to bee heard of But these good parts were in him obscured with most horrible and notorious vices for why he was altogether irreligious and of all others most perâ—idious ambitious aboue measure and in nothing more delighted than in blood insomuch that it is probably gathered that hee was in his time the death of eight hundred thousand men craft couetousnesse and dissimulation were in him accounted for tollerable faults in comparison of his greater vices In his loue was no assurance and his least displeasure was death so that hee liued feared of all men and died lamented of none He had issue three sonnes Mustapha dead before him as is before declared Baiazet and Gemes or rather Zemes of some called Zizimus competitor of the empire with his elder brother whom hee exceedingly troubled in the beginning of his raigne so that he could not well attend any other thing but him which oportunitie by God himselfe no doubt offered for the safegard of ITALIE Alphonsus duke of CALABRIA king Ferdinand his eldest son taking hold vpon with all the power he could make in ITALIE besieged the Turks in OTRANTO with whom he had many sharpe skirmishes wherein he lost diuers of his great captaines and commaunders as the countie Iulio de Aquaiua Loys de Capua and the countie Iulio de Pisa with others and was still by the strong garrison of the Turks put to the worse vntill such time as being strengthened with aid out of SPAINE and PORTINGALE but especially with certaine companies of most valiant souldiours sent from Matthias Coruinus out of HVNGARIE whose forces the Turks most feared he began to cut them short and straitly besieged the citie both by sea and land vntill at length the besieged Turkes hearing of the death of their great emperour and now hardly pressed with the dangers of a strait siege no longer expecting the returne of Achmetes their Generall then readie to haue come to their rescue with fiue and twentie thousand soldiors yeelded vp the citie vnto the duke vpon composition before made That they might with bag and baggage in safetie depart thence which they did after they had to the great terror of all ITALIE holden that strong citie by the space of a yeare And so was that rich countrey rather by the mercie of God in taking away the great tyrant preserued than by the strength or policie of the inhabitants which was then in great danger to haue for euer giuen place vnto the power of the great tyrant had he longer liued yea and after his death to the power of Baiazet his sonne had he not by domesticall troubles been enforced to turne himselfe another way and as it were to neglect in time to releeue his distressed garrison in OTRANTO as shall hereafter be declared FINIS Christian princes of the same time with Mahomet the Great Emperours Of the East Constantinus Palaeologus last Christian emperor of Constantinople 1444. 8. Of the West Frederick the third Archduke of Austria 1440. 54. Kings Of England Henrie the sixt 1422. 39. Edward the fourth 1460. 22. Of Fraunce Charles the seuenth 1423. 38. Lewis the eleuenth 1461. 22. Of Scotland Iames the second 1437. 24. Iames the third 1460. 29. Bishops of Rome Nicholas the V. 1437. 8. Calixtus the III. 1455. 3. Pius the II. 1458. 6. Paulus the II. 1464. 7. Xystus the IIII. 1471. 13. BAIAZET BAIASETHES II TVRCARVM IMPERATOR SECUNDUS FLORVIT AN o 1481 Arma manu quatiunt fratres hostilia regnum Hinc Baiazethes Zizimus inde petit Baizethes rerum potitur Rhodon inde Quiritum Zizimus extrema moenia sorte petit Sustinet bello varias pace procellas Baizethes foelix miser inter opes Iam senio tremulus fert bella domestica regno Agnato eiectus dira venena bibit Like earthborne brethren Baiazet and Zizimus in armes Seeke for the Turkish empire great the one by th' others harmes Vntill that Baiazet preuail'd and Zizimus was faine To flie to RHODES from thence to ROME whereas he caught his baine Great stormes endured Baiazet in peace and bloudie broiles A man both happie and accurst amongst his richest spoiles But now forworne with trembling age and ciuile discord new Thrust from his empire by his sonne died poisoned by a Iew. THE LIFE OF BAIAZET SECOND OF THAT NAME AND SECOND EMPEROVR OF THE TVRKES VPon the death of Mahomet the late emperour great troubles began to arise about the succession in the Turkish empire some of the Bassaes and great captaines seeking to place Baiazet the eldest sonne of Mahomet in the empire and others with no lesse deuotion labouring to preferre Zemes or Gemes otherwise called Zizimus Baiazet his younger brother By occasion whereof there arose two great and mightie factions which in few daies grew to such heat that manie great tumults and hoat skirmishes were made in diuers places of the imperiall cittie betwixt the fauourites of both factions and great slaughter committed In these broiles the prowd Ianizaries for an old grudge slew Mahomethes one of the foure great Bassaes a man by whose graue counsell most of the waightie affaires of the Turkish empire had beene managed during the raigne of the late emperour And proceeding farther in their accustomed insolencie spoiled all the Christians and Iewes which dwelt amongst them of all their wealth and substance at which time the rich merchants and citizens of CONSTANTINOPLE which were naturall Turkes themselues escaped not their rauening hands but became vnto them a prey and spoile also The other three Bassaes of the court Isaack Mesithes and Achmetes lately returned from the winning of HYDRVNTVM in ITAâ—IE although they secretly maligned and enuied one at the greatnesse of an other yet to appease these so dangerous troubles and to assure their owne estates joyned hands togither and by their great authoritie and multitude of followers and fauourites found meanes that Corcutus one of the younger sonnes of Baiazet a young prince of eighteene yeares old was as it were by generall consent of the nobilitie and souldiours saluted emperour and with great triumph and solemnitie placed in the imperiall seat In whose name the aforesaid Bassaes at their pleasure disposed of all things little or nothing regarding either Baiazet or Zemes then both absent the one at AMASIA and the other at ICONIVM in LYCAONIA for the jealous Turkish kings neuer suffer their sonnes to liue in court neere vnto them after they be growne to yeares of discretion but send them to gouerne their prouinces farre off where they are also vnder the commaund of the emperours lieutenants generall in ASIA or EVRORE and may not depart from their charge without great danger not so much as to visit their father without his expresse leaue and commandement So jealous are those tyrants yea euen of their owne sonnes Baiazet and Zemes hearing of the death of their father and of the troubles in the imperiall citie hasted thitherward with all speed where Baiazet being the
sake oftentimes resorted but especially vnto the captaine of IN-VNOI for that he knew himselfe to be of him well beloued and therefore vnto him very welcome So it fortuned vpon a time that as Othoman being yet but yoong was going to make merry with the gouernor of ESKI-CHISAR a castle about foure and twentie miles off called of the Greekes Palaeoâ—astron by the way as he went at a place called ITBURNE a towne in PHRIGIA chaunced there to see and afterwards to fall in liking of a faire maiden called Malhatun vnto whom his affection daily increasing he without his fathers knowledge sent a secret friend of his to intreat with her of marriage Who after long discourse to her made concerning Othomans affection and request gaue him answere That betwixt Othoman and her was great inequalitie a thing especially to be regarded eschued of such as wished to liue an happie life in wedlocke bands she was as she said but meanly borne and therefore was not to expect so great a match whereas he could not want choice of other maidens of more worth and in all respects more answerable vnto himselfe But amongst other causes why she gaue him this answere one was for that some that wished her well had put inâ—o her head that Othoman menâ— not indeed to marry her but vnder that colour to obtaine of her some few dayes pleasure and so hauing dishonoured her afterward againe to cast her off which was indeed far from his thought for he the more enflamed with her modest deniall the more desired her for his wife In the meane time Othoman going againe vnto the gouernor of ESKI-CHISAR and courteously by him entertained chanced as it oftentimes doth amongst familiar friends in their merriments to fall in speech of his loue with greater affection than discretion commending her beautie her feature and gracious perfections not dissembling also to her greater praise the repulse by him receiued at her hands Which the gouernor hearing seemed greatly to like of his choice saying That she was by the diuine prouidence for so the Turks religiously vse to speake appointed only for him to haue But in the meane time secretly inflamed with the immoderat commendations of Othoman without respect of friendship he began to grow amorous of her himselfe whom he had neuer seene so light is that foolish affection and that so far as that being otherwise a man of good discretion he was not able to conceale or couer these new conceiued flames but that Othoman by certaine conjectures and tokens perceiued the same And yet dissembling the matter as if he had suspected nothing being risen from the banquet calling vnto him one of his trustie seruants secretly sent him away vnto certaine of the maidens friends willing them in his name as they tendred her honour without delay to send her away vnto some safe place farther off for feare she were not ere long taken from them by a great man more amorous of her person than respectuous of her honour And by and by after taking his leaue of his vnfaithfull friend and bidding him farwell tooke his way vnto the captaine of IN-VNGI whom he knew to be his deare friend But whilest he there stayed certaine dayes passing the time in hawking hunting and other youthfull disports with the captaine his friend the gouernour of ESKI-CHISAR who commaunded all the countrey thereabout called Sultan-Vngâ— sent one of his â—rustie seruants to Iâ—URNE to see faire Malhatun and how all things there went Who comming thither and vnderstanding of her secret departure and that by the aduertisement from Othoman she was conueyed to certaine of her friends a farre off at his returne from point to point certefied his master thereof Who exceedingly grieued with the report and freâ—ting aboue measure to see himselfe so deluded by Othoman presently sent vnto the captaine of IN-VNGI being within his jurisdiction to commaund him without delay to deliuer Othoman vnto him But he louing of him well as a faithfull man vnto his friend could with no threats or intreatie be persuaded so to doe Wherefore the gouernour in a great rage presently raising the greatest power he was able to make came to the castle of IN-VNGI requiring to haue Othoman foorthwith deliuered vnto him Where among the souldiors there in garrison with the captain began to arise diuers opinions some wishing for the auerting of the present danger for which they were now vnprouided to haue him deliuered and othersome abhorring so trecherous a fact willing rather to indure all extremities In the end after much consultation honestie preuailed it was generally resolued That he should be defended who could not without their great infamie be deliuered But Othoman terrified with that diuersitie of opinions which had euen at the first shewed it selfe and thinking it not for his safetie to commit himselfe vnto the trust of such wauering men entred into a deepe conceit of a matter of great aduenture which was by a suddaine sallie to make himselfe way through the middest of his enemies Wherewith hauing made his brother Iundus and those few his followers there present acquainted and thereupon resolued he fiercely sallied out and by plaine force brake through the thickest of them so tooke his way towards SUGUTA still notably repulsing them that were sent to pursue him But being come into the frontiers of his fathers territorie and the report of his danger knowne and that being but weakely accompanied he was by a great number of his enemies pursued presently all the lustie youths and such as loued him well tooke horse to come vnto his rescue who meeting with the gouernours souldiors that had Othoman in chace in a sharpe conflict slew diuers of them and put the rest to flight Of whom some were also taken prisoners and amongst the rest one Michaell Cosse a Christian captaine of a little castle in that countrey called HIRMEN-CAIA or the rocke of Ormeni of whom Othoman taking compassion freely pardoned him that offence With which vnexpected courtesie he was so mooued that euer after he tooke part with him and did him great seruice in his wars whose posteritie hath euer since euen vntill this our age continued next vnto the Othoman familie most honourable and famous amongst the Turks by the name of the Michael Oglies that is to say The sonnes or posteritie of Michaell Ertogrul now spent with age shortly after died in the yeare of our Lord 1289 hauing liued 93 yeares and thereof gouerned the Oguzian familie after the death of his father Solyman 52. His death was of all his tribe and kinred greatly lamented and his bodie after the Turkish manner honourably buried at SUâ—UTA where he had of long time liued After whose death these plaine Oguzian Turks in a generall assemblie consulting whom they might chuse for their lord and gouernour in stead of old Ertogrul casting their eyes especially vpon two stood in doubt of which of them to make choice For
most famous and imperiall citie Some few there were of the Christians who preferring death before the Turkish slauerie with their swords in their hands sold their liues decre vnto their enemies amongst whom the two brethren Paulus and Troâ—lus Bochiardi Italilians with Theophilus Palaeologus a Greeke and Ioannus Stiaâ—us a Dalmatian for their great valour and courage deserue to be had in eternall remembrance Who after they had like lyons made slaughter of their enemies died in the midst of them embrued with their bloud rather oppressed by multitude than by true valour ouercome In this furie of the Barbarians perished many thousands of men women and children without respect of age sex or condition Many for safegard of their liues fled into the Temple of SOPHIA where they were all without pittie slaine except some few reserued by the barbarous victors to purposes more grieuous than death it selfe The rich and beautifull ornaments and jewels of that most sumptuous and magnificent Church the stately building of Iustinianus the emperour were in the turning of a hand pluckt downe and carried away by the Turkes and the Church it selfe built for God to be honored in for the present conuerted into a stable for their horses or a place for the execution of their abhominable and vnspeakable filthinesse the Image of the crucifix was also by them taken downe and a Turks cap put vpon the head thereof and so set vp and shot at with their arrowes and afterwards in great derision carried about in their campe as it had been in procession with drums playing before it railing and spitting at it and calling it the god of the Christians Which I note not so much done in contempt of the image as in the despite of Christ and the Christian religion But whilest some were thus spoyling of the churches others were as busie in ransacking of priuat houses where the miserable Christians were enforced to endure in their persons whatsoeuer pleased the insolent victors vnto whom all things were now lawfull that stood with their lust euerie common souldiour hauing power of life and death at his pleasure to spare or spill At which time riches were no better than pouertie and beautie worse than deformitie What tongue were able to expresse the miserie of that time or the prowd insolencie of those barbarous conquerors whereof so many thousands euerie man with greedinesse fitted his owne vnreasonable desire all which the poore Christians were enforced to endure But to speake of the hidden treasure money plate jewels and other riches there found passeth credit the Turkes themselues wondred thereat and were therewith so enriched that it is a prouerb amongst them at this day if any of them grow suddenly rich to say He hath been at the sacking of CONSTANTINOPLE whereof if some reasonable part had in time been bestowed vpon defence of the cittie the Turkish king had not so easily taken both it and the cittie But euerie man was carefull how to encrease his owne priuat wealth few or none regarding the publike state vntill in fine euerie man with his priuat abundance was wrapped vp togither with his needie neighbour in the selfesame common miserie Yea the securitie of the Constantinopolitans was such that being alwaies enuironed with their mortall enemies yet had they no care of fortifying of so much as the inner wall of the citie which for beautie and strength was comparable with the wals of any citie in the world if it had been kept well repaired but suffered the officers which had the charge to see to the fortifying of the citie to conuert the greatest part of the money into their own purses as appeared by Manuel Giagerus a little before a verie poore man and likewise by Neophitus who then hauing that office to see vnto the fortification of the citie had in short time gathered togither seuentie thousand florens which became all a worthy prey vnto the greedie Turkes After that the barbarous common souldiour had thus by the space of three daies without controlment taken his pleasure in the citie as Mahomet had before promised and throughly ransackt euerie corner thereof they then returned into the campe with their rich spoils driuing the poore Christian captiues before them as if they had ben droues of cattell or flocks of sheepe a spectacle no lesse lamentable than was the sacking of the citie It would haue grieued any stonie heart to haue seene the noble gentlewomen and great ladies with their beautifull children and many other faire personages who lately flowed in all worldly wealth and pleasure to bee now become the poore and miserable bondslaues of most base and contemptible rascals who were so farre from shewing them any pittie as that they delighted in nothing more than to heape more and more miserie vpon them making no more reckoning of them than of dogs There might the parents see the wofull miserie of their beloued children and the children of the parents the husband might see the shamefull abuse of his wife and the wife of her husband and generally one friend of another and yet not able to mourne together the least part of heauie comfort being in the thraldome of diuers cruell masters by whom they were kept in sunder like in few dayes to be dispersed into diuers farre countries without hope that they should euer find release or one see another againe The souldiors being all retired into the campe Mahomet as a proud conquerour with great triumph entered into the citie of CONSTANTINOPLE then desolate and void of all Christian inhabitants and there after the manner of the Turkish kings made a sumptuous and royall feast vnto his Bassaes and other great captaines where after he had surcharged himselfe with excesse of meat and drinke he caused diuers of the cheefe Christian captiues both men and women of whom many were of the late emperours line and race to bee in his presence put to death as hee with his Turks sat banquetting deeming his feast much more stately by such effusion of Christian blood Which manner of exceeding crueltie he daily vsed vntill such time as he had destroyed all the Grecian nobilitie that was in his power with the cheefe of the late Constantinopolitan citizens At which time also diuers of the Venetian Senatours with Baiulus their Gouernor and many rich marchants of GENVA and other places of ITALIE were in like manner murthered so that of seuen and fortie Senatours of VENICE which were there taken whereof most part came thither by chaunce bound for other places but there vnluckily shut vp some few found the fauour with exceeding great ransomes to redeeme themselues Amongst these noblemen thus lamentably executed was one Lucas Leontares or Notaras coÌ„monly called Kyr-Lucas or lord Lucas but of late great chancellor of CONSTANTINOPLE a man of greatest account next vnto the emperour himselfe whom the Turkish tyrant seemed greatly to blame that hee being a man in so great credit with the late emperour persuaded him not
should haue paid them with verie foule and contumelious words as that there was not money enough to pay the Christian soldiers of the Latines and the Greeks much lesse those vile dogs whom they so called for that they had but a little before receiued the damnable doctrine of the false prophet Mahomet the great seducer of the world who euen in that time flourished Vpon which discontentment they at their returne reuolted from the empire and joyned themselues vnto their great prophet and so afterwards vnto the Caliphs his successors extending his doctrine together with his soueraigntie to the vttermost of their power and that with so good successe that in short time they had ouerrun all AEGYPT SIRIA the land of promise and taken the Holy citie With these the disciples of Mahomet and his successors the Sarasins for so now they would be called the Greeke emperors ensuing had for certaine yeeres diuers conflicts with diuers fortune for the possession of SIRIA But at length wearied out by them ouercom they left the aforesaid countries wholy vnto their deuotion Hereby it came to passe that the Sarasins for the space of 370 yeeres following held those countries with many others in great subjection oppressing still the poore Christians in IERVSALEM with most grieuous tributes and exactions vnto whom they yet left a third part of the citie for them to dwell in with the temple of the Sepulcher of our Sauiour and mount SION not for any deuotion either vnto them or those places but for that it yeelded them a great profit by the recourse of deuout Christians trauelling thither reseruing in the meane time vnto themselues the other two parts of the citie with the temple of Salomon before reedified by the Christians Now whilst the Sarasins thus triumph it in the East and not in the East onely but ouer a great part of the West also contenting themselues with such tributs as they had imposed vpon the subdued nations and countries vp start the Turks a vagrant fierce and cruell people who first breaking into ASIA as is before declared and by rare fortune aspiring vnto the kingdome of PERSIA subdued the countries of MESOPOTAMIA SIRIA with the greatest part of the lesser ASIA and IVDEA together with the Holy citie who both there and in all other places held the poore oppressed Christians in such subjection and thraldom as that the former gouernment of the Sarasins seemed in comparison of this to haue beene but light and easie Neither was there any end or release of these so great miseries to haue beene expected had not God in mercie by the weake meanes of a poore heremit stirred vp these most woorthie princes of the West to take vp armes in their defence who hauing with their victorious armies recouered the lesser ASIA with a great part of SIRIA were now come vnto this Holy citie The gouernour of IERVSALEM vnderstanding by his espials of the proceedings of the Christians had before their approch got into the citie a verie strong garrison of right valiant souldiers with good store of all things necessarie for the holding out of a long siege The Christians with their armie approching the citie encamped before it on the North for that towards the East and the South it was not well to be besieged by reason of the broken rocks and mountaines Next vnto the citie lay Godfrey the duke with the Germans and Loranois neere vnto him lay the earle of FLANDERS and Robert the Norman before the West gate lay Tancred and the earle of THOLOVS Bohemund and Baldwin were both absent the one at ANTIOCH the other at EDESSA The Christians thus strongly encamped the fift day after gaue vnto the citie a fierce assault with such cheerfulnesse as that it was verily supposed it might haue beene euen then woon had they beene sufficiently furnished with scaling ladders for want whereof they were glad to giue ouer the assault and retire But within a few daies after hauing supplied that defect and prouided all things necessarie they came on againe afresh and with all their power gaue vnto the citie a most terrible assault wherein was on both sides seene great valour policie cunning with much slaughter vntill that at length the Christians wearie of the long fight and in that hot countrey and most feruent time of the yeere fainting for lacke of water were glad againe to forsake the assault and to retire into their trenches onely the well of Siloe yeelded them water and that not sufficient for the whole campe the rest of the wels which were but few being before by the enemie either filled vp or else poysoned Whilst the Christians thus lay at the siege of IERVSALEM a fleet of the Genowaies arriued at IOPPA at which time also a great fleet of the Egyptian Sultans lay at ASCALON to haue brought reliefe to the besieged Turks in IERVSALEM whereof the Genowaies vnderstanding and knowing themselues too weake to encounter them at sea tooke all such things out of their ships as they thought good and so sinking them marched by land vnto the campe There was amongst these Genowaies diuers enginers men after the manner of that time cunning in making of all manner of engines fit for the besieging of cities by whose deuice a great moouing tower was framed of timber and thick plancks couered ouer with raw hides to saue the same from fire out of which the Christians might in safetie greatly annoy the defendants This tower being by night brought close vnto the wall serued the Christians in steed of a most sure fortresse in the assault the next day where whilst they striue with like valour and doubtfull victorie on both sides from morning vntill midday by chance the wind fauouring the Christians carried the flame of the fire into the face of the Turks wherewith they had thought to haue burnt the tower with such violence that the Christians taking the benefit thereof and holpen by the tower gained the top of the wall which was first footed by the duke Godfrey and his brother Eustace with their followers and the ensigns of the duke there first set vp to the great encouraging of the Christians who now pressing in on euerie side like a violent riuer that had broken ouer the banks bare downe all before them All were slaine that came to hand men women and children without respect of age sex or condition the slaughter was great and the sight lamentable all the streets were filled with blood and the bodies of the dead death triumphing in euerie place Yet in this confusion a woonderfull number of the better sort of the Turks retiring vnto Salomons temple there to do their last deuoire made there a great and terrible fight armed with dispaire to endure any thing and the victorious Christians no lesse disdaining after the winning of the citie to find there so great resistance In this desperat conflict fought with woonderfull obstinacie of mind many fell on both sides
vnto them the desperate danger they were in together with his resolution which was secretly himselfe to flie and to leaue the rest euery man to make what shift he could for himselfe Which his base determination so foule as fouler could not be they all wondering at as proceeding from a distraughted mind and by chaunce ouerheard by one of the common souldiors that stood without the tent the same souldior fetching a deepe sigh in detestation thereof cried out with a loud voice What meanes the emperour and so turning himselfe vnto him said Art not thou hee that hast thrust vs into this desolat and strait way and cast vs headlong into destruction and hast as it were in a morter enclosed vs in these rockes and mountaines readie as it were to ouerwhelme vs. What had we to doe with this vaile of mourning and mouth of hell Wherefore came wee into these mischieuous and rough straits What can wee particularly complaine of the Barbarians which in these inextricable windings and straits haue thus entangled and beset vs Was it not thou that broughtst vs hither And wilt thou now as sheepe appointed to the slaughter thy selfe betray vs With which so sharpe a reprehension the emperour throughly pierced changed his former determination for flight resoluing now to stand by it whatsoeuer happened But what should hee now doe beset with his enemies still readie to deuour him helpe he saw none either in himselfe or to be expected from others nought remained but death and despaire In this extremitie all mans helpe now failing it pleased the most mightie which chastiseth and healeth againe which striketh and yet giueth life and suffereth not the staffe of the sinners alwaies to rage into the portion of the just with mercifull eye to looke downe vpon these distressed men and with an vnwonted kind of clemencie to touch the Sultans heart in such sort as that he which but the other day stood in dread of the emperour and now hauing him as it were in his power was ouercome with his miserie or as in times past hee by Husai ouerthrew the counsell of Achitophell and changed the mind of Absolon to follow such aduise as should bring him to destruction so then also he turned the mind of the Turkish Sultan that persuaded by certain of the chiefe men about him who in time of peace had vsed to receiue great gifts and presents from the emperor he of his own accord by his embassadors offred peace vnto the emperor before that he in so great distresse sued vnto him for any that vpon the selfesame conditions they had made their leagues before The Turks in the meane time ignorant of the Sultans resolution early in the morning were readie to assault the emperours campe in hope at once to haue ouerthrowne his whole power and with a barbarous outcrie still riding about it came so nigh that with their arrowes they slew diuers of the Christians within their owne trenches Against whom the emperour sent out Iohn the sonne of Constantinus Angelus and after him Macroducas Constantinus but to little or no purpose In the meane time came one Gabras a man of the greatest reputation among the Turkes embassadour from the Sultan by whose commandement the Turks ceased farther to assault the campe This Gabras comming vnto the emperour and after the manner of the Barbarians honouring him with reuerence done euen downe to the ground First presented him with a goodly horse whose furniture was all of siluer as if it had beche for triumph and a faire two edged sword Afterwards falling into a large discourse concerning a peace to be made and with many kind words as with an enchantment appeasing the emperours heauinesse conceiued of his late losse he among other pleasant conceits then vttered seeing the emperor in a rich roab of yellow ouer his aâ—mour told him That that colour was not fit for war as ominous and portending euill lucke whereat the emperour a little smiling gaue it him with the fortune thereof and receiuing the horse and sword sent him from the Sultan signed the peace Amongst other conditions of the peace which the dangerousnesse of the time suffred not the emperour curiously to examine one was That DORILEVM and SVBLEVM before by him fortified and the ground of this vnfortunate war should be againe rased Peace thus beyond all hope being concluded and the emperour deliuered of a great feare purposed another way to returne home to auoid the sight of the slaine yet was he by his guides euen of purpose as it was thought lead backe the same way to behold with his eies those miserable spectacles of the slaine which could not with any teares be sufficiently lamented for the straits were made plaine the vallies were raised into hils and the forrest lay couered with the carkasses of the slaine no man passed by but with heauinesse and griefe calling by name vpon their friends and familiars there lost Hauing again passed those dolefull straits the Turks were againe in the taile of the armie for it was reported that the Sultan repenting himselfe to haue suffered his enemies so to escape out of his hands had giuen leaue vnto such as would to pursue them but followed not himselfe with his whole power as before for most of the better sort of his souldiers loaded with the spoile were now returned home Yet these that followed after the armie slew many especially such as were weake or wounded and so vnable to follow the rest although the emperour to helpe the matter had for the repulsing of them placed the best of his captaines and souldiers in the rearward Being come to CHONAS and now out of feare of his enemies he gaue vnto euerie one of his hurt souldiers money to pay for the curing of their wounds and to bring them into their countries And comming to PHILADELPHIA there staid for the refreshing of himselfe after so great miseries In his returne he rased SVBLEVM according to his promise but not DORILEVM whereof the Sultan by his embassadors complaining he answered That what he had enforced thereunto by necessitie promised he greatly forced not to performe In reuenge whereof the Sultan sent out one of his most valiant captaines called Atapacke with foure and twentie thousand good souldiers chosen out of his whole armie with strait charge to waste and destroy all the emperours prouinces and townes euen vnto the sea side without sparing man woman or child and in token thereof to bring with him some of the sea water an oare and some of the sea sand who according to his charge spoiled PHRIGIA with the cities along the riuer MEANDER euen vnto the sea side And so returning with a rich prey by the way spoiled what before he had lest vntouched But in passing the riuer MEANDER when he feared least he fell into the hands of Iohn Bataza the emperours nephew and of Ducas Constantine a most valiant captaine of purpose sent against him by the Emperour
Christians in number about seuentie thousand retired as a man afraid into such places as he thought best farther off which the Legat seeing as one not acquainted with the feats of war rejoyced greatly as if the victorie had beene alreadie more than halfe gained commending vnto the heauens them that he saw couragiously marching forward saying That fortune alwaies fauoured the valiant and that vnto cowards all things fell still out to the woorst By the way the Christians ceized vpon a bridge which the enemie had made ouer the NILE and cut in peeces such companies as were left for the keeping thereof So marching on they drew neere vnto CAIRE and there in the sight of that great and 〈◊〉 citie encamped where running vp and downe the more to terrifie them of the citie prouoked them to battell vpbraiding vnto them their lazines their cowardise and sloth brauing them 〈◊〉 they were men to come out Yet for all that they would not so do but keeping themselues 〈◊〉 and couert within the citie let them alone to brag and boast at their owne pleasure This 〈◊〉 coâ—â—â—nued long of purpose protracted still from day to day by them of the citie and the grâ—at opinion the Christians had of their owne valour with the small regard they had of their enemies made them so proud and carelesse that they remembred no more to take good care of the warre of their dutie their watch or their sentinels their confidence was in their owne valour and good fortune not considering or remembring that they were come into AEGYPT and that they had put themselues within the trenches sallies channels and cuts of a deceitfull riuer which not only brought victuals vnto their enemies but also fortified them who by how much they were the lesâ—e valiant and lesse vnderstood of the art of war the more they vsed of craft and subtiltie for the preseruing of themselues So the craftie enemies drew the Christians out at length abusing them with many delaies and deceits making semblance of great feare to make themselues the lesse to be feared and more contemptible in their doings to the end that they knowing the passages and straights of the countrey and reseruing themselues vnto the occasions and aduantages both of the time and of their enemies might circumuent them and entrap them at such time as they least feared any such matter The Christians at all aduenture had encamped themselues in a low ground within the banks and causies of that fennie countrey vnder the couert thereof thinking themselues safe as in their tenches against all sudden sallies or attempts of their enemies But these places wherein they lay were soft and duâ—tie for so much as the countrey people vsed at their pleasure to water them by channels sluces out of the riuer of NILE which now pluckt vp and opened the riuer began to rise and ouerflow all Then too late they perceiued themselues taken as in a grin without power to defend themselues or to make any resistance or by any other meanes to shew their valour So the riuer still arising and ouerflowing gaue vnto the Turks and Aegyptians good hope of their wars and of a victorie more desired than hoped for ouer a warlike and victorious people All the ground where the Christians lay encamped was couered with water so high that the victuals were corrupted and no place left for a man to stand or lie drie in Now at the same time the Aegyptians had taken the high places with the passages vpon the wals and banks in that drowned countrey to the intent that the Christians should not be able to retire or to saue themselues out of the bogs and marishes couered ouer with water So was their rash valour and presumptuous confidence in themselues exposed vnto the enemies shot and furie and when they would by force haue defended themselues their hardinesse was ouercome by the craftie subtiltie of the weak enemie Then began euery man to crie out against Pelagius the Legat accusing condemning and railing at him the king himselfe they blamed not for that he had done his dutie in dissuading of this expedition and was contrarie to his good liking himselfe drawn into this warre the charge whereof he had not without great intreatie taken vpon him neither might he with his credit well complaine of this misfortune least in so doing he might seeme to haue had no comfort in himselfe But as for the Legate what counsell could he then giue what counsell could hee then take for himselfe They of VENICE PISA and GENUA left at DAMIATA were indeed strong at sea but how could they come to relieue him at CAIRE And how or by what forces could the Christians breake out of the banks and sluces of the cuts and channels which winding in and out with a thousand inextricable turnings inclosed them beset also on euery side with the victorious enemie After they had been thus coupt vp and enuironed with the waters three daies you might haue seene the poore soldiers in euery place fall downe dead for want of food and sleepe and so perrish in the water the like miserable kind of death the rest were also in short time after to expect other helpe was there none but to yeeld vnto necessitie and to accept of such conditions as it should please the proud enemie to propound Now the Sultan desired not so much their liues as the libertie of his countrey and therefore required to haue the citie of DAMIATA againe restored vnto him and all things else in such sort as was before the besieging thereof and so the Christians without more adoe to depart his countrey Hard conditions if a man respect the hope whereupon the Christians had vndertaken this war and were so come into AEGYPT with the toyle by them there endured but vnto him that will but enter into the consideration of mens affaires and especially in martiall matters it will seeme but an accident to be yeelded vnto the like whereof hath oftentimes hapned vnto the greatest men of the world These conditions such as they were were by the distressed Christians accepted of But when they were brought to DAMIATA and there propounded vnto the Christians there left a great contention began to arise among them Some said that they would not accept of them or surrender the towne which being kept would be a stay for all the affaires of the Christians in the East and a most commodious place for them to haue recourse vnto but being restored and lost carried away with it all the hope of the Christians and that therefore it were better to indure all extremities than to receiue such dishonourable and hurtfull a peace Others of the contrarie opinion said That they ought not to forsake them that were in danger before CAIRE nor to expose them vnto the butcherie but to haue a Christian compassion of so many thousands of soules as there lay distressed seeing they might bee saued by the surrendrie of that one
These extraordinarie fauours gaue occasion for many to thinke That Sultan Aladin hauing no children intended to make Othoman his adoptiue sonne and successor in his kingdome The presents and charters sent him Othoman humbly accepted sending vnto Aladin the fift part of the spoile of NICE taken from the Christians but the princely honors due vnto the Sultan onely he vsed not during the life of Aladin intending not long after to haue gone himselfe in person to visit the Sultan and so to haue grown into his further fauour But hauing prepared all things for so honourable a journey at what time as he was about to set forward he was certainely informed of the death of Aladin and that Sahib one of his great counsellors had taken vpon him the dignitie of the Sultan as is before declared which newes much discontented the aspiring mind of this Oguzian Turke in good hope to haue succeeded him in the kingdome or at least wise to haue shared the greatest part thereof vnto himselfe whereof he was now altogether disappointed Yet immediatly after the death of Aladin he thought it now fit time to take vpon him the princely honours before graunted vnto him by the Sultan in his life time which he for modestie sake had forborne Aladin yet liuing wherefore he made one Dursu surnamed Fakiche that is to say a man learned in the Turkish law bishop and judge of CARA-CHISAR commaunding the publicke prayers which were wont to be made for the health and prosperous raigne of the great Sultan to be now made in his owne name which was first openly done by the said bishop in the pulpit of CARA-CHISAR At the same time he began also to coine money in his owne name and to take vpon him all other honours belonging vnto a Sultan or king which was about ten yeares after the death of his father Ertogrâ—l and in the yeare of our Lord 1300 vnto which time the beginning of the great empire of the Turkes is vnder the fortune of this Othoman to be of right referred as then by him thus begun When Othoman had thus taken vpon him the majestie of a king he made his sonne Orchanes prince and gouernour of CARA-CHISAR promoting his principall followers to be gouernours of other strong castles and forts diuers of which places retaine the name of those captains at this day He himselfe made choice of the cittie NEAPOLIS about twentie miles from NICE to seat his regall pallace in where also diuers of his nobilitie built them houses and changed the name of the citie calling it DESPOTOPOLIS as who should say The citie of the lord or prince For all this Othoman ceased not to deuise by all meanes hee could to augment his kingdome and for that cause being accompanied with his sonne Orchanes made many rodes into the countries adjoyning vpon him surprizing such places as might best serue his purpose for the enlargement of his kingdome all which in particular to rehearse were tedious The Christian princes rulers of the countries bordering vpon this new kingdome fearing lest the greatnesse of Othoman might in short time be their vtter confusion agreed to joyne all their forces together and so to commit to the fortune of one great battell their owne estates with his According to which resolution the Christian confederat princes which were for the most part of MYSIA and BYTHINIA leuying the greatest forces they were able to make with fire and sword inuaded Othomans kingdome Who hauing knowledge beforehand of this great preparation made against him had in a readinesse all his captaines and men of war and hearing that his enemies had entred his dominion in warlike manner marched directly towards them and meeting with them in the confines of PHRIGIA and BYTHINIA fought with them a great and mortall battaile wherein many were slaine on both sides as well Turks as Christians and after a long fight obtained of them a right bloodie victorie In this battaile Casteleanus one of the greatest Christian captaines was slaine another called Tekensis of the country which he gouerned in PHRIGIA chased by Othoman vnto the castle of VLUBAD not far distant from the place where the battaile was fought was for feare deliuered vnto him by the captaine of the same castle and was afterward by Othomans commaundement most cruelly cut in pieces within the view of his cheefe castle which Othoman afterward subdued with all the countrey thereabouts The other Christian princes and captaines saued themselues by flying into stronger holds farther off The prince of BYTHINIA the cheefe author of this war fled into the strong cittie of PRUSA which the Turks now call BURUSA whether Othoman not long after led his armie in good hope to haue woon the same but finding it not possible to be taken by force began presently at one time to build two great and strong castles vpon the cheefe passages leading to the citie which castles he with great industrie finished in one yeare and in the one placed as captaine Actemeur his nephew in the other one Balabanzuck both men of great courage and skilfull in feats of war in this sort hauing blocked vp the citie of PRUSA so that little or nothing could without great danger be brought into it he subdued the most part of BYTHINIA and so returned home leauing the two castles well manned with strong garrisons vnder the charge of the captaines beforenamed Othoman returning home to NEAPOLIS honorably rewarded his souldiors according to their deserts establishing such a quiet and pleasing gouernment in his kingdome that people in great number resorted from far into his dominions there to seat themselues whereby his kingdome became in few yeares exceeding populous and he for his politicke gouernment most famous And so liuing in great quietnesse certaine yeares being now become aged and much troubled with the gout his old souldiors accustomed to liue by the wars abhorring peace came vnto him requesting him as it were with one voice to take some honourable war in hand for the inlarging of his kingdome with great chearfulnesse offring to spend their liues in his seruice rather than to grow old in idlenesse which forwardnesse of his men of war greatly pleased him and so giuing them thanks for that time dismissed them promising that he would not be long vnmindfull of their request But yet thinking it good to make all things safe at home before hee tooke any great wars in hand abroad thought it expedient to call vnto him Michael Cossi the onely Christian captaine whom for his great deserts he had at all times suffered to liue in quiet with his possessions as it were in the heart of his kingdome and by faire means if it might be to persuade him to forsake the Christian religion and to become a follower of Mahomets so to take away all occasion of mistrust which if he should refuse to doe then forgetting all former friendship â—o make war vpon him as his vtter enemie Whereupon Cossi
was sent for being persuaded by the messenger that Othoman had sent for him because he had occasion to vse his woonted faithfull counsell and seruice in a great exploit which he had intended as he had oftentimes before Cosâ—i thinking of nothing lesse than of that which ensued came accompanied with such souldiours as he thought to vse in that seruice But comming vnto Othoman and vnderstanding the very cause why he was sent for and seeing danger imminent on euery side kissing Othomans hand after the manner of the Turks requested him in courteous manner to enter him in the principles of the Mahometane religion which he promised euer after to imbrace And so saying certaine words after Othoman he turned Turke to the great displeasure of God and the contentment of Otâ—â—man and his nobilitie For which his reuolting Othoman presently gaue him an ensigne and a rich robe tokens whereby the Mahometane Sultans assure their vassales of their fauour and the vndoubted possession of such land and liuing as they then hold Oftentimes after this Othoman for the contenting of his souldiors inuaded the countries bordering vpon him tooke many strong castles and forts subdued the most part of PHRIGIA Mâ—SIA and BYTHINIA and other great regions vnto the Euxine sea and being now very aged and diseased as is aforesaid with the gout and thereby vnable to goe into the field in person himselfe oftentimes sent his sonne Orchanes against his enemies who to the imitation of his father atchieued many great enterprises Othoman his father yet liuing Now happily might the considerat reader and not without just cause meruaile what dead sleepe had ouerwhelmed the Greeke emperours of those times first Michaell Paleologus and afterward his sonne Andronicus both men of great valour and still resiant at CONSTANTINOPâ—E thus to suffer the Turkes not Othoman for he as yet bare no sway but others the sharers of Sultan Aladins kingdome to take their cities spoile their countries kill their subjects and dayly to incroach vpon them in the lesser ASIA and especially in BYTHINIA so neere vnto them and as it were euen vnder their noses But let him with me here as in a most conuenient place but breath a little and consider the troubled estate of that declining empire now hasting to an end and he shall plainely see the causes of the decay thereof and how like an old diseased bodie quite ouerthrowne and sicke to death it became at length a prey vnto the aspiring Turks Michaell Paleologus hauing by great trecherie obtained the Greeke empire and by rare fortune recouered also the citie of CONSTANTINOPLE from Baldwin the emperour as is in the former part of this Historie declared fearing the power of the princes of the West but especially of Charles king of SICILIA then a prince of great fame and power whom he knew Baldwin the late emperour ceased not to sollicite for the restitution of him againe into his empire and to haue also joyned with him a neere bond of affinitie by marrying his daughter vnto Charles his sonne to auert this danger and to intangle Charles with troubles neere home he by his embassadours offered vnto Gregorie the tenth then bishop of ROME to vnite and conforme the Greeke church vnto the Latine and to acknowledge the bishops supremacie in such sort as that it should be lawfull for any man to appeale vnto the court of ROME as vnto the higher and more excellent court of which his offer the Pope gladly accepted promising to performe what he had before requested for the keeping of Charles otherwise busied But when it came to the point that this reformation and alteration of religion in the Greeke church should be made Ioseph the Patriarch to begin withall gaue vp his place and shortly after forsaking the citie retired himselfe into a monasterie neer vnto the strait of Bosphorus where he at quiet deuoutly spent the remainder of his life The rest of the cleargie also discontented with this innouation in their sermons openly inuaighed against it persuading the people not to receiue it crying out That now was come the time of their triall the time of their martirdome and the time wherein they were to receiue the glorious crowne of their painefull suffrings insomuch that great tumults were therupon raised and all the citie and the countrey in an vprore for it was not the cleargie onely and the vulgar people by them mooued which disliked and abhorred these the emperours proceedings and made these stirs but many of the better sort yea of the cheefe magistrates themselues also So that Michaell Paleologus the emperour leauing all other forraine businesse was inforced to conuert all his power and studie vnto the appeasing of these domesticall troubles as deeming them of greater danger than his wars abroad And first to persuade his discontented subjects he told them That this alteration was made not for any good liking he had therunto but in respect of the dangerousnesse of the time and that it was a point of wisedome to foresee dangers hanging ouer our heads and not to delay if any thing were to be altered for the auetting thereof for if the enemies as he said should come the citie yet in many places rent or but lately repaired and as it were but newly raised from death to life the present mischiefes would be far greater than those forepassed and that then their enemies would become lords not of their religion and ceremonies onely but of all at once their wiues their children and whatsoeuer else they had where their liberty changed into bondage they should be constrained to conforme themselues not with their bodily seruice onely but euen with their minds also vnto the wils of the Latines their enemies And that so it would come to passe that no man should bee able to keepe the old customes and manners of his ancestors but should see euen their most sacred rites and ceremonies changed and quite ouerthrowne Which he carefully foreseeing had not as he said refused to yeeld vnto necessitie and as wisdome would neglected a little harme in respect of a greater benefit and in the lesse to haue yeelded vnto his enemies to enjoy the benefit of the greater With which the emperours persuasion some were mooued and so held themselues contented and some others not against whom he was enforced to vse other more seuere remedies as against his rebellious subjects of whom some he imprisoned some he banished some he tortured some he dismembred some he depriued of their sight or confiscated their goods vsing in breefe all the meanes whereby the minds of the resolute or the weake were to be mooued All which things they whose zeale was grounded vpon knowledge in number the fewest with patience endured but the greater part void of judgement and the refuce of the people in simple attire ran roguing abroad some into PELOPONESUS some into THESSALIA some into ACHAIA and some as far as COLCHOS as men persecuted for their conscience
number much inferior vnto the emperours yet in like order the Turks being placed in both wings and the Catalonians well armed in the middest But the signall of battell being giuen on both sides the Massagets whether it were by agreement so before made with the enemie or vpon a suddaine conceiued treason presently withdrew themselues aloofe off and so stood as idle beholders giuing aid neither to the one nor to the other as did also the Turcopuli their companions which greatly dismaied the Grecians and encouraged their enemies for the Greekes dismaied with that suddaine defection of their fellowes were euen in the joyning of the battell discouraged Which the emperor perceiuing with great instancie intreated the captains and commaunders of his armie calling them oftentimes by name not to be so suddainly discouraged but they in so great a danger little regarding his words and still shrinking from him when as the greatest part of his footmen were troden vnderfoot and slaine turning himselfe vnto them that were left which were but few he said Now woorthie men is the time wherein death is better than life and life more bitter than death And hauing so said valiantly charged the enemie in which charge his horse was slaine vnder him and he in danger to haue beene taken had not one of his faithfull followers remounted him vpon his owne horse and so saued his life with the losse of his owne The emperour flying to DYDIMOTICHUM where Andronicus his father then lay was of him joyfully receiued but sharpely reprooued for aduenturing his person so far The enemies pursuing the chase slew some tooke others vntill that by the comming on of the night and wearie with the long fight they retired and the next day deuiding the spoile afterwards at their pleasures forraged the countrey The renegate Turks called Turcopuli within a few daies after reuolting vnto the Catalonians were of them joyfully entertained and enrolled into the regiment of Chalel the Turks Generall Shortly after this victorie the Catalonians began to mutinie among themselues the Great captaine Tenza and Pharenza his companion disdaining to bee commaunded by Recafort their Generall in which tumult the matter comming to blowes Tenza was slaine and Pharenza foâ— safegard of his life glad to flie vnto the emperour Andronicus of whom he was contrarie to his expectation right honourably entertained About this time also the Massagets hauing done the Greekes more harme than the Turks against whom they were entertained and enriched themselues with the spoile of their friends both in ASIA and EUROPE were about with their wiues and children and wealth to returne againe vnto their old dwellings beyond ISTER Which the Turcopuli with the Catalonians vnderstanding and bearing vnto them a secret grudge for that they as the weaker had by them oftentimes been wronged in the deuision of the spoile of the Greekes lay now secretly in wait for them as they should passe the straits of the great mountaine HEMUS which bounded the Greeke empire from the Bulgarians where setting vpon them fearing no such danger they slew them almost all with the spoile of them recompenced themselues for all the wrongs they had from them before receiued The Catalonians prowd of their victorie at APRI and well strengthened by the reuolt of the Turcopuli with continuall rodes spoiled not onely all alongst the sea coast of THRACIA but all the inland countrey also as far as MARONEA RHODOPE and BIZIA laying all waâ—t before them And hauing forraged most part of THRACIA brake into MACEDONIA and there wintred about CASSANDRIA sometime a famous citie but as then all desolate and ruinous But the Spring being come they remooued thence with purpose to haue spoiled the cities of MACEDONIA and especially the rich citie of THESSALONICA where the empresse Irene then lay wherein they were by the emperours good foresight and care preuented who doubting such a matter had fortified his cities in that countrey and furnished them with strong garrisons and all other things needfull for their defence which they quickly perceiuing and finding the countrey all desolate and forsaken by the inhabitants were about to haue againe returned into THRACIA But as they were thereupon resoluing they were informed by one that was with them captiue how that the emperour by a mightie strong wall built at a place called CHRISTOPOLIS from the sea side euen vnto the top of the mountaines had so shut vp the passage as that it was not possible for them that way to enter With which vnexpected newes they were at the first exceedingly troubled as foreseeing That if they should there long stay in that spoiled countrey they should in short time be driuen vnto exceeding wants for they were now in number aboue eight thousand fighting men and afraid also by a generall conspiracie of the people about them to be oppressed Thus beset and not well knowing what to do or which way to turn themselues they desperatly resolued no longer there to stay but forthwith to set forward and to breake into THESSALIE with the plentifulnesse thereof to relieue their wants or into some other countrey farther off towards PELOPONESUS and there to seat themselues and to end their long trauailes or at leastwise if they could not so doe to enter into league with some that dwelt vpon the sea coast and so returne againe into their owne countrey Wherefore leauing THESSALONICA and deliuering the emperour of a great feare they in three daies came to the Thessalian mountaines OLYMPUS OSSA and PELIUS where thy at the foot of them found such plentie of all things necessarie for their releefe that they there wintred But Winter past and the Spring being come they passed ouer those high mountaines and the pleasant vallies called TEMPE and so at last came downe into the fruitfull plaines of THESSALIE where they spent that yeare at their pleasure without resistance deuouring the labours of the poore country people and making hauocke of whatsoeuer thing came in their way for as then the state of that countrey was but weake the prince thereof being but yoong and withall very sicke and like to die and the succession so ending in him as that it was feared who after his death should lay hand thereon and euery man therefore more carefull of his owne priuat than of the common good Yet to auert these forrain enemies who like a consuming fire deuoured the country before them the nobilitie thought it good with great gifts to ouercome their captains and commaunders and then to offer them guides to conduct them into ACHAIA and BEOTIA countries more pleasant and fruitfull than was theirs and more commodious for them to dwell in promising also to giue them aid for the seating of them there if they should so need Of which their offers the Catalonians accepted as thinking it better with their hands full of gold so easily gotten to goe seeke their better fortunes with their power yet whole and strong and helpe also if need were
captaines of his owne choice go out against these proud Turks hoping as he said by the grace of God to reuenge the wrong by them done and to returne vnto him againe with victorie Vnto which his request the emperour easily yeelded saying That God was just which delighted not in any mans legs either in the greatnesse of any mans strength but in a contrite heart and humble mind not so giuing his helpe vnto Michaell the emperour his sonne for the offences of his parents as happely hee might vnto this so vpright and deuout a man regarding more his integritie of life than his skill in armes For turning me about I haue seen in this world said he I haue seene the swift not to gain the prize neither the valiant the victorie wise men to want bread and men of vnderstanding wealth the simple to gaine fauour and the subtill to fall into disgrace such alteration worldly things in time find So the emperour as is aforesaid yeelding to his request furnished him with money horses and armour and such a conuenient power as he himselfe desired Which he hauing receiued first of all encouraged his captaines and souldiors with all manner of courtesie and kindnesse giuing vnto them money horses armour jewels yea sometime he gaue vnto one his purse vnto another his cloake his rapier or some other such thing as he had about him to encourage them in their forwardnesse after that he persuaded them to an honest temperate course of life and valiantly to play the men promising according to their deserts to reward euerie one of them the war once happely ended and before his setting forth vnderstanding by his espials that Chalel with a thousand foot and two hundred horse was forraging the countrey about BYZIA he hasted his departure that so he might by the way encounter them laded with the spoile of the countrey and so setting forward came the third day vnto a little riuer which the inhabitants call XEROGIPSUM and there in a great plaine neere vnto the same encamped Where after he had set all things in order fit for battell he with cheerefull speeches as a great commaunder encouraged his captaines and souldiors leauing nothing vnsaid or vndone that might serue for the animating of them to fight But hee had not so lien two daies but that his scouts about midnight comming in brought him tidings That the enemie laden with spoile was euen fast by at hand who by the rising of the Sunne were come within sight and had themselues a far off also discouered the Christian armie all glistering in bright armour Wherfore staying a while to prepare themselues for battell and first of all compassing themselues round with their waggons and other cariages they bestowed in them all their captiues fast bound together with the bootie they had taken and afterwards as their manner was casting dust vpon their heads and their hands vp towards heauen they came on And now the Christian armie came on forward also Philes still encouraging both the horsemen and footmen and right well conducting them as the time and place required So it fortuned that he that had the leading of the right wing of the armie gaue the first charge vpon a squadron of the enemies and at the first onset vnhorsed one of the enemies and by and by after him another But hauing his horse sore wounded vnder him he hastely retired out of the battell which somewhat troubled the Christians and encouraged the Turks who now with a barbarous outcrie began most fiercely to presse vpon the retiring Christians Philes in the meane time with many cheerefull words and comfortable persuasions still encouraging them to play the men and with his eyes oftentimes cast vp to heauen with teares running downe his face most heartely besought God the giuer of all victorie no longer to suffer those his enemies and the ministers of his wrath to triumph ouer his people as did also the poore captiues that lay bound doubtfully betwixt feare and hope expecting the euent of the battell The Christian footmen at the same time encountering hand to hand with the Barbarians assailed them and were assailed slew of them and were themselues of them slaine so that there was a cruell fight made on both sides But Philes with the multitude of his men hauing almost compassed in the Barbarian horsemen with a companie of his most valiant souldiors broke in vpon the side of the enemies battell and so made way through the middest of it and so troubled the Turkes as that they well knew not how to stay or what to doe So being on euery side circumuented and hardly charged most of them there fell excepting some few horsemen whom the Greeke horsemen pursued vnto the entrance of CHERSONESUS with purpose there to shut them vp Philes comming thither also there vpon those straits encamped at which time the emperour presently sent out fiue gallies to keepe the straits of HELLESPONTUS so that no ayd might be brought vnto these Turkes out of ASIA Whilest things thus went two thousand choice horsemen came to the aid of Philes out of SERVIA and the potestate of PERA came by sea also with eight gallies moe into HELLESPONTUS to the aid of the other Christians wherfore when the Grecians and the Seruians had thus on the one side shut them vp by land and they that were in the gallies on the other by sea Philes with all his power came and encamped about the towne and the trenches wherein the Turkes lay planting his batterie against the castle wherewith he greatly shooke the same and made great slaughter of the Turks and of their horses and that not onely by day but by night also But the Turkes seeing death now present before their eyes and no way left for them to escape for that they were so on euery side both by sea and land enclosed thought good thus to aduenture their liues resoluing by night to set vpon the Grecians rather than vpon the Seruians whom they had hetherto accustomed to ouercome and whom they had with often slaughters terrefied that so the rest by them also happely discouraged they might so delay the assault but in attempting the same they perceiued themselues much deceiued finding them euen at their first sallying out ready in armes to receiue them wherfore hauing in vaine giuen the attempt as against a strong fortresse they were shamefully enforced to retire Yet were they not therewith so discouraged but that the straight siege still continuing they gaue the like attempt vpon the Seruians but being also by them in like manner with losse repulsed they began now vtterly to despaire Wherefore the next day about midnight casting away their armes they with their bosomes and pockets full of coine ran downe vnto the sea side towards the gallies with purpose to yeeld themselues vnto the Genowaies that were therein as fearing of them lesse harme as of men whom they had neuer hurt But the night being darke and
greefe that he himselfe was with whom as with his friend without any dissimulation he plainly discoursed of all such things as his greefe desired But Asanes handling him with great wisedome did himselfe with like words speake hardly both of the emperour and his nephew but yet curiously noted whatsoeuer Syrgiannes said for he had before hated him for his ambition and as then tooke it in displeasure that he was enemie vnto Catacuzenus his sonne in law who was all in all with the yoong prince and did oftentimes comfort him But the song being throughly set Asanes came secretly vnto the old emperour and told him the whole matter and in fine that except hee betime laid hold vpon Syrgiannes affecting the empire he should in short time be by him brought to his end Whereupon Syrgiannes was forthwith clapped fast in prison whose house with all his wealth the common people tooke the spoile of and not contented to haue rased it downe to the ground conuerted the site thereof together with the pleasant vineyards adjoyning vnto the same into a place to feed goats and sheepe in a worthie reward for his manifold trecheries The yoong prince shortly after going to CONSTANTINOPLE was there crowned emperor as fellow in the empire with his grandfather vnto which solemnitie in the great temple of Sophia both the emperors riding it fortuned the old emperour by the stumbling of his horse to be ouerthrowne and foulely beraied in the myre the streets being then very foule by reason of the great raine but a little before fallen which many tooke as ominous and portending the euill fortune which shortly after befell him During the time of this peace it fortuned that as the yoong prince was a hunting in CHERSONESUS seuentie Turkes aduenturers were by force of weather driuen on shore who before they would yeeld themselues prisoners made a great fight with the emperours men and slew diuers of them in which conflict the yong emperour himselfe was wounded in the foot wherewith he was a great while after exceedingly tormented Andronicus the late prince and now fellow in the empire with his aged grandfather held not himselfe long so contented but after the manner of ambitious men and continually prickt forward by his aspiring fauorits longed to haue the whole gouernment vnto himselfe which hardly brooketh any partener and therefore wearie to see his grandfather liue so long resolued no longer to expect his naturall death although it could not by course of nature be farre off but by one deuice or other to thrust him from the gouernment or if that might not bee wrought at once to dispatch him both of life and state together And the surer to lay the plot whereon so foule and horrible a treason was to be built he by the counsell of his mother others by whom he was most directed sent for Michael the prince of BULGARIA his brother in law though before to him vnknowne as was his wife his sister also to make with him a firme league to the intent by him to prouide That if the prince of SERVIA who had but lately married the old emperours nigh kinswoman and so to him much deuoted should take part with him he should by the Bulgarian his neighbour bee intangled Who so sent for with his wife the old emperours daughter came to DIDYMOTICHUM where they were many dayes most honourably entertained both by the yoong emperour and his mother for why this meeting plotted vpon great treason was finely coloured with the desire the yong emperour had to see his sister and her husband as before vnto him vnknowne and the empresse her daughter whom she had not seene in three and twentie yeares before But the secret conclusion betwixt them was That the Bulgarian prince should to the vttermost of his power aid the yong emperour against his grandfather and he likewise him against the Seruian as he should haue need and further That if his grandfather being deposed he should recouer the whole empire then to giue him a great sum of mony with certaine speciall cities and prouinces confining vpon him as in dowrie vnto his kind brother in law and companion in his labours So Michael the Bulgarian prince honourably entertained by the yoong emperour and the old empresse his mother in law loaded with rewards and promises of greater returned home into his countrey This matter thus dispatched the yoong emperour therewith incouraged and knowing also the Constantinopolitans besides the other cities of THRACIA exceedingly to fauour him and his proceedings by whom also he was secretly inuited to hasten his comming thither as wearie of the long life and lazinesse as he tearmed it of his grandfather thought it best cunningly to go about the matter that so his grandfather being with as little stur as might be deposed he himselfe might alone enjoy the empire But needing money for the effecting of so great matters he by force tooke all the money from the collectours whom the old emperour had sent into THRACIA for the taking vp of money there telling them that he was an emperour also and in need of money and that the common charge was likewise by the common purse to be discharged After that he tooke his way towards CONSTANTINOPLE pretending that vpon speciall causes hee had occasion to send embassadours vnto the Sultan of AEGYPT for the transporting of whom he was there to take order for the setting forth of a great ship and other things necessarie for the journey Neither went he slenderly appointed but with a great power and the cities of THRACIA before well assured vnto him such as he suspected being thrust out of office and others more assured vnto him placed in their steads But whilst he thus besturreth himselfe one of those that were most inwward with him detesting so foule a treason secretly fled from him vnto his grandfather from point to point discouering vnto him all the intended treacheries and withall how that his nephew had determined to depose him from his empire or otherwise to bereaue him of his life if he should stand vpon his guard but if in the attempt hee should find easie successe then to spare his life and depriuing him of the imperiall dignitie to thrust him as a monke into a monasterie and therefore aduised him to beware how he suffered him after his woonted manner to come into the citie for feare of a generall reuolt but rather by force to keepe him out Which the emperor hearing and comparing with other things which he had heard of others yet sounding in his eares deeming it to be true stood vp and in the anguish of his soule thus complained vnto God Reuenge my quarrell ô God vpon them that do me wrong let them be ashamed that rise vp against me and preserue thou vnto me the imperiall power which by thee giuen vnto me he commeth to take from me whom I my selfe begot and aduanced After he began to consider what course to take for the
disaster fortune banished from their parents and kinred hath enforced to wander here and there with death alwayes before their eyes Let any man tell me how I came by these wounds which I yet beare in my bodie but in fight with the enemies of my countrey which passe ouer out of ASIA into THRACIA or els dwelling neere vnto ISTER doe with their incursions from thence miserably wast that side of THRACIA which is next vnto them For I to tell you the very truth seeing the old emperour by reason of his great yeares to become slothfull and blockish and not possibly to be awaked out of his drowsie sleepe neither any whit to greeue when as the poore Christians his subjects were both by day and night some as sacrifices slaine by the barbarous enemies some carried away into most miserable captiuitie and the rest poore and naked to be driuen out of their houses and cities not to speake in the meane time of the greater mischeefes in ASIA and how many cities haue beene there lost through the old emperours slouth and negligence when I saw these things I say strucken with a piercing greefe which my heart could not indure I went out for two causes Either by some kind of honourable death to end my greefe together with my life or els to the vttermost of my power to stand my countrey in some stead For by no meanes it can come to passe but that a man and he that hath of long time raigned must at length become loathsome vnto his subjects and incurre their deadly hatred For why God hath made nothing in this life immutable and firme whereby it commeth to passe as we see that all worldly things joy and delight in change But if a man will as it were force fortune to his desire and striue to bind things vnto a certaine firme and constant course he shall but lose his labour and in vaine striue against nature But whatsoeuer is contrary vnto nature or exceedeth the just bounds thereof hath in it neither comfort nor delight This was it that caused the wise men to say and to leaue vnto vs as rules Not to dwell too long vpon any thing and a measure to be the fairest vertue For you see how that my grandfather being grown to great years and hauing raigned so long I may almost say as neuer did any but he is become hatefull vnto all his people and yet regardeth not either how to discharge himselfe of so great a burthen or how to releeue the declining state of the empire or so much as greeueth to see the successours of the empire to die before him for my father is dead without any fruit of the empire except the bare title only and others also neerest to him of blood and farre yoonger than he are dead likewise and happely I my selfe may die also before I shall receiue any profit thereof For what can more easily happen especially vnto a man that shunneth no danger and regardeth not his life But some perhaps will suspect me of ambition for departing from the emperour my grandfather and for refusing to bee ruled by him Which thing I neither flatly denie nor altogether confesse for might I see the empire encrease and the bounds thereof enlarged I could willingly content my selfe and at my case take my rest cheering my selfe vp with such hope as doe they that beare with their cookes making them to stay long for their dinner in hope thereby to fare the better But seeing the state of the empire daily to decline from euill to worse and the miserable people carried away captiues or slaine by their enemies euen at the gates and vnder the wals of the imperiall cittie what deeme you mee then to thinke For most men ease their present greefe with the hope of future good although the same be but vaine but vnto mee is not left euen such vaine hope vnto my false comfort And can you meruaile at the impotent affection of the Great Alexander of MACEDON greeued and displeased to see his father to heape victorie vpon victorie and to cut off all the hope of his sonnes glorie by leauing him so few occasions of war and not thinke me to whom you see the quite contrarie is chanced and from whom not only the hope of the empire is cut off for the wasting thereof but euen the course of a quiet life to fret and greeue thereat Mooued herewith and not able longer to endure it at length I rise vp and requested of the emperour my grandfather but a thousand men at armes promising him by the power of God with them to preserue the cities in BYTHINIA and to driue his enemies farther off before that hauing them they should passe ouer the strait and besiege the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE which so small a request he not onely denied me but hath euer since taken me for his mortall enemie But this and many other things els let passe I haue now another request vnto him by you which is That he would giue me eight thousand duckats to content my souldiors withall who now of long haue from place to place romed vp and downe with mee following mine vncertaine fortune which graunted I will no more bee vnto my grandfather troublesome but dismissing my forces hold my selfe right well contented Hauing thus said he rise out of his seat and taking them apart one after another courteously discoursed with them so filling them with great hopes sent them away who departing from him comming into the citie became as it were the open proclaimers of his praises enflaming the people with a greater desire of him than before Which the old emperour hearing and perceiuing almost all his friends in the citie to be in heart reuolted from him and withall fearing to be of them in some suddaine concourse slaine was therewith exceedingly vexed Yet he thought it best before any such thing should happen to prooue their minds and to heare the counsell of the Patriarch and Asanes and the other bishops also vnto whom being by one of the Senators called together he declared his mind as followeth Were I assured that hauing deposed my selfe of the imperiall dignitie I should my self liue in safetie and see my people well gouerned I would I should neuer be of the company of the faithfull if I did not by much prefer a pleasant quiet contented life before an empire For if a man would seek for the pleasure of the mind what can be more pleasant than to be disburdened of all cares and free from such dangers as attend high estates But if for my sinne and the sins of my people as also for the sinne of mine ancestors the vengeance of God in manner of a violent tempest raging against vs subuerteth our empire and I yet but a youth by the helpe of God reformed and quieted the state of the empire greeuously troubled with discord in the Church and the often inuasion of the enemie and taught by
which thou thy selfe hast taken the fountaine of life Man truly beholdeth heauen and earth and heauen and earth behold mens actions wherefore make not the heauens and the earth beholders of so wicked an outrage as neuer man euer committed If brothers blood long agoe cried out vnto the Lord against Cain how much louder shall the fathers blood crie vnto the Lord and declare so great a wickednesse vnto the earth the sunne and stars and make it abhorred of all the princes of the world Regard my miserable old age which of it selfe promiseth vnto me shortly death but vnto thee a rest after long cares Reuerence the hands which haue oftentimes most louingly embraced thee yet crying in thy swathing clouts Reuerence those lips which haue oftentimes most louingly kissed thee and called thee my other soule Haue pitie vpon a brused reed cast downe by fortune and doe not thou againe tread vpon it And seeing thou art thy selfe a man be not too proud of thy present fortune but consider the vncertaintie and varietie of worldly things taking by me example see in me the end of long life and maruell how one night hauing receiued me an emperour of many yeares leaueth me now subject vnto another mans power for euer The young emperour Andronicus mooued with this speech and taking great care of his grandfathers safetie scarce abstaining from teares entred the pallace and comming to his grandfather humbly saluted him embraced him and with cheerfull words comforted him Straight way after he went vnto the monasterie MANGANIVM where as is aforesaid the Patriarch Esaeius was by the old emperors commandement kept in safe keeping whom the yong emperor now tooke from thence and carrying him away in one of the emperors richest chariots restored him againe vnto his Patriarchall dignitie wherein he afterwards spared not to reuenge himselfe to the full and most cruelly to persecute the old emperours friends That day from morning vnto night a man might haue seene all the riches and wealth of such noble men as had taken part with the old emperour carryed away and their goodly houses ouerthrowne and made the scorne of the base common people but especially the house and wealth of Theodorus Metochita a man but the day before in greatest fauour with his prince and of all others next vnto the emperour himselfe of greatest authoritie and credit whose whole wealth not that only which was found in his house but that also which he had laid vp in trust with his friends discouered by notes found in his studie became most part a prey vnto the common people and the rest confiscated vnto the prince Thus he which earst of all others next vnto the emperour was accounted most fortunate was now vpon the sudden with his wife and children brought vnto extreame beggerie and after many yeares felicitie in one day cast into the bottom of dispaire and miserie where a man might haue heard many complayning say All that wealth and treasure to haue beene the bloud and teares of the poore oppressed subjects brought vnto him by them whom hee had made rulers and gouernours of the prouinces and cities of the empire to the intent that when they had delt cruelly with the people as with their slaues he might stop them for comming to complaine of their griefes vnto the emperour and that the eie of the Reuenger had not alwaies slept but was now at length awaked had of him yet scarcely takeÌ„ sufficient punishment which euery where to heare increased not a little his griefe As for himselfe he was coÌ„fined vnto DIDYMOTICHVM as the place of his exile and banishment where after he had a certaine time poorly liued he was sent for backe againe to CONSTANTINOPLE where hauing nothing leâ—t to relieue himselfe for his house at the comming of the young emperour was in the furie of the people pluckt downe to the ground and the verie pauement thereof digged vp he went vnto the monasterie of CHORA thereby which long before built by the emperour Iustinian and become ruinous he in the time of his prosperitie had with great charge repaired therin now hauing made shipwracke of all that he had quietly shrouded himselfe to the great comfort both of his bodie and afflicted mind where he not long after died But to returne againe vnto the old emperour as yet in doubt what should become of himselfe it fortuned that the same day that the citie was taken the young emperour at night returning to the pallace by the way met with Niphon sometime Patriarch who asked him how they meant to deale with his grandfather Whereunto the yong emperor answering That he would deale with him honourably and emperour like he was by him therefore blamed and reprooued For this Niphon being of a craftie subtile wit and malicious nature besides that he secretly hated all them vpon whom fortune greatly either fauned or frowned bare an especiall grudge against the old emperour first for that at such time as he was right woorthly for his shamefull couetousnesse and extortion by the rest of the bishops and cleargie thrust out of his Patriarchship he was not by him as he looked for defended and secondly for that dreaming againe after the Patriarchall dignitie he thought it one good step thereunto to haue him as his greatest enemie taken out of the way Wherefore he said now vnto the young emperour If thou desire to raigne without feare giue not thine honour vnto another but taking all the ornaments of the empire from the old man cast haire cloath vpon him and so clap him fast in prison or thrust him out into exile This mischieuous counsell this wicked man gaue against the poore old distressed emperour not remembring how vnwoorthily he had by him beene before preferred vnto the highest degrees both of honour and wealth if he could there haue kept himselfe vnto which vngratious counsell diuers others of the nobilitie also consenting so wrought the matter amongst them that although they could not quite draw the young emperors mind from his grandfather yet they much changed the same so that he could no longer endure to take him for his companion in the empire Whereupon after many meetings consultations had it was decreed That the old man should still retaine the name and ornaments of an emperour as before but not to meddle in any matters nor to come abroad but to sit still quietly in his chamber with the yearly allowance of ten thousand duckats for the maintenance of himselfe and such as attended vpon him to be raised of the fishing before the citie of CONSTANTINOPLE a poore pension for the maintenance of so great an emperour Of which so shamefull a decree Esaeias the Patriarch was also a furtherer who seeing an emperour that had raigned so long cast downe and shut vp as it were in prison was so far from grieuing thereat that foolishly rejoycing he in token thereof absurdly wrested this text of Scripture saying in his merriment Laetabitur
commodious alliance should be rejected for as much as princes doe more regard the vertues of their choice with the increase of their honour and wealth of their kingdomes than the Summer fruit of youth and beautie which of it selfe in short time doth rot and perish although it be neuer so carefully kept and preserued and that for as much as there can be but one king in a kingdome such choice was to be preferred of kings as had not therein the greatest hope of many children After long deliberation Vladislaus gaue answer vnto the embassadors That he would accept of the offers by theÌ„ made wherupon some of them returned to make relation thereof vnto the queene and some of them staied behind to hasten the king forward But whilest these things was a doing the queen in the mean time was deliuered of a faire son whom she caused to be baptized and named Ladislaus After the birth of this child the queene mooued with a motherly affection began to repent her selfe that she had giuen her consent for the calling in of the Polonian king to the prejudice of her sonne And being animated by some of the Hungarian nobilitie who presuming of the good grace they were in with the queene hoped to grow great themselues if they might first draw the gouernment of that kingdome to the queene and her young sonne determined now by all possible means to exâ—lâ—de the Polonian king but the greater part of the nobilitie better considering what was most expedient for the present estate and that they could neither with honor nor safetie flie from that which was before for the common good by the embassadours concluded continued firme in their former resolution for the bringing in of Vladislaus so that by this meanes some taking part with the queene and her young sonne and others standing fast for Vladislaus the kingdome of HUNGARIE was deuided into two factions and as it were rent in peeces and so grew to ciuile wars The queene with such as fauoured her claime the more to gaine the minds of the common people which are many times no lesse carried away with shewes than matter caused her sonne Ladislaus being then but three moneths old to be solemnely crowned king at ALBA-REGALIS the vsuall place for the coronation of the Hungarian kings But after that the Polonian king had entred into HUNGARIE with a goodly armie and joined his forces with his friends most part of them which before followed the queene and her sonne reuolted vnto Vladislaus So that when she had done what she could she was glad at last to commit the tuition of her sonne together with the crowne of HUNGARIE vnto Fredericke the third then emperour neuer ceasing for all that to the vttermost of her power to trouble the gouernment of Vladislaus continually stirring vp great wars against him both at home and abroad vntill that at the last by her death her quarrell tooke end together with her life In the middest of these ciuile warres Amurath thought a faire oportunitie presented vnto him to make an entrance vnto the conquest of HUNGARIE which kingdome he had in his ambitious mind alreadie deuoured And therefore gathering a great armie he marched along the riuer DANVBIUS vntill he came to the strong cittie of BELGRADE called in antient time TAVRUNVM and of some ALBA GRaeCA but now commonly GREICS WEISENBURG This citie is enuironed on the East side with the famous riuer DANVBIUS and on the South with the great riuer of SAVS or SAWE which there falleth into DANVBIUS and on the other two sides is defended with strong wals with deepe and large ditches and was then accounted the gate or entrance into HUNGARIE Vnto this cittie Amurath at his first comming gaue two terrible assaults was in good hope so to haue woon the same but yet was both times valiantly repulsed with great slaughter of his men Wherfore finding it to be a matter of more difficultie than was by him at the first supposed he began to raise mounts against the citie and high towers of wood to annoy the defendants and furiously battered the wals At this time also he caused great numbers of gallies and small pinnaces to be brought into both the riuers of DANVBIUS and SAWE to assault the cittie on those parts where was least feared and by that meanes also to keepe them of the cittie from all succours to be sent that way out of HUNGARIE Yet for all he could doe or deuise the citie was still valiantly defended by the Christian soldiors which vnder the leading and conduct of Ioannes Vranus a Florentine gouernor thereof with often sallies and continuall shot slew great numbers of the Turks At the time of this siege Vladislaus king of POLONIA and lately elect king of HUNGARIE was sore troubled by the queene and her faction in HUNGARIE which thing the Turkish king knew right well and thereupon continued his siege although famine began greatly to encrease in his campe hoping in nothing more than that the defendants despairing of helpe from the king would in short time yeeld vp the cittie Vladâ—slaus being so entangled with ciuile wars as is aforesaid that he could not possibly prepare such force as might relieue the besieged citie yet for as much as the Turkish king had not long before by his embassador required to joine with him in league amitie he thought good now to assay if he could raise the siege by sending vnto him the like embassage Whereupon he sent Dobrogosius Ostrorogeus and Lucas Gorsensis three of the Polonian nobilitie embassadors vnto Amurath declaring vnto him That for so much as he had first offered by his embassadours to joine with him in league before he came out of POLONIA the remembrance thereof had taken such deepe impression in his mind that hee would not take vp armes against him although it were in his owne just defence before hee had offered vnto him reasonable conditions of peace wherefore if hee would desist from inuading of HUNGARIE whereof Vladislaus was now by God his permission and consent of the people chosen king and so raise his siege that then they should afterwards easily agree vpon the desired peace in concluding whereof he should not find Vladislaus inferiour to himselfe in any manner of princely courtesie but if he had rather to proceed in armes to make proofe of his strength he would then doe the best that he could to make him know that he was of sufficient power in so just a quarrell to withstand his greatest forces and to reuenge the wrongs to him done When Amurath had receiued this embassage he appointed the embassadors to withdraw themselues for a while to SYNDEROVIA a cittie of SERVIA not farre off vntill he might better consider of their demaunds pretending that he did it for their safetie but as appeared afterward secretly resoluing with himselfe presently to do his vttermost deuoire for the gaining of the cittie and vpon the successe thereof
an enemie either meanes to raise any in so great a confusion and feare was wonderfully grieued thereat and perplexed in mind as not well knowing which way to turne himselfe At length hee tooke his flight into ALBA IVLA vnto his old friend George Lepe Bishop of that citie a man of great vertue and grauitie but whilest hee there staieth with his friend about the raising of a tumultuarie armie the enemie was now come neere vnto him who hauing ouer-runne the greatest part of the countrey had scraped together such a bootie and taken such a multitude of prisoners that surcharged as it were with the spoile he was glad to march softlier yet still burning the countrey before him Which Huniades and the good bishop beholding out of the citie so much greeued thereat that albeit that they both well knew themselues with an handfull of men in hast taken vp hand ouer head too weake to encounter with their enemies yet thought it better with such power as they had to goe out and so in defence of their countrey honourably to die than longer to behold the most miserable destruction of the same But whilest they vpō this resolution caried forth with too hot a desire of reuenge march vnaduisedly on headlong without any scouts or espials sent out before them they fell before they were aware into such ambushes both of horse and foot as the craftie enemie had in the secret woods and vallies wherby they were to passe laid of purpose to intercept them which now with great force and horrible outcries breaking out vpon them on euerie side dismaied them with a great feare Huniades and the bishop seeing themselues so entrapped and beset with the multitude of their enemies as that they must needs perish if they should longer staie fled incontinently backe againe after whom followed all the rest of their armie and at their heeles the egre Turks who spared none of the flying Christians they could ouertake but put them all to the sword neuerthelesse most part of them escaped backe againe to ALBA IVLA The Bishop thinking to haue saued himselfe by the swiftnesse of his horse comming to a riuer in taking the same was ouerthrowne and there by the enemie slaine With whose death the Bassa encouraged as also with the present victorie began now more at libertie to range abroad and at his pleasure with fire and sword to wast that part of the country which yet remained vnspoiled leauing in the meane time as a man out of feare the rich prey hee had taken together with his baggage and cariages to be carried all together as a notable testimonie of his victorie vnto his great lord and maister Huniades in the meane time with wonderfull celeritie running about the borders of his country and out of euerie towne and village taking such souldiors as he could persuaded also the Sicilians or people commonly called Siculi in defence of their wiues and children to take vp armes who all in respect of the present necessitie cheerefully did whatsoeuer he commaunded With this tumultuarie armie he followed the Bassa who thē in great pride was returning laded with the spoile of the whole countrey with purpose to set vpon him as time or place should giue him occasion In the meane time Mesitis being told that Huniades with a great power was comming after him and now euen at hand is reported to haue made no great reckoning thereof but to haue proudly answeared vnto him that brought the newes Let him come and with the spoile of himselfe enrich our victorie There was present when he thus said one Iohn one of Huniades his espials who discouered vnto him many of the Turkes designes concerning the joyning of battaile with him but especially that the Bassa had commanded through his armie That aboue all things they should in the beginning of the battell assaile the person of Huniades himselfe for that he being once slaine the rest would easily be put to flight as all depending on his direction and that for the performance thereof he had appointed certaine companies of his best souldiours giuing them certaine tokens whereby they might know both him and his horse There was then in the armie one Simon Kemene a right valiant and couragious gentleman not much vnlike vnto Huniades with whom he chaunged both his horse and armour appointing vnto him a strong troupe of his choise horsemen to attend vpon him neither was this counterfait Huniades vnwilling to expose himselfe vnto the danger accounting it honour inough if by his death he might saue the life of his friend and preserue so worthie a defendour of the common weale Huniades following fast after the Bassa marching before him sought by light skirmishes sometimes on the one side sometimes on the other and sometimes in the reareward to stay him and at some aduantage if any such were giuen to fight with him before he should get out of the countrey At length finding such an oportunitie as he thought good to lay hold vpon he with all his forces as if it had ben a violent tempest came vpon the Turks so sodainly as that they had not time to put themselues into order of battell but were glad confusedly to fight as they might and without order in which disordered fight many fell on both sides but farre more of the Turkes But whilest both armies with like obstinacie encounter together certaine troupes of the most valiant Turks descrying Simon the counterfeit Huniades and by the signes before deliuered vnto them both of his horse and armour supposing him to haue been Huniades indeed with all their power made towards him to haue slaine him according as they had in charge where meeting with right valiant men of no lesse courage than thēselues there was fought a most terrible bloodie battell in such sort as if in that very place should haue ben tried the whole fortune of the day But the Turks still bending their forces more more thither for the killing of him of whō they stood in more dread than of all the rest at length by plain force made a way vnto him hauing slain them that were about him though not without their own great losse furiously assailing him slew him vainly supposing it to haue ben the very generall himselfe who had he there perished as like inough it was he should had hee not beene before warned of the Bassaes purpose no doubt but that the whole country had bin with him or shortly after quite lost But Huniades in the mean time riding too and fro in the armie encouraged his soldiors not to forsake the victorie they were now as it were in possession of nor leaue vnreuenged so many slaughters and harmes so lately committed by their enemies but to remēber as they were fighting that they caried in their hands their wiues and children and were in that one battell to reuenge the wrong by them done both to God and man Sometime he with new supplies encouraged such
beare authoritie and rule and are had in greater honour and reputation than the rest such as are the men of warre and courtlers but he is borne a Christian either of father or at the least of his grandfather auouch those onely to be Turks which liue in NATOLIA al of them either marchants or of base and mechanicall crafts or poore labourers with the spade and pickaxe and such like people vnfit for the warres the rest as I say holding it for a title of honour to be discended of Christian parents Yea the Grand Sign â—or himselfe although by the fathers side he bee come of progenitors such as were naturall Turks borne yet many of them had Christian mothers which they accounted in the greatest part of their nobilitie and honour Thus by the wisedome of Amurath was the order of the Ianizaries and other souldiours of the court greatly aduanced though not by him begun and the politicke state of the Turks kingdome to say the truth quite altered the naturall Turks more than the Sultan himselfe now bearing therein no sway but onely these new souldiours all of them discended from Christian parents and by adoption as it were become the sonnes of the Turkish Sultans and vnder them commanding all by whom they haue euer since managed their estate by their good seruice wonderfully euen to the astonishment of the world encreased and extended their empire But of them more shall be said hereafter This great king was whilest hee liued of his subjects woonderfully beloued and no lesse of them after his death lamented He was more faithfull of his word than any of the Turkish kings either before or after him by nature melancholie and sad and accounted rather politicke than valiant yet was indeed both a great dissembler and painefull in trauaile but wayward and testie aboue measure which many imputed vnto his great age He had issue sixe sonnes Achmetes Aladin Mahomet Hasan otherwise called Chasan Vrchan and Achmetes the younger of some called Calepinus three of whom died before him but the two youngest were by their vnnaturall brother Mahomet who succeeded him in the Turkish kingdome euen in their infancie in the beginning of his raigne most cruelly murthered FINIS Christian princes of the same time with Amurath the second Emperours Of the East Iohn Palaeologus 1421. 24. Constantinus Palaeologus 1444. 8. Of the West Sigismund king of Hungarie 1411. 28. Albert the second king of Hungarie and Bohemia 1438. 2. Frederick the third Archduke of Austria 1440. 54. Kings Of England Henrie the fift 1413. 9. Henrie the sixt 1422. 39. Of Fraunce Charles the sixt 1381. 42. Charles the seuenth 1423. 38. Of Scotland Iames the first 1424. 13. Iames the second 1436. 29. Bishops of Rome Martin the V. 1417. 13. Eugenius the IIII. 1431. 16. Nicholas the V. 1447. 8. MAHOMET II. MAHOMETHES II COG MAGNVS TVRCARVM IMPERATOR PRIMVS FLORVIT AN o 1450 Qui vici innumeros populos tot regna tot vrbes Solus immensi qui timor orbis eram Me rapuit quae cunque rapit mors improba sed sum Virtute excelsa ductus ad astra tamen Maior Alexander non me fuit Annniball non Fuderit Ausonios tot licet ille duces Vici victores Dannos domuique feroces Caoniae populos Sauromatasquè truces Pannonius sensit quantum surgebat in armis Vis mea quae latio cognita nuper erat Arsacidae sensere manus has sensit Arahsquè Et mea sunt Persae cognita tela duci Mens fuerat bellare Rhodum superare superbam Italiam sed non fata dedere modum Hei mihi nam rapuit mors aspera quaequè sub alto Pectore condideram vertit hora breuis Sic hominum fastus pereunt sic stemata sicquè Imperium atquè aurum quicquid orbis habet In English thus I that so many nations townes and kingdomes haue brought low And haue alone dismaied the world and fild the earth with woe Am now by death which all deuoures brought downe from hie degree Yet doth the glorie of my name surmount the starrie skie The great king Alexanders fame the world no better fild Nor worthy Hannibal whose force so many Romans kild I vanquisht the victorious Greeks and tam'd with mightie hand The warlike people of EPIRE and fierce TARTARIA land My force in field HVNGARIA felt my greatnesse is there knowne Which of late time through ITALY to their great ruth is blowne Th'Assyrians felt my heauie hand so did th' Arabians wild The Persian king with all his force I driue out of the field I purposed to win the RHODES and ITALY t' vndoe If that the fatall destinies had granted leaue thereto But wo is me for grisly death hath brought all this to nought And in the twinckling of an eye is perisht all I thought So perisheth the pride of man his honour wealth and power His golde and whatsoeuer else it fadeth as a flower THE LIFE OF MAHOMET SECOND OF THAT NAME SEVENTH KING AND FIRST EMPEROVR OF THE TVRKS FOR HIS MANY VICTORIES SVRNAMED THE GREAT THe report of the death of old Amurath the late king was in short time blowne through most part of Christendome to the great joy of many but especially of the Greekes and other poore Christians which bordered vpon the tyrants kingdome who were now in hope together with the change of the Turkish king to make exchange also of their bad estate and fortune and the rather for that it was thought that his eldest sonne Mahomet after the death of his father would haue embraced the Christian religion being in his childhood instructed therein as was supposed by his mother the daughter of the prince of SERVIA a Christian. But vaine was this hope and the joy thereof but short as afterward by proofe appeared For Mahomet being about the age of one and twentie yeares succeeding his father in the kingdome in the yeare of our Lord 1450 embraced in shew the Mahometane religion abhorring the Christian but indeed making no great reckoning either of the one or of the other but as a meere Atheist deuoid of all religion and worshipping no other god but good fortune derided the simplicitie of all such as thought that God had any care or regard of worldly men or of their actions which gracelesse resolution so wrought in him that he thought all things lawfull that agreed with his lust and making conscience of nothing kept no league promise or oath longer than stood with his profit or pleasure Now in the Court men stood diuersly affected towards the present state the mightie Bassaes and others of great authoritie vnto whom the old kings gouernment was neuer greeuous inwardly lamented his death doubting least the fierce nature of the yong king should turne to the hurt of some of them in particular and the shortening of their authoritie in generall as indeed it shortly after fell out But the lustie gallants of the Court wearie of the
their vsuall manner of dealing with their emperours in that declining state of the empire as well appeared in the time of the emperor Baldwin who for lacke of monie was glad first to sell away many of the goodly ornaments of the citie and afterwards to pawne his own sonne vnto the Venetian marchants for monie to maintaine his state as is in the former part of this Historie declared But to returne againe to the course of our Historie The emperour certainely aduertised of the enemies purpose for the generall assault shortly to be giuen first commended the defence of himselfe and the citie vnto the protection of the almightie by generall fasting and prayer and afterwards appointed euerie captaine and commaunder to some certaine place of the wall for defence thereof which was done by the direction of Io. Iustinianus his Generall in whose valor the Constantinopolitans had reposed their greatest hope But the cittie being on euerie side now beset with the Turkes great armie and the defendants in number but few for so great a citie in compasse eight miles the wals could not but slenderly in many places be manned and especially on both sides toward the sea where indeed least danger was The greatest strength and best souldiours were placed for defence of the vtter wall where the breach was and the assault expected by land Iustinianus the Generall himselfe with three hundred Genowayes well armed and certaine chosen Greekes vndertooke the defence of that part of the battered wall neere vnto the Romane gate where the fall of the tower BACTATINA had filled the ditch as is aforesaid against which place Mahomet himselfe lay encamped with his Ianizaries and best men of warre Neere vnto Iustinianus lay the emperor himselfe for defence of another part of the wall and so other captaines orderly with their companies all alongst the vtter wall And because the defendants should haue no hope to saue their liues more than their owne valour the emperour caused all the gates of the inner wall to be fast shut vp And in this sort they lay all the night expecting continually when the assault should bee giuen all which time they might heare great hurly burly and noise in the Turks campe as they were putting things in readinesse for the assault A little before day the Turks approached the walles and begun the assault where shot and stones were deliuered vpon them from the wals as thicke as haile whereof little fell in vaine by reason of the multitude of the Turkes who pressing fast vnto the wals could not see in the darke how to defend themselues but were without number wounded or slaine but these were of the common and worst souldiours of whom the Turkish king made no more reckoning than to abate the first force of the defendants Vpon the first appearance of the day Mahomet gaue the signe appointed for the generall assault wherupon the citie was in a moment and at one instant on euerie side most furiously assaulted by the Turks for Mahomet the more to distresse the defendants and the better to see the forwardnesse of the souldiours had before appointed which part of the cittie euerie colonell with his regiment should assaile Which they valiantly performed deliuering their arrowes and shot vpon the defendants so thicke that the light of the day was therwith darkened others in the mean time couragiously mounting the scaling ladders and comming euen to handie stroakes with the defendants vpon the wall where the formost were for most part violently borne forward by them which followed after On the other side the Christians with no lesse courage withstood the Turkish furie beating them downe againe with great stones and waightie peeces of timber and so ouerwhelmed them with shot darts and arrowes and other hurtfull and deadly deuises from aboue that the Turkes dismaied with the terrour thereof were readie to retire Mahomet seeing the great slaughter and discomfiture of his men sent in fresh supplies of his Ianizaâ—ies and best men of warre whom hee had for that purpose reserued as his last hope and refuge by whose comming on his fainting souldiours were againe encouraged and the terrible assault begun afresh At which time the barbarous king ceased not to vse all possible meanes to maintain the assault by name calling vpon this and that captain promising vnto some whom he saw forward golden mountaines and vnto others in whom he saw any signe of cowardise threatning most terrible death by which meanes the assault became most dreadfull death there raging in the middest of many thousands And albeit that the Turkes lay dead by heapes vpon the ground yet other fresh men pressed on still in their places ouer their dead bodies and with diuers euent either slew or were slaine by their enemies In this so terrible a conflict it chanced Iustinianus the Generall to bee wounded in the arme who losing much blood cowardly withdrew himselfe from the place of his charge not leaâ—ing any to supplie his roome and so got into the cittie by the gate called ROMANA which hee had caused to be opened in the inner wall pretending the cause of his departure to be for the binding vp of his wound but being indeed a man now altogether discouraged The souldiors there present dismayed with the departure of their Generall and sore charged by the Ianizaries forsooke their stations and in hast fled to the same gate whereby Iustinianus was entered with the sight whereof the other souldiors dismayed ran thither by heapes also But whilest they violently striue all together to get in at once they so wedged one another in the entrance of the gate that few of so great a multitude got in in which so great a presse and confusion of minds eight hundred persons were there by them that followed troden vnderfoot or thrust to death The emperor himselfe for safegard of his life flying with the rest in that presse as a man not regarded miserably ended his dayes together with the Greeke empire His dead bodie was shortly after found by the Turkes amongst the slaine and knowne by his rich apparrell whose head being cut off was forthwith presented to the Turkish tyrant by whose commaundement it was afterward thrust vpon the point of a launce and in great derision caried about as a trophee of his victorie first in the campe and afterwards vp and downe the citie The Turkes encouraged with the flight of the Christians presently aduanced their ensignes vpon the top of the vttermost wall crying victorie and by the breach entred as if it had been a great floud which hauing once found a breach in the banke ouerfloweth and beareth downe all before it so the Turkes when they had woon the vtter wall entred the citie by the same gate that was opened for Iustinianus by a breach which they had before made with their great artillerie and without mercie cutting in pieces all that came in their way without further resistance became lords of that
enforced to confesse where all his treasures lay he was most cruelly in his extreame old age executed After whose death his friends and seruants which were many for he was a man greatly beloued in court in token of their griefe put on mourning apparell so that in the court appeared a great shew of common sorrow wherewith Mahomet being offended caused proclamation to be made That all such as did weare such mourning apparell should the next day appeare before him at which time there was not one to be seene about the court in that heauie attire for feare of the tyrants displeasure After that Mahomet was thus become lord of the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE as is aforesaid and had fully resolued there to place his imperiall seat he first repaired the wals and other buildings spoiled in the late siege and by proclamations sent forth into all parts of his dominions gaue great priuiledges and immunities to all such as should come to dwel at CONSTANTINOPLE with free libertie to exercise what religion or trade they pleased Whereby in short time that great and desolat citie was againe well peopled with such as out of diuers countries resorted thither but especially with the Iewish nation which driuen out of other places came thither in great numbers and were of the Turkes gladly receiued So when he had there established all things according to his hearts desire he tooke vpon him the name and title of an Emperour and is from that time not vnworthely reputed for the first emperour of the Turks Now amongst many fair virgins taken prisoners by the Turks at the winning of CONSTANTINOPLE was one Irene a Greek borne of such incomparable beautie and rare perfection both of body mind as if nature had in her to the admiration of the world laboured to haue showne her greatest skill so prodigally she had bestowed vpon her all the graces that might beautifie or commend that hir so curious a worke This paragon was by him that by chance had taken her presented vnto the great Sultan Mahomet himselfe as a jewell so fit for no mans wearing as his owne by the beautie and secret vertues whereof he found himselfe euen vpon the first view not a little moued Neuerthelesse hauing as then his head full of troubles and aboue all things carefull for the assuring of the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE by him but euen then woon he for the present committed her to the charge of his Eunuch and sent her away so to be in safetie kept vntill his better leisure But those his troubles ouerblowne and his new conquests well assured he then began forthwith to thinke of the faire Irene and for his pleasure sending for her tooke in her perfections such delight and contentment as that in short time he had changed state with her she being become the mistresse and commander of him so great a conqueror and he in nothing more delighted than in doing her the greatest honour and seruice he could All the day he spent with her in discourse and the night in daliance all time spent in her companie seemed vnto him short and without her nothing pleased his fierce nature was now by her well tamed and his wonted care of armes quite neglected Mars slept in Venus lap and now the soldiors might go play Yea the verie gouernment of his estate and empire seemed to be of him in comparison of her little or not at all regarded the care thereof being by him carelesly committed to others that so he might himselfe wholy attend vpon her in whom more than in himselfe the people said he delighted Such is the power of disordered affections where reason ruleth not the reine But whilest he thus forgetfull of himselfe spendeth in pleasure not some few daies or moneths but euen a whole yeare or two to the lightning of his credit and the great discontentment of his subjects in generall the Ianizaries and other souldiors of the court men desirous of imploiment and grieued to see him so giuen ouer vnto his affections to make no end therof began at first in secret to murmur thereat and to speake hardly of him and at length after their insolent manner spared not openly to say That it were well done to depriue him of his gouernment and state as vnworthy thereof and to set vp one of his sonnes in his steed Which speeches were now growne so rife and the discontentment of the men of warre so great that it was not without cause by some of the great Bassaes feared whereunto this their so great insolencie would grow But who should tell the tyrant thereof whose frowne was in it selfe death or who durst take in hand to cure that his sicke mind which distraught with the sweet but poysoned potions of loue was not like to listen to any good counsell were it neuer so wisely giuen but as a man metamorphosed to turne his furie vpon him which should presume so wholesomely but contrarie to his good liking to aduise him Vnhappie man whose great estate and fierce nature was not without danger to be medled or tempered with no not by them who of all others ought in so great a perill to haue beene thereof most carefull but were now for feare all become silent and dumbe Now amongst other great men in the Court was one Mustapha Bassa a man for his good seruice for that he was of a child brought vp with him of Mahomet greatly fauoured and by him also highly promoted and he againe by him as his Soueraigne no lesse honored than feared who no lesse than the rest greeued to see so great a change in the great Sultan of whom they had conceiued no small hope of greater matters than were by him as yet performed and mooued also with the danger threatened vnto him by the discontented Ianizaries and men of warre espying him at conuenient leisure to be spoken vnto and presuming of the former credit he had with him aduentured thus to breake with him and to giue him warning thereof How dangerous a thing it is for a subiect or vassale without leaue presumptuously to enter into the secrets of his dread Lord and Soueraigne the wofull examples of others most mightie Mahomet haue so sufficiently warned me as that were it not for the dutifull loyaltie I ow vnto your greatnesse far dearer vnto me than mine owne life I would not at this time aduenture my selfe vnto the hazard of your doubtfull acceptance of my faithfull speech and meaning but with others keepe silence and in secret mourne together with my heauie thoughts which if I should in so great a danger both of your life and empire now doe without warning you thereof I were not to be accounted vnworthie onely those your great fauours and honours most bountifully on me bestowed but as a most vile traitor both vnto your state and person to be of all men detested and abhorred The life you haue of late led euer since the taking of CONSTANTINOPLE
as being before vnder the Constantinopolitane empire had vpon the losse of the citie put themselues vnder the protection of the Venetians but especially the isle of MITYLENE called in auntient time LESâ—OS pretending that Nicholaus Catelusius prince therof did harbour the pyrats of ITALY and other places and also bought of them such prisoners and other bootie as they continually tooke from the Turkes at sea or alongst the sea coast out of many places of his dominions pretending also the chastising of the said prince for that he had by treacherie slaine his eldest brother and so vnjustly taken vpon him the gouernment His fleet thus set forward he himselfe with a small army passed ouer into ASIA and came by land to POSSIDIVM a citie of IONIA ouer against MITYLENE From whence he embarked himselfe ouer the narrow straite into the island where after he had once landed his army he in short time ouerran the whole island and miserably spoiled the same leading away all the inhabitants thereof into captiuitie who shortly after were sold at CONSTANTINOPLE like flocks of sheepe and from thence dispersed into all parâ—s of his dominions After he had thus harried the countrey and left nothing therein vnspoiled he besieged the Prince in the citie of MITYLENE whereof the island now taketh name and with his great ordinance continually battered the same by the space of 27 daies In which time many sharpe assaults were also giuen by the Turkes whereby the defendants were greatly diminished and wasted The prince perceiuing himselfe not able long to hold out offered to yeeld vp the citie with all the strong holds in the isle vpon condition that Mahomet should therefore giue vnto him some other prouince of like valew to the island which his offer Mahomet accepted and by solemne oath bound himselfe for performance of that he had promised Whereupon the prince came out of the citie and humbled himselfe before him excusing himselfe for the receiuing of the men of warre wherewith he was charged as done for no other purpose but that they should forbeare to spoile his owne countrey much subject to their furie vtterly denying that he had at any time bought or shared any part of such prizes as had by those pirats by sea or land been taken from the Turkes With which his excuse Mahomet seemed to be reasonably well contented and with good words cheered him vp neuerthelesse as soone as the citie with all the other strong holds in the isle were by the princes meanes deliuered into his hands hee no longer made reckoning of his Turkish faith but cruelly caused many of the chiefe citizens of MITYLENE to be put to death and three hundreth pirats whom he found in the citie to be cut in two peeces in the middle so to die with more paine And when he had placed conuenient garrisons in euerie strong hold in the isle he returned to CONSTANTINOPLE carrying away with him the prince and all the better sort of the inhabitants of MITYLENE that were left aliue togither with all the wealth of that most rich and pleasant island leauing it almost desolat none remaining therein more than his owne garrisons with a few of the poorest and basest people Mahomet after he was arriued at CONSTANTINOPLE cast the prince Nicholaus with Lucius his cosin whose helpe he had before vsed in killing of his elder brother into close prison where they seeing themselues euerie houre in danger of their liues to winne fauour in the tyrants sight wickedly offered to renounce the Christian religion and to turne Turke Which Mahomet vnderstanding caused them both to be richly apparelled and with great triumph to be circumcised and presently set at libertie yet still bearing in minde his olde grudge he shortly after when they least feared any such matter clapt them both fast againe in prison and there caused them to be most cruelly put to death A just reward for the bloodie murtherers and apostacie who to gaine a little longer life were content to forsake God Shortly after it fortuned that Stephen king of BOSNA in antient time called MaeSIA SVPERIOR who supported by the Turkish emperour had wrongfully obtained that kingdom against his owne brethren refused now to pay such yearely tribute as hee had before promised for which cause Mahomet with a strong armie entered into BOSNA and laied siege vnto the cittie of DOROBIZA which when he had with much adoe taken he deuided the people therof into three parts one part whereof he gaue as slaues vnto his men of warre another part he sent vnto CONSTANTINOPLE and the third he left to inhabit the citie From DOROBIZA he marched to IAZIGA now called IAICA the cheefe citie of that kingdome which after four months siege was deliuered vnto him by composition In this citie hee tooke the kings brother and sister prisoners with most of the nobilitie of that kingdome whom he sent as it were in triumph vnto CONSTANTINOPLE The other lesser cities of BOSNA following the example of the greater yeelded themselues also But Mahomet vnderstanding that the king of BOSNA had retired himselfe into the farthest part of his kingdome sent Mahometes his cheefe Bassa with his Europeian souldiors to pursue him wherein the Bassa vsed such diligence that he had on euery side so inclosed him before he was aware that hee could by no meanes escape which was before thought a thing impossible So the king for safegard of his life was faine to take the citie of CLYSSA for his refuge where he was so hardly laied to by the Bassa that seeing no other remedie hee offered to yeeld himselfe vpon the Bassaes faithfull promise by oath confirmed that he should be honourably vsed and not to receiue in his person any harme from the Turkish emperour Wherupon the Bassaes oath to the same purpose was with great solemnitie taken and for the more assurance conceiued in writing firmed by the Bassa and so deliuered to the king which done the king came out of the citie and yeelded himselfe The Bassa hauing thus taken the king prisoner carried him about with him from place to place and from citie to citie vntill he had taken possession of all the kingdome of BOSNA and so returning vnto his master presented vnto him the captiue king who was not a little offended with him for that hee had vnto him so farre engaged his Turkish faith But when the poore king thought to haue departed not greatly fearing further harme he was suddenly sent for by Mahomet at which time he doubting the worst caried with him in his hand the writing wherein the Bassaes oath for his safetie was comprised neuerthelesse the faithlesse tyrant without any regard thereof or of his faith therein giuen caused him presently to be most cruelly put to death or as some write to be flaine quicke Thus was the Christian kingdome of BOSNA subuerted by Mahomet in the yeare 1464 who after he had at his pleasure disposed thereof and reduced it
souldiours in such order as the shortnesse of the time and the enemies approach would permit doubting much whether it were better to fight or to flie but seeing no lesse danger in flight than in fight he resolutely receiued the enemies charge as a man desirous before hand to reuenge his owne death And at length seeing his men slaine about him by heapes and that courage must needs giue place vnto fortune fiercely attempted to haue broken through the middest of his enemies and so to haue fled vnto the mountaine where Scanderbeg lay but he was so beset that no way was possible to be made wherefore resoluing there to die he desperatly fought to the great admiration of his enemies vntill that he with all there with him were euery man slaine Tanusius on the other side after he had giuen diuers braue attempts to haue rescued his cosin Musachius finding by proofe that he could doe him no more good therein but to become the wofull companion of his death exhorted all the rest yet left for safegard of their liues to flie in which doing most of them were slaine for the Bassaes great army so â—illed all places thereabout and so eagerly pursued the victorie that it was almost impossible any way to scape Scanderbeg lying vpon the mountaine and seeing the ouerthrow of most part of his armie was about many times to haue descended from the hill to haue holpen them in what hee might or els to haue there died with them but yet stayed being thereto earnestly requested by his other most expert captaines and persuaded not desperately to thrust both himselfe and them all into the manifest perill of assured death Sebalias hauing slain Musachius and put Tanusius to flight followed the chase with the greatest part of his armie so that few were left in the great plaine except such as stayed to rifle the dead Scanderbeg taking that oportunitie came downe from the hill whereon he stood with his foure thousand souldiors and in a moment slew all such Turkes as he found in his way and after following in the taile of the Turkes armie cut off a great number of them and brought a generall feare vpon the whole armie insomuch that Sebalias perceiuing that he gained not so much in chasing of Tanusius but that he lost more in the rereward of his armie by the pursuit of Scanderbeg left the chase and turned vpon his fierce enemie Where after a sharpe skirmish begun the warie Bassa fearing in the maintaining of that disordered fight to haue the victorie wrung out of his hands by Scanderbeg caused a retreat to bee sounded so to call together his dispersed souldiors and in better order to encounter his dangerous enemie Scanderbeg in the meane time hauing assembled the remainder of his armie valiantly again encountred the Turks who thought in this battaile to haue made an end of the warres in EPIRVS and with his owne hand slew 〈◊〉 and Barach two valiant souldiours of the Turkes which like stout champions had â—efore sworne vnto Mahomet the death of Scanderbeg if they should chance to meet with him In this last skirmish a great number of the Turks were slain but night drawing on Sebalias retired with his armie to a mountaine neere vnto the cittie and Scanderbeg likewise to another almost two miles off and in the dead time of the night rising with his armie returned in safetie into EPIRVS leauing strong garrisons vpon all the strait passages as he went for feare least the Bassa proud of this victorie should forthwith breake into EPIRVS This was the onely and greatest ouerthrow that Scanderbeg had hetherto receiued of the Turkes wherein hee lost two thousand horsemen and three thousand foot most part whereof were of the Italians sent from king Alphonsus together with his tents and great artillerie and about eightie of his men taken prisoners And of the Turks were also slaine three thousand The next day Sebalias perceiuing that Scanderbeg was retired commaunded the bodies of the slaine Turks to be sought out and buried but of such Christians as they yet found breathing the Turks cut off their hands and feet and so left them amongst the dead The head of Musachius and of many other the slaine Christians which by their armour or apparrell were thought to be of the better sort were by the commaundement of Sebalias cut off which because he could not for the distance of the place and heat of the weather without great annoyance carrie with him to CONSTANTINOPLE as the barbarous manner of the Turks is he caused them to bee flaine and stuffed with chaffe and so to bee carried as the vaine trophees of his victorie Afterwards when hee had repaired the battered wals of BELGRADE and put a new supplie of seuen hundred fresh souldiours into the cittie beside the old garrison therein before and set all things in good order he returned with great triumph to CONSTANTINOPLE And the more to set out the glorie of his victorie at such time as he entered the citie he first caused the captiue Christians to be led in chaines before him after whom were borne the ensignes taken from the Christians with the aforesaid heads thrust vpon launces and after them all the spoile last of all came Sebalias himselfe with his souldiors as great conquerours and was of the people receiued with such applause and joy as if hee had conquered some great kingdome No man was now spoken of but Sebalias his praises were in euery mans mouth hee was the onely man as they said that did shew that Scanderbeg was to be ouercome no preferment was now thought too great for him or reward sufficient to counteruaile his desert The poore Christian captiues were afterwards for most part sold of the rest some were aliue thrust vpon sharpe stakes some hanged vpon yron hookes some otherwise cruelly at the victors pleasure tortured to death Moses lately before corrupted by the practise of the gouernour of SFETIGRADE hearing of the great losse Scanderbeg had receiued at BELGRADE thought it now a most fit time for his reuolt But for as much as the fact in the nature of it selfe foule seemed euen to himselfe the doer thereof a great deale fouler and more dishonourable for that he had therein no complices hee thought it good if it were possible to allure some others into the fellowship of his treason so to diminish the infamie of himselfe in communicating the same with many and to appeare with greater credit before the Turkish tyrant than if hee should as a contemptible fugitiue come all alone Wherefore vpon the bad newes from BELGRDE he seemed at the first very pensiue and much to lament the misfortune of Scanderbeg and the common miserie of the countrey of EPIRVS with many words amplifying the same and then on the contrarie part setting forth to the vttermost the force and power of the Turkish emperour Mahomet thereby to strike a greater terrour and distrust into the minds of them
they had beene two vnarmed wrestlers after long strugling till they were both almost out of breath Zacharias ouerthrew the Turke and lying vpon him with his dagger aboue the gorget thrust him into the throat and slew him and so rising vp with the sword that first came to his hands cut off the Turks head at the sight whereof the Christian armie gaue a great shout for joy to the great discomfiture of the Turks To be short Zacharias despoyling the Turk of his armour and what else he thought good returned loded with the spoile of his enemie and presented vnto Scanderbeg the proud Turkes head for which hee was of him afterwards most honourably rewarded Into this place yet reeking with the bloud of the late slaine Turke came Moses and with a loud voice challenged Scanderbeg hand to hand thinking indeed that he would not haue aduentured his person but when he saw him readie to come forth hee shamefully forsooke the place and returned with shame ynough into his armie Presently after both the armies vpon signall giuen set forward and so began to joine battaile where at the first onset Scanderbeg so valiantly charged the vauward of the Turkes armie that they were glad to giue ground which Moses perceiuing releeued them with new supplies and riding now here now there with his presence and courage restored the battaile in many places almost lost Howbeit the Epirots encouraged with the beginning of their good fortune still preuailed vpon their enemies and after great slaughter made came to the strength of their battaile where Moses had placed most of his best souldiours as his most assured and last refuge In this place the Turks fought with exceeding courage and Moses warily obseruing in what part of the battaile Scanderbeg himselfe was directed his greatest forces against him of purpose if possibly he might to haue slaine him whereof he missed but a little for a courageous souldiour of the Turkes by chance encountering with Scanderbeg with his horsemans staffe bare him quite backward vpon his horse in such forcible manner that the Turks for joy gaue a great shout thinking verely he had beene slaine but Scanderbeg recouering himselfe againe and chafed with such an vnwonted disgrace furiously assailed the same Turke with his sword and after a great fight slew him A great part of the Turkes armie being alreadie ouerthrowne by them that had the leading of the wings of Scanderbeg his armie diuers of the common souldiours thrust the heads of the slaine Turkes vpon the points of their speares in token of victorie to the great astonishment of the Turks and now joyning themselues with Scanderbeg more fiercely charged the maine battaile of the Turkes than before Neuerthelesse Moses encouraging his souldiours did what was possible for a man to doe and euen with his owne valour a great while staied the course of the victorie vntill he seeing the ground about him couered with the dead bodies of his best soldiours and that there was no remedie but that he must either flie or there die turned his backe and fled In which flight many of the hindermost of the Turks were slaine as for Moses himselfe he escaped by waies to him well knowne onely with foure thousand men the poore remainder of so great an armie the rest to the number of about eleuen thousand all choise men were slaine whereas of the Christians were not past an hundreth lost and about eightie wounded Of all the Turkes that were taken onely one was saued who being a man of good account had yeelded himselfe to Zacharias and was afterward raunsomed the rest were all by the common souldiours without pittie tortured to death in reuenge of the crueltie by them shewed at BELGRADE Scanderbeg himselfe either not knowing thereof or winking thereat Moses with the rest of his discomfited armie lay still a while vpon the borders of EPIRVS and would faine haue persuaded them after the departure of Scanderbeg to haue followed him againe into EPIRVS to haue surprised the garrison left in DIBRA in number not aboue two thousand promising to bring them vpon the same garrison before they should be aware of their comming But the Turks hauing him now in contempt were about by generall consent to forsake him and to returne home And so Moses seeing no remedie returned with them to CONSTANTINOPLE with countenance as heauie as if he had beene a condemned man now carried to the place of execution and the Turkes which had not long before had him in great admiration expecting that he should haue ended the wars in EPIRVS began now to disgrace him as fast and to speake all the euill of him they could deuise Yea the prowd tyrant himselfe although he could blame nothing in the man but his fortune was so highly offended with him for the losse of his armie that he had vndoubtedly put him to most cruell death had not the great Bassaes and others neere about him persuaded him otherwise saying That in so doing he should alienat the mindes of all others from reuolting vnto him or attempting any great thing for his seruice So was he by their mediation pardoned his life but withall so disgraced that he had little or nothing allowed him afterwards for his necessarie maintenance all which despitefull contumelies he outwardly seemed patiently to beare but was inwardly so tormented with melancholy and griefe that he could neither eat nor drinke The remembrance of the foule treason committed against his prince and countrey was day and night before his eies and the disgraces of the Turkes court inwardly tormented him with intollerable griefe The sight of the tyrant who measured all things by the euent filled his heart with secret indignation and to returne againe vnto his naturall prince of whom he had so euill deserued he was ashamed Sometime the clemencie and princely nature of Scanderbeg whom he knew of old slow to reuenge and easie to be entreated to forgiue hartened him on to thinke of returne and by and by the consideration of his fowle treason ouerwhelmed him with despaire Thus with contrarie thoughts plunged too and fro tormented with the inspeakable griefes of a troubled conscience not knowing what to doe purposing now one thing and by and by another at last he resolued to forsake the insolent tyrant and to submit himselfe to the mercie of Scanderbeg wishing rather to die in his countrey for his due desert than to liue with infamie derided in the Turkes court Resting himselfe vpon this resolution one euening hee got secretly out of the gates of CONSTANTINOPLE and trauelling all that night and the day following before he rested by long and wearie journies came at last vnto his natiue countrey of DIBRA The garrison souldiours beholding their old gouernour all alone full of heauinesse as a man eaten vp with cares mooued with compassion and forgetting the euils hee had beene the occasion of receiued him with many teares and friendly embracings and brought him to Scanderbeg
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
Were they not nay are they not still readie with great assurance and courage at all assayes to encounter vs. You take a wrong course by force to constraine them They haue taken vpon them the defence of this place and are not thence to be remoued there shall you be sure still to find them either aliue or dead And what account they make of their liues you see they will sell them vnto vs deare for their countrey and preferre an honourable death before a seruile life Wherefore against men so set downe policie is to be vsed and them whom we cannot by force subdue let vs by delay and time ouercome If you will win SCODRA blocke it vp build strong forts in places conuenient round about it and furnish them with good souldiors make a bridge ouer BOLIANA with a strong castle on either side to stop the passage which done besiege the other weaker cities of the Venetians which are as it were the lims of SCODRA and subdue the countrey round about which will be no hard matter for you to doe being master of the field so must SCODRA at length of necessitie yeeld vnto you as of late did CROIA enforced thereunto by famine Thus may you in safetie without slaughter of your people come to the full of your desires The wholesome counsell of the Bassa so well pleased Mahomet himselfe and the rest there present that the assault was laid aside and present order taken for the speedie execution of that which was by him so well plotted Whereupon the Bassa of CONSTANTINOPLE with his forces was sent to ZABIACHE a citie in the borders of DALMATIA standing vpon the lake of SCVTARIE not farre from ASCRIVIVM which in few daies was yeelded vnto him The Bassa possessed of the citie thrust out all the inhabitants and leauing therein a garrison of Turks returned againe to the campe at SCODRA At the same time the great Bassa of ASIA was also sent by Mahomet against DRIVASTO a citie also of the Venetians which when hee had besieged and sore battered by the space of sixteene dayes the great tyrant came thither in person himselfe and the next day after his comming tooke the citie without any great resistance Such as hee found vpon the wals he put to the sword of the rest he tooke three hundred away with him vnto the campe at SCODRA and there in the face of the citie caused them all to be cruelly slain of purpose so to terrifie the defendants The next day after hee sent the great Bassa of CONSTANTINOPLE to LYSSA called also ALESSA a citie of the Venetians situated vpon the riuer Drinus about thirtie miles from SCODRA The Bassa comming thither found the citie desolate for the citizens hearing of his comming were for feare before fled for which cause he set the citie on fire Here the Turks digged vp the bones of the worthie prince Scanderbeg for the superstitious opinion they had of the vertue of them and happie was he that could get any little part thereof to set in gold or other jewell as a thing of great price as is before declared All these things thus done Mahomet committed the direction of all things concerning the siege of SCODRA vnto the discretion of Achmetes By whose persuasion he leauing a great power for the continuing of the siege departed thence himselfe with fortie thousand souldiors for CONSTANTINOPLE cursing and banning by the way all the countrey of EPIRVS all the inhabitants therein and euery part thereof their corne their cattell whatsoeuer els was fruitfull but aboue all other things the citie of SCODRA with all that therein was for that he had neuer receiued greater dishonour or losse than there After his departure which was about the seuenth of September the two great Bassaes of CONSTANTINOPLE and ASIA according to order before taken built a great bridge ouer the riuer Boliana and on either side a strong castle to the intent that no releefe should that way bee brought into the citie Which worke when they had brought to perfection and furnished both castles with garrisons ordinance and all things necessarie they left Achmetes Bassa with fortie thousand souldiours to continue the siege and returned themselues the one to CONSTANTINOPLE and the other into ASIA The warie and politicke Bassa mindfull of the charge he had taken vpon him tooke such order that no releefe could possibly be brought vnto the citie either by land or by water and so lying still before it a long time brought it at length into such distresse and want of all things that the poore Christians were faine to eat all manner of vncleane and loathsome things horses were daintie meat yea they were glad to eat dogs cats rats and the skins of beasts sod it exceedeth all credit to tell at what exceeding great price a little mouse was sold or puddings made of dogs guâ—s All these bare shifts and extremities the poore Christians were content to endure euen vnto the last gaspe rather than to yeeld themselues into the hands of their mercilesse enemies Whilest SCODRA thus lay in the suds the Venetians wearie of the long and chargeable warre they had to their great losse now maintained against so mightie an enemie by the space of sixteene yeares and hauing no meanes to releeue their distressed subjects in SCODRA thought it best to proue if they could procure a peace from the tyrant For which purpose they sent Benedictus Triuisanus a graue Senatour and a man of great experience to CONSTANTINOPLE who so well vsed the matter that after long debating too and fro at length a peace was concluded whereof the cheefe capitulations were That the Venetians should deliuer vnto Mahomet the citie of SCODRA the island of LEMNOS and the strong castle of TENARVS in PELOPONESVS and pay him yearely eight thousand duckats That they might freely after their wonted manner trafficke into the Euxine by the straits of Hellespontus and Bosphorus Thracius other parts of his dominions Concerning the citizens of SCODRA it was comprised in the same peace That it should bee at their owne choice either to liue there still vnder the gouernment of the Turkish emperour or els at their pleasure to depart in safetie with their goods whether they would Triuisanus hauing in this manner concluded a peace in his returne homeward the fourth of Aprill found the Venetian Admirall riding at anker in the mouth of Boliana from whence they both by letters certified the Gouernour and citizens of SCODRA in what manner the peace was concluded with the Turke and what prouision was therein made for them Vpon receit of which letters the gouernor calling together the citizens declared vnto them how the case stood and there with them entered into consultation vpon this hard question Whether they would remaine there still in their natiue country vnder the Turkish tyrannie or forsaking the same liue amongst other Christians in perpetuall exile But after the matter had beene throughly debated and
repaired thither out of ITALY FRANCE SPAINE GERMANIE and other places of Christendome cheerfully to aduenture their liues in defence both of the place and of the Christian religion against the common enemie of Christianitie The Great Master taking a generall view of all the forces he had to oppose against so puissant an enemie found that he had in the citie sixteene thousand able men in which number were reckoned manie Iewes and other men of seruile condition who in the siege following did right good seruice The great Bassa conducted by the false traitour Demetrius safely landed both his armie and artillerie in the island the two and twentith day of Iune not farre from the citie At which time the Great Master considering that the safetie of the citie consisted more in the liuely valour of the defendants than in the strength of the dead wals or other warlike prouision thought 〈◊〉 requisite as a part of his duetie by cheerfull persuasions to encourage them valiantly to wiâ—hstand the force of their enemies And therefore calling them all together spake vnto them as followeth At length valiant souldiours and fellowes at armes we see the Turkes our mortall enemies 〈◊〉 we were before aduertised as well by letters from our friends as by common fame breathing after 〈◊〉 destruction in readinesse to destroy our churches our oratories our alters our religion and whatsoeuer els we account sacred or religious seeking the ruine of this noble citie and the cruell death of vs all gaping at once to deuour our liues our wealth our hope with all our former honour And 〈◊〉 as I cannot denie but that the chance of warre is doubtfull and the euent thereof vncertaine so when I consider your valiant courage and cheerfulnesse of mind I presently conceiue a most assured hope of victorie They haue entered into armes against vs not so much for anie desert of ours or vpon 〈◊〉 other quarrell as for the vnsatiable desire of rule and the great despite they beare against vs and the Christian religion But to withstand their furie and to frustrate their designes we want neither wâ—â—pons nor artillerie nor prouision for many yeares we haue a most strong garrison of Frenchmen Spaniards Germaines English and others the verie chiualrie of Christendome and that which 〈◊〉 is Christ Iesus our Captaine and Generall by whose power we shall no doubt easily repulse the 〈◊〉 force of our most wicked and gracelesse enemies The care wee haue for the defence of the Christiâ—â— faith wherunto we are by speciall profession bound will animate and encourage vs against them which seeke for nothing more than to extend their wicked and grose superstition to the great dishonour of God and of his sonne Christ Iesus Besides that we are warlike Frenchmen Italians Germaines and other worthy Christians they are of CARIA LYDIA CAPADOCIA and the other delicat countries of ASIA effeminat persons brought vp to pleasure I say it not to draw you into anie manifest or ineuitable danger neither to feed you with vaine hope or to fill your eares with windie words bâ—â— this I promise and assure you of that if this siege shall continue long hither will come such strong 〈◊〉 out of FRANCE ITALY GERMANIE and SPAINE as will serue not onely to raise the siege bâ—â— to recouer againe the empires of CONSTANTINOPLE and TRAPEZONDE Then shall our enâ—mies see no good end of their counsels but all their deuises so confounded as that they shall hardly be able by speedie flight to saue themselues But suppose the hardest should happen which I feare 〈◊〉 would not anie man account his life most happely and honourably spent in defence of a good conscience and the quarrell of Christ Iesus Truely my great yeares and course of life now almost spent 〈◊〉 defeâ—â— of the Christian religion as I euer desired doth call me forth as one so assured of that good laid 〈◊〉 for me in heauen by Christ Iesus whose battell we are to fight that I no whit feare anie enemies force or future chance which for all that I haue as farre as I could and to the vttermost of my power so prouided for as that we will not I hope be therwith ouerwhelmed Be you therefore of good cheâ—re and comfort as I know you are and shew your selues valiant and couragious which resteth wholy iâ— your selues and as for all the rest time and our discretion shall right well prouide I doubt not The valiant men and worthy souldiours resting vpon the assurance of their aged gouernor departed euerie man to his charge full of hope and courage Now had the Bassa landed his great armie and sent Demetrius the traiterous knight Meligalus his companion with certaine troupes of horsemen and some foot to view the ground where he might best encampe with his armie Demetrius in great pride riding about the citie was knowne by Anthony Damboyse the Great Masters brother by whose leaue he sallied out with a troupe of gallant horsemen and skirmished with them but the Turkes being mo in number cast about to haue encloased them which Anthony perceiuing turned vpon them that were comming behind him and that with such force that he slew or wounded most part of them In this hoat skirmish Demetrius hauing his horse slaine vnder him and himselfe ouerthrowne was there troden to death vnder the horses feet an end too good for so false a traitour Muratius a French knight vnaduisedly dispoiling his dead bodie was by the Turkes slaine and his head presented vnto the Bassa in stead of Demetrius The Bassa approaching the citie at the first comming tooke a great orchard which the Great Master had strongly entrenched and therein placed certaine companies of souldiours with some small pieces of ordinance which place if it could haue beene kept might haue fitly serued the defendants to haue at their pleasure sallied out vpon the enemie But they which were appointed to the keeping thereof either terrified with the sight of so great an armie or else doubting to be able to hold it against so great a power abandoned it by night and retired into the citie leauing the great ordinance behind them for hast In this place the Bassa by the counsell of George Frapaine a Christian fugitiue of the RHODES and now master of his ordinance began to plant his batterie from thence to batter the tower called Nicholea or S. Nicholas his tower distant froÌ„ the citie three hundreth paces But against this place Damboyse had so aptly mounted two great Basiliskes that he made him glad quickly to forsake the same yet finding no other place more conuenient for his purpose shortly after he neere vnto the same place planted againe his batterie of farre greater force than before Wherein beside the ordinance of greatest charge he had three hundred smaller pieces for batterie wherewith at the first he did small harme for that this George Frapaine repenting himselfe as it was thought of his foule treason bestowed the shot to small purpose
it best to cut him off at once from all hope of conference or accesse vnto his presence Wherfore seriously blaming him that he had vpon his owne head brought his armie into another mans prouince that he in armes required audience and last of all so insolently abused his fathers lenitie and patience hee by the same messenger sent him farther word That he should not presume to approch any neerer vnto him or expect any thing appertaining to peace who guarded with forraine power had without his fathers leaue entered into armes and spoyled the countries of his friends and that therefore he should doe well with all speed to depart out of THRACIA yea and out of EVROPE also and disbanding his forces againe to retire himselfe vnto his owne charge in PONTVS in which doing he should find greater fauour and kindnesse with him his father than euer he had before but if he would needs proceed in the course by him begun that then he would no more take him for his sonne but for his enemie and before it were long sharpely chastise him for his malapert insolencie little differing from vnnaturall treacherie The messenger with this answere dismissed it was not long after but that Baiazet was by his espials aduertised that Selymus the night following was risen with his armie and marched directly towards CONSTANTINOPLE whether he was sent for by his friends in hope that vpon his approch with his armie some suddaine tumult and vprore would to his auaile arise in that so great and populous a citie Whereupon Baiazet fearing least in staying at HADRIANOPLE hee might loose the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE early in the morning by breake of the day departed from HADRIANOPLE towards CONSTANTINOPLE vpon whose departure Selymus peaceably entered the citie of HADRIANOPLE the citisens fearing that if they should haue made any resistance their vnseasonable faithfulnesse towards Baiazet might haue turned to their vtter destruction Selymus after he had a while refreshed his armie with the plentie of that citie according to his former determination set forward againe of purpose by long and speedie marches to haue preuented his fathers comming to CONSTANTINOPLE Baiazet was yet scarcely come to CHIVRLVS or rather TZVRVLVM an antient ruinous citie almost vpon the mid way betwixt HADRIANOPLE and CONSTANTINOPLE when warning was giuen him of them that followed his armie that the forerunners of Selymus were at hand cutting off the straglers of his armie and with hot skirmishing stayed and troubled his rereward The aged emperour more mooued than terrified with the strangenesse of the matter because his marching should not seeme as if it were a flight or chase commaunded his standerd to be set vp and all his armie to make a stand of purpose that if Selymus should so fiercely come on to giue him battaile he might â—ind him in readinesse The great captaines and noblemen then present with Baiazet whether it were for old acquaintance or vpon some new inclination of their affection or els vpon hope of new aliance and preferment wishing well vnto Selymus and therefore indirectly and cunningly fauouring him seemed not to like of Baiazet his resolution to be so farre mooued as they said with the youthfull heat and lightnesse of his sonne as to seeke reuenge by battaile whereas the victorie it selfe could yeeld him nothing but sorrow but the ouerthrow threatened destruction both to himselfe and all them that were with him the imminent euent whereof seemed to bee so much the more dangerous and fearefull by how much hee was at that time inferiour vnto his sonne both in warlike prouision and number of men Wherefore it were good for him they said to moderate his anger and not now in the winding vp of his life to make too much hast by a miserable death in a wofull battaile to staine the whole glorie of his former life There was as they would haue persuaded him but one onely course to bee taken full of wholesome policie and safetie and that was That he should with such speed as he had begun march on forward to CONSTANTINOPLE that so Selymus excluded out of the citie his chiefest hope and then not knowing which way to turne himselfe should either of his owne accord or for feare of his fathers greater forces thinke of returne and so with his rascall followers more honestly perish by the hands of them whose countries he had spoiled and vpon whom he must of necessitie liue in his retire than by the sword of his father The author of this counsell was Mustapha the most auntient Bassa of those which being in greatest authoritie about the emperour are onely of his priuie counsell and sway all matters of importance concerning either peace or warre he then vpon an vnthankfull and malitious mind loathing Baiazet as one that had too long raigned hated him also for certaine priuat displeasures conceiued of the emulation of the other younger Bassaes by him promoted and secretly bare great affection to Selymus both in condition and fauour resembling his grandfather the Great Mahomet by whom he was brought vp himselfe and him of all the sonnes of Baiazet he thought most worthy of the empire This Mustapha was borne in the towne of SERES neere vnto AMPHIPOLIS the sonne of a Greeke priest a man of a slie craftie and subtile wit alwaies subject to corruption which diseases of mind were in him well to haue been discouered by his froward looke and squint eies the certaine notes of a nature to bee suspected Next vnto this Mustapha was Bostanges Bassa borne of the honourable familie of Ducagina in AETHOLIA and thereof called Ducaginogli a man for his couetousnesse ambition and treacherie infamous as the foule and miserable end of his life afterwards declared Vnto this man Selymus had by secret promise betrothed one of his daughters now mariageable as a reward of his corrupted faith By which slight he had also allured Aiax Aga or captaine of the Ianizaries and great master of the houshold to promise his aid for the obtaining of the empire whereunto he said he was by destinie called and by his meanes drew other inferiour captaines secretly to fauour his quarrell vnto whom hee spared not to promise whatsoeuer might please them Yea the captaines almost generally either corrupted with reward or for feare following the inclination of the greater commaunders of themselues leaned that way Of all the rest only Cherseogles Bassa whom the Turks histories call also Achmet Hertezaec-ogli a faithfull constant and vpright man free from all double dealing and deceit a fast and assured friend vnto Baiazet his father in law was of opinion That the immoderat pride and insolencie of Selymus was euen there by force of arms and strong hand forthwith to be repressed before he should approch any neerer vnto the imperiall citie for feare of raising some farther trouble and tumult there than were well to be appeased which was the thing that Selymus his friends most of all desired
could not well winter in that cold country neere vnto the great mountaine TAVRVS by reason of the deepe snowes and extreame cold there vsually falling and that to go farther was to no purpose forasmuch as Achomates flying from place to place and mountaine to mountaine was not to be surprised he retired backe againe into BITHYNIA and sending his Europeian horsemen downe towards the sea coast and the Ianizaries to CONSTANTINOPLE resolued to winter with the rest of his army at PRVSA At which time being wholy bent against Achomates his competitor of the empire he for certaine yeares continued the league which his father Baiazet had before concluded with Vladislaus king of HVNGARIE Sigismundus king of POLONIA and the Venetians And thinking no care no not of children superfluous which might concerne the establishing of his empire he called vnto him fiue of his brothers sons Orchanes the sonne of Alem Schach Mahometes the sonne of Tzihan Schach Orchanes Emirsa and Musa the sonnes of his brother Mahometes all young princes of great hope of yeares betwixt sixteene and twentie excepting Musa who was not past seauen yeares old of all these Mahometes whom his vncle Achomates had a little before taken prisoner at LARENDA as is before declared and vpon the death of Baiazet had againe set him at libertie being about twentie yeares old was for rare feature and princely courage accounted the paragon and beautie of the Othoman family Which great perfection as it woon vnto him the loue and fauour of the men of warre and also of all the people in generall so did it hasten his speedie death onely Selymus his cruell vnckle enuying him life After he had got these poore innocents into his hands he sent for diuers of his great doctors and lawyers demaunding of them Whether it were not better that some fiue eight or ten persons should be taken away than that the state of the whole empire should with great effusion of bloud be rent in sunder and so by ciuile warres be brought in danger of vtter ruine and destrustion Who although they well perceiued whereunto that bloudie question tended yet for feare of displeasure they all answered That it were better such a small number should perish than that the whole state of the empire should by ciuile warre and discord be brought to confusion in which generall calamitie those few must also of necessitie perish with the rest Vpon colour of this answere and the necessitie pretended he commaunded these his nephewes before named to be led by fiue of his great captaines into the castle of PRVSA where they were all the night following most cruelly strangled It is reported that Mahometes with a penknife slew one of the bloudie executioners sent into his chamber to kill him and so wounded the other as that he fell downe for dead and that Selymus being in a chamber fast by and almost an eyewitnesse of that was done presently sent in others who first bound the poore prince and afterward strangled him with the rest whose dead bodies were buried at PRVSA amongst their auncestours The crueltie of this fact wonderfully offended the minds of most men insomuch that many euen of his martiall men filled with secret indignation for certaine daies absented themselues from his presence shunning his sight as if hee had beene some fierce or raging lyon Of all the nephewes of old Baiazet onely Amurat and Aladin the sons of Achomates yet remained whom he purposed to surprise vpon the sudden and so to rid himselfe of all feare of his brothers children hauing then left none of the Othoman familie but them and his two brethren vpon whom to exercise his further crueltie These two young princes had a little before recouered the citie of AMASIA from whence they were the Sommer before expulsed by their vncle Selymus at such time as Achomates their father was glad to flie into the mountaines of CAPADOCIA Selymus fully resolued vpon their destruction sent Vfegi one of his Bassaes with fiue thousand horsmen who by great journies trauelling to AMASIA might vpon the sudden come vpon these two young princes and take them altogither vnprouided and as then fearing no such danger which was thought no great matter for the Bassa to doe forasmuch as he might with his light horsmen easily preuent the fame of his comming and the citie of AMASIA where they lay was neither well walled nor as then furnished with any sufficient garrison for defence therof beside that Achomates himselfe was at that time absent busied in taking vp of souldiours vpon the frontiers of CARAMANNIA But Mustapha the old Bassa by whose especiall meanes Selymus had obtained the empire as is before declared in the life of Baiazet being priuie vnto his wicked purpose and now in mind altogither alienated from him detesting his most execrable tyrannie both for the vnworthy death of Baiazet his father and the guiltlesse bloud of so many young princes his nephewes by him shed without all pitie and hauing compassion of the imminent danger whereinto these two brethren were now like also to fall by secret and speedie messengers gaue them warning of the comming of the Bassa and of all that was entended against them Who vpon such knowledge giuen presently aduertised Achomates their father thereof and laid secret ambush themselues for the intercepting of their enemies So that within few daies after the Bassa comming with his horsemen towards AMASIA fell before he was aware into the middest of his enemies at which time also Achomates following him at the heeles so shut him in with his armie on euerie side that most of his men being slaine he himselfe with diuers other captaines were taken prisoners and brought to Achomates and by his commaundement committed to safe custodie Now it fortuned that some of Achomates souldiors scoffing at the prisoners whom they had taken told them how they had been deceiued and how all the matter had been carried so hard a thing it is to haue euen the greatest counsels in court kept secret boasting that they wanted not their friends euen of such as were most inward with Selymus who secretly fauoured the better cause and would not long suffer the cruell beast to rage further All which things Selymus his souldiours reported againe after they were raunsomed and returned home But Vfegi the Bassa lying still in prison and getting certaine knowledge of the whole matter by secret letters gaue Selymus to vnderstand that Mustapha the great Bassa whom he most of all trusted had secret intelligence with Achomates and had beene the only cause of the losse of his armie Selymus of late enuying at the great honour and authoritie of Mustapha and wishing him dead whose desert he was not able or at leastwise not willing to requite caused him vpon this accusation without farther triall to be secretly strangled in his owne sight and his dead bodie as it werein scorne of his former felicitie to be cast out into
of the Mamalukes gaue themselues wholly to the trade of marchandise husbandrie and other mechanicall occupations ouer whom the Mamalukes had power and commaund as imperious masters ouer their seruants and would with greater insolencie than is to be beleeued abuse the poore countrey people beating and spoiling them at their pleasure and not so contented rauishing their wiues and daughters without redresse The Aegyptians a people in auntient time much renowned for their valour and prowesse were by these masterfull slaues kept in this miserable thraldome and slauerie about the space of three hundred yeares For after the declination of the Romane empire that rich countrey falling into the gouernment of the Constantinopolitane emperours the Aegyptians soone wearie of the proud and auaritious soueraignetie of the Greekes called in the Sarafins by whose helpe they expulsed the Greekes and after chose the Generall of the Sarafins for their king after whose name the Aegyptian kings were of long time called Caliphes as they had of antient time beene called by the names of Pharao and Ptolomey The last of these Caliphes raigned at such time as the Christians vnder the leading of Godfrey and Bohemund passing as conquerours through ASIA and SYRIA erected the kingdome of HIERVSALEM Hee being inuaded by Americus sixt king of HIERVSALEM and finding himselfe too weake prayed aid of the Sultan of SYRIA who sent him Sarraco a valiant captain with a strong power to aid him but Sarraco no lesse vnfaithfull than courageous trecherously slew the Caliphe in whose aid he came and tooke vpon himselfe the kingdome After Sarraco succeeded Saladine his brothers sonne who vtterly extinguished the name and authoritie of the Caliphes in AEGYPT whom Sarraco had yet left as high priests This Saladine oftentimes vanquished the Christian armies in SYRIA and IVDEA and at length quite ouerthrew the kingdome of HIERVSALEM as is in the former part of this historie to be seene Saladine dying left the kingdome of AEGIPT to his brother whose posteritie successiuely raigned of long time there vntill the time of Melechsala This Melechsala last of the free borne kings and of the posteritie of Saladine had great and mortall warres with the Christians wherein hauing lost most of his best soldiors and reposing no great confidence in the Aegyptians thought good to strengthen himselfe with a new kind of souldiors meere slaues bought for money For at that time the Tartars breaking into ARMENIA and CAPADOCIA and ouerrunning the people called COMANI joyning vpon CAPADOCIA made generall spoile of that people as of prisoners taken by law of armes Of this base people Melechsala for a little money bought a great multitude which he transported into AEGIPT and furnished them with armes by whose prowesse he not onely defended the frontiers of his kingdome but also besieged Lewes the French king in his trenches not farre from DAMIATA called in auntient time HELIOPOLIS or PELVSIVM and shortly after in plaine battaile tooke him prisoner as is long before declared But in the pride of this victorie Melechsala was by the conspiracie of these his new souldiours slaine in whose place they set vp one Turqueminius a desperat fellow of their owne companie honouring him with the title of the great Sultan of AEGIPT Turqueminius of a base slaue now become a great monarch after the manner of men forgetting his old companions which had so highly promoted him and hauing them in great disdaine was by one of them called Clotho suddainely slaine for which fact he was by those base souldiors his companions chosen Sultan in his place who for the short time of his raigne did much for the confirming of that seruile monarchie yet was he at length slaine also by Bandocader sometimes one of his fellow seruants who also succeeded him in the kingdome After him in long order succeeded many valiant men of the same seruile state condition whom for breuitie I wittingly passe ouer Amongst the rest Caitbeius of whom we haue before spoken in the life of Baiazet was for wealth and martiall prowesse most famous who according to the manner of his predecessours did with greater bountie and care maintaine that seruile gouernment than any of them who had before him raigned in AEGIPT and was for his notable gouernment and noble acts justly accounted amongst the greatest princes of that age After whose death great troubles arose in that seruile monarchie about the succession Whereby the Mamalukes drawne into diuers factions some seeking to prefer one and some another had in foure yeares space with ciuile warres sore weakened their estate and slaine diuers of their greatest princes which had aspired vnto that kingdome For appeasing of which mischeefes tending to the vtter ruine of their kingdome the great courtiers and cheefe men amongst the Mamalukes with one consent offered the kingdome to Campson Gaurus or as the Turkes call him Cansaues Gauris of whom wee now speake a man of great integritie and courage and altogether free from ambition He terrified with the dreadfull example of so many kings whom hee had seene in short time miserably slaine by the ambitious aspiring of other proud competitors when he was sore against his will hoist vp vpon the shoulders of the nobilitie and cheefe souldiors and so carried into the court as their manner was began earnestly to refuse the kingdome and to withstand their choice excusing himselfe as vnfit for so high a place and with teares standing in his eyes besought the other great lords his friends that they would forbeare to thrust him well contented with his priuat life into that glorious place subject to so many dangers and the rather for that he neither had money to giue bountifully vnto the souldiors of the court as other the Aegyptian Sultans had accustomed neither held that sufficiencie and authoritie as was requisit for repressing of such violent and seditious tumults as were too rise in that troublesome time and confusion of all things The nobilitie on the other side persuaded him That he would not vpon a foolish obstinacie or vaine modestie refuse the offer of his present good fortune but couragiously to take vpon him the gouernment of the state now sore shaken with ciuile discord together with the regall dignitie which was with the generall good liking of all men so frankely offered vnto him At last they all by solemne oath promised vnto him That they would with all their power policie and wealth maintaine and defend the majestie of his state and that the men of war should not demaund their wonted largesse before the same might by his receiuers and treasurers bee raised of his customes and other reuenewes of the crowne By which persuasions Campson encouraged suffered himselfe to be saluted Sultan and so tooke vpon him the gouernment Afterwards when he had giuen vnto the men of warre ten millions of duckats by the name of a largesse and by his moderat gouernment had caused men generally to haue his prowesse and wisdome in admiration he did
also with a rupture ouercome with heat and griefe of mind fainted in that great presse and so falling downe was without regard troden to death after he had with great majestie gouerned the kingdomes of AEGYPT IVDEA and SYRIA many yeares The valiant Tetrarchs of DAMASCO and TRIPOLIS whilest others fled for life either to the campe or to the citie of ALEPPO labouring in the hindermost of their flying troups to represse the force of their pursuing enemies were both fighting honorably slaine Selymus erecting a few tents in the same field wherin the battell was fought keeping most part of his armie in armes slept not all that night but stood fast as a man not yet assured of his victorie or good fortune fearing least men of so great valour as were the Mamalukes should in the couert of the night returne and set vpon him in his campe for hee knew right well that they were ouercome and put to flight rather by the treacherie of Cayerbeius and furie of his great ordinance than by the valour of his souldiours But Gazelles and the other Mamalukes after they certainly vnderstood of the death of Campson hauing giuen their horses a short bait departed in hast from ALEPPO to DAMASCO The next day Selymus remouing with his armie took the rich tents of his enemies full of all princely store which he gaue vnto his soldiors for a prey and marching from thence to ALEPPO had the citie peaceably deliuered vnto him by Cayerbeius where he fauourably tooke the citisens into his protection and the more to win their hearts granted vnto them greater priuiledges than they had in former time enjoyed In this battell were slaine not aboue a thousand Mamalukes but of their seruants and followers a greater number mo being slaine in the flight than in the fight when as their horses fainting for heat and dying vnder them for thirst many of them were enforced to betake themselues to their feet and so were easily slaine of euerie base horseman For a great number of goodly horses died there which being foggie fat and delicatly brought vp in cold stables could not endure the vehemencie of the heat and that vnacquainted trauell for that day all things were burnt with the scorching heat of the Sunne This famous battell was fought the seauenth of August in the yeare of our Lord 1516 the verie same day which is strange to tell whereon but two yeares before he had obtained the victorie against Hysmaell the great Sophi in the CALDERAN fields Selymus lost in this battell three thousand horsemen whereby it may easily be gathered that he had there receiued a notable ouerthrow of his horsemen if Sinan Bassa in the left wing which by the treason of Cayerbetus escaped with small losse had also happened vpon his Sybeius as the other Generall did The dead bodie of Campson found two daies after without any wound appearing therupon was by the commaundement of Selymus laied forth in open place for all men to behold that such as beleeued him yet to liue and to be gone to repaire his armie at CAIRE might be out of all hope of his returne and others that were alreadie reuolted might thereby be the more confirmed as now out of all feare of him Not long after when the dead bodie began to putrifie and grow noisome and to conuince the fame of his escape had lien openly to the view of all men by the space of three daies it was without any funerall pompe or solemnitie simply buried in the most auntient temple of ALEPPO Of the rising and fall of this great man Ianus Vitalis hath written this elogium or epitaph CAMPSON GAVRVS Sultan of Aegypt Fortuna caeca surda verè diceris Et mente vana praedita Ad alta tollis scamna in imo conditos Vt mox cadant profundius Morosa tu mortalium appetentium Votum omne fulmine ocyus Fugas deinde te nihil petentibus Benignitate prodigis Campson vt ille Gaurius nil ambiens Nil te proterua flagitans Inuitus imperator orae Aegiptiae Tumultuosa militum Ex fece plebis factus insolentia Supra volabat nubila Inter receptus altiora sydera Mox excidens altissimus Absumptus armis hinc hinc rebellibus Grauis senectae pondere Fit ludus atrox impotentis aleae Tuaeque peruicaciae Amisit cum vita opes quas maximo Cum regno habebat maximas In English thus Fortune well cal'd both deafe and blind And thereto fond with all Thou setst the beggar vp aloft To worke his greater fall Thou peeuish dame more sudden than The thunder clap from hie Rejects the sutes of greedie wights Which to thee call and crie And lauishly consumes thy selfe And whatsoelse thou hast On such as craue nothing of thee Nor wish not to be grac't As Campson Gaurus seeking nought Ne crauing ought of thee Against his will by souldiours rage was raisd from base degree And soaring vp aboue the clouds Made king of Aegypt land Receiu'd amongst the highest starres Did there in glorie stand But forthwith falling thence opprest With rebels warre and age Became the scorne of thine ouerthwart Most fierce and fickle rage And so with life togither lost A world of wealth also Which with his stately kingdome great He greatest did forgo Selymus hauing receiued the citie of ALEPPO into his obeisance sent Ionuses Bassa before him with a great part of his light horsemen to pursue his flying enemies to DAMASCO whither he himselfe in few daies after came also with the rest of his armie when he vnderstood that his enemies were departed thence and fled to CAIRE They of DAMASCO thinking it not to stand with their good to stay the course of his victorie and with their liues to hazard the great wealth of that rich citie without delay presently opened vnto him the gates at his comming By whose example other cities alongst the sea coast moued especially TRIPOLIS BERYTVS SYDON and PTOLEMAIS sending their embassadors and receiuing in the Turks garrisons yeelded themselues in like manner Not long after Selymus held a great counsell in his campe which then lay vnder the wals of DAMASCO for he would not bring his souldiours into the citie for troubling the quiet and populous state thereof togither with the great trade of merchandise which at that time was with wonderfull securitie kept there by merchants of diuers countries comming from far euen from the remotest parts of the world And in the campe such was the militarie discipline of that most seuere commaunder that the souldiours knowing the victorie to giue them no whit the more libertie suffered the fruitfull orchards and gardens of the citisens in the most plentifull time of Autumne to rest in safetie vntouched without any keeper By which seuere and strait gouernment he so politikely prouided against all wants that his campe was in all parts furnished with plentie of all things necessarie and that at prises reasonable There taking
and in the middest of his enemies must of necessitie shortly after run the same fortune But Mustapha well relieued by the Ianizaries and the Europâ—ian horsemen which were now come ouer in great number not onely receiued the enemies charge but pressing vpon them gained ground and by little and little enforced them to retire This is that Mustapha the Hungarian and Baiazet his sonne in law which for his owne glorie and perpetuall fame built that notable stately and sumptuous stone bridge of the spoiles of this victorie ouer the riuer Stremon which at this day men passing ouer into THRACIA wonder at as at a worke beseeming the greatnesse of the Roman empire Tomombeius to giue a time of breathing to his Mamalukes who their horses for wearinesse now fainting vnder theÌ„ were not able longer to shew their wonted courage desirous by them againe to proue the vttermost fortune of the battell exhorted the Moores and Arabians a while to charge the enemie which thing they after the manner of their fight valiantly performed And shortly after the Mamalukes hauing a little breathed themselues and their horses came in afresh and renewed the battell with such furie that Selymus doubting the victorie although â—he was by his most faithfull counsellors persuaded to the contrarie yet doubted not to aduenture the bridge and in person himselfe to go and relieue his distressed souldiours who by his comming in encouraged and in the sight of their emperour desiring euerie man for his part by some notable seruice to deserue both credit and preferment repressed the furie of the enemie who in short time after by the comming on of certaine fresh companies of Ianizaries were notably repulsed and so at length put to flight whom the horsemen which were not in the battell pursued all the fields ouer At length also the Tartarians who carried away with the force of the streame were somewhat long before they could recouer the farther banke and come to their enemies were now come in also and with their swift horses following the chase augmented the slaughter But Selymus aboue all things desirous of Tomombeius presently commaunded Mustapha the great Bassa Gazelles and Cayerbeius with certaine fresh troupes of light horsemen to pursue him at the heeles and if it were possible not to suffer him to escape for so long as he liued hee could not assure himselfe of any thing he had yet gotten These vigilant captaines not vnmindfull of their charge following fast after him ouertooke him the next day at the sluce of a great deepe fen where he had a little rested himselfe and his followers being then about to cut off a wodden bridge so to haue hindered the enemies pursuit Some of his followers being there slaine and some taken he was againe enforced to flie The third day when he had almost lost all his men and was come with some few into the territorie of the Secussane prince these great captaines still eagerly pursuing him and denouncing vnto the poore countrey people which dwelt in villages thereabout all extreamities and tortures if they did not with most diligent watch and ward so keepe the passages of those marishes as that he should not possibly escape he was so beset on euerie side that for safegard of his life he was glad to hide himselfe all alone in a foule deepe maâ—ish Where shortly after he the poore Sultan was by the diligent search of the countrey peasants found out hidden amongst the flags and bulrushes standing in the water vp to the shoulders who deliuered him miserably bound vnto the Turkes Shortly after hee with certaine captaines and other of his cheefe friends taken in that flight was brought to CAIRE Selymus before resolued to put him to death and the rather for the injurie done to his 〈◊〉 bassadours would not suffer him to come into his presence but commaunded him to be tortured so to haue caused him to haue reuealed the great treasures of Campson his predecessor which wee thought to haue been by him hidden in which most horrible and exquisit torments it is reported that hee with great constancie and sterne countenance vttered nothing but certaine deepe sighes and grones ouercomming with patience the tyrannie of the proud conquerour who after that commaunded him in base and ragged apparrell with his hands bound behind him as a theefe or murtherer condemned to die to be set vpon a foule leane cammell and so to be carried in derision through all the publicke and notable places of the citie that the Aegyptians might see him whom they but a little before had adored for their king by chaunge of fortune cast into extreame miserie by most shamefull death to end both his life and empire together When they had thus despightfully led him as it were in triumph and brought him to the cheefe gaâ—e of the citie called BASVELA they there openly strangled him with a rope and that he might be the better seene and become more contemptible to all that passed that way they hanged him vp by the necke vpon an yron hooke in an arch of the same gate and so left him to the worlds wonder Paleâ—rius propounding him as a mirrour both of the better and worse fortune for all men to looke vpon aptly describeth both his happinesse and miserie in these few verses following TOMOMBEIVS THE LAST Sultan of Aegypt Non fuit in toto rex aequè oriente beatus Nec magis in toto rex oriente miser Quam dolor Aegipti olim Tomombeius auro Ingenti atque armis ditione potens Captus ab hoste fero miserum simul atque beatum Exemplo potis est commonuisse suo Quid rides temere quid fles vis te cohibere Et natum posthac te meminisse hominem Mi trabeam induto gemmis auroque corona Cingebat fulgens diadema caput Mi quondam ornabant pretiosa monilia collum Nunc fractam vili respice fune gulam In English thus In all the East a king more blest was no where to be found Nor in the East one more accurst liv'd not vpon the ground Than Tomombeius AEGYPTS greefe sometime for store of gold Of power great for martiall force and kingdomes he did hold But taken by his cruell foe may good example be Both to the happie and distrest of mans vncertainetie Why doest thou fondly laugh why doest thou vainely crie Canst thou from henceforth stay thy selfe and thinke th' art borne to die My garments were the royall robes I wore the crowne of gold With richest stones most richly set most glorious to behold My necke adornd with richest gems which I did sometimes weare But now trust vp in shamefull rope behold me hanging here This miserie befell Tomombeius the 13 of Aprill in the yeare 1517 vpon the Monday in Easter weeke There were many which shed teares to behold that so cruell and lamentable a spectacle who by their wofull countenance and pitifull lamentation seemed to detest that
8. SOLYMAN SOLYMANNVS MAGNIFICVS TVRCARVM IMPRATOR QVARTVS FLORVIT ANNO 1520 Imperij Soliman patrij moderatur habenas Regnaque Christiadum cladibus vsque metit Antiquam capit ille Rhodon Naxumque Parumque Tyrrheni infestat Littora curua maris Pannonios multo populatur milite fines Et cingit muros clara Vienna tuos Inclyta Sigethi dum moenia concutit armis Cogitur hinc Stygiam nudus adire domum His fathers empire Solyman doth rule with mightie power And Christian kingdomes ceaseth not with slaughter to deuour The antient RHODES with NAXOS Isle and PAROS he did take And on the coasts of ITALIE did wofull hauocke make Faire HVNGARIE with armies great he often did annoy And with a world of men had thought VIENNA to destroy But whilest to SIGETH he laied siege in hope the same to haue Cut off by death in his great pride went naked to his graue THE LIFE OF SOLYMAN THE FOVRTH AND MOST MAGNIFICENT EMPEROVR OF THE TVRKES THe death of Selymus was with all carefulnesse concealed by Ferhates the onely Bassa then present for feare least the Ianizarâ—es and souldiours of the court getting knowledge thereof should after their wonted manner in the time of the vacancie of the empire spoile the merchants and strangers in places where they lay in garrison and especially in the imperiall citie and not so contented after their accustomed insolencie prescribe vnto the greatest Bassaes at their pleasure For preuenting whereof Ferhates dispatched a trustie messenger with letters in post to Solyman the onely sonne of Selymus then lying at MAGNESIA certifying him of the death of his father and that he should deserue well of his peaceable subjects by hastening his comming to CONSTANTINOPLE whilest all things were yet in good order in time to represse with his presence the feared disordered proceedings of his men of warre Solyman hauing to his great content perused the Bassaes letters as one desirous enough of the empire yet considering the cruell disposition of his father who vpon a meere jealous conceit of his aspiring mind and for certaine words by him let fall in dislike of his fathers extreame dealing had practised most vnnaturally to haue taken him away by poison which danger he escaped onely by the carefulnesse of his mother who misdoubting the worst caused the poisoned rich shirt sent to him from his father to be first worne by one of his chamber whereof he in short time after died and also that the letters were signed onely by Ferhates and the newes not seconded from any of the other Bassaes fearing some hidden secret plot of his father tending to his distruction durst not aduenture to remoue from his charge but returned the messenger as one to whom he gaue little or no credit Ten daies thus spent and the death of Selymus nothing as yet suspected Ferhates vnderstanding by his messenger the warinesse of Solyman and that he expected more assured aduertisement sent presently vnto the other great Bassaes Pyrrhus and Mustapha at HADRIANOPLE that they should without delay repaire vnto the court vnto whom at their comming he declared the death of the emperour Which after they had seene to be true they by an other secret and speedie messenger aduertised Solyman againe thereof firming those letters with all their hands and seales whereby Solyman now assured of his fathers death presently put himselfe vpon the way and by long and painfull journies in few daies came to SCVTARIVM called in auntient time CRISOPOLIS ouer against CONSTANTINOPLE Where he was met with the Aga or captaine of the Ianizaries and by him transported in a gallie ouer that straight passage to CONSTANTINOPLE where at his landing the Ianizaries by the appointment of their captaine were readie to receiue him knowing as yet nothing of the death of Selymus vntill that Solyman being now in the middest of them the captaine with a loud voice said vnto them Behold your emperour Whereupon they all with great acclamation cried out Long liue the great emperour Solyman which consent of the men of warre is vnto the Turkish emperours the greatest assurance of their estate And so with much triumph he was by them brought into the royall pallace and placed in his fathers seat in the yeare 1520 in which yeare also Charles the fift was chosen emperour of GERMANIE The Ianizaries disappointed by the Bassaes of the spoile of the merchants especially Christians and Iewes receiued of the bountie of Solyman a great largious and in the beginning of his raigne had their accustomed wages somewhat augmented also to their wonderfull contentment Solyman was about twentie eight years old when he began to raigne and was at the first supposed to haue been of a mild and peaceable disposition so that the princes to whom the name of Selymus was before dreadfull were now in hope that a quiet lambe was come in place of a raging lyon But in short time they found themselues in that their expectation farre deceiued and especially the Christian princes bordering vpon him vnto whom he became a farre more dangerous enemie than was his father before him conuerting his forces most part of his long raigne vpon them which Selymus had almost altogither emploied against the kings of PERSIA and AEGYPT the greatest princes of the Mahometane superstition The first that felt his heauie hand was Gazelles Gouernour of SYRIA who presently vpon the death of Selymus thinking himselfe now discharged of the oath of obedience which he had giuen to Selymus but not to his successours and earnestly desiring to restore againe the kingdome of the Mamalukes lately ouerthrowne gathered togither the remainder of the dispersed Mamalukes which speedily resorted vnto him out of all parts of ASIA and AFRICKE and alluring with rewards the leaders of the wild Arabians with great numbers of the countrey people of SYRIA discontented with the Turkish gouernment entred into open rebellion and by force of armes draue the Turkes garrisons out of BIRTHA TRIPOLIS and diuers other cities of SYRIA taking them into his owne possession And the better to effect that he had taken in hand he sent embassadours to CAIRE vnto Cayerbeius who had of Selymus receiued the gouernment of Aegypt the vnworthie reward of his horrible treason persuading him by any meanes to take reuenge of the injurie and wrong before done to the Mamalukes and by killing of the Turkes garrisons to make himselfe Sultan of Aegypt and restore againe the kingdome of the Mamalukes offering him therein the vttermost of his deuoire and seruice But Cayerbeius either not trusting Gazelles his old enemie or ashamed by new treason to augment his former dishonour or els which was most like misdoubting his own strength in performance of so great an enterprise after he had attentiuely heard what the embassadours had to say caused them presently in his owne sight to be put to death as traitors and with all speed certified Solyman therof who without delay sent Ferhates bassa with a strong armie
they requested Yet for that he did not without cause doubt of the Moores fidelitie and that the paiment of the money which they of TVNES had by Muleasses promised for the payment of the soldiors wages was by them craftily delayed expecting still the vttermost deuoire of Barbarussa he could not by any meanes be persuaded to promise them any certainetie of their safetie mooued also so to doe by the discontented speeches of his soldiors who spared not to say That they should bee hardly and vnkindly dealt withall if after so long trauell and so much paines taken both by sea and land they should be defrauded of the reward of the victorie sith nothing but only the hope of the present spoile did relieue and feed them being poore and miserable hauing scarce clothes to couer their nakednesse and their bodies spent with long labour and thirst so that the Moores of TVNES enemies of the Christian religion and the perpetuall receiuers of most horrible pyrats might worthily rejoice of the Christian victorie and the conquerours themselues for euer bewaile their owne calamities and miseries Whilest the emperour stood thus in doubt what to resolue vpon Vastius with a small companie came to the castle gate and was with wonderfull joy receiued in by the Christian captiues But as he was viewing the wealth and prouision laid vp in the castle a Ligurian captiue discouered vnto him where certaine treasure lay hidden for Barbarussa had there cast into a well thirtie thousand duckats sowed vp in bags which Vastius getting easily out obtained them of the emperour of gift as he whose good seruice had well deserued them The castle thus woon by a most rare chance and the captiues taking the spoile thereof the souldiors could no longer be stayed but that they entred into the citie by heapes running after the spoile into euery part thereof the citisens fearing no such matter and calling in vaine vpon the faith of Muleasses The souldiors at their first entrance slew many The Spaniards and Italians sought most after the spoile But the Germanes desiring more to glut themselues with the Mahometane bloud filled all places with dead bodies without regard of sex or age so that the prophane temples of their vaine prophet swam with the bloud of them that were fled into them Which furious execution continued vntill such time as the emperour moued with the pitifull request of Muleasses caused proclamation to bee made That no man should vpon paine of death hurt any citisen or take any prisoners yet for all that it could not otherwise be but that many yong men and women were by the marriners which were come to the spoile of the citie carried away to the fleet Muleasses for a little money redeemed diuers which he knew out of the hands of such as had them prisoners amongst others one of his wiues whom he sometime held dearest was ransomed for two duckats The emperour entering into the castle commended the captiues who were the occasion of that speedie victorie and giuing to euery one of them money set them at libertie promising vnto them shipping and prouision to bring them home euery man into his owne countrey Vnto the two manumised seruants of Barbarussa which were the authours of breaking the prison he gaue money and apparrell and afterward learned of them many things concerning Barbarussa his purposes and secret disposition In the spoile of the castle Muleasses lamented the losse of three things especially first the antient Arabian bookes containing the interpretation of the Mahometane law and the acts of the kings his predecessors the losse whereof Muleasses in the hearing of P. Iouius out of whom this hystorie is taken said as he reporteth that he would most gladly if it had been possible haue redeemed with the price of a citie Then the precious oyntments and perfumes with the wonderfull store of ambergrize muske and ciuet worth much gold all which Barbarussa as a rude and rough man had made no reckoning of And last of all the rare and rich colours for painting which lying by heapes were by the ignorant souldiors seeking for that might yeeld them present money foolishly neglected and troden vnderfoot seruing no man to good In this castle were found diuers headpieces other armor of the Christians namely of the French who with Lewes their king had about three hundred yeares before besieged that castle which armour had beene vntill that time there kept by the Moores in remembrance of that victorie against the Christians Barbarussa in the meane time was come to the riuer of Bagrada which the Moores call Maiordech which he easily passed ouer though he was pursued by certain Numidian horsemen whom Muleasses had raised of his old friends and of the followers of his vncle Dorax and sent them to pursue the Turks but Barbarussa so marched with his harquebusiers and archers placed in the rereward that the Numidian horsemen durst not come neere him and so in safetie came to HIPPONA as he had before purposed Yet in passing the riuer Bagrada he lost Haydin of SMIRNA that famous pyrat who being a fat man and wearied with the heat of the Sunne and painefulnesse of the journey dranke so much that he presently died vpon the banke of the riuer When Barbarussa was come to HIPPONA he rested his men two dayes then calling them together againe he comforted them with good words persuading them that whatsoeuer mischance had happened they should impute it not to the valour of the enemie but to the trecherie of the slaues exhorting them as valiant mâ—n patiently to endure that frowne of fortune and by some notable exploit to win againe her fauour for he was determined to put to sea with the fleet he had and to goe presently from thence to ALGIERS where after he had with new supplies increased his power and augmented his fleet and better aduised himselfe he would take an attempt in hand answereable to their desires and not vnbeseeming his owne credit and estimation It is reported that neuer vanquished and beaten captaine was with a more cheerefull acclamation answered by his souldiors than hee was at that present they all with one consent most willingly requesting him to commaund whatsoeuer pleased him which they would neuer refuse to vndertake were it neuer so heauie or dangerous so that they might be brought to some notable exploit Barbarussa vsing this exceeding cheerefulnesse and forwardnesse of his souldiors did with wonderfull celeritie weigh vp the foureteene gallies which he had sunke in the lake and forthwith rigged them vp and furnished them for all assayes and vpon the very brinke of the lake cast vp a mount of earth whereon he placed certaine pieces of artillerie for defence of the harbour not vainely conjecturing that the Christian fleet would in short time come thither to impeach his going out pointing therein as it were at the purpose of the emperour and Auria his Admirall who were of opinion That by sending
skirmishes when he could take the enemie at aduantage The day appearing Lodronius againe awaking heard a certaine confused noise of the Turkes and withall saw himselfe forsaken of the greatest part of the horsemen whereupon he complained in vaine that he was betraied yet for all that he was nothing discouraged but cheered vp the footmen exhorting them to remember their former valour and to resolue with themselues only with courage to ouercome the danger which hard fortune had at that time brought them into for that valiant men were rather to thinke of an honourable death than shamefull flight whereby whether they should escape with life or not was vncertaine As for himselfe who had been their happie Generall in many battels he said he was resolutely set downe by repulsing the enemie to bring them into place of safetie or else valiantly fighting togither with them to end his daies As Lodronius was yet thus encouraging the footmen the horsemen of CARINTHIA SAXONIE AVSTRIA and BOHEMIA who mindfull of their duetie had in vaine expected the appointed signall from the Generall came to Lodronius as vnto the most valiant captaine beseeching him in steed of their treacherous Generall to take vpon him the place promising to doe whatsoeuer he commaunded and to fight as men against those infidels for their religion and king so long as they were able to hold vp their weapons Lodronius would in no case accept of that honour so franckly offered modestly protesting himselfe vnworthie thereof Yet as a man of courage and moued with the hard estate of such an armie he with a solemne protestation promised to execute the place in the best manner he could and so did as long as his fortune gaue him leaue It is reported that as Lodronius was encouraging the footmen and earnestly inuaying against shamefull flight an old German souldior was so bold as bluntly yet sharpely to say vnto him Worthy Lodronius thou canst neuer be thought to flie shamefully with a horse of such a price vnder thee Lodronius perceiuing the old souldiors meaning alighted and with his sword hoxed his horse saying alowd This day valiant souldiors shall you haue me both your Generall and fellow souldior fighting on foot as one of your selues see now that you deceiue noâ— my expectation but let vs either with glorious victorie or honourable death end this warre togither yet so as that we die not vnreuenged All his other horses he gaue away vnto such sicke and wounded souldiors as he best knew amongst whom was one Picenard of CREMONA a captaine who was then in an extreame fit of an ague and had hardly escaped the hands of the enemie The first troupes of horsemen and bands of footmen were scarcely out of the campe with their ensignes but the Turkes comming on with a hideous crie assailed them on euerie side and many sharpe skirmishes were giuen vnto the horsemen as they marched with such euent that the Christians sometime valiantly receiuing the enemies charge and sometime charging them againe repulsed the proud enemie still busie with them In these continuall skirmishes Antius Maceâ— Fâ—â—hstat Generall of the Carinthian horsemen fighting valiantly was slaine being for his braue armouâ— supposed by the Turkes to haue beene the Generall of the field And by like mishap â—oure and twentie horsemen of great name were slaine also and their guidon taken amongst these were three noblemen Andreas Reschius Christophorus Hernaus and Georgius Himelbergâ—â— In another place was made a most cruell skirmish with the Saxon horsemen and them of 〈◊〉 THVRINGIA and FRANCONIA who followed the Saxons ensigne of these fighting most valiantly was slaine aboue 36 worthie captaines lieutenants or ancients and Chuenriâ—â—â— a principall captaine of the Saxons taken who afterwards died in bonds â—mongst the Turks Amongst them which were slaine Sebastianus Methesâ—us and Iacobus Scullemburgh were of greatest nobilitie In like manner the horsemen of AVSTRIA couragiously resisting the enemie for a space were in the end ouerthrowne where amongst them was slaine two valiant noblemen Fettaius and Hofchirchius with diuers other men of great place and reputation both in their own countrey and abroad But the greatest slaughter was made amongst the Bohemian horsemen vpon whom being disordered by the Ianizaries harquebusiers the Turkish troupes of the old garrison souldiors breaking in with their scimitars and heauie yron mases made a most bloudie execution The battell of footmen being sore gauled and almost disordered in their march by certaine companies of Ianizaries and archers of the Asapi who from a woodie banke of a marrish discharged their shot and arrowes continually vpon them yet neuer comming to handy blows was on the other side so hardly charged by Amurathes with his troupes of horsemen of BOSNA that being not able longer to keepe order it was at last by him broken and cut in peeces where the Turks with their swords and hatchets slew the poore Christians without mercie Lodronius himselfe carried away with the breaking in and force of the horsemen was driuen into a marrish where after that he being sore wounded and almost fast in the deepe mud had done the vttermost of that his last endeuour he by the faire entreatie of the Turks persuading him rather to yeeld than there to be slaine so yeelded himselfe that he with three companies which were with him after they had laid downe their weapons were all saued as valiant souldiors for now the mercilesse Turkes embrued with the Christian bloud were wearie of slaughter and began greedily to seeke after the spoile hunting after them who flying dispersedly thought themselues to haue escaped the enemies hands with such successe that a great number of them was taken and led away for slaues few of the footmen escaped and almost all the rest which were not fled before the battell were to be seene dead vpon the ground This shamefull ouerthrow at EXEK was reported to haue exceeded the most grieuous ouerthrowes that the Christians had receiued in any former time for the flower both of horse and foot there lost by the rashnesse and fault of an vnluckie Generall rather than by the valor of the enemie ruthfully perished so that many prouinces were filled with heauinesse and mourning For it neuer chanced before as was to be seene by the vnfortunat battels of Sigismund the emperour and king Ladislaus that the Turks got such a victorie without some losse so that they which fell almost vnreuenged at EXEK may seeme to haue augmented that losse by the great infamie thereof Mahometes hauing thus almost without the bloud of his souldiors obtained so great a victorie and taken the spoile of the Christian campe pitched his tents in a little meddow being cleansed of the dead bodies and after he had merrily feasted with his captaines commanded the cheefe prisoners the goodly spoiles and fairest ensignes to be brought vnto him and openly commending the captaines who had that day done any good seruice commaunding diuers bags of money to
thenceforth call Iohn by the name of a king whereas before he had both in his common talke and letters called him by the name of the Vayuod onely It was also expressely set downe in the same articles of peace and subscribed with the hands of diuers of the nobilitie of HVNGARIE That if king Iohn should die king Ferdinand should succeed him in the whole kingdome of HVNGARIE Which condition was suppressed and kept verie secret for feare of Solyman who accounted of that kingdome as of his owne gotten by law of armes and bestowed vpon king Iohn as vpon his vassaile neither was it to haue been thought that if he should haue knowne thereof being of a hautie mind by nature and not able to endure any injurie he would haue suffered that kingdome got and defended with so great danger and cost to be by the will of an vnthankfull man transferred vnto his enemies This matter of so great importance was as it is reported by Hieronymus Lascus embassadour for king Ferdinand to CONSTANTINOPLE reuealed vnto Solyman and the Bassaes to bring king Iohn into hatred So much did this noble gentleman for his rare vertues otherwise greatly to haue been commended yeeld vnto his griefe and desire of reuenge when after the death of Aloysius Grittus he fell from the friendship of king Iohn being as is before declared by him committed to prison and hardly afterwards enlarged at the request of king Sigismund Whereupon Solyman being exceedingly angrie with king Iohn called him vnthankfull churle and turning himselfe about to Lutzis bassa his brother in law said How vnworthely doe these two Christian kings weare their crownes vpon their faithlesse heads who as shamefull deceiuers are not afraid either for worldly shame or feare of God for their profit to falsifie their faith But king Iohn vnderstanding thereof and wonderfully fearing his owne estate did by good friends and rich presents pacifie Solyman againe laying all the blame vpon king Ferdinand as better able to beare it Not long after king Iohn hauing set his kingdome in good order and strongly fortified the citie of BVDA being now farre stricken in yeares at the earnest request of most of the nobilitie of HVNGARIE and other his best friends married Isabella the daughter of Sigismund king of POLONIA a gratious ladie and of great spirit which king Sigismund had long before married Barbara king Iohn his sister after whose death he married the ladie Bona Sfortia the daughter of Ioannes Galeacius duke of MILLAIN by whom he had this ladie Isabella whom king Iohn now married Which marriage Solyman liked well of hauing many times by way of talke before condemned the single life of the king but king Ferdinand liked thereof nothing at all plainly foreseeing that the Hungarians if the king should chance to haue a sonne would forthwith looke vpon him as their naturall king and reject himselfe as but a stranger This young queene in short time as he had feared conceiued with child and was now verie big when king Iohn was enforced to make an expedition in person himselfe against Maylat famous for the death of Aloysius Grittus and Balaâ— both Gouernours of TRANSILVANIA whereof Maylat not contented with the name of Vayuod or Gouernour sought to make himselfe king But Solyman detesting the impudent arrogancie of the faithlesse man and hating him for the death of Grittus and the Turks slaine with him aduertised king Iohn of all the matter wishing him to be more circumspect whom he trusted with the gouernment of so great and rich a countrey So Maylat shamefully rejected of Solyman and out of hope of a kingdome fearing also to be thrust quite out of his gouernment by king Iohn thought it best for his owne safetie to raise vp all the prouince into rebellion and to take part with king Ferdinand which thing Ferdinand by his diuers agents secretly furthered to the vttermost For these two kings although they were at peace the one with the other and in words and shew made semblance of friendship yet in heart they enuied and hated each other as if they should presently haue waged warre At that same time king Iohn exacted of his subjects and especially of them of TRANSILVANIA a great summe of money to pay the Turke his tribute then two yeares behind which thing serued Maylat and his complices as a fit occasion to raise the people into rebellion persuading them that there was no reason to pay vnto the Turke such a tribute as would serue well to wage ten yeares honourable warre against him so that by that and such like persuasion all the prouince was in an vprore little differing from manifest rebellion To appease these dangerous troubles thus arising king Iohn sent certaine of his chiefe nobilitie and best captaines with a great power into TRANSILVANIA following after himselfe in his chariot not yet well recouered of his late sicknesse These noble men entring in two places into TRANSILVANIA and scouring vp and downe the countrey had in short time so vsed the matter that what by force what by policie the tumult was well pacified and diuers of the chiefe offenders worthely executed Maylat the ambitious author of this sedition not able to hold the field against the king and seeing himselfe beset on euerie side with his enemies retired himselfe with all his wealth into a towne called FOGARAS a place of great strength which the kings power shortly after hardly besieged the king himselfe then lying at SIBYNIVM the chiefe citie of TRANSILVANIA about a mile distant from FOGARAS sicke of an ague whereinto he was againe fallen through too much care and paines taken in trauelling in that hoat time of the yeare the daies being then at the longest Whilest he thus lay sicke at SIBYNIVM and his armie fast by at the sige of FOGARAS newes was brought vnto him from the court That the queene his wife was deliuered of a faire young sonne which was no sooner bruted abroad but the Hungarians as men ouerjoyed came flocking to the court where the king lay discharging their pieces in triumph with all other signes of joy and mirth they could possible deuise the noble men came from the campe to rejoice with the king and all the armie was filled with gladnesse And for the greater solemnitie of this so common a joy a royall feast was prepared which the noble men would needs haue the king to honour with his presence though he were thereto vnwilling being as yet but a little recouered Howbeit yeelding to their importunitie hee suffered himselfe to be ouerruled and brought to the feast by them which was vnto him the merriest and the last that euer he made for willing to shew his inward joy and to content his nobilitie there present he forgot himselfe and eat and dranke more liberally than was for the health of his weake bodie whereby the feauer which had but a little before left him was againe renewed in such sort as
should be giuen Baiazet to fall into extremities if he should haue beene remoued alone Solyman to seeme indifferent commaunded them both to remoue vnto which commaund it was adjoyned that the farther they were off one from another they should be so much the neerer in mind and brotherly loue for as much as neernesse of dwelling of the Great did many times hinder their good agreement whilest by frowardnesse of officers and seruants many things are on both sides done to the grieuing of their masters and that they should in any case doe as they were commaunded and that he which stayed longest should not be free from the suspition of contempt Selymus made no long stay as he that knew a great part of all this to be done for his sake but Baiazet hung backe and being gone a little on his way stayed complaining the vnluckie prouince of AMASIA stained with the bloud of his late brother the noble Mustapha to be assigned vnto him as ominous and that he could be better contented with any prouince whatsoeuer than that where the deadly remembrance of the miserable end of the neerest to him in bloud should be euer before his eyes to the wounding of his heart Wherfore he requested that he might at least Winter in those places or els there from whence his brother was now departed but Solyman would in no wise hearken vnto him Now Selymus gone before certaine dayes journies with such troupes as his father had sent him beside his owne for feare of Baiazet who yet stayed loitering and trifling on the time suddenly returning and fetching a compasse about shewed himselfe at his brothers backe marching towards PRVSA in BITHINIA the auntient seat of the Turkish kings which he did not without the priuitie of his father who liked not of the lingering of Baiazet for what if he hauing gained the good will of the Ianizaries should haue gone either to PRVSA or directly to CONSTANTINOPLE what a danger might haue growne thereby to Selymus yea vnto the whole state in generall In this common feare Solyman thought it best for Selymus there to stay from whence they might most conueniently helpe one another if Baiazet should as was feared turn himselfe vpon either of them Yet was not Selymus so strong as to aduenture to joyne battell with his brother whom he knew readie to put all to the hazard of one day But whē Baiazet contrarie to his expectation saw Selymus behind him and that he had got nothing by his long delay but that his brother should be the vndoubted heire of the empire if his father should die which was then by reason of his sickly constitution of bodie daily more and more feared he writ vnto his father accusing his brother that he could not more manifestly in any thing declare how maliciously he was affected towards him than by taking that indirect course to no other purpose but to aspire vnto the empire and to haue a short cut ouer to CONSTANTINOPLE if he should haue any newes of his fathers death which he still gaped after which his longing if his fathers longer life should delay then by the secret ministers of his treason to dispatch him and by the murdering of him to possesse himselfe of the empire and yet neuerthelesse this man as a most dutifull and obedient sonne to be of him much made of and as it were put in his bosome Wheras he on the contrarie part meaning well into whose conceit neuer any such thought came but was euer at commaund was not had in any regard but cast off and contemned whose greatest request was but to shun an vnfortunat ominous prouince After that he conuerted his stile to prayers requesting againe of his father to gratifie him with some other prouince if it were but that from which his brother was departed or with any other whatsoeuer so that it were more luckie than that of AMASIA for answere whereof he said he would stay where he was to the end that finding fauour in his request he should not haue need further to retire but if he should not obtaine his request that then he was readie to goe whether soeuer his father should command It was not altogether for nought that Baiazet found fault with AMASIA being the manner of the Turks of the smallest things of all to diuine vpon the greatest But Solyman vnderstood the matter otherwise who not ignorant of his sonnes teares knew right well that he in them sought for nothing els but a more commodious place for him to raise new stirres in than was AMASIA so farre distant from CONSTANTINOPLE So Baiazet by many delayes did what he could to frustate his fathers appointment ceasing not in the meane time to augment his strength with new souldiors to prouide armour money and whatsoeuer els seruing for defence of himselfe and the impugning of his brother Which Solyman tooke in no other part than as intended against his owne person yet would he seeme as not to haue any such vnderstanding of the matter for why the warie old sire would not by taking knowledge thereof driue headlong his sonne who was alreadie running too fast of himselfe Besides that he was not ignorant that the eyes of all nations were bent vpon this discord of his two sonnes and therefore he desired by all meanes that these grudges might bee with as little stirre as was possible appeased Wherefore he answered Baiazet courteously That concerning his gouernment of AMASIA he could not alter it as resolutely set downe as well for his brother as himselfe and that therefore they should doe well to go◠both to their appointed places as he had before commaunded As for the rest they should be of good comfort for that he would take such order as that neither of them should haue just cause to complaine Partau Bassa the fourth of the great Bassaes of the court was appointed to goe with this message to Baiazet and Mehemet third of the same great Bassaes with like charge to Selymus because the matter should seeme to be done with all indifferencie and both of these great men commaunded not to depart from them they were sent vnto before they were both come vnto the places of their gouernment whereunto they were assigned Which Solyman wisely did to keepe them both within the compasse of dutie by the presence of such two graue counsellors Which thing Selymus tooke in good part but Baiazet not so who hauing resolued with himselfe to set all on a hurly burly thought nothing more vnfit for his designes than to haue one of his fathers greatest counsellors still at his elbow as Censor of all his speeches and doings wherefore hauing courteously entertained him rewarded him according to his abilitie he dismissed him though vnwilling to depart making this excuse That he would vse him as his patrone and defendour with his father for as much as he had no other in court to defend his cause promising not to be vnto him an
they would for all that keep it to the last man For that perhaps the like honourable occasion for them to shew theÌ„selues in should neuer again be offred wherfore they had as they said resolued in that place to spend their liues for the glorie of God and the Christian religion The course of this life they said was but short but that honour and fame was for euer and whereas death is to all men prefined it were to be wished that the life which is to nature due should rather seeme to be by vs franckly giuen to God and our countrey than reserued as natures debt Which if it should so happen they would so vse the matter as that the barbarous enemie should haue neither pleasure nor joy which should not cost him much bloud euen of his best souldiors This they willed the knights to tell the Great master and to request him not to bee too carefull of them but to promise vnto himselfe those things of them which best beseemed resolute men especially of them who had vowed themselues to that sacred warre This answere of greater resolution than fortune receiued the three knights when they had diligently viewed the castle returned to the Grand master who calling to counsell his knights and hauing heard the answere of the besieged would needs heare also what opinion the three knights themselues were of concerning the keeping of the castle of whom Castriot was of opinion That the place was still to be defended and that if he were there to commaund he would vndertake to performe it and there rather to lose his life than to forsake it after he had once taken vpon him the charge thereof But Roces the French knight was farre of another mind and said plainely that the place could not possibly be holden against so strong an enemie and that if Iulius Caesar himselfe were aliue and saw to what straight the place was brought especially all the rampiers being either beaten downe or â—ore shaken such a power of obstinat enemies lying round about it he would neuer suffer so many valiant souldiors to be lost but quit the place and reserue his men to further seruice for why it was the part of valiant men to performe so much as was of men to be performed but to striue to do more was no manhood at all Wherefore he thought it best to doe that which men vse with members mortified whose recouerie is desperat in which case we doubt not to make a seperation so to saue the rest of the bodie with life The Spanish knight in most part agreeing with Castriot said That he thought it not good that the place should so easily be forsaken first for that the ditches and bulwarkes were yet defencible and then because he saw so great a consent amongst the defendants and such a cheerefulnesse to withstand the enemie which thing as hee said presaged victorie These opinions of the knights thorowly in counsell debated and euery particular well wayed it seemed good to the greater part that they which were in the castle should for certain daies yet hold it out especially because it was not the manner of the knights of the Order easily to abandon their strong holds but rather to keepe them to the last that euen therein the barbarous enemie might perceiue with whom he had to doe and so see his pride abated For if they should haue forsaken the place they might haue beene thought to haue done it for feare whereby the enemies insolencie might haue beene encreased and the honourable Order of those sacred knights disgraced But the Turkes intentiue to that they had before determined the three and twentith day of Iune assembling all their forces both by sea and land round about the castle in the dead time of the night on euery side set vp scaling ladders made bridges wrought mines and with two and thirtie great pieces of artillerie battered the rest of the wals yet standing and presently gaue a most terrible assault The defendants on the other side beat downe some repulsed others slew many euer more carefull how to wound the enemie than to saue themselues and where he pressed fastest on there to shew their greatest valour Great were the outcries made on both sides mixt with exhortation mirth and mourning the face of the whole fight was diuers vncertaine cruell and dreadfull and now it was the third houre of the day when still the victorie stood doubtfull and had not the furie of the great ordinance beene so terrible that it had now beaten downe all the wals vnto the very rocke whereon the castle stood the defendants might for some longer time haue endured the enemies force But the very rocke bared both of wals and defendants and more than foure hundred slaine a man could scarcely now shew himselfe but hee was presently strucke in pieces Monserratus Gouernour of the castle and Garas of EVâ—oeA men of equall valour integritie and honour were both slaine with one shot for a short and transitorie life made partakers of immortalitie together Yet the rest which stood in defence of the castle nothing terrified with so great a losse and slaughter of their fellowes but augmented rather as it were with new courage from aboue fought with greater force than before ouerthrew the Turks ensignes now set vp in the castle slew the ensigne-bearers captaines and colonels now respecting nothing more but honourably to lay downe their liues for their religion and the obtaining of immortall fame By this time the Sunne was mounted to the middle of heauen great was the heat and men exceeding wearie the murdering shot neuer ceased and such was the multitude of the enemie that he still sent in fresh men in stead of them that were wearied or wounded On the other side the small number of the Christians and those weakened with labor watching thirst and wounds did what men might yet at length were ouercome by a greater force and so the castle by the Turks woon but with such slaughter of their men that it was a wonder that so many should be slaine of so few The defendants were all slaine euery man in valiant fight Here may I not in silence passe ouer the inhumane and more than barbarous crueltie of the Turks against the dead bodies of the slaine knights that thereby may appeare that crueltie neuer wanteth whereon to shew it selfe mercilesse yea euen after death The Turks after they had taken the castle finding certaine of the knights yet breathing and but halfe dead first cut their hearts out of their breasts and then their heads from their bodies after that they hanged them vp by the heeles in their red cloakes with white crosses which manner of attire they after an auntient custome vse in time of war as they doe blacke in time of peace in the sight of the castles S. ANGELO and S. MICHAELL And yet Mustapha the Turks Generall not so contented commaunded them afterwards to be fast
with continuall snowes leauing on his left hand MEDIA IBERIA and CHOLCHIS and on the right hand the famous riuers of Tanais and Volga euen at his first entrance vnto the shores of the Euxine sea he was by the abouenamed twelue thousand Tartarians being apparrelled like theeues that lie vpon those wayes suddenly assailed and fought withall But like as an huge rocke lying open to tempests and waues standing fast and vnmoueable in it selfe resisteth the thunderings and rushings of the great and fearefull billowes so stood Osman fast and firme and couragiously sustained this trecherous assault turning the bold countenances of his resolute souldiors against the rebellious multitude of those traiterous squadrons who as is their manner in the beginning vsed great force but finding so stout resistance in those few whom they had thought with their onely lookes and shoutings to haue put to flight they began at length to quaile Which Osman quickly perceiuing couragiously forced vpon them and in a very short space and with a very small losse of his owne put those Tartarians to flight killing a number of them and also taking many of them prisoners by whom Osman was afterwards informed as the truth was that their king for feare that he had conceiued least when he came to CONSTANTINOPLE he would procure his destruction from Amurath had sent this armie to seeke his death Of which treason Osman caused a perfect processe to be made together with the depositions of the Tartarian prisoners which he sent the shortest way he could deuise to Amurath at CONSTANTINOPLE with letters declaring all that had passed enflaming him to reuenge so grieuous an injurie and so wicked a practise Amurath receiuing these aduertisements from Osman according to the necessitie of the matter tooke order that Vluzales his Admirall with certaine gallies well appointed should passe ouer to CAFFA to fetch Osman and withall to carrie with him Islan a brother of the Tartar kings commaunding Osman by letters that he should to the terrour of others put to death the treacherous king and place his brother in his roume This Tartar king was one of those mightie princes who basely yeelding to the Othoman power led vnder them a most vile and troublesome life as their tributaries and vassals alwayes at commaund whose yonger brother Islan presuming of the sufficiencie of himselfe and the fauour of the people going to CONSTANTINOPLE became a suter vnto the Turkish emperor to haue his eldest brother thrust out of his kingdome as a man for his euill gouernment hated of his subjects and to be placed himselfe in his roume Which his sute was so crossed by the embassadours of the king his brother who spared for no cost in the behalfe of their master that the ambitious youth was sent from the Turks Court to ICONIVM and there clapt fast vp in prison where apparrelled like an Eremit he led his life altogether conformable to his miserie with such a kind of externall innocencie as if he had beene void of all hope or ambitious desire of a kingdome but rather like a forlorne and vnhappie wretch with vaine affliction and impious deuotion to prepare himselfe to a laudable and honourable death But whilest he thus liued sequestred from all worldly cogitations vpon the discouerie of the king his brothers rebellion he was in more than post hast sent for to CONSTANTINOPLE and put into the gallies bound for CAFFA with letters to Osman of the tenor aforesaid Now in the meane time Osman had by cunning meanes got into his hands this Tartar king being as is reported betrayed by his owne counsellours corrupted with the Turkes gold whom with his two sonnes Osman vpon the receit of the aforesaid letters from Amurath caused to be presently strangled with a bowstring and Islan his younger brother to be saluted king in his place yet as vassale to Amurath This shamefull death the vsuall reward of the Turkish friendship was thought justly to haue happened vnto this Tartar king for that he not long before supported by Amurath had most vnnaturally deposed his aged father from that kingdome just vengeance now prosecuting his so great disloyaltie Osman embarking himselfe in the forenamed gallies at the port of CAFFA passing ouer the Euxine sea and entering into the Thracian Bosphorus arriued at CONSTANTINOPLE where he was receiued with great pompe and singular significations of good loue But with most euident and expresse kinds of joy was he saluted by Amurath himselfe when by his owne speech and presence he declared vnto him euery particularitie of the matters that had happened in his long and important voiage and in liuely manner represented vnto him the perils and trauels that he had passed and the conquests that he had made in SIRVAN After all which discourses Amurath who longed after nothing more than to see the Persian king somewhat brideled and the famous citie of TAVRIS brought vnder his own subjection began to enter into conference with Osman about that enterprise and in the end would needs throughly know of him what issue he could promise him of this his desire and in what sort by his aduice and counsell the forces should be employed and the armies disposed for the subduing of that citie which ouerall the nations of the world was so famous and so great an honour to the Persian kingdome To all which demaunds his answere and resolution was That for so much as the matters of GEORGIA were now well setled the trecherous passages by the new built forts assured and the prouince of SIRVAN vnder his obedience established there was now no cause why he should any longer foreslow so famous an enterprise but by the conquest of TAVRIS erecting of a fort in that proud citie to bring a terrour vpon all PERSIA and to raise a glorious renowne of so mightie a conquest among the nations of EVROPE for the accomplishment whereof he thought that either the same armie or at the most a very little greater would suffice so that it were raised of the best and choisest souldiors By reason of one of the letters which Sciaus Bassa had written to the late Tartar king and by the instigation of the young Sultan Mahomets mother jealous of the neere alliance of the great Bassa with her husband as prejudiciall and dangerous to her sonne Amurath had in the open Diuano depriued the said Sciaus from the office of the cheefe Visier and hardly pardoning him his life at the intercession of his wife being his sister had banished him the Court so that he liued afterwards about CALCEDON vpon the borders of ASIA not far from CONSTANTINOPLE in a close pallace he had there built for his owne pleasure in whose roume he appointed Osman to be cheefe Visier and to honour him the more nominated him the Generall of his armie against the Persians Such power hath vertue that euen from the very scum of the rascall sort and out of the rusticall rout of
burnt and destroied nineteene other of his townes with vnspeakable crueltie committing all things to fire and sword After all this sacking and rasing Ebrain sent diuers messengers to Man-ogli to trie whether hee would yet be persuaded to come vnto him but nothing could moue the resolute Drusian to commit himselfe into his hands but rather encreased his constancie to auoid a most certaine death Now the great Bassa still thirsting after bloud and reuenge vnderstanding by a spie that the captaine of ANDERA being one of the Factors of Man-ogli with three hundred and fiftie souldiors was got vp to a certaine hill into a place of great securitie he sent Emir Ebne-frec to entice him and to tell him That seeing his lord Man-ogli would not come and yeeld himselfe he should come vnto him which if he would doe he would assuredly in despight of Man-ogli make him a Sanzacke of some of those places which he most desired The ambitious and vnheedie Macademo suffered himselfe to be easily persuaded and being accompanied with his three hundred and fiftie followers went with the said Ebne-frec and came at last to the pauillion of Ebrain hauing first caused his aforesaid men to stay behind in a valley two or three miles off But Ebrain would not so much as see the Macademo although both in respect of the nimblenesse of his person and also the fiercenesse of his lookes he was worthie to be looked vpon but commaunded him to be kept in a seuerall place from Serafadin and in the meane time deuised how he might with least losse of his owne men put to death those three hundred and fiftie the Macademoes followers which was by training them by means of the said Ebne-frec into a certain vineyard and so hauing brought them into a strait suddenly to set vpon them and kill them Which was accordingly performed for being by the treacherous Emir brought into the place appointed for their slaughter fearing nothing lesse they were suddenly enclosed by the Turkes Sanzackes and Ianizaries and slaine euerie mothers sonne This massacre thus finished Ebrain commaunded the Macademo to be brought before him and without delay to be stripped and flaid quicke who being come stoutly vpbraided Ebrain with his promise and his oath and amongst other speeches which he vttered whiles they stripped him said Cut me off my members and first putting them into the priuities of that infamous Ebrains wife put them afterwards into the mouth of himselfe for so I trow he will be contented and satisfied with my flesh And to them that were the executioners of his painfull death he said It is your great good fortune in deed that with such violence and needlesse deformitie ye are now able to spill my bloud and to take my life from me whereas none of you all had been able or once durst man to man to haue drawne one drop of it from me no nor to haue endured my countenance But go to proceed in your wicked and vnsatiable desire of my bloud and fulfill the cruell commaund of your Visier for in the end there will also light vpon you the iust reward of this so villanous a fact With these and other such like speeches the miserable wretch was stripped and three great slashes made on his backe where they began to flea him he in the meane time not ceasing to blaspheme their religion to curse their king and their false prophet also But the barbarous souldiors proceeding in their cruell action made other like gashes vpon his breast and stomacke and so drawing the skin downward could not bring it to his nauell before he was with the extremitie of the paine dead After this Ebrain caused the followers of Serafadin in number about 150 to be cruelly slaine and all his countrey to be most miserably wasted he himselfe still remaining in chaines Whilest the fire and sword thus raged in the Drusian countrey Ebrain by speedie posts sent to SIDON where his gallies lay at rode commaunded That disbarking foure thousand souldiors they should sacke all those countries alongst the sea coast euen as far as CaeSAREA in PALESTINE sparing neither age nor sex nor any person of condition whatsoeuer Which his cruell command was presently put in execution and three thousand soules brought away captiues great booties made of much rich merchandise many townes burnt sundrie castles rased and laid euen with the ground and to be short all the whole countrey of Serafadin and Man-ogli laid vtterly wast and desolat Ebrain was now in readinesse to depart for CONSTANTINOPLE where he was by Amurath expected as well for his gold as the accomplishment of the marriage But bethinking himselfe that whatsoeuer hitherto he had done would be accounted either little or nothing vnlesse he prouided in some sort for the quieting of those people vnder the Turkish obedience he determined to nominat one of the three Drusian Emirs that came to him to IERVSALEM to be Bassa of all those regions And because Emir Aly Ebne-carfus was the richest and most obedient of them all he thought good to commit that charge vnto him and honoured him with that dignitie yet not without a bribe but for the price of an hundred thousand duckats Wherefore he apparelled him in cloth of gold gaue him a horsemans mase and a sword all guilt and deliuered vnto him the kings commission causing him withall to sweare faith and obedience to Amurath And so hauing at least to shew set in order the affaires of those mountaines which an hundred of the Turkes great captaines had in former time vainely attempted he returned to DAMASCO where he staied twelue daies by shamefull shifts extorting money from diuers persons At last hauing no more to doe in those parts he turned himselfe towards GAZIR and BARVTO places vnder the gouernment of Ebne-mansur where he arriued with all his armie and found the gallies which he had left in the port of SIDON now in the hauen of BARVTO as he had before commaunded Now vpon a certaine hill aboue BARVTO neere vnto the sea Ebrain had pitched his owne tent only and none other and hauing sent all the rest of his best and goodly things which he meant to carrie with him to CONSTANTINOPLE aboord the gallies shrowded himselfe only vnder that narrow and base tent Thither he called Ebne-mansur and in pleasant manner told him That now it was time for him to make payment of the debt of an hundred and threescore thousand duckats which he ought the king his lord for the custome of TRIPOLI and BARVTO for that he could not longer stay in those quarters but was to returne to CONSTANTINOPLE which he knew not how to doe vnlesse he carried with him the discharge of that debt Whereunto Ebne-mansur made answere That it would not be long before his Macademoes would come with his monies and that then he would without farther delay make payment Which thing Ebrain well knew to be but an excuse and therefore determined with
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
〈…〉 citie The 〈…〉 in an vproâ—e Murzuâ—â—e attempteth to burne the Venetian fleet Murzufle encourageth his souldiers Constantinople hardly besieged Constantinople set on fire Nicetas Choniates annalâ—um fol. 180. 1204 The Greeke empire diuided amongst the Latines The beginning of the empire of 〈◊〉 by the Comneni Hadrianople besieged by the Emperour Baldwin 1206 Henry second emperour of the Latines in Constantinopleâ— Antioch besieged by Iathatines Iathatines the Sultan slaine by Theodorus Lascaris the Greeke emperour Iohn Brenne by Innocentius the Pope appointed king of Hierusalem 1209 Corradin and Meledin deuide their fathers kingdome betwixt them The situation of Damiata in Aegypt A desperat act of a Christian. Damiata in vain assaulted A faire offer euill refused Succours sent vnto the besieged Dâ—â—â—ata without resistance 〈◊〉 by the Châ—â—stians Dâ—amaâ—a 〈◊〉 by the 〈◊〉 1221 1222 Pelagius the Legat persuadeth the princeâ— of the Christian armie to proceed for the conquest of Aegypt The miserie of the Christians in the drowned land The death of â—enry emperour â—â— Constantinople Peter emperour Robert emperor of CoÌ„stantinople An horrible â—utrage committed vpon the person of an empresse Baldwin the lasâ— emperour of the Latines in Constantinople Iohn Batazes made empeâ—or of the Greekes in Asia Plentie ensuing of peace An imperiall â—â—owne bought with egge mony 1227 1228 1229 Fredericke the emperor crowned king of Hierusalem 1230 The vnfortunat expedition of the king of Nauarrâ— into the Holy land The Christians by persuasion of the 〈…〉 their leâ—gue with the Turkeâ— 1234 Hierusalem taken and rased by the Turks 1248 King Lewis setteth forward toward the Holy land 1249 The citizens of Damiata set fire vpon the citie and ran away by the light A faire 〈◊〉 sondly refused Earle Robert in flying drowned The earle of Salisburie valiaÌ„tly sighting slaâ—â—â— The gouernor of Caire apprehended The beginning of the Mamalukes and their kingdome The ruine of the Turkâ— kingdome in Aegypt The emperour in 〈◊〉 with Marcesina Marcesina the emperâ—â—r 〈…〉 of the church Thâ—odorus Lasâ—â—â—â— chosen emperoâ—r The death of Theodorus the Greeke emperor Enuie in Couâ—â— Muzalo traitâ—â—rously murdered in the church Michael Paleologus aspireth Michaell Paleologus crowned emperor by Arsenius the Patriarch 1260 Haalon the Tartar sent with a great armie against the Turks Aleppo rased by the Tartars Damasco woon The Aegyptian Sultan inuadeth Siria Antioch taken from the Christians 1261 Paleologus the Gâ—eâ—ke emperor taketh possession oâ— the citie of Constantinopleâ— Paleologus â—ealous of his estate Paleologus causeth the yong emperours eyes to be put out Iathatines dieth in exile 1270 Carthage besieged by K. Lewis Caâ—thage woon The Christian princes returning from Tunes suffer shipwracke vpon the coast of Sicilia 1271 Prince Edward 〈…〉 Prince Edward wounded 1273 Rodolph the emperour taketh vpon him the Crosse. Henry the prince taken prisoner sent to Caire 1289 Tripolis won and rased by Elpis the Aegyptian Sultan Sydon and Berythus rased Tyre yeelded The miserable estate of a citie about to perish 1291 Ptolemais besâ—eged Ptolemais in vaine assaulted by the Sultan Cassanes the Tartar intâ—adeth Syria Hierusalem takeÌ„ and repaired by Cassanes The description of Cassaâ—es The citie of Hierusalem with all Syria againe recouered by the Aegyptian Sultan 1300 The death of Mesoot and Cei-Cubades The Turks kingdome rent in sunder by themselues The Turks Anarchie Caramania Saruchania Carasia Aidinia Bolli Mendesia Othoman 〈…〉 familie Phi. Lonicerus hist. Turc lib. 1. All worldly things subiect to change The greatest kingdomes haue in time taken end and so come to naught Solyman Sultan of Machan forsaketh his kingdome for â—â—are of the Tartars Romania Asiatica The sonnes of Solyman and their first aduentures The Christians of Cara-Chisar fall ouâ— with the Turks Small things in time of trouble yeeld vnto the wise great content Othoman â—â—â—orous of Malhatun a countrey maid A â—olly common vnto â—â—uers No friendship in â—oue Othoman besieged in danger for his loue The Oguzian Turks in doubt of whom to makâ— choice for their Gouernour The castle of Chalâ—e surprised by 〈◊〉 The Christians 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 Othomâ—n consulteth with his brother 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 to take for the oppresing of the Christians 〈◊〉 neighbours Othoman 〈◊〉 in order his 〈◊〉 commonweale Michael Cossi inuiteth Othoman to the maâ—â—maâ—â—age of his daughter The captaine of Belizuga â—â—â—acherously seeking the death of Othoman is by him himselfe slaine Othoman by adminiâ—â—ration of iustice strengtheneth his gouernment The â—ity of Nice besiâ—ged by Othoman 1300 Neapolis the first regall citiâ— of the Othoman kingâ— Prusa besâ—â—geâ— by Othoman Michael Cossi turneth Turke Alteration of Religion in the Greeke Church Persecution in the Greeke Church for matters of Religion Immoderat bountie in great men dangerous Alexiâ—s Philanthropenus aspireth Libadarius opposeth himselfe against the proceâ—â—iâ—gâ— of Philanthropenus Andronicus the Greeke emperor reposing moâ—e â—ust 〈…〉 his owne subiects greatly hurteth his state Ronzerius what he was 〈◊〉 for want oâ— pay spoileth the emperors subiects Ronzerius 〈◊〉 The Turks first called into Europe by the Catalonians The Turcopuli The vnfortunat battell of Michael the emperour against the Catalonians and Turks Cassandâ—â—â— The Catalonians shut out of Macedonia The Turks 〈…〉 two faâ—tâ—â—ns The vnfortuâ—at battell of the emperour Michael Paleologus with the Turks in Chersonesâ—â—s Thracia spoiled by the Turks Philes Paleologus requesteth of the emperour that he might goe against the Turks The battell betwixt Philes and the Turks The Turks ouerthrowne The causes of the decay of the Greeke empire Syrgiannes his craâ—tie sediâ—iouâ— speech vnto yoong Andronicus 〈◊〉 Andronicus commeth secretâ—y armed vnto his grandfatâ—â—r Thracia reuolâ—eth vnto Andronicus Articles of agreemeÌ„t betwixt the old emperour and his nephew The Greeke empire in Europe deuided Whilest the Greekes are at discord among thâ—selues Othoman layeth the foundation of the Turks empire and the other Turks encroch vpon them also The Island of the Rhodes was by the knights Hospitalers recouered from the Turks in the yeare 1308. Andronicus the old emperor seeketh for counsell of the Psalter as of an heauenly Oracle and so seeketh to make peace with his nephew Psal. 68. vers 14. A treacherous meeting The yong emperour sendeth embassadours vnto his grandfather The speech of the yong emperor vnto his grandfathers embassadors The speech of the old emperor â—nto the Patâ—â—arâ—h and the rest of the bishâ—ps 〈…〉 the young emperour his â—ephew The Patriarch with diuers of the bishops conspire against the old emperour Thessalonica yeelded vnto the yong emperour Constantinople betraied vnto the young emperour The pitifull supplication of the old emperour vnto his nephew Niphon incenseth the yoong emperor against his grandfather The old emperor beâ—â—meth blind Andronicus the old emperour against hâ—â— will mâ—de a Monke and called Anthonie The notable answere of the old emperour to the catching question of the proud Patriarch The death of the oâ—d emperour The Turks kingdome founded by Othoman in Asia at such time as the Greeke emperors were as variance betwixt
A secreâ— grudge betweene Campson and Cayerbeius gouernour of Comagena The Mamalukes notable souldiors The order of Campsons baâ—tâ—ll The order of Selymus his battell The death of Campson Aleppo deliuered to Selymus by Cayerbeius the traitor The dead bodie of Campson laid out for all men to view Paulus Iouius li. 4 Elog. vÃtorum Illust Selymus commeth to Damasco Notable discipline in Selymus his armie Tomombeius by the generall consent of the Mamalukes chosen Sultan of Aegypt Gaza yeelded to Sinan Sinan aduertised of the comming of Gazâ—lles goeâ—â— seâ—retly to meâ—â— him The battell betweene Sinan Bassa and Gazelles Selymus doubting Sinan Bassa to haue been lost becommeth melancholie Neâ—eâ— of Sinans 〈◊〉 comforâ—eth Selymus 1517 Sinan Bassa goeth to meet Selymuâ— aâ— he waâ— comming to Gaza Tomâ—mbâ—ius seekâ—th to entrap the Turkes The comming of 〈◊〉 by an â—nexpected way maketh great confusion in Tomombeiuâ— camp Christian canoniers serue the Turkes against the Aegyptians The order of Selymus his armie Sinan Bassa Generall of the field Sinan â—â—ssa with â—ost of his follâ—â—ers slaine by â—idon Mustapha with his Aâ—â—â—n souldiâ—rs ouerthroweâ—h the left â—ing of the Sultaâ—â— armie Selymus causeth the Diadare and the valiant captaine Bidon to be slaine The purpose of Tomombeius discouered to Selymus The Aegyptians diuersly affected 〈◊〉 the Mamalukes The description of the great citie of Caire The pyramides of Aegypt Selymus encourageth his souldiors to the winning of Caire A most morâ—all battell fought in Caire A long and terrible battell 〈◊〉 takâ—n by 〈◊〉 Gazelles his speech to Selymus Albuchomar discouereth to Selymus the power of Tomombeius and the trecherie of thâ—m of Cairâ— The causes mouing Selymus to send embassadors to Tomombeius Selymus his embassadouâ—â— slaine by the Mamalukes Tomombeius distresseth the Turkâ— in passing the bridge made ouer Niluâ— The Mamalukes giue a fresh charge vpon the Turkes The Mamalukes put to flight Tomombeius taken and brought to Selymus Tomombeius tortured The miserable end of Tomombeius last Sultan of Aegypt Pâ—ulus Iouiâ—â— Illust. virorum Elog. lib. 4. The Aegyptians in doubt of their estate bewaile the death of Tomombeius Selymus câ—nningly reducâ—â—â— the Arabians 〈◊〉 his obedience Of this Cortug-Ogli see more in the life of Solyman Cayerbeius the 〈◊〉 made gouernour of Caire Aegypt Ionuses enuieth at the preferment of Cayerbeius Selymus commaundeth the wages of his soldiors to be left in garrison at Caire to be augmentedâ— Selymus calleth for Ionuses Bassa to answere the matter The answere of Ionuses Bassa The death of Ioâ—uses the great Bassa Ionuses Bassa â—ealous of his faire wife 〈◊〉 The faire ladie Manto cruelly slaine by her iealous husband The causes why Hysmaell inuaded not Selymus wholly busied in the Aegyptian â—â—â—res 1518 1519 Selymus purposing to inuade the Christianâ—â—â— strucke in the reynes of his backe with a canker 1520 The death of Selymus The iust iudgement of God Phi. Lonicerus Turcicae Historiae Tomo primo lib. primo Selymus before his death coÌ„mendeth the â—â—ition of his sonne Solyman to Pyrrhus Bassa The bloudie and tirannicall precepts left by Selymus to his son Solyman which he afterwards most assuredly kept as is to be seene in his lifâ— following Phil. Lonicer Hist. Turc lib. 1. Solyman hardly persuaded that his father was dead Gazelles gouernour of Syria rebelleth against Solyman Gazelles slaine Belgrade 〈◊〉 by Solyman 1522 Philippus Villerius chosen Great master of the Rhodes Cortug-Ogli the pirat persuadeth Solyman to besiege the Rhodes Solymans letter to Villerius Great Master of the Rhodes The answere of Villerius to Solymans letters Solymans Oration to his men of warre declaring his purpose of besieging the Rhodes Solyman maketh preparation against the Rhodes Villerius prepareth to make resistance against the Turks Solymans letter to Villericus Pyrâ—hus Bassa his letters to Villerius Villerius his ansâ—â—re to Sâ—lymans letters Villerius his answere to Pyrrhus the Bassa his letters Villerius aduertised oâ— the comming of the Turks fleet The carefulnessâ— of the Graund master Villâ—rius his Oration vnto the Rhodiaâ—â— Solymans threatening letters to the Rhodians The Rhodians for feare of the Turks destroy their suburbâ— places of pleasure without the citie The â—eare of the countrey people The Chancellor his speech persuading the Rhodians to fight with the Turkeâ— gallies The worthie coÌ„mendation of the Great master The Turks â—leet descried at sea troubleth the Rhodians The order of the Turkes fleâ—â— The Great master by his embassadours craueth aid of the Christian prinâ—eâ— The commendation of Prelanâ—â— The description of the Rhodes A Turkish woman slaue conspireth to fire the citie The painfulnesse of the Turkes pioners The Turkes deceiued by the Christian marriners Selymus commeth into the campe Solymans chollericke Oration to his souldiorâ—s Apella a traâ—â—or The Turkes batâ—â—rie The English bulwarke blowne vp The Turkes assault the English bulwarke the second time and are againe repulsed Mustapha Bassa falleth into disgrace with Solyman The English bulwarke assaulted the third time by Mustapha The Turkes ensignes aduanced to the top of the wals are againe cast downe Another breach made in the wals The Great master his oration vnto his knights The Turkes assaulâ— the citie in fiue places at once The Rhodians valiantly deâ—end the citie The Spanish bulwarke taken by the Turkâ— The Spanish bulwarke againe recouered The Turks giue ouer the assault Solyman in his furie commaundeth the two great Bassaes Mustapha and Pyrrhus to be put to death The Bassaes spared at the intercession of the other counsellors Solyman displaceth his Admirall punisheth him as a slaue Solyman exceedingly greeued with the repulse and losse receiâ—â—ed at the siege of thâ— Rhodes was vpoÌ„ point to haue left the same Achimetes promiseth to make a way for Solyman into the citie Solyman comforteth his souldiors and persuadeth them with patience to endure the siege Achimetes winneth the Vaumures of the Auergne bulwarke raiseth a strong penthouse against the wall and so vndermineth the same The miserable state of the common souldiors of the Turkes and the small account is made of them Solyman encourageth his souldiours to afrâ—sh assault The distressed estate of the Rhonians and their courâ—gious resolution therein The Turks trouble the Rhodians with continuall alarums and by casting vp of trenches get into the citie Parley oâ—â—ered by the Turkes tâ— the Rhodians Secret Parley reiected The Great master at the instance of his peâ—people sendeth embassadours to Solyman Solymans letters sent to the Great master and the Rhodians by their embassadours The Great Master his opinion concerning that Solyman demanded by his letters A notable speech of a Greek priest persuading the Great Master to yeeld A most resoâ—â—â—â— speech of a common souldior dissuading the yeelding vp of the Rhodes The former speech notably answered by a Greeke and the yeelding of the citie vrged The Great Master râ—solued that the citie was not to bee defended calleth a common counsell of all his knightâ— and the buâ—â—esses of the citie A truce taken with the â—urkes for foure