Ionian and Adriaticke that he might from thence but looke toward ITALIE which he began now to long after he determined with himselfe first to subdue those countries as standing in his way both for the inuasion of ITALIE and of the territories of the Venetians And for as much as the strong cittie of SCODRA otherwise called SCVTARIE then in the possession of the Venetians for the commodious situation thereof seemed to giue him the best entrance into the countries of ALBANIA EPIRVS DALMATIA and to such cities as the Venetians held alongst the sea coast he resolued there to begin his wars This citie was of great strength as well for the naturall situation thereof as for the strong fortifications therein made by the hand of man which thing Mahomet was not ignorant of but presuming of his owne strength and power vainely persuaded himselfe that no place was now able long to hold out gainst him Wherefore hauing prepared all things fit for the besieging thereof he sent Solyman Bassa an Eunuch whom hee had made his lieutenant Generall in EVROPE in the place of Amurath Bassa before slaine by Vsun-Cassanes with eightie thousand souldiours to besiege SCODRA This great Bassa according to his charge came and with great pompe encamped round about the citie the fiue and twentieth of May. Shortly after hauing planted his batterie hee began most furiously to shake the wals and ceased not by all meanes hee could deuise to â—rouble the defendants and when he had by force of the cannon done what hee could gaue diuers sharpe assaults vnto the cittie but was still with great losse valiantly repulsed by them of the citie Long it were to declare how often and in what terrible manner that warlike Bassa Mahomet his cheefe captaine attempted to haue woon the citie as also to shew how they of SCODRA directed by their worthie Gouernour Antonius Lauretanus valiantly defended themselues and their cittie nothing was omitted that the enemie could doe or deuise for the gaining thereof but all his deuises and attempts were so met withall by the defendants that they serued him to no other purpose but to the destruction of his people Whilst the Bassa thus lay at the siege of SCODRA Mocenicus hauing receiued such commaundement from the Senate came and joyned himselfe to Grittus the new Admirall who then lay with his fleet in the mouth of BOLIANA a great riuer running out of the lake whereupon the cittie of SCODRA standeth These two great commaunders being met together were both as one man and with a wonderfull consent did what they might for the furtherance of the common good a thing not common first they put strong garrisons with all things necessarie into CHOLCHINVM LYSSA DIRRHACHIVM and other citties of their signorie vpon the sea coast After that they went vp the riuer BOLIANA with certaine gallies and came within sight of SCODRA and there by fires in the night and other tokens of comfort encouraged the defendants as with an assured promise of releefe which thing it greeued the Turkes to behold who therefore went about to haue shut in those same gallies with a great chaine drawne crosse the riuer where it was narrowest betwixt them and the sea but in doing thereof the Venetians out of their gallies slew fiue hundred of the Turkes and wounded diuers others and so returned againe to sea It was afterward attempted by the aforesaid Admirals if a new supplie might haue beene put into the cittie but the enemie had so beset the same that it was not possible to be done In the meane time Mathias king of HVNGARIE receiuing a great yearely portion of the Venetians for the defence of their countries against the Turke hearing that SCODRA was besieged began to make such spoile in the Turkes dominions bordering vpon him that Mahomet was glad to call home the great Bassa from the siege of SCODRA to defend his owne frontiers So the Bassa after he had lien three months with his great armie at the siege and lost foureteene thousand of his men whereof the greatest part died of sickenesse taken by long lying in the rotten moorish ground neere vnto the riuer by commaundement from his mastâ—r rise with his armie and departed The Venetians also which lay all that while thereabout in their gallies were toucht with the same contagion Triadanus Grittus died thereof and Mocenicus the other Admirall fell thereof dangerously sicke but being somewhat recouered returned home and was shortly after for his good seruice chosen duke of VENICE Marcellus the old duke being then dead With this dishonour taken at SCODRA Mahomet was so discontented that he appointed a yearely fee vnto one to put him in mind dayly of the siege of SCODRA The same yeare that this great Bassa Solyman had in vaine besieged SCODRA hee was afterward sent with a great armie into VALACHIA where he was so entangled in the woods and fens by Stephanus the Vayuod that hee lost all his armie and with much adoe escaped himselfe by the wonderfull swiftnesse of a mare whereon he rid The yeare following which was the yeare 1476 Mahomet sent out a great fleet to sea vnder the conduct of Geduces Achmetes his cheefe counsellour and man of warre whose very name was dreadfull in all places where hee came in hope to haue by treason surprised the Island of CRETE But that plot was in good time by the Venetians perceiued the traitors executed and he of his purpose disappointed Whereupon he changed his former purpose for CRETE sent the same Achmetes with his fleet into the Euxine or as the Turkes call it the Blacke sea to besiege the rich citie of CAFFA This citie was in antient time called THEODOSIA situate in the countrey of TAVRICA CHERSONESVS fast by the sea side and had of long time beene in possession of the Genowaies and was a place of exceeding great trade vntill that this great emperor Mahomet hauing taken CONSTANTINOPLE and falling out with the Venetians had by his strong castles built vpon the straits of HELLESPONTVS and BOSPHORVS taken away both the trafficke of marchants into those seas and all possible meanes for the Genowayes to send succour to that citie yet it is credibly reported that one valiant captaine vndertooke to carrie his companie in number not aboue an hundred and fiftie men by land from GENVA to CAFFA not much lesse than two thousand miles and worthely performed what hee had vndertaken Achmetes comming thither with his fleet enclosed the citie both by sea and land which deuided in it selfe by reason of the diuers disposition of the inhabitants being of diuers nations some Genowayes some Greekes some Armenians but most Tartars could not long hold out but was in short time giuen vp to the Bassa vpon condition That the Genoway marchants who were there both in number many and exceeding rich might in safetie depart thence with their wealth Which promise the Bassa performed not but when he was possessed of the
learned men suppose to haue been the same nation with the Turks Vnto which antient testimonies of reuerend antiquitie adde the manners and conditions of the Turks their antient attire their gesture their gate their weapons and manner of riding and fight their language and dialect so well agreeing with the Scythians and a man shall find matter enough sufficient to persuade him in reason that the Turks haue vndoubtedly taken their beginning from the Scythes whom they in so many things resemble and with whom of all other nations they best agree Now it hath beene no lesse doubted also among the writers of the Turks histories at what time and for what causes the Turks to the trouble of the world left their naturall seats in the cold countrey of SCYTHIA to seeke themselues others in more pleasant and temperat countries more Southerly than it hath beene of their originall beginning Blondus and Platina report them enforced with a generall want to haue forsaken their natiue countrey and followed their better fortune in the yeere of our Lord 755 with whom also Segonius agreeth in the cause of their departure but not in the time or place when or whereby they departed For they as he saith issued out of their dwelling places in the yeere of grace 844 by the straits of the mountaine CAVCASVS whereas the other with greater probabilitie suppose them to haue come foorth by the Caspian straits which the Turks also as saith Sabellicus affirme of themselues their ancestors as they say being by their neighbours driuen out of the Caspian mountaines Some others there be that report them to haue forsaken their natiue countrey neither enforced thereunto by necessitie or the power of others but for their valour sent for by the Sultan of PERSIA to aide him in his wars vnaduisedly supposing that to have beene the cause of their first comming out which in deed hapned long time after as in the processe of this historie shall appeare But whatsoeuer the aforesaid causes of want or of the enemies power might enforce them vnto a greater power no doubt it was that stirred them vp euen the hand of the Almightie who being the author of all kingdomes vpon earth as well those which he hath appointed as scourges wherewith to punish the world as others more blessed will haue his worke and purpose full of diuine majestie to appeare in the stirring of them vp from right small beginnings in the increasing establishing of their greatnesse and power to the astonishment of the world and in the ruine and destruction of them againe the course of their appointed time once runne As for the difference of the time of their comming foorth before remembred it may reasonably be referred vnto the diuers emotions of that people who being not vnder the command of any one but of their diuers gouernours as the manner of that people was are not to be thought to haue come foorth all at once either for one cause but at diuers times some sooner some later and that for diuers causes This people thus stirred vp and by the Caspian ports passing thorow the Georgian countrey then called IBERIA neere vnto the Caspian sea first ceased vpon a part of the greater ARMENIA and that with so strong hand that it is by their posteritie yet holden at this day and of them called TVRCOMANIA of all other the most true progenie of the ancient Turks In which great countrey they of long vnder their diuers leaders in the manner of their liuing most resembling their ancestors roamed vp and downe with their families and heards of cattell after the manner of the Scythian Nomades their countrey men without any certaine places of aboad yet at great vnitie among themselues as not hauing much to loose or wherefore to striue The first kingdome of the Turks erected in Persia by Tangrolipix Chieftaine of the Selzuccian family with the successe thereof THis wandring and vnregarded people but now the terrour of the world thus first seated in ARMENIA long time there liued in that wide countrey after their rude and woonted manner from which the Turcoman nation their posteritie in that place euen at this day as we said much differeth not and not onely notably defended the countrey thus by them at the first possessed but still incroching farther and farther and gaining by other mens harmes became at length dreadfull vnto their neighbours and of some fame also farther off whereunto the effeminat cowardise of those delicate people of ASIA with whom they had to do gaue no lesse furtherance than their owne valour being neuerthelesse an hardie rough people though not much skilfull or trained vp in the feats of war The fame of these Turks togither with their fortune thus daily encreasing and the mightie Empire of the Sarasins as fast declining which vnder their Chaliphes the successors of the false prophet Mahomet hauing in lesse than the space of two hundred yeeres ouerspread not onely the greatest part of ASIA and AFRIKE euen vnto GADES and the pillers of Hercules but also passing ouer that strait had ouerwhelmed almost all SPAINE and not there staying but passing the Pyrenei had pearsed euen into the heart of FRANCE and diuers other parts of Christendom as namely ITALY SICILY the famous Iland of the RHODES with many others of the MEDITERRANEAN now diuided in it selfe and rent into many kingdomes turned their victorious armes from the Christians vpon one another to the mutuall destruction of themselues their empire Amongst other the Sarasin Sultans which forgetting their obedience vnto their great Chaliph tooke vpon them the soueraigntie of gouernment which admitteth no partner was one Mahomet Sultan of PERSIA a right great prince who hardly beset on the one side with the Indians and on the other with the Chaliph of BABYLON his mortall enemie praied aid of the Turks his neighbours who were now come even to the side of ARAXIS the bounds of his empire Vnto which his request the Turks easily granted in hope therby to find a way for them afterwards to enter into PERSIA and so sent him three thousand hardie men vnder the leading of one Togra Mucalet the sonne of Mikeil a valiant captaine and cheefe of the Selzuccian tribe or family whom the Greeks commonly call Tangrolipix and some others Selduck or Sadock names as I suppose corrupted of the great family whereof he was descended By the aide of this Tangrolipix for now we will so call him as by the name most vsed Mahomet the Persian Sultan ouercame Pisasiris the Chaliph of BABYLON his Arabians being not able to endure the force of the Turkish archers This war thus happily ended the Turks desiring to returne home requested of the Sultan leaue to depart and with a safe conuoy to be conducted vnto the riuer ARAXIS and there to haue the passage of that swift riuer opened vnto them which was by the Persians strongly kept by two castels built vpon each
great preparations for that that kingdome being once subdued the citie of HIERUSALEM with all the land of PALESTINE would of themselues without more adoe yeeld vnto them And for as much as the famous citie of DAMIATA called in antient time PELVSIVM not much inferiour to ALEXANDRIA was the first and most commodious port for their purpose as neerest vnto SYRIA and that by the taking therof they should haue a faire entrance into the great riuer NILVS with the command of a most rich and pleasant countrey about it they resolued there to begin the warre and thereupon embarking themselues with all things necessarie for so great an enterprise at PTOLEMAIS and carried with a faire wind they in short time arriued at the desired port Now that rich and antient citie the key of that side of the kingdome stood about a mile from the sea somewhat distant also from the great riuer enuironed with a nauigable ditch or cut drawn out of the Nile in manner of an island as a man commeth from SYRIA by land and compassed about with three strong stone wals the worke of the good emperour Aelius Pertinax and of him as some affirme called also AELIOPOLIS At the mouth of this cut as you should enter vnto the citie stood a strong watch-towre for the defence thereof and round about it a number of faire houses in manner of a prettie towne entrenched Beside that for the more safetie thereof the same cut was barred with a great strong yron chaine in such sort as that it was not possible for any ship without breaking of the same to enter The Christians with their fleet entring the mouth of the riuer and comming to this cut by great strength brake the chaine but thinking so to haue made their passage vnto the citie they found a greater stay at the watch-tower which strongly built of square stone and well stored with warlike engines of all sorts and a good garrison of valiant souldiers staied their further passage ouerwhelming them as they approched with shot fire stones timber and such like before prouided for that purpose The Christians after the manner of the fight of that time had vpon certaine flat vessels built certaine high towers of wood for the assailing of the watch-tower in the approching whereof they were not only troubled with the enemie but with the tumult and stur of their owne people also some crying that they should yet draw neerer vnto the tower othersome crying out as fast to haue the bridges cast out thereby to enter and the enemie likewise with much clamour encouraging one another for the repulsing of the Christians So the souldiers hindred the mariners to do their businesse and the mariners the souldiers In the midst of this hurly burly and tumult one of the woodden towers surmounting the rest in heigth ouercharged with the presse of men fell and in falling made such a noise as if heauen it selfe had fallen where in a moment as it were was presently to be seene a most heauie spectacle many ouerwhelmed with the falling of the tower lay there crushed to death some grieuously hurt and yet not dead lay oppressed with the timber crying out for helpe others bruised or hurt but not ouerwhelmed for feare of further harme leapt some into the NILE some aboord the other ships neere by some crying out of his arme some of his leg some of his head or other part of his bodie to the great discomfiture of the rest in so much that the assault was for that time giuen ouer King Iohn as well for his valour as for the title of the king of HIERUSALEM chosen generall of the armie after he had appeased this tumult and giuen the charge of them that were maimed or hurt vnto skilfull surgeons buried the bodies of such as were found drowned or ouerwhelmed with cheerfull speech encouraged the rest of his souldiers persuading them not to bee discouraged with the accident of the fall of a tower which was neither to be imputed to their cowardise or the valour of the enemy but onely to the chance of war In the meane time Meledin the Aegyptian Sultan had with a great armie encamped himselfe within the sight of DAMIATA thereby to encourage the besieged and to fill them with hope of reliefe sending them oftentimes by the riuer newes messages victuals souldiers armour and whatsoeuer else they wanted The chiefe cause of his staying there was to take occasion for the surprising of the Christians if any should be offered either by chance or their owne negligence Euery day some skirmish or other passed betwixt our men and the Barbarians our men still carrying away the victorie yet could these Barbarians neither be drawn foorth vnto battell neither could our men keepe them from victuals for as much as they had the riuer of NILE at commaund whereby victuals were out of the vpper part of AEGYPT in great abundance conueighed into the Sultans campe Whereas on the contrarie part the same riuer diuiding it selfe into many armes in some places here and there ouerflowing in another cut into many ditches and channels and in some other pent vp by wals and causies gaue vnto our men a thousand displeasures And therefore seeing that the Sultan would neither giue nor accept of battell they resolued againe to lay siege to the towre Wherefore hauing with great cunning vpon two ships made fast together framed a towre of most strong timber equall in heigth vnto the watch-tower they brought the same neere vnto the Turks tower and the suburbs adjoyning thereunto after which followed also all the rest of the fleet well appointed for the assault At which time all the rest of the armie at land stood in battell ready ranged as well to discourage them of the towne as that the Sultan should not bee able to helpe them without the hazarding of battell There began a fierce and cruell assault they of the suburbs right valiantly defending themselues against their enemies Within these suburbs the tower and the trenches dwelt not only Aegyptians the naturall inhabitants of the countrey but also Arabians Persians Syrians Indians Moores and Aethyopians who were there resiant for that that citie was a publike mart whereunto all kind of marchandize were brought from farre out of the remotest parts of the world and so from thence in like manner transported also which encouraged them the more to fight for the defence of their liues and goods the two things which men hold most deare and in like sort animated our men vnto the assault as well in the quarrell of the Christian religion as to inrich themselues with the spoile of those rich nations The Christians with their ships drew as neere as possibly they could vnto the land to the intent that vpon the banke of the riuer they might come to fight hand to hand and man to man and so come close vnto their enemies But the Barbarians on the other side sought by shot and all other meanes
strengthening of their kingdome bought an infinit number of slaues especially of the poore and hardie Circassians called in antient time Getae and Zinchi neere vnto COLCHIS and the EUXINE sea brought vnto ALEXANDRIA and other ports of AEGYPT out of those bare cold countries by marchants and from thence transported to CAIRE and other cities of AEGYPT of which poore slaues the late Aegyptian Sultans taking their choice and culling out from the rest such as were like to be of greatest spirit and abilitie of bodie deliuered them vnto most skilfull and expert teachers by whom they were carefully taught to run to leape to vaut to shoot to ride with all other feats of actiuitie and withall cunningly to handle all manner of weapons as well on horsebacke as on foot and so instructed and become cunning were taken out of their schooles into pay and enrolled together as the Sultans choice horsmen were commonly called by the name of Mamalukes In whose good seruice the late Sultans finding great vse spared for no cost both for their maintenance and encreasing of their number dayly erecting new nurseries stored with yoong frie which growing vp and readie was still joyned to the other It is woonderfull to tell vnto what a strength and glorie this order of the Mamalukes was in short time grown by the care of the Aegyptian kings By them they mannaged their greatest affaires especially in time of wars and by their valour not onely defended their countrey but gained many a faire victorie against their enemies as they did now against the French But as too much power in such mens hands seldome or neuer wanteth danger so fell it out now betwixt the late Sultan Melech-sala and those masterfull Mamaluke slaues who proud of their preferment and forgetfull of their dutie and seeing the greatest strength of the kingdome in their hands traiterously slew Melech-sala their chiefe founder setting vp in his place as aforesaid one Turquiminus a base slaue one of their owne order and seruile vocation but indeed otherwise a man of a great spirit and valour This Melech-sala murthered by the Mamalukes was the last of the free borne kings of AEGYPT in whom the Turks kingdome in AEGYPT erected by Sarracon and the great Sultan Saladin as is before said and in his stocke and family euer since continued tooke end as did also all the power of the Turks in that great and rich kingdome For the proud Mamalukes hauing now got the soueraigntie into their hands and exalted a Sultan out of themselues imperiously commanded as great lords ouer the rest of the people not suffring them to haue the vse either of horse or armour or to beare any sway in the common weale but keeping them vnder with most heauie impositions and still preferring their owne slaues wherewith the countrey of AEGYRT now swarmed made the naturall countrey people of all others most miserable not daring to meddle with any thing more than merchandize their husbandrie or other their base mechanicall occupations whereof the greatest profit still came vnto the Mamalukes who as lords of all with great insolencie at their pleasure tooke it from them as their owne As for the great Sultan they still chose him from among themselues not suffering any the Sultans children to succeed their fathers in the kingdome for feare least they in processe of time proud of their ancestors and parentage should recken of them as of his slaues as indeed they were and so at length bring in another more free kind of gouernment Against which they prouided also not onely by this restraint of their Sultans children but of their owne also taking order and exstablishing it as an immutable law That though the sonnes of the Mamalukes might enjoy their fathers lands wealth after their death yet that it should not be lawfull for them in any case to take vpon them the name or honour of a Mamaluke so embarring them from all gouernment in the common wealth to the intent it might still rest with the Mamalukes Neither was it lawfull for any borne of Mahometan parents which could not be slaues or of the race of the Iewes to be admitted into that Order but onely such as being borne Christians and become slaues had from the time of their captiuitie beene enstructed in the Mahometan superstition or else being men grown and comming thither had abjured the Christian religion as many reprobates did in hope of preferment Right strange it is to consider vnto what honour and glorie this slauish empire in short time grew many of those poore slaues by rare fortune or secret diuine power exalted out of the dust vnto the highest dedegree of honour proouing most excellent and renowmed princes of such strength and power as was dreadfull euen vnto the greatest princes of the world In which great glorie this seruile empire to the worlds woonder flourished from this time amongst the greatest by the space of 267 yeates vntill that hauing run the appointed race it was with a great destruction by Selymus the victorious emperour of the Turks ouerthrown in the yeare 1517 and the kingdome of AEGYPT with all SYRIA and the land of PALESTINE brought into the forme of Prouinces vnited vnto the Turks empire as they are at this day and as in the course of this historie shall in due time and place God willing at large appeare But leauing the kingdome of the Turks thus ouerthrown in AEGYPT and the Mamalukes there triumphing the French king returned into FRANCE and the Christians in peace in SIRIA let vs againe returne into the lesser ASIA and vnto the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE whether the affaires both of the Turkes and of the Christians now call vs. All this while the Greeke empire for so the Greeks will haue it called flourished both in peace and plentie in the lesser ASIA vnder their emperour Iohn Batazes the power of the Latines in the meane time declining as fast at CONSTANTINOPLE vnder the rule of the Latin emperour Baldwin the second As for the Turks whom we left grieuously troubled both with famine and the often incursions of the Tartars they had all this while and yet also enough and more than enough to do to withstand the same enemie At length it fortuned that Iohn Ducas the Greeke emperor died being at the time of his death about threescore yeares old wherof he had happily raigned three thirtie by whose good discreet gouernment the Greeke empire before broght low and almost to naught by the Latines began againe to gather strength and to flourish both in ASIA and some little part of EUROPE also Of him are reported many notable matters which as impertinent to our purpose I could willingly passe ouer were I not by the woorthie remembrance of one of them staied a while by the way This noble and famous emperour hauing long lamented the death of the faire empresse Irene his first wife at last married another yoong ladie the sister of Manfred king of SCICILIE
that by them he reaped great profit wherefore he assigned vnto them the citie of GALATA now called PERA on the other side of the hauen for them to inhabit graunting them great priuiledges and euerie of those companies to be gouerned by a Consull or Potestate of their owne As for the imperiall citie it selfe he stored it so neere as he could with naturall Greeks borne Now although all things went as Paleologus the emperour could himselfe haue wished yet could he not rest so contented for feare least those which now did eat their owne hearts and with great griefe smouldred their anger should at length as the rightfull heires of the empire by him vsurped breake out into open force and so breed him great troubles yea and perhaps worke his confusion For such is the tormenting state of vsurping tyrants neuer to thinke themselues safe so long as any one liueth whom they may suspect Wherefore at once to rid himselfe of this feare he thought it best so to dispose of the children of the late emperour Theodorus Lascaris as that he should not need of them to stand in doubt to take them out of the way besides that it was a thing odious he saw it like to be vnto him also dangerous Marie and Theodora two of the eldest daughters being before by their father married vnto two great princes one the Despot of EPIRVS the other prince of BVLGARIA with whom he had much before to do and of them yet stood in some doubt but these were safe enough out of his reach Other two yoonger sisters there were in his custodie Theodora Irene with their brother Iohn the onely heire of the empire Theodora he married vnto one Belicurt a gentleman of PELOPONESVS and Irene to one Vigintimilio of GENVA both Latines men of no great birth or power such as he needed not to stand in doubt of These two ladies the daughters of so great an emperour as was Theodorus thus basely bestowed remained onely their brother Iohn the onely heire of the empire then but ten yeares old whom Paleologus long before euen in the beginning of his raigne had sent vnto MAGNESIA there to bee safely kept farre off from the court for feare least in his right and quarrell some discontented persons desirous of innouation should begin some new stirs dangerous to his estate Which indignitie done vnto the yoong prince Arsenius the Patriarch put in trust by his father for the bringing of him vp tooke in so euill part that he forsooke the court with all his ecclesiasticall dignities and as a man wearie of the world retired himselfe vnto a little monasterie of Pascasins in the countrey there to spend the rest of his daies From whence for all that hee was after the taking of CONSTANTINOPLE from the Latines almost against his will drawne thither by Paleologus the emperour and made Patriarch thereof there together with so great an honour to find his greater discontent For Paleologus the vsurper altogether vnmindfull of his faith so solemnly before giuen for the safetie of the yoong prince and the restoring vnto him of his empire and now fully resolued to establish vnto him and his posteritie the soueraigntie of so great an empire howsoeuer it was got caused the yoong princes eies to be most cruelly put out the vsuall practise of the tyrants of the East vpon such as they are loath or feare to kill and yet would make them vnfit for gouernment Of which barbarous crueltie his sister Theodora married to Constantinus prince of BVLGARIA hearing ceassed not with teares and praiers and all other womanly persuasions to stir vp her husband in reuenge thereof whereunto also Iathatines the Turkes Sultan gaue no small furtherance who wearie of exile and to bee so into a corner confined as into a prison from whence hee might not start by secret messengers entreated the Bulgarian prince to make war vpon the vsurping emperour promising him a great summe of money if by his helpe hee might recouer his former libertie Wherewith hee the rather mooued with a great power of his owne and aboue twentie thousand Tartars which then lay by the riuer ISTER suddenly brake into the emperours territories and in shorter time than was to haue beene thought ouerrun all the countrey of THRACIA euen vnto the sea side leauing neither man nor beast in all the countrey as he went in good hope also to haue by the way surprized the emperour himselfe euen then returning from his wars against the Despot in THESSALIE who hearing of his speedie comming being got vnto the sea side and hauing no way left to haue escaped by land shipped himselfe into a galley of the Latines which with another her consert bound for CONSTANTINOPLE by good hap put in there for to water and so in two daies arriued in safetie at the imperiall citie Thus disappointed of the emperour all his care was for the deliuerie of the Turks Sultan Wherefore marching in hast to AENVM he so terrified the citizens with his comming that they without farther delay deliuered him into his hands so to redeeme their owne peace In his returne you might haue seene the souldiours especially the Tartars driuing before them infinit numbers both of men and cattell in such sort as that in the open countrey of THRACIA for a space was hardly to be seene either countreyman or beast it was so cleane swept both of inhabitants and likewise of cattell Iathatines the Sultan by the Tartars carried ouer ISTER and so by them set at libertie shortly after died In whose kingdome succeeded not his sonne Melicke as some write but two others as the Turkes themselues report the one called Mesoot the sonne of Kei-Cubades and the other Kei-Cubades the sonne of Feramcine borne also of the Selzuccian family as were all the other Turkes Sultans but how neere of blood vnto the late Sultan Iathatines they say not Betwixt which two as his vassales Gazan the great Tartar Chan by whom they were so preferred for the payment of a yearely tribute diuided the Turkes kingdome aportioning vnto Mesoot the cities of AMIDA in antient time called AMISVS and AMINSVS in GALATIA MELATIA otherwise called MELETINE in the lesser ARMENIA SIVASTE in antient time SEBASTIA and HARBERIE before SATABREA both in CAPPADOCIA with all the countrey about them And vnto Kei-Cubades ICONIUM the auncient seat of the Turkish Sultans with all RUMILIA ASIATICA or the countries of the lesser ASIA alongst the sea coast which these two princes held as the Tartars tributaries as had the late Sultan Iathatines before them vntill such time as he was by the same Tartars againe expulsed So that the Turks kingdome which had of long time flourished in the Selzuccian familie in PERSIA in SYRIA PALESTINE and AEGYPT there quite ouerthrowne by the Mamalukes and Tartars as is before declared now brought vnderfoot in the lesser ASIA also where only rested all the hope of that nation was now at a low
commonly at this day knowne and by our late Geographers described Of this Caraman also dissended the Caramanian kings who of long time after vnfortunatly stroue with the Othoman Sultans for the soueraigntie of their empiers vntill that at length they with their kingdome and all the rest of these Turkish Satrapies were in the fatall greatnesse of the Othoman empire swallowed vp and deuoured as in the processe of this historie shall if God so will in due time and place be declared Next neighbour vnto him was Saruchan of the Greekes called Sarchan of whom the countrey of IONIA-MARITIMA was and yet is called SARU-CHAN-ILI and SARUCHANIA that is to say Saruchans countrey The greatest part of LYDIA with some part of the greater MISIA TROAS and PHRIGIA fell to Calamus and his sonne Carasius of whom it is called CARASIA or CARASI-ILI or as we might say Carasius his countrey The greatest part of the antient MISIA with some part of LYDIA was possessed by Aidin and was of him called AIDINIA or AIDIN-ILI as his countrey Some part of the great countrey of PONTUS with the cities of HERACLEA-PONTICA CASTAMONA SYNOPE and others neere vnto the EUXINE and the countrey of PAPHLAGONIA fell into the hands of the sonnes of Omer or as the Greekes call him Amur of whom that countrey tooke not name as did the others of such princes as possessed them but is commonly called BOLLI of a citie in that countrey by the Turkes so named As was also MENDESIA or as some call it MENTESIA a countrey in the lesser ASIA so by the Turks called of MENDOS or MYNDUS a citie in CARIA There were beside these diuers other places and Toparchies in the lesser ASIA which in the renting of this great kingdome from the Turks receiued names before vnto the world vnknowne all which to prosecute were tedious Sufficeth it vs for the manifesting of the Turkes Anarchie and the ruine of their kingdome in the lesser ASIA as in part also for the more euidence of the heauie historie following to haue remembred these as the chiefest especially such as tooke their names of such great princes or captaines as in that so great a confusion of the Turks kingdome by strong hand first ceazed vpon them and so left them to their posteritie of whom much is to be said hereafter These princes one and all that thus shared the late Aladinian kingdome were dissended of the better sort of the Turkes which with the Selzuccian and Aladinian Sultans driuen out of PERSIA by the Tartars had vnder them seated themselues in the lesser ASIA as is before at large declared Now amongst these great men that thus diuided the Turks kingdom most of them that write of the Turks affaires both Greeks and Latins reckon vp Othoman the raiser of his house and familie for one who indeed in the latter time of the late Sultan Aladin began to flourish and was of him for his valour extraordinarily fauoured as in his historie shall appeare but of his kingdome held no more than one poore lordship called SUGUTA in BYTHINIA not far from the mountaine OLIMPUS long before giuen vnto his father Erthogrull for his good seruice with such other small holds therabout as he had himselfe gained from the weake Christians his neighbours For although he were a Turke borne yet was he not of the Selzuccian family as were the rest but of another house and tribe and therefore not of them fauoured or thought to haue so good right vnto any of the late Sultans prouinces or territories as had they who being of his house and holpen with the prescription of time enuied at the sudden rising of this Oguzian Turke being vnto them as it were a meere stranger whose fortune for all that I know not by what secret foreknowledge they seemed to feare as in time to grow dangerous vnto them and their posteritie wherein they were no whit deceiued But of him and his proceedings much more is to be said hereafter leaue we him now therefore with the rest vnto their fortunes in this the Turks Anarchie and so conclude this part of our Generall Historie Glad when I looke backe to haue waded thus far yet fearing to be drowned before I get ouer such a sea of matter and world of troubles yet remaining not without much labour and toile and that in long time to be passed through FINIS THE LIVES OF THE OTHOMAN KINGS AND EMPERORS FAITHFVLLY GATHERED OVT of the best Histories both antient and moderne and digested into one continual Historie By RICHARD KNOLLES Eccles. 10.4 The gouernment of the earth is in the hand of the Lord and all iniquitie of the nations is to bee abhorred and when time is he wil set vp a profitable ruler ouer it LONDON Printed by Adam Islip 1603. Multiplici lassatae Asiae res clade premuntur Hinc Sarracenus Tartarus inde ruit Mutua Christicolae gladios in vulnera stringunt Graecia funesta seditione perit Impiger interea noua concipit Ottomannus Concilia valida surgit in arma manu Et vastatricis regno fundamina turbae Ponit in multo sanguine sceptra lauat With endlesse wars the Asian state farre spent and ouerworne By Sarasins and Tartars force is all in peeces torne The Christians draw their bloodie swords wherewith themselues to wound And GREECE with ciuile discord seekes it selfe for to confound Meane while the warlike Othoman new counsels doth deuise And with a crue of martiall men doth vp in armes arise And laies the fatall plot whereon the wastfull Turks should raigne And bathes his scepter in much blood of people by him slaine THE RISING OF THE GREAT AND MIGHTIE EMPIRE OF THE TVRKES VNDER OTHOMAN FIRST FOVNDER THEREOF VVITH HIS LIFE AND DOINGS WHAT small assurance there is in mens affaires and how subject vnto change euen those things are wherein we for the most part repose our greatest felicitie and blisse beside that the whole course of mans fraile life by many notable examples well declareth nothing doth more plainely manifest the same than the heauie euents and wofull destructions of the greatest kingdomes and empires which founded vpon great fortunes encreased with perpetuall successe exalted by exceeding power established with most puissant armies wholesome lawes and deepe counsels haue yet growne old and in time come to naught So that euen as men all things else belonging vnto man are subject vnto the ineuitable course of destinie or more truely to say vnto the fatall doome of the most highest prefining vnto euerie thing that in time begun a time also wherein to take end being himselfe without time the great commander thereof and of all things else done therein The fame of the first Assyrian Monarchie is verie antient and was no doubt both great and long yet hath it neuerthelesse found an end and the more to put vs in remembrance of our infirmitie was neuer with so much glorie and valour by Ninus erected as it
others whereof some he vtterly rased and into the â—est put strong garrisons At this time also Chasi-ilbeg and Eurenoses two of his most valiant captaines tooke certaine forts standing vpon the riuer MERITZA in auncient time called HEâ—â—US Whereby they much troubled the inhabitants of the countrey thereabouts Wherwith the captaine of DIDYMOTICHUM offended gathered his souldiors together intending to haue intercepted the great captaine Chasi-ilbeg in which attempt he lost most of his followers and was himselfe there taken prisoner For whose ransome and certain other conditions the citizens of DIDYMOTICHUM yeelded the citie vnto the Turks Shortly after Amurath sent his tutor Lala Schahin to besiege HADRIANOPLE now called ANDRINOPLE but in antient time ORESTIAS of whose comming the Christians hearing encountred him vpon the way and fought with him a great battaile wherin many were on both sides lost but in the end the Christians being put to the worst retired againe to the citie Of this victorie Schahin sent newes vnto Amurath with certaine of the heads of the slaine Christians who thereupon sending Chasis and Eurenosis before he himselfe with a great armie followed after to the siege of HADRIANOPLE of whose comming the gouernour of HADRIANOPLE vnderstanding fled secretly out of the cittie by night to AENUS The citizens seeing themselues so â—orsaken of their gouernour yeelded their citie vnto Amurath in the yeare of our Lord 1362. The taking of these strong cities in THRACIA especially of DIDYMOTICHUM and HADRIâ—NOPLE is by some of the Turks owne Histories otherwise reported which because it is neither improbable nor disagreeing from the subtile dealings of the Turkes and of themselues also receiued I haue thought good to set downe as their owne Historiographers report the same The Turkish king Amurath had as they say and as truth was in the beginning of his raigne concluded a peace with the Christians of THRACIA during which peace the Gouernour of DIDYMOTICHUM intending to fortifie his citie with new and stronger fortifications against the assaults of the Turkes entertayned all the masons carpenters and other workemen hee could by any meanes get which Amurath vnderstanding secretly caused two hundreth good and lustie workemen and labourers to come out of ASIA to offer their seruice vnto the gouernour who gladly entertained them vsing their helpe in that his great and hastie worke Which thing some of the wiser sort of the citizens disliking wished the Gouernour to beware of those Asian workemen as by them suspected But he presuming vppon the peace made with Amurath and considering they were but base workemen and no souldiers had the lesse care of them neuerthelesse vsing their work all day he commanded them to lodge without the wals of the citie euery night Amurath vnderstanding that these workemen were thus by the Gouernour entertained sent for the valiant captaine Chasis-Ilbeg and requested him with thirtie other good souldiours disguised as poore laborers to go to DIDYMOTICHUM to seeke for worke and in doing thereof to espie if any oportunitie might be found for the surprising of the citie Chasis with these thirtie according to Amurath his direction comming as poore men lacking worke found entertainement at DIDYMOTICHVM where they caried stones morter and such like things euer shewing themselues verie diligent in their worke Chasis with vigilant eye still awayting what might best serue his turne for the surprising of the citie When night was come the Turkish workemen and labourers after their accustomed manner and as they were by the gouernour appointed went out of the citie into the suburbs to their lodgings from whence Chasis secretly departing in the night came to Amurath and shewed him how one of the gates of the citie might vpon the sudden be taken if it would please him to place a sufficient number of Turks in ambush neere vnto the citie to joyne with him and the other Turkish labourers when occasion should serue Which being resolued vpon Amurath sent him backe againe to put this his deuise in execution so Chasis returning to DIDYMOTICHVM brake the matter to so many of the Asian workemen as hee thought conuenient fully instructing them what was to be done The next day according to his appointment the Christians being then at dinner these Turkish workmen and labourers fell at wordes among themselues and from wordes to fayned blowes in which counterfait brawle tumult they suddenly ran to one of the gates of the citie fast by as was before appointed and there laying hands vppon the warders weapons as if it had beene to defend themselues against their fellowes suddenly set vpon those warders being in number but few and then at dinner also and so presently slew them which done they opened the gate of the citie and let in the other Turkes which lay in wait not farre off who with great celeritie entring the citie presently took the same and there put the cheefest of the citizens to the sword sparing the rest of the meaner sort The citie of RHODESTUM of the old writers called RHoeDESTUM was by Amurath his commaundement in this time of peace by sudden assault giuen in the night by the lord Eurenoses taken also With this foule dealing and breach of league yet in force the Christians hardly charged Amurath who turned it ouer to the vnrulinesse of his captaines and men of warre whom he threatned with great seueritie to punish and to giue the better colour that it was done without his priuitie he had fained himselfe sicke all the while these things were in doing But being requested to restore these cities so wrongfully taken froÌ„ the Christians he vtterly refused so to do saying That it was against the law of his great prophet Mahomet to deliuer againe vnto the Christians any towne or citie wherin the Mahometan religion had ben once openly taught Wherevpon waâ—s began againe to arise on fresh betwixt the Christians and him wherein somtime the one preuayled and sometime the other in such sort as that those warres at length became vnto them both verie tedious Wherefore Amurath made peace againe with the Christians of HADRIANOPLE SELYBRIA and CONSTANTINOPLE yet desiring nothing more in heart than to take the citie of HADRIANOPLE which the better to bring to passe he caused Chasis-Ilbeg as a discontented captaine to flye to HADRIANOPLE pretending himselfe to haue been hardly vsed by the tyrant his master where hauing in his companie other such dissembling fugitiues as was himselfe he oftentimes issued out of the citie and valiantly skirmished with the Turks which so â—reatly pleased the gouernour of HADRIANOPLE that he thereby grew into his great fauour Many other Turkes also vnder pretence of like discontentment resorted vnto Chasis wherewith finding himselfe well strengthened he writ letters secretly vnto Amurath That he would deliuer one of the gates of HADRIANOPLE vnto him at a certaine appointed time if he would â—gainst the same time be readie to send him present succors All things being agreed vpon Chasis at the appointed
leisure hee forgot not afterwards to reuenge to the full At the same time Eurenoses lord gouernour of the marches of his kingdome in EUROPE towards GRECIA departing from SERES where he then lay tooke the citie of SITROS in THESSALIA And Ferises Beg not content to haue taken VIDINA as is aforesaid passed ouer the great riuer of DANVBIUS and greeuously spoiled VALACHIA from whence he returned loaden with a great prey This was the first time that I read of that the Turks euer passed ouer the riuer DANVBIUS At this time also Iegides Bassa entred the kingdome of BOSNA from whence he carried a great number of captiues to HADRIANOPLE where Baiazet spent that Winter In the beginning of the next Spring Baiazet passed ouer HELLESPONTVS to PRUSA where he built a faire Mahometane temple with a colledge and an almes-house which works finished he returned againe into EUROPE and built a monasterie at HADRIANOPLE and so returned again into ASIA leauing Temurtases Begler-Beg or his vice-roy in HADRIANOPLE After he was come into ASIA he laied siege to the strong citie of PHILADELPHIA in LYDIA which was at that time the onely cittie in the lesser ASIA yet holden by the Christians in the middest of the Mahometane princes for now was the Greeke emperour by the Othoman kings and the other Turkes quite driuen out of the lesser ASIA In the beginning of this siege Baiazet gaue straight commaundement to his souldiors That they should not spoile or hurt any thing in the countrey belonging to the citizens hoping by such faigned courtesie to make them the more willing to yeeld themselues vnto his obedience But disappointed of his expectation and finding them resolued to hold it out vnto the last he forthwith gaue out contrarie commaundement not to spare any thing they could wast or destroy which was accordingly by his greedie souldiours performed After long siege the citizens seeing the countrey about them vtterly wasted themselues vnable longer to indure and out of all hope of releefe yeelded their citie vnto the pleasure of Baiazet It is written by some that this famous citie was not besieged without the consent of the emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE and that the Greekes themselues mooued with enuie to see that citie so long hold out did helpe the Turks in the winning thereof In time of this siege Aiden Ogli prince of CARIA a Mahometane came to Baiazet and yeelded himselfe into his power as his vassale vnto whom Baiazet restored certain places which he had in this expedition a little before taken from him yet vpon such condition as that hee should not from that time coine any money in his owne name either be remembred in publicke prayers as a prince in their Mahometane temples as he had before been but that all such things should be done in the name of Baiazet as his dread lord and soueraigne With which disgrace the poore prince was glad to content himselfe and to liue as his vassale From PHILADELPHIA he led his armie into the countrey of SARUCHANIA in antient time called IONIA MARITIMA which he subdued vnto himselfe vpon like conditions After that he passed farther to MENTESIA or MENTZ sometime called MYNDOS in CARIA the prince whereof for feare fled to Cutrum Baiazet prince of CASTAMONA and part of PONTVS leauing his countrey to the pleasure of the tyrant And for as much as the young king of CARAMANIA had inuaded his countries whilest he was busied in EUROPE Baiazet in reuenge thereof entred with his armie into CARAMANIA and tooke CESARIA with diuers other places there so that the yong king discouraged with the losse of his towns and fearing Baiazet his greatnesse was glad to hold himselfe content with his losse and to make peace with him as it pleased him to graunt it As Baiazet was making this expedition into CARAMANIA another yong Mahometane prince the sonne of prince Germian came vnto him with one of his cheefe counsellors and were both by him sent prisoners ouer the strait to the castle of IPSALA where they lay in durance many yeares after Thus Baiazet hauing oppressed and wronged most of the Mahometane princes the successours of Sultan Aladin in the lesser ASIA at last returned againe himselfe in triumph to PRUSA The prince of MENTESIA who for feare of Baiazet was fled out of his countrey as is aforesaid had now incited Cutrun Baiazet prince of CASTAMONA with a great power to inuade that side of Baiazet his kingdome which bordered vpon him Which Baiazet vnderstanding gathered a great armie to goe against this Mahometane prince At which very time the Vayuod of VALACHIA hearing of Baiazet his troubles in ASIA with a strong armie passed ouer DANVEIUS into those parts of SERVIA and BULGARIA that were by the Turks as then possessed where he spoiled the countrey and slew great numbers of the Turkes making Mahometane saints and martyrs by heapes for so the Turks account all them whom the Christians kill in their warre which done hee retired backe againe into VALACHIA carrying with him also many of the Turks prisoners Baiazet thus at once inuaded both in ASIA and EUROPE deferred his warres purposed against the prince of PONTUS vntill a more conuenient time conuerting his forces against the Valachians Wherfore passing ouer the strait to HADRIANOPLE he sent his armie from thence to NICOPOLIS and there passing the riuer of Danubius entered into VALACHIA burning and spoiling the countrey before him as he went Where the Vayuod to represse his furie met him in the field and gaue him battaile but was therein ouerthrowne and many of his people slaine so that at last he was glad to sue for peace which he obtained by submitting himselfe to Baiazet and yeelding to pay him a yearely tribute Whilst Baiazet was thus busied in VALACHIA newes was brought vnto him that the Christians of the West with a fleet of gallies did great harm alongst the coasts of his dominions in ASIA In reuenge whereof he entred with his armie into THESALIE destroying all the countrey vnto THESSALONICA in which expedition he took the citie of NEAPOLIS in GREECE and IOANNINA in Aetolia and after that returned into ASIA where he spent that Winter In the beginning of the next Spring hee with a great power passed the strait of CALLIPOLIS to HADRIANOPLE intending to haue inuaded HUNGARIE But as he was vpon the waie it chanced that a Constantinopolitan spie was by the Turkes intercepted with letters from the Greeke emperour to the king of HUNGARIE giuing him warning both of the Turks preparation and comming By which spie Baiazet also vnderstood of another messenger before sent into HUNGARIE for like purpose Whereupon Temurtases then his great lieutenant in EUROPE persuaded him to desist from his intended warres in HUNGARIE and to besiege the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE as a thing of more honour and lesse danger the cittie being alreadie as he said and as in truth it was surrounded with the Turkish prouinces bringing in PHILADELPHIA but a
faith vnto these also were joyned diuers other Christians which came out of GERMANIE BOHEMIA and HVNGARIE to serue the Turke in his warres This hath been none of the least meanes whereby the Turkish kings haue growne so great and their kingdome so mightily enlarged by enforcing and alluring Christians to fight against Christians to the vtter confusion of themselues Amongst the great multitude of the European Christians were mingled his effeminat soldiors of ASIA and his naturall Turks and Ianizaries which were in number fewest and yet commaunded all the rest With this great armie well appointed with all warlike prouision came Mahomet the Turkish king from HADRIANOPLE and the ninth day of Aprill in the yeare 1453 encamped before CONSTANTINOPLE and with the multitude of his armie filled all the maine land before the citie from the sea side of BOSPHORVS vnto the place where the same sea compassing in the citie on two parts and running farre into the land betwixt CONSTANTINOPLE and PERA maketh there a goodly hauen betwixt them This citie of CONSTANTINOPLE called in ancient time BIZANTIVM is in fourme of a Triangle situated in EVROPE in the pleasant countrey of THRACIA vpon a point of the main land shooting out towards ASIA called of Plinie Solinus The promotorie CHRYSOCERAS where the sea of PRODONTIS joyneth vnto that strait of sea which diuideth ASIA from EVROPE called in ancient time BOSPHORVS THRACIVS sometime the strait of PONTVS and the mouth of PONTVS and of the moderne writers the strait of CONSTANTINOPLE and about 200 yeares past or more S. George his aâ—me This point of the maine whereon the citie standeth lyeth about two Italian miles more Northward than doth the antient citie of CALCEDON on the other side of the strait in ASIA more than thirtie miles distant from the Euxine or blacke sea lying from it Northward and two hundreth miles from the strait of HELLESPONTVS or CALLIPOLIS from thence South Which noble citie of all others most fitly seaâ—ed for the empire of the world and with great majestie ouerlooking both EVROPE and ASIA is by the Cosmographers accounted to stand in the height of 43 degrees vpon seuen little hils of no great and easie ascent and was there first built by Pausanias the Lacedemonian king and called BIZANTIVM and so many yeares flourished as a populous and rich cittie vntill the ciuile warres betwixt Seuerus the emperour and Niger what time it endured the siege of the Romanes vnder Seuerus three yeares with such obstinacie that it yeelded not vntill it was brought to such extremitie that the citizens did eat one another and then yeelding had the wals ouerthrowne by Seuerus and the citie it selfe destroyed and brought to the low estate of a poore countrie village and so by him giuen to the Perinthyans In which base estate it continued vntill the time of Constantine the Great the sonne of Helena whom some will needs haue to haue ben an English woman by whom it was new built and beautified with buildings so stately and sumptuous that vnto the strange beholders it seemed a dwelling place for heauenly wights rather than for earthly men And to grace it the more translated his imperiall seat thether and called it NOVA ROMA or new ROME and all that pleasant part of THRACIA alongst the sea coast of HELLESPONTVS PROPONTIS and BOSPHORVS by the name of ROMANIA of the faire Romane collonies there by him planted which name it at this day retaineth and is of the Turks called RVMILIA and RVMILI that is to say the Romane countrey But as for the citie it selfe the glorious name of the founder so preuailed that the citie was and yet is of him called CONSTANTINOPLE or Constantine his citie and now of the barbarous Turkes commonly but corruptly STAMBOLâ— It is as we said built in the forme of a Triangle whereof the longest side which runneth from Northeast to Southwest is on the South side washed with the PROPONTIS and towards the ending of the point which is about the seauen towers is somewhat indented being commonly reputed to be eight miles long The other side lyeth East and West fiue miles in length being washed with the hauen which is somwhat more thaÌ„ eight miles long before it meet with the fresh water and about a quarter of a mile broad on the farther side whereof standeth the citie of PERA commonly called GALATA sometimes a colonie of the Genowaies This hauen is very deepe and by that reason as commodious as deepe bearing ships full fraught close to the shoare so that they may discharge their burthens with the least trouble that may be and is of Strabo called CORNV BIZANTII or the horne of Bizantium The third side of this citie towards the Continent lyeth almost North and South fiue miles also in length those two sides that lie vpon the sea and the hauen are enuironed and guirt in with a single wall built after the antique maner with many high towers which strongly defend flanke the same Without which wals especially towards the hauen there lyeth a street between them and the shore But the other side which is the third and regardeth the main land beside the ditch which is also fenced is defended with three wals the first wall standing vpon the ditch being but low and the second not farre distant from the first raised somewhat higher but the third ouerlooketh and commaundeth both the other from whence as from an high fortresse both the other wals and all the ditch without may easily be defended But the two vtter wals with the whole space betwixt them are now by the Turks but slenderly maintained lying full of earth and other rubbish euen as they were in the time of the Grecians some cause why they with lesse heart and courage defended the same against their barbarous enemies In the East part of the cittie on that point which in the raigne of the Grecians was called the cape of S. Demetrio distant from ASIA not much more than halfe a mile standeth the Seraglio or pallace of the great Turke containing in it selfe a great part of an hill enclosed round with a wall as if it were it selfe a citie in circuit more than two miles wherein amongst other stately buildings neere vnto the sea standeth a verie faire and sumptuous gallerie built for pleasure with a priuie gate well fortified and planted with great ordinance and other munition whereby the great Turke at certaine times passeth when he is disposed in his gallie to take his pleasure vpon the sea or to passe ouer the strait vnto his houses or gardens of delight on the other side in ASIA In this great citie are also many other most stately and sumptuous buildings as well of late erected by the Turkish Sultans since they became lords thereof as before by the Greeke emperours amongst all which the Temple of S. Sophia standing in the East side of the citie not farre from the Seraglio now reduced vnto
tyrant Mahomet thus miserably subuerted brought to nought in the yeare of our Lord 1461. The yeare following which was the yeare 1462 Mahomet hauing intelligence that Wladus Dracula prince of VALACHIA his tributarie was resolued to cast from him his obedience and to joyne himselfe vnto the Hungarians his mortall enemies thought it best to proue if he could by policie circumuent him before he were altogether fallen from him For which purpose hee sent Catabolinus his principall secretarie vnto him to bring him to the court promising him greater fauours and promotions from the emperour than he had as yet at any time enjoyed And by the same trustie messenger he commaunded Chamuzes Bassa gouernour of BIDINA and the countrey lying ouer against VALACHIA on the other side of Danubius to doe his vttermost deuoire for the entrapping of Wladus promising him great rewards if he could bring the matter to effect Wherupon Chamuzes deuised with the secretarie that when he had done his messake to the prince and with all his cunning persuaded him to take that journey vpon him hee should secretly beforehand giue notice vnto him of the certaine day of his returne backe againe from the prince at which time it was like that Wladus would in courtesie of himselfe bring the secretarie well on his way being a man of so great account in the Court or at leastwise not refuse so to doe being thereto requested by the secretarie at which time the Bassa secretly passing ouer Danubius with certaine troupes of horsemen and lying close in ambush vpon the way should suddenly set vpon the prince and so either take him or els kill him The plot thus laied and euerie circumstance agreed vpon the secretarie held on his way and comming to the prince forced his wit to persuade him to go to the court sometime cunningly extolling the great opinion that Mahomet had of his fidelitie and valour and otherwhiles feeding him with the hope of greater honours and princely preferments he was to receiue at the emperours hands But when hee had said what he could he obtained no more of the warie prince but good words againe and that he would in courtesie conduct him on his way vnto the side of Danubius Wherof the secretarie by speedie messengers gaue Chamuzes intelligence who secretly passing ouer Danubius with certaine troupes of horsemen and riding a good way into the country lay in ambush vpon the way whereby the prince with the secretarie must needs passe According as was before appointed the secretarie accompanied with the prince put himselfe vpon the way and at the very prefixed time came to the place where Chamuzes lay in ambush with his horsemen who suddenly arising and on euerie side assailing the prince slew diuers of his men before they were well aware of his comming But Wladus being a man of great courage and better appointed than the Bassa had supposed for he went alwaies attended vpon with a strong guard of valiant and stout men so receiued Chamuzes and his Turkes that hee slew many of them and at length after a hard conflict tooke him with the rest prisoners whose hands and feet he caused to be cut off and their bodies afterwards to be thrust vpon sharpe stakes set fast in the ground to the terror of all that saw them and did the Bassa so much honour as to hang him and the secretarie vpon a gibbet a great deale higher than the other Turkes And not satisfied with this reuenge presently gathered his forces and passing ouer Danubius into the Turks dominions burnt all the country before him alongst the riuers side killing man woman and child without mercie after which great spoile slaughter made he returned againe into VALACHIA The report of these news being brought to Mahomet set him in such a choller and rage that he commaunded the great Bassa Mahometes which first told him thereof to be cruelly whipt Which seruile punishment in that tyrannicall gouernment hath vsually beene inflicted euen vpon the greatest Bassaes of the court vpon the least displeasure of the tyrants especially if they bee not naturall Turkes borne accounting the rest in their anger but as their base and contemptible slaues as well appeareth by the wofull end of many euen of the greatest of them But when he vnderstood by most sure aduertisements that all was as the Bassa had before reported or rather worse it is not to be in words expressed into what a rage he fell the spoile of his countrey greeued him much but the shamefull death of the secretarie his embassadour and of Chamuzes the Bassa tormented his heart and filled him with indignation and desire of reuenge Wherefore with all speed possible he assembled his souldiours and men of warre out of all parts of his dominions to PHILIPPOPOLIS and had in short time raised such an army as the like he had not at any time imploied since the winning of CONSTANTINOPLE At the same time also he sent his Admirall with 25 gallies and 150 saile of other small vessels by the Euxine to enter the riuer Danubius and there landing his men to joyne his forces with the prince of PODOLIA who for a grudge he bare against Wladus had promised to aid the Turke against him When all things were now in readinesse he marched with his army from PHILIPPOPOLIS and passing ouer Danubius entered into VALACHIA before which time the Admirall had landed his men and with the helpe of the Podolian had burnt the citie of PRAILABA the greatest towne of trade in all VALACHIA and was besieging CEBIVM called in antient time LYCOSTOMOS where after they had lien a while and receiued some losse they left the siege and departed the Podolian backe againe into his countrey and the Admirall to his fleet Mahomet being got ouer Danubius burnt the villages draue away the cattell and made hauocke of all that came in his way As for prisoners he tooke but few for the Valachies before his comming had retired their wiues and children and all that were vnfit for warres either into their strong citties or into the refuge of great and thicke woods whereof there is in that countrey plentie or else into the high and rough mountaines where they were in more safetie than in any their strongest holds and all such as were able to beare armes followed the prince who euer kept the woods and mountaines still following the Turkes army so neere as he possibly could with safetie and many times cut off such as stragled any thing farre abroad from the armie into the countrey yet neuer durst shew himselfe in plaine field being indeed but a handfull in comparison of the Turkes multitude Mahomet to small purpose roaming vp and down the countrey at his pleasure staied neuer long in one place and making no reckoning of such a weake enemy as durst neuer shew himselfe pitched his tents still in the open plaines and so lay with his army in great securitie not entrenched
difficultie of the siege and now readie to goe in person himselfe against the Sultan of AEGIPT sent for the Bassa and that so the siege was raised Howsoeuer it was the Bassa before his departure caused all the vines and trees growing in that part of the island to be cut downe and spoiled and so after he had poured forth his furie vpon the sencelesse creatures which he could not according to his desire exercise vpon the people againe embarked his armie and with shame departed the 17 day of August At the same time that the RHODES was thus besieged Mahomet sent his old and most expert captain Achmetes Bassa with a great fleet and a strong armie to make an entrance into ITALIE for no kingdom was so strong which the ambitious tyrant in the pride of his heart thought not hee might now commaund and hauing long before conquered CONSTANTINOPLE otherwise called New ROME was still dreaming I wot not what of the conquest of old ROME also The mischeeuous Bassa according to his great masters designs embarked his armie at VALLONA otherwise called AVLONA a sea towne in the borders of MACEDONIA and from thence passing directly ouer that narrow sea which is in breadth about sixtie miles landed his men in that rich and fertile part of ITALIE called in antient time APVLIA now PVGLIA neer vnto the old and famous citie of HYDRVNTVM at this day called OTRANTO where as soone as this warlike Bassa had landed his forces he forraged all that rich country alongst the sea coast and tooke such infinit spoile as might well haue satisfied the greedie desire both of himselfe and of his hungrie soldiors all which rich bootie he caused to be conueyed vnto his gallies So when he had at his pleasure raunged vp and downe the countrey by the space of foureteene dayes and saw that none made head against him he laid siege to OTRANTO the cheefe citie of that countrey and as it were the key of that part of ITALIE and hauing with such ordinance as he tooke out of his gallies made a breach easily entred the same and so without any great losse tooke the citie A thing not greatly to be maruelled at for as much as it was but weakly manned and more weakely defended by men altogether liuing in securitie in the middest of their wealth and pleasure The Archbishop with Zurlo the Gouernour and the cheefe men of the citie for safegard of their liues fled into the great cathedrall church as into a sanctuarie where they were altogether most miserably slaine The rest of the citizens whose hard fortune it was to escape the sword as people reserued to more miserie were afterward shipped ouer into GRECIA and there sold for slaues The landing of the Turkes in APVLIA with the taking of OTRANTO brought a generall feare vpon all ITALIE insomuch that Sixtus Quartus then the great Bishop of ROME forgetting all things saue himselfe was about to haue forsaken the citie for feare Now after the Turkes had at their pleasure ransackt OTRANTO Achmetes caused the same to be strongly fortified as the sure footing of the Turkes in ITALIE and victualled for eighteene moneths and there leauing eight thousand of his best souldiors in garrison returned himselfe with the rest to VALLONA and so by land to CONSTANTINOPLE to know his great Masters further pleasure but purposing with himselfe with the first of the next Spring to haue returned with greater forces againe into ITALIE for the prosecuting of his former victorie Which if he had done it was greatly to haue been feared that all that goodly countrey sometime mistresse of the world but then and yet also rent in sunder by the discord and ambition of the Christian princes had in short time become a prey vnto the barbarous Turke for euer But whilest the great Bassa in his life time the great scourge of Christendome thus proudly plotteth the ruine and destruction of faire ITALIE God in whose hands the hearts of kings are put an hooke in the great tyrants nose and led him quite another way For at the same time the Caramanian king aided by the Persian and the Sultan of AEGIPT had in a great battaile ouerthrowne Baiazet Mahomets eldest sonne then liuing and slaine most part of his armie in reuenge whereof Mahomet with great expedition raised a great and puissant armie and taking Achmetes with him as his cheefe man of war rejecting the wars of ITALIE vnto a more conuenient time passed ouer into ASIA where vpon the way about a daies journey short of NICOMEDIA a citie of BYTHINIA at a place called GEIVISEN he fell sicke and there for the space of three dayes greeuously tormented with an extreame paine in his bellie which some supposed to be the collicke died but being indeed as most men thought poysoned when hee had liued about 52 yeares and thereof raigned 31 in the yeare of our Lord 1481. His bodie was afterwards magnificently buried in a chappell neere vnto the great Mahometane temple which he himselfe first built at CONSTANTINOPLE The death of this mightie man who liuing troubled a great part of the world was not much more lamented by those that were neerest vnto him who euer liuing in feare of his crueltie hated him deadly than of his enemies who euer in doubt of his greatnesse were glad to heare of his end He was of stature but low and nothing answerable to the height of his mind square set and strong limmed not inferiour in strength when he was yong vnto any in his fathers court but to Scanderbeg onely his complexion was Tartarlike sallow and melancholie as were most of his ancestours the Othoman kings his looke and countenance sterne with his eyes piercing hollow and little sunke as it were in his head and his nose so high and crooked that it almost touched his vpper lip To be breefe his countenance was altogether such as if nature had with most cunning hand therein depainted and most curiously set forth to view the inward disposition and qualities of his mind which were on both parts notable Hee was of a very sharpe and apprehensiue wit learned as amongst that nation especially in Astronomie and could speak the Greek Latine Arabicke Chaldey and Persian tongues He delighted much in reading of histories and the liues of worthie men especially the liues of Alexander the Great and of Iulius Caesar whom he proposed to himselfe as examples to follow He was of an exceeding courage and thereto very fortunate a seuere punisher of injustice in them especially to whom hee had committed the administration of justice Men that excelled in any qualitie he greatly fauoured and honourably entertained as he did Gentill Bellin a painter of VENICE whom he purposely caused to come from thence to CONSTANTINOPLE to draw the liuely counterfeit of himselfe for which he most bountifully rewarded him He so seuerely punished theft as that in his time all the wayes were safe and a theefe scarcely
enemies of Christendome that euer liued in the Turkish court for by him Mahomet subuerted the empire of TRAPEZONDE tooke the great citie of CAFFA called in auntient time THEODOSIA with all the countrey of TAVRICA CHERSONESVS the impregnable citie of CROIA with all the kingdome of EPIRVS the strong citie of SCODRA and a great part of DALMATIA and last of all OTRANTO to the terrour of all ITALY by him also Baiazet vanquished and put to flight his brother Zemes as is before declared In reward of which good seruices he was by the tyrant vpon a meere suspition thus cruelly shamefully murdred About this time also Caigubus Zemes his son then but a child was by the commaundement of Baiazet his vnckle strangled in the new tower at CONSTANTINOPLE Baiazet now grieuously offended with the pride and late insolencie of the Ianizaries caused secret inquirie to be made of them which were the authors of those late stirs and finding them to be the officers of their companies and especially those which had before slaine Mahomet Bassa the great polititian immediatly after the death of Mahomet the late emperour at which time they had also raised great tumults and done much harme in the citie he vnder colour of preferment sent away those authours of sedition into diuers parts of his empire appointing vnto them as vnto old souldiors and men of good desert certaine lands and reuenues for their maintenance and preferment But as soone as they were departed he by secret letters commaunded the gouernours and magistrates of those places wherunto they were sent suddenly to apprehend them and as traitors to put them to death which was accordingly done The Ianizaries of the court and about CONSTANTINOPLE hearing what had happened vnto their fellowes became wonderfully discontented and began to mutine in diuers places of the citie vttering speeches against the emperour full of despight and reuenge which thing when Baiazet vnderstood and had well considered the late danger he was in togither with the intollerable pride and insolencie of those his maisterfull slaues he secretly purposed in himselfe for curing of so dangerous a disease to vse a most desperat remedie which was suddenly to kill and destroie all the Ianizaries especially those which were belonging to the court or about CONSTANTINOPLE This his purpose he imparted to diuers of his greatest Bassaes charging them vpon paine of his heauie displeasure not to disclose it and for the execution therof had sent for great numbers of those soldiors which are called Acanzij who are amongst the Turks reputed for the best sort of common soldiors Most of all the Bassaes to whom he had imparted this his cruell deuise much disliked thereof as too full of perill and danger yet seeing him fully resolued for the performance thereof would not or durst not say anie thing to the contrarie Onely Alis and Ishender Bassa both discended of the honourable family of Michal Ogli dissuaded him from attempting any such thing alleadging first that the Ianizaries were in number manie souldiours of great courage and experience resolute men and such as would sell their liues deare then admitting that he should kill all them about the court and in CONSTANTINOPLE yet forasmuch as all his strong towns and castles especially in the frontiers and chiefe places of his dominions were possessed and holden by strong garrisons of other Ianizaries fellowes and friends of these who would vndoubtedly take vp armes in defence of themselues and reuenge of their dead friends it were a thing verie like to endanger himselfe togither with the whole state of his empire beside the great dishonour which would grow vnto himselfe thereby for euer This so dangerous an exploit wherein the hands of so manie were to be vsed was not kept so secret but that the vigilant and wily Ianizaries had got an inckling thereof and thereupon began daily more and more to suspect the matter both by the often and secret repaire of the great men to the court more than they had before seene and also by the vnwonted multitude of those Acanzij which were daily brought vnto the imperiall citie by great companies Wherefore fearing to bee suddenly surprised they banded themselues togither and openly stood vpon their guard and by chance lighting vpon Alis-beg as he came from the court who was in deed their best friend after their barbarous manner with manie opprobrious and contumelious words demaunded of him if he were not one of them who had conspired their destruction and without more adoe had presently slaine him had he not as a well spoken man with great protestations and oathes persuaded them that he neuer consented to anie such thing or that they needed to feare any such thing from him and so with much adoe rid himselfe out of their hands Baiazet seeing his purpose discouered that he could not without great bloudshed and danger both to his state and person worke his will vpon the Ianizaries by the counsell and aduise of them that saw farther into the matter to colour his former intention commanded by open proclamation That the Ianizaries and other his men of warre of whom hee had a great power now assembled at CONSTANTINOPLE to be in readinesse against a certaine prefixed day to go with him into MOLDAVIA as if he had raised that power for that purpose onely But when the time was come that he should set forward the Ianizaries put themselues in order of battell by themselues and would in no wise joyne themselues with the rest of the armie or receiue the emperour into the middest of their rankes as they had alwaies before accustomed but furiously shaking their weapons at him told him plainly that hee had sought their destruction and bid him therefore if he thought it so good to set his executioners to worke vpon them whom hee should find both readie and able to defend themselues To pacifie their furie Baiazet was glad to giue them good words and to vse all the meanes he could by his great Bassaes and other captaines which were able to doe anie thing with them to persuade them to be quiet swearing vnto them by the holy soule of his father a solemne oath amongst the Turkes that he would not harme or wrong the meanest of them So with much adoe they were at length appeased and receiued Baiazet into the middest of them as their wonted manner was This dangerous tumult so quieted Baiazet set forward and passing oueâ— Danubius entered into MOLDAVIA where he first laied siege to a strong towne standing vpon the Euxine sea called of the Turkes KELE but in antient time ACHILLEIA which was at length deliuered vnto him by composition From thence hee went to AC-GIRMEN otherwise called ASPROCASTRON which after a moneths siege was also deliuered vp by composition which two strong places so woon he returned againe to CONSTANTINOPLE Many great princes desirous of Zemes laboured by their embassadours to haue obtained him of the Great
Master of the RHODES first Baiazet his brother fearing least hee should at one time or other againe breake forth vpon him or els set vp by the Christian princes trouble his estate offered great summes of mony to haue had him deliuered into his hands and Charles the French king purposing the conquest of NAPLES which he in few yeares after performed and after that to haue inuaded GRaeCIA thought Zemes a most fit instrument for the furtherance of those his high designes and was therefore wonderfull desirous to haue had him Matthias also king of HVNGARIE a fortunat warriour against the Turke persuaded that the hauing of him might be vnto him a great furtherance in the course of his victories sought by all the meanes he could to haue obtained him At which time also Innocentius the eight of that name bishop of ROME no lesse desirous than the rest to haue in his keeping so great a pledge of peace and warre the bridle of the Turkes furie together with the large pension hee was sure to receiue yearely from Baiazet for the safe custodie of him so wrought the matter by Lyonell bishop of CONCORDIA his â—â—nning legat that the Great Master fearing on the one side to be constrained by the great power of Baiazet to graunt that he had so often refused and now so earnestly solicited on the other side by the bishop caused Zemes to bee deliuered to him at ROME in the yeare 1488 for which doing hee was by the bishop honoured with the honour and title of a Cardinall So Zemes to the great profit of the bishop who receiued from Baiazet a yearely pension of fortie thousand duckats remained in safe custodie at ROME all the time of Innocentius and also of Alexander the sixt his successour vntill that the French king Charles the eight passing through the heart of ITALIE with a strong armie against Alphonsus king of NAPLES in the yeare 1495 and making his way through the citie of ROME so terrified the great Bishop who altogether fauoured and furthered the title of Alphonsus that he was glad to yeeld to such articles and conditions as pleased the king and amongst the rest to giue in hostage vnto the king his gracelesse sonne Caesar Borgia Valentinus and also to deliuer vnto him Zemes his honourable prisoner as shall be afterwards in place conuenient at large declared In the beginning of Baiazet his raigne whilest he was busied against his brother Zemes in ASIA Iohn Castriot the sonne of Scanderbeg aided by the Venetians after he had fortunately ouerthrowne the Turks in a battell neere vnto CROIA recouered a great part of EPIRVS out of their possession At which time also Iohn Chernouich a Christian prince of ALBANIA casting off the Turkish yoke imposed vpon him by the late emperour Mahomet suddainely tooke vp armes and by the helpe of the Venetians valiantly expulsed his enemies out of that part of ALBANIA and so troubled Baiazet that he was glad to suffer him peaceably to enjoy all that hee had by force recouered and further to content him with a small tribute for the rest Baiazet highly offended with Abraham whom some call Pyramet the king of CARAMANIA for aiding his brother Zemes against him in reuenge thereof raised a great armie both in EVROPE and ASIA marching alongst ASIA the lesse through the countries of PHRIGIA MISIA CARIA LYDIA and PAMPHILIA entered at length into CARAMANIA But the king of CARAMANIA hearing before of his comming and knowing himselfe too weake to meet him in field fortified the strong cities and places of his kingdome and retired with his armie into the straits of the mountaine TAVRVS where it parteth CILICIA from SIRIA wherin he was in more safetie than in any of his strongest holds Baiazet finding no way to come to him spent most part of the Summer in spoyling of the open countrey but perceiuing his enemies could not so be drawne into the field he laied siege vnto the famous citie of TARSVS being the cheefe citie of the champaine part of CILICIA the natiue place of S. Paule the Apostle and in short time so battered the wals of the citie with his great ordinance that he had made them saultable The citizens considering the danger they were in offered to deliuer vp their cittie their libertie liues and goods reserued Of which their offer Baiazet accepted and most honourably performed his promise for their safetie not permitting any of his souldiours to enter the citie more than such as must needs for the guard of his person and safe keeping of the cittie And for as much as Winter began now to grow fast on he dispersed his soldiors into the countrey villages round about not suffering the countrey people to till or sow their land or to doe any thing els which might turne to their profit or good whereby they were enforced to yeeld themselues wholly to his deuotion The Caramanian king seeing his people dayly fall from him and fearing to be at length forsaken of his souldiors also in this his distresse obtained aid both of men and money of Caytbeius the great Sultan of AEGIPT and so with all the power hee could make tooke the field with the first of the Spring fully resolued to trie the fortune of a battell although in strength and power he knew himselfe much inferiour to his puissant enemie Baiazet glad to see his enemie so forward speedily assembled his armie and without delay offered him battell which the Caramanian king refused not So betwixt them was begun a fierce and terrible fight which by the skilfull conduct of the leaders and exceeding courage of the soldiors was maintained the whole day with doubtfull victorie and great slaughter on both sides new supplies still comming on in stead of them which were slaine The day declining the Caramanian king whose fatall destinie had now appointed him vnto his last worke seeing his wearied souldiours rather ouerlayed with multitude than by force vanquished to begin to giue ground vnto their enemies courageously thrust forward with his guard and other valiant souldiours about him with such furie that hee brake into the middest of his enemies battaile where being knowne hee was forthwith enuironned by the Turkes and so hardly charged on euery side that hauing his horse slaine vnder him he was enforced to fight on foot where after he had with his owne hand slaine diuers of his enemies hee fell downe dead in the middest of them His souldiors discouraged with his death turned their backes and fled and in flying were for most part either slaine or taken prisoners After this victorie Baiazet speedily ouerran all that large countrey and without resistance in short time brought vnder his obeysance all the countrey of CILICIA There was at that time in that part of CILICIA which is called TRACHEA and lieth towards the seaside an antient Mahometane prince who had vnder his commaund most part of that country with the famous and populous citie of SCANDELORO
they were by the way after they had entered a good way into the riuer encountered by the Turks and enforced to returne But before they could get out of the riuer the wind rise so contrarâ—â— with such a stiffe gale full in the mouth of the riuer that the marriners ouermastered with the violence of the weather when they had done what they could and spent all their strength were driuen ashore some on the one side of the riuer and some on the other and so fell into the hands of their enemies of whom it booâ—ed not to craue mercie About this time Baiazet tooke also the auntient and famous citie of DIRRACHIVM now called DVRAZO from the Venetians being before ruinous and almost quite abandoned by the inhabitants as a place of danger and not to be kept now that the Turke had got all the country round about it The Venetians sore pressed with these warres so long maintained against the Turke had many times prayed aid of other Christian princes and were well holpen by the Spaniard in the taking of CEPHALENIA and now Lewes the French king vpon a good deuotion to that warre sent the lord Rauesten with seuen tall ships and fifteene gallies well appointed out of PROVINCE and GENVA to aid the Venetians his friends This fleet departing from NAPLES where they had by the way put in and passing about ITALIE and so through the Ionian sea came to MELOS one of the CYCLADES at which Island Pisaurius with his fleet in short time arriued also from whence they by mutuall consent departed together to inuade the Island of LESEOS And being there safely arriued landed their forces and layed siege vnto the strong citie of MYTILENE where by the furie of their artillerie they in short time had made a faire breach in the wall In the time of this batterie whilest the breach was in making Pisaurius with part of his fleet sailed to TENEDOS for it was reported That certaine of the Turkes gallies were then comming for that place out of Hellespontus Which report as some write was of purpose giuen out by the French thereby to withdraw the Venetian Admirall from the siege that so in the meane time they being in good hope to take the towne in his absence might themselues carrie away the honour thereof together with the rich spoile Others fauouring the French blame the Venetian Admirall as if he had of purpose departed enuying at the honour of the French which is hard to be beleeued in so honourable a personage and in an action so much concerning the good of his commonweale Howsoeuer it was the breach being made in his absence was by the Frenchmen presently assaulted although that Paulus Valatesius the Venetian vice-Admirall earnestly requested the French Admirall to deferre the assault for a while and to expect the returne of Pisaurius Which his counsell the French Admirall gaue him the hearing of but yet went forward with the assault The Frenchmen after their manner furiously assailing the breach were valiantly repulsed by the Turkes so that in the breach was made a deadly and most terrible fight many falling on both sides Yet for all that the citie was manfully defended by the Turkes and the Frenchmen enforced to retire The French Admirall hauing taken this repulse commaunded all things to be carried aboord purposing to haue forsaken the siege and so to haue departed when in the meane time the Venetian Admirall returned and with much adoe persuaded the French to stay Whereupon the batterie was againe begun with greater furie than before and now the leaders were consulting of a fresh assault to be giuen when suddenly newes was brought that the Turks fleet was comming to releeue the citie and thereupon the assault was for a time deferred and the batterie continued But those Turkes which came being in number but few were for most part by them in the gallies taken and cast ouer boord some few that got to land saued themselues in the woods and desart places of the Isle By this time the citie was againe made saultable and the Venetians with great courage assailed the breach and had twice gained the top of the rampiers from whence they were againe both times beaten downe by the Turkes the French all the while looking on Many valiant men were there slaine and hurt and in the end the Venetians were glad with losse to retire as had the French done before Whilest this was in doing a pinnace came to the fleet with newes that the Great Master of the RHODES was comming with his gallies to the siege whereupon the Admirals determined to maintaine the siege vntill his comming But the next day after the French Admirall changing his purpose shipped his men and hoising saile departed to CHIOS and sayling thence towards ITALIE was ouertaken with a most terrible tempest wherein the Admirall gallie with two others were lost with eight hundred good souldiours the Admirall himselfe with aboue fortie others were by chance contrarie to all hope saued and with much danger with his weather-beaten fleet recouered the 〈◊〉 of TARENTVM The Venetian Admirall thus forsaken of the French and seeing the time past wherein hee expected the comming of the Great Master of the RHODES brake vp the siege and departed from LESâ—OS to CHIOS and from thence to PAROS where hee found the Master of the RHODES with his gallies vnto whom he complained greatly of the inconstancie of the French imputing it vnto them that the citie of MYTILENE was not woon neither were they behind with him but in euery place where they came laid the fault as much or morevpon him From PAROS the Venetian Admirall tooke his course to the Island of MELOS where hee found one Rhichius an arch pyrate of the Turkes who by force of tempest was driuen on shore and by the suddaine comming downe of the Island people taken him for that he had exercised exceeding crueltie vpon certaine Christians whom he had taken Pisaurius caused to be fast bound to a spit and with a small fire to be rosted to death From MELOS he returned to CORCYRA and there wintered The next Spring Pisaurius with certaine gallies which Alexander bishop of ROME had sent vnto him vnder the commaund of Iacobus Pisaurius bishop of PAPHIA sayled to NERITOS now called S. MAVRA which is an Island parted from the firme land with a little fret of the sea long time before that way let in by the Corinthians Here Pisaurius suddenly landing his men surprised the Island and with wonderfull celeritie and industrie cast vp two great trenches in such sort and to so good purpose that three thousand of the Turkes horsemen comming at a low water ouer that narrow strait which parteth the island from the maine were with losse repulsed and forced to retire Whereupon S. MAVRA the cheefe citie was foorthwith deliuered vnto Pisaurius with the rest of the island The Venetians wearie of this long and chargeable warre against so
peace and warres receiued their dayly wages and monthly payes in readie money of his treasurers and paymasters for defraying of which charge hee neuer wanted coyne hauing an inestimable masse of money alwayes in store in the seuen towers at CONSTANTINOPLE and his yearely tributes and reuenewes still exceeding all his charges by a fourth part The strength of the Persian king consisted in three kind of souldiours the first were they which were accounted soldiors of the court the second such as were by custome and dutie bound to serue him in his warres and the third such as were sent vnto him from the princes his neighbours and confederates Those which were accounted souldiors of his court had their certaine stipends and were altogether maintained of the kings charge of whom according to the old custome of the Persian kings they at certaine times receiue armour horses apparrell tents and wages euery one as he is in place and degree And being attended vpon with a gallant and strong garrison of these he maintaineth the majestie of his court especially when hee rideth in prograce The nobilitie and antient gentlemen of his countrey who hold lands and possessions discended vnto them from their ancestors or holden by the gift of the king are sent for in time of warres and are of dutie bound to performe such like seruice as the nobilitie and gentlemen of ITALIE FRAVNCE and SPAINE doe vnto their soueraigns these hardly amount to the number of twentie thousand whereof it is well if the third part come well armed the rest content themselues with headpieces and jackes and vse for their weapons either horsemens staues or bowes which they can most cunningly handle discharging their arrowes very neere vnto that they aime at either forward or backward They which come vnto him from forraine princes confederat or tributarie are commonly sent from the kings and princes of IBERIA ALBANIA and the countries bordering vpon MEDIA and ARMENIA who being halfe Christians beare a mortall hatred against the Turkes Hysmaell the Persian king had then vnder his dominion these great and famous countries ARMENIA the greater SVLTHANIA PERSIA ASSYRIA MESOPOTAMIA MEDIA and PARTHIA whereof ARMENIA is the chiefest famous for the great citie TAVRIS called in auntient time ECBATHANA this countrey yeeldeth vnto the Persian king his best footmen but his choice horsemen come from out of PERSIA and especially from SCYRAS called of old CYRIPOLIS next vnto them are from ASSYRIA the cheefe citie whereof is BAGADAT called in auntient time BABYLON The Medes and Parthians are of all others accounted the best archers next vnto the Scythians But now to returne againe from whence wee haue a little too farre stayed Selymus after his great expedition against Hysmaell wintering at AMASIA by his lieutenants and captaines in EVROPE and ASIA raised such a power that with the first of the Spring he entred againe into the confines of the Persian kingdome with a greater armie than before and that somewhat sooner than the extreame cold of that part of ARMENIA subject to the snowie mountaine TAVRVS would either well suffer or that the enemie thought it had been possible for him to haue so done There was vpon the further side of the riuer Euphrates a strong towne called CIAMASSVM situate a little aboue that place where the riuer Melas much celebrated by the Grecian Poets falleth into the riuer Euphrates which towne for the commodious situation thereof standing vpon the first entrance of the passage into ARMENIA the great the Persians had furnished with a strong garrison this towne Selymus thought good in any case to be master of by taking whereof and of some other holds thereabout he should open a faire way for himselfe into his enemies countrey Hysmael at the same time was gone with all his power against the Hyrcanians Bactrians and other sauage people dwelling neere vnto the Caspian sea then vp in arms against him which wished opportunitie Selymus taking and making a bridge ouer the riuer Euphrates passed ouer with his armie came before the towne and laied hard siege to the same before his enemies were well aware of his comming The Turkes at their first approch compassing the citie round with their huge multitude of harquebusiers and archers draue the defendants from the wals and still without rest or intermission bringing on fresh men as Selymus had before taken order and others at the same time breaking open the gates and in diuers places scaling the wals enforced the defendants to forsake their standings and to retire themselues into the market place where although they were before sore spent with labour and wounds yet did they there with wonderfull courage a great while notably withstand the multitude of their enemies still swarming in and in defence of their countrey like resolute men fought it out vnto the last man Selymus hauing taken and ransacked CIAMASSVM with two other small castles which the defendants had for feare before abandoned although he was with a deadly hatred and ambitious desire prickt forward against Hysmaell and thirsted after nothing more than the subuersion of the Persian kingdome yet he thought it not good further to enter into ARMENIA before he had out of those forrests and mountaines chased the mountaine king Aladeules who but the yeare before had most trecherously done him and his armie so many injuries in his returne from the Persian expedition For Aladeules not without cause fearing his owne estate as soone as he vnderstood that Selymus had againe taken the field and that he was come to the riuer Euphrates and so to CIAMASSVM speedily assembling his forces had in short time raised a great armie for the defence of himselfe and his kingdome purposing that if Selymus should goe farther into ARMENIA then after his wonted manner to looke on as a beholder and by the euent of the warre to take occasion of prey and by shutting vp the passages of his countrey at his pleasure to rob and spoile the Turkes in their returne Wherefore Selymus leauing a garrison at CIAMASSVM retired backe againe ouer the riuer Euphrates vnto the mountaine ANTITAVRVS where it was reported that his enemies lay This Aladeules as is aforesaid ruled ouer the rude and sauage mountaine people inhabiting the great mountaines TAVRVS and ANTITAVRVS which mountaines as it were linked together one to another run from the mountaines called SCODRISCI and the borders of CAPADOCIA with a perpetuall rising through many large prouinces and countries vnto the great mountaine AMAâ—VS and vttermost bounds of CILICIA The people of this countrey were by nature fierce and warlike more famous for nothing than for the want of all thing who as men dwelling in a rough and bare countrey could little or nothing profit by husbandrie yet in such places as would beare any pasture they had their breed of horses and cammels and did with all diligence vse grasing but the greatest part of their liuing consisted in hunting and stealing These
are supposed to haue had their beginning from the Galatians Capadocians Armenians and the old inhabitants of ASIA the lesse which by long and continuall wars in former ages and especially by the lamentable irruption of the Scythians were enforced to forsake their cities and dwellings and for safegard of their liues to flie into those rough and desolate mountaines These distressed people searching euery hill and euery daâ—e and following the opportunitie of the riuers and fountaines but especially the mildest temperature of the aire and fauourable aspect of the Sunne built in many places poore countrey villages and afterwards diuers faire townes where in processe of time they growing to better estate there rise vp some amongst them which ouerruling the rest ambitiously tooke vpon them the name of kings desiring to be had in regard and to bee feared of their neighbours although they commaunded but ouer rough woods and ragged rockes Neere vnto the confines of Aladeules kingdome is the citie Oâ—PHA which many suppose to haue been the famous citie EDESSA because that as yet there remaineth certaine monuments of Baldwin in Latine letters who after his brother Godfrey was possessed of HIERVSALEM is reported to haue taken EDESSA and there raigned Not farre from thence is also the antient citie AMYDA which at this day is called CARAMIDA joyning vpon MESOPOTAMIA which countrey lying betweene the two great riuers Euphrates and Tigris is now called DIAREECHA The cheefe citie of Aladeules kingdome was MARAS so called as may bee thought of the faire riuer Marsias running through it out of the mountaine CaeLENE taking the name of Marsias ouercome by Apollo and made famous by the verses of many learned Poets But Aladeules after he saw that Selymus with his armie was entered into the frontiers of his kingdome and drawing neere vnto him brought downe all his horsemen in number about fifteene thousand from the mountaines into a faire large valley commaunding his footmen whereof hee had great store to keepe the mountaines on the right hand and the left where hauing the high rockie mountains and strait passages much for his aduantage he determined in that place which he had long before chosen and fortified to expect the comming of his enemies Selymus considering the disaduantage of the place although hee perceiued the victorie could not without great losse of his men be obtained and before persuaded that his enemies would neuer haue willingly been drawne to battaile yet made no doubt to aduenture his fortune presuming vpon the multitude and strength of his armie Wherefore he commaunded Sinan Bassa the Eunuch whom hee had made generall of the Europeian horsemen in stead of Casan Bassa before slaine with a square battaile to charge the enemie afront for as much as the place would not suffer him to raunge his battaile in length nor to vse any wings and he himselfe with his Ianizaries and Asian horsemen followed after in the rereward Neither were the souldiors of Aladeules vnmindfull of themselues or of their king who valiantly fought in the head of the battaile but hauing spent their arrowes did couragiously receiue the furious assault of the Turkes and standing close to them still keeping the aduantage of the ground did with such force repulse them that the old beaten souldiors of the Turkes seemed little or nothing to preuaile either with their multitude or valour for the Turkes by reason of the straightnesse of the place could not enclose them on either side and were beside greeuously wounded by Aladeules footmen who standing vpon the sides of the hils with their darts and arrowes from aboue ouerwhelmed the Turkes in the valley When Selymus saw that Aladeules contrarie to his expectation made strong resistance and valiantly withstood his forces he drew certaine companies of harquebusiers out of his owne squadrons and sent them to relieue their fellowes and at the same instant commaunded the Ianizaries for all the danger to mount the hill Then the mountaine people terrified with the strangenesse of the shot and not able to abide the force therof by and by turned their backes and by knowne waies fled into their sure haunts in the mountains and woods fast by Yet the greatest slaughter fell amongst these footmen who when they saw the horsemen put to flight and the Ianizaries comming vp the hils against them did with much difficultie by steepe and broken waies clamber vp the high mountaines as oftentimes it falleth out that both the strength of meâ—s legs and other their wonted forces faile them most when surprised and ouercome with sudden feare they desire to run and flie fastest The Turkes hauing them in chase had the killing of them vntill the going downe of the Sunne The horsemen with the king vpon their swift horses well acquainted with those rockes and rough waies with little losse retired themselues into the further and stronger places of the mountaines Aladeules after this discomfiture finding himselfe in all things farre inferiour to his enemie thought it best by protracting the warre to wearie him out wherefore as the Turkes pursued him and burnt the poore countrey cottages standing in their way he still fled from mountaine to mountaine neuer offering battell or shewing himselfe but in places of great aduantage And therefore Selymus fearing least in that barren rough and vnknowne countrey he should either want vittaile or by some other meanes be entrapped if he should still with his whole armie follow after his strong enemies vpon the seauenth day left off to pursue them any farther And encamping himselfe in the most conuenient place of that countrey sent Sinan Bassa with his light horsemen who carrying with them certaine daies victuals should still at the heeles follow the enemie and with all speed and pollicie possible hunt after the king himselfe Selymus in the meane time curiously enquiring of the countrey captiues after the strength of Aladeules and what meanes hee had to maintaine the warre found that he had taken with him his best men both horse and foot and had commaunded the countrey people to forsake the villages of purpose to leaue all desolat to the enemie and hauing surely entrenched himselfe vpon a certaine strong rocke whither he had before conuaied great store of prouision was resolued not to giue battell vnto his enemies vntill he had drawne them into the impregnable straits of the mountaines where their hugie multitude should little auaile them but to increase their owne losse An other cause there was also as they said for that he feared to be betraied by Alis Beg his kinsman Generall of his horsemen who first fled in the late battell whose vnfaithfulnesse and hatred might seeme to proceed of a just ground for that Aladeules had in former time treacherously murthered his father vpon a jealous suspition of his aspiring to the kingdome Selymus vnderstanding all this caused the captiues to haue their irons struck off and in steed of their giues lading them with gifts and promises sent them to
with age and liuing in the height of worldly blisse although he knew it fitter for him at those yeares to giue himselfe ease and quietnesse than to thrust himselfe into warres and other princes quarrels yet thought this expedition to be for many causes both good and necessarie First he deadly hated the man for his inhumane crueltie and therefore could neuer be persuaded to renew the league with him which he had in former time made with his father Baiazet Besides that he desired to abate and represse his audacious insolencie grown alreadie by his prosperous successe beyond the bounds of reason for Selymus hauing taken TAVRIS ouerthrowne the Persians and slaine Aladeules began now to seeme terrible to all the princes that bordered vpon him and there were many which said he was another Alexander who whilest other princes sate still as men a sleepe did in the meane time plot in his victorious mind the monarchie of the whole world But aboue all things the feare of the losing of SYRIA and consequently the losse of all his kingdome the quickest motiue for stirring vp of the suspitious minds of the greatest princes most enforced Campson to take in hand this warre For as much as the goodly kingdomes of AEGYPT IVDEA and SYRIA oppressed with the intollerable gouernment of the proud Mamalukes and therefore lesse faithfull to the Aegyptian kings were in danger to reuolt to the Turkes if the Persians should by any mischance or fortune of warre be of the Turkes vanquished For which cause Campson in the beginning of this warre solicited by the Persian embassadours had made a firme league and confederation with Hysmaell and also moued with the miserie of the wofull young prince Aladin the sonne of Achomates was in mind persuaded that the cruell Turkish tyrant might by his and the Persian kings forces easily be thrust out of his empire in ASIA and EVROPE For Aladin who after the death of Achomates his father fled to Campson the Sultan of AEGYPT as is before declared had liued three yeares as a forlorne and distressed prince in the Aegyptian court and by all meanes he could deuise incited the Mamalukes to reuenge the injuries and crueltie of his vncle Selymus The eldest sonne also of the late king Aladeules a goodly young prince hauing at once lost his father his kingdome and whatsoeuer he held else was in good time fled to the Aegyptian king and had so filled the minds of all men with the indignation and detestation of Selymus his exceeding crueltie that the princes of the Mamalukes of their owne accord came to Campson humbly beseeching him to take vpon him so just a warre and if by reason of his great yeares hee should thinke himselfe vnable to endure the trauell thereof it would then please him yet to giue them leaue of themselues to take the matter in hand for the repressing of the insolencie of that great and wicked tyrant These Mamalukes farre excelled the Turkes not onely in strength of bodie skilfull riding and goodly armour but also in courage and wealth Beside that they had not forgotten with what small power they had vnder the leading of Caitbeius their great Sultan ouerthrowne the Turkes great armies in CILICIA first at ADENA and afterward at TARSVS where they tooke prisoners Mesites Palaologus the great Bassa and Cherseogles Baiazet his sonne in law by which victorie they grew into such a proud and vaine conceit of themselues as if they had beene the onely souldiours of the world able of themselues to vanquish and ouercome whomsoeuer they should set vpon These so valiant souldiours were for the most part of the poore people called in auntient time Getae Zinchi and Bastarnae borne neere vnto the Euxine sea and the â—ens of Maeotis especially on that side where the riuer Corax falleth into the Euxine which countrie is of later time called CIRCASSIA of the people called CERCITae neere vnto CHOLCHIS These miserable and wretched people the Valachians Podolians Polonians Roxolanes and Tartars dwelling by TAVRICA puld from their mothers breasts or by other violent means surprised sold vnto merchants who culling out the best for strength of bodie or aptnesse of wit conuaied them by sea to ALEXANDRIA from whence they were continually sent to the great Sultan of AEGIPT and by his appointment were at CAIRE after the old manner of that people deliuered to masters of fence and such other teachers who carefully instructed them being shut vp in their schooles in all manner of feats of actiuitie where after they were become able to bend a strong bow and taught cunningly to shoot leape run vault ride and skilfully to vse all manner of weapons they were then taken into pay and receiued into the number of the kings horsemen or Mamalukes and such of them as proued cowardly or vnapt were made slaues vnto the rest So that they seeing all honour credit and preferment laied vp in martiall prowesse did with all diligence and courage employ themselues to militarie affaires and therein so well profited that oftentimes they which at the first were but bare and base slaues of the meanest of the Mamalukes by many degrees of seruice rise at length to the highest degrees of honour All these Mamalukes were the children of Christian parents from the time of their captiuitie instructed in the Mahometane superstition for no man borne of a Mahometane father or of a Iew could be admitted into the number of the Mamaluke horsemen which was so straightly obserued that the honour of a Mamaluke horseman neuer descended vnto the sons of the Mamalukes yet might they by law inherit their fathers lands possessions and goods by which reason the sonnes of the Sultans themselues neuer succeeded their fathers in the kingdome Hereby also it came to passe that many Christians of loose life or condemned for their notorious offences flying thither and abjuring the Christian religion and suffering themselues to be circumcised being men meet for the warres grew by degrees to great honour as did Tangarihardinus the sonne of a Spanish mariner who by his forwardnesse and industrie grew into such credit and authoritie with Campson the great Sultan that almost all things were done by his aduice and counsell and was diuers times by him employed in most honorable seruice being sent embassadour both to Baiazet the Turkish emperour and to the state of VENICE about matters of great importance Yet his impietie escaped not the hand of God for at length by the enuie of the court he was brought into disgrace thrust out of his place and cast into prison where he loaded with cold yron most miserably died Neither was it to be maruelled if the Mamalukes were growne to that excesse of wealth for as much as the Aegyptians and Syrians being miserably by them oppressed were not suffered to haue the vse either of horse or armour neither admitted to any matters of counsell but being impouerished and brought low with heauie impositions and dayly injuries
with Kezien-bassa a prince of the Corasine Hircanians so that the citisens of TAVRIS destitute of all helpe yeelded themselues and the citie vnto the Bassa at his first comming Tamas the Persian king vnderstanding what was happened at TAVRIS drew neere with his power warily expecting to haue taken the Turkes at some aduantage and so by pollicie to haue defeated his enemies whom hee was too weake to meet with in plaine battell Which thing the warie Bassa well perceiuing for more assurance by speedie courrors aduertised Solyman of the taking of TAVRIS and of the enemies purpose requesting him with all speed to repaire with his armie to TAVRIS Solyman was then come farre on his way with a strong armie not by the way of ANCYRA SEBASTIA AMASIA the borders of TRAPEZONDE and so ouer Euphrates at ARSENâ—A into ARMENIA as his father Selymus had done before him because that way was thought longer and more troublesome but quite another way on the right hand from NICE in BYTHINIA to ICONIVM and by CaeSARIA to MALATHIA where is the notable passage ouer the riuer Euphrates bursting out by the vallies of the mountaine ANTITAVRVS from whence the plaines of MESOPOTAMIA then part of the Persian kingdome begin to open themselues thorow which countrey Solyman marched peaceably with his armie paying the poore countrey people for whatsoeuer he tooke and so in foure and fiftie dayes march came from NICE in BYTHINIA to the citie of COIM in ARMENIA the greater which is supposed to be built in the ruines of the famous and antient citie ARTAXATA But hearing such news as is aforesaid from the Bassa he doubled his march and so in short time after came and joyned his forces with the Bassa at TAVRIS Tamas who yet dayly expected the comming of the Georgian light horsemen vnderstanding that Solyman was comming against him with a world of men thought it not good to abide the comming of so puissant an enemie but with delay to wearie him out that drew such a multitude of people after him and by taking of him at all aduantages to cut off his people spent with long trauell wanting victuall and falling into diuerse diseases as it commonly chanceth to populous armies in strange countries where the change of the aire with the ineuitable necessities alwaies attending vpon a great armie most times causeth grieuous and contagious diseases Wherefore Tamas to shun the comming of Solyman retired further off into SVLâ—ANIA about six daies journey from TAVRIS Wherof Solyman hauing knowledge departed from that rich citie without doing any harme therin following after Tamas into SVLTANIA to joine battell with him if he could possible leauing behind him for hast a great part of his carriages and baggage with fiue hundred Ianizaries and three of his Sanzackes with their companies The citie of SVLTANIA was in auntient time one of the royall seats of the Persian kings but ruinated by the Scythian Tamerlane retained no shew of the auntient majestie but onely in the churches by him spared Neere vnto this citie Solyman lay encamped many daies expecting that the Persian king in reuenge of the injurie to him done and for the safegard of his honor should at length come out of the mountaines and shew himselfe in plaine field and giue him battell Which was a thing so farre from Tamas his resolution vpon the due comparing of his owne strength with his enemies that he retired in such sort that Solyman could by no meanes learne what was become of him or which way to follow him The countrey neere vnto the citie of SVLTANIA wherein Solyman lay encamped at large is on euerie side enuironed with hugie mountaines whose tops are to be seene a farre off alwaies couered with deepe snow these mountaines were in auntient time called NYPHATES CASPIVS COATHRAS and ZAGRVS taking their beginning no doubt of CAVCASVS the father of mountaines and joyning one to another some one way some another doe diuide most large and wide countries Whilest Solyman in those plaine fields most fit to fight a battell in expected the comming of Tamas such a horrible and cruell tempest as the like wherof the Persians had neuer before seene at that time of the yeare fell downe from those mountaines which was so much the more strange for that it fell in the beginning of September with such abundance of raine which frose so eagerly as it fell that it seemed the depth of Winter had euen then of a sudden been come in for such was the rage of the blustring winds striuing with themselues as if it hâ—d beene for victorie that they swept the snow from off the tops of those high mountaines and cast it downe into the plaines in such abundance that the Turkes lay as men buried aliue in the deepe snow most part of their tents being ouerthrowne and beaten downe to the ground with the violence of the tempest and waight of the snow wherein a wonderfull number of sicke souldiours and others of the baser sort which followed the campe perished and many others were so benummed some their hands some their feet that they lost the vse of them for euer most part of their beasts which they vsed for carriage but especially their camels were frozen to death Yea Solyman himselfe was in great danger to haue beene ouerwhelmed in his tent all the tents round about him being ouerthrowne with the violence of the tempest Neither was there any remedie to be found for so great mischiefes by reason of the hellish darknesse of that tempestuous night most of their fires being put out by the extremitie of the storme which did not a little terrifie the superstitious Turkes as a thing accounted of them ominous And that which troubled them no lesse than the miseries of the tempest was the fear of the enemie whose sudden comming they deadly feared vntill that after so tedious a night the Sunne breaking out the next morning with his cheerfull beames reuiued many before readie to giue vp the ghost for cold and gaue comfort to them all in generall by discouering the open fields cleare of their feared enemies It was a dreadfull thing to haue seene what miserie that one night had brought into the Turkes campe the ground lay almost couered with bodies of the dead and many liued but so as that they accounted the dead more happie than themselues Many of the Turks vainly thought that horrible tempest was brought vpon them by the charmes and enchantments of the Persian Magicians whereas it was vndoubtedly by the hand of him which bringeth the proud deuises of princes to naught Solyman troubled as well with the strangenesse of the accident as the losse he had receiued after he had a little refreshed his discouraged soldiors rise with his armie and tooke his way on the left hand into ASSIRIA Vlemas the Persian persuading him therunto for many causes but especially by putting him in hope of the taking of BABYLON for that Mahometes a friend of his
was gouernour thereof But he when the matter came to proofe was not to be woon either by promise or reward to betray the citie Wherefore Solyman resolued to take it by force neither did his fortune faile him therein for as soone as Mahometes vnderstood that Vlemas was at hand with the forerunners of the Turkes armie and that Solyman with all his power was comming after who as he thought would neuer haue come so farre he not prouided to withstand so mightie an enemie and not beloued of the citisens fled out of the citie Solyman comming in short time after was of the Babylonians receiued without resistance This citie of BABYLON commonly called BAGDAT rise out of the ruines of the old citie of BABYLON so much spoken of in holy writ from whence it is not farre distant standing vpon the riuer Tygris which not farre beneath falleth into the riuer Euphrates In this famous city is the seat of the great Caliph the chiefe Mahometane priest whom all the Mahometane princes haue in great reuerence hath an old prerogatiue in the choise and confirmation of the kings of ASSIRIA and the Sultans of AEGYPT of which Caliph Solyman according to the old superstitious manner receiued at his hands the ensignes and ornaments of the Assyrian kings and with great bountie woon the hearts of the people and thereupon resolued to spend that Winter there billiâ—ing his armie in diuers places of that fertill countrey The other cities of ASSIRIA and MESOPOTAMIA also namely CARAEMIDA MEREDINVM ORSA and ASANCESA hearing that Solyman had without resistance taken BABYLON yeelded themselues and receiued his garrisons Yea the fame thereof was so great that embassadours came vnto him as farre as ORMVS a citie in the mouth of Euphrates where it falleth into the Persian gulfe famous for the great traffique out of INDIA thither suing vnto him for peace Thus the auntient citie of BABYLON with the great countries of ASSIRIA and MESOPOTAMIA sometimes famous kingdomes of themselues and lately part of the Persian kingdome fell into the hands of the Turkes and became prouinces of the Turkish empire in the yeare 1534. Where Solyman after he had spent that Winter in great joy and triumph according to the manner of the Turkish gouernment placed a great Commander which they by a proud name call the Beglerbeg which is as much as to say the lord of lords and vnder him diuers others for the gouernment of these countries by parts which they call Sanzacks who are euer at the commaund of the Beglerbeg Whilest he thus wintered at BABYLON he caused Ashender Zelibi which is to say Alexander the noble his great treasurer for the warres to be hanged for that he had vnfaithfully dealt in his office and confiscated all his goods Tamas hearing that Solyman was gone to BABYLON returned to TAVRIS of whose speedy comming the Ianizaries and other captaines there left by Solyman vnderstanding fled in hast out of the citie leauing all such things as were committed to their custodie for a prey vnto the Persian souldiors Solymans armie being mightily increased by the comming vnto him of the great Bassa of CAIRE with the Sanzacks of ALEXANDRIA IVDEA SYRIA and COMAGENE by the persuasion of Abraham and Vlemas the Spring now well come on departed from BABYLON againe towards TAVRIS with purpose either to draw Tamas to battell or else to his eternall infamie before his face to sacke that his regall citie But Tamas aduertised of his comming and knowing himselfe too weake to giue him battell forsooke the citie and fled into the mountains of HIRCANIA destroying all the countrey before him as he went and carrying away the inhabitants leauing nothing to relieue the Turkes if they should pursue him Solyman vnderstanding that Tamas was againe fled sent Vlemas with all the choise horsemen of his armie to ouertake him if it were possible and to fight with him But when he had followed him two or three daies journey and still found the countrey desolat as he went yeelding neither forrage for his horses nor reliefe for his men and saw no hope to ouertake the king he began as a prouident Generall to forecast the extremities like to befall in his returne thorow those desolat countries with the enemie at his heeles and thereupon in time retired backe againe to Solyman declaring vnto him what had happened Who fretting in his mind that the Persian king was not to bâ— drawne to battell marched forthwith to TAVRIS entred it without resistance the citisens submitting themselues vnto him whose liues spared he gaue that rich citie for a prey vnto his soldiors who left neither house nor corner thereof vnransacked abusing the poore citisens with all manner of insolencie euerie common souldiour without controlment fitting himselfe with whatsoeuer best pleased his greedie desire or filthie lust Tamas had in this citie a most stately and royall pallace so had also most part of the nobilitie their sumptuous and rich houses which by the commaundement of Solyman were all rased downe to the ground and the greatest part of the best citisens and beautifull personages of all sort and condition at his departure thence carried away captiues Solyman contenting himselfe to haue done the Persian king this disgrace in spoiling this his rich and royall citie returned againe towards MESOPOTAMIA destroying the countries all the way as he went killing the verie beasts and cattell thereby the more to impouerish the Persians wishing to leaue nothing vnto them but penurie and miserie He was scarcely past COIM and the Calderan fields famous for his fathers victorie against Hysmaell but that certaine troupes of the Persian horsemen were in the taile of his armie and had taken away some of his baggage and slaine diuers of the sicke and stragling souldiours and with their often skirmishes did not a little trouble his whole armie Besides that it was noised thorow all his campe That Tamas himselfe was comming after him with a great power of horsemen taken vp in HIBERIA ALBANIA PARTHIA MEDIA and ARMENIA and would be at their backes before they could get out of ARMENIA for which cause hee appointed the two great Bassaes of CAIRE and SYRIA for so they were called and Vlemas the Persian with eighteene thousand good souldiours to follow him in the rearward of his armie to receiue and represse the sudden assaults of the Persians if need should require and so still kept on his march vntill he was come to AMIDA now called CARAEMIDA an antient citie of MESOPOTAMIA In the meane time Tamas the Persian king was returned to TAVRIS with a mightie armie in hope there to haue suddenly surprised his enemie surcharged with the pleasures of so rich a citie but finding him gone and beholding the miserable spoile and desolation he had made in the citie moued with indignation he resolued to pursue him whither soeuer he were gone and was now on his way as farre as COIM Where vnderstanding that Solyman
him to be of him beloued and vsed as his wife and not contemptuously abused by his minions Wherewith the Bassa moued gaue her a blow on the eare and caused her as a foolish and vnquiet woman to be shut vp in her chamber But she not brooking such abuse came weeping to Solyman her brother and complaining of her husband requested to be diuorsed from him who made no better reckoning of her And with her complaint so incensed Solyman that he tooke from him his seale and thrust him out of all his honorable promotions and had vndoubtedly put him to death had not the remembrance of his old loue and friendship staied his furie Yet hauing vtterly disgraced him he banished him the court into MACEDONIA where he spent the remainder of his loathed like as a poore priuat man of whom Boisardus thus writeth Quae tibi cum molli res est pollute Cynaedo Cum cubet in Thalamis regia nympha tuis Ex humili fortuna loco te euexit in altum Ex alto maior saepe ruina venit On daintie boies thou filthie man why doest thou fix thine eye Whilest princely dame of roiall bloud doth in thy chamber lie From base estate to honours height blind fortune did thee call And set thee vp with princes great to worke thy greater fall Solyman thus fallen out with the Venetians as is aforesaid to entangle them at once with warâ— in diuers places commanded his lieutenants in euerie place bordering vpon any part of the Venetian seignorie to vex and molest them with all hostilitie which they did accordingly In PELOPONESVS Cassimes besieged NAVPLIVM and EPIDAVRVS two strong cities of the Venetians Barbarussa landing his men in DALMATIA surprised the antient citie of BOTROTVS belonging to the Venetians carried away the citisens rased the citie OBROATIVM another citie of the Venetians in DALMATIA called in auntient time ARGIRVTVM with the castle of NADIN were taken by Vstref Solymans lieutenant in ILLYRIA The Venetians thus inuaded on euerie side requited them againe with the like Pisaurius and Veturius the Venetian Admirals landing their men besieged SCARDONA a citie of the Turkes in the borders of DALMATIA which they tooke by force put the Turks to the sword and ouerthrew the wals of the citie because it should be no more a refuge vnto the Turks They sent also one of their captaines called Gabriel Ribeus to besiege OBROATIVM who vpon the comming of Amurathes one of Vstref his captaines cowardly fled and in flight lost most of his men for which his cowardise Pisaâ—rius caused his head to be strucke off aboord the Admirall gally And Camillus Vrsinus appointed by the Venetian state Gouernour of IADERA a strong towne vpon the frontiers of their territorie in DALMATIA tooke from the Turkes the towne of OSTROVIZZA which he burnt downe to the ground He recouered also OBROATIVM which was a little before lost which by the commaundement of the Senat he vtterly rased as a place not well to be kept against the enemie The same Autumne that Solyman hauing wasted CORCYRA was returned to CONSTANTINOPLE and the Venetians held warres with the Turkes for the townes and castles in DALMATIA king Ferdinand receiued such an ouerthrow at EZEK by the Turkes as a greater or more shamefull vnto the name of the Christians was hardly in that age seene if the losse of the choise souldiors and captaines of foure great nations with the shamefull flight of the Generall be well considered After the battell of MOHAHZ wherein king Lewes was lost the Turks hauing gotten the victorie kept vnto themselues that part of HVNGARIE which is called POSSâ—GA because thereby they had a fit passage from BELGRADE further into HVNGARIE The two great riuers of Sauus and Dranus running almost with equall distance from the West taking with them diuers other smaller riuers before they fall into the great riuer of Danubius Eastward doe on both sides inclose this countrey of POSSEGA being a rich and plentifull countrey and wonderfull well peopled It bordereth vpon the prouinces of CROATIA and CORâ—ANIA which in times past were at continuall warres with the Turkes garrisons thereby in Iâ—â—YRIA and BOSNA At that time one Mahometes a most valiant captaine of the Turks was Gouernour of BELGRADE to whom for his approued valour and wisedome Solyman had committed the keeping of those frontiers and the protection of the kingdome of HVNGARIE in the behalfe of king Iohn He the yeare before had so vsed the matter that what by force what by pollicie he had taken from the Christians aboue thirtie small castles in that country which was sometime part of the patrimonie of the Despot of RASCIA and had joyned them to the regiment of BOSNA One of these castles amongst the rest called EXEK for the commodious situation thereof hee strongly fortified as that which might giue him passage ouer the riuer Dranus into HVNGARIE from whence he fet in infinit preyes out of king Ferdinands countrey neere vnto him Yet was there at that time a certaine league betwixt Solyman and Ferdinand which notwithstanding after the old custome of those countries for the exercise of the garrison souldiors did beare with the taking of bootie and light skirmishes without any breach thereof so that it were done without any great power or field pieces which wrong named peace Mathias and the auntient kings of HVNGARIE had of long time vsed with the Turks doing them with their nimble light horsemen no lesse harme than they teceiued But the Germans now vsing no such light horsemen but seruing vpon great horses and charged with heauie armour receiued great hurt by those light skirmishes the Turkes with their light horses easily shunning their charge and againe at their pleasure charging them afresh when they saw the heauie German horses almost wearie and spent by which meanes the German horsemen were oftentimes by the Turkes light horsemen ouerthrowne and so either slaine or taken King Ferdinand not well brooking these continuall injuries and grieued in mind with the league which Solyman had to his profit made with him at his going into PERSIA finding the same both vnprofitable and hurtfull to himselfe determined to take vp armes with purpose that if he could driue the Turks out of the countrey of POSSEGA then forthwith to passe ouer Dranus and to go directly to BVDA against king Iohn It still stucke in his mind how that kingdome was taken from him by Solyman and that more was as it were in disgrace of him and the house of AVSTRIA bestowed vpon a stranger which had neither right therto nor was any way roially descended Yet were there some which wished him not rashly to enter into armes against so mightie an enemie as was not to be vanquished but by the vnited forces of all the Christian princes of EVROPE For they foresaw that Solyman so prouoked would not put it vp but for the hatred he bare against the Christians and for his owne honour
pile of heads together with his battels armour and prouision of war told him That as all these forces are the gift of God who alwayes fauoured the righteous counsels of the Othoman emperours in such sort that they Lord it ouer all the world euen to the astonishment of all that liue in the world at this day so had he for his particular chosen the better part in comming now to yeeld himselfe and to submit his obedience to his lord although it had beene better if he had done it before And as concerning the desire he had to be his companion and fellow in these warlike affaires he did very friendly accept of his comming and promised him all good entertainement and assured safetie And so in exchange of the presents which he brought him he apparrelled him in cloth of gold honoured him with a battle axe and targuet wrought with gold and ammell and neuer permitted him to go from his pauillion without a traine of his slaues following him This Georgian prince thus solemnly entertained the Generall gaue order through his camp That they should the next morning remoue from those mountaines and now euery man was putting himselfe in readinesse when as there rise a most terrible tempest of wind and raine mixt with thunder and lightening which continued with such violence by the space of foure dayes together as if the heauens had beene dissolued into waters Whereby it came to passe that out of the dead carkasses and heads before mentioned issued a most horrible stinke so that thereby and by the foulenesse of the weather with the other annoyances alwaies attending vpon so great a campe the whole armie was exceedingly troubled and diuers diseases arose among the Turks But at the last the weather breaking vp Mustapha rise with his campe and set forward toward TEFLIS and being not able by reason of the foulenesse of the way to passe any further that day stayed in the plaines where the lake CHIELDER GIOL standeth and there refreshed his sicke and wounded souldiors remoouing thence the next day about noone he came to the castle of ARCHICHELEC sometime a castle of the Georgians but taken from them by Solyman in his warres against Tamas and euer since holden by the Turkes Here Mustapha surueyed his armie and by diligent account taken found himselfe to want fortie thousand of his souldiours whereof some were slaine in the battell some were dead of sicknesse and many wearie of so long and perillous a journey were by night stolne out of the campe and returned to take their ease at home From thence the armie remoued and lodged at night neere the marish called of the Turks PERVANA GIOL or lake of slaues and the next day came to TRIALA where at this day are to be seene the ruines of a great citie and of many churches whereof some are yet repaired and maintained by deuout Christians the reliques of those happie and religious forces that with so great and faithfull zeale passed the seas and mountaines through those barbarous nations into the holy land men worthie of eternall praise The next day the Turkes ascended the high and craggie mountaine that standeth vpon TEFLIS from the top whereof descending the day following they seized vpon a castle of the Georgians called by the Turks GIVRGI CHALA Departing thence and lodging in certaine plaines the next day they came neere to the riuer that runneth by TEFLIS But in these foure dayes march from ARCHICHELEC where Mustapha tooke view of his armie many of the Turks who in seeking for victuals for themselues and their horses had stragled from the armie were cut off by the Georgian captaines who with a number of their owne countrey souldiors secretly followed the Turks armie and well acquainted with all the waies of the country lay in ambush vpon such places as the victuallers were to passe through and so suddenly setting vpon them spoyled them at once both of their goods and liues Mustapha comming to TEFLIS found that castle emptie for that Daut Chan lord therof hearing of the comming of the Turkes forsooke the same and betooke himselfe to the fields prouiding better for himselfe in so doing than by staying still in the castle to haue been there taken prisoner This castle for the conuenient situation thereof Mustapha caused to be repaired and fortified and planted therein an hundred pieces of artillerie and appointed Mahamet Bassa Generall Gouernour of that place with a garrison of six thousand souldiors which done he departed for SIRVAN At which very time those of SORIA which had brought a thousand loads of rent corne to the campe from ALEPPO being themselues in number a thousand persons with fiue hundred others of OMPS in antient time called HVS the citie of the patient Iob and other places of SORIA men neither of dutie bound nor of themselues willing to follow the campe returned homewards towards their owne countrey but vpon the way they were set vpon by Alessandro Ginsuf and Dauid three of the Georgian lords and all slaine except some few who by the swiftnesse of their horses escaped with Nassardin their captaine Now after that Mustapha had passed the discent of the sâ—eepe mountaines of TEFLIS the next day he encamped in certaine low plaines where the embassadours of Alessandro surnamed the Great sonne of Leuent a Georgian prince came vnto him and told him That their lord was readie if it so pleased him to come vnto him to doe him reuerence and by word of mouth to promise him that deuotion he had alwayes in mind borne to the Othoman emperours With a glad heart and cheerefull countenance did Mustapha receiue these embassadours and presently sent them backe to will their lord to come and to tell him That his friendship should be vnto him most deare and acceptable And after their departure tooke order with all the commanders of his armie to receiue him with all the signes of joy that might be which at his comming was accordingly by them performed Who after he had presented vnto the Generall the rich gifts he had brought with him he offered his obedience to the Bassa with most liuely speeches he could possibly deuise calling Amurath his lord seeming to take it in euill part that he passed not through his territorie where he should as he said haue had plentie of all things for the releefe of his armie yet hoping that in his returne from SIRVAN he would take it in his way where as he should find him most readie to bestow all that he had in the seruice of his lord telling him moreouer That although he could not for many vrgent respects goe with him into SIRVAN yet he would alwayes accompanie him in mind and continually pray vnto the Creator of all things for his prosperitie and most happie successe Courteously did Mustapha receiue both his presents and submission and in exchange thereof bestowed vpon him certain gifts after the Turkish manner and in magnificall tearmes
himselfe of the seueritie by him vsed in TRANSYLVANIA the cause of those late troubles in that countrey as enforced thereunto by the stubbornenesse of the Transyluanians themselues whom he found still enclined to rebellion and vnwilling to be commaunded by any but by themseues Which his excuse as true was well admitted and he with all kindnesse vsed Now at this same time Basta lying also in TRANSYLVANIA as Gouernour for the emperour right slenderly accompanied as is before also declared the parliament at CLAVSENBVRG being ended and all controuersies as was thought well composed now without feare one night the watch being set went to bed to take his rest where he had not long lien but that certaine of the Transyluanian lords among whom the Chiaki was chiefe came with their followers and surprising the watch and entering the pallace brake into the chamber where he lay tooke him out of his bed and so kept him prisoner all that night And the next morning going forth about twelue miles off met with Sigismund Bathor their late prince before secretly by them called in whom they honourably conducted to CLAVSENBVRG and there deliuered vnto him Basta the late gouernour for the emperour whom he commaunded to be cast into yrons and so going to the pallace gaue like order for the apprehending and safe keeping of the rest of the nobilitie also such as had taken part with Basta in the behalfe of the emperour For now the Transyluanians were deuided into three parts whereof the one stood for the emperour the second for Istuan Bathor pretending that vnto him belonged the soueraignetie of that prouince but the third and farre the greatest for Sigismund their antient lord and leader who now by means of the king of POLONIA reconciled vnto the great Turke and in this troublesome time by his fauourites called againe into his countrey was by them joyfully receiued at ALâ—A IVLIA CLAVSENBVRG and the rest of the chiefe cities of TRANSYLVANIA Who now thereof againe possessed for the better assuring of his estate forthwith writ vnto the emperour what had happened requesting him to content himselfe that he was desirous of his loue and fauour promising to be alwaies his good friend and neighbor and for euer to keepe good amitie with him giuing Basta also whom he had now at the intercession of certaine great friends againe enlarged to vnderstand That hee was forthwith to depart from all the places belonging vnto his principalitie as also to cease from further molesting of his people that were now voluntarily againe returned vnto his obedience Which his request was neither of the one nor of the other much regarded or hearkened vnto for the emperour vpon the first aduertisement of this so great an alteration in TRANSYLVANIA calling vnto him Michael the Vayuod not so much troubled with the strangenesse of the matter as for that his wife and sonne whom he had left as hostages with Basta were now come into the hands of the Transyluanians his mortall enemies and satisfying him in many things that hee had before requested tooke order with him That with all conuenient speed returning home againe into VALACHIA where hee was now much longed for the people generally disliking of the simple Vayuod by the great Chancellour set ouer them and gathering together such power as he could he should joyne himselfe with Basta his lieutenant generall vnto whom he had alreadie sent great companies both of horse and foot for the expulsing of Sigismund out of TRANSYLVANIA and the reducing againe of that prouince vnder his obeysance Whereupon the Vayuod forthwith returning into VALACHIA and assembling about ten thousand of his friends all good and expert souldiors went to seeke for Basta as he had with the emperour agreed whom he found readie in the field with about twentie thousand foot and eight thousand horse but newly departed from VERADINVM where mustering their armie they with their vnited forces entered into TRANSYLVANIA there to put in execution what the emperor had commanded Where the Vayuod in disdaine of the people which loued him not with fire sword wasted all the country before him as he went not without the great discontentment of Basta to whom it seemed not good to make desolat that countrey which he was in good hope should in short time be his lord and masters the emperours But Sigismund vnderstanding both of the comming of his enemies and of the harme they did in his countrey rise from SOLNOCK where he lay encamped with his armie and so to hinder their further proceeding went to meet them howbeit being come so neere vnto them as that he might well discouer them he would not come to the triall of a battell with them which was by them offered but fortified himselfe in his trenches so seeking but to delay the time vntill the comming of the Tartars which were to haue come vnto him from the Chancellor of POLONIA as also of six thousand Turkes to haue been sent him from the Bassa of BELGRADE Where hauing afterward vnderstood that the passage of the Tartars to haue been sent him was staied by Don Ferrante Gonzaga the emperours lieutenant in the vpper HVNGARIE and that the Turks staying at GIVLA would come no farther except they had their pay before hand finding himselfe too weake with his owne power to encounter with his enemies he rise with his armie with purpose to haue retired a little backe and to haue taken certaine straight passages whereby the enemie must needs passe so by the aduantage of the place to haue holpen his owne weake strength But Basta and the Vayuod perceiuing his rising whereunto they were still attentiue followed him with such speed that they ouertooke him before he could get thither and so hardly pressed him that needs he must turne his face and joyne battell or else suffer his people altogither like beasts to be slaine In which doing albeit that neither he nor his failed to doe what was by men to be done for the obtaining of a notable victorie yet such was the valour of the souldiors of Basta and the Vayuod that in a great fight hauing disordered his footmen they put them to flight and so cut them all in pieces Which the prince beholding and not able to remedie the matter betime fled with his horsemen from the furie of his enemies and so retired to the vttermost confines of TRANSYLVANIA hauing in this battell lost ten thousand of his faithfull souldiors Whereupon CLAVDIOPOLIS with diuers other cities and townes of that countrey returned againe vnto the emperours obeysance In the prosecuting of this victorie the Vayuod to satisfie the hatred he had of long borne against the Transyluanians did what spoile he could vtterly wasting all the places whereby he pasâ—ed which Basta not liking requested him to vse his victorie with more modestie and to haue more respect to what he did especially vnto such places or persons as of themselues returned vnto the emperours obeysance
lamented but hardly or neuer remedied vntill that afterwards led with a more earnest desire to know the strange and fatall mutations by this barbarous nation in former time brought vpon a great part of the world as also so much as I might to see so great a terrour of the present time and in what tearmes it standeth with the rest I had with long search and much labour mixt with some pleasure and mine owne reasonable contentment passed through the whole melancholie course of their tragicall Historie yet without purpose euer to haue commended the same or any part thereof vnto the remembrance of posteritie as deeming it an argument of too high a reach and fitter for some more happie wit better furnished with such helpes both of nature and art as are of necessitie requisit for the vndertaking of so great a charge than was my selfe of many thousands the meanest Not vnmindâ—ull also of that which the Poet keeping decorum saith in like case though farre lesse matter of himselfe Cum canerem reges praelia Cynthius aurem Vellit admonuit Pastorem Tittere pingues Pascere oportet oues deductum ducere carmen When I did sing of mightie kings or els of bloudie warre Apollo pluckt me by the eare and said I went too farre Beseemes a shepheard Titterus his fatlings for to feed And for to fit his rurall song vnto his slender reed Besides that so many difficulties euen at the first presented themselues vnto my view as that to ouercome the same if I should take the labour in hand seemed to me almost impossible for beside the sea and world of matter I was to passe through requiring both great labour and time full of the most rare example â—oth of the letter and worse fortune in men of all sort and condition yeelding more pleasure vnto the reader than facilitie to the writer I saw not any among so many as had taken this argument in hand whom I might as a sure guide or loadstarre long follow in the course of this so great an Historie many right worthie and learned men whose memorie my soule honoureth contenting themselues to haue with their learned pennes enrolled in the records of neuer-dying fame some one great expedition or action some another as in their times they â—ell out yea the Turkish Histories and Chronicles themselues from whom the greatest light for the continuation of the Historie was in reason to haue beene expected being in the declaration of their owne aâ—â—aires according to their barbarous manner so sparing and short as that they may of right be accounted rather short rude notes than iust Histories rather pointing things out than declaring the same and that with such obscurâ—tie by changing the auntient and vsuall names as well of whole kingdomes countries and prouinces as of cities townes riuers mountaines and other places yea and oftentimes of men themselues into other strange and barbarous names of their owne deuising in such sort as might well stay an intentiue reader and depriue him of the pleasure together with the profit he might otherwise expect by the reading thereof whereunto to giue order perspicuitie and light would require no small trauell and paine Not to speake in the meane time of the diuersitie of the reports in the course of the whole Historie such as is oftentimes most hard if not altogether impossible to reconcile Notwithstanding all which difficulties with many others more proper vnto my selfe hauing with long labour and diligent search passed through the course of the whole Historie and so in some reasonable sort satisfied my selfe therein I thought it not amisse as well for the worthinesse of the matter as for the zeale I beare vnto the Christian common-weale and for the satisfying also of some others my good friends much desirous of the same to make proofe if out of the dispersed workes of many right worthie men I could set downe one orderly and continuat Historie of this so mightie an Empire with the great and fatall mutation or rather subuersion of many right strong and flourishing kingdomes and states the proper worke of all mightie rising Empires still encreasing by the fall of others wherewith this proud monarchie hath alreadie daunted a great part of the world being so many and so strange as that moe or more wonderfull were not euer to be seene in any of the greatest monarchies of auntient time or memorie and so together and as it were vnder one view and at one shew to lay open vnto the Christian Reader what I was glad to seeke for out of the defused labours of many a worke so long and laborious as might well haue deterred a right resolute and constant mind from the vndertaking thereof being as yet to my knowledge not vndergone or performed by any wherein among such varietie or more truly to say contrarietie of writers I contented not my selfe as a blind man led by his guide happily of no better sight than himselfe to tread the steps of this or that one man going for a while before me and by and by leauing me againe stumbling in the darke but out of the learned and faithfull workes of many according to my simple iudgement to make choice of that was most probable still supplying with the perfections of the better what I found wanting or defectiue in the weaker propounding vnto my selfe no other marke to aime at than the very truth of the Historie as that which is it selfe of power to giue life vnto the dead letter and to couer the faults escaped in the homely penning or compiling thereof Which the better to performe I collected so much of the Historie as possibly I could out of the writings of such as were themselues present and as it were eye-witnesses of the greatest part of that they writ and so as of all others best able most like also to haue left vnto vs the very truth Such is the greatest part of so much of the Historie of the Greeke Empire as I haue for the better vnderstanding of the rising of the Turkes in this Historie set downe gathered out of the doings of Nicetas Choniates Nicephorus Gregoras and Laonicus Chalcocondiles all writing such things as they themselues saw or were for most part in their time and neere vnto them done Such are the wonderfull and almost incredible warres betwixt old Amurath the second and his foster child the fortunat prince of Epirus of the Turks commanly called Scanderbeg and by that wayward tirant at his death together with his kingdome deliuered as it were by inheritance vnto his sonne the great and cruell Sultan Mahomet all written by Marinus Baâ—letius himselfe an Epirot and in all those troublesome times then liuing in Scodra a citie of the Venetians ioyning vpon Epirus Such is the wofull captiuitie of the imperiall citie of Constantinople with the miserable death of the Greeke Emperour Constantinus Palaeologus and the fatall ruine of the Greeke Empire written by Leonardus Chiensis Archbishop
written by me as meaning in any thing to preiudice thy better iudgement but to leaue it to thy good choice in such diuersitie of reports to follow that which may seeme vnto thee most true By which courtesie thou maiest hereafter encourage me to performe some other worke to thy no lesse contentment So wishing thee all happinesse I bid thee farwell From Sandwich the last of September 1603. Thine in all dutifull kindnesse R. KNOLLES The names of the Authors whom we especially vsed in the collecting and writing of the Historie of the Turks following ABrahamus Ortelius Achillis Traducci Aeneas Syluius Pont. Alcoranum Turcicum Antonius Sabellicus Antonius Bonfinius Antonius Pigafetta Antonius Guarnerius Augerius Busbequius Bernard de Girard Blondus Foroliuiensis Caelius Secundus Curio Dauid Chytreus Franciscus Sansouinus Henricus Pantaleon Iacobus Fontanus Ioannes Leunclauius Laonicus Chalcocondilas Lazarus Soranzi Leonardus Chiensis Leonardus Goretius Marinus Barletius Martinus Chromerus Nicephorus Gregoras Nicetas Choniates Nicholaus Honigerus Nicholaus Reusnerus Paulus Iouius Philippus Lonicerus Petrus Bizara Sebastianus Monsterus Thomas Minadoi Theodorus Spanduginus Germanicae Continuationes Relationum Historicarum Andreae Strigelij Theodori Meureri Iacobi Franci THE GENERAL HISTORIE OF THE TVRKES BEFORE THE RISING OF THE OTHOMAN FAMILIE WITH ALL THE NOTABLE EXPEDITIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN PRINCES AGAINST THEM THE glorious Empire of the Turkes the present terrour of the world hath amongst other things nothing in it more wonderfull or strange than the poore beginning of it selfe so small and obscure as that it is not well knowne vnto themselues or agreed vpon euen among the best writers of their histories from whence this barbarous nation that now so triumpheth ouer the best part of the world first crept out or tooke their beginning Some after the manner of most nations deriue them from the Trojans led thereunto by the affinity of the words Turci Teucri supposing but with what probabilitie I know not the word Turci or Turks to haue beene made of the corruption of the word Teucri the common name of the Trojans as also for that the Turks haue of long most inhabited the lesser ASIA wherein the antient and most famous citie of TROY sometime stood No great reason in my deeming yet giue the authors thereof leaue therewith to please themselues as well as some others which dwelling much farther off borrow or rather force their beginning from thence without any probabilitie at al and that with such earnestnesse as if they could not elsewhere haue found any so honourable ancestours Othersome report them to haue first come out of PERSIA and of I wot not what citie there to haue taken their name neither want there some which affirme them to haue taken their beginning out of ARABIA yea and some out of SYRIA with many other far fet deuises concerning the beginning and name of this people all seruing to no better purpose than to shew the vncertaintie thereof Amongst others Philip of MORNAY the noble and learned Frenchman in his woorthy worke concerning the truenesse of the Christian religion seemeth and that not without good reason to deriue the Turks together with the Tartars from the Iewes namely from the ten Tribes which were by Salmanazar king of ASIRIA in the time of Oseas king of ISRAEL caried away into captiuitie and by him confined into MEDIA and the other vnpeopled countries of the North whose going thither is not vnaptly described by Esdras where among the great Hords of the Tartars in the farthest part of the world Northward euen at this day are found some that still retaine the names of Dan Zabulon and Nepthaly a certaine argument of their discent whereunto also the word Tartar or Tatar signifying in the Syrian tongue remnants or leauings and the word Turke a word of disgrace signifying in Hebrew banished men seemeth right well to agreee Besides that in the Northern countries of RVSSIA SARMATIA and LYTHVANIA are found greater store of the Iewish nation than elsewhere and so neerer vnto the Tartarians still the mo whereunto Io. Leunclauius the most curious searcher out of the Turks antiquities and monuments addeth as a farther conjecture of the discent of those barbarous northern people from the Iewes That in his trauell through LIVONIA into LYTHVANIA in the countrie neere vnto the metropoliticall citie of RIâ—A he found there the barbarous people of the Lettoes quite differing in language from the other countrey people of the Curons and Estons no lesse barbarous than themselues who had alwaies in their mouths as a perpetuall lamentation which they with doleful moanes daily repeated abroad in the fields Ieru Ieru Masco Lon whereby they were thought to lament ouer IERVSALEM and DAMASCO as forgetfull of all other things in their antient countrey after so many worlds of yeeres and in a desolat place so far distant thence And Munster in his description of LIVONIA repeating the like words reporteth That this rude people being demaunded what they meant by these words so often and so lamentably by them without cause vttered answered That they knew no more than that they had beene so of long taught by their ancestors But to leaue these opinions concerning their beginning so diuers and vncertaine and to follow greater probabilities as concerning the place from whence they came it is vpon better ground thought by diuers others and those of the best historiographers That this barbarous nation which hath of late brought such fatall mutations vpon so great a part not of Christendom onely but euen of the whole world tooke their first beginning out of the cold and bare countrey of SCYTHIA induced thereunto both by the authoritie of the greatest Cosmographers as by most apparant reasons Pomponius Mela the describer of the world reckning vp the people neere vnto the great riuer TANAIS the bounder of EVROPE from ASIA Eastward amongst others maketh expresse mention of the Turks in these words Geloni vrbem ligneam habitant Iuxta Thyrsagete Turceque vastas syluas occupant alunturque venando Tum continuis rupibus late aspera deserta regio ad Arympheos vsque permittitur The Geloni inhabit a citie of wood And fast by the Thyrsagets and Turks possesse the vast forrests and liue by hunting Then a rough and desart countrey with continuall rocks is spaciously extended euen as far as vnto the Arympheians Plinie also in like manner reckning vp the nations about the fennes of MaeOTIS agreeing with that Mela reporteth saith Deinde Euazae Cottae Cicimeni Messeniani Costobocci Choatrae Zigae Dandari Thussagetae Turcae vsque ad solitudines saltuosis conuallibus asperas vltra quos Arymphet qui ad Riphaeos pertinent montes Next vnto them are the Euazae Cottae Cicimeni Messeniani Costobocci Choatrae Zigae Dandari the Thussagets and Turks vnto the desarts rough with wooddie vallies beyond whom are the Arympheians which border vnto the Riphean mountaines And Ptolomie in the description of SARMATIA ASIATICA maketh mention of the Tusci whom many
Turkish thraldome which he had seene at IERVSALEM and other places as he trauelled requesting his holy care for the redresse thereof with whom he so preuailed that shortly after he calling a Councell at CLAREMONT in FRANCE among other things propounded the miserie of the poore oppressed Christians at IERVSALEM as an especiall matter to be considered of And hauing caused the aforesaid letters directed vnto him and the other Christian princes to bee openly read in the Counsell wherunto three hundred and ten bishops were then out of diuers parts of Christendome assembled with the embassadours of all countries much mooued the whole assembly to compassion at which time also the hermit whose flowing eloquence fully counteruailed what wanted in his feature standing vp in the midst of the Counsell deliuered his message in the name of the afflicted Christians with their heauie gronings and teares which as they could not be in letters expressed so were they not hardly by the religious hermit as by him who hauing but lately seene both the miserie of the men and desolation of the places and at the heart touched with the greife thereof so liuely represented as that it mooued the whole assembly with the like simpathie of heauinesse and greife Which the Pope perceiuing tooke thereupon occasion to enter into a large discourse concerning that matter with many effectuall reasons persuading the fathers and princes there present of the necessitie of so religious a war to be taken in hand for the deliuerance of their oppressed brethren out of the thraldome of the infidels and now as well with their present decree as afterwards at their returne home into their countries by all meanes to further the same Which notable persuasion with the heauie complaint of the hermit and the equitie of the cause so much mooued the whole counsell and the rest there present that they all as men inspired with one spirit declared their consent by their often crying out Deus vult Deus vult God willeth it God willeth it which words so then vttered by way of applause was in the great and most sacred expedition following much vsed of the deuout Christians as the fortunate signall of their cheerfull forwardnesse euen in their most dangerous enterprises Strange it were to tell and hardly to be beleeued but that the antient histories beare witnesse of the like how far in one daies space the report of this religious decreed war was by flying fame dispersed The Counsell dissolued and the reuerend fathers returning euerie man home into his owne countrey it pleased God by their effectuall persuasions so to worke with the rest of the Christian princes and people in generall that in all countries and prouinces in Christendome were shortly to be seene men of all sorts in great number with red crosses on their brests the cognisance of that sacred expedition readie of themselues to spend both life and goods for the defence of the Christian religion and recouerie of the Holy land The number of whom is of diuers diuersly reported but of most supposed to haue beene three hundred thousand fighting men of whom the chiefe commanders were Godfrey Duke of LORRAINE with his two brethren Eustace and Baldwin all of the honourable house of BUILLON Hugh surnamed the Great brother to Philip then the French king Raymond and Robert earles of FLANDERS Robert duke of NORMANDIE William the Conquerours sonne Stephan de Valois earle of CHARTIERS Ademar bishop of PODIE the Popes legat and Peter the hermit not to be numbred amongst the least as chiefe author of this most famous expedition vnto whom many other honourable princes joyned themselues as partakers of their trauels though not with like charge The first that set forward in this expedition was one Gualter Sensauier a noble gentleman with a great band of men not long after whom followed Peter the hermit with fortie thousand mo who both trauelling thorow GERMANIE HVNGARIE and BVLGARIA were glad oftentimes especially in the further part of HVNGARIE and BVLGARIA to open themselues a way with the sword and so with much labour and no lesse losse came at length to CONSTANTINOPLE where they were not greatly welcome vnto the emperour Alexius Comnenus who guiltie vnto himselfe of the vnlawfull meanes whereby he had extorted the empire from Nicephorus his predecessour had that expedition of the Christians into the East in distrust as purposed against himselfe vntill that fully resolued to the contrarie by the hermit and others and that a far greater power was comming after for the inuasion of the Turks and recouerie of the Holy land he was content to relieue them now wearie of their long trauell afterward to make roome for thē that were to come shipped thē ouer the strait of BOSPHORVS into ASIA who marching forward into BITHINYA encamped their armie in the countrey not far from the citie of NICE In the meane time Godfrey with his brethren and diuers other princes that had joyned themselues vnto him with the Germaines and Loranois and the greatest part of the armie followed the same way that the hermit had taken before him At which time also Hugh the French kings brother with the Legate the two Roberts the one duke of NORMANDIE and the other earle of FLANDERS and the rest of the French commanders passing ouer the mountaines into ITALY came to ROME with a wonderfull great armie where taking their leaue of the Pope because they would be lesse troublesome vnto the cities and countries whereby they were to passe they diuided their great armie into three parts whereof the one part went to BRVNDVSIVM and the other to BARY and the third to HYDRVNTVM vnto whom also Bohemund one of the great princes of APVLIA joyned himselfe with twelue thousand good souldiers that followed him From these three ports the Christian armie departing and crossing the ADRIATIKE arriued in safetie at DIRRACHIVM and nigh thereabout vpon the coast of DALMATIA from whence they trauelled by land thorow MACEDONIA to CONSTANTINOPLE where they met with the duke Godfrey and the rest of the armie whom also at the first Alexius the emperour is reported to haue but coldly entertained as jealous of his owne state vntill that better persuaded of their designements and good meaning towards him confirmed by many rich presents sent vnto him from these strange princes he joyned with them in league wherein it was agreed That the emperour during the time of this expedition should furnish them with new supplies of men armour victuals and whatsoeuer else they should want in regard whereof the princes on the other side promised to restore againe vnto the empire what prouinces countries or cities they should happily gaine out of the hands of the Turks and Sarasins the citie of IERVSALEM onely excepted which agreement was afterward on the suspicious emperours part but slenderly performed Neuerthelesse this league so made he graunted them passage and so transported them ouer the strait into ASIA onely Bohemund for
Raimund in the meane time with the rest besieging the citie of TRIPOLIS who become much more insolent than before by reason of some fortunate roads he had made vpon the enemies the last winter ceased not still to maligne Bohemund and his proceedings matter enough to haue diuided the whole power of the Christians to haue turned their weapons vpon themselues which Bohemund wel considering rise with his armie and because he would not with his presence trouble the proceeding of the religious war retired himselfe to ANTIOCH After whose departure Godfrey and the earle of FLANDERS tooke GABELLA a citie about twelue miles from LAODICIA and from thence returned againe to the siege of TORTOSA whether Raimund came also with his armie hauing before driuen the gouernour of TRIPOLIS to such composition as pleased himselfe and to furnish him with such things as he wanted Thus was TORTOSA hardly on three sides besieged by the Christians but so notably defended by the Turks that after three months hard siege the Christians were glad to depart thence and marching alongst the sea side spoiled the countrey about SIDON But forasmuch as that citie was not easily to be woon they left it encamped before PTOLEMAIS which they also passed by the gouernor thereof sending them out victuals with such other things as they wanted and vpon summons giuen promising to yeeld the citie after they had once woon the citie of IERVSALEM From thence they came to CESARIA in PALESTINE where they solemnly kept the feast of Whitsontide and so to RAMA which they found for feare forsaken of the Infidels Marching from RAMA and drawing neere to IERVSALEM they in the vantgard of the armie vpon the first descrying of the Holy citie gaue for joy diuers great shouts and outcries which with the like applause of the whole armie was so doubled and redoubled as if therewith they would haue rent the verie mountaines and pearced the highest heauens There might a man haue seene the deuout passions of these most woorthie and zealous Christians vttered in right diuers manners Some with their eies and hands cast vp towards heauen called aloud vpon the name and helpe of Christ Iesus some prostrat vpon their faces kissed the ground as that whereon the Redeemer of the world sometime walked others joyfully saluted those holy places which they had heard so much of and then first beheld In briefe euerie man in some sort expressed the joy he had conceiued of the sight of the Holy citie as the end of their long trauell This most antient and famous citie so much renowmed in holy writ is situat in an hillie countrey not watred with any riuer or fresh springs as other famous cities for most part be neither yet was it well seated for wood or pasture ground But what wanted in these and such other benefits of nature was by the extraordinarie blessings of the most highest so supplied as that the Iewes there dwelling so long as they kept the ordinances of the Lord were of all other people in the world justly accounted the most happie and fortunate Yet in those so blessed times was this citie for the sinne of the people oftentimes deliuered into the enemies hand and the glorie thereof defaced as well appeareth by the whole course of the historie of holy Scripture as also by the antient and approoued histories as well of the Iewes themselues as others Neuerthelesse it still rise againe though not in like glorie as before in the time of king Dauid Salomon and the other next succeeding kings and so was still repeopled by the Iewes vntill that at last according to the foretelling of our Sauiour Christ it was with a great and of all others most lamentable destruction vtterly rased and destroyed by the Romans vnder the leading of Vespatian the emperour and his noble sonne Titus fortie yeeres after our Sauiour his pretious death and passion Sithence which time it was neuer vntill this day againe repaired or yet well inhabited by the Iewes but lying buried in the ruines of it selfe all the raigne of Domitian Nerua and Trajan vntill the time of the great emperour Aelius Adrianus it was againe by him reedified about the yeere 136 and after the name of him called AELIA who together with the name changed also in some part the antient situation of the citie For whereas before it was seated vpon the steepe rising of an hill in such sort that towards the East and the South it ouerlooked the whole ground hauing onely the temple and the castle called ANTONIA in the highest part of the citie Adrian translated the whole citie vnto the verie top of the hill so that the place where our blessed Sauiour suffred his most bitter passion with the sepulcher wherein he was also laid and from whence he in glorie rise againe before without the citie were then enclosed within the walles thereof as they are at this day to be seene Yet for all that the emperour being dead in processe of time this new built citie recouered againe the antient name of IERVSALEM whereby it hath euer since and is at this day yet known This citie so reedified the emperour first gaue vnto the Iewes whom he afterwards againe thrust out for their rebellion and gaue it to the Christians to inhabit ouer whom one Marke first bishop of the Gentiles there had the charge But forasmuch as the Romane emperours were at that time altogether idolaters and persecutors of the poore Christians the church also at IERVSALEM with others endured sundrie and many grieuous persecutions vnder the emperors Antoninus Commodus Seuerus Maximinus Valerianus Aurelianus Dioclesianus and Maxentius vntill that at length Constantine the Great conuerted vnto the faith of Christ about the yeere of Grace 320 suppressing the Pagan idolatrie gaue generall peace vnto the afflicted church whereby the Christian church at IERVSALEM for the space of three hundred yeeres after happily flourished vnder the Greeke emperours vntill the time of the emperour Phocas who hauing most cruelly slaine the good emperour Maurice with his children and so possessed himselfe of the empire gaue occasion thereby vnto Chosroe the Persian king in reuenge of the death of Maurice his father in law with all his power to inuade SIRIA who as a tempest bearing downe all before him tooke also by force the citie of IERVSALEM hauing that yeere which was about the yeere six hundred and ten slaine almost an hundred thousand christians But Phocas the vsurper being by them of his guard most cruelly slaine and Heraclius succeeding in his steed Chosroe was by him againe driuen out of SIRIA and the Holy citie againe recouered about the yeere 624. In these great wars against the Persians Heraclius had vsed the helpe of the Arabians called Scenite a warlike people of ARABIA DESERTA altogether giuen to the spoile who the wars now ended expecting to haue receiued their pay were contrarie to their expectation and without all reason rejected by them that
or goe into any street but hee must passe ouer the dead or others which being not yet altogether dead were miserably drawing toward their end Of seuentie thousand persons in the citie were not found aboue three thousand aliue and those for the most part yet young children for all the rest were dead taken away either with the sword famine or the plague the greatest part whereof lay yet stinking aboue the ground vnburied These three thousand that were left were so maigre and poore that pitie it was to behold them vnto whom their liues were graunted vpon condition that they should make cleane the citie and burie the dead which they were three moneths in doing Thus was DAMIATA taken by the Christians the fift day of Nouember in the yeare 1221 after it had ben more than a yeare by them besieged The spoile there taken was great for besides the rich marchandise brought thither from farre was found great store of gold siluer and precious stones The Christians thus enriched and the citie made clean staied there more than a yeare after as in a Colonie wherein they had been willing to dwell forgetfull of their owne countrey In the beginning of these warres the princes of the armie had with one consent agreed That whatsoeuer citie or territorie should by them be taken from the Turkes or Infidels should be giuen vnto the king of HIERUSALEM whom after the departure of the king of HUNGARIE they had made generall of the whole armie But now that the citie was taken Pelagius the legat pretending That by the vertue of his legation it belonged vnto him to dispose of all things taken in that sacred warre as a man not vnmindfull of his master adjudged the citie from thenceforth to belong vnto the See of ROME With which indignitie wrong the king inwardly discontented and yet for the authoritie of the Legate dissembling the matter withdrew himselfe and so retired to PTOLEMAIS The yeare following Pelagius wearie to see the armes of the Christians to corrupt with rust and nothing doing considering the desire and hope he had vtterly to haue ruinated the infidels together with their superstition commaunded That euery man should againe take vp armes for the prosecuting of this warre against the Sultan and the besieging of CAIRE But for all that when he had commanded what he would or could the soldiors little regarding his command with one voice cried out That they would not be commanded by any but by the king of HIERUSALEM onely So that the Legate enforced by the souldiors was glad to send vnto the king to request him to returne againe vnto DAMIATA and to take vpon him the charge for the managing of that warre taken in hand for the defence of the Christian religion who for all that excused himselfe from so doing one while by his owne particular affaires another while by his owne indisposition yet in fine pressed and ouercome with the praiers and requests of the other Latine princes he returned to DAMIATA at the selfe same time that the duke of BAVARIA arriued there with a goodly companie of braue men brought thither out of his owne countrey after he had been now from thence ten moneths absent The Legate desirous of the prosecution of this warre requested and vrged the king with the rest of the princes and great commanders without delay to take the field telling them That the enterprise of the Holy warre was growne old and cold by those long delaies and protracting of the time and that they which kept wars so far from home ought to make hast to force the enemie to take all occasions to lose no time but euer to be doing and to prooue all things for the annoying of the enemie and that that was the way whereby the woorthies of antient times both kings and emperours had gained vnto themselues empires glorie greatnesse and wealth That it was for them that were inuaded and assailed vpon whose liues depended the safetie of their countrey their wiues their children and goods to delay and prolong the time as they might to delude the enemie to frustat his designs to defeat his attempts and with delaies to dally him off vntill that hauing thereby weakned his forces he should together with his courage loose also his hope CAIRE he said to be indeed a great citie but yet that the greatest cities that euer were had by warres become great desarts forced by the power of their puissant and speedie enemies And that great empires as were those of the Sultans ought not to be inuaded or assailed by any forraine force if they were not at the first onset ouerthrown or at leastwise so weakned as that they could not afterwards lift vp their heads or recouer themselues for otherwise that they which had prepared a distruction for others should fall into the same themselues That it behooued either not to haue attempted or assailed AEGYPT at all or else now after it had beene once assailed not so to giue it ouer before it were conquered The king of HIERUSALEM whether it were that he were pricked with the griefe That being called the king of the Holyland he could not haue the citie of DAMIATA vnder his leading and conduct woon by the Christians come to the sacred war giuen vnto him by the Legate or that he had before prooued that the higher countrey of AEGYâ—T was not without great and manifest danger to be attempted said That that he would not in any case go alleaging that honorable and sacred war to haue ben taken in hand onely for the recouerie of the Holy land and not for the winning of MEMPHIS BABYLON or THEBES in AEGYPT which after they were taken would not for any long time continue in their fidelitie or alleageance and could not possibly be kept by force Whereas SYRIA by Godfrey of BUILLON and the other great princes his associats entred into conquered and possessed and since his time by diuers other Christian kings and princes holden was in right their owne And that therefore he greatly commended the forwardnesse the dilligence the courage the desire and whatsoeuer thing else Pelagius commended but that hee ought to employ the same in SYRIA and not there where no need was or from whence no profit was to be drawne or expected Neuerthelesse the Legat wedded to his owne opinion by the power of his authoritie commanded the king of HIERUSALEM the duke of BAVARIA with the rest of the great commanders and captaines to take vp their armes and to get them into the field vpon the expedition by him appointed against the Sultan threatning the paine of the high sentence of excommunication against him or them that should â—hew themselues backward or vnwilling to doe what he had commaunded So as it were enforced by the Legat they began with euill will and woorse speed to set forward in August in the verie hottest time of the yeare At which time the Sultan beholding the great armie of the
price he thrust in armed men couering those packs with homely couerings sending them by carriages to the castle of BILEZVGA giuing charge that they should not come thither before twilight After that he appareled certaine of his best souldiours in womens apparell as if it had beene his wife and mother in law with their women so casting his journey that he with these diguised souldiours and the other sent in packs might at one instant meet at the castle aforesaid The captaine being now in the countrey and vnderstanding that Othoman was comming in the euening with a great tâ—ame of gentlewomen thought the cause of his late comming to be for that the Turkish women vse to shun the sight of Christian men by all meanes they can Othoman being now come to the place in the countrey where the mariage was next day to be solemnized hauing done his humble reuâ—rence to the captaine requested him to do him the honour That his gentlewomen which were nigh at hand might by his appointment bee sent to his castle there to haue some conuenient lodging where they might alight and bestow themselues a part from others according to the homely fashion of their nation least peraduenture the presence of so honourable a companie of noble men and gallants might put them out of countenance which the captaine graunted and hauing saluted them a far off after the Turkish manner commaunded them to be conueyed to his castle making reckoning of them all as of a rich prey At the same time that these disguised souldiours arriued at the castle came thither also the other souldiours couered in packes in the cariages which so soone as they were within the castle suddenly leapt out of the packs and drawing their short swords with the helpe of their disguised fellowes slew the warders of the castle and without more adoe possessed the same the greatest part of the captaines people being before gon out of the castle to the place of the mariage Othoman hauing taried so long with the captaine as hee supposed the castle by that time by his men surprised so soone as the captaine had taken his chamber suddenly tooke horse with all his followers accompanied also with Cossi taking his way directly to the castle of BILEZVGA of whose sudden departure the captaine vnderstanding presently tooke horse and pursued him with all his traine which were for the most part drunke and ouertaking him before he came to the castle set vpon him in which conflict he was by Othoman slaine and the rest put to flight The same night Othoman vsing great celeritie earely in the morning surprised the castle of IARCHISAR also where he tooke prisoners the captaine thereof with his faire daughter Lulufer which should haue beene maried to the captaine of BILEZVGA the next day with all her friends as they were readie to haue gone to the mariage which faire ladie he shortly after married vnto his eldest sonne Orchanes who had by her Amurath third king of the Turkes and Solyman Bassa Othoman omitting no opportunitie presently sent one of his captaines called Durgut-Apes a man of great esteeme and valour to besiege the castle of EINEGIOL wherein he vsed such celeritie that preuenting the same of that was done at BILEZVGA he suddenly inuironed the castle in such sort that none could passe in or out vntill such time as that Othoman hauing broght his prisoners and prey to the castle of BELIZVGA and there hauing set all things in good order came with the rest of his men of war to EINEGIOL which he presently by force tooke promising the spoile thereof vnto his souldiours The captaine called Hagio-Nicholaus his antient enemie he caused to be cut in small peeces and all the men to be slaine which crueltie he vsed because they a little before had vsed the like tyrannie against his Turks When Othoman had thus got into his subjection a great part of the strong castles and forces of the greater PHRIGIA with the territorie to them belonging he began with all carefulnesse to make good lawes and to execute justice to all his subjects as well Christians as Turkes with great indifferencie studying by all meanes to keepe his countrey in peace and quietnesse and to protect his subjects from the spoile of others as well Christians as Turkes whereby it came to passe that the old inhabitants which for the most part had forsaken the country by reason of the great troubles therein repaired now againe to their antient dwellings and not onely they but many other strangers also supplying the places of them whom the late warres had consumed So that by his good gouernment that wasted countrey in short time grew to be againe verâ—â— populous The ciuile gouernment of his countrey well established hee besieged the citie of ISNICA in antient time called NICE a citie of BITHINIA famous for the generall Counsell there holden against Artus in the time of Constantine the Great This citie hee brought into great distresse by placing his men of war in forts new built vpon euerie passage and way leading vnto the same so that nothing could be brought out of the countrey for the reliefe of the poore citizens They in this extremitie by a secret messenger certified the emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE vnder whose obedience they were in what distresse the citie stood and that except he sent them present reliefe they must of necessitie either perish with famine or yeeld themselues into the hands of their enemies the Turks The emperour mooued with the pittifull complainâ— of this messenger with all expedition embarked certaine companies of souldiours from CONSTANTINOPLE to relieue his besieged citie But Othoman vnderstanding by his espials where these souldiours were appointed to land in secret manner withdrawing most of his forces from the siege lay in ambush neere vnto the same place where the emperours souldiours casting no perill landed who before they could put themselues in order of battell were by Othoman and his Turks in such sort charged that most part of them were there slaine and the rest driuen into the sea where they miserably perished Othoman hauing thus politikely ouerthrowne the Constantinopolitan souldiours returning to his siege continued the same in straighter manner than before The besieged citizens driuen into great pâ—nurie and now despairing of all helpe yeelded themselues with the great and rich citie of NICE into the hands of Othoman with the spoile whereof he greatly enriched his men of war Aladin the great Sultan of ICONIVM glad to heare of this good successe of Othoman against the Christians in token of his fauour and loue sent vnto him a faire ensigne with certaine drums and trumpets a sword and princely robe with large charters That whatsoeuer he tooke from the Christians should be all his owne and also that publike praiers should be said in all the Turks temples in the name of Othoman for his health and prosperous estate which two things properly belonged to the dignitie of the Sultan
heapes and trod vpon by others there perished some as is reported died there for very feare no man either chasing or hurting them so weake is mans courage when God withdraweth from him his strength But in the morning the Sunne arising the three hundreth Turks left for scouts perceiuing the flight of the Christians entred the forsaken campe where they found horses armour and emptie tents yea the emperours owne furniture and his horses readie sadled of all which two hundred of these Turks tooke the spoile at their pleasure and the other hundred pursuing the dispersed Christians like heartlesse men wandring here and there slew a great number of them The emperour himselfe seeing his armie thus as it were by the hand of God ouerthrowne and dispersed tooke shipping also and so returned to CONSTANTINOPLE After whose departure the Turks seizing vpon many sea townes alongst the coast of BYTHINIA and there seating themselues laid heauie tributes vpon the other countrey townes and villages for the benefit whereof they spared to destroy them together with the inhabitants which they might at their pleasure full easily haue done Now lay the great citie of NICE in the suds the enemie commaunding all the country about it liuing as sicke men doe by hope and holding out onely vpon hope of a thousand horsemen which the emperour notwithstanding his late discomfiture had promised foorthwith to send there to lie in garrison for the repressing of the Turks Of which aid so promised Orchanes vnderstanding furnished eight hundred of his owne horsemen after the manner of the Christians and fetching a great compasse about came at length into the high way that leadeth from CONSTANTINOPLE to NICE and so trouped directly towards the citie as if they had come from CONSTANTINOPLE At the same time he sent three hundred of his other horsemen in the habit of Turks to forrage and spoile the countrey as much as they could within the view of the citie now for want of victuals brought into great extremitie which whilest they were a doing the other eight hundred horsemen in the attire of Christians following vpon them as if it had been by chance charged them and in the sight of the cittizens put them to flight which done these counterfeit horsemen returned directly againe towards NICE The cittizens which with great pleasure had in the meane time from the wals seene the most part of the skirmish and how they had put the Turks to flight supposing them to be the Constantinopolitan horsemen whom they daily expected with great joy opened the gates of the citie to receiue them as their friends But they being entred the gates presently set vpon the Christians fearing no such matter and being seconded with the other three hundred which in dissembling manner had fled before and were now speedily returned bringing also with them other companies of Turks before laid in secret ambush not far off they woon the great and famous citie of NICE which they haue euer since vntill this day possessed the spoile wherof was giuen vnto the souldiors for a prey and the citizens all led away into miserable captiuitie and thraldome Whilest Orchanes was thus busied his other captaines did with great courage and successe enlarge his dominions on all sides daily encroching vpon their weake neighbours the Christians Cunger-Alpes one of his warlike captaines subdued the country of MVDURN or MODRIN in PHRIGIA and BOLLI in PAPHIAGONIA appointing one Abdurachman a man of great valour to gouerne the country And at the same time another of his old captains called Accecozza brought CANDARA in PAPHIAGONIA and ERMENIE a country neere vnto the mountain HORMINIUS into the Turkish subjection placing garrisons in all the castles forts which he had woon of whom some part of those countries was after his name called Cozza Ilini that is to say The old mans country So that Orchanes his kingdome grew daily greater greater as well by the industrie of his chieftains as of himselfe About this time it fortuned the captains son of SCAMANDRIA a town not far from the ruines of the antient citie of TROY and about a daies journey from the renoumed castle of ABYDUS to depart out of this world vnto whose funerals being kept in the countrey whilest his woâ—â—â— father the captaine with his friends out of SCAMANDRIA resorted the old craftie Turke Accecozza lying alwaies in wait as a fox for his prey suddenly set vpon those heauie Christians whereof he slue the most part and tooke the rest prisoners Amongst whom he also tooke the captaine of SCAMANDRIA with his castle and countrey whom he afterwards led prisoner vnto the castle of ABYDVS which is one of the most famous castles situate vpon the sea coast of ASIA ouer against SESTVS in EVROPE where the sea of HELLESPONTVS by the narrow strait falleth into the sea AEGEVM two castles much renoumed by reason of their nigh situation and yet placed in diuers parts of the world eternized also by the euer liuing wits oâ— Poets for the aduenturous passage of Leander ouer that fret of the sea to his loue Hero which castles are now called DARDANELLY Accecozza hauing brought the captiue captaine of SCAMANDRIA lately a man of great account in that country so neer as he could vnto the castle of ABYDVS offred to set him at libertie if they would surrender their castle otherwise they should see him cruelly slaine before their faces These Turkish threats nothing moued them of ABYDUS more than to say That they might if they would cut off his head seeth him and eat him but the castle they intended not to deliuer The same captain was afterward by the coÌ„mandement of Orchanes profered to the emperor of CONSTANTINOPLE to be redeemed which he refused Yet at the last he was ransomed by the gouernour of NICOMEDIA and againe set at libertie Accecozza of long time held the castle of SCAMANDRIA yet so continually molested with the garrison of ABYDVS and men of war sent from CONSTANTINOPLE that he with his followers were glad for the most part to liue on horsbacke to be alwaies in more readinesse against the attempt of their enemies The captaine of the castle of ABYDVS had at that time a faire young gentlewoman to his daughter who as she said chanced to dreame what she had happily waking for the most part wished That being fallen into a deepe mirie ditch out of which she could by no meanes helpe her selfe a lustie young gallant comming by did not onely helpe her out but also in friendly manner made her cleane and afterwards apparelled her in rich and costly attire The danger of this dreame much troubled the tender gentlewoman but the image of the yong gentleman was so well phantizied in her braine that waking she thought she still saw him and sleeping longed sore for what she saw not Thus whilst this yong gentlewoman with great deuotion entertained this imaginarie man the old gray headed Turk Accecozza came and with a strong companie
had almost taken end the Sultan of AEGYPT had as is aforesaid giuen aid vnto Baiazet which Tamerlane tooke in so euill part as that he resolued to be thereof reuenged For as he was vnto his friends of all others most kind and courteous so was he to his enemies no lesse terrible and dreadfull Yet thinking it good before his departure out of the lesser ASIA to take some good order with these his new conquests and finding nothing more honourable to resolue vpon he restored vnto the poore Mahometane princes Tachretin Isfendiar Germian and the rest before fled vnto him for refuge all their auncient inheritance with something more as he did also diuers cities and countries of NATOLIA vnto the Greeke emperour for the yearely tribute of foure hundred thousand duckats of gold and eight hundred thousand franks of siluer which the emperour promised to pay vnto him yearely And so hauing enriched his armie with the spoiles of the Othoman empire in ASIA he turned his forces against the Aegyptian Sultan and so passing through CARAMANIA entred into SYRIA then part of the Sultans kingdome where neere vnto ALLEPPO being before yeelded vnto him was fought betwixt them a great and mortall battaile the Sultan hauing in his armie an hundred thousand foot and seuentie foure thousand horse whereof there were thirtie thousand Mamelukes accounted the best horsemen of the world In which battaile Axalla the great captaine with the avauntguard of Tamerlane his armie was hardly distressed and Axalla himselfe taken but foorthwith againe rescued by Tamerlane who had hee not by his comming on with new forces speedily restored the battaile cunningly protracted by Axalla that day was like ynough to haue made an end of his good fortune But the victorie after a long and cruell fight wherein were fourescore thousand men on both sides slaine enclining to Tamerlane the Sultan fled Tamerlane pursuing him by the space of three leagues After which victorie Tamerlane deuiding his armie sent Axalla with fortie thousand horse and fiftie thousand foot to pursue the Sultan alongst the coast of ARABIA who oftentimes shewed himselfe with some foure thousand horse to haue hindred Axalla who hauing the smallest forces followed him the nearest Tamerlane himselfe in the meane time with threescore thousand horse an hundred thousand foot marching alongst the sea coast had all the cities as he went yeelded vnto him as MAGATA AMAN otherwise called APAMEA TORTOSA BARRUTO NEPHTHALIN only the strong citie of DAMASCO refused to receiue him whereinto the Sultan had put the prince Zamadzen with a strong garrison who did what hee might to haue defended the same But all in vaine for Tamerlane hauing by batterie ouerthrowne a great part of the wall by assault woon the cittie only the castle yet remaining as being of a wonderfull strength and almost impregnable whereinto such a multitude had at the taking of the citie retired themselues as was not possible therein long to liue who in short time pinched with hunger and many of them dead the rest vpon safeguard of their liues offered to yeeld whom for all that Tamerlane would not receiue to mercie to make them feele what it was to hold out against him so that most of them dying of famine the rest yeelded without condition and were for their obstinacie almost all slaine Which his seueritie towards them of DAMASCO caused that thirtie leagues off they brought the keyes of their cities vnto him in token of their submission whom he no way molested more than in contributing vnto the charge of his armie From DAMASCO he turned directly towards IERUSALEM at which time they of the citie had driuen out the Sultans garrison as had almost all they of IUDEA submitting themselues vnto Tamerlane At CHORAZNI the Sultan had left six thousand men in garrison for the defence of the place who at the first seemed to stand vpon their guard but afterward dismaied to see so great an armie before it and that Tamerlane hauing approched the wals was set downe to haue it they submitted themselues and found mercie In which citie Tamerlane left certaine of his men in garrison for the better repressing of the Mamalukes who with often incursions troubled his armie So marching on he himselfe with certaine horsemen for his guard rode to IERUSALEM to visit the sepulchre so much reuerenced of all nations and there to make his oblations where hee was of the inhabitants joyfully receiued and hauing sought out all the antiquities of that auncient citie would be conducted vnto all the places thereabouts where Iesus Christ had preached euen as the pilgrimes doe and comming to the sepulchre gaue thereunto and the deuout there many rich and precious gifts to the great contentment of all men to see him honour those holy places but of the Iews only who greatly blamed him for so doing of whom of all others Tamerlane made no reckoning but called them the accursed of God There had he newes that the Sultan had gathered all his forces and being come into AEGYPT was there fortifying of his citties especially the great cities of ALEXANDRIA and CAIER Tamerlane his armie in the meane time by his commaundement came towards AEGYPT to DAMIATA which strong citie hee thought not good to leaue behind him although he was by some persuaded so to do for that it was thought impregnable as well in respect of the castle as of the strong garrison that the Sultan had put thereinto But he whose fortune nothing could hinder would needs goe thither and so hauing commaunded Axalla to set vpon it followed himselfe after with the rest of his armie Now Axalla hauing summoned the citie and declared vnto the inhabitants who were most of them Christians the mildnesse and courtesie of Tamerlane as also who himselfe was and what religion he held causing many of the Greeke captaines to speake vnto them and to tell them of the miserie they endured vnder the Moores and Mamalukes so farre preuailed with them that they all determined to aduenture their liues to put the Mamalukes out of the cittie with all them that fauoured the Sultan And so in the night taking vp armes made themselues masters of one quarter of the cittie and deliuered one of the gates to Axalla whereby he entering put all the Mamalukes to the sword or tooke them prisoners and so gained the citie Whereof Tamerlane hearing being as yet vpon his march was in good hope of so prosperous a beginning to find an happie end also of his designes in EGYPT For besides the good fortune thereof hee knew that this hauen of DAMIATA might serue him with victuals out of all the parts of GREECE as the emperour Emanuel had promised him and wherein hee nothing failed him Into which port Tamerlane hauing made his entrie left there in garrison two thousand of the emperour Emanuell his souldiours with a gouernour of whom he tooke an oath for their obedience So hauing stayed a space at DAMIATA
calamitie THE LIFE OF MAHOMET THE FIRST OF THAT NAME FIFTH KING OF THE TVRKS AND RESTORER OF THEIR SORE SHAKEN KINGDOME HOw wonderfully the Turkish kingdome was by the violence of Tamerlane shaken and the majestie thereof defaced it well appeareth in that the Histories of that time as well those of the Greekes as of the Turks in nothing more differ than in the successors of Baiazet their late vnfortunat king Some writing that hee had two sons Orchanes otherwise called Calepinus and Mahomet and that Calepinus in the second yeare of his raigne was slaine and his kingdome possessed by Mahomet his brother Others reporting That Baiazet had two sons namely Calepinus and Mustapha and that Calepinus succeeding his father in the Turkish kingdome when hee had raigned six yeares died leauing behind him two sonnes Orchanes and Mahomet and that Orchanes being young was slaine by his vncle whom Mahomet in reuenge of his brothers death afterwards slew possessed the kingdome himselfe Others reckon vp seuen sonnes of Baiazet Iosua Musulmanes Moses Calepinus Iosua the yonger Mustapha and Halis with an vncertaine succession amongst them also This diuersitie of opinions full of no lesse vncertainetie as I meane not to follow in report of this historie so will I not spend any time in refuting the same although much might be said in the matter but leaue these reports together with the historie following to such credit as they shall hap to find with the considerat readers The Greeke Historiographers best like to know the Turkish succession as well by reason of their neerenesse as in that they were by them as their bad neighbours so much troubled make no mention at all either of Calepinus or of Orchanes In like manner Historiae Musulmanae Turcorum diligently gathered out of the Turks owne histories by Io. Leunclauius a learned physician and himselfe a great trauailer amongst them and therefore deseruing the more credit do not so much as name the succession of Calepinus or Orchanes after the captiuitie of Baiazet but rejecteth them both as counterfeits But in mine opinion without prejudice to any that vpon better reason may deeme otherwise the great confusion of the Turkish kingdome in short time wrought by the mightie Tamerlane and his Tartarians with the ciuile discord and warre afterwards arising among the sonnes of Baiazet striuing all as it were at once for the restlesse roome of soueraignetie which suffereth no parteners and euery one of them according to his hap or power laying hand vpon some one part or other thereof and beaâ—ing himselfe therein for a time as a king in countries so far distant neuer leauing vntill they had like the earth-borne brethren wrought one anothers destruction might giue just occasion of such diuersitie of reports as is before spoken of concerning the succession of that time in that troubled and rent kingdome some reckoning one some another and some such as neuer were to haue succeeded in the gouernment and so vntruly augmenting the number of the Turkish kings Wherefore leauing Calepinus Orchanes vnto them that first found them with that little which without any good ground and lesse probabilitie is written of their supposed raigne I following the authoritie of the Turkish historie reckon this Mahomet one of the youngest sonnes of Baiazet of whom we are now to intreat fifth king of the Turkes who after great and dangerous wars as well against his own brethren as his forraine enemies was at length solely inuested in the Turkish kingdome about ten yeares after the captiuitie of his father Baiazet as shall hereafter be declared Baiazet after the manner of the Turkish kings hauing laied vp the hope of his posteritie in the common treasure house of nature rather than in the bodie of one lawfull wife had by diuers wiues and concubines seuen sonnes Erthogrul otherwise called Orthobules Emer-Soliman Mustapha-Zelebi that is to say the noble Isa-Zelebi Musa-Zelebi Sultan Mahomet and Casan-Zelebi Of whom Erthogrul the eldest was lost in the wars against Casi Burchaniden as is beforesaid in the life of Baiazet Mustapha was slaine in the great battaile against Tamerlane and there buried in the bed of fame Casan the yongest was a child in Baiazet his court when his father was taken and afterwards with his sister Fatime deliuered as hostages by their brother Solyman vnto Emanuel the emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE where they both happely became Christians and so shortly after died Solyman was by Alis Bassa president of Baiazet his counsell and other great captaines conueyed out of the battaile against Tamerlane into EVROPE and so by them at HADRIANOPLE saluted Sultan Mahomet fled out of the same battaile to AMASIA in CAPADOCIA where he was in his fathers time gouernour Isa hearing of his fathers captiuitie after the departure of Tamerlane with his Tartars seized vpon PRUSA a citie of BITHYNIA the antient seat of the Turkish kings with the countrey adjoyning and there raigned as king Musa-Zelebi was taken prisoner with Baiazet his father and afterwards set at libertie by Tamerlane But of their fortunes more shall be said in this historie following Mahomet was but fifteene yeares old when his father Baiazet in the vnfortunate battaile at mount STELLA was taken prisoner and was at the same time by his appointment gouernour of AMASIA with a great part of CAPADOCIA adjoyning which places became so troublesome after the great victorie of Tamerlane that the Turks in that countrey were glad day and night for the safegard of themselues their wiues and children to keepe continuall watch and ward insomuch that many of them wearied with those troubles and despairing of better times went into voluntarie exile because they would not see so great miseries which thing much greeued young Mahomet Wherefore calling vnto him his most faithfull counsellors to consult what course to take in the middest of so many dangers it was by generall consent thought best for so much as they could not without apparent danger continue neere vnto Tamerlane his forces to get themselues farther off into places of more strength and from thence to expect the departure of their enemies and in the meane time to content themselues with such aduauntages as occasion and chance of war might minister cutting them short by policie whom they were not able to meet in the plaine field and so by little and little to weaken or wearie their mightie stragling enemies For albeit that Tamerlane himselfe was not neere him as then lying in CARIA yet did the captaines of his great and victorious armie at their pleasure spoile and forrage the countries farre and neere all ouer the lesser ASIA Vpon this resolution hee with all his forces departed from AMASIA to DERBY in PAPHLAGONIA where by the way he encountered with Cara Iabia a nigh kinsman to the prince Isfendiar of CASTAMONA his enemie whom he put to flight with great slaughter of his men This was the beginning of Mahomet his good fortune From thence he went to
to the three sonnes of the king of CARAMANIA Ibrahim Aladin and Isa other two were bestowed vpon the sonnes of the prince Isfendiar Ibrahim and Casimes the sixt was giuen in mariage to Cozza-Beg viceroy in ANATOLIA and the seuenth to the sonne of Ibrahim Bassa who died at Mâ—CHA whither she went vpon superstitious deuotion on pilgrimage At such time as Amurath was busied in his warres in EUROPE against Mustapha the supposed sonne of Baiazet the younger sonne of Mahomet called also Mustapha being but thirteene years old and Amurath his brother indeed was set vp to raise new troubles by the king of CARAMANIA and other princes as well Mahometans as the Christian princes of GRECIA who thought it good pollicie by that meanes to impeach the greatnesse of Amurath This young prince Mustapha strengthened with the forces of his friends entered into his brothers dominions in ASIA and besieged NICE which was at length yeelded vnto him Amurath aduertised of this new rebellion by great gifts and large promises corrupted Ilias Beg the young princes tutor to betray the prince into his hands Whereupon Amurath with great celeritie set forward with his armie from HADRIANOPLE and in nine daies came to NICE where he entered the cittie with small resistance as was to him before promised where Mustapha was by his false tutor to him presented who because he would not spill one drop of the sacred Othoman blood as the Turks call it commaunded the executioner presently to strangle him with a bow string which was done accordingly and his bodie afterwards buried by his father at PRUSA Amurath hauing suppressed these two rebellions and now out of all feare of any competitor thought his fiue counsellers too many by three and therefore remoued the three Bassaes Omâ—re Vrutzi and Alis the sonnes of Temurtases into honorable places retaining of his counsell onely the two old Bassaes Ibrahim and Eiuases But shortly after Eiuases was secretly accused to Amurath That he sought by his fauorits the souldiors of the court to aspire vnto the kingdome himselfe and to depose the king and that intending some such matter hee did vsually weare a priuie coat This suspicious report troubled the jealous tyrant wherefore on a time as he rid accompanied with Eiuases he cast his arme about him as if it had beene in kindnesse but finding him secretly armed would needs know the cause thereof whereunto Eiuases answered That it was for feare of some enemies hee had in the court but this excuse could by no meanes serue his turne wherefore he was forthwith apprehended by the commaundement of Amurath and both his eyes burnt out with a hot steele glasse Whilest Amurath was thus busied in subduing rebellions at home Muhamethes the Caramanian king besieged ATTALIA a great cittie in PAMPHILIA by the space of six moneths which was valiantly defended by Hamza-beg Amurath his lieutenant there at which siege the vnfortunat king himselfe as he was taking view of the citie was slaine with a great shot out of the citie whereupon Ibrahim which succeeded him in the kingdome brake vp the siege returned home to burie his father At this time also Dracula prince of VALACAIA passing ouer DANUBIUS did the Turks much harme about SILISTRA but was afterwards enforced to submit himselfe to Amurath and become his tributarie About this time also Tzunites the prince of SMYRNA which had before aided the rebell Mustapha did by all meanes he could vex and molest Iaxis-beg Amurath his lieutenant in AIDINIA hauing by chance taken his brother prisoner put him to death This prince of SMYRNA was descended of the antient princes of AIDINIA and therefore pretended an interest in that siegnorie which his claime the people of the countrey secretly fauoured so farre as they durst for feare of the Turks Amurath hearing of the harmes that this prince of SMYRNA did commaunded Hamze-beg viceroy of ANATOLIA with all his power to make warre vpon him The viceroy without delay assembled a great armie and inuaded the princes country and the prince being well prouided for his comming meeting him vpon the way gaue him battaile wherein Hasan the princes sonne leading a great part of his fathers armie had put one part of the Turkes armie to flight and pursuing them with too much furie left his father at the same time so hardly beset by the viceroy that he was glad to flie to his castle of HIPSILY fast by Hasan returning from the chace of the enemie not knowing what had happened to his father was by the Turkes in his returne ouercome and taken prisoner After which victorie the viceroy presently laid siege to the castle wherein the prince was This siege continued a great while at length the prince brought to extremitie was content to yeeld himselfe vnto the viceroy vpon condition he should vse no violence against the person of himselfe or his sonne but to send them prisoners vnto Amurath which thing the viceroy by solemne oath promised whereupon the prince came out of the castle and yeelded himselfe prisoner to the viceroy Iaxis-beg whose brother the prince had before put to death attended the going of Hamze the viceroy to his tent where finding Hasan the princes sonne sitting vpon the ground as the manner of the Turkes is tooke him by the choller with great furie and drawing him along to the feet of the prince his father there most cruelly strucke off his head and in the same rage laying his bloodie hands vpon the aged prince strucke off his head also to the great dishonour of the viceroy who had before giuen his faith for their safetie The heads of the prince and his sonne were set vpon two launces within the sight of the castle which the defendants seeing and now despairing of all rescue yeelded themselues with the castle This infortunat Tzunites was the last prince of SMYRNA after whose death all his territorie was vnited to the Othoman kingdome After all these troubles Amurath with great triumph married the daughter of the prince Isfendiar Amurath hauing laied vp in the depth of his thoughts the remembrance of that the Grecian princes had done in giuing aid to the rebels aforesaid thought it now high time to take reuenge of that wrong and for that purpose gathered a great armie wherewith he ranged at his pleasure through MACEDONIA vntill he came to THESSALONICA surprising by the way diuers cities and castles at that time belonging to the Constantinopolitane empire This famous cittie of THESSALONICA now called SALONICHI for beautie and wealth sometime not inferiour to any of the greatest and most renowned cities of GRECIA is situate vpon the borders of MACEDONIA close vnto a bay of the ARCHIPELAGO or the sea AEGBUM which bay was in auntient time called THERMAICUS-SINUS and now the bay of SALONICHI To the Christian congregation there dwelling S. Paul wrote two Epistles in the latter whereof hee forewarneth them of a great defection to come before the latter day Before
forewarned of his death at HADRIANOPLE and some others that he died in ASIA strucken with an Apolexie proceeding of a surfet taken of the immoderat drinking of wine But Marinus Barlesius who liued in his time in SCODRA fast by EPIRVS whose authoritie in report of the warres betwixt him and Scanderbeg we follow setteth it downe in such maner as is aforesaid Presently after his death Mahomet his sonne for feare of some innouation to be made at home raised the siege and returned to HADRIANOPLE and afterward with great solemnitie buried his dead bodie at the West side of PRVSA in the suburbs of the citie where he now lieth in a chappell without any roofe his graue nothing differing from the manner of the common Turks which they say he so commaunded to be done in his last will that the mercie and blessing of God as he termed it might come vnto him by the shining of the Sunne and Moone and falling of the raine and dew of heauen vpon his graue He whilest he liued mightily enlarged the Turkish kingdome and with greater wisedome and pollicie than his predecessours established the same insomuch that some attribute vnto him the first institution of the Ianizaries and other souldiours of the court the greatest strength of the Turkish empire before indeed begun in the time of Amurath the first his great grandfather as is before declared but by him greatly augmented and the pollicie of that state whereby it hath euer since in his posteritie flourished euen by himselfe plotted For the better establishing whereof in his owne housâ— and to cut off all occasions of feare as also to leaue all such as might haue the heart to arise against him all naked and bare of forces to resist but especially the other ancient and noble families of the Turks still secretly repining at the great honour of the Othoman kings he as a man of great wisedome and judgement to keepe them vnder in the beginning of his raigne by manifold fauours began to bind vnto himselfe men of strange and forraine countreys his seruants and by ordering of his most waightie affaires by their authoritie so by little and little to cast off the seruice of his naturall Turks they in the meane time little or nothing at all looking into this his practise And whereas the Othoman kings his predecessours had for the most part or rather all together raised their Ianizaries and other souldiors of the court of such children of the Christians as were taken in the warres he seeing by experience how seruiceable those new kind of souldiors were began forthwith to plot in his head how to make himselfe an armie all together of such able persons his owne creatures and so to bring in a new kind of warfare wholly depending of himselfe And to that end by his officers appointed for that purpose tooke from the Christians throughout his dominions euerie fift child the fairest and aptest of whom he placed in his owne Seraglio at HADRIANOPLE and the rest in other like places by him built for such purpose where they were by sufficient teachers first instructed in the principles of the Mahometan religion and then in all manner of actiuitie and feats of armes Of these when they were grown to mans state he made horsemen gaue them great pensions and sorting them into diuers orders appointed them also to guard his person honouring the better sort of them with the name of Spahi-Oglani that is to say His sonnes the knights And of these he began to make his Basâ—aes his Generals of his armies and the Gouernours of his prouinces and cities with all the great offices of the state The rest and farre the greatest part of these tribute children taken from their Christian parents and not brought vp in these Seraglioes hee caused to bee dispierced into euerie citie and countrey of his dominion in ASIA there for certaine yeares to be brought vp in all hardnesse and painfull labour neuer tasting of ease or pleasure out of which hard brood so enured to paines he made choise of so many of the most lustie and able bodies fittest for seruice as he thought good who kept in continuall exercise and by skilfull men taught to handle all maner of weapons but especially the bow the peece and the Scimitar were by him as occasion serued added to the other Ianizaries and appointed for the guarding of his person calling them commonly by the names of his sonnes The remainder of these tribute children as vnfit for the warres hee put vnto other base occupations and ministeries But vnto those martiall men of all sorts so by him ordained hee appointed a continuall pay according to their degrees and places and by great benefits and liberties bestowed vpon them bound them so fast vnto him as that he might now account himselfe to haue of them so many sonnes as hee had souldiours For they together with the Christian religion hauing forgot their parents and countrey and knowing no other lord and master but him and acknowledging all that they had to come and proceed of his free grace onely remained euer bound and faithfull vnto him and so kept others also as well the naturall Turks themselues as the other oppressed Christians within the bounds of obedience and loyaltie A great pollicie proceeding from a deepe judgement first to weaken the Christians by taking from them their best children and of greatest hope and then by them depending wholly of himselfe to keepe in awe and dutifull obedience his naturall subjects also hauing them alwaies as a scourge readie to chastice the rebellious or disloyall Now the other Othoman kings and emperours the successors of Amurath keeping this custome and also increasing it one after another haue therby not onely kept the empire still in their house and familie where it was first gotten but also so maintained the majestie of their state as that they are of their subjects feared obeyed and honoured not as kings but as gods For the naturall Turks their subjects loosing courage continually and daily growing more base and dastardly by reason they are not suffered to practise the knowledge of armes and the souldiours in whose power all things are knowing nothing of their owne but holding and acknowledging all that they haue to come of their lord account them as kings and lords of all ruling much after the manner of the Pharaohs the antient kinges of AEGYPT who were absolute lords and masters both of the publick and priuat wealth of their subjects whom they kept vnder as slaues and villaines And hereof cometh it to passe that the better part of them whom we call Turks but are indeed the children of Christians and seduced by their false instructors desire to be called Musulmans that is to say right beleeuers hold it a reproachfull and dishonourble thing to be called Turks as it were peculiarly and aboue other people For that they knowing right well that there is not one naturall Turke among all those that
which persuasion the Turkes were againe encouraged accounting it a great dishonour to flie and leaue their chieftaine in the field But when they saw Scanderbeg still to preuaile vpon them and that no helpe came as they hoped for many were by Scanderbeg his horsemen slaine as they were arming themselues many were by the way cut off as they were comming and the rest put to flight they which before fought valiantly with Amesa turned their backs and fled also Scanderbeg his horsemen pursuing the chase made great slaughter of the Turkes and in the same chase tooke Amesa prisoner Scanderbeg hauing ouerthrown that part of the Turkes battell was comming with a thousand footmen and some horsemen to haue ayded Moses against the Bassa but before his comming Moses to blot out his former infamie had with inuincible courage put the great Bassa with all his army to flight and Scanderbeg following the chase gaue him not leaue to looke behind him vntill he was got out of EPIRVS Many were in this chase taken prisoners and amongst the rest one Mesites a Sanzacke a man of great account amongst the Turkes In this battell beside the prisoners were taken twentie of the Turkes fairest ensignes As for horses armour and other spoiles taken in the field and in the campe all which fell vnto the souldiors share it is almost incredible to be told The number of the slaine Turkes is of diuers diuersly reported they which write of the most reckon vp thirtie thousand and they which speake of the least account twentie thousand Of the Christians were lost but sixtie Now if any account it strange that so great a victorie should be gained with so little losse not to speake of that is written in holy writ let him but read the auncient histories of the Romans or the chronicles of our owne country and he shall in them find victories no lesse strange There was to be seene the sudden and strange alteration of these worldly things no more indeed whatsoeuer we account of them to be reckoned of than of things we haue not Scanderbeg possesseth the rich pauilion erst belonging to the great Bassa and other of his captaines enioy tents with much other rich furniture neuer prepared for their vse Amesa which the same day as a victorious conquerour ouerran a great part of AEMATHIA with his horsemen and was in triumph carried vp with the generall acclamation of many thousands of valiant souldiors and honoured as a king and of them so called is now led through the Christian army to his vnkle with his hands bound behind him as a slaue speechlesse and confounded vnable to hold vp his head for shame whose miserie moued most of the beholders to compassion and forced teares out of the eies of many The next day after this great victorie Scanderbeg caused the bodies of the slaine Turkes to be buried togither with their horses which he did not for any regard of them but that their loathsome carkases should not infect the countrey and after that returned in great triumph to CROIA By the way as he went the countrey people which were before for feare of the Turks fled into the woods and mountaines in great multitudes met him as did others also out of the citties whose mouthes were all full of his worthy praises Before him went the captiue Turkes with their hands bound behind them excepting such as were enforced to carrie the Turkes ensignes Next vnto them followed the great Bassaes rich pauilion in such manner supported by the souldiours as if it had been in the field Then came Scanderbeg himselfe with the Turkish Sanzacke and Amesa following him for Amesa had with great and humble sute obtained of his vnckle that he might not as he well deserued be carried bound amongst the other captiues Last of all came Scanderbeg his victorious souldiours in goodly order euerie man leading a spare horse taken from the enemy and loaded with spoyle So when he was come to CROIA and there of his subjects joyfully receiued he brake vp his army and gaue euerie man leaue at his pleasure to depart The Sanzacke and Amesa were committed to safe keeping vntill farther order was taken for them Amesa afterwards was for his treason worthely condemned to perpetuall prison and by an embassador from Scanderbeg sent vnto king Alphonsus to NAPLES there to be kept in durance and with him was also sent an honourable present of part of the spoile taken from the Turkes in token of the victorie What became afterward of this Amesa concerneth not much the course of our historie yet to satisfie the desirous I think it not amisse with him to stray a little out of the way When Amesa had remained a yeare in prison at NAPLES Scanderbeg vnderstanding of the death of Alphonsus by his embassadour requested of Ferdinand his sonne to haue Amesa restored to him againe By which meanes he was brought backe againe into EPIRVS and cast in prison at CROIA but not in such straight manner as before for Scanderbeg according to his accustomed clemencie began now to forget the injurie to him before done and at last ouercome with the continuall supplication and teares of his nephew pardoned him his life and restoring him to his former libertie receiued him also into his former fauor But Amesa remembring what pledges of his loyaltie hee had left with Mahomet at CONSTANTINOPLE and fearing what would become of his wife and children if he should hastely vse that his libertie giuing his vnckle most humble thankes brake vnto him his mind concerning that matter as followeth Whereas you of your owne gracious goodnesse onely without any desert of mine haue regarded my life and welfare it behooueth me also to be carefull for the life of others least whilest I receiue your exceeding bountie with too much desire of mine owne health and honour I doe at this present by this same benefit of yours cast away them whom I haue long sithence by mine owne trecherie vndone Mine vnfortunate and guiltlesse wife is with Mahomet my little and innocent children are with him also these yet liue and shall liue so long as the tyrant shall thinke that I liue in heart his but when he shall once perceiue by this your gracious dealing that I am fallen from him the cruell creditor will foorthwith cut and rend in peeces the pledges of my faith and their innocent blood shall pay the guilt of their fathers offence Wherefore the Othoman tyrant is of me by some deuice to be deceiued that I may in the meane time preserue those pledges vntill I may by some fit occasion afterwards redeeme the same I will by your leaue this night take my flight out of CROIA as if I had broken prison and escaped against your will and so flie vnto Mahomet making the greatest shew I can of my wonted loue and loyaltie towards him not omitting to heare or speake vnto that credulous king such things concerning your estate as I was wont
Achmetes Bassa the great champion of the Turkes a man reuerend and of great authoritie for his birth yeares and rare experience in martiall affairs and one by whom Mahomet had done great matters standing vp with pleasing speech calmed his furious mind and with substantial reasons persuaded him to desist from that his entended purpose and to take another surer course as followeth Your great valour and worthie praises inuincible emperour said he who is able to expresse the greatnesse wherof the mind of man cannot conceiue and my dull spirit but wonder thereat my tongue faltereth to speake of them neither would this time serue so much as to recount them It is of all men deemed a thing of great honour most dread soueraigne when a prince hath receiued a kingdome from his ancestors to be able in safetie to keepe and defend the same greater than this is it honourably to encrease and augment it so left but of a small thing by worthie prowesse to bring it to the highest type of worldly honour is of all other things the greatest Which most rare excellencie all men worthily ascribe vnto your perfection and felicitie and I of all others can thereof bring the most assured testimonie who haue oftentimes heard it of mine ancestors which following the fortune of the Othoman princes out of ASIA into EVROPE that your worthie predecessors at their first comming into EVROPE without offence be it said possessed but a corner thereof to whom you afterward by diuine appointment succeeding haue adioined so many prouinces kingdomes and empires as were tedious to rehearse them For who can worthily expresse how you haue in EVROPE subdued CONSTANTINOPLE the imperiall citie of the East empire with all THRACIA ACHAIA GRECIA PELOPONESVS BEOTIA THEBES and the noble citie of ATHENS the mother and nurse of all good learning The empire of TRAPEZOND with the emperour thereof is by you ouerthrowne the kingdomes of SERVIA and BOSNA with the princes of PELOPONESVS are by you gloriously vanquished You haue at your commaund twelue kingdomes in ASIA the lesser PONTVS BYTHINIA CAPPADOCIA PAPHLAGONIA CILICIA PAMPHILIA LYCIA CARIA LYDIA PHâ—IGIA NICHOMEDIA and NICEA with the famous citie of PRVSA Besides these IONIA DORIS SMYRNA COLOPHON EPHESVS MILETVM HALICARNASVS PERGAMVS with the countrey of TAVRICA are vnder your subiection The great countrey of ARMENIA hath felt your force the Islands of LESBOS CHIOS and EVEoeA are parts of your empire What should I speake of infinit people and nations by you most victoriously vanquished This may suffice for all that you haue gained from the Christians twentie prouinces and two hundred great citties For it were too long to rehearse the Mahometane kings and princes by you also vanquished in all your expeditions 〈◊〉 things haue yet giuen place to your fortune The antient monuments may now cease to extoll the praises of Caesar Scipio Pyrrhus Hanniball and other cheefetaines of ROME and forraine nations for why they are all inferior to you both for victories and countries subdued The Othoman familie is vndoubtedly fatall for soueraignetie all the world shall in short time come vnder your gouernment and all nations shall serue you As for this towne of SCODRA let it not so much greeue you worldly things as you know doe oftentimes deceiue our expectation in them fortune beareth great sway Yet for this matter quiet your selfe for I dare gage my faith vnto your imperiall maiestie that I will in short time find meanes that this citie shall stand at your deuotion Did not I of late bring into your subiection the impregnable citie of CROIA which you so long desired But whereas you would now agaiâ— forthwith attempt to win it by assault I therein craue your pardon in that I cannot be of that opinion but must needs thinke farre otherwise for to attempt warre and to be ouerthrowne is an easie matter for euery man to doe but to vanquish the enemie and to carrie away the triumph that right few men know He that consulteth of such great and weightie matters ought to be free both from furie and desire both euill counsellours The Christians of SCODRA are not in my opinion to be againe assaulted for in so doing you shall but lose your labour For if you could not subdue them your armie being then fresh and strong how shall you now ouercome them with much fewer and they wounded weake and feeble I haue viewed the whole campe and searched euery tent and found no place no tent yea scarcely any cabbin without groning sighing weeping or wailing in euery place was heauinesse sorrow mourning and death it selfe for in the last assault you lost thirtie thousand and more of your best souldiorâ— many moe are greeuously wounded and maimed none but he carrieth about him some signe that hee was there few or none there be that dare againe mount the hill to giue a fresh assault they are all afraid and discouraged Whom when I demanded how so great a feare was come vpon them and what was the cause they had so lost their wonted courage they answered me That it was the looke euen the very looke of them of SCODRA whose eyes did seeme vnto them to burne and sparkle with fire their sterne and terrible countenances said they haue strucke this terrour into vs. Wherefore I thinke it not good to giue a fresh assault with men so dismayed but rather to vse policie and delay against such resolute enemies This citie of SCODRA is the eye and head of all this prouince which the Venetians haue notably fortified and planted with store of ordinance and of all things els necessarie for defence thereof but especially with most valiant souldiors of purpose chosen out of many their garrisons for defence of this citie you haue not now to doe with the weake and effeminate people of ASIA but with the hard and rough people of EPIRVS And you know most mightie emperour the strength and courage of this nation it is now thirtie yeares that you haue made warre against this people and haue not yet altogether subdued them and how dangerous and chargeable this warre hath beene vnto you who knoweth not It is now six moneths since we came first before this citie we haue intrenched our selues round about it we haue day and night laid hard siege vnto it we haue battered it of long with eleuen cannons I speake not of other smaller peeces or engines of warre with all kind of shot and fire-worke and whatsoeuer els we could deuise We haue many times to our cost assaulted it what could be done by force strength or multitude of valiant men is alreadie done in the former assaults Nothing hath been left vnattempted no policie no direction hath wanted in your leaders neither courage in your souldiors What should I recount the innumerable great shot or speake of our arrowes and darts deliuered into the citie as showers of haile Did all this or any thing els we could doe any thing terrifie these defendants
the cheefe place of his resiance This prince had of long time liued betwixt the Turkish kings and the kings of CARAMANNIA as neuter still fearing the greater but indeed louing neither and had vntill then chiefely maintained his state by the alliance he and his ancestors continually held with the kings of CYPRVS and the Grand Masters of the RHODES Against this poore prince the onely one now left in ASIA the lesse not subject vnto the Turkish kings began Baiazet now to turne his forces purposing before he proceeded any further to make a full conquest of the lesser ASIA and so to make all sure behind him Of which his purpose the prince hauing knowledge and wisely waying his owne small power to withstand so puissant an enemie offered by his embassadours to deliuer vnto Baiazet his chiefe citie of SCANDELORO with all the rest of his territorie in CILICIA vpon condition that Baiazet should giue vnto him other possessions for it in some other paâ—t of ASIA the lesser to the like value Which his offer Baiazet accepted and so became lord of all the sea coast from the straits of BOSPHORVS vnto the confines of SIRIA After he had thus conquered CILICIA with a great part of the mountaine TAVRVS hee descended into ARMENIA the lesse and in short time brought vnder his subjection so much of that countrey as also of CAPPADOCIA as was sometime belonging to the Caramanian kings When Baiazet had thus slaine the Caramanian king and subdued that most antient kingdome of the Turkes which had long and many times mightily contended with the glory and power of the Othoman kings he left Mustapha one of his great Bassaes at ICONIVM with his Asian armie to keepe in obedience those new woon countries and as a triumphant conqueror returned himselfe to CONSTANTINOPLE where he was of his subjects joyfully receiued After that Baiazet had thus enlarged his empire with the kingdome of CARAMANNIA and was now become an vnwelcome neighbour vnto the great Sultan of AEGIPT and SYRIA he began to swell in disdaine against that mightie prince for that he had giuen aid against him first vnto his brother Zemes and after that to the Caramanian king in these late warres of which wrong purposing to be reuenged hee shortly after appointed one Caragoses Bassa his lieutenant in ASIA with Ishender another of his great captaines with a strong armie to inuade SIRIA then part of the great Sultans kingdome These two great commaunders well appointed for the purpose when they were come to the vttermost parts of CILICIA the new bounds of Baiazets empire were then to passe by the confines of Aladeules his kingdome before they could passe the great mountaine TAVRVS to come into SYRIA This Aladeules commaunded as king ouer the rude and fierce people which dwelt alongst that great and rough mountaine and was then in league with the Sultan he hearing of the approch of the Turks armie with a great number of his mountaine people lay in ambush in the straits whereby the Turkes must needs passe of purpose to intercept them Ishender marching in the vauntguard with a great number of the voluntarie souldiors called Acanzij as the manner of the Turkes is and fearing nothing lesse than to be set vpon by the mountaine king before he was aware was come into the middest of his enemies and was by them so fiercely charged on euery side from their places of aduantage that he there lost most part of his men and forsaken of the rest which sought by flight to saue themselues he with his two sonnes and others were taken prisoners Michael-beg the eldest of the two being fast bound was slaine by one of Aladeules his followers whose brother he had slaine in that skirmish his head being cut off was by the commaundement of Aladeules caried to his father Ishender the more to greeue him who disdainefully willed the messenger not to shew it vnto him but to bid his master eat it if he would with which answere Aladeules was exceedingly mooued neuerthelesse pitying the old mans miserie he shortly after set Iaxis Beg the yonger brother at libertie but Ishender himselfe he sent prisoner vnto Caitbeius the great Sultan at CAIRE where he remained in prison fiue yeares after Caragoses the Bassa discouraged with the losse of so great a man retired with his armie backe againe into CILICIA and from thence aduertised Baiazet what had happened by whom he was commanded to returne to CONSTANTINOPLE as a man vnfit for so great an enterprise The next Spring following Baiazet constant in his former resolution for the inuasion of SYRIA sent Achmetes another of his Bassaes with a farre greater armie than had Caragoses against the Sultan who was no sooner come vnto the farther part of CILICIA but he was there at a place called of the Turkes TZVCVR OVA encountered by the Aegyptians and Arabians and there in a great battaile ouerthrowne wherein he himselfe fighting most valiantly lost two of his fingers and being taken prisoner was sent to CAIRE Baiazet with this ouerthrow rather incensed than discouraged made great preparation the next yeare against the Sultan both by sea and land such as he had not before at any time made And when all things were now in readinesse sent Alis Bassa of some called Calibeus and Cherseogles his sonne in law two notable captaines with a great and puissant armie by land against the Aegyptian Sultan at which time he requested of the Venetians with whom he was then in league that he might by their good leaue as occasion required refresh his fleet then readie to put to sea for the inuasion of SIRIA as he said in their Island of CYPRVS Which his request was by the generall consent of the Senat denied as a thing tending to the danger of their state yet wisely doubting least Baiazet taking that deniall in euill part should seeke to haue that by force which he could not obtaine by request they presently sent Francisco Priuolo their Admirall to sea with thirtie gallies for the defence of that Island He hearing that one fleet of the Turks gallies lately come out of HELLESPONTVS lay houering at the Island of SCIROS expecting a farre greater from the coast of IONIA and carefully considering how secret and suddaine the Turkish designements were although it was giuen out that all that great preparation was made against the Sultan yet to prouide that they should not suddainely surprise the Isle hee speedily sent sundrie companies of souldiours especially archers out of CRETA into CYPRVS for the better defence thereof but stayed himselfe with his fleet at the Island of NAXOS that so at hand he might be the readier to withstand whatsoeuer the Turkes intended But when he vnderstood that all their fleet was met and now set forward he hoised saile and held his course directly for CYPRVS In the meane time the Turkish fleet sayling alongst the coast of LYCIA PAMPHILIA and CILICIA kept on their course vntill they
things he could desire Hysmaell there entertained with the greatest honours that the fearefull citisens could possibly attribute vnto him did oftentimes preach vnto them of the truth and excellencie of his fathers doctrine and withall gaue out straight proclamations That he would account all them for his enemies which did not within the space of thirtie dayes renounce their old superstition and receiue this new found veritie as he would haue it Wherefore for as much as on the one side were proposed most certaine rewards by the happie course of his victories and on the other was threatened exile and torture to such as should obstinatly persist in their opinion in short time hee drew all the vulgar people to embrace his new doctrine And afterwards hauing payed his souldiors with the riches of that great citie he gallantly furnished both his old and new souldiors that wanted armour with most excellent armour and furniture for in that citie one of the greatest and most famous of the East were many shops full of all kind of armour which the armourers with wonderfull cunning vsed to make of yron and steele and the juice of certaine hearbes of much more notable temper beautie than are those which are made with vs in EVROPE not onely headpeeces cuirasses and complete armors but whole caparisons for horses curiously made of thin plates of yron and steele Departing from SCVRAS he tooke also the great cities of SAPHA supposed to haue been the citie in antient time called SVSA and SVLTANIA which for the wonderfull ruines of the huge buildings is deemed to haue been the antient and famous citie TIGRANOCERTA These great matters quickely dispatched and hauing in euery citie placed gouernours of his owne sect hee passed ouer the riuer of TIGRIS into MESOPOTAMIA of purpose to expulse Moratchamus the late kings brother out of BABILON who was yet in armes and had entended as is before said to haue passed into ARMENIA to haue joyned his forces with the king his brother but now terrified with his brothers calamitie who together with a most puissant armie and the strength of the Persian kingdome was in one day fallen from the height of so great a fortune thought it not best to trie his fortune in the field against so fortunate an enemie but forthwith to withdraw himselfe into the remotest places of that large kingdome and from thence to expect some better fortune For he well knew that he was not able to withstand his victorious enemy now leading after him a most puissant armie who not long before had with a small power vanquished slain his brother in a great battell Hysmaell now by the greatnesse of his fame and forces and as it were by the fauor of God himselfe become a terror to all the princes of the East entered into MESOPOTAMIA after the flight of Moratchamus receiued all that great prouince into his subjection euery man as it were striuing who should first by his speedy submission purchase the fauor of the victorious conqueror To be breefe Moratchamus alreadie terrified and reposing no great hope in himselfe or his own power neither deeming it for his safetie to shut himselfe vp within the wals of any strong citie trussed vp his things of greatest price and with his wiues and children fled into ARABIA This Moratchamus is he whom some historiographers call Mara Beg and is in the Turkes histories called Imirsa Beg who as they report afterwards marrying the daughter of Baiazet and recouering part of the Persian kingdome was suddenly murthered by some of his nobilitie whom he purposed secretly to haue put to death if they had not preuented the same by murthering of him first Hysmaell hauing victoriously subdued a great part of the Persian kingdome and filled all the East part of the world with the glorie of his name returned out of ASSYRIA into MEDIA and tooke in such cities and strong holds as were yet holden by the garrisons of the late Persian king And afterwards returning into ARMENIA made wars vpon the Albanians Iberians and Scythians which dwell vpon the borders of the Caspian For that those nations in auntient times tributaries vnto the Persian kings taking the benefit of the long ciuile warres wherewith the kingdome of PERSIA and all the Easterne countries with the ruine of the kings house had been of late turmoiled had neither paied anie tribute by the space of foure yeares nor sent anie honourable embassage as they were wont and as was expected especially in so great a victorie and alteration of the state Hysmaell hauing thus obtained the Persian kingdome in short time became famous through the world and was justly accounted amongst the greatest monarchs of that age But nothing made him more to be spoken of than the innouation he had made in the Mahometane superstition for by his deuise and commaundement a new forme of prayer was brought into their Mahometane temples farre differing from that which had been of long time before vsed By reason whereof Ebubekir Homer and Osman the successours of their great prophet Mahomet before had in great regard and reuerence began now to be contemned their writings nothing regarded and the honour of Hali exalted as the true and onely successour of their great prophet And because he would haue his subjects and the followers of his doctrine knowne from the Turkes and other Mahometanes he commaunded that they should all weare some red hatband lace or riband vpon their heads which they religiously obserue in PERSIA vntill this day whereof they are of the Turkes called Cuselbas or Redheads And in short time he had so vsed the matter that he was wonderfully both beloued and reuerenced of his subjects insomuch that his sayings were accounted for diuine oracles and his commaundements for lawes So that when they would confirme anie thing by solemne oath they would sweare by the head of Hysmaell the king and when they wished well to anie man they vsually said Hysmaell grant thee thy desire Vpon his coine which he made both of siluer and gold on the one side was written these words La illahe illalahu Muhamedun resul allahe which is to say There are no gods but one and Mahomet is his messenger And on the other side Ismaill halife lullahe which is to say Hysmaell the Vicar of God Whilest Hysmaell was thus wrestling for the Persian kingdome Chasan Chelife and Techellis whom wee haue a little before declared to haue beene brought out of the mountaines and desarts into the countrey villages and afterwards into the cities and to haue filled the countries of ARMENIA and a great part of the Lesser ASIA with the noueltie of their new doctrine and opinions first phantasied by one Giunet Siech and afterward reuiued by Haider Erdebill Hysmaell his father hauing gathered a great armie of such as had receiued their doctrine inuaded the Turkes dominion For after that Techellis this cold prophet had with wonderfull felicitie in the
of the Turkes horsemen saued themselues by flight In this battell seauen thousand of the Turkes footmen were slaine and all their ensignes taken with great store of prouision After which victorie Chasan and Techellis resting their armie one day marched to the citie of CVTAIE neere vnto the mountaine HORMINIVS This citie is scituated as it were in the middest of ASIA the lesse and is the seat of the Turkish emperours Viceroy in ASIA as SOPHIA in MoeSIA is for his other Viceroy in EVROPE For it was reported that the country people had for feare of the present warre conuaied thither the greatest part of their wealth and the rebels well knew that the Viceroy himselfe with his chiefe horsemen were fled thither also Neither doubted they but that all the armie might be greatly enriched by the wealth of that cittie if they should without delay employ their whole forces for the gaining thereof their enemies now altogither discouraged with their late ouerthrow Techellis also deeming that enterprise of so much worth as whereon to gage his whole forces comming before the citie placed such field pieces as he had before taken in the battell and his archers in such fit places as might most annoy the defendants afterwards hee caused scaling ladders to be set vp and proclamation made through all his campe That the whole spoile of the citie should be the souldiours if they could take it with promise of greater rewards to them that should first recouer the top of the walles Filled with this hope the rebellious multitude approched the wall fearing neither enemies force multitude of shot or danger of death striuing who should first mount the ladders and some clambering one in the necke of another so to get vp by the ruines of the wall The defendants in the meane time from aboue casting downe vpon them great stones timber fire scalding water lime sand and such like without measure Wherwith although many were ouerthrown and crusht to death or spoiled yet others presently stept vp in their place neither was anie of them seene for feare of so present danger to shrinke backe or be discouraged For the Viceroy on the one side and Techellis on the other were both eyewitnesses of euery mans valour in that hot seruice the one prickt forward with doubtfull hope for feare to be enforced to giue ouer the assault so begun and the other with the due regard of his honour life and state all subject to that danger and therefore in person himselfe performed all the parts of a woorthie cheefetaine and couragious souldior But at length the defendants wearied with the fierce assault of the enemie and for most part wounded Techellis continually sending in fresh men and withdrawing such as were hurt by plaine force brake into the citie in two places ouer the heapes of the dead bodies and hauing repulsed the defendants burst open one of the gates and thereby brought in his whole armie Then began a miserable slaughter of the souldiors and poore citisens in euery house and corner of the citie At which instant the pallace whether the viceroy had retired himselfe with his familie was also taken The viceroy himselfe with his wiues and children were there also taken prisoners and the stately pallace built of marble in a trice consumed with fire The rich citie of CVTAIE the seat of the great commander of the Turkish empire in ASIA thus taken by Techellis and his whole armie both beautified and enriched with the spoile therof he persuaded himselfe that it was now no hard matter for him to take the citie of PRVSA also the antient seat of the Turkish kings in BYTHINIA and so to endanger the whole state of the Turkes empire in ASIA if he should now without delay carrie the terrour of himselfe thither before the Turkes could in that countrey make head against him or the citizens be able in so suddaine a feare to make any sufficient prouision for the defence of themselues and their citie and so in the course of his good fortune to vse the courage and cheerefulnesse of his souldiors Wherefore appointing a day when he would set forward he commaunded all things necessarie to bee made readie for the taking of that rich citie being neither strongly walled neither furnished with any good garrison for the defence thereof But whilest hee was making this preparation a new armie lately shipt ouer the Hellespont from CALLIPOLIS into ASIA enforced him to change his former determination For Baiazet awaked at the name of Techellis and the fame of the new superstition now generally receiued in PERSIA had long before giuen commaundement to his sonnes nephewes and the viceroy of ASIA That they should with all carefulnesse prouide that that part of his kingdome tooke no harme thereby But after he saw Techellis of a poore hermit become a great captaine and backt also with the Persian king and all his dominions in ASIA now in danger of some great alteration he sent Alis Bassa ouer with his Europeian armie This Alis an eunuch borne in MACEDONIA yet for his courage comparable with the greatest captaines had for his many and worthie deserts in the time of the great emperour Mahomet Baiazet his father got vnto himselfe both the honour and name of a most famous cheefetaine He hauing made choice of the principall horsemen of EPIRVS MACEDONIA SERVIA ILLYRIA and THRACIA and joyning vnto them seuen thousand Ianizaries the most assured hope of the Turkes in all their expeditions passed ouer from CALLIPOLIS into PHRYGIA and vpon the way directed his letters vnto Achomates and Corcutus Baiazet his sonnes and to all the other Sanzackes and Gouernours of the Turkes prouinces in ASIA That they should with as much speed as they could raise their forces and meet him in GALATIA But Techellis aduertised of his comming thought it best for him to depart out of PONTVS and to retire to some place of more safetie least by longer staying he should be enclosed by his enemies repairing thither wards on euery side or els vpon some great disaduantage be enforced to joyne battaile for he saw that if he stayed neuer so little he should find no safe passage or place of refuge to retire vnto hauing left such large and spacious countries so many enemies cities so many great riuers so many discontented people behind him all which the first fauour of the vulgar sort and speedie course of his victorie had a little before laid open vnto him Wherefore calling together his captaines and most expert men of warre to consult vpon the matter it was generally thought to bee a point of meere madnesse or els of extreame necessitie with so small a power of vnskilfull souldiors without any sufficient strength of horsemen to joyne battaile with such an enemie as better knew the country than he and farre exceeded him both for the number and expertnesse of his souldiors Wherefore Techellis trussing vp the rich prey he had before gotten began now
forces of others not inferiour to his owne Whereunto Selymus answered That the fresh remembrance of the manifold injuries done to the Turkes by the Persians was such as might giue him just cause to take vp armes for as much as long agoe both his grandfather Mahomet the Great and his vncle Cassumes and euen of late his father Baiazet and he himselfe also in his warres against his brother Achomates had receiued great wrong and dishonour from the Persians All which things although they were of themselues important yet he esteemed not of them as sufficient causes of warre but only sought after his enemie Amurath his brothers sonne who had of late spoiled CAPADOCIA whom if he would quietly and friendly deliuer vnto him as the mutuall lawes of amitie and friendship amongst princes for the maintenance and preseruation of their estates and kingdomes required then hee would withdraw his forces and peaceably returne into his kingdome otherwise hee threatened with fire and sword to destroy not the frontiers of ARMENIA but euen the heart of PERSIA And so dismissing the herauld both the armies for that day lay still in their trenches expecting the dreadfull euent of battaile The next day Selymus by persuasion of his captaines brought his armie into the open field and in order of battaile set forward against his enemies which lay about two miles off thinking that Hysmaell a prince of so great name would without delay accept of battaile yet what strength the Persian king was of what number of men he had what manner of horsemen how armed and with what weapons hee could not certainely learne for beside that the Persians are by nature ingenious and subtill the souldiors generally so reuerenced and loued Hysmaell their king that no one was found to haue gone from him to the Turke wheras many reuolted from Selymus to him as it was afterwards learned of the Persian captiues Selymus who had at that time fourescore thousand horsemen vnder his ensignes placed Casan Bassa his lieutenant Generall of EVROPE with his Europeian horsemen in the right wing and Sinan Bassa with his Asian horsemen in the left and before them both the Acanzij which are voluntarie horsemen the forerunners of the Turkes armie who in hope of spoyle follow the Turkes warres out of all countries in the middle battaile hee placed the Asapi or common souldiors which base and halfe-naked people as men of little worth or estimation are commonly thrust into the front of the Turkes battailes to receiue the first furie of the enemie and to blunt their swords more than for any other good seruice directly behind them he bestowed his great artillerie guarded with foure thousand horsemen last of all followed himselfe with his chosen pentioners and Ianizaries compassed about with small field-peeces and his carriages as with a double trench for hee had as their manner is so enuironned himselfe round with his sadled cammels made fast one to another with long chaines that they stood him in stead of a strong trench from whence he might speedily relieue any part of his distressed armie and in case of extremitie being in the middle of his strength he might as out of a sure fortresse represse the furious assault of his enemies Hee also commaunded his footmen in the vauward of his battaile that vpon the approch of the enemies horsemen they should speedily withdraw themselues aside into two parts leauing space for the great ordinance which was placed behind them to play in the middle betweene them On the contrarie part Hysmaell who by the Turkes fugitiues vnderstood all the deuises of his enemies calling vnto him the cheefe commaunders of his armie shewed vnto them that there was no doubt of the victorie so that they could shun the furie of the great artillerie which he assured them would easily be done if when they saw the Turkish footmen deuide themselues they would also in like manner withdraw themselues into two parts and giue place to the furie of the great ordinance for which purpose hee caused two great ensignes to be displayed wherunto they should at the time appointed retire the one for himselfe and those whom he conducted the other for Vsta-Ogli and the rest of his armie Hysmaell as Iouius reporteth had in his armie about thirtie thousand horsemen without any footmen amongst whom were ten thousand men at armes resolute gentlemen of great experience all galiantly mounted vpon courageous barbed horses and themselues brauely armed both for the shew and the terrour of the enemie their weapons were a good launce a sure scimitar and a horsemans mace the rest were armed with strong cuirasses and headpeeces and were either archers on horsebacke or else vsed light horsemens staues made of Ash after the Spanish fashion wherewith they serued at the halfe staffe As for gunnes they had none in which thing onely and number of men they were inferiour to the Turkes But such was the inuincible courage and noble minds of the Persians that contemning the huge multitude of their enemies who were in number about three hundred thousand making no great reckoning of the great artillerie they doubted not with so few to giue them battaile Hysmaell hauing giuen the signall of battaile came on with his armie exhorting his souldiors then to remember the honour they had long before gotten in many battailes and courageously to follow him their soueraigne whom they by their worthie seruice and many victories had made the greatest monarch of the East telling them that they should haue now to do but with naked men whose weapons were but weake staues and light targuets and their horses little poore jades almost dead with hunger neuer able to abide the first charge of his valiant men at armes On the other side Selymus perceiuing the comming of his enemies by the rising of the dust caused knowledge to be giuen through his armie by his captaines and officers that the time of battaile which they had so long wished for was now come wherein if they would worthely acquite themselues against those their proud enemies they should to their immortall fame extend the Turkish empire from the Persian sea vnto the mountaine CAVCASVS but if they cowardly forgetting their antient prowesse should faint in the time of the battaile they were not then to thinke by any meanes to escape by flight backe againe through those great plaines and desolate countries where they should by the way either shamefully perish or else to their perpetuall infamie bee taken prisoners and as base slaues during their liues bee enforced to serue the Persian women for as much as beside the great distance of the place both the great riuer Euphrates and the huge mountaine TAVRVS and the faithlesse king Aladeules who had shut vp all the passages did cut off all hope from them if they should be ouercome by any meanes possible to escape backe againe into CAPADOCIA When Hysmaell was come neere with his armie and the Asapi vpon
Alis Beg with secret letters and rewards to persuade him in so fit a time to reuenge his fathers death which thing if he would performe by some notable exploit vpon Aladeules he should both purchase vnto himselfe great credit with Selymus and also the kingdome These homely messengers according as was giuen them in charge hauing imparted the matter to Sinan Bassa within few daies had so wrought that Alis Beg whom the desire of a kingdome togither with Selymus his rewards prickt forward to seeke reuenge was easily drawne to joyne hands with Selymus And when he could no other way hurt Aladeules who mistrusting all things warily looked vnto himselfe he found the means to go ouer to Sinan Bassa carrying after him a great part of Aladeules his best horsemen by whose meanes the rest also which remained being with rewards corrupted one companie after another came at last all ouer vnto the Bassa Aladeules circumuented with this vnexpected treacherie which neuer before thought it possible that his men should all so suddenly haue forsaken him and reuolted vnto the Turkes was now glad to repose all his hope in secret flight But Sinan Bassa and Alis Beg hardly pursuing him as he fled thorough the mountaines hiding himselfe in rockes and the thicke woods at last drew him out of a caue being betraied by the countrey peasants Aladeules being brought to Selymus was within a few daies after put to death and his head in great derision afterwards carried about through all ASIA the lesse and afterward by way of barbarous ostentation sent by Selymus to the Senat of VENICE as a loathsome testimonie of his victorie Aladeules thus dead Selymus reduced all his kingdome into the forme of a prouince which he deuided into three parts and after the manner of the Turkish gouernment appointed to euerie part a Sanzacke yet so that Alis Beg should be chiefe ouer the rest with such soueraigntie as that he wanted nothing of a king but the name only And for the better gouernment of all things in that new gained kingdome he left Sinan Bassa there all the rest of that sommer with commaundement that after he had set all things in good order he should winter at ICONIVM and he himselfe with a small traine returned to CONSTANTINOPLE for he had heard that whilest he was busied in his wars against Hysmaell and Aladeules in ARMENIA that the Hungarians had made diuers incursions into SERVIA and spoiled that countrey Wherefore for feare of losing SAMANDRIA which standing neere to Danubius for the conuenient situation thereof is reputed the bulwarke of SERVIA and THRACIA he sent Ionuses Bassa then gouernour of BOSNA with eight thousand horsemen who passing the riuer Sauus entred into CROATIA as farre as CETINVM and at the same time transported an other armie ouer Danubius into HVNGARIE to the intent that the Hungarians at one instant beset with double danger should be enforced to feare their owne state and withall to shew vnto the world of what strength and power the Othoman emperours were Deeming it to concerne much both for the present and the time to come to the daunting of the Christians if hee should by his happie attempts make it knowne that he could at once easily and readily maintaine so many and so puissant armies and wage so great warres in diuers parts of the world and so farre distant one from an other In the end of the yeare when he had thus with double inuasion repressed the Hungarians he spent the Winter following at HADRIANOPLE CONSTANTINOPLE in making of greater preparation for warre than euer he had before from the beginning of his raigne For he was aduertised that the great monaches of the North his neighbours namely Maximilian the emperour Vladislaus king of HVNGARIE and Sigismundus king of POLONIA with the princes of GERMANIE had combined themselues togither to make warre vpon him But after he had learned by his sure intelligencers whom he had with great charge sent into all parts of EVROPE diligently to obserue what was done in the courts of those great princes that all the great meetings of the Christian princes proued nothing but glorious words and sumptuous banquets he being rid of that vaine feare God so appointing turned himselfe and all those his wonderfull preparations againe toward the East to the great quiet of Christendome in generall Yet least happily in the absence of himselfe and of his armies the Christian princes might take occasion to inuade his dominions he strengthened the frontiers of his empire with most strong garrisons and left his sonne Solyman who afterward proued the great scourge of Christendome at HADRIANOPLE with a strong power and Pyrrhus Bassa his tutor a man of great wisedome and gouernment at CONSTANTINOPLE This great Bassa was of CILICIA a natiue Turke borne which was a thing accounted strange forasmuch as the great Bassaes were alwaies chosen of the Christian bloud After that he sent Cherseogles whom of all others he most trusted with his armie into BYTHINIA and made Zafferus an eunuch Admirall of his nauie which he had but a little before built and with a wonderfull labor and charge rigged forth Then staying a few daies at CONSTANTINOPLE to see the young souldiours but then chosen Ianizaries he departed thence and went to his old armie lying with Sinan Bassa at ICONIVM purposing to haue againe inuaded the Persian When he was come thither he vnderstood that Campson Gaurus Sultan of AEGYPT with a great armie leuied in AEGYPT and IVDEA was come into SYRIA giuing it out that he would aid the Persian king his confederat and with all hostilitie enter into CILICIA if Selymus should farther proceed to inuade Hysmaell the Sophi his friend and allie Selymus perplexed with these newes and fearing that if he should once passe ouer the riuer Euphrates Campson lying so neere in readinesse should forthwith breake in at his backe into ASIA by the mountaine AMANVS and so endanger that part of his dominion staied at ICONIVM and sent his embassadours with great presents to Campson to pacifie him if it might be The chiefe men in this embassage were the Cadelescher a man of great account amongst the Turks and of them exceedingly reuerenced for the opinion they had of his great Mahometane superstition who afterwards wrote the Commentaries of this warre and Iachis a great captaine The scope of whose embassage was to entreat Campson that he would not hinder or disturbe Selymus from making warre vpon the Persian king who had so often and so forceably inuaded his dominions in ASIA and by bringing in a new forme of superstition had corrupted and altered the most certaine grounds of the Mahometane religion And if they found him resolutly set downe and not to be by any conditions remoued then with all possible diligence to learne his strength and farther designes so farre as by any means they could and with all speed to make their returne But Campson now farre spent
of the Mamalukes gaue themselues wholly to the trade of marchandise husbandrie and other mechanicall occupations ouer whom the Mamalukes had power and commaund as imperious masters ouer their seruants and would with greater insolencie than is to be beleeued abuse the poore countrey people beating and spoiling them at their pleasure and not so contented rauishing their wiues and daughters without redresse The Aegyptians a people in auntient time much renowned for their valour and prowesse were by these masterfull slaues kept in this miserable thraldome and slauerie about the space of three hundred yeares For after the declination of the Romane empire that rich countrey falling into the gouernment of the Constantinopolitane emperours the Aegyptians soone wearie of the proud and auaritious soueraignetie of the Greekes called in the Sarafins by whose helpe they expulsed the Greekes and after chose the Generall of the Sarafins for their king after whose name the Aegyptian kings were of long time called Caliphes as they had of antient time beene called by the names of Pharao and Ptolomey The last of these Caliphes raigned at such time as the Christians vnder the leading of Godfrey and Bohemund passing as conquerours through ASIA and SYRIA erected the kingdome of HIERVSALEM Hee being inuaded by Americus sixt king of HIERVSALEM and finding himselfe too weake prayed aid of the Sultan of SYRIA who sent him Sarraco a valiant captain with a strong power to aid him but Sarraco no lesse vnfaithfull than courageous trecherously slew the Caliphe in whose aid he came and tooke vpon himselfe the kingdome After Sarraco succeeded Saladine his brothers sonne who vtterly extinguished the name and authoritie of the Caliphes in AEGYPT whom Sarraco had yet left as high priests This Saladine oftentimes vanquished the Christian armies in SYRIA and IVDEA and at length quite ouerthrew the kingdome of HIERVSALEM as is in the former part of this historie to be seene Saladine dying left the kingdome of AEGIPT to his brother whose posteritie successiuely raigned of long time there vntill the time of Melechsala This Melechsala last of the free borne kings and of the posteritie of Saladine had great and mortall warres with the Christians wherein hauing lost most of his best soldiors and reposing no great confidence in the Aegyptians thought good to strengthen himselfe with a new kind of souldiors meere slaues bought for money For at that time the Tartars breaking into ARMENIA and CAPADOCIA and ouerrunning the people called COMANI joyning vpon CAPADOCIA made generall spoile of that people as of prisoners taken by law of armes Of this base people Melechsala for a little money bought a great multitude which he transported into AEGIPT and furnished them with armes by whose prowesse he not onely defended the frontiers of his kingdome but also besieged Lewes the French king in his trenches not farre from DAMIATA called in auntient time HELIOPOLIS or PELVSIVM and shortly after in plaine battaile tooke him prisoner as is long before declared But in the pride of this victorie Melechsala was by the conspiracie of these his new souldiours slaine in whose place they set vp one Turqueminius a desperat fellow of their owne companie honouring him with the title of the great Sultan of AEGIPT Turqueminius of a base slaue now become a great monarch after the manner of men forgetting his old companions which had so highly promoted him and hauing them in great disdaine was by one of them called Clotho suddainely slaine for which fact he was by those base souldiors his companions chosen Sultan in his place who for the short time of his raigne did much for the confirming of that seruile monarchie yet was he at length slaine also by Bandocader sometimes one of his fellow seruants who also succeeded him in the kingdome After him in long order succeeded many valiant men of the same seruile state condition whom for breuitie I wittingly passe ouer Amongst the rest Caitbeius of whom we haue before spoken in the life of Baiazet was for wealth and martiall prowesse most famous who according to the manner of his predecessours did with greater bountie and care maintaine that seruile gouernment than any of them who had before him raigned in AEGIPT and was for his notable gouernment and noble acts justly accounted amongst the greatest princes of that age After whose death great troubles arose in that seruile monarchie about the succession Whereby the Mamalukes drawne into diuers factions some seeking to prefer one and some another had in foure yeares space with ciuile warres sore weakened their estate and slaine diuers of their greatest princes which had aspired vnto that kingdome For appeasing of which mischeefes tending to the vtter ruine of their kingdome the great courtiers and cheefe men amongst the Mamalukes with one consent offered the kingdome to Campson Gaurus or as the Turkes call him Cansaues Gauris of whom wee now speake a man of great integritie and courage and altogether free from ambition He terrified with the dreadfull example of so many kings whom hee had seene in short time miserably slaine by the ambitious aspiring of other proud competitors when he was sore against his will hoist vp vpon the shoulders of the nobilitie and cheefe souldiors and so carried into the court as their manner was began earnestly to refuse the kingdome and to withstand their choice excusing himselfe as vnfit for so high a place and with teares standing in his eyes besought the other great lords his friends that they would forbeare to thrust him well contented with his priuat life into that glorious place subject to so many dangers and the rather for that he neither had money to giue bountifully vnto the souldiors of the court as other the Aegyptian Sultans had accustomed neither held that sufficiencie and authoritie as was requisit for repressing of such violent and seditious tumults as were too rise in that troublesome time and confusion of all things The nobilitie on the other side persuaded him That he would not vpon a foolish obstinacie or vaine modestie refuse the offer of his present good fortune but couragiously to take vpon him the gouernment of the state now sore shaken with ciuile discord together with the regall dignitie which was with the generall good liking of all men so frankely offered vnto him At last they all by solemne oath promised vnto him That they would with all their power policie and wealth maintaine and defend the majestie of his state and that the men of war should not demaund their wonted largesse before the same might by his receiuers and treasurers bee raised of his customes and other reuenewes of the crowne By which persuasions Campson encouraged suffered himselfe to be saluted Sultan and so tooke vpon him the gouernment Afterwards when he had giuen vnto the men of warre ten millions of duckats by the name of a largesse and by his moderat gouernment had caused men generally to haue his prowesse and wisdome in admiration he did
laied together hee said the Sultan might afterward vpon euen hand goe into the field if he should thinke it so much to concerne his honour to giue his enemies battaile But for as much as the greatest warres which at the first had most violent and most furious motions by the politicke enemies delay did most commonly in time grow calme hee should not therefore make too much hast to aduenture the fortune of battaile for that the errours of warre which many times chanced through the ouersight or rashnesse of the cheeftains might well of good men be lamented and detested but hardly or neuer recouered or amended Gazelles his graue and considerat speech had much moued both the Sultan and others yet the cheerefulnesse of the souldiors and foolish hardinesse of the Mamalukes did so fill Campsons eares that he could not hearken to so good and wholesome counsell for as soone as they heard certainely of the comming of the Turkes they began to leape and daunce and to rejoice among themselues that the time was come wherein they might make proofe of their valour and win to themselues honour For now as they said was come that time they had long wished for wherin they would by notable slaughter of their enemies aduance the honour and majestie of Campson their Sultan far aboue the fame of Caitbeius And some euen of the cheefe men about Campson vpon flatterie and vaine ostenâ—ation alledging how honourably and with what small labour they had before ouerthrowne the Turkes great armie at TARSVS persuaded him that the victorie would easily and without any great danger be gotten But especially Cayerbeius gouernor of ALEPPO and of the prouince of COMAGENA who after his warre ended was in reward of his foule treason by Selymus vnworthily preferred to the greatest honours of AEGYPT extolling with glorious words the faithfulnesse courage and valour of the Mamalukes and extenuating the strength and power of the enemie forced his wits to the vttermost to ouerthrow the wholsome counsell of Gazelles For this Cayerbeius for all his faire face bare a grudge in heart against Campson because he had some few yeares before poysoned his brother whom he had in jealousie being a man next to himselfe of greatest power wealth and authoritie amongst the Mamalukes and withall of an aspiring mind Whereupon Cayerbeius afterwards thinking it good to looke to himselfe and doubting the like practise to be intended against himselfe being as the manner of that kingdome was summoned to a parliament at CAIRE faigned himselfe sicke and would not come wherwith Campson was not a little offended yet for a time he thought it best to dissemble the matter and to await some fitter oportunitie for the taking away of that proud man so forgetfull of his dutie and bearing himselfe against his soueraigne as if he had been an absolute king in his owne prouince This he thought might most couertly be brought to passe if he should vpon the occasion of the present warre as it then fell out or els vnder the colour of going in person himselfe to the riuer Euphrates come to ALEPPO for it was the manner of the antient Aegyptian Sultans not to account themselues worthie of the name of a Sultan or great Generall before they had as Caitbeius had of late done encamped their armie vpon the side of the riuer Euphrates at the citie BYRTHA which standing vpon the banke of the riuer retaineth at this day both the antient name and fame and there with solemne pompe had in the sight of the armie forced their horses into the riuer to drinke giuing to vnderstand by that ceremonie the greatnesse of their empire and that they were readie by force of armes to proue that all those countries were their which lay alongst the riuer Euphrates from the mountaine TAVRVS vnto the deserts of ARABIA But the consideration of this war letted that hee did not at his first comming oppresse him because he deemed it to stand best with his present affaires and not yet knowing the purpose of Selymus to expect the motions of the Turkes and Persians and to deferre the execution of his wrath against Cayerbeius vntill the end of the warre for feare least the other Mamalukes dismayed with the hainousnesse of the suddaine fact should either reuolt from him or els raise some mutinie or rebellion in that populous citie For Cayerbeius had by his courtesie and bountie many strong companies in the armie fast bound vnto him and beside that was of greatest credit and authoritie with them of ALEPPO hauing in his keeping a strong citadell built vpon the rising of an hill in the middest of the citie which he kept with a strong and sure garrison But whiles Campson doth thus slowly and considerately purpose his destruction many of the Sultans secret friends to him more officious than faithfull secretly aduised Cayerbeius to beware of the Sultan and by some good meanes in time to prouide for his owne safetie He vnderstanding of the danger and thinking all delay deadly sent secret messengers vnto Selymus discouering vnto him the cause of his greefe and promising as occasion should serue to come ouer vnto him and to deliuer into his power the castle with the hearts of the citisens and all the strength of his owne horsemen thereby to prouide for his owne safetie to reuenge his brothers death and to further his victorie against Campson and for performance of promises on both sides required secret hostages to be giuen By the same messengers he also aduertised him what strength the Sultan was of persuading him in any case to make hast to giue him battaile before hee had gathered any greater power Selymus nothing doubted to condiscend to all that the traitor had requested promising of himselfe farre greater things than euer he had required assuring himselfe of the victorie if his enemie should lose so much of his strength by the reuolt of so great a commaunder Campson enforced by the generall consent of his souldiors and the violence of his ineuitable destinie then at hand rejecting the good and faithfull counsell of Gazelles at such time as Selymus was reported to be at hand resolued according to the counsell of the traitour Cayerbeius to dare him battell He lay conueniently encamped vpon the riuer Singa almost ten miles from the citie in such sort as that his souldiors might vse the benefit of the riuer and remoued from the houses and pleasures of the citie might yet neuerthelesse be easily releeued with the stoâ—e and plentâ—e thereof The Mamalukes were scarce in number twelue thousand but euery one of them according as he was of greater place or calling so had he attending vpon him moe seruants well furnished with horse and armour A goodly and inuincible armie if the battaile might haue been tried by true valour The Mamalukes wearing their beards long and rough with graue and sterne countenance hauing strong and able bodies vsed such cunning in all their fights and battailes that
the citie of RAMA for he was also sent from Selymus to Sinan Bassa with a strong companie of Graecian horsemen by whose comming the furie of the Arabians was well repressed Yet these pilfering people still calling forth to the prey more and more of their leaders which dwelt in the mountaines adjoyning and being growne to a great armie ouertooke the Turkes at a village called CARASâ—ARA where they enforced them to fight in a place of great disaduantage For the Arabians hauing before taken certaine straits which closed in the passage at the further end of a large valley shewed themselues at once before behind and on both sides of the Turkes their weapons were bow and arrowes and long speares armed at both ends which they nimbly handled after the manner of the Moores These weapons they most skilfully vsed vpon their swift horses and both in their charge and retreat wounded their enemies deadly So that the Turkes in number few and for their horsemens staues inferiour to their enemies durst not offer to charge them but keeping close together hardly defended themselues still making way as they might and had vndoubtedly beene brought into extreame danger to haue beene vtterly lost had not Iuleb with foure peeces of artillerie which he brought with him for his defence drawne them which kept the straits from their high places and so opening the way with all speed brought thorow his men which straits once passed and comming into the open fields he with more safetie marched forward skirmishing a farre off with the enemie with his archers and harquebusiers and discharging his fieldpeeces where he saw the greatest and thickest troups of those wild people On the other part the Arabians dispersedly houering about them in troupes were still in the taile of the armie and such as were wounded or weake and could not follow the rest they slew and sought by all meanes to hinder their journey not suffering them circumuented with so many dangers either to refresh themselues or to take any rest This was vnto the Turks a most dismall day for many of them tormented with thirst and weakened with wounds and extreame labour gaue vp the ghost and now no helpe remained in this desperate estate being still beset and hardly laied to with the multitude of those fierce and desperat enemies when suddainely a great number of other Turks came to them in the mid way vnlooked for being now in despaire and euen at the last cast For Selymus hauing left the Imbrahor-Bassa with a strong armie vpon the borders of PERSIA for the defence of SYRIA and ASIA and hauing sent for new supplies of souldiors to CONSTANTINOPLE which should with a great fleet be transported into SYRIA had now remoued from DAMASCO and the better to prouide for victuals and forrage which began now to grow scant in that wasted countrey euery day sent before great troupes and companies of his armie as it were at certaine appointed times So Iuleb deliuered of the present danger by the comming in of these fresh souldiors met with Selymus the next day and in order told him all that had happened vnto him and his first troupes at GAZA and RAMA and all the way after and also what they supposed by conjectures to haue chanced to Sinan Bassa with his armie for the manifold wyles of so dangerous enemies With which newes Selymus became exceeding melancholie and thereupon thought it not good to goe any further before he perfectly knew how all stood with Sinan in whose fortune he had reposed all the hope of his good successe in that so great an enterprise But whilest hee was in this dumpe suddenly came the Syrian spies who declaring vnto him all that Sinan Bassa had done conuerted that melancholie passion into no lesse joy and gladnesse for he saw that by that victorie AEGIPT was laid open vnto him and his desires as good as halfe accomplished in lesse time than euer he expected The next day after he remoued with his armie to RAMA and by the way as he went to the terrour of others burnt the dwellings together with the wiues and children of those Arabians who but a little before had done so much harme to his men in their passage And from thence sending before his footmen to Sinan Bassa at GAZA hee himselfe with his horsemen turned out of the way vpon the left hand to HIERVSALEM to visit that most antient and famous citie so much renowned both for the antiquitie thereof and the fame of the religion of the Iewes That vnpeopled and desolate citie lay then defaced with the hugie ruines of the old sacred and stately buildings not inhabited by the Iewes the antient inhabitants thereof who for their inexpiable guilt as men exiled out of the world haue neither country or resting place but for most part by a few poore Christians who to the great shame and scorne of the Christian name paied yearely a wonderfull tribute vnto the Sultan of AEGYPT for the possession of the sacred sepulchre when as the Christian princes flourishing at that time with glorie power and wealth could not by any motiue of immortall glorie or fame be incited to reuenge so great an injurie but deeming it as should seeme better agreeing with their state to spend their time in idle vanities or mortall war one against an other than in the quarrell of the most true and Christian religion Selymus hauing reuerently worshipped the auntient monuments of the old prophets and done especiall sacrifice vnto his great prophet Mahomet gaue vnto the Christian priests keepers of the place as vnto good and deuout men money to maintaine them for six moneths and staying at HIERVSALEM but one night marched in foure daies to the rest of his army at GAZA Where by the way he had continuall skirmishes both day and night with the Arabians for they according to their wonted manner were desperatly at hand in euerie place and where the straightnesse of the waies enforced the Turkes to extenuat their rankes there would they be readie to skirmish with them and suddenly vnlooked for come to handie blowes and when they came into the vallies they tumbled downe the mountaines vpon them great stones which they had for that purpose before prouided At which time the Turkes harquebusiers in whom they had greatest confidence serued them to little purpose for the weather was so tempestuous and extreame moist with continuall raine that the pouder in their flaskes became wet and vnseruiceable and hardly could they keepe fire in their matches Yet by the valiantnesse of the Ianizaries the matter was so vsed that neere vnto the person of the emperour no great harme was done by those naked robbers for climbing vp the hils with pikes in their hands they driue them from their standings and enforced them to abandon the straights and high places But Sinan Bassa who after his victorie returning to GAZA had put to death the authors of the late reuolt confiscated
discouraged And that more encreased their feare the sea was growne so rough that the admirall was not able in that open and dangerous sea longer to ride it out with his gallies but was enforced to slip his ankers and as he might to run his gallies on ground In these troubles wherewith both Solyman himselfe and all his armie were at furthest of their wits and almost quite discouraged Achimetes one of his most valiant and expert captaines came to comfort him and promised if he would continue the siege in short time to make him an open way into the citie Vpon confidence whereof Solyman to encourage his fainting souldiours now scarce able for cold and lacke of courage to hold their weapons in their hands caused them to be assembled before his pauillion where from a high place he comforted them in this â—ort I am not ignorant most valiant souldiours what great things you endure for mine honour and the glorie of mine empire This continuall threatnings of the heauens this immoderat raine this terrible thunder and lightning the coldnesse of the weather the want of necessaries with the manifold miseries of this long siege doe much persuade me to giue you leaue to lay downe armes and to take your rest But first let vs consider if vnto men of courage it be not a dishonour for the tediousnesse of raine and tempest to leaue vnto our enemies the victorie alreadie in our hands and shamefully to forsake our trenches forts mounts ouertopping not onely the wals of the citie but mating the heauens with such other like worke made with my infinit charge and your great trauell all for the taking of this citie Truly this warre either should not haue beene taken in hand at all or being once begun is to be ended for the honour of the Othoman empire Which for so much as it could not be accomplished in Sommer the reputation of mine empire in common and the regard of the commoditie of euerie one of you in priuat enforceth me to performe it in Winter For if we shall from hence depart with our armie who doubts but the enemie not onely for desire of reuenge but also strained by necessitie hauing lost all he had of his owne will prey vpon your countries houses and goods and will bring you your wiues and children into a farre more miserable slauerie and bondage than that wherin he himselfe now is Wherefore I aduise you to continue the siege and neuer to depart before you haue attained vnto the end of your desires And admit there were no necessitie in the matter yet the honour and fame of the action ought to impose vpon you a resolution both of bodie and mind to endure the siege For the eies and countenances of all nations especially the Christians are fixed vpon you whom when they shall vnderstand not to be able to endure the field one Winter they will of right call you Sommer birds which so soone as any storme ariseth looke after your houses and places of repose It is reported that the Graecians for a strumpet besieged TROY ten yeares and shall not the Turkes vexed and oppressed with slaughter robberies inuasions both by sea and land and that more is with the seruitude of 214 yeares endure one Winters siege They will say that the terror of your name is but vaine and that fame hath encreased the same as many other things mo which not seene are more feared in farre countries amongst men of small experience And that now euerie man may safely enough abide your force which make your inuasions rather vpon a furie and brauerie than vpon any good resolution which in all kind of warre but especially in besieging of cities is most necessarie whereof many being by naturall situation and fortification impregnable time hath with her handmaides Famine and Thirst ouercome and vanquished as it shall doe this citie of the RHODâ—S against which beloued in armes there is a secret mischiefe prepared which may not in this open audience be published for it is as necessarie that the vulgar sort should be ignorant of some things as to know the same Many thought that this was spoken rather of pollicie than vpon any good ground and although his hoat persuasion had little moued the cold courage of his despairing souldiours yet the regard of duetie in that most loyall nation with the greedie expectation of so great a secret ouercame all other difficulties so that they departed at leastwise in shew contented to endure whatsoeuer should befall Achimetes author of this great expectation and the onely hope of Solymans successe came oftentimes and assailed the Vaumures of the Auergne station which although they were not verie high yet were they alwaies valiantly defended by the Rhodians It fortuned that this warlike captaine daily attempting the Vaumures in the end by force obtained the same and so possessed of the place he so much desired desperatly kept it vntill greater helpe came running in who with wonderfull expedition with matter for that purpose before prepared clapt vp a strong and defensible couering in manner of a penthouse against the towne wall betwixt the wall and the vaumure vnder which they shrowded themselues from the defendants which was an easie matter for such a multitude to doe the ditches of the towne in that place being now filled vp so high that the defendants could not out of their flankers scoure the ditch nor yet without manifest danger come to cast any thing downe vpon them from the top of the wals for the Turkes harquebusiers which lying vpon their mounts higher than the battered wals of the citie suffered none to appeare vpon them without danger So that the Rhodians who erst thought themselues at great quiet were now ouertaken with a sudden and vnexpected mischiefe which at the first filled the citie with feare and heauie silence which straightwaies after brake out into pitifull outcries and lamentations The Turkes lurking vnder their penthouse laboured with mattocks and pickaxes to dig vp the foundation of the wall and Preianes forward and couragious to doe what might be done threw downe vpon the Turkes fire scalding oyle burning pitch wilde-fire and such things But when the miserable men which shruncke from the worke for feare of the fire were againe beaten forward by their imperious commanders and presently slaine if they made any delay and fresh men still thrust on in steed of such as wete hurt or slaine the fatall work begun the seuenth day of October went apace forward with the great continuall labor of these wretched slaues A great number of the common souldiors whom the Turks call Asapi was imployed in this worke of whom Solyman in this siege of the RHODES and other his expeditions made not much more account but as of pioners to worke in mines and to cast vp trenches and oftentimes with their bodies to fill towne ditches to make a way for the Ianizaries to passe ouer vpon they by the constraint
could by pollicie bring that to passe which he was otherwise with great danger to attempt by force Wherefore faining himselfe to be extreame sicke he sent embassadours to Alis requesting him as a friend to vouchsafe to come vnto him being at the point of death vnto whom he had many things of importance from the great emperour to impart and would if he should die leaue with him all his charge vntill Solyman should otherwise dispose thereof Alis who from his youth had alwaies honoured the Turkish emperours and faithfully serued them mistrusting no harme came to the Bassa accompanied with his foure sonnes whom the faithlesse Bassa without regard of infamie caused presently to be put to death with their father and so reducing all that countrey into the manner of a prouince vnder Solymans obeisance came to him with twentie thousand men about the time that the citie of the RHODES was yeelded vp This is the faithlesse dealing of the Turks not with the Christians onely but with them of their owne superstition also vsing it as no small pollicie vtterly to extinguish the nobilitie in all countries subject to their seruile tyrannie Solyman after he had thus subdued the RHODES and disposed of the Island as he liked best returning to CONSTANTINOPLE brake vp his armie and for the space of three yeares after followed his pleasure not doing any thing worthie of remembrance During which time and many yeares after the rich and flourishing countrey of ITALIE sometime mistres of the world was miserably afflicted and rent in peeces by Charles the fift then emperour and Francis the French king the one enuying vnto the other the glorie of the empireâ—punc and he not content therwith seeking with immoderat ambition to make himselfe lord of all ITALIE most of the other Christian princes and states being at the same time either by the one or by the other drawn into the fellowship of that warre to the great trouble and sore weakening of the Christian common-weale Whereupon Solyman waiting all occasions that might serue for the enlarging of his empire and annoying of the Christians thought it now a fit time for him to set his foot into HVNGARIE whereinto he had alreadie laied open a way by the taking of BELGRADE He knew right well that Lewes then king of HVNGARIE was but yong altogether vnacquainted with the warres commaunding ouer his headstrong subjects especially his rich prelates and nobilitie no otherwise than pleased themselues being himselfe rather by them altogether ouerruled Besides that he was in good hope that the other Christian princes neere vnto him either carried away with regard of their owne estate would not or els before vnto himselfe by league fast bound could not affoord vnto him any great aid or succour The Germanes hee knew would make small hast vnto such warres as should yeeld them much danger and but small pay As for the princes of the house of AVSTRIA Charles the emperour and Ferdinand his brother although they were joined vnto the young king with the neerest bonds of alliance Lewes hauing married Marie their youngest sister and Ferdinand Anne king Lewes his sister yet was there as he thought small helpe to be expected from them Charles hauing his hands full in ITALIE and Ferdinand altogether carefull of himselfe And that Sigismund king of POLONIA would for the young kings sake breake the antient league he had with the Turkish emperors he could hardly be persuaded As for other Christian princes farther off he stood not in any great doubt Thus hauing with himselfe singled out this young prince the Hungarian king whom he had in his greedie mind alreadie deuoured he set forward from CONSTANTINOPLE and was come on his way as far as SOPHIA in SERVIA with a mightie armie of two hundred thousand men before that the Hungarians had any knowledge of his comming so blind sencelesse was that state which now sleeping in securitie had long before lost those eyes which euer watcht and neuer spared cost or paines to keepe the same in safetie in stead of whom were others come in place sharpe of sight and too too prouident for that concerned their owne aduancement but blind as beetils in foreseeing this great and common danger wherewith they were shortly after all quite ouerwhelmed vntill it was now brought home vnto their owne dores The yong king of himselfe but weake by reason of his youthfull yeares and nothing strengthened by them for whom he had most done and should haue beene his greatest stay was wonderfully dismayed with the fame of the approch of so mightie an enemie yet the better to withstand him he sent embassadors with all speed vnto the Christian princes his neighbors requesting their aid against the common enemie but all in vaine In the meane time after the auntient manner of his countrey he gaue out generall summons for the assembly of his counsell for the warres whether his great stipendarie prelates of dutie bound to appeare came with their troupes of euill appointed horsemen and not halfe full who also deliuered in lesse summes of money by farre than of right they should haue done towards the maintenance of the charge of that common war And the temporall nobilitie forgetting the warlike discipline of their famous ancestors as fresh water souldiors which had neuer seene the Turkish emperour in his strength and but little acquainted with some light skirmishes or small inuasions in their vaine brauerie made light account of the Turkes proudly vaunting That although they were in number but few yet they would easily ouerthrow the great numbers of them if euer they came to handâ—e strokes But aboue all the rest one Paulus Tomoreus archbishop of COLOSSA sometimes a Minorite who had before been in diuers light skirmishes against the Turks with great insolencie did so confidently brag and boast of the victorie he vainely dreamed of that in his sermons vnto the souldiours and in open talke with the nobilitie if he could haue done so much as he vaunted of it should seeme that he himselfe had been ynough to haue ouerthrowne the Turks whole armie But when all the kings armie was assembled and a generall moster taken there was hardly found fiue and twentie thousand men in all horse and foot So that the foolish hardinesse of Tomoreus and others so forwards to giue the Turks battell was of most wise men disliked The old souldiors and men of great experience said plainely That it was meere follie and madnesse with such a handfull of men to giue battell vnto the enemie who would bring eight times so many moe into the field as they were Wherefore some wished that the young king should be withdrawne from the imminent danger amongst whom Stephanus Verbetius a noble captaine of all the rest best acquainted with the Turkish warres gaue counsell that the person of the yong king should for the safetie of the common state whatsoeuer should happen be kept out of
to haue declared the cause of his comming he was after the manner of the Turkish court turned ouer to the Bassaes for Solyman vsed not to admit any Christian to talke with him in his court Lascus requested of Solyman by the Bassaes That king Iohn wrongfully thrust out of his kingdome by Ferdinand duke of AVSTRIA and the treason of certaine of the Hungarians might by the Turkish power be againe restored vnto the kingdome of HVNGARIE which he would hold by homage of the Turkish emperour as of right belonging vnto him since the time that Solyman with victorious hand reuenging his wrongs and subduing his enemies had by law of armes fortune so judging gained the same Promising that king Iohn who for his worthinesse was by the generall good liking of the Hungarians lawfully chosen to be their king and so after the auntient manner of that kingdome crowned if he were now receiued into Solymans protection and by him restored should neuer forget so great a benefit but alwaies most faithfully and thankfully to honour the majestie of Solyman paying him such yearly tribute as it should please him to impose and to make it knowne to all men that he was his vassaile Which thing if it would please him to grant it should be no lesse honour and glorie to Solyman himselfe than profitable and comfortable vnto the distressed king For beside that heroicall kings are compared vnto gods rather for giuing than receiuing it was easie to be seene how greatly it did concerne the profit of the Othoman kings to be neighboured with a weake and tributarie king rather than with Ferdinand a prince of great power lately chosen king of BOHEMIA supported by the strength of his brother Charles the emperour commaunding ouer the warlike nation of the Germanes which was as much difference as was betwixt the maintenance of a continuall heauie warre vpon his borders and the safe enjoying of a most assured peace Beside that it concerned the Turks to beware that such things as they had got by the sword they should also by the sword defend and not to suffer any one to grow greater than the rest in riches and power For it might so fall out that Charles growne to be a prince of mightie power might draw the rest of the Christian princes to joyne with him in the common cause of the Christian religion and in that quarrell as the Christian kings of EVROPE had in former time done with vnited forces to seeke to recouer againe what they had before lost whose force it would be hard to withstand These things being sharpely deliuered and by the Bassaes againe reported to Solyman who standing at a secret window had before heard them as they were by Lascus vnto the Bassaes declared it was no great labour to persuade the Turkish emperour of himselfe desirous of glorie and soueraignetie againe to vndertake the Hungarian warre and to graunt king Iohn his request promising according to the successe of the victorie to giue him that he desired so that he would faithfully performe what he had promised and not shew himselfe therefore vnthankfull In the meane time Ferdinand vpon great reason thinking it necessarie by all meanes possible to confirme himselfe in possession of the kingdome of HVNGARIE and fearing no force but the Turks determined to proue Solymans disposition and to seeke for his friendship hoping by reasonable meanes to compasse it by shewing vnto the barbarous prince not altogether abhorring from the commendation of justice his antient title and claime and that he was by the antient lawes of the countrey right heire thereof thinking that Solyman hauing obtained so many victories and ruling ouer so many kingdomes would now at length giue himselfe to peace as a man contented with his glorie alreadie gotten His desire was to be receiued into his friendship and to joine with him in league vpon the same conditions which Ladislaus and his son Lewes had for certaine yeares before obtained of the Othoman kings and Sigismund king of POLONIA then also with like quietnesse enjoyed Wherefore hauing found out a fit man whom he might send vpon this embassage to CONSTANTINOPLE one Ioannes Oberdanscus a Hungarian he furnished him accordingly and gaue him gifts such as hee thought good to bestow vpon the great Bassaes. But when Oberdanscus was come vnto CONSTANTINOPLE he found Solyman harder to be entreated than he had before hoped and the Bassaes altogether vnwilling to heare of any league for although he was courteously receiued of Solyman and most patiently heard whilest he both eloquently and discreetly before the great Bassaes deliuered his embassage yet in the shutting vp of all he receiued no more but a proud and insolent answere for Solyman said it was farre from the manner of his auncestors to receiue them into grace and fauour which had done injurie vnto the Othoman name wherefore that Ferdinand had done impudently to inuade another mans kingdome and to thinke to hold it to himselfe for as much as his old title and claime which he stood so much vpon was altogether extinguished and lost by law of arms by his late victorie against king Lewes for which causes hee adjudged him vnworthie of his friendship and fauour purposing sharpely to reuenge the wrong he had receiued and proclaiming warre to come againe into HVNGARIE with such a power as should be sufficient to inuade Ferdinand either in AVSTRIA or GERMANIE Wherefore in stead of friendship and league he denounced vnto him all the calamities of warre and so commaunded the embassadour with speed to depart from CONSTANTINOPLE But Oberdanscus when hee was come backe againe as farre as VIENNA and had there told the kings lieutenants of the threatening words of Solyman and that he would shortly come thither with his armie he was not of any of them beleeued but reputed for a vaine man Wherefore to shun the hatred of them which mistooke truth for falshood he made hast to come vnto Ferdinand who was then at SPIRES labouring for voices to further his sute for that at the next assemblie of the states of the empire which was then at hand for the coronation of his brother Charles he himselfe as he well hoped was to be chosen king of the Romanes The newes brought by Oberdanscus did not a little trouble king Ferdinand foreseeing as it were what would happen for that the Turkish tyrant vsed not lightly to breake such promises but to performe them to the vttermost and that more increased his care he knew he should come in euill time to craue helpe of the Germaines for the defence of his kingdome in HVNGARIE against so mightie an enemie especially his brother Charles the emperour being busied in his warres in ITALIE and he himselfe wanting money the only meanes to raise an armie to withstand the Turke The Spring now come and all things fresh and greene Solyman altering nothing of his former determination hauing leuied an armie of an hundred and
affections also was become a great fauourit of Mustapha Now to colour so manifest a wrong and breach of the Turkes faith Mustapha the Generall according to the Turkish manner a little before his arriuall in CYPRVS gaue the Venetians there to vnderstand by letters of his comming as also of his purpose for the taking of that island from them for that without some such slender denouncing of warre vnto them against whom it is intended the Turkes generally account their expeditions not to be altogither so lawfull or fortunat as otherwise and therefore writ vnto them in this sort Mustapha Bassa vnto the Venetians That the kingdome of CYPRVS by auntient right belongeth vnto the kingdome of AEGYPT you are not ignorant which being conquered by the Turks is togither with it become of right apart also of the Othoman empire that island we come to challenge leading after vs two hundred thousand valiant souldiors vnto which power and the wealth of the Othoman kingdomes all which the most mightie emperour is about if need shall be to send thither and to bend his whole strength theron all the vnited forces of the Christian kings are not comparable much lesse the Venetians so small a part of EVROPE forsaken of their friends can suffice Wherefore we will and exhort you for the auntient amitie which hath been betwixt your State and the glorious Othoman family to yeeld this kingdome vnto the most puissant emperour whose verie name is become dreadfull vnto all the nations of the world and quietly and without resistance to leaue the island with the loue and friendship of so great a monarch to be for euer inuiolatly kept betwixt him and you Whereas if you shall before such wholsome counsell fondly preferre your vaine hopes you are to expect all the calamities of warre with such dreadfull examples as the angrie conquerours vse to make of their vanquicted enemies For resolution whereof wee yet giue you halfe a moneths space to bethinke your selues in and so fare you well All this being now in readinesse and a most royall gallie of wonderfull greatnesse and beautie by the appointment of Selymus prepared for the great Bassa the Generall he togither with Haly Bassa and the rest of the fleet departed from CONSTANTINOPLE the six and twentith of May and at the RHODES met with Piall as he had before appointed The whole fleet at that time consisted of two hundred gallies amongst whom were diuers galliots and small men of warre with diuers other vessels prepared for the transportation of horses with this fleet Mustapha kept on his course for CYPRVS They of the island in the meane time carefully attending the enemies comming from their watch towers first discouered the fleet at the West end of the island not farre from PAPHOS from whence the Turkes turning vpon the right hand and passing the promontorie CVRIO now called DEL LE GATE landed diuers of their men who burnt and spoiled certaine villages and with such spoile and prisoners as they had taken returned againe vnto the fleet which holding on the former course came at length to a place called SALINae of the abundance of salt there made where they knew was best landing and there in an open road came to an anchor where the Bassaes without any resistance vpon a plaine shoare landed their armie Now all the hope of the Christians was to haue kept the Turkes from landing which they should with all their strength and power haue done neither was it a matter of any great difficultie for had the defendants but kept the shoare and from the drie and firme land valiantly repulsed their enemies they might vndoubtedly with their shot and weapons haue kept them from landing or else haue done them greater harme knowing in the meane time that in all the island was no good harbour for them to put into and that riding in an open road subject to all wind and weather they could not long without danger of shipwracke ride it out But they either terrified with the greatnesse of the fleet or preuented by the celeritie of the enemie to their great hurt omitted so faire an opportunitie as the wofull sequell of the matter declared It exceedingly encouraged the Turks that they had so easily footed the island which they thought they should not haue done without a bloudie fight The Bassa now landed presently entrenched his armie and forthwith sent the fleet to transport the rest of his forces out of PAMPHILIA into the island And at the same time sent out certaine scouts to take some prisoners of whom they might learne the situation of the countrey the best waies to passe them with his armie the strength of his enemies and what they did and many other such like things which it concerned him to know But the greatest question amongst the Turkes themselues was Whether they should first set vpon FAMAGVSTA or NICOSIA FAMAGVSTA standeth low altogether subject to the scorching heat which was then great according as the time of the yeare and nature of the countrey required wherefore the Bassa for feare of diseases to arise in his armie of the immoderat heat and vnwholesome situation of the place thought it better to begin his warres with the siege of NICOSIA and to make that citie the seat of the warre for the conquest of the rest of the island So hauing put all things in order and well viewed the countrey and finding nothing he needed to stand in doubt of he set forward with his armie toward NICOSIA which was about thirtie miles distant being the cheefe and richest citie of all the island Which way soeuer the armie marched it spread a great deale of ground and the neerer it came the greater was the slaughter of the countrey people and the number of prisoners taken of all sorts But when newes of the enemies approach was brought into the citie a generall feare presaging future miserie possessed the hearts of all men There was not in the citie any valiant or renowmed captaine who as the danger of the time required should haue taken vpon him the charge neither any strong armie in the island to oppose against the enemie The Gouernour of the citie was one Nicholaus Dandulus a man too weake for so great a burthen who alwaies brought vp in ciuile affaires was to seeke how to defend a siege Of the citisens and countrey people he had taken vp foure thousand footmen and a thousand horsemen all raw souldiors commaunded by the gentleman of the countrey men of all others most courteous but as well the captaines as the souldiors as men brought vp in a plentifull countrey fitter for pleasure than for warre The greatest hope and strength of the citie was reposed in twelue hundred Italian footmen and six hundred horsemen The whole number of the souldiors in garrison for defence of the citie was deemed about eight thousand horse and foot too weake a companie against so fierce and strong an enemie
and the more for that the Bassa an old and most expert Generall was there in person himselfe present a most seuere and absolute commaunder whom it would haue been a hard matter to haue withstood with equall power The Venetians had euer had great care of the island of CYPRVS as lying farre from them in the middest of the sworne enemies of the Christian religion and had therefore oftentimes determined to haue fortified the same yet fearing thereby to seeme to distrust or dread the Turks and so to giue them occasion of offence left it still vndone This citie of NICOSIA standeth in the middest of the island in a plaine and champaine countrey compassed round with a wall as if it had bin drawne with a compasse and is in circuit about fiue miles for the manner of the situation magnificent buildings as well publike as priuat many haue compared it vnto the beautifull citie of FLORENCE in ITALIE and was for the wholsome and commodious situation thereof notably peopled This citie had the Venetians of late fortified with new wals thicke rampiers and eleuen strong bulwarkes according to the manner of the fortification of our time and had raised three great fortresses for defence of the wall which they furnished with a strong garrison great store of artillerie and other warlike prouision Neuerthelesse they found by experience in this warre That fortifications are strengthened by the defendants rather than the defendants by the fortifications The two and twentith of Iuly the Bassa with his armie encamped within a mile and a halfe of the citie when presently the Turks by troupes issuing out of the campe rid contemptuously before the wals and gates of the citie and with often and lowd outcries vpbraided the defendants which by them being answered with silence was taken as a token of their feare And Mustapha himselfe comming as neere as he might without danger tooke full view of the wals and situation of the citie Shortly after the enemie drew neerer vnto the citie into a more open plaine and with their tents filled the lower part of the hill which they called MANDIA but the Bassaes tent they set aloft vpon the hill to the terrour of the defendants and encouragement of the Turkes The campe being fortified the Turks with incredible labour and celeritie brought their trenches from farre and at the first cast vp some few forts but afterwards as their armie increased many mo which they raised so high that they ouertopped the wals of the citie and made the place more dangerous for the Christians to defend There hauing placed seauentie great pieces of batterie they began to batter the citie both day and night without intermission with such an horrible thundring that the earth trembled the houses shooke as if they would haue fallen downe at which time many were slaine both with the deadly shot and the broken pieces of stones beaten out of the wals neuer was such a feare as then within the citie of NICOSIA euerie day the enemie brought his trenches neerer and neerer and rested not vntill he had with restlesse labour brought them vnto the verie brim of the towne ditch which the citisens before the comming of the Turks had not well scoured Being come so nigh they first skirmished a far off with their small pieces but afterwards they not onely battered the wals with their great artillerie but with small shot arrowes and stones ouerwhelmed the defendants as if it had been a shower of haile so to haue driuen them from off the wall and rampiers In few daies not only all the curtaines betwixt three of the bulwarks was by the furie of the great ordinance beaten downe but all places thereabout lay full of the dead bodies of the assailants and defendants For although the Christians fought at great disaduantage both for the number of men and indifferencie of the place yet desperation joyned with extreame necessitie of all other the greatest weapon gaue them such courage as with shot stones timber and such like to keepe downe their enemies and defend their wals and oftentimes to make great slaughter of them with their artillerie and muthering pieces bent vpon them as at a certaine marke who the thicker they stood the greater was their harme They also oftentimes dismounted many of the great pieces and made them vnseruiceable and with featherbeds and sacks of cotten wooll made vp their breaches which the Turks laboured againe to burne with pitch barrels and earthen pots full of wild fire After long fight the Turks entring the ditch made themselues two waies to the wals which they fortified on both sides with fagots and earth in such sort as that they were safe from the loupes of the bulwarks which flankered the ditch All this quickly performed some presently set vp scaling ladders others filled the ditches with brushwood fagots and earth and others in the meane time with mattocks and leauers were digging downe the foundations of the bulwarks CONSTANCE and PODOCATERA taking name of them that had the chiefe charge in the building thereof The Christians right valiantly endured the first assault of the enemie and strucke downe dead into the ditches many of them that were climing vp the ladders and had in short time slaine mo than they were themselues in number and enforced the rest to giue ouer the assault These things were done in the beginning of the siege whilest yet both parties were strong in which hard conflicts a great number of souldiors were lost and most of the canoniers slaine After this assault both parties for a while busied themselues and spent the time in their ingenious deuises wherein it appeared that the Turks were much cunninger in deuising of meanes to take cities than were those Christians in defending the same Now had the Venetians in the first motions of these wars praied aid of diuers Christian princes from most part of whom they receiued but cold comfort as is before declared yet now at length though somewhat late they had drawne into the confederation of this warre the Pope and the king of SPAINE by whose example some other princes of ITALIE moued put to also their helping hands The Venetians as they whom the matter most concerned had in good time put their fleet to sea but knowing themselues too weake to encounter the Turks they lay still vpon the coast of DALMATIA about IADERA expecting the comming of the Spanish admirall with his gallies Two moneths wherein much might haue been done were now past in this expedition and yet no newes of his comming so that what the speed and industrie of the Venetians had well prepared was by the delay and lingering of the Spaniard marred Besides that the plague began to arise in the fleet lying so long in one place which at length grew so hoat that many of the gallies had neither marriner nor souldiour left in them neither did this mortalitie so sease vntill there were twentie thousand dead thereof amongst whom
doe there is another readie to giue it both for himselfe and his posteritie But Selymus mindfull of thy constancie fidelitie and valour will not be troublesome to thee in thy gouernment if thou foorthwith send the aforesaid tribute Which if thou shalt refuse to doe then his will is that thou shouldest giue place to another and thy selfe returne with me to CONSTANTINOPLE there to answere the matter otherwise I am in his name to denounce all hostilitie and the calamities of warre both vnto thee and thy countrey This proud message of the embassador strucke further into the mind of the Vayuod than any would haue thought yet dissembling his greefe he commanded him to be brought to the lodging appointed for him telling him That in a matter of so great importance and so much concerning the whole state of his countrey he could not giue him so present answer as he required but that vpon mature deliberation had with his nobilitie and counsell he would in short time answere him accordingly The embassadour being gone to his lodging the Vayuod forthwith began deepely to consider of Selymus his demaunds and that in the Turkes faith was no assurance which he kept or brake with the Christian princes as best fitted his owne turne and besides that that if he should graunt to pay that so great and heauie a tribute in so great pouertie of his kingdome sore wasted with ciuile warre Selymus would not be therewith long contented so long as any man would giue him more but happily would the next yeare exact a greater and in the end such an one as he with all his subjects should not be able to pay which it should not be safe for him at any time to refuse so long as any man would giue it Wherefore calling togither the nobilitie and states of his countrey he brake with them in this sort If euer you were to consult and deliberat of a most important and difficult matter this verily is that time for Selymus the Turkish emperour enflamed with insatiable auarice and I know not by whose persuasion not contented with his wonted tribute exacteth of vs twise so much more If you shall grant it it shall not much concerne me as not to be paied by me your soueraigne but by your selues and your posteritie if we denie it forthwith he denounceth vnto vs fire and sword with all the calamities of warre And in this barenesse of our kingdome almost spoiled by ciuile warres how shall we be able to pay it him wherefore declare your mindes Verily I foresee that if you shall in this yeeld vnto Selymus and grant him so great a tribute he will not therewith long hold himselfe contented but euerie yeare extort a greater vntill he haue altogither eaten vs vp Wherefore it were better for vs in mine opinion to lose our liues togither with our wiues and children than to suffer so great an indignitie neither is it mine owne estate that troubleth me for why it is you that are to pay it and not I. Wherefore if you list not to endure this so dishonourable and base a seruitude let me forthwith so vnderstand from you and I will for my part so prouide as that I will not onely not pay vnto the barbarous tyrant the new and heauie tribute he demaundeth but not so much as any tribute at all so that you be not wanting both to your selues and me I know right well beloued and fellowes in armes what I owe both vnto you and the common-weale for whose good and welfare I am alwaies readie to lay downe my life He had no sooner thus said but that a secret sorrow and vnwonted silence had as it were oppressed the whole assembly At length as men awaked out of an heauie and dead sleepe they murmured among themselues that the Turkish emperour should so without reason oppresse them with doubling and redoubling of his tribute and were generally of opinion That the Vayuod had not so plainely as truly spoken of the intollerablenesse thereof and that therefore they had rather die than to endure so great dishonour joyned with so foule a slauerie And thereupon offered vnto the Vayuod to serue vpon their owne charge and with him vpon the banke of Danubius to meet the proud enemie and there in defence of their liues and libertie to fight it out vnto the last man The Vayuod in few words commending their fidelitie and taking of them an oath for the faithfull performance of that they had so resolutely promised sent for the Turks embassadour and gaue him this short answere I for the auntient fidelitie and allegeance which I owe vnto my lord and dread soueraigne the mightie emperour Selymus would willingly yeeld vnto him the tribute he requireth were it not that I know the minds of my people to abhorre the same wishing rather to endure all calamities hap whatsoeuer hap may than to yeeld vnto so dishonourable and shamefull slauerie Wherefore sithence I cannot by any meanes extort the same from my subiects tell my lord Selymus That I most humbly request him not to take the same in euill part whose amitie I wish to be vnto me rather an ornament and refuge than disgrace or hinderance And that vpon that good hope I both asked and for my singular fidelitie obtained of him the Vayuodship of MOLDAVIA which my good hope I most heartily beseech him may not deceiue me With this answere he dismissed the embassador vnrewarded and with a safe conuoy brought him vnto the banke of Danubius which his homely vsage of the embassadour caused him not a little to be suspected to be in mind changed from Selymus The embassadour sent away the Vayuod not ignorant of the sudden inuasions of the Turkes forthwith began to raise his army and at the same time sent embassadours vnto Henrie king of POLONIA his neerest neighbour certifying him of the dangerous state of MOLDAVIA the surest bulwarke of the Polonian kingdome which once ouerthrowne opened a faire and easie way for the common enemie into POLONIA and therefore requested him that as the kings of POLONIA had of auntient time euen for the safetie of their owne state protected that countrey so it would please him now in like manner in so dangerous a time to giue him aid or at leastwise to giue leaue vnto such of his subjects as were willing to serue for entertainment to come vnto him whom he would with all honour and bountie vse according to their place and qualitie Whereunto the king answered that for as much as he and his predecessours the kings of POLONIA had for the space of more than an hundred yeares beene in league with the Turkish kings and emperours he could not either send him aid or yet giue leaue vnto any of his subjects to serue against the Turke as he desired With this answere the Vayuod was much troubled as there deceiued where he most hoped for reliefe yet hearing of certaine companies of the Polonian Cossacks
desirous of new conquests and to encrease his name accounting it no lesse honour vnto himselfe by his seruants at his appointment to performe great things than it was vnto his auncestours to doe that they did themselues in person But in this so serious a matter and of so great consequence Amurath at the first could not tell what best to resolue vpon not for that he was not desirous of warres but because he as yet certainely knew not against whom he might with greatest profit and lesse difficultie and danger conuert his forces vpon which point his counsellors agreed not but for diuers reasons were of diuers opinions Which for as much as they containe matters of greatest importance of all things then in the world done but especially concerning the profit of the Christian commonweale I shall not thinke it vnworth my labour to set them downe in such order as I find them credibly reported hauing moreouer in them many secrets and most weightie matters not yet come to all mens knowledge as also opening the deuices of the Turkish tyrant against the Christian princes a motiue not onely for them to joyne in counsell together how to withstand him but for the common Christian commonweales sake to forget forgiue all their priuat displeasures and with their vnited forces and power honorably and couragiously to make warre vpon him and so at length by the mercie of God to ouerthrow him together with his tyrannicall empire the greatest terrour of our time The great Bassaes concerning the intended warre were of eight sundrie opinions whereof the first was That the warres against the Persian should be renewed the second for the inuasion of the king of MOROCCO and FES the third for warre to be taken in hand against the king of SPAINE the fourth for the besieging againe of MALTA the fifth was to set vpon the Venetians the sixt for the inuading of some part of ITALIE the seuenth for the king of POLONIA the eight and last was for warre to be made vpon the emperour and the kingdome of HVNGARIE With all the which aforesaid princes except the Spaniard although the Turke were then in league and could not with all or any of them make warre without the notable breach of his faith and honour yet was that neuer made question or scruple of but only Which might best stand with the profit of his state for him to set vpon his barbarous law allowing him that libertie for the more assuring of his state or inlarging of his empire to breake all faith and promise especially with the Christians not more in any thing to be pitied than in reposing any credit or confidence in the faith of such a miscreant The reasons the great Bassaes alleadged for the renewing of the Persian warre were For that the Persian king was of himselfe like to breake the league so lately with him concluded so soone as he should know the Turkes entangled in any other warre moued thereunto as well for the recouerie of his countrey to his great dishonour lost as also in reuenge of so many and so great injuries to him of late done by the Turkish emperours Beside that the Christian princes would persuade him and pricke him forward thereunto especially the Spaniard who for the neerenesse of INDIA might without his great charge procure him so to doe and also conueniently furnish him with great ordinance and canoniers which it was well knowne he of late did The countries also but lately conquered were not yet as they said in quietnesse or safetie and the fortresses therein but of late built togither with the garrisons therein to be in great danger being for the length of the way and difficultie of the passage not to be still speedily relieued insomuch that if the Persians did them no other harme but onely to forrage and wast the countrey about them they should bring the inhabitants into such distresse as that those new conquered countries were againe by the defendants to be forsaken or else they must themselues with hunger perish True glorie they said consisted not so much in conquering as in the vse of the conquest and the prosecution of the happie victorie and that therefore Amurath should take heed that he prouoked not the wrath and indignation of the Great prophet Mahomet against him who hauing by his good fauour and guide obtained mo victories than any of his predecessours against the enemies of his religion ought as a religious and deuout prince seuerely to reuenge the wrong by them done both to God and man Vnto which religious warre Vsbeg Han the Tartar king as also the prince of Gâ—ILAN offered their readie helpe as for the euent of the victorie now as good as in his hand he was to judge by the successe of his former warres Neither that he need to feare the Persian horsemen although they vsed Arabian horses being by his men many times shamefully put to flight or yet to doubt least the Georgians in fauour of the Persians should take vp armes for that many of them were alreadie vnder his obeisance and subject vnto the Bassa of TEFLIS and other his commaunders the rest were his vassals or else such as following the fortune of their princes Simon and Alexander sought after no greater matter but contenting themselues with their own countrey although but small thought themselues well if they might keepe and defend the same by nature and situation so strong as that there is scarce any way into it by reason of the high and broken mountaines the thicke woods and strait passages The second opinion which was deliuered was for the transportation of his warres into AFFRICKE against the king of MOROCCO commonly called the Seriphe and that for these causes most It would be a great shame and reproach as they said vnto the Othoman empire that it was not yet able to subdue these Moores and people of AFFRICKE in number but few neither was it lesse shame or dishonour vnto the Othoman emperours to haue so small a territorie in AFRICA being the third part of the world which by reason of the neerenesse vnto ITALIE had long time held wars with the Romans Beside that ALGIERS and TVNES could neuer be safely kept by the Turkes neither that the subjects and pyrats which inhabited those cities would euer be content or at quiet vntill they had againe got that kingdome into their hands The promontorie of AGVERO and port of LARACE two ports without the straits were as they said to be taken as places verie commodious for the Turks friends seeking in those seas after bootie and for the securing of their trade And although the Seriphe were himselfe a Mahometane and held his kingdome as a tributarie vnto the Othoman empire yet had he secret intelligence with the Spaniard and the knights of MALTA whereby they not long since had vpon the sudden almost surprised TRIPOLIS he in the meane time as it were winking thereat And that although
other prouinces for commodious situation the wholesomenesse of the aire the plentie of all things necessarie for mans life for great faire and most rich cities for the auntient glorie and majestie of the Romane empire and many other causes also Neither that this expedition was to be deemed of much difficultie for that ITALIE was vnder the rule of diuers princes vnto whose commaund most of their subjects vnwillingly obeyed as also for that the inhabitants of that countrey had now for many yeares liued in continuall peace and were therefore the more effeminat and fearefull and so vnfit for the warres and that if that expedition were in one or diuers places taken in hand before the corne were full ripe the Turkes in that so fruitfull a countrey could neuer want necessaries for them to liue vpon whereas the inhabitants in great number wanting the same and shut vp within the wals and fortifications of their cities and strong townes should be brought into extreame wants which was the more euidently to bee seene for that at this time wherein they were at peace they had not corne sufficient in the countrey for such a multitude of people to liue vpon but were glad to haue it brought vnto them from other places especially from PELOPONESVS CONSTANTINOPLE and the cities vpon the coast of the great Ocean Furthermore that it was to be considered That most part of the Italians liued by no other meanes than by their handie labour or the trade of marchandise of which meanes if they were depriued they should in short time be brought to that point as to be glad to accept of such conditions as the victor should propound vnto them or as tributaries to submit themselues vnto the Othoman gouernment Neither that the souldiors would vnwillingly be drawne vnto that war for that they were not to passe through barren regions of the enemie frosen with yse or desolate either by rough woods or inaccessible mountains but were all the way thither to trauell throgh their owne country and as it were in the sight of their own houses and if the Turks could oftentimes enter so farre when as they had their confines more remote and their passages more difficult that the same might now much more easily be effected when as they had a far greater opportunitie and their enemies so neere at hand The seuenth opinion was theirs which thought it best to haue the war transferred into POLONIA and from thence into HVNGARIE and GERMANIE for which they alleadged these reasons First for that they thought it a disgrace vnto the majestie and reputation of the Othoman empire That the king of POLONIA had somtime refused to pay his tribute due for so the Turks account of all such presents as are vnto their Sultan vsually sent by their neighbour princes of courtesie and that therefore he was by force of armes to be compelled thereunto Which they thought would the more easily be obtained for that there was much secret hatred and heart-burning amongst the Polonian nobilitie Neither that it would be any difficult or dangerous warre to bee taken in hand for as much as POLONIA was confined with MOLDAVIA the Tartars and the Sanzacks of ACHERMAN BENDERA and VOSIA and moreouer for that the Turkes could neuer haue any assured or full possession of MOLDAVIA or VALACHIA except the insolencie of the Polonians were repressed the Vayuods of which countries when they had enriched themselues with much wealth vsed still to flie into the kingdome of POLONIA Besides that they should thereby reuenge themselues for the injuries done them by the Cossackes and haue more free and safe trafficke into MVSCOVIE and bring a terrour vpon the duke of MVSCOVIE by reason of the nighnesse of the country which great duke was an impediment vnto the Othoman emperour that he conquered not the whole kingdome of PERSIA And when they had by this meanes by little and little drawne neere vnto GERMANIE happily it might so come to passe as that the Christian emperor should thereby receiue some notable losse his empire being still more and more exposed and enuironed with the Turks forces garrisons POLONIA they said to be a plaine and open countrey neither to haue any strong places for to withstand them and the inhabitants to haue small skill in martiall affaires for that they had now long liued in peace For as for the war that they had with Maximilian the Archduke of AVSTRIA it continued not long and king Stephen in the late wars he had with the Muscouite vsed for most part the Hungarian souldiors and ended those wars rather by besieging than fighting They which in the eight and last place deliuered their opinions concerning the intended war persuaded to haue it conuerted vpon the Christian emperour whom the Turks call the king of VIENNA The causes they alledged for the beginning of this warre was For that the Vscocchi were growne so insolent as to make good prise of the Turkes both by sea and land in such sort as that not onely for the harmes which they did but euen for the majestie and honour of the Othoman empire their insolencie was not longer to be suffered By whose injuries it was especially brought to passe that the marchants to their great hinderance in priuat and the Sultans great losse in common hauing left the towne of NARENTA or NARONA in the Turkes dominion had remoued their mart to SALONA now called SPALATO a towne of the Venetians and that yet for all that was not so sufficiently prouided for the securitie of the said marchants although there were peace betwixt the emperour and the Venetians for that these vnruly men for most part liuing vpon the spoyle troubled all both by sea and land with their robberies driuing away mens cattell burning the villages and taking away the young babes out of the mothers armes and laps Whereby it was easily to be seene what mind they were of and that it was not to be doubted but that if occasion should serue for them to surprise any of the Turkes strong holds vpon the frontiers they would with all their power attempt the same which what a dishonour and infamie not to speake of the losse it would be vnto the whole Othoman empire euery man might easily ghesse Neither that it was vnknowne how little the Christian emperor had esteemed of the Turke at such time as he was in warres with the Persian paying his tribute too late at his pleasure an euident signe rather of violating thaâ— of establishing the league And that the good successe of this warre was not to be deemed either difficult or doubtfull for that the attempt might be giuen both by CROATIA HVNGARIE and AVSTRIA countries abounding with all things necessarie for the maintenance of a great armie as also for that they were almost to trauell all the way in the Turkes owne territorie Beside that the chiefe fortresses of HVNGARIE namely BELGRADE BVDA and ALBA REGALIS with many other strong places
true and inseparable member thereof whereunto the prince and all the states of TRANSYLVANIA should bind themselues by solemne oath But yet that at such time as the heires male should faile in the line of the present prince and that the countrey of TRANSYLVANIA should according to these present conditions be deuolued to the crowne of HVNGARIE as well his present imperiall and royall majestie as his successours should keepe inuiolate the auntient lawes priuiledges and customes of that countrey and alwayes appoint one of the nobilitie of TRANSYLVANIA to be Gouernour or Vayuod of the same and no other stranger Thirdly that his majestie should acknowledge the prince of TRANSYLVANIA for an absolute prince and by speciall charter confirme vnto him the title of Most excellent Fourthly that his imperiall majestie should procure one of the daughters of the late Archduke Charles his vncle for a wife for the prince that as they were now to be joyned in league so they might be joyned in affinitie also Fiftly that the emperour should procure him to bee made one of the order of the Golden Fleece Sixtly that the prince might with more cheerefulnesse and securitie make warre against the common enemie his imperiall and royall majestie should not at any time howsoeuer things fell out forsake the said prince or any of the countries subject vnto him and euen now presently to aid him according as the present occasion required and afterward if greater need should be with greater helpe whether it were by his Generall of CASSOVIA or others and this giuing of aid to be on both sides mutuall and reciprocall according as the necessitie of the one or other part should require and that where most need was thither should most helpe be conuerted Seuenthly that the sacred Romane empire should take vpon it the protection and defence of the prince and his territories And that his imperiall majestie should create the said prince and the princes his successours princes of the empire yet so as that they should haue neither voice nor place among the said princes Eightly that whatsoeuer castles towns cities or other places of strength should by their common forces be taken or recouered from the common enemie at such time as his imperiall majestie should send into the field a full armie should be all his majesties But such places as the prince should by his owne forces or policie gaine from the enemie should remaine vnto the prince himselfe Yet that what places soeuer the prince should recouer which at any time before belonged to the kingdome of HVNGARIE before it was taken by the Turke those he should forthwith deliuer to his majestie as soone as reasonable recompence were by him therefore made vnto the prince Ninthly his sacred majestie should promise of his owne bountie to giue vnto his excellencie sufficient aid for the fortifying and defence of such places as should be thought necessarie for the behoofe of the Christians as again the said prince should likewise promise not to spare his own cofers or forces that the same places should be throughly fortified and defended for the behoofe of his majestie and the common good of the Christian commonweale Lastly that for as much as the euents of warre are vncertaine and many things suddenly happen contrarie to mens expectation if such necessitie should chance vnto his excellencie or his successours which mishap God forbid that hauing spent themselues they should not be able longer to defend their state and countrey but that the mightie enemie preuailing they should at last be enforced to forsake the same in this their extremitie his imperiall royall majestie should promise both for himselfe and his successors within the space of one moneth to assigne some certaine place in some other of his dominions where the said prince and his successours might honourably liue And the like regard to be had also of other such principall men as should together with the prince aduenture their liues and liuings in defence of the Christian commonweale Which articles of confederation agreed vpon and solemnly confirmed the same embassadors were with all kindnesse bountie and magnificence dismissed and sent back again vnto the prince who was not himselfe in the meane time idle but labouring by all the meanes he could to draw vnto him Michael the Vayuod of VALACHIA a man of no lesse worth than himselfe and Aaron the Palatine of MOLDAVIA both of them then the Turkes tributaries and by them to alienate from the Turke both those countries that so with their combined forces they might the better defend their libertie and withstand their common enemie wherein he did so much and preuailed so farre with them both that casting off the Turks obeisance they shortly after to the great benefit of the Christian commonweale and no lesse hinderance of the Turkes proceedings in HVNGARIE joined hands both together with him for the recouerie of their lost liberty Which reuolt of these bordering princes for that it so much concerned the common good as that the safegard of AVSTRIA and of the remnants of HVNGARIE with some good part of GERMANIE also is euen by them that in those matters saw much not without cause supposeâ— to haue rested therein and that this noble Vayuod of whom much is to be said hereafter was the second actor herein it shall not be from our purpose to see the manner of his reuolt also from the Turke as we haue alreadie the Transyluanians For the more euidence whereof as for the honour of the man whilest he liued a most worthie member of the Christian commonweale we will a little step backe to see how he obtained of the Great Turke this so honourable a preferment as was the Vayuodship of VALACHIA not without his reuolt long now to be holden Alexander the late Vayuod of VALACHIA a Moldauian borne and by Amurath himselfe promoted to that dignitie proud aboue measure of this his so great a preferment as also of his owne nobilitie and the deceitfull fauour of fortune still fawning vpon him not onely oppressed his people himselfe with intollerable impositions but to be in farther fauour with the Turkes brought into that countrey too much before exhausted such a companie of them as that they seemed now almost wholly to haue possessed the same oppressing the poore Christians the naturall inhabitants with new exactions and more than tyrannicall injuries euen such as were not elsewhere by the Turkes themselues vsed not onely breaking at their pleasure into their houses and despoyling them of their goods but taking tythe also of their children as if it had beene of their cattell a thing neuer before there seene and for the satisfying of their beastly lust rauishing their wiues and daughters euen in the sight of their husbands parents with diuers other such outragious villanies not with modestie to be rehearsed So that by this meanes he had violently taken from his Christian subjects all hope of recouerie of their auntient libertie had it
requested leaue of the Polonian for fortie thousand horsemen to passe through his countrey which horsemen he had determined as hee said to send in aid of the emperour against the Turke Which his request the Polonian would by no meanes graunt as dangerous to his estate Wherefore the Muscouite offended with the Polonian sent other his embassadours vnto the emperour by sea who embarked in an English ship in the port of S. Nicholas and sayling about the kingdomes of SVVEDEN NORVVAY and DENMARKE after long trouble at sea at length arriued at STOAD and so from thence by land trauelling to HAMâ—OROVV LVEECKE and MAIDENâ—OROVV and in euery place honourably entertained came at last vnto the emperour into BOHEMIA then lying at PLISENA for that the plague was then hot at PRAGE where they hauing with great state deliuered their presents and letters of credence vnto the emperour had audience and were by him most honourably vsed Yet the Polonian hauing thus denied the Muscouite passage suffered the Turkes embassadour who called himselfe Gabriel a Iew to passe through his countrey vnto the emperour to entreat with him of a peace to be made betwixt him and the Turke Which Gabriel comming to PRAGE as embassador from the great Turke and hauing no letters of credence to shew for his negotiation for that they were as he said vpon the way taken from him by the Polonian Cossackes and certaine of his retinue slaine was there taken for a spie and so sent to VIENNA where at his first arriuall he was well vsed in a common Iune but the night following being taken in his chamber by the Martiall was so clapt fast in prison with as many yrons vpon him as hee could beare and all his followers with gyues vpon their legs compelled as slaues daily to worke in the towne ditch About this time also Sigismund the Transyluanian prince whom hitherto all men admired as a man euen sent from heauen for the benefit of his country and of the Christian commonweale by a wonderfull change gaue a most manifest token of a diuers and vnconstant nature to the great wonder of the world For hauing broken the agreement made with the emperour the last yeare and being secretly in post returned out of SILESIA into TRANSYLVANIA and againe taken vpon him the gouernment as is before declared and hauing withall requested himselfe and the Transyluanians his countreymen to be discharged of the oath of obedience and loyaltie by them before giuen vnto the emperour and the citie of VERADINVM with the country therabout to be againe restored vnto him and the emperour pausing thereupon did now doubting of his owne abilitie for the keeping of that countrey in the beginning of this yeare 1599 by his embassadours the Bishop of ALâ—A IVLIA and Stephen Paschai his Chancellour sent of purpose vnto the emperour request him to haue the first agreements againe renewed and the principalitie of TREâ—NITZ in MORAVIA to be added vnto the two dukedomes of OPPELL and RATIBOR in SILESIA with fiftie thousand duckats to be yearely paied vnto him out of the chamber of the empire and a generall pardon to be giuen vnto all the Transyluanians that following him had of late reuolted from the emperour and their auntient liberties to be againe vnto euery one of them confirmed With all which conditions obtained at the emperours hands as of him that saw how needfull it was for him by any meanes to keepe that strong countrey in his power the same embassadours with their dispatch returned from PRAGâ— the nineteenth of Aprill But Sigismund in the meane time at home was entred into new conceits with certaine of the Polonianâ— nobilitie farre differing from his former agreement with the emperour and hauing sent for one of the Turkes Chiaus from CONSTANTINOPLE and for his cousin Andrew Bathor the â—â—oud Cardinall out of BORVSIA and so meeting with them in an obscure village in the confines of TRANSYLVANIA towards POLONIA accompanied with certain of the chiefest of the states of his countrey there in the presence of the Polonians and of the Turkish embassadour resigned all the right and title he had in the countrey of TRANSYLVANIA vnto the Cardinall his cousin commaunding all the States there present to sweare vnto him their obedience and fidelitie who shortly after together with the Polonian embassador sent one of his especiall fauourits to CONSTANTINOPLE to desire safe conduct for his embassadours to bee sent thither to conclude of all matters with the Turke Which messenger so sent together with the Polonian embassadour were both courteously receiued in the Turks Court and as with an especiall fauour rewarded with right sumptuous garments and charge giuen them That the Cardinall within three moneths next should send thither a solemne embassadour with the old accustomed tribute by the Turke demaunded Thus through the inconstancie of the prince the ambition of the proud Cardinall and the foule collusion of the Polonian the countrey of TRANSYLVANIA one of the strongest fortresses of that side of Christendome falling from the obedience of the emperour and so in sort bereft from the Christian commonweale became againe tributarie vnto the Turke most good men detesting the lightnesse of the one the ambition of the other and the slinesse of the third Now the Turkes in BVDA not able longer to endure the great famine therein had most earnestly requested reliefe from the other Turkes their friends in HVNGARIE who on all hands ran to haue relieued them but comming neere thereunto could not put thereinto such prouision as they had brought for the reliefe of the same being letted so to doe by the Imperials who about a league off diligently attended euery motion of the enemie from whence the lord Swartzenburg in the night secretly approching one of the gates with his followers thought with a Petard to haue broken it open and so to haue entred Which his deuice taking not effect as did that at RAB the gate being within strongly fortified by the enemie he was enforced to depart being also discouered by the Turkes from the wall Now shortly after the Bassa of BVDA with six hundred horse issuing out of the citie to haue met with victuals that were comming thither fell into an ambush of the Haiduckes who after their manner fiercely encountered him and putting him to flight tooke him prisoner his horse in the chase falling vnder him whom his souldiours seeking to rescue there began a new skirmish encreasing their former ouerthrow with the losse of the greatest part of them that were left amongst whom the Bassa his sonne with the Aga of the Ianizaries there lost their liues also Which conflict thus ended the Bassa was with safe conduct brought to the campe and there with great threats enforced to reueale the state of his citie with other the secret designes of the Turkes Whereupon the Haiduckes returned againe towards BVDA seeking by all meanes to stop the comming of victuals thither so in hope at length to haue
souldiors And immediatly after without resistance forraged the countrey round about CANISIA burning all before him as he went the poore Christian inhabitants still flying as fast as they could for safegard of their liues But hauing thus with the spoile of the countrey well pleased his souldiors he desirous to haue the same againe in time repeopled as thereby to yeeld vnto the Turks the more profit staied their farther outrage vpon great paine forbidding the same by open proclamations in euerie place set vp inuiting the Christians without feare of farther harme to returne againe into the countrey where submitting them vnto the great Sultans obeysance they should vnder his protection safely dwell without any tribute to be of them exacted for the space of three yeares next following Which proclamations were in his name thus published Ibrahim Bassa to the Inhabitans of the countrey about CANISIA greeting We Ibrahim Bassa by the grace of God Visier and Cousin vnto the most puissant and inuincible Sultan Mahomet Emperour of the Turkes vnto all the Inhabitants of the marches about CANISIA and the rest of the countrey of STEIRMARCK from the greatest to the least greeting Whereas we haue willingly heard that some of you willing to submit your selues vnto the great Sultan and to sweare vnto him fealtie are againe returned vnto your old dwellings We promise and assure you vpon the faith of the said Emperour that whosoeuer shall be found neere vnto the fortresse of CANISIA now belonging vnto the great Sultan with all reuerence submitting himselfe as his subiect vnder his gouernment acknowledging him for his Soueraigne shall enioy moe priuiledges than euer he did before and also be protected in the same And for that we know that your houses are for the most part destroied as also your posteritie you shall therefore for these three yeares next following be exempted and free from all tributes and charges whatsoeuer to the intent you may the better recouer your selues Of which grace if you shall willingly accept we promise you that neither you your wiues or children shall be in any thing wronged or your goods in any part impaired but so much as in vs possibly is to be defended so that so many of you as please may in safetie returne vnto your owne old dwellings giuing before knowledge thereof vnto the Gouernour of this our fortresse Giuen in our campe after the conquest of CANISIA Many of these poore countrey people before fled for feare of the Turkes and not knowing where to bestow themselues now vpon this proclamation returned againe to their antient dwelling places there to begin the world againe vnder the Turkish obeisance But for that Countie Serinus was the man whom of all others in that countrey the great Bassa sought after as him whom hee most feared after his departure to trouble this his new conquest and to seeke to bee reuenged hauing in this so generall a calamitie of STIRIA his countrey lost twentie villages of his owne quite burnt by the Turkes and the people most slaine or els taken prisoners the Bassa hauing many times before sought to haue persuaded him to haue yeelded his obedience vnto the Turkish Sultan and now in hope after so great a losse to bring him in before he were come vnto the vtter ruine of all his fortunes now by the losse of CANISIA and the entrance of the Turkes into STIRIA not a little endangered writ vnto him as followeth We Ibrahim Bassa chiefe of the Visier Bassaes and cousin vnto the most puissant Sultan Mahomet to the Countie Serinus sendeth greeting We haue oftentimes heretofore written vnto thee concerning the matter thou knowest of but what the cause is that we receiued no answere we cannot tell Yet could I not but write to thee againe that if yet thou canst be content to begin the matter aright and to submit thy selfe vnto our protection we will be readie to receiue thee Thou seest that what we foretold thee is now more than fulfilled both vpon thee and thine which thou wouldest neuer beleeue Neuerthelesse for the staying of the further effusion of the blood as well of thy subiects as ours and to come to some good attonement it is high time for thee to lay thine hand vpon thine heart and to consider how much more it concerneth thee than vs and that the benefit thereof redoundeth more vnto thine than ours What our affection is towards thee Hierome the Vayuod can tell thee Fare thou well from our campe after the conquest of CANISIA the seuenth of Nouember 1600. But these letters being also as the rest answered with silence the great Bassa hauing disposed of all as he thought best at CANISIA and in the countrey thereabout returned with his armie to BELGRADE there to Winter hauing before fully certified the great Sultan of all his proceedings and the successe of this war vaunting after his vaine manner the next Spring to besiege VIENNA also if it should please him so to commaund Of all which things Mahomet vnderstanding and not a little therwith pleased caused great triumphs to be made by the space of foure daies at CONSTANTINOPLE and in token of his loue and fauour sent a rich robe of cloth of gold with a leading staffe all set with pearle and pretious stones vnto the Bassa yet lying at BELGRADE This losse of CANISIA much troubled all that side of Christendome especially them of the territories belonging vnto the house of AVSTRIA in a sort dismaied to see the Turkes so easily possessed of a towne before thought almost impregnable and the strongest defence of all that countrey against the furious impressions of the Turks to whom it was now become a most safe and sure receptacle all men with one voice blaming the discord of the captaines in the imperiall armie for so retiring without any good doing but aboue all detesting the cowardise of Paradiser who knowne to haue in the towne a strong garrison with good store of munition and victuals as was supposed had so basely deliuered the same vnto the enemie not doing the vttermost of his deuoir as had beseemed him for the defence thereof whereas if he had so done happily in the meane time the cold and vnseasonablenesse of the weather though no other reliefe had beene Winter being now come might haue enforced the Turkes to haue raised their siege Whereupon he was for this so foule a fact by the emperours commaundement apprehended and cast in prison at VIENNA where after he had long line and his cause oftentimes examined he was the next yeare following condemned of fellonie and cowardise and so the fifteenth day of October executed hauing first his hand at foure strokes of the executioner struck off and after that his head with him was also in like manner executed his Ensigne-bearer and after them his lieutenant with the maior of the town who both bound fast to a stake had first their tongues cut out and afterwards their heads chopt off
CONSTANTINOPLE a citie abounding with all manner of pleasure they are become much more effeminate and slouthfull but withall most insolent or more truly to say intollerable It is commonly reported the strength of the Turkish empire to consist in this order of the Ianizaries which is not altogether so for albeit that they be indeed the Turks best footmen and surest guard of the great Sultans person yet vndoubtedly the greatest strength of his state and empire resteth nothing so much in them as in the great multitude of his horsemen especially his Timariots Beside these Ianizaries the Turkish emperour hath a wonderfull number of base footmen whom the Turkes call Asapi better acquainted with the spade than with the sword seruing rather to the wearying of their enemies with their multitude than the vanquishing of them with their valour with whose dead bodies the Ianizaries vse to fill vp the ditches of townes besieged or to serue them for ladders to climbe ouer the enemies wals vpon But as the Romanes had both their old Legionarie and other vntrained souldiors which they called Tirones of whom the first were the chiefe strength of their warres and the other but as it were an aid or supplie euen so the Turke accounteth his Timariot horsemen the strength of his armie and the Acanzij which is another sort of base and common horsemen but as an accessorie and so amongst his footmen he esteemeth of his Ianizaries as did the Romanes of their Praetorian legions but of his Asapi as of shaddowes The Ianizaries are by none to be commaunded more than by the great Sultan himselfe and their Aga as for the Bassaes they much regard them not but in their rage oftentimes foule entreat euen the greatest of them The Asapi as they are but base and common souldiours so haue they also their ordinarie captaines and commaunders men of no great place or marke The whole state of the great empire of the Turkes is commaunded by the great Sultan by the graue aduice and counsell of his Visier Bassaes which were not wont to be in number aboue foure so prouiding for the secrecie of his high designes or important resolutions hardly by a greater multitude to be concealed howbeit that the Sultans of later times haue had sometimes moe sometimes fewer as their pleasure was These men are of all others in that empire the greatest and for their high places most honoured vnto them euen the greatest princes that haue any thing to doe in the Turkes Court sue and send their honourable presents By their aduice the great Sultan taketh his warres in hand neither without them concludeth he any peace They giue audience vnto the embassadours of forraine princes and from them receiue their dispatch The greatest honours and preferments which are many in that so great and large an empire are all by their meanes to be obtained which maketh them of all others to be sought vnto Some one or other of them are still Generals ouer the great armies of the Turkes especially in these their late wars their three last emperours neuer themselues going forth into the field excepting once that this Mahomet which now raigneth for the maintenance of his credit with his men of warre came downe into HVNGARIE and there woon the citie of AGRIA which leading of such mightie armies is still with great emulation and ambition of the Visier Bassaes amongst themselues sought after as well for the great profit thereby vnto them arising as for the honour therof which is of all other the greatest But leauing these great ones the chiefe counsellours for his state the whole bodie of his so large and mightie an empire all in the hands of martiall men is gouerned by other great Bassaes whom they by a most proud barbarous name call Beglerbegs that is to say Lords of Lords euery one of them hauing vnder him certaine Begs or Sanzackes who are lords and rulers also ouer some particular cities and countries with the Timariots therein yet all still at the commaund and becke of their Beglerbeg In auntient time there was wont to be but two of these proud Beglerbegs in all the Turkes empire the one commaunding ouer all the prouinces the Turke had in EVROPE and the other ouer all that he had in the lesser ASIA now of the Turkes called NATOLIA But the Turkish empire greatly augmented in ASIA by Selymus the first and also afterwards much enlarged both in EVROPE and ASIA by Solyman his sonne the number of the Beglerbegs were by him encreased and in some part also changed who although that they be all Beglerbegs and that one of them especially in time of peace in the managing of his souldiors and affaires of his countrey is not subject to any other but is onely at the commaund of the great Turke yet notwithstanding in time of warre where the Beglerbeg of ROMANIA is all are obedient vnto him as the chiefest of the rest insomuch that none of them but onely he and the Bassa of NATOLIA are called by the stately name of Beglerbegs the others being then onely called the Bassaes of such and such places as of BVDA ALEPPO and such like although indeed they are in nature Beglerbegs and so written in their records For the more manifesting of which their gouernment as also that they which come hereafter may by comparing of that which is here written with the state that then shall be see how much this great empire in the mean time encreaseth or deminisheth I haue thought good here briefely to set downe all the said Beglerbegs with their Sanzackes and Timariots and as neere as I could either by reading or the credible relation of others well trauelled in those countries together and as it were at one shew set forth the whole strength and power of this so mightie an empire as also in what countries and prouinces the same is especially placed The Beglerbegs or great Commaunders of the Turkes Empire in EVROPE The first and chiefest of all the Beglerbegs in the Turkish empire is the Beglerbeg of ROMANIA or GRaeCIA called of the Turkes RVM-ILI or as wee say the Romane countrey the principall residence of whose Beglerbegship is at SOPHIA a citie of BVLGARIA so appointed for the commodious situation thereof for the better commaund of the rest of the prouinces of EVROPE howbeit that he for the most part or rather altogether abideth at the Court which the other Beglerbegs cannot doe for that they are bound not to depart from the gouernment of their prouinces in which charge they ordinarily continue but three yeares only the great Sultan still changing and altering them at his pleasure This Beglerbeg hath vnder his owne ensigne and commaund fortie thousand Timariots alwaies readie at his call vnder the conduct of these one and twentie Sanzackes following namely the Sanzacke of 1 Sophia in Bulgaria 2 Nicopolis 3 Clisse or Quadraginta Ecclaesiae 4 Vyza in Thracia 5 Kirmen all in Macedonia 6
c. after the death of young Bohemund created King of Antioch 26 i Tarsus in Cilicia yeelded vnto Baiazet 446 m. Tartar Han his letters vnto the King of Polonia 1083 c Tauris yeelded to Selymus 512 c. who contrarie to his promise exacteth a great summe of money from the Taurisians and so departeth 513 a. sacked by Solyman 651 f. taken by the Turks 991 d. hath a new castle therin built by the Turks in six and thirtie daies 992 i. miserably spoiled l. Taurica Cheâ—sonesuâ— with the Tartars Precopenses and Dâ—steâ—ces subdued by the Turks 412 m Techellis inuadeth the Turks dominions 469 c. ouerthroweth Orchanes and Mahometes Baiazet his nephewes 471. discomfiteth Caragoses the Viceroy of Natolia 472 i. killeth Alis Bassa 474 l. flieth into Armenia 475â— robbeth a Carauan of marchants and therefore burnt at Tauris 476 h. Temeswar taken by the Turks 756 g Temurtases Baiazet his lieutenant in Asia taken prisoner by Aladin the young King of Caramania 208 k. againe set at libertie hangeth the Caramanian King m. Teufenbach taketh Sabatska 1026 k. winneth Filek 1027 c. besiegeth Hatwan 1032 g. ouerthroweth the Bassa of Buda h. giueth the same Bassa a second ouerthrow 1037 f Theobald King of Nauarre maketh an vnfortunat expedition into the Holy land 99 f. with Lewis the French King goeth against the Moores 118 k. in his returne dieth of the plague in Sicilia l. Theodorus Lascaris flieth into Bythinia and possessing himselfe of many countries taketh vpon him the name of the Greeke Emperour at Nice 84 l. he killeth Iatâ—atines the Turkish SultaÌ„ 87 c Theodorus Lascaris son to Iohn Batases chosen Emperour 108 m. aideth the Sultan of Iconium 109. c. falleth sicke and dieth 110 g Theupulus Earle of Paphos vnworthily hanged by the faithlesse Bassa Mustapha 867 d Thracia spoiled by the Turks 156 g Tomombeius by the generall consent of the Mamalukes chosen Sultan of Aegipt 533 d. maketh great preparation against the Turks and seeketh to entrap them 538 g. his deuices discouered i. he fighteth a great battell with Selymus and is put to the worse 540 m. raiseth new forces at Caire 541 c. fortifieth Caire 542 k. fighteth a great battell in the citie 545 b. ouercome flieth 546 h. driuen out of Caire raiseth new forces in Segesta 547 d. distresseth the Turks in passing the bridge made ouer Nilus 549 b. giueth anotable attempt to haue gained the bridge f. repulsed and put to flight 550 i. taken and brought to Selymus l. tortured and shamefully put to death m. Trapezond yeelded to Mahomet the Great 360 k. Transyluania giuen by Solyman to the child King Iohn his sonne 716 l Tripolis in Barbarie besieged by Sinan Bassa 753 a. battered b. the weakest places thereof and â—ittest to be battered by a fugitiue Christian discouered to the Turks d. vpon hard conditions yeelded to the proud and faithlesse Bassa 755 d Tunes besieged by Lewis the French king 119 a. yeelded to Charles the Emperour 667 c. by him vpon an easie tribute againe restored to Mulcasses 669 d. againe yeelded to the Turks 915 d. Turks their originall beginning diuersly reported 1 c. discended from the Scythians 2 b. the causes why they left their auntient and naturall seats in Scythia to seeke for other in countries more Southerly 2 l. where they first seated themselues in Asia after their departure out of Scythia 3 b. their first kingdome erected in Persia by Tangrolipix their first Sultan 4 l. the Turks first called into Europe by the Catalonians 152 g. they differ not from the Persian about the interpretation of their law but about the true successor of their false prophet Mahomet only 462 i. Turqueminus chosen Sultan of Aegipt 106 h. Tzihanger refuseth the noble Mustapha his brothers wealth treasure offered him by his father Solyman and for sorrow killeth himselfe 763 e V VAlachia when first spoiled by the Turks 204 g. inuaded by Mahomet the Great 362 g. oppressed by the Turks 1050 h. in great troubles 1143 d Valmes fortified by Mahomet the Great 402 g. Valetta the Grand master of Malta aduertised of Solymans purpose for the inuasion of him his knights 793 f. his effectuall speech vnto his knights 794 g. his great preparation against the Turks comming k. his whole strength 796 g. he certifieth Garzias of Toledo Viceroy of Sicilia of his estate l. sendeth a new supplie into the castle S. Elmo twice before assaulted by the Turks 798 g. disappointed of a supplie to haue beene brought him by his owne gallies h. his letters to Garzias the Viceroy of Sicilia 800 g. he sendeth three of his knights to know the state of them in the castle S. Elmo 801 e. encourageth his souldiors after the losse of the castle 803 c. his Christianlike letters to the Gouernor of the citie of Melita â— his resolute answere to the messengers sent vnto him from the great Bassa 804 i. he receiueth a small supply from Sicilia 805 f. maketh hard shift to send newes of his distresse to the Viceroy of Sicilia 808 l. his comfortable speech vnto his souldiors at such time as the Turks were entered the new citie 814 h. his great carefulnesse 817 e. his letters to the Grand Prior of Almaine concerning the manner of the Turks proceedings in the siege of Malta 818 g Venerius the Venetian Admirall and Barbadicus their prouiditor persuade the rest of the Christian confederats to giue battell vnto the Turks at Lepanto 871 d. comming to the reliefe of Don Iohn is encountered by Partau Bassa 879 a. in danger b. at the request of the Spaniards displaced but not disgraced 887 e the Venetians with a great fleet spoile the coasts of Lycia Pamphilia and Cilicia 19 a. in the deuision of the Greeke Empire amongst the Latines had for their share all the rich islands of the Aegeum and Ionian with the famous island of Candie or Crete 84 h. enter into confederation with other Christian princes against the Turke 389 e. they with their confederates doe the Turks great harme 407 d. receiue a great ouerthrow from the Turks at the riuer of Sontium 414 k. their marchants in Syria imprisoned by Campson Gauruâ— the Aegiptian Sultan 471 b. their Senatours diuersly affected towards the confederation with the Emperour and the French King against Solyman 693 d. they refuse to yeeld vp Cyprus vnto Selymus demanding the same 841 e. make great preparation for their own defence and craue aid of the other Christian princes 842 k. what princes promised them aid l. wearie of the delaies and crosse dealing of the Spaniards their confederats conclude a peace with Selymus without their knowledge 904 k. Veradinum besieged by the Turks 1106 h relieued by the lord Basta l. Vesprinium taken by the Turks 1025 c Vfegi Bassa taken prisoner 500 l. put to death 501 b Vicegrâ—de taken by the Christians 1072 i Victor Capella with a notable speech persuadeth the Venetians to take vp arms against Mahomet the Great 387 a Vienna by Solyman
continue his siege 345 a Zolnock a strong fortresse of the Christians in the vpper Hungarie taken by the Turks 756 g FINIS The Errata PAge 132. line 32. for and read or page 133. line 46. for Turconians read Turcomans page 133. line 54. for Aâ—terum read Artzerum 136.28 Iburn r. Itburn 166.12 citie r. cities 173.41 they r. he 484.51 great r. dread 192.36 ouer Callipolis r. ouer to Callipolis 208.15 there r. other 214.30 Oâ—aza r. Ozara 233.1 Lysia r. Lycia 244.32 do not trouble r. trouble 248.53 father r brother 269.28 in r. into 270.12 this r. his 286.23 diuers r. aduerse 286.26 prescribe r. prescribed 301.39 to be able r not to be able 302 42. Mouea r. Mocrea 346.11 eight r. eighteene 364.36 the r. their 388.23 manner r. manners 405.14 Nigrophonte r. Nigropont 407.4 Alymbeius r. Asymbeius 412.16 portion â— penâ—ioâ— 468.18 this r. the. 479.16 partâ— r. ports 487.51 his r. hie 421.52 his gâ—eat Mahometane r his great knowledge in the Mahometane 322.5 eaâ—â— and r. to ease 525.39 citie Euphrates r. riuer Euphrates 536.17 drawne r. driuen 568.48 eâ—uying r. enuaying 619.3 end quarrell r. end that quarrell 628.54 Hungarian fleet r. Christian fleet 629.27 Iosuphius and old captaine read Iosuphus an old captaine 630.12 excepted r. accepted 631.45 returne r. turne 634.28 homage r. honour 655.16 Visinus r. Vrsinus 656.25 tooken r. taken 664.2 he r. they 710.11 iâ— r. vnto 714.3 superstitious read suspitious 717 15. not so euill r. not so well 721.19 were fled r. were led 736.30 Soctosia r. Soclosia 750 14. Tuscunie r. Tuscanie 766.37 peopled r. people 767.15 Faurinum r. Iauarinâ—m 769.7 mischantments r. inchantments 770.2 readie r. alreadie come 770.5 pretended r. preuented 770.49 father r. fauour 788.42 Aâ— Genua me begat r. As Genua did me beget 788.45 by force r. my force 793.13 him r them 840.3 from Venice r. to Venice 862.17 for r. of 863 1. two thousand r. two hundred thousand 886. â—2 carefulnesse r. carelesnesse 892.1 gallies r. galeasses 903.9 lying r. dying 909.50 hands r. heads 911.49 Veremias r. Ieremias 919.23 September r. December 924.16 Hari r. Heri 933.8 Ginsuf r. Giâ—suf 936.31 Sirua r. Siruan 945.16 pid r. did 953 â—3 subsisted r. substituted 994.27 a Bassa r. the Baâ—â—a 1008.10 being doing r. â—e doing 1008.35 lesse r. least 1015.41 Yna r. Vna 1018.32 part r. partâ— 1045.27 from the came r. from the campe 1064.36 sat before sat downe before 1065.17 with resistance r. without resistance 1074.23 Varuinar r. Varuiuar 1079.19 his r. this 1089.25 â—earing r. hearing 1094.18 heart r. Hart. 1122.13 their r. his 1148.54 towne r. tower Lament Hieremiae cap. secundo Granado in Spaine was recouered from the Sarasins by king Ferdinand in the year 1491 Vâ—â—g 〈◊〉 sexia The order of the Authors proceeding in the writing of this Historie Diuers opinions concerning the beginning of the Turkâ— 2. King cap. 17. 4. Esdr. cap. 13. Io. Leunclauius Paâ—dect cap. 22. Sebast. Munsterus vniuersalis Cosmographiae lib. 3. Scythia the natiue countrey of the Turks Pompon Mela lib. 1. cap. vlt. Plinius Secundus lib. 6. cap 7. The 〈◊〉 agreement betwixt the Turks and Scythians When and for what causes the Turks left their antient and naturall seats in Scythia to seeke others in the countries more Southerly 755 844 Sabellicus Ennead 9. lib. 2. Armenia now called Turcomania the first 〈◊〉 of the Turks after their first comming out of Scythia Togra otherwise called Tangrolipix sent to aid the Persian Sultan Mahomet the Persian Sultan goeth himselfe with an armie against Tangroliâ—ix Tangrolipix by consent of the souldierâ— mâ—le Sultan of Persia Tangrolipix first Sultan of the Turks When the Turks first receiued the Mahometane superstition Cutlu Muses sent by Tangrolipix against the Arabians Cutlu Muses rebelleth against Tangrolipix The Turks embassadour contemned of the emperour Tangrolipix inuadeth the emperoâ—rs dominions Dissenâ—ion betwâ—xt Tangrolipix and his brother Habramie Aâ—â—m Cutlu Muses flieâ—â— into Arabia Couetousnes and lacke of Reward the decaâ— of the Constantinopolitane empire Ludocia the empresse contrarie to her oath desirouâ— to â—â—â—rie Diogenes Romaâ—nus of a prisoneâ—â— by the empresse made generalâ— of her armie Eudocia marrieth Diogenes Romanus and proclaimeth him emperour The prouinces of the empire spoiled by the Turks The Turks discomfited by Diogenes the emperour Diogenes 〈◊〉 with a great armie againsâ— the Turks Axan the Sultan sendeth embassadours vnto Diogenes for peace Iohn Ducas a notable Traitor cause of the flight of the emperours armie Diogenes the emperour taken by the Turks Eudocia the empresse deposed by the traitour Iohn Ducaâ— Pselluâ— and others Diogenes the emperour taken prisoner by Andronicus The miserable death of Diogenes the emperor Axan the Sultan seeketh to reuenge the death of Diogenes Cutlu-Muses with his sonnes and kinsmen take vp armes against Axan the Sultan A most hurtfull order for the Christian common weale The ground of the error of diuers writers about the successours of Tangrollpix otherwise of them called Sadoch Peter a French hermâ—t goeth on pilgrimage to Ierusalem The description of Peter the Heremit The letters of Simon Patriarch of Ierusalem and of the Grand-master of the Hospitalerâ— vnto the Pope and other Christian princeâ— in the behalfe of the oppressed Christians in Ierusalem Rome and Constantinople which was also called Noua Roma or new Rome The Councell at Claremont in France An expedition agreed vpon by the Couâ—sell â—or the release of the Christâ—ans oppressed in the Hâ—ly land The 〈◊〉 commandâ—â—s of tâ—e â—hristians in 〈…〉 to the Holy lâ—â—d Godfrey duke of Buillion anâ— the other Christian princes meet together at Constantinople Nice besieged by the Christianâ— 1097 A cruell battell â—ought betwixt the Turks and the Christians Solyman slieth Antioch in Pisâ—lia taken by the Christians Heraclea yeelded Sultan Solyman his letters vnto the Persian Sultan Axan The Christians bind themselues by oath neuer to returne vntill they had wonne the Holy citie Antioch in Siria besieged by the Christians The description of the famous citie of Antioch Antioch betraied vnto the Christians Cassianus gouernour of Antioch in flying slaine 1098 The letters of Bohemund prince of Tarentum to his brother Roger prince of Apuliâ— concerning the winning of Antioch Edessa in vaine besieged by the Turkâ— Corbanas the Sultane lieutenant with a great armie commeth to recouer againe the citie of Antioch Bohemund chosen prince of Antioch The plague in the Christian armie Discord arising vpon emulation betwixt Bohemund and Raimund The exceeding joy of the Christians vpon the first descrying of the Holy citie Ierusalem reedified by the great emperour Aelius Adrianus A briefe discourse of the state fortune of the Holy citie of Ierusalem from the destruction thereof vnder Vespatianus the emperor and Titus his sonne vntill it was now againe recouered out of the hands of the Infidels by Godfrey of Buillion and the other Christian princes of the West Ierusalem besieged by the Christians The Genowaâ—eâ— come to the siege A most
neerer first arriued but finding the empire alreadie possessed by Corcutus his younger sonne and himselfe excluded he in the griefe of his heart poured forth most grieuous complaints before God and man calling heauen and earth to witnesse of the great wrong and injurie done vnto him by the prowd Bassaes. And what by teares and humble obtestations what by great gifts and greater promises but most of all by the earnest labour solicitation of Cherseogles the Viceroy of GRaeCIA and the Aga or captaine of the Ianizaries both his sons in law preuailed so much with the great Bassaes and soldiors of the court that Corcutus being of a mild and courteous disposition ouercome by their entreatie and the reuerence of his father resigned vnto him the imperiall gouernment which he presently tooke vpon him with the generall good liking of the people and made Corcutus gouernor of LYCIA CARIA and IONIA with the pleasant and rich countries thereabouts allowing him a great yearly pension for the better maintenance of his estate with promise also of the empire after his decease and so sent him away to his charge where he most pleasantly liued during the raigne of his father Baiazet giuing himselfe wholy to the studie of Philosophie which made that he was afterwards lesse fauoured of the Ianizaries and other men of warre Zemes thus preuented by his elder brother and vnderstanding by his friends how all things stood at CONSTANTINOPLE and that Baiazet was alreadie possessed of the empire returning with great speed raised a puissant armie in the countries which were vnder his commaund and marching through the heart of ASIA the lesse by the way as he went tooke into his possession such cities and strong places as he thought best and so entring into BYTHINIA tooke the great citie of PRVSA the auntient seat of the Othoman kings Purposing in himselfe that as Baiazet had shut him out of EVROPE so he would also in requitall thereof exclude him out of that part of the Turkish empire which is beyond HELLESPONTVS in ASIA and to make himselfe lord thereof Wherein fortune at the first seemed vnto him most fauourable all the people wheresoeuer he came yeelding vnto him obedience as vnto their prince and soueraigne so that in short time he seemed both vnto himselfe and to others in strong possession of that part of the empire Of these his proceedings Baiazet hauing intelligence and perceiuing the greater part of his empire now in danger to bee lost and doubting farther that Zemes his ambitious mind would hardly rest therewith long contented for remedie of so great a mischeefe leuied a strong and puissant armie wherewith he passed ouer into ASIA and came to NEAPOLIS a citie of ANATOLIA neere whereunto Zemes lay with his armie strongly encamped As Baiazet was vpon the way against his brother Achmetes the great Bassa in the confession of all men the best man of warre and most expert captaine amongst the Turkes and of all others most entirely beloued of the Ianizaries came and vnarmed presented himselfe vpon his knees before Baiazet his sword hanging at his saddle bow to the great admiration of many who could not but wonder to see so worthie a cheefetaine of so great place in time of seruice without any apparent cause in such humble manner to appeare before his soueraigne as if he had had nothing to doe with armes It chanced many yeares before in the mortall warres betwixt Mahomet the late and great emperor of the Turkes and Asymbeius Vsun-Cassanes the king of PERSIA that Baiazet hauing the leading of the right wing of his fathers armie had not martialled it in so good order as was to Mahomet his liking for which cause he commaunded this Achmetes to goe and set that part of the battell in better order Which his soueraignes commaund whiles hee most skilfully performed Baiazet taking it in euill part as tending to his owne disgrace in great choller threatened the Bassa to find a time when he would be reuenged vpon him But he being a man of great spirit and one that durst both do and say much perceiuing his meaning bid him do what pleased him and laying his hand vpon his sword solemnly vowed That whensoeuer he came to command as emperour he would neuer after weare sword in field the remembrance wherof was the cause that he then came in manner aforesaid readie to serue if he were thereto commaunded or otherwise to endure what so his princes pleasure was Baiazet perceiuing that the vnkindnesse so long before conceiued was not yet disgested in token of grace stretched out to him his scepter and taking him vp commaunded him to girt his sword vnto his side and not to remember that which he had long before both forgiuen and forgotten And knowing right well that he was a most valiant and expert captaine made him Generall of his armie to the great contentment of the Ianizaries and the rest of the armie who so soone as they saw him gaue out diuers great shouts for joy as if victorie had most assuredly attended vpon him Achmetes taking vpon him the charge came and encamped so neere as he could to Zemes and so lay by the space of ten daies during which time many sharpe skirmishes were made with diuers fortune sometime the one side preuailing and sometime the other At length the matter was brought to a generall battell wherein after a long and cruell fight and great slaughter on both sides the fortune of Baiazet conducted by the policie of Achmetes preuailed against Zemes. Who seeing his armie ouerthrowne betooke himselfe to flight and came to ICONIVM in which flight many of Zemes his followers were taken prisoners whom Baiazet would haue pardoned and enlarged but that by the persuasion of Achmetes he changed his mind and to the terrour of others suffered them all to be put to the sword Zemes doubting after this ouerthrow to fall into his brothers hands and finding no means to make head againe when he had stayed three daies at ICONIVM caused his treasure plate jewels and other things of great valour and light carriage to be trussed vp and taking with him his mother and his two yong children a sonne and a daughter accompaied with a small retinue fled into SYRIA then part of the dominion of Caytbeius commonly called the great Sultan of AEGYPT and SYRIA It was not long after the departure of Zemes from ICONIVM but that Baiazet came thither with his armie to haue surprised him but vnderstanding of his flight he took order for the peaceable gouernment of that part of his empire And so hauing suppressed that dangerous rebellion and againe reduced that troubled part of his empire to his obeisance returned with victorie to CONSTANTINOPLE The distressed prince Zemes trauelling through SYRIA came at length to HIERVSALEM where he stayed a good space deuoutly visiting the monuments of that most auntient and famous citie From thence he trauelled into AEGYPT where at his
first entrance into the countrey he was met by diuers of the greatest nobilitie of that kingdome sent from the great Sultan by whom he was honourably conducted to CAIRE and there presented to Caytbeius of whom hee was graciously welcommed vnto whom after due reuerence done hee declared the cause of his comming as followeth If it were not to me certainely knowne most victorious that you are not ignorant either who I am or from whence descended or with what iniurie enforced after long and painefull trauell I am here arriued it would much concerne me to vse another manner of beginning of my speech and with greater protestation of words to seeke your gracious fauour But for as much as all these things are vnto your most royall Maiestie sufficiently knowne as I doe well perceiue in this that your infinit clemencie hath entertained me with farre greater kindnesse than I in such my aduerse fortune durst wish for much lesse request now nothing remaineth for me to say more than iustly to complaine vnto your inuincible Maiestie of the wrong and iniurie done vnto me by Baiazet whom I may more iustly tearme my cruell enemie than kind brother For he not contented to haue taken vnto himselfe my fathers empire by great tumult and slaughter hath with all hostilitie and force of armes persecuted me his brother excluded out of the imperiall citie and then liuing in BYTHINIA troublesome neither to him nor any of his people and neuer rested vntill he had chased me out of the bounds of my fathers empire Neither hath the iealous desire of soueraigntie whereof my father whilest he liued had him alwayes in distrust so much mooued him vnto this so cruell a fact as a certaine vnnaturall crueltie towards all his kindred in generall and mortall hatred against me his brother in particular for he which is alreadie possessed of the empire and doth with all hostilitie persecute a priuat person subiect and exposed to his iniurie that man thirsteth not after soueraignetie but after blood neither desireth he to conquer but to kill And whereas after my fathers death great troubles arise in CONSTANTINOPLE and many bloodie skirmishes were fought betwixt the fauourits of both of vs it cannot with any truth be laid to my charge as done by my aduise or counsell I being at the same time so far from thence Neither am I iustly to be blamed if that after my fathers departure I put my selfe vpon the way towards CONSTANTINOPLE especially being sent for thither by many my good friends men of great marke and qualitie but his fortune preuailing I gaue place and least my comming to the imperiall citie might haue been the occasion of new troubles I turned aside into BYTHINIA and so to PRVSA with purpose there to haue rested in quiet if my brother would haue giuen me leaue But so farre was he from that to suffer me there to rest as that I was by him most cruelly assailed as an open enemie and had I not by speedie flight withdrawne my selfe from the imminent danger and departed quite out of my fathers kingdome I must haue yeelded my selfe my blood and life as a sacrifice into his cruell hands Neither is he to me so mortall an enemie or thirsteth after my life so much for feare as for very hatred and mallice for what is there in me to feare Verely nothing CONSTANTINOPLE is his the fauour of the great cheefetaines and men of warre is his the treasure and regall riches are all his wherefore he hateth his brother but feareth him not He will sway all things alone he will haue all that belongeth to the Othoman familie alone and he yea none but he must liue alone Xerxes was a mightie king and yet in that great and large kingdome he not onely preserued his brethren in safetie but had them also in great honour and estimation What did Alexander the Great Who not onely tooke pleasure in his brother but had him also as a companion of his most glorious expeditions and many other famous kings of forraine nations and of our owne familie haue ruled both more safely and better strengthened with the counsell and aid of their most louing brethren rather than with others But Baiazet is of a farre other mind reputing violence and haughtinesse of heart to be his greatest and surest defence herein his fierce nature delighteth more than in the lawfull course of nature iustice and equitie he had rather haue his brother his enemie than his friend and to driue him into exile than to make him partaker of his counsels But I beseech thee most puissant Monarch the faithfull keeper and maintainer of our law and religion by the sacred reliques of our great prophet Mahomet which thou hast at HIERVSALEM and MECHA suffer me not a kings sonne to liue iâ— banishment and exile poore and miserable a scorne of his brothers crueltie farre from home farre from his countrey and kingdome but regarding the law of the great Prophet lift vp the afflicted and oppressed and by the great authoritie which you haue bridle domesticall wrong or if that will not take place reuenge it with thy sword and suffer not our empire with so great trauell founded by the crueltie or follie of one wilfull man to be ouerthrown which should be no more greeuous and lamentable to vs than dangerous to your most high estate and all other kings and princes of our religion For you of your selfe vnderstand right well what deadly enemies the Christian princes are vnto the Turks and doe you thinke that if any great warre which I wish not should arise of this our discord that they would long rest in quiet and as idle beholders stand looking on vntill it were of it selfe appeased Or rather hauing such an opportunitie presented would not with might and maine suddainely inuade our kingdome before shaken with ciuile warres and seeke the vtter ruine and destruction of the same Which their desire if that hatefull people could bring to passe which thing Mahomet turne vpon themselues my mind abhorreth to thinke how far that mischeefe would run for the Othoman familie once rooted out there is none of our religion your Maiestie onely excepted which is able to withstand their power wherefore you must then stand for your selfe and all the rest you alone must withstand the force of the Christians you must maintaine that warre with much losse and greater charge and most vncertaine successe Wherfore inuincible Monarch I most humbly beseech thee that pitying our estate whiles the matter is yet whole and remedie is yet to be had to deale with Baiazet by your embassadors That though he will not receiue me his brother as partener of the empire yet at least to admit me into some small part of my fathers kingdome let him raigne and rule let all things be at his commaund let it be lawfull for me poore man but to liue in rest and quiet somewhere possessing but so much as may suffice me honestly
Bassa considering with speed assembled all his forces and so set forward to relieue them hoping to haue come vpon the Christians before they were aware of his comming But Teuffenbach vnderstanding thereof with fiue thousand chosen horsemen went out of the campe to meet him suddenly comming vpon him fearing no such thing slew fiue thousand of the Turkes put the Bassa to flight and together with the victorie obtained an exceeding rich prey Now was there no lesse expectation and hope of the winning or yeelding vp of HATWAN than was before of STRIGONIVM but according to the chance of warre it fell out otherwise For Teuffenbach hauing with continuall batterie layed the breaches faire open and made choice of such souldiors as he thought meetest for the assault was in the performing thereof so notably repulsed by the Turkes that he was glad to retire with the losse of his best and most resolute souldiors which put him out of all hope of taking the towne by force For beside the losse of these good men he had scarce so many sound men left as might suffice to furnish his garrisons for defence of those frontiers by reason that the Hungarians were almost all shrunke home and of the Germanes were left scarce two thousand Besides that he had oftentimes craued new supplies of the archduke but all in vaine for which causes he was glad to abandon two strong forts he had built before HATVVAN and to leaue the towne now brought to great extremitie Thus two notable cities which were now as it were in the hands of the Christians and by the recouerie whereof the broken state of the afflicted Christians in HVNGARIE had been much strengthened were as it were againe restored vnto the barbarous and cruell enemie Whilest the Christians thus lay at the siege of STRIGONIVM and HATVVAN the Rascians of whom we haue before spoken striuing still more and more to rid themselues from the Turkish thraldome gathered themselues togither to the number of fifteene thousand betweene BVDA and BELGRADE vnder a Generall of their owne chusing For feare of whom the Bassa of TEMESVVAR with an armie of foureteene thousand went to fortifie and victuall LIPPA doubting least it should by them be surprised but hauing done that he went for in his returne he was met with by the same Rascians and twise fought withall in one day and both times put to the worse with the losse of the greatest part of his armie After which victorie the Rascians tooke BECZKEREK a strong towne standing in a marish foure miles from BELGRADE and slew all the Turks they found therein After that they tooke a castle called OTTADT and dealt with the Turks in like manner From thence they went and besieged BECHE a castle standing vpon the riuer Tibiscus or Teise where the towne adjoyning vnto it yeelded presently but they in the castle standing a while vpon their guard offered at last to yeeld also vpon certaine conditions But the Rascians knowing that the Turkes thereabouts had conuaied into that castle the best part of their wealth and withall that it was but weakely manned would accept of no conditions but needs haue it absolutely deliuered vp to their pleasure In the meane time the old Bassa of TEMESVVAR and his sonne knowing it to tend to their dishonour to suffer this base people so to rage at their pleasure about them gathered togither 11000 Turkes and so in great hast came to relieue the besieged castle Vpon whom the Rascians turned themselues and in plaine battell ouerthrew the Bassa and so pursued the victorie that of those 11000 Turks scarcely escaped 1000 the Bassa himselfe being there slaine and with him three Sanzacks his sonne escaped by flight In this battell the Rascians tooke 18 great pieces of artillerie and not long after tooke also WERSETZA and LVTZ two strong places After which so happie successe they sent vnto the archduke Matthias for aid but especially for canoniers professing themselues now vtter enemies vnto the Turkes The Rascians also about TEMESVVAR sent word vnto the other in the campe that they would come and joyne with them And they which inhabite the countrey betweene the riuers Danubius and Tibiscus by messengers sent of purpose vnto the lord Teuffenbach the archdukes lieutenant in the vpper part of HVNGARIE offered in short time to send him ten or twelue thousand men so that he would receiue them and their countrey into the emperours protection which he easily granted them and thereof assured them by writing And to the archduke himselfe they sent also their trustie messengers requesting him to send them a Generall to lead them promising vnto him all obedience which messengers departing from them the fourteenth of Iune shortly after returned with such answere as was thought most conuenient for their present state Thus against the comming of Sinan was HVNGARIE almost all on a broile The emperour long before distrusting the Turkes purpose for warre and well considering what a difficultie it would be for him with his owne forces only to withstand so puissant an enemie as was Amurath had by his embassadours praied aid of diuers Christian princes but especially of them of the empire as those whom this warre concerned most Wherfore he after the auntient and wonted manner of his state in so common and imminent a danger appointed a generall assembly of the Princes and States of the empire to be holden at RATISâ—ONE in the latter end of Februarie which for sundrie vrgent causes was put off vntill March and againe vntill Aprill and so afterward vntill May. At which time the emperour in person himselfe with the Princes Electors and other the great States of the empire being met togither with great pompe at RATISBONE and solemnly assembled into the bishops pallace began there to sit in counsell the 2 of Iune Vnto the which Princes and States so assembled after that the emperour had first by the mouth of Phillip Countie Palatine of RHENE giuen great thanks for their so readie apparance briefly declared the cause of their assembly he himselfe after some complaint made of the Turkish infidelitie in expresse words declared vnto them how that he by his embassadour then lying at CONSTANTINOPLE had in the yeare 1591 made a league for eight years with the present Turkish Sultan Amurath which league Amurath himselfe had approued and confirmed and thereof sent him publike and solemne instruments wherein it was prouided That no hostilitie should be on either side during that time attempted And yet notwithstanding that he contrarie to his faith giuen as an hereditarie enemie of the Christians had violated this league and by sundrie incursions barbarously spoiled and wasted not HVNGARIE onely but other of his imperiall prouinces also But especially by Hassan Bassa of BOSNA who first with a strong armie besieged battered and tooke REPITZ an antient frontier castle and after that WIHITZ DRESNIK CRASSOVVITZ with other places of name And had in his dominion and
territorie built PETRINIA a most strong fort hurtfull to all that countrey out of which he had done incredible mischiefe in CROATIA WINDISMARCH and the most fruitfull island TVROPOLIE and had out of those places carried away aboue fiue and thirtie thousand Christians into most miserable captiuitie Of which shamefull injuries and breach of faith he had many times by his embassadours complained vnto the Turkish Sultan at CONSTANTINOPLE and requested that all hostilitie set apart due restitution might haue been made but to haue therein preuailed nothing and that the same Bassa in stead of condigne punishment had been for the doing thereof honoured by the Great Sultan his lord with honourable gifts the sure tokens of his fauour Whereby he was so confirmed in his barbarous proceedings that he began to make open warre and hauing raised a full armie and strengthened also with certaine companies of Ianizaries sent from the Court had passed ouer the riuer of Kulp and besieged the castle of SISEG but by the just judgement of God the reuenger of wrongs had there receiued the reward of his faithlesse and cruell dealing being there slaine and almost all his armie vtterly destroied by his small forces raised in hast for his owne lawfull defence Neuerthelesse the faithlesse Turke as if he had beene highly wronged himselfe to haue made this his breach both of league and faith forthwith knowne to all the world by commanding open warre to be solemnly proclaimed against the kingdome of HVNGARIE both in CONSTANTINOPLE and BVDA and by the Beglerbeg of GRaeCE to haue againe besieged and taken the strong fortresse of SISEG Whereas on the other side because nothing should on his part be wanting which might make his desire of peace more knowne he had againe and oftentimes by his embassadour put the Turke in remembrance of his league made and confirmed by his faith who for all that had changed nothing of his purpose but sent his great Visier Sinan Bassa with the Beglerbeg of GRaeCIA and many inferiour Bassaes and Sanzacks into HVNGARIE who with fire and sword enforced the inhabitants and countrey people such as they left aliue to sweare vnto the Turke obedience and to become his subjects and at the same time tooke VESPRINIVM and PALOTTA two famous fortresses of that kingdome And that the same Bassa by commandement from his lord and master had contrarie to the law of nations imprisoned Frederik Kreckowitz his embassadour first at CONSTANTINOPLE and caused the greater part of his followers to be thrust into the gallies and afterwards to haue sent him with a few of his seruants to BELGRADE and there to haue kept him so long in prison that he there miserably died In reuenge of which so great and open wrong and for the defence and comfort of his afflicted subjects so neere the enemie he had raised a good strength both of horse and foot by whose helpe and the assistance of almightie God the Bassa of BOSNA had reaped the fruit of his perfidious dealing as had also the Bassa of BVDA with many thousands of their great souldiors ouerthrowne neere vnto ALBA REGALIS besides many of their castles and townes taken or rased Yet for all that was it easie to be seene these so great victories by the goodnesse of God had and obtained against so mightie and cruell an enemie not to suffice but that there was still need of a perseuerant and continuall supply for the maintenance of a perpetuall warre and that it was daily to be expected or rather euen now presently to be descried That the Turke in his quarrell which he deemeth alwaies just against the Christians and in reuenge of these ouerthrowes would draw forth all his forces and aduenture his whole strength For which causes he had by the knowledge and consent of the Princes electors of the sacred empire appointed that present Diet of the empire and not for the aforesaid causes only but for diuers others both necessarie and waightie also as the generall peace of the empire the pacification of the Low countries the reformation of justice and amendment of the coine but especially and aboue all other things to make it knowne vnto the world how much it concerned to haue the Turkes pride betime abated and some effectuall defence for HVNGARIE now in danger at length prouided being the most sure defence and strongest bulwarke of that part of Christendome And that whereas his owne hereditarie prouinces were not of themselues alone sufficient to maintaine so chargeable a warre he therefore requested the Electors Princes and States both present and absent not to grudge to be present with their helpe their counsell and whatsoeuer else should be needfull against so puissant and dangerous an enemie So ending his speech he caused all his demaunds before conceiued into writing to be read and so deliuered vnto them For answering whereunto the Princes electors and others there present required time which granted after many sittings long consultations they at last with one consent answered That it was a hard matter by reason of the late dearth and other like occasions for them to grant such helpe and aid as the emperour had in writing required yet hauing before their eies the great and imminent danger wherin the Christian common weale then stood they not regarding their owne proper and neere difficulties had in regard of his sacred and imperiall majestie for the comfort and defence of the endangered Christians and for the repressing of the Turkish furie of their owne free will and meere compassion granted beside their accustomed contribution such farther reliefe for the space of six yeares as they thought sufficient for the maintenance of a defensiue warre both for the present and the time to come What was by them farther decreed concerning the emperours other demaunds as not pertinent to our purpose we willingly passe ouer Of all these things as also whatsoeuer else had happened at STRIGONIVM HATVVAN or other places of HVNGARIE was not Sinan Bassa ignorant who now euen vpon the departure of the Christians from STRIGONIVM was come with an huge armie betweene BVDA and ALBA REGALIS vnto whom also fortie thousand Tartars that by force had made themselues way through PODOLIA and the vpper part of HVNGARIE had now joyned themselues so that in his armie were reckoned aboue an hundred and fiftie thousand fighting men to the great terrour not onely of HVNGARIE AVSTRIA STIRIA CROATIA BOHEMIA and the prouinces therabout but also of the whole State of GERMANIE With this great armie the old Bassa had purposed to haue ouerwhelmed the Christians in their campe at STRIGONIVM but now that they were before his comming departed ouer the riuer towards KOMARA he resolued to keepe on his way and to besiege the strong citie IAVRINVM now called RAB And to make all sure before him he thought it best to take in his way DOTIS a strong towne of the Christians in the mid way betweene STRIGONIVM and RAB about fiue Hungarian