is good and is the best thing that is vpon the earth and in this sorte thou maiest haue of me what thou wylte Otherwise vnderstande that I wyll defende my selfe and that not withoute thy hurte and shame for I fyghte for the honor of him that wyll helpe me from oure campe the xxv of Iune 1463. As sone as Scanderbeg had sealed this letter he went to horse with al his armie and caried with him the aforesayde ambassadour and went into the Turckes couÌ„trey and raised a great proie and assayled Sfetigarde which of righte shoulde haue ben his and toke the towne and set fire on it notwithstandinge the citadell which stode on the heighte of the hyl was in expungnable wherfore be retorned and toke his leaue of the ambassadour very cortezely declaring to him by mouthe besyde his letter wylling him to saye vnto the Turcke from him that at the comming of the great preest of Rome with the Croisade he wolde comme to satiffie his desyre that he had so greatly to see him and when the ambassadour had taken his leue he rode on of his iorney Then Scanderbeg retorned with his armie into his countrey and distributed the proie vnto them and then gathered them together and sayde My felowes in armes I beseche you be of good chere for yf the Croisade be but as many in nuÌ„ber as the iiii parte of the Turckes power we w t theyr helpe wyll chase him vndoubtedly oute of his domynyons notwithstanding I hope that the Croisade wylbe of farre greater power then his armie shall be and so much the sonner for that that God is with vs and the souldiours are Italianes Frenshemen Spaniardes Englishmen Almaignes HuÌ„garianes Pollonianes Vallaques Schiauoneses Greekes Albaneses besydes oure people and others by whose meanes and by the grace of God I hope that the Turcke shalbe vtterly ruynate and chased oute of his dominiones and his tyranny cleane plucked vp by the rotes and the churche of God to be at rest yf it be the pleasure of God In this meane time y e ambassadour Mustaffa brought Scanderbegs letter to the great Turcke who when he vnderstode the tenour therof was fylled with great furie not withoute excedinge great feare whervpoÌ„ he sent forthewith to all his townes of force and fortes that he thoughte were of most importance and fortifyed then by all meanes possyble then called to him Seremeth beg his Bassa and sent him with xiiii thousande Turckes against Scanderbeg to lye vpon the confines of his countrey for the garde therof and of his Citie that he 〈◊〉 muche estymed called Orchride or els Aeleria which is not farre from Scanderbegs countrey and is neare vnto a certaine lake oute of the which y e ryuer Drino doth ryse in y â— which lake their is great abondance of carpes Trowtes other delicate noble fyshes When Scanderbeg vnderstode of the comming of those Turckes he determyned to seke them althoughe it were a harde matter to deale with them for so much as the one parte of them were lodged within the Citie and the rest w toute not farre from it in this meane tyme their came newes vnto them howe that the pope Pio y e seconde was coÌ„me in person with the Croisade to the Citie of Ancona meaning as sone as the Duke of Venise shoulde comme thy ther to take shyppe and to sayle towardes the Turcks notwithstandinge he fell syke there and in shorte space dyed beinge poysoned acordinge to the opinion of many by certaine hipocrites and false Christianes throughe y â— which the noble Duke of Venise which was then there not onely with his owne armata but also with the aide of dyuerse Christian princes was excedingly amased retorned to Venise much discomforted and in this sorte was the great Croisade frustrate When Scanderbeg contrarie to his expectation vnderstode of this he was stricken with very great sorowe forsomuche as in that was his onely hope Then wyth teares he lifted vp his eyes to the heauens sayinge O most mercifull lorde Iesu Christe very God I doe see y e thyne omnipotent and diuine maiestie fountaine and springe of all goodnes wyll not send forthe this Croisade to the distruction of bothe thine and oure enemies And I feare it is for oure offences which are Christians for that we haue greatly prouoked thee to wrathe wherfore I humbly beseche the for thy mercyes sake by the which thou pardonedst the these hanging on the Crosse thou which arte onely comme to call synners to repentance that it maye please thee to defende vs thy seruantes which doe fyghte daye and nighte in the defence of oure moste Catholique faythe to the ende that the enemyes saye not where is the God of Chrystyanes becomme notwythstandynge thy wyll be done and not oures When Scanderbeg had thus ended his praier he tâ—ned him to his souldiours who w t teares also had praied with him and to comforte them he said My deare frinds feare nothinge but be of good chere for God doth neuer leaue those that put their whole truste in him and doth all thinges for the commoditie of both bodie and soule of his faithfull wherfore we humbly render thanckes vnto his diuine maistie and to morowe we wyll goe to seke the Turckes oure enemyes with whome we wyll fyghte and deale with them acordinge to oure wonte Thre houres before the breake of day Scanderbeg rode with xii thousande horse men and fote men and came neare vnto the Citie of Orchrida aforesayde and spake to his souldiours in this sorte This daye is the vigile of the assumption of the virgine Marie Quene of heuen in honor of whom and for the obedience of the commaundement of holly churche euery faythfull Chrystian dothe fast or at the leaste doth eate fyshe but I doe vse alway to fast and for that confidence and faithe that I haue in her I wyll assuredly promise you that at dyner tyme you shall haue to dyne with as great abondance of good fyshe as euer you sawe wherfore consider that the custumer of this towne is a man of greate welthe stronge lustie and valiante and he wylbe the fyrste that shall comme against vs wherfore see that you giue him place and in no wyse stryke him nor doe him anye hurte but take him for after oure victorie the which I hope we shall obtaine throughe the grace of Marie the Quene of heuen we shall haue plentie of ducates of the same custumer and also as muche fishe as shall suffise you wherfore be of good chere When he had thus sayde he called vnto him Peiche Emanuell and Pietro Agenlo brother to the Arche-Bushope Paulo and appointed to their conducte v. hundred chosen horsemen and gaue them commission to goe neare the towne of Aeleria to prouoke the Turckes to comme for the and as sone as they shoulde come neare vnto them he willed them to flee and to seme to be greatly affraied to drawe them
throughe theyr wysedome and policie gatherid togyther wythin the space of two yeres an armie of xx legions of foremeÌ„ and of xx M. horse men a legion acording to the opinion of Liuie had in it the number of fyue thousand foure hundred souldiours and acording to the mynde of Vigetius it was of the number of syxe thousand and some tyme of greater number besyde this they had a Nauie of two hundred great shippes at the leaste they were thorowly furnished with all kinde of Munition and well prouided of money this had they brought to passe in the space of two yeres hauing Octauius surnamed Angustus Marcus Antonius Marcus Lepidus to enemyes who then gouerned in the triumuirate at Rome and dyd contynually persecute them with warres by all meanes possyble as the aforesaid auctor plainly doth declare Also they brought vnder their gouernaunce all the countres euen from Macedonia to the floodde Euphrates besyde these examples the histories are full of the praises of worthy generalles but by the way I wolde not that any man shoulde thincke that I doe so greatly honor the iudgement of the generall that I wolde therby condempne discipline in anye respecte in the which I wolde haue the souldiour broughte vp and trained but I doe thincke it as requisite that the generall with his chiefe officers of the armie be of iudgment sufficient to directe the vse of this disciplne as it is for the souldiours to be brought vp and instructed therin and the armie that wanteth eyther of them to witt the disciplined souldiour and the generall of iudgment is not perfecte nor sufficient to take any great enterprise in hand There is nothing more proffytable nor mete to bring a generall to this perfection then to adde to his experience the reding of histories in the which he shall se plainly set before his eyes in what order battailes haue ben foughte ouerthrowes gyuen victorie vsed countres defended and conquestes made wherfore if the generall with his chiefe officers wante this perfection they are not greatly to be feared althoughe their armi be of trained souldiours Furthermore their is nothing more to be embraced by a worthy generall then modesty and there is nothinge more peryllous in a Generall then to be ambitious rashe and wilfull as for example at the battayle of Canua as plutarck declareth in the second part of his lyues in the lyfe of Fabius Maximus and also of Aniball howe that both the Romane consulles were there pesent the one was Paulus Emitius a man of great iudgment and worthynes in armes the other was Caius Terentius Varro a vaine and wylfull man full of ambition glory boasting This Terentius coulde not be contentid to gouerne iointly with his companion and to vse mutual councell but wolde haue the gouernement deuided and wolde gouerne euery other daye absolutely to auoide conteÌ„cion Paulus Emilius graunted thervnto Emilius sawe howe to chase Aniball oute of Italie withoute hazarding of any one battayle and therfore he determyned to prolong the warres and seinge Anibal in a straunge countre in great extremitie throughe want of victualles his armie being of many nations he was assured by these meanes to enforce him to abandone Italie for that tyme contraryly Terentius being a maÌ„ of smale iudgment in Martiall affares did taunte blame and openly spake euill of that noble man Emilius hauing no respecte at all to his worthynes and wisdome but sayde it was great shame to see the enemy daily in battayle and the Romanes to lye idle within theyr campe not weing what it was that constrained the enemy so to doe wherfore wheÌ„ he had brought to passe that he mought gouerne euery other day Anibal being newly comme with his army to Canua and there lodged and the Romanes beyng lodged vpon both sydes of the Ryuer Aâ—sido nowe called â—ofanto not farre from him as sone as hys daye came in the morning by the rising of the sunne he caused to set vp on the heighte of his tente a token to signifie that he wolde gyue battayle which the Italianes call Veste militare this did he directly against the wyll of his companion when Aniball sawe this he was excedyng glade for it made well for his purpose for he was in great extremetie throughe wante of victuall Terentius had double the number of souldiours that Aniball had His souldiours were well trayned and broughte vp in discipline whom he put in ordre and gaue battayle the horse of Emitius was slayne vnder him and he foughte on fote lyke a noble man when Terentius sawe his people like to be ouerthroweÌ„ he fledde Emitius lyke a noble man foughte contynually tyll at the laste seing the Romanes all slayne and fled he sate him downe vpon a stone being full of woundes and embrued with bloude that no man dyd knowe him tyll at the laste Cornelius Lentulus a noble yonge man came by him knew him he lighted immediatly from his horse aud desyred him to lepe on and to saue him selfe for the loue of his Citizens who had great nede of so worthy a Captaine as he was but he aunswered not so O Lentulus but commauÌ„ded him to lepe to horse and said declare vnto Fabius Maximus and also be thou witnesse howe that Paulus Emilius hath obserued his councell euen to the laste of his lyfe and hath not broken one iote of the promes that he made vnto him and that he was not ouercomme onely by Aniball but also by Terentius and with suche commendations he licensed Lentulus and then he fell downe amonge the ded bodyes gaue vp the spirit Here was seen to the great hindrance of the Romane Citie the difference betwyne the modestie of Emilius and the arogancie of Terenrius Liuie saith that in this battayle there were slayne xl M fote men and two thousand seuen hundred horsemen pollibie declareth of a great number but trueth it is that the Romanes nether in the fyrst nor seconde warres of the Carthagvnenses receaued a greatter ouerthrowe then this for so muche as Emilius the Cousul a man of great worthines and vertue redi in all doutes towarde his countre with Seruilius whiche was Consul the yere before and a number of worthye Citizens eles who had byn Consulles pretors Tribunes Ediles and inche lyke were there slayne The lyke happened in Puglia and other tyme Fabius Maximus being then dictator Anibal determyned to winter with his army in a Citie named Glereon a Citie of great welthe Fabius encamped as neare him as he mought conueniently and being called to Rome for sondrie great affares of the common welthe lefte his armie vnder the conducte of Marcus Minutius with expresse commaundement nether to assayle the enemye ne yet to gyue battayle in anye wyse It happened after the departure of the dictator a squadrone of the enemies to goe forthe into the countre for corne Minutius hearing of it brake the commauÌ„demeÌ„t of the dictator marched forth with certaine
spoile and after that he entred into the golfe of Patrasso whiche is in Morea and there landed and beinge encountred with the Turckes that were there lefte for the garde of the conutrey he flewe two thousande vpon the place and gaue them a greate ouerthowe he toke the Castle of Vesticio fortified it and lefte in it a garnison of his people there succided pio y â— seconde Paulo the seconde a venetian borne who semed not to abandone the enterprise that his predecessor had determined against the infidels wherupon he ioyned in league with the Venetianes against y â— Turckes which had made there courses into Almaignie and had taken a waye a great proye both of men and cattell Mahometh determining alwayes to banishe the Christians oute of Gretia aboute the yere of our helthe 1470. dyd put to the sea a Nauie of 400. sayle where of they saye there were 200. gaylles and fustes and when he had embarcked a great number of horse men and fote men he sent them vnder the gouernance and coÌ„ducte of Mahometh Bassa to the seege of the citie of Calcide which standeth in the Isle that was anciently called Euboica and nowe is called Negroponte as sone as the Bassa was arriued at the Isle he landed his people and beseged the towne and planted his batteries and when the had contynued it for a longe space they had done in maner nothing for they of the towne be haued them so well that whatsoeuer breache was made in the day they made it vp in y â— nighte and rampared it in as great strengte as before wherfore it semed to Mahomethe that his enterprise toke no greate effecte and that his batteries dyd not greatly preuaile he sent for a newe supplie of men and went thyther in person and when he behelde the greate breaches that his men had made he thoughte that they mought easily enter y e towne wherupoÌ„ he embattailed all his armie and appointed certaine Colonelles with their regimentes to the assaulte and appointed to euery of them the place that he with his regyment shoulde assayle when he had thus done he called al the captaines of his armie vnto him perswadinge them with goodly wordes to shewe them selues worthie of that good opinion that he had of them and that they wolde approche the towne with purpose that dai to be victoriouse or els there to ende their liues and also he gaue vnto them the whole spoyle of the towne more ouer he promised to suche as shoulde firste enter the towne great rewardes with these exhortaciones and promises he dyd greatlye incorage his souldiours wherupoÌ„ he continued his batteries with great furie for a space with the noise wher of and with that of drommes trompettes and cornetts the aire the earth and the sea dyd tremble Mahometh gaue order that when the Colonelles of y e first assauite had continued it for a certaine time that then other Câ—lonelles with their regymentes shoulde take their place and so contynewe the assaulte by the whiche meanes he had alwayes freshe assaylantes and thus contynued he the assaulte withoute intermission two dayes two nightes and suffred not them of the towne in any wise to repose and althoughe that the Christians who were appointed to y e garde of the towne defended it with rare vertue and noble myndes and vsed their fiers artificial shotte great stones and casting speares wherwith they had flayne a great numbre of the infydels and when the infydels had twyse chased them from the breache had entred the towne the Christians serred them selues and charged them and for with chased them fort he of the towne making great slaughter of the aforesaid enemies but in the ende for asmuche as the greatest parte of the defendantes were staine and the reste being but fewe in numbre and greatly weried with the longe fyghte that they had endured and being consumed in this sorte not being a sufficient number to defende the whole circuite of the towne certaine of them repared into the market place determininge there to dye honorably with theyr swordes in their hand and such as were not of so noble a minde as they were for soke the towne among the whiche numbre was the gouernour of the Citie with manye of the cheife officers and gentle men Venetians which fled into the forte or Citadell wherupon y e Turckes entred the Citie and after a longe fyghte became lordes of the market place and them of the Citie and with inspeakable crueltie they put to death all the Italianes that they coulde laie handes on inpalinge them vpon longe stakes of others they plucked the skyn ouer their eares and some others thei cut a sonder in the middest in such sorte that all y e stretes of Negroponte were fylled with dede boddies and washed w t christian bloude and after that they toke all the inhabitants of y e towne as wel men as wemen that then were liuing and made them slaues and when they had thus done they began to sacke the towne both houses and Churches in suche sorte as they lefte nothing in the towne suche as were fled into the sorte made an appointement with him it was agreed that they shoulde departe safely with their lyues and goodes whervpon they delyuered the Castle before that anye one pece was planted against it in dede the Turcke helde not his promes with them for in dede be put them all to y e sworde And in this sorte y e famous Isle of Eboica aboute the middest of y e monethe of Iune was takeÌ„ by Mahometh and when Nicholas de Canale was retorned to Venise the Senate laid to his charge y e he had not done his duetie in that that he had not succoured Negroponte whiche he moughte haue done if he had dursâ—â— as they sayde wherupon they layde him in chaines and then condempned him to perpetuall exile created in his place their general Petro Moranigo who departed oute of the golfe with a Nauie of lx galleys xx greate shippes and sailed on towarde y e Isle spoiled and destroied all the sea coast of Gretia and Asia In those dayes the Genoueses fearinge leaste the Turcke shoulde bringe his armie to the Citie of Capha whiche standeth beyonde the straite of Bosporo vpon the sea called Eusino which at this daye is called the greater sea and seing no waie howe they mighte sende any succours thyther for somuch as the Turcke had his Castles very well furnished which he had buylded vpon both the straites and they thoughte it a matter impossyble to sende anye bandes thyther by lande considering that the iorney was great and the passage perillous throughe the contreys of so many barbarous nations and beinge in this greate extremitie there was a Constable which offerid for a certaine sume of money to goe into Caffa w t his bande which was of the numebr of 150. souldiours or there aboute vnto whome
and the Duke had thus promysed the Turckes delyuered the towne and receauyd into it the Dukes souldiours and delyuered vnto them the gouernance of the towne when this was done contrarie to all promes they helde all the chiefe of y â— Turckes prisoners and put a great number of the souldiours into the galleys and helde them of force all sauing certaine of them beinge men of place and circumspect who wolde rather committe them selues to the faythe of the Hungarian Cononel then to the Italianes when Sultan Baiazithe had ouerthorowen his brother Gemma and put him to slyghte and receauid obeisance of all the state and dominiones of his ancestrous in Asia the lesse and had visited the contre of Pontho Capadotia and other prouinces and gyuen order for the gouernaunce of them he coÌ„tynued in Burfia for a certaine space to giue audience to the gouernours of those prouinces of Asia which were subiecte vnto him in those partes where he bare him selfe so modestly and determyned his causes w t such humanitie that in the ende he obtained great good wyll of the people when he had thus done be passyd the straite homeward and was receauid into Constantinople with great pompe acording to the order of the triuÌ„p hantes of y e olde worldes he then gaue order altered the recepte of his reuenewes and customes withoute any sparcke of auarice or rapine and when he had made a reuewe of hys Gianizzaries he dyd not onely encreÌ„se the number of his fotemen but also of his horsemen and caused them to be wel paide which was an occasion that they were wel furnished in good order for so much as they sawe their prince to haue a delight ni them that he was very liberall vnto them And then began they to be excellently wel mounted their horses richely furnished them selues and their wiues soÌ„ptuously aparellyd with clothe of golde syluer Iuelles and suche lyke in sorte that the countre was chaunged from rude grose furniture into somtuouse and magnifique ornamentes and deckings And wheÌ„ he had bestoed a time in visiting his prouinces of Gretia and was come neare to Epâ—rro whiche is that parte of Macedonia that is inhabited by the nation called Albaneses from whoÌ„ the contrei hath yet his name is called Albania amoÌ„g whoÌ„ at the death of SultaÌ„ Mahometh there arose certain leaders seditioussi caused a great parte of y e couÌ„trei to reuolte whoÌ„ by his presence he agreed y e rest be toke bâ— force and so brought theÌ„ to his deuotioÌ„ before y e he wolde departe oute of that contre he sent to protest to the kinge Ferrante of Naples that yf he sent him not his artillerie munitioÌ„ wholli that was left in Ottranto at the deliuerie therof with his people and all suche substance and treasure of theirs as he then deteyned contrarie to his sworne promes that then he wolde make warres vpon him and seke to redresse his owne cause throughe the which message the king beinge sore a ferde embarcked all his artillerie monition and men with all such riches as they there had and caused them to be landed safely at Valona after that he lad his armie into Romania and coÌ„tinued with his courte in Andrinople began to make preparatioÌ„ for the warres against Caromano prince of the one parte of Cilicia beinge desirous to reuenge the defeicte that he receauid of him a litle before the deathe of his father This Caromano was the seconde prince of the Turckishe nation that then possessid anye dominion in Asia and they say that when he neded he was able to come to the feelde with xl thousand armed horsemen his principall state wherin he did reside was in y e for dest parte of the lesser Asia toward Soria called Cilicia campestre in that part therof where the ancient and famous citie of Tarso standethe which is builded vpon a plaine and is deuided throughe the middest by the ryuer Cidna and is not farre from the Baie Issico whiche is at thys daye the golfe of Iaza he possessed also in the lesse Armenia and Capadotia those partes that confyne with y e mounte Tauro wheÌ„ Baiazith had prepared al things mete for the iorney he put his Nauie to the sea embarâ—ked all his souldiours both horsemen and fotemen and passed then into Asia then marched throughe Bithi nia bothe y e contreis of Frigia Dardania Ionia Mâ—sia Caria Licia Pamphilia and finally with his people in ordre he entred into Cilicia campestre forasmuch as the contre of Cilicia hathe very large confines it is by ancient writers deuided into two partes of the whiche the lesse is called Trachea and hathe his sea bancke or shore of no great largenes it hath standinge vpon the plaine therof neuer a great towne for that the greatest parte of it is of the mounte Tauro and is so barren y â— it is not well inhabited the campestre begynning at y e Citie of Tarso and at Magnopoli a Citie in tyme paste of great power and fame stretcheth oute to y t baie Issico nowe called the golfe of Iaza and towarde the northe it confineth with Capadotia vpon the syde of the mounte Tauro when Baiazith was entred with his armie into y e countre of Abraham Caromano who had w t great diligence fortified his townes looking for his enemies and also he had furnished the straites of his contre and to the ende he wolde not be enforced to fighte he encamped alwayes in places of strengthe and great securitie and dwelled with his people as neare the enemye as he moughte The Turckes being lordes of the feelde went and spoyled and proied all the contre finalli when Baiazithe had consumed a great pece of the sommer coulde by no meanes prouoke the enemie to battaile he deter myned to besege some of his townes whervpoÌ„ he went to Tarso and besegyd it rounde planted his batterys and began to batter the walles not ceasiing daye nor nighte in suche sorte that in shorte space he had made so great breache that he thoughte it sufficient wherevpon he made redye for the assaulte and put his menne in battaile which thinge when they of the citie perceaued refusinge to put them selues in daunger of the losse of both lyfe and goodes they practized appointement and agreed to delyuer him the Citie vpon condition that he shoulde suffer them to enioye both lyfe and goodes wheÌ„ Baiazithe was come into the Citie he vsed y e Citizenes very gently and wolde not suffer anye of his armye to enter into the towne but onely those that were appointed to y e garde bothe of his person and towne and when the Automne was come on the sharpnes of the wether was suche that he coulde not well holde his people in y e felde whervpon he appointed them to lye in Garnisones in the townes there aboute from whence he ouer ran
from Segesta in the laste watche of the nighte and rode with foure thousand Mamalukes and foure thousande Mores and Arrabianes and came to the brydge before that the Turckes had vnderstanding of his departure and fynding onely y â— souldiours of Asta passed w t their Captatne Mastaffa Bascia he forth with charged them with suche force y â— the Turckes not beinge able to endure their vertue were disordred and began to flee in suche sorte that Mustaffa not beinge able to kepe them in order they were excedingly spoyled stayne when Selim vnderstode of the peryll that his people were in he hasted to the brydge in person and sent ouer with such spede as he coulde aide froÌ„tyme to tyme vnto them and in shorte space he had put ouer so many that he was Maister of bothe endes of the brydge and when he had assured the brydge he went in person with certaine bandes with him thether where y â— Soldane was syghting and soddenly charged hym in sorts that he enforced him to retire whervpon the Sol dane beinge oute of hope of the victorie determyned w t those fewe that he had lefte by flyghte to seke to saue him selfe and when they had rydden thre dayes contynually they came to a certaine village called Secusa and Selim determyninge to folowe hym wheresoeuer he shoulde goe dyd send after him Mustaffa Caterbeio and Gazzelle with a great number of lighte horsemen which when they drewe neare to the place where he was and had flayne vpon the waye as they came a great number of his men and had gyuen commaundement that al the men of that countre shoulde folowe them wheresoeuer they went vpon great Penaltie also appointed great rewarde to whosouer shoulde delyuer him ether deade or liuinge when the Soldane had loste the greatest nuÌ„ber of hys men and fearinge the persecution of the men of the countre seing none other meane to saue him selfe chaunged his garnementes and departed secretly and dyd hyde him in a marese there by and couered him selfe wyth reed and suche lyke as dyd growe thervpon but the countre men beinge very gredie of the rewarde that was promysed went and serched al secrete places wher in he moughte be hidden whervpon certaine of them went into the marese and serched very diligently and in the ende fouÌ„de him hidden in the water vp to y e throte and then toke hym with dyuerse of his cheife and principall councellours presentyd him bounde to Mustaffa and the reste of the Captaines who forthewith sent him an towarde Cairo in miserable sorte and presented him to Selim who wolde not speake vnto him but deliuered him to hys mynistres and caused him to be examined w t sondrie tormentes to make hym to confesse where the treasoure of Campsone the Soldane was and wheÌ„ they had done all that they were able to doe they coulde not onely not cause him to manifest it but also coulde not with all their tormentes cause him to speake one worde the constancie of his mynde was suche the nerte morning folowinge he caused him to be lad openly therowe the Citie to the gate called Basuela and hanged him by the necke then put a chaine of Iron aboute his necke and caused him continually to hange ouer the gate The cause whie Selim dyd this cruelly and shamefully put Tomombeio to deathe was for that that after he was gone into y e Region of Segesta acording to the opinion of dyuerse Selim sendinge hys Oratours to him to require him to be content and to giue ouer and to coÌ„mitte him selfe to the faith of Selim who promised him great place and dignities the Mamalukes contrarie to all reason and order of men wolde not suffer them to comme in his presence but cut them in peces wheÌ„ Tomombeio was dead he caused to put to deathe all the Mamalukes and souldiours that he had in the prisonnes and lefte none on lyue y e were able once to holde vp head agaynst him when the inhabitantes of Alexandria vnderstode what was done at Cairo they bâ—gan to rebell and made an vprore toke their weaponnes and cried the name of Selim throughe oute the Citie they toke vpon the sodden the fortes of the Citie and the Fareglion also and toke prisoners all the Mamalukes and officers that the Soldane had there Selim determined to possesse al such countres and Regiones bothe he on this side and beyonde the ryuer Nilo as were wonte to obey the Soldanes of Cairo wherfore he sent manye of his Captaines wyth their companies to take possessyon who syndinge none that made resystance caused them al to swere obedience and trouthe to Selim and in shorte space broughte all to his deuotion moreouer dyuerse kynges of Affrica which were confederate alwayes with the Soldanes dyd paie vnto them certaine tribute when they had vuderstandinge of the successe of Selim sent their ambassadours to renewe the confederacie in suche sorte that both on this side and beyonde the Nilo there rested not in Egipte one hauen eueÌ„ to the confines of Iudea oute of the obedience of Selim Emperour of Turckie sauing onely the Arrabianes cheifely those that dwelled in Affrica suche as from the begynninge had their confines vpon the ryuer Euphratos at this present haue them stretched oute to the verye Dceane after that hauing fylled al Affrica and Egipte with their multitudes contynually erercised in warres vpon the people that confyned with them but rather after the maner of thefte and stelthe with makinge of courses and praies then to vnite them selues in campe soto comme and fyghte as men of warre in battayle they haue no certaine dwelling places but lyke to Scythianes do inhabite dwell vpon their waggens in great compaines and numbres which are their Cities townes euery Citie or towne hathe his propre Captaine appointed vnto hym they doe not marrie or otherwise ioigne in fryndshyppe with anye other nation they este me them selues the most noble and ancient nation of the worlde as a people that neuer was mingled with any other nation but haue continued their nobility and antiquitie vncoroupted from the beginninge of the worlde they are maruelousty wise and proue excellent in any kynde of discipline or erercise that they take in hande they vse towarde straungers y â— comme into their countrey greate courtesie and liberalitie and in dede yf they dyd agree amonge them selues they were able to subdue all the countreys aboute them but maintainig amonge them certaine ancient inimities lefte vnto them by their predecessours they are contynually accupied with cyuyllwarres and dissentiones the onercontynually spoylinge the other but retorninge nowe to our historie when Selim had receaued the obedience and faythe of the whole Empire of the Soldane he ment to see Alexandria before that he wolde departe oute of Egipte whervpon he embarcked and sayled downe the ryuer and in fewe dayes arriued at Alexandria and when he had seen
of Turchie as other princes and of his rare force and vertue worthy of memorie SCanderbeg prince of Epirto was sonne to the lord Iohn Castrioth y e which possessid y ◠part of Albania that was called Emathia and Tumenestia and the mother of Scander beg was named Volsaua she was daughter to the prince of Pollogo whiche is a part of Macedonia and also of Burgaria this Iohn was a worthy man and of great Iugement experience in the warres and hauinge warres with Amorathe Ottomanno prince of the Turckes and seing him to be wexed very stonge in Gretia and Albania in such sorte as in the ende he was not able to encountre him wherfore he made peace with him and for hostages deliuered him his sonnes which were Repossio Stanissa Constantino and this Scanderbeg whiche was then named George but when this tiran Amorathe caused him in his chyldhod to be circumcised he gaue him the name of Scanderbeg which in our speche is lord Alerandre and after that the Turcke caused him to be instructed acording to the rite and custume of the Mahometane secte Amorathe truely semed to be exceding glad when Scanderbeg being a childe but of eyghte yeres of age was broughte to his presence and seinge him beautifull and to haue a maiestie in his countenance he iugged in hym selfe that yf he shoulde lyue longe he wolde proue a worthye man wherfore he determyned neuer to suffer him to retorne home againe but to kepe him in his courte to the ende that when he was comme to y ◠state of a mā he shoulde serue him and therfore appointed him worthy masters to instructe him and to be carefull for him and to se him broughte vp in lerning and ciuilitie he alowed bothe for his table and apparell euen as yf he had ben his owne sonne After this when Scanderbeg was somethinge growen he delighted to ryde and to ronne and also with his cōmpaniones to vse the launce and y ◠rabattued sworde and he dyd excede them all bothe on horsebacke and on forte and chiefely yf it were in y ◠presence of Amorathe who had greate felicitie of se litle boyes in suche exercises and dyd maruelously reioyse to se suche force towardnes in Scanderbeg who alwaies remayned victoriouse After this whē the Turcke made warres against anye prince he commaunded to bringe Scanderbeg alwaies with him whythersoeuer he went and when so euer he soughte with his enemys Scander beg behaued him selfe so well that all the Turckes maruellyd at his doinges and wolde saye amonge them selues that yf he mought lyue tyll he came to perfecte age no man shoulde be able to continue against hem When Scanderbeg was come to y ◠age of .xix. yeres y ◠Turcke made him a Sangiacco which is as muche to saye as a conductour of sondrie bandes and gaue him y e leadinge of fyue thousand horses and some tyme the title of geuerall of an armye which in the Turckishe speche is called Bassa sending him against his enemyes accompanied with mani other Sangiachi which were appointed to be directed by him and to be at his commaundement and beinge in that parte of the lesser Asia that is called Natolia and hauing many rencountres with his enemyes he alwayes made great slaughter of them and departed from them with the victorie by meanes wherof he toke manye townes and Cities of that countre and brought them vnder the obedience of the Turcks who from that tyme forth wolde alwayes saye that Scanderbeg was his righte arme his harte and his eye and his moste assured defendour and augmentour of his dominions whervpon all the reste of the Turckes dyd marueloslye loue him and had him in great estimation After this Scanderbeg beinge of the age of .xxv. yeres and attending vpon his lorde in Andrinople beinge in the companie of many noble men there came thither a Tartare of a great stature and an exceding force and chalenged to fyghte with anye man in all the Turckes courte to y e vtterance and there was no man that durste to aunswer his chaleng for that the brute was that he neuer foughte with anye but that he ouercame him and had staine manye men in the lyke combattes when Scander beg sawe this he went to the prince and declared vnto him and to all the noble men there that he wolde encoūtre him and fyghte with him to the death but his lord with all the reste of the noble men wolde in no wyse agree vnto it but were all very sorye to see him so disposed yet for all that he made so ernest requeste and contynued it with suche Instancie that in the end with great difficultie he obtained his requeste and then made him redie and went in the presence of them all with great as to encountre this Tartarre who disdained him euen as Goliathe dyd Dauid and sayd that it greued him much to fyght with so yonge a man wherfore Scanderbeg was excedingely wrothe with him and strake at him and so behaued him selfe in the combatte that in the ende he obtained y ◠victorie slewe the Tartarre Shortly after Amorathe went to Bursia a Citie of Bithinia where two souldiours of Persia one named Iaia and y ◠other Zāpsa which made a like chalenge to that that y ◠Tartarre made sauinge that they wolde fyghte on horsbackes with launce sworde and Targe whervpon as sone as the chalenge was made Scanderbeg made redie and encoūtred with Iaia and as they were ernestly fightinge this cruell Zampsa assayled him in treason but Scanderbeg discoraged not at all for that but assured him selfe in god and put on a noble mynde and within shorte tyme he slewe them bothe for the which notable acto he was muche praysed of all those that were there present after this y ◠Hungarians came to make warres vpon the Turckes and to enuade their countrey wherfore Scāderbeg was sent Captaine generall with a greate armye against them in that enterprise he behaued him selfe so discretely and circumspectly that the Hungarians retorned againe withoute battaile He alwaies had that attended vpon him Christianes of his fathers subiectes who alwayes in structed him in the Christian faythe which he had receaued at his Baptesme wherfore he founde the meanes that the Hungarianes retorned withoute battayle and be also retorned with his armie safe to Andrinople where he was excedingly embraced of the Turcke and honored with great presentes he sayd to his most famylier fryndes that the Hungarianes feared the vertue and worthynes of Scanderbeg and therfore retorned and wolde not gyue battayle he desyred Scanderbeg to require some great gyfte of him but Scanderbeg aunsweringe very modestly sayd that he required nothinge but to dwell in his good grace and fauour wherwith he shoulde holde him very well satisfyed whē they had ended these discourses newes came that the lord Iohn father to Scanderbeg was deceassyd whervpon Amorathe in all haste dispatched a Captaine of
apointed Captaines to his townes and fortes in y ◠yere of oure lorde M. CCCC.xliii and in the yere from his byrthe xxxiii When the Turcke dyd vnderstande this fynosse of Scanderbeg and the victorie of the Hungarianes he had so greate sorowe as in all his lyfe he had not had y ◠lyke wherfore he determyned to be reuenged and to employe all his force against Scanderbeg but Scanderbeg being very wise and one that knowe what he had to doe being aduertized of the Turckes determination and purpose went to Alessio a Citie in Albania then vnder the gouernement of the Venetianes where at his requeste all the princes helde a councell with the reste of the nobilitie of Albania of whom these that folowe were y ◠chiefe Aramthe Conino which was afterwarde father in lawe to Scanderbeg Andrea Thopia Paulo Ducagino Nicolo Pietro Spano Lech Dusmano Leche Zacharia the honorable lieutenantes of the Senate of Venise to whom Scanderbeg spake in this forme Very honorable fathers and magnificent princes I doubte not but that it is well knowen to vs with howe great inimitie and dispite the Turckes doe persecuteour moste Christian faithe and howe greatly they are enemyes to all vertue and especially they neuer kepe anye promese that they make and yf their powre were agreable to there wyll they wolde make all Christian princes to passe by the edge of the sworde as by experience it hathe ben seen here to fore when god for our offences hathe permitted it yet I by the mightye arme of god haue chased the vsurpers of my fathers state oute of it and haue cut all the Turckes in peces that made anye resystance against me and besydes that I haue wonne all that which y e Turcke dyd possesse in Albania as it is manifeste to all men wherfore your excellenties maye be well assured that that cruell dogge wyll employe all his force possyble against me and that w t spede and yf that by chaunce which god forbydde he shoulde ouercomme me he wolde immediatly make warres vpon you wherfore I doe erhorte and erneslly desyre your highnesses that for the loue you heare towarde god our moste holly faythe and also for charitie that it will please you to vouchesafe to vnite your forces w t myne and yf it seme not good vnto you so to doe for so muche as you are at peace with the Turcke yet I shall ernestly desyre you to stande by and nether to ayde the Turcke nor trouble me and hereof I do attende your gentle aūswere for that that I hope with the mightie right hand of god to defend my selfe against y ◠great Tyran Then all the princes and noble men of Albania withdrewe them selues with the lieutenantes of the Senate of Venise and went to talke in secrete and when they had consydered and debatted the importancie of the matter they made aunswere to Scanderbeg in this sorte moste excellent prince George oure deare sonne and brother as touchinge your age but in respecte of your vertue worthynesse oure honorable father we haue very well consydered and weyed thy iuste and moste necessarie demaunde full of wysedome and worthye in euery respecte to be herde wherfore we gyue you to vnderstand by commō consent that we are determined to vnite our powers with the for euer and to esteme thy state as our owne and oure state as thyne and wyll contynue thys league according to oure promesse in welth and misery which of them that god shall send moreouer we make y ◠oure Captaine generall to defend our libertie hoping in the mightye god that there is no power that shalbe able to resyste oure most holly vnion wherfore be of good comforte and make prouision of suche thinges as shalbe necessarie and commaunde for you shall not wante and also we wyll alowe you a yerely stypende towarde your owne maintenance and you shal not lacke that that we shalbe able to doe in any respecte when this moste holly league was concluded the aforesayde princes of Albania went and dyned with Scanderbeg their newe lord and thancked god of this concord and then some of them toke leaue and retorned to their prouinces and others accompained Scanderbeg to the citie of Croia A briefe declaration of the chiefe princes of Albania included in the aforesayde league GEorge Castrioth els named Scāderbeg appointed Captaine generall by their common consent desernethe to be fyrst named after him his father in lawe Aranith Conino then the sonnes of Musachio Thopia called of many Carlnich which in the Schianuon tonge betokennethe gloriouse and they are called the sonnes of Charles for so muche as they are discended from the house of Fraunce then were the lordes of the house of Ducagini and the noble men of the hous of Spain the lordes Cernouichi and Dusmani but the Venetianes wolde not enter into this league for the good wyll they bare to the house of Angelo whiche is discended from the Imperiall house of Constantinople on the one syde and on the other from that of the dispotto of Scruia of y ◠noble princesse Margaerite of Monferato duchesse of Mantoa who besyde her other patrimonie had dyuerse parcells in Albania chiefely Driuasto Antiuari and Croia and possessethe at thys present Antiuari and Dolcigno with other places that haue not howed the knee before the Idol Baale which is Mahomethe and it maye please god to gyue them the grace to conuerte the Turckes and other infidelles to oure most holly faithe or els to ouerthro we their greate powers as dyuerse tymes Scanderbeg hath done Somme man mought aske me here from whence Albania had his name Whefore you shall vnderstande that Plinio in his Booke intitled de Hominibus Illusiris in the thyrde Chapiter dothe declare howe y ◠Tullio hostilio the thyrde kynge of the Romanes when he had destroied the Citie of Alba which was not farre distante from Rome and had ben often tymes enemye vnto it commaūded that the Albaneses shoulde come and dwell at Rome but a great number of them acordinge to the opinion of dyuerse writers went into Asia and dwelled amonge the people therof which possessed the countre y ◠lieth betwene the mountaines called hiberi and Caucast y ◠Albaneses increased multiplied from tyme to tyme so that at the laste their countre was called Albania Iberia which this same Plinio describeth in y ◠vi booke of his naturall historie and in the thyrde chapiter from whence one parte of the Albaneses departed and came downe into Europe of whom the one parte dwelled in Epirro others in Macedonia somme in one parte of Liburnia which at this present is called Esemptia y e loer neare vnto Macedonia and Epirro some dwelled in a certaine parte of Dalmatia and Illiria which is called y e hie Esemptia neare vnto that parte of Liburnia wher of we spake before when the Albaneses had longe contynued in the aforesayde countres they were so encreased
to Scāderbeg who lyke a noble prince caused them al to be wel entertained sent them home wit houte any ransom of al those prisoners be caused to detēyne two men of acompte the one was Simone Vulcatal of the countrey of ◠cutari and the other was Andre Humoi brother to y e Captaine of Croia which he sent into his owne countrey kepte them prisoners in a forte of his y e was of great strength called Pietra Bianca where they were by his cōmaunded very wel vsed and had great prouision appointed vnto them after this Scanderbeg passed with his armye throughe al the countre which appertained to the Venetianes thinckinge to haue taken it but he coulde not whervpō he fortified a rased Citie name Balezzo which had ben distroied by Attilla Flagello di Dio he fortified it with walles trenches and bastiōnes he furnished it with al kinde of menition and valiante men and he appointed to be their Captaine one of hys Captaynes named Marino Spā a man of muche worthynes to y e ende that he shoulde with contynual courses spoyle and impouerishe the countre kepe them in continual doubte And when he had established this order he retorned to y e seege of Dagnio After this they of Scutari vnderstanding y e Marino Span was gone forthe of Balezzo they went thyther with al spede and spoyled the Citie to the very foundation wherwith Scanderbeg beinge greatly offendyd destroied al the countrey of Scutari When the Turcke venderstode that Scanderbeg had warres with the Venetianes and consydering that that countre laie betwene two mighty enemies he was excedinly glad thinckinge for that the Venetianes were of great force that they wolde sone chase Scanderbeg oute of his countrey wherefore he sent commaundement to Mustaffa which laye vpon his cōfines with xv M horsemen to goe and spoyle al Scāderbegs countre yet for al that Mustaffa cansydering the bandes that Scāderbeg had lying vpon his frontiers in redynes wolde goe no furder then that place which is called Dronich where he set vp his tentes and lying with his armie encamped there he helde the countrey in contynual feare wherof as sone as Scanderbeg had aduertizement he departed from Dagnio with two thousand souldiours and went to his other thre thousand souldiours that laye vpō his confines and whē he had exhorted them to behaue themselues valiantly he put them in order assailed y e Turckes with suche furie that within a shorte tyme he put them to flighte and slewe .x. M. of them and toke Mustaffa with .xii. others men of great acompte whom he caused forthewith to be sent where Andre and Simon was and then made a greate course into the Turckes countre broughte with him a maruelouse riche proie and distributed al to his souldiours and gaue amonge them afterwarde .xxv. M. ducates whiche he had for the ransome of Mustaffa and y e other xii When Scanderbeg had done this he retorned to Dagnio helde that countre in suche trauaile that he broughte it al vnder his obedience yet notwithstanding the Cities defended them selues and chiefely Driuazzo whyles Amesabeg Nephewe to Scanderbeg spoiled the countre about Drinazzo the worthy Andre surnamed Angelo descended of the Romanes whiche in tyme passed possessed the Empire of Constantinople beinge Captaine of Driuas tynes ysued oute of the towne with suche furie and assayled the armie of Scanderbeg so worthily that he put them to flyghte with great spoyle of them so that after that it was alwaies said that Scāderbeg was alwaies victoriouse onles it were before Driuasto but his excuse was for that he was not present at that rencoūtre In the ende Scanderbeg made peace with the Venetianes vpō condition that he shoulde restore vnto them al those places that he had taken from them and in recompence therof he shoulde haue one part of the valey or strascte of Scutari begynninge at the bancke of the ryuer Drino towarde Scutari and so stretching oute to a certaine place called Busgiarpeni which portions in dede were much more cōmodiouse for Scanderbeg then the towne of Dagnio When this agrement was made Scanderbeg spake to the ambassadour of Venise in sorte as foloweth right honorable my lorde ambassadours it is the opinion of suche as are wyse where a man louethe once in dede he must nedes loue alwaie and peraduenture the prouerbe hathe herof his begynninge whiche saythe that the discorde of frinds engendreth an increase of good wil wherfore I gyue your honours to vnderstande that notwithstanding oure difference I haue ben alwaie wel affected towarde my lordes of Venise for so muche as their state is most Christian and that they are fryndes of al kynde of vertue wherefore I wolde not suffer at the battaile of Scutari the victorie once beinge myne to sley anye moe of their souldiours and to the ende that it shall be well seen that I am their frinde in dede I shal holde me wel contentyd and satiffyed with anye thinge that maye be commodiouse to their state and for that they shall well vnderstande that I make lesse acompte of mine owne cōmodities then of thers I doe make them a presēt of al y e which is mine for the which we haue had this difference and doe holde my selfe as wel cōtented as if I had them contynually in my possession and furder I wyl them not to feare the Turcke for I truste in God to defende bothe their state and myne owne also and thus I commende me to your honours When Scāderbeg had this sayd he embraced the ambassadours retorned into hys countrey when he came thither he caused to take oute of prison Simon and Andre aforesayd and when he had delyuered them he did them great honor and gaue them great presentes in token of the goodwyl that he bare to the Senate of Venise At that same tyme Scanderbeg made a great course into the Turckes countrey and burned and spoyled al y e countre as he passed thorowe and brought a great proie from thence whervpon the Turcke called vnto him all his consellours called in the Turckishe tonge Vestri also his Bassas Sangiachi Captaines and others of his principall order of souldiours and spake vnto them in this sorte I am maruelously troubled and amased with the manifolde dāmages and dishonours that I haue receaued at the hande of Scanderbeg my mortal enemie wherfore I doe nowe determyne to be reuenged to employe al my force possyble against him and so muche the more for that I coulde neuer gyue him ouerthrowe but he hathe alwayes triumphed ouer my people and ouer the Venetianes also in one instante and nowe for that he is a Christian he hathe made peace with them and contynually maketh warres against me and maketh none acompte of me at al in so muche that he dothe not onely not determine to deliuer vnto me that which he hath taken from me but contynually threatnethe to spoyle me as he hathe al
felde were of great iudgement whose good order dyd not à litle preuaile in that behalfe Besyde this it was not only an armie of trained souldiours that discomfyted the Samnites not farre from the Citie Suessola where they slewe an exceding great number of them and toke 40. thousande sheldes which were of the men that were slaine and also 170. standardz Cornetts and Euseignes as wytnesseth Liuie in his vii Booke of his first decade but that also the Iudgement of the Consul dyd muche preuayle in that behalfe who when he sawe the great number of his enemies coÌ„maunded his souldiours to holde them within his campe whervpoÌ„ the Samnites presuming conteÌ„ned the enemie and neglicted order and dispersed them selues all the countrey ouer to prouyde them of corne and other victualles and lefte theyr campe vngarded in effecte which when the consul vndestode he exhorted the souldiours to behaue them valiantly and immediatly went forth of his campe and assayled the campe of his enemyes and in the first charge he slewe the greatest number of them as they were in their tentes and lodgings and then commaunded to set all theyr Cornetts Enseignes and standardz vpon the trenches of theyr campe which he had taken from them and then lefte for the gard of the campe two legions with commaundement that on payne of death no man shoulde take any thing of the spoyle of the campe vntyll his retorne whervpon he marched on with his armye in order towarde the enemy and sent his horsemen before him who charged the negligent and vnprouided enemyes being dispersed all ouer the felde and vtterly destitute of order so that they fled with great confusioÌ„ and feare not knowing whyther it were best to fle wheÌ„ this was done the counsul retorned to the campe with great victorie and then gaue the spoyle of the campe of the enemyes to his souldiours In lyke sort was the perfecte order of L. Scipion counsul no lesse helpfull to his armye when that he defeicted the mitghty army of Antioche kyng of Asia vp on the Ryuer Phrigio neare to the Citye Magnesia as wytnessyth Liui in his fourth decade and vii Booke And in lyke sorte dyd the indgemeÌ„t of AlexaÌ„dre the great helpe his souldiours iÌ„ the battayle that he fought with Darius in the which with a smale number of trained souldiours he defeicted 6. hundred thousand Persians as witnesseth Blondo in his x booke de La institution de La chose publique In the lyke sorte was the iudgment of T. Quintius Flaminius helpful to his trained atmie wheÌ„ he dyd ouerthrowe Philippe the Macedone prince besyde Scotusa in Gretia slewe viii thousands of his souldiours and toke fyue thousand of them prisoners as witnessyth Plutarck in his Boke called the seconde part of his lyues in the lyfe of the same Flaminius Besyde this it was not onely the continuall exercise and disciplyne of the souldiours of Scanderbeg that gaue vnto the Turckes so manye ouerthrowes as are declared in his Commentaries althoughe they were becomme throughe their continuall exercise as it were inuincible but his great iudgement in the arte of the warres was a greate parte of the cause therof for he knewe when and howe to take the aduantage of his enemye Also to coÌ„me to oure age in the battayle that Frauncys the fyrst of that name Frenshe king fought at Marignian with the Suysses where great skyll and valiantize was showed on both partes yet was not the victorie wonne alone throughe the discipline of the souldiours but also throughe the iudgement of the conductours The lyke may be sayd of the battayle that the Countie de Augimen fought at Serizoles wyth the Marques of Guasto in the yere of oure Lord. 1544 The lyke of the battayle of Pauie betwyne the aforesayd Frenshe kinge and the Duke of Burbone lieutenante of the Imperiall armie Also the lyke of the battayle betwyne Charles the fyrst and the Duke Iohn of Saxon the Lansgraue of â—esse in Almaigne What shulde I saye any more to proue this to be true the histories doe all affyrme that the vnderstandinge of the generall doth greatly helpe to the obtayning of the victorie and withoute it a trayned armie is but as a man mayned in comparison of a maÌ„ that hath all his liÌ„mes souÌ„d and perfecte and of all the victories that I haue here spoken of and also of all those that I haue red of besydes those that I haue seen I haue not founde one gyuen by vntrayned souldiours Wherfore no armie may be called perfecte that wanteth these two kindes of men in it which is the general of perfecte iudgement the souldiour brought vp in discipline Vigetius sayeth in his .28 chapiter of his fyrste Booke of arte of the warres that the Epirotes and Macedonines people of great power adorned with many victories and also the Thesalique nation who brought vnder theyr yoke the Persians euen to the confynes of India besydes these Lacedemonies Athenies Marsians and Samnites The Datianes Medes and Thratianes which were so warlike that it was sayd amonge them that Mars whom the hethen call the god of battayle was borne in theyr countre all these nations dyd the Romanes throughe their perfecte discipline bring vnder theyr rule Also Vigetius saithe in his fyrst Boke and fyrst chapter of the arte of the warres that the great number of the Frenshe shoulde haue denoured the smale number of the Romanes had not ben theyr discipline only besydes that it had not ben possyble for the Romanes to haue resysted the populouse mighty nations of the Germanes but only by theit disciplin moreouer they shulde not haue ben able to encouÌ„tte the lustie puisante nations of Spaine had not ben their discipline yea by what meanes preuailed they against the wise and welthy Affricanes but only throughe discipline by what meanes brought they vnder yoke the mighty and subtill nation of Grekes but only by their discipline The noble Emperour Frederick Barberouse being entred Italie with his armie to chastize the Millaneses for their rebellion wolde in no wise offer warre to his enemies vntill his souldiours had fworne vnto him to obserue the discipline of the warres Paulus Iouius saith that the Hungarians so longe as they dyd obserue discipline were well able to defende their owne gaue the Turcks sondrie ouerthrowes Valâ—ius Maximus in his second Boke calleth discipline not only the foundatioÌ„ of the Romane Empire but also the preseruatioÌ„ maintenance of the same for in dede it is a harde matter to ouerthrowe a worthy generall hauinge an armie of well choseÌ„ souldiours obedient well exercised in the feates afore meÌ„cioned doe knowe what the weapons are worthe that they beare being well furnished and well instructed in order knowing the coÌ„moditie therof so longe as in battayle they doe obserue it for it is an impossibilitie to gyue any great ouerthrowe we to meÌ„ that obserue their order in the which they are plased doe vse their weapons accordingly Wherfore
I wishe al men of honest spirites to seke to vnderstand the effecte of this discipline for it doth as muche more helpe to the obtaining of victorie then doth the greatnesse of the number as Ceser Appian Vigetius Plutarcke chiefly doe declare PeradueÌ„ture some maÌ„ wil say why sir we nede not this discipline wherof you speke we can haue for oure money straungers which are good souldiours to serue vs wheÌ„ we nede But such as are of that opinion I wishe to rede the histories Chronicles of Fraunce for Fraunce hath well felte the coÌ„moditie of the seruice of staungers which nether serue for honor of their countre prince ne yet for their wiues children goodes possessions but they seke onely to leade the warres at length to make their ptoffytt of it beside this I thincke it not inconuenient to showe an example or two of the good seruice of straungers Mounser de Lautrec being in Italie generall of the Frenshe armie at the sege of Pauie the Suissers came vnto him and required him eyther to gyue them license to repare home in to their couÌ„tre or els to goe encountre the enemies for they wolde no lengar tarrie in Italie whervpon fearinge that the Suissers shoulde leaue him he was enforced to goe encouÌ„tre the enemy in the which â—ncountre he was ouerthroweÌ„ beside Mylan at a village called the Pico â—ue all his armie put to flight as witnesseth paradyne in his first Boke of his historie The lyke dyd Andre Dorie at the sege of Naples being in the paie of â—he Frenshe king in his seruice at the seege before Naples and kepte â—heir victualles and reliefe from them whervpon they furnished the Naâ—ie of the towne then the chiefe princes rulers of the towne emâ—arcked them selues went and gaue battayle to the sayd Dore and afâ—er longe fyght Dorie obtained the victorie toke prisoners the prince of Orenge the Marques of Guasto Camile Colona â—cardo and a gentle man of Spaine named Gogna he slewe two worthy Captaines Feramus â—a and Gabone toke thre Galleys from the enemies after this he lefte â—he seruice of the Frenshe king caried with him his Galleys and the prisoners that he had taken went and serued the Emperour immediatly set his prisoners at libertie the Emperour gaue him the principalitie of Melphe with dyuerse other castls lordshipes The like did â—he Marques Brandenburge wheÌ„ he departed froÌ„ the seruice of Henry â—he Frenshe king caried not he the Duke Domerle with dyuerse others prisoners with him Also to comme to oure warres when the towne of Haddington in Scotland was holden for oure king Edwarde the vi did not the Almaignes Mutyne there and put them selues in armes against â—s which yf the enemies had vnderstode mought haue ben the losse of the towne Let these fewe examples fuffyse for this tyme and although that I haue in this litle preface briefely touched the worthynes of discipline yet am I well assured that victorie commeth not onely by it but by the gyfte of God wherfore I must saie with Saincte Paull Paull planteth Appollo watreth but god giueth the encrease eueÌ„ so the Generall commaundeth the souldiours obey but God gyueth the victorie wherfore let all men seke to knowe him and serue him as he him selfe hath appointed and then shall all thinges goe well with them Your honors most humble seruant Iohn Shute The translatour to the reader I Haue good reader turned into Englishe out of the Italien these two Bokes folowing the one is a coÌ„mentarie of Andrewe Lambine â–ª the other a commentarie betwixt George Scanderbeg the Tâ—tckes althoughe they be not done in an exquisite and curious stile whiche I leaue to those that haue bene brought vp in scoles and are seen in oratorie yet is the matter of importance and to such as delite in martiall affaires both pleasant and profitable the knowledge wherof is very necessarie forasmuche as no countrie can promesse to it selfe perpetuall peace and quietnes Wherfore take in good parte I beseche the this my traueill and vse it so that therby thou maist be the better able to serue to the maintenauÌ„ce of Godes glorie and common wealth of thy couÌ„try I haue added in thende of the bokes folowing a table which declareth the principall matters conteyued in them what the princes were that brought them to passe and the yeres wherin they were done I haue also noted the principall matters of the bokes in the margente which myne author hath not A Comentarie of Andre CAMBINO A FLORENTINE BORNE OF THE originall of the Turques and Empire of the house of Ottomanno The first Boke THE Turquish nation after the opinion of diuers writers chiefly of these ofâ—ate yeres for that they haue sene them rule in those partes where the citieof Troy once was and hauynge regarde to their name haue affirmed that thei are discended from Teu cxi from whence the Troians bad their originall the which is vtterly false for in dede that natioÌ„ which at this present dwelleth in the lesser Asia vnder the rule of the house of Ottomannâ— beinge of nature cruell and barbarous toke originall from the Scithianes and as the philosopher Etico dothe declare had their abidinge beyonde the montaines called Pyrithei not far froÌ„ the Isâ—es Tarraconite directlye towarde the Northwest sea And as Otho brother to Federyckes father of Austriche being Emperour doth declare that at the tyme when Pâ—pine raigined in Fraunce these people departinge from the confines of Caspie were aboute the yere of Christe 760. beinge encontred with the people Auari which in oure time are Hungarians and fighting betwene them a cruell battayle and great slaughter on bothe sydes done The Turques not withstanding continuing their enterprise ouerran and spoyled the contreis of Poutho and Capadocia with other prouinces to them adioyinge And in the beginning they gathered them selues togither secretlye and dwelled vpon montaynes and in stronge places perillous to assayle and maynteyned them selues and lyued of pâ—oie and spoyle as occasion was offered them After that when they grewe to some strength and were prouyded of captaynes and discipline they began with open warres to molest and trouble y â— people of those countries neare vnto them adioyning and to become lordes of their contreis and these people not being able to stande against and to endure their force and crueltie were enforced forced to giue place so that the Turques within shorte space possessed not only Pontho and Capadocia but assailed the lesser Asia which takinge his name of theÌ„ is at this daye called Turchia in such sort that in short time they became lordes and maisters of Galatia Bithinia Pamphiâ—ia Pisidia of the one and other Frigia of Cilitia and of Caria enlarging the coÌ„fines of their dominion euen from the sea called Ionio to the banckes of the sea Egeo and then appointed to euery faction and contrey hys
gouernor and in this sorte gouerned for a long time hauing among them nother kinge ne any man endued with tytle of souereentie other then of captaine according to the saying of Nicolao Sagundino a man very well seen bothe in the Greake and Latyne tonge and also in the histories as wel ancient as of later times for that he had exercised hym selfe alonge tyme in them and hauing ioyned to his redinge experience hauing trauayled thorowe seen the greatest part of the inhabited earth whoe wrote to the pope pio that aboute the yere of y e christian helth 1330. There arose amonge the Turques one Ottomano of a noble house and smale welthe wyse and of a noble minde whoe by his perswasiones and towardnesse had gathered togither a greate numbre of valiante and lustie men desirouse of alteration he toke in hand y â— which he knewe to be generally acceptable vnto theÌ„ which was to make warres against the christianes which confyned with his contreys and throughe hys lyberal distributing of the proies and spoiles that he gate from y â— christians to his souldiors his power was so encresed throwe the pleasantnesse of gaine and reputacion that his people had that he seing him selfe cheyfe of an armye whych desired to liue licensiously and was apte to accompanye him in whatsoeuer enterprise he shoulde take in hand determined to make him selfe prince of that companye and began openly wyth warres to persecute those y â— wolde not there vnto agree in the which his enterprise he was very well holpen by the discorde and diuision that was amongest the principall and cheife rulers of that nation and he ayding him selfe with the same diuisioÌ„ did continaully maintaine and norrishe the same and gaue nowe ayde to the one partye and then to the other vntyl that they were al so consumed and impouerished that they were not able to resiste his force when it was emploied against them And in this sorte he became a Tyran ouer his owne natyon made him selfe lord of the greatest part of their contreis namiÌ„g him selfe prince of the lesser Asya This Ottomano at his death lefte to succede hym in hys kyngdome Orcano hys sonne who folowing his fathers fote steppes did not only preserue the Empire which his father lefte him But also enlarged it greatly when Orcano died Amorath hys eldeste sonne succeded him in his kingdome who traÌ„sfering his courte to Bithinia ordained y e seate of hys kyngdome in Bursia which standeth at the very fote of the rootes of the Mounte Olimpo In the time of Amorathe two of the Emperors sonnes of constantinople fel at stryfe aboute y e possessyon of the Empire it semed to the yonger sonne y â— his brother did maruelously oppresse him and althoughe his force was not sufficient to resyst hym he woulde not yet giue place vnto him but sent to Amorathe for ayde of fering him a great sum of mony inrecompence Amorathe agreed to his demande and assembled his power and with spede embarqued hys people and passed into Gretya and with greate subtiltye dyd leade the warres at length and when he sawe the two bretherne so weake and that they had consumed the treasure which their father left them by their cyuille warres had so spoiled their contrey y â— they were not able to maintayne them selues in there estate w t there reuene we which was then lefte them he in one instante emploied his force against them both and in y e firste assaulte he toke the citie of Gallipolli a place very commodiouse for his state for asmuche as it standeth in Propontide vpon the sea side not farre from the mouth of y e straite of Helesponto And desiring ernestly in his minde the Empire of Gretia for asmuch as he knewe their force not able to endure against him wherupon he vsed the occasyon did continually spoile and impouerishe them in such sorte as in shorte space he became lorde of the greatest parte of Romania which is the principall parte of the prouince of Thracia the which in ancient time had his confynes very large in so much that it is said that on the one side they stretched oute towarde the east euen to the sea called Eusino and Propontyde and towardes the southe to the sea Eugenio and the floode Strimone and the contrey of Macedonia and towardes the north to the riuer Danubio on the west it confined with the Mountaines of Peonia with panonia nowe called hungaria and with the Ryuer Sauo in the which Thratia they will that there be comprehendid the one and other Misya at this day called Seruia and Burgarya the inhabytantes wherof doe call all these places lying a long the seacoaste toward the south inhabited by the Greeks euen to the verie straite of Elespontho Romania when Amorath died he lefte behynde him two sonnes Saliman and Baiazith Saliman dyed in shorte space after then the successyon was wholly in Baiazith who toke in hande the goueraunce And wheÌ„ he had established his state in Asya he sent a new power into Europa and reuiued the warres began by his father against the Greekes in the which fortune so fauored hym that in shorte space he was possessid of all Romania and lefte the Emperor of Gretia nothinge but Constanâ—nople and Pera the which was possessid then by the Genoueses after this he passed on and made his warres euen in the very bowels of Gretia with a course of maruelouse victorie no place resisting him he occupied Thessalia Phocide the contre of Boetia with the greatest part of the contrey of Attica that onely the citie of Athenes was defendid which being of suche force both natural and artificiall that it was inexpugnable wherfore he entred into Macedonia y e which in time past had his confines greatly enlarged thorough the great force of y e places of the same conteyned in it at that time y e contreis of Peonia and Paphlagonia and finding it vnfornished of such as moughte defended it he possessyd it and passed on with his people and made a course through Bossina and Seruia leadinge awaye w t him continually great proies both of men and catell in most miserable calamitie and thus he went on consuming and destroing the contreis and then retorned into Romania and broughte his armie to constantinople and shutte in them of the cytye and toke from them all the contrey aboute them in such sort y â— they were enforced to hold theÌ„ with in the gates of y e citie and coulde non withoute great danger go forth of it no way by land tormenting it continually had brought it to that passe that the Citizens being out of all hope to defended it began alredie to practise appointment with him And there is no doute that yf god by extraordinarie meanes had not prouided for it the citie of constantinopole y e which in time before many hundred yeres passed had ben
them he determnâ—ed in any wise to haue it by force wherupon he caused forthwith neare vnto the same castel another castell to be buylded of farre greater heyght then the first from y e height wherof he did so beate his enemies day and nyght without cease that in the ende with the losse of a great number of his people he toke it of force After this hauyng intelligence that in the citie of Caphia a garison towne of the Genoueses was great store of golde and siluer in the handes of the marchantes he hauynge alreadye purpofed to take that towne by force which standeth in Cheronesso Taurico not far from the Bosphono and straite Timerico and considerynge that the treasure although he wanne the towne mought easelye be buried vnder the grounde and so saued he determined to haue both the towne treasure by this meane he called to him the skynners of his countrey such as had most riche furres as Sables Armines Genettes Martirones and suche lyke and gane them commaundement for the more spedie dispatche of y e matter that they shulde not passe for the sellyng of them at a lowe price to the ende that through the meanesse of the price the marchantes mought more gredily by them this matter beyng skilfully handlded was sone dispatched and immedialy after that he denounced warres agaynst them and forthwith presented him selfe with his armie to the towne and when he had enuironed the towne wyth his campe he planted his batteries and continued them day and nyght without ceasing in such sort that in short space he possessed the towne the marchantes the furres and the money which was an inestimable treasure It is written also that this was his ordre in beseeging of townes y e fyrst daye his owne lodgings were white and if in that day the inhabitants of the towne dyd yelde vnto him they receuid no hurte nother in body nor goodes the seconde daye his lodgings were red which signifyed to them of the towne that yf then they yelded that he wolde put to death all the masters of the families And the thyrde day was his last change which was in to blacke Pauillions and tentes and then refused he all appointments and when he had in this sorte taken any Citie or towne he put all that were in it to the sworde not sparing any of whatsoeuer age or kinde they were when he had thus done then wolde he commaunde to sack the towne and when the goodes were taken oute of it then wolde he cause fyre to be set in the towne so consume it to ashes leue it deserte And there is a bruite which coÌ„tinueth euen to this daye in those partes that on a tyme a certaine populouse citie defended them selues tyll the third day and then seing a great space of the walle laid flatte on the earth and the enemie in battaile redie to gyue y â— assaulte they were discoraged and thincking to pacifie y â— wrath of this cruel proude aud victoriouse enemie by humblyng them selues sent forth all the wemen and chyldren of the towne in white clothynge wyth oliue branches in their hands offeringe him the towne calling to him with lowde voice for mercy whom wheÌ„ Tamerlano sawe a farre of comming toward him he gaue commaundement to certaine bands of his horsemen to charge vpon them and to put them all to the sworde after this he toke the citie and sacqued it and then burned it it happened at that time by meanes of traffique of marchaundeze certaine marchante a Genouese borne to be greatly in fauor with Tamerlano and being with him at that same present discoursing of soÌ„drie matters asked him why he vsed so great crueltie towardes those people which he ouercame but he torned to him with an exceding troublouse contenance with eyes flaming like fyre and said vnto him yf thou doste thincke that I am aman thou arte much deceuid for I saye to the that I â—amthe wrath of God sent to plague and punishe the worlde and I commaunde the that yf thou woldest not receue due punnishement for thy auditiouse and folishe demaunde that thou gette the hence out of my sight that thou comme lesse in my presence the pore marchaÌ„t being much feared with the words of the Tyran departed from him was neuer sene after that by him they that haue sen Tamerlano liuing haue said that he resembled much both in face and maners Anibal of Carthage acordinge to the opinion of diurse ancient wryters and before all other offenses he shewed his seuere Iustice againste thefts in punnishing theÌ„ most sharply w tout any remission And it is thought that he dyd it to that ende that the feare of punnishement shoulde cause them to refraine to y e ende that he alone mought robbe and spoile acording to his owne desire the whole world and last of all his delighte was wholly set to gouerne in so much that he emploied him selfe continually as in an exercise most vertuouse to molest and trouble other princes with warres by the which he had subdued many kings and vtterly impouerished a greate numbre of tyranes made deserte many contreis and conuerted in to ashes an infinite numbre of cities and townes then last of al he retorned into his contrey with his army in credibly enriched with the spoyle of those natyons whoÌ„ he had subdued and also he vsed to take oute of euerye towne that yeldyed vnto him certaine of the cheife housholdes with all their substances and riches and to sende theÌ„ wholly in to Parthia When he was retorned home he builded a newe Citie very bewtifull and of a greate circuite and placed their in all those housholds afore rehersed in so much y e the newe Cytie beinge inhabyted w t these riche noble men of diuerse nationes in shorte tyme increased so in welth that yt became the cheife citie of all the Orient And yf it had happened that Tamerlano had had with him some man of excellent learning and wysedome who mought w t his writings haue celebrated the great enterprises that he dyd their is no doute but that he mought haue ben numbred amonge the cheife and princypall captaynes eyther of the olde worlde orels of this present age but god gyueth not all things to one man also it semed that his great crueltye which he vsed towarde those y â— he ouercame dyd not deserue to haue his fame celebrated by writing ne yet y e it mought long remaine to his posteritie when Tamerlano died he lefteto succide him in his Empire whiche he had thus gotteÌ„ by y e sworde two sonnes which after his death fel oute maiÌ„tained ciuil warres betwene them were the cause y e the olde and ancient parthicke fame clerely extinckte brought to obliuion and after ward by Tamerlano reuiued coulde not continewe nor encrease But nowe retorninge to our Historie where we left after that the armie of Baiazith was defeicted
meanes of the aforesaid diuisioÌ„ he began at Viterbo which was then holden by one of the factions by his auctoritie called home againe those that for feare were fled reconciled them w t their aduersaries in this sort lefte them al in good peace vnder his protection gouernance after this he sent his legates into y e duchie into the contrey of Marca and finding these prouinces infected w t the afore saide Maladye one citie being in armes againste the other and diuerse citie beinge deuided in them selues the one part of the Citie against the other some were of the Colonese factino other of the Orsius and nowe had the one the better and then the other tyl at the laste by the great prouidence and industrie of the legates they were all pacified and lefte vnder the regiment and gouernaunce of the popes officers in perfecte tranquiletie and quietnes after this when the pope behelde y â— miserable state of his contrey the great spoyle therof that had ben made throughe the Ciuile disorder and warres y â— had ben amonge them by meanes wherof they had consumed a great numbre of their people also were brought into extreme pouerty it was a great griefe vnto him and then gaue he order that they which gouerned shoulde by common consent restore againe to their firste degres and honours the orders of gentlemen and the twelue and shoulde cal from exile certaine worthie citizens and in this sorte he enlarged his regiment and state and lefte it quiet and in peace tyll at the laste in the contre of Marca their arose the lord Sigismonde Malisti and gatherid an army and encountred with the popes Legate and gaue him a great ouerthroe by meanes wherof all the Contre of Marca was in armes and folowed this Sigismonde wherupon the pope sent thither his legate the Cardinall of Tiano apistolese borne with the Duke of Vrbine and the lorde Napoleone Orsino which gaue to Sigismondo such an ouerthroe not farre from Sinigaglia that they enforced him to leue y â— feelde and so repressed his furie y â— in a shorte tyme they toke from him Sinigaglia Fano and a good pece of the countie of Arrimino and after diuerse encouÌ„tres in the kingdome of Naples the kings Ferrante remained victoriouse and the Duke Iohn with his Angionme faction was retorned into Fraunce when Ferrante was well established in his kingdome and that the pope sawe him selfe deliuered of two great warres and had established the temporal state of his church and brought it to perfecte quietnes he then called againe to minde y â— enterprise of Asia against the Turckes and being confederate with the kinge of Hungarie the Duke of Borgonie and with the state of Venise they then consulted and determined in what sorte they woulde make these warres the pope sent forthe his letters with his messagers to al the princes of Christendome exhorting and requiring theÌ„ to coÌ„me ayde him in this iorney against thâ— infidels and appointed the tyme that in the yere of our helthe a thousand foure hundred threscore and foure the xv daye of Iune all the armie shoulde be redie in y â— contre of Marca not farre from Ancona where they shoulde fynde the Nauie reddie to receaue both y â— popes hollynes and them also who wolde in person goe to so glorious an enterprise and when the pope had thus determined he passed on for the recouerie of his helthe to Siena meaning the nexte spring folowing according to his custume to goe to the baines at Petriuolo and wheÌ„ he was there arriued newes came to him that Philippe Duke of Borgonie seing the great tumultes and emotiones that were in Fraunce betwene the king and the nobilitie wolde prouide for y â— securitie of his state wherfore he wolde not deale at all in the enterprise againste the Turckes but emploied all his force vnder the conducte of his sonne Charles against Loys king of FrauÌ„ce whereupon he changed his purposed iorney to y e baines and retorned to Rome where he was maruelously troubled with the goute and also with the feuer wherupon he was enforced to contynewe there a longe tyme contrarie to his determination which was the cause that he coulde not be at his daye appointed at Ancona according to his proclamation that he had made of the iorney in the meane tyme their came to Rome seuerally ambassadours both from Loys the frenshe king and also from Philippe Duke of Borgonie excusing ether of them for so muche as beinge troubled with domesticale warres they coulde not at that tyme gyue anye aide toward the iorney when the pope was some thing recouerid of his disease he called the Cardinales to the Consystorie there discoursed of the heresies that then were in y e kingdome of Bohemia wherupon he graunted forthe his citationes and then with his Cardinales and other Cortigianes he departed from Rome and passed throughe y â— contre of Sabina into the Duchie and from thence into the contre of Marca and beinge caried in a horse lytter in consyderation of his weakenes passed so on to Ancona and as he passed on y â— waye he mette with a great numbre of men â—â—ich came oute of Almanie Fraunce and Spaine of tâ—â—ir owne good willes to goe that iourney against the infidels of the whiche numbre the greatest parte and chiefely those that came oute of Almanie brought with them no prouision wherwith to susteine them in that iorney wherupon he gaue them his bene diction and absolued them clearely from al the offences that euer they committed vntyll that present and in this sorte licensid them to retorne into their couÌ„treys againe and being in Ancona he loked for y e Nauie which was made redie in diuers places of Italie and shoulde repare thither to vnite them selues and also he loked for the Duke of Venise with his armata to arriue there in this meane time the feuer dyd so growe and encreas vp on him that the same daye that the Duke of venise landed in y e hauen of Ancona accompanied with xii galleys and a great numbre of gentlemen he yelded vp his soulâ— to god which was the yere of our helth 1464. and the â—iiii of August immediatly vpoÌ„ his death y â— Cardinales retorned to Rome to electe a newe Byshoppe and the Duke of Venise retorned againe to Venise with his armata and in this sorte the Nauie was deuided and all the preparation that was made for the iorney into Asia was but in vaine and when the Duke was come home to Venise the Seniours thoughte it not good to losse al that which they had bestoed in furnishing their Nauie and their armie where upon they made Nicholas de Canale general of their Nauie and sent him with their Nauie to the sea who sayled alonge the coaste of Gretia landed in Romania and sacqued the Citie of Euia and toke oute of it a great
to abandone the seege then otherwise and finally conueyd their artillerie and monitions aborde their Nauie and abandoned there seege the xvii of Auguste sayled towarde the straite of Gallipoli and in this sorte was Rhodes delpuered froÌ„ the seege of the Turckes In this mean time Mahometh sent Acomath one of his Bascias with a Nauie of an hundred sayles beinge furnished w t xv thousand souldiours towardes the Golfe and vpon the sodden he assayled the Isle called Saincte Maura anciently called Eucadia and toke it and from thence he passed on towarde Cephalonia and Hiacinto â— in shorte space became lorde of them bothe and he determined to sayle backe againe by the Golfe and from thence into Pulia in intention as diuers men thoughte but to land and spoyle the contrey consideringe the greate riches y â— â—here was bothe of men treasure and catell and cheife â—y for that he had intelligence that y e contrey was lefte withoute garde of men of warre and also that the king was where he coulde not annoie him when the Nauie of the infideles was come within fighte of that pointe of â—ande that the Italianes call Cauo de Ottranto they made towarde the lande and came into the hauen of Ot â—ranto and seinge them of the towne to make no resysâ—ance but beinge afearde showed moste shamefull Cowardize and shutte the gates of the Citie holding them â—clues within the walles therof and durste not once to â—okevpon him in the feelde whervpoÌ„ he landed his men â—andhorses and firste he proied all the contre aboute Ot â—tranto and then spoyled it and broughte to his shyppes â—an excyding great proie without any resystance at all wherevpon he was the more bolde presuminge vpon the Cowardize of them of the towne and thoughte to attempte to take it whervpon he fortified his campe to defend him from outwarde inuasion and enuironed the towne in suche sorte that they of the towne coulde nether receaue in nor sende forthe anye thinge oute of it wheÌ„ this was done he planted his batteries and began to batter the walles and tormented them with his batteries daye and nighte he arriued at Ottranto xxviii of Iulye in the yere of our helth M. CCCC.lxxix and the xi daye of Auguste nexte folowing he gaue an assanlte to the towne and chased them of the towne from the breaches and toke the towne by force master frauncis Zurlo who was there for the kinge being fled with the Arche byshoppe of the Citie into the Cathedrale church where vnto all the the chiefe of the citie were fled also for succour was with the reste cut in peces and all the reste of the people with the wemen and children were sent into Gretia to be sold as slaues when the king Fer rante vnderstode that the Turckes were arriued at Ottranto he caused to arme all the shyppes and gallyes of the realme with maruelouse celeritie and sent also for his sonne the Duke of Calabria into Toscane who at that tyme had made peace with the Florentynes was in Siena making great preparation for solemne Iustes and triumphes to celebrate the feaste of our ladie not withoute greate suspition y e he was procured by diuerse noughtie Citizenes of his faction that daye to take the citie and to vsurpe it when the Duke had receauid this commaundement from his father he departed forthe w t oute of Tuscane with all his armie and marching on w t great spede broughte them into Pulia and entertained also as manye fotemen as he coulde gette and appointed them to Captaines he gathered togyther also all the men at armes and horsemen of all sortes that were in the kingdome and then marched on with his armie encamped not farre froÌ„ Ottranto the Nauie was made redie with maruelouse expedition by the great industris of the countie of Sarni and was alredie departed from Naples towarde Pulta the Duke of Calabria fortified his campe with stronge rampares depe dikes douting the furie of the enemie and durste not to approche the towne so neare as he moughte laie batterie vnto it but laie some things farder of and presented him selfe dayly to the towne and they of the towne sorted forthe contynually and scaramoshed with him and often tymes repulsed them and made great slaughter of them And one daie they attached a scaramoshe and it was maintained in suche order from tyme to tyme with freshe bandes y â— the whole power of the campe was at it and it grewe to a battaile coÌ„tinued by the space of certaine houres there was great slaughter and it was foughte w t great assurance on bothe sydes in that battayle was slayne the countie Iulio de Aquaiua one of the kinges chiefe conductours of his men at armes the fotemen being discoraged fled Loys de Capua beinge generall of them with certaine of his companie thincking to saue him selfe fled to a certaine towre whiche was of some force not farre from Ottranto the Turquyshe horsemen folowed him and when they came to the towre they deter myned to assayle it and prepared pitche and towe and other necessaries to let fire vnto it the afore saide Loys being destrous to lyue yeldyd him with all his companie to the Turckes and was caried prisoner into Ottranto after this there was daily scaramoch betwene them of y e campe y e towne but they of y e campe had alwaies y e worse there was slaine before Ottranto Mattheo de Capua y e counte Iulio de Pisa and diuers other Captaines officers of y e Italian armie y e king bycause he wolde make the iorney the more famous went w t his courte to Barletta he sent for aide to al y e ChristiaÌ„ princes y e king of Hungarie Mathia sent him a Colonell w t a regimeÌ„t of eight huÌ„dred HuÌ„garian horsemeÌ„ y e king of Portugale sent him manie Carauelles well armed and furnished there came also oute of Spaine Arragone and Catalona many gentlemen of their owne charges and good wil to aide the kinge notwÌ„standing these aides y e Turckes dismaied not at all but assured them selues fortisied their towne did not only defend it but went forth of y e towne dayly scaramoched w t y e Christians slewe many of them also brought of them to y e towne prisoners And when they had thus in vaine consumed both y e soÌ„mer y e Autome winter approched constrained them to abandone their seege to laye them selues in garnisonnes in y â— townes nearest about eit and in y â— same winter y e Nauie of y e Turcks spoiled al y e coaste of Pulia eueÌ„ to y e veri mouÌ„te of S. Agnolo for that y â— Acomathe Bassa desired to speake w t his lord Mahometh before y â— coÌ„ming of y â— springe of y â— yere he lefte in Ottran to for y e defence therof eight thousand choseÌ„ souldiours furnished theÌ„
wher vpon examining him selfe he determyned to proue rather y ◠clementie then force of so mightie a prince whē they had talked vpō certaine articles of agrement they concluded that vpon condition that Baiazithe shoulde gyue him certaine reuenewe in Natolia he wolde delyuer vnto him all his possessyon and dominion of the contrey of Cilicia called Trachea whervpon it came to passe that when Baiazithe was become lorde of bothe the contreys called Cilicia al y t townes of the sea coaste from propontide or straicte of Gallipoli euen to the confines of Soria were vnder his obeisance so that all was his euen from the one to the other whē Baiazithe was in this sorte agreed with the prince of Scandaloro and become prince of both the one and other Cilicia and also of a great parte of the mounte Tauro he contynued there vntyll that he had made y e whole one gouernaūce or prouince and appointed vnto it for gouernour one of his Bascias leuing with him for garde therof an armie sufficient this done he determined to precide in hys enterprise and to subdue the reste of the state possession of Caromano which was in Armenia the lesser and in Capadotia whervpon he passed the mounte Tauro and descended into the lesse Armenia and became lorde withoute any difficultie of all the countres and townes that there had ben possessyd by Caromano all the people came and yeldyd them selues to him of their owne a corde when he had thus done he marched on by the syde of the mounte Tauro toward the northe and al the people and townes y ◠restid of the Iurisdiction of Caromano came and renderid them selues wholly vnto him and when he had thus in shorte tyme acheuid so great an enterprise he determined to leade home warde his armye and entred into Licaonia and in Iconio and Tocato be lefte his Astatique armye in garnison vnder y e charg and conducte of Mustaffa his Bascia and then he entred into Galatia and from thence into Bithinia the nearest waye to Bursia and from thence went downe into the Golfe of Nicomedia and there embarcked him selfe with the rest of his armie and sayled towarde Romania and there landed with al hys people sately when he had this done he toke the sea agayne with his souldiours of Gretia and sayled on and landed in the hauen of Constantinople where he was receauyd of all the people w t exciding great ioye and there toke his horse and rode aboute al the Citie and thus with great pompe acording to their custume he went to lodge in hys palace called Seraglio which standeth vpon that pointe that is called Cauodi santo Demetrio beinge determined in the nexte springe folowing to goe againe into Cilicia with all his power to make warres against y ◠Soldane chiefely for that he had ayded Caromano against him contrarie to the order of a league betwene them wherefore he was much offended with the Soldane departed from thence with his courte and went to Andrinople and all that winter he was occupied in making preparation for that iorney and gaue order to lenie oute of all his dominions of Europe newe bandes The number of his artillerie which he caried with him was great and when y e springe was cōme in the begynninge of Apryll he assemblyd his armie embarcked them and passed them in to Asia And when he had passed throughe Bithinia and Galatia he broughte them into licaonia to Iconio and ioyued them with hys armye that he had lefte there w t Mustaffa his Bascia at his departure from thence whē he had this done he entred againe into Cilicia toward the mounte Tauro and Armenia and there receauid aduedtizement that the Soldane as sone as he herd of the death of Caromano fearing lefte Baiazithe being puffed vp in pride throughe the great victorie that he had obtained against Caromano in the reuenge of the ayde y ◠the Soldane had sent him shoulde attempte some great enterprise in Soria whervppon he sent all the Mamalukes that were in his courte vnder the conducte of the great Diadaro to the confines of Cilicia acompanied w t a great numbre of Arrabianes wherfore Baiazith was some what in doubte what was to doe considering the great preparatiō of the enemy althoughe he were acompained with an armie of well trayned souldiours had broughte wyth hym moe then one hundred thousande souldiours on horsebacke besyde hys garde of Gianizaries and other bandes of fotemen yet notwithstanding fearing y ◠vertue discipline of the Mamalukes whose name was feared throughe all Asia for as much as they were counted a people inuincible in battayle wherfore he thought it good not raishly to trye his fortune in battayle nor on the other syde to showe any token of feare wherby he moughte encorage his enemye to deale with him but admisedly put his armie in order and then marched on towarde Tarso the Mamalukes beinge aduertized of the Turckes comming towarde them thoughte it not good to tarie and suffer them to enter Soria but marched toward them to mete them vpon the waye and when they were entred Cilicia marchinge towarde the Turcks of whom thei made smalle acōpte approchinge neare vnto Tarso as sone as they came within syghte of them they put them selues in battayle and marched on towarde them when Baiazith behelde y e comminge of his enemies he also presented his people embattailed and as sone as the Mamalukes came anye thinge neare vnto them Woute deferringe of tyme the great Diadar◠aduaunced him selfe with asquadrone of xv thousande horsemen when the battayles were ioyned he gaue in vpon the Turckes with suche force that not wythstandinge they receaued the charge beinge well serred and prepared with great assurance gaue to their enemies no place at all yet for all that they had much to doe to preserue their order that the Mamalukes had not broken it after this when they approched the one the others squadrones they were so ioyned that they coulde vse no long weapon but were driuen to vse there Scimitarres and so continued they in so streyte order fighting with great assurance for a longe tyme y ◠no man coulde see of eyther syde anye aduauntage and Baiazithe althoughe there were farre greater slaughter of hys people then of the Mamalukes and Arrabianes yet dyd he alwayes supplie his weried and spoyled squadrones w t newe and freshe bandes and hauinge farre greater number of souldiours then the Diadaro had he continued the fyghte in this order from the myddaye tyll after the go ing downe of the sone whervpon the great Diadaro determined to vse all force possyble to the ende y ◠the night shoulde not sonder them withoute victorie whervpon he chose oute of his a nūber of souldiours in whom he had great truste and when they were some what reposed he renged them in battayle very closely then ladde them in person and
lesser for that he commaunded them before hand to flee with their goods and cattell into places of force and securitie so that the Turckes founde them selues greatly deceaued and abused the same nighte they lodged vpoÌ„ the syde of the ryuer called Mathia and rested them as thoughe they had ben at home in their countrey but Scanderbeg enemye of all sluggishenes the daye folowinge aboute nonne came with his 7. thousand horsemeÌ„ to a mountaine whiche ioyned to the plaine where they encamped then with certaine of his Captaines went vp to the toppe of the hill to consyder and beholde in what strengthe his enemyes dyd lye and whether he moughte haue anye occasyon to assayle them vpon the sudden When Scanderbeg was vpon the heighte of the mountaine he sawe the Turckes lying withoute garde vnder the trees in shodowe and in their tentes for it was in the hotest tyme of the sommer and in the myddest of the daye wherfore he departed from the mountaine and went to horse with all his souldiours and began to ryde in greate hast towarde the Turckes met with their scoute and slewe them immediatly al sauing one who with the spede of his horse escaped to y e campe crying in this sorte Scanderbeg is bere Scanderbeg is here But ScaÌ„derbeg in person folowed him and coulde not ouergett him for that he had so muche grouÌ„de before him at the first Then ScaÌ„derbeg coÌ„maunded to sownde the alarme with all suche instrumentes as they had and then gaue in vpon them with suche force vnprouided as they were that in the fyrst charge he put them in suche disorder and flyghte as was meruelouse to se so that he slewe of them there 30. thousaÌ„d vpon the place and all y e euer y e Sangiacho Amesabeg neuewe to Scanderbeg rebelle against him coulde doe or saye coulde not staye them from ronning awaye wherfore in the ende thys same Amesabeg with Mesithebeg bothe Sangiachi w t 500. Turckes moe were taken prisoners and Isaach the Bassa with suche scatered Turckes as were lyuing fled and was folowed for a certaine tyme and great execution done vpon his people After this Scanderbeh deuided the spoyle to his souldiours acording to his acustumed order there were slayne of his souidiours 60. This done he retorned to his confynes and made acourse into the countre of his enemies and sacaged it burned a greate parte therof and retorned into his countre with an exceding great boutie safely gaue thancks to God for his great victorie The Turcke rested not for this but sent newe bands to garde his confynes with two other Captaines y e one of them was named Hannebeg and the other Sinanbeg with expressed commaundement not to deale with Scanderbeg nor to enter his countre onles they receaued froÌ„ him other commissyon and this he dyd for that he sawe he coulde not ouercome Scanderbeg and therfore he determyned to proue yf he moughte preuayle against some other princes wherfore he toke in hand fyrst the enterprise against the Imperiall Citie of Constantinople in shorte tyme toke it flewe the Emperour therof with an infinite number of Citizens and other Christians then conquered al his state in the yere 1453. After this he went against the afore named Dispotto of Seruia a prince of great welthe possessinge a maruelous masse of golde and siluer by meane of certaine mines that he had not withstandinge he chased him oute of his countre in the yere 1459. After this he went against the kinge of Bossina and toke him caused him to be sawed a sonder in the middest and toke his state Then Scanderbeg beholdinge the great prosperitie of his enemye in the preiudice and subuersion of the Catholique faithe threating also to take the countres of dyuerse Christian princes determined to goe and encouÌ„tre with the two Captaines aforesayd In this meane tyme the ambassadours of the pope Pio the. 2. and of the kinge Ferrante kinge of Puglia and of Scicile passed the Fero and went to Scanderbeg saying moste noble prince we gyue thyne excellentie to vnderstande in the behalfe of oure lordes and Masters that the Duke Iohn soÌ„ne to the king Renato of FrauÌ„ce is comme with a great power of Frenshe men into the kingdome of Sicille against your deare frinde the king Ferrante and there are reuolted against the kinge takinge parte with the aforesayde Duke the princes of Taranto and Bossano with the greatest part of the nobilitie of that kingdome and he hathe entertained in his paie y e CouÌ„tie Iames Piocinino with all his regiment so that his armie is very great and stronge and he hath alredie conquered the whole kingdome sauinge onelye Napls Capua Auersa Gaieta Troia and Barletta where the king is nowe straitely beseeged and in daunger to be taken and the power of the pope and y e kinge can not passe ouer to succour him wherfore the popes hollynes and oure kinge also desyre your highnes in most ernest wise that it maie please you to comme into Puglia in his fauour and when the ambassadours had this sayde they presented vnto him the popes bulles w t the kinges letters wherin there was conteyned y e lyke of that which they had declared by mouthe Then Scanderbeg beinge greatly affected towardes the popes hollynes and the holly catholique churche of Rome and for that also he was entred into great fryndshippe with the kinge Alfonso father to Ferrante fermer and tributarie to the aforesayde Byshoppe he determyned to ayde him with all his power possyble and so after great entertainemeÌ„t made to the ambassadours he licensed them in very cortese sorte and forthe w t sent one of his chiefe Captaines his Nephewe named Cairo Stroisio a man of great vnderstandinge and worthines with 500. chosen horsemen who passed the sea and landed in that parte of the countre that yet helde for the kinge Ferrante where he dyd great good by meanes of his worthines In the meane tyâ—e Scanderbeg made a treues forone yere with the Tâ—â—cke by meanes wherof he had as good oportunitie as he coulde haue wyshed for so muche as shortely before the ariuale of the ambassadours aforesayd there came a messager from y e Turcke to demauÌ„de peace of Scanderbeg but he was departed w toute grauÌ„t therof for he was fully determyned to deale with the Turckes Captaines that laie vpon the confynes but as sone as he vnderstode of this he sent his curreuers after the ambassadour and caused him to retorne and then concluded the aforesaid trewse After this he committed his state into the handes of his welbeloued wife and others his most faithful frinds and appointed to defend them a worthie Captaie with sufficient number of souldiours and when he had hired a greate number of shyppes and galleys and other vesselles for y e sea he caused his armie to embarcke in them beinge well furnished of horses and coursers of greate price and with aboundance of virtuall
which made an armie of .13 thousand and .4 hundred chosen men with whom Scanderbeg marched toward Croia and when he came neare y ◠towne he spake in this sorte My lordes and you my good souldiours althoughe oftē times good wordes doe comforte weried and troubled myndes yet I wyl at this present as well encorage you by my dedes as by my wordes for that I doe knowe you to be of noble myndes desyrous to put oure enemie to the flighte wherfore my truste is in god that yf the Turckes whiche doe besege my Citie were as manye moe in number as they are we shall vndoutedly ouerthrowe them and put them to the sworde When he had thus sayde he deuided his armie into two partes committing the one to Nicolo Moneta Vaiuoda of Scutari and sent him ouer thorowe a playne certaine woodes to a certaine stronge place called Gionenemi not far from that place where the Turckes laie in campe before Croia he commaunded the aforesayde Nicolo not to departe from thence in anie wyse vntyll that he herde him shote of certaine Cannones which he dyd acording to his promes In this meane tyme Scanderbeg went with the reste of his armye and vpon the sudden toke the heighte of the moūte Canino in dispite of the enemies and determyned to councell with the aforesayde Nicolo of what sorte to procede Balaban hauing intelligence of the comming of Scanderbeg went forthwith to Croia requiringe them to yelde the towne vpon Conditiones making them of the towne greate promesses in the behalfe of his Maister perswading him selfe that hy these meanes he shoulde obtaine victorie acording to the intelligence that was gyuen him whervpon he had exhorted his armie to be of good chere declaring to them that yf they moughte haue the towne delyuered vnto them that then he wolde with his armie lodge in the towne and wolde not care for the comming of Scanderbeg yf that he shoulde happen to comme but yf that it so chansed y ◠they dyd not obtaine it he wolde leuye his campe and departe thence whyles Balaban loked for aunswere there sorted forthe of the towne certaine souldiours to scarmoche with his people Then he beinge exceding wrothe and oute of al hope of recouerie of the towne with his souldiours that were then with him gallopped towarde them to gyue a charge on them but the Christianes perceauing it drewe neare y ◠towne vnder the defence of the shotte whervpon George Alesy an Albanese discharged his harquebuze and strake Balaban vnder the chin into the throte and gaue him hys deathes woonde not withstanding this great blowe Balaban fel not but put spurres to his horse and gallopte to his tente when the Turckes vnderstode of this and also that the mounte Crina was alredie taken they abandoned the seege and beinge greatly affraied conueid them selues spedylye in to the feelde named Tiranna Then Scanderbeg fynding no man to resyste hym went downe into Croia and caused to bringe into the towne all the meale barly and other victuales that were lefte in the Turckes campe whiche were sufficient to sustaine them of the Towne for one whole yere when he had this done he lodged in the Citie and sent certaine bandes to take the passages and straites thorowe the which the Turckes must passe for he determyned to seke them and to gyue them battayle That same very euening came two Turckes of acompte to Scanderbeg desyring him in the name of their whole armie to gyue them their lyues and that they wolde with one consent gyue him willingly all that they had and excused them saying that they were enforced to comme to that seege by the commaundement of their prince whose breade they dyd eate so that with great humiletie they desyred Scanderbeg to graunt them that which he neuer denied to their fathers when Scanderbeg had herde y ◠requeste of the Turckes he commaunded them with a fryndly contenaunce to be well lodged in a faire pauillion and to be honorably entertayned After this the aforesayde Scanderbeg called to him the aforesayde lieutenante w t the noble lordes Ducagini and other lieutenantes mē of great vertue vnto whom he declared the request of y ◠Turckyshh armie requiring their aduise and aunswere Iosaphat Barbaro which the Venetianes had sent into Albania to be contynually in company with Scanderbeg spake fyrste and sayde that he wolde doe nothinge but what shoulde please Scanderbeg to commaūde him wherfore he wolde doe as it shoulde seme good to Scanderbeg in this matter After this spake Leche Ducagino very franckly saying Embetha which in oure tonge signifieth vpon them for that he thoughte it not requisite to vse mercy towardes infydels but to cut them in peces of the same opinion were dyuerse other noble men and Captaines of great value Then Scanderbrg spake vnto them saying you noble men and you worthye Captaines I truste in the lorde and am well assured that yf we shall happen to encountie the Turckes we shall sone defeicte them Notwithstanding for that they are y e choyse of all the Turckyshe armie and nowe becomme desperate and determined in dede to emploie their hands and for that also that the ende of warres is doubtefull and that god for oure offences shoulde permitte them to haue the victorie as it maye well comme to passe It shoulde be the ruyne of vs all Wherfore to plaie suer it semeth to me reasonable that we respecte the attempte vntyll suche tyme as Croia be supplied with victualles and other necessaries for manye yeres and then to goe on to encountre them with assurance of mynde and to ouerthrowe them for so muche as they can escape in no wyse for that the passages are alredie taken The opinion of Scanderbeg was wel lyked of many and of others not lyked at all and chiefely of suche as were subiectes to the Venetianes who desyred ernestly to be reuenged of the Turckes and of some others which had not experimented the force of y ◠Turckes very often Then Scanderbeg called for the two Turckes aforesayde and wylled them to declare vnto the whole armie that as they came not with his license to besege his Citie no more shulde they departe oute of his countre with his license In this meane tyme be sent his armie to y ◠Ryuer Isimi where he had a great number of shippes loded w t corne meale biskete and other victuales and caused all to be vnloded with spede so that in thre dayes he furnished Croia for syre yeres And then went with all spede to encountre the Turcks but he had taryed a longe for they in these thre dayes seinge them selues so assayled wyth famyne went to the passages and passed of force not w t oute greate slaughter and spoyle of their mē and in this sorte fled Then euery man in maner was sory and murmored against Scanderbeg and layd the whole faute of their escape vpon him but he with his great cortesye
gentle wordes pacifyed and contentyd them all lainge for his excuse the olde prouerbe that to the enemy that fleeth a man must make a brydge of golde and then gaue to euery man presents and gyftes acording to his place In this meane tyme many Albaneses of the Venetians countre and of the countres of other princes came presented to Scanderbeg a great number of the heddes of Turckes with horses armour and other spoyle in the ende Scanderbeg very honorably licensed his armie Sauing onely his two thousande horsemen and one thousande fotemen wyth whome he went forthewyth to his confynes When Mahomethe the Turckyshe prince vnderstode that Scanderbeg had raysed the seege of Croia w t so muche honor to his great shame and losse of his people he was muche gryued there with wherevpon the yere folowing he retorned into Albania w t two hundred thousande Turckes and went to besege Durazzo a noble City and of great antiquitie which had ben a garnison towne of the renomed Romaines he did greatly molest it notwithstandinge he departed from thence withoute it with spoyle of his people and great dishonor froÌ„ thence he went with spede to Croâ—a beseged it rouÌ„de and sent his messager to signifie to them of the towne y â— yf they wolde delyuer him the Citie he wolde aduaunce them and deale liberally with them all and otherwyse it shoulde be to their paine for he was determyned not to departe thence withoute it and wolde be reuenged vp on them to the vttermost The aunswere of the beseged was not farre to seeke but was gyuen by the mouthe of the Cannon Colueryne harquebuze and suche like instrumentes Scanderbeg on the other syde dyd often tymes assayle the Turckyshe armie nowe in one quarter and then in an other makinge great spoyle of them holding them in continuall feare and doubte wheÌ„ the Turcke sawe that he coulde by no meanes obtaine the towne he departed with all his armie thence and marched to a place called capodelli Rodane neare vnto the Admatique sea where Scanderbeg had buylded a Citie named Chinril which was not fully fynyshed nor replenished with inhabitanes he toke it and raised it to the very foundation after this he passed thorowe the countre of Scanderbeg thincking to take it from him but he coulde not take the symplest forte that he had he went also into certaine mountaines of Albania where there were multitudes of Albaneses with their whole familes and substances and assayled them but he was repulsed with great dishonor spoile and slaughter of his people but Scanderbeg who was euer vigillante and folowed the Turckyshe armie daye and nighte making great spoyle of them in such sorte that Mahomethe being in maner oute of al hope was constrained to retorne to Constantinople by the shortest waye When the Turcke was comme to Constantinople be apointed Alibeg and Alesbeg his Captaines to haue the conducte of xxviii thousande men and sent them to his confynes with expressyd commaundement that in no wyse they shoulde goe to fyght with Scanderbeg nor to enter his countrey vnles that he firste began but onely to garde well his confynes These Captaines came to the frontiers and obeyd the commaundement of their lorde and secretly soughte to haue fryndshippe w t Scanderbeg and sent vnto him presentes of greate price and value he also vsed them very cortesly and fryndly not in that that he feared them but bycause he wolde not be counted ingrate for he neuer trusted them but stode alwaye vpon his garde In the ende Scanderbeg vnderstanding certaynely that these Captaines had expressed commaundement from their lorde not to make anye attempte against him but onely to garde his confynes also howe that they were desyrous to be in peace with him he lefte the one parte of his souldiours vpon hys confynes and toke the rest with him and went to visyte his countre and to administer Iustice and reason to such as had nede therof and to se that none were oppressed After this Scanderbeg came to Alessio aboute certaine affares that touched bothe his state and the state of the Senate of Venise and chiefely for order howe to take a certaine newe Citie called Valma whiche the Turcke had builded and there fel sicke of a feruant feuer in such sorte as he was enforced to lye longe in that place and seing his deathe at hand he called vnto him all his Captaines and had a longe discourse with them who shed not a fewe teares to see him in that case and in the ende he called vnto him Iohn his onely sonne and in the presence of his mother the lady Doneca and of y â— rest spake vnto him in this sorte My good sonne knowe thou that I fynde my selfe so euyll disposed in my body that I am assured y â— the tyme of my departure oute of this worlde is at hande whiche thinge seing it is by the prouidence of God his wyll be done but for that thou arte very yonge and not able to defende oure state for that oure enemye is of excedinge great power I haue determined to leue it in the protection of the Senate of Venise as my deare brother good father Paulo Angelo the Arche Byshope oure hope whom I leaue in my stede of the gouernaunce therof hath often tymes perswaded me And further I doe commaunde the my sonne that thou be alwaye aduised by him for in so doing thou shalte not doe a mysse consydering his great wisedome and experience to be suche as I can not but hope well of the and of the reste of my subiecttes yf that you be gouerned by him for I am assured that for my sake he wylbe as carefull for the and thyne as yf thou were his owne sonne wherfore when thou hast shutte vp these myne eyes and buryed me goe thou then into Apuglia to oure Castles and townes y â— we haue there and contynue there vntyll thou comme to age able to gouerne and then goe to Venise and be alwayes aduised by the Senate therof who wyll gladly see the and set the safely into thy state and dominion I commend vnto the all my subiectes whoÌ„ I haue alwaye founde faithefull and obedient vse them so that they maye rather loue the then feare the which thou maiest easyly doe if thou se iustice truely admynistred Scanderbeg had scarcely gyuen ful order for his testament when a messager from the gouernour of Scutari came with a letter signifiyng vnto him howe that Hamathbeg one of the Turckes Basas was comme froÌ„ Seruia with x. M. horsemen and v. M. foteâ—en and had passed a very sharpe and difficulte mountaine named Illugi which dyd appertaine to the Venetianes was comme downe into their countre and had made greate spoyle there Then that noble and magnanime prince Scanderbeg beinge greatly moued with these newes caused to make him redie and appointe his souldiours to make them redie to ryde in this meane tyme his desease dyd so encrease vpon
toute the slaughter and spoyle of an infinite nūber of Turckes In the ende y ◠Senate of Venise to conclude a peace with the Turcke were content to giue him that Citie sauing the lyues and goodes of the Citizens acording to the conditions of the peace that was made with Tauth Bassa of Romania by meanes of y ◠magnificient Pietro Angelo who was sent with commissyon honorable in ambassade from the mightye Antonio Loredano generall of y ◠Venetian Armata to the aforesaid Tauth with whom Ducagino was prisoner by whose meanes he obtayned a safe conducte for the Senate to send an ambassadour for the conclusion of the aforesayde peace to Constantinople Then the Venetianes sent their secretarie Iohn Dario ambassadour to y ◠great Turcke concluded that peace In this meane tyme all the inhabitantes of Scutarie came to Venise and were receaued by the Senators and rewarded largely for their faithefull and true seruice After this the Turckes toke the Citie of Alessio where with all deligence they soughte for the bodye of Scanderbeg as sone as they had founde it althoughe in his lyfe tyme they feared it and also hated his name yet being ded they worshypped it as we vse to worshipe Canonizad sainctes and in the ende happie was he that coulde gete some pece of his bones esteming it for a holly relique and set it in golde or syluer and hanged it aboute their neckes as thinges of great hollinesse saying that therby thei hoped to haue alwai victorie whiche is a paganishe superstition Althoughe that for the offences of vs Christians which are so deuided amonge oure selues by meanes of oure Ambition and gredines god hath gyuen the Turckes manye greate victories a gainst vs euen to this present daye acording to oure moste iuste desertes and merites FINIS A discription of the successe of the house of Ottomanno IN the yere of oure helthe 1353. Amorathe Ottomanno prince of the Turckes passed into Gretia with 70. thousand men in the aide of one of the bretherē sōnes to the Emperour of Constantinople then lately deceased he spoyled all the countre of the loer Seruia called Burgaria with the countre of Macedonia and the higher Seruia In the yere 1366. he toke the Citie of Gallipolli of the dominions of the Emperour of Constantinople In the yere 1370. he toke the kyngedome of Burgaria In the yere 1375. Baiazithe the fyrst entred into Gretia with his armie making warres against the Grekes and in shorte tyme possessed all Romania leuing to the Emperour but only Constantinople and Pera. In the yere 1390. Tamerlano the parthian prince made warres vpon Armenia vpon the confynes wherof Baiazithe the Turckishe prince encountred him in battayle and was taken prisoner his armye defeicted by him and also the Empire of y ◠lesser Asia possessed Amorathe the .2 toke the Citie of Solenich with dyuerse other places to the greate preiudice of the Christians he made warres against George Castrioth sometyme named Scanderbeg in the ende he dyed in dispite before the Citie of Croia in the yere 1442. In the yere 1453. Mahomethe the seconde sonne to Hierenia the daughter of George the Dispotto of Seruia and to Amorathe the seconde aforesaid toke the Citie and Empire of Constantinople In the yere 1459. he toke the whole kingedome of Seruia after the death of his Vncle Lazaro he toke also the kingdome of Bassina and made warres in Albania against the afore named George Castrioth but he receaued alwaye the foyle at his hand In the yere 1460. he toke the whole countre of More a Athenes and all Thesalia In the yere 1462. he toke the Empire of Trebisonda In the yere 1463. he toke the Isle of Meteline at the same time they of the Isle of Scio put them selues vnder the protection of Mahomethe and graunted to paie him trybute In the yere 1470. he put a Nauie to sea of 400. saile vnder the conducte of Mahomethe Bassa sending him to take the Citie of Calcide standing vpon the Isle aunciently called Euboica nowe called Negroponte and after many assaultes toke both the Citie and the Isle In the yere 1475. he toke the Citie of Caffa In the yere 1474. he came to the Isle of Rodes landed his people and beseged the towne of Rodes but he coulde not take it he sent at that same tyme Acomathe his Bascia with 15000. men towarde the Golfe who assayled the Isle Eucadia or Sent Manra and toke it he toke also Cephalonia and Hiacinta and then passed the Golfe and went into Puglia toke Ottranto In the yere 1477. after the death of Scanderbeg aforesayde he toke the Citie of Oriuasto he obtained Scutari by the making of a peace with the Venetians he toke also dyuerse other townes in Albania In the yere 148. Baiazithe the. 2. entred into Cilicia and foughte with Caromano prince therof ouercame him in battayle flewe him and defeicted his armie possessyd in shorte space all his dominions Aboute that same tyme he agreed with the prince of Scandaloro prince of Cilicia Trachea gyuinge him in exchaunge of his countre other possessiones in Natolia In the yere 1498. he put his Nauie to the sea and he in person went with his armie by land and came to the Golfe of Patrasso and beseged the towne of Lepantho in shorte tyme toke it The yere folowing he beseged Modone and toke it Selim the successour of Baiazithe in the yere 1512. departed from Trebisonda and encountred his father in battayle and was defeicted by him In the yere 1514. Selim came to Constantinople against the determination of his father thoughe the ayde of the Gianizaries deposed his father from the gouernement In the yere 1515. he gaue battaile to both his bretherē and defeicted their armies flewe them with certaine of his Nephewes In the yere 1516. went with a great armie against the Sophie king of persia gaue him battayle and ouerthrewe him In the yere 1518. he marched with is armie toward Alepo and encountred Campson the Soldane ten miles beyonde Alepo vpō the banke of the ryuer Singa gaue him battayle in the which both he was slayne and his people put to flighte and flayne within shorte tyme after he marched on towarde Cairo and encountred in battayle the newe elected Soldan Tomombeio defeicted his power and toke him and put him in miserable sorte to deathe and possessyd all Egipte with the whole coūtre of Sorria In the yere 1520. he made redie a puissant Armata with other great prouision by land and then dyed In y ◠yere 1531. Gazzele rebelled in Damasto against Soliman soune to Selim whervpon Solimanno sent his armie against him flewe him and defeicted all hys power Faultes escaped in the printing In y ◠2. lease 2. page Eugenio for Egeo fol. 4. page 1. Emirna for Smirna fol. 7. page 1. Ianio for Ionio fol 8. page 1. Sagenio for Eugenio fol. the 10. pag. 1. Varia for Varna fol. 11. page 1. sturre
baÌ„des encountred the enemy and chased them home to theyr very lodginges flewe a great number of them the bruite of this came fleeing to Rome and forthewith it was holdeÌ„ for a great victorie immediatly the people woldâ— nedes that the gouernement shoulde be equally deuided betwene Fabius and Minurius a thinge or that tyme neuer seen Fabius endured al these thinges patiently and retorned to his campe they were then two dictators Minutius throughe this lytle sparke of good happe dyd clene forget him selfe and toke vpon him withoute the aduise of Fabius to giue battaile which Anibal being often victorious durste scarcely doe Minutius being an arrogante ambitious and prowde man and not of great iudgment in the discipline of the warres caused Fabius to stand in great doute lest that he being thus excidingly puffed vp in pride shulde take in hand some matter that mought greatly hurte the coÌ„mon welth wherfore he came to Minutius and deuided with him the armye thinc king it better for him to gouerne only some parte of the army then coÌ„fusedly with his insolent companion to gouerne the whole WhervpoÌ„ he toke to him the first and fourth part of the Romane souldiours and gaue to Minutius the second and third part the lyke dyd he by the souldiours that they cal aydes when Minutius sawe him self dictator equal with Fabius and that he had an armie at his commaundement he was in great triumphe Fabius badde him to take hede and to confider that nowe it was not with Fabius that he must haue to doe but with Aniball and vpon this Fabius caused his drommes and trompetts to sound and marched oute of the campe and went to a grounde that he lyked and there encamped with his people Anibal vnderstanding of this approched neare to them both and encamped in a ground of strength and had betwene him and his enemies grounde very apte to ambushe his people in and when he sawe Minutius deuided from Fabius he thought it good to present the battayle to Minutius and in the night ordained and placed his ambushes and appointed them a signe at the which they shoulde salie When the daye came he sent certaine bands to take a hill not far from Minutius to prouoke him to battayle Minutius forthwith sent forthe his lighte armed men and attached the scaramoche and seing Anibal to supplie froÌ„ tyme to tyme with freshe bandes those souldiours that he had sent to take the hâ—ll he put his whole armie in order and marched forth and ioyned with the enemy in battaile the fyght was cruel the Carthaginenses retired and fought contynually vntyll such time as they had drawne him past their ambushes then Aniball gaue his sygne wherâ—pon the ambushes discouered them selues and assayled the Romanes behinde them with great rumor noyse and slaughter when Minutius torned him and sawe the disorder that was amonge his people and his Captaines fleing he soughte to saue hym selfe also by flyghte whervpon the Numidan horsemen folowed the chase and made great slaughter of the disorderid Romanes When Fabius sawe the Romanes in this extremitie the which he suspected in the begynning of the battayle he went to a certayne place from whence he mought beholde the whole mattet and seing the Romanes gathered in the middest of their enemies strake his hand vpoÌ„ his thyghe and with a great sighe sayd in the presence of al those that were with him O Hercule soÌ„ner then I wolde haue wished not so sone as he him selfe wolde Minutius hath vndone him selfe and his whervpon he commaunded his armie to marche and said O souldiours whosoeuer doth nowe thincke vpon Minutius let him make hast and consider that he is a worthy man one that loueth his countâ—e and although it hath not happned acording to his desyre that he moughte put the enemies to flyght we shall here after haue time to blame him for it Then he encountred the Numidianes charged them and put them to flyght and marched on and encountred those that were laide in ambushe in the nyght and assayled the Romanes behynd them in the battayle he slewe them that the reste of the Carthagtnenses seyng this began to fle When Anibal sawe his people fle and Fabius a farre of very fiercely amoÌ„ge the Carthagynenses he left of any furder executing of the Romanes and commaunded to sound to the standard and then retorned to his lodginge and suffred the Romanes to passe to their campe withoute any further slaughter it is said that beiÌ„g at his lodging talking of Fabius he said haue not I often times told you that yonder mist that laie alway vpoÌ„ the hill wolde make vs one day very foule wether I haue this day ouercome Minutius and Fabius hath ouercome me When the battaile was ended Fabius coÌ„mauÌ„ded his souldiours to take the spoyle of the ded enemyes and then retorned to his campe and notwithstanding this great victorye he neuer caste in the tetle of his companion his euill gouernement When Minutius came to his campe he spake to his souldiours in this sorte My companions in armes there is nothing more peryllous to a man then to fayle in gerat matters and wheÌ„ he seith his owne default it is the part of a wise maÌ„ to obey vnto him that hath giueÌ„ him good admonition althoughe that I haue good occasioÌ„ to be offended with fortune yet I must confesse that I am much bounde to her for that she hath gyuen me to vnderstand eueÌ„ in an instante that I not beyng able to commaunde others shoulde submitte my selfe to the rule of others Wherfore let vs goe to the fyrst dictator and render hym thancks and I promyse you that I wyll be the fyrst both to thancke him and to yelde him obedience when he had thus spoken he commaunded to take downe the Egles which were the banners of gouernement and marched with them to the lodgings of Fabius and being comme to the market place he went streight to his tent and there dyd set vp the Egles with great noyses and when Fabius came forth of his tent he came called him father and his sâ—uldiours saluted the souldiours of Fabius by the name of patrones or Maisters When silence was commaunded Minutius sayd to Fabius thou hast in one instante obtayned two victories thou hast ouercomme thyne enemye by force and thy companion by counsell and cortezie wherfore I maye iustly call the most worthy father who hath saued both me and my people then serued vnder him as generall of the horsemen as before Hereby it appereth that where thinges shall take good effecte â–ª it must nedes be that the souldiours be broughte vp in discipline and that the generall be able to iudge of discipline as for example liuie in hys thirde Boke of his fyrst decade dothe well declare that it was not onely an armie of trained souldiours that dyd ouerthrowe the people called Volsci and Equi but that also the consules chiefe officers of the