SIR ANTONY SHERLEY HIS RELATION OF HIS TRAVELS INTO PERSIA THE DANGERS AND DIStresses which befell him in his passage both by sea and land and his strange and vnexpected deliuerances HIS MAGNIFICENT ENTERTAINEment in PERSIA his Honourable imployment there-hence as Embassadour to the Princes of Christendome the cause of his disapointment therein with his aduice to his brother Sir ROBERT SHERLEY ALSO A TRVE RELATION OF THE great Magnificence Valour Prudence Iustice Temperance and other manifold Vertues of ABAS now King of PERSIA with his great Conquests whereby he hath inlarged his Dominions Penned by Sr. ANTONY SHERLEY and recommended 〈…〉 brother Sr. ROBERT SHERLEY being now in proâ—â—cution of the like Honourable Imployment LONDON Printed for Nathaniell Butter and Ioseph Bagfet 1613. TO THE READER MAny haue beene desirous to vnderstand on what hopes helpes and grounds Sir Anthony Sherley with his brother Sir Robert Sherley and many other friends and followers of our Nation could not onely be induced to vndertake to trauell into a Kingdome so farre remote and to liue amongst a people so farre different in Religion Language and Manners as that of Persia is from ours but also he supplied of all necessaries for life in a plenteous and magnificent manner and so highly endeare his seruice and industry to that King and State as to bee esteemed and called a Mirza or Prince of Persia and to bee employed within few monthes after his comming thither as Embassador from so great a Potentate in a matter of such maâ—ne consequence and trust to many of the greatest Princes and States of Christendome And no lesse haue many meruailed how after his failing in the accomplishment of so great an enterprise for want of due correspondence in an Instrument hee had taken vnto him out of that Country for his better credence his Brother Sir Robert Sherley whom hee left behind him in Persia could not onely maintaine his reputation but win so much credite with that King as to be honoured with the Title of his Embassadour to the Princes of Christendome in the like employment newly reuiued At his late being here in England where hee hath beene so accepted as in the Courts of other great Princes of Christendome a Gentleman of some vnderstanding conuersing oftentimes with him and being desirous of true information concerning that action whereof he had formerly heard and read some incoherent and fabulous reports conferred with him often concerning the carriage and circumstances of their proceedings and thereby gaue him occasion to discourse vnto him as well of the motiues of that enterprise as of many accidents that befell him and his Brother in the conduct of that affaire Wherein al-be-it hee receiued good satisfaction in diuers particularities yet because the questions occasioning such discourse were but incidently moued and by many occasions that happened their conferences were often interrupted On the entreaty of the said Gentleman for the better satisfying of himselfe and such others of his friends as might bee desirous out of their curiosity to vnderstand the whole progresse dependance and prosecution of the said voyage into Persia hee obtained of the Persian Embassadour a Copy of this discourse penned by his Brother Sir Anthony Sherley as it seemeth since his returne out of Persia into Europe for the better satisfaction of his friends and preseruing the memory of so memorable an action To these labours of his Brother Sir Robert Sherley himselfe as time and opportunity shall giue him leaue hath promised some addition of his owne endeuours which being not yet in such readinesse as his friends haue wished and desired This discourse being but the former part yet containing the Register â—f so rare an attempt whatsoeuer the sucâ—sse hath bene or may bee as hath seldome bene seene in this or any former age by a priuate Gentleman to haue beene enterprized the same being recorded by his owne pen who hath beene the first and chiefe Actor in it hath bene thought by men of mature iudgement to whom it hath beene communicated besides the History it selfe which is pleasing and delightfull to containe many fruitfull aduertisements So that hauing in it both the eleuations of a high spirit and the obseruations of a man experienced and versed in great affaires it is the rather vnto thee re-commended THE TRVE History of Sir Anthony Sherleys Trauels into Persia Penned by himselfe SINCE men are brought forth vpon the earth for good ends the principallest of which is the glory of God and then to better the world in which many haue had bands either of necessity or other occupations to haue lesse experience by their knowledge I thinke I should mightily erre if I should not deliuer as well to others what I haue seene and learned by my passing so many and so strange countries as I should haue done if had not giuen my time and the expence of it to the first end which was and is God his great glory In my first yeares my friends bestowed on mee those learnings which were fit for a Gentlemans ornament without directing them to an occupation and when they were fit for agible things they bestowed them and me on my Princes seruice in which I ran many courses of diuers fortunes according to the condition of the warres in which as I was most exercised so was I most subiect to accidents With what opinion I carried my selfe since the causes of good or ill must be in my selfe and that a thing without my selfe I leaue it to them to speake my places yet in authority in those occasions were euer of the best in which if I committed errour it was contrary to my will and a weakenesse in my iudgement which notwithstanding I euer industriated my selfe to make perfect correcting my owne ouer-sights by the most vertuous examples I could make choise of Amongst which as there was not a Subiect of more worthinesse and vertue for such examples to grow from then the euer-liuing in honour and condigne estimation the Earle of Essex as my reuerence and regard to his rare qualities was exceeding so I desired as much as my humility might answere with such an eminency to make him the patterne of my ciuill life and from him to draw a worthy modell of all my actions And as my true loue to him did transforme me from my many imperfections to bee as it were an imitator of his vertues so his affection was such to mee that hee was not onely contended I should do so but in the true Noblenesse of his minde gaue me liberally the best treasure of his mind in counselling mee his fortune to helpe mee forward and his very care to beare mee vp in all those courses which might giue honour to my selfe and inworthy the name of his friend in so much that after many actions into which peraduenture he prouoked my owne slackenesse The Duke of Ferrara dying and leauing Don Cesare D'Este Inheritor of that Principality who by his birth could indeed challenge nothing
Dominion some wars daily grow in amongst them euen to the extirpation of a whole Nation As wee found freshly when wee passed by one of those Princes called Hiderbeague all whose people were deuored by the sword or carried away captiue by Cobatbeague and himselfe remained onely with some twenty soules in certaine poore Holdes in a Rocke The precise summe which I receiued of the Florentine I set not downe to preuent the scandales of diuers who measuring euery mans mind by the straightnesse of theirs will beleeue no act which doth not symbolize with themselues but so much it was that being thirty daies vpon the way to the Confines then fifteene from the Confines to Casbine where wee attended one month the Kings arriuall it was not onely sufficient to giue vs aboundant meanes for that time but to cloth vs all in rich apparell fit to present our selues before the presence of any Prince and to spend extraordinarily in giftes by which wee insinuated farre into the fauour of those which had the authority of that Prouince during our abode and expectation of the Kings comming In which time wee were well vsed more by the opinion which they had that the King would take satisfaction by vs then by their owne humors being an ill people in themselues and onely good by the example of their King and their exceeding obedience vnto him The Gouernour visited me once Marganabeague maister of the Kings house whom I had won vnto me by presents came oftentimes to see me besides as it seemed being more inwardly acquainted with the Kings inclination fitted himselfe more to that then others did which knew it lesse And now that Iam in Persia speak of the kings absence since he is both one of the mightiest Princes that are and one of the excelleÌ„test for the true vertues of a Prince that is or hath bin and hauing come to this greatnesse though by right yet through the circumstances of the time the occasions which then were solely his owne worthinesse vertue made way to his right besides the fashion of his gouernmeÌ„t differing so much from that which we call barbarousnesse that it may iustly serue for as great an Idea for a Principality as Platoes Common-wealth did for a Gouernment of that sort I hold it not amisse to speake amply first of his person the nature of his people the distribution of his gouernment the administration of his iustice the condition of the bordering Princes the causes of those warres in which he was then occupied that by the true expression of those this discourse may passe with a more liuely and more sensible feeling His person then is such as a well-vnderstanding Nature would fit for the end proposed for his being excellently well shaped of a most well proportioned stature strong and actiue his colour somewhat inclined to a man-like blacknesse is also more blacke by the sunnes burning his furniture of his mind infinitly royall wise valiant liberall temperate mercifull and an exceeding louer of Iustice embracing royally others vertues as farre from pride and vanity as from all vnprincely signes or acts knowing his power iustly what it is and the like acknowledgement will also haue from others without any gentilitious adoration but with those respects which are fit for the maiesty of a Prince which foundeth it selfe vpon the power of his state general loue and awfull terror His fortunes determining to make proofe of his vertue draue him in his first yeares into many dangerous extremities which he ouercomming by his vertue hath made great vse of both in the excellent increase of his particular vnderstanding and generall tranquility strength of his countrey propagation of his Empire For the lawes and customes or both of that kingdome being such that though the king haue a large increase of Issue the first borne only ruleth to auoyd all kind of cause of ciuill dissention the rest are not inhumanly murthered according to the vse of the Turkish gouernment but made blind with burning basons haue otherwise all sort of contentment and regard fit for Princes children Xa-Tamas King of Persia dying without Issue Xa Codabent his brother was called blinde to the kingdome who had Issue Sultan Hamzire Mirza the eldest who succeeded him and this present King called Abas In the fathers time Sinan Basâ—a began the enterprise of Persia which the Turkes euer reserue in their times of peace with the Christians to keepe their souldiary in action and their armes from rusting Before he could attempt any important action hee was called to the port and aduanced to be principall Viseire and Mustapha Bassa was appointed his successor whose industry and valour was accoÌ„panied with good fortune in a short space taking Vannes and Tiphelis two strong fortresses importing much for the entrance of Scieruan which he with the like felicity conquered Notwithstanding Synan taking aduantage of some sinister accident happened him by ouer-sight which is euer most incident to those which sway all things with a happy course of fortune and being his enemy bearing his suppositions also against him by the strength of his authority caused him to be re-called in the faire course of his victory and being within some few dayes trauell of Constantinople whether the cause grew from the pride of his heart which despised to liue after such an iniury receiued from his enemy whose fortune being so great gaue him neither meanes nor hope of reuenge or else for feare of death disgrace together at the Port he poisoned himselfe Into whose place was aduanced Osman Bassa a great Souldier borne of that Mamaluckes bloud who had been last Sultan of Egypt in great estimation with the generalty of the Turkes and as much with the Prince himselfe not only through his owne valour which in truth did merit it but by his mothers fauour who was great with the Prince and with the Sultana his mother He instantly acquitted all disorders growne either by the death or negligence of Mustapba and intending vtterly to subdue all Persia and to extinguish the reigne of the Sophies iudging that the shortest way was to begin with the best parts went presently against Tauris and though he were long impeached from taking of it both by the resolute valour of the Defendants which was all the obstacle in the place the walles being only of mud without art or strength and by continual attempts of the king of Persia sometimes in person though he saw nothing but most by his eldest son to succour it Finally after many victories and sometimes losses his fortune concurring with his obstinate resolution he got the place in which he had no sooner established a meet garrison and an order of gouernment in the countrey about it which followed the fortune of the place but hauing all his care fixed vpon his designe for the through accomplishment of his prosperous begun victory he also died as it is said poysoned by Cicala Whiles the mother cried
out at the port for iustice and the ambition of other competitors for so great a place and so large a breach already made to enter into honour by the time ran so far in length that the peace brake between the Emperour the Turke and the warres reuiued in Hungary so that the age of the king of Persia his being broken with those first troubles and suspition of intestine answering iust to the desire of the Turke there was a truce concluded betweene those two potentates vpon no other condition But that each should be contented with that they had The eldest son of the king remained at the Court of his father administring all that which his fathers defect of light vnabled him to doe Abas the second sonne twelue yeares of age vnder the gouernment of Tutors held the prouince of Yasde and as Courts are full of rumors and suspition neuer wanteth in Princes especially which haue such imperfections as they are coÌ„pelled to take knowledge of the vertues of Abas by which he bound to him the hearts of his prouincials spred themselues further and so to the Court where they were increased to such a condition as altered the father brothers reioycing in them to an opinion that his winning of the affections of the people proceeded not from any other worthinesse but artifice which had the intent of it stretching to the Crowne which tooke such hold in the fâ—thers mind worne with age and griefe and sore with his late misfortunes that hee resolued secretly his death The newes of which being brought to Abas speedily by the meanes of secret friends not onely to himselfe but to his Gouernors which as they were the greatest of the state so they were not vnfriended in the Court being so farre from any such designe that he had no sort of prouision at hand to defend himselfe he fled to the king of Corasan a countrey of the Tartars limiting vpon the east of Persia euer infestu o us to that state not more in their owne disposition being a people giuen to spoile vnquiet and which cannot liue in rest then through their depeÌ„dance vpon the Turke whose religion they professe which the Persians do not but much altered and whose petnionaries they were by which they were bound in all seasons when the Turke was tied to the Christians wars to diuert the Persian from looking to the commodity of such a time besides on occasions the Turke vsed to transport great forces of them ouer the Caspian sea into Siruana and from thence passed them into Hungary either the longer way by land or the shorter by sea ouer Negropont To this king Abas was exceeding welcome and cherished and honored like his owne sonne Shortly after the flight the father died and Sultan Hamzire Mirza his sonne succeeded him who renued the truce with the Turke through the necessity which he had to vse the most which his strength and power could yeeld him to suppresse a great rebellion of the Turcomans whom at the last he so brake with diuers battels and all other sort of afflictions that they deliuered him vp their Princes and then themselues Their Princes he beheaded and of them slue twenty thousand of the ablest for the warres assuring his peace with them by their extremest ruine and as he was by all reports a most braue warlike Prince hauing pacified his owne state and desirous to recouer not onely what was freshly lost but all which was formerly taken from the Sophies kingdome by the power of the Ottomans vnited all his thoughts and all his Councels to that one great end which all finished with his life ending it selfe by treason of his Princes not without perswasion of the Turke when he had fit yeares mind and courage and meanes ioined with ocasioÌ„ to haue made himselfe the greatest Prince of many ages all which though they made his death miserable yet the manner was more miserable being vilely slaine by his Barber retiring halfe drunke from a banquet to which he was prouoked by the conspirators which presently parted the state between them euery man making himselfe absolute Prince of those prouinces which they had in gouernment and parting the royall treasure amongst them for their reciprocall maintenance disposed themselues vnitely to resist the comming in of Abas whom notwithstanding they did not much feare hauing promise of the Turke that he should be detained in Corassan where he was refuged knowing that he had neither men nor money nor years to giue him any incoragement to attempt against them who had soone confirmed themselues both with giuing good satisfaction to the people and with liberality to the Souldiary and their entrance into the state being without opposition and so without offence made the foundation both more sure and more facile The Turkes Councell also was exceeding good for his ends for hauing dissipated the vnite power of that great dominion into so many branches which though he knew could continue together to maintaine their wrong against the true kings right yet that their owne ambitions in short time would stirre them to debate amongst themselues by which as he was out of doubt of perill during the trauels of his warres so he was assured that at his conuenient occasion either by their owne quarrels or by his power they should be all subiected to him Abas in the meane time whose iust Title made him king assured himselfe that both the murder of his brother and this parting of the state had the Turkes counsell concurring with those Princes impiety and not doubting but the king of Corasan was also perswaded to deteine him resolued notwithstaÌ„ding by his necessity began to deale boldly with him for his assistance against his rebels laying before him how preiuditiall the example was to all Princes and most to him who was chiefe of all those Tartar Princes rather by their voluntary election then his states surpassing them in power that as ambitions were vnlimited generally so were they euer most in those which had most power to vse them largely that all the states of the Tartars were held by great Princes and absolute which had obeyed him so long rather because they would then they could do no other If this rebellion of naturall subiects proceeded to a happy course much more would they bee animated to do the like which were Lords and no subiects besides though the counsell of the Turke had not palesated it selfe openly yet in all iudgement it might be perceiued that he had onely raised this as a Pageant to fill the world with gazing whilest hee fitted his designes to impatronize himselfe of the state which if he should do how terrible a neighbour he would be to the King of Corassan he submitted to his wise consideration For himselfe that he had bin so bound to him in his first calamity that without other re asons he did not doubt but the same royall and generous spirit which moued him then to take compassion of him
to keepe those straights to giue impeachment to the passage of that other Army but indeed to protract time onely and to expect the euent of his other counsels The other Cans rebelled easily and desiroâ—sly imbraced Ferrat Cans proposition hasted the Army towards Casbin which they entred without difficulty both by the nature of the place which is not of any strength and conueyance of Ferrat There were many daies spent in Counsell and at last it was concluded since the suppression of the King was certaine being abandoned by him which was his onely Captaine and Counsellour by so great a part of his strength and vpon the confidence which Ferrat gaue them to mutine the rest that it would proue too dangerous to call in those forces of the Turkes which were in readinesse for their succour Not knowing whether they should so easily free themselues of them againe if they were once entred They feared the Turkes purposes and as much feared to know them therefore to auoide the danger of being compelled to experience them they determined to write to the Bassa of Tauris that the war was so certaine to bee finished by themselues that they would reserue his fauour till a more vrgent opportunity and with that deliberation a principall man was dispatched with a present for the Bassa Of this the King had present aduice by a confident messenger and also that few nights after the principals of the Army were to meete together at Ferrats house inuited to a great banquet which being vnderstood by him electing fiue thousand of his best men and best horsing with great and close iourneies he came to Casbin where hauing secretly disposed his people in the Mountaine couered with the quarter of Ferrats troupe hee expected the signe which was to bee giuen him The Prince as it was appointed failed not of comming nor hee of his signe to the King nor the King to accomplish his resolution For Ferrat hauing protracted the banquet the most part of the night when the whole company was heauy with wine and sleepe the King was receiued into the house with three hundred men where without any vp-roare he slew all those which were inuited to the number of three score and ten the seruants and Pages being so suddenly taken hold of and with such dexterity that without any mouing of other rumors the same fashion of feast of singing and of dancing continued all the night and in that space all the rest of those people which the King had with him were appointed in the breaking of the day to make the greatest shew and the greatest noise that they could vnder the foote of the Mountaine as though all the Army had beene there marching to the Towne When the Alarum beganne to bee hot in the Towne and euery man fell to his Armes and repaired to Ferrats lodging where they supposed their Princes to haue bene the King hauing disposed his three hundred men which were shut fitly in the house and Zulpher hauing his fiue thousand all in a Troope in the great place the threescore and ten Cans heades were shewed all laced vpon a string and hung out of a Tarras vpon which the King presently shewed himselfe accompanied with Ferrat Can whereas the Maiesty of the King the terrour of the sight represented before them the feare of the Army which they saw as they thought at hand Zulpher and Ferrat Cans power amongst them which they perceiued turned against them their being destitute of Commanders and the guiltinesse of their owne consciences for their rebellion stroke them into so dead an amazement that they stood ready rather to receiue all mischiefe then that they had either courage or mindes or counsell to auoide it The King as though he had a while aduised with himselfe what he would both say and do at last after a good pause seeming that his royall mercy had preuailed against his iust indignation hee told them that the wickednesse of their vniuersall conspiracy against him was such that hee was distracted in himselfe what to say or doe against them for though they might excuse themselues vpon those Princes which had seduced them yet they knew that the others authority had no more force vpon them then their own willing obedience which called as great a punishmeÌ„t vpon the one as the other What cause they should haue generally to desire such an innouation of gouernement as they by their owne conuenence had erected amongst them he could not deuise his Grand-father Father and Brother hauing euer guided the Helme of their State with that integrity of iustice and that vniuersall satisfaction that it was not to be wished of any to find more tranquility for those which desired to liue onely quietly nor more iust measure of honour or due reward then was magnificently giuen to those which had deserued them and why they should haue lesse hope of him he knew not neuer hauing made willingly any other demonstration of his minde then such as might be proportionable to their best expectations But since his true feeling of humane frailty made him well vnderstand how easie mens mindes are to be abused by others artifice and their owne corruption hee to oke so great a compassion of the calamity into which they had either wilfully or misled by others errors cast themselues that if he could haue any confidence that they would truely repent of their past wickednesse and bend their mindes to serue him with a perfect heart hee could also easily perswade himselfe to change the seuerity of the iudgement which they had merited into mercy forgiuenesse and forgetfulnesse of their offence and content himselfe that this iniurious great disorder which had hapned as all other of that kind do through the ignorance of many and malice of few should also be expiated by the bloud of those few who had already concluded the greatnesse of their vsurped authority and their long hopes with a short and iust death This being spoken by the King with courage and maiesty and being so far from that which their guilty consciences did cause them to apprehend facily brought forth the ordinary effectes of a multitude which being easily inclined to hope more then they should and to suffer lesse then is fit as though the King with his royall mercifull speech had giuen them as great a present good as if hee had discharged them from the terrour of the punishment of almost an vnpardonable offence cryed out let the King liue let the King liue we are all King Abas his slaues and will not suffer to liue any of his enemies and there was more trouble to defend the poore people of Casbin from sacking by them their Towne euer hauing bene a wel-disposed harbour for the Rebels then to turne their heartes and armes to the Kings part Besides the succours which the Kings of Gheylan and Mazandran had sent the Rebels were with great difficulty saued and returned to their countries by the King of Persia
with commandement to tell their Maisters that as the poore men were not culpable which obeyed their Princes authority by whom they were sent against him and for that innocency hee had giuen them their liues so that hee would not bee long from seeking his reuenge vpon their Maisters which had more iustly deserued it by his neuer prouoking them to any offence And when hee came with his Army thither hee would proue by those mens acknowledgement vnto him whether they could discerne by the benefites they had already recieued of him in the gift of their liues which they had forfeited vnto him by bearing Armes with Rebels against him what better hopes they might conceiue of him if they would dispose themselues to deserue good of him In this meane time the same of this great successe flew to both the Armies about the Mountaines of Hamadan which as it comforted the Kings with exceeding ioyfulnesse so it entred into the others with such a terror that they presently vanished euery man retyring to his best knowne safe-gard that part of the warre ending with the blast onely of the fortune of the other with little expence of time labour and bloud which being vnderstood by the King hee raised Oliuer-Dibeague to the title of a Can and sent him with those forces which hee had to Hamadan to settle the Country in a good forme of gouernement and to ease it from the oppression of the other dispersed troupes Zulpher hee also called Can and sent him to Ardoutle which frontireth vpon Tauris with an Army consisting of twenty and foure thousand men in shew to quiet the Countrey but indeed to preuent any moouing of the Turkes And because hee knew that as his state stood then weake raised as it were freshly from a deadly sickenesse it was not fitte for him at that time to bind himselfe to wrastle with such an enemy by taking knowledge of his ill disposition towards him hee dispatched Embassadours to Constantinople to Tauris and to the Bassa of Babylon to congratulate with them as with his friendes for the felicity of his fortune and to strengthen himselfe by alliance also the more firmely against the proceeding of any thing which the Turke might designe against him either then or in future time he required the daughter of Simon Can one of the Princes of the Georgians to wife which was with as ready an affection performed as demanded Whiles that Lady was comming from her father the King vnderstanding that the Cans sonne of Hisphaean held yet strong the Castle and whether he gaue it out to amaze his Army which now beganne to looke for satisfaction for the great trauels and dangers which they had passed or whether hee had heard so indeed true it is that hee gaue out that the most part of the treasure of the former Kings of Persia was by the consent of the Rebels for security kept together in that Castle to receiue the which and to chastice that Rebell the King marched thither with a part onely of his Army leauing the rest at Casbin which was Frontier to Gheylan against which his purpose carried him Without much trouble hee expugned the Fort at Hisphâ—â—an being a large circumference onely of Mud-wals some what thicke with Towers and certaine ill battlements and suppressed that Rebell but Treasure hee found none for the indignation whereof hee made the world beleeue he dismantled the Castle His owne necessity to content the Army and his Armies necessity to aske contentment drew him suddenly back from thence to Casbin where he had not stayed many daies for daily satisfaction with hope hauing no reall meanes but that the Queene arriued honourably accompanied with 2000 horse and Byraicke Myrza her brother The Marriage was soone dispatched those countries vsing few ceremonies in such cases and God blessed them both so happily that within the tearme of lesse then one yeare shee brought him a gallant yong Prince who is now liuing called Sophir Mirza The King vnwilling to oppresse his countrey and desiring to reuenge himselfe vpon the kings of Gheylan and Mazandran to enlarge his Empire and to content his Souldiers hauing a flourishing Army both in men and the reputation of his present victory resolued all vnder one to increase his stare honour himselfe ease his countrey and satisfie his Souldiers with the enemies spoyles Gheylan is a country cut off from Persia with great mountaines hard to passe full of woods which Persia wanteth being here and there onely sprinkled with hils and very penurious of fuell onely their gardens giue them wood to burne and those hils which are some fagots of Pistachios of which they are well replenished betweene those hils there are certaine breaches rather then vallies which in the spring when the snow dissolueth and the great aboundance of raine falleth are full of torrents the Caspian sea includeth this Countrey on the East betweene which and the hils is a continuing valley so abounding in Silke in Rice and in Corne and so infinitely peopled that Nature seemeth to contend with the peoples industry the one in sowing of men the other in cultiuating the land in which you shall see no peece of ground which is not fitted to one vse or other their hils also which are rockes towards Casbin are so fruitfull of herbage shadowed by the trees as they shew turned towards the sea that they are euer full of cattell which yeeldeth commodity to the countrey by furnishing diuers other parts In this then lay the difficulty most of the kings enterprize how to enter the countrey for the rest there were great reasons of his hopes the kings of those countries being amazed with these first great successes of the king of Persia their people discouraged many Princes which though they might vnite themselues against a common enemy yet their deliberations could not be so speedy as from one alone nor so firme many accidents happening which might either absolutely dis-ioyne or diuert them one from the other or cast suspition amongst them which might giue the way to a good occasion against one by which the victory against the other might be also facilitated Besides his owne Army was so much raised in courage by their last happy successes and those so animated through an opinion in themselues of that reputation which had first followed the King and the rest so desirous to wash away the ignominy of their offence by some great and good act ioyned to the hope of rich preyes that there could bee almost thought of no obstacle able to withstand their valour and willingnesse Yet before the king would enter into this action remembring that before he had better setled himselfe in his owne state that he thrust himselfe vpon a cast of fortune to seeke after the winning of others yet since hee was forced vnto it by a certaine great necessity hee resolued to take the best wayes for the securing all dangers which might rise against himselfe at home and setting his countrey
in a reposed state from so many tempests which had contrarily moued it as well as to make due and confident prouisions for his intended warres First then he called vnto him to Casbin all gouernors all administrators of Iustice whosoeuer had occupyed those functions during the vsurped rule of the Cans through all his prouinces with the kinsmen friends and children of the said Cans besides that all men of power as Mirzaes Cans Sultans and Beagues which are principall Titles of Dukes Princes and Lords should repaire thither without excuse of age sicknesse or any other pretence whatsoeuer which being done he appointed new Gouernors and Officers of all sorts he cleared all his prouinces for three yeares from paying any tribute-custome or any other ordinary or extraordinary exaction whatsoeuer His chiefe Viseire he made one Haldenbeague a wise man excellently seene in all affaires of great experience but such a one as was onely his creature without friends or power him hee commanded to passe through all his prouinces accompanied with the Xa-Hammadaga who is as it were Knight Marshall to cleare them from vagabonds robbers and seditious persons Ologonlie which had followed him in all his aduersity a man of great worthinesse he made bearer of his great Seale which is an office there liker the Lord priuy Seale then Chancellor The place of the Viseire comprehending in it the office of Chancellor and high Treasurer him he also aduanced to the dignity of a Can. Bastana an ancient approued man both for fidelity and other worthinesse he made principall Aga of his house which is as great Chamberlaine Curtchibasschie Captaine of his Guard which is a general-ship of twelue thousand shot who attend at the Port by turnes two hundred and fifty euery quarter except when the King goeth to the warres that they are all bound to be present Ferrat Can hee made his Generall Thus hauing wisely and prouidently placed through all his estates those who must be most assured to him their fortunes depending onely vpon him hauing no more strength nor authority in themselues then they receiued from him and hauing all the great ones in his Army with him or such of them as could not bee able to follow him either by their few or many yeares or sickenesse so securely left at Casbin that they could not by themselues or any other moue any innouation And moreouer hauing dispatched all those and keeping their persons with him which had any obligation to the former Cans secured by that meanes as much as the counsell of any man could secure him from perill at home hauing called Oliuer di Can from Hamadan and appoynted him a successor for that Gouernement with ten thousand new men hee set himselfe forward to his enterprize with his old Troopes and great part of his rebelled Army with no greater courage and counsell then fortune for those men which were remitted by him to Gheylan and Mazandran as those which had beene somewhat exercised in the warres hauing with some more adioined vnto them the guard of the straights from which the maine Army of the Kings was some foure leagues remoued remembring the benefite of the King better then their faith to their Princes at the very sight of the first Troopes retired themselues from the places left to their confidence in charge which aduantage being followed by Ferrat with the Alarum giuen fell so iustly vpon that Army that what with the vnexpected terror of the straights abandoning and their being surprised in disorder the Army was facily broken with the death of two of the Kings and an infinite slaughter of people which had beene much greater if the woods had not couered them from the fury of their enemies The greatest of those kings hauing escaped with much difficulty accompanied euer with the terror of the perill from which he had escaped neuer ended his flight vntill hee came into Seruane and from thence went to Constantinople to desire succour from the Turke where he yet liueth The other which remained being but one without any great difficulty or alteration of fortune was suppressed The Countrey being first spoiled and ransomed at a great rate which they might well beare by reason of their great riches which they had gathered together through a long peace and the Kings Army excellently well satisfied he dispatched instantly Embassadours to the Turke the Georgians and his old friend the King of Corassan to giue them an account of this new victory not doubting but as it would bee exceeding pleasant to some so it would bee as bitter to others and leauing Ferrat Can to gouerne the Countrey and Oliuer Dibeague as his assistant but to bee commanded by him hee returned himselfe full of glory and great victory into Persia disposing himselfe to reduce his state to that excellent forme of gouernment which now it hath First then after his arriuall in Casbin hauing heard by his Viseire the relation of Xa-Hammadaga of some who had not onely spoyled the Subiects in their substances but the country of all orders iust forme of gouernement which now it hath and giuen them by that meanes more matter of dis-vnion then vnion insomuch that they were ful of theeues of vagabonds of factions such like insolencies he iudged it fit to reduce it the more peaceable and obedient to giue it in those cases a good condition of gouernment Whereupon he presently dispatched that Xa-hammadaga a terrible and resolute person with full power and authority for the reformation of those disorders who in short time though with most terrible examples reduced all the Prouinces to a vnite tranquility with mighty reputation Whilst hee was busied in that administration the King to shew that it was necessity that counselled to giue him that excessiue authority and to preserue it from being odious to himselfe appointed in the chiefe city of euery Prouince a Gouernour elected of those of most valour to him he ioyned two Iudges of criminall and ciuill causes a Treasurer two Secretaries with an excellent president and two Aduocates generall for the causes both particular and generall of the whole Prouince Besides the particular Aduocate of euery Citty which should be resident in that Metropolis These determined all causes within themselues of those Prouinces in which they had the administration and because they should neither be burthensome to the Prouinces nor corrupted in paritializing the King paid them their stipend enioyning them vpon paine of life to take no other sort of reward And because such things and causes might fall out as by reason of the importance of them or appellations of the parties might be brought before himselfe because hee would euer know what he did and be continually informed not onely of the generall state of the Prouinces but of their particular administration hee ordained Posts once euery weeks from all parts to bring all sort of relations to the Court for which cause also hee willed that one of the two generall
perswaded he returned with all expedition to the king who assuring himselfe the more by the denial of the former related accusations instantly commanded his guard of twelue thousand Courtchies to be in a readinesse with which and a thousand of the Xa-Hammagaes he vsed such celerity that he preuented the newes of his comming and was sooner arriued at Ferrats house then he had almost opinion that his messenger had beene returned yet although amazed with his owne guiltinesse and the kings sudden comming he made shift to make great shew of the indisposition which hee had so long counterfeited The king as soone as he came vnto him said that hee had taken a great iourney to visit him in his sicknesse and to bring him the cure thereof and hauing commanded all out of the Chamber but themselues onely alone as the king himselfe told me he vsed such like speeches vnto him Father I do acknowledge that first from God then from you these fortunes which now I haue haue receiued their being And I know that as a man I may both erre in my merit to God and in my well deseruing of your seruice But my intention I can assure you is most perfect in both the time of my establishment in my estate hath beene so small that I could scarce vse it sufficiently to performe my generall duty towards my people ouer whom by Gods permission I am appoynted much lesse to prouide for euery particular satisfaction as I mind and will doe which you principally as a Father to me both in your yeares and my election should haue borne withal But since some ill spirit hath had power to mis-leade your wisedome so far as to make you forget your great vertue you shall once receiue wholesome counsell from me as I haue done often from you And because that all counsels as well in publicke as priuate deliberations require a reposed spirit free and pure from wrath feare all perturbation or perticular interest for a troubled mind is more apt to erre then to aduse iustly and hath more need of proper medicines for it selfe then it hath properly in it selfe to apply any comfort to others and is fitter to receiue then to giue counsell from which as from a great and violent current are caried all those errours and disorders which are brought vpon rash deliberations the which haue euer long repentances and disasters as the perpetuall memories of their hauing bene and are most of all detestably blameable when such an imprudency is accompanied with that infinite damage as to thinke of alteration in a state which cannot proceede without in-iustice seeleratenesse bloud and a thousand mischiefes an act in it selfe wonderfull difficult wonderfull wicked and proceeding from an incomparable vile quality But hee that can restraine himselfe from being transported by vntemperate apetites and can dominate his passions and giue a iust rule to himselfe to his cupidities and desires doth euer giue the best time to all deliberations by mittigating heat and fury and so altereth all counsell from that nature which it receiueth from an vnquiet and troubled mind Which if you had done you would not haue entred into a thought onely of so dangerous an action against your selfe nor so dishonourable as to haue machinated the ruine and trouble of your owne King Friend Country which though it be palesated it is but to my selfe only who rather desire to chastice you as a friend with good admonition then by rigour Therfore though it be euer incident to all men to haue this great defect to feare chiefely nearest dangers and to esteeme much lesse then they ought of the future Yet bee you most assured that the perill which you might feare from my person is much lesse then that which you had throwne your selfe into if you had or should prosecute your enterprizes From my person you shall neuer except by great constraint from your selfe looke for any thing of other condition then a true Princely loue and a Royall regard of your seruices In the other course you called against my will vpon your selfe the rigor of Iustice and fury of the sword which in the warre consumeth all alike And because in that aduersity which a mans minde bringeth vpon himselfe the feares and terrours are euer greater then the euils which concurre with them be you of good comfort without the feeling onely of any such conditioned thing and call strength from your minde to your body that you may endure to go with me to Hisphaan where you shall haue cause to digest all these melancholies Ferrat neither excused nor confessed but indifferently answered the king as sory to haue giuen cause of offence and infinitely reioycing as hee seemed that the king had so royally pacified himselfe with him and not daring to refuse to go with the king desired him to vse some few daies in the visiting of the Countrey in which time hee hoped that God and the comfort of his presence would raise him from his infirmity The king certainly as I before said was by all necessity in the world either forced to execute him or to recōcile him perfectly vnto him for any midle course had but made him desperate and aggrauated all sort of perill which he might haue feared from him his seruices already done his valour and vertue were of great moment to perswade the king to the easier way being ioyned to his owne excellent mind which I haue seene the rarest proofes of that may bee brought forth by Prince or man liuing But Ferrat Can who knew that true iustice neuer weigheth offences and deserts but seuerally and without intermingling them together rewardeth the one and chasticeth the other and that benefites are more easier forgotten then iniuries feeling the weight of his offence and measuring the kings heart by his owne gaue the wickednesse of his minde power ouer his vertue And though hee seemed altered to all good intentions yet his heart was still swollen with that poyson which shortly brought him to destruction The king hauing staid some eight or ten dayes in the Countrey was sooner hastened thence then hee thought by the newes of the Queenes death who was deceased by a sudden and violent sicknesse after his departure so that with great speede taking Ferrat with him and leauing Lieu-tenant in the Countrey for Ferrat Mahomet Shefia he returned to Hisphaan where after some dayes spent in sorrow for his great losse hee sent to Alexander the other Can of the Georgians to demand his daughter by that meanes to binde againe that league which might haue beene dissolued by the death of the other Queene In that Embassage went Xa-Tamas Coolibeague who returned with the Lady within few moneths In the meane time the brother to that king of Corasan who had so royally and carefully brought vp the king of Persia when he fled from the wrath of his father rebelled against his brother slue him and all his children but onely one whose tutors fled with
aboundance of what greatnesse soeuer it be will be dried vp and vanish and a short time bringeth it to an end the times of peace gathering by minutes that which the warre spendeth by houres and one yeare of warre consumeth the fruits of many yeares of peace Mustapha Bashaw when Soliman deliberated of the warres which he made with our great king Ismael told him that before he resolued of it that there were foure torrents to be opened the one of men the other of victuals the other of munition the other of money and in all he said well but in the last best For if euery sort of warre require mightie expence questionlesse such a one doth it most which is carried farre from your owne home where the nourishment of your owne countrie may subminister abundance and cheapnesse to your people which the Turke proued true for hauing vndertaken that warre more vpon the Confidence of his resolution then good Councel being a Prince of so great power he so consumed his treasure that hee was compelled to abase the allay of his Gold and Siluer and for all that to raise the price to the double value and to comport it with the falsification of monie and many such great inconueniencies for which the Ianizaries rushed into strange mutinies and many perrillous successes followed yet had he Timarri as your Maiesty hath but wheÌ„ the length quality of the war deuoured theÌ„ faster theÌ„ their abilitie was to beare the Prince was constrained if he would vse them to giue them means of sustenance also your Maiestie which hath a state as yet exceeding feeble and scarce recouered from a mortall sicknesse is so much vnable to beare the burthen of such a warre that by ouer weakning it in drawing from it that small vital sustenance which it hath it may which God forbid occasion the last ruine of it like a sicke bodie which aggrauated with the ill of the disease looseth his naturall vigour Therefore great fortunes and victories sometimes when they meete not with aâ—â—rude of that excellent wisdome and vertue that is able to vse them iudiciously and temperately are the most powerfull meanes of the ruine of the Prince and state when being carried away with the confidence soly of a continuing felicitie they embrace more then they can possibly claspe and the mischiefes which succeede of such ill measured warres fall not only vpon the Prince but are pernicious also to his poore people when through their ambitions and cupidities they are Authors and stirrers of new perturbations Your Maiestie hath now assured your selfe from all such ruines as heretofore kept you from vniting your selfe either for your defence against the Turke or offence when your generall force might make you able for such a resolution and that which is more those men which were accustomably vsed against you are added to your owne power your wants are mony munitions artillarie which you haue time enough to prouide abundantly by the greatnesse vnitie and wealth of your owne Dominions and the Turkes present distractions troubles and generall corruptions which in naturall discourse are likelier to encrease by time then decrease For Good and I 'd haue in the gouernment of men this difference between themselues that Good though it be brought forth by time yet it is not renued by time and though by our studies and industries it be maintained it corrupteth not-withstanding by degrees of it selfe and finally of it selfe also extinguisheth as we may read and see in the succeedings of all states and of all Sects the contrarie of which appeareth in Ill since it doth not wast by little and little through the wearing of time as Good doth but rather increaseth to a more powerfull validitie and by easie passages riseth to the extremitie of declination So that hauing such assurance of the working of time in that qualitie with which the Turke is alreadie infected Your Maiestie may reponder and resolue at leisure of the proceeding of your enterprise only prouide meanes to establish and perfect it when it shall bee concluded This Christian hath brought with him a Founder of artillarie let him bee vsefull to your Maiestie in something and let vs your seruants haue the comfort to see some good fruit of your infinite magnificencie In the meane time by deferring your deliberation Your Maiesty shal euer haue aduaÌ„tage to determine by the progresse and successe of thinges and so shall you either moue or stand what way soeuer you incline vnto more surely founded For your Maiesties sending to the Princes Christian I giue also the same counsell to beware of errour by acceleration since if they be great and haue neede of colligating themselues with your Maiestie as your need of them shall neuer bee without theirs of you both rising from the same either the Turkes potencie to sustaine him ioyntly or his impotencie to dissolue him ioyntly they I say without once measuring obligations honour done or benefits past for their present interest will euer imbrace your fauour and friendship at what time soeuer it shall bee offered If they be Princes of no great power in themselues their suspition feare and iealousie will naturally induce them to combine themselues with your Maiestie or any Prince of a porportionable power for such an effect for the ruine and destruction of a more powerful enemie That this Christian doth insist to haue it done now I cannot discerne his reason for if his condition be good in his owne Countrie it is vnlikely that for the enioying of any other fortune he will perpetually banish himselfe from thence and would be glad to haue such a demonstration there of his valour and fortune to haue bin able to perswade a great King of Persia to such an act in which if the books of our former Kings erre not many great Kings or at least Kings haue faiâ—ed For the present vsing of your Maiesties Souldiers to keepe them in practise and not to suffer their courage to be ouercome with too much and too long ease You haue two wayes one to change often your Armie in Corassane the other to employ them toward Larr and these parts which is a most iust facile and profitable enterprise For taking of Larr you shall bring those of Ormus to an acknowledgement both of tribute and homage to you which will giue a great satisfaction to your Subiects by that beginning conceiuing a hope of greater things and bee the more assured of them and their helpe if you neede it hereafter by the neerer you are to preiudice them if they should not be apt to serue you and the expence can be nothing against a smal King the Tymarri onely of Syraz sufficing for that enterprise But as I haue said thus much by your Maiesties commaundement only so I will neuer make my selfe an obstinate Authour of a Councell but humbly submit what I haue said to your Maiesties excelling iudgement and the resolution of your determination to Gods direction and
There is none so proper an Executor of any enterprise as hee which is the first deuiser of it I humbly thanked his Maiestie for his confidence and excused my inhabilitie to performe so great a charge Many men being more fitte to propound then to execute That requiring a particular valour and experience which I had not Notwithstanding since I would not giue his Maiestie cause to suspect that I had intimated such a thing vnto him as either was so dangerous to carry or impossible to effect that I durst not for those causes vndertake it I would onely beseech of his Maiestie one of his Princes either to be my superior or equall in the Ambassage or such a one as might be aâ—solutely my inferior for a testimony onely of my assured comming from his Maiestie The first I did require because equall authority where there is the selfe same power is commonly pernitions to all actions being impossible to fit two minds of so 〈◊〉 a temper that they should not haue some motions of dissenâ—â—â—g Yet if I must be ioyned through the gratious fauour 〈◊〉 Maiesty who had no more end of his honouring me thâ—n my affection had in seruing him I desired it might 〈◊〉 a noble man whose mind being made to greatnes could not feele the ill working of a sudden alteration The last I required not that such a one could hold any condition in the former reason but as an Armor against enuie and malice beeing a thing incident and almost certaine in all mens natures to behold with sore eyes the new growne felicitie of others and to exact a sharpe account of their fortunes especially in home they haue seene either inferiour or in equalitie with themselues All which hee promised commended my reason and prouidence in that point and offering also presents of great valew and worth to accompanie his Letters which should be goodly Carpets Swords and Daggers couered with Gold and Iewels Plumes according to their Countrey fashion and other things worthy to be esteemed both for the price and rarenesse Then he told me I must recouer my selfe strengthen my minde and come abroad that hee might feast mee before my departure And though it is likely that the disposition of the World euermore inclined to detraction then to a generous beholding of mens actions will in the iniquitie of that nature hardly beleeue the magnificent fashion of that King held towards me then in all points and confirmed by his infinite Royall fauour continued and increased to my brother now Yet the act he did doth plainely demonstrate part of the one and amongst Honourable minds I shall be beleeued for the rest And though that viper of malice which I so much feared did bite me in a maine member of my Honour and infeebled it so much that it remained lame from being able to passe forward in that pase of reputation which so great a labour so many dangers so great an enterprise and so pious an action merited yet it is impossible that malice it selfe much lesse the infusion of it in wicked spirits can take from me the true knowledge to this time and memorie to posteritie that I was a zealous author of so Christianlike a purpose They much mistaking my mind which iudged it rather capable and desirous of apparant then the true substance of things though it be true that euerie man will contend for both when both are his right For thirty dayes continuallie the King made that feast in a great garden of more then two miles compasse vnder tents pitched by certain small courses of running water like diuers riuers where euerie man that would come was placed according to his degree either vnder one or other Tent prouided for abundantly with meate fruite wine drinking as they would some largelie some moderatelie without compulsion A roialty and splâ—ndor which I haue not seene nor shall not see againe but by the same King Our Princes abhorring such vaine expences desiring rather to haue the power of dominion then to make those sorts of ostentation but such is and hath beene anciently the custome of that Country as the holy Booke of God sheweth vs. And if with so great authority itâ—were needfull or comely to produce other histories there are diuers which speake also of many magnificences of those Kings and of that amongst the rest therfore it is euer to be praised for the constant antiquite if not for the reason of the expence The ioy of the feast was much augmented by two great fortunes which gaue themselues at that time to the King which were these The Tartars of Buckehawrd which haue euer beene of greatest reputation amongst all those of the Orient both for their valour in armes and wealth moued vnto it through their owne diuisions the Captaines of which being of validity and proper industrie to enflame the ciuill dissentions and vnfit to temper their alternate good successes It being the condition of troubles and disorders to giue most power and authority to those of the worst sort and most mischieuous spirits whereas to appease them requireth great art and reposed spirits wearied with the vexation of their owne troubles in such a state of things as produced nothing but disorders amongst the factious a desperate rage amongst the vanquished and no authority amongst the victors â— neither the vigour of the lawes standing none almost of the Princes liuing when all these extremities could not bring them to consent to the erecting of their owne estate as it first was of an absolut principality yet by the fame of the king of Persiaes iustice in gouernment the felicity which followed all his enterprises they were brought to consent vnitely in one to send and deliuer themselues and their Country vnder his subiection And the great Moghor King of Labor moued by the like fame sent a great Ambassador to desire a marriage between his eldest sonnes daughter and Cephir Micza a eldest sonne to the King of Persia with a mighty present and as mighty offers both of ready money to pay 30000. men in any warre which the King of Persia should vndertake for seuen yeeres Such a quality hath prosperity when it beholdeth a man or State with affectionate eyes to intruâ—e it selfe vpon him or it though themselues would not anâ— somtimes in things which the wisdom of men holdeth impossible to be intimated and â—nfeasible to be executed which maketh wise men often rather to desire them then to hope for them In this time came vnto me a Portingal Frier named Alphonso Cordero of the order of the Franciscans Secular and an other Armenian Frier of Ierusalem with a message from an other Frier of better estimation called Nichola Di-Meto the effect of which was this that hee had beene Inquisitor generall of the Indies and his time being finished as also hauing receiued commandement from the Pope and King of Spain to return for som other important causes to the
through his honourable desire to perfect the kindnesse which hee had begone For imagining that by the continuall spies which claue to my house that my flight could not be secret he had no sooner left mee in the Carauan but that hee changed his lodging to mine saying that I had done the like to his and went to the Cady telling him that I was sicke desiring his Physition to visite mee knowing well enough that the Cady had none but onely to giue colour to my not appearing in the Towne The Cady answered he was sorry for my sickenesse and would send to the Bassa for his Physition which Signior Victorio Speciero for so was this honourable Florentine called would by no meanes hoping as he said that my sickenesse would not bee so great as would require the trouble of his Highnesse By this meanes fiue daies passed before I was missed and when I was once discouered to bee gone Fifty Ianizaries were sent after mee to bring mee backe againe the carauan hauing diuided it selfe by the way whereof one part went a visitation of a Santon in the deserts of Samarone the other passed the right way for Persia by the Mountaines gouerned by a Prince of the Courdines called Cobatbeague The Ianizaries hearing of them to be past and thinking that all had bene so they returned and that noble-minded Florentine was forced to pay fiue hundred Crownes to make his peace with the Bassa And though it bee a miserable thing for a man to grow an example in cases of affliction yet it is necessary that some men should be so and because it pleaseth God that I should bee one and a great one of these So I may also be taken for as great a one of his infinite mercies and through them his direct pleasure in what sort hee will haue men gouerne themselues For hauing fastened my mind to that good purpose and intermingled some particular intentions of mine owne ambitions as God shewed a sensible disposition to fauour the one so by humbling me to the very pit of extremities he taught me to cast away the other and to haue my sole confidence in him disposing my minde to his pleasure not to the counsell of my owne frailty which founded in the perfectest man moueth to continuall errours not that man doth not more desire to intend good then euill by a naturall reason vertue being the health of the mind and vice the sickenesse and all natures abhorring sickenesse and the destruction of nature But the great enemy of man-kind cousoneth our weakenesse with a shadow and coulour of good in the very extremest ills and so induceth vs to embrace and desire them masked in the appearance of good The true effect of which we afterward feele in the desperate working of the poison when it hath for want of due prouision so possessed our vitall parts that were left both to our selues and to the world to whose benefite the vertues and good parts of good men are appropriated and that which is most to God which is the great and onely good to which the end of our life is or ought to bee directed Neither must man thinke that for many burthens which God layeth vpon him that hee is wholy abandoned and so leape from an awfull humility to a direct despaire of his mercies Since God like a great Prince will haue men his Subiectes so truely his that all their thoughts shall depend vpon his authority and not vpon the swolne bubbles of their owne hearts which if they erre in humility is the true reconciliation of their offence before that great Iudge and desperation a manifest token of a maine rebellious spirit which reposed vpon a vaine assurance of himselfe plungeth him in that extremity vpon the contrary proceeding of his intentions which are so farre from power to effect themselues by any ability in himselfe that himselfe can no longer subsist then Gods prouidence is hee should Finally God is not as man whom we may abuse by hauing diuers propositions mingled of good and bad ends the bookes of our hearts being laid open before him in which he readeth our most inward thoughts for which wee must continually giue an account feeling the reward of our good motions by the magnificency of his mercies and our bad by the infliction of calamites which wee may auoide if wee will vnderstand God and our selues which we may euer do by making the best vse of the wisedome which wee haue borne in our selues by learning of other and exercitation which are the acquisters of all Sciences amongst all which none is so great in it selfe nor so greatly importing man And though many in the mis-vnderstanding of the world are acounted learned and wise without it let them know that such are like vntimely fruite which carry with them a temporall wonder raised through the ignorance of other which put no distinction betweene the effects of the world and the workings of God when there is so great a one as permanency in the last and no more but apparition in the other shewing it selfe and dissoluing without almost any memory that any such thing was which should make the iudgement of men not to proceed to their absolutenesse by beholding the present fortune of any but first see the end which God hath appointed him vnto and then to giue a diffinitiue sentence in which they cannot erre drawing their iudgement from his who neuer erreth Of most part of which things as I said I may bee a most present and a most certaine example both of the mutablenesse of fortunes workings of the causes which I confesse freely of Gods infinite mercies and of his order of gouernement vnder which hee disposeth mens actions And though I had through the sencible apprehensions of such great lessons giuen mee by so diuers iudgements throwne away all other opinions then those which had their aspects onely turned to the promotion of his glory Yet my frailty gaue me a continuall terrour during those thirty daies in which we wandred with that company of blind Pilgrimes through the Deserts not knowing what God had wrought for my security and those which were with mee by that good man Signior Vittorio At the end of which wee arriued in the King of Persia's dominions hauing first passed a great tract of good and ill Countries the desert places of which being onely sand gaue no meanes for inhabitants to liue the fruitfuller parts were vsed by certaine people called Courdines liuing in Tents knowing no other fruit of the earth but what belonged to the sustenance of their cattell vpon the milke butter and flesh of which they liue ruled by certaine particular Princes of their owne which giue partly an obedience to the Turke and part to the Persian as they are neerest the Confines of the one or the other Yet in that simplicity of liuing not being without that contagion of all Mankind of all Prouinces and of all States ambition of getting superiority and larger
highly and as much offended as his brother had yet wanting the same courage to receiue the iudgement which he had to offend fled to the port of the Kings Tent and there prostrated himselfe on the ground whence being called by Oliuer Di-Can he denyed to die any where but there that the King when hee should come forth might tread vpon that bloud which had so vilely and vndeseruedly offended him which being brought to the King by a Page that wished well to Zulpher and had some good hope of the Kings nature that hee might doe the poore Prince some good after a little pause the King came forth and beholding Zulpher lying grouelling on the ground pittied him and despising withall his little valour Behold said he to those which stood by how weake a foundation reputation hath which is not erected from a mans owne vertue This man was so great yesterday that you all honored him and now lyeth despised before you all through his owne wickednesse He hath bene aduanced by me for his brothers vertues and with the death of his brother he doth shew you all that no worthinesse of his owne but that which abounded in his brother if hee could haue made good vse of it gaue him courage also to seeme capable of those honours which I bestowed on him Zulpher God forgiueth mee as great sinnes hourely which I commit against him as thy fault can be to me and since it hath pleased him that I hold so great a place by him here I will also vse the example of his infinite goodnesse for the patterne of this mercy and referre my vengeance to him and giue thee time to repent and the rather because thy abiectnesse taketh all apprehension from me of cause to doubt thee Hee neuer dareth hurt a King which feareth to die And remember that this is the first day of thy life in which thou must take more vertuous waies then thou hast hitherto walked in that I may haue honour by the mercy which I haue shewed thee and profite by thy good seruices and thy selfe maist cast away farre from thee by honest and good deedes the shamefull memory which men will haue of thy past wicked Treason This was the end of that great and foule conspiracy which gaue great hope to the Kings enemies and ending by such a prouidence was the meanes of the Kings greater and better security which could neuer haue bene perfect so long as so great a man had liued both hauing cause to feare by that giuing continuall cause to be feared Next day the King marched farther into the Countrey and so daily aduanced on without obstacle the keyes of all their Townes meeting him by the way and at the last an Embassage from the whole state with a generall submission which when hee had receiued hauing spent some time in the setling of such a gouernement as was securest for himselfe and hauing receiued the yong Rrince sonne to the first King and diuers others of the principall of the Countrey hauing left order with Xa-Endibeague whom hee left there with the best part of his Army which he increased afterwards to 30000 men to extirpate all those which were likeliest either through their obligation to the vsurper or through their owne particular interest to make innouation he returned with that yong Prince and those prisoners into Persia. The most part of this time I was at Casbin courteously vsed by Marganobeague the Maister of the Kings house and not amisse by any When the King was come within sixe miles of Casbin he stayed there some three dayes to the entent to make his entry with such an estimation of his victory as was fit for so great and happy a successe of fortune and in truth I thinke that hee did it most to declare the greatnesse of it to vs that were strangers by such a strange demonstration The night before hee entred there were 30000 men sent out of the Towne on foote with horse-mens staues vpon which were fastened vizards of so many heads All those in the morning when we were commanded to meet him the Gouernour hauing proâ—ided vs horses we found marching in battell aray towards the Towne and before the two heads of the King and his sonne foure Officers of Armes such as they vse bearing in their hands great Axes of shining Steele with long helues after those battalions followed the Xa-Hammadagacs horse-men after those a number of Gentlemen of the Kings Court after those a 100 spare-horses with as many of the Kings Pages after those the prisoners accompanied with Bastan-Aga then a great rancke of his chiefe Princes amongst whom were all the Embassadours which vsed to bee resident in his Court then followed the yong Prince of Corazan accompanied with Xa-Tamas-Coolibeague the Kings principall fauorite and then the King himselfe alone and after him some fiue hundred Courtiers of his Guard Marganobeague was with vs and making vs large passage through all those Troupes When we came to the King we alighted and kissed his Stirrop my speech was short vnto him the time being fit for no other That the fame of his Royall vertues had brought me from a farre Countrey to be a present spectator of them as I had beene a wonderer at the report of them a farre off if there were any thing of worth in mee I presented it with my selfe to his Maiesties seruice Of what I was I submitted the consideration to his Maiesties iudgement which he should make vpon the length the danger and the expence of my voyage onely to see him of whom I had receiued such magnificent and glorious relations The Kings answere vnto me was infinite affable That his Countrey whilst I should stay there should be freely commanded by mee as a Gentleman that had done him infinite honour to make such a iourney for his sake onely bid mee beware that I were not deceiued by rumors which had peraduenture made him other then I should finde him It was true that God had giuen him both power and mind to answere to the largest reports which might bee made good of him which if hee erred in the vse of hee would aske counsell of me who must needs haue much vertue in my selfe that could moue mee to vndergoe so much and so many perils to know that of another And that hee spake smiling willing me to get on horse-backe which when I had done he called Haldenbeague his Viseire and Oliuer Di-Can his Generall and commanded them to take my brother and me betwixt them and my company was disposed by Marganobeague amongst the rest of the Kings Gentlemen of his Court and in that ordâ—r the King entred Casbin and passing to the great place he alighted with the cheifest of his Princes Officers whoÌ„ he caused to bring vs with them went into a kind of banquetting house in which there were staires to ascend by into a Tarras where the King â—ate down the greatest of those Princes
we among theÌ„ This Tarras looked vpon the place where after we had ben a litle beheld some of the Court exercising theÌ„selues at giuoco-di-canna that great troupe was suddenly vanished so without all sort of rumor that it bred infinite wonder in me coÌ„sidering how much tumulte we made in these parts in the disposing of a far lesse coÌ„pany Whilst we sate there the King called me againe vnto him when I had confirmed in more words the very same I had before said vnto him TheÌ„ said he you must haue the proofe of time to shew you either the errors or the truth of these rumours since you can make no iudgement of what you haue yet seene which is but the person of a man and this emineÌ„ce which God hath giuen me for any thing you know may be more through my fortune theÌ„ my vertue But since your pains trauel hath had no other aspect but to know me we must haue a more intrinsicke acquaintance to perfect that knowledge how you wil indure the fashions of my couÌ„try you can iudge best your selfe which are maister of your owne humor This I will assure you of you shal want no respect froÌ„ my people nor honor from my selfe therwith bid me fare-wel for that present comitting me my coÌ„pany to Bastan-Aga to be conducted to my lodging Next morning I sent the King a present of sixe paire of Pendants of exceeding faire Emerauldes and meruailous artificially cut and two other Iewels of Topasses excellent well cut also one cup of three peeces set together with gold inameled the other a Salte and a very faire Ewer of Christall couered with a kind of cutworke of siluer and gilt the shape of a Dragon all which I had of that Noble Florentine which his Maiesty accepted very graciously and that night I was with my brother inuited by him to a banquet where there was onely Byraicke Myrza and Sultan Alye with Xa-Tamas-Coolibeague his cheife Minion there he had diuers discourses with mee not of our apparell building beauty of our woemen or such vanities but of our proceeding in our warres of our vsuall Armes of the commodity and discommodity of Fortresses of the vse of Artillary and of the orders of our gouernement in which though my vnskilfulnesse were such that I knew my errours were greater then my iudgement yet I had that felicity of a good time that I gaue him good satisfaction as it seemed For in my discourse hauing mentioned the hauing of certaine Models of Fortification in some bookes at my lodging which were onely left me in the spoile which was made of me at Babylon Next day after dinner he came thither with all the principallest of the Court where hee spent at least three howers in perusing them and not vnproperly speaking of the reasons of those things himselfe Next night hee sent for mee againe into a place which they call Bazar like our Burze the shops and the roofe of which were so full of lights that it seemed all of a fire There was a litle Scaffold made where he sate and as euery man presented him with diuers sorts of friuts so hee parted them some to one some to another and there hee continued some foure howers in which time hee tooke mee aside with my Interpreter and asked mee very sadly whether I would content my selfe to stay with him not for euer for that were too a great wrong to my friends who should loose mee from their comfort being diuided so farre from them for my owne fortune hee would not speake of but onely thus much since I had told him I was a subiect to a Prince he knew that then my fortune also must depend vpon the will and fauour of that Prince and hee assured himselfe that he was as able and more desirous to do me good then any therefore if I would resolue to giue him that litle satisfaction he should perswade himselfe the more confidently that the cause of my comming was such as I told him the loue of his person and nothing else I answered him I could say no more â—o his Maiesty then I had already done that a report onely of his excellent vertues had brought mee thither that a better experience had bound me so fast to him and them that as he was Maister of my minde so hee should bee of my person and time which were both subiect to his command For those things of fortune they were the least things that I regarded as his Maiesty well saw by my great expence thither onely to satisfie my sight but as I knew my selfe infinitely honoured by his Maiestie vouchsafing to serue himselfe of mee so that was to me aboue all other fortunes and satisfactions His Maiesty seemed wonderfully well content with my answere and that night began to shew me extra-ordinary publicke fauour and so continued all the time of his being in Casbin daily increasing by some or other great demonstration Sixe weekes hee stayed there giuing his accustomed audience to the people In which time I saw the notablest example of true vnpartiall royall iustice that I thinke any Prince in the world could produce The Gouerner of Casbin was appointed to that administration in the maine seruice of the Kings state when the Rebels were first suppressed A man exceedingly and perticularly fauored of the King he taking the adantage of the time which being troubled gaue him liuely colour to make great profite vpon the people and confident in the Kings fauour abused both the one and the other by extreme extortions thinking because of his owne greatnesse and the Countries offence against the King the memory of which euery man would feare to receiue that what he did by violence and force should by as great power of terrour remaine vnknowne but some to whoÌ„ he had offered so much that they thought no extremity could happen them of a worse conditioÌ„ made desperate through that hazard to put vp lamentable supplications to the King who hauing read them as his fashion is commanded the parties to-speake freely with this caution that they should beware that they charged nothing falsely for as he would not that any minister of his shold abuse his authority by any vniust burthen vpon the worst of the people so hee would also prouide by seuere example that none should presume to impose false accusations vpon any whom he had thought worthy to carry authority vnder him Notwithstanding those poore men did not onely mainetaine their accusations but brought forth diuers witnesses and others perceiuing so iust a course held by his Maiesty emboldned by it laid before him also in their humble sort their owne oppressions suffered by the like violence Vpon which hee commanded Marganobeague to be sent for who was the Maister of his house in Casbin demanding of him whether he had heard of those things he answered no being priuate acts of the Gouernour publicke causes which were brought before the President
part and so to linke himselfe the stronglier with them by such a bond then in his owne necessitie in which condition there is a great question whether he shall be heard Lastly how strange a conclusion you haue made I will desire you to behold with better consideration You will not haue the King to make warre with the Turke to auoid expence of money and munition where the best parts and most plentifull of both countries are confining which would giue abundance and cheaper liuing to an Armie but you will haue him go to Larre to Ormus sterile countries farre remoued where the charges onely of supplying victuals to an Armie would be of more cost then all other munition and expence of the Armie besides And besides there is no danger of the King of Spain who hath euer held a fashion of maintaining himselfe rather then encreasing Besides the nature of his force is of a contrarie qualitie to giue vs feare of his too great inlargement hauing neither abundance of horse nor men but only gallies which assure his forts with which also he is sufficiently contented And how wearying out a warre to his Maiesties treasure and men that must be where he must fight but at the enemies pleasure and aduantage the strength of his enemie standing vpon the Sea in which the King hath no sort of shew of power he submitted to his Maiesties wisest consideration besides the infinite danger by the nature of the lying of the state of the Turkes and the King of Spaines and the essentiall of their potenties were of such a condition that whatsoeuer was diminished from his Maiesties or the King of Spaines was an absolute addition to the Turke who by that aduantage of the weakening each others forces should haue a more facile entrie vpon any one or both of them And that it was wel proued by his Maiesties predecessors that there was not a more maine vpholder of the beginning and foundation of their state nor manner of preseruing it which was all they could doe then that league which vnited both their forces euer against the common enemie And now that God and the great vertue of his Maiestie had so augmented the limits of his dominion that he had power ioyned with true iustice and necessitie to recouer those vsurped Prouinces which the Turke held from him In which action nothing could more secure him then first an assured relatiue friendship betweene the Princes Christian and him generally and particularly the forces of the King of Spaynes by Sea in those parts it should be a strange Counsell to perswade his Maiestie to make warre with him whom he had euer profited by and to offend all in offending him and voluntarily to inâ—ble the Turke in whatsoeuer hee would vndertake against him which must needs be by all reason iudgement his enemy Which made him beseech his Maiestie to continue that so commodious friendship vnto him and to strengthen himselfe with new to fomentate those rebellions which were no rumours one of those that were in Armes being Moombaregue a Prince tributarie to his Maiesty the others though no men of great qualitie yet of great happinesse in their proceedings and to prouide for all things necessary for so great an enterprise for which though the Vicesire were otherwise perswaded nothing did more facilitate the iudgement of his good successe then the Prince of the Turkes owne incapacitie Nothing hauing euer beene proued more certaine then that the Ministers of any Prince do euer symbolize with their Masters vertues or vices and that men of extraordinary vertue with them haue euer little power or little time suspition being the best preseruer of their defects which euer aymeth at those who haue more vertue then themselues as fearing them most A discourse proued true by the miserable end of all those named and by many examples which he would leaue vnrehearsed as things that neuer bare more credit then the faith of the hearer gaue them And so left off humbly beseeching his Maiesty to pardon his boldnes and freenes which were euer the birth of true zealous deuotioÌ„ he had onely expressed what he thought his Maiesty might please to resolue of that hee thought honourable secure and profitable for his state and person The causes of his danger from the Turke he spake not of first touched by me and apparant to all The king then commaÌ„ded Baslan-Aga to speake freely also what he thought who after a reuerence vnto him hauing repeated the arguments past commended them all as it is his fashion apparantly to offend no bodie but what he doth in that qualitie is secretly and then as though he meant no such matter diuiding what he would speak into two points the warre and my person he proceeded thus This proposition by the wisedome of his Maiesty resting doubtful so that none of vs by knowing which way his owne disposition inclineth haue any sort of constraint either by fearing to oppose our opinions against what his will intended or by a desire to raise our iudgements into a better conceit of fâ—uour by making them to symbolize with his giueth vs so great libertie of deliberation that if we speake not well to the purpose at least we shall speake truly what we thinke I say then that all warres are eyther made vpon the Confines of the States which moue them or farre from the Confines of the maker of them by penetrating further into the maine bodie of him vpon whom they are made And it is not possible for any to vse great Armes or small a long time which haue not a fountaine of great reuenewes from at home and a foundation of great plentie in the field For as without sinewes the members of this compact of our bodie cannot moue and if they doe shew a stirring onely for a testimonie of their life which may be in them yet that mouing is vnperfect both in vigour and continuance So Armes neyther can be gathered neyther can they be appropriated to necessarie dessignes nor maintained vnited in any enterprize without a Riuer of money which may refresh them in conuenient time and make swimme after them munitions victualles and other necessarie prouisions both for the sustenance of euery particular bodie and importing to the good purpose and effect of the mannagement of their Armes And because the reuenewes of iust and good Princes as the faculties of the subiects from whom they are deriued are limited and drawing without measure for one yeare or two huge quantities of money out of their estates their countries will remaine poore and exhausted of gold and siluer From whence proceedeth that warres of such a condition as cannot be ended neere at hand but draw through the necessitie of perfecting them well when they are once begun the Prince and the Armie a farre off neyther can be vndertaken nor continued but by Princes who haue infinite treasures acumulated through long times prouidence or neuer-ending mines for other sort of ordinarie
christianity of these parts not being willing to attend the tedious voyage of the Porting all Fleet by sea chose rather the hassard to goe ouer Land to which he was the more animated hauing heard of the fauour and estimation which certaine Christians held in that Court which hee did not doubt would Christian-like honour him being so great an instrument of the Church and of so great a Potentate as the King of Spaine For though wee were English and hee Portugese and by the priuate interresses of our Princes their names were made enemies in the ordinary sort of our Nation Yet Religious men were euer priuiledged from common malice and that place which was opposite of it selfe to the profession of Christ would be a perswading argument enough for any Noble or Pious mind to honour in all persons our oppressed faith without regarding the title or Countrie of the profession thereof But when hee came though this insinuation of his were like a good meane and shewed to proceed from the best condition of spirits Yet hee did so much degenerate from the name of a Christian much more of a Religious man of a true Subject to his Prince and of a Pious wisher to those thinges which tended to the generall good of the whole Common-wealth of Christendome that he forgat not only the honour which I had freely and with a good heart done him waking againe the names of those enmities which he desired to haue suppressed at the first secretly at the last openly setting forth many pretences against mee which if it had proceeded from the ordinarie imperfections of naâ—uâ—e which runneth more headingly to the reuenge of iniuries euen in opinion then to the recordâ—tion of essentiâ—ll and ciuid benefus gracious acts being a burden reuenge esâ—eemed a game to vs though the cause of it had proceeded from that imperfection had beene ill yet being naturall it had beene somewhat tollerable and if he had not also added to that fault another inexcusable one not onely to neglect but euen to despise all those other greater duties which if they bound him not in affection yet they must haue bound in awfulnesse and feare anâ— Câ—â—â—tâ—re which had not beene vtterly giuen ouer to the worst temptations of the wicked spirit and enemie to Mankinâ— and substantiall subuertor of all godly purposes For I though otherwise vnobliged willing in the beginning of the foundation which the King permitted me to lay of God his true knowledge in those parts to shew all deuout respects to God and to all his Ministers and knowing that the name of diuision amongst our selues would but scandalize all vsed him with all those duties and reuerences which I could possibly deuise or any ambâ—tious heart could desire which gaue as it fell out but a freer passage to the iniquitie of his soule to my great griâ—fe preiudice of the estimation in those parts of Religious men and to the most infinite affliction of the other Franciscan that can be expressed he being certainely a good man and as farre as his vnderstanding guided him zealous to perswade others to be so helping to expresâ—â— by a sincere and holy example ofâ—iâ—e what he wanted in discourse But vbi Dei numen praetenditur secleribus subit animum timor ne fraudibus humanis vindâ—candis diuâ—ni iuris aliquid inamixtum violemus For which reason I will say only this that to free my selfe from the vnexpected crosses which daily rose against my businesse I pressed the King as hotly as ciuilly I could for my dispatch which hee granted me at the thirtie daies end hauing appointed Assan Chan a gallant young Prince to goe with mee so complete in all worthie graces that if God had pleased that he had proceeded in the busines he had brought great Honor to the King reputation to his Countrie had established the affaires to the vniuersall good of the World But the beginnings of all great things being deriued from God so their ends are either perfected or disanuâ—led by his determination For though nature hath giuen vs as men great and excellent faculties yet GOD will haue vs know and acknowledge him to be GOD and that nothing is properly our own or gotten by our owne power but giuen vs onely through his munificencie And therefore peraduenture GOD would not so much satisfie the pride which the very loue of affecting so great and glorious a businesse had swolne me in but made mee my selfe find an instrument to ouerthrow my labours aâ—d wrestle against my proceedings which durst not almost stand in my presence and forced me to aâ—ke him of the King and to bee the Authour of my owne hâ—rme So strangely doth God correct the errours and sinnes of our humanities and taketh from the strong imagination which stirre in vs through the innated iniquitie of our hearts the thoughts of any other causes of those inflictions then that true working of his verie iudgements by which wee may see if we will not be obstinate against ourselues that the full vse of those things which wee possesse the very light which wee enioy the spaces of the Earth which our feet tread ouer whatsoeuer we can doe say or thinke is raised distributed and guided by God his counsell will and prouidence For when it was concluded that Assan Chan should go and his prouisions were all ready my coÌ„mission and parent for the principall points of my businesse sealed the King married him to an Aunt of his much against his Princes wil and more to my griefe none other of the great ones hauing a spirit to apprehend only such a voyage much lesse a heart to performe it So that being instantly sued to by Cuchin-Allibi a Courtchie of sixe Thomans stipend by the yeare and in disgrace also for some ill part that he had plaied I pressed thereunto by the Viseir and Bastan Aga spake vnto the king that he might goe with me in the forme onely of a testimonie though honoured with some good words in the letters for the bettter reputation of the businesse which the King was exceeding backward in consenting vnto desiring me eyther to goe alone or better accompanied The last I told him lay in his Maiesties power to command the other I could not doe and promise him or hope my selfe for good successe nothing being more fraile then such a reputation as would suddenly grow by such a businesse vnsupported by any sort of strength so that it would be an obiect for all sort of malice to worke vppon his Maiestie being too farre remoued to giue iust proofe of my imployment from him if it should be opposed And the more strange it was and lesse hoped for as it would be the more ioyfully embraced by the good So it would giue the more colour and strength to bad mindes against me At the last I think through the secret working of those which were euer enemies to the proceeding of this businesse the mainescarcitie of others which
iustly being a Bastard notwithstanding in the worlds opinion hee was most likely to haue bene established in that succession through the long continuance of the gouernment in that name and the Princes of that name hauing euer through their temperate and iust condition of Ruling wouen themselues into a sincere affection of that people which was well proued by that great league made against it in former time by the Pope the French and the Venetians frustrated by the true deuotion of those Subiects to their Prince besides the great expectation which was generally had of that Don Cesare and the extreme bondage of the gouernment of the Church which those that haue liued in another quality do vtterly abhorre Which that excellent Earle also considering and besides hauing no thought in him euer separated from those circumstances which might bring to an happy end his infinite desire of her Maiesties Honour Seruice and prosperous good of his Country iudging that the Pope would not giue his claime vnto the Dutchy without words and actes and by the impotency of both those Princes in themselues both to make and continue so great a warre as that was likely to haue bene by former examples but that it must grow to great partiallities The lesser Princes of Italy being not likely to endure the Churches so great encrease of Temporality which errour was so greatly reprehended by them all in Lewis the twelfth King of France And that giuing place to the right of that title they should interesse him in the same iudgement for Vrbine also and many other places so that the war by these reasons in all appearance likely to bee somented and that the King of Spaine both in hope to better his estates in Italy by that trouble and by necessity to preserue those which hee had already and for being Vicar to the Church and obliged for his kingdome of Naples must be imbarked fully in that action which would haue bene both a great diuersion from his other designes and a facillitating of any enterprise which that generous spirit of that Earle was euer framing and vndertaking against him and holding opinion that the Dukes greatest necessity at the first must bee of incouragement and Captaines sent mee presently though the least amongst many accompanied with diuers Souldiers of approued valour and procured the Count Maurice Generall of the States Army to write him letters of as much comfort as could bee giuen from so braue a Prince and so famous an Estate and though my iourney was vnder-taken in the dead of Winter and I left no paines vntaken to accelerat it yet before I could arriue in Italy I found the Duke giuen ouer to quieter resolutions and Ferrara yeelded to the Pope himselfe satisfying himselfe with Modona and Rhegium of which hee now beareth the Title Which when I had aduertised the Earle of as he who neuer had his owne thoughts limited within any bounds of honourable and iust ambition So he also desired that those whom he had chosen into a neerenesse of affection should also answere both his owne conceipt of them and satisfie the world in his election of them wherefore not willing I should returne and turne such a voice as was raised of my going to nothing as vnwilling that I should by a vaine expence of my time money and hope bee made a scorne to his and through him to my enemies Hee proposed vnto me after a small relation which I made vnto him from Venice the voiage of Persia grounding of it vpon two points First the glory of God to which his excellent religious mind was euermore deuote Then if God would not please to choose me as a worthy instrument to that great end yet by making a profitable experience of my seeing those Countries limitting vpon the King of Spaines vniall parts and answering to her Maiesties Merchants trades in Turky and Muskouy and besides being not vnlikely but some parts might haue bene found fit for the Indian Nauigation then principiated in Holland and muttered of in England It might proue a subiect to extract great and good matter out of for the honor of her Maiestie and the perticular good of our Country Besides some more priuate designes which my fortune being of the condition which my persecutions haue brought it vnto counselleth mee not to speake of though they were most worthy ones and honourable and honest in him as a great Subiect and maine Piller of that State which hee was bound to serue by all meanes and all industry Hauing with these Aduertisements receiued strength to my owne minde large meanes and letters of fauour and credit to the company of Merchants at Aleppo without opening the secrets of my deliberation to any as fearing the strange humour of the world rather inclined to mis-iudge of all actions then to giue them onely a charitable construction not willing to be scorned if it effected not and assuring my selfe of all sort of reputation if it proceeded well I imbarked my selfe at Venice for Aleppo in a Venetian ship called the morizell the foure and twentieth of May 1599. Fiue and twenty daies the Ship was sailing betweene Malmocko the Port of Venice and Zant in which space one of the worst in the Ship a passenger to Ciprus vsed most scandalous speeches of her Maiesty which being brought vnto mee not onely moued with the dutifull zeale which a Subiect oweth to his Prince but euen with that respect which euery Gentleman oweth to a Lady I commaunded one of my people to giue him a fit reward for so vile an abuse which was no sooner done but the Shippe was all in an vprore And though the cause of the act was iust and so vnderstood by diuers principall Merchants which went to Zant and that the punishment was nothing proportionable to the sceleratnesse of the fact yet through the instigation of one Hugo de Potso a Portingall Factor which was going to Ormus though they shewed all to bee satisfied because they durst do no other yet when wee were to haue departed in the ship from Zant they would no more receiue vs so that wee were forced to hire a Carramosall to carry vs to Candy where wee receiued most honourable entertainement the comming of strangers thither being a thing so vnsuall that the Duke desired to shew the Magnificence of the great Signory to vs that came first and peraduenture should bee the last for a long time From thence in the same Carramosall wee departed to Cyprus and Paphos where wee found nothing to answere the famous relations giuen by ancient Histores of the excellency of that Iland but the name onely the barbarousnesse of the Turke and time hauing defaced all the Monuments of Antiquity no shew of splendor no habitation of men in a fashion nor possessors of the ground in a Principallity but rather Slaues to cruell Maisters or prisoners shut vp in diuers prisons so grieuous is the burthen of that miserable people and so deformed is
the state of that Noble Realme Notwithstanding the present power I meane resident in that Iland which is the instrument of that great tyranny is so small that if the little remnant of people which is left there had courage or if they haue courage had also armes or if the Princes Christian had but a compassionate eye turned vpon the miserable calamity of a place so neere them rent from the Church of God by the vsurpation of Gods and the worlds great enemy and maintained more by the terrour which his name hath stroke into some truely into others no more but that they are contented hee should bee thought terrible for the better progresse of their owne more vniust designes I do not see in that small iudgement which my experience hath giuen mee but the redemption of that place and people were most facile being but foure thousand Turkes in the whole Iland and the glory would bee immortall to the Actor besides the profite which must needs follow from so great an acquist and the preseruing of it would also bee of no expence nor hazard the peoples affection binding it selfe to their redeemer besides a necessity to keepe them vnited vnto him by the meanes of so abhorred a neighbour from whom their vindication into liberty must bee maintained by their owne constancy and his extreme weakenesse by sea warranting all tranquility from feare of a powrefull inuasion by which the Conquerour might be put in the least hazard But God who in his great iudgement weigheth mans sinnes and appointeth forth of his treasury of wrath scourges for their iniquities perhaps hath not fully satisfied his causefull indignation yet with the suffering of that people and therefore blindeth the eies of the good vnderstanding of all his great instruments whom hee hath raised in the world to glorifie his name to administer iustice and to lighten the burthen of the oppressed that they should not see the calamites of that Country nor that their cries should come into their eares by which their generous hearts should be moued to condigne compassion nor that their iudgements should be free to see their owne particular honour and profite So God vseth to show man that hee is a bubble raised onely by his breath mouing by the same and falling by the same according to the will of his great prouidence to which we in the pride of our nature yeeld not the true attribution due vnto it yet the powerfull working of it is such that with the confusion of our foolish pride it proueth it selfe an eternall wisedome which will giue lawes to the world and the bridle to all people and guideth onely the hearts of Princes From Paphos we went to the Salinâ—s in a litle hired barke where wee found the morizell in which wee came to Zant. The Portingal and his complices presently went on shore to the Subbassa of the place for so is called the gouernour there and told him diuers Pirats who had lost their Ships were come into the harbour in a small Boate amongst whom were some boies and youths worth much money besides I know not what iewels and treasure wee had amongst vs with the which he would giue him a good present also if hee would send some of his Souldiers and take vs. At this Oration of his were present certaine Armenian passengers who had knowne vs in the ship which moued with the enormity of so vile an act that Christians should sell and betray Christians to Turkes and that vpon no cause of offence which they were witnesses of wee should be persecuted with such a kind of inhumane cruelty with all speed possible hired a Boate themselues for Alexandretta came with it vnto vs prouided in it victuals for vs and the Maisters themselues to loose no time and beseeched vs with teares in their eies to flye from thence with all speed possible relating vnto vs the scelerattreason conspired against vs and our imminent perill Wherefore we instantly changed into that Boate and perceiuing a Fregat a farre off rowing towards vs for hast left most of our things behind vs and yet could not make so much speed but that the Ianizaries which were in the Fregat and chased vs bestowed some shot vpon vs and had peraduenture ouertaken vs if the night had not ended their chasing vs and our dangers This Boate in which wee were was an ordinary passenger betweene Ciprus and Alexandretta a small way of onely a night and a halfe sayling and halfe a daies sayling So that by reason the Maister was vnlike to mistake his way much lesse so iust contrary as hee did towards two houres in the night we met another passage-Boate put off from Famagusta holding the course which wee intended The night was faire with the shining of the moone and star-light yet by reason of the difference in sayling wee first lost sight of that Boate then by our different course the Maister of ours insteed of Alexandretta going for Tripoly which certainely was a great worke of God to preserue vs. The other Boate at breake of the day being taken at the entrance of the port of Alexandretta by certaine Turkish Pirates who put all to the sword that were in it and hearing of vs we had rowed so far into the Riuer Orontes before they could recouer vs that they durst no further prosecute that prey There we found a goodly Country repleat euen naturally with all the blessings the earth can giue to man for the most part vncultiuated here and there as it were sprinkled with miserable Inhabitors which in their fashion shewed the necessity they had to liue rather then any pleasure in their liuing From thence wee sent our Interpretor to Antiochia to prouide vs horses to bring vs thither which hee returned within two daies after and with them wee proceeded thither full of great care how we should escape from thence The Turke hauing giuen certaine scales to trade in out of which as it was vnlawfull for any to conuerse so it must needs be an vneuitable perill for so great a company when the same great Prouidence which at first defended vs from the former hazards gaue vs the good hap to meete with two Ianizaries Hungarish-runnagates who vnderstanding that we were Christians compelled against our dispositions into that place our intention to be a visitation of Ierusalem and with all our feare of some great preiudice by our being arriued out of the distinguished places for all Christians hauing told vs first that they themselues had beene Christians and though they had for reasons best knowne to themselues altered that condition yet they wished well to those which still were so and especially to all of those parts and afterwards cheerefully comforting vs inuited vs to lodge in their house securing vs by a number of protestations from all dangers which as they courteously offered so if I may giue so faire a terme to such a people they honourably performed For being by the Cady of Antiochia
required to present vs vnto him they did not onely deny vs as bound vnto it by the lawes of hospitality in respect of their promise as they themselues said but called fifty other Ianizaries of Damasco their friends to defend vs if the Cady should haue offered violence And now that I haue had occasion to speake of the Ianizaries of Damasco which by likely-hood of that they presumed to do in that point must bee men of great authority both in power and estimation It will not bee amisse to vse so fit an opportunity to discourse of the Turkes whole gouernement of those parts which I did not behold with the eies of a common Pilgrime or Merchant which passing onely by goodly Citties and Territories make their iudgement vpon the superficiall appearance of what they see but as a Gentleman bred vp in such experience which hath made me somewhat capable to penetrate into the perfection and imperfection of the forme of the State and into the good and ill Orders by which it is gouerned And though it bee true that my weakenesse in iudging may rather doe harme then good to such as will fauour me with too much beleefe yet it will euer bee a helpe of some feeling to those which know lesse Our duties being to further all and chiefly those who haue most need The Originall of the Turkes many haue written well of the maintaining of their state hath bene their Subects true and deuote adherence to their religion without Schisme or Faction and obedience to their Princes They increase the same religion also which continually instigateth them to the propogation of it and the reason of their beginning which was Armes they induced by a confidence in them haue euer desired to vse them And to detaine such a stirring disposition from ciuil dissentions their Princes haue euer with forraigne enterprises led them to the exercise of them The meanes of the preseruation of their States so great and so many acquisted haue bene the securest of any other the Princes personally inhabiting of the most dangerous and ruinating and possessing by Colonies actually though in another name the rest So that where the Dominion ioyneth with the power of the Christian Princes his presence keepeth those parts from danger of innouation Where hee is further separated his Tymarri which are certaine to whom he distributeth so much land for their desert in vertue which was their first institution and by that tenure are bound to finde him their persons and so many horses in his warres they I say hauing their estates soly depending vpon his gouernment assuring him from all perill of alteration And besides to strengthen himselfe the more hee hath not onely destroyed the Noble bloud of the Countries but in most places the Citties Townes and Houses to remoue from the very memory of men by the renewing of those spectacles the apprehension of their former condition of liuing and since the gouernment of those states were so far separated least the minde of him to whom he gaue such an administration might lift it selfe vp to higher thoughts he changeth them continually from time to time without any prefixed order and giueth them by the ancient forme which the vertuouser Princes enacted but to men of great merite besides so dissolueth all strength from their supreme authority in case of absolutenesse that without a speciall commission for some speciall cause the Bassa hath nothing to do with the Souldiory but those are ordered in their function by either one Agam or Sarda the Bashawes ends directing themselues to the ciuill gouernment from the iust administring of which they were learned heretofore by terrible examples not to decline their faults being brought speedily to the Court the emulation of which as speedily presented them to the Prince the maine point of whose estate droue him to execute rigorous remedies to confirme his awfulnesse and obedience by which hee did subsist among his Subiects Those Ianizaries of Damasco amongst other Garrisons were appointed as those of Cairo against the inuasions of the Arabs who are through all those Prouinces a people dispersed liuing in Tents without a certaine place of abode remoouing their habitations according to the seasons and their owne commodities part of which who are remoued on that side of Euphrates which is of Mesopotamia now called Diarbeâ—h are peaceable to the Turke and not much infestious to Trauellors their King being a Saniacke of the Turks and by that title holding Ana and Der two Townes vpon the Riuer which pay him his stipend The other vpon the other side towards Egypt through all Arabia Petra and Deserta and spreding as far as the limits of Arabia Felix being in multitudes and not possible bee brought to a quiet and wel-formed manner of liuing are dangerous to strangers and continuall spoylers of those parts of the Turkes Dominions which euery way border vpon them for the safety of which as I said those two garrisons of Caeiro and Damasco were instituted the first of 12000 the other of 1500 Ianizaries Neither must it bee thought since these of Damasco doe not onely defend that part but are also distributed through other Citties of Soria As Aleppo Antiochia further in Ierusalem also that 1500 men are able to sustaine and answere well to such a charge But these being both Ianizaries and by great seruices heretofore done proceeding also to be Tymarrie haue many followers which do augment mightely their number and euery yeare were accustomed besides those which staied to preserue the countrey to send great troupes not onely warlikely but pompously prouided into Hungary but now that through the incapacity of this Prince presently reigning there are extreame corruptions growne through all the members of his estate his subiects generally taking example of his weakensse and particularly his great ones making their profite thereof As vertue is generally forgotten so they which haue authority are so farre from industriating themselues to replant it that they making a commodity of the ill are euer desirous it should increase to increase with it their gaine For as places of gouernement and of all sort of administration were anciently giuen vnto those who by their worthinesse grew to a condigne estimation with the Prince This time hath brought things to another condition that now men are weighed by the aboundance of their fortune not of their vertue who buying their authority of the Prince like Merchants must make their profite of the people vnder their charge wherein they rather desire to be vile base and offenders then to haue them of better fitter and honester spirits the gaines being small if the people were good by a iust caring for them and greatest as they are by punishing by extortion and oppression and also as ill as they are by many wrongs which the people also finding and withall that mischiefe increaseth rather then diminisheth taking example from so great patternes adde by those more wickednesse to the badnesse of their owne
dispositions And as they are all made a prey to the greatest so euery one according to his power doth deale with the lesser like a forrest of wilde beasts liuing all vpon rapine without any sence of humanity more then an appearance This violent humour in them hath brought disobedience Couetousnesse and Luxury dissoluing the bonds of all respect our willes euer carrying vs from our selues from all awfulnesse and all Lawes when they are ouer-maistered by those two mighty enemies to perticular men much more then to generall states So that the Princes commandement is no more esteemed in any part farre remoued from his owne presence then it fitteth with the honour and profite of him to whom it commeth From whence haue growne so many and so dangerous rebellions so huge wasts in Countries and caused through all those parts those Ianizaries which were appointed for the safety of the prouinces and had their first priuiledges not onely for a reward to their vertues but to binde them by such rewardes to answere the Princes confidence in them to obey no authority which calleth them to other warres but by combining themselues in a strength together to tyrannize the Countries committed to their charges in such a sort that they are not onely Princes as it were ouer the people but do also terrific the greater Ministers And though this be a great weakenesse in the very Basis of so huge an estate which can by no meanes be held together but by such an vnite compaction as may iustly and euer moue by the heads intentions lest it should sway this way or that way and so either breake or bend by his owne great weight or bruise it selfe which in so ouer-growne a body must come to dangerous vlcers where no care is taken for the curing of the parts Yet it doth not onely shew that Gods iudgement hath determined it a short time of continuance by that one great signe but by many other as their negligence of the maintaining of a strenth by Sea which did as it were knit together many great parts of it farre diuided and gaue an essentiall strength in force and reputation to his whole state His want of necessary prouision for the warres in all those parts not speaking of those for peace sithence the ruine of the Prouinces for the most part and the misery of those poore flocke of people which doe liue in the parts inhabited are onely the meanes to giue him peace Yet the negligence of the Princes Christian will not make vse of these extreame defects of his to amplifie their Dominions to eternize their Honours and that which is the greatest to glorifie God which hath made them Princes onely to execute his iudgements none of which now can bee more iustly inflicted vpon any then vpon that great blasphemer against his Holy one and tyrant of the world giue peace to their inique passions which giue cause to the very earth to sigh to all good hearts to groane and kindle Gods indignation against them and their people and turne first their aspects to that which they owe to God and then to the true ambition of a Prince to doe great and iust things which with their honour might also bring profite to their present estates and are of such a condition that the effecting of them is vtterly without danger or difficulty seeing with the very sight of a compleat Armie his Souldiary in those parts would be terrified through their inability to resist and the people who cannot change possible to worse fortune would all follow those Ensignes which their extremity doth already force them to wish for And let all iudgement giue themselues but a small time of truce with other passions and wee shall see not onely what shame it is to the very Name of Christianity to suffer that great Sepulcher of our Redemption to bee possessed to our eternall ignominy by his professed enemies who vouchsafed to giue his deerest bloud to buy vs from perdition Religion is that which euer moueth the blindest hearts of men to the most resolute enterprises and an awfull loue hath euer beene the strongest band to binde men to their Princes to their Countrey and to common society Romulus when his people fled before the Sabines so that the victory shewed it selfe vndoubtedly on their side and ouerthrow on his the very remembring them of leauing Iupiter and the rest of the Gods in the Capitoll to the possession of their enemies was sufficient to turne that desperate fortune And when the French had sacked and burnt a great part of Rome the same awfull reuerence to their Gods and loue to their Countrey could binde them rather to re-build their ruinated Citty then to go to Vejes a Towne ready and magnificently builded But we can leaue in the Turkes possession not onely the Countrey of our Sauiour which should be deerer vnto vs then our owne for his great name sake but this the Sepulcher of his precious bloud which he gaue freely an oblation to giue vs by that sacrifice that which is aboue all eternall life without compunction of loue or Religion So much are our hearts hardened against the appearing mercies of God which hath made him for a great a weake enemy to giue vs corage by such an vnhoped fore-signe to produce that supreme act of our duties Where are those generous spirits of the fore-passed Princes and men which against all humane reason to reuenge iniuries and wrongs done to the holy name of God thrust themselues into most dangerous enterprises onely trusting in the true worthinesse of their cause which they iudged God would miraculously prosper being vndertaken with so good and true hearts for him The successes of which also we may reade to haue beene most prosperous God striuing in mercy with mans intentions And though it be true that the dayes of Visions and such apparant Miracles are finished yet let vs not by too great precisenesse mistake the things which indeed are but take this for a great miracle in regard of our manifold sinnes which deserue all bitter vengeance and no good that God yet hath pleased whilst we deuoure one another in this poore small flocke of Gods Church and by our cruelly resoluing to our ciuill destruction do open the breach for the common enemy to enlarge his power and greatnesse by his onely breath to shake him with such infection that his ouerthrow is most facille if we will vse the time pointed vnto vs by his mercifull finger which also may turne vnto vs as heauy a iudgement if we do not with the best councell and most desirous affection of our hearts and soules embrace the beames of his compassion But since Princes hearts are in the hands of God and he turneth them either for their own chastisements or for those of the people to a certaine secret point of direction from the which they cannot diuert as those which are too great iudgements for me to penetrate into I will leaue them
Aduocates should euer be resident there who receiuing those relations presenteth them to the Viseire and hee to the King The Viseire sitteth euery morning in counsell about the generall state of all the Kings Prouinces accompanied with the Kings Councell Aduocates resident and the Secretaries of State there are all matters heard and the opinions of the Councell written by the Secretaries of State then after dinner the Councell or such a part of them as the King will admit present those papers of which the King pricketh those hee will haue proceed the rest are cancelled which being done the Councell retire them againe to the Viseirs and then determine of the particular businesse of the Kings house The King himselfe euery Wednesday sitteth in the Councell publikely accompanied with all those of his Councell and the fore-said Aduocates thither come a floud of all sorts of people rich and poore and of all Nations without distinction and speake freely to the King in their owne cases and deliuer euery one his owne seuerall Bill which the King receiueth pricketh some and reiecteth other to be better informed of The Secretaries of State presently record in the Kings Booke those which he hath pricked with all other acts then by him enacted the which booke is carried by a Gentleman of the Chamber into his Chamber where it euer remaineth and woe bee to his Viseire if after the King hath pricked Bill or Supplication it bee againe brought the second time When he goeth abroad to take the aire or to passe the time in any exercise the poorest creature in the world may giue him his Supplication which hee receiueth readeth and causeth to bee registred and one request or complaint is not ordinarily brought him twise and though these bee great waies wise waies and iust waies to tye vnto him the hearts of any people yet the nature of those is so vile in themselues that they are no more nor longer good then they are by a strong and wisely-tempered hand made so The Countrey not being inhabited by those nobly-disposed Persians of which there are but a few and those few are as they euer were But being mightily wasted by the inundation of Tamberlaine and Ismael afterward making himselfe the head of a Faction against the Ottomans and by that reason forced to re-people his Countrey to giue himselfe strength of men against so potent an Aduersary calling in Tartars Turcomans Courdines and of all scum of Nations which though they now liue in a better countrey yet haue not changed their bad natures though as I said so carefull and true Princely a regard of the King for the establishment of good and iust orders for the gouernement of this Countrey in equity generall security and tranquility had beene of sufficient ability to haue bound the hearts of people vnto him Yet knowing what his were and to leaue no meanes vnacted which might both assure them more and himselfe with them because he knew that their owne dispositions which were euill would neuer rightly iudge of the cause of many rigorous examples that had passed which by that fault in them had ingendred him hatred amongst them to purge their minds from that sickenesse and gaine them the more confidently hee determined to shew that if there were any cruell act brought forth it did not grow from himselfe but from necessity Wherfore hee displaced by little finding particular occasions daily against some or other all the whole Tymarri of his estate as though from them had growne all such disorders as had corrupted the whole gouernment sending new ones and a great part of them Gheylaners to their possessions with more limited authority and more fauourable to the people the old ones part he casherd part he distributed in Gheylan and Mazandran which he had new conquered so that by that Art the people began to rest exceeding well satisfied and himselfe the more secured those which succeeded them being bound to his fortune and those which were remoued also being disposed in the new conquered Prouinces which they were bound to maintaine in security for their owne fortunes which depended onely vpon their preseruing them for the King When all these things were done and the King began to thinke himselfe throughly established for a long time both from intrinsicke and extrinsicke dangers The Turkes forces being so occupied in the warres of Hungary that hee had no leasure to looke to his increasing the Tartarres of Corrasan his friendes by the old hospitality which hee had receiued from their King and if not his friends yet cold enemies such as would bee long resoluing before they would attempt any thing to his preiudice There fell out a new occasion to trouble both the peace of his minde and Countrey if it had not beene preuented with great dexterity celerity and fortune For Ferrat Can not regarding his benefites done to the King knowing too well his owne worthinesse and attributing vnto that the successes of all the kings fortunes and for so great causes not being able to limit his mind within any compasse of satisfaction not resting contented with the place of Generall nor Gouernment of Gheylan nor with the honour to be called the Kings Father but despising that Haldenbeague should bee Viseire and not himselfe all which had giuen the king all began to take counsell to innouate and alter things with the Bassaes of Seruan and Tauris So dangerous are too great benefites from a subiect to a Prince both for themselues and the Prince when they haue their minds only capable of merit and nothing of duty These practises of his were most dangerous for which hee did more assure himselfe to haue layd a strong foundation for the discontentment of those Timari which the King had sent into his Gouernement and so had they beene questionlesse if Oliuer di-Can through his true zeale to his Maisters seruice and perhappes a little enuy at the others greatnesse had not made him so watchfully diligent that hauing gathered his intentions by very momentuall circumstances hee gaue the King from time to time notice of them which at the first were negligently receiued and rather taken as matter of emulation then truth But when those very same aduertisements euer continued and Oliuer di Can was not at all terrified from sending of them neither by the kings neglecting them nor rebuke and that Mahomet Shefia was also secretly arriued in the Court with more particular and certaine aduice that the Bassa of Seruan had sent a great summe of money to Ferrat which was receiued on a certaine day and in a certaine place The king hereupon presently sent Xa-Tamascoolibeague his chiefe fauourite to will Ferrat Can for very important affaires for the determining of which his presence was requisite to repaire to the Court which hee excused through his indisposition which he said to bee such that he could not possibly trauell so that persisting in that deniall when Xa-Tamas Coolibeague perceiued that he would not be
and the sinewes which bind together an estate Your Maiesty hath now a certaine peace with him and that the more certaine through his necessity which assureth you of time to gather treasure and all kind of strength against him if hee should breake the faith of his truce or moue against you hereafter That it is iust honourable and profitable for your Maiesty perhaps I may agree though it bee a question whether it be iust or honourable to breake a peace without a iust occasion giuen But howsoeuer it is more wisedome for your Maiesty to find a better and more fit time which shall furnish you with all necessary prouisions for so great an enterprise And further I say if the Turkes gouernement bee corrupted giue it more time and the sicknesse will encrease Is hee incapable his yeares are too many to make him amend therefore by giuing your selfe time you loose nothing he will be incapable still But Sinan Bassa was a great name So was Mustapha and so was Osman and so hath hee many now so that his state doth neither stand nor decline with his defects as long as hee hath worthy men to maintaine it His Countries are full of rebellion These are Rumours with which wise men are neuer moued since they grow by reportes and diminish by experience And if they bee true let him consume with his owne malady and your Maiesties designes whensoeuer you shall resolue of them will passe with the more facility How dangerous a thing it is to embrace diuers and continuall action your Maiesties greatest wisedome can better tell you then I your Tartars haue but newly felt the offence of your Armes they are farre from being well tasted or at all secured with your Maiesties gouernement Beginne a warre with the Turke in which must bee ingaged the vttermost of your strength what other opinion is to be had of them but that like old enemies and freshly more then euer offended they will rebell and infest you with the greatest resolutions that extreme enemies can And againe Where is your Maiesties treasure where is your munition and where is your Artillery all which must bee had for a warre and though your fortune and the nature of the country which hath no strong places did not require them against the Tartars yet of necessity you must haue them against the Turke who hath a Fortresse in Tauris Tifflis and Vannes strong places and neuer moueth his Armies but full of Artillery which you must also haue if you meane to proceed honourably and with condigne fortune against him Moreouer for you to send and begge an Amity of the Christian Princes what a sit perswasion is it for your Maiesties greatnesse which notwithstanding if you were compelled by necessity somewhat from your selfe yet necessity would make it tollerable But for you to seeke them which haue need of you there is so litle reason that he hath sinned against your power person and state which hath propounded it Your Maiesty may in your too great benignity passe ouer your iust indignation for such acouncell but we know what it meriteth There is behinde you Lar and Ormus the one a kingdome fomentated as a bar between you and the Portugals and the other which is vsurped from a king anciently tributary to your predecessors Whilst your Maiesty maketh your selfe ready for the greater begin with the lesser enterprise Nothing will giue you more honour then that First to vindicate those places in which your religiō is oppressed and by that iustifie the more whatsoeuer you shal enterprize If this Christian can giue you these if he can giue you aboundance of all other wants if he can giue you Hostages from his Kings that they shall not in Hungary alone but in other places also fasten vpon that huge body of the Turke and that they shall neither make peace nor truce with him except your Maiesties consent concurre that nothing may be defectiue in so great an action And that your Maiesty may be secure that the weight of all shal not wholly fall vpon your selfe then your Maiesty shall haue some foundation to deliberate on Otherwise I thinke neither his perswasions to be harkened to nor himselfe to be retained who sheweth by his sudden beginning that no fauour grace nor benefits from your Maiesty can acquiet his mind from stirring you against your owne peace tranquillity and security of your state and person Oliuer di-Can answered that there was difference between a proposition which was only moued to be councelled of and a perswasion That he thought I councelled nothing much lesse perswaded but onely propounded that to the king which if it were not then fit to bee executed for reasons that I knew not in the present condition of the kings affaires yet I deserued not so bitter a censure since Princes ought to heare all and elect the best and for that elections sake to animate all to speake freely And because it hath pleased his Maiesty to giue you and me and all of vs leaue to speake as it is all our duties to say what wee thinke so our places are of such a condition that our powers are nothing in resoluing but onely in discoursing before his Maiesty those things which in the truth of our consciences wee thinke meetest for his seruice And if conuenient and necessary things be propounded by a Christian by a Iew or by the worst man liuing not onely in religion but the very disposition of his life I see no cause why you nor I nor any should reiect that which is good for the illes sake since Princes must and ought make their benefite of all men not regarding what they are but how they may serue them This Christian hath come from farre and through great dangers he faith through his affection growing from the excelling fame of his Maiesty and should not I thinke that his glory is worthy to be carried as farre as tongues of men goe And shall not I thinke also that a Merchant speaking of his vertues is not inabled beyond his spirit raised by such a subiect to shew it like it selfe not like his owne Merchandize And why should I iudge him sent by any when hee hath not assumed to himselfe the honour dignity nor priuiledges of an Embassdour in a strange Countrey where no man would neglect any thing which might aduance his quality or security But hee hath onely put himselfe vpon the Kings fauour and what hee hath proposed hath proceeded rather from a minde to merit by some good act that fauour then a demonstration of other dependance for hauing giuen himselfe to the king to serue him without limitation of time but as long as it shal please his Maiesty to serue himselfe of him hee sheweth plainely that hee hath included his hope of fortune and benefite by this or any other action within the compasse only of his Maiesties gracious benignity And seruing his Maiesty in this or any other imployment which his Maiesty