relieue himselfe came to composition with Orchanes for Othoman was then sicke of his old disease the gout couenanting with him that they might in safetie with life and libertie depart and so much of their goods as they themselues could carie and so yeelded to him the citie Which conditions as most write were on the Turks behalfe well and faithfullie performed yet some there be that report them to haue bene in most part by Orchanes broken Thus was PRUSA one of the greatest cities of that part of ASIA yeelded vnto the Turks in the yeere of our Lord 1327 and was afterwards by Orchanes made the royall seat of the Othoman kings About this time or verie shortly after Othoman in the eight and twentith yeare of his raigne died at the age of 69 in the yeare of our Lord 1328 and lieth buried at PRUSA where his tombe is yet at this day to be seene in a certaine chappell of an old monasterie in the castle standing in the middest of the citie couered with a mantle of greene chamlet a little Tulipant or Turkish hat such as he vsed to weare lying ouer his head far differing from those which the Turks now weare especiallie the better sort of them so great that they can therwith scarsly come in at a doore There is also another monument of him to be seene at SUGUTA fast by the sepulchre of his father Ertogrull there made by his sonnes in remembrance of him whereof some haue reported him to haue bene there buried Howbeit the Turks themselues generally suppose the true monument wherein he is interred to be at PRUSA as is aforesaid He was wise politicke valiant and fortunate but full of dissimulation and ambitious aboue measure not rash in his attempts and yet very resolute what hee tooke in hand hee commonly brought to good effect to all men he was bountifull and liberall but especially to his men of warre and the poore whom he would many times feed and cloath with his owne hands Of a poore lordship he left a great kingdome hauing subdued a great part of the lesser ASIA and is worthily accounted the first founder of the Turks great kingdome and empire Of him the Turkish kings and emperours euer since haue bene called the Othoman kings and emperours as lineally of him descended and the Turks themselues Osmanidae as the people or subiects of Othoman or Osman for so he is of the Turks commonlie called NOte that in the reckoning vp of certaine of the great Christian Princes and Prelates of the same time at the end of euery the Turkish Kings and Emperors liues the first and greatest number following their names sheweth the yeare of our Lord wherein such an Emperour King or Bishop began to raigne or sit and the number following how long he raigned or sat As for example Andronicus the elder began to raigne in the East in the yeare of grace 1282 and raigned 4◠yeares and so of the rest Wherein we seeke not the exact computation vnto a moneth or day as not much materiall to our Historie or any part of our purpose but onely the reasonable view of the great princes of the forepassed times as they liued in ages together Christian princes of the same time with Othoman Emperours Of the East Andronicus Palaeologus the elder 1282.43 Andronicus Palaeologus the younger 1325.29 Of the West Albertus of Austria 1298.10 Henrie of Lucelburg 1308.6 Lewes the fourth of Bauaria 1314.32 Kings Of England Edward the first 1272.34 Edward the second 1307.20 Edward the third 1327.50 Of Fraunce Philip the faire 1286.28 Lewes 1314.2 Philip the long 1316.5 Charles the faire 1321.7 Of Scotland Iohn Baliol. 1292. Robert Bruce 1306.24 Bishops of Rome Boniface the VIII 1295.8 Benedict the XI 1304.2 Clement the V. 1306.11 Iohn the XXII 1317.18 ORCHANES ORCHANES OTHOMANNI FI SECVNDVS TVRCARVM REX FLORVIT ANNO 1328 Suscipit Orchanes defuncti septra parentis Major vt ingento sic magis arte valens Bi thynos Phrygiamque domat Prusamque superbam Et populos latè Marte fauente premit Sic laetus tantis Asiam turbasse ruinis Transit in Europam Callipolimque capit Rident interea Graeci sua damna sed ecce Dum sua contemnunt in sua fata ruunt RICH. KNOLLEVS His father dead Orchanes takes his scepter vp in hand As one of deeper wit and reach his foes for to withstand The Phrigians and Bithynians he by force of armes brought low Proud PRVSA with faire NICOMEDE and many cities moe And glad in ASIA to haue made such hauocke and such spoile His forces into EVROPE sends the Graecians there to foile Who meane while laughing at their losse did make thereof a game Not thinking what a world of woe was to ensue the same THE LIFE OF ORCHANES OR VRCHAN SECOND KING OF THE TVRKES AFTER the death of Othoman his two sonnes Orchanes whom the Turks call Vrchan and Aladin his brother hauing with great solemnitie enterred their father at PRVSA immediatly summoned a Parlament whereunto both the brethren came accompanied with the chiefe of their nobilitie This parlament was called especially for the establishing of the succession in this new kingdome and for the diuision of Othomans treasure and goods betwixt them two his sonnes But vpon view taken there was no money plate or jewels found in the kings coffers for that he had in his life time most bountifully bestowed it vpon his men of warre so that all the wealth hee left vnto them his sonnes was the honourable remembrance of his life for them to immitate large dominions for their possessions store of readie horses and armour fit for seruice with great heards of beasts and cattell for household prouision Whereupon Orchanes demaunded of his brother Aladin what order hee thought was best to be taken with those things by their father so left To whom Aladin answered That it was most requisite first to establish a king in their fathers kingdome which like a good sheepherd might gouerne and defend his subjects rule and maintaine his men of war prouiding all things meet for defence of his kingdome And that vnto him of right belonged all these other things by their father left as the patrimonie of his successour for the common good and maintenance of his estate As for mine owne part said Aladin I claime no interest therein you being my elder brother and so vnto me in steed of a father by whom also you haue been these two yeares as it were alreadie put in possession of the kingdom all things being committed to your gouernment during the time of his late sickenesse This modestie of Aladin was greatly commended of all the antient counsellors by meanes wherof the kingdome in all peaceable maner discended to Orchanes In regard of which courtesie Orchanes would gladly haue made Aladin his brother President of his counsell which honour he would in no wise accept but requested rather that hee would giue him the lordship of FODORE in Tekences countrey
contemne thine enemie be he neuer so weake of which one thing aboue all others I haue repented my selfe of long and shall doe after my death if any feeling of humane thinges remaine in the dead And that I was so foolish and inconsiderat as to foster vp as it were in my bosome this my domesticall and neglected enemie wherby I haue purchased vnto my selfe this calamitie and for euer blemished the honor of the Othoman kings whilest I so basely ending my daies vnder the wals of CROIA shall become a by-word vnto the world and all posteritie for euer This traitour should euen then haue been oppressed when hee by great treacherie first recouered his wicked kingdome in that newnesse of his estate and before the minds of the people were assured vnto him then it had been an easie matter without bloudshed to haue vtterly extinguished the wretch together with his name Ali Bassa whose euill fortune was the first beginning of his good nor the other Generals who by him slaine or taken prisoners increased his strength and credit with his subjects should not haue been sent against him a thing which I haue oftentimes thought vpon but could scarce haue beleeued that euer I should haue thereby receiued such disgrace together with the ignominious renting of my kingdome if I had not been taught the same by mine owne experience to my great losse and hearts greefe We entred into EPIRVS and here encamped an hundred and threescore thousand men strong now if leisure serue you take view of them examine the matter you shall find a great want of that number The fields could not contain our regiments and the multitude of our men but now how many tents stand emptie how many horses want riders You shall go to HADRIANOPLE with our forces much impaired As for me the destinies haue vowed my spirits to this country of EPIRVS as vnto me fatall But wherfore do I impute vnto my selfe these impediments and chances of Fortune for then first began this seed of mischiefe in EPIRVS when the Hungarians with other the Christian princes rose vp in armes against vs at which time we fought not with them for soueraigntie but for the whole state of our kingdome as the bloudie battailes of VARNA and COSSOVA still witnesse vnto the world So whilest I had neither leisure nor sufficient power to take order for all my important affaires at once in the meane time this enemy grew as you see But how or in what order you are hereafter to wage warre against him you may not looke for any direction from me which haue in all these matters so euill directed my selfe Fortune neuer deceiued my endeuors more than in this But happely thou Mahomet my sonne maiest prooue a more fortunat warriour against him and for so many honors alreadie giuen vnto me the destinies haue reserued the triumph of EPIRVS for thee Wherfore my sonne thou shalt receiue from me this scepter and these roial ensigns but aboue all things I leaue vnto thee this enemie charging thee not to leaue my death vnreuenged It is all I charge thee with for so great and stately a patrimonie as thou art to receiue from me it is the only sacrifice that my old departing ghost desireth of thee Shortly after he became speechlesse and striuing with the pangs of death halfe a day he then breathed out his gastly ghost to the great joy and contentment of the poore oppressed Christians He died about the middle of Autumne in the yeare of our Lord 1450 when he had liued 85 yeares as most write and thereof raigned 28 or as some others report 30 about fiue months after the siege laid before CROIA Thus lieth great Amurath erst not inferiour vnto the greatest monarchs of that age dead almost in despaire a worthy mirror of honours frailtie yeelding vnto the worldly man in the end neither comfort nor reliefe Who had fought greater battails who had gained greater victories or obtained more glorious triumphs than had Amurath Who by the spoils of so many mightie kings and princes and by the conquest of so many prowd and warlike nations againe restored and established the Turkes kingdome before by Tamerlan and the Tartars in a manner clean defaced He it was that burst the hart of the prowd Grecians establishing his empire at HADRIANOPLE euen in the center of their bowels from whence haue proceeded so many miseries and calamities into the greatest part of Christendome as no tongue is able to expresse He it was that first brake downe the Hexamile or wal of separation on the strait of CORINTH conquered the greatest part of PELOPONESVS He it was that subdued vnto the Turks so many great countries and prouinces in ASIA that in plaine field and set battaile ouerthrew many puissant kings and princes and brought them vnder his subiection who hauing slaine Vladislaus the king of POLONIA and HVNGARIE and more than once chased out of the field Huniades that famous redoubted warriour had in his prowd and ambitious heart promised vnto himselfe the conquest of a great part of Christendome But O how farre was he now changed from the man he then was how farre did these his last speeches differ from the course of his forepassed life full of such base passionat complaints and lamentations as beseemed not a man of his place and spirit but some vile wretch ouertaken with dispaire and yet afraid to die Where were now those haughtie thoughts those loftie lookes those thundring and commaunding speeches whereat so many great commaunders so many troups and legions so many thousands of armed souldiours were woont to tremble and quake Where is that head before adorned with so manie trophies and triumphs where is that victorious hand that swaied so many scepters where is the majestie of his power and strength that commanded ouer so many nations and kingdoms O how is the case now altred he lieth now dead a gastly filthy stinking carkas a clod of clay vnregarded his hands closed his eyes shut and his feet stretched out which erst prowdly traced the countries by him subdued and conquered And now of such infinit riches such vnmeasurable wealth such hugie treasures such stately honors and vainglorious praises as he in his life time enjoyed his fraile bodie enjoyeth nothing but left all behind it O the weake condition of mans nature O the vaine glorie of mortall creatures O the blind and peruerse thoughts of foolish men Why do we so magnifie our selues why are we so puffed vp with pride why do we so much set our minds vpon riches authoritie and other vanities of this life whereof neuer man had yet one daies assurance and at our most need and when we least thinke quite forsake vs leauing euen them that most sought after them and most abounded in them shrowded oft times in the sheet of dishonor and shame That his death is otherwise by some reported I am not ignorant the Turkes saying that he died miraculously
some notable hospitall for releefe of the poore To whom Selymus replied Wouldst thou Pyrrhus that I should bestow other mens goods wrongfully taken from them vpon workes of charitie and deuotion for mine owne vaine glorie and praise assuredly I will neuer doe it nay rather see they bee againe restored vnto the right owners Which was forthwith done accordingly to the great shame of many Christians who minding nothing lesse than restitution but making ex rapina holocaustum do out of a world of euill gotten goods cull out some small fragments to build some poore hospitall or mend some blind way a poore testimonie of their hote charitie Selymus lying thus sicke to death and rotting aboue the ground in his tent as he was vpon the way going to HADRIANOPLE sent before Pyrrhus and Achmetes two of his greatest Bassaes to prouide for the solemnising of the great feast which the Turkes call Bairam and is as it were their Easter purposing to come after himselfe at leisure as his weake bodie would giue him leaue and kept with him onely Ferhates the third of his greatest Bassaes and priuie counsellours But such was the furie of his foule disease continually attainting him with intollerable paines that shortly after the departure of the other two Bassaes he breathed out his cruell ghost in the moneth of September in the yeare 1520 neere vnto the citie CHIVRLI in the selfe same place where he had sometime most vnnaturally assayled his aged father Baiazet with purpose to haue slaine him had not the fortune of the old emperour in a great battell preuailed both against his force and the treason of his own people Thus intending the mischeefe he could not performe cut off by a loathsome and vntimely death hee to the great joy of all Christendome ended his dayes when hee had liued six and fortie yeares and thereof raigned eight which time of his raigne was nothing els but a most horrible and dreadfull time of bloudshed His dead bodie was afterwards solâ—mnly by his sonne Solyman buried in a new temple at CONSTANTINOPLE which he to the imitation of his father and grandfather had for that purpose before built Vpon his tombe is engrauen in the Greeke Turkish and Sclauonian tongues this short Epitaph Hic maximus adsum Selym qùi orbem domui Non bella relinquo sed pergo inquirere Non vlla me fortuna potuit euertere Licet ossa iacent animus bella quaerit In English thus Lo here I lie great Selymus which held the world in feare The world I leaue but not the wars which I seeke though not here No fortunes force or victors hand could take from me the spoiles And though my bones lie buried here my ghost seekes bloudie broiles He vsed commonly to say That nothing was sweeter than to raigne without feare or suspition of his kindred A little before his death he commended his sonne Solyman to Pyrrhus Bassa straightly charging him that after his death he should leaue the Persian and turne his forces altogither vpon the Christians And the more to incense him to the effusion of bloud he left him the liuely counterfeit of himselfe hanging at his bed side with sundrie bloudie precepts breathing forth his cruell and vnmercifull disposition Tabulae Epigraphe Soldanus Selymus Othomannus Rex Regum Dominus omnium Dominorum Princeps omnium Principum filius Nepos Dei S. S. S. Ad dextram versus Graeca lingua ad scripti in hunc sensum Tutus vt imperij princeps sibi sceptra capessat Anxia ne dubio corda pauore premat Ne putet esse nefas cognatum haurire cruorem Et nece fraterna constabilire domum Iura fides pietas regni dum nemo supersit Aemulus haâ—d turbent relligione animum Haec ratio est quae sola queat regale tueri Nomen expertem te sinit esse metus Ad Sinistram lingua Sclauonica Te semel aduersus peccantem mitis haberi Ne studeas poena vindice tutus eris Protinus ense rescindendum putrescere si quid Incipiet clemens rex male sceptra gerit Ad veniam facilis peccanti porigit ansam Quase sustentans ad noua damna ruat Ad Calcem tabulae lingua Turcica Qui non ipse sua princeps hastilia dextra Agmen in aduersum marte fauente iacet Sed refugit saeuis caput obiectare periclis Dum grauia impauido praelia corde subit Iste sciat vanis belli sese artibus vti Et votis nunquam fata fauere suis. Nulla sibi speret suscepti commoda belli Hostiles acies quisquiâ— adire timet The Inscription of the Table Sultan Selymus Othoman King of Kings Lord of all Lords Prince of all Princes the sonne and nephew of God On the right hand of the Table were written Greeke verses to this sence The prince that safely seekes to raigne and hold his state in quiet rest Must neuer suffer troubled care to harbour in his princely brest Nor thinke it sinne to spill the bloud of his most neere and dearest kin Not of his brother so thereby assured safetie he may win Law faith deuotion and such like to breake them all he must not spare Nor conscience make of any thing to rid him from aspiring care This is the way and onely meane that may protect a princes state And set him safe without all feare whilest none may liue whom he doth hate On the left hand of the Table was written in the Sclauonian tongue Of him that seekes to worke thy woe deserue not to be counted kind But take him for thy mortall foe and plague him with reuenging mind The rotten lym is cut away for feare of doing further harme The gentle prince doth beare small sway if no abuse can make him warme Forbearance makes men more offend and to presume of further grace It doth but strength to rebels lend to thrust their soueraigne out of place At the lower end of the same â—able was written in Turkish verse What prince in person dareth not in open field to meet his foe And there with vnappauled heart his deadly darts himselfe to throw But hides his head for feare of harme and shuns the danger of the field When martiall minds with courage bold withstand their foes with speare and shield Let him well know how that in vaine he beareth armes but for a show And that the honour of the field will neuer such a coward know Ne let him hope to gaine the spoyle by any warres he takes in hand That feareth with courageous mind his enemies forces to withstand FINIS Christian princes of the same time with Selymus the first Emperors of Germanie Maximilian the first 1494. 25. Charles the fift 1509. 39. Kings Of England Henrie the eight 1509. 38. Of Fraunce Lewis the twelfth 1497. 17. Francis the first 1514. 32. Of Scotland Iames the fourth 1489. 25. Iames the fifth 1513. 32. Bishops of Rome Iulius the II. 1503. 9. Leo the X. 1513.
be decided and determined by discreet and indifferent men on both parts and the authors of such discord and variance to be punished as suspected persons and breakers of the league We also prohibit those skirmishes or combats which were wont to be sometimes on both sides made vpon the borders And desire that the forme of this league and peace and euerie article thereof may be publikely read and set vp in sundrie places of your dominions and commaundement giuen that they may with due obedience and reuerence be obserued and kept Which we likewise haue now before promised faithfully and assuredly to performe and your embassadour whom a few moneths agone you sent vnto vs in your name requested the same thing of vs and hath with earnest praiers moued vs by imperiall oath and these letters of credence to witnesse that we did ratifie and confirme the same as if we our selues should speake to you in presence Wherefore we haue giuen to him these our letters of pacification to you directed that your generals souldiors and subiects may be bound also to obserue and keepe all these things wherefore so long as nothing contrarie to this league shall be done on your part so long in like manner all these articles of peace shall be of me accepted and assured For witnesse and confirmation whereof I sweare this oath By the true and liuing creator of heauen and earth by the true signes of our great and reuerend prophet by my imperiall power and by my true faith that nothing contrarie or repugning vnto the aforesaid articles conditions and promises of the eight years league agreed vpon betwixt vs shall be attempted or done by any our Gouernours Generals Vayuods c. Commaunding moreouer all our sworne gouernours of our most mightie empire in WALACHIA and MOLDDAVIA and king Stephen himselfe and others which haue the gouernment of our empire confining vpon you That they all and euerie of them as well as our selues shall iustly faithfully and religiously accept reuerence and keepe these conditions of peace towards your subiects cities castles townes and other things appertaining to you and in the least thing not to hurt iniurie or wrong any your subiects In briefe we shall as farre as our part concerneth vs giue vnto this most mightie and great new made loue and friendship so great honour reuerence and authoritie that that which may euen in the least things be had shall not on our part be wanting In token whereof we haue suffered certaine Christian captiues whom by your embassadour you requested to haue set at libertie franckly to returne vnto you without raunsome out of which captiuitie they could neuer haue been redeemed if in regard of this our amitie and friendship we had not granted them libertie trusting that you will in like sort set at libertie such of ours as you haue captiues Giuen at our imperiall pallace and seat in the most mightie citie of CONSTANTINOPLE the first day of September in the yeare of our great and reuerend prophet 969. The same embassadour after he had deliuered these letters presented vnto the emperour the gifts he had brought from his Great master which was two great cups of naturall christall curiously wrought and set with stones of great price a couragious Turkie horse with a saddle and trappings wrought with gold and set with pretious stones and garnished with chaines of pure gold and foure of the fairest camels that were to be got in all CONSTANTINOPLE In deliuering of which presents the Bassa made his excuse that the horse and camels had lost their beautie being with foure moneths trauell from CONSTANTINOPLE growne somewhat leane and wearie This peace thus concluded betwixt the emperour Ferdinand and Solyman held firme vntill the death of Ferdinand who about two yeares after in the yeare 1564 vpon S. Iames his day died being sixtie yeares old whereof hee raigned as emperour not full seauen yeares In whose place succeeded Maximilian his sonne before chosen king of the Romans But immediatly after the death of Ferdinand the captaines on the frontiers of that part of HVNGARIE which was holden for the emperour on the one side and the Turkes captaines with the Vayuod of TRANSILVANIA on the other side wearie of their ease began contrarie to the forme of the league to surprise strong holds and townes one in another confines wherof ensued much trouble The authour whereof was Melchior Balas the emperours lieutenant in that part of HVNGARIE which bordereth vpon TRANSILVANIA who first surprised certaine townes vpon the frontiers thereabouts in reuenge whereof the Vayuod suddenly set vpon SACâ—MAN a town in the emperours territorie which he tooke and therein Balas his wife and children In despight whereof Balas ransacked and burnt DEBREZIN a great towne of the Vayuods But not long after the Vayuod Solymans vassall and aided by him with foure thousand Turkes and three thousand Moldauians did much harme vpon the frontiers of that part of HVNGARIE which belonged to the emperour and first tooke HADAD and afterwards besieged VNGAR In requitall whereof Maximilian the emperour sent Lazarus Suendi a valiant captaine who with an armie of eight thousand besieged the strong castle of TOKAY which he tooke the fift of Februarie in the yeare 1565 and after that tooke the rich towne of ERDEN In the meane time Solyman who had in himselfe fully purposed to be reuenged of all these injuries as well appeared by that he did the yeare following to stay the emperour from proceeding farther vntill such time as he were at better leisure to be reuenged for as then he was making great preparation for MALTA sent Marcus Lilinesius a renegat Transiluanian of CIBINIVM his embassadour to Maximilian to put him in remembrance of the league made with his father and to wish him to haue regard how he further proceeded to the breach thereof Whereupon the emperour because he would not seeme vnwillng to hearken to peace commaunded his lieutenants and captaines no more to inuade TRANSILVANIA or that part of HVNGARIE which the Turkes held Howbeit that whilest this embassadour was thus intreating of peace at VIENNA the Bassa of TEMESVVAR in the borders of TRANSILVANIA made diuers incursions into the borders of HVNGARIE and with six thousand souldiors besieged the strong castle of IVLA and the Turkes in great number came daily into TRANSILVANIA At which time also Suendi Generall of Maximilian his forces vpon the frontiers by messengers sent for that purpose wished him not to giue any credit vnto the Turks embassadour who meaning nothing but warre vnder the colour of peace sought nothing else but to take him vpon the sudden vnprouided Neither ceased these troubles thus but daily grew from euill to worse for in Iune the Transiluanians besieged ERDEN before taken by the imperials and after two moneths siege had it yeelded vnto them In the meane time Chernouich the emperours embassadour to Solyman returned from CONSTANTINOPLE assuring him that the great
so put in execution what he thought best for the honour of himselfe and the generall quiet of the kingdome Who joyeth now but Aidere in conceit a king replenished with vnwonted joyes receiuing honour from all men sauing from his best friends By meanes wherof perceiuing now the prohibition of them and moued also with the great stirre of Zalchan his greatest fauourit who discouering the deceit and crying vpon king Aider threatened the ladie the Sultans and the rest that waited vpon the faigned succession indeed ordained but for the scorne and despight of the ambitious man strucken with an exceeding feare and full of sorrow he withdrew himselfe closely amongst certaine women of the Court hoping so to find some way to escape with life In the meane time so greatly encreased the cries and threatenings of the friends and fauourits of Aidere who now had all of them prepared themselues for some dangerous and pernitious attempt that the counsellors with consent of the ladie his sister were enforced to take order That to bereaue this tumultuous seditious people of all their hope and courage Aidere should be depriued of his life Whereupon Sahamal the Georgian vncle to Aidere by the mothers side by the appointment of the ladie Periaconcona and the Sultans after long search made for him at last found him hidden amongst the women and without further delay taking him by the lockes strucke his head from his shoulders and in the place where Zalchan and the rest of his vnâ—ortunat fauourites stood crying and threatening amongst the thickest prease of the proud conspiratours flung the head all bloudie and as it were yet breathing for heat crying aloud vnto them Behold there your king enioy him at your pleasure At which sudden and horrible spectacle euery man burned in rage and anger neither for the present wanted there many a rash head that vainely threatened most cruell reuenge But in the end when they perceiued the neere succession of Ismahel ineuitable and the death of Aidere irreuocable euery man betooke himselfe to his owne priuat affaires and so at last deuided themselues one from another and so departing from the pallace scattered themselues some one way some another euery man as hee thought best for his owne safetie Shortly after Ismahel the desired king arriued at CASBIN where he was of his sister and the Sultans joyfully receiued as their lawfull and vndoubted soueraigne and with the great acclamation of the people saluted king who as soone as he saw himselfe possessed of the royall seat and his power now answerable to his desires he after the manner of the Turkish pollicie most vnnaturally caused the heads of his eight yonger brethren to be strucken off and withall vsed such further diligence that not onely all those which were neere vnto them in bloud or affinitie were bereaued of their liues but also all the fauourits of his late slaine brother Aidere were destroied in that publicke slaughter so that all the streets of CASBIN were defiled with bloud and all the citie resounded with mourning and complaints Which vnexpected crueltie altogether vnworthie so worthie a thought king so altered the minds of his subjects in generall that all their former hopes were now conuerted into new feares and their joy into mourning But much greater and farre more lamentable did the miseries grow as soone as it was giuen out That hee would change the religion of the Persians who with great deuotion honor their foolish Prophet Aly into the superstition of the Turks who with no lesse impietie obserue and maintaine the wicked rites of Ebubekir Haumer Osman and others by them supposed to be the most true successours of their great Prophet Mahomet For by meanes of this vncouth noueltie and vnexpected change and by force of an edict concerning that matter published by this new king many of his prophane priests many of the gouernours of his friendly and subject cities too much deuored to their former superstition were driuen some into exile some clapt into prison some had their eyes pluckt out among whom was the Caliph of CASBIN and not a few others in sundrie sorts depriued of their liues Yea many ladies joyned in bloud with Ismahel himselfe and diuers others of his kinsfolks to whom neither sex nor age nor innocencie could be a sufficient defence endured sundrie torments and strange calamities so that in PERSIA was neuer felt greater troubles or a more dangerous change In this so great an innouation and among these tumults there went abroad withall a generall rumour not in the cities of PERSIA onely but in the regions of the Turks also euen as farre as CONSTANTINOPLE That Ismahel with a puissant army of such as fauored this new proclaimed vanitie was determined in person himselfe to go to BABYLON now called BAGDAT there to receiue the crowne of the empire at the hands of him that he should find to be the successour of their great Caliph and in the chiefest place among their vncleane priests as had sometime Solyman the great emperour of the Turkes and the Persian kings of auntient times In this world of troubles when as the feare of farther miseries increased rather than any hope of auntient quietnesse he was when he least feared by the helpe of the aforenamed ladie Periaconcona suddenly bereft of his life but whether ouertaken in some of his owne amorous practises or poisoned by his said sister or that she as some probably affirme hauing secretly conspired with Calil Chan Emir Chan Pyry Mahamet Curchiâ— Bassi being all at that time men of great account and as it were presidents of the kingdome who disguised in womens apparell and brought in by her strangled him at such time as he had priuatly withdrawne himselfe amongst his parmours is vncertaine Howsoeuer it was sufficeth it that he by the helpe of the said ladie Periaconcona was by vnnaturall death taken out of this world the foure and twentith day of Nouember in the yeare of grace 1577 to the exceeding joy of all those nations who by his death thought themselues now freed of many great and dangerous troubles when he had raigned one yeare seauen moneths and six daies Ismahel thus taken out of the way the ladie began forthwith to persuade with the great Sultans the ministers of Ismahels death that as they had for the generall good of PERSIA contriued the death of the late king so now that they would take vpon them the protection of that great kingdome with the preseruation of the majestie and libertie thereof vntill such time as it were knowne who should worthily succeed in that crowne which now remained in their hands There was at that time many of the greatest princes and Gouernors of that kingdome assembled at CASBIN there gaping after such mutations of those troublesome times as might best serue their priuat dessignes Emir Chan burning in ambitious desires was in hope by means of a match to be made with a sister of Periaconcona
few which were yet left aliue with him Howbeit the Vayuod mindfull of the manifold injuries by them done vnto him and his subjects and nothing mitigated or moued with the rich spoiles thrust vpon him or the large promises the Turkes had made him commaunded all those his enemies now in his power to be slaine euerie mothers sonne of whom his souldiors had a wonderfull rich spoile although much more was lost in the fire and so giuing thankes vnto God for the victorie rested with his people a while at quiet Yet within lesse than a moneth after he sent Albertus Kirall his lieutenant with an armie to PHLOCZ a great open vnwalled towne on the farther side of Danubius equally distant from VROSCZVK and NICOPOLIS from whence the Turkes oftentimes passing ouer that frozen riuer into VALACHIA had there done great harme which towne not inferiour vnto a good citie he suddenly surprised and sacking it put to the sword all the inhabitants thereof except such as were before his comming sled And shortly after the more to annoy the Turkes marching againe ouer the frozen riuer to haue surprised HERSOVVA a walled citie but one daies journey from BRAILOVA he was by the way vpon the I se encountred by the Turks whom he there in a great conflict ouerthrew and hauing slaine many of them and put the rest to flight holding on his intended journey tooke that rich citie which he rifled and burnt downe to the ground all except the castle which was yet by the Turkes valiantly defended and so with the spoile of the citie returned againe ouer the riuer there to refresh his souldiors wearied with labour and the extremitie of the Winter weather And yet not so contented within six daies after passing againe ouer the riuer and hauing vpon the side thereof in a great battell ouerthrowne the Turkes garrisons tooke SILISTRA a great citie of MACEDONIA built by Constantine the Great being the seat of one of the Turkes Sanzacks and well inhabited with rich merchants which faire citie he ransacked and hauing slaine most part of the inhabitants burnt it downe to the ground as he had the other no lesse terror than griefe vnto the Turkes But whilest the aforesaid confederation betwixt the emperour and the Transyluanian Prince was yet in hand and the troubles in VALACHIA thus arising Amurath the great Sultan grieuously vexed with the stoan and attainted with the falling sicknesse his wonted disease and inwardly also tormented with the late insolencie of the Ianizaries and reuolt of the countries of TRANSYLVANIA VALACHIA and MOLDAVIA no small hinderance to the proceeding of his warres in HVNGARIE as a man both in bodie and soule tormented with great impatiencie and agonie of mind departed this life the eighteenth day of Ianuarie in the yeare of our Lord 1595 when he had liued one and fiftie or as some say two and fiftie yeares and thereof raigned nineteene At the time of his death arise such a sudden and terrible tempest at CONSTANTINOPLE that many thought the world should euen presently haue been dissolued His dead bodie was not long after with great pompe and solemnitie buried by Mahomet his eldest sonne which now raigneth in a Moschie which hee himselfe yet liuing had before built at CONSTANTINOPLE FINIS Christian princes of the same time with Amurath the third Emperors of Germanie Maximilian the second 1565.12 Rodolph the second 1577. Kings Of England Queene Elizabeth 1558.45 Of Fraunce Charles the ninth 1560.14 Henry the third 1574.14 Henry the fourth which now raigneth 1589. Of Scotland Iames the sixt that now raigneth 1567. Bishops of Rome Gregorie the XIII 1572.12 Xistus the V. 1585.5 Vrban the VII 1590.12 dayes Gregorie the XIIII 1590.10 months 10 dayes Innocent the IX 1543.2 months and one day Clement the VIII 1592. MAHOMET MAHOMETHES III TVRCARVM IMPERATOR SEPTIMVS QVI NVNC REGNAT AN o 1603 Si quid in humanis magnum te reddere possit Quid prohibet magnis nomen inesse tuum Qui subiecta vides tot dissona regna tot vrbes Et nulli cedens sceptra superba geris Cum tamen ignores quid sit sapientia Christi Omnia quae iactas sunt Mahomete nihil RICH. KNOLLEVS In English thus If ought there be might make thee great that on the earth is found What then should let thy name amongst the greatest for to sound That sees thy kingdomes and thy townes so many and so great And giuing place thy selfe to none doest sit on royall seat Yet sith thou knowest not aright for grace by Christ to call All that thou boasts O Mahomet is nothing worth at all R. K. MAHOMET THE THIRD OF THAT NAME SEVENTH EMPEROR OF THE TVRKS HE THAT NOW SWAYETH THAT MIGHTIE EMPIRE THe death of the late great Sultan Amurath was not forthwith made knowne in the Court but with wonderfull secrecie concealed not onely for feare of the Ianizaries who in time of the vacancie of the empire alwayes doe whatsoeuer pleaseth themselues but also for that the people hauing in distrust the fierce nature of Mahomet Amurath his eldest sonne were generally better affected to Amurath the younger brother a prince of a more mild spirit and courteous disposition vnto whom they in heart wished those stately honours which could by no meanes without the great wrong and prejudice of his elder brother and danger of the whole state be giuen vnto him Ten dayes after came Mahomet in post from AMASIA to CONSTANTINOPLE and was there by the great Bassaes and other his mightie fauourits saluted Emperour which done he presently after caused all his brethren to be inuited to a solemne feast in the Court wherunto they yet ignorant of the death of their father came chearefully as men fearing no harme but being come were there all by his commandement most miserably strangled and at once to rid himselfe of the feare of all competitours the greatest torment of the mightie he the same day as is reported caused ten of his fathers wiues and concubines such as by whom any issue was to be feared to be all drowned in the sea The Ianizaries and other souldiours of the Court not before acquainted with the death of Amurath either with the choice that the great Bassaes had without their priuitie made of Mahomet and not a little offended to see themselues so disappointed of such spoyles as they reckon due vnto them in the vacancie of the empire as men discontented rise vp in a rage and made such hauocke and spoyle in the imperiall citie as greater they could not well haue made had there beene as yet no emperour chosen at all and not so contented were now euen vpon the point to haue rifled their new emperours Court and to haue laied violent hands vpon the person of himselfe in reuenge of the tyrannie by him executed vpon his brethren and fathers wiues which inhumane crueltie the Turkish emperours easily excuse by the name of The policie of their
were then fighting against them were glad to raise their siege in vaine begun and so to retire Whilst things thus passed in SYRIA Fulke countie of TVRIN MAYN and ANIOV a man almost of threescore yeeres hauing as he thought best disposed of his things at home had for deuotion sake taken vpon him an expedition into the Holy land In the time of which his preparations embassadours came vnto him from king Baldwin offring him in marriage Melisenda or as some call her Margaret his eldest daughter with the succession into the kingdome of IERVSALEM in dowrie if he should suruiue the king and in the meane time to content himselfe with the cities of TYRE and PTOLEMAIS of which offer he accepted and so held on his journey before intended It fortuned about three yeeres after that the king fell dangerously sicke and feeling his death drawing on hauing laid aside all regall dignitie caused himselfe to be remooued out of his owne palace into the Patriarchs house which was neerer vnto the temple of the Sepulchre and there calling vnto him Fulke the countie his sonne in law with his daughter and his sonne Baldwin then but two yeeres old in the presence of the Patriarch and diuers other princes great commanders commended vnto them the gouernment and defence of the kingdome appointing Fulke to succeed him And taking vnto himselfe the habit and profession of a munke if he should haue longer liued presently after gaue vp the ghost the two and twentith day of August in the yeere 1131 whereof he raigned with much trouble thirteene yeeres and was solemnly buried in the temple vpon mount CALVARIE with the other two kings Godfrey and Baldwin his predecessors The kings funerall ended the princes of the kingdome with one accord made choise of Fulke the old countie earle of ANIOV for their king who the sixteenth day of September was with all solemnitie by William the Patriarch crowned in IERVSALEM This man in the beginning of his raigne besides his troubles abroad was also vext with domesticall and intestine discord Pontius countie of TRIPOLIS seeking by force of armes to haue rent the dukedome of ANTIOCH from the kingdome and Hugh countie of IOPPA for feare of due punishment for his treason joyning himselfe with the Sarasins of ASCALON and so with them infesting the territories of IERVSALEM to the great hurt of the Christian state and aduantage of the infidels Which troublesome broiles were yet afterwards by the king partly by force partly by the mediation of the Patriarch other princes who seeing the danger like thereof to ensue had enterposed themselues well againe appeased Vengeance yet neuerthelesse still following both the aforesaid traitours Pontius being shortly after slaine by the Turks and Hugh dying in exile Besides these domesticall troubles the Turks also inuaded the countrey abouâ— ANTIOCH where they were by the sudden comming of the king ouerthrown with the losse of their tents and exceeding great riches And that nothing might be wanting vnto the disquieting of the state of that new erected kingdome not long after Iohn the Constantinopolitan emperour together with the empire inheritour also of his fathers malice against the proceeding of the Christians in SYRIA with a puissant armie passing through the lesser ASIA and by the way taking by force TARSVS the metropoliticall citie of CILICIA with the whole prouince thereunto belonging came and besieged ANTIOCH which Fulke but a little before had together with Constance the daughter and heire of the late duke of ANTIOCH giuen in marriage to Raymund countie of POITV for that purpose sent for out of FRANCE But in this so dangerous a state of that Christian kingdome the other zealous Christian princes interposed themselues as mediatours betwixt the emperour pretending the same to belong vnto his empire and Raymund that was in possession thereof And in fine brought it to this end That Raymund for the present submitting himselfe vnto the emperour should from thencefoorth hold his dukedome of him as of his lord and soueraigne vpon which agreement the emperour returned vnto TARSVS where he wintred and so afterwards vnto CONSTANTINOPLE Much about the same time Saguin one of the Turks great princes inuading the countrey about TRIPOLIS besieged the castell of MONTE-FERRAND vnto the reliefe whereof Fulke comming with his armie was by the Turks ouerthrown and for the safegard of his life glad to take the refuge of the castell the countie himselfe being in that battell taken prisoner After which victorie the Turks laid harder siege vnto the castell than before the besieged in the meane time being no lesse pinched within with famine than pressed without by the enemie In this the kings hard distresse the other princes hauing raised the whole power of the kingdome were comming to his reliefe whereof the Turke vnderstanding offred of himselfe to giue them all leaue freely to depart and to set the countie at libertie so that they would deliuer vnto him the castle of which his offer they gladly accepting yeelded vp the strong hold and so departed The king by the way meeting with the armie thanked his friends for their forwardnesse and so returned to IERVSALEM About foure yeeres after Iohn the Constantinopolitan emperour with a great armie came againe into SYRIA with purpose to haue vnited the famous citie of ANTIOCH vnto his empire and so to haue made a way into the kingdome of IERVSALEM whereafter hee had now a good while longed But comming thither in hope to haue found the Cilicians and Syrians readie to haue receiued him he was deceiued of his expectation being shut out by the Latins and not suffred to enter but vpon his oath and that with some few of his followers and so after due reuerence done vnto him quietly to depart without any stir or innouation in the city In reuenge of which disgrace at his departure he gaue the suburbs of the city as a prey vnto his greedie souldiers pretending the same to be done for want of victuals who made hauocke of whatsoeuer came to hand not sparing the verie fruit trees but cutting them downe to dresse their meat withall Hauing thus vnder colour of necessitie reuenged the disgrace receiued he returned into CILICIA and there wintred where one day for his disport hunting of the wild boare and hauing wounded him with his boare speare the wild beast therewith inraged and with all his force bearing forward vpon the weapon forced the emperours hand backward vpon the point of a poysoned arrow that was hanging in a quiuer at his backe and so was therewith lightly wounded Neuerthelesse as light as the wound was such was the strength of the poyson that the griefe thereof still increasing and his hand and arme more and more swelling there was no remedie to be found but that his arme must be cut off which desperat and vncertaine cure he abhorring and in the extremitie of his paine oftentimes pleasantly saying That the Greeke empire was not to be
them with all the princes there present to compassion From thence they were by the Pope directed vnto Philip the French king with whom hauing dispatched their affaires they from him passed ouer into ENGLAND afterward into GERMANIE and had at length broght their negotiation to so good passe that in euerie place great preparation was made for a great expedition to be vndertaken against the Turks for the reliefe of the Christians in the East with which good newes the embassadours returning to HIERUSALEM filled the sicke king with the hope of great matters But greater quarrels shortly after arising betwixt the Pope and the emperour and sharpe war likewise betwixt the French king and the king of ENGLAND and the other Christian princes also being at no better quiet the notable expedition that had with the expectation thereof so filled the world was againe laid aside and quite dashed Whereof king Baldwin vnderstanding both by messengers and letters from his friends oppressed with griefe and heauinesse more than with the force of his disease a man for his prowesse and painefulnesse not inferiour to any his predecessours died without issue the 16 day of May in the yeare 1185 being but fiue and twentie yeares old whereof he had raigned twelue His bodie was afterward with the generall mourning of his subjects solemnly buried in the temple neere vnto the mount CALVARIE together with his predecessours the kings of HIERUSALEM King Baldwin thus buried Baldwin the fift of that name yet but a boy was crowned king But then began the sparks which had of long lien raked vp hidden in the ashes to break out into a great fire For Raymund countie of TRIPOLIS contended the whole gouernment of the kingdome tuition of the king to be due vnto him by the appointment of the late king consent of the nobilitie and did so much that he had almost obtained it to haue beene confirmed vnto him in open parlament But Sybilla a woman of a most haughty spirit sister vnto the late king mother vnto the yoong king yet liuing prickt forward her husband Guy in no case to giue place vnto his competitour Raymund and so animated him that by the helpe of his owne fauourits and the countenance of Boniface marquesse of MOVNT-FERRAT who euen then was come with a great power into SIRIA he extorted from the nobilitie whatsoeuer hee desired But seuen moneths were scarce well passed but that this yoong king Baldwin was dead and buried poysoned as was reported by his mother for the desire shee had of the kingdome herselfe whose death she with all secrecie concealed vntill she had obtained of the Patriarch and other princes of the kingdome That Guy her husband might be proclaimed king So by her meanes it was so wrought that vpon one and the selfe same day the yoong king Baldwin was buried by his vncle and Guy the countie crowned This yoong king Baldwin by reason of his tender yeares and short raigne is of some not reckoned amongst the kings of HIERUSALEM howbeit seeing he was by his vncle and the princes of that time thought woorthy of the kingdome let him also haue his place amongst the rest as the eight king of HIERUSALEM When Guy was thus possessed of the kingdome the countie of TRIPOLIS seeing himselfe out of all hope of the gouernment and highly therewith discontented did what he might by all meanes to crosse the doings of the king whose sicke and aspiring mind Saladin prickt dayly more and more forward promising him his helping hand whensoeuer hee should need which courtesie the countie desirously imbraced For now the fatall period of the kingdome of HIERUSALEM drew fast on and all things tended to destruction discord raigning in euerie place which Saladin well perceiuing after that he had compacted with the countie by messengers sent of purpose inuited the Turks Sarasins Aegyptians as men agreeing in one and the same religion generally to take vp armes in so fit an oportunitie of the discord of the Christians assuring them of great prey and spoile besides the honour of the conquest The citie of PTOLEMAIS was the place by him appointed where all this power should meet whether such a multitude of the barbarous Mahometanes partly for the hatred of the Christian religion partly for the hope of the rich spoile which Saladin had promised them came flocking out of all places that in short time there was met together about fiftie thousand horsemen besides an infinit number of foot And vnto such as could not safely passe by the borders of HIERUSALEM to them the false countie gaue safe conduct by the countries of TIBERIAS NAZARETH and GALILEY All the power of the infidels thus assembled Saladin laid siege vnto the citie of PTOLEMAIS which the Templars and the knights Hospitalers had notably fortefied and strongly manned as before vnto them giuen by the kings of HIERUSALEM to defend against the infidels and therein now were both the masters of both those honourable orders with the whole flower of the knights of their profession Vnto this citie Saladin gaue a most terrible assault vpon May day in the morning in the yeare 1187 which was by the Christians notably defended and the enemie with great slaughter still beaten downe In the heat of this assault the two great masters sallying out with certaine troupes of their most readie horsemen assailed the enemies campe and bearing down all before them raised there a great tumult and by and by turning vpon the backs of them that were assaulting the citie made there an exceeding great slaughter Insomuch that Saladin dismaied first with the confusion in his campe and now with the suddain danger behind him was glad to giue ouer the assault and to turne his whole forces vpon them where was fought a most bloodie and terrible battell Amongst others that there fought the countie of TRIPOLIS now an enemie vnto God and his country disguised in the habit of a Turke notably helped the infidels and meeting with the great master of the knights Hospitalers vnhorsed him who surcharged with the waight of his armour and oppressed with the multitude of his enemies there died Neuerthelesse such was the valour of these woorthie men and new succour still comming out of the citie that Saladin hauing in that battell and at the assault lost fifteene thousand of his Turks was glad with the rest to betake himselfe to flight Neither was this so notable a victorie gained by the Christians without blood most part of the worthie knights Hospitalers being together with their grand master there slaine Saladin by this ouerthrow perceiuing that by open force he should not be able to doe much against the Christians thought it good vnto his forces to joyne also pollicie Wherein the false countie of TRIPOLIS was the man he thought best to make choice of as his fittest instrument to worke by Him hee compacted withall to seeke for grace at the king of HIERUSALEM his
priests in their ecclesiastike attire and ornaments to march foorth in the armie with an ensigne hauing in it displaied the picture of the Virgin Marie So couragiously marching forward hee first charged that quarter of the campe where Baldwin the countie of FLANDERS lay where at the first was fought a right fierce and doubtfull battell But afterward the alarum running throughout all the campe of the Latines and new supplies comming in on euery side the Greekes were put to the worse and enforced againe to retire into the citie hauing lost a great number of men together with their superstitious ensigne It was a woonderfull thing to see with what rare agreement the Latines being of diuers nations continued this expedition vndertaken against the Greekes Seuentie two daies was the citie of CONSTANTINOPLE straightly besieged by the Latines both by sea and land without giuing any time of rest or repose day or night vnto the besieged fresh men comming still on to the assault as the other fell off and in such sort troubled the Greekes in the citie that they knew not well what to doe or which way to turne themselues The Venetians vnto whom was committed the charge to assault that side of the citie which was toward the hauen vpon two great gallies made fast together built a strong tower of wood higher than the wals and rampiers of the town out of which they both with shot and fire-workes much troubled the defendants wherewith they in the time of the assault approching the wall by their fine deuises fired that side of the citie by the rage whereof a great number of houses were burnt with many other stately buildings and antient monuments of that famous citie and had at that present gained a great tower neere vnto the port destitute of defendors had not the tyrant himselfe in good time come with new supplies to the rescue thereof In like manner the French with the rest assailed the other side of the citie by land where they were to fight not against the defendants onely but against deepe ditches high and strong wals and bulwarkes also neuerthelesse such was the valour and furie of the Latines with the desire of victorie as that they were not with any difficulties to be dismaied but pressing still on by a thousand dangers at length after a most sharpe assault they gained one of the greatest bastillions on that side of the citie called the Angels tower and so by plaine force opened a way both for themselues and the rest into the citie Whereof Alexius vnderstanding and strucke with present despaire both of his state and life the night now comming on fled with Euphrosina the emperour Alexius his wife and Eudocia her daughter whome hee had married when he had raigned about a moneth and 16 daies The tyrant author of all this mischiefe and of the calamities ensuing thus fled and the Latines furiously entring the priests and religious men in their surplices and other ecclesiastique ornaments with their crosses and banners as in solemne procession met the Latines and falling downe at the souldiors feet with flouds of teares abundantly running downe their heauie countenances besought them but especially the captaines and commanders to remember the condition of worldly things and contenting themselues with the victorie the glorie the honour the empire the immortalitie of their name to abstaine from slaughter from burning from spoiling and ransacking of so beautifull a citie And that seeing they were themselues men they would also haue pitie of men and being themselues captaines and souldiours they should also haue compassion vpon captaines and souldiours who although they were not so valiant and fortunate as they were yet neuerthelesse were both captaines and souldiors And that they would keepe and preserue their citie whereof if they ruinated it not they might haue much more pleasure and commoditie than if they should destroy the same which as it had been the principall seat of the Greeke empire so might it now bee of the Latines That seeing they had thereof had a carefull regard as then belonging to another man they ought now vpon better reason to haue more care thereof being their owne That the authors of all these troubles and mischiefes Alexius the elder and Murzufle had alreadie receiued a reward answerable to their follies in that they were driuen into exile That they would haue pitie and compassion of an innocent and vnfortunat multitude of poore people oppressed and grieuously tormented with the often tyrannies of their murderous lords and gouernours That in so doing God the Lord of hoasts the giuer and guider of battels the God of mercie would therefore reward them To conclude they humbly besought them to pardon their citizens to put on the hearts of gracious and mercifull lords and fathers not of enemies and rough masters of forgiuers not of reuengers and to vnderstand by their teares their miserable estate and woes passed With this so humble a submission and complaint of the religious some of the better sort were happely mooued but with the common soldiors breathing nothing but victorie with their weapons in their hands and the spoile of an empire in their power what auailed prayers or teares euery man fell to the spoile and in so great choice and libertie of all things fitted his owne disordered appetite without respect of the wrong or injurie done to others onely from the effusion of innocent bloud they abstained they whose liues they sought after being alreadie fled together with the tyrant Other injuries and outrages so great as that greater could none be were in euery place so rife that euery street euery lane euery corner of the citie was filled with mourning and heauinesse There might a man haue seene noblemen earst of great honor and reuerend for their hoarie haires with other citizens of great wealth thrust out of all they had walking vp and downe the citie weeping and wringing their hands as men forlorne not knowing where to shroud their heads Neither staied the greedie rage of the insolent souldiors within the wals of mens priuat houses but brake out into the stately pallaces temples and churches of the Greekes also where all was good prize and nothing dedicated to the seruice of God left vnpolluted and defaced no place vnsought no corner vnrifled right lamentable and almost incredible it were to report all the miseries of that time Some of the Greeke Historiographers men of great marke and place and themselues eye witnesses and partakers of those euils haue by their writings complained to all posteritie of the insolencie of the Latines at the winning of the citie to their eternall dishonour but that disordered souldiours in all ages in the libertie of their insolent victorie haue done such outrages as honest minds abhorre to thinke vpon Thus Constantinople the most famous citie of the East the seat and glorie of the Greeke empire by the miserable ambition and dissention of the Greekes for soueraigntie fell into the
or goe into any street but hee must passe ouer the dead or others which being not yet altogether dead were miserably drawing toward their end Of seuentie thousand persons in the citie were not found aboue three thousand aliue and those for the most part yet young children for all the rest were dead taken away either with the sword famine or the plague the greatest part whereof lay yet stinking aboue the ground vnburied These three thousand that were left were so maigre and poore that pitie it was to behold them vnto whom their liues were graunted vpon condition that they should make cleane the citie and burie the dead which they were three moneths in doing Thus was DAMIATA taken by the Christians the fift day of Nouember in the yeare 1221 after it had ben more than a yeare by them besieged The spoile there taken was great for besides the rich marchandise brought thither from farre was found great store of gold siluer and precious stones The Christians thus enriched and the citie made clean staied there more than a yeare after as in a Colonie wherein they had been willing to dwell forgetfull of their owne countrey In the beginning of these warres the princes of the armie had with one consent agreed That whatsoeuer citie or territorie should by them be taken from the Turkes or Infidels should be giuen vnto the king of HIERUSALEM whom after the departure of the king of HUNGARIE they had made generall of the whole armie But now that the citie was taken Pelagius the legat pretending That by the vertue of his legation it belonged vnto him to dispose of all things taken in that sacred warre as a man not vnmindfull of his master adjudged the citie from thenceforth to belong vnto the See of ROME With which indignitie wrong the king inwardly discontented and yet for the authoritie of the Legate dissembling the matter withdrew himselfe and so retired to PTOLEMAIS The yeare following Pelagius wearie to see the armes of the Christians to corrupt with rust and nothing doing considering the desire and hope he had vtterly to haue ruinated the infidels together with their superstition commaunded That euery man should againe take vp armes for the prosecuting of this warre against the Sultan and the besieging of CAIRE But for all that when he had commanded what he would or could the soldiors little regarding his command with one voice cried out That they would not be commanded by any but by the king of HIERUSALEM onely So that the Legate enforced by the souldiors was glad to send vnto the king to request him to returne againe vnto DAMIATA and to take vpon him the charge for the managing of that warre taken in hand for the defence of the Christian religion who for all that excused himselfe from so doing one while by his owne particular affaires another while by his owne indisposition yet in fine pressed and ouercome with the praiers and requests of the other Latine princes he returned to DAMIATA at the selfe same time that the duke of BAVARIA arriued there with a goodly companie of braue men brought thither out of his owne countrey after he had been now from thence ten moneths absent The Legate desirous of the prosecution of this warre requested and vrged the king with the rest of the princes and great commanders without delay to take the field telling them That the enterprise of the Holy warre was growne old and cold by those long delaies and protracting of the time and that they which kept wars so far from home ought to make hast to force the enemie to take all occasions to lose no time but euer to be doing and to prooue all things for the annoying of the enemie and that that was the way whereby the woorthies of antient times both kings and emperours had gained vnto themselues empires glorie greatnesse and wealth That it was for them that were inuaded and assailed vpon whose liues depended the safetie of their countrey their wiues their children and goods to delay and prolong the time as they might to delude the enemie to frustat his designs to defeat his attempts and with delaies to dally him off vntill that hauing thereby weakned his forces he should together with his courage loose also his hope CAIRE he said to be indeed a great citie but yet that the greatest cities that euer were had by warres become great desarts forced by the power of their puissant and speedie enemies And that great empires as were those of the Sultans ought not to be inuaded or assailed by any forraine force if they were not at the first onset ouerthrown or at leastwise so weakned as that they could not afterwards lift vp their heads or recouer themselues for otherwise that they which had prepared a distruction for others should fall into the same themselues That it behooued either not to haue attempted or assailed AEGYPT at all or else now after it had beene once assailed not so to giue it ouer before it were conquered The king of HIERUSALEM whether it were that he were pricked with the griefe That being called the king of the Holyland he could not haue the citie of DAMIATA vnder his leading and conduct woon by the Christians come to the sacred war giuen vnto him by the Legate or that he had before prooued that the higher countrey of AEGYâ—T was not without great and manifest danger to be attempted said That that he would not in any case go alleaging that honorable and sacred war to haue ben taken in hand onely for the recouerie of the Holy land and not for the winning of MEMPHIS BABYLON or THEBES in AEGYPT which after they were taken would not for any long time continue in their fidelitie or alleageance and could not possibly be kept by force Whereas SYRIA by Godfrey of BUILLON and the other great princes his associats entred into conquered and possessed and since his time by diuers other Christian kings and princes holden was in right their owne And that therefore he greatly commended the forwardnesse the dilligence the courage the desire and whatsoeuer thing else Pelagius commended but that hee ought to employ the same in SYRIA and not there where no need was or from whence no profit was to be drawne or expected Neuerthelesse the Legat wedded to his owne opinion by the power of his authoritie commanded the king of HIERUSALEM the duke of BAVARIA with the rest of the great commanders and captaines to take vp their armes and to get them into the field vpon the expedition by him appointed against the Sultan threatning the paine of the high sentence of excommunication against him or them that should â—hew themselues backward or vnwilling to doe what he had commaunded So as it were enforced by the Legat they began with euill will and woorse speed to set forward in August in the verie hottest time of the yeare At which time the Sultan beholding the great armie of the
matter with the common people as if hee wearie of the world had voluntarily taken vpon him that silly profession Neuerthelesse within foure daies after Synadenus vnderstanding them in euery place to whisper among themselues and secretly to mutter against the hard dealing with the old emperour who had long raigned ouer them and so by right was againe to doe if his nephew should chance to die and that the ecclesiasticall lawes enforced no man against his will to enter into religious orders he therewith enraged sent vnto him certaine of his owne confederacie to exact of him an oath in writing That he should neuer more after that time seeke after the empire or yet accept of the same if it were offred him neither to substitute any other which if he should refuse to do to put him in feare of his life And the more to terrifie him set a guard of insolent barbarous souldiors ouer him for feare of whom he yeelded to doe whatsoeuer they required and so his oath being solemnely conceiued into writing another man leading his hand because he was blind he signed the same with a red crosse aboue and a blacke crosse beneath after the manner of the religious Hauing thus liued in darkenesse disgraced shut vp in his chamber as a man forsaken of the world with an vnsure guard euer to attend him by the space of two yeares it fortuned that the twelft of Februarie towards night a day in the Greeke Church dedicated to the vigil of S. Anthonie whose name they had giuen him certaine of his friends that were suffered to haue accesse vnto him going as their manner was once in three or foure daies to visit him amongst whom was his daughter sometime the prince of SERVIA his wife but as then a widdow and Nicephorus Gregoras author of this Historie he entred with them as with his friends into a familiar discourse of many matters wherin he so deceiued the time that it was past midnight before they perceiued how the time passed But the cockes crowing he brake off the talke and bidding them farewell gaue them leaue to depart pleasantly saying That to morrow they would make an end of their discourse who all thereupon tooke their leaue and departed no signe of any sicknesse as then appearing vpon him And after they were gone called for meat and did eat the meat he eat was certaine shell-fish for it was with them a fasting day and he had not eaten any thing after which when as hee should haue drunke a cup of wine for the comforting of his old stomack and disgesting of that so hard meat he drunke cold water as his manner was when he felt any inward heat to drinke the same immoderatly which hurtfull manner of diet he then vsing also began by and by to feele a great paine in his stomacke and so presently after became very sicke falling withall into a great loosenesse of bodie so that in the space of one quarter of an houre he was glad oftentimes to arise and to go vnto an homely house of office in an inner chamber thereby to discharge natures burden where after many euacuations sitting downe vpon an homely bed fast by and not able to recouer his owne bed hauing as then none to helpe him there before it was day died after he had raigned 43 yeares His death was by many strange signes and accidents as it were foretold first a great eclipse of the Sunne appeared just so many daies before his death as hee had liued yeares and after that another eclipse of the Moone and with it an earthquake the day before he died at night being S. Anthonie his euen whose name his enemies had thrust vpon him at which time also the sea with a great tempest rising aboue the wonted bounds made diuers breaches in the wals of the citie towards the sea as if it had been some violent enemie and ouerflowed also diuers houses in the citie Manie crosses and pinacles were then also from the tops of churches and other high buildings ouerthrowne and with them a great pillar sometime one of the ornaments of the citie standing before the church commonly called The Church of the fortie martyrs which being verie high and below burnt and worne away with time had put manie in feare as they passed by it least it should haue fallen vpon them insomuch that the Emperour vpon a time passing that way was requested by some of the nobilitie there present to ride farther off from it for feare of falling vpon him who smiling at their vaine feare by chance answered O would to God I might liue so long as this piller will stand which now falling out according to his speech gaue many of them that had heard him so say occasion to maruell His dead bodie was honorablie buried in the monasterie of LIBE which his mother Theodora the empresse had not long before new built and his obsequies there after the maner of that time yeerely solemnlie kept by the space of nine daies Thus at length hauing passed through the troubled state of the Greeke empire during the long raigne of the old emperour Andronicus the considerat Reader may easily see the causes of the declining and ruine also of this famous empire and how that the Greeke emperours troubled with their tempestuous affaires neerer home in EUROPE yea in the verie imperiall citie it selfe and in their owne pallaces were not at leasure to looke ouer the strait into ASIA but glad to leaue their territories there vnto the weake defence of themselues At which time and euen in the middest of the aforesaid troubles Othoman on the one side with great industrie laid the foundation of his empire in PHRIGIA and BYTHINIA now the greatest terrour of the world and then did those things which we now haue of him written The other princes of the Turkes also the successours of Sultan Aladin at the same time on the other side alongst the riuer MEANDER encroching on as fast vntill that at last amongst them they had thrust the Greeke emperours quite out of ASIA and in fine became themselues together with the Greeke empire a prey vnto the Othoman kings as in the processe of this historie shall more at large appeare But againe to returne vnto Othoman himselfe who all this while that old Andronicus the Greeke emperour was thus troubled had with his sonne Orchanes sought by all meanes on euerie side to inlarge his kingdome the garrisons by him left in the two late built castles neere vnto the great citie of PRUSA vnder the charge of the two valiant captains Actemur Balebanzuck as is before declared hauing now continued there certaine yeares had by shutting vp the passages and spoiling of the countrie brought the citie into such distresse and penurie that many of the cittizens and other the poore Christians fled into the citie there died of famine The rest now out of all hope to be relieued by the Greeke emperour not then able to
in time to haue sought for peace vpon any condition or els to haue yeelded vp the citie rather than to haue run that extreame course of wilfull miserie Hee to excuse the matter said That the late emperor his master was encouraged to hold out the siege by the Venetians and citizens of PERA from whom he receiued secret aid as also by some of the greatest men about his own person for proofe whereof hee drew out of his bosome the letters which Caly-Bassa had to that purpose written vnto the emperour and deliuered them to Mahomet hoping thereby to haue found some fauour But when he had said what he could the eldest of his sonnes then liuing for he had lost two elder in the time of the siege was cruelly executed before his face and the youngest reserued for the tyrants lust and after all this miserie had his owne head strucke off with the rest appointed for that daies sacrifice Out of this generall calamitie escaped Io. Iustinianus the Generall who with all speed fled at first to PERA and from thence to CHIOS where in few daies after he died of greefe of mind as was thought rather than of his wound being happie if he had honourably before ended his dayes vpon the wals of CONSTANTINOPLE Isodorus also the Cardinall and Legate from the Pope disguised in simple apparrell and being of the Turkes vnknowne redeemed himselfe for a small ransome as if he had been a man of no account and so escaped whom if Mahomet had knowne he had vndoubtedly beene made shorter by the head The glorie of this famous citie of CONSTANTINOPLE continued many hundred yeares commaunding a great part of the world vntill that by ciuile discord and priuat gaine it was by little and little so weakened that the emperors of later times for the maintenance of their estate were glad to relie sometime vpon one and sometime vpon another yet still holding the title and state of an empire by the space of 1121 yeares when as God his judgement set apart wonderfull and shamefull it is to consider how it was by this Turkish king Mahomet so quickely taken and the Christian empire of the East there vtterly ouerthrowne which happened in the nine and twentieth day of May in the yeare of our Lord 1453. Constantinus Palaeologus the sonne of Helena and last Christian emperor being then slaine when he had raigned about eight years Since which time it hath continued the imperiall seat of the Turkish emperours and so remaineth at this day The potestats and cittizens of PERA otherwise called GALATA a cittie standing opposit against CONSTANTINOPLE on the other side of the hauen and then vnder the gouernment of the Genowayes doubting to run the same course of miserie with their neighbors sent their Orators vnto Mahomet the same day that CONSTANTINOPLE was taken offering to him the keyes of their gates and so to become his subjects Of which their offer Mahomet accepted and sent Zoganus with his regiment to take possession of the citie Who comming thither according to Mahomet his commandement there established the Turkish gouernment confiscated the goods of all such as were fled and vsed the rest of the citizens which stayed with such insolencie and oppression as that their miserie was not much lesse than theirs of CONSTANTINOPLE And because it was doubted that the Genowayes might by sea giue aid vnto the cittizens if they should at any time seeke to reuolt he caused all the wals and fortresses of the citie which were toward the land to bee cast downe and laied euen with the ground Thus is the fatall period of the Greeke empire run and Mahomet in one day become lord of the two famous citties of CONSTANTINOPLE and PERA the one taken by force the other by composition At which time the miserie of PERA was great but that of CONSTANTINOPLE justly to bee accounted amongst the greatest calamities that euer happened to any Christian citie in the world Mahomet had of long time borne a secret grudge against Caly-Bassa sometime his tutor for that by his meanes Amurath his father in the dangerous time of the Hungarian warres had againe resumed vnto himselfe the gouernment of the Turkish kingdome which hee had before resigned vnto him then but young But for as much as hee was the cheefe Bassa and had for many yeares ruled all things at his pleasure to the generall good liking of the people during the raigne of old Amurath and was thereby growne to bee of such wealth credit and authoritie as no man had at any time obtained greater vnder any of the Othoman kings Mahomet in the beginning of his raigne before hee was well established in his kingdome durst not to take reuenge of that injurie as hee deemed it but yet still kept it in remembrance warily dissembling his deepe conceiued hatred as if he had quite forgot it Neuerthelesse sometime for all his warinesse words fell from him whereby the warie courtiers which as curiously weigh their princes words as the cunning goldsmith dooth his finest gold easily perceiued the secret grudge that stucke in his stomacke against the Bassa and thereby deuined his fall to be at hand So it happened one day that as Mahomet was walking in the court he saw a fox of the Bassaes tied in a chaine which after hee had a while earnestly looked vpon hee suddainely brake into this speech Alas poore beast hast thou no money to giue thy master to set thee at libertie out of which words curious heads gathered much matter concerning the kings disposition towards the Bassa This ominous surmising of the courtiers which oftentimes proueth too true was not vnknown vnto the Bassa himselfe but troubled him much wherefore to get himselfe out of the way for a season more than for any deuotion he tooke vpon him to goe in pilgrimage to visite the temple of the great prophet as they tearme him at MECHA which amongst the Turkes is holden for a right religious and meritorious worke hoping that the young kings displeasure might in time be mittigated and his mallice assuaged But Mahomet perceiuing the distrust of the Bassa and whereof it proceeded seemed to take knowledge thereof and with good words comforted him vp willing him to be of good cheere and not to misdoubt any thing neither to regard the vaine speech of foolish people assuring him of his vndoubted fauour and the more to put him out of all suspition continually sent him rich gifts and heaped vpon him new honors as if of all others he had esteemed him most Vntill that now at the taking of CONSTANTINOPLE it was discouered by Lucas Leontares that he had intelligence with the late emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE and his letters produced For which cause or as the common report went for the old grudge that the tyrant bare against him as also for his great wealth he was by Mahomets commandement apprehended and carried in bonds to HADRIANOPLE where after he had with exquisite torments been
of that citie Whilest he lay in EVBoeA he was persuaded that the citie of PATRAS in PELOPONESVS would be deliuered vnto him by the Christians that dwelt therein if hee did but shew himselfe before it Whereupon he departed from EVBoeA and comming into the gulfe of PATRAS landed 4000 footmen vnder the leading of Barbaricus and 200 horsemen of whom one Nicholaus Ragius was captaine Barbaricus marching toward PATRAS was come within a mile of the cittie when manie of the horsemen and of the vnruly mariners disorderly scattering abroad neglected the intended seruice and sought after pillage all about the countrey The Turkes garrisons taking this opportunitie set vpon them with their horsemen and so easily ouerthrew them being scattered and out of order At the first encounter Barbaricus himselfe was slaine Ragius captaine of the horsemen was taken aliue empailed vpon a sharpe stake Of all them that were landed scarce a thousand were left who saued their liues by flying vnto the gallies With this ouerthrow Victor the Venetian Admirall was greatly discomfited yet hauing conceiued some hope of better successe in few daies after attempted againe to haue taken PATRAS but with like hap as before For hauing lost a thousand of his men about the citie and the rest glad to take their refuge to the fleet he was constrained with great dishonour to depart thence And so full of sorrow and heauinesse returning into EVBoeA oppressed with melancholy there suddenly died The Venetians deceiued of the great hope they had conceiued of the generall preparation made against the Turkes and much troubled with the hard proceeding of their warres against so mightie an enemie by their embassadours solicited Mathias not long before chosen king of HVNGARIE to joyne in league with them and to take vp armes against the common enemie offering presently to furnish him with a great summe of money beside a large yearely pention for the maintenance of those warres for which he should to his power by land defend all their territorie betwixt the Rhetian Alpes and the Adriatique against the inuasion of the Turke This Mathias surnamed Coruinus was the yonger sonne of the most famous captaine Io. Haniades whose elder brother Vladislaus a gentleman of such courage as might well shâ—w whosâ— sonne he was being not able to disgest the injuries and disgraces done vnto him and his brother by Vlricus countie of CILIA and vnckle vnto Ladislaus the yong king of BOHEMIA and HVNGARIE for the despite he alwaies bare vnto their father Huniades slew the same Vlricus at ALBA REGALIS euen in the kings court Which outrage the yong king was glad for the present to winke at and also to grant him pardon as hauing taken away the man whose immoderat power well stood not with the kings safetie but in deed fearing the citizens of ALBA the men of war who exceedingly fauoured the sonnes of Huniades for their fathers sake For all that Ladislaus returning into BOHEMA caused both the sons of Huniades vpon the sudden to be apprehended and most cruelly executed Vladislaus being then about six and twentie yeares old Mathias the yonger brother was kept in prison expecting nothing else but to be partaker of his brothers hard fortune as vndoubtedly he had had not Ladislaus the yong king vpon the sudden as hee was vpon the top of his marriage with Magdalaine the French kings daughter by vntimely death beene taken away After whose death the Hungarians for the loue they bare vnto the remembrance of Huniades by a militarie election chose this Mathias his youngest sonne theâ— in prison at PRAGE to be their king Wherof Pogebrache who after the death of Ladislaus of an old gouernour had made himselfe the young king of BOHEMIA hauing speedie intelligence as he was sitting at supper sent for Mathias his prisoner and when he was come commaunded him to sit downe at the vpper end of the table whereat the young gentleman being then but about eighteene yeares of age and sore abashed began to craue pardon But when the king would needs haue it so and that he was set the king to quiet his troubled thoughts willed him to be of good cheere for that he had good newes to tell him Good newes said he if it would please your majestie to grant me libertie Yea that said the king and more to and then saluting him by the name of the king of HVNGARIE brake vnto him the whole matter how that he was by the generall consent of the Hungarians chosen their king And so in few daies after married vnto him his daughter which done he furnished him with all things fit for his estate and royally accompanied him into HVNGARIE where he was with great joy and triumph receiued of the Hungarians ouer whom he afterwards gloriously raigned for the space of eight and thirtie yeares In which time he notably enlarged the kingdome of HVNGARIE and became a farre greater terrour vnto the Turkes than euer was his father Huniades And therewithall which is not to be accounted in the least part of his praises was alwaies a great fauourer and furtherer of good letters and ingenious deuises But to returne againe to our purpose Mathias hauing well considered of that the Venetians had requested answered them that they had many times before in like case refused to giue aid vnto the Hungarian kings his predecessours yea and that more was thought it a thing not reasonable that anie such thing should be requested at their hands forasmuch as they then receiued no harme from the Turke but were in league and amitie with him so that the Hungarian kings wanting their helpe had manie times receiued greater losse from the Turke than otherwise they should haue done if they had beene by them aided Yet for all that he was content to forget all such vnkindnesse and to grant them what they had requested promising the next Spring to inuade the Turkes dominion and according to their request to take into his protection all their territorie betwixt the Rhetian Alpes and the Adriatique which thing hee most honourably performed For with the first of the Spring he passed ouer Danubius at BELGRADE with a puissant armie and rased the forts which the Turkes had built thereabouts and so entring into SERVIA laid all the countrey waste before him and afterwards laden with spoile returned home carrying away with him twentie thousand captiues Neither so rested but with great good fortune maintained great warres against Mahomet during all the time of his raigne and afterwards against Baiazet his sonne also wherein he most commonly returned with victorie so that it is of him as truely as briefly written That no Christian king or chieftaine did more often or with greater fortune fight against the Turkish nation or had of them greater victories Mahomet deliuered of the great feare he had before conceiued of the generall preparation of the Christian princes against him determined now to worke his will vpon such as were neerest vnto
entertainement there in the time of the ciuile wars betwixt Caesar and Pompeius This citie Mahomet thought to haue taken vnprouided and so vpon the suddaine to haue carried it but was therein much deceiued finding it strongly fortified and manned both by the Venetians and Scanderbeg Where when he had there spent some time and to his great losse in vaine attempted the cittie hee rise vpon the suddaine and retiring into EPIRVS came and sat downe againe before CROIA of purpose by his suddaine comming to haue terrified the cittizens and vainely persuaded that he had left Scanderbeg in DIRRACHIVM for that in the assailing thereof he had discouered many of Scanderbeg his men and thereby supposed him to haue beene there also the greatest cause why he so suddenly rise and came to CROIA At his first comming he offered great rewards and large priuiledges vnto the cittizens if they would forthwith yeeld vp their citie otherwise he threatened vnto them all the calamities of warre vowing neuer to depart thence before he had it whereunto he receiued no other answere out of the cittie than was sent him by the mouth of the Cannon or brought him by many most braue sallies Scanderbeg in the meane while continually molesting his campe and euery night falling into one quarter or another thereof Mahomet taught by experience to what small purpose it would bee for him to lie there long rise with his armie marched againe to the sea side to a place now called the head of REDON vpon the gulfe of VENICE not farre from DIRRACHIVM where Scanderbeg had begun to build a new cittie called CHIVRILL not yet finished which Mahomet in despight of the man rased downe to the ground After that hearing that many of the Epirots were retired into the mountaines hee went to seeke them out and was with greâ—â— losse by those mountaine people repulsed Scanderbeg still following him at the heeles and awaiting all oportunities daily cut off part of his armie So that at last the tyrant despairing of any good to bee done in that expedition was glad to depart out of EPIRVS hauing atcheeued nothing worth his comming and so full of discontentment and melancholie returned to CONSTANTINOPLE After all these great troubles Scanderbeg rid ouer most part of EPIRVS to view the state of his kingdome and so at last came to LYSSA a citie of the Venetians which he had alwaies specially liked there to conferre with the Venetian legate and other the confederate princes of matters concerning their state in generall as his manner was but more particularly how they might take the citie of VALMES which Mahomet had the last yeare built in the siegnorie of Aryannites Comynat and much troubled that part of EPIRVS But whilest he lay there he fell sicke of a feauer which daily so encreased vpon him that he became sicke euen vnto death and now perceiuing his end to draw nigh sent for his wife and sonne with the princes and lords his confederates and the embassadours of the Venetians into his bed chamber Where after he had at large with greater paine notably discoursed of his troublesome life led amongst them than he had before passed the same and carefully forewarned them of the dangers like to ensue he earnestly exhorted them to continue in vnitie and concord and valiantly to stand in defence of their religion countrey and libertie And afterwards turning his speech to his wife and his sonne commended them both with his kingdome to the tuition of the Venetians who by the articles of the confederation betwixt him and them were in honour bound to protect his sonne and kingdome during the time of his minoritie and afterwards peaceably to place him in the same In fine he willed his wife after his death to passe ouer with her sonne into APVLIA where they might in safetie and quiet liue vpon such possessions as he there held by the gift of king Ferdinand And so after he had with most feruent prayer commended his soule into the hands of Almightie God departed in peace the seuenteenth day of Ianuarie in the yeare of our Lord 1466 when hee had liued about 63 yeares and thereof raigned about 24. His death was worthely lamented of all Christian princes but especially of the Venetians and princes of ALBANIA who had now lost their most carefull watchman and inuincible champion the sorrow of his subjects is not to bee expressed euery man bewayling him as the onely stay of the commonweale and as if with him they had lost all their hope His deadâ—bodie was with the generall lamentation of all men royally buried in the cathedrall church of S. Nicholas at LYSSA where it rested in peace vntill that about nine yeares after the Turkes comming to the siege of SCODRA by the way tooke the citie of LYSSA and there with great deuotion digged vp his bones reckoning it in some part of their happinesse if they might but see or touch the same and such as could get any part thereof were it neuer so little caused the same to be set some in siluer some in gold to hang about their neckes or weare vpon their bodies persuading themselues by the wearing thereof to be partakers of such good fortune and hap as had Scanderbeg himselfe whilest he liued which is not vnaptly by Gabriell Fairnus of CREMONA thus in verse expressed SCANDERBEG In English thus The bloudie bane of faithlesse Turkes and terrour of their name EPIRVS strong defence and guard lay buried there with fame Within that tombe wherein long since Great Castriotus lay But now those limbs and tombe defac'd are carried quite away The remnants of that worthy wight out of his graue were torne And being dead could find no rest but were for jewels worne For after he farre spent with age gaue place to fatall doome And left his fathers kingdome got and kept with great renowme Forthwith the cruell Turkes preuaild and all things there possest Who worshipping his stately tombe and place of quiet rest Dig'd vp his bones and brake the tombe wherein he did remaine And glad was he that could thereof some little part obtaine As if in them some martiall force or vertue great had beene Or fortune rare such as before in him was liuing seene So vertue which to others giues a sepulture and graue Bereft it him yet forst his foe in honour it to haue Most part of the time of these warres betwixt Mahomet and Scanderbeg the Venetians by sea and the Hungarians by land kept the Turkes throughly busied Mathias Coruinus king of HVNGARIE according to his promise made vnto the Venetians entred into the kingdome of BOSNA where by force he ouerthrew the strong forts which the Turks had built for the defence of their frontiers and manfully draue them out before him vntill he came to IAZIGA of some called IAITZE the chiefe citie of BOSNA which he at length tooke and following the course of his victorie scarcely suffered the
difficultie of the siege and now readie to goe in person himselfe against the Sultan of AEGIPT sent for the Bassa and that so the siege was raised Howsoeuer it was the Bassa before his departure caused all the vines and trees growing in that part of the island to be cut downe and spoiled and so after he had poured forth his furie vpon the sencelesse creatures which he could not according to his desire exercise vpon the people againe embarked his armie and with shame departed the 17 day of August At the same time that the RHODES was thus besieged Mahomet sent his old and most expert captain Achmetes Bassa with a great fleet and a strong armie to make an entrance into ITALIE for no kingdom was so strong which the ambitious tyrant in the pride of his heart thought not hee might now commaund and hauing long before conquered CONSTANTINOPLE otherwise called New ROME was still dreaming I wot not what of the conquest of old ROME also The mischeeuous Bassa according to his great masters designs embarked his armie at VALLONA otherwise called AVLONA a sea towne in the borders of MACEDONIA and from thence passing directly ouer that narrow sea which is in breadth about sixtie miles landed his men in that rich and fertile part of ITALIE called in antient time APVLIA now PVGLIA neer vnto the old and famous citie of HYDRVNTVM at this day called OTRANTO where as soone as this warlike Bassa had landed his forces he forraged all that rich country alongst the sea coast and tooke such infinit spoile as might well haue satisfied the greedie desire both of himselfe and of his hungrie soldiors all which rich bootie he caused to be conueyed vnto his gallies So when he had at his pleasure raunged vp and downe the countrey by the space of foureteene dayes and saw that none made head against him he laid siege to OTRANTO the cheefe citie of that countrey and as it were the key of that part of ITALIE and hauing with such ordinance as he tooke out of his gallies made a breach easily entred the same and so without any great losse tooke the citie A thing not greatly to be maruelled at for as much as it was but weakly manned and more weakely defended by men altogether liuing in securitie in the middest of their wealth and pleasure The Archbishop with Zurlo the Gouernour and the cheefe men of the citie for safegard of their liues fled into the great cathedrall church as into a sanctuarie where they were altogether most miserably slaine The rest of the citizens whose hard fortune it was to escape the sword as people reserued to more miserie were afterward shipped ouer into GRECIA and there sold for slaues The landing of the Turkes in APVLIA with the taking of OTRANTO brought a generall feare vpon all ITALIE insomuch that Sixtus Quartus then the great Bishop of ROME forgetting all things saue himselfe was about to haue forsaken the citie for feare Now after the Turkes had at their pleasure ransackt OTRANTO Achmetes caused the same to be strongly fortified as the sure footing of the Turkes in ITALIE and victualled for eighteene moneths and there leauing eight thousand of his best souldiors in garrison returned himselfe with the rest to VALLONA and so by land to CONSTANTINOPLE to know his great Masters further pleasure but purposing with himselfe with the first of the next Spring to haue returned with greater forces againe into ITALIE for the prosecuting of his former victorie Which if he had done it was greatly to haue been feared that all that goodly countrey sometime mistresse of the world but then and yet also rent in sunder by the discord and ambition of the Christian princes had in short time become a prey vnto the barbarous Turke for euer But whilest the great Bassa in his life time the great scourge of Christendome thus proudly plotteth the ruine and destruction of faire ITALIE God in whose hands the hearts of kings are put an hooke in the great tyrants nose and led him quite another way For at the same time the Caramanian king aided by the Persian and the Sultan of AEGIPT had in a great battaile ouerthrowne Baiazet Mahomets eldest sonne then liuing and slaine most part of his armie in reuenge whereof Mahomet with great expedition raised a great and puissant armie and taking Achmetes with him as his cheefe man of war rejecting the wars of ITALIE vnto a more conuenient time passed ouer into ASIA where vpon the way about a daies journey short of NICOMEDIA a citie of BYTHINIA at a place called GEIVISEN he fell sicke and there for the space of three dayes greeuously tormented with an extreame paine in his bellie which some supposed to be the collicke died but being indeed as most men thought poysoned when hee had liued about 52 yeares and thereof raigned 31 in the yeare of our Lord 1481. His bodie was afterwards magnificently buried in a chappell neere vnto the great Mahometane temple which he himselfe first built at CONSTANTINOPLE The death of this mightie man who liuing troubled a great part of the world was not much more lamented by those that were neerest vnto him who euer liuing in feare of his crueltie hated him deadly than of his enemies who euer in doubt of his greatnesse were glad to heare of his end He was of stature but low and nothing answerable to the height of his mind square set and strong limmed not inferiour in strength when he was yong vnto any in his fathers court but to Scanderbeg onely his complexion was Tartarlike sallow and melancholie as were most of his ancestours the Othoman kings his looke and countenance sterne with his eyes piercing hollow and little sunke as it were in his head and his nose so high and crooked that it almost touched his vpper lip To be breefe his countenance was altogether such as if nature had with most cunning hand therein depainted and most curiously set forth to view the inward disposition and qualities of his mind which were on both parts notable Hee was of a very sharpe and apprehensiue wit learned as amongst that nation especially in Astronomie and could speak the Greek Latine Arabicke Chaldey and Persian tongues He delighted much in reading of histories and the liues of worthie men especially the liues of Alexander the Great and of Iulius Caesar whom he proposed to himselfe as examples to follow He was of an exceeding courage and thereto very fortunate a seuere punisher of injustice in them especially to whom hee had committed the administration of justice Men that excelled in any qualitie he greatly fauoured and honourably entertained as he did Gentill Bellin a painter of VENICE whom he purposely caused to come from thence to CONSTANTINOPLE to draw the liuely counterfeit of himselfe for which he most bountifully rewarded him He so seuerely punished theft as that in his time all the wayes were safe and a theefe scarcely
foule and vnworthie death of their late Sultan notwithstanding that the Ianizaries reproued them therefore and threatened them with death who like giddie brained fooles as they tearmed them enured to the slauerie of the Mamalukes joyfully and thankefully accepted not of their deliuerance for the Aegyptians were as yet vncertaine of their estate and therefore as men in suspence not without cause stood in doubt what should become of themselues fearing least the Turkes a warlike nation and a terrour to all the princes of EVROPE and ASIA nothing more courteous than the Mamalukes should with no lesse insolencie rage and tyrannize ouer them vnder their warlike and cruell emperour Besides that the wofull sight of Tomombeius hanging in the gate as the vnworthie scorne of fortune wonderfully wounded their hearts for why it was yet fresh in their remembrance that he with the good liking of all men and generall fauour of the nobilitie with good fame rise by all the degrees of honour both in field and court vnto the height of regall dignitie and therefore greeued the more to see him by ineuitable destinie cast downe headlong so shamefully to end his life and empire together A notable spectacle vndoubtedly amongst the rarest examples of worldly fragilitie both to the happie and vnfortunat the one not to be too proud or too much to flatter themselues in their greatest blisse and the other to learne thereby with patience to endure the heauie and vnworthie changes and chances of this wretched and miserable world And so much the more did Tomombeius so hanging moue men to compassion for that the majestie of his tall and strong bodie and reuerend countenance with his long and hoarie beard well agreed with his imperiall dignitie and martiall disposition The same fortune with Tomombeius ran also diuers of the princes of the Mamalukes with some others of the common sort also Tomombeius thus taken out of the way and all the Mamalukes almost slaine and no power of the enemie to be heard of in all AEGIPT to renew the warre Selymus deuiding his forces sent them forth with his captaines to take in the countries and prouinces of AEGIPT lying further off They of ALEXANDRIA after the battell of CAIRE hauing thrust out the garrison and easily surprised the castle of PHARVS which the weake defendants chose rather vpon hope of present reward to deliuer than with doubtfull euent to defend yeelded themselues many dayes before vnto the Turkes DAMIATA also called in auntient time PELVSIVM opened their gates and submitted themselues to the victors There was no citie betwixt the riuer of Nilus and the borders of IVDEA and ARABIA which yeelded not to the obedience of Selymus The kings also of AFRICKE bordering vpon CYRENAICA tributaries or confederats of the Aegyptian Sultans sent their embassadours with presents to Selymus There remained now none but the wild Arabians a people neuer to be tamed and especially they of AFRICKE who hauing lost many of their friends and kinsmen in aiding Tomombeius would not as it was thought submit themselues vnto the Turkish obedience This wandering kind of people liuing for most part by theft had filled the countries from Euphrates where it runneth by the Palmyrens with all the inner parts of AEGIPT and AFRICKE vnto the Atlanticke sea with huge multitudes of men and being deuided into many companies vnder diuers leaders haue no certaine dwelling places but liue an hard and frugall kind of life in tents and waggons after the manner of the Tartars their greatest wealth is a good seruiceable horse with a launce or a bundell of darts they were alway at discord variance amongst themselues by reason whereof they could neuer agree for the expulsing of the Mamalukes who otherwise had not been able to haue stood against them if they should haue joyned their forces together So that the late Aegyptian Sultans seemed to hold their state and empire amongst so populous a nation rather by their discord than their owne strength Wherefore Selymus hauing now by fit men vpon his faith before giuen allured many of their cheâ—fetaines and greatest commaunders to CAIRE honourably both entertained and rewarded them By whose example others moued came also in dayly and hauing receiued their rewards gaue the oath of their allegeance to Selymus Others which could by no faire promises or words be woon being cunningly intercepted by other captaines and deliuered to Selymus endured the paines of their vaine obstinacie and mallice The other remote nations toward AETHIOPIA as they had in former time rather acknowledged the friendship than the command of the Aegyptian Sultans so now induced with the fame of the victorie easily joyned in like amitie with the Turke About the same time Selymus sent certaine troupes of horsemen to SVEZZIA a port of the red sea of old called ARSINOE about three dayes journey from CAIRE in which port Campson the great Sultan a little before the comming of the Turks had with infinit charge and foure yeares trauell built a strong fleet against the Portingals who by their conquests in INDIA had taken away all the rich trade of the Indian marchandise into the gulfe of ARABIA to the great hinderance of the Aegyptian kings customes ouer which fleet a little before the beginning of the Turkish warres Campson had appointed one Amyrases and Ray Salomon Generals with a strong power of Mamalukes and great store of ordinance against the Portingals These valiant captaines hauing yet done nothing in the seruice they were appointed vnto as they lay at GIDDA the port of the famous citie of MECHA wherein is the temple of their great prophet Mahomet vnderstanding of the death of Campson of the comming 〈◊〉 Selymus into AEGIPT fell at variance betwixt themselues one of them being willing to continue his obedience towards the new Sultan and the other no lesse desirous to follow the good fortune of the victor Wherupon a mutinie arising among the souldiors Amyrases who fauoured Tomombeius was enforced to flie to MECHA But shortly after Ray Salomon requiring to haue him and threatening all hostilitie except he were forthwith deliuered he was apprehended by them of MECHA fearing to haue GIDDA their port spoiled and so sent backe againe to the fleet Ray Salomon that he might be Admirall alone his associat being taken out of the way and by some notable fact to insinuate himselfe into the fauour of the conquerour caused Amyrases in the night to be cast ouer boord and giuing to the souldiors two moneths pay and swearing them to the obedience of Selymus in few dayes sayling came backe againe to ARSINOE where leauing the fleet hee came directly himselfe to Selymus at CAIRE of whom he was gratiously receiued After that all the princes which were before tributaries or confederates to the late Sultans of AEGIPT euen vnto the confines of Dauid the most mightie king of ETHIOPIA whom some call Presbiter Iohn without delay entred into the like subjection or confederation with the Turkes AEGIPT with
began as men amased now too late to betake themselues to their weapons for in making resistance they were quickly slaine by the Numidians which came in with Abdamaelech who thus possessed of the castle the cheefe strength of that kingdome let in his friends which were many in the citie by whom he was presently saluted king the rest of the citisens either well liking of the matter or at least not daring for feare to stirre But as in these worldly things for which men so vainely toyle is no assurance so this new king shortly after fell sicke and died when he had raigned but six and thirtie dayes and was afterwards royally enterred After whose death his mightie friends with the cheefe of the citisens persuaded and encouraged by Touarres the Spaniard chose Mahometes his son a child scarse twelue yeares old to reigne in his fathers place appointing Abdalages Maniphaet brother to him whom Amida slew Abdelchirinus Mesuar Schyriffus a great man in their Mahometane superstition Perellus a Christian knight to be his directers and gouernours which foure swayed all at their pleasure But Abdelchirinus tendering the welfare of his countrey and deuising out of season how to set vp one of the royall bloud that were of himselfe able to gouerne the kingdome saying That it was not for the common good to be ruled by a child was for his labor by his other three fellowes suddenly slaine with all his kindred and knowne friends After whose death the other three erected a manner of Triumvirat gouernment euery one of them laying hand vpon one part of the state or other as liked him best Amida thus shut out of TVNES and hauing lost his kingdome wandered vp and downe to LEPTIS CYRAPOLIS and many other places crauing aid of euery man to recouer his kingdome miserably rent in sunder as he said by most wicked men who insolently triumphed ouer the boy king Which they of TVNES knew well to be true and daily complained of the death of Abdelchirinus whom they called the faithfull counsellor and father of his country Whilest Amida is thus trudging vp and down crauing helpe of this and that prince proouing his friends and sounding his subjects affection towards him Muleasses growne miserable with long imprisonment and the calamitie of his disaster fortune obtained of the young king his nephew so much fauour as that hee might sometime goe out of the castle to the church vnder colour whereof hee tooke sanctuarie a place in TVNES holden in such reuerence amongst the Moores as that it was a most inuiolate refuge to all such as fled thereunto Not long after at such time as Bernardinus Mendoza the Admirall of SPAIN came to GVLETTA with the Spanish fleet Muleasses at the request of Touarres was conueyed out of the Sanctuarie to the lake and so by water to GVLETTA there to be present at the consultation there holden for the vtter subuersion of Amida and the driuing out of the Turks out of such cities as they yet held alongst the sea coast in AFFRICA Muleasses had hardly before escaped the hands of certaine of his enemies in TVNES who sought after his life preserued by an old woman who mooued with pitie hid him from their furie vnder a great heape of garlike and had he not now in good time escaped to GVLETTA he had againe fallen into the hands of his mercilesse sonne Amida who shortly after recouered againe his kingdome and would not as he said himselfe haue spared him for the reuerence of any sanctuarie For the citisens of TVNES wearie of the euill gouernment of such as were in authoritie about the yong king and not a little offended with the king himselfe for espousing Melucca his cousin one of Muleasses his daughters secretly encouraged Amida by letters to repaire to the citie promising to aid him in recouering his kingdome Whereupon he came in such hast that the young king had scarce time to get out of the citie and Amida entring without resistance and holpen by his friends easily obtained againe the kingdome and exercised most exquisit crueltie vpon his enemies of whom he caused some to be torne in peeces and deuoured of fierce mastiues kept hungrie for that purpose Perellus he caused to be tortured his secrets to be cut off and himselfe afterwards burnt to ashes in the market place But Muleasses stayed not long at GVLETTA offended with the couetousnesse of Touarres who as he said had not faithfully restored such things as he had before put him in trust withall but had auaritiously in his miserie deceiued him of part of his rich houshold stuffe with certaine notable pretious stones some of his treasure wherof the blind king so greeuously complained to Charles the emperour that for deciding the matter they were both commaunded to repaire vnto him into GERMANIE where in conclusion to end the strife Touarres was discharged of his gouernment and Muleasses sent into SICILIE there to be kept of the common charge of that rich island Muleasses by the way comming to ROME was honourably feasted by Cardinall Fernesius at which time he shewed himselfe both in his apparrell and behauiour not forgetfull of his better fortune and being brought vnto the presence of Paulus the great bishop would doe him no greater honour but to kisse his knee accounting it too great an indignitie to haue kissed his foot He was of stature tall and of a princely disposition vnworthie of so hard a fortune had he not in like manner before vnmercifully dealt with his owne brethren Barbarussa wearie of his long lying to so small purpose in PROVINCE requested the French king either thorowly to employ him or els to giue him leaue to depart offering if he so pleased to spoile all alongst the coast of SPAINE from the mountain PYRaeNEI to CADIZ But he not ignorant what hard speeches ran of him alreadie in all parts of Christendome for bringing in the Turkes was loth to leaue vnto the memorie of all posteritie the foule remembrance of so wofull a slaughter besides that he was aduised to disburden his countrey of such troublesome guests who rouing about did much harme in the prouince where they lay and as it was reported now and then snatcht vp one countrey peisant or other and chained them for slaues in their gallies Wherefore in supplie of the Turkes that were dead the king gaue vnto Barbarussa all the Mahometane slaues in his gallies to the number of about foure hundred and furnishing him with all kind of prouision and bestowing great gifts vpon him and his captaines sent him away and with him Strozza with certaine gallies his embassadour to Solyman So the Turkes departing out of PROVINCE kept alongst the coast vntill they came neere vnto SAVONA whither the Germanes sent diuers presents and fresh victuals to Barbarussa which he tooke so thankfully that he protested not to hurt any of their territorie From thence he kept a right course to the island
worldly affaires the 21 day of September following died of a feauer when he had liued 58 yeares and thereof reigned 39 a man no doubt to be worthily accounted amongst the greatest Christian emperours that liued before him About which time also died his two sisters Marie the queene of HVNGARIE and Elenor the French queene both ladies of great honour The knights of MALTA who of long had been suters to the great Bishop and the king of SPAINE for the recouerie of TRIPOLIS in BARBARIE about nine yeares before taken from them by the Turkes at which time they also surprised the Island of ZERâ—I vpon the coast of BARBARIE betwixt TRIPOLIS and TVNES from whence they much troubled the Christians trauelling by those seas had now at length so much preuailed that the king commaunded a great fleet to be now forthwith made readie in September in the yeare 1559 to meet together in SICILIA and from thence to go directly against the enemie by MALTA Vnto which fleet the great bishop the duke of FLORENCE and the knights of MALTA with many other valiant men out of diuers parts of Christendome joyned their forces also so that at length there was a hundred gallies and ships met together vnder the conduct of Andreas Gonzaga their Generall But whilest this fleet from diuers places was long in comming thither the duke of MEDINA CoeLI came before with part of the fleet to MALTA and in the hauen of MARZA MOXâ—T expected the comming of the rest who about the end of the yeare came thither But whilest they there wintered expecting the Spring many of the souldiours fell sicke and died At length the time of the yeare fit for their setting forward being come the captaines consulted among themselues Whether they should first set vpon TRIPOLIS or the Island of ZERâ—I otherwise called MENING The knights of MALTA being of opinion That it were better first to besiege TRIPOLIS and that with all speed before Dragut should come thither to furnish it with souldiors and prouision Others thought it better first to inuade the Island of ZERBI where the armie might be relieued with plentie of all things necessarie and from whence they might at all times of danger in safetie retire and from thence afterwards as time should serue to go to TRIPOLIS Which vnfortunat counsell was by the greater part agreed vpon Wherefore in Februarie the yeare following they departed from MALTA and sayled directly to ZERBI In the meane time Dragut the most famous pyrat of that time amongst the Turks and Gouernor of TRIPOLIS was come thither with eight hundred of the Turks Ianizaries and had notably strengthened the citie with men victuall and new fortifications and presently sent messengers to Solyman at CONSTANTINOPLE to certifie him of the arriuall of the Christian fleet in AFFRICK But the Christians comming to the Island of ZERBI were at their first landing encountered by the Moores whom they repulsed and so at pleasure landed This Island is not farre from the maine here and there full of boggs and marishes other riuer hath it none and in the middest is somewhat hillie It was inhabited with about thirtie thousand men which dwelt in low cottages simply apparrelled yet is the island reasonable fertile yeelding dates oliues barley mill and such like When the Christians were there landed they sent for Carauanus a poore king amongst the Moores from whom Dragut had before taken that Island to vse his counsell for their better proceeding in that warre In the meane time they agreed with eight thousand men to besiege the strongest castle in the Island in going whereunto the Spaniards went formost the Germans next and last of all the Italians By the way as they went they light vpon ten thousand Moores which lay in ambush in a wood to haue vpon the sudden set vpon them vnawares but being discouered and seuen hundred of them slaine in skirmish by the Spaniards the rest fled So comming to the castle they planted their batterie and laid hard siege vnto it The captaine of the castle finding himselfe too weake long to hold out fled secretly with his Turkes leauing the castle for the Moores to defend who vpon condition that they might in safetie depart yeelded the castle to the Spaniards for keeping whereof Varona and Cerda two Spanish captaines were there left with their companies Whilest these things were in doing Carâ—â—â—nus the Moore king came to the campe of the Christians and there talked with the Generall in whose hoarie countenance rested a reuerend majestie his apparrell was after the Moores fashion of white linnen with him came also the king of TVNES his sonne In talking with the Generall his manner was to 〈◊〉 vpon the ground and wisely discoursed how the Turkes were to be remooued out of AFFRICKE But in the middest of these discourses when such a thing was least feared suddenly a pinnaâ—e brought newes from sea That Piall Bassa the Turkes great Admirall was comming thither with a great fleet of 85 gallies and that moe were dayly repairing vnto him on euery side which was indeed true For Solyman vnderstanding from Dragut the arch pyraâ— that Island to be by the Christians now possessed and fortified thought it not in his so great power and flourishing estate to stand with his honour to suffer but rather to giue aid vnto the Moores of that Island a people agreeing in religion with himselfe and therefore commanded Piall Bassa his Admirall to take in hand that expedition Who thereupon rigged vp a great fleet well appointed and strongly manned with a number of the Turkes best and most approued soldiors as well Ianizaries as others yet all both doubtfull and fearefull of the long journey as also of the fame of the enemies with whom they were to encounter for why the Turks had conceiued a great opinion of the valour of the Spaniards as knowing great warres both of auntient and later times to haue beene by that nation to the immortall praise thereof most happily performed they remembred well Charles the fift and dayly heard much of king Philip the heire both of his fathers vertues and kingdomes which made them so carefull that many of them before their setting forth as in time of greatest danger made their wils and so departed from CONSTANTINOPLE taking their leaue of their friends as if they should neuer haue thither returned againe So that all the citie was in a confused feare neither was there any man whether he went or stayed that hung not in suspence with the doubtfull expectation of the euent of that warre Howbeit Piall with this great fleet with long sayling and a prosperous wind was at length come well neere as farre as MALTA and knowledge thereof as is aforesaid giuen vnto the Christian fleet at ZERBI With which vnexpected newes the Christians there were not a little troubled neuerthelesse they fortified the castle with new fortifications and bulwarkes and fell to agreement with the principall man
most terribly to batter the new towne in three places and with incredible labour cast vp a mount in the middest of the marrish as it were in the towne ditch from whence they the next day with certaine peeces of great artillerie day and night battered the inner castle of the towne without any intermission and did great harme both to the castle and the defendants The countie perceiuing the new citie to be now so laid open with the furie of the Turks batterie as that it was not possible to be defended caused his souldiors to set it all on fire and so retired into the old The tenth of August the Turks furiously battered the old town in three places and brought their ordinance into the new towne and with timber earth and rubbidge made a bridge the more commodiously to go ouer the marrish For the speedier accomplishment whereof all the Turkes were compelled to lay to their hands and to carrie wood fagots earth and such like things without ceasing There might a man haue seene all the fields full of cammels horses and of the Turks themselues like eâ—mets carrying wood earth stones or one thing or other to fill vp the marrish so was there with wonderfull labour two plaine wayes made thorow the deepe fenne from the towne to the castle where the Ianizaries defended from the great shot with sacks of wooll and such like things did with the multitude of their small shot so ouerwhelme the defendants that they could not against those places without most manifest danger shew themselues vpon the wals So that what by their vigilant industrie and the furie of the great artillerie the Turks though not without great losse by force entred the old towne the nineteenth of August vsing in their victorie such celeritie that they slew many of the most valiant defendants before they were able to recouer the safegard of the castle Both the townes thus lost and so many worthie men slaine not without cause brought great heauinesse vpon the rest which were in the castle with the countie The Turks possessed of the old towne the next day planted their batterie against the castle in foure places and with faggots rubbidge and earth made two plaine wayes vnto it still filling vp the marrish and hauing with continuall batterie made it saultable the nine and twentie day of August they began fiercely to assaile the breaches but when they had lost many of their men and done what they could they were enforced with shame to retire In this assault amongst many other of their best souldiors was lost one of their great Bassaes also Whilest these things were in doing Solyman farre spent with yeares and distempered with his long trauell fell sicke of a loosenesse of his bellie and for the better recouerie of his health retired himselfe the siege yet continuing to QVINQVE ECLESIae a citie neare to SIGET where shortly after he died of the bloudie flix the fourth day of September in the yeare of our Lord 1566 when he had liued 76 yeares and raigned thereof 46. He was of stature tall of feature slender long necked his colour pale and wan his nose long and hooked of nature ambitious and bountifull more faithfull of his word and promise than were for most part the Mahometan kings his progenitors wanting nothing worthie of so great an empire but that wherein all happinesse is contained faith in Christ Iesus Muhamet the Visier Bassa who all commaunded in Solymans absence fearing the insolencie of the Ianizaries and least some tumult should arise in the campe if his death should be knowne concealed it by all meanes and to be sure of them that were of all others best able to make certaine report thereof caused his physitions and apothecaries to be secretly strangled and by a trustie messenger sent in post certified Selymus Solymans onely sonne and his father in law then lying in MAGNESIA of the death of his father willing him in hast to repaire to CONSTANTINOPLE to take possession of the empire and that done forthwith to come to the armie in HVNGARIE But this could not be so secretly done but that the Ianizaries began to mistrust the matter Which Muhamet Bassa quickly perceiuing caused the dead bodie of Solyman in his wonted apparrell to be brought into his tent sitting vpright in his horselitter as if he had beene sicke of the gout his wonted disease and so shewing him to the Ianizaries both deceiued and contented them and so went forward with the siege The Ianizaries hauing in the last assault lost many of their fellowes began now to vndermine the greatest bulwarke of the castle from which the defendants with their great ordinance did most annoy them wherein they vsed such diligence that the fifth of September they with gunpouder and other light matter prouided for that purpose had set all the bulwarke on a light fire and by that meanes possessed thereof with all their force assailed the bulwarke next vnto the castle gate from whence they were with great slaughter twice repulsed by the countie But the raging fire still encreasing he was enforced with those which were yet left aliue to retire into the inner castle wherein was but two great pieces and foureteene others of small force Thus the Turks still preuailing and taking one place after another the seuenth of September they furiously assaulted the little castle whereinto they cast such abundance of fire that in short time it caught hold on the buildings and set all on fire The countie thus assailed by the enemie without and worse distressed with the fire within which still encreasing left no place for him in safetie to retire vnto went into his chamber where putting on a rich new sute of apparrell came presently out againe with his sword and targuet in his hand and finding his souldiors with cheerefull countenance and their weapons in their hands attending his comming spake vnto them these few his last words The hard fortune of this sinfull kingdome hath together with our owne ouertaken vs but let vs noble hearts with patience endure what is to vs by God assigned You know what wee haue before promised which hitherto God be thanked we haue accordingly performed and now let vs with like resolution performe this last The place you see is not longer to be kept the deuouring fire groweth so still vpon vs and we in number are but few Wherefore let vs as becommeth valiant men breake out into the vtter castle there to die in the middest of our enemies to liue afterwards with God for euer I will be the first that will goe out follow you me like men This said with his sword and targuet in his hand without any other armour calling thrice vpon the name of Iesus he issued out at the castle gate with the rest following him where valiantly fighting with the Ianizaries vpon the bridge and hauing slaine some of them he was first wounded in two places of
downe Euen so with many others moe must perish my renowne R. Knolls THE LIFE OF AMVRATH THE THIRD OF THAT NAME SIXT EMPEROVR OF THE TVRKES THe death of the late emperour Selymus was for feare of the insolent Ianizaries notably concealed by the great Bassaes vntill such time as Amurath his eldest sonne then in ASIA by speedie messengers aduertised thereof about twelue dayes after arriued at CONSTANTINOPLE and there receiued into the Seraglio tooke possession of the empire the fiue and twentith day of September solemne amongst vs Christians for the natiuitie of our Sauiour Christ Iesus He was about thirtie or as some write seuen and twentie yeares old when he began to reigne of a manly stature but pale and corpulent wearing his beard thin and long in his countenance appeared not the fierce nature of the Othoman princes being indeed himselfe of a peaceable disposition a louer of justice and in the manner of his superstition very zealous The roiot and excesse growne amongst the Turks by his fathers euill example he reformed by his owne temperance and the seuere punishment of notorious drunkards yet is it reported that he would oftentimes himselfe drinke plentifully of wormewood wine he was much subject to the falling sicknesse and sore troubled with the stone more spare handed than was for the greatnesse of his state and yeelding more to the counsell of his mother his wife and sister than of his great Bassaes which was of many imputed to him for simplicitie At his first comming to CONSTANTINOPLE to appease the murmuring of the Ianizaries grieued to see themselues so disappointed of the spoyle of the Christians and Iewes which they were wont to take in the vacancie of the empire he beside the vsuall largesse which the Turkish emperours at their first entrance into the empire bestow vpon them augmented also their dayly wages and graunted them this priuiledge That their sonnes as soone as they came to be twentie yeares old should be enrolled amongst the number of the younger Ianizaries and be partakers also of their immunities wherby he woon their fauors exceedingly And immediatly to rid himselfe of all competitours he after the vnnaturall manner of the Turkish policie caused his fiue brethren Mustapha Solyman Abdulla Osman and Tzihanger to be all strangled in his owne presence The mother of Solyman pierced through with the cruell death of her young sonne as a woman ouercome with sorrow desperatly strucke her selfe to the heart with a dagger and so died At which so tragicall a sight it is reported that Amurath let some teares fall as not delighting in such barbarous crueltie but that the state and manner of his gouernment so required In the beginning of his reigne he established diuers wholesome lawes altered the coyne and bountifully relieued the poore And albeit that he was of a mild and peaceable nature yet because he would not seeme to degenerate from the Othoman princes his progenitors he prosecuted his fathers warres and by the Tartars called Praecopenses in the moneth of October in the yeare 1575 entred into RVSSIA part of the Polonian kingdome where he burnt and destroyed two hundred noblemens houses besides an infinit number of townes and villages made great slaughter of the poore countrey people and carried away great numbers of cattell and prisoners bound in thongs made of raw hides But whilest they were deuiding the spoyle with Peter the new Vayuod of VALACHIA who had before solemnely promised to giue the Tartars no passage that way the Polonian Cossackes who had lien waiting for their returne vpon the riuer Borysthenes brake into the Tartars countrey and there requited them with like harme and brought backe with them a number of old captiues who little expected that their so sudden deliuerance The Polonians at this time were at variance among themselues about the election of their new king Henry Valois their late king being the last yeare after the death of Charles his brother the French king secretly stolne from them into FRAVNCE to take vpon him that kingdome after whose departure some of the Polonian nobilitie made choice of Maximilian the emperour othersome no lesse enclining vnto the choice of the great duke of MOSCOVIE and some vnto others also Whereof Amurath vnderstanding and loth that either of those two great princes his enemies should be inuested or strengthened with that so great a kingdome and so neere vnto him to hinder that their election and to bring in another of lesse power and so lesse dangerous vnto himselfe euen in the beginning of his reigne wrote vnto the Polonians to that purpose commending vnto them Stephen Battor the Vayuod of TRANSYLVANIA for their king in manner as followeth Amurath God of the earth Gouernour of the whole World the messenger of God and faithfull seruant of the Great Prophet vnto the most honourable Nobilitie and Counsellors of the kingdome of POLONIA greeting It is not vnto the world vnknowne most honourable and mightie Senatours our noble progenitours to haue of long time and for many yeares holden good friendship and religious leagues with the kingdome of POLONIA For which cause it hath seemed good and reasonable vnto vs to put you in remembrance of this so auntient a league and bond of friendship for that we vnderstand your kingdome to be of late become destitute of a king by the departure of the noble king Henry your crowned king descended of the royall race of the French kings our friend who for the small regard you had of him so great and worthie a prince and for your disloyaltie is departed out of your kingdome without purpose of returning any more into POLONIA Whereupon as it is reported vnto vs but how truly we know not you passing ouer your said crowned king Henry are about to make choice of a nâ—w king and especially of Maximilian the emperour or of the duke of MOSCOVIE both men of running wits and of vs greatly hated for why you may well know they will bee troublesome and grieuous not vnto euery one of you onely but euen vnto vs also Wherefore be you ware that you be not deceiued and take heed least your confederations and leagues cannot long by their valour and prowesse be established and withall consider well the great dangers and losses which you may thereby fall into whereof we haue thought good to giue you a tast wherefore beware that heauier things befall not your State We know there are right noble and wise men amongst you which know better than they how to rule and gouerne and if so be it please you not to make choice of any of your owne nation there is not farre from you one Stephen Battor prince of TRANSYLVANIA a man of great honour and valour by whose labour and dexteritie you may easily procure the peace and quiet of your kingdome Whereas if you shall doe otherwise we take to witnesse your God and his seruant our Great Prophet to
of the whole action But now the Turkes perceiuing that all their chiefe commaunders were slaine retired most part of them into the citie some three hundred of them crept vnderneath one of the bulwarkes where stood certaine barrels of gunpouder which they desperately set on fire and so together with themselues blew vp 300 Christians that were aboue vpon the bulwarke the greatest losse the Christians had in all that victorie who were otherwise supposed not to haue lost therein aboue 200 of their men Thus the Turkes discomfited and altogither full of feare loosing both their force and courage fled in euerie place before the Christians they in euerie corner making of them a most horrible slaughter The Turkish women all this while out of their windowes and other high places ceased not to cast downe stones timber and such like things vpon the heads of the Christians whom they sought by all meanes to annoy and to helpe the Turks The bloudie execution continued all that day vntill night the Christians still finding one or other hidden in the most secret places of the citie vpon whom to exercise their wrath who ransacking also euerie corner thereof were by the wealth therein found greatly enriched But comming to the pallace of Giaffer the great Bassa they found such great store of rich furniture as better beseemed some great prince than a Turkish slaue There they found also letters written in caracters of gold from the Bassa of BVDA to this Bassa greeting him and promising him in his behalfe to deale with the grand signior against the next Spring with the first that his armie should take the field That he might therein haue some honourable place of commaund to the end he might in the field shew his greater valour and no longer lie idly in that strong towne So found they there also many things written from the great Sultan himselfe vnto this Bassa with great store of coine which all fell to the souldiors share insomuch that by this so notable an exploit so well performed the publicke state together with the souldiors priuat was not a little bettered There amongst other things were recouered threescore and six pieces of artillerie which were knowne to haue beene sometime the Emperours and foure and twentie others which the Bassa had caused to be brought from BVDA with great store of shot and pouder and other small pieces and meale sufficient to haue serued foure thousand men for a yeare and a halfe but of wine little vsed of the Turkes onely foure vessels In the Bassaes pallace was also found of armour and weapons of all sorts great store with abundance of cloth and apparrell which was all giuen in spoile to the souldiors Thus RAB one of the strongest fortresses of Christendome not full foure yeares before besieged by Sinan Bassa with 150 thousand men by the space of almost three moneths and then at length by the treason of the Gouernour to him betraied was now in one night by the valour and pollicie of a few resolute men to their immortall glorie againe restored to the Christian common-weale the nineteenth day of March in the yeare 1598. Of which so notable a victorie the Christians rejoyced not a little both in HVNGARIE and elsewhere the great Sultan with the Turkes in the meane time no lesse grieuing and storming as well for the losse of the towne before got with no small charge as for the death of his people there slaine to the number of about six thousand and moe with the losse of scarce six hundred Christians Yet for all this Mahomet the great Sultan ceased not to make great prouision for his wars in HVNGARIE and that greater than before and so with greater furie also to prosecute his wrathfull indignation to be reuenged vpon the Christians Whereunto order was giuen vnto Ibrahim Bassa his brother in law and Generall of his armie with all conuenient speed to take the field which for all that fell out farre otherwise for that now thinking to haue had all things in good forwardnesse a great dissention rise betwixt the Ianizaries and the Spahi the Ianizaries being the best footmen and the Spahi the best horsemen of the Turkish empire both the faithfull keepers of the person of their prince and the greatest strength of his state whereby it commeth to passe that in setting forward towards the wars these two sorts of valiant souldiors the one standing vpon their strength and the other vpon their honour and both jealous of their reputation and credit haue no good liking of one the other but oftentimes and especially of late in this corruption of their martiall discipline vnder their degenerat emperours fall at ods among themselues as now they did to the great hinderance of their affaires and trouble of their Generall Insomuch that to appease this tumult he was glad to put to death certaine of the insolent Ianizaries refusing to set forward as they were by their Aga commaunded But proceeding farther and thinking to haue executed some others of them also to the farther terrour of the rest he was by them and their adherents put in such feare of his life that to auoid the present danger he was glad to excuse himselfe by his lieutenant laying all the blame vpon him as the cause therof who was therefore as a sacrifice deliuered vnto the furie of the Ianizaries by whom he was presently slaine with some others of the Bassa his followers So these broiles with much adoe ouerpast Ibrahim hauing taken a generall reuiew of his armie at SOPHIA there staied expecting order from the great Sultan where to begin his wars in HVNGARIE oâ— in TRANSYLVANIA for as yet that was in question which could not well be before the beginning of Iuly by reason of the scarcitie of victuals euen then arising in the campe for the supplying whereof Mahomet himselfe had no small care But this long delay was the cause that a great number of the Ianizaries comming from HADRIANOPLE and hearing by the way that the Generall would not as yet set forward not knowing the cause of his stay and doubting to be deceiued of their promised entertainment were about to haue returned backe againe which knowne at the Court commandement was presently sent thence vnto the Generall without longer stay to set forward towards HVNGARIE which the more hastened his departure with his armie In this the Turks so long delay the Christians had good leisure to prepare their new forces being now the latter end of Sommer for well they might thinke that the enemie slept not knowing what prouision hee had made as well in CONSTANTINOPLE as in other places Wherefore reasonably doubting that Sommer well spent and August now at hand he would not so late turne his forces into the lower HVNGARIE they thought it best to prouide for the safetie of the vpper countrey And to the end that the enemie approaching those frontiers might there find forces readie to encounter him the lord George Basta a
their farther passage with whom Robert duke of NORMANDIE who had the leading of the vauntguard had a hard conflict vntill that the Turks discouraged with the sight of the armie still comming on forsooke the bridge and betooke themselues to flight So the Christians passing the riuer came and encamped with their armie before the famous citie of ANTIOCH the one and twentith day of October in the yeere 1097 the gouernour whereof vnder the Persian Sultan was one Cassianus of some also honoured with the name of a king who at the comming of the Christians had with him in the citie seuen thousand horsemen and twentie thousand foot of the Turks with great store of victuals and all manner of other prouisions necessarie for the defence thereof This citie called in antient time EPIDAPHANE or EPIPHANE and of the Hebrewes REBLATHA sometime the seat of the Sirian kings and afterwards the Metropoliticall citie of SIRIA hauing vnder it an hundred and fiftie bishops famous for many things and amongst others for that it was the seat of the blessed Apostle Saint Peter and first place whereas the professours of the Christian religion tooke the name of Christians is situate vpon the riuer ORONTES about twelue miles from the sea and was then strongly fortified both by nature and art being compassed about with a double wall the vttermost whereof was of hard stone and the other of bricke with 460 towres in the same and an inpregnable castle at the East end thereof whereunto was joyning a deepe lake comming out of the great riuer which watred the South side of the citie Round about this strong citie one of the most assured refuges of the Turks although it were in circuit great lay the Christian princes encamped except on that side which being defended with the high broken mountaines is not there to be besieged Vpon whom the Turks out of the citie duing the time of the siege made many a fierce desperat sally being stil by the Christians most valiantly repulsed especially at the bridge which the Christians had made of boats for their more commodious passage too and fro ouer the riuer In this sort was the siege continued vntill the beginning of Februarie with many a bloodie skirmish At which time such abundance of raine sell as that hardly could a man find any place to lie drie in and the scarsitie of victuall grew so great in the campe that many horrible it is to say to assuage their hunger were glad to eat the dead bodies of their late slaine enemies In these extremities many died of hunger and cold yea their horses also perished for want of meat so that in the whole campe were scarcely left two thousand horses fit for seruice the rest being either all dead or brought so low as that they were altogether vnseruiceable These miseries dayly increasing diuers men of great account whom no terrour of the enemie could haue dismaid began secretly to withdraw themselues out of the campe with purpose to haue stolne home among whom were Peter the heremit authour of this war and Tancred the nephew of Bohemund who taken by the way and brought backe with the rest as fugitiues were sharply reprooued by Hugh the French kings brother as cowards and traitors to their brethren and fellow souldiers and so enforced to take a new oath for their fidelitie and perseuerance Bohemund in the meane time going to ARETHVSA a towne not far off by good fortune cut off a great part of the Turks there in garrison who after their vsual manner sallying out to haue cut off the forrages of the Christians were now themselues caught tardie whereby the countrey for a time was more open for the distressed Christian souldiers to seeke abroad for reliefe But this libertie so lately gained lasted not long when newes was brought vnto the campe That the Turks in great number out of the prouinces about ALEPPO and DAMASCO were comming to the reliefe of their besieged friends in ANTIOCH Neuerthelesse the Christians trusting vnto their owne strength the strength of the place wherein they were encamped lay still and at their comming so encountred them that they slew 2000 of them and put the rest to flight In which conflict the Christians got great store of prouision victuals which the Turks had thought to haue put into the citie The heads of the slaine Turks the Christians set vpon stakes before the citie to the more terrour of the defendants This ouerthrow of the Turks wherein Cassianus had lost his eldest sonne with others of his best captaines so daunted the besieged that they requested a truce for a time of the Christian princes which granted they of the citie came oftentimes into the campe and they of the campe likewise into the citie Cassianus still expecting reliefe from the Persian Sultan Whilst the Christian princes were thus busie in ASIA the Venetians with a great fleet of two hundred gallies scouring the seas vnder the conduct of Henrie Contarenus the bishop and of Vitalis the dukes sonne meeting with the gallies of Pisa at the RHODES and falling out with them had with them a great fight wherein the Venetians hauing the vpper hand tooke eighteene of their gallies and in them fiue thousand souldiers whom they seeing to be marked with the red crosse the cognisance of the sacred warre they presently set at libertie together with the gallies detayning onely thirtie of the better sort as hostages After that the Venetians sayling into IONIA tooke the citie of SMYRNA and spoiled all along the costs of LYCIA PAMPHILIA and CILICIA before for feare abandoned by the Turks The truce before taken betweene the Turks and the Christians at the siege of ANTIOCH being in short time after broken by the death of one Vollo a French man slaine by the Turks the war was againe begun and the citie more hardly laid vnto than before At which time the gouernour who in the time of this long siege which had now continued nine months had lost most part of his best souldiers was glad for the defence of so great a citie to vse the seruice of diuers Christians then dwelling in the citie Amongst whom was one Pirrhus a citizen of great reputation vnto whom he had committed the guarding of a tower called the two Sisters but afterward saint Georges tower This Pyrrhus had secret intelligence with Bohemund prince of TARENTVM with whom he agreed to giue him there entrance into the city vpon condition That he should of the other Christian princes procure the gouernment of the citie vnto himselfe and that he with the rest of the Christian citizens in the citie might be at his hands well vsed Which thing being easily obtayned and all things agreed vpon Bohemund with his souldiers were by night by Pyrrhus let into the citie who made way for the rest of the armie to enter The citie thus taken many of the Turks fled into the castell the rest were put vnto the
sword man woman and child and amongst them also many of the Christians the furious souldiers taking of them no knowledge Great wealth was there found but small store of victuals Casstanus the late gouernour flying out of the citie to saue himselfe in wandring through the mountaines fell into the hands of the Christian Armenians who lately thrust out of IERVSALEM were fled thither for refuge by whom he was there slaine In the citie were slaine about ten thousand persons Thus was the famous citie of ANTIOCH which the Turks had long before by famine taken from the Christians againe recouered the third day of Iune in the yeere of our Lord God 1098. The poore oppressed Christians in IERVSALEM hearing of this so notable a victorie gaue secret thanks vnto God therefore and began to lift vp their heads in hope that their deliuerie was now at hand Of this victorie the princes of the armie by speedie messengers and letters certified their friends in all countries so that in short time the fame thereof had filled a great part of the world Amongst others Bohemund prince of TARENTVM vnto whom the citie was deliuered sent the joyfull newes thereof vnto Roger his brother prince of APVLIA whose letters as the most certaine witnesses of the historie before reported I thought it not amisse here to set downe I suppose you to haue vnderstood by the letters of your sonne Tancred both of the great feare of some of vs and the battels which we haue of late with our great glorie fought But concerning the truce and the proceeding of the whole action I had rather you should be certified by my letters than the letters of others King Cassianus had required a time of truce during which our soldiers had free recourse into the citie without danger vntill that by the death of Vollo a Frenchman slaine by the enemie the truce was broken But whilst it yet seemed an hard matter to winne the citie one Pyrâ—hus a citizen of ANTIOCH of great authoritie and much deuoted vnto me had conference with me concerning the yeelding vp of the citie yet vpon condition That the gouernment thereof should be committed to me in whom he had reposed an especiall trust I conferred of the whole matter with the princes and great commanders of the armie and easily obtained that the gouernment of the citie was by their generall consent alotted vnto me So our armie entring by a gate opened by Pyrrhus tooke the citie Within a few daies after the towne ARETVM was by vs assaulted but not without some losse and danger to our person by reason of a wound I there receiued I assure you much of the valour of your sonne Tancred of whom I and the whole armie make such account and reckoning as is to be made of a most valiant and resolute generall Farewell from ANTIOCH Whilst the Christians thus lay at the siege of ANTIOCH Corbanas the Persian Sultan his lieutenant with a great armie besieged EDESSA with purpose after the taking thereof to haue relieued the citie of ANTIOCH But this citie being notably defended by Baldwin left there of purpose with a strong garrison for the defence thereof the Turke fearing in the meane time to loose ANTIOCH the safest refuge of the Turks in all those parts rise with his armie and set forward against the Christians where by the way it was his fortune to meet with Sansadolus Cassianus his sonne but lately fled from ANTIOCH by whom he vnderstood of the losse of the citie and by what meanes the same was most like to be againe recouered vpon which hope Corbanas with his mightie armie kept on his way with a full resolution to set all vpon the fortune of a battell Whose comming much troubled the Christians for that although they were possessed of the citie yet was the castell still holden by the Turks Neuerthelesse leauing the earle of THOLOVS in the citie with a competent power for the keeping in of them in the castell they tooke the field with the whole strength of the armie and so in order of battell expected the comming of their enemies who couragiously comming on as men before resolued to fight joyned with them a most terrible and bloodie battell Neither were they in the citie in the mean time idle for that the Turks in the castell hauing receiued in vnto them certaine supplies from Corbanas sallied out vpon them that were left for the safegard of the citie and had with them a cruell conflict Thus both within the citie and without was to be seene a most dreadfull fight of resolute men with great slaughter on both sides yet after long fight and much effusion of blood the fortune of the Christians preuailing the Turks began to giue ground and afterwards betooke themselues to plaine flight whom the Christians hardly pursuing made of them a woonderfull slaughter In this battell were slaine of the Turks aboue an hundred thousand and of the Christians about foure thousand two hundred There was also taken a great prey for besides horses and other beasts for burden were taken also fiue thousand camels with their lading The next day being the 28 of Iune the castell was by the Turks now dispairing of releife yeelded vp vnto the Christians ANTIOCH thus taken Hugh the French kings brother surnamed the Great was sent from the rest of the princes to CONSTANTINOPLE to haue deliuered the citie vnto Alexius the emperour according to the agreement before made But he guiltie in conscience of his owne foule dealing with them vnto whom he had sent no reliefe at all during the long and hard siege of ANTIOCH neither performed any thing of that he had further promised and therefore knowing himselfe hated of them had in distrust so great an offer of the princes so euill deserued and therefore refused to accept thereof Whereupon Bohemund by the generall consent of the whole armie was chosen prince or as some call him king of ANTIOCH After this long siege and want of victuals ensued a great plague in the armie of the Christians the Autumne following whereof it is reported fiftie thousand men to haue died and amongst them many of great account But the mortalitie ceasing the Christians in Nouember following by force tooke RVGIA and ALBARIA two cities about two daies journey from ANTIOCH where dissention arising betwixt Bohemund Raimond who of all others only enuied at his preferment vnto the principalitie of ANTIOCH Bohemund for the common causes sake gaue way vnto his aduersarie retired with his soldiers backe againe to ANTIOCH after whom followed the duke Godfrey and the earle of FLANDERS with their regiments The rest of the princes wintred some at RVGIA some at ALBARIA from whence Raimund made sundrie light expeditions further into the enemies countrey But the spring approching the Christian princes with all their power tooke the field againe Bohemund with them that remained with him departing from ANTIOCH besieged TORTOSA
Raimund in the meane time with the rest besieging the citie of TRIPOLIS who become much more insolent than before by reason of some fortunate roads he had made vpon the enemies the last winter ceased not still to maligne Bohemund and his proceedings matter enough to haue diuided the whole power of the Christians to haue turned their weapons vpon themselues which Bohemund wel considering rise with his armie and because he would not with his presence trouble the proceeding of the religious war retired himselfe to ANTIOCH After whose departure Godfrey and the earle of FLANDERS tooke GABELLA a citie about twelue miles from LAODICIA and from thence returned againe to the siege of TORTOSA whether Raimund came also with his armie hauing before driuen the gouernour of TRIPOLIS to such composition as pleased himselfe and to furnish him with such things as he wanted Thus was TORTOSA hardly on three sides besieged by the Christians but so notably defended by the Turks that after three months hard siege the Christians were glad to depart thence and marching alongst the sea side spoiled the countrey about SIDON But forasmuch as that citie was not easily to be woon they left it encamped before PTOLEMAIS which they also passed by the gouernor thereof sending them out victuals with such other things as they wanted and vpon summons giuen promising to yeeld the citie after they had once woon the citie of IERVSALEM From thence they came to CESARIA in PALESTINE where they solemnly kept the feast of Whitsontide and so to RAMA which they found for feare forsaken of the Infidels Marching from RAMA and drawing neere to IERVSALEM they in the vantgard of the armie vpon the first descrying of the Holy citie gaue for joy diuers great shouts and outcries which with the like applause of the whole armie was so doubled and redoubled as if therewith they would haue rent the verie mountaines and pearced the highest heauens There might a man haue seene the deuout passions of these most woorthie and zealous Christians vttered in right diuers manners Some with their eies and hands cast vp towards heauen called aloud vpon the name and helpe of Christ Iesus some prostrat vpon their faces kissed the ground as that whereon the Redeemer of the world sometime walked others joyfully saluted those holy places which they had heard so much of and then first beheld In briefe euerie man in some sort expressed the joy he had conceiued of the sight of the Holy citie as the end of their long trauell This most antient and famous citie so much renowmed in holy writ is situat in an hillie countrey not watred with any riuer or fresh springs as other famous cities for most part be neither yet was it well seated for wood or pasture ground But what wanted in these and such other benefits of nature was by the extraordinarie blessings of the most highest so supplied as that the Iewes there dwelling so long as they kept the ordinances of the Lord were of all other people in the world justly accounted the most happie and fortunate Yet in those so blessed times was this citie for the sinne of the people oftentimes deliuered into the enemies hand and the glorie thereof defaced as well appeareth by the whole course of the historie of holy Scripture as also by the antient and approoued histories as well of the Iewes themselues as others Neuerthelesse it still rise againe though not in like glorie as before in the time of king Dauid Salomon and the other next succeeding kings and so was still repeopled by the Iewes vntill that at last according to the foretelling of our Sauiour Christ it was with a great and of all others most lamentable destruction vtterly rased and destroyed by the Romans vnder the leading of Vespatian the emperour and his noble sonne Titus fortie yeeres after our Sauiour his pretious death and passion Sithence which time it was neuer vntill this day againe repaired or yet well inhabited by the Iewes but lying buried in the ruines of it selfe all the raigne of Domitian Nerua and Trajan vntill the time of the great emperour Aelius Adrianus it was againe by him reedified about the yeere 136 and after the name of him called AELIA who together with the name changed also in some part the antient situation of the citie For whereas before it was seated vpon the steepe rising of an hill in such sort that towards the East and the South it ouerlooked the whole ground hauing onely the temple and the castle called ANTONIA in the highest part of the citie Adrian translated the whole citie vnto the verie top of the hill so that the place where our blessed Sauiour suffred his most bitter passion with the sepulcher wherein he was also laid and from whence he in glorie rise againe before without the citie were then enclosed within the walles thereof as they are at this day to be seene Yet for all that the emperour being dead in processe of time this new built citie recouered againe the antient name of IERVSALEM whereby it hath euer since and is at this day yet known This citie so reedified the emperour first gaue vnto the Iewes whom he afterwards againe thrust out for their rebellion and gaue it to the Christians to inhabit ouer whom one Marke first bishop of the Gentiles there had the charge But forasmuch as the Romane emperours were at that time altogether idolaters and persecutors of the poore Christians the church also at IERVSALEM with others endured sundrie and many grieuous persecutions vnder the emperors Antoninus Commodus Seuerus Maximinus Valerianus Aurelianus Dioclesianus and Maxentius vntill that at length Constantine the Great conuerted vnto the faith of Christ about the yeere of Grace 320 suppressing the Pagan idolatrie gaue generall peace vnto the afflicted church whereby the Christian church at IERVSALEM for the space of three hundred yeeres after happily flourished vnder the Greeke emperours vntill the time of the emperour Phocas who hauing most cruelly slaine the good emperour Maurice with his children and so possessed himselfe of the empire gaue occasion thereby vnto Chosroe the Persian king in reuenge of the death of Maurice his father in law with all his power to inuade SIRIA who as a tempest bearing downe all before him tooke also by force the citie of IERVSALEM hauing that yeere which was about the yeere six hundred and ten slaine almost an hundred thousand christians But Phocas the vsurper being by them of his guard most cruelly slaine and Heraclius succeeding in his steed Chosroe was by him againe driuen out of SIRIA and the Holy citie againe recouered about the yeere 624. In these great wars against the Persians Heraclius had vsed the helpe of the Arabians called Scenite a warlike people of ARABIA DESERTA altogether giuen to the spoile who the wars now ended expecting to haue receiued their pay were contrarie to their expectation and without all reason rejected by them that
but the Christians came on so fiercely with desire of blood that breaking into the temple the foremost of them were by the presse of them that followed after violently thrust vpon the weapons of their enemies and so miserably slaine Neither did the Turks thus oppressed giue it ouer but as men resolued to die desperatly fought it out with inuincible courage not at the gates of the temple onely but euen in the middest thereof also where was to be seene great heaps both of the victors and the vanquished slaine indifferently together All the pauement of the temple swam with blood in such sort that a man could not set his foot but either vpon some dead man or ouer the shooes in blood Yet for all that the obstinate enemie still held the vaults and top of the temple when as the darknesse of the night came so fast on that the Christians were glad to make an end of the slaughter and to sound a retrait The next day for that proclamation was made for mercie to be shewed vnto all such as should lay downe their weapons the Turks that yet held the vpper part of the temple came down yeelded themselues Thus was the famous citie of IERVSALEM with great bloodshed but far greater honor recouered by these worthie Christians in the yeere 1099 after it had beene in the hands of the infidels aboue foure hundred yeeres The next day after hauing buried the dead and cleansed the citie they gaue thanks to God with publicke praiers and great rejoycing The poore Christians before oppressed now ouercome with vnexpected joy welcomed their victorious brethren with great joy and praise and the souldiers embracing one another sparing to speake of themselues freely commended each others valour Eight daies after the princes of the armie meeting together began to consult about the choice of their king amongst whom was no such difference as might well shew which was to be preferred before the others And although euerie one of them for prowesse and desert seemed woorthie of so great an honour yet by the generall consent of all it was giuen to Robert duke of NORMANDIE who about the same time hearing of the death of the Conquerour his father and more in loue with his fathers new gotten kingdome in ENGLAND in hope thereof refused the kingdome of IERVSALEM then offered vnto him which at his returne he found possessed by William Rufus his yoonger brother and so in hope of a better refusing the woorse vpon the matter lost both After whose departure Godfrey of BVILLON duke of LORAINE whose ensigne was first displaid vpon the wals was by the generall consent both of the princes and the armie saluted king He was a great souldier and endued with many heroicall vertues brought vp in the court of the emperour Henrie the fourth and by him much emploied At the time of his inauguration he refused to be crowned with a crowne of gold saying That it became not a Christian man there to were a crowne of gold where Christ the sonne of God had for the saluation of mankind sometime worne a crowne of thorne Of the greatest part of these proceedings of the Christians from the time of their departure from ANTIOCH vntill the winning of the Holy citie Godfrey by letters briefly certified Bohemund as followeth Godfrey of Buillon to Bohemund king of Antioch greeting After long trauell hauing first taken certaine townes we came to IERVSALEM which citie is enuironed with high hils without riuers or fountaines excepting onely that of Solomans and that a verie little one In it are many cesterns wherein water is kept both in the citie and the countrey thereabout On the East are the Arabians the Moabits and Ammonits on the South the Idumeans Aegyptians and Philistians Westward alongst the sea coast lie the cities of PTOLEMAIS TIRVS and TRIPOLIS and Northward TIBERIAS CESAREA PHILIPPI with the countrey DECAPOLIS and DAMASCO In the assault of the citie I first gained that part of the wall that fell to my lot to assaile and commanded Baldwin to enter the citie who hauing slaine certaine companies of the enemies broke open one of the gates for the Christians to enter Raymond had the citie of Dauid with much rich spoile yeelded vnto him But when we came vnto the temple of Soloman there we had a great conflict with so great slaughter of the enemie that our men stood in blood aboue the ancles the night approching we could not take the vpper part of the temple which the next day was yeelded the Turks pitifully crying out for mercie and so the citie of IERVSALEM was by vs taken the fifteenth of Iuly in the yeere of our redemption 1099 39 daies after the beginning of the siege 409 yeeres after it fell into the hands of the Sarasins in the time of Heraclius the emperour Besides this the princes with one consent saluted me against my will king of IERVSALEM who although I feare to take vpon me so great a kingdome yet I will do my deuoir that they shall easily know me for a Christian king and well deseruing of the vniuersall Faith But loue you me as you do And so farewell from IERVSALEM Whilest these things were in doing at IERVSALEM such a multitude of the Turks and Sarasins their confederats now in their common calamitie all as one were assembled at ASCALON a citie about fiue and twentie miles from IERVSALEM to reuenge the injuries they had before receiued as had not before met together in all the time of this sacred war Against whom Godfrey the late duke and now king assembled the whole forces of the Christians in those countries and leauing a strong garrison in the new woon citie set forward and meeting with them joyned a most dreadfull and cruell battell wherein as most report were slaine of the Infidels an hundred thousand men and the rest put to flight The spoile there taken far exceeded all that the Christians had before taken in this long expedition Godfrey after so great a victorie returning to IERVSALEM gaue vnto God most humble thanks The rest of the princes returned either to their charge as did Bohemund to ANTIOCH Baldwin to EDESSA Tancred into GALLILEY whereof he was created prince or else hauing now performed the vttermost of their vowes returned with honour into their owne countries This was of all others the most honourable expedition that euer the Christians tooke in hand against the Infidels and with the greatest resolution performed for the most part by such voluntary men as mooued with a deuout zeale to their immortall praise spared neither life nor liuing in defence of the Christian faith and religion all men woorthie eternall fame and memorie Not long after ensued a great pestilence the readie attendant of long war and want whereof infinit numbers of people died and among the rest Godfrey the first Christian king of IERVSALEM neuer to be sufficiently commended who with the generall lamentation of all good
Christians was honourably buried in the church of the sepulchre of our Sauiour on the mount CALVERIE where our Sauiour suffred his passion in which the Christian kings succeeding him were also afterwards buried He departed this life the eighteenth of Iuly in the yeere of our Lord 1100 when he had yet scarce raigned a full yeere Whose tombe is yet at this day there to be seene with an honourable inscrption thereupon After the death of Godfrey the Christians made choice of Baldwin his brother countie of EDESSA who leauing his former gouernment to Baldwin surnamed Burgensis his neere kinsman came to IERVSALEM honourably accompanied and was there by the Patriarch on Christmas day with all solemnitie crowned king in the yeere 1101. He aided by the Venetians and Genowaies at sea and by Bohemund king of ANTIOCH by land tooke from the Infidels the citie of CESAREA STRATONIS standing vpon the sea side and ouerthrew certaine companies of the Aegyptian Sultans at RAMA But vnderstanding that the Christian princes of the West were comming to his aid with a new power he glad thereof went to meet them and safely conducted them to IERVSALEM alongst the sea coast by the cities of BERYTVS SIDON TIRE and PTOLEMAIS all yet holden by the enemies At which time the Turks at ASCALON hauing receiued great aid from the Arabians and Aegyptians inuaded the countrey about RAMA where betwixt them and the Christians was fought a most cruell battell wherein the Christians receiued a most notable ouerthrow many of their great commanders being there slaine and among the rest Stephen earle of CHARTERS but lately returned home from the former expedition and now come backe againe and Stephen earle of BVRGVNDIE and THOLOVS yea the king himselfe hardly escaped the enemies hands and after many dangers came at length to IOPPA after it had beene constantly before reported him to haue been in that battell also slaine Who hauing there in hast repaired his armie came againe speedily vpon his enemies fearing as then nothing lesse and ouerthrew them with such a slaughter as that they had small cause to rejoyce of the former victorie Neither were the rest of the Christian princes in the other parts of SIRIA and PALESTINE in the meane time idle but sought by all meanes to enlarge their territories Tancred prince of GALLILIE hauing raised a great power tooke APAMEA the Metropoliticall citie of CoeLESYRIA and after much toile woon also the citie of LAODICEA Baldwin also gouernour of EDESSA besieging the citie of CARRAS had brought the besieged Turks to such extremitie that they were about to haue yeelded the citie when suddenly hee was set vpon by a great armie of the Turks sent from the Persian Sultan for the reliefe of the besieged and being there ouerthrown was himselfe there taken with Benedict the bishop and one Ioscelin his kinsman who after fiue yeeres captiuitie found means with the Turke that had taken them to redeeme themselues to the great offence of the Persian Sultan of the Sultan Solyman King Baldwin after the late victorie liued for a season at some good rest in IERVSALEM vnmolested by his enemies but knowing his greatest safetie among such warlike people to consist in armes he vpon the sudden raised the whole strength of his kingdome and laid siege to PTOLOMAIS otherwise called ACON a citie of PHoeNICIA standing vpon the riuage of the sea where he found such resistance that he was glad to raise his siege and depart hauing done nothing more than spoiled the pleasant places without the citie By the way in his returne backe againe it fortuned him to meet with certaine companies of the enemies aduenturers by whom he was in a skirmish mortally wounded although he died not thereof in long time after for albeit that the wound was by his surgeans healed vp yet was the griefe thereof so great that at length it brought him to his end Yet he notwithstanding the former repulse the next yeere encouraged by the comming of the Genua fleet laid hard siege againe to PTOLOMAIS both by sea and land which after twentie daies siege was by composition yeelded vnto him Shortly after the gouernour of ALEPPO with certaine others of the Turks great captaines in those quarters hauing joyned their forces together and so inuaded the countrey about ANTIOCH were by Tancred whom Bohemund at his departure into ITALY had left gouernour of that citie notably encountred and put to flight At which time also the Caliph of AEGYPT sending great forces both by sea and land against the king of IERVSALEM was in both places discomfited at land by the Christians and at sea by tempest Bohemund in the meane time with a great armie of voluntarie men and others wherein he is reported to haue had fiue thousand horse and fortie thousand foot returning towards the Holy land in reuenge of many injuries done by Alexius the emperour vnto the souldiers of this sacred war contrarie to his faith and promise to them before giuen by the way landed his men in EPIRVS and grieuously spoiled the countrey about DIRRACHIVM part of the emperours dominion Neither made he an end of spoiling vntill he had enforced the emperour for redresse of so great harmes to make peace with him and againe by solemne oath to promise all securitie and kindnesse vnto all such Christian souldiers as should haue occasion to trauell too or fro through his countries during the time of this religious war After which agreement hee put to sea againe and so returned for IERVSALEM But whilest he staid at ANTIOCH hee shortly after there died in the yeere 1108 leauing the principalitie thereof vnto his yoong sonne Bohemund a child vnder the tuition of his nephew Tancred Yet were the cities of BERYTVS SIDON and TIRE alongst the sea coast in the enemies possession for the gaining whereof Baldwin the king raised a great armie and so came and laid siege to BERYTVS which after many sharpe assaults he at length woon the three and twentith day of Aprill in the yeere 1111 and put to sword most part of them that he found therein The same yeere also he assisted by a fleet sent vnto him out of NORWAY besieged the citie of SIDON which the citizens seeing themselues now beset both by sea and land at length yeelded vnto him by composition the nineteenth day of December After which victorie he dismissed the fleet and returned himselfe in triumph to IERVSALEM Now of all the famous cities alongst the sea coast of PHoeNICIA and PALESTINE from LAODICEA to ASCALON was onely the citie of TYRE that remained in the hands of the enemies which citie Baldwin also hardly besieged neuerthelesse it was so well defended by the Turks that after he had all in vaine lyen before it by the space of foure months he was glad to rise with his armie and depart It fortuned that within two yeeres after the Turks with a mightie armie sent from the Persian Sultan
gouerned with one hand ouercome with the strength of the poyson died In whose place succeeded his yoongest sonne Emanuel Alexius and Andronicus his two elder sonnes being both dead at his setting foorth vnto this so vnhappie an expedition It fortuned about this time also the kingdome of IERVSALEM being now at peace that Fulke the king with the queene his wife lying at the citie of PTOLEMAIS in the time of Autumne it pleased the queene for her disport to walke out of the citie vnto certaine pleasant fountaines thereby in the countrey for whose companie the king would needs go also with certaine of his courtiers where by the way it chanced that certaine boyes running along the field put vp an hare that was sitting in a furrow after which all the courtiers on horsebacke galloped a maine with notable outcrie and hallowing Amongst the rest the king to be partaker of the sport forcing his horse to the vttermost of his power in the midst of his course fell together with his horse foundring vnder him and in falling chanced to fall with his head vnder the horse with whose waight and the hardnesse of his saddle he was so crushed that the braines came out both at his nose and eares In this pitifull case being taken vp for dead and with great heauinesse carried backe he yet breathing lay speechlesse three daies and so died the thirteenth of Nouember in the yeere of Grace 1142. His dead bodie afterwards brought to IERVSALEM was there with great magnificence and the generall lamentation of all his subjects buried with the other kings his predecessours Now had the late king left behind him two sonnes Baldwyn about the age of thirteene yeeres and Almerike about the age of seuen Of the elder of these two the Christian princes made choice who by the name of Baldwyn the third was together with Melesinda his mother partner with him in the kingdome vpon Christenmas day with great solemnitie crowned king of HIERUSALEM in the yeere 1142. About which time Sanguin the Turke taking hold of the discord betwixt Raymund prince of ANTIOCH and Ioscelin countie of EDESSA came and with a great power besieged EDESSA the countie being at the same time absent And did so much that at length he tooke the citie by vndermining of it where the bloodie Turke exercised all manner of crueltie vpon the poore Christians in the citie By the losse of this famous citie so large a territorie fell againe into the hands of the Turkes as that three archbishopricks were therby drawne from the church of ANTIOCH The Turke encouraged with this victorie straightwaies after besieged COLOGENBAR another strong towne of the Christians where one night drinking liberally with his friends he was by one of them in his drunkennesse stabbed and so slaine and the siege raised In whose stead Noradin his sonne succeeded Baldwyn in the first yeere of his raigne recouered from the Turkes the castle of SOBAL a strong hold beyond IORDAN which hee notably fortefied for the defence of that side of his kingdome against the incursions of the Turks But the next yeere vndertaking an expedition against the king of DAMASCO he was by Noradin the Turke the kings sonne in law so hardly beset in his returne as that it was accounted a thing miraculous how he with his armie escaped his hands The report of the losse of EDESSA with the miseries there endured by the Christians being bruted through all parts of Christendome greatly mooued the Christian princes of the West Whom Eugenius the third then bishop of Rome ceased not both by himselfe and by his Legates to stirre vp to take that sacred warre in hand And therein wrought so effectually that almost in everie prouince of Christendome preparation was made for the reliefe of the distressed Christians in SYRIA Of all others Conrade the third then emperour of GERMANIE was most forward who aided by the Germane princes and others with an incredible number of voluntarie men out of all parts of Christendome had raised a most puissant armie and therewith set forward on this sacred expedition Of this his deuout purpose he had before certefied Emanuell the Greeke emperour through whose countries hee was to passe crauing that hee might by his good fauour so doe and for his money to be relieued with victuals and other such things as hee should haue need of for himselfe or his people promising in most quiet and peaceable manner to passe without any harme doing vnto his territories or subjects All which the Greeke emperour commending his zeale seemed in most large tearmes willingly to condiscend vnto Neuerthelesse he inwardly repined thereat wishing indeed no better successe vnto the Christians in this so honourable an expedition than did the infidels themselues as by the sequell of his doings well appeared For Conrade with his populous armie indeed a terrour vnto the Greekes entring into the frontiers of the Constantinopolitane empire found all things in shew friendly for why Emanuell had before giuen out strait command that good store of victuals and all other necessaries should be readie at all places to be sold as the armie was to passe but they were not farre come into the countrey but that in the taile of the armie still followed certaine strong companies of the Greeks to keepe the souldiors from stragling from their ensignes roming about in the countrey now and then cutting them short as they tooke them at aduantage And still the further that they trauelled the more it was to be seene in the countenances of the discontented Greekes how vnwelcome guests they were Yet still on they went through the countries of their dissembling friends little differing from open enemies vntill they came to PHILIPPOPOLIS in departing from whence such contention rise betweene them that were in the rereward of the armie and the Greekes that followed them that it was like to haue come to plaine battell had not those broiles by the discretion of some of the wiser sort been in good time appeased So marching on they came to ADRIANOPLE in a few daies after to the plaine called CHEROBACHI through which the riuer MELAS hath his course which in Summer being almost drie in Winter or any other great downefall of water right suddenly ouerfloweth his bankes and so drowneth the whole countrey that then it seemeth no more a riuer but a sea and swelling with the wind is not to be passed ouer but by great boats This riuer then suddenly rising by night by reason of the great raine that then fell in such abundance as if the flood-gates of heauen had ben opened so ouerflowed the place wherein the armie lay encamped vpon the side thereof that with the violence of the water were carried away not onely manie weapons saddles garments such other the souldiors necessaries but euen the horses and mules with their burdens yea and great numbers of armed men themselues also a most miserable and lamentable thing to behold Many
it were in triumph led through the market place his bald head all bare as if it had beene a dead mans scull taken out of a charnell house in a short old coat so miserable a spectacle as might haue expressed a fountaine of teares out of the eyes of a right hard hearted man But the bedlem and most insolent cittizens especially they of the baser sort as cookes coblers curriours and such like flocking about him like bees without regard that he had but the other day worne vpon his head the imperiall crowne then honoured by them as a god and extolled vnto the heauens that they had not long before solemnely sworne vnto him obedience and loyaltie ran now as men out of their wits omitting no kind of villanie they could deuise to doe vnto him Some thrust nailes into his head some cast durt in his face some the dung both of men and beasts some prickt him in the sides with spits some cast stones at him as at a mad dog and othersome opprobrious and despightfull words no lesse grieuous vnto him than the rest Amongst others an impudent drab comming out of the kitchin cast a pot full of scalding water in his face And in briefe their outrage so exceeded as if they had striuen among themselues who should do him the greatest villanie Hauing thus shamefully as in a ridiculous triumph brought him into the theatre they there betwixt two pillars hanged him vp by the heeles where hauing suffred all these despightfull indignities with many moe not without offence to be named he with an inuincible courage yet still held his patience not giuing one euill word but sometimes saying Lord haue mercie vpon me and otherwhiles Why doe you breake a brused reed yet the furious people nothing mooued with the calamitie of so great a man of all others now the most miserable stripped him of his bad clothes as he hung and cut off his priuities One among the rest to make an end of him thrust his sword in at his throat vp to the twist as he hung other two with their long swords prooued their strength who could strike farthest into his buttockes Thus miserably perished this famous emperour after he had raigned two yeeres That which was left of his bodie for many had carried away some peeces thereof being taken down from the place where he hung was cast into a base vault in the theatre where it for a space lay as the lothsome carkasse of some wild beast and the miserable spectacle of mans fragillitie for Isaack the emperour would not suffer it to be buried Howbeit afterwards the furie of the people ouerpassed it was by some more charitable men remooued thence and laid in a low vault neere vnto the monasterie of the Ephori which as Nicetas Choniates author of this historie speaking of the time wherin he liued sayth is yet there vndissolued to be seene He was a man most honourably descended of stature tall and well proportioned in his countenance sat a certaine reuerend majestie adorned with such notable vertues as might haue made him worthely to haue been compared vnto the greatest emperors of his stock and familie had he not obscured the same with too much ambition and crueltie whereof the one caused him to lead the greatest part of his life in prison or exile the other brought him vnto such a most shamefull end Isaack Angelus his successour by the fauour of the people thus exalted vnto the empire at the first gouerned the same with great lenitie and moderation as if he had altogether abhorred from the effusion of his subjects blood But afterwards not a little troubled both with forraine enemies and domesticall rebellion besieged in the imperiall citie by such of the nobilitie as thought themselues no lesse worthie of the empire than himselfe for repressing of which insolencies and the assuring of his state he became so seuere in chastising the offenders and such others as he had in distrust that he was counted of most men not inferiour in crueltie to Andronicus his predecessor few daies passing without the condemnation or execution of one great man or other besides them of the meaner sort of whom he seemed to make no great reckoning whereby he in few yeeres lost the loue and fauour of his subjects who before had him in great honour and became vnto them no lesse odious than was before Andronicus Vpon which generall dislike of the people his ingratefull younger brother Alexius by him before for a great summe of money redeemed from the Turks tooke occasion to rise vp against him and by the fauour of the souldiors depriued him together both of the empire and his sight and hauing put out his eyes thrust him into a Monasterie there to liue as it were out of the world as a man condemned to perpetuall darknesse after he had raigned nine yeeres and eight moneths being not yet full fortie yeares old Whether it were the reuenging hand of God for the hard measure vsed to Andronicus or not I leaue it to the wiser to consider who in his deepe prouidence wherewith hee best gouerneth all things would haue a moderation vsed in punishment of our most capitall enemies as hauing alwaies before our eyes the slipperie state of power and authoritie that as all worldly things are subject to change so by the just judgement of God it ofteÌ„times falleth out that what hurt we do vnto others the same we may receiue againe from others In these so great and strange mutations of the Constantinopolitane empire which I haue somwhat more at large prosecuted not so much for the noueltie of the matter although it were right strange as for that out of the losses and ruine thereof the greatnesse of the Turkes for the most part grew Clizasthlan Sultan of ICONIVM after the death of the emperour Emanuell found meanes to take from the empire diuers strong townes and castles in the lesser ASIA together with a great part of the countrey of PHRIGIA Alexius Andronicus and Isaack the succeeding emperours troubled with dangers neerer home hauing nothing to oppose against him but faire intreatie and rich present so redeeming for a while an vnsure peace with no lesse charge in short time to be renewed againe This great victorious Sultan for so he may of right be called holding in his subjection a great part of the lesser ASIA now a man of great yeeres dying left behind him foure sonnes Masut Coppatine Reueratine and Caichosroes all men growne Amongst whom he deuided his kingdome Vnto Masut he bequeathed AMASIA ANCYRA DORYLEVM with diuers other pleasant cities of PONTVS vnto Coppâ—â—ne he assigned MELYTENE CESAREA and the colonie now called TAXARA vnto Reucratine he allotted AMINSVM DOCEA with some other cities vpon the sea coast but vnto Caichosroes he left ICONIVM his regall seat and with it LYCAONIA PAMPHILIA and all the countries thereabouts as far as COTTIANYVM Of these foure Coppatine long liued not
after his father for whose inheritance Reucratine prince of DOCEA and Masut prince of ANCYRA his two brethren fell at variance and so at last into open war But Masut finding himselfe too weake for his warlike brother Reucratine yeelded vnto him the territories which he saw he must needs forgo and glad now to keepe his owne so made peace with him Reucratine being a man of an ambitious and haughtie spirit with his forces thus doubled denounced war vnto his brother Caichosroes who doubting his owne strength fled vnto the emperour Alexius Angelus for aid as had his father done before him vnto the emperour Manuel although not with like good fortune For the emperour but of late hauing obtained the empire by the deposing of his brother and altogether giuen to pleasure reputing also those domesticall warres of the Turkes some part of his owne safetie sent him home without comfort as one strong enough of himselfe to defend his owne quarrell against his brother Howbeit he was scarcely come to ICONIUM but that he was by Rucratine expulsed thence and driuen to flie into ARMENIA where he was by Lebune king of that country a Turke also honourably receiued and courteously vsed but yet denied of the aid he requested the king pretending that he was alreadie in league with Reucratine and therefore could not or as some thought fearing the dangerousnesse of the matter would not intermeddle therein Wherewith the poore Sultan vtterly discouraged returned againe to CONSTANTINOPLE and there in poore estate as a man forlorne passed out the rest of his daies Now hauing thus passed through the Turkish affaires in the lesser ASIA together with the troubled estate of the Constantinopolitan empire no small cause of the Turks greatnesse the course of time calleth vs backe againe before wee passe any further to remember their proceedings also at the same time and shortly after in SIRIA IVDEA AEGYPT and those more Southerly countries where these restlesse people ceased not by all meanes to enlarge their empire vntill they had brought all those great kingdomes vnder their obeisance After the death of Baldwin king of HIERUSALEM of whom we haue before spoken Almericus his yoonger brother earle of IOPPA and ASCALON being then about seuen and twentie yeeres old was by the better good liking of the cleargie and people than of the nobilitie elected king not for that there wanted in him any good parts woorthie of a kingdome but for that some of them enuied vnto him so great an honour Neuerthelesse he was as we said by the generall consent of the people elected proclaimed and by Almericus the Patriarch with all solemnitie crowned the seuenteenth day of Februarie in the yeare of Grace 1163. To begin whose troubled raigne the Aegyptians first of all denied to pay vnto him their woonted tribute In reuenge whereof he in person himselfe with a puissant armie entred into AEGYPT and meeting with Dargan the Sultan ouerthrew him in plaine battell and put him to flight who to stay the further pursuit and passage of the Christians cut the bankes of the riuer NILUS and so drowned the countrey that the king was glad to content himselfe with the victorie he had alreadie gotten and so to returne to HIERUSALEM The next yeere Almericus was againe drawn downe with his power into AEGYPT by Dargan the Sultan to aid him against Saracon whom Noradin the Turke king of DAMASCO had sent as generall with an armie to restore Sanar the Sultan before expulsed and to depose Dargan In which expedition Dargan being slaine and Saracon hauing woon certaine townes kept them to himselfe Sanar doubtfull of his good meaning joyned his forces with Almericus and by his helpe expulsed Saracon out of AEGYPT But whilest Almericus was thus busied in AEGYPT Noradin the Turke making an inroad into the frontiers of the Christians neere vnto TRIPOLIS was by Gilbert Lacy master of the Templars in those quarters and the other Christians when he least feared so suddenly set vpon that he had much adoe by flight to saue himselfe halfe naked for hast most of his followers being at the same time slaine In reuenge of which disgrace he not long after with a greater power came and besieged ARETHUSA For reliefe whereof Bohemund prince of ANTIOCH Raymund the yoonger earle of TRIPOLIS Calaman gouernour of CILICIA and Toros prince of ARMENIA came with their power Of whose comming the Turke hearing raised his siege and departed After whom these Christian princes eagerly following were by the Turks shut vp in certaine deepe and rotten fennes whâ—â—einto they had vnaduisedly too far entred and there with a great slaughter ouerthrown In which conflict all the chiefe commanders of the armie were taken except the prince of ARMENIA who forecasting the danger had retired after he had in vaine dissuaded the rest from the further pursuit of the flying enemie The prince of ANTIOCH there taken was about a yeare after for a great summe of money redeemed but the countie of TRIPOLIS was after eight yeares strait captiuitie hardly deliuered Noradin after this victorie returning againe to the siege of ARETHUSA in few daies woon the towne and encouraged with so good successe and the absence of the king laid siege to the citie of PANEADE which was also deliuered vnto him vpon condition that the citizens might at their pleasure in safetie depart At the same time Saracon generall of Noradin his forces tooke from the Christians two castels the one in the countrey of SIDON the other beyond IORDAN vpon the borders of ARABIA both in the custodie of the Templars twelue of whom the king at his returne hanged vp for treason Shortly after Saracon king Noradin his great man of war with all the power of the Turkes came downe againe into AEGYPT with purpose to haue fully subdued all that notable kingdome vnto his lord and master Of whose power Sanar the Sultan standing in dread praied aid of Almericus promising vnto him beside his yearely tribute the summe of fortie thousand ducats for his paines The matter fully agreed vpon and all things now in readinesse Almericus set forward with his armie and encountring with Saracon and his Turks at the riuer NILVS ouerthrew him in a great battell yet not without some losse for the Turks in their flight lighting vpon the kings carriages with the whole baggage of the armie and ouerrunning them that had the charge thereof caried away with them a most rich prey whereby it came to passe that as the Christians had the victorie so the Turkes enjoyed the spoile Saracon after this ouerthrow hauing againe gathered together his dispersed souldiers tooke his way to ALEXANDRIA where he was by the citizens receiued after whom the king following gaue no attempt vnto the citie for that he knew to be but vaine but encamped close by the side of the riuer NILVS from whence the citie was chiefly to be victualed Whose purpose Saracon perceiuing and betime foreseeing the distresse of his whole armie
inuaded by Almericus they praid aid of Noradin the Turke Sultan of DAMASCO who vnto their reliefe sending Saracon with an armie repulsed indeed the Christians but oppressing their libertie tooke vnto himselfe the kingdome which he left vnto his nephew Saladine in whose posteritie it remained vntill it was from them againe taken by the Circassian slaues the Mamalukes vnder whose seruile gouernment it was holden of long time vntill that by the great emperor of the Turkes Selymus the first it was againe conquered and the Mamalukes vtterly destroied In the gouernment of whose posteritie the mightie emperors of the Turks it hath euer since remained as part of their empire vntill this day as in the processe of this historie God willing shall appeare Saladin thus possessed of the great kingdome of AEGYPT and all things set in such order as he thought best for the newnesse of his state with a great armie entred into the land of PALESTINE in the yeare 1170 and there besieged DARON which towne he woon and ouerthrew such as were sent by king Almericus to haue relieued the same with which small victorie contenting himselfe as with the good beginning of his rising fortune he returned backe againe into his kingdome Yet was his armie so great and populous as that the like armie of the Turkes had neuer before beene seene in the Holy land Wherefore Almericus considering in what great danger he stood his kingdome now being on both sides beset by the Turks sent out his embassadours vnto the Christian princes of the West to craue their aid for the defence of that kingdome which their fathers had woon And for the same purpose went himselfe in person vnto the emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE of whom he was royally entertained and afterwards sent backe loaded with the promises of great matters as were also his embassadours from the princes of the West All which for all that sorted vnto nothing but vanished into smoake The yeare following viz. 1171 Saladin besieged PETREA the metropoliticall citie of ARABIA but hearing that Almericus with a great power was comming to the reliefe thereof hee raised his siege and retired As he did also the next yeare after hauing in vaine attempted the strong castle of MONT-ROYALL on the further side of IORDAN In like manner also the third yeare he came againe into the Holy land and spoiled the countrey beyond IORDAN but hearing of the kings comming against him he foorthwith returned againe into AEGYPT All these light expeditions this politike prince made not so much for hope of victorie or to prooue his enemies strength as to traine his souldiers especially the effeminat Aegyptians and to make them sitter to serue him in his greater designes Shortly after died Noradin Sultan of DAMASCO and in his time a most notable champion of the Turks after he had raigned nine and twentie yeares Vpon whose death Almericus foorthwith besieged the citie of PANEADE in hope to haue againe recouered the same but he was by the widow of the late dead Sultan for a great summe of money and the deliuerie of certaine noble prisoners intreated to raise his siege and depart So hauing sent away his armie and trauelling with his ordinarie retinue to TIBERIAS where hee had the summer before beene sicke of the flix feeling himselfe not well he returned on horsebacke by NAZARETH and NEAPOLIS to HIERUSALEM where his old disease increasing vpon him he was also taken with a feuer wherewith after he had beene some few daies grieuously tormented hee requested his physitians with some gentle potion to loose his belly which was now somewhat staied which they refusing to do he commaunded the potion to be giuen him vpon his owne perill hap thereon what hap should which being giuen him and his belly againe loosed he seemed therewith to haue been at the first well eased but his woonted feauer with great vehemencie returning before his weake spent bodie could be with conuenient meats refreshed he suddenly died the tenth of Iuly in the yeare 1173 when he had raigned about ten yeares His dead bodie was with the great lamentation of all his subjects solemnly buried by his brothers Hee was a most wise prince and withall right valiant amongst many most fit for the gouernment and defence of that troublesome kingdome so hardly beset with the infidels if it had pleased God to haue giuen him longer life Foure daies after the death of Almericus was Baldwin his sonne then a youth about thirteene yeares old by the generall consent of the nobilitie chosen king and by Almericus the Patriarch in the temple with great solemnitie crowned in the yeare 1173 vnto whom as not yet by reason of his tender age fit himselfe to mannage the waightie affaires of the kingdome Raymund countie of TRIPOLIS was by the whole consent of the nobilitie appointed tutor to supply what was wanting in the yoong king Noradin Sultan of DAMASCO dead as is aforesaid left behind him Melechsala his sonne yet but a youth to succeed him in his kingdome Whose gouernment the nobilitie disdaining sent secretly for Saladin Sultan of Aegypt vnto whom at his comming they betrayed the citie of DAMASCO the regall seat of the Turkes in SYRIA Whereof Saladin possessed and entring into CELESIRIA without resistance tooke HELIOPOLIS EMISSA with the great citie of CESAREA and in fine all the whole kingdome of DAMASCO the citie of ARâ—THUSA onely excepted But thus to suffer Melechsala the young prince to be wronged and the kingdome of DAMASCO to be joyned vnto the kingdome of Aegypt was of the wiser sort thought not to stand with the safetie of the kingdome of HIERUSALEM lying in the middle betwixt them both Wherefore the countie of TRIPOLIS gouernour of that kingdome made out certaine forces to haue hindred his proceeding At which time also Cotobed prince of PARTHIA and Melechsalas vncle sent certaine troupes of Parthian horsemen to haue aided his distressed nephew who were by Saladin ouerthrowne and almost all slaine neere vnto ALEPPO where Melechsala lay As for the countie of TRIPOLIS and the other Christian princes with whom Saladin in the newnesse of his kingdome had no desire to fall out he appeased them with faire intreatie and rewards vnto the countie hee sent freely the hostages which yet lay for his ransome at EMISSA vnto the other princes he sent rich presents and therewith so contented them all that they returned without any thing doing against him After which time three or foure yeareâ— passed in great quietnesse to the great strengthening of him in those his new gotten kingdomes At length vpon the comming ouer of Philip earle of FLANDERS the Christian princes in SYRIA encouraged consulted of an expedition to be made into AEGIPT whereof Saladin hauing intelligence drew downe into that countrey the greatest part of his strength But Philip disliking of that expedition and the rather for that he saw no great cheerefulnesse in the countie of TRIPOLIS and the rest thereunto they
with one consent changed their purpose for AEGIPT and turning their forces quite contrarie way miserably and without resistance wasted the countrey about EMISSA and CESARIA Whilest the Christians were thus busied in CALOSIRIA Saladin on the other side tooke occasion out of AEGIPT to inuade the kingdome of HIERUSALEM of whose comming king Baldwin hauing intelligence with such small forces as he had left hasted himselfe to ASCALON In the meane time Saladin with a great armie was entred into the holy land where burning the countrey before him and raging in the blood of the poore Christians hee came and encamped not farre from ASCALON and strucke such a feare vpon the whole countrey that they which dwelt in HIERUSALEM were about to haue forsaken the citie As for the king himselfe he lay close within the citie of ASCALON not daring to aduenture vpon so strong an enemie Wherwith Saladin encouraged and out of feare of his enemies dispersed his armie some one way some another to forrage the countrey Which the king perceiuing secretly with all his power issued out of the citie if happily so he might ouertake the Sultan vnawares Neither was he deceiued in his expectation for comming suddainly vpon him and secretly charging him he had with him for a good space an hard and doubtfull battell vntill that the victorie by the power of God at length enclining to the Christians Saladin with his Turkes fled ouerthrown with a great slaughter most part of his great armie being either there slaine or lost afterward with hunger and cold This victorie fell vnto the Christians the 25 day of Nouember in the yeare 1177 not without the mightie hand of God the Turke hauing in his armie about six and twentie thousand horsemen and the king not past foure hundred horse with some few footmen After which victorie Baldwin in great triumph returned to HIERUSALEM and there shortly after with great care and diligence repaired the decayed wals of the citie Saladin in reuenge of this ouerthrow made diuerse incursions into the frontiers of the Christians and did great harme especially in the countrey about SIDON For the repressing whereof the king put himselfe in armes and going against him ouerthrew part of his armie as they were carrying away a great bootie Of which ouerthrow Saladin vnderstanding came in such hast with the rest of his armie as if it had been a suddaine tempest vpon the Christians then in great securitie deuiding the spoile of whom they slew a great number and put the rest to flight In which so suddaine a confusion Otto grand master of the Templars and Hugh the eale of TRIPOLIS his sonne in law were both taken prisoners The earle himselfe with a few fled to TYRE the king also at the same time was glad to shift for himselfe and by flight to saue himselfe as he might After which victorie Saladin besieged a strong castle which the king but the yeare before had built vpon the banke of the riuer of IORDAN and giuen it to the Templars with the countrey round about which castle Saladin tooke by force and put to sword all that were therein except some few whom he carried away prisoners By this victorie Saladin became dreadfull vnto the Christians in SYRIA which caused them especially such as had any charge with more vigilancie to looke about them Yet shortly after a peace was for a time concluded betwixt the Sultan and the king whereby their troubled estates breathed themselues almost the space of two yeares But this so welcome a calme was by domesticall troubles againe by the kings friends suddenly troubled For the countie of TRIPOLIS to whom the gouernment of the kingdome was committed comming towards HIERUSALEM being by the suggestion of his enemies brought into suspition with the king as if he had affected the kingdome was to his great disgrace by the way commanded to stay The cheefe authors of which discontentment were the kings mother a woman of a turbulent nature and her brother the kings steward who in the absence of the earle had wrought the kings sicke mind according to their owne appetites But the rest of the nobilitie wisely foreseeing vnto what great danger that discord might tend in despight of them with much labour caused him to be sent for againe and so reconciled vnto the king By which meanes that dangerous fire of dissention was for that time appeased which afterwards brake out againe to the vtter ruine of that kingdome Saladin now wearie of the league he had before made with king Baldwin as no longer standing with his hautie designes renounced the same and raising a great power in AEGIPT set forward toward DAMASCO Of whose comming king Baldwin hauing knowledge with the whole power of his kingdome went to haue met him not farre from the dead Sea and there encamped at an old towne called PETRA But Saladin turning out of the way into the kings territorie came and encamped before MOUNT-ROIALL a castle which Baldwin had giuen vnto the Templars about three daies march from the place where the king lay There Saladin with the spoile of the countrey refreshing his armie now wearie of long trauell set forward againe and so without resistance arriued with his armie at DAMASO At the same time the Turks captaines about DAMASCO BOSTRUM and EMISSA perceiuing the frontiers of the Christians thereabout to be kept but with small strength passed ouer IORDAN and spoiling a great part of GALILEY besieged the castle of BURY at the foot of mount TABOR not farre from the citie of NAIM which castle they in few dayes tooke and hauing there made a great slaughter carried away with them about fiue hundred prisoners Saladin being come to DAMASCO called together all the garrisons of that kingdome and joyning them vnto the forces he brought out of AEGYPT entred into the Holy land at which time the countie of TRIPOLIS gouernour of the kingdome lay sicke of a burning feauer Neuerthelesse the king encouraged by the knights of the order went out with his armie against him and encountring with him neere vnto a village called FROBOLET ouerthrew him in a great battell wherein and afterward in the flight most part of the Sultans armie perished Saladin himselfe being glad by speedie flight to escape the danger and so by long marches to get him againe to DAMASCO In reuenge of this ouerthrow Saladin hauing repaired his armie and sent for his fleet out of AEGIPT came and besieged BERYTVS both by sea and land at which time also his brother whom he had left gouernour in AEGIPT besieged DARVM a strong towne in the vttermost bounds of the kingdome of HIERUSALEM towards AEGIPT Both whose forces Baldwin being not able at once to represse by the counsell of his nobilitie thought it best first to relieue BERYTVS as the place of greater importance And for that purpose set forward with his armie by land hauing also rigged vp three and thirtie gallies at TYRE for
hands as of his dread soueraigne and after so long discord to sue to be reconciled vnto him as now wearie of the Turkes amitie with whom he should make shew to be vtterly fallen out At which time also to giue the matter the better grace Saladin of purpose with a great armie came and besieged TIBERIAS a citie of the counties jurisdiction for the reliefe whereof the traiterous countie craued aid of the king and the other princes of the sacred warre Who with an armie though not great yet very well appointed came according to his desire encamped neere vnto the fountaine of SOPHOR where they had not long stayed but that they met with the huge armie of the Turkes being in number one hundred and twentie thousand horse and one hundred and sixtie thousand foot with whome they joyned a most sharpe and terrible battell which by reason of the extremitie of the heat of the weather it then beeing the twelfth of Iuly and the approch of the night was againe giuen ouer both armies as if it had been by consent retiring The next day the battell was againe begun wherein the Turkes by the treason and shamefull flight of the false countie of TRIPOLIS gained the victorie In this battell Guy the king himselfe with Gerard master of the Templars Boniface marquesse of MONT-FERRAT and diuers others men of great marke were taken prisoners And to say the truth in this battell was broken the whole strength of the Christians in the East The Christian commonweale by the treason of the false countie thus betrayed vnto the Infidels Saladin without any great resistance had the cities of PTOLEMAIS BIâ—LIS and BERITHVS deliuered vnto him in all which places he vsed his victorie with great moderation not enforsing any Christian more than the Latines to depart thence but suffering them there still to remaine as before yeelding vnto him their obedience with such tribute as he had imposed vpon them With like good fortune he within the space of one moneth tooke all the port townes betwixt SIDON and ASCALON alongst the sea coast excepting only the auncient citie of TYRE vnto the citie of ASCALON also he laid siege by the space of nine daies but loath to stay the course of his victorie by the valour of the defendants resolued there to spend their liues hee departed thence and marched directly vnto HIERUSALEM the chiefe citie of that kingdome And approching the same gaue summons thereunto persuading the citizens yet whiles they had time to yeeld themselues together with the citie vnto his mercie Which they refusing to doe he inclosed the same with his armie and by the space of foureteene dayes laid hard siege vnto