the seueÌ„ Castelles called in olde tyme Dacia The which Iohn Huniad was father of Mathias kyng of Hungarye that did reigne in our tyme. After this battaile was a truce taken for .x. yeares betwene the Turckes and the Hungaryans by reason wherof Carabey was delyuered paiynge for his rauÌ„sone fyftye thousande Ducates The whiche truce was sone after broken by the saied kyng Lancelot at the instaunce and persuasion of y e Bishop of Rome Eugene y e fourth which chaunsed to his great mischief for he was slayne in battaile nere to the toune of Verne which is called Dionysiopolis on saynt Martyns daye the .xi. daye of Nouember in the yeare of our Lorde M cccc and .xliiij. Out of which battayl Ihon Huniad did escape Of this victorie Amurath did nothynge reioyse for asmuche as he bought thesame veray dere he tooke also the Sophie capitalle of Bulgarie Scopie and Nouomont He ranne thorowe the countree of Acarmania nowe called Ducat or Duche and the countree of y e Cymera or Eperotee called Epirus from y e ryuer of Achelons called at this daye Pachicolam nere vnto the mouÌ„taynes nowe called the mouÌ„taynes of the Demble in olde tyme called Acrocerannii which are a part of the mountayne called Pindus he tooke the porte of the Velon sometyme called Aulon and passed ouer the goulfe of Larta called the Ambracius Beye and went to the toune of Oricus nowe called Rigo and froÌ„ thence towarde Cataro called Risonicus Beye or goulfe which is about xxv myles of lengthe from Ragusa which was called Epidaurus He coÌ„streined Iohn Castrioch deputee gouernour of Cymeria to reÌ„dre to him the strong toune of Croya and to giue his three soonnes in pleage whom he made to bee come Turckes the youngest of theim named George was but .ix. yeres olde or ther aboute and was surnamed Schanderbegge y t is to saie the Lorde Alexander whiche did beecome a right valiaunt capitain and worthy to be coÌ„pared vnto Pyrrhus to others his predecessours for vnder Amurath he conquered Saruie toke a greate parte of y e couÌ„tree of Caramanie retournyng afterwarde to the Christen fayth he caused to be taken froÌ„ the saide Bazait first y e countree of Seruie then Croya And all the countrees tounes and castelles which apperteined to y e late Ihon Castrioth hys father besydes twenty or thyrty battailles which he had agaynst the Turcke in the whiche he at all tymes had the victorie in so muche that Amurath the greate Turcke coulde neuer laye any thynge to hys reproche saue onely the good chere y t he made to hym the tyme he was vnder his power callyng him his vnthankfull sonne and chylde by dyuerse his writynges sent to hym full of many amyable fauorable good wordes The saide Schanderbeg feared hym so lytle that he left his owne countreye to gooe and helpe Ferdinand kynge of Naples agaynste Iohn duke of Calabre The which Ferdinand he dyd set into his realme and thrust out thesayde duke whoÌ„ he conquered For thewhiche pleasure thesaide Ferdinand called his sonnes beeynge spoyled of theyr goodes by Mehemet the seconde after the death of their father and gaue vnto theim greate substauÌ„ce and ryches somuche y t they were made Marquesses of saynte Ange. Of this stocke was Ferdinand Castrioth Marques of saynte Ange whiche dyed in the battayle of Pauye Amurath afterwarde occupyed y e countreye of the Moree thewhyche in the olde tyme was called Peloponesus by the varyauÌ„ce and discorde of two brethren Thomas and Dimitre or Demetrius deputyes of thesayde countreye and brethreÌ„ of Constantyne Peleologo the last Emperour of Constantinople for because that the Albanoys made warre vpon theim and therfore they ranne for succoure to thesaide Amurath and he made theim his trybutoryes And forasmuche afterward as they re-refused to paye that whiche they had ê“inysed him he chased theim Dimitre he retourned agayne towarde hym and Thomas wente to Rome to the bishop therof where he dyed and left behinde hym two sonnes and two doughters Amurath beynge come to extreme age wery of the worlde and of his victoryes wythdrewe hymselfe wyth certen heremytes and religious personnes of theyr lawe to thentent to lyue from that tyme foorth in solytarynes and rest Hauynge set in his place his sonne Mehemet whiche was verey young therfore he commytted the rule gouernaunce of hym to Haly Bacha whyche sometyme is called Caly Bacha But when afreshe Ihon of Huniad and the Hungarians had sente a greate army to assayle theim he was constreygned at the desyre of his sayde sonne and of thesayde Haly Bacha to take agayne his admynistracion because they coulde not be obeyed to set an ordre in these affaires â–ª goyng agaynst the Hungarians whom he vaynquyshed and droue backe And afterwarde he went and asseged Croye against Schanderheg but he coulde not gette it And then in his retournyng by the mounteignes he was robbed and spoyled of the Paysans whyche slue many of his people So that what with the greate grefe dyspleasure that he then tooke and also for age he dyed the. M cccc li. yeare of oure Lorde beeyng of the age of .lxxv. yeres the .xxxii. yeare of his reigne and the .xxvi. of the reigne of Gharles the .vij. kyng of Fraunce And he was the first that ordeyned the Iannyssaryes MEhemet the seconde of that name called by Enguerrand and other historigraphiers FrauÌ„ces Morbesan and I am in doubte whether they would say Morbesalem whiche is asmuche to saye in the Syryan Moresque speche as these woordes of the Gospell Vade in pace in englyshe goo in peace y e soÌ„ne of Amurath of Iriny Vucouich the daughter of George deputye of Seruie beganne to reygne the .xxi. yeare of his age and with in two yeares after he wanne the siege of the toune of Constantinople whiche was in the. M cccc .liij. yere of our Lord where was slayn the Emperour Constantyne And it came so to passe that lyke as one Constantyne the sonne of Helene was the first Emperour of CoÌ„stantinople so another Constantyne beynge the sonne of another Helene was y e last Emperour therof This Mehemet was nether Christian nor MusulmaÌ„ or Mahometist for in his youthe he was instructed in the Christyan fayth by his mother and after he learned this doctryne of Mahomet so that when he came to age and dyscrecion he nether kepte the one nor the other In the begynnynge of his reigne he caused to be slain two younge brethren that he had the one of y e age of .xviij. monethes and the other of .vi. Notwithstandyng some say that in the place of the elder was put another chylde and he that was his brother was sent to Constantinople and froÌ„ thence to Venyce and so to Rome to Calyxte then byshoppe of y t see which caused him to be baptyzed and named Calixte Othman to whome the
Emperour Frederick y e thyrde gaue greate gyftes and substaunce in Austria Mehemet hauyng taken Constantinople as I haue saide he tourned hym to the realme of Hungarye and besieged Belgrado from whēce he was dryuen by Ihon Huniad whiche was within thesame with the Cardinal of saynt Ange called Ihon and a graye freer named also Iohn and surnamed Capistram From thys siege Mehemet fled shamfully for he was hurte lost his artillarye and other bagages without hope of the recouerye of Hungarye So that he was cōstreined to passe vnto Moree whiche the Venecyans had taken from hym and newlye repeyred the Examilo whiche is a walle conteignynge vi myles or two legues longe frō the goulfe of Patràs called y e baye of Corinthiacus vnto that of Legine whiche was called the baye of Megaricus where sometyme was the toune of Corinthe whiche nowe is brought vnto a lytle village called Corintho the whiche Examilo Amurath his father had beatē downe that he myght entre the easelyer into the Moree Mehemet commynge the Venecyens thought to wythstande hym but they were vaynquyshed and lost that battayll in the whyche was slayne a greate nombre of good capteynes of the Italyans after whose takynge the veraye same tyme was taken also the Isle of Negrepont called Eubeia ioynyng to the sayde land enclosed wyth a brydge And afterwarde the ysles of Stalimene or Stalmini in the olde tyme called Lennos and Methelim called Lesboos the whiche perteigned to Nycholas Cataluz geneuoye afterwarde also saynt Maurye called Nerytus and by some Leucas and Leucadia Imate in the olde tyme name zacynthus and Cephalenie called Chifalonye And recouered agayn Croya after the death of Schanderbeg he tooke the toune of Scutari or Scodra from the lorde Arinth Comino or Connenus surnamed Gollent that is to saye Cheuelu father of the lorde Constantyne that gouerned the Marques of Mountfarrat after the death of the Duchesse hys nyece thesame tyme that kynge Charles the eyght came from Naples Afterwarde he entred into Bosue and tooke the lorde or deputye named Stephyn Hierchec and of some historiphiers the duke of Latic whose heade he commaunded to bee stryken of and caused hys sonne to denye hys faythe and to bee circumcized and surnamed Achinath He tooke from the Geneuoys the toune of Capha whyche is called Theodosia sette in Precopie whiche is Taurica Chersonessus whyche in maner is as longe as the Moree and on the one syde thereof is the goulfe of Nigropila called the baye of Carcinites and on the other syde the blacke seea called Bicis Palus and nere vnto it is Meotides Paludes whyche at thys daye is called the goulfe of Tanais Beeynge thus combred and troubled wyth all these cares and prouyuysyons of warre and trauaylynge and labourynge in all these countryes lyeng so farre one from another he was assayled in Natolie by Piramet Caraman whyche constreigned him to leaue his entreprises and yet notwithstādyng before that he parted he tooke the stronge castell of Mancup situate vpon the streight whiche by land encloseth Precopie that in the olde tyme was called Taphie Thys thynge done he passed into Natolia dryuynge backe Caraman and entred into his countreye a greate parte wherof he wanne brought vnder his subieccion In his commyng backe he toke Sinope y e head of Paphlago sytuate vpon the great sea and Trapezus called Trebisonde whiche is an Empire and he caused to be slayne the Emperour Dauid Conyno or Commenus whiche was a Christian of the lynage of the valyaunt Isaac Conyno the whyche from a capteyne became Emperour of Constantinople next after the Emperour Mychael And all these thynges aforesayde came to passe in the tyme that the Hungaryans theim of Austriche made warre agaynste the Emperour Frederycke because they woulde haue had Lancelot the soonne of Albert theyr lorde and kynge whiche was in the kepyng of the Emperour and he woulde not delyuer hym to theim because he was not of leful age And streyte vpon these victoryes aroase a newe enemye of thesayde Mehemet whiche was the kynge of Persie called Vsuncassan or Assembeg whiche was accompaigned wyth a greate armye of the Persians whome the Turckes call Keselbach that is to saye redde heddes because thei vse to were redde cappes or hattes he entred into Capadoce and Trebisonde and in the fyrste battayle Mehemet was dyscomfyted in the seconde Assamheg had the woorsse and loste a greate parte of his countreye The whyche Assembeg was of the lignage of Dauid Conyno the Emperoure of Trebisonde lyke as before I haue made mencyon and he reigned in the yeare of oure Lorde M cccc and .lxxii. Mehemet beyng delyuered of this trouble retorned into Caramanie after the death of Piramet Caraman and constreigned Abraham hys sonne to seke ayde and succour of the Christians and of Pius the seconde byshop of Rome whiche byshop myndyng to go in his owne persone agaynste hym caused hymselfe to be caryed to Ancone where he prepared a greate armye by the seea and there dyed whyle he taryed the commynge of the Venecyans whyche should haue accompaignyed hym in this voyage Thē it came to passe he be ynge dead that the armye skattered and so departed wythoute takyng any effect the Almeignes beynge then in warre wyth the Hungaryans they founde Caraman alone without helpe or ayde whō the saide Mehemet caused to bee slayne And by thys meane the stocke of Caraman was destroyed and theyr contreye remeyned to Othmans Mehemet beynge sure of this quarter he sente to Marbeye Samgiac of Bosue whyche was the soonne of a Geneuoye to spoyle the countreye of Istrie called Liburnie of Craine or Carnie called Corinthe of Stirie whiche they cal Steirmarck in y t old tyme called Valeria whiche all are comprysed within Illirium and so passed forthe to Friol which was called the merket of Iulii trauersynge betwixte Gue and Nou the greate ryuers dyscōfyted the Venecyans which he found before hym wher wer slayn and taken prysoners al the rest of the good capteynes of Italye On the other syde Mehemet sent Achmath Bacha surnamed Ghendich that is to saye to the greate toothe the sonne of Stephyn late deputee of Bosne of whome I haue spoken before w t a great armye by seea into Italye he toke the toune of Otranto called Hydruntus and in old tyme Iapiginum in the countree of Pouille or Apulia Before this also Mesithba Paleologue whiche was of the lignage of the Emperoures of Constantynople had assieged the toune of y e Rhodes and coulde not get it And not content with these thre armyes Mehemet wente hymselfe against y e Soudiane of Egipt but beyng arriued very nye to Nicomedie whiche some at this day call Comedy he dyed in the yere of our lord M cccc lxxxii beyng aboute thage of liiii yeres and the .xxxi. yere of his reigne He was called by the Turkes Mehemet Boiuc that is the great And he lefte behinde hym .ij. soonnes named Pazait
of Fraunce whiche gaue to them duke Iohan of Calabrie sonne of kynge Rene. Againe they retourned to Philyppe duke of Millan afterwarde lefte hym so y t they knewe not to what saint they shulde vowe them selues But the moste mischyefe was that the sayde warres were an occasyon of the losse of Sirya of the realme of Ierusalem and that they opened a gate vnto the Turckes in to Grecelande and Europe as I wyll declare hereafter And it was about that tyme when Loys of Rauiere Federike of Austrige were at varyance for the empyre of Almanie The sayde Orcan reygned .xxii. yeres to the beginninge of kynge Iohn of Fraunce whych was the yere of our lorde a. M .iii. hundred and fyftye And he lefte his sonne Amurath to be hys successoure AMurath which y e Hungariens call Ammerat and the Turckes Moratheg or Morathey and Norathegby which signifieth Morath y e lorde he succeded Orcan whē Cantacusan pursued the Emperoure Caloianne hys sōne in lawe w t the ayde of Marcke Carlouich lorde of Bulgarie He was fauoured also of certayne Barons and lordes of Grece enemies of the emperour Caloianne Whyche forbecause he perceaued hym selfe to weake he was constreygned to aske helpe of y e sayde Amurath he dyd sende to hym .xii. M. horsemen with y e which he pacified all his maters afterward gaue them licence to departe But they hauing sene and tasted of the goodnes pleasauntnes of y e countree of Grece perswaded as it was easy to do y e sayde Amurath to gooe into Grece lyke as he dyd in dede accompaigned with .lx. thousande men w t whome by the aide meanes of two marchauntes shyppes of the Geneuoyes whiche had of him lx thousande ducates he passed ouer the strayct in olde tyme called Hellespontus and nowe called Callipolly or the castel by reason of two castelles being there at this houre where somtyme were wonte to be .ii. townes Sestus Abidus And they toke the towne of Calipoli beynge nere to y e saide streyght And afterwarde Adrianopoli nowe callled Andrinopoli and Philippoli somtyme called Olimpias They also ouerran all y e countre of Thrace called of some Romanie euen to y e mounteyn of Rhodope called by y e Grekes Basilissa y t is the quene of mounteynes Othersome doth cal it y t mounteyn of syluer by reasō of diuers mines of siluer y t there are They discōfyted in bataile y e said Marcke Carlouich toke prysoner the Erle Lazare of Seruir whyche is Misia the lesse called of Frossarde the erledome of Lazaran and caused him to be behedded in the meane time y e Emperour Charlys the fourth beynge greatly hindered and damaged wyth the resystaunce of the chyldren of Loys of Bauiar some tyme Emperour and in defendynge hym selfe from Ferray or Federic Marques of Mysue frō the Erle of VVirtenberge his pursuers he was constrayned to leaue the Empyre after him to hys sōne Lancelot and to sell the townes and lordeshyppes of Italye as Myllan to vicountes and dyuerse other Finally the sayde Amurath was slayne by a seruaunte of the sayde Erle of Lazare in reuengyng of his masters death In the yere of our Lorde athousande three hundred three score and thyrtene after that he had reygned thre and twentye yeares euen nere tooe the begynnynge of the reygne of Charlis the fyfte kynge of Fraunce leuynge two sonnes behynde hym the one named Pazait and the other Seleyman PAzait or Bazait after y e Turkes which neuer pronoūce the letter P was called of Froyssart king Basant y e sōne of Lamorabaquin some tyme Amorabaquin after hys fathers name Engner master Nycole Gilles whych gathered and compyled the Cronycles of Fraunce dothe calle hym kynge Basaac Thys manne was hardye dylygente and a great enterpryser he slewe in one battayle Marcke Carlouich in the whyche also were slayne al the nobles of Seruie and Bulgarie and thereafter ouer ranne all the country of Thessalie Macedonie nowe called Thumenesie and Albainie He destroyed all Grece euen tooe Athenes called of some Cuthine he spoyled Bosue whych is y e vpper Misia Croace and Sclauonie whyche are Dalmacia and Liburnia The Emperoure Lancelot sonne of Charlys the fourth then liuyng was sooe peasyable and quyet that often tymes he was imprysoned by hys owne subiectes and was deposed of hys Empyre by the Almaynes whyche dyd elect two others that is to wytte Ioce hys neueiue and Roberte of Bauyere called Rueprech whyche sygnyfyeth in theyr language Trouble peace For tooe returne agayne tooe Bazait he entred into Hungarie and dyscomfyted kynge Sigismound whych afterward was made Emperour called by Engnarran Sagemont in the famouse battayle of Nicopoli whych was lost because the Frēch men wolde not beleue the sayde Sigismonde nor tarye vpon the approchinge of his battayles nor of the Almaynes which was rekened to theyr greate pryde and arogancye as sayeth Frossarde In the whyche battayle were taken the Erle of Neuers Ihon afterward duke of Burgoynie the sōne Philippe the fyrst duke Philippe of Arthois Erle Deu constable of Fraunce Ihon the Maingre called Boucincalte and dyuerse others to the nomber of .vii. or .viii. which were sent to Bursir al the rest were slaine to the nomber of a thousande speres The whych battayle was on the vygyll of Saynte Myghell in y e yere of oure Lorde .xiii. C. lxxxxvi The sayd prysoners were after ward redemed not without great raunsons by the dylygence of one called Iames of Hely gentelman of Pycardie whych was taken with theym and who also before was well beknowen and trusted in the courte of the sayde Amorabaquin After thys battayle Bazait assyeged the towne of Constantinople and had taken the same had not been that a great prynce of Tartarye dyd enter in the Lanatolie whyche was called Tamerlā or Tamburlam by the Turckes called Demirlenge and by some hystoryans of Fraunce named Tacon of Tartarie but he was called of hys owne Temircuthlu that is to saye fortunate or happie swearde or happie yron And was the sonne of Cham of Tartarie called zaym Cham of the Horde or multytude of zanoltha and Czahaday beynge be twene y e riuers of Rha Volha which entre in the see of Abacuth whych y e Latinistes call Mare Caspiū or Hircanū And thys zaym was the verye same whome they of Pole called in theyr hystories Bathy the fyrst Mahumetyst of al the Tartaryans Tamerlan soone after was lord of al Tartarie Precopie called by theym Prezelzoth which signifieth diches or trēches lyinge betwixt the ryuers of Tana called Tanais and called of the Bory sehenes Nepar and by the Turckes Decoz the whyche countrye in olde time was Scithia y e lesse beingnowe in the possessyon of the Turcke And the sayde Tamerlā helde his seege in the great towne of Samarcande vpō the sayd see of Abacuth made him self to be
surnamed the yre or wrath of God but his title stile was Vluchā y t is to say y e great lord To Bazait now was cōueniēt to leaue y e seeging of Constantinople for to come vnto y e sayd innumerable armye So y t both the armyes dyd mete toward the towne of Angory in olde time called Ancira nere to the moūtayne called Stella by Enguarran of Mōstrelet called Appady wher some time Pōpee y e great discōfited king Mithridates And the sayd Bazait was vainquished takē in battayl by the sayd Tamerlan which made him to be bound fettred w t cheynes of gold kepte hym in a caige lyke as he were a Lion so caused hīto be caried aboute with him throughout al the coūtrye of Asia so longe as he lyued whyche was .ii. yeres or therabout so y t he died in y e yere of our lord M. iiii C after y t he had reigned .xxvii. yeres vnto the .xxvii. yere of y e reygne of kīge Charles y e .vi. This very same Tamerlā made him to be called Yldrē that is to saye thonder out of this battayle and prease Certayne sonnes of the sayde Bazait dyd escape who thynkinge to passe into Europe fell into the handes of the Emperoure of Constantinople whych made the passage of the sea to be straytly kepte By chaunce one of the said brethren called Cyris whom some dyd call Calepin or Calapin passed throughe and came to Andrinopoli And as I do iudge the erroure of that surname is come of thys that some called him Cyris Chelebi which is a tytle of honoure and nobylyte geuē and attributed to the children and sonnes of y e great Turckes as Achmat Chelebi that is to say gentylman lyke as the Spaignardes sayth Don Alonso or Don Rodrigo and as the Frenchmenne sayth Charles Mounsire that is is my lord Charlys or Loys my Lorde whych be tytles of y e bloude royall This Cyris did reigne .vi. yeres or therabout and lefte a soonne called Orcan thre of his brethrē the cyldren of Pazait Moyse whom thei called Musach Mehemet and Muscapha whiche wente forth of Cōstantinople while the Emperour came to seke aid and helpe of the saied kyng Charles the .vi. against the saied Cyris Musach killed Orcan his nephue in recompence therof he hymselfe was sleyne by Mehemet his brother Then begāne a custome vse emong theim one to sleye another whiche sens that time thei haue metly wel obserued MEhemet the first of his name hauing slaine Musach hys brother possessed the empire and recouered al the countrie of Natolie which Tamerlan had taken with Bazait and remoued his see from Bursye transportyng the same to Andrinopoli He warred vpon the coūtree of Valachie called by some Frenche historians Valaigne and of others Blaquie whiche in the olde time wer called Busse and Triballi He vainquisshed the Emperour Sigismonde in the plaine feldes of Silinubes and was the first of his nacion y t euer did passe ouer the greate ryuer of Danowe who also toke Bosue made warre agaynst Caraman and dyed in the yere of God M cccc xviij in the .xxxviij. of the saied kynge Charles the .vj. after that he had reigned .xviij. yeres comprehendyng therwith y e tyme of Cyris whiche some others dooe not recken And he lefte a soonne called Amurath AMurath the seconde of that name called also Moratbeg was i Natolie when his father deceased who assone as he was aduertised therof went into Europe notwithstandynge that the Emperour of Constantinople dyd that was in hym to stoppe him of the same sending agaynst hym Muscapha his vncle y e sonne of Bazait whom as yet he did reteyne with him after the takyng of his father as I haue declared before But the saied Muscapha not beyng strong to resyste his power was disconfited and slayne in battayle by the saied Amurath who ardently intendyng to reuenge hym of thē Emperour of Constantinople spoyled and brent all the countree of Thrace and of Grece called Romanie tooke from the Venitians the good towne of Tessalonyc called Salomachi whiche Andronye Paleologo sould vn to theim for very spyte of the Emperour Constantyne his brother After the saied Amurath entreed into Serine or Rascie where he cōstreined George Vucouich deputie or lorde of y e saied countree to geue hym in mariage his doughter called Iriny y t is to say Peace surnamed Cathacusine And yet neuertheles after that he came againste hym so y t he fled into Hungary toward y t Emperour Albert the sonne in lawe of the laste Emperour Sigismond leuyng hys soonne George to kepe his countree whiche afterwarde was taken by y t saied Amurath whose yies he caused to be thruste out notwithstandynge that he was his brother in lawe After the death of the saied Albert Lancelote brother to the kyng of Pole was chosen by the Hungariās to be their king Howbeit the saied Albert lefte Elizabeth his wyfe great with chylde whiche after his disceasse was delyuered of a soonne called Lancelot being brought vp nouryshed in the custodie of y e Emperour Frederic the thirde whiche was the occasion and cause why y t the saied Lancelot of Pole durste not take in hande to medle with the Turckes ner ones to assaille thē fearyng that if y e saied Emperour perceiuyng hym eny other where troubled or occupied shulde in the meane tyme restore the saied Lancelote the iuste and righteous kynge of Hungary to his owne realme In this meane whyle Amurath whiche could not abyde at the siege of Belgrado which thei cal Mandoralba and Alba Greca called by the Hungariens Chrieschisch in olde tyme called Taurunum liynge betwixte the two ryuers of Danowe and Saua towarde y t parte wheras both the said ryuers dooe mete together The whiche towne the saied George Vucouich had chaūged for other with the saied emperour Sigismonde because it is y e keye and chief entrey of Hungary A lytle after at y t request of the saied deputie George Vucouich the forsaied Lancelot prepared a great armie by the whiche he recouered the countree of Seruie and Rascie and restored theim agayne to y e saied George Vucouich By reason of the whiche Amurath sente agaynst hym Carabey that is to saye y e blacke lord with a greate armye and power so that both the armyes did mete nere vnto the mountayne of Costegnaz in olde tyme called Hemus where the saied Carabey was discoumfited taken prisoner the whiche two victories with many other both afore after did come to passe throughe the vailliantenes noble feactes of Iohn of Huniad called by Enguerran of Monstrelut and Philip of Comynes y e whyte knyght of Valaigne and by y e Hungariens Lanco Ban or Vaiuod that is to say gouernour of Trāssiluana nowe called Moldauia and by y t Hungariens Sibenburge that is to say Septem Castra or
kynge Lewys the twelfth and the Venecyans were of allyaunce agaynste Ludouic Sforce surnamed the Morâ—â— callynge hymselfe the duke of Millan Pazait at the request and desyre of the saide Ludouic caste of .x. M. horssemen of the Turckes wythin Fryol thewhyche came vnto Triuiz and wythin the sight of Venyce wherfore the Venecyans prepared set foorth by seea a greate and myghty armye With whome the gallyes of Fraunce dyd mete beynge vnder the charge and gouernaunce of the Lorde of Rauestaing and Gonsalo Fernando surnamed the greate capteyne wyth the gallyes of kynge Ferdinand Daragon called of the Frenchemenne Iohn Gippon The whyche armye tooke agayne the ysles of Chifalonie and of saynte Maure whiche afterwarde was geuen agayne to the Turcke by the sayde Venecyans vpon the conclusyon of peace made betwene theim by the intreatye of Maistre Androwe Gritti afterwarde duke of Venyce The gallyes of Fraunce went foorthe to the ysle of Methelin where they coulde dooe no good Aboute this tyme beganne the renounie and fame of Siach Ismail kynge of Persye named Sophi as was hys father and he was the sonne of one of the daughters of Vsuncassan and of one named Seichayder that is to saye the good Seich For he was counted for an holy manne and as a prophete And he was called Sophi of that secte or as I should saye that religion whiche they call Sophi or Sophilar of y e which I haue spoken before but some saye that it is because the countreye which they possesse is so called but neyther the Turckes ner yet the Persyans knowe what Sophene is The forsayde Seich after the death of thesayde Vsuncassan was sleyne by Iacobbeg hys brother in lawe for enuye of thys that the people of Persie were more enclyned and affeccionate to hym fearyng least they would haue made hym kynge Siach Ismael beynge then of y e age of eyght yeares fled and remayned a longe tyme in the toune of Leziam vpon the seea of Dabbaccuth vntyll he came to mannes state Afterwarde he retourned into Persie and founde the meanes to get vnto hym thrye hundred menne wyth whome he toke the toune of Sumach beynge then the chiefe or hedde toune of Mesopotamie afterwarde the nombre of hys people encreasynge he tooke Taurus and and then Syras the chief cytie of Armenie he vaynquesshed and caused to bee putte to deathe Aluant whyche was made kynge of Persie and he slewe Iacobegge the sonne of Vsuncassan and vncle of the foresayde Siach whyche made allyaunce with Aladule or Alnaudule and the Soudian of Egypte by whome he was sturred and persuaded to make warre vpon Pazait agaynste whome also he hadde many tymes preuayled And aboute thys tyme Selym the youngest chylde of the sayd Pazait departed from Trebisonde of the whyche he was gouernoure and without the knowlege of his father he maryed the daughter of Chan of Tartaire Precopie wyth the fauoure of whome and wyth the healpe of a greate nombre of horsses whiche his brother in lawe whome the Turckes call Chamogli or Canogli had sente to accompaignye hym and hauynge also on his syde the Iannyssaryes he compelled his father to geue ouer his realme vnto hym the whyche whyle they caryed him backe ouer the greate sea to haue lyued there the rest of his dayes he dyed by the waye poysoned by his sayd soÌ„ne Selym as some iudge because they dranke together at theyr departynge Pazait reigned xxx yeares and he lyued .lx. yeres and he dyed the. M. D. .xij. yere and the .xiiij. from y e reigne of Lois the twelfth And he lefte behynde hym .iij. sonnes Selym Achmat and Corcuth SElym beyng come to the realme by y e meanes aforesayd enteÌ„ded before all other thinges to dyspatch his brethren and first of all he caused to be sleyne Corcuth which was fled alonge the seea coaste nere to the Rhodes where he hyd hymselfe waytyng for a shyp to haue gone to the greate maister of the Rhodes but he was betreyed by one of his owne folkes and was taken and strangeled with a bowe strenge Achmet dyed the lyke death but he was takeÌ„ in battaile accoÌ„paignyed with a great armye whiche he had made oute by the ayde of Siach Ismail Sophie and of Campson Ciauri Soudan forasmuche as he was so fatte and grosse that he neyther coulde saue hymselfe by flyenge ner endure to ryde Selym beeynge thus delyuered dispatched of his father and brethren purposed to make warre agaynst the Sophie aswell for y e olde enemyte whyche was beetwene theim as also for the dyspleasoure that he dyd in aydyng his brother to make warre agaynst hym And the more easely to brynge to passe this hys purpose and entencyon he found the meane to haue peace with Lancelot kyng of Hungary and to refreshe and renue agayne for his more suretie y e allyauÌ„ce which he had wyth y e Venecyans then he toke the waye of Perse And as y e forsaid Sophy was come vnto him with a great nouÌ„bre of horsses armed and barbed euen vnto Assyrie he was scatered and dyscomfyted with the artillary of the Turkes with which the horses of y t Persians had not bene accustomed And the battayle was made in the playne of Calderam betwene Tauris and Coye wher as I haue sayde is the toune called Artaxata and this battayle is peynted or portured in the hall of the councell of Venice where I haue sene it and some saye that the sayde Selym sente it to theim After this battayle the sayd toune of Tauris came into the handes of y e Turckes with a great parte of the realme of Persye but it remayned not longe for Siach sone after recouered it agayne and it is kepte at thys daye by Taanas hys soonne Selym goynge backe agayne from Persye dyd wyntre in Trebisonde and the somer nexte folowyng he assayled the lorde Amandule whiche bordreth vpon y t Soudan toward the towne of Aleph called of the FreÌ„chmenne Halappe of the Turckes Aldephe and in the olde time Epiphania And it is called Aleph forasmuche as it is the fyrst toune of Sury On the other syde towarde Amasie is ioyned to y e Turcke Cony otherwayes called Icony and to the Persians by the lytle Armenie All the countree of the saied Amandule was taken and he hymselfe also whose hedde Selim caused to be smytteÌ„ of Then remayned there none but the Souldan whiche came w t a great strength agaynst Caythbey Emyr of Alep that dyd rebelle and disobey hym beyng accompaignied with xxviij thousand horsemen whiche were for the most parte Mammeluchs that nothyng regarded nor feared y e Turckes because thei had many tymes before beateÌ„ and vaynquisshed theim as is aforsaied Selym feyned hym to goo agaynst the Sophy makyng the bruyte to goo so a broade And as he dyd come vnto y e toune of Aman in olde time called Apamea beyng sumwhat betwexte Ale and Damas he was prayed and desyred by y e
the officers to hym belongynge The captaine of the trompettes The bearer of the Turckes baner The stypende of the staÌ„dard bearer The forenger A skauenger wyth hys company vnder hiÌ„ The names of the Turckes treasure The treasoret of the palayce of Saray The treasoret of y t profytes of the couÌ„trye a longeste the ryuer The treasorer of Grece The authoryte of the treasorers and stypende of their clarkes Two ouer seers of the clarkes Two wayers of mony Syxe tryers of mony The colecters and bryngers in of y e mony Collecters of the pencyon The yearly reuenues of the Turcke doth a mounte to xxxvii C. thousaÌ„d and .l. M pound ster The chiefe rulers vnder the Turcke The pencyon of the rulers Other counceloures y t hath bene in Turckye The gouernoure of the Turcke in his youthe The chiefe counselers of y e great Turcke Two presydeÌ„tes The chaunceloure The clarke of the hamper The Turcke hathe somtyme .x. thousaÌ„d chrystyan meÌ„nes chyldren The Turcke putteth chrysten mens childreÌ„ to plough The wiues of the great Turcke The wyues chyldren of y e greate Turke Another place where are fouÌ„de .iiii. C. chyldren Another place where the children are broughte vp The place where the Turke hathe hys shyppes made Shypwryghtes The Turckes haue no cunnynge in making shippes The christian men helpe the Turckes to make theyr shpppes The admyral The Barbarouse is the Turckes admyrall Beglerbey what it is The stipende or pencyon of the Beglerbey of Grece The pensyon of the Sangyacs Sobassis what they are The fyrste The seconde The thyrde The .iiii. The. fyfte The syxte The capteine of Carie. The wages of the Sangiacz The wages of the Spachis The place where Mahumet his bodie lyeth Arabie is not wholye subiecte to the Turcke The seconde strength of y e Turcke standeth in Spachys Wherof the Autour wyll intreate The belefe or fayth of the Turckes The tyme y t Mahumet was in The Turckes haue the Italyans in good estimacyon The foundacyon of the Turckes lawe How by speakynge of certayne wordes a christen man shaâ—be compelled to receyue their fayth or elles to dye Howe the Turckes are circumcized The cause of theyr goynge to church and what they dooe there The times of theyr goinge to churche How they are called to churche The wemen gooe not to churche with the men The foolyshe opinyon of y e Turckes The opinion and reuerence that the Turckes haue Iesus christe in Howe they name Christe and our lady The Turkes wil not suffer Christe to be blasphemed The punyshment due for blasphemye The Turkes beleue y t christ was not crucifyed of the Iewes How y e Turckes abhorre y e nacyon of the Iewes Howe y e Turkes haue y t bokes of the Euangelystes The Turckes haue noone ymages The Turckes saye the Pater noster as we dooe The Turckes abhorre the deuell The ceremoniall or superstycyous custom of the Turckes The clenlines of y e Turckes The Turckes hath two lentes The maner of theyr fastinge The Turckes geue giftes at theyr Easters as we dooe at New-yers tyme The Ester of the Turckes hath no tyme. The Turcke a worshype the moone Wemen cary aboute theyre neckes the fygure of the moone What sectes are amonge y e Turckes The Turckes are superstycyous The Turckes opynyoÌ„ in predestynacyon The Turckes call vpon sayintes The Turckes knowledge noone of cure sayntes but â—s George The Turckes are pytyful to the poore The grosse â— rudenes of the Turkes The syttinge of the Turckes The maner of theyr tables The potage of y e Turckes The Turckes maye dryncke no wyne by theyre lawe but yet ofteÌ„ tymes they dooe and are drunken Agaynste the Turckes shal fyghte they dryncke druÌ„cken Of an herbe that the Turckes eate The Turckes wyll put wrytynges to no fylthy vse The Turckes sonday is our fryday The Turckes work on theie Sabboth day The Turckes maye kepe as many wemeÌ„ as they wyll but they may haue but one wyfe The Turckes maye be deuorsed from theyr wiues yf they cannot agree wyth theym The wemen when they go abroade haue theyr faces couered The wemen dye theyr heares handes feete Howe the women dye themselues Howe the wemen dye themselfes The apareyl of the wemen The aparel of y t menne The Turckes abhorre the fasyon of oure codpeeces The pryde of the Turckes Wherein the Turckes delyte The nature of the Turckes The Turckes resemble the Almaynes in some thynges The Turckes for the mooste parte are vnlearned The superstycyous mynde of the Turckes The false hartes and cowardnes of the Turckes The descrypcyon of theyre houses The maner of the Turckes lodgynge The Turckes vse not to lye on fethers The shetes of the Turckes whereof they are made The name of y e great Turcke Howe y e Turke is called of hys subiectes The age of y e Turcke The descrypcyoÌ„ of y e great Turke The greate Turcke hath a sonne of the age of .xxviii. yeres Howe the Turcke ladeth his people with taxes and imposityons The ministrâ—cyon of Iuslyce A somme or briefe rehersal of that which is before spoken The preface of the wryter into the conquestes The yere of our Lorde M iii. C. The fyrste gatherynge of y e Turckes agaynste the christyanes Othmanbeg entred allyaunce with ii Grecyans a Turcke The names of the Grecyans The name of the Turcke The fyrst victoryyes of Othmanbeg Of this Othman descendeth all the greate Turckes The Sophi kepeth his kyngdome to hym selfe is not subiecte to y e Turcke Orcan the sonne of Othman The cause of the warre betwene the Geneuoyes and the VenetiaÌ„s The reygne of Orcan Amurath his iourney into Grece The two castelles Sestus and Abidus Howe Amurath ouerran all Thrace The dyscoÌ„fyture of Mark Corlouich The death of Amurath The hardines of Bazait The deposing of y e Emperoure Lancelot Howe the Almaynes chose ii Emperoures The battayle of Nycopoly The noble meÌ„ taken by Bazait in y e king dome of Hungarye The tyme of the battayle The raunsomynge of the prysoners Bazait beseeged Constantynople Bathy y e first Mahumetiste of Tartary The surname of Tamerlan The takynge of Bazait Howe Bazait was bounde wyth fetters of gold kept in a cage The death of Bazait The surname of Tamerlam Howe the sonnes of Bazait fled The errour of hys surname One murtherar destroieth another Mehemet y e first of that name How Mehemet vaynquisshed Sigismunde Mehemet was the firste of the Turckes that came ouer Danow The death of Mehemet Amurath the sonne of Mehemet The purpose of Amurath The cruelnes of Amurath against his brother inlawe Howe Lancelot prepared an hoost and preuailed The takynge of Carabey A truce coÌ„cluded betwene the Turckes and the Hungaryens The breaking of the truce The death of LaÌ„celot kyng of Hungarye Epirus Howe SchaÌ„derbeg lefte his owne couÌ„tree to gooe healpe Ferdinand kyng of Naples Howe Amurath woulde haue bene areligeous maÌ„ and geueÌ„ouer his rule and dominion Howe Amurath tooke vpon him again the rule and dominioÌ„ of Turckey Howe Amurath was robbed and spoyled The death of Amurath Mehemet the secoÌ„de of that name The wynning of Constantinople The first and laste Emperours of Constantynople was named Constantyne Turckyshe tyrannye Howe y e brother of Mehemet was Christened Mehemet discomfyted the Venecyans How Mehemet was assailed by Piramet Caraman Note that y e dyscorde betwene Christian princes prouoketh y e Turcke to warre How y e kyng of Persye assayled Mehemet The dyscomfyture death of Caraman The great ryuers Gue and Nou. The death of Mehemet Pazait or Bazait the secoÌ„de of that name Pazait the turckysh tyranne assaileth his brother Howe zizimi the sonne of mehemet fled to y e Rhodes for succoure Howe zizimi was vnder the keping of the B. Rome Howe the emperour desyred to haue zizimi How the bysshop of Rome poysoned zizimi Howe pazait beyng despatched of his brother beginneth a newe to warre vpoÌ„ christendome How Pazait prepareth again the Soudian MaÌ„meluchs are much like the knyghtes of y e Rhodes Howe y e souldian is elected and chosen The Mammeluchs wer christen meÌ„ne WheÌ„ the maÌ„meluchs beganne The fyrste Soudan How Pazait retourned into Sclauony The discomfyture of the Christians The Sophi The death of Pazait whiche was poysoned by his sonne Selym who also destroyed hys owne brethreÌ„â—… is y e father of SolymaÌ„ y e great Turcke that nowe raygneth Selym the sonne of Pazait How Selym sought y e destruccioÌ„ of his brethren The death of Corruth brother of Selym The death of Achmath the other brother of Selym. The coÌ„myng of the Sophy agaynst Selym Aleph is the fyrst lettre in the Hebrue alphabete and therof was y e toune named the fyrst in Surye This child is it the soÌ„ne of Ihon who hath now occasyoned the warre in HuÌ„garye and by whome the Turcke maketh clayme therunto
call Visirbacha that is to saye a counsayloure Bacha and Bach in theyr language sygnyfyeth captayne or head by the which they maye be interpreted captaynes or rulers Manye times there are of theym but three as it chaūced latelye That was Aias Bacha borne in Cimera aboute the ysle of Corphou in the olde tyme called Corcyra Cassin Bacha ▪ of Croace and Ibraim Bacha of Parga Albanois which the Turcke put to death all these .iii. beeinge the sonnes of Chrystyen menne And thys aforesayde Ibraym because he was brought vp in y e Saray wyth the great Turcke came to sooe greate creadence and authoryte that he commaunded and ordered al thynges absolutely the great Turcke medlynge nothing therewyth And hys father was a christian in Constantinople an vnprofytabe felow a tauerne haunter a druncarde and one that wolde lye by the streates lyke a best Frome which naughtye lyfe Ibraim coulde neuer reuoke hym nyether cause hym to put on any honest apparel notwythstandynge that he laboured therein dylygently Of late the great Turcke hath made another Bacha whych is called Ayredenbey whom we cal Barbarousse And I haue heard but a lytle whyle sēce y t the Turke hath made hym another counseller named Mehemeth Bacha of these .iii. or .iiii. Baches some haue .xxiiii. thousand ducates a yere out of y e pension Timar as Ibraim Bacha had other xvi or xviii M besyd other dayly profytes aduauntages which amoūt to twyse as much as theyr former pensiō there are of thē that hath vi thousande ordinarie men foūd of theyr wages And all they kepe housholdes with theyr wiues and seruaūtes like as y e great Turcke doth Wherefore in tyme paste there were other counsellers as Perybacha whyche gouerned the greate Turcke in hys youthe Farethbacha whyche was the lyuetenaunte of Surye or Syrie and Achimath Bacha gouernoure of Cayre and of Aegypte whych wyllyng to make hymselfe a souldayne was slayne by the Turckes that were wyth hym These Bachaz go into the chamber of the sayde greate Turcke consulte and dyspose all thynges concernynge the estate and gouernaunce of hys affayres Nexte vnto these is the Mosey whych is as it were theyr byshop declarer expouner of theyr lawe medleth wyth none other thyng Two Cadiz Leskier Talismās are two doctours in theyr law to se iustyce executed and they are as it were presydentes one of Grece and the other of Asya These men ordynarelye folowe the Turckes courte and for honoure go before the Viserbaches thoughe they haue not so greate authorytye They bothe institute and putte downe yf it seme good and yf the case so requyre the Cadiz which are the iudges of the prouynces And eche of the sayde Cadiz leskier hath .vii. thousand ducates a yere of the pensyon Timar ii or .iii. hundred seruauntes .x. clarkes payed by the sayde Turcke Moreouer there is a Massangibassi as it were chaūceloure which sygnyfyeth the letters wyth the greate Turkes seale whose office also is of great authoryte and rereputacyon hys place is nexte the Beglerbey and he hathe .viii. thousande ducates of the pensyon Tymar a yeare and more other proffettes and he is accompanyed w t a great number of horses and seruauntes The Baretemyn whych destrybuteh letters and commaundementes hathe .xl. Aspres a daye and he hath vnder hym .x. clarkes two Protogeros But for asmuch as I haue spoken before of the Iannissaires affyrmyng them to be the chefe strēgth of the Turcke ere I go anye further I wyll shewe you what people they be and from whence they come In Constantynople there is a captayne of Ianoglans or Azamoglans in which are the chyldren of trybute And somesaye that Iamoglans sygnyfye innocente symple and ignoraunte folkes or learners But other say that it shulde be pronounced Chamoglan that is the kynges pages And they maye be in nomber .v. or .vi. thousand Theyr captayne hath lx Aspres a daye And it is to be noted that euery fourthe yeare the greate Turcke sendeth into the countryes of Grece and of Anatolie that is the Easte Asya the lesse tooe take vp Chrystyanne mennes male chyldren whyche are subiecte to thys kynde of debte and daunger how be it all are notte in suche bondage But often tymes y t he may receaue of thē more largely he chargeth the sayde Chrystyans wyth suche greate and importable subsydyes that they whyche be not subiecte to thys trybute of chyldren because they be not able to paie the sayd subsydyes are cōstreyned to geue theyre chyldren Sooe that some tyme he hathe .x. thousande chyldren and more Of whiche he choseth the good lyest to be in his Saray The rem naunte he causeth to be dystrybuted to labourers and shepherdes about Burcia and Taramania wher they are taught to tyll the ground and to keepe cattell or to do some other husbandry or seruyce to accustome and harden theym to paynes and to learne the Turckyshe language And after foure yeare whan he hathe sente to take vp other these are commaunded to come to Constantynople and to be delyuered to the captayne of the Chamoglan where they are broughte vp and haue two lyueryes a yeare and been enstructed in sondrye occupacions So afterwarde they are deuyded to the Iannissayres to serue them and in processe of tyme they become Iannissayres theym selues and frome Iannissaires to Salachlars Silechters and other offycyes And as longe as they abyde in the sayd countryes of Bursia and Carmania they spende nothynge of the greate Turckes because they to whome they dooe seruyce dooeth fynd them meate dryncke and raymente I sayde before that in the Saraye or where the Turcke kepeth hys resydence there be a boute .v. hundred yonge spryngaldes But there is also another Saray where hys wyues and hys chyldren be Hys wyues are called Sultanes that is queenes And they are deuyded one frome another wyth theyr children In theyr garde and seruyce there are a greate meanye of gelded menne and aboute threhundred yonge maydens gouerned by the elders whyche teache theym too esowe and worke wyth the nedle The sayde maydens haue some twelue some fyftene Aspres a daye And they are apparelled twyse ayeare at theyre two solempne feastes all wyth sylcke And yf it chaunce that anye of theym please the greate Turcke he vseth that woman as hys wyfe and geueth her at euerye tyme .x. thousande Aspres and seperateth her frome the other augmentyng her wages and estate Whan the maydes be come to the age of fyue and twentye and that it please not the greate Turto retayne theym anye longer for hys seruyce he maryeth theym to the Spachoglans and other of hys seruauntes and pages of honour accordyng to theyr qualytyes and condycyons And in theyre places newe are sent into the Saray In whych ther are captaynes Capygiz all other offycers lyke as is in the place where he kepeth hys resydence Aboute the towne of Pera whyche is by
and zizimi which dooth signifie loue for Muscapha Laisne gouernour of Icony called Iconium dyed sone after y e seconde battayle of Ambassag in the whiche he bare hymselfe wel and valyaūtly PAzait or Bazait the seconde of that name the youngest of y t thre brethren by the ayde and helpe of the Iannissaryes specially of Laga that is to say a capitayne whiche was nigh kynne to hym he ceased or possessed the Empire And zizimi his brother had possessed hymselfe of a toune called Bursye wherwith he was well satisfyed and contented yet notwithstandynge Pazait with the armye that hys father had prepared to haue gone agaynste the Souldyan he assauted hys brother To the whiche Souldyā the forsaied zizimi fled and was by hym ayded bothe of money and menne but he loste two battayles and was dyscomfyted by Achmath Ghēdich Bacha Wherfore not thynkynge enye more to recouer he withdrewe hymselfe to the Rhodes for to haue succoure of the Christians and zizimi was of the age of .xxviij. yeres Pazait being aduertized hereof sent greate presentes vnto the chiefe maister and counceler of the Rhodes desyryng him to kepe and cherysh well his brother for the expences and good entreaty of whome he would pay vnto hym yerely fourty thousande ducates that so long as he was gentely enterteyned of theim he woolde make none enter prise or war w t the christians The which thynges he kepte and obserued w t theim And y e saied z zimi for the more suretie for that he was alwayes kepte in fear subieccyō of the saied Pazait he was sent into Fraunce where he lyued a greate while in one of y t houses perteining to y e Rhodians called Bourgānēsis afterward he was geuē to Innocēt bishop of Rome y e .viij. of y t name sent to Rome wher he was y t time y t kyng Charlies y e .viij. went to Naples which desired to haue him hoping by his ayde to haue recouered the Empire of Costantinople but Alexander the. vi bysshop of Rome deliuered hym to y e Emperour empoysened as some saie in suche sorte that he liued not past iii daies after and dyed at Tarracina Pazait dyspatched of his brother went aboute to conquiere y t Transiluana afterwarde he tooke Moncastro and Lithostomo the one vpon the ryuer of Neper or Boristhenes that is to saie Moncastro and Lithostomo vpon the mouthe of the Danowe Afterwarde he caused to bee put to deathe his good capitaine Achmath Ghendich Bacha whiche he myght haue saied had been equall with enie excellēt manne of warre and he was the soonne of his nere kinnesman Stephin depute of Bosne as I haue saied before This beyng done Pazait to go forwarde with the enterpryse of his father and to auenge hymself of the Soudian which had fauoured meynteyned zizimi his brother agaynst hym he sente a greate armye into Surie of the whiche the Mameluchs beyng aduertised did assemble theimselfes at Antioche and came towarde the Turckes to the mount Amanus called at this present mounte Negro or the blacke mountayne where they encoūtred and defyed the saied Turckes betwene y e saied moūte and y t goulfe Laiaffe whiche was called the baye of Issicus where sometyme Alexander the greate disconfited kyng Darius and there was taken Chirseogli beyng y e soonne in lawe of Pazait and was brought before y t Soudian in y e toune of Kair which the Turckes calle Misir But forasmuche as I am fallen from my matter by the reason the Māmaluchs it shall not be farre out of the waye to tell you what is meant by a Māmeluch Mammeluch in the Sirians tounge whiche also is Affricane by vs called Moresque but for the better vnderstandyng it signifyeth in our vulgare tounge a seruaunte or souldyour And ye muste vnderstande that the Souldyan and the Mammeluchs are one maner of relygyon and they professe chastite Vpon theyr other apparel they were a roobe of white Buckeram bryght and shynynge And lykewyse as y e greate Turcke hathe weytynge vpon hym foure Visir Baga so the Souldyā hathe foure Emyr Quiber that is to saye cheife or hed admyralles Besyde thys he hathe a greate or chiefe Conestable whiche they they calle Derdart Quiber The sayde Souldyan is made and chosen by the forsayde Mammeluchs amonge theimselfes as the knyghtes of the Rhodes those amonge theim selfes theyr greate mayster and mooste commonly is one of the Emyrs or hed admiralles and he that is chosen dooth geue vnto euery of the sayde Mammeluchs for his welcome an hundred ducates for a presente The whiche Māmeluchs were all Chrysten menne or Christen mennes chyldren that de nyed theyr faythe and professyon lyke as are the Iannyssaries for by no meanes they wyll receyue into theyr compaignye eyther Turcke More or Iewe. The whiche Māmeluchs the Tartres tooke solde theim by heapes to the fore sayd Emyrs whiche when they had bought theim brought them vp and made them Mammeluchs and they wer made the moost vyllaynes and slaues of all other menne and greately geuen to y e feactes of armes specially on horsebacke kepynge the lawe of Mehemet This religion begāne in the tyme that kyng Lewis was taken at Damiate which some call Heliopolis and the first Soudian was named Melech Sala whome the Mammeluchs slewe whiche caused that the saied Lewis was y e soner easelyer delyuered But for to come againe to Pazait this dyscomfyture that the Turckes had at Laiasse by y e Mammeluchs was the greatest that euer he had And therfore the saied Pazait seyng that his busynes framed not in y t quartre retourned into Sclauonie tooke the toune of Duraz of olde tyme called Dyrrachium and Epidamnus whiche was y e Carleuichs whom they saye came out of the house of Fraunce of Charles of Duraz surnamed of the peace the soonne of Peter duke of Grauine the soonne of Charles the seconde kyng of Naples brother to the forsaied Lewis In the yeare of oure Lorde a thousande foure hundred .xciii. Pazait sent eyght thousande horssemenne conducted by Cadum Bacha to ronne betwene Hungarye and Sclauonye agaynste whome came certen lordes of y e sayde coūtrey of Hungarye of Croace and of Sclauonye they met together vpon the ryuer of Moraua of olde tyme called Moschus where the Christians were scatered and dyscomfyted Fyue yeares after Haly Bacha Albanoys Monouc sente a greate armye by seea vnto Iara or Iadera beynge vpon the goulfe of Venyce called Mare Adriaticum on the coaste of Sclauonye And then for asmuche as the armye of the Venecyans whyche was veraye greate folowed theym they durste not assayle it wherfore Haly Bacha then knowynge that the Venecyans wer afrayed toke spyght of theyr beardes the toune of Lepantho called in olde tyme Naupactum In the .xv. C. yeare Pazait came hym selfe to Modon which was called Methone beeynge in the Morce and tooke it After that
saied Caythbey of ayde succour agaynst the Soudan wher unto most wyllyngly he dyd agree seyng it was the thyng y t he moste earnestly desyred and the meane occasion also that he greatly loked for howbeit he durst not open nor declare his mynde therupon seing these two armyes in the feldes for feare least they shuld haue agreed to haue fallē vpon hym watching and sekyng a meane howe he hymselfe myght bryng theim bothe to destruccyon wherfore he dyd incōtinently ioyne and associat himself with the sayde Emyr Caythbey and they defyed the Soudan Campson Ciaury which died in the batayle like as dyd Cathbey then Selim remained lorde of Surie of Damas of Hierusalem and of Iudee The Mammeluchs which coulde escape returne into Egipte with theim also that remayned at home chase another Soudan named Tomombey Emir of Alexandrie Selim followyng hotely this fortune victory entreed into Egipte and vaynquished Tomombey in another battayle and tooke the toune of Caire which of some is called the wrong full Carra and by some others by more apparaūt reasōs Mēphis And as y e sayde Tomombey saued himself by passyng ouer the ryuer of Nyle he was pursued by Canogle who folowyng him passed ouer the sayde ryuer to Nou with .x. thousand horses of Tartarie because he foūde the brydge y t was made of botes brokē and destroyed by the Iannissares so that the saied Tomombey was taken and brought backe againe to Selim whiche caused hym to be hanged wherby the said Selim dyd remayne kyng of Egipte which was in y e yere of our lord a. M. D. and eyghtene Selim beyng retourned agayne to Constantinople wyllyng to go to Andripoli died by the way at y e village of Ciorlich wher as I haue said he had assailled his father with y e Tartarians And he dyed in the yere of our Lorde a thousande fyue hundreth and twenty beynge fourty syxe yeare of age and the eyght yeare of the reygne of Francoyes the French kyng that nowe presently doth reygne after that he had put to deathe these thre Baccha Chenden Baccha because that he would haue made busynes with the Iannissaries mouyng theim to ryot at his entryng in Perse Boscangi or Constantin Baccha his sōne inlawe for dyuer◠robberyes and enormitees which he had cōmytted and Ianus Baccha none can tel why or wherfore saue onely but that he thought hym to proude or arrogante This Selym lefte one sōne onely called Soliman by y e Turckes Seleyman leuing him in the custody of Peribaccha whiche did gouerne him in his yoūg age THe tyrant Seleiman the which nowe hath the dominion and rule of the Turckes at thys present time lord and gouernour ouer the Turckes beganne his reygne the xxviij yere of his age who in the yere nexte following by counsel of Peribaccha beseiged Belgrado wāne and tooke the same from Lois kyng of Hungarie the soonne of Lancelot of Hūgarie which thē was very yoūge the princes and lordes of the hole countree beyng at greate debate varyaunce for the gouernemente both of the kyng and his realme wherby it so chaunsed that they tooke no heede to prouide for any ayde or succour of the saied place And the nexte yere after he wente agaynste the Rhodes lystenyng and watchyng at all tymes accordyng to y e custome of his predicessours wher he myght heare or perceiue any diuision or dissencion y t shuld chaunse to be among the christian princes the whiche enterpryse he dyd take on hand without y e counsell and aduise of the saied Peri Baccha whiche did recken the same to be very doubtesome and to greate an auenture Neuertheles it came to passe accordyng to his owne desyre and that in y t yere of our lorde a. M D .xxvij. when Italie was in warres and troubles Seleiman entered into Hungarie with fauour as he saieth of Iohn of ziphs Vaiuod of Sibens borge whiche pretended the sayed royalme to apperteyne vnto hym So that it came to passe that the younge kynge Lois was slayne as he came to the battayle and therafter deceased the sayde Iohn leuyng a very yonge chylde behynde hym which not long ago together with his mother were taken by y e sayed Seleiman sente vnto Costantinople as it is reported As concernyng such thynges as are chaunsed of these laste yeares it is not necessary to wryte to you of y e same seyng that the same is manifestely knowen howe he hath recouered Coron Patras Castelno other places whiche the Emperours armye and nauie by the sea had taken from hym The greate enterprise of the Barberousse whiche by greate craft and subtiltie tooke the towne of Tunys in Affrique that we call Barbarie the whiche is euē at our dores or nere vnto vs there is not if a manne maie saie it but one ryuer to passe betwene vs and the realme of Tunys The whiche realme of Tunys at this present tyme is in holde of y e Emperours maiestie who did moost victoriously cōquest y e same in the yere of God M. D. xxvi chacynge Barbarousse from the saied realme y e whiche he did before moost wrongfullie holde possesse occupie to the great hurt and damage of all Christians How y e great Turcke not long agoe hath discōfited in battail the armie of Ferdinand kyng of hungarie not by no valiaūt feact but thorow chaūse of variaunce debate betwixte the almaignes hūgarians whō he founde fightyng the one againste the other in their owne campes Like as the veniciens were constraigned to rendre to hym the strenght and fortresse of Naples of Romanie y t was called Nauplias And it is to bee thought that he shall not kepe theim forasmuche as he beleueth theim and letteth theim dooe what thei wil. Ye haue caused me to enter in this mater whiche requireth to be set foorth more largely and by one of a greater witte and knowelege then I am of And also I haue lightly and briefly ouer passed the same And it shall be expedient too knowe that not onlie a kyng as is this kynge of hungarye but a smalle lorde and in maner asimple gentleman had had strength and power ynough not onlye to resiste and withstande the assautes and entreprises of this nacion but to haue dryuen theim awaye in destroyenge and takynge theim and that in y e chefest of all their strēgth and courage Wherfore it is not vnpossyble but that we maie euen nowe in this tyme dooe as muche and more when it shall please God to encourage vs therunto THe lawes of Mahumet cōteine some thinges verie madd and disagreyng frō all reasō and some woorthie to bee abhorred and detested of all menne some folishe and like olde wifes tales c. Some haue suche colour of honeste wisdome that a manne would thincke theim right holily made Some bee so like Moses lawe and the euangelicall doctrine y t you would iudge theim to haue been deriued out of the