebi B. a Gentleman Chiulfal B a Towne in Armenia yet inhabited at this day by the Georgians Chiuri-Chala B. a new Territorie in Georgia that is to say inhabited of old by the Georgians but yet comprehended vnder Armenia Clisca a Territorie in Armenia and in old time possessed by the Georgians though now in the handes of the Turkes Codabanda P. Blind or weak of sight Hodabanda signifieth the selfe same thing but other writers erroniously pronounce it Hodabende Coran B. a Citie in Parthia Corfu a late word a famous Island called in old time Corcyra A. and according to Ortelius Corfinio A. Coy B. a Citie in the borders of Armenia and Media betweene Van and Tauris Culbat B. a Citie in Parthia Cur B. a Citie in Parthia Curchi-Bassi P. Captain of the Curchi who are the souldiers that are appointed for the guard of the Persian Kings Court Curdi B. a people which many think to be the Parthians A. But we cannot possiblie thinke them to be so wherein we agree with Castaldo Curzolari B. in old time called the Echinades A. which are certain Rockes verie famous by reason of the victorie by Sea obtayned by the most happie and fortunate League of the Chatholikes against the Turkish fleet Cussestan B. a part of Assyria D. DAgmat B. a Citie in the confines of Parthia and of Media the great Damasco A. a Citie in Soria Look Sciam Deftardar T. a Treasourer or Chamberlein Demir-Capi T. the Iron-Gates Demir-Capi is also called Derbent It is a Citie sometimes called Alessandria A. neere to the Hircanian Sea It is called Derbent because it is in figure narrow and long and Demir-Capi because there were the Iron-gates that were sometimes the entrance into Scythia Demotica B. a Citie in Thracia famous in regard of the banishment of Sinan-Bassa into that place wherof mention is made in the Historie Lib. 5. Derbent B. a Citie called Demir-Capi Derbent signifieth streit or narrow Diarbech B. the Countrie of Mesopotamia Diuano B. a place of audience or a Counsaile-house It is sometimes taken for the audience it selfe and sometimes for the Counsaile it selfe Don B. the Riuer sometimes called Tanais A. in Sarmatia Dreuis and Deruis B. a Religious person an Heremite E. EDel B. sometimes called Volga A. a famous Riuer in Sarmatia within Europe Emir B. a common name among the Arabians and the Drusians vsed for a Prince a Duke a chief Noble man Eres B. a Citie in Atropatia Erzirum B. we think it to be Simbra in Ptolomie Essahul P. a troupe of Souldiers beionging to the Guard of the Persian King F. FAchi B. a Master of Ceremonies a Master of Religion Famagosta B. a new word corrupted from the vulgar Greeke which calleth it Famausta in old time it was Salamina in Cyprus A. Farssi P. the Region of Persia. G. GAngiara B. a sharpe crooked dagger Gaza A. a Citie in the confines of Iudea and in the way that leadeth towards Pelusium A. Genge B. a Citie of the Persians in Armenia the greater Gheilan B. a Citie in the Region of Gilan which Castaldo calleth Geli Giamen B. a Prouince in Asia where Arabia Felice is situated Gianizaro B. a degree of Turkish Souldiers so called Giauat B. a Citie of Atropatia in the confines of Media the greater Gien B. a Citie of the Parthians Giol T. a lake or a poole Giurgi-Chala T. the Georgian-Castell now possessed by the Turkes It is in the confines of Georgia and Armenia Godz B. the Citie of Ierusalem Gogna and Conia B. a Citie so called and in old time Iconium A. the chiefe Citie of the Lycaonians Goletta B. a famous Island Gori and Gorides B. a Territorie in Georgia Grin B. a Territorie inhabited by the Georgians situated on the hither side of Araxis Gurgistan and Georgia B. the Region that contayneth all the auncient Iberia and part also of Armenia the great The inhabitants of the Countrey do call all that Territorie Gurgistan which is inhabited by the Georgians In which point Negro Anania and Pius secundus are not well aduised because they think that Georgia is onely Iberia Guuergi-Chalasi B. a Castell situate in the middest of a little lake towards Tauris H. HAlip an Arabian word and signifieth Milke It is a verie famous Citie in Soria which Iouius calleth Alapia Bellonius calleth it Hierapolis and Qillanoua being in a notorious error for this point calleth it Antiochia For Antiochia is two dayes iourney distant from Aleppo more toward the Sea as we our selues haue seen with our eyes Hasna T. It signifieth Treasure Store Money collected aswell for publike as for priuate vses although properly it is onely taken for the publike Treasure or for the Kinges monyes Hassan-Chalasi T. The Castell of Hassan It is also called by the Turkes Passin It is a new erected thing betweene Erzirum and Chars situate vpon the bankes of the riuer Euphrates Heri B. a Citie in Aria Hispahan B. a Citie sometimes in Parthia I. IEsselbas B. a greene-Cap A certain people betweene the Bactrians and the Sogdians so called because they did weare Greene-Capps on their heads Imammadulasis B. a Citie in Parthia Imbrahur-Bassi T. Master of the Kings horse Isnic B. a Citie in old times called Nicea A. in Bithynia neere to the Moore Ascania A. Istigelu and Sagialu B. a Renowmed familie both at Casbin and also ouer all the kingdome of Persia. L. LAke-Actamar in old time called the Moore or marish Martiana or Margiana or Mantiana A. and according to Strabo it is in Armenia the greater Lake of Esseecchia in old time called the Marish Lychnitis A. in Georgia Lake of Isnic in old time the Marish Ascania A. in Bithynia Lake Tospite or Toeti it is in great Armenia Lizza B. a Citie by the Sea-coast in Soria called in old time Laodicea A. Lori B. a Fortresse in Armenia sometimes belonging to the Georgians but now possessed by the Turkes M. MAcadems B. a word vsed among the Drusiani for a Deputie an Agent or a chief Factor For an Emir or Lord in Drusia Look the 7. Booke Macuco B. a Measure
in Soria wherewith they measure Corne. It is a little bigger then the bushell of Padua that is fower bushels and a halfe Venetian measure Malan B. a Citie in Parthia Mar delle Zabacche B. in old time called Palus Moeotica A. the Fennes of Moeotis Mar di Bachu B. in tymes passed Mare Caspium and Mare Hircanum A. It is also at this day called the Sea of Corazum Mar Maggiore the great Sea And Mar Nero the black Sea sometimes called Pontus Euxinus A. Mar Morto the dead Sea sometimes called the Lake Asphaltitis A. Marant B. a Citie neere to Armenia in the confines of the Medians or rather within Media Maras B. a Citie in Cilicia called by Bellonius and Ortelius Maronia A. Marmara B. a Citie vpon the Sea-coast of Thracia Masandran B. a Citie in Hircania Massiat B. a Citie in Parthia Masul T. a man cassiered or depriued of his Office in English Iack out of office Mecca B. a Citie in Arabia Foelix where some think Mahamet was borne and where he is also buried Mengrellia B. sometimes the Region of Colchos A. famous for the golden Fleece Meschita B. the place where the Barbarians do meete together to say their prophane prayers in English a Temple or a Church Miana B. a Citie situate in the borders of Media the greater of Persia and of Parthia It is peraduenture so called by the Riuer that is neer vnto it whose name is Miana Miriza and Mirize P. the title of a Prince in Persia. The Kings chiefe Lieutenant Moldauia a Region in Dacia Mordar P. a Chaunceller The Turks call him Tescheregi Mucaren the first moneth of the Turkish yeare much agreeing with our Ianuary Mufti T. the chiefe Priest Mustaed-Dini P. the same which the Turkes call Mufti The chiefe Priest N. NAplos B. in old time called Napoli A. in Samaria peraduenture it was in time past Nephthalim A. Nassiuan B. a Citie in Media the greater or els in the confines of Media and Armenia Some think it to be Nasuana and others take it to be Artaxata A. Natolia in the opinion of Bellonius comprehendeth all the Regions of Phrygia Galatia Bithynia Pontus Lydia Caria Paphlagonia Lycia Magnesia Cappadocia and Comagena Neneruan B. a place in Armenia bordering vpon Georgia Nisabul B. a Citie in Aria Nisaur B. a Citie in the confines of Parthia and Hircania Nosul T. a Taxe or collection of Corne. O. OLti T. a place belonging to the Turkes betwene Erzirum and Ardachan P. PAngiazar B. a Citie bordering vpon Hircania and Media the greater Passin Look Hassan-Chalasi Persiani The Persians They are also called Aggiami Cheselbas Sofiani Persiani of the Prouince of Persia Aggiami of the Region Azemia or Aggiamia Cheselbas of the Redd-marke which these people weare in their Turbantes and Soffians of the Sofi who is their chiefe Gouernour Peruana-Giol T. the lake of Sclaues It is in Armenia Phasis A. a Citie in Colchis called yet at this day Phasis and Fas. Porta a Gate but principally in this Historie it is taken for the Court of the Turkish Sultan because all his Counsailors and chiefe Gouernours of his kingdome do vse to sit in the Gate of the Emperours Court to heare and dispatch causes aswell priuate as publike Portugall in old time called Lusitania A. R. RAfadi B. a man of a false Religion of a false faith Rama a Towne in Palaestina which Castaldo calleth Lidda Peraduenture it was that Rama A. which mourned and wept for the great slaughter of the holie Innocents Math. 2. Ramadan T. one of the solemne feastes of the Turkes It is also the proper name of a man and the name of a Moone For as we haue twelue Monethes with their seuerall proper names so haue the Turkes their xij Moones with their seuerall proper names also Reiuan B. a Citie in Armenia It may be it is Terua in Ptolomie But I do not altogether agree with him in that point S. SAffetto B. a Citie in Galilie inhabited by the Iewes Saha or Shah P. the great King or Sofi of Persia. Saitan-Chalasi B. the Castell of Satan or the Deuils Castell in the confines of Armenia and Georgia Salmas B. a Citie betwixt Tauris and Van but Southward to them both Sancazan B. a place neer to Tauris famous in this Historie aswell in respect of some battells there foughten as also of the death of Generall Osman who died there Sangiacco B. a Lord or a kind of Captaine Sardar T. Captaine of the Iannizzaries Captaine of the Armie and properly the Generall Saru B. a Citie in Media the greater Sasuar B. a Citie in Parthia Sciam B. the Citie of Damasco Look Damasco Scutar and Scutari B. sometimes called Chalcedon A. a Citie in Asia right ouer against Constantinople Some do erroniously call it Chrysopolis A. Sechi B. a Citie in Atropatia bordering vpon Georgia Seida and Seit B. in old time called Sidonia A. a Citie on the Sea cost in Drusia Sembran B. a Citie in Parthia Semitarra B. a Scimitarre a long crooked Sword A Faulchon Ser B. a Riuer sometimes called Cirus A. that watreth the South part of Georgia Sessa Look Tocca and Turbante Siec B. an old wise Religious learned and prudent man A man of good and holie life Siliurea a Citie in Thracia called Sâ—lymbria Which the Persian calleth Selimbria and Nicolo Nicolio Seliurie Sinibra or Simbra In Ptolomie A. It is now called Erzirum fower daies iourney distant from Trabisonda Siras B. some call it Persepolis A. and some Ciropolis A. It is the chiefe palace of the Region of Persia. Siruan and Siruania B. sometimes called Media Atropatia The Hebrewes called it Madian A. Siuas B. in old time Sebastapolis A. a Citie in Natolia Soffi and Sofito P. an auncient word signifying a wise man learned and skilfull in Magike Naturall It is growen to be the common name of the Emperour of Persia. Soffian B. a place neer vnto Tauris It may be perhaps the auncient Soffia Soldin B. a Citie vpon the Sea-coast of Soria destroyed long ago It was called in old time Seleucia Pieria A. within fiue miles whereof the Riuer Orontes dischargeth it self into the Sea But Castaldo in his description of Asia doeth not describe it in deed as it standeth Soria B. in times past the Region of Syria A. Spahini T. a companie of Turkish Souldiers so called Spaoglani B. a companie of foote-men inferiour in degree to the Iannizzaries Stambul by the Turkes and Arabians so called in steed of Constantinople Subassi B. The Lieutenant or Captaine of a Garrison or Guard Sultania a Citie in great Media Sultano or Sultan B. a Captain A great Lord It is verie often vsed for the Emperour of Turkie as Sultan Amurath the great Turk Amurath Sumachi and Sumachia B. the chiefe Palace of Atropatia Sunni B. a man of sound faith and sincere opinion in matter of Religion Sur B. a Citie vpon the Sea-coast of Soria in old time called Tyrus A. T. TArtari
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
themselues Alyculy-Chan reti reth again into the citty 3000. Turkes slaine Aliculy in the night issueth out of the Citty assaulteth the Turkes The Bassa of Maras slaine by Aliculy Aliculy abandoneth the citty of Tauris The Persians garde the gates of Tauris The seruile people first go to the citty to sack it Slaughter in the gates The Taurisians yeeld the gates to the Turkish peole The Taurisians fortifie themselues in their vaultes and in the corners of their streets The Turkes returne to the Campe with diuers praies and booties Osman vieweth the place where to encampe himselfe and build a forte The description of the citty of Tauris The tentes pitched on the south side The most pleasant and beautifull garden of Tauris The garden called the eight Paradises Osman chooseth the gardens to build his fort in In 36. daies the fabrick finished The sicknesse of the Visieâ— Osman Turkes strangled in a bath within Tauris Osman commandeth that the Citie of Tauris should be sacked in the vilest maner The villanies of the Turkes in Tauris while they sack it The misery of the Citie of Tauris Boies girles caried away captiues by the Turkes The Persian Prince commandeth 500. souldiers to go and prouoke the Turkes to fight Osman appointeth two Bassaes to encounter and fight with the Persians 40000. Turkes go to encounter the Persians and to fight with them A mortal and cruel battell The Bassa of Caraemit put to flight Cicala Bassa flyeth also 8000. 〈◊〉 slaine Heraulds sent by the Persian Prince to Osman Osman accepteth the offer but his sicknesse encreaseth mortally vpon him The array and order of the Turkish souldiers 60000. in the 〈◊〉 armie The order of the Persians 40000. in the Persians army Terrible and bloody battels about Tauris The Persian Prince cutteth of the head of Mahamet the Bassa of Caâ—emit The Bassa of Trebisonda the Sangiacco of Bursia 5. other Sangiacchi slaine Amurath the Bassa of Caramania taken aliue in the fight 20000. Turks slaine The people of Gseece and Constantinople procure their returne home into their cuntries Osman through sicknesse desperate to liue any longer Giaffer the Bassa of Tripols in Soria chosen Gouernour of Tauris 12000 souldiers appointed to Giaffer the Eunuche to guard the fort Osman Bassa at Sancazan The Persian Prince assaileth the Turkes with 28000. persons 18000. Camelles and mules laden with spoile reskued by the Persians from the Turkes The Visier at the last gaspe The artillary workeh happely more harme among the Turkes then among the Persians 20000. Turks slaine in fight at Sancazan Osman the Visier and Generall dieth at Saacazan The death of Osman disclosed to the Persians by three oungmen The Persians encouraged to giue the Turkes a famous farewel A brooke betweene the two armies The Persians begin to assault the Turks on the leftside to auoide their Artillarie The purpose of the Persians which afterwards came to no good issue 3000. Persians ouerwhelmed in the myre The only battell among fiue most hurtfull to the Persians A surueigh of the Armie in Van. At Van the souldiers discharged The Authour at Constantinople Newes published in Constantinople Feasting in Constantinople The Christian Embassadors refuse to reioice for these victories Consultation in Van how to send succour to Teflis Succours appointed for Teflis and deliuered to Daut-Chan the Rinegare Daut-Chan named by the king the Bassa of Maras Maxut-Chan nominated by the King the Bassa of Aleppo A Letter written to Aly the Bassa of Aleppo The troublesome cogitations of the the Persians The determination of the Persians The Persian king by letters solliciteth the Turcomans The tenor of the kinges Letters The aunswere of the Turcomanni and their craftie deuises Ten thousand Turcomans go to the Persian king The king deliuereth his son ramas to Mahamet-Chan Great hopes that mooue the Turcomans to assault the fort Aduertisements sent into Italie The Rebellion of the Turcomanni The Doubtes of the Persian Prince The determination of the Prince The Prince with 12000 pursueth the â—urcomans The tureomans disconâ— fited by the Prince Mahamet-chan Califo the Sultan beheaded Tamas imprisoned The Prince at Casbin Saitan Chalasi relinquished by the garrison ther. The Bassa of Reiuan at Chiulfal The situation of Chiulfal The Bassa of Reiuan returneth from Chiulfal weâ— pleased Aliculi chan at Chiulfal Aliculi returneth from Chiulfal wel pleased Giaffer the Bassa in a great feare Cicala the Bassa of Van goeth to succour Tauris Cicala the Bassa in a great feare Cicala the Bassa retireth to Van. K. Amurath busied about the election of a new Generall Ferat the Bassa chosen Generall The reuenue of Soria 600000. duckats A loane of 60000. Cecchini lent to the King by the MerchaÌ„ts of Aleppo 400. peeces of artillerie with the Generall Maxut-chan Guide of the Armie Ferat deparreth from Constantinople Tht plague at Constantinople Exceeding dearth at Erzirum and Aleppo Aduertisement from Giaffer the Bassa of Tauris to Generall Ferat Ferat in Erzirum Ferat at Van. The marshalling of Generall Ferat Armie His Vauward The Rereward The bodie of the battel The right Cornet The left Cornet The Marshall of the field Voluntarie souldiers 20000 Master of the Horse The Ianizzaries and the Solacchi The Sciemete The place of the Generall The carriages The night-watch committed to the Bassas of Cilicia and Caramania The General Ferat made acquainted with treacheries in Persia. The Persian Prince at Tauris The cause why the Prince attempteth not the winning of the Fort. Zeinello the Bassa discomfited by the persian Prince The citie of Salmas also sacked by him The Bassa of Reiuan put to flight discomfited by the Prince A treatie to exchange the two prisoners Ebrain and Amurat. The treatie of inlarging the two prisoners is in vaine The subiectes of Manogli do great harme in Soâ—ia The Caddi of Tripoli slaine by the Drusians The Drusians bereaue the Sangiacco of his Standerd and kill his standerd-bearer Aly the Bassa sent from Constantinople into Soria against the Drusians The' Army of the Persian prince The ordering of the Army of Persia. The order of the Persian prince to annoy the Armie of Ferat Prince Amze retireth for suspition of rebellion The plot of Simon the Georgian Simon when his plot came to no good issue retireth with losse and shame General Ferat hauing succoured the fort returneth toward Erzirum Succours sent to Teflis The Persian Prince slaine by the treason of one of his Eunucheâ— The first reason The second reason the third reason The fourth reason The errour of Negro and others The fift reason The sixt reason The seuenth reason The eight reason The ninth reason The tenth reason The leauenth reason The twelft reason The first argument of Iouius and his followers The second argument The third argument The answere to the first argument Aunswere to the second argument Aunswere to the third argument The conclusion
he reposed as we told you in his cosins the GeorgiaÌ„s he called vnto him Emir-Chan being at that time the Gouernour of Tauris and opened vnto him the resolution which he had to ride into Heri declaring vnto him withall that he meant not to take this viage vpon him and quite to leaue at randon all these his Cities that were so neere and commodious for the fury of the Turkes but he would set a trustie garde to keepe them and make choice of such a person to attende them as shoulde be able to yeelde him a good account of them whensoeuer the Turks should aduenture to endammage those couÌ„tries And forsomuch as Emanguli-Chan had taken vpon him the charge to defend Siruan not to suffer that Osman Bassa should proceed anie further in his conquestes there but to keepe him straite and to restraine him within the narrow bouÌ„ds holds of Demir-Capi he had fouÌ„d out also another person that had promised him whensoeuer occasioÌ„ required to gather an armie together and to vse all other good meanes to resist the Turkes if they should at any time seeke to annoy these borders of Tauris Nassiuan Reiuan such lik And further signified vnto him That he was minded to discharge him of the Office that hee had namely the Gouernourshippe of Tauris and would substitute in his place the maÌ„ that had so readily offred himself to this seruice bestowing vpon him the name and title of the Gouernour ouer Reiuan and Nassiuan and ouer all the other places and Captaines in those quarters But if Emir-Chan himselfe woulde promise the like and besides other helpes would vse also the seruice of the mightie Turcoman Nation when neede should so require he would not onely suffer him stil to inioic his charge but also not harkening to the promises of the other man he would honour him further with the dignitie of Captaine Generall against the Turkish Armie A long time did Emir-Chan remaine in suspence hereat not knowing wherupon to resolue himself For on the one side he knew that he had many aduersaries coÌ„petitors who no doubt would very boldly haue made the like offer to the king of purpose to oppresse him and to hoist him out of his possessed dignitie on the other side he saw the promise was verie difficult for he vnderstood ful wel what great power the Turkish Armie had against which he coulde not promise to make any resistance no nor to looke them in the face with so slender and weake prouisions as he had Neuerthelesse he being deceiued as wel as the rest with those common hopes that whiles the King himselfe might be busied about the winning of Heri the Turkes neither could nor would attende any other thing but onely to reuenge the iniuries of the Georgians to chastise those troublesome and treacherous people and to succor Teflis couragiouslie at last promised the King that he woulde not suffer the Turkes no not so much as to approch either to Reiuan or Nassiuan but would maintaine and keepe him and his landes safe and vntouched from any of their forces And if it shoulde fall out that through some extra-vagant or extraordinary resolution of the Turkish Captaines the enemies should come into those borders hee woulde then gather together the Turcomans and all their confederates and so imploy his whole power and forces against them to the ende that such iniuries should not bee attempted at the least without reuenge This resolution beeing concluded King Mahamet sette himselfe forwardes towards Casbin with an Armie of twentie thousande persons and leauing on his left hande Gheilan and the Caspian sea and on his right hande Siras and Cassan and beyond all that euen vppon the coast of the saide Sea Massandran Saru Pangiazar and Culâ—at by the way of Terrachan Imamadulasis Cur Sembran Bestan Dagman he arriued at the Citie of Sasuar being on that sid the chiefe of all the Cities that are subiect to the iurisdiction of Heri Nowe the gouernour of this Citie had fortified himselfe by keeping the gates locked and maintaining a vigilant guarde about it hoping that delaying the King and so auoiding his first assaulte hee might also peraduenture persuade him that this his comming was not necessarie and purge himselfe before him of any accusation or fault wherewith all he might be charged But this his designement though indeed both iust and reasonable could not fall out according to his desire For Mirize Salmas who in the delay of this their besieging had continuallie among other surmises entermingled also some feare and suspition of Nouelties did still sollicite and hasten the enterprise and himselfe encouraging the Souldiers thereunto with ladders with ropes with timber and with other engines did so much that in a shorte time the Guarde of the Citie was taken and the Gates opened to the King who swarming in with all his Armie lefte no leasure for Chan the Gouernor to escape but presently caused him to bee beheaded although he alledged a thousand excuses for himselfe and obiected a thousand accusations against the seditious Visier The King after this departed from Sasuar and ioyning vnto him all the strength of the cities of Nisaur Massiat Tursis Turbat Giem Malan and Coran hauing also put to death certaine captaines and Sultans that were accused by the Visier to be Confederates in the rebellion of his Sonne hee arriued atlast at the desired Citie of Heri Very strong is this Citie by situation compassed about with a good wal and watered with deepe channells of running springes conueighed into it by Tamerlane their Founder or Restorer so that the winning thereof coulde not but prooue very long and difficult especiallye because there were in it many valiaunt Captaines all enuious enemies to Mirize-Salmas and readye to attempt any notable enterprise for the defence of themselues and of their Lord. Assoone as the King had discouered the saide Citie hee felte a rising in his minde the diuerse affections of griefe and of pietie and indeede greater was the griefe which hee conceiued in respect of the businesse that hee wente about then his pietie was For hee greeued woonderfullye at his owne vnhappinesse and miserye that hee shoulde cause such a one to bee borne into the lighte of the worlde as in steede of maintaining his Fathers honour and ioyning his forces with the forces of his Father to the destruction of his Enemies shoulde rather bee a meanes for his arrant enemies to enter into his confederate Countreyes and hee himselfe prooue the verye ouerthrowe of him from whom he receiued his beeing and present dignitye It greeued him likewise and that with affectionate passions to remember the bloud of his subiectes that had heeretofore beene spilt vppon so straunge an occasion yea and scarcelye durste hee enter into cogitation with himselfe thence forwarde to shedde any more of the bloude of his peoples Neuerthelesse with all these his conceites and
vnhappye fortune beeing more and more sollicited by the Visier hee attempted to vnderstande if hee coulde the minde of his Sonne and if it might bee possible to gette him into his handes But the Citie of Heri was well fenced as we haue said and therefore it must needes require the spending of many daies before it could be obtained which Abas-Mirize knowing full well thought it good in the meane time to write diuers letters to his Father and his Brother wherein hee besought them that they would make knowen vnto him the occasions of this their stirre For if desire of rule had mooued them to desire the depriuation of him beeing their Sonne and Brother from the honour which hee lawfully possessed and which his Father himselfe had procured for him they ought to abandon that imagination and not to seeke the disturbance of their peace for that hee was alwaies to spende his wealth and his bloude together with his estate in their seruice and acknowledged his Father to bee his good Father and King who rather then hee shoulde pursue this resolution shoulde bee encouraged to encrease his Dominion ouer his neighbours the Indians and Bactriaus which woulde bee more honourable and profitable for that Empire and much more commodious for all Persia And if they were not induced heereunto for this cause but by a desire to reuenge some trespasse that hee had committed in preiudice either of the Crowne of Persia or his Fathers honour hee was most readie to submit himselfe to any amendes and with all reason to yelde vnto them the kingdome yea the worlde and euen his owne life also the rather to satisfie their mindes with a more full contentation With twise and thrise reading ouer were these affectionate and reuerent letters considered and digested and at last both the Brother and the father perceyuing in theÌ„ such liberalitie of wordes and beeing ouer come with pittie or if not with pittie yet with great admiration and contentment they determined to put the matter in practise and moderating their wicked desires of bloud ruine and death to attempt the reducing of the young mans minde to some good passe Wherevpon they wrote backe vnto him That no greedie desire to vsurpe his gouernement An affection that was onely raysed in the gâ—uttâ—noâ—â— minde of prophane Salmas had induced them to make so great a voyage to trouble so much the people and to shed such aboundaunce of bloud For rather then they would depriue him of that gouernement they would bee readie to bestowe vpon him newe benefites and honours of greater esteeme But onely his disobedience and impudenciâ— in that hee caused himselfe to bee called the King of all Persia and woulde not sende somuch as one Captayne to ayde them against the Turkes these were the causes why they proceeded to these great inconueniences because they thought it their duetie to roote vp such wicked and obstinate desires out of their kingdome and in Persia to preserue an vniuersall obedience and common tranquiliâ—ie among their subiectes The youngman when hee vnderstood the accusations that were laied against him was greatly comforted hoped to make it manifest before al men how the king his brother were misinformed in these particularities therfore incontinently did write back againe vnto them That if they would inuiolably promise not to put to death nor doe any outrage to any his embassadors he would sendvn to theÌ„ such euident matter so cleere informatioÌ„ touching those his accusations as they should not onely plainly perceiue there was neuer any such kind of thought in him but also that he had alwaies desired laboured the coÌ„trarie peraduenture he should open vnto theÌ„ such a matter as in respect of other men and not of himselfe would cause their comming to proue profitable and commodious to all the kingdome of Persia. Whereupon they both promised all good entertainment and were now become very desirous to vnderstand what those straunge nouelties should be and so when they had yeelded their consent and with solemne oath had offered to receiue the said embassadours with all friendly curtesie and regarde Abas sent vnto them two of his chiefe counsellours men of good accompt and reuerence both for their yeares and wisedome with commaundement That they should declare how all these stirres did arise from none other man but onelie from the Visier Mirize-Salmas who as he had alreadie laboured this daungerous plot against Abas-Mirize the kings own son so if this his designment should bee brought to passe he would not sticke to doe the like against the King himselfe to satisfie the greedy and ambitious desire which hee had to place his Sonne in lawe Emir-hamze in the soueraigne seate and himselfe to bee the man that as Lieutenant to the King shoulde commaunde the whole Empire Which notwithstanding they were to reueale without any blame or accusation of Emir-Hamze and to make it knowen to his old father that neuer any such conceits or affections were kindled in the Prince but that he was also vnwares induced thereunto by the crafte and suttlety of malignant Salmas The two Embassadours came accordingly and after many speeches in the ende swearing according to their custome by the Creator that spread out the Aire that founded the earth vppon the deepes that adorned the heauen with starres that powred abroade the water that made the fire and briefely of nothing brought foorth all thinges swearing by the heade of their vaine Master Aly and by the false religion of their impious Prophet Mahamet swearing by their children by their wiues by their own souls That such peruers thoughts neuer entred into the head of Abas-Mirize They alledged many testimonies and euident proofes that most loyally and faithfully in all due time aswell when hee was aduanced to the soueraigne degree of a king as also in his battels against the Turkes his Sonne had alwaies caused deuout prayers and supplications to bee made to God for his prosperitye neither euer desired to heare any other but happie and fortunate successe of him They brought with them a thousande and a thousand Precepts and Royall Letters which the younge man had caused to be written as occasions required to the Gouernours that were his Subiectes for the gouernement of the state wherein hee neuer named himselfe the King of Persia but onelye your King and Gouernour of Heri They prayed the King also that hee woulde cause a diligent processe which the Turkes call a Teftis to be framed against his Sonne and if there shoulde bee founde in him any signe or shadowe of so wicked a suspicion that then hee woulde take from him his estate and libertie For they woulde remaine as hostages for him But when all this shoulde be done and Abas-Mirize shoulde bee founde altogether free from these vniust and impious calumniations then falling euen to the earth and kissing it they besought him and coniured him that hee woulde not leaue