them he determnâ—ed in any wise to haue it by force wherupon he caused forthwith neare vnto the same castel another castell to be buylded of farre greater heyght then the first from y e height wherof he did so beate his enemies day and nyght without cease that in the ende with the losse of a great number of his people he toke it of force After this hauyng intelligence that in the citie of Caphia a garison towne of the Genoueses was great store of golde and siluer in the handes of the marchantes he hauynge alreadye purpofed to take that towne by force which standeth in Cheronesso Taurico not far from the Bosphono and straite Timerico and considerynge that the treasure although he wanne the towne mought easelye be buried vnder the grounde and so saued he determined to haue both the towne treasure by this meane he called to him the skynners of his countrey such as had most riche furres as Sables Armines Genettes Martirones and suche lyke and gane them commaundement for the more spedie dispatche of y e matter that they shulde not passe for the sellyng of them at a lowe price to the ende that through the meanesse of the price the marchantes mought more gredily by them this matter beyng skilfully handlded was sone dispatched and immedialy after that he denounced warres agaynst them and forthwith presented him selfe with his armie to the towne and when he had enuironed the towne wyth his campe he planted his batteries and continued them day and nyght without ceasing in such sort that in short space he possessed the towne the marchantes the furres and the money which was an inestimable treasure It is written also that this was his ordre in beseeging of townes y e fyrst daye his owne lodgings were white and if in that day the inhabitants of the towne dyd yelde vnto him they receuid no hurte nother in body nor goodes the seconde daye his lodgings were red which signifyed to them of the towne that yf then they yelded that he wolde put to death all the masters of the families And the thyrde day was his last change which was in to blacke Pauillions and tentes and then refused he all appointments and when he had in this sorte taken any Citie or towne he put all that were in it to the sworde not sparing any of whatsoeuer age or kinde they were when he had thus done then wolde he commaunde to sack the towne and when the goodes were taken oute of it then wolde he cause fyre to be set in the towne so consume it to ashes leue it deserte And there is a bruite which coÌ„tinueth euen to this daye in those partes that on a tyme a certaine populouse citie defended them selues tyll the third day and then seing a great space of the walle laid flatte on the earth and the enemie in battaile redie to gyue y â— assaulte they were discoraged and thincking to pacifie y â— wrath of this cruel proude aud victoriouse enemie by humblyng them selues sent forth all the wemen and chyldren of the towne in white clothynge wyth oliue branches in their hands offeringe him the towne calling to him with lowde voice for mercy whom wheÌ„ Tamerlano sawe a farre of comming toward him he gaue commaundement to certaine bands of his horsemen to charge vpon them and to put them all to the sworde after this he toke the citie and sacqued it and then burned it it happened at that time by meanes of traffique of marchaundeze certaine marchante a Genouese borne to be greatly in fauor with Tamerlano and being with him at that same present discoursing of soÌ„drie matters asked him why he vsed so great crueltie towardes those people which he ouercame but he torned to him with an exceding troublouse contenance with eyes flaming like fyre and said vnto him yf thou doste thincke that I am aman thou arte much deceuid for I saye to the that I â—amthe wrath of God sent to plague and punishe the worlde and I commaunde the that yf thou woldest not receue due punnishement for thy auditiouse and folishe demaunde that thou gette the hence out of my sight that thou comme lesse in my presence the pore marchaÌ„t being much feared with the words of the Tyran departed from him was neuer sene after that by him they that haue sen Tamerlano liuing haue said that he resembled much both in face and maners Anibal of Carthage acordinge to the opinion of diurse ancient wryters and before all other offenses he shewed his seuere Iustice againste thefts in punnishing theÌ„ most sharply w tout any remission And it is thought that he dyd it to that ende that the feare of punnishement shoulde cause them to refraine to y e ende that he alone mought robbe and spoile acording to his owne desire the whole world and last of all his delighte was wholly set to gouerne in so much that he emploied him selfe continually as in an exercise most vertuouse to molest and trouble other princes with warres by the which he had subdued many kings and vtterly impouerished a greate numbre of tyranes made deserte many contreis and conuerted in to ashes an infinite numbre of cities and townes then last of al he retorned into his contrey with his army in credibly enriched with the spoyle of those natyons whoÌ„ he had subdued and also he vsed to take oute of euerye towne that yeldyed vnto him certaine of the cheife housholdes with all their substances and riches and to sende theÌ„ wholly in to Parthia When he was retorned home he builded a newe Citie very bewtifull and of a greate circuite and placed their in all those housholds afore rehersed in so much y e the newe Cytie beinge inhabyted w t these riche noble men of diuerse nationes in shorte tyme increased so in welth that yt became the cheife citie of all the Orient And yf it had happened that Tamerlano had had with him some man of excellent learning and wysedome who mought w t his writings haue celebrated the great enterprises that he dyd their is no doute but that he mought haue ben numbred amonge the cheife and princypall captaynes eyther of the olde worlde orels of this present age but god gyueth not all things to one man also it semed that his great crueltye which he vsed towarde those y â— he ouercame dyd not deserue to haue his fame celebrated by writing ne yet y e it mought long remaine to his posteritie when Tamerlano died he lefteto succide him in his Empire whiche he had thus gotteÌ„ by y e sworde two sonnes which after his death fel oute maiÌ„tained ciuil warres betwene them were the cause y e the olde and ancient parthicke fame clerely extinckte brought to obliuion and after ward by Tamerlano reuiued coulde not continewe nor encrease But nowe retorninge to our Historie where we left after that the armie of Baiazith was defeicted
two one proffited so well in the exercise of armes and also in gouernance that the Turcke had him in great estimation And in Albania the whiche is that part of Macedonia that lieth toward the weste and stretche the oute frō Durazzo to the ancient Citie Appolonia the langage of the Albaneses is propre to them selues and dothe differ from the speche of all those people that dwell aboute them for neither the Greeke ne yet the Schiauonese vnderstandeth it and we are not certaine in what sorte nor by what meanes they fyrste arriued in those partes ne yet of their ancient originall althoghe it be sayde that this nation with diuerse others came oute of Scithia Asiatica from that ancient Citie Albania not farre from Colchide and so went on wandring to seeke newe habitacions and seates and fynally occupied that parte of Macedonia whiche beareth their name aboute the tyme of the losse of Constantinople the prince of their contrey happened to dye whose name was Camusa whoe beinge discended of christian parents became so beastly that of his owne acorde he lefte the christian faythe and embraced the folisheand beastly religion of Mahometh but hauinge smalle affiance in it euen as he had raishely forsaken Christe so vnaduisedly refused he Mahomet he and retorned to the religion of his ancestours willing althoughe he had no great affiance nether in the one nor other rather to dye beringe the name of a Christian then of a Mahometiste vnto whome George Scanderbag succided in gouernaunce as lawfull heire whoe was discended of a noble parentage in his contrey and when he had haunted the warres along time he became an excellent and famous Captaine and spent the reste of his lyfe in the defence of the Christian religion when Mahomethe vnderstode the deathe of Camusa he sent one of his Bascias with an armie to Valona whiche standeth vpon the sea bancke and althoughe it be but a litle Towne it hathe a suer and a goodly hauen from whence in to Italie the passage is but shorte and withoute daunger and manye yeres before that tyme it was possessed and holden by Baiazithe and when he died they threwe from them the Turquishe yoke but Amorathe within shorte space after toke it againe and from thence for the was it contynually holden by the in fydels to the greate reproche and dishonour of the Christian princes and to the greate terrour of all Italie it is possessyd euen at this daye by the infidels when this Bascia had broughte his people to valona he assayled Scanderbeg whoe althoughe he dyd alwaies worthilye defende him selfe and his people and diuers tymes with his power had encountred the Turckes and departed from them alwayes with the victorie yet notwithstandinge he sent for ayde to the kinge Alphonso of Aragone then kinge of Naples and obtained of him dyuers bande of men at armes well furnished in euery respecte whiche passed in to Albania by the waye of Durazzo not farre from the Cytye of Croia and with the helpe of George Scanderbeg they defendyd that contre for alonge tyme from the Tyrannie of the infydels when Calixto the Romishe Byshoppe vnderstode the danger that Scanderbeg was in Scanderbeg was in weinge his power w t the vnspekeable power of his enemye he wolde not se him wāte but supplied him with a great some of money to entertaine his souldiours and with these aydes he de fendyd y ◠contrey of Albania very skylfully and valiantly In this meane time their was a practize discouerid y e whiche a Nephewe of his his brothers sonne whoe hauing intelligence with Mahometh agreed with him vp oncertaine condityones to sleye his vncle by treason or els if he coulde by any meanes bring it to passe to delyuer him on lyue in to Mahomethes handes when this practeze was discouered by one of the menagers of this same he laid handes on him and so caused him to be examined in the which he confessyd the whole wherupon he thought it not conueniēt to shed his owne bloude but banished him sending hym with his processe to the king Alphonso whoe commaunded to put him into the Donge on called Miglio there to continewe during his naturall lyfe And whileste Scanderbeg lyued he defended Albania from the tirany of the infydels fyghting onely for the zeale he bare to the Christian religiō caused his subiectes to perseuere in the faith of christe and his worde notwithstanding the contynuall inuasious and courses that his enemies made vpon his cotre impouerishing his subiectes vtterly spoiling y ◠laborers of the earthe lainge waste a greate pece of his contrey bringing it into vnspekeable miserie and calamitie whē Mahometh vnderstode the death of Scanderbeg he sent forth with his armie in to Albania and toke the citie of Croia with all the reste of the contrey except those places that the venetianes held aboute that tyme after the taking of Constantinople he dyd maruelously vexe the religion of Rhodes both by sea and land but the greate master of the Hospitall of Iherusalm vnto whome the Isle dyd appertaine with his souldiours defended it cōtynnally euen to these our dayes and whan Calixto the gre at Byshope was called vnto for ayde he put his Nauie of Shippes Galleys to y ◠sea sent them to Rhodes vnderthe conducte of y ◠patriarcke of Aquileia who being in those seas had often to doe with the Turckes toke and drowned manye of their Galleys and fustes drowned and slewe their people and departed alwaye from them with the victorie when he had taken from the Turkes y ◠Isle of Salaminā whiche in ancient tyme was called Lēno and also that that is called Tasso w t the Isle of Nēbro and certaine other litle Isles nere vn to them he went and spoyled all alonge the sea coastes from helesponto euen to the confynes of Egipte to the great impouerissing of the inhabitants there of holding them in contynuall doute and feare and it semed that if he mought haue contynued he wolde with time haue greatly preuailed but as sone as Calixto was deade he departed from thence with his Nauie in to Italie leauing Rhodes with all others places that y ◠Christianes possessid in those partes in great peryl And in Acarnia which lieth in the myddeste betwene Epiro and Boetia and is called at this daye the Duchie and the Dispotto which then raigned in Acarnama and Epiro whiche at this daye is called Arta which begynning towarde the weste at the permontories of Acrocera doe stretch oute toward the easte to the baie Ambrachio whiche at thys daye is called y ◠golfe of Arta this Dispotto being maruelously vexed with Mahomethes souldiours and being desyrous to purchase some forien amitie by meanes of the king Alphonso he toke to wyfe a daughter of y e lord Iohn Vnitimiglia a Captaine of great fame that came into Italie with the king Alphonso of Aragone to the winning of the
not depresse that desire of glorie which then was in him Althoughe some man moughte saye vnto me y ◠Caprestano cared not for his owne glorie but for the glorye of god declaringe his incomprehensyble power by aiding the Christians and gyuing them victorie by the aduise and industrie of a symple poore and vn armed freer to the whiche obiection I am content at this present to gyue place when Mahomethe had receuid this great bastonade and was retorned home it is said that he became more temperate and modeste and began to consider mannes astate and to depresse his arrogance and pride and he neuer happened afterwarde to heare anye talke of the iorney of Belgrado but it wolde put him in Cholere and make him to shake y ◠hed notwithstanding that he coulde wel dissemble his cause When Calixto was ded there succided him in his seate Enea Picolhuomini a Sienese borne whoe being desyrous to prouide for the defence of Christendome wente in person to Mantoa a citie in Lombardie where he had appointed a generall councell and at the daye appointed their came manye princes and the ambassadours of all the Christian potentates and the matter being there examined and debated for the space of eighte monethes in what sort they should make warres for the recouerie of Gretta and chasing of the enemies oute of Europe and hauing there a great nūbre of Christian princes which were verie colde in that behalfe and dyd slenderly satisfie the expectation of the pope whervpon when it was decreed that y e warres shoulde be taken in hand against the Turcke he licensed the Councell and departed towarde Rome determining to goe this iorney in person with his Nauie by the sea on thother syde Mahomethe hauinge intelligence of the greate preparation that the Byshope of Rome made determining to cut of all occasyones that mought trouble his state in Gretia and calhys enemyes thyther whervpon he sent hys armye againe into Morea aboute the yere of our saluation a thousand foure hundred and thre score and in a shorte space became lorde of the greatest parte of that contrey and hauing alredie takē the Dispotto therof dimetrio and sent him prisoner to Constantinople Thomas his elder brother being then prince of Acaia was maruelously in doubte of him selfe whervpon he toke with him oute of Acaia the hed of Saincte Andre the apostle and fled oute of his contrey into Italie with the afore sayde hed and manye other reliques of Sainctes came and presented bothe the reliques and him selfe to the pope Whoe receued the reliques and caused them to be placed with great solenpnitie in the churche of Sainte Peter prince of the Apostles in a certaine Chapell whiche he had buylded with great sumptuositie to Thomas prince of Achaia he appointed such promisiō as mought honorably maintaine his state duringe his lyfe in that same yere Mahometh went with his armie against the Emperour of Trebisonda and entred into Ponto with an exceding great Nauie and beseged Trebisonda both by sea and land and the Emperour making no great defence nether of him selfe ne yet of his citie was taken and brought on lyue to Mahometh whoe sent him prisoner to Constantinople and became not onely lord of Trebisonda but also of Sinopi the reste of the townes and cities that the Christians possessyd with in the contrey of Pontho whē he had thus done he returned with his Nauie into Gretia the yere folowing he put his Nauie againe to the sea and sent it to assaile the Isle of Mitelleme in the olde worlde called Lesbo which was possessyd at that tyme by the lorde frauneys Gattalusio a Genouese borne When he had brought his Nauie thither and landed his people in shorte tyme he toke al the fortes and townes of the Isle and then he brought his armie y e to Citie of Mitilleme wherin was the lorde of the Isle with all his power the Turckes beseged the towne bothe by sea and land in suche sorte that they of the towne coulde nether receaue into the towne men ne yet victuales then planted they theyr batteries and in shorte space made an exceding greate breache and yet they contynued it daye and night without gyuing anye tyme at all to the defendantes to repose them and after manye assaultes gyuen the defendantes were maruelously consumed by death and hurtes whervpon they assayled it rounde with al their force and in the ende entred after longe fighte the repares that the defendants had made and first became masters of the walles and then of the citie they put al the men of the towne to the sworde excepte the lorde of the Isle whom they toke prisoner they deflored all the Virgines of the towne and forced all the women of the same thei spoiled the towne of all y e riches that therein was and they lefte nothing nether sacred ne yet profane vndefiled and in this sorte they obtained an exceding riche spoyle both of treasure and prisoners of all kindes and ages which they lad with Gatalusio their lorde to Constantinople and solde them in their marcketes by companies lyke herdes of swyne for slaues a piteouse spectacle to beholde a certaine people of the Isle of Scio called Manoesy vnto whome the Isle of Scio dyd apartaine in y e right of their auncestours whoe at their owne charges wanne it notwithstanding they dyd owe sertaine homage to the citie of Genoa of the which they were citizenes when they vnderstode of the losse of Mitilene fearing leste the victoriouse Nauie should be emploied against thē thought it good to make the matter suer whervpon they sent an ambassade to Mahometh and agreed to gyue him yerely ten thousand ducates in the name of tribute and thus comitted them selues to his protection When the Venetianes vnderstode of y e taking of Morea the losse of Mitilene and Trebisonda they began to be in doubte of their Isles and townes that they possessyd in Gretia and sawe then their owne folie in that that thei had not in the begynninge aided those princes and people but suffred them to be denoured one after an other Mahometh to possesse their states and contreis whervpon they thought it better to assaile then to be assailed and therfore preuented the enemye being in good hope that the popes enterprise shoulde goe forewarde and take good effect by meanes wherof Mahometh shoulde haue ynought to doe to defende his owne dominions and contreys whervpon they put to the sea a greate Nauie of Galleys of diuers ordres of ores and manye greate shippes in whom they bestowed agreate numbre both of fotemen and horsemen Italians and so sayled on towarde the Archipelago or myddle sea when they had landed their people in Morea the fyrst thinge that they toke in hande was to make againe the walle of Esmilia and to make it as stronge as they coulde after that they marched on with their armie to y ◠citie
meanes of the aforesaid diuisioÌ„ he began at Viterbo which was then holden by one of the factions by his auctoritie called home againe those that for feare were fled reconciled them w t their aduersaries in this sort lefte them al in good peace vnder his protection gouernance after this he sent his legates into y e duchie into the contrey of Marca and finding these prouinces infected w t the afore saide Maladye one citie being in armes againste the other and diuerse citie beinge deuided in them selues the one part of the Citie against the other some were of the Colonese factino other of the Orsius and nowe had the one the better and then the other tyl at the laste by the great prouidence and industrie of the legates they were all pacified and lefte vnder the regiment and gouernaunce of the popes officers in perfecte tranquiletie and quietnes after this when the pope behelde y â— miserable state of his contrey the great spoyle therof that had ben made throughe the Ciuile disorder and warres y â— had ben amonge them by meanes wherof they had consumed a great numbre of their people also were brought into extreme pouerty it was a great griefe vnto him and then gaue he order that they which gouerned shoulde by common consent restore againe to their firste degres and honours the orders of gentlemen and the twelue and shoulde cal from exile certaine worthie citizens and in this sorte he enlarged his regiment and state and lefte it quiet and in peace tyll at the laste in the contre of Marca their arose the lord Sigismonde Malisti and gatherid an army and encountred with the popes Legate and gaue him a great ouerthroe by meanes wherof all the Contre of Marca was in armes and folowed this Sigismonde wherupon the pope sent thither his legate the Cardinall of Tiano apistolese borne with the Duke of Vrbine and the lorde Napoleone Orsino which gaue to Sigismondo such an ouerthroe not farre from Sinigaglia that they enforced him to leue y â— feelde and so repressed his furie y â— in a shorte tyme they toke from him Sinigaglia Fano and a good pece of the countie of Arrimino and after diuerse encouÌ„tres in the kingdome of Naples the kings Ferrante remained victoriouse and the Duke Iohn with his Angionme faction was retorned into Fraunce when Ferrante was well established in his kingdome and that the pope sawe him selfe deliuered of two great warres and had established the temporal state of his church and brought it to perfecte quietnes he then called againe to minde y â— enterprise of Asia against the Turckes and being confederate with the kinge of Hungarie the Duke of Borgonie and with the state of Venise they then consulted and determined in what sorte they woulde make these warres the pope sent forthe his letters with his messagers to al the princes of Christendome exhorting and requiring theÌ„ to coÌ„me ayde him in this iorney against thâ— infidels and appointed the tyme that in the yere of our helthe a thousand foure hundred threscore and foure the xv daye of Iune all the armie shoulde be redie in y â— contre of Marca not farre from Ancona where they shoulde fynde the Nauie reddie to receaue both y â— popes hollynes and them also who wolde in person goe to so glorious an enterprise and when the pope had thus determined he passed on for the recouerie of his helthe to Siena meaning the nexte spring folowing according to his custume to goe to the baines at Petriuolo and wheÌ„ he was there arriued newes came to him that Philippe Duke of Borgonie seing the great tumultes and emotiones that were in Fraunce betwene the king and the nobilitie wolde prouide for y â— securitie of his state wherfore he wolde not deale at all in the enterprise againste the Turckes but emploied all his force vnder the conducte of his sonne Charles against Loys king of FrauÌ„ce whereupon he changed his purposed iorney to y e baines and retorned to Rome where he was maruelously troubled with the goute and also with the feuer wherupon he was enforced to contynewe there a longe tyme contrarie to his determination which was the cause that he coulde not be at his daye appointed at Ancona according to his proclamation that he had made of the iorney in the meane tyme their came to Rome seuerally ambassadours both from Loys the frenshe king and also from Philippe Duke of Borgonie excusing ether of them for so muche as beinge troubled with domesticale warres they coulde not at that tyme gyue anye aide toward the iorney when the pope was some thing recouerid of his disease he called the Cardinales to the Consystorie there discoursed of the heresies that then were in y e kingdome of Bohemia wherupon he graunted forthe his citationes and then with his Cardinales and other Cortigianes he departed from Rome and passed throughe y â— contre of Sabina into the Duchie and from thence into the contre of Marca and beinge caried in a horse lytter in consyderation of his weakenes passed so on to Ancona and as he passed on y â— waye he mette with a great numbre of men â—â—ich came oute of Almanie Fraunce and Spaine of tâ—â—ir owne good willes to goe that iourney against the infidels of the whiche numbre the greatest parte and chiefely those that came oute of Almanie brought with them no prouision wherwith to susteine them in that iorney wherupon he gaue them his bene diction and absolued them clearely from al the offences that euer they committed vntyll that present and in this sorte licensid them to retorne into their couÌ„treys againe and being in Ancona he loked for y e Nauie which was made redie in diuers places of Italie and shoulde repare thither to vnite them selues and also he loked for the Duke of Venise with his armata to arriue there in this meane time the feuer dyd so growe and encreas vp on him that the same daye that the Duke of venise landed in y e hauen of Ancona accompanied with xii galleys and a great numbre of gentlemen he yelded vp his soulâ— to god which was the yere of our helth 1464. and the â—iiii of August immediatly vpoÌ„ his death y â— Cardinales retorned to Rome to electe a newe Byshoppe and the Duke of Venise retorned againe to Venise with his armata and in this sorte the Nauie was deuided and all the preparation that was made for the iorney into Asia was but in vaine and when the Duke was come home to Venise the Seniours thoughte it not good to losse al that which they had bestoed in furnishing their Nauie and their armie where upon they made Nicholas de Canale general of their Nauie and sent him with their Nauie to the sea who sayled alonge the coaste of Gretia landed in Romania and sacqued the Citie of Euia and toke oute of it a great
spoile and after that he entred into the golfe of Patrasso whiche is in Morea and there landed and beinge encountred with the Turckes that were there lefte for the garde of the conutrey he flewe two thousande vpon the place and gaue them a greate ouerthowe he toke the Castle of Vesticio fortified it and lefte in it a garnison of his people there succided pio y â— seconde Paulo the seconde a venetian borne who semed not to abandone the enterprise that his predecessor had determined against the infidels wherupon he ioyned in league with the Venetianes against y â— Turckes which had made there courses into Almaignie and had taken a waye a great proye both of men and cattell Mahometh determining alwayes to banishe the Christians oute of Gretia aboute the yere of our helthe 1470. dyd put to the sea a Nauie of 400. sayle where of they saye there were 200. gaylles and fustes and when he had embarcked a great number of horse men and fote men he sent them vnder the gouernance and coÌ„ducte of Mahometh Bassa to the seege of the citie of Calcide which standeth in the Isle that was anciently called Euboica and nowe is called Negroponte as sone as the Bassa was arriued at the Isle he landed his people and beseged the towne and planted his batteries and when the had contynued it for a longe space they had done in maner nothing for they of the towne be haued them so well that whatsoeuer breache was made in the day they made it vp in y â— nighte and rampared it in as great strengte as before wherfore it semed to Mahomethe that his enterprise toke no greate effecte and that his batteries dyd not greatly preuaile he sent for a newe supplie of men and went thyther in person and when he behelde the greate breaches that his men had made he thoughte that they mought easily enter y e towne wherupoÌ„ he embattailed all his armie and appointed certaine Colonelles with their regimentes to the assaulte and appointed to euery of them the place that he with his regyment shoulde assayle when he had thus done he called al the captaines of his armie vnto him perswadinge them with goodly wordes to shewe them selues worthie of that good opinion that he had of them and that they wolde approche the towne with purpose that dai to be victoriouse or els there to ende their liues and also he gaue vnto them the whole spoyle of the towne more ouer he promised to suche as shoulde firste enter the towne great rewardes with these exhortaciones and promises he dyd greatlye incorage his souldiours wherupoÌ„ he continued his batteries with great furie for a space with the noise wher of and with that of drommes trompettes and cornetts the aire the earth and the sea dyd tremble Mahometh gaue order that when the Colonelles of y e first assauite had continued it for a certaine time that then other Câ—lonelles with their regymentes shoulde take their place and so contynewe the assaulte by the whiche meanes he had alwayes freshe assaylantes and thus contynued he the assaulte withoute intermission two dayes two nightes and suffred not them of the towne in any wise to repose and althoughe that the Christians who were appointed to y e garde of the towne defended it with rare vertue and noble myndes and vsed their fiers artificial shotte great stones and casting speares wherwith they had flayne a great numbre of the infydels and when the infydels had twyse chased them from the breache had entred the towne the Christians serred them selues and charged them and for with chased them fort he of the towne making great slaughter of the aforesaid enemies but in the ende for asmuche as the greatest parte of the defendantes were staine and the reste being but fewe in numbre and greatly weried with the longe fyghte that they had endured and being consumed in this sorte not being a sufficient number to defende the whole circuite of the towne certaine of them repared into the market place determininge there to dye honorably with theyr swordes in their hand and such as were not of so noble a minde as they were for soke the towne among the whiche numbre was the gouernour of the Citie with manye of the cheife officers and gentle men Venetians which fled into the forte or Citadell wherupon y e Turckes entred the Citie and after a longe fyghte became lordes of the market place and them of the Citie and with inspeakable crueltie they put to death all the Italianes that they coulde laie handes on inpalinge them vpon longe stakes of others they plucked the skyn ouer their eares and some others thei cut a sonder in the middest in such sorte that all y e stretes of Negroponte were fylled with dede boddies and washed w t christian bloude and after that they toke all the inhabitants of y e towne as wel men as wemen that then were liuing and made them slaues and when they had thus done they began to sacke the towne both houses and Churches in suche sorte as they lefte nothing in the towne suche as were fled into the sorte made an appointement with him it was agreed that they shoulde departe safely with their lyues and goodes whervpon they delyuered the Castle before that anye one pece was planted against it in dede the Turcke helde not his promes with them for in dede be put them all to y e sworde And in this sorte y e famous Isle of Eboica aboute the middest of y e monethe of Iune was takeÌ„ by Mahometh and when Nicholas de Canale was retorned to Venise the Senate laid to his charge y e he had not done his duetie in that that he had not succoured Negroponte whiche he moughte haue done if he had dursâ—â— as they sayde wherupon they layde him in chaines and then condempned him to perpetuall exile created in his place their general Petro Moranigo who departed oute of the golfe with a Nauie of lx galleys xx greate shippes and sailed on towarde y e Isle spoiled and destroied all the sea coast of Gretia and Asia In those dayes the Genoueses fearinge leaste the Turcke shoulde bringe his armie to the Citie of Capha whiche standeth beyonde the straite of Bosporo vpon the sea called Eusino which at this daye is called the greater sea and seing no waie howe they mighte sende any succours thyther for somuch as the Turcke had his Castles very well furnished which he had buylded vpon both the straites and they thoughte it a matter impossyble to sende anye bandes thyther by lande considering that the iorney was great and the passage perillous throughe the contreys of so many barbarous nations and beinge in this greate extremitie there was a Constable which offerid for a certaine sume of money to goe into Caffa w t his bande which was of the numebr of 150. souldiours or there aboute vnto whome
and the Duke had thus promysed the Turckes delyuered the towne and receauyd into it the Dukes souldiours and delyuered vnto them the gouernance of the towne when this was done contrarie to all promes they helde all the chiefe of y â— Turckes prisoners and put a great number of the souldiours into the galleys and helde them of force all sauing certaine of them beinge men of place and circumspect who wolde rather committe them selues to the faythe of the Hungarian Cononel then to the Italianes when Sultan Baiazithe had ouerthorowen his brother Gemma and put him to slyghte and receauid obeisance of all the state and dominiones of his ancestrous in Asia the lesse and had visited the contre of Pontho Capadotia and other prouinces and gyuen order for the gouernaunce of them he coÌ„tynued in Burfia for a certaine space to giue audience to the gouernours of those prouinces of Asia which were subiecte vnto him in those partes where he bare him selfe so modestly and determyned his causes w t such humanitie that in the ende he obtained great good wyll of the people when he had thus done be passyd the straite homeward and was receauid into Constantinople with great pompe acording to the order of the triuÌ„p hantes of y e olde worldes he then gaue order altered the recepte of his reuenewes and customes withoute any sparcke of auarice or rapine and when he had made a reuewe of hys Gianizzaries he dyd not onely encreÌ„se the number of his fotemen but also of his horsemen and caused them to be wel paide which was an occasion that they were wel furnished in good order for so much as they sawe their prince to haue a delight ni them that he was very liberall vnto them And then began they to be excellently wel mounted their horses richely furnished them selues and their wiues soÌ„ptuously aparellyd with clothe of golde syluer Iuelles and suche lyke in sorte that the countre was chaunged from rude grose furniture into somtuouse and magnifique ornamentes and deckings And wheÌ„ he had bestoed a time in visiting his prouinces of Gretia and was come neare to Epâ—rro whiche is that parte of Macedonia that is inhabited by the nation called Albaneses from whoÌ„ the contrei hath yet his name is called Albania amoÌ„g whoÌ„ at the death of SultaÌ„ Mahometh there arose certain leaders seditioussi caused a great parte of y e couÌ„trei to reuolte whoÌ„ by his presence he agreed y e rest be toke bâ— force and so brought theÌ„ to his deuotioÌ„ before y e he wolde departe oute of that contre he sent to protest to the kinge Ferrante of Naples that yf he sent him not his artillerie munitioÌ„ wholli that was left in Ottranto at the deliuerie therof with his people and all suche substance and treasure of theirs as he then deteyned contrarie to his sworne promes that then he wolde make warres vpon him and seke to redresse his owne cause throughe the which message the king beinge sore a ferde embarcked all his artillerie monition and men with all such riches as they there had and caused them to be landed safely at Valona after that he lad his armie into Romania and coÌ„tinued with his courte in Andrinople began to make preparatioÌ„ for the warres against Caromano prince of the one parte of Cilicia beinge desirous to reuenge the defeicte that he receauid of him a litle before the deathe of his father This Caromano was the seconde prince of the Turckishe nation that then possessid anye dominion in Asia and they say that when he neded he was able to come to the feelde with xl thousand armed horsemen his principall state wherin he did reside was in y e for dest parte of the lesser Asia toward Soria called Cilicia campestre in that part therof where the ancient and famous citie of Tarso standethe which is builded vpon a plaine and is deuided throughe the middest by the ryuer Cidna and is not farre from the Baie Issico whiche is at thys daye the golfe of Iaza he possessed also in the lesse Armenia and Capadotia those partes that confyne with y e mounte Tauro wheÌ„ Baiazith had prepared al things mete for the iorney he put his Nauie to the sea embarâ—ked all his souldiours both horsemen and fotemen and passed then into Asia then marched throughe Bithi nia bothe y e contreis of Frigia Dardania Ionia Mâ—sia Caria Licia Pamphilia and finally with his people in ordre he entred into Cilicia campestre forasmuch as the contre of Cilicia hathe very large confines it is by ancient writers deuided into two partes of the whiche the lesse is called Trachea and hathe his sea bancke or shore of no great largenes it hath standinge vpon the plaine therof neuer a great towne for that the greatest parte of it is of the mounte Tauro and is so barren y â— it is not well inhabited the campestre begynning at y e Citie of Tarso and at Magnopoli a Citie in tyme paste of great power and fame stretcheth oute to y t baie Issico nowe called the golfe of Iaza and towarde the northe it confineth with Capadotia vpon the syde of the mounte Tauro when Baiazith was entred with his armie into y e countre of Abraham Caromano who had w t great diligence fortified his townes looking for his enemies and also he had furnished the straites of his contre and to the ende he wolde not be enforced to fighte he encamped alwayes in places of strengthe and great securitie and dwelled with his people as neare the enemye as he moughte The Turckes being lordes of the feelde went and spoyled and proied all the contre finalli when Baiazithe had consumed a great pece of the sommer coulde by no meanes prouoke the enemie to battaile he deter myned to besege some of his townes whervpoÌ„ he went to Tarso and besegyd it rounde planted his batterys and began to batter the walles not ceasiing daye nor nighte in suche sorte that in shorte space he had made so great breache that he thoughte it sufficient wherevpon he made redye for the assaulte and put his menne in battaile which thinge when they of the citie perceaued refusinge to put them selues in daunger of the losse of both lyfe and goodes they practized appointement and agreed to delyuer him the Citie vpon condition that he shoulde suffer them to enioye both lyfe and goodes wheÌ„ Baiazithe was come into the Citie he vsed y e Citizenes very gently and wolde not suffer anye of his armye to enter into the towne but onely those that were appointed to y e garde bothe of his person and towne and when the Automne was come on the sharpnes of the wether was suche that he coulde not well holde his people in y e felde whervpon he appointed them to lye in Garnisones in the townes there aboute from whence he ouer ran
of Turchie as other princes and of his rare force and vertue worthy of memorie SCanderbeg prince of Epirto was sonne to the lord Iohn Castrioth y e which possessid y ◠part of Albania that was called Emathia and Tumenestia and the mother of Scander beg was named Volsaua she was daughter to the prince of Pollogo whiche is a part of Macedonia and also of Burgaria this Iohn was a worthy man and of great Iugement experience in the warres and hauinge warres with Amorathe Ottomanno prince of the Turckes and seing him to be wexed very stonge in Gretia and Albania in such sorte as in the ende he was not able to encountre him wherfore he made peace with him and for hostages deliuered him his sonnes which were Repossio Stanissa Constantino and this Scanderbeg whiche was then named George but when this tiran Amorathe caused him in his chyldhod to be circumcised he gaue him the name of Scanderbeg which in our speche is lord Alerandre and after that the Turcke caused him to be instructed acording to the rite and custume of the Mahometane secte Amorathe truely semed to be exceding glad when Scanderbeg being a childe but of eyghte yeres of age was broughte to his presence and seinge him beautifull and to haue a maiestie in his countenance he iugged in hym selfe that yf he shoulde lyue longe he wolde proue a worthye man wherfore he determyned neuer to suffer him to retorne home againe but to kepe him in his courte to the ende that when he was comme to y ◠state of a mā he shoulde serue him and therfore appointed him worthy masters to instructe him and to be carefull for him and to se him broughte vp in lerning and ciuilitie he alowed bothe for his table and apparell euen as yf he had ben his owne sonne After this when Scanderbeg was somethinge growen he delighted to ryde and to ronne and also with his cōmpaniones to vse the launce and y ◠rabattued sworde and he dyd excede them all bothe on horsebacke and on forte and chiefely yf it were in y ◠presence of Amorathe who had greate felicitie of se litle boyes in suche exercises and dyd maruelously reioyse to se suche force towardnes in Scanderbeg who alwaies remayned victoriouse After this whē the Turcke made warres against anye prince he commaunded to bringe Scanderbeg alwaies with him whythersoeuer he went and when so euer he soughte with his enemys Scander beg behaued him selfe so well that all the Turckes maruellyd at his doinges and wolde saye amonge them selues that yf he mought lyue tyll he came to perfecte age no man shoulde be able to continue against hem When Scanderbeg was come to y ◠age of .xix. yeres y ◠Turcke made him a Sangiacco which is as muche to saye as a conductour of sondrie bandes and gaue him y e leadinge of fyue thousand horses and some tyme the title of geuerall of an armye which in the Turckishe speche is called Bassa sending him against his enemyes accompanied with mani other Sangiachi which were appointed to be directed by him and to be at his commaundement and beinge in that parte of the lesser Asia that is called Natolia and hauing many rencountres with his enemyes he alwayes made great slaughter of them and departed from them with the victorie by meanes wherof he toke manye townes and Cities of that countre and brought them vnder the obedience of the Turcks who from that tyme forth wolde alwayes saye that Scanderbeg was his righte arme his harte and his eye and his moste assured defendour and augmentour of his dominions whervpon all the reste of the Turckes dyd marueloslye loue him and had him in great estimation After this Scanderbeg beinge of the age of .xxv. yeres and attending vpon his lorde in Andrinople beinge in the companie of many noble men there came thither a Tartare of a great stature and an exceding force and chalenged to fyghte with anye man in all the Turckes courte to y e vtterance and there was no man that durste to aunswer his chaleng for that the brute was that he neuer foughte with anye but that he ouercame him and had staine manye men in the lyke combattes when Scander beg sawe this he went to the prince and declared vnto him and to all the noble men there that he wolde encoūtre him and fyghte with him to the death but his lord with all the reste of the noble men wolde in no wyse agree vnto it but were all very sorye to see him so disposed yet for all that he made so ernest requeste and contynued it with suche Instancie that in the end with great difficultie he obtained his requeste and then made him redie and went in the presence of them all with great as to encountre this Tartarre who disdained him euen as Goliathe dyd Dauid and sayd that it greued him much to fyght with so yonge a man wherfore Scanderbeg was excedingely wrothe with him and strake at him and so behaued him selfe in the combatte that in the ende he obtained y ◠victorie slewe the Tartarre Shortly after Amorathe went to Bursia a Citie of Bithinia where two souldiours of Persia one named Iaia and y ◠other Zāpsa which made a like chalenge to that that y ◠Tartarre made sauinge that they wolde fyghte on horsbackes with launce sworde and Targe whervpon as sone as the chalenge was made Scanderbeg made redie and encoūtred with Iaia and as they were ernestly fightinge this cruell Zampsa assayled him in treason but Scanderbeg discoraged not at all for that but assured him selfe in god and put on a noble mynde and within shorte tyme he slewe them bothe for the which notable acto he was muche praysed of all those that were there present after this y ◠Hungarians came to make warres vpon the Turckes and to enuade their countrey wherfore Scāderbeg was sent Captaine generall with a greate armye against them in that enterprise he behaued him selfe so discretely and circumspectly that the Hungarians retorned againe withoute battaile He alwaies had that attended vpon him Christianes of his fathers subiectes who alwayes in structed him in the Christian faythe which he had receaued at his Baptesme wherfore he founde the meanes that the Hungarianes retorned withoute battayle and be also retorned with his armie safe to Andrinople where he was excedingly embraced of the Turcke and honored with great presentes he sayd to his most famylier fryndes that the Hungarianes feared the vertue and worthynes of Scanderbeg and therfore retorned and wolde not gyue battayle he desyred Scanderbeg to require some great gyfte of him but Scanderbeg aunsweringe very modestly sayd that he required nothinge but to dwell in his good grace and fauour wherwith he shoulde holde him very well satisfyed whē they had ended these discourses newes came that the lord Iohn father to Scanderbeg was deceassyd whervpon Amorathe in all haste dispatched a Captaine of
apointed Captaines to his townes and fortes in y ◠yere of oure lorde M. CCCC.xliii and in the yere from his byrthe xxxiii When the Turcke dyd vnderstande this fynosse of Scanderbeg and the victorie of the Hungarianes he had so greate sorowe as in all his lyfe he had not had y ◠lyke wherfore he determyned to be reuenged and to employe all his force against Scanderbeg but Scanderbeg being very wise and one that knowe what he had to doe being aduertized of the Turckes determination and purpose went to Alessio a Citie in Albania then vnder the gouernement of the Venetianes where at his requeste all the princes helde a councell with the reste of the nobilitie of Albania of whom these that folowe were y ◠chiefe Aramthe Conino which was afterwarde father in lawe to Scanderbeg Andrea Thopia Paulo Ducagino Nicolo Pietro Spano Lech Dusmano Leche Zacharia the honorable lieutenantes of the Senate of Venise to whom Scanderbeg spake in this forme Very honorable fathers and magnificent princes I doubte not but that it is well knowen to vs with howe great inimitie and dispite the Turckes doe persecuteour moste Christian faithe and howe greatly they are enemyes to all vertue and especially they neuer kepe anye promese that they make and yf their powre were agreable to there wyll they wolde make all Christian princes to passe by the edge of the sworde as by experience it hathe ben seen here to fore when god for our offences hathe permitted it yet I by the mightye arme of god haue chased the vsurpers of my fathers state oute of it and haue cut all the Turckes in peces that made anye resystance against me and besydes that I haue wonne all that which y e Turcke dyd possesse in Albania as it is manifeste to all men wherfore your excellenties maye be well assured that that cruell dogge wyll employe all his force possyble against me and that w t spede and yf that by chaunce which god forbydde he shoulde ouercomme me he wolde immediatly make warres vpon you wherfore I doe erhorte and erneslly desyre your highnesses that for the loue you heare towarde god our moste holly faythe and also for charitie that it will please you to vouchesafe to vnite your forces w t myne and yf it seme not good vnto you so to doe for so muche as you are at peace with the Turcke yet I shall ernestly desyre you to stande by and nether to ayde the Turcke nor trouble me and hereof I do attende your gentle aūswere for that that I hope with the mightie right hand of god to defend my selfe against y ◠great Tyran Then all the princes and noble men of Albania withdrewe them selues with the lieutenantes of the Senate of Venise and went to talke in secrete and when they had consydered and debatted the importancie of the matter they made aunswere to Scanderbeg in this sorte moste excellent prince George oure deare sonne and brother as touchinge your age but in respecte of your vertue worthynesse oure honorable father we haue very well consydered and weyed thy iuste and moste necessarie demaunde full of wysedome and worthye in euery respecte to be herde wherfore we gyue you to vnderstand by commō consent that we are determined to vnite our powers with the for euer and to esteme thy state as our owne and oure state as thyne and wyll contynue thys league according to oure promesse in welth and misery which of them that god shall send moreouer we make y ◠oure Captaine generall to defend our libertie hoping in the mightye god that there is no power that shalbe able to resyste oure most holly vnion wherfore be of good comforte and make prouision of suche thinges as shalbe necessarie and commaunde for you shall not wante and also we wyll alowe you a yerely stypende towarde your owne maintenance and you shal not lacke that that we shalbe able to doe in any respecte when this moste holly league was concluded the aforesayde princes of Albania went and dyned with Scanderbeg their newe lord and thancked god of this concord and then some of them toke leaue and retorned to their prouinces and others accompained Scanderbeg to the citie of Croia A briefe declaration of the chiefe princes of Albania included in the aforesayde league GEorge Castrioth els named Scāderbeg appointed Captaine generall by their common consent desernethe to be fyrst named after him his father in lawe Aranith Conino then the sonnes of Musachio Thopia called of many Carlnich which in the Schianuon tonge betokennethe gloriouse and they are called the sonnes of Charles for so muche as they are discended from the house of Fraunce then were the lordes of the house of Ducagini and the noble men of the hous of Spain the lordes Cernouichi and Dusmani but the Venetianes wolde not enter into this league for the good wyll they bare to the house of Angelo whiche is discended from the Imperiall house of Constantinople on the one syde and on the other from that of the dispotto of Scruia of y ◠noble princesse Margaerite of Monferato duchesse of Mantoa who besyde her other patrimonie had dyuerse parcells in Albania chiefely Driuasto Antiuari and Croia and possessethe at thys present Antiuari and Dolcigno with other places that haue not howed the knee before the Idol Baale which is Mahomethe and it maye please god to gyue them the grace to conuerte the Turckes and other infidelles to oure most holly faithe or els to ouerthro we their greate powers as dyuerse tymes Scanderbeg hath done Somme man mought aske me here from whence Albania had his name Whefore you shall vnderstande that Plinio in his Booke intitled de Hominibus Illusiris in the thyrde Chapiter dothe declare howe y ◠Tullio hostilio the thyrde kynge of the Romanes when he had destroied the Citie of Alba which was not farre distante from Rome and had ben often tymes enemye vnto it commaūded that the Albaneses shoulde come and dwell at Rome but a great number of them acordinge to the opinion of dyuerse writers went into Asia and dwelled amonge the people therof which possessed the countre y ◠lieth betwene the mountaines called hiberi and Caucast y ◠Albaneses increased multiplied from tyme to tyme so that at the laste their countre was called Albania Iberia which this same Plinio describeth in y ◠vi booke of his naturall historie and in the thyrde chapiter from whence one parte of the Albaneses departed and came downe into Europe of whom the one parte dwelled in Epirro others in Macedonia somme in one parte of Liburnia which at this present is called Esemptia y e loer neare vnto Macedonia and Epirro some dwelled in a certaine parte of Dalmatia and Illiria which is called y e hie Esemptia neare vnto that parte of Liburnia wher of we spake before when the Albaneses had longe contynued in the aforesayde countres they were so encreased
redie certyfyed me by his letters of y e reste Wherfore I doe determyne to make prouisiō and to vse my whole force against him wherfore I giue you to vnderstande that I wyl goe thyther in person firste I wyl besege the Citie of Croia and take it and then al the reste of his state wherfore make you redie for woe shal he be that is not redie at my mustres Scanderbeg was spedyly aduised of this great preparatiō and with al spede furnished the Citie with al kynde of necessaries and good souldiours Albaneses of great experience and faith he gaue them for their general Vurana aforesaid and he in person stode wel vpon his gard in this meane tyme there came a great number of Turckes into Scanderbegs coūtre and encampdd before Sfetigarde a citie that standeth from Croia 58. myles when Scanderbeg vnderstode of this he went forthewith as secretly as he coulde and encamped within .vii. myles of y e Turckishe armie w t. 4. thousand horsemen one thousand fotemen and being thus encamped wolde not suffer day nor nighte any fire to be made within his campe by meanes wherof the enemye vnderstode nothinge of his beinge there in this meane tyme Scanderbeg determyned to put in vse a Strategeme whervpon he wylled the valiante Moises and his Nephewe Musachie de la Angelina to take with them .xxx. horsemen and to disguise themselues and the nexte morninge to attempte as thoughe they wolde goe into Sfetigard leadinge with them certaine Asses loded with corne it was so done acording to his commaundement and in the morninge as sone as the garde of the Turcks campe sawe them thincking y ◠they had ben victuallers they hasted to encountre them and when Moises with his companiones had fled a litle waye he torned and charged the Turckes and forthew t slewe .viii. of them and hurte manye whervpon the rest suddenly fled and hasted them to the campe to declare the newes but the Bassa beinge very circumspecte mistrusting as it was in dede that they were no rascalles consyderinge the woundes and great blowes that they had gyuen commaunded 4. thousand horsemen to folowe them and to take them lyuinge Moises which alwaies had regarde to his seinge them comme began to flee and to hide him in a certaine depe valey the Turcks folowed their tracte with great furie In this meane whyle Scanderbeg who dyd attende suche an occasion furnished the entres of the valey and then with certaine bandes with him entred the valley and charged them flewe the greatest number of them and the reste fled in maruelouse disorder and had it not ben that the Bassa loked for Amorathe in person he had then retorned againe with al his armie into the Turckes countrey After this the. 14 of Maye 1449. this Tiran came to his campe in Albania with 160. thousande Turckes with manie great bombardes and a great quantie of other artillerie beseged Sfetigarde very straitly where Pietro Parlato was Captaine who with his souldiours that he had oute of highe Dibra and the reste that were with him in that seege behaued them selues so valiantly that althoughe they were contynually occupied in y e defence of their towne and in scaramoche yet they alwayes lefte with the best but in the ende a certaine traitour dyd caste a ded dogge into their chiefe cisterne of y e towne by meanes wherof the people were greatly consumed and the Tiran Amorathe toke the towne and in the begynninge he dyd entertaine this traitour very honorably and gaue him greate presentes but after certaine daies he was no more seen of anye for in dede princes doe oftē times loue the treason but not the traitour nor neuer truste them after and therfore it is not to be maruelled at that the Turcke seinge suche horible villanie in a man wolde neuer trust him after consydering that for his priuate lucre he coulde be content to shed not onely the bloude of his countremen but also to destroie his religion and betraie his countre After thys Amorathe went and beseged Croia rounde and planted his batteries and battered for the space of 4. montthes notwithstandinge he did them of the towne smale hurte for that the Citie was very stronge on euery syde and y t they had within the towne a plentuouse fountaine of goodly water and an other very faire fountaine behind the Castle which the enemyes coulde neuer possesse In the meane tyme that the Turcke beseged Croia in thys sorte the noble prince Scanderbeg nowe in one place then in an other assayled the Turckes campe and spoyled contynually al such victuallers as came to his campe notwithstandinge for that his number was very smale he coulde not enforce them to rayse their sege In y e ende of y e fourthe monethe aforesayde Amorathe commaunded to gyue a general assaulte to y e towne and to assayle it rounde in the whiche he preuayled not but retorned from the assaulte with great spoyle and losse of his people for the whiche he toke so greate an inwarde grefe y t forthewith he died Then the soroweful amased dishonored and confounded Turckishe armie abandoned y e sege and retorned home in great disorder and were folowed and spoyled in manye places as they passed and were very euel handled in such sort as they came home greatlye diminished and Scanderbeg remained in hys countre with great triumphe and victorie contynully praisinge the Almightye God When Amorathe prince of the Turckes was deade Mahomethe his sonne succeded him in his kingdome he that was sōne to Hierenia or Catagusma daughter to George the Dispotto of Seruia and for that he was not yet suerly established in his seate he coulde doe no great hurte wherfore Scanderbeg beinge desyrous to leaue somme heire of his boddie after him toke to wyfe that excellent faire vertuouse ladie named Doneca daughter to Aranithe Conino but as sone as Mahomethe the newe Turckyshe prince was established in the seate of his father he began immediatly to threaten Scāderbeg and coulde not endure that he shoulde possesse Croia Epirro then Scanderbeg with his 2. thousand horsemen and a thousand fotemen which were his ordinarie garde went to his confines determyning not to enuade at all onles that Mahomethe fyrste began and being in this sorte vpon his cōfines he vnderstode that y e Turcke had no armie in redynes to send against him and consydering that it was nedeful to visyte his countre he toke with him his aforesaide wife and made a visitaciō in his countre mynistring Iustice in suche sorte with mercy that he was bothe honored loued and feared of both◠more and lesse a man mought safely haue gone through all that countrey with horses loded with golde no mā wolde haue touched it After this Scanderbeg sent for a great number of masonnes and laborers and went to a certaine highe mountaine ouer the which there liethe awaye that leadethe from Turchie downe into
suche force that in maner in one instante in dispite of them he made them to leue of sauinge that one part of them contynued styl the chase which so kyndled Scanderbeg and his worthye souldiours that the force of the Turckes coulde by no meanes stand against them but as they were wonte torned their backes fledde towarde the Citie to their greate shame Then Scanderbeg lyke a worthye Captaine thoughte it good no furder to folowe them iudgeinge it to be a great grace of God y ◠he had so at an instante delyuered his people from deathe and therfore sounded the retreicte and passed into his countre safe w t honor and whē he made a reuewe of his armie he foūde that there were flayne of his souldiours 2. thousande horsemen and. 3. thousande fotemen whiche for the more parte were comme oute of Apuglia with the aforesayde Musachio his cosyn and Captaine generall and there were of them taken foure score which dyd muche offende the mynde of Scanderbeg within fewe dayes after he supplied his armie and went againe to y e seege of Belgrado but the Citizens and Turckes that were within sent an ambassadour to Scanderbeg who behaued him selfe so wysely that he contented Scanderbeg in suche sorte that he retorned suddenly backe againe dissolued his armie After this Scanderbeg with his 3. thousand horse men one thousāde fotemen retorned to his confynes to his acustumed places and when he came there he licensed the. 2. thousand souldiours which there were vnder y e conducte of y e aforesaid Moyses This Moises for his vertues and worthynes was so muche embraced and fauored of Scanderbeg as anye man that was with him in token wherof Scanderbeg had gyuen him many townes and great possessyones armours weapones horse aparell Iuelles clothe of golde and sylke with great summes of money notwithstandinge after this ouerthrowe of Scanderbegs people this Moyses was oute of hope that euer Scanderbeg shoulde be able to defende his countre whervpon he began to contemne him and lefte his seruice and went to the Turcke aforesayde and offered him to chase Scanderbeg oute of his countre so that he wolde delyuer him xv thousand chosen Turckes with this condition that when he had banished Scāderbeg that then he mought remaine lord of the contre painge yerely to the Turcke such tribute as he shoulde thincke good to appointe him to paie This offer pleased the tiran maruelously and he gaue vnto him very attentiue eare and aunswered Moises that yf he coulde bringe that to passe he wolde furnishe him in euery respecte and graunte him all his demaundes and for that that Moyses sayde that he wolde fley Scanderbeg and wolde challenge him openly to fyghte with him vpon the feelde in synguler battayle y e Turcke promised him to gyue vnto him a hundred thousande ducates so that he broughte vnto him the head of Scanderbeg and also he wolde haue no tribute at all of him for Scāderbegs countre but it shoulde suffise him to haue him obedient faythefull and his good frynde for the greater assurance he commaunded to put al these conditiones in writinge Then Moyses toke his iorney passed on w t his xv thousand chosen Turckes well monted came against Scanderbeg thorowe Thracia and Macedonia As sone as Scanderbeg vnderstode of this practise he did vnite his armie to the number of r. thousande men on horse and fote and went to tarie the comminge of Moyses in the plaines of the base Dibra When Moises was cōme into those playnes and sawe the armie of Scanderbeg in so good order he became euen amased went forthe from his people and with lowde voice challenged Scanderbeg to fyghte with him in syngular battayle vsynge against him manye villanouse wordes but Scanderbeg with more sharpe voice aūswered saying o thou rebelle mete for the gallowes tarie and I wyll sone make the to repent thee of that wherof thou thinckest not to repent the at all then manye of Scanderbeges souldiours were muche offended with him and wolde haue gone forthe oute of their squadrone to fyghte with him man to man but Scanderbeg with incredible furie spurred his horse towarde him so that they were bothe oute frō their people and as sone as Moises behelde the troubled there and furiouse countenance of his lorde he began forthewith to flee and retorned into his squadrone and Scanderbg folowed with great furie but he coulde not ouer get him wherfore he retorned to his people Then when all thinges were in that order that he wolde he commaunded them with a lowde voice to folowe him and they all being alredie excedingly wrothe folowed him but he being in a greate furie was y e fyrste that strake vpon them and the Turckes were excedingly amased to see that most shamefull flyghte of Moyses their Captaine and almost with the fyrst charge were put to flight so that a fewe of them euer retorned home Moyses went againe to the Turcke but he was not only suffred to comme to his presence but also was greatly laughte at and skorned and estemed to be a vile māand of no worthynes Then Moyses became almost desperate and began to discourse in him selfe what he were best to doe he could finde no meanes wherby he mought remedie his euell in suche sorte as he mought with his honor shewe him selfe in anye place of the worlde consyderinge that he had in this sorte purchased the name of a traitour in the ende beinge moued in conscience he called to god for mercy and then he was fully perswaded to put his truste in God and in Scanderbeg who had dyuerse and sondrie tymes pardoned penitent offendours Then he disguysed him selfe and came into Albania secretly with a corde aboute his necke casting him selfe downe at the feete of Scanderbeg with tremblinge and teares demaunded mercy Then Scāderbeg forthe with put forthe his hande and toke him vp and began to discourse with him euen as thoughe there had ben neuer anye offence made against him discoursing of the practizes that the Turcke had framed against hym Then Scāderbeg commaunded to apparell him honorably and when they had supped he restored him to all his liuinges goodes that before were confiscate in token that he had franckly pardoned him After this when Scanderbeg sawe Moyses faithfull and diligent in all his affares he receaued him into hys faueur as before and accepted him better When the Turcke vnderstode the contynuall victorie of Scanderbeg against him and against his father in his lyfe tyme he gathered a great armie and sent Isaahe Bassa of Romania Captaine generall wyth xl thousand men against Scanderbeg as sone as they were comme into his countre Scanderbeg semed to be in great feare and fiedde into Alessio a Citie of the Vene tianes Then the Turckes were oute of doute of Scanderbeg and so ran ouer his countre at their pleasure euen to the very sea but they coulde rayse no proie great nor
I wishe al men of honest spirites to seke to vnderstand the effecte of this discipline for it doth as muche more helpe to the obtaining of victorie then doth the greatnesse of the number as Ceser Appian Vigetius Plutarcke chiefly doe declare PeradueÌ„ture some maÌ„ wil say why sir we nede not this discipline wherof you speke we can haue for oure money straungers which are good souldiours to serue vs wheÌ„ we nede But such as are of that opinion I wishe to rede the histories Chronicles of Fraunce for Fraunce hath well felte the coÌ„moditie of the seruice of staungers which nether serue for honor of their countre prince ne yet for their wiues children goodes possessions but they seke onely to leade the warres at length to make their ptoffytt of it beside this I thincke it not inconuenient to showe an example or two of the good seruice of straungers Mounser de Lautrec being in Italie generall of the Frenshe armie at the sege of Pauie the Suissers came vnto him and required him eyther to gyue them license to repare home in to their couÌ„tre or els to goe encountre the enemies for they wolde no lengar tarrie in Italie whervpon fearinge that the Suissers shoulde leaue him he was enforced to goe encouÌ„tre the enemy in the which â—ncountre he was ouerthroweÌ„ beside Mylan at a village called the Pico â—ue all his armie put to flight as witnesseth paradyne in his first Boke of his historie The lyke dyd Andre Dorie at the sege of Naples being in the paie of â—he Frenshe king in his seruice at the seege before Naples and kepte â—heir victualles and reliefe from them whervpon they furnished the Naâ—ie of the towne then the chiefe princes rulers of the towne emâ—arcked them selues went and gaue battayle to the sayd Dore and afâ—er longe fyght Dorie obtained the victorie toke prisoners the prince of Orenge the Marques of Guasto Camile Colona â—cardo and a gentle man of Spaine named Gogna he slewe two worthy Captaines Feramus â—a and Gabone toke thre Galleys from the enemies after this he lefte â—he seruice of the Frenshe king caried with him his Galleys and the prisoners that he had taken went and serued the Emperour immediatly set his prisoners at libertie the Emperour gaue him the principalitie of Melphe with dyuerse other castls lordshipes The like did â—he Marques Brandenburge wheÌ„ he departed froÌ„ the seruice of Henry â—he Frenshe king caried not he the Duke Domerle with dyuerse others prisoners with him Also to comme to oure warres when the towne of Haddington in Scotland was holden for oure king Edwarde the vi did not the Almaignes Mutyne there and put them selues in armes against â—s which yf the enemies had vnderstode mought haue ben the losse of the towne Let these fewe examples fuffyse for this tyme and although that I haue in this litle preface briefely touched the worthynes of discipline yet am I well assured that victorie commeth not onely by it but by the gyfte of God wherfore I must saie with Saincte Paull Paull planteth Appollo watreth but god giueth the encrease eueÌ„ so the Generall commaundeth the souldiours obey but God gyueth the victorie wherfore let all men seke to knowe him and serue him as he him selfe hath appointed and then shall all thinges goe well with them Your honors most humble seruant Iohn Shute The translatour to the reader I Haue good reader turned into Englishe out of the Italien these two Bokes folowing the one is a coÌ„mentarie of Andrewe Lambine â–ª the other a commentarie betwixt George Scanderbeg the Tâ—tckes althoughe they be not done in an exquisite and curious stile whiche I leaue to those that haue bene brought vp in scoles and are seen in oratorie yet is the matter of importance and to such as delite in martiall affaires both pleasant and profitable the knowledge wherof is very necessarie forasmuche as no countrie can promesse to it selfe perpetuall peace and quietnes Wherfore take in good parte I beseche the this my traueill and vse it so that therby thou maist be the better able to serue to the maintenauÌ„ce of Godes glorie and common wealth of thy couÌ„try I haue added in thende of the bokes folowing a table which declareth the principall matters conteyued in them what the princes were that brought them to passe and the yeres wherin they were done I haue also noted the principall matters of the bokes in the margente which myne author hath not A Comentarie of Andre CAMBINO A FLORENTINE BORNE OF THE originall of the Turques and Empire of the house of Ottomanno The first Boke THE Turquish nation after the opinion of diuers writers chiefly of these ofâ—ate yeres for that they haue sene them rule in those partes where the citieof Troy once was and hauynge regarde to their name haue affirmed that thei are discended from Teu cxi from whence the Troians bad their originall the which is vtterly false for in dede that natioÌ„ which at this present dwelleth in the lesser Asia vnder the rule of the house of Ottomannâ— beinge of nature cruell and barbarous toke originall from the Scithianes and as the philosopher Etico dothe declare had their abidinge beyonde the montaines called Pyrithei not far froÌ„ the Isâ—es Tarraconite directlye towarde the Northwest sea And as Otho brother to Federyckes father of Austriche being Emperour doth declare that at the tyme when Pâ—pine raigined in Fraunce these people departinge from the confines of Caspie were aboute the yere of Christe 760. beinge encontred with the people Auari which in oure time are Hungarians and fighting betwene them a cruell battayle and great slaughter on bothe sydes done The Turques not withstanding continuing their enterprise ouerran and spoyled the contreis of Poutho and Capadocia with other prouinces to them adioyinge And in the beginning they gathered them selues togither secretlye and dwelled vpon montaynes and in stronge places perillous to assayle and maynteyned them selues and lyued of pâ—oie and spoyle as occasion was offered them After that when they grewe to some strength and were prouyded of captaynes and discipline they began with open warres to molest and trouble y â— people of those countries neare vnto them adioyning and to become lordes of their contreis and these people not being able to stande against and to endure their force and crueltie were enforced forced to giue place so that the Turques within shorte space possessed not only Pontho and Capadocia but assailed the lesser Asia which takinge his name of theÌ„ is at this daye called Turchia in such sort that in short time they became lordes and maisters of Galatia Bithinia Pamphiâ—ia Pisidia of the one and other Frigia of Cilitia and of Caria enlarging the coÌ„fines of their dominion euen from the sea called Ionio to the banckes of the sea Egeo and then appointed to euery faction and contrey hys
as hayle from the heighte of the walles the Turckes were muche anoyed by meanes of the darkenes for that they could not see how to defende them selues from the arrowes and stones where with manye of them were slaine and hurt when it was perfit day Mahometh approched neare y e towne with al his power commaunded when he should geue a signe the towne to be assayled rounde to the end that they of the towns should not be able to defende euerye where his force he appointed to euerye colonell wyth his regiment a certaine space of the wall to assayle for that they shuld fight apart to the end the vertue of the assaylants and their worthy actes mought be sene that thereby they moughte be the more enflamed thorough desyre of honour to committe them selues to all kinde of peryll In like sorte was their order geuen to them of the Armata with commaundement that in one instant euery man should assayle that place wherevnto he was appoynted there were broughte also nere to the walles certaine towres of woode which were set vpon high groundes of aduauntage vpon the which he placed many souldiours to the end thei mought with their shot bete a longe all the circuite of the walles he had also with his artillery taken away all the defenses so that when they should come to defende the breache and walles they must stande all open against his shotte When Mahometh had done all these thynges the token of the assault was geuen with the sound of trumpettes bornes bagpipes and drummes that the ayre resounded of it immediatly herevpon the assault began the Turkes couered thir heades with roundels targes in such sort that it was like the rofe of an house ouer their heads in this sort came to y â— walles set vp theyr ladders enforsyng themselues with great corage to clyme to the height of the walles on the other syde they of the towne endeuoured them selues to defende it and threwe downe vpon them greate stones myghtye pieces of tymber and annoyed them merueylouslye wyth the shotte of their Crosse bowes Dartes and suche lyke throwen by the arme they aboue vsed theyr Mykes so well that they threwe the Turkes contynuallye from theyr ladders downe slewe and hurte a greate number of them and handled them so hardlye that they enforsed them to scatter and made them glad to abandone the assaute wherevpon Mahometh drewe neare with his company and encouraged them calling by name nowe one and then another especyally those that were moste valiaunte and worthye comfortynge them to reuiue the assaute and in y â— end some he threatened wyth cruell wordes and to other some he made great and large promises and in this sorte wroughte with them that he caused them to put on noble mindes and to begynne agayne the assaulte with farre greater furye then before and euerye man soughte to gette vp the wall one clymynge on the others shoulder and vp by theyr Pykes lyke Cattes some other wont close together couerynge theyr heades with theyr targes and roundels and they that were on the lowe steppes of the ladders vare before them euen of force those that were on the hyghest of the ladders and manye layde holde of the Pikes and punchinge staues of theyr enemies as they thrust at them and so with greate courage gate vp walles and when they were at the highest were stricken downe headlonge into the botome of the dyke by them of the towne and also they made suche spoyle of the enemies by throwynge downe vpon them huge stones artificiall fyres burnynge Piche with Dartes and Pikes of fire workes that it was very strange to behold yet not withstaÌ„ding the emperour maynteyned theassaut with great discretion and in the place of the weried and spoyled he sente alwayes newe and freshe bandes in suche sorte that he gaue them of the citie no iote of tyme to repose but styll augmented the fighte with newe men so that they of the towne were merneylouslye consumed in a shorte space but that that moste discouraged was that one Iohn Giustiniano a Genouese borne a Noble manne in hys countrey who at the tyme of the seyge happened to bee in Constantinople and behaued hymselfe so worthelye in the defence thereof that they imputed the greatest parte of theyr defence to consist in hym vntyll that at the laste as he was valiauntlye fightinge vpon the walles with the enemies through disgrace he was sore wounded and as it is sayde seing him selfe to lose much bloude woulde not discourage the multitude with callinge for a Surgion but secrently w t drewe him froÌ„ the assaute of whose departure when CoÌ„stantine y e Emperour vnderstode he feared it wouldbe the losse of the citie whervpon he went in person to him desired him not to leue y â— assaute but Giustiniano would by no meanes grauÌ„t therunto but required to haue a gate opeÌ„ to y e end he mought go to be dressed then to returne again to y â— citie al y e gates of y â— braies were shut betwene them and the towne to the end that they which fought vpon the vttermost walles shoulde determine there to obtayne the victorie or elles to die in the place for so muche as they beinge once abandoned the losse of the towne muste nedes folowe when the gate was opened Giustiniano went oute through whose absence they of the towne were merueylously discouraged and began verye coldlye to defende the assaulte whiche when the Turkes Bascias and Colonels perceyued they marched on wyth theyr bandes and regimentes serred and with greater furye then before assayled the towne and beganne to climbe the breche whiche they had made with their batterie some by their ladders and some besyde their ladders by the spoyle of the walles and beganne to waxe maisters of the vtter walles and repâ—â—sed the Grekishe souldiours enforsynge them to flye in great disorder and euerye man by fotemanshyppe soughte to saue one and to get into the citie throughe the same gate that was opened to Giustiniano When the Emperour sawe the shamefull flighte and great disorder of his people he also fled after them not regardyng his imperial maiestie nor sekynge as it became so mightie a prince rather honourably to die with his sworde in his hand then to shew such want of magnanimitie He cam on toward this same gate also wher with the force thrustinge of those which repaired thither to get in he was throwen downe to the earth and in the preasse troden to deathe And amonge so greate a number of Souldiours as then were within the Citie there were found only twayn y â— vtterly despised seruile life and lyke worthye men honorablye died with their swordes in their handes fyghtynge to the vttermoste y e one of theÌ„ was Theophilo Paleologo a Greke borne the other Iohn Stiauo a Dalmatian which men este med it to vile in such sort to flie and for a long
time defended them selues and the citie from the hands of their most cruel enmies sleiÌ„g a great number of them tyl at the last beinge ouerlayed with the encrease of the number not discoraged but weryed with ouercommyng of others fel downe and gaue vp the ghost among a number of bodies of dead infidelles whiche they had slayne w t their owne handes And Giustiniano beyng gone to Pera and from thence by sea to Scio fell sicke eyther of his hurte or els with thought and in fewe dayes after died not enioying that great honour whiche he had wonne and truely he had bene happye yf he had died vp on the walles of Constantinople In the entre of the Turckes at the aforesayde gate they cut in pieces .viii. or .ix. hundred souldiours Grekes and Italians when the Turckes were once maisters of the towne walles they chased awaye the citezins that were come to the gate to defende the entrie and with theyr arrowes and great stones from aboue they made waye for their companions to enter And when the Turckes were in thys sort entred the gate and become lordes of the citie and had slaine as many as thei found with weapon in theyr handes then they employed themselues to spoyle and sacke the towne the number of the triumphantes was in maner infinite thei had no desyrt but to robbe spoile and to accomplishe and fulfyll theyr beastly and fyltye fleshely desyres beyng much geuen to carnall voluptudusnes they pardoned neyther kinde nor age mixynge murder with theyr adulteries and fornications they made the olde men slaues and other men and women of more lustie yeres and of base condition they chayned together with great derison and scorne and so draue them on lyke flockes of shepe before them if it happened that any faire maiden or faire yonge man came in their waye by and by numbers of them woulde striue who shoulde first laye handes on them and often times woulde grow into question for them and the like wold they do when they happened vpon any bootie of greate value as well sacred as prophane for euery man would â—aye handes on it in so much that often times thei wold â—one cut another in pieces for it And this armie being of diuers nations and countreys and also of sundrie natuâ—es and speches did kepe such a sturre in Constantinople by the space of thre dayes which was theyr time of â—poile that there was nothinge vnlawefull for them to do although it were most detestable and wicked When they had spoyled the temple of S. Sophia which was buylded by Iustinian the Emperour of Constiâ—ople in the which they had a merueylous masse or treaâ—ure both of siluer and golde and precious vessel such like oruamentes they filled it with all kind of fylthyâ—es makynge it an habitation of whores a stable for their horses a place wherein no filthie exercise was left vnexercised to the like vse they conuerted all the rest of the churches and sacred places of the citie oute of the which they toke the bones and reliques of holye men women the which when thei had disgarnished of y â— gold siluer stone y â— was about theÌ„ they threw into y â— strete and canell to be troden on not onely of men but also of dogges swine and other beasts the crosses and Images of saincts were broken wyth greate hammers and such like instrumentes of yron thrownen into the dirt and when they had with sundrie tormentes compelled the seuauntes of the citizens to reueale vnto them the hidden treasure of their maisters it is sayde that they gate hidden vnder the grounde a great summe both of golde and siluer and precious Iewels whiche were by the vnwyse citezins hydden in the begynnynge of the warres the whiche if they coulde haue bene contented to haue employed in the defence of the citie peraduenture they had saued them selues bothe goodes and life and also to their countrey libertie and honour But the olde Prouerbe was veryfyed in them which saieth that couetous men haue no power ouer their golde but are subiect to it when the citie was thus spoyled of al that euer was in it The thirde day they departed out of it brought all their prisoners into their campe And Mahometh accordynge to the custome of the Turkes dyd celebrate to his Bascias and Captaines a very sumptuous feaste and when they had eaten and dronken more then sufficient he thoughte it good to honour his banket with the sheding of Christian bloude and commaunded to bryng before him all the chiefe and most noble prisoners of the citie that were on lyue and caused them al with vnspeakeable crueltie to be cutte a sunder in the middest in his presence amonge the which there was one that came before him called Rireluca the chiefe gouernour of the citie next to the Emperour whose eldest sonne he caused to be slaine in the presence of hys father and immediatly after hanged the father whose other sonne because he was yonge and fayre he reserued to his noble and vertuous vsage They had also taken diuers marchauntes of Italie Venetians Genoneses and others whome he put also to death excepte they were able presently to raunsome themselues and Isodoro the cardinal Rueteno who was sent thither along time before Legate froÌ„ y â— pope Nicholas disguised himselfe in simple habite and when the Turkes entred the towne for fewe thousandes of Aspres raunsomed himselfe They that dwelled in Pera a garrison towne of the Genoueses hearynge that Constantinople was loste layed downe their weapons and taried not the summonynge but sent to Mahometh and offered hym the towne who receyued them and shortlye after rased the walles thereof and where he had promised them sauegarde of their personnes lyues and goodes with all other their commodities contrary to his promes he toke out of the towne for his owne vertuous and cleanely vsage a number of the women and boyes that there were and also taxed the towne in a great summe of money the which he enforsed them presently to paye notwithstanding the menaging of these weyghtie affaires he kept secret w t in his breast the hatred that he had conceyued against Calibasso Bascia for that he was y e chief occasion that Amorath was called out of Asia to take in and the wars against the Hungarians finally called â—im to him caused to lay hands on him and examined â—im sundrie daies by sundrie cruell torments layinge â—o his charge that he had reueled y e secrets of those wars â—o the emperour of Constantinople and vpon this toke from him all that he had which was treasure in maner â—nfinite caused him most miserablie to be put to death When that the losse of Constantinople the death of y e â—mperour was knoweÌ„ in Morea y e Albaneses that dwelâ—ed in Peloponesso rebelled against Thomas Dimeâ—rio brethren to the late emperour of Constantinople â—hei wer a great number
spoyled all the contrey and wolde not suffer the subiects of Caromano other to sowe and plowe the grounde orels to doe anye thinge in the feeldes that moughte befor their commoditie whervpon they that dwelled vpon the plaine were in suche distresse that of their owne acorde they reuolted from Caromano for the greatest number and became subiectes to Baiazithe when the springe of the yere was cōme Caromano consideringe the inclination of his people and being in feare to be forsaken of his souldiours or els to be delyuered by them into the hands of Baiazithe obtaine of the Soldane of Egipte Caribeio a man of much fame and worthines a great sume of money and also certaine bandes of Arrabianes he sent into all partes of his dominions for such ayde as there was to be had and ioyned them all with his armie and made it of as great number as he coulde and determyned to se howe fortune wolde fauour hym and rather to Hazard the battayle then to gyue place to his enemie and in tyme to be delyuered by his owne mē into the handes of his enemyes whervpon beinge furnished with all necessaries he toke the feelde and chose a place of great strengthe and apte for the seruice of horse men when Baiazithe vnderstode that the enemey was come to the feelde and in campe he sent to all his garnisones commaūdinge them to repare vnto hym wyth spede with them to bring their whole furniture and when he had taken reuewe of them he marched to the feelde and put his souldiours in battayle and then marched towarde Caromano and when he came w tin sighte of him he sent his vauntgarde toward his enemie some thinge spedyly to begyn the battayle and he in person dyd conducte the battayle and folowed the Vauntgarde he also was folowed by the rierewarde and all his bagagers and when he came where the enemies were they refused not the battayle he came towarde them in good order and ioyned with them and notwithstanding that the force of Baiazithes people was greate and that a troupe of ten thousand horsemen of his went and serred them selues and with great furie assayled the enemies perswading them selues that in the first encoūtre they woulde disorder them but the Ciliceanes recauid theyr charge with great assurance in suche sorte that there was not one of them that gaue one fote of grounde to his enemie After this when they were entremelled there began a very braue and blooddie fyghte men fell downe dead and hurte contynally on bothe sydes and their places were alwaies supplied with freshe men and in this sorte they contynued for the greatest parte of the daye with great assurance nether partie gyuinge place to the other so that it coulde not be Iudged on whiche parte the virtorye shoulde lighte for the battayle contynued doubtefull euen to the darcke night Abraham Caromano shewed that daye of what value he was for in his order he shewed him selfe a Capten of great Iudgement and afterward in his fyghte he shewed him selfe a valiante and stoute souldiour and laste of all by the prouidence of god his tyme beinge at hand seinge his people to gyue place beinge charged by a greate numbre of his enmies whose force they were not able to endnre be thruste on spedilie towardes them with his garde a good number of other of his souldiours and gaue in vp on them in suche sorte that he perced euen in to myddest of their squadrone and beinge knowen by the enemies was by thē forth with enuironed and charged on euery syde with suche furie that they slewe his horse vnder hym where vpon he was constrayned to fyghte on fote in the whiche he behaued him selfe so nobly that w t his owne hande he slewe dyuerse of those which assailed him in the ende throughe the great losse of his bloude which contynually fell from him throughe his dyuerse and sondrie woondes whiche he had receauied in the battayle not beinge able to endure anye longer fell downe deade in the place as sone as his people vnderstode of his death they were so amazed and discouraged that immediatly they dysorderid them seules and lefte the fyghte scatteringe them selues all the the feelde ouer hoped to make flighte their sauetie but being folowed by y e Turckyshe horsmen the greatest number of them were slaine and a great parte of the rest were taken on lyue and delyuered to Baiazith when he had in this sorte obtained so greate a victorie he determyned forthewith to vse the same whervpon he began to occupie the reste of Cilicia campestre and marching on ouer all the contrey the cities and fortellezes yeldyd vnto him enerie where as he came withoute makinge anye resystaunce and hauing in shorte tyme broughte vnder his obeisance all that contrey that Caromano possessed in Cilicia he deuised then with his Captaines what was beste to be done fynally it semed beste in the opinion of euery mā first or he toke in hand to passe the mounte Tauro and so to goe on to conquere that which Caromano possyd in the lesse Armenia and Capadotia to possesse the other Cilicia called Thrachea to the ende to leue no enemie behinde thē y e mought empeche them whervpō he caused to moostre and paie his men and then gaue them a litle tyme to repose that done he vnited them and sent them towarde Setalia which is a Citie in that prouince then newlye inhabited a citie of greate traffique maruelously well inhabited by meanes of the decaie of the trade that was in Delo whiche in tyme passed was a Citie of the greatest traffique of all Asia and chiefely for the great number of slaues that then were there boughte and solde which were in nūber in maner infinite wherof it grewe into prouerbe marchantes make your voyage to Delo and there vnshippe for whatsoeuer is broughte thither is redie money when the traffique of this Citie was decaied the whole traffique and trade of marchandize was put ouer into Setalia and throughe the greate repaire of marchauntes it was become the cheife and beste in habited Citie of the lesse Asia in so muche that the sea coaste all there aboute losynge his olde name is called the golfe of Setalia euen at this daye vpon the whiche golfe directly ouer againste the Isle of Cipres standeth a noble Citie and a popolouse called Scandoloro the lorde wherof beinge a Turcke borne and all wayes in doubte of them hath euer ben an enemie to y e house of Ottomano and also to Caromano and confede rate with the greate maister of Rhodes and the King of Cipres dyd preserue his state vntyll that daie standing as a newter betwene them both but whē he sawe Baiazith come vpon him withe so populouse an armie vpon the sodden Iudginge him selfe not of power to witstand his force for all the power that he was able to make did not excede the number of xx M. men on horsbacke
came messagers oute of al the cities and townes of the prouince and he sate in the myddest of the market place with dyuerse graue and discrete councellours aboute him whiche he vsed alwaye when he gaue audience openly and there he herds and determyned many controuersies and when he had appointed gouernours and officers to euery towne and citie and had abolished dyuerse of the custumes of the ancient Soldanes as vniuste and intollerable to the people he dyd moderate them with newe lawes and when he had contynued in Damasco a longe tyme aboute the reforming of the countre and had well reposed his armye he then determyned in him selfe to make warres a gainst Egipte for so muche as he vnderstode that al the Mamalukes that were dispersed abrode into al the coūtres were comme to Cairo to create a newe Soldane beinge once togyther they chose Tomombeio the great Diadaro a man of great reputation and credite and of great experience and excellent in the discipline of the warres Selim being vpon the pointe of his departure sent before him to make suer the waye Sinan Bassa gaue him in commissyon to passe on to the Citie Gaza and there to tarie hym and he in person departed from Damasco with the reste of his armie and folowed and beinge desyrous to visyte that most famous temple of Ike rusalem toke with him his garde of Gianizzaries and a certaine number of his horsemen and entred into Iudea and passed on to Iherusalem and when he had visyted y e temple and other holly places of the Citie he retorned agayne to his armye the nexte waye And Sinan Bassa with his companie which was .xv. thousand horsemen hauinge ouerthrowen the Arabianes and repulsed their inuasyones whiche often tymes they had attempted against him and had made the passage free with much a doe and was comme on to Gaza which stode neare vnto the sea vpō the confynes of Egipte in y e place where men enter into the sandie deserte passinge from Iudea to Eairo and when he came before the Citie with his armye they of the Citie willinge to auoide the sacke spoyle therof gaue place to tyme and yelded y e Citie vnto him where he contynued and taried for commissyon from his lorde to directe him in those affaires As sone as Tomombeio had receaued the gouernement he determyned forth with to supplie the bandes of Mamalukes which were maruelously spoyled and consumed wherfore he caused to enrolie all their slaues y e were of lawful yeres and apte to vse armes he prouided armour and weapō for them and also horses also he had entertained in his paie a great number of Arabianes and loste no tyme but contynually prouided artillerie and Monition with all other necessaries and beinge aduertized by those of Gaza whiche dyd very well affecte the Mamalukes of the comminge of Sinan Bassa and in what sorte he lodged there The Soldane at their request de termyned to send a power to encountre him hauinge great hope in the good wyll of the Citizens whervpon he dispatched Gazele and sent him with syre thousande horses and a greate number of Arabianes and as sone as Sinan Bassa was aduertized of his comming by his bandes that he had alwaie vpon the feelde not trusting them of the Citie he determyned to goe against hym to encountre him and when he had rydden xv myles he staied at a village where he mought well lodge for that that in the vilage their was a fountaine very plen tuouse of pure watter whervpō he commaūded to lodge there and began to appointe the quartiers and before that they had done the alarme was gyuen and he was aduertized by the scoultes of his vantgarde y ◠they sawe afarre of a great duste wherfore they Iudged the enemy to be there cōming toward them Sinan Bassa had scarcely tyme to put his people in order before that Gazele was cōme with his began to assayle his vantgard and after that they had foughte a certaine space Gazele seinge his peopble ouerlaide with uumber and a rtillerie and that they began to recule and seing y ◠they of Gaza apeared not in his fauour in hope of whose ayde he had taken in hand the battayle with his sworde in his hand dyd make his waye thorowe his enemyes so retorned to Cairo with the losse of his cariage and a great number of his souldiours and when Selim was departed from Iherusalem he came to his armye and broughte them to Gaza where he founde Sinan Bassa retorned with great victorie and had put to deathe many of y e Citizens which had procured y e Soldane to send his people thyther when Selim had reposed his souldiours for a tyme in Gaza he determyned to marche on towarde Cairo and wolde not gyue the newe Soldane time to furnishe him selfe of newe bands and to put him selfe in good order wherfore he made great prouision of hogges hedes to carie watter with him and sent Sinan Bassa before him with his bandes of Europe and he folowed him alway within one dayes iorney w t his whole armye aud in this sorte passed on throughe the deserte and came neare to Cairo within fewe myles a lytle frō a villadge named Macharea where the Soldane had a garden where that most precious licour called Balsme dyd growe which is a certaine goome that distillethe throughe certaine clestes made in the barcke of y e trees in the tyme of the gathering therof by the gardeners which cut them with exceding fyne knynes made of yuorie Tommobeio determyned to tarie the enemye in y ◠village whervpon he entrenched it very stongly wyth great rampares and depe Dykes and had bent al his artillerie vpon the waye where the Turcks shoulde cōme and as sone as he herde of the comminge of the Turckishe armye he departed from Cairo with twelue thou sand Mamalukes and a great number of Arrabianes other souldiours on horsebacke and on fote and came lodged in his lodginge that was fortified for him of purpose where whē he had put his people in order he taried the comming of the enemye and as sone as Selim vnderstode of the Soldanes order he refused the waye that the Soldane had bent all his artillerie vpon and wolde not assayle hys enemye vpon the frounte of his battaile but determyned to assayle him on the flancke where he was not so well prouided whervpō he disvanded agreat nūber of shotte sent them to assayle the trenches of y ◠Soldane immediatly the Soldane marched forthe w t his people in order and there began betwene them a notable fyghte and a furious and hauing fought from the fourthe houre of the daye to the sunne goinge downe in very doubtfull sorte euen to the darcke nighte Tommabeio caused to sounde the retreicte and lefte the village and marched to Cairo and the Turckes as victoriouse entred into the Soldanes lodginges and their lodged that nighte
there were slaine of y e partie of y e Mamalukes the great Diadaro strycken with a falconete and of the Turckes partie Sinan Bassa and when the Soldane was retorned with his armys he lodged them betwene the Citie and the ryuer Nilo and determyned to supplie his armye with newe bandes and to defend him selfe and therfore sent for all the Mamalukes y t were appointed to the garde of other contreys and commaunded them to repaire to Cairo with all spede he toke oute of the Monition house of the Castle all the furniture of armour and weapon that there was and distributed it to the children of the Mamalukes and to twelue thousand slaues which they toke vp in that Citie besydes that he sent into Iudea and Arabia his Captaines to leuie and enrolle all suche horsemen and fotemen as they shoulde fynde that were trained and experimented in y e warres and for that he wolde as muche as in him was saue his people from the force of the artillerie he determyned w t all his power to assayle his enemye in the darckest of y e nighte for that he was assured that in the nyghte they coulde not well vse their artillerie withoute the slaughter of their owne people as well as of their enemyes discouering his opinion to certaine of the cheife of y e Mamalukes he prouided to put it in executioÌ„ but he coulde not vse the matter so secretly but y t amonge those fewe with whom he had debated the cause their were some traitours whiche dyd aduertize Selim therof who caused to make greate fyres withoute his campe rounde aboute it whiche made all the partes aboute the campe to be as well seen as in the myddeste of the daye and in this sorte prouided that he moughte well vse hys artillerie and then put hys armye in battayle lookinge for his enemyes Tommobeio in the nyght â–ª approched neare to the Turckes campe and when he sawe all these fires he was then assured that hys enterprise was discouered yet wolde be not so retorne but assayled his trenches in suche sorte that he entred them and synding them very well furnished be retorned agayne to his lodging froÌ„ whence he came and after that beinge enforced by the Mamalukes he was constrained to lodge within the citie and to defende it and for that he wolde prouide in euery respecte he caused with all spede to fortifye it and when he had made stronge the principall places therof he put stronge garde into them Selim as sone as he herde that the Soldane with his armie was lodged w t in the towne he marched with his armye into the towne which he moughte easyly doe for that the citie was not enuironed with walle nor rampare beinge within the Citie with his armye he foughte three dayes continually with the enemye and when he had slayne a great nuÌ„ber of them he became lorde of the greatest parte of the Citie and the Mamalukes seinge their force daily to de caie and that they were no longar able to contynue in the Citie went from thence to the ryuer Nilo and toke the boates that they founde there and passed all their armie with the Soldane ouer the ryuer into the Region Segesta which is a parte of Affrica that liethe towarde Cirene and Tomombeio for that he wolde not gyue ouer the matter sent for those Mamalukes that were appointed to grade the Citie of Alexandria and for y â— there came dayly into his campe Arabianes Affricanes and other Mores of y e prouices there abouts he began to be agayne in good hope to defende his owne whylest the matters of Cairo passed in this sorte Gazzele whome y e Soldane had sent into Thebaiade to leuie as manye bandes of both horsemen and fotemen as he coulde was coÌ„me neare to Cairo and had brought with him a gerat number of Arrabianes with their Captaines also and when he vnderstode of the losse of Cairo and that hys lorde was fied beyonde the ryuer Nilo and beinge oute of all hope of the preseruation of his countre vnder the gouernement of the Soldane seinge it paste all remedie determined to obserue time and to pronide for his safety by yelding him selfe to the victour and when he had in this sorte debated the matter with the Captaines of the Arrabianes which he had brought with him had per swaded them in that behalfe he came to the gate of Selim and required to be broughte to his presence when he came before him he fell prostrate to the grounde and ryssed his fete sainge for so muche as he had done for y â— preseruation of the Mamalukes state and of his lorde all that was possyble for him to doe and neuer brake his fait he so longe as there was any token of hope lefte for the preseruation of this same and nowe seinge his high nes possessyd of the Citie and placed in the Imperiall seate and his lorde to be fled and to haue lefte his kingdome wherfore he had determyned with him selfe no lenger to respste but trusting in his clemencie and goodnes was coÌ„me wholly to committe him selfe into his hands w t oute any maner of condition at all but to be well contentyd with all that that shoulde please his highnes to deteremyne of him Selim receuid him very corteously and willed him to be of good comforte and to assure him selfe not to wante place with him mete for a man of his worthines he caused him to be writen amonge y e reste of his chiefe Captaines appointed vnto him an honorable prouisionin lyke sorte he caused y e Captaines chiefe officiers of the Arrabianes to be broughte vnto him and gaue them very good wordes and entertained them in his ordinarie After this he vnderstode of a certaine man of Segesta which was comme to seke him of manye of the purposes of Tomombe is and howe he was contynually solycited by certaine Mores the principall and chiefe of Cairo in suche sorte as he was fully determyned to retorne thyther agayne when Selim vnderstode of these preparationes he thought good to pre uent it whervpon he determined to passe the ryuer Nilo and to seke him and to the ende that he moughte the more spedyly passe his armye and artillerie he prouided a great number of botes and fastened them to bothe the shores and then laide his bridge made of bordes and called into the Castle suche Citizens as he suspected and â—caused them to be safely kepte when Tomombe is vnder â—tode that Selim was makinge redie to passe the Nilo with his armye fearinge the inconstancie of the people and seing no way howe by flyghte he mought prolonge the warres determyned to proue what fortune wolde doe once more in battayle wherfore he thought it good to assayle the bridge and to se yf that he coulde synding his enemyes occupied in their passage ouer take them vnprouided and so to onerthrowe them whervpon he vsed greats celeritie departing
ducates and yf thou shouldest nowe dye not gyue order in that behalfe they shoulde be conueyd and stollen awaye were it not better that thou shoulde bestowe them vpon soÌ„me hospitale whervnto Selim answered woldest thou that I shoulde honor my selfe with the goodes of other men to bestowe them in vertuose worckes in the remembrance and commendation of me I wyl neuer doe it whervpon Perino replied sayinge what woldest thou then that there shoulde be done with them He answered that they be delyuered to them froÌ„ whom they were taken and also he called to his remembrance y â— there were thre thousaÌ„d ducates of a Florentyne sonne to one Thomaso de Aiolfo he commaunded also that they shoulde be delyuered vnto him Whervpon after that the money marchandize and sylkes that were arrested in Bursta were delyuered to the owners and he that reported this was one of them and had receaued a great quantitie againe and had brought of the same salkes to Florence two fardells this is spoken to confounde manye of our Christian princes amonge whom in the lyke case it is a very harde matter to fynde one that shal haue such remorse of conscience but nowe to our historie when Selim was in this sorte consumed with his disease in the ende of the monethe of Septem her the vere of the Christian helthe 1520. hauinge in righte yeres which was the time of his raigne brought to passe so manye maruelouse enterprises he ended his lyfe in whose place succeded Solimanno his onely soÌ„ne a yonge man of great worthines in whome their was great hope for the great modestie that was in him he was of the age of xxviii yeres and beinge in Natolia y â— newes were brought him fleing of the deathe of his father wherfore in the begynninge he was in doubte of them fearing leste it had ben fayned by the commaundement of his father wherfore he wolde not sturre at all oute of Natolia tyll suche tyme as Perino Bassa came into Natolia to him who dyd not onely assertaine him of it but also constreyned him to passe ouer into Gretia to Constantinople where as sone as he was arryued he was receaued and coronned withoute any coÌ„tradicti on at all and accepted Emperour with the vntuersall ioye and contentacion of his subiectes and in this sorte he accepted the gouernement vsing in all his determynations y â— councell of Perino Bassa whom he honored as thoughe he had ben his natural father in this meane tyme wheÌ„ the death of Selim was published in Egipte and Soria it dyd greatly moue the people of those countres and Gazelle beinge pricked with ambition perswaded him selfe that he moughte recouer both Egipte and Sorta and erecte againe y â— of state the Mamalukes acording to y â— ancient order therof vnder the Soldanes whervppon he caused the Citie of Damasco firste to rebelle and possessyd it callinge him selfe openly lord ther of and vtterly caste from him all obedience towardes y e house of Ottomanno which brute when it was sprede abrode throwe the prouince caused all the Mamalukes that were lefte which were hidden in Asia and Affrica to comme vnto him and then according to their anient custume they created him Soldane who made all preparation possyble to defende his state and gathered togyther a great number of Arrabians and of the counâ—res neare aboute him and sent his ambassadours to Cairo to desyre Carerbeio to ioyne with him to helpe to restore the Mamalukes state to his ancient libertie offering him to gyue him what parte of the domynion y â— he wolde yea to resigne vnto him his place and to make him Soldane when Carerbeio had gyuen publique audience to his ambassadours vnderstode their demauÌ„de withoute gyuing them anye answer caused his Ministers to cut them in peces hauing also proued Aleppo and dyuerse other Cities of Soria he founde none that wolde ioyne with him in this enterprise whervpon he determyned to defend him selfe as well as be moughte and leuied in all countreys suche bandes as he coulde get to serue him when the newes of the rebellion of Da masco was comme into Gretia Solimanno commaunded forthwith the Bellagarbei of Cillicia which was appointed for the garde of the lesser Asia with .xl. M. horsemen to goe thyther who entred into Soria acompained with the lieutenantes of Aleppo and of the rest of the cities of that prouince and came before Damasco with his armie in battayle he was not so sone comme before the Citie but Gazzelle hauing determyned for onely remedie to hazarde the battayle and wolde rather dye honorable w t his sworde in his hande then to be delyuered by some practize lyuinge into his enemyes hands whervpon he marched forthe of the Citie with his armie and put his people in battayle and then marched on with a noble mynde to encountre his enemye who marched also towarde him and withoute delaie ioyned in battaile and foughte for a longe tyme with greate assurance on bothe partes the vertue and discipliue of Gazzelle and of those fewe Mamalukes that were with him was such that notwithstanding they were excedingly ouerlaid w t nuÌ„ber yet for y â— space of certaine houres they so endured the force of their enemyes that they were nothing at al disordered nor gaue to their enemyes one fote of place in the end hauinge slayne a great number of their enemyes and manie of them beinge flayne also and the rest in maner all hurte beinge ouercomme with very wery nes and not able to vse their weapones Gazzelle fyndynge hym selfe enuironed by the Turckes foughte valiantly against them tyll at the laste he fell downe deade from his horse amonge them the Mamalukes beinge in the ende disordered and seynge no way by flighte howe to saue them selues determyned to dye lyke worthy men with their weapones in their hande and so foughte to y â— vttermoste in suche sorte that very fewe were taken lyuing by the enemyes As sone as Mustaffa Bassa had obtained this victorie he came forthwith w t his armie be fore the Citie the Citizens made no resystance but openned the gates and receaued the Bassa with such people as he wolde with him into the towne who entred acompanied with fewe for that he wolde not haue the Citie spoyled nor y e marchantes which were there oute of all partes of the worlde to exersyse their traffique he pardoned the Citizens and confirmed their liberties and freedomes which Selim had giuen vnto them he lodged his armye withoute the Citie and in this sorte dispatched the rest of the Mamalukes And established Soria and all y e prouinces of Egipte in perfecte peace which were wont to obey vnto Selim leuinge them vnder y e reule of Solimanno Ottomanno their lorde FINIS A COMMENTARIE OF THE WARRES OF THE TVRCKES MADE against George Scanderbeg prince of Epirro and of the victories obtained by the sayde George as well against the Emperoures
to Scāderbeg who lyke a noble prince caused them al to be wel entertained sent them home wit houte any ransom of al those prisoners be caused to detēyne two men of acompte the one was Simone Vulcatal of the countrey of ◠cutari and the other was Andre Humoi brother to y e Captaine of Croia which he sent into his owne countrey kepte them prisoners in a forte of his y e was of great strength called Pietra Bianca where they were by his cōmaunded very wel vsed and had great prouision appointed vnto them after this Scanderbeg passed with his armye throughe al the countre which appertained to the Venetianes thinckinge to haue taken it but he coulde not whervpō he fortified a rased Citie name Balezzo which had ben distroied by Attilla Flagello di Dio he fortified it with walles trenches and bastiōnes he furnished it with al kinde of menition and valiante men and he appointed to be their Captaine one of hys Captaynes named Marino Spā a man of muche worthynes to y e ende that he shoulde with contynual courses spoyle and impouerishe the countre kepe them in continual doubte And when he had established this order he retorned to y e seege of Dagnio After this they of Scutari vnderstanding y e Marino Span was gone forthe of Balezzo they went thyther with al spede and spoyled the Citie to the very foundation wherwith Scanderbeg beinge greatly offendyd destroied al the countrey of Scutari When the Turcke venderstode that Scanderbeg had warres with the Venetianes and consydering that that countre laie betwene two mighty enemies he was excedinly glad thinckinge for that the Venetianes were of great force that they wolde sone chase Scanderbeg oute of his countrey wherefore he sent commaundement to Mustaffa which laye vpon his cōfines with xv M horsemen to goe and spoyle al Scāderbegs countre yet for al that Mustaffa cansydering the bandes that Scāderbeg had lying vpon his frontiers in redynes wolde goe no furder then that place which is called Dronich where he set vp his tentes and lying with his armie encamped there he helde the countrey in contynual feare wherof as sone as Scanderbeg had aduertizement he departed from Dagnio with two thousand souldiours and went to his other thre thousand souldiours that laye vpō his confines and whē he had exhorted them to behaue themselues valiantly he put them in order assailed y e Turckes with suche furie that within a shorte tyme he put them to flighte and slewe .x. M. of them and toke Mustaffa with .xii. others men of great acompte whom he caused forthewith to be sent where Andre and Simon was and then made a greate course into the Turckes countre broughte with him a maruelouse riche proie and distributed al to his souldiours and gaue amonge them afterwarde .xxv. M. ducates whiche he had for the ransome of Mustaffa and y e other xii When Scanderbeg had done this he retorned to Dagnio helde that countre in suche trauaile that he broughte it al vnder his obedience yet notwithstanding the Cities defended them selues and chiefely Driuazzo whyles Amesabeg Nephewe to Scanderbeg spoiled the countre about Drinazzo the worthy Andre surnamed Angelo descended of the Romanes whiche in tyme passed possessed the Empire of Constantinople beinge Captaine of Driuas tynes ysued oute of the towne with suche furie and assayled the armie of Scanderbeg so worthily that he put them to flyghte with great spoyle of them so that after that it was alwaies said that Scāderbeg was alwaies victoriouse onles it were before Driuasto but his excuse was for that he was not present at that rencoūtre In the ende Scanderbeg made peace with the Venetianes vpō condition that he shoulde restore vnto them al those places that he had taken from them and in recompence therof he shoulde haue one part of the valey or strascte of Scutari begynninge at the bancke of the ryuer Drino towarde Scutari and so stretching oute to a certaine place called Busgiarpeni which portions in dede were much more cōmodiouse for Scanderbeg then the towne of Dagnio When this agrement was made Scanderbeg spake to the ambassadour of Venise in sorte as foloweth right honorable my lorde ambassadours it is the opinion of suche as are wyse where a man louethe once in dede he must nedes loue alwaie and peraduenture the prouerbe hathe herof his begynninge whiche saythe that the discorde of frinds engendreth an increase of good wil wherfore I gyue your honours to vnderstande that notwithstanding oure difference I haue ben alwaie wel affected towarde my lordes of Venise for so muche as their state is most Christian and that they are fryndes of al kynde of vertue wherefore I wolde not suffer at the battaile of Scutari the victorie once beinge myne to sley anye moe of their souldiours and to the ende that it shall be well seen that I am their frinde in dede I shal holde me wel contentyd and satiffyed with anye thinge that maye be commodiouse to their state and for that they shall well vnderstande that I make lesse acompte of mine owne cōmodities then of thers I doe make them a presēt of al y e which is mine for the which we haue had this difference and doe holde my selfe as wel cōtented as if I had them contynually in my possession and furder I wyl them not to feare the Turcke for I truste in God to defende bothe their state and myne owne also and thus I commende me to your honours When Scāderbeg had this sayd he embraced the ambassadours retorned into hys countrey when he came thither he caused to take oute of prison Simon and Andre aforesayd and when he had delyuered them he did them great honor and gaue them great presentes in token of the goodwyl that he bare to the Senate of Venise At that same tyme Scanderbeg made a great course into the Turckes countrey and burned and spoyled al y e countre as he passed thorowe and brought a great proie from thence whervpon the Turcke called vnto him all his consellours called in the Turckishe tonge Vestri also his Bassas Sangiachi Captaines and others of his principall order of souldiours and spake vnto them in this sorte I am maruelously troubled and amased with the manifolde dāmages and dishonours that I haue receaued at the hande of Scanderbeg my mortal enemie wherfore I doe nowe determyne to be reuenged to employe al my force possyble against him and so muche the more for that I coulde neuer gyue him ouerthrowe but he hathe alwayes triumphed ouer my people and ouer the Venetianes also in one instante and nowe for that he is a Christian he hathe made peace with them and contynually maketh warres against me and maketh none acompte of me at al in so muche that he dothe not onely not determine to deliuer vnto me that which he hath taken from me but contynually threatnethe to spoyle me as he hathe al
is good and is the best thing that is vpon the earth and in this sorte thou maiest haue of me what thou wylte Otherwise vnderstande that I wyll defende my selfe and that not withoute thy hurte and shame for I fyghte for the honor of him that wyll helpe me from oure campe the xxv of Iune 1463. As sone as Scanderbeg had sealed this letter he went to horse with al his armie and caried with him the aforesayde ambassadour and went into the Turckes couÌ„trey and raised a great proie and assayled Sfetigarde which of righte shoulde haue ben his and toke the towne and set fire on it notwithstandinge the citadell which stode on the heighte of the hyl was in expungnable wherfore be retorned and toke his leaue of the ambassadour very cortezely declaring to him by mouthe besyde his letter wylling him to saye vnto the Turcke from him that at the comming of the great preest of Rome with the Croisade he wolde comme to satiffie his desyre that he had so greatly to see him and when the ambassadour had taken his leue he rode on of his iorney Then Scanderbeg retorned with his armie into his countrey and distributed the proie vnto them and then gathered them together and sayde My felowes in armes I beseche you be of good chere for yf the Croisade be but as many in nuÌ„ber as the iiii parte of the Turckes power we w t theyr helpe wyll chase him vndoubtedly oute of his domynyons notwithstanding I hope that the Croisade wylbe of farre greater power then his armie shall be and so much the sonner for that that God is with vs and the souldiours are Italianes Frenshemen Spaniardes Englishmen Almaignes HuÌ„garianes Pollonianes Vallaques Schiauoneses Greekes Albaneses besydes oure people and others by whose meanes and by the grace of God I hope that the Turcke shalbe vtterly ruynate and chased oute of his dominiones and his tyranny cleane plucked vp by the rotes and the churche of God to be at rest yf it be the pleasure of God In this meane time y e ambassadour Mustaffa brought Scanderbegs letter to the great Turcke who when he vnderstode the tenour therof was fylled with great furie not withoute excedinge great feare whervpoÌ„ he sent forthewith to all his townes of force and fortes that he thoughte were of most importance and fortifyed then by all meanes possyble then called to him Seremeth beg his Bassa and sent him with xiiii thousande Turckes against Scanderbeg to lye vpon the confines of his countrey for the garde therof and of his Citie that he 〈◊〉 muche estymed called Orchride or els Aeleria which is not farre from Scanderbegs countrey and is neare vnto a certaine lake oute of the which y e ryuer Drino doth ryse in y â— which lake their is great abondance of carpes Trowtes other delicate noble fyshes When Scanderbeg vnderstode of the comming of those Turckes he determyned to seke them althoughe it were a harde matter to deale with them for so much as the one parte of them were lodged within the Citie and the rest w toute not farre from it in this meane tyme their came newes vnto them howe that the pope Pio y e seconde was coÌ„me in person with the Croisade to the Citie of Ancona meaning as sone as the Duke of Venise shoulde comme thy ther to take shyppe and to sayle towardes the Turcks notwithstandinge he fell syke there and in shorte space dyed beinge poysoned acordinge to the opinion of many by certaine hipocrites and false Christianes throughe y â— which the noble Duke of Venise which was then there not onely with his owne armata but also with the aide of dyuerse Christian princes was excedingly amased retorned to Venise much discomforted and in this sorte was the great Croisade frustrate When Scanderbeg contrarie to his expectation vnderstode of this he was stricken with very great sorowe forsomuche as in that was his onely hope Then wyth teares he lifted vp his eyes to the heauens sayinge O most mercifull lorde Iesu Christe very God I doe see y e thyne omnipotent and diuine maiestie fountaine and springe of all goodnes wyll not send forthe this Croisade to the distruction of bothe thine and oure enemies And I feare it is for oure offences which are Christians for that we haue greatly prouoked thee to wrathe wherfore I humbly beseche the for thy mercyes sake by the which thou pardonedst the these hanging on the Crosse thou which arte onely comme to call synners to repentance that it maye please thee to defende vs thy seruantes which doe fyghte daye and nighte in the defence of oure moste Catholique faythe to the ende that the enemyes saye not where is the God of Chrystyanes becomme notwythstandynge thy wyll be done and not oures When Scanderbeg had thus ended his praier he tâ—ned him to his souldiours who w t teares also had praied with him and to comforte them he said My deare frinds feare nothinge but be of good chere for God doth neuer leaue those that put their whole truste in him and doth all thinges for the commoditie of both bodie and soule of his faithfull wherfore we humbly render thanckes vnto his diuine maistie and to morowe we wyll goe to seke the Turckes oure enemyes with whome we wyll fyghte and deale with them acordinge to oure wonte Thre houres before the breake of day Scanderbeg rode with xii thousande horse men and fote men and came neare vnto the Citie of Orchrida aforesayde and spake to his souldiours in this sorte This daye is the vigile of the assumption of the virgine Marie Quene of heuen in honor of whom and for the obedience of the commaundement of holly churche euery faythfull Chrystian dothe fast or at the leaste doth eate fyshe but I doe vse alway to fast and for that confidence and faithe that I haue in her I wyll assuredly promise you that at dyner tyme you shall haue to dyne with as great abondance of good fyshe as euer you sawe wherfore consider that the custumer of this towne is a man of greate welthe stronge lustie and valiante and he wylbe the fyrste that shall comme against vs wherfore see that you giue him place and in no wyse stryke him nor doe him anye hurte but take him for after oure victorie the which I hope we shall obtaine throughe the grace of Marie the Quene of heuen we shall haue plentie of ducates of the same custumer and also as muche fishe as shall suffise you wherfore be of good chere When he had thus sayde he called vnto him Peiche Emanuell and Pietro Agenlo brother to the Arche-Bushope Paulo and appointed to their conducte v. hundred chosen horsemen and gaue them commission to goe neare the towne of Aeleria to prouoke the Turckes to comme for the and as sone as they shoulde come neare vnto them he willed them to flee and to seme to be greatly affraied to drawe them
which made an armie of .13 thousand and .4 hundred chosen men with whom Scanderbeg marched toward Croia and when he came neare y ◠towne he spake in this sorte My lordes and you my good souldiours althoughe oftē times good wordes doe comforte weried and troubled myndes yet I wyl at this present as well encorage you by my dedes as by my wordes for that I doe knowe you to be of noble myndes desyrous to put oure enemie to the flighte wherfore my truste is in god that yf the Turckes whiche doe besege my Citie were as manye moe in number as they are we shall vndoutedly ouerthrowe them and put them to the sworde When he had thus sayde he deuided his armie into two partes committing the one to Nicolo Moneta Vaiuoda of Scutari and sent him ouer thorowe a playne certaine woodes to a certaine stronge place called Gionenemi not far from that place where the Turckes laie in campe before Croia he commaunded the aforesayde Nicolo not to departe from thence in anie wyse vntyll that he herde him shote of certaine Cannones which he dyd acording to his promes In this meane tyme Scanderbeg went with the reste of his armye and vpon the sudden toke the heighte of the moūte Canino in dispite of the enemies and determyned to councell with the aforesayde Nicolo of what sorte to procede Balaban hauing intelligence of the comming of Scanderbeg went forthwith to Croia requiringe them to yelde the towne vpon Conditiones making them of the towne greate promesses in the behalfe of his Maister perswading him selfe that hy these meanes he shoulde obtaine victorie acording to the intelligence that was gyuen him whervpon he had exhorted his armie to be of good chere declaring to them that yf they moughte haue the towne delyuered vnto them that then he wolde with his armie lodge in the towne and wolde not care for the comming of Scanderbeg yf that he shoulde happen to comme but yf that it so chansed y ◠they dyd not obtaine it he wolde leuye his campe and departe thence whyles Balaban loked for aunswere there sorted forthe of the towne certaine souldiours to scarmoche with his people Then he beinge exceding wrothe and oute of al hope of recouerie of the towne with his souldiours that were then with him gallopped towarde them to gyue a charge on them but the Christianes perceauing it drewe neare y ◠towne vnder the defence of the shotte whervpon George Alesy an Albanese discharged his harquebuze and strake Balaban vnder the chin into the throte and gaue him hys deathes woonde not withstanding this great blowe Balaban fel not but put spurres to his horse and gallopte to his tente when the Turckes vnderstode of this and also that the mounte Crina was alredie taken they abandoned the seege and beinge greatly affraied conueid them selues spedylye in to the feelde named Tiranna Then Scanderbeg fynding no man to resyste hym went downe into Croia and caused to bringe into the towne all the meale barly and other victuales that were lefte in the Turckes campe whiche were sufficient to sustaine them of the Towne for one whole yere when he had this done he lodged in the Citie and sent certaine bandes to take the passages and straites thorowe the which the Turckes must passe for he determyned to seke them and to gyue them battayle That same very euening came two Turckes of acompte to Scanderbeg desyring him in the name of their whole armie to gyue them their lyues and that they wolde with one consent gyue him willingly all that they had and excused them saying that they were enforced to comme to that seege by the commaundement of their prince whose breade they dyd eate so that with great humiletie they desyred Scanderbeg to graunt them that which he neuer denied to their fathers when Scanderbeg had herde y ◠requeste of the Turckes he commaunded them with a fryndly contenaunce to be well lodged in a faire pauillion and to be honorably entertayned After this the aforesayde Scanderbeg called to him the aforesayde lieutenante w t the noble lordes Ducagini and other lieutenantes mē of great vertue vnto whom he declared the request of y ◠Turckyshh armie requiring their aduise and aunswere Iosaphat Barbaro which the Venetianes had sent into Albania to be contynually in company with Scanderbeg spake fyrste and sayde that he wolde doe nothinge but what shoulde please Scanderbeg to commaūde him wherfore he wolde doe as it shoulde seme good to Scanderbeg in this matter After this spake Leche Ducagino very franckly saying Embetha which in oure tonge signifieth vpon them for that he thoughte it not requisite to vse mercy towardes infydels but to cut them in peces of the same opinion were dyuerse other noble men and Captaines of great value Then Scanderbrg spake vnto them saying you noble men and you worthye Captaines I truste in the lorde and am well assured that yf we shall happen to encountie the Turckes we shall sone defeicte them Notwithstanding for that they are y e choyse of all the Turckyshe armie and nowe becomme desperate and determined in dede to emploie their hands and for that also that the ende of warres is doubtefull and that god for oure offences shoulde permitte them to haue the victorie as it maye well comme to passe It shoulde be the ruyne of vs all Wherfore to plaie suer it semeth to me reasonable that we respecte the attempte vntyll suche tyme as Croia be supplied with victualles and other necessaries for manye yeres and then to goe on to encountre them with assurance of mynde and to ouerthrowe them for so muche as they can escape in no wyse for that the passages are alredie taken The opinion of Scanderbeg was wel lyked of many and of others not lyked at all and chiefely of suche as were subiectes to the Venetianes who desyred ernestly to be reuenged of the Turckes and of some others which had not experimented the force of y ◠Turckes very often Then Scanderbeg called for the two Turckes aforesayde and wylled them to declare vnto the whole armie that as they came not with his license to besege his Citie no more shulde they departe oute of his countre with his license In this meane tyme be sent his armie to y ◠Ryuer Isimi where he had a great number of shippes loded w t corne meale biskete and other victuales and caused all to be vnloded with spede so that in thre dayes he furnished Croia for syre yeres And then went with all spede to encountre the Turcks but he had taryed a longe for they in these thre dayes seinge them selues so assayled wyth famyne went to the passages and passed of force not w t oute greate slaughter and spoyle of their mē and in this sorte fled Then euery man in maner was sory and murmored against Scanderbeg and layd the whole faute of their escape vpon him but he with his great cortesye
gentle wordes pacifyed and contentyd them all lainge for his excuse the olde prouerbe that to the enemy that fleeth a man must make a brydge of golde and then gaue to euery man presents and gyftes acording to his place In this meane tyme many Albaneses of the Venetians countre and of the countres of other princes came presented to Scanderbeg a great number of the heddes of Turckes with horses armour and other spoyle in the ende Scanderbeg very honorably licensed his armie Sauing onely his two thousande horsemen and one thousande fotemen wyth whome he went forthewyth to his confynes When Mahomethe the Turckyshe prince vnderstode that Scanderbeg had raysed the seege of Croia w t so muche honor to his great shame and losse of his people he was muche gryued there with wherevpon the yere folowing he retorned into Albania w t two hundred thousande Turckes and went to besege Durazzo a noble City and of great antiquitie which had ben a garnison towne of the renomed Romaines he did greatly molest it notwithstandinge he departed from thence withoute it with spoyle of his people and great dishonor froÌ„ thence he went with spede to Croâ—a beseged it rouÌ„de and sent his messager to signifie to them of the towne y â— yf they wolde delyuer him the Citie he wolde aduaunce them and deale liberally with them all and otherwyse it shoulde be to their paine for he was determyned not to departe thence withoute it and wolde be reuenged vp on them to the vttermost The aunswere of the beseged was not farre to seeke but was gyuen by the mouthe of the Cannon Colueryne harquebuze and suche like instrumentes Scanderbeg on the other syde dyd often tymes assayle the Turckyshe armie nowe in one quarter and then in an other makinge great spoyle of them holding them in continuall feare and doubte wheÌ„ the Turcke sawe that he coulde by no meanes obtaine the towne he departed with all his armie thence and marched to a place called capodelli Rodane neare vnto the Admatique sea where Scanderbeg had buylded a Citie named Chinril which was not fully fynyshed nor replenished with inhabitanes he toke it and raised it to the very foundation after this he passed thorowe the countre of Scanderbeg thincking to take it from him but he coulde not take the symplest forte that he had he went also into certaine mountaines of Albania where there were multitudes of Albaneses with their whole familes and substances and assayled them but he was repulsed with great dishonor spoile and slaughter of his people but Scanderbeg who was euer vigillante and folowed the Turckyshe armie daye and nighte making great spoyle of them in such sorte that Mahomethe being in maner oute of al hope was constrained to retorne to Constantinople by the shortest waye When the Turcke was comme to Constantinople be apointed Alibeg and Alesbeg his Captaines to haue the conducte of xxviii thousande men and sent them to his confynes with expressyd commaundement that in no wyse they shoulde goe to fyght with Scanderbeg nor to enter his countrey vnles that he firste began but onely to garde well his confynes These Captaines came to the frontiers and obeyd the commaundement of their lorde and secretly soughte to haue fryndshippe w t Scanderbeg and sent vnto him presentes of greate price and value he also vsed them very cortesly and fryndly not in that that he feared them but bycause he wolde not be counted ingrate for he neuer trusted them but stode alwaye vpon his garde In the ende Scanderbeg vnderstanding certaynely that these Captaines had expressed commaundement from their lorde not to make anye attempte against him but onely to garde his confynes also howe that they were desyrous to be in peace with him he lefte the one parte of his souldiours vpon hys confynes and toke the rest with him and went to visyte his countre and to administer Iustice and reason to such as had nede therof and to se that none were oppressed After this Scanderbeg came to Alessio aboute certaine affares that touched bothe his state and the state of the Senate of Venise and chiefely for order howe to take a certaine newe Citie called Valma whiche the Turcke had builded and there fel sicke of a feruant feuer in such sorte as he was enforced to lye longe in that place and seing his deathe at hand he called vnto him all his Captaines and had a longe discourse with them who shed not a fewe teares to see him in that case and in the ende he called vnto him Iohn his onely sonne and in the presence of his mother the lady Doneca and of y â— rest spake vnto him in this sorte My good sonne knowe thou that I fynde my selfe so euyll disposed in my body that I am assured y â— the tyme of my departure oute of this worlde is at hande whiche thinge seing it is by the prouidence of God his wyll be done but for that thou arte very yonge and not able to defende oure state for that oure enemye is of excedinge great power I haue determined to leue it in the protection of the Senate of Venise as my deare brother good father Paulo Angelo the Arche Byshope oure hope whom I leaue in my stede of the gouernaunce therof hath often tymes perswaded me And further I doe commaunde the my sonne that thou be alwaye aduised by him for in so doing thou shalte not doe a mysse consydering his great wisedome and experience to be suche as I can not but hope well of the and of the reste of my subiecttes yf that you be gouerned by him for I am assured that for my sake he wylbe as carefull for the and thyne as yf thou were his owne sonne wherfore when thou hast shutte vp these myne eyes and buryed me goe thou then into Apuglia to oure Castles and townes y â— we haue there and contynue there vntyll thou comme to age able to gouerne and then goe to Venise and be alwayes aduised by the Senate therof who wyll gladly see the and set the safely into thy state and dominion I commend vnto the all my subiectes whoÌ„ I haue alwaye founde faithefull and obedient vse them so that they maye rather loue the then feare the which thou maiest easyly doe if thou se iustice truely admynistred Scanderbeg had scarcely gyuen ful order for his testament when a messager from the gouernour of Scutari came with a letter signifiyng vnto him howe that Hamathbeg one of the Turckes Basas was comme froÌ„ Seruia with x. M. horsemen and v. M. foteâ—en and had passed a very sharpe and difficulte mountaine named Illugi which dyd appertaine to the Venetianes was comme downe into their countre and had made greate spoyle there Then that noble and magnanime prince Scanderbeg beinge greatly moued with these newes caused to make him redie and appointe his souldiours to make them redie to ryde in this meane tyme his desease dyd so encrease vpon