last king of the line of the Gothes was slayne And taking hold of occasion the Sarazines so farre then proceded that they conquered in manner the whole kingdome of Hispain where they lost the name of the Sarazins and were called by the Spanierds Moores of the name of the countrie in Afrique from whence they came called Mauritania THE yeere 725. Eudes Duke of Aquitain otherwise called the Dâ—chie of Guien discended from Alarie king of the Gothes who in the yeere of our Lord 412. at such time as the Emperour Honorius reigned dyd possesse the same duchie of Guien from whence passing into Hispain and from thence chasing the Vandales as before I haue sayde brought into Fraunce against Theoderick brother of Chilperick sonnes of Dagobert the second of that name which Theodorick was the last king of the ligne of Pharamond Those Sarazins who at that time were in Hispain conducted by Abderaman whom the French Historiographers doe call Adramar King of Cordoua who after their entrie into Fraunce tooke the townes of Bourdeaulx Tholose Narbone Nimes Arles and Auignon Platina Blondus Sabellicus and other Historiographers doe write that those Sarazins came euen to towres where they were fought with by Charles Martel father of Pipin and ouerthrowen so as all that euer was wonne by them before was againe recouered by the same King Charles and the Sarazins chased into Hispain where after they remayned more than 700. yeeres Vnto such time as Ferdinand the king of Aragon did win from them the Citie and Countrie of Granado which was in the yeere of our Lord God 1487. Howbeit ther tarried and remayned still sundrie townes and villages entier peopled with the Sarazins whom the Emperour Charles the fifth of that name comming to his dominions in Hispain found ther dwelling and caused to embrace the christian faith yet they could neuer bee coÌ„pelled to chaunge their habit or the language of the Sarazins nor perhaps secretly their abhominable Mahometical sect what face outwardly so euer they shew In the yeere of our Lord God 500. the Sarazins of Africk did take the Isles of Corsica and Sardinia and two and twentie yeeres after they pilled and sacked the Isles of Candia and Sicilia and so held them more than two hundreth yeeres at what time Pope Leo was persecuted by the Lumbards and succoured by Charlemain The yeere of our Lord God 837. The Sarazins vnder the leading of Sultan Saua wan the port of Ciuitauechia in Italy and sacked the citie o Rome and the Church of Saint Peter with the Mont Cassin otherwise called Saint Germain which is the chiefe monestary or abbie of Saint Benet And twentie yeeres after that they tooke the port of Ancona and ouer ran all the coasts on that side of the Golfe of Venice and likewise those on thother side on the coast of Sclauonie and this done in the reignes of Lotharie son of Lois le Piteux king of Fraunce and Michaell Emperour of Constantinople about the yeere of our Lord God 900. they likewise assailed the territories of Pulia Calabria in the kingdome of Naples wan Mont Gargan otherwise called Le Mont Saint Auge when as Constantine sonne of Leo who was sonne of Basilius Emperour of Constantinople reigned and that Berengier of the ligne of the Lombards caused the eics of Lewes who was last Emperour of the ligne of the French men and sonne vnto to the Emperour Arnold to bee put foorth In the yeere 923. Roman the Emperour of Constantinople did stir the Sarazins to inuade the territories of Pulia and Calabria which rebelled against him Howbeit the Sarazins were ouerthrowen at the riuer of Garriglian by the Marquiz of Tuscan named Aulbry or Alberic at the especiall instance of Pope Iehan the eleuenth of that name In the yeere 930. the Sarazins wonne the towne of Gennes and spoiled all that coast of the Sea when the Berengiers occupied the Empire fortified the towne of Fraxinet which they kept 100 yeeres Thus the Sarazins continued inuading and spoiling the sertile regions of Italy while the controuersies were depending about the right of possessing the Empire betweene the French the Greekes and Lombards the discentions were on foote betweene the Popes the people of Rome in such sort as they enioyed the most part of Pulia and Calabria which they kept euen vnto the yeere of Grace 990 or thereabouts that they were chased both from thence and out of Sicilia also by Tancred de Haulte Ville or Haulte Fuâ—ille in Normandy who first beegan with them but ended by Guillaume Ferrabach sonne of the said Tancred with the help of Maloch leiuetenant of Michaell Cathalau Emperour of Greece And so they did bring back from the hands of the Sarazins Pulia Calabria and Sicilia whereof the said Guillaume remained lord in the time of Robert the French king and of the Emperour Otho the third of that name In the yeere of our Lord 1040. the number of Sultains or Soldains began to be many For in euery Prouince the Caliph as I before declared did institute one as at Damasco one at Hames another at Halep the third in Egipt another the like in sundry other places who falling at dissention one with the other did in the end reuoult from the obedience of the Caliph In Hispain likewise euerie of the Moors that could get vnder his obedience a citie or towne would immediately vsurpe the name of a king as at Granado Cordoua Toledo Sarragosa Ciuilia and Valentia In like manner was it vsed in Africk as at Tunes Tripolis Bugia Maroch Fesse and Tremessen and other places also there so as in manner no kinde of amitie or friendship was maintained among these kings but for the most part continuall dissention wars Wherof when the Turks had got intelligence who as yet rested vnder the obedience of the Caliph who were meruailously this while encreased both in wealth number of people and withall perceiuing that the Sarazins were wonderfully weakened and diminished through these intestine deuisions wars thus among them selues they made a king whoÌ„ they called Sadoc which name is so much to say as Iust and inuaded the Sarazins whom within short time they ouerthrew so as therby they made theÌ„selues shortly dominators ouer whole Persia and Syria alwaies with great reuerence regarding in no wise to touch the Caliph for the high estimation that they bare him who was suffered still to liue quietly at Baudras And at whose hands the said Sadocke would be named and created the Sultan of Asie howbeit he liued not long afrer After Sadoc his sonne Dogriz succeded who did annex to the gotten Empire of his father the country of Mesopotamia which Diogines the Emperour of Constantinople had recouered from the Sarazins at such time as they had warres among them selues as likewise the whole countrie of Cilicia which hee gaue to his cosen Arthot To Dogriz succeeded Aspalam his sonne who about the yeere of our Lord God 1080. did send his
the Souldan was there vanquished put to flight this battell was fought the seauenth day beefore Christmas day in the yeere of our Lord God 1300 At which battell the said Hayton that was cosen to the king of Armenia saith that he was present did put the acts doings of the same in writing Cassan pursuing his victorie marched vnto the towne of Casana wher the Soldan had lodged a mighty deale of his treasure insomuch as Cassan tooke the towne with all that treasure there meruailed greatly what the Soldan meaned that in going to the wars he would bring so much treasure with him which treasure Cassan tooke and deuided it among his souldiours After that he marched to the citie of Damasco which was rendred to him wher he sound that Citie was no otherwise furnishied but onely with victuall very plentifully wher the whole army of Cassan staied forty fiue daies sauing sortie thousand horsemen vnder the leading of their Captaine Molay vvhich pursued after the Souldan Harton not a little meruayleth that in so little as this Cassan was vvere resident so many vertues and valiaunt courage though among thirtie thousand men ther vvas not a worse shaped and deformed person then he vvas Cassan being at Damasco he receiued intelligence that one of his Cosen 's named Baydo vvas entred into Persia vvith a great army to inuade him For vvhich cause he returned into Persia to encounter Baydo leauing behind him in Sury one called Molay vvith tvventy thousand horsemen and at Damasco a Sarazins named Capehach to bee generall of the same vvho sometime before vvas in meruailous fauour vvith the Souldan of Egipt through certaine displeasures betvvixt them reuolted from the Souldan and to obtaine his fauour againe this Capehach shamefully rendred to the Soldan the tovvne of Damasco and other tovvnes therevnto adioyning Molay thus perceiuing vvhole Sury stirred vp into rebellion he vvithdrew and retired himselfe into Mesopotamia and after gaue intelligence to Cassan of the troubles of Syria who purposed the next winter ensuing to retourne into Syria because through the feruent heat of the sommer then present there was noe grasse or other feeding for horses how bee it the meane time Cassan sent an other Captaine named Cotuloze otherwise called Caroloz with thirtie thousand horsemen giuing him also in charge to aduertise immediately the king of Armenia and other christian Princes nigh to him adioyning of the iourney who vpon the intelligence with their powers repaired and chiefely Thyuon king of Armenia Emery of Lusignen king of Cypres the maister of the hospitall of Sainct Iohns Hierusalem named brother Guillau de Villaret and the Maister of the Templars who all arriued by sea at the towne of Sur and from thence marched with their armie to the towne of Tortosa aunciently called Antaradus But the meane time Cassan fell sicke of a greeuous disease that so as these wars for this time proceeded no further and euery of the saide princes with their powers returned home into their countries Two yeeres after Cassan determining to returne in to Surie againe gaue intelligence of his purpose to the king of Armenia that he should meete him at the riuer of Euphrates where he and his armie should abide for him which armie of his was so great that the same occupied the grounds of three daies iourny in length And as Cassan entred into Sury the said Baido inuaded the kingdome of Persia againe out of the which before Cassan sundry times had chased him therefore Cassan made towards him with so much expedition as hee could leauing Cotuloz with the king of Armenia and forty thousand horsemen to proceede in warres against the Souldan who marched forward toke the townes of Hames and from thence went besieged Damasco where Cotuloz and the king of Armenie had intelligence how that the Souldain came to raze their siege wherefore they leauing certaine bandes to continue their siege with the â—est of their army they marched towards the Souldain finding him so strongly encamped in such a place where they could doe him small harme and that the Tartares through scarcety of fresh water departed from them by troopes Cotuloz and the king of Armenia retourned to their siege of Damasco whereas in one night after the waters about Damasco began in such sort sodainely to grow that the Sarazins thereabouts brake in sunder the Sluses that in lesse space then an houre all the places where the army of the Tartares and christians encamped was drowned and ouerflowen with water which through the sodaine comming of the flud and the darknesse of the night was the more dreadfull to the whole armie as those that did not fore-see that water and inconuenience whereby many of the Tartares there were drowned as ignorant of the passages to escape considering the dikes that inuironed the place of their encamping were both deepe and filled with the ouerflow of this water so as a great number of the horses of the Tartares there likewise perished and all their baggage likewise so as they that escaped had none other minde but in hast to retourne home into their countrey and the truth to say they beeing thus turmoyled with waters they were not good or meete to abide any fight Considering aswell their bowes as arrowes which are the chiefest weapons that they doe vse were all to wet and made vnprofitable thereby to serue so as if the Sarazines that were very nigh them had in this disorder giuen charge vpon the Tartares they might haue had a â—ight good market on them Howbeeit the Sarazines as it seemed durst not issue vpon them so as the Tartares had leasure inough to escape who stayed not much vntill they came to the riuer of Euphrates which they passed according to their custome for Michaell de Michou sayeth that euery of them that had a horse did packe and fasten his wife children and baggage vpon the horse and than the husband would take the taile of the horse fast in his hand and in swimming the horse brought them all so to land and thus they vsed to passe riuers were they neuer so great or broad The Armenians and Georgians that were in this army were enforced to retire as the Tartares did though a great number of them also perished were drowned and durst not abide through the great doubt they had of the Sarazins Hayton the Historiographer beeing an Armenian borne saith that hee himselfe among others was in this army when this departure chaunced and alledgeth that the whole fault of this disorder and departure was in Cotuloz that would not bee aduised by the King of Armenia but onely would follow his owne wilfull braine But the King of Armenia marched on to the Citie of Niniuie which standeth on the riuer of Tygris called by Eusebius Nicibis vvhere most curteouslie hee vvas receued by king Cassan and at his departure Cassan commaunded tenne thousand horsemen paied at his owne charges not onely to attend and
if it had not beene that into Natolie was entered the great Prince of Tartary called Tamerlaine or Tamburlaine but by the Turkes Demirling and by some French Historiographers as Enguerrant named Le Grant Tacon de Tartarye but the Tartariens themselues doe call him Temircutlu that is to say the Fortunate Swâ—ord or luckie iron descended of the race of one Cham of Tartarie called Zaym Cham of the Horde or multitude of Zauolba and Czahaday which is towardes the riuer of Rha or Volha which falleth into the Sea Dabacuth by the latins named Mare Caspium and Hircanum which Zaym was he whom the Polonians doe call in their Histories Bathy the first Mahumâ—tist of all the Tartares Tamerlaine was afterward Lord of Tartarie Precopie called by them Prezelzoph situated betwixt the riuers of Tanais which they call Don and Boristhenes called Nâ—per and Dâ—râ—â—z the which countrie of Precopie was in auncient time called Scithia Inferior now in possession of the Turke This Tamerlayne was for the most part resident in the great Citie of Samarcand which is toward the sea Caspium who caused himselfe to bee called the Scourge of God though his verie title of his dignitie was Vlucham which is to say the mightie Lord. Bazait hauing intelligence of the entrie of Tamerlayne into Natoly thought it requisit to raise his siege of Constantinople and with all diligence to encounter with the innumerable army of Tamerlayne where nigh the city of Dangory by our ancients called Ancira not far from the mountaine Stella which Enguerrant de Monstrelet doth call Appadi where Pompeius Magnus ouerthrew the famous Mithridates the mighty armies encountred and cruelly did fight in which conflict Bazait was vanquished and taken prisoner whom Tamerlaine caused to bee bound and made fast with chaines of gold and so to be put in a cage as though hee had beene a Lyon in which sort hee carried Bazait about with him through euery region of Asia as he passed so long as Bazait lined which was not aboue two yeeres after or therabouts who died Anno Domini 1400 after he had reigned twentie seauen yeeres about the twentith yeere of the reigne of Charles the sixth the french king From this conflict escaped certaine of Bazaits sons who supposing to haue passed into Europe chanced to fall into the hands of the Emperour of Constantinople who caused the seas surely to bee kept at that time An other of his sonnes named Cyris and by the frenchmen Quirici whom some also doe call Calapin or Calepin escaped ouer to Adrinopoli whose sirname beeing called Ciris Cheleby was but a little of dignitie and Noblesse giuen to the children of the great Turk as Achmat Cheleby Mahumet Cheleby or Mustapha Cheleby which is as much as to denominate a gentleman according as the Spaniards doe name their Nobilitie Don Alonso or Don Rodrigo and the frenchmen Charles Monsieur or Loys Monsieur being appropriate to their blood roiall Cyris reigned sixe yeeres or thereabouts and left behind him a son named Orcan when as his three bretheren named Musach Mahumet and Mustapha escaped out of Constantinople while the Emperour was gone into Fraunce to the sayd king Charles to require succours against the afornamed Cyris Musach slew Orcan his nephew for recompence himselfe was after slaine by his owne brother Mahumet And than first began they to deuise how the one brother might kill another which vnto this time they haue right well practized and put in vre Mahumet the first of that name after he had slaine his brother Musach vsurped the Empire and recouered all the whole Countries of Natolie which Tamerlayne before had wonne of Bazait This Mahumet remoued his seat imperiall from the citie of Bursie in Natolie to Adrianopoli in Grecia He made wars vpon the region of Valachie which some french histories doe call Valaigne and other Blaquie and of the ancients named Bessi and Triballi He also ouerthrew in battaile the Emperour Sigismond in the plaines of Selumbez and was the first of his nation that passed the riuer of Donaw or Danuby hee subdued the countrie of Bosnia made war vpon Caraman and died the yeere of our Lord God 1418 and in the xxxviii yeere of the reigne of the said King Charles after hee had reigned eighteene yeeres reconing therewith the yeares of Cyris which some doe not and left a sonne called Amurath Amurath the second of that name was in Natolie when his father died whereof so soone as hee was aduertised passed into Europe albeeit the Emperour of Constantinople did what he could to stop his passage who sent against him Mustapha his vncle sonne of Bazait whom the said Emperour had kept prisoner sithens the taking of Bazait as before I haue tolde howbeit Mustapha beeing to weake was vanquished slaine in battaile by Amurath who to reuenge himselfe vpon the Emperor of Constantinople spoiled and burnt the whole territory of Thracia in Grecia and tooke from the Venetians the notable towne of Thessalonica called now Salonichi which Andronico Paleologo before had sold them in dispite of the Emperour Constantine his brother after that the said Amurath entred into Seruia or Rascia constrained George Vucouich the Despot or Prince of that country to giue him in mariage his daughter named Irinye surnamed Catacusine notwithstanding which affinity hee afterward came against this Despot with an army and enforced him to flie into Hungary towards the Emperour Albert sonne in law to the late Sigismond the Emperour leauing his sonne George for the defence of his said Countrie this George was taken by Amurath who caused his eies to bee put forth though he was his brother in law After the death of the said Albert Lancelot brother to the king of Pole was chosen by the Hungarians for their King albeit that Albert had left his wife with childe who after the death of hir husband was deliuered of a sonne that at his Baptisme was also named Lancelot who after waâ— nourished and brought vp vnder the keeping of the Emperour Frederic the third of that name and was the onely cause that the said Lancelot of Polen durst make no maner of enterprize against the Turks nor to inuade them least in the meane time the Emperour Frederic should haue annoied him vpon some other part and so haue set the other Lancelot the true king in his realme of Hungary During this time Amurath who could not long rest besieged Belgrado which they call Nandoralba and Alba Greca and by the Hungariens Chrieschisch but by our elders Taurinum situated betwixt the riuers of Danubia or Donaw and Sauus or Saua vpon a verie necke of lande where those two riuers doe ioyne togethers the which towne of Belgrado the said George Vucouich before had giuen in exchange for others to the said Emperour Sigismond for that it was the key and entrie to the kingdome of Hungarie After which at the suit and perswasion of the same George Vucouich the said king Lancellot raised a very great army
against Amurath and therewith recouered the territories of Seruia and Rascia which he rendred againe to the said Despot George Vucouich to reuenge which wrong Amurath leuied a great power vnder the leading of one Carabey who encountring with the Christians nigh the mountaine Costegnaz anciently called Hemus was there ouerthrowen and Carabey taken prisoner The which two victories with sundrie others before and after were obtained by the famous prowesse and valiantnesse of Iohn Huniad called by Enguerrant de Monstrelet and Philip de Comines Le Blanc Cheualier de la Velaign and by the Hungarians Iancâ— Ban or Vaiuod that is to say Prince of Transiluania at this present Moldauia and by the Hungarians named Sibenbourg that is to say Septemcastrum but by our elders Dacia This worthy Iohn Huniad was father to the valiaunt Mathias king of Hungary who not long agone reigned there After this battaile there was an abstinence from armes condicioned betwixt the Hungarians and the Turks for two yeres by reason wherof with the paiment of fifty thousand ducats of ransome Carabey was deliuered the which trewse beeing soone after broken by the said king Lancelot at the instance and perswasion of Eugenius the Pope the fourth of that name to king Lancelot was very infortunate for afterward he was slaine in the battaile soughten beetwixt him and Amurath nigh the towne of Verna aunciently called â—yonisiopolis vpon Saint Martins day the eleauenth of Nouember Anno Domini 1444 wher the said Iohn Huniad was put to flight Of this victory Amurath had small cause to reioyce considering it cost him very decre both in losse of his best friends choice souldiers after this Amurath toke the towne of Sophie beeing the head towne of whole Bulgaria Scopie and Nouomont and ouerran all the territories of Acarnania called at this instant Ducat or Duche and the Prouince of Cymera aunciently called Epirus where hee spoiled and wasted alongst the riuer of Achelous at this day named the riuer of Pachicolan vnto the mountaines Du Diable in times past called Acroceraunii which are part of the Mountaines called Pindus hee tooke also the famous port towne named Velone sometime called Aulon and passed the Gulfe of Larta in latin called Sinus Ambracius vnto the towne of Oricus now named Rigo and so went forward towards the Gulf of Cataro which is called Sinus Risonicus beeing fiue and twentie miles from the towne of Ragusa in ancient â—â—me named Epidaurus Hee enforced Iohn Cosâ—â—iâ—th the Despot of Cymera to giue him the enpregnable towne of Croia with his three sonnes in hostage and pledge of fidelitie all which hee caused to beâ— come Turks the yongest named George Castrioth at that time not aboue nine yeeres of age was called by the Turkes Scanderbeg that is to say Alexander the great who after became so valiant a Captaine that for his worthie acts hee was comparable to the famous and most renowmed Pyrrus and others his worthy predecessours dominators and rulers of Epirus for hauing commaund vnder Amurath he conquered Seruia and did bring to the Turks obeisance the Countrie of Carmania how beit afterward this Scanderbeg retourning to the christian faith caused Amurath to loose the territorie of Seruia and then toke from him the strong towne of Croia with all the countries townes castells that before belonged to his said father Iohn Castrioth besides that in twentie or thirty battels wherein valiantly he fought with the Turks he alwaies caried away with him the victorie so as Amurath had neuer iuster matter to obiect to this Scanderbeg then to reproch him with vnkindnes that beeing so carefully brought vp by him in his tender age should so without cause reuoult calling him by sundrie letters the ingrate vnthankfull sonne howbeit Scanderbeg cared so little for Amurath that vpon occasion he departed from his owne Countries to succour in person Ferdinand king of Naples against Iohn Duke of Galabre which Ferdinand hee restored to his realme expelled the Duke from the same for which deede Ferdmand afterwards curteoushe receiued the spoiled and calamitous children of Scanderbeg whom 〈…〉 the second after the death of their father exiled and 〈…〉 of all their liuelihoode gaue them lands in the kingdome of Naples so as they became Marquizes of Saint Angelo and of Tripaldo so as a worthy gentelman of that race named Ferdinand Castrioth Marquiz of Saint Angelo was slaine valiantly fighting on the imperiall part in the late battaile before Pauia Amurath after that did winne the countrie of Moree which in latin by our elders is called Peloponesus through the discord of two bretheren the one called Thomas and the other Demetrius Despots of the same country being brothers of Constantine Paleologo last Emperour of Constantinople who by reason that the Albanois moued warres against them sought for succours to Amurath and became his tributaries but after denying to pay their promised tribute Amurath draue them out of their whole countrie of Moree Howbeit Demetrius afterwards retired himself towardes the Turque but Thomas repayred to Rome to the Pope where hee ended his life leauing foure children two sonnes and two daughters Amurath beeing now become aged and wearie both of the world and of his victories withdrew himselfe among certaine Heremits and other Religieux of his supersticious sect pretending to leade the rest of his daies solitarilie and in quietnesse established in his place his son Mahumet being but yong of yeeres to reigne and gouerne his Kingdomes appoynting for his gouernour one Haly Bassa called of some Caly Bassa Howbeit when the famous Iohn Huniades with the Hungarians had gathered togethers a mightie army to haue inuaded the dominions of this young Mahumet Amurath at the great instaunce and suite both of his sonne as also of the sayd Haly Bassa that could not bee obeyed was enforced to take vppon him the administration and gouernment of the present affaires who making head against the saide Hungarians in the ende vanquished and put them to flight After which Amurath inuaded the dominions of the valiaunt Scanderbeg beesieged his strong towne of Croia howbeeit hee could not winne the same And in his retyring by the Mountaynes there hee was spoyled by the Paisaunts and verie manie of his armie slaine whereby Amurath entered into such a meruaylous melancholie and displeasure that what by disease therewith taken and his olde age togethers hee dyed in the yeere of our Lord God 1451. of his age seauentie fiue and of his reigne thirtie two and of the reigne of Charles the French king the seauenth of that name twentie sixe Thus Amurath was the first that instituted the Iannisaries MAHVMET the second of that name called by Enguerrand and other french Historiographers Morbesan perhaps they would haue said Morbesalem which is as much in the Surien or Moresque language as these woordes in the Gospell Vade in Pace depart in peace This woord Morbesan among the Turkes signifieth so much as Duke or Duchie This Mahumet was sonne
the residue of his yeeres in quietnesse dyed in his going thither empoysonned as was iudged by his sonne Selym in that they did drinke togethers at their departure Bazait reigned thirtie yeeres lyued threescore and three yeares dyed in the yeere of our Lord God one thousand fiue hundered twelue And in the fourteenth of the reigne of Lewes the twelfth the French king leuing behinde him Selym Achmat and Corchuth SELYM thus hauing attained to the Empire through the meanes aboue declared endeuored himselfe aboue all things to dispatch himselfe from the feare of his bretheren For which first hee caused Corcuth his brother to bee put to death who before had fled to the sea cost ouer against the Island of the Rhodes and there had hidden himselfe vntill hee might haue gotten shipping to haue past vnto the great Maister but being shamefully discouered by one of his owne men in the ende was strangeled with a bow string Achmat his brother dyed by lyke death being taken in battell accompanied with an able armie which hee had gotten togethers thorough the ayde of Siach Ismael and of Campson Ciauri Soldain of Egipt Yet through his fatnesse and vnweldinesse of body whereby hee was not able to abide labour on horseback and so to flye was taken put to death Selym being thus deliuered from his father bretheren deliberated to inuade the Sophy aswell for the auncient enmitie that was betwixt them as to reuenge himselfe of this new iniury for ayding his brother Achmat to make wars against him Howbeit that the more easely he might bring his purpose about he found meanes first to make peace with Lancelot the king of Hungary than for his greater suertie renewed the alliance league that he had with the VenetiaÌ„s after which he set forward towards the PersiaÌ„s whome the Sophy met accompanied with a great nuÌ„ber of men at Armes nigh to Assiria wher these great Princes with their Armies fought a wonderful sore battell in vvhich the Sophy through the Turks Artillery had the worst was put to flight forsomuch as the Persian horses vvere neuer frequented to the noise thundring of artillery which they could not abide to heare This battell vvas fought in the plain of Calderan betwixt the cities of Tauris and Coy which citie of Coy sometime hath bene called Artaxata The maner of this battel is painted in the counsail chamber at Venice vvhich ther I haue seene is reported that Selym caused so to be done sent to Venice to the Senat ther. After vvhich conflict the citie of Tauris came into the hands of the Turks vvith a great part of the Realme of Persia Howbeit the Turks had no long possession of the same For Siach Ismael recouered al that he had lost right soone after In such sort as Thomas the sonne of the said Ismael holdeth the same at this day Selym now retourning out of Persia came to Trebizonda where he taried all the winter but the sommer next ensuing he inuaded the prince Aladolus othervvise called Anardule vvho frontered vpon the Soldain of Egipt towards a Towne of his called Alep by the french men named Halappe by the Turks Adelphe by our anciants Epiphania supposed to be called Aleph because it is the first Towne which that vvay leadeth into Sury Vpon an other coast he bordereth on the Turks toward the prouince of Icony vnto Armenia the lesse pertaining to the Persians All this country of Anadule vvas subdued by Selym Anadule himselfe taken and his head smitten off by commaund There rested now no mo in the contrary of Selym but onely the Soldain of Egipt vvho vvith a great Armie vvas come against Caythby the Emyr of Alep vvho being subiect to the Soldain had reuolted against him The armie of the Soldain was supposed to be about eight twentie thousand Horsemen the most part of vvhich consisted of the order of the Mameluchs vvho litle estemed the Turks considering that heretofore they had encountred them in other vvars giuen them the ouerthrow as before is declared But Selym politickly feigning as though he purposed to inuade the Sophy vvhereof he made a bruit to runne vvhan he vvas come nigh vnto the Towne of Aman called by our ancients Apamea situated betwixt Alep and Damas vvas instantly required prayed by the sayd Caithby to giue him succours and ayde against the Soldain Wherunto Selym accorded right soone as he that found vvhat he desired and a redy occasion for vvhich he had long looked Yet vvould he not vtter his thoughts therein least the two armies of the prince and subiect being ready in the feeld to fight and perceuing his purpose vvho in taking part sought so to ouer throw them both should accord togethers against him Wherfore immediately he raigned with the Emir Caith by bidding defiance to the Souldain Campson Ciauri with vvhom he fought in set field vvhere the Souldain vvas slaine and Caithby also as some doe say vvherby Selym remained Lord ouer all Siria Damas. Hierusalem Iudea The Mâ—mcluchs vvho saued themselues in that battaile returned into Egipt vvhere vvith the others there they chose an other Souldain named Tomombey vvho before vvas Emyr of Alexandria hovvbeit Selym hotly follovving his fortune and victories entred into Egipt vanquished Tomombey in an other battaile tooke the great citie of Caire vvhich of some vvrongfully is called Carra named of other by more aparant reason Memphis vvhere vvhilst Tomombey vvould haue saued himselse on the other side of the riuer Nyle he vvas pursued by Canogly vvho passed the riuer by ships vvith ten thousand Horsemen the bridge that vvas made on boats ouer the same being cloyed vvith Ianizaries so as he vvas not able to passe that vvay by vvhich Canogly Tomombey being taken and brought back to Selym caused him straight to be strangled vvhereby the said Selym remained King of Egipt Anno Domini 1518. These victories thus attained Selym returned to Constantinople and purposing to remoue to the Citie of Adrianople died in his iournyeng at a village called Chiorlich vvhere before vvith his Tartarians he did fight vvith his father Bazait and vvas ouerthrowen Thus he died in the yeere of our Lord God one thousand fiue hundred and twentith of his reigne the eightenth yeere of his age the sixe forty yeere and of the reigne of the right Christian king Erancis the French King the eight yeere After that he had put to death three of his most worthy Bachas Chenden Bacha because he would haue mutined his Iannissaires entring into Persia Bostangi otherwise called Constantin Bacha his sonne in law for sundry exactions and spoiles that he had committed Ianus Bacha wher of none could tell the cause sauing that Selym thought him to be high minded This Selym left but one sonne named Solyman called by the Turks Selyman whom he recommended to the custody of Peribacha who before had gouerned him in his youth SOLYMAN came to his reigne the xxviij yeere
paine taking pen that might transfer so rich treasure from straungers vnto vs. If new things delight according to the naturall ingrafted condicion of man these are new If benefit be expected in bookes especially in histories for counsayle forewarning mischiefs in the examples and harmes of others froÌ„ what former historie may we reap greater then this stored with so many and notable presidents of all sorts fresh bleeding as it were before our eyes and which should be a greater motiue telling of ensewing danger not much deuided froÌ„ our owne doores when daylie we lamentably see our neighbours houses not farre of flaming New fashioned clothes deriued from straungers are euery day much esteemed new fashioned manners new fashioned wittes are affected then either for the worth or fashion let these French and Italian traductions receiue your fauorable censures I dyd propound no greater gaine in my paines and hope of your curtesies to obtaine no lesse which graunted shall encourage me to shew you yet somewhat more worthie ere long in this argument wherein I hauing first for aught I know broken the ice sauing onely the Historie of Scanderbegg of the late Persian warres that of Tamberlain though exceding well done yet but perticuler parts of this discourse shall be glad to heare of any companion for further paines to whom this subiect will afford enough of sufficient and worthie matter And so crauing you would friendly correct what faults in the Impression haue passed either by me or the Printer I take my leaue and rest the seruant of euery well willing reader R. Carr. The Originall and beginning of the Turkes and of the foure Empires which are issued and proceeded out of the supersticious sect of Mahumet COnsidering that I haue the penne in hand I make so mine accompt that I were as good to make an ende as to staie vntill you required of me from whence the nacion of the Turkes are come what manner people they be that haue bene so much vnknowen to our predecessors sauing about three hundreth yeeres agone and that Pomponius Mela and Pliny haue made some mencion of them and numbered theÌ„ among the Scythians But to declare truely their originall and beginning it behooueth to beginne at the Sarazines and than to write of the Empires that haue beene engendered of their wicked and abhominable superstition and sect as the Caliphe of Baudras the Miramamolin of Aphrick the Souldain of Egipt the Assan or Sophie of Perse For these are they from whom the Turkes are proceeded MAHOMET whom some doe call Muhamet and the Turkes mehemet that is to say loued or praysed was an Arabian borne in a village nigh to Mecque called Itrarip about the yeere of our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ 600. at such time as the Emperor Heraclius gouerned in Grecia king Dagobert reigned in Fraunce his father was named Abdala which word may be interpreted the seruaunt of God though in deede he was a Gentile and very Idolator But Mahumet being an Orphan at the age of eight yeares was left in the regiment of one of his vncles named Abutaliph who caused him to be instructed by a Iewe in the Mathematical and naturall Sciences and after that to be married at the age of fifteene or sixteene years and then instructed him in the trade of Merchandize which hee practized both in Egipt and Sury wher not a litle he frequented the company of Iewes Christians but chiefely with a Moncke of the order of saint Benet called Iohn as the Bishop of Ptolomais or Aâ—on reporteth as also with another Monck called Sergius an hereticall Nestorian of whoÌ„ he learned the holy Scriptures especially the old new Testament To which knowledge wheÌ„ he had attaigned coÌ„sidered with himself that it was no great difficult matter vnder the shadow of Religion so to draw to him the Arabians being but grosse rude and Idolators he therefore absented himselfe out of companie and remayned secret by the space of two yeares And after that presented himselfe to the people saying that all the while of his absence he was with the Angell Gabriell who taught and gaue to him the law of God and that to beleeue in Idols was foolish vaine But perceiuing that at that time his woords could obtaine small credit he inuented another policie For which purpose he had an Esclaue called Zeidimy to whom he told that the will of God was that all men should be free therfore dyd giue him immediatly his libertie wherby froÌ„ euery part all the Esclaues in a countrey repayred to Mehemet and gaue him such credit that whatsoeuer hee commanded they obeyed him In so much as this companie thus drawne togethers brought no litle dread and feare to some great and welthie families in Mecque as were the Caraxins Haximins and Benimitains who vpon the intelligence of the drawing togethers of this wicked packe tooke armour against them Whereof Mehemet getting intelligence fled immediatly and retired himselfe to the towne of Almedine sithens called Medinathalmaby which is so much to say as Medin of the Prophet where he began in such sort to preach to the Iewes that in steede to beleeue him they beat him in sundrie fights and his Esclaues also So as in one of these skirmishes Mehemet gat such a stroke ouerthwart his face that not onely hee lost two of his sore teeth but also was left for dead in a dike ther wherin he was cast though in the ende he ouercame the Iewes And because the Arabians which indeede be discended from Ismaell the sonne of Abraham and of Agar his wiues maide were called Agarins hee caused to be ordained in that it was not honorable for his people to carie the name of a woman seruant that from thence forth they should be named Sarazins deducted from the name of Sara the lawfull wife of Abraham alledging that Ismaell was engendred of Sara and not of Agar hir maiden The which name of Sarazins so long endured vnto such time as the Turkes dyd abolish both the name and the nation as heereafter I will declare Mahumet hauing thus crept into credit among ths ignorant and rude people that hee was a Prophet and messenger of God hee acquainted himselfe with a Lady of no litle wealth and riches named Tadiga or Cadiga being a widow and so to the purpose hee behaued himselfe towards hir that hee married hir although hee had three other wiues besides hir whereof the one was called Anosse the second Ahasse and the third named Seick or Zeich whom he rauished from one that was one of his bringers vp beesides a Concubine that he had called Marie a Christian woman of the sect of the Iacobits And than he began to publish his damnable law that it was lawfull for any man to haue foure wiues Howbeit thorough the marriage of this Lady Mahumet was wonderfull re'nforced and strengthened in such sort as that thorough his welth that hee dyd get he was able to
wage soldiours Whereby partly by sorce and partly by good oppinion that was had in him all his neighbours obeyed him and so as his trayne growing to such a number thorough the multitude of Sarazins that repaired to him the Emperour Heraclius who at that time had vnder his dominion both the countries of Surie Egipt and Africk serued himselfe with these people in his warres against the Persians Howbeit it so afterwards came to passe that at a pay of the Emperours army among whoÌ„ at that time vvere certaine bands of the Sarazins so as mony vvas not so plentie there at that instant able to pay the vvhole army And that hee which had the order of the pay of the army among vvhom the bands of Sarazins also were attending for their vvages vndescretly gaue ansvvere to the Sarazins that the Emperor had not mony ynough there to pay the Chrictians that vvere Souldiours and therfore they being but dogges ought not to demaund for vvages With vvhich aunsvvere the Sarazins being not a little moued departed from the seruice of the Emperour and returned into Africk where they found Mahumet The Emperour Heraclius afterward sent into Africk to leuie his tribute there which seemed to bee not a little greeuous to the Africans to be so much troubled with subsidies as they were they falling into a mutinie and stirred thereto also with the subtill perswasions of Mahumet that told them the pleasure and will of God was that each one should liue at liberty the Commissaries of the Emperour were there slaine and the countries of Egipt and Africk reuoulted wholy from the obedience of the Empire of which rebellion Mahumet was chiefe and their Generall Who by reason of the same was immediately pursued both by the Christians and Iewes And albeit the Emperour did send against him a great army vnder the leading of one of his Nobilitie called Theodore who fought sundry battelles with the Africans yet in the end Theodore being ouerthrowne and slaine Mahumet with his Sarazius after this victorie departed from thence inuaded the countries of Sury Mesopotamia and made conquest of the same Thus then the Greekes lost the countries of Sury Egipt and Africk other territories which the Emperours of Rome and Grecia had euer in possession from the time of Iulius Cesar sauing that part of Africk which the Vandalls held who were Christians though Arrians there had continued from the time that the Romaines suffered them to inhabit And so Mahumet was crowned king in Damasco about the yeere of our Lord God 630. and liued after about tenne yeeres After the death of Mahumet the Sarazins preferred to his kingdome one of his disciples familiars named Othamar whom the Turks doe call Othmar Howbeeit some affirme that hee that next succeded Mahumet was one called Bubacher otherwise named Caliph which word signifieth enheritor or successor beecause hee was placed in the rome authoritie of Mahumet and so after him were called all his successors though some Italian authors doe call them Alipha The chiefest place where the Caliph had his residence was established at the citie of Baudars which the Italians call Baldat the Turks Bagdet that sometime was the famous citie of Babilon though others hold opinion that this Citie was that which in times past was named Susa and is situated vpon the riuer of Euphrates About this time the Sarazins conquered in a little space vpon the Greekes the territorie of Caramanie aunciently called Cilitia where the citie of Antioche standeth and Pamphilia which at this day is called Scauri and the towne of Selucia named by the inhabitants there Scandalor and after that they made enterprize vpon the kingdome of Persia which they call Pharsie and this was about that time when the Greekes did cut of the nose and the tongue also of the Empresse Martine and Heraclion hir sonne and of the Emperour Heraclius beecause they enpoisoned Constantine the eldest sonne of Heraclius begotten vpon an other wife at such time also the Lumbards entred into Italy Of Persia at this time was king one called Hormisda named also by Hayton that writeth of these matters Ascaiorth elected king next after Adaesar sonne of Syroe sonne of Cosroe or Cosdroe whom the Emperour Heraclius tooke prisoner when he recouered the city of Hierusalem Hormisda hauing assured intelligence that the Sarazins were comming to inuade him â—ought for succours at such as were his neighbours and chiefely of those of Turquesten who frontered vpon the Persians on the West towards the East on the realme which Hayton calleth Tarsie and vpon the famous riuer of Indus towards the North and to the Corasmins and Med on the South which are the verie confines and limits which Plinie and Strabo doe appoint to the Parthes whom the Turkes doe call Turguestain as Francis Freinston saith This nation which sithens by the Frenchmen other haue bene named Turguimans and afterward Turks who among them at that time had no manner of law or policy departed out of their countrie to the number of six thousand fighting men to come to the succour of king Hormisda But beecause according to their custome they brought their wiues and children with them they were the longer in comming so as before they came the Sarazins and king Hormisda had sought togethers and Hormisda ouerthrowen and slaine about the yeere of our Lord God 640. And so the Sarazins became Lords of Persia and of the whole countries about sauing the realme of Abeas which is in Georgia a part of the greater Armenie called Haloen who were the refuge receptacle of Christians The Turquiâ—â—ains being by this ariued in that part of Persia named Chorâ—â—â—eâ— or Câ—â—â—osley and by some Câ—rozâ—iâ— they vnderstoode of the ouerthrow and death of Hormisda for which cause they staied there and fortified themselues in the best wise they could and sent vnto the Sarazins requesting to accept them as their friends withall that they would receiue tribuit from them for vvhich alvvaies they vvould bee at their commandement to serue them faithfully in their vvars if it vvould further vouchsafe the Sarazins to beestovv on them the place vvhere they at that time vvere to inhabit The Sarazins receiued their ambassage curteously accepted them as their friendes and offred Tributaries hovvbeit they caused the Turks to lodge further of in a part of another countrie vvhich they appointed them to th ende that if they reuolted they should doe the Sarazins lesse harme In this manner remained the Turkes or Turquimains tributaries as it vvere subiects to the Sarazins vvhose customes lavvs maners they quickly learned through continuall trade and frequentation vvhich they had a among the Sarazins insomuch as in the end ther vvas no manner of difference betwixt theÌ„ either in religion law or forme of life which was very easie for the Turks to doe considering that be ore they liued without any law rule or pollicie which they wer sooner moued to embrace
ouerthrovven at such time as the Emperour Frederic persecuting the church gaue beginning to the partialities of the Guelfs Gibelins therwith not contented did call in the Sarazins of Africk to his seruice and gaue to them the towne of Nucera in Italy vvhich yet is called Nucera des Sarazins from vvhich aftervvard they vvere expulsed by the Frenchmen In the yeere 1237 Theobald king of Nauarre Emery Contee of Mont fort Henry Contee of Campaign Barre vvith a great army passed through Hungary Constantinople into Surie and recouered sundry townes which the Sarazins beefore had wonne but encountring with the Soldan Corder beetwixt the tovvnes of Acre and Gazera sometime called Gaza there they vvere discomfited and ouerthrovven by the same Soldan In the yeer of our Lord God 1244 the christians were discomfited at a place called Forbye where were taken the Maister of our order of Sainct Iohns called brother Guillaume de Chastelnâ—uf and the Maister of the Templers named brother Herman de Pierresort the Archbishop of Sury and two sonnes of Signeur de Boteron which otherwise was called Botrus with moe then three hundred Gentlemen At which time likewise the cruell wars by sea began betwixt the Venetians the Geneuoys about the intrest possession of the Monestary of Sainct Saba in the towne of Acre in Sury which may wel be said another cause of y losse of the holy land In the yeere 1249 Lewes the French king otherwise named Sainct Lewes passed the Seas and was taken prisoner before the tovvne of Damiat in Egipt by the Soldan Melechsalem but after his atteined liberty hee recouered the tovvnes of Sidon and Iaffe aunciently called Ioppe before that time taken by the said Soldan I am now come vnto the time that the Tartares inuaded the Turks or Turquimans but to the end it may be better vnderstood how this came to passe froÌ„ whom this people of the Tartares haue their being it behoueth me a little to turne back to begin a little before this time In the yeere 1231. in that country of Tartaria vvhich at this day is called Catay and the Orientall Scythia at vvhich time the Tartares liued vvithout knovvledge of any law or sorme of gouernment there was one by Hayton called Cangy and by Paulus Venetus Chinchis but by Michael a Michou Cinguis beegotten vpon a widdow during hir widdowhood who hauing other children by hir former husband they would haue staine hir all for shee had conceiued this Cangy while shee was widdow howbeit shee so wittely behaued hir selfe in hir words that shee caused them beleeue how she conceiued that birth by force of the beames of the sun other father in name the child had not which opinioÌ„ so taking place was not onely auaileable to the mother but also afterwards to Cangy who coÌ„ming to perfect age brought this barbarous people to beleeue that the almightie God had sent him to bee their king to make them Lords of those other nations to whom euen vnto that time they had ben tributaries by reason they neuer had head to guide the. And so prudentlie this Cangy can led himselfe that he subdued all his neighbours and therefore was â—uâ—named Cangy Can or Cham hee reigned twelue yeeres and died by the stroke of an Arrow which had wounded him in the knee at the aslault of a castellâ—â— his Cangy was the first that perswaded the Tartares to beleeue in one God To Cangy Cham succeeded Hoccata his son who to know countries further of sent ten thousand horse men to inuade the territorie of Cappadocia than possessed by the Turks by whome these Tartares were ouerthrowen with vvhich losse Hoccata being not a little mooued he sent againe thirtie thousand men whom hee called Tamachi that is to say conquerers against whom vpon the fronters of Cappadocia which the Turks call Genech came Guijatadin king of the said Turkes whom Sabellicus doth name Goniat In whose army were two thousand christians the remainder of the forces that before came into Surie conducted by two â— aptains where of the one vvas called Iohn Liminad of the Island of Cypres and the other Boniface du Chasteau a Geneuoys Sabellicus calleth this Boniface Boniface du Molin vvho he saith vvas a Venetian but in that daies deed Guijatadin and his Turks vvere discomfited in the yeere of our Lord God 1239. about vvhich time also Hoccata died leauing behind him three sons the one named Cin vvhom Paul the Venetian calleth Cui and of others Guys Guyscan the second vvas called Iochy the third Baydo or Batho as Michaell of Michou saith After Hoccata his son Cin or Cui succeeded vvhose reigne not long continued Next to him Mango or Mongu whom Sabellicus calleth Metho cosen to the faid Hoccata possessed the Empire of Tartaria This is that Mango Cham to whom Pope Innocent the fourth of that name did send Frees Ascelin one of the order of the Freers Preachers in the yeere of our Lord God 1266. as Vincent the Historial and Michael a Michou doe report IOCHY whom some doe call Iachis one of the sonnes of the sayde Hoccata tooke his way towards the West being the countries of Turquesten and the Corasmins and part of the Region of Persia euen vnto the riuer of Tygris which Hayton calleth Phison but I beleeue that Phison is that Riuer which is called Ganges where Iochy remayned BAYDO or Batho the third sonne of Hoccato passed thorough Russie Cumanie or Comanie and Moscouia and entred into Polone Hungary Austruhe burning and destroying the countries beefore him which afterward thorough famin he was enforced to abandon and so to returne into Tartarie Comanie which is beeyond the sea Maior called Pontus Euxinus but at this day Zauolha and Zahady Some doe affirme that this countrie of Comanie is that which Strabo calleth Cataonia part of Capadocia at this day called Cricassj The sayd Baydo was called by the Polonians Bathy Zaim Cham of whom Tamberlane the great discended as Michael a Mechou saith who did write of these great distructions in these North Regions done by Baydo which was in the yeere of our Lord God 1263. To Iochy in the orient succeded his sonne named according to Hayton Barath and after Paulus Venetus Barachim IN the yeere of our Lord God 1250. or there abouts at such time as king Lewes otherwise called S. Lewes the French king passed the seas The king of Armenie being a christian named Hayton perceiuing that the Tartaires had conquered so many countries and were entred into Natolie purposed to enterteine amitie and league with the said Mango Cham or Mongu VVho as before succeded to his cosin Gin or Cuj son to Hoccata in the realme of Tartarie onely to haue ayde against the Caliph of Baudraz and the Turkes of Damasco Halep Haman other places for which he sent towards him the great Constable of Armenie named Sinebaud but the yeere after he went in person where he obtained such fauor
with the said Mango Cham that the same Cham receiued the holy law of the christian faith was baptized by a Bishop being the chancellor of Armenie with a brother also of his whom Hayton being cosen Germain of the said king of Armenie calleth Haullon and Paul the Venetian Allau This Allau was sent by his brother Mango Cham with the king of Armenie aforesaid accompaned with a mightie armie to make war on the Turkes who passed the riuer of Tygris and tooke the realme of Persia which remayned without gouernour sithens the Corasmins had inioyed the same After which hee inuaded and tooke the countrie of the Assassins whom the Latins doe call Arsacides of which people there is much mention made in the histories of the passage of the famous Godefride de Boillon For which cause it cannot be much from my purpose if I declare partly wher this countrie of the Assassins lieth and what people they be This territorie being no great countrie is situated at the foot of the mountain Libanus towards the Orient as Brocard the Monke affirmeth beyond Antaradus otherwise called Tortosa and frontereth vppon Persia towardes the North which both the said Hayton Paul the venetian doe call Mulete The Lord of this countrie was called Aloadin or Aladin which signifieth Diuine or of God THE Histories of the sayde passage doe name it le viel de la Montaigne as also do Hayton and Paul the Venetian who were then liuing This territorie is as it were a plaine enuironed round about with mountaines into the which was but one onelie entrie passage vpoÌ„ the which Aladin aforesayde caused a great fortresse to be builded named Tigado All the sayd plaine naturally is very fertile and pleasant to the eye by reason of the faire medowes brookes woods groues wherwith the same doth plentifully abound Besides which naturall contents this Aladin had furnished the said plaine euery where with beautifull Gardins vergers rich palaces and houses of pleasure in most sumptuous wise that could be deuised and therewith caused the same to be enhabited with the fayrest young men women of the best faces that any where he could finde For which purpose too he waged certaine soldiors to awaite and watch the getting of such young men and beautifull women Hayton saith that this Aladin cared for no manner of Religion Paul the Venetian sayeth that hee was a Mahemetist When Aladin had thus surprised any young man hee was brought to this castle of Tigado and within a litle time on some faire day when the sunne dyd shine verie cleere one should come and bring this man thus taken a drinke which would enforce him so strongly to sleepe that he should so remaine a very long space without any manner of moouing or feeling as though he were plainly dead Than would he cause him to be borne into this vallie and so thorough his faire palaices and gardens among his beautifull women and withall to be clothed in rich apparell So as whan hee waked hee found himselfe an other man as though comde into a new world In such his galantrie hee was straight wayes enterteygned feasted with the Ladies there and wonderfullie welcommed with the shew of all manner of pastimes and trayned to all kinde of pleasures which youth and lust could desire and this so long as all that day would endure At night after a certain banquet prepared whervpon to repast the like drink as before to make him sleepe againe was giuen him Thus being made to sleepe his sumptuous apparel was taken of his former garments put on so brough againe into the said fortresse from whence he went and into such place as might be much vnlike to that which he had beene before So as vpon his awaking he should soone perceiue himselfe in an obscure euill sented old chamber cleane chaunged from the place where he could not but remember he had beene before When Aladin vpon conference with him would declare that the place where hee had beene was Paradice and that it was in his power to send him thether whan hee would if therefore the young man had minde to continue such blessednesse for euer it was graunted vpon condition that he would take courage and hardinesse to aduenture his life and to die for him in such seruice as vpon occasion hee would commaund To which numbers of young men for recouerie of that felicitie and Paradize whereof before they had tasted would soone giue their consent as not esteeming any aduenture dangerous whereby to atteigne that which hee most desired when Aladin to make these men the more feruent to execute his desires would cause them sundrie times to bee had to these places of pleasure and to tast thereof as beefore And thus serued this pestilent Viel de la Montaigne for sending abroad his wicked Ministers to murder and kill Princes euen in their owne houses who cared not of the losse of their owne liues in executing their dampnable purposes so that they might atteigne their vain Paradize as they expected before hand promised by Aladin Of this pernicious band were those Assassines that had almost killed Richard King of England in his owne Paâ—ilioÌ„ being in the holy land one of which likewise murdered at Sur Conrade the Contee of Montferrat and an other that valiaunt Contee of Tripoly in his owne house whereby I thinke the Italians doe call those to be Assassins which we in our French tongue doe call Brigans that is to say spoylers and cut-throtes The saide Allau therefore besieged the same stronge fortresse of Tigado where before he could get the same hee dyd lye there in siege the space of three yeeres Hayton sayeth hee beesieged it by the space of seauen and twentie yeeres and in the ende for want and lacke of clothes to couer theyr bodyes though they had victualls ynough the Soldiors defendaunts yeelded the castle which afterward was razsed and laide leuell with the earth while the siege thus continued Allau returned into Persia king Hayton into Armenye IN the yeere of our Lord God 1255. Allau with the king of Armenie returned and came against the Caliph of Baudraz where they besieged him in Baudraz which in the ende they tooke with the Caliph also and all his treasure being of an inestimable value Which treasure whan Allau had seene he demaunded of the Caliph why hee dyd not therewith leauie wage soldiors for his owne defence considering his so great meanes Wherevnto the Caliph aunswered that vnto that time hee alwayes supposed his owne subiects had beene sufficient ynough to haue resisted any â—orreine enemie which Allau vnderstanding immediatly caused all that treasure to bee had into a tower and the Caliph there to bee set in the middest of the same treasure prohibiting that any should giue him eyther meate or drinke whereby hee miserably dyed thorough famin in the middle of his riches And thus ended the Empire of the Caliphes of Baudraz
conduct the King of Armenia into Armenia but there to abide at the kings appointment to garde and defend the dominions of Armenia vnto such time as hee the same Cassan could conueniently raise an other army to returne againe in person against the Souldain of Egipt but alas to the great infortunity of christendome this valiant Cassan dyed soone after Some doe suppose that of him Sury toke the name of Azamie for that the Turks call Azam or Assam Assamie Howbeeit it may bee that this worde Azamie is deriued from the auncient name of Aram son of Sem who were sons of Noe of whom the same country once was named by the Hebrux Aram that is to say high or excellent which they would pronouÌ„ce Aramie After this Cassan or Assan succeeded Carbagan whom some doe call Cerbagat the Frenchmen name Corbadan son of the sayd Cassan who also was christened at his baptisme was named Nicolas so remayned a good christiaÌ„ man during his mothers life but after his mothers decease he wickedly fell into the abhominable sect of Mahumet which all his successors after him did neuer forsake and at this daye doe maintaine the same Of the said Cassan or Assan are discended the kings of Persia who in honour of this Cassan haue taken vpon them the Surname of Cassan vnto Vssun Cassan of whom otherwhere we haue made mencion But now we name the princes of Persia Sophies for that Seichayder Sophi maried the daughter of Vsun cassan begat vpon hir Ismael Sophi who reigned a little before our time was father to Taamar Sophi who at this day reigneth in Persia The Turks doe call Persia Pharsie and the Persians Quezelbach that is to say red heads as before of them I haue spoken which Persians and Turks are perpetuall mortall enemies one against the other very different in opinion touching their supersticious law and beliefe A little beefore I haue made mention of the beeginning of the Empire of the Caliphes of Baudraz vnto their end Likewise of the Miramamolins vnto their deuisions and in such sort of the Persians so much as I could get knowledge of them Of the Othmans I haue amply inough spoken before so as I neede not further so entreat of them least I should passe and exceede the measure of a Summarie or an abridgment I haue written also of the beginning of the Empire in Egipt therfore now it behoueth me to shew how the same fell into the puissaunce and dominacion of the Mamaluchs In the yeere 1160. that Almery king of Hierusalem besieged the great city of Caire as before I haue spoken the Souldain named Quare who as then was also called the Caliphe perceiuing that he was not able to resist the christians hee required succours at the Souldan of Halep who sent him a Captaine named Saracon or Syracon and by some called Syrasson who by his nation was a Corasmin this Syracon hauing in such sort giuen aide to the Caliph that his countries were defended from the enemie and therewith perceyuing how vnmeet the Caliph was to rule through his cowardnesse to much feare in him resident considering also how few friends he had to leane to him in time of necessitie he tooke the Caliph put him in prison wher he died and Saracon made himselfe Souldain of Egipt Thus the Empire of the Sarazins or Arabians was transferred into the handes of the Corasmins or After Melechnazer was Souldain Melechseraph which word signifieth the ardent or bright Prince who did win vpon the christians the towne of Acre in Sury in the yeere of our Lord God 1293. and chased the christians out of all Sury which he ioyned to the kingdome of Egipt he was the first that caused to be coined in Egipt the Ducats of Golde which are there called Seraphes This Soldain is named by Sabellicus and others Melecastraphus Thus proceeded the said Mammeluchs to dominate and rule in Egipt and did choose their Souldains either vpon christians that became renies or that were christians children bought as abouesaid and educated in that forme of religion trained so to the warres as aboue is declared albeit therwere none of these MaÌ„meluchs that durst goe alone through the city wher they were but by expresse commandement of their Emyrs who were their superiors they should goe two at the least togethers and to bee briefe these Mammeluchs had the authoritie and dominacion ouer all the people of Egipt Surie from the time they chased the christians out of Surie vntill that Selim the great Turke as afore is mencioned vtterly ouethrew them their name for euer Thus the first of the law of Mahumet that reigned in Asia were the Arabians whom the Hebreus and Suriens doe call Saba and the Greeks Sabâ—i they themselues doe name Sarazins after theâ— ther did the Turquimans or Turkes rule who chased from thence the Sarazins these Turks were Parthians as Hayton doth fronter and limit them The Turks likewise were driuen from thence by the Tartaries beeing Scithians orientall who haue taken vpon them also the name of the Turks though they be none in deed and at this present reigning vnder the name of the Turks who of very truth are but Tartaires and Scithians by their discent which their maner of fight and weapon therewith that they vse as their bowes made of horne which our elders doe appoint and attribute to the Scithians sufficiently doe witnesse Againe the language Tartaresque and the Turks speech are not much different for Michael de Michou saith that the Tartairs who destroied Russia and the regions thereabouts named in their language Tartaresque the tops of steeples of Churches there Altum Bachne considering those toppes of steeples were gilded so in the Turks language this word Altum Bachne signifieth a head of gold or gilded Wherefore according to the opinion of Authors one may iudge that they are Scithians and Tartares to whom the name of the Turks are giuen at this day whose elders in that they possessed the countrey of Turquestan of that region they haue left the name of Turks to the Turks that presently reigne beeing their posteritie which to others perhaps is vnknowne being ignorant both of the difference of these two nations so far of and barbarous and of the chaunges fortuned in their kingdomes Heere endeth the first booke To the VVorshipfull his very good Cosen William Carr of Stafford in the county of Lincolne Esquire and one in hir Maiesties Commission of peace there SYR to you who are the second possessor of my heere expressed rich will though weake power I commend this second booke of my French and Italian traductions concerning the succession of the great house of Ottoman and those their fortunate armes whether in offence or defence taken The rather for that your selfe beeing resident in court where this argument by reason of the present Hungarian wars and the often assemblies of the Germaine Princes to prouide some remedy
for their feared harmes is much spoken of you may with others see the manner and growing of this continuing and admired felicitie heere by me deciphered though the meanes how by very few is seene saue such onely as are true spectators and obseruers of high reaching pollicie what my paines hath effected in this point I freely giue as you may boldly chalenge it for your due who desire nothing more then euer to be found the generall and perticuler seruant of your selfe and your most worthy brothers true iointenants by vndeuided moieties as our lawiers terme it of mee and what I may whereof the suruiuor whilst I suruiue may dispose of the whole And so with all duety done which may be demanded of a most affectionate kinsman and seruiceable friend I take my leaue from the middle Temple in London this 20 of March 1600. Your worships of all others most at command R. Carr. The second Booke Of the conquests made by the Turkes and the succession of the house of Ottoman I Supposed to haue ben acquited dispatched from your earnest suits and fully to haue satisfied your demaunds to the best of my knowledge and power touching the affaires and matters concerning the Turks Now you desire of me their progresse and continuances as it were from the father to the sonne how they haue proceeded attained vnto the conquests of so many regions which at this day they possesse and keepe Yet you consider litle the affaires wherwith I am coÌ„tinually occupied nor the imbesilitie of my memorie that so redely should write vnto you a Historie of matters that haue passed two hundred yeeres more in Countries so far of sundry full of vocables names both right strange and different from our vulgar language Wherefore in this request if I satisfie you not in such good sort as your desire yet you ought to accept my paines in good part for be it well or euill it beehoueth mee to doe as you will haue me In the yeere of our lord God one thousand three huÌ„dred at such time as the Emperour Henry the seuenth of that name purposed to renew in Italie the partialities diuisions of the Guelfes Gibelins at which time also reigned in France Philip le Bel there were in Natolie or Asia the lesse certaine Captaines of the Turks wher this nacion had continued euer sithens the passage and famous iourney of Godefroy de Bologne duke of Boullon and there had remained euer since the time that they presented themselues against the army of the christians before the citie of Nice which we may name Victoire anciently called Antigonia vnder their valiant generall named Solyman or Soleyman After which passed an hundred yeeres more that not any did speake of this Nation vnto such time as I haue said there were in Natolie sundry Captaines among the which more famous than the rest were Othman Caraman and Assan or Azam called by way of dignitie Begy or Bey which is as much as Seigneur or Mounsiâ—ur in our English tongue Lord howbeit the Turks doe abstract and withdraw from this word Begy this letter y and so doe call them Othmanbeg Caramanbeg Assambeg Othmanbeg who was very valiant and a man of great actiuitie allied himselfe with two Greeks Reniez and a third being a Turke borne the one of these Greeks was called Michali the other Marco Of the saide Michali are discended the Michalogli of whom there continue some at this day as likewise such of the lignage of Marco who are named Marcozogli the Turke was named Aramy of the race of whom called Auramogly none can be found that any knoweth the successours of this Auramy are accounted and reputed to bee of the bloud royall of the Turks and to them the Empire of the Turks should appertaine if euer the Othmans line should be extinguished With the helpe aid of these three Othmanbag aforesaid became of meruailous credit puissance in such sort as he coÌ„quered sundry cities townes situated vpon the sea side of La Mer Maiour otherwise called in latin Pontus Euxiâ—us amoÌ„g them the towne of Syuas which the Greeks call Sebasie was one which is named by vs in fraunce Auguste Caraman did draw himselfe towards Cilicia where he rested called that region according to his owne name Caramania Assam repaired into Persia which the Turks do call Pharsic as also into Assiria which according to his name he caused to be called Azamie These last two and their successours haue euer sithens beene vnmercifully persecuted by Othman and his posteritie In such sort as vtterly they haue destroied Caraman his bloud gotten his countries But Assambeg notwithstanding which is called the Sophi right valiantlie doth defend his owne and liueth in continuall warres and enmetie with the Othmans This Othman reigned twentie and eight yeeres vnto the beeginning of the reigne of Phillippe de Valloys the french King Which Othman was so surnamed of a certaine towne or castle called Othmanach situated in Natoly betwixt Synope and Trebisonde the famous cities and left a sonne named Orcan who succeded his father in his dominions Orâ—an the sonne of Othman maried the daughter of Caramanbeg and after made cruell war vpon him causing to bee put to death his eldest sonne brother to his wife whom before hee had taken in battaile he tooke also the citie of Bursie which the auncients named Prusias At this very same time Andronico Paleologo then Emperour of Constantinople dieng did leaue his sonnes named Caloiany and Andronico vnder the gouernance regiment of Iohn Catacusan who though hee very prudently behaued himselfe during the time of this his regiment yet through the malice of the Patriarch and of an other person of base conditions and birth howbeit of meruailous credit after with the Emperour Catacusan was expelled who notwithstanding found the meane after to returne againe to Constantinople more strong than beefore and for the more assurance of himselfe he caused his daughter to bee giuen in mariage to the young Emperour Caloiany howbeit they could not so long remaine in concorde but that the Emperour secretly departed to the Isle of Tenedo where an army of the Geneuois to the number of threescore Gallies came to succour him who brought him backe to Constantinople and chased from thence Catacusan Now he immediatly repaired for aide to the Venetians through whose help retourning home assailed the army of the Geneuois riding with their Gallies in the Canall of Constantinople aunciently called Propontis howbeeit the victorie remained to the Geneuois and the Citie with Caloiany who in recompence of their worthy seruice rewarded them and their Captaine named Francis Cataluz with the gift of the Isle of Methelin in times past named Lesbos Who continued the possession thereof vnto the time that Mahumet the second did winne the same from Nicolas Cataluz the last Duke thereof This little deuision engendred after most cruell wars betwixt the Geneuois and the Venetians
of the saide Amurath and of Iriny a Christian woman daughter to George the Despot of Seruia who beganne to reigne the one and twentie yeere of his age and two yeeres after did winne by assault the Citie of Constantinople Anno Domini 1453. where the Emperour Constantinie was slayne by which it so came to passe that as one Constantine sonne to Helen was the first Emperour of Constantinople so an other Constantine sonne of an other Helen was the last Christian Emperour there This Mahumet proued in the ende neither Musulman or Mahometist for in his infancye hee was instructed in the christian faith by his said mother and after by others in the Turkish supersticion howbeit whan he came to age he cared neither for the one nor other In the beginning of his reigne he caused two of his bretheren being but of very tender age the one of a yeere and a halfe the other not passing sixe moneths olde to be slaine howbeit some doe affirme that the elder sonne was secretly saued an other childe beeing put in his roome who was caried to Venice and from thence to Rome to Pope Calixt who caused him to bee baptised and named Calixt Othman vpon whom the Emperour Frederic afterwards did bestow great liuings Mahumet hauing thus taken Constantinople as I haue declared did inuade the dominions of Hungary and besieged Belgrado from which hee vvas repulsed by the worthie Iohn Huniades that was then within Belgrado with the Cardinall Angelo and the famous gray Frier called Iohn Capistran From this siege Mahumet withdrew himselfe and his army with shame inough for beesides his owne hurts wounds he lost wholy his artillerie baggage with his for euer hope to haue the realme of Hungarie besides hee was compelled wholy to attend the recouerie of the dominion of Moree which the Venetians had wonne from him hauing repaired the Examilo which is a long wall of the length of sixe Italian miles extending from the Gulfe Patras which the latines doe call Sinu Corinthiacus vnto the Bay of Egino named in latin Sinus Megaricus betweene which two Gulfs as it were in the midst of the Istmus not passing sixe miles broad being a peece of grouÌ„d comparable vnto a bridge tyeng the dominion and territorie of Peloponesus vnto the maine land of Grecia the Citie of Corinthe stood sometime of notable fame but now reduced to a little village called Coranto the which long vvall named the Examilo Amurath in his life had caused to bee demolished and cast downe to the end to haue the more easie passage into Peloponesus but when Mahumet came the Venetians hoping they had beene strong inough in a battaile which they fought vvith him vvere cleane ouerthrovven vvhere a great number of Italian Captaines vvere slaine so as Mahumet recouered the chiefe of the territory of Peloponesus foorthvvith againe after vvhich in the very sight of the Venetians hee did vvinne from them the vvhole Iland of Negropont called also Euboea ioyned to the firme main land vvith a bridge vvith the Ilands of Stalimene anciently named Lemnos and Methelin called Lesbos appertaining then to Nicholas Cataluz a Geneuois and so prosecuting his good fortune hee tooke the Isle of Saint Maura called Nerytus and by some Leucas Leucadia together vvith the Isles of Zante aunciently named Zacynthus and Cephalenia called novv Chiphalonie Hee recouered the strong tovvne of Croya after the death of Scanderbeg spoiled the tovvne of Scodra called novv Scutare from Seigneur Aranith Comino or Comnenus surnamed Golent father of Seigneur Constantine vvho then gouerned the Marquesdome of Montferrato after the death of the Duchesse his niece at vvhich time Charles the eight the French King retourned from Naples after all this Mahumet inuaded the territorie of Bosne and tooke the Despot thereof called Stephan Hierchec and of some Historiographers the Duke Latic and caused his head to bee smitten off compelling a yong sonne of this Despot to be made a Renie and to be circumsised in surnaming him Achmath Hee tooke from the Geneuois their towne of Capha auncientlie called Theodosia situated in Prezocopie named by the Geographers Taurica Chersonesus which is as though it were halfe and sland as is Peloponesus and hath on the one side the Gulf of Nigropila called Sinus Carciniâ—â—s on the other the Baye called La Mer Noir named in latin Bâ—cis Paulus from which not very far distant is the famous Gulfe called Palus Meotis commonly named the Gulf de li Tana during which time of these his expedicions exploits in war in countries so farre distant the one from the other hee was assalted in Natolie by Piramet Caraman who enforced him to relinquish his further enterprises Notwithstanding before his departure he tooke the strong fortresse of Mancup or Manlzup situated in the Isthmus or strait peece of ground which knitteth or ioyneth Prezocopie vnto the firme land called by the ancients Taphre now Azan or Assou standing vpon the shore of the Gulf of Tâ—na That done Mahumet retired into Natelie and repulled from thence Caraman inuading the countries of the same Caraman whereof he did win a great part and in his returne tooke the citie of Sinopes the Metropolis of Papâ—lagonia which standeth vpon the coast of the sea called anciently Pontus Euxinus now La Mer Maiour as also vpon the same coast the renowned citie of Trapezonda being the chiefe city of the Empire of Trapezonda where he did put to death the Emperour therof called Dauid Conino or Comnenus who was a Christian discended of the valiaunt Isaac Conino who from a meane Captaine became Emperour of Constantinople after the Emperour Michaell all which troubles aboue said came to passe when as the Hungarians and those of Austrich moued wars against the Emperour Frederic to recouer Ladislaus whom some doe call Lancelot the sonne of Albert to be their king and lord whom Frederic had in keeping yet would not restore him though he was adiudged meete to reigne while Mahumet became thus victorious there did spring a new enemie against him named Vssuncassan or Assambeg the prince of Persia who with a great power of the Persians whom the Turkes doe call Keselbach that is to say red heads by reason that they did weare red hoods entered into Capadoce and Trapesonde and fought two battailes with Mahumet in the first of which Mahumet was ouerthrowen but in the second Assambeg had the worst and therby lost sundry of his dominions This Vssuncassan or Assambeg was sonne in law to the saide Dauid Conyno Emperour of Trebisonde of whom beefore I made mencion who reigned in the yeere of our Lord God 1472. Mahumet thus deliuered of his aduersarie retourned into Caramany after the death of Pyramet Caraman and enforced Abraham his sonne to seeke for succours from the Christians and chiefelie of Pope Pius the second of that name who was determined in person to haue gone against the Turke and for that purpose was repayred to the Citie of
Ancona where hee had in readinesse a great army on the sea but while hee stayed there for the Venetians that should haue accompanied him in the voyage Pius dyed without any further exploit done at that time Whereby it so came to passe that this army being scattered and the Allemans and the Hungarians continuing still at warres this infortunate Caraman not able to resist Mahumet was in the end miserablie slaine by him and by this meane the race of Caraman was vtterly ouerthrowen and his dominions rested in the subiection of the Othmans Mahumet now assured and safe vpon this coast of Cilicia sent Omarbey the Sangiac of Bosnia who was sonne of a Geneuois to pill and ouerrunne the countrie of Istria called Liburnia as likewise to spoile the territorie of Carinthia commonly called Crayn so to furrow the land of Stiria anciently called Valeria now at this day named Steirmarck all which countries are comprehended vnder the name of Illirium This Omarbey in executing his princes commandement passed vnto the region of Frioll which in latin is called Forum Iulii trauesing mightie and great riuers both by foords and bridges made on boates as occasion serued and ouerthrew the armie of the Venetians that came to debat his passage in which conflict were slaine taken a great company of notable good Captaines of Italy Of another part Mahumet did send Athmath Bacha surnamed Ghendich that is to say with a great Tooth sonne of Stephan sometime Despot of Bosnia of whom I dyd speake beefore with a great army by sea into Italy who tooke the towne of Otrantâ— called in latin Hydruntus and of the auncients Iâ—pigium situated in the territorie of Apulia in Italie a little beefore which Mesith Bacha Paleologo discended of the race of the Emperour of Constantinople did beesiege the famous citie of the Rhodes with a mightie army from which hee was repulsed by the Christians that valiauntly defended the same Now Mahumet not contented thus with these three Armies in person went against the Soldain of Egipt but being arriued nigh vnto Nicomedia a Citie of Bithynia in Natoly which Citie at this day is called Comidy and of the Turks Nichor Mahumet died in the yeere of our Lord God 1442 of his age 54. And of his reigne 31. About the ende of Loys the eleuenth and the beginning of the reigne of Charles the eight the French king This Mahumet was called by the Turks Mahumet Boiuc that is to say Mahumet the great who left beehinde him two sonnes the one called Pazait and the other Zizimy which is to say loue for Mustapha his eldest sonne who was Gouernour of Icony called Iconium in Latin dyed soone after the second battell fought as aboue saide against Vsuancssan in which battell Mustapha had very valiantly behaued himselfe PAZAIT otherwise called Bazait the second of that name and the yongest as was supposed of his three Bretheren thorough the aide and fauour of the Ianizares of whom their Laga or Captaine was his sonne in law seized and atteigned the Empire And Zizimy his brother was planted in the Citie of Bursie wherewith and the dominions of the same hee could haue very well contented himselfe But Bazait would not let him rest so nigh for which with the armie that was put in redinesse by his father to haue gone against the Soldan of Egipt he draue his brother Zizimy out of Bursie So as Zizimy for succour was enforced to repaire to the Soldain of whom he was aided both with men and money yet neuerthelesse after he had fought two battels and lost them both hee was in the ende vtterly put to flight by Achmat Ghendich Bacha and not knowing how to recouer himselfe retired into the Isle of Rhodes to require succors of vs Christians being then of the age of eight and twentie yeeres Whereof Bazait beeing aduertised sent great gifts and presents to the great maister and counsaile of the Rhodes beeseeching them to keepe well his brother Zizimy and for the maintenaunce of his estate and entertainment he would cause yeerely to bee payde to them the summe of fortie thousand Ducats as also during the time of his keeping he would make no manner of inuasion vpon the Christians For which this Zizimy for saftie and to keepe Bazait in continuall feare and subiection was sent into the realme of Fraunce where hee continued very long in a house of the order of the Rhodes called Bourgeneuf but after hee was giuen to P. P. Innocent the eight of that name and had to Rome where hee was resident whan Charles the eight inuaded the Realme of Naples who needes would haue Zizimy away with him hopeing by his meanes to recouer the Empire of Constantinople but the P. P. Alexander the sixt of that name perceiuing hee must depart with Zizimy whither hee would or no enpoysened him in such sort as was said that after such his delyuerie hee dyed within three dayes at Tarracine Baizait thus dispatched of his brother beeganne to inuade the Countries of Transyluania and tooke Moncastro standing on the Riuer of Neper called in Lattin Boristhenes with the towne of Lithostomo at the mouth of the riuer of Danubye After which he caused to be put to death his famous Generall Achmat Ghendich Bacha comparable in valour to any excellent man of warre of his time He was sonne to Stephan sometime Despot of Bosnia as beefore I declared This being done to pursue the entent and purpose of his father Mahumet against the Soldain of Egipt and partly to reuenge himselfe vpon the same Soldain for mayntaining of his brother Zizimy against him hee sent a mightie armie into Sury Of the which the Mammaluchs getting intelligence assembled themselues at Antioche marching towardes the Turkes whome they found encamped vnder the mountaine Amanus now called Monte Negro wher they couragiously encountred their enemyes betwixt the same mountain and the Golfe of Layasse which is called in Latin Sinus Issicus Where sometime also Alexander the great discomfited king Darius ouerthrew the Turkes armie and tooke prisoner the Generall of the same called Cherseogli sonne in law of Bazait whom they brought to the Soldain than being at his great Citie of Cair which the Turkes called Mitzir But seeing I am thus chaunced to make mencion of these Mammaluchs I shall not much digresse from my matter if first I shew you what these Mammaluchs are This woord Mammaluch in the Surienne tongue beeing the common language vsed in Africk which wee call Moresque and the most enlarged and extended vulgare speech that at this day is vsed in the world betokeneth or signifieth a seruiteur or soldior This Soldain and the Mammeluchs were of one manner of Religion and liued without marriage as those that are of the order of the Rhodes the knights of Malta doe who aboue their other apparrell vsed to weare a gowne of white Bocassin bright artificially made to shine And as the great Turk hath foure Visir Bacha exceeding the
others in dignitie So hath the Soldain foure Emir Quibir surmounting the rest in honour next vnto the Soldain For this word Emir betokeneth an Admerall and Quibir signifieth great So as this woord Emir Quibir is as much to say a great Admerall Besides they had in their society a great constable called in their tongue Derdard Quibir whom Paulus Iouius calleth the great Diadaro The Soldain being but a Mammaluch is chosen to that dignitie by the rest of the brothers as they doe elect the great Maister of the Rhodes and most often hee is of one of their Emirs Who being thus elected to be Soldain giueth to euery of the other Mammaluchs by way of reward a hundred Duckets for his welcome All which Mammaluchs were Christians Renies or sonnes of Christians as are the Ianizaries who in no case would receiue any Turke Moore or Iewe to be of their societie being all Liuerous for so the Turkes doe name them This Liuerous were aunciently named Hiberi and Circassi whom they call Cercaz among whom the Colchi Georgii Albani and others Christians who were Iacobits and Nestorians remaining about the riuer of Phaso otherwise called Phasis were accounted This Circassi beeing young whan the Tartarians dyd surprise and take them were carryed by troopes and solde to the saide Emirs with whom they were brought vp in the exercise of armes but chiefely on horsback who beecomming very valyaunt were made Mammaluchs obseruing the Mahumeticall law This order of the Mammaluchs beganne at such time as the king saint Lois was taken prisoner before Damyate which some cal Heliopolis among whom the first Soldain was named Melechsalem whom they dyd kill and was the cause that the sayd saint Loys was the more easily deliuered But to returne to Bazait this ouerthrow that the Turkes thus receiued nigh to the Golfe of Layasse by the Mammaluchs was the greatest calamitie that euer came to the Turckes whereof Bazait hauing receiued intelligence and perceiuing that his affaires had small good successe on that side retired his force into Sclauonye and there tooke the towne of Durazo aunciently called Dirrachium and Epidamnus perteigning to the familie of the Carlouichs who affirmed themselues to haue descended out of the house of the kings of Fraunce That is to say from Charles of Durazo surnamed de le Faix sonne of Peter Duke of Grauyn sonne of Charles second king of Naples and of Hungary in the right of his wife The which Charles was sonne of Charles D'aniou king of Naples brother to the said king saint Loys IN the yeere of our Lord God 1493. Bazait sent eight thousand horsemen vnder the leading of Cadum Bacha to ouer runne the Countries lying betweene Hungarie and Sclauonie against whom certaine of the Nobility of Hungary Croace and Sclauony dyd assemble themselues and encountered the Turckes nigh vnto the Riuer of Moraua auncientlie called Moschus where the Christians were ouerthrowen Fiue yeeres after Haly Bacha the Albaneze and Enuch with a great armie by sea made towardes the towne of Iara or Iadera situated on the shore of the Golfe of Venice in the coast of Sclauony And albeit that the forces of the Venetians which was very mightie on the sea pursued the Turkes yet durst they not charge thē which Haly Bacha perceiuing tooke at their noses the towne of Lepantho aunciently called Naupactum IN the yeere of our Lord God 1500. Bazait came in person to Modon that somtime was called Methones in Moree and tooke the same And after when Lewes the twelfth the French King ioyned in aliaunce with the Venetians against Ludouic Sforza the vsurper of the Duchie of Milayn Bazait at the request of Sforza caused tenne thousand horsemen to inuade the territorie of Friol insomuch as they approched euen to the towne of Triuiso in the view of the Citie of Venice For which the Venetians prepared immediatly a great armie on the sea against the Turkes with whom the Gallies of Fraunce vnder the charge of Seigneur Rauestaing as also the Gallies of the king of Aragon vnder the leding of the famous Don Ferrando Consaluo ioyned with which armie they dyd win from the Turks the Islands of Cephalonia and saint Mauro But vpon certaine conclusions of peace traicted by the meanes of Messire Andreas Gritti who afterwardes was Duke of Venice betwixt the Venetians the Turkes were againe surrendered yet the Gallies of Fraunce passed forwardes to the Isle of Lesbos otherwise called Metheline hopeing to haue subdued the same but not able to bring their enterprise to passe they returned home againe About this time beeganne the fame and renowne of Siach Ismael the king of Persia by surname called the Sophie according to the name of his father who was sonne to the Daughter of Vssuncassan and of one Seich Ayder that is to say the good Religioux for he was reputed among the Persians to bee a very good and holy man and a Prophet called Sophi of that sect new begunne among the Mahumetists which they call Sophi or Sophilar of the which I dyd speake beefore according to the which hee lyued Some holde opinion that hee was called Sophi of the Countrey of Sophena which was vnder his dominion But neyther the Turkes nor yet the Persians know what Countrey Sophena is The sayde Seich Ayder after the death of Vsuncassam was shamefully slayne by the commandement of Iacopbeg his brother in law doubtting that the people of Persia who meruailously were affected owardes Seich would haue deposed the sayd Iacopbeg and made Seich to haue beene theyr King For which Seich Ismaell hearing of his fathers death beeing than not passing eyght yeeres of age fledde to the towne of Leziam situated vppon the Sea of Abacuth commonly called Caspium where hee remayned vntill hee came to mans age and than returned into Persia where finding meanes to assemble but three hundered men thorough theyr help hee tooke the towne of Sumach and after increasing his number hee wanne the Citie of Taurys in Armeny with the towne of Syras where the good Armours are made Hee afterwardes vanquished and slew in fight Aluant sonne of Iacopbeg who made him-selfe King after the death of his father who was sonne to Vsuncassan Vncle to the sayde Ismaell and entered in league with the Prince Aladulad or Anaudule and the Soldain of Egypt by whome hee was drawne to mooue warre against Bazait against whom he obtayned sundry victories About this time Selym the youngest sonne of Bazait departed from Trebisconde whereof he was gouernour and without the knowledge of his father married with the daughter of the Cham of Tartarie Prezecopie Thorough whose aide and a great number of Horsemen which his brother in law called of the Turkes Chamogly or Canogly brought to accompany him hauing already gained the hearts of his fathers Iannizaries Hee enforced Bazait his father to leaue to him his Empire Which Bazait purposing to draw himselfe to the cost of the sea Maior otherwise named Pontus Euxinus and there to leade
of his age who the yeere next ensuing by the coūsail of Peribacha beseged Belgrado did win it from king Lewes of Hungary the son of Lancelot who at that time was very young hauing the Princes Lords of his Countrie at discord among them selues about the Regimēt of their King and of his Realme Whereby it came to passe that no maner of Order was foreseen either for the defence or succoring of that famous Place The next yeere after hee beesieged the Rhodes espying alwayes after the custome of his elders the discords diuisions among Christian Princes the which enterprice was cleerely against the minde and counsail of Peribacha who accompted that Iourney very doubtfull and of no litle aduenture Howbeit the same succeded too well with him as he desired In the yeere of our Lord God 1527. whan Italy was in wars troubles Solyman entred into Hungary in fauour as he said of Iohn de Ziphs the Vayuod of Sibenbourg who pretended that the kingdome of Hungarie dyd to him onely of right appertaine wher it came to passe that the young King Lewes comming in person to the fight was slaine after which the said Iohn attaining the kingdome dyed leauing a yong son an Infant behinde him vnder protection of Solyman with his Kingdome likewise The same Selyman in the yeare 1535. going in expedicion against Thomas king of the Persians toke from him the whole country of Mesopotamia vvith the citie of Babilon and in 1538 continuing at Aulona hee gaue an attempt to the vvinning of the Isle of Corcyra 1540 hee both besieged and tooke the strong fortres called Castell Nouo in Dalmatia In the yeere 1541 Iohn de Ziphs king of Hungaria being dead as aforesaid his widdow calling Solyman to hir aide who as then vvas besieged in the citie of Buda by Ferdinand king of the Romains The said Solyman not onely came to releeue hir but beating back the army of Ferdinand tooke the said citie placed therin a Bassa and sent the vviddovv vvith hir infant son into Transiluania The yeere following the same Solyman defended the city of Pestum in Hungaria against the vnited and assembled forces of the whole Germain Empire and after toke from them the two strong holdes of Strigonium and Alba Regalis and in fine concluded peace with Ferdinand king of the Romains and Hungaria vpon condicion of a yeerelie pension which they doe call a tribute to bee paied him In the yeere 1549 and 1550 hee vndertoke another expedicion against the Persians and established a Beglerbeg at Vanum in the confines of Media and Armenia after which he possessed himselfe of Tripolis in Africa Temeswar in Hungaria the which with the adioyning countries he committed to the defence of a new Bassa In the yeere 1553 he commanded his eldest son Mustapha to bee put to death at Halep gaue order though in vaine that Zegethum in Hungaria should be besieged afterward enforced his son Baiaseth desirous to succeed his father hauing first ouercome him in battell to fly to the king of the Persians where being apprehended he the said Baiaseth with his foure sons Solyman his nephews were cruelly slaine 1560 the Turks gaue a great ouerthrow to the Christians at the Iland of Garbe while the saide Christians were desirous to recouer the towne of Tripolis formerly taken as is said by the Turks After which the said Solyman attempted but with small succes the Iland of Malta yet toke that of Chios belonging to the state of Genua Lastly being againe recald into Hungaria by Iohn of Transiluania he died before Zegethum in the yeere 1566. and of his age seauentie sixe To whom succeeded his son Selimus the second this Selimus made peace with Maximilian the Emperour euery eight yeeres to be renewed toke from the possession of the Venetians the Isle of Ciprus in the yeere 1571 receiued that memorable ouerthrow in that worthy sea fought battell at Lepanto Hee likewise by Sinamus Bassa his generall toke in the kingdome of Tunis in Africk forty yeeres after that Charles the fift the Emperor had held it in his command caused that famous fort of the Gulet to be ouerthrowen leueled with the ground This Sinamus Bassa is he who at this day is the great cōmander of all ◠Turkish forces in Hungaria And so the said Selimus in the end of the yeer 1574 died Who left behind him a son called Amurath the third the which Amurath for the space of 14 continued yeers held wars both long some variable with the Persian king called Mahemet Hodobende as much to say as the seruant of God which wars scarce determined he began to make head against the Christians the Emperour Rodolphe by whose soldiors the Bassa Bosnensis 1593 and others at Sisciam in Hungaria had ben slaine This Amurath after many miseries inflicted vpon the poore remaynder of Hungaria the confines of Austria in the end of March the yeere 1595 concluded his daies To him succeeded Mahumet the third his son who now reigneth a yong man then of the age of thirty two yeeres little more or lesse of a great spirit able body infaligable minde who before the performance of his fathers funerall rites caused xviii of his brothers fathers sons by seuerall concubines to bee strangled all which with their said father he toke order should honorably in the same monument be enterred seauen twenty of his sisters he inclosed in the Seraglio a place in manner of a monestary deputed for the retyring of the great Senior his children the safe keeping of his concubines This Mahumet is thought to prosecut the wars against the Christians which his father left vnfinished with more feruent desire greater forces then any other before him In this sort as you see haue I for your content entred and finished this matter which required more largely to haue ben touched to haue busied one of better knowledge which things though but slightly run ouer may suffice to make aparant that since but meane princes in regard of the vnited Christian forces haue thus encombred the course of their conquests it is not Impossible the like againe may be done greater when God shall encourage vs thervnto The end of the second booke To the VVorshipfull his very good cosen Edward Carr of Sleford in the countie of Lincolne Esquier and one in hir Maiesties Commission of peace there SIR one and the same loue and duetie deriued from an infinit desire to serue and honour you formerly protested to your worthy brothers and now continued towards you hath drawen on this third booke in such sort as you see not without some speciall reason for heerein beeing in most liuely and faire lines laide forth the perfect modells of true valour and resolution with many other parts of action and exact military discipline admired presidents both for rule and example I could not in my owne conceit better dispose of then in commending vnto you beeing