them with all the princes there present to compassion From thence they were by the Pope directed vnto Philip the French king with whom hauing dispatched their affaires they from him passed ouer into ENGLAND afterward into GERMANIE and had at length broght their negotiation to so good passe that in euerie place great preparation was made for a great expedition to be vndertaken against the Turks for the reliefe of the Christians in the East with which good newes the embassadours returning to HIERUSALEM filled the sicke king with the hope of great matters But greater quarrels shortly after arising betwixt the Pope and the emperour and sharpe war likewise betwixt the French king and the king of ENGLAND and the other Christian princes also being at no better quiet the notable expedition that had with the expectation thereof so filled the world was againe laid aside and quite dashed Whereof king Baldwin vnderstanding both by messengers and letters from his friends oppressed with griefe and heauinesse more than with the force of his disease a man for his prowesse and painefulnesse not inferiour to any his predecessours died without issue the 16 day of May in the yeare 1185 being but fiue and twentie yeares old whereof he had raigned twelue His bodie was afterward with the generall mourning of his subjects solemnly buried in the temple neere vnto the mount CALVARIE together with his predecessours the kings of HIERUSALEM King Baldwin thus buried Baldwin the fift of that name yet but a boy was crowned king But then began the sparks which had of long lien raked vp hidden in the ashes to break out into a great fire For Raymund countie of TRIPOLIS contended the whole gouernment of the kingdome tuition of the king to be due vnto him by the appointment of the late king consent of the nobilitie and did so much that he had almost obtained it to haue beene confirmed vnto him in open parlament But Sybilla a woman of a most haughty spirit sister vnto the late king mother vnto the yoong king yet liuing prickt forward her husband Guy in no case to giue place vnto his competitour Raymund and so animated him that by the helpe of his owne fauourits and the countenance of Boniface marquesse of MOVNT-FERRAT who euen then was come with a great power into SIRIA he extorted from the nobilitie whatsoeuer hee desired But seuen moneths were scarce well passed but that this yoong king Baldwin was dead and buried poysoned as was reported by his mother for the desire shee had of the kingdome herselfe whose death she with all secrecie concealed vntill she had obtained of the Patriarch and other princes of the kingdome That Guy her husband might be proclaimed king So by her meanes it was so wrought that vpon one and the selfe same day the yoong king Baldwin was buried by his vncle and Guy the countie crowned This yoong king Baldwin by reason of his tender yeares and short raigne is of some not reckoned amongst the kings of HIERUSALEM howbeit seeing he was by his vncle and the princes of that time thought woorthy of the kingdome let him also haue his place amongst the rest as the eight king of HIERUSALEM When Guy was thus possessed of the kingdome the countie of TRIPOLIS seeing himselfe out of all hope of the gouernment and highly therewith discontented did what he might by all meanes to crosse the doings of the king whose sicke and aspiring mind Saladin prickt dayly more and more forward promising him his helping hand whensoeuer hee should need which courtesie the countie desirously imbraced For now the fatall period of the kingdome of HIERUSALEM drew fast on and all things tended to destruction discord raigning in euerie place which Saladin well perceiuing after that he had compacted with the countie by messengers sent of purpose inuited the Turks Sarasins Aegyptians as men agreeing in one and the same religion generally to take vp armes in so fit an oportunitie of the discord of the Christians assuring them of great prey and spoile besides the honour of the conquest The citie of PTOLEMAIS was the place by him appointed where all this power should meet whether such a multitude of the barbarous Mahometanes partly for the hatred of the Christian religion partly for the hope of the rich spoile which Saladin had promised them came flocking out of all places that in short time there was met together about fiftie thousand horsemen besides an infinit number of foot And vnto such as could not safely passe by the borders of HIERUSALEM to them the false countie gaue safe conduct by the countries of TIBERIAS NAZARETH and GALILEY All the power of the infidels thus assembled Saladin laid siege vnto the citie of PTOLEMAIS which the Templars and the knights Hospitalers had notably fortefied and strongly manned as before vnto them giuen by the kings of HIERUSALEM to defend against the infidels and therein now were both the masters of both those honourable orders with the whole flower of the knights of their profession Vnto this citie Saladin gaue a most terrible assault vpon May day in the morning in the yeare 1187 which was by the Christians notably defended and the enemie with great slaughter still beaten downe In the heat of this assault the two great masters sallying out with certaine troupes of their most readie horsemen assailed the enemies campe and bearing down all before them raised there a great tumult and by and by turning vpon the backs of them that were assaulting the citie made there an exceeding great slaughter Insomuch that Saladin dismaied first with the confusion in his campe and now with the suddain danger behind him was glad to giue ouer the assault and to turne his whole forces vpon them where was fought a most bloodie and terrible battell Amongst others that there fought the countie of TRIPOLIS now an enemie vnto God and his country disguised in the habit of a Turke notably helped the infidels and meeting with the great master of the knights Hospitalers vnhorsed him who surcharged with the waight of his armour and oppressed with the multitude of his enemies there died Neuerthelesse such was the valour of these woorthie men and new succour still comming out of the citie that Saladin hauing in that battell and at the assault lost fifteene thousand of his Turks was glad with the rest to betake himselfe to flight Neither was this so notable a victorie gained by the Christians without blood most part of the worthie knights Hospitalers being together with their grand master there slaine Saladin by this ouerthrow perceiuing that by open force he should not be able to doe much against the Christians thought it good vnto his forces to joyne also pollicie Wherein the false countie of TRIPOLIS was the man he thought best to make choice of as his fittest instrument to worke by Him hee compacted withall to seeke for grace at the king of HIERUSALEM his
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
could by pollicie bring that to passe which he was otherwise with great danger to attempt by force Wherefore faining himselfe to be extreame sicke he sent embassadours to Alis requesting him as a friend to vouchsafe to come vnto him being at the point of death vnto whom he had many things of importance from the great emperour to impart and would if he should die leaue with him all his charge vntill Solyman should otherwise dispose thereof Alis who from his youth had alwaies honoured the Turkish emperours and faithfully serued them mistrusting no harme came to the Bassa accompanied with his foure sonnes whom the faithlesse Bassa without regard of infamie caused presently to be put to death with their father and so reducing all that countrey into the manner of a prouince vnder Solymans obeisance came to him with twentie thousand men about the time that the citie of the RHODES was yeelded vp This is the faithlesse dealing of the Turks not with the Christians onely but with them of their owne superstition also vsing it as no small pollicie vtterly to extinguish the nobilitie in all countries subject to their seruile tyrannie Solyman after he had thus subdued the RHODES and disposed of the Island as he liked best returning to CONSTANTINOPLE brake vp his armie and for the space of three yeares after followed his pleasure not doing any thing worthie of remembrance During which time and many yeares after the rich and flourishing countrey of ITALIE sometime mistres of the world was miserably afflicted and rent in peeces by Charles the fift then emperour and Francis the French king the one enuying vnto the other the glorie of the empireâ—punc and he not content therwith seeking with immoderat ambition to make himselfe lord of all ITALIE most of the other Christian princes and states being at the same time either by the one or by the other drawn into the fellowship of that warre to the great trouble and sore weakening of the Christian common-weale Whereupon Solyman waiting all occasions that might serue for the enlarging of his empire and annoying of the Christians thought it now a fit time for him to set his foot into HVNGARIE whereinto he had alreadie laied open a way by the taking of BELGRADE He knew right well that Lewes then king of HVNGARIE was but yong altogether vnacquainted with the warres commaunding ouer his headstrong subjects especially his rich prelates and nobilitie no otherwise than pleased themselues being himselfe rather by them altogether ouerruled Besides that he was in good hope that the other Christian princes neere vnto him either carried away with regard of their owne estate would not or els before vnto himselfe by league fast bound could not affoord vnto him any great aid or succour The Germanes hee knew would make small hast vnto such warres as should yeeld them much danger and but small pay As for the princes of the house of AVSTRIA Charles the emperour and Ferdinand his brother although they were joined vnto the young king with the neerest bonds of alliance Lewes hauing married Marie their youngest sister and Ferdinand Anne king Lewes his sister yet was there as he thought small helpe to be expected from them Charles hauing his hands full in ITALIE and Ferdinand altogether carefull of himselfe And that Sigismund king of POLONIA would for the young kings sake breake the antient league he had with the Turkish emperors he could hardly be persuaded As for other Christian princes farther off he stood not in any great doubt Thus hauing with himselfe singled out this young prince the Hungarian king whom he had in his greedie mind alreadie deuoured he set forward from CONSTANTINOPLE and was come on his way as far as SOPHIA in SERVIA with a mightie armie of two hundred thousand men before that the Hungarians had any knowledge of his comming so blind sencelesse was that state which now sleeping in securitie had long before lost those eyes which euer watcht and neuer spared cost or paines to keepe the same in safetie in stead of whom were others come in place sharpe of sight and too too prouident for that concerned their owne aduancement but blind as beetils in foreseeing this great and common danger wherewith they were shortly after all quite ouerwhelmed vntill it was now brought home vnto their owne dores The yong king of himselfe but weake by reason of his youthfull yeares and nothing strengthened by them for whom he had most done and should haue beene his greatest stay was wonderfully dismayed with the fame of the approch of so mightie an enemie yet the better to withstand him he sent embassadors with all speed vnto the Christian princes his neighbors requesting their aid against the common enemie but all in vaine In the meane time after the auntient manner of his countrey he gaue out generall summons for the assembly of his counsell for the warres whether his great stipendarie prelates of dutie bound to appeare came with their troupes of euill appointed horsemen and not halfe full who also deliuered in lesse summes of money by farre than of right they should haue done towards the maintenance of the charge of that common war And the temporall nobilitie forgetting the warlike discipline of their famous ancestors as fresh water souldiors which had neuer seene the Turkish emperour in his strength and but little acquainted with some light skirmishes or small inuasions in their vaine brauerie made light account of the Turkes proudly vaunting That although they were in number but few yet they would easily ouerthrow the great numbers of them if euer they came to handâ—e strokes But aboue all the rest one Paulus Tomoreus archbishop of COLOSSA sometimes a Minorite who had before been in diuers light skirmishes against the Turks with great insolencie did so confidently brag and boast of the victorie he vainely dreamed of that in his sermons vnto the souldiours and in open talke with the nobilitie if he could haue done so much as he vaunted of it should seeme that he himselfe had been ynough to haue ouerthrowne the Turks whole armie But when all the kings armie was assembled and a generall moster taken there was hardly found fiue and twentie thousand men in all horse and foot So that the foolish hardinesse of Tomoreus and others so forwards to giue the Turks battell was of most wise men disliked The old souldiors and men of great experience said plainely That it was meere follie and madnesse with such a handfull of men to giue battell vnto the enemie who would bring eight times so many moe into the field as they were Wherefore some wished that the young king should be withdrawne from the imminent danger amongst whom Stephanus Verbetius a noble captaine of all the rest best acquainted with the Turkish warres gaue counsell that the person of the yong king should for the safetie of the common state whatsoeuer should happen be kept out of
with a great power where he was by them slaine together with all his armie and the rich bootie hee had taken all againe recouered Many other hard conflicts passed after this betwixt the Imperials and the Turks the one continually seeking to anoy the other all which for that therein nothing fell out much woorth the remembrance I for breuitie willingly passe ouer In these endlesse troubles died Emanuel the Greeke emperour when he had by the space of eight and thirtie yeeres woorthily gouerned that great empire hauing in the time of his sicknesse but a little before his death taken vpon him the habit of a monke in token he had forsaken the world All the time of his raigne he was no lesse jealous of the Christian princes of the West than of the Turks in the East and therefore euer delt with them vnkindly In time of war he was so laborious as if he had neuer taken felicitie but in paine and againe in peace so giuen ouer to his pleasure as if he had neuer thought of any thing else After whose death the Turkish Sultan without resistance inuading the frontiers of the empire tooke SOZOPOLIS with diuers townes thereabout in PHRIGIA and long besieged the famous cittie of ATTALIA and so dayly encroched more and more vpon the prouinces of the empire joyning the same vnto his owne which was no great matter for him to doe the Greeke empire being then no better gouerned than was the charriot of the Sunne as the Poets faigne by Phaëton far vnfit for so great a charge for Alexius Comnenus otherwise called Porphyrogenitus being then but a child of about twelue yeeres old succeeding his graue father in the empire after the manner of children altogether following his pleasure his mother with his fathers kinsmen and friends who aboue all things ought to haue had an especiall care of his education neglecting the old emperors trust in them reposed followed also their owne delights without regard of the ruine of the common weale Some enamoured with the beautie of the yoong empresse gaue themselues all to brauerie and the courting of her othersome in great authoritie with no lesse desire in the meane time with the common treasures filled their emptie cofers and a third sort there was of all the rest most dangerous who neither respecting their sensuall pleasure neither the heaping vp of wealth looked not so low ayming at the verie empire it selfe As for the common good that was of all other things of them all least regarded Amongst these third sort of the ambitious was one Andronicus the cousin of the late emperour Emanuel a man of an haughtie and troublesome spirit whom he the said emperor Emanuel had for his aspiring most part of the time of his raigne kept in prison or else in exile as he now was being by him not long before for feare of raising of new troubles confined to liue far off from the court at OENUM who now hearing of the death of the emperour Emanuel of the factions in court of the childishnesse of the yoong emperour Alexius giuen wholy to his sports and the great men put in trust to haue seene to his bringing vp and to the gouernment of the empire some like bees to flie abroad into the countrey seeking after money as the bees do for honie some others in the meane time like hogs lying still and fatting themselues with great and gainefull offices wallowing in all excesse and pleasure to haue no regard of the honour or profit of the common weale thought it now a fit time in such disorder of the state for him to aspire vnto the empire after which he had all his life time longed That he was generally beloued of the Constantinopolitans yea and of some of the nobilitie also he doubted not for them he had long before by his popular behauiour gained together with the distrust of the late emperor jealous of his estate which as it cost him his libertie so missed it not much but that it had cost him his life also but now that he was dead wanted nothing more than some faire colour for the shadowing of his foule purpose Amongst many and right diuers things by him thought vpon was a clause in the oath of obedience which he had giuen vnto the emperour Emanuel and Alexius his sonne which oath he had deliuered vnto him in writing That if he should see heare or vnderstand of any thing dangerous or hurtfull to their honour empire or persons he should foorthwith bewray it and to the vttermost of his power withstand it which words not so to haue beene wrested as best seruing for his purpose he tooke first occasion for to worke vpon And as he was a stout and emperious man thereupon writ diuers letters vnto the yoong emperour his cousin vnto Theodosius the Patriarch and other such as he knew well affected vnto the late emperour Emanuel wherein among other things which he wished to be amended in the present gouernment he seemed most to complaine of the immoderat power and authoritie of Alexius then president of the Counsell who in great fauour with the yoong emperour and more inward with the empresse his mother than was supposed to stand with her honour ruled all things at his pleasure in so much as that nothing done by any the great officers of the empire or by the emperour himselfe was accounted of any force except his approbation were thereunto annexed whereby he was growne vnto such an excessiue pride hauing all things in his power as that no man could without danger as vpon the venemous Basiliske looke vpon him Of which his so excessiue and insolent power Andronicus by his letters now greatly complained mooued thereunto as he would haue it beleeued with the care he had of the yoong emperours safetie which could not as he said long stand with the others so great power which he therefore as in dutie bound wished to be abridged agrauating withall the infamous report of Alexius his too much familiaritie with the empresse which first muttered in court afterwards flew as he said throughout the whole world The reformation of which things as tending to the danger of the person of the emperour and dishonour of the state he forsooth as one in conscience bound with great grauitie and eloquence being a verie learned man both in open speech and writing most earnestly desired and thereby so wrought as that he was generally accounted for a man of great experience as indeed he was and a faithfull counsellor to the state a thing much to haue beene wished Wherefore leauing OENUM the place whereunto he was by the emperour Emanuel in a sort banished trauelling towards CONSTANTINOPLE he gaue it out in euerie place where he came what he had sworne and what he would for his oaths sake do vnto whom men desirous of the change of the state such as gaue credit vnto the report long before giuen out That he should at length
into the rest that for safegard of their liues they betook themselues to flight some one way some another neuer thinking themselues in safetie so long as they were within the greedie tyrants reach wherof shortly after ensued no small troubles to the shaking of the state of the whole empire Isaack Comnenus the emperour Emanuels nigh kinsman tooke his refuge into CIPRVS kept that island to himselfe Alexius Comnenus Emanuels brothers son fled into SCICILIA there stirred vp William king of that island against Andronicus who with a great army landing at DYRRACHIVM tooke the city so from thēce without resistance passing through the heart of MACEDONIA spoyling the countrey before him as he went met his fleet at THESALONICA which famous city he also tooke by force most miserably spoiled it with all the countrey therabout in such sort as that he brought a great feare euen vpon the imperiall citie it selfe vnto which so great euils Andronicus entangled with domesticall troubles not knowing whom to trust was not able to giue remedie although for shew he had to no purpose sent out certaine of his most trusty ministers with such forces as he could spare For the majestie of his authoritie growing still lesse lesse the number of his enemies both at home and abroad daily encreasing the fauor of the vnconstant people who now began to speake hardly of him declining he vncertain which way to turne himselfe rested wholy vpon tyrannie proscribing in his feare not only the friends of such as were fled whom he distrusted but somtimes whole families together yea that for light occsions somtime those who were the best of his fauourits whose seruice he had many times vsed in the execution of his crueltie So that now no day passed wherin he did not put to death imprison or torture one great man or other Wherby it came to passe that the imperiall citie was filled with sorrow heauinesse euery man hanging the head and with silence couering his inward griefe not without danger to haue been then vttered Amongst many others appointed to this slaughter was one Isaack Angelus a man of great nobilitie whom Hagiochristophorites the chiefe minister of Andronicus his tyrannie and for the same by him highly promoted suspecting as one that bare no good will to the emperour cause enough of death came to his house to apprehend him finding him at home after some few hot words commanded him to follow him Whereat the noble man making some stay and abhorring the verie sight of the wretch as vnto him ominous and fatall Hagiochristophorites himselfe began to lay hands on him reuiling his followers that they had not foorthwith drawn him out of his house by the haire of his head vnto the prison by him appointed For they touched with the honour of the man and mooued with compassion forced him not but stood still as beholders Isaack seeing himselfe thus beset and no way now left for him to escape resoluing rather there presently to die than shortly after to be murdred in prison drew his sword as the rest were about to haue laid hands vpon him and at the first blow cleft the wicked head of Hagiochristophorites downe to his shoulders and so leauing him wallowing in his owne blood and like a desperat man laying about him amongst the rest made himselfe way through the middest of them And so embrued with blood with his bloodie sword yet in his hand running through the middest of the citie told the people what he had done and crying vnto them for helpe in defence of his innocencie fled into the great temple there to take the refuge of the sanctuarie where he had not long sit in the place where the guiltie flying thither for refuge vsed to sit confessing their offence craue pardon of such as go in and out but that the temple was filled with the multitude of people flocking thither out of all parts of the citie some to see the nobleman some to behold what should become of him for all men thought that he would before the going downe of the sunne notwithstanding the reuerence of the place be drawne thence by Andronicus put to some shamefull death Thither came also Iohn Ducas Isaacks vncle and his sonne Isaack to increase the tumult not for that they were any thing guiltie of the death of Hagiochristophorites but for that they had before become sureties vnto the suspitious tyrant for their kinsman Isaack he likewise for them by whose trespas they well knew themselues now brought into no lesse danger than if they had been abettors therunto And beside them also many other there were which standing in doubt of their owne estate fearing the like might happen to themselues prickt forward with hard speeches the common people flocking thither instantly requesting them to stay there and to stand by them now at their need being so injuriously wronged whose pitifull complaints moued right many to take part with them At which time also no man yet comming from the emperor being as then out of the citie to represse the sedition nor any of the nobilitie opposing themselues no friend of Andronicus appearing none of his bloodie ministers or officers shewing themselues nor any that did so much as speake a good word in his behalfe or in dislike of the tumult the boldnesse of the seditious people increased euerie man in so great libertie saying what he list and after their rude manner one encouraging another So spent Isaack that long night not thinking God wot of an empire but still expecting the deadly stroake of Andronicus Yet had he with great entreating so preuailed that diuers of the assembly shutting the church dores and bringing lights into the church staied there with him all night and by their example caused some others to stay also The next morning by the breake of the day were all the citizens flockt againe vnto the temple cursing the tyrant to the deuill as the common enemie of mankind wishing vnto him a shamefull death and the honour of the empire vnto Isaack At that time by fortune or rather God so appointing it Andronicus was out of the citie at his pallace of MELVDINVM on the East side of PROPONTIS where he was by nine a clocke at night certified of the death of Hagiochristophorites and of the tumult of the people yet that night stirred he not either did any thing more but by short letters aduised the people to pacifie themselues and not by foolish rebellion to cast themselues into farther danger In the morning Andronicus his fauourits began to shew themselues and to do what they might to haue appeased the tumultuous multitude yea and presently after came Andronicus himselfe and landed with his imperiall gally at the great pallace in the citie But with the inraged people naught preuailed either the persuasions of the one or report of the presence of the other for they all as
after his father for whose inheritance Reucratine prince of DOCEA and Masut prince of ANCYRA his two brethren fell at variance and so at last into open war But Masut finding himselfe too weake for his warlike brother Reucratine yeelded vnto him the territories which he saw he must needs forgo and glad now to keepe his owne so made peace with him Reucratine being a man of an ambitious and haughtie spirit with his forces thus doubled denounced war vnto his brother Caichosroes who doubting his owne strength fled vnto the emperour Alexius Angelus for aid as had his father done before him vnto the emperour Manuel although not with like good fortune For the emperour but of late hauing obtained the empire by the deposing of his brother and altogether giuen to pleasure reputing also those domesticall warres of the Turkes some part of his owne safetie sent him home without comfort as one strong enough of himselfe to defend his owne quarrell against his brother Howbeit he was scarcely come to ICONIUM but that he was by Rucratine expulsed thence and driuen to flie into ARMENIA where he was by Lebune king of that country a Turke also honourably receiued and courteously vsed but yet denied of the aid he requested the king pretending that he was alreadie in league with Reucratine and therefore could not or as some thought fearing the dangerousnesse of the matter would not intermeddle therein Wherewith the poore Sultan vtterly discouraged returned againe to CONSTANTINOPLE and there in poore estate as a man forlorne passed out the rest of his daies Now hauing thus passed through the Turkish affaires in the lesser ASIA together with the troubled estate of the Constantinopolitan empire no small cause of the Turks greatnesse the course of time calleth vs backe againe before wee passe any further to remember their proceedings also at the same time and shortly after in SIRIA IVDEA AEGYPT and those more Southerly countries where these restlesse people ceased not by all meanes to enlarge their empire vntill they had brought all those great kingdomes vnder their obeisance After the death of Baldwin king of HIERUSALEM of whom we haue before spoken Almericus his yoonger brother earle of IOPPA and ASCALON being then about seuen and twentie yeeres old was by the better good liking of the cleargie and people than of the nobilitie elected king not for that there wanted in him any good parts woorthie of a kingdome but for that some of them enuied vnto him so great an honour Neuerthelesse he was as we said by the generall consent of the people elected proclaimed and by Almericus the Patriarch with all solemnitie crowned the seuenteenth day of Februarie in the yeare of Grace 1163. To begin whose troubled raigne the Aegyptians first of all denied to pay vnto him their woonted tribute In reuenge whereof he in person himselfe with a puissant armie entred into AEGYPT and meeting with Dargan the Sultan ouerthrew him in plaine battell and put him to flight who to stay the further pursuit and passage of the Christians cut the bankes of the riuer NILUS and so drowned the countrey that the king was glad to content himselfe with the victorie he had alreadie gotten and so to returne to HIERUSALEM The next yeere Almericus was againe drawn downe with his power into AEGYPT by Dargan the Sultan to aid him against Saracon whom Noradin the Turke king of DAMASCO had sent as generall with an armie to restore Sanar the Sultan before expulsed and to depose Dargan In which expedition Dargan being slaine and Saracon hauing woon certaine townes kept them to himselfe Sanar doubtfull of his good meaning joyned his forces with Almericus and by his helpe expulsed Saracon out of AEGYPT But whilest Almericus was thus busied in AEGYPT Noradin the Turke making an inroad into the frontiers of the Christians neere vnto TRIPOLIS was by Gilbert Lacy master of the Templars in those quarters and the other Christians when he least feared so suddenly set vpon that he had much adoe by flight to saue himselfe halfe naked for hast most of his followers being at the same time slaine In reuenge of which disgrace he not long after with a greater power came and besieged ARETHUSA For reliefe whereof Bohemund prince of ANTIOCH Raymund the yoonger earle of TRIPOLIS Calaman gouernour of CILICIA and Toros prince of ARMENIA came with their power Of whose comming the Turke hearing raised his siege and departed After whom these Christian princes eagerly following were by the Turks shut vp in certaine deepe and rotten fennes whâ—â—einto they had vnaduisedly too far entred and there with a great slaughter ouerthrown In which conflict all the chiefe commanders of the armie were taken except the prince of ARMENIA who forecasting the danger had retired after he had in vaine dissuaded the rest from the further pursuit of the flying enemie The prince of ANTIOCH there taken was about a yeare after for a great summe of money redeemed but the countie of TRIPOLIS was after eight yeares strait captiuitie hardly deliuered Noradin after this victorie returning againe to the siege of ARETHUSA in few daies woon the towne and encouraged with so good successe and the absence of the king laid siege to the citie of PANEADE which was also deliuered vnto him vpon condition that the citizens might at their pleasure in safetie depart At the same time Saracon generall of Noradin his forces tooke from the Christians two castels the one in the countrey of SIDON the other beyond IORDAN vpon the borders of ARABIA both in the custodie of the Templars twelue of whom the king at his returne hanged vp for treason Shortly after Saracon king Noradin his great man of war with all the power of the Turkes came downe againe into AEGYPT with purpose to haue fully subdued all that notable kingdome vnto his lord and master Of whose power Sanar the Sultan standing in dread praied aid of Almericus promising vnto him beside his yearely tribute the summe of fortie thousand ducats for his paines The matter fully agreed vpon and all things now in readinesse Almericus set forward with his armie and encountring with Saracon and his Turks at the riuer NILVS ouerthrew him in a great battell yet not without some losse for the Turks in their flight lighting vpon the kings carriages with the whole baggage of the armie and ouerrunning them that had the charge thereof caried away with them a most rich prey whereby it came to passe that as the Christians had the victorie so the Turkes enjoyed the spoile Saracon after this ouerthrow hauing againe gathered together his dispersed souldiers tooke his way to ALEXANDRIA where he was by the citizens receiued after whom the king following gaue no attempt vnto the citie for that he knew to be but vaine but encamped close by the side of the riuer NILVS from whence the citie was chiefly to be victualed Whose purpose Saracon perceiuing and betime foreseeing the distresse of his whole armie
inuaded by Almericus they praid aid of Noradin the Turke Sultan of DAMASCO who vnto their reliefe sending Saracon with an armie repulsed indeed the Christians but oppressing their libertie tooke vnto himselfe the kingdome which he left vnto his nephew Saladine in whose posteritie it remained vntill it was from them againe taken by the Circassian slaues the Mamalukes vnder whose seruile gouernment it was holden of long time vntill that by the great emperor of the Turkes Selymus the first it was againe conquered and the Mamalukes vtterly destroied In the gouernment of whose posteritie the mightie emperors of the Turks it hath euer since remained as part of their empire vntill this day as in the processe of this historie God willing shall appeare Saladin thus possessed of the great kingdome of AEGYPT and all things set in such order as he thought best for the newnesse of his state with a great armie entred into the land of PALESTINE in the yeare 1170 and there besieged DARON which towne he woon and ouerthrew such as were sent by king Almericus to haue relieued the same with which small victorie contenting himselfe as with the good beginning of his rising fortune he returned backe againe into his kingdome Yet was his armie so great and populous as that the like armie of the Turkes had neuer before beene seene in the Holy land Wherefore Almericus considering in what great danger he stood his kingdome now being on both sides beset by the Turks sent out his embassadours vnto the Christian princes of the West to craue their aid for the defence of that kingdome which their fathers had woon And for the same purpose went himselfe in person vnto the emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE of whom he was royally entertained and afterwards sent backe loaded with the promises of great matters as were also his embassadours from the princes of the West All which for all that sorted vnto nothing but vanished into smoake The yeare following viz. 1171 Saladin besieged PETREA the metropoliticall citie of ARABIA but hearing that Almericus with a great power was comming to the reliefe thereof hee raised his siege and retired As he did also the next yeare after hauing in vaine attempted the strong castle of MONT-ROYALL on the further side of IORDAN In like manner also the third yeare he came againe into the Holy land and spoiled the countrey beyond IORDAN but hearing of the kings comming against him he foorthwith returned againe into AEGYPT All these light expeditions this politike prince made not so much for hope of victorie or to prooue his enemies strength as to traine his souldiers especially the effeminat Aegyptians and to make them sitter to serue him in his greater designes Shortly after died Noradin Sultan of DAMASCO and in his time a most notable champion of the Turks after he had raigned nine and twentie yeares Vpon whose death Almericus foorthwith besieged the citie of PANEADE in hope to haue againe recouered the same but he was by the widow of the late dead Sultan for a great summe of money and the deliuerie of certaine noble prisoners intreated to raise his siege and depart So hauing sent away his armie and trauelling with his ordinarie retinue to TIBERIAS where hee had the summer before beene sicke of the flix feeling himselfe not well he returned on horsebacke by NAZARETH and NEAPOLIS to HIERUSALEM where his old disease increasing vpon him he was also taken with a feuer wherewith after he had beene some few daies grieuously tormented hee requested his physitians with some gentle potion to loose his belly which was now somewhat staied which they refusing to do he commaunded the potion to be giuen him vpon his owne perill hap thereon what hap should which being giuen him and his belly againe loosed he seemed therewith to haue been at the first well eased but his woonted feauer with great vehemencie returning before his weake spent bodie could be with conuenient meats refreshed he suddenly died the tenth of Iuly in the yeare 1173 when he had raigned about ten yeares His dead bodie was with the great lamentation of all his subjects solemnly buried by his brothers Hee was a most wise prince and withall right valiant amongst many most fit for the gouernment and defence of that troublesome kingdome so hardly beset with the infidels if it had pleased God to haue giuen him longer life Foure daies after the death of Almericus was Baldwin his sonne then a youth about thirteene yeares old by the generall consent of the nobilitie chosen king and by Almericus the Patriarch in the temple with great solemnitie crowned in the yeare 1173 vnto whom as not yet by reason of his tender age fit himselfe to mannage the waightie affaires of the kingdome Raymund countie of TRIPOLIS was by the whole consent of the nobilitie appointed tutor to supply what was wanting in the yoong king Noradin Sultan of DAMASCO dead as is aforesaid left behind him Melechsala his sonne yet but a youth to succeed him in his kingdome Whose gouernment the nobilitie disdaining sent secretly for Saladin Sultan of Aegypt vnto whom at his comming they betrayed the citie of DAMASCO the regall seat of the Turkes in SYRIA Whereof Saladin possessed and entring into CELESIRIA without resistance tooke HELIOPOLIS EMISSA with the great citie of CESAREA and in fine all the whole kingdome of DAMASCO the citie of ARâ—THUSA onely excepted But thus to suffer Melechsala the young prince to be wronged and the kingdome of DAMASCO to be joyned vnto the kingdome of Aegypt was of the wiser sort thought not to stand with the safetie of the kingdome of HIERUSALEM lying in the middle betwixt them both Wherefore the countie of TRIPOLIS gouernour of that kingdome made out certaine forces to haue hindred his proceeding At which time also Cotobed prince of PARTHIA and Melechsalas vncle sent certaine troupes of Parthian horsemen to haue aided his distressed nephew who were by Saladin ouerthrowne and almost all slaine neere vnto ALEPPO where Melechsala lay As for the countie of TRIPOLIS and the other Christian princes with whom Saladin in the newnesse of his kingdome had no desire to fall out he appeased them with faire intreatie and rewards vnto the countie hee sent freely the hostages which yet lay for his ransome at EMISSA vnto the other princes he sent rich presents and therewith so contented them all that they returned without any thing doing against him After which time three or foure yeareâ— passed in great quietnesse to the great strengthening of him in those his new gotten kingdomes At length vpon the comming ouer of Philip earle of FLANDERS the Christian princes in SYRIA encouraged consulted of an expedition to be made into AEGIPT whereof Saladin hauing intelligence drew downe into that countrey the greatest part of his strength But Philip disliking of that expedition and the rather for that he saw no great cheerefulnesse in the countie of TRIPOLIS and the rest thereunto they
kind of death for cast off from an high tower and tumbling heeles ouer head downeward he was with the waight of himselfe and violence of the fall crushed all to pieces and so miserably died a death too good for such a traitour Not long after it fortuned also that Alexius himselfe wandering vp and downe in THRACIA was by the marquesse of MONT-FERRAT going against SCVRVS taken and stript of his great treasure and whatsoeuer else hee had and so sent away naked long time after in beggers estate wandered about in ACHAIA and PELOPONESVS now farre vnlike that Alexius which sometime proudly raigned in CONSTANTINOPLE but such is the assurance of euill gotten honour He hearing that Theodorus Lascaris his sonne in law raigned in ASIA and there held the state of an emperour rejoyced not thereat as a kind father in law but inwardly greeued thereat as an enemie sorrie that any other but himselfe should be honoured with the title of the Greeke emperour in which malicious humour he sayling out of GREECE into ASIA ouer the Aegeum came secretly vnto the Turkes Sultan Iathatines his old acquaintance then lying at ATTALIA which famous citie he had not long before taken from the Christians vnto whom he declared his heauie estate and how his empire had been rent from him as well by the Greekes as the Latines requesting that by his meanes he might be restored againe into some part thereof especially that in the lesser ASIA which was by Theodorus Lascaris together with the honour of the Greeke emperour vnjustly as he said detained from him This Iathatines now Sultan of ICONIVM was the younger sonne of Sultan Aladin who not long suruiuing his father Cai-Chosroe left his kingdome vnto his two sonnes Azadin and Iassadin of the Greekes called Azatines and Iathatines where long it was not but that these two brethren falling out for the soueraignetie which admitteth no equalitie Iathatines was by Azatines his elder brother driuen into exile and for the safegard of his life glad to flie vnto this Alexius then raigning at CONSTANTINOPLE by whom he was honourably entertained and as some write conuerted and baptised But Azatines the Sultan shortly after dying this Iathatines returning home againe and renouncing the Christian religion was by the Turks receiued for their Sultan of whom the emperour Alexius in like extremitie now craueth aid The Sultan not forgetfull of his owne troubles before passed or of the kindnesse hee had receiued and mooued with the pittifull complaint of his old friend together with his large offers beside that he was in hope to share out some good part of whatsoeuer he got for himselfe tooke him into his protection and foorthwith sent embassadours to Lascaris threatening vnto him all extremities except he did foorthwith giue place vnto Alexius his father in law vnto whom as vnto the Greeke emperour those countries which were by him possessed of right as he said appertained With which vnexpected message Theodorus was not a little troubled as fearing both the Sultans power and the inclination of the people to their old emperour Neuerthelesse hauing propounded the matter in counsell and finding the minds of his subiects well affected towards him and a readinesse in them in his quarrell to aduenture their liues he encouraged therewith accompanied onely with two thousand choise horsemen together with the Sultans embassadour without farther stay set forward to PHILADELPHIA the Sultan at the same time with Alexius whom he carried with him as a bait to deceiue the people withall and twentie thousand Turkes besieging the citie of ANTIOCH situate vpon the winding banks of the riuer MEANDER Which the emperour Theodorus well vnderstanding and that the Sultan by gaining that strong citie standing vpon the passage of the great riuer the bounder of his empire should open a faire way for himselfe into the heart of ROMANIA ASIATICA to the great hazard of his whole empire resolued with those few he had to doe what hee might to relieue his citie And so setting forward vpon the spurre carrying nothing with him more than a little victuall and now come neere vnto the citie sent before the Sultans embassador following him at the heeles Who comming vnto the Sultan and telling him of the emperours approch with so small a power could hardly persuade him that it was so although hee bound it with many oathes yet at length persuaded of the truth of the matter and that indeed it was so hee in all hast put his armie in the best order he could vpon such a suddain but not to his best aduauntage being hindred so to do by the straitnesse of the place wherein he lay Of the two thousand select horsemen in the emperours armie were eight hundred Italians all most resolute men who giuing the first charge brake through the midst of the Sultans armie disordering his whole battell as they went after whom followed also the Greeks though not with like courage but those Italian horsemen now deuided from the rest in number but few in comming back again were by the disordered Turks some on horseback some on foot so beset on euery side as that there was no way left for them to passe but there valiantly fighting were altogether slaine hauing both before and at the time of their death made such a slaughter of the Turks as is hardly to be beleeued to haue been possible for so few men to haue made The Greekes also hardly laied to by the Turkes and discouraged by the slaughter of the Latines were euen vpon the point to haue fled when as the Sultan now almost in possession of a certaine victorie descrying the Greeke emperour and trusting to his owne great strength singled him out being as readie as himselfe to meet him when as at the first incounter the Sultan with his horsemans mase gaue him such a blâ—w vpon the head as might haue killed a bull so that the emperour therewith astonied fell downe from his horse who yet euen in the fall comming something againe vnto himselfe and although dismounted yet quickly recouering his feet with his faulchion hoxed the hinder legs of the mare whereon the Sultan rid being a most beautifull beast and of a woonderfull height which now suddainely faultring vnder him and so the Sultan tumbling downe as from an high tower before he could recouer himselfe had his head cut off by the emperour which by and by put vpon a launce and so holden vp with the sight thereof so dismaied the Turks that strucken with a suddaine feare they presently fled leauing the victorie vnto the emperour before more than halfe ouercome who for all that considering his small number durst no farther pursue them but entering the citie gaue thankes to God for so great a victorie Vnto whom the Turks shortly after sent their embassadours and so vpon such reasonable conditions as it pleased him to set downe concluded with him a peace Alexius himselfe author of these troubles taken in this battell and
repaire vnto CYPRUS as Robert duke of BURGUNDIE who hauing wintred in ACHAIA came now in the beginning of the Spring vnto the king with a number of good horsemen and with him William prince of ACHAIA with a great fleet out of PELOPONESUS which countrey with most part of GRECIA was then vnder the commaund of the Latines amongst others came also William surnamed Long-espie earle of SARISEURIE with a band of lustie tall souldiors So the armie being met together and all things againe in a readinesse king Lewes departing from CYPRUS and tossed at sea with cōtrary winds about fiue daies after fell with the coast of AEGIPT there with all his fleet came before the strong towne of DAMIATA being as we haue said the key of that kingdome The Sultan long before vnderstanding of the French kings purpose for the inuasion of his countrey had strongly fortified his frontier townes and put into them strong garrisons beside the great power he kept with himselfe in readinesse at all assaies as occasion should require Vpon the approch of the Christians the gouernour of DAMIATA was ready vpon the shore with a number of braue souldiers to keepe them from landing who neuerthelesse resolutely before set downe for the performing of that they came for manning foorth their long boats with their archers and crossebowes to beat the enemie from the shore ran a ground with their other small boats made of purpose for the landing of men and so without longer stay came to handie blowes where for a while was fought a most sharpe and cruell battell the Christians striuing to land and the Turkes to keepe them off many falling on both sides But what should an handfull doe against so many The Turkes oppressed with the multitude still landing more and more and hauing done what was possible for them to doe fled into the towne leauing behind them their gouernour with fiue hundred of their best souldiors dead vpon the shore This citie of DAMIATA was exceeding rich and populous and had in the former warres not been taken but by more than a yeares siege as is before declared and that not so much by the valour of the Christians as by the extremitie of the plague and famine since which time it had been strongly fortefied by the Turks with deepe ditches high wals and strong bulwarkes and was at that time well stored with victuals also and all things else for the enduring of a long siege Neuerthelesse the souldiors that were left and the citizens discouraged with the losse of their gouernour and remembrance of the miseries before endured in the former siege and seeing the Christians now readie againe to besiege the same the night following a little before the breake of day set fire euery man vpon his owne house and so by a bridge which they had made of boats fled ouer the great riuer breaking the bridge when they were ouer for feare their enemies should thereby haue followed after them The Christians perceiuing their flight without resistance entred the citie and being strangers did what they could to quench the fire and to saue that which the inhabitants themselues would faine haue with fire destroyed and so afterwards found great abundance of riches with plentifull store of all manner of victuals wherewith the souldiors both enriched and refreshed themselues This so happie vnexpected a victorie happened vnto the Christians about the beginning of October in the yeare 1249. Sultan Meledin himselfe discouraged with the losse of so strong a citie offered vnto the French king for the redeeming thereof and to haue peace at his hands more territorie in SIRIA and the land of PALESTINE than the Christians had of long time before which large offer was by the French especially by the earle of ARTHOI◠the kings brother proudly rejected and ALEXANDRIA the most famous port and metropoliticall citie of AEGIPT further demaunded to the great discontentment of the Turkes and Sarasins In these troubles died Meledin the old Sultan a man not much beloued of his people in whose stead Melechsala or Melexala as some call him a valiant and couragious prince well beloued of his subjects and but euen then returned out of SIRIA and ARABIA where he had been to craue aid of the other Mahometane princes was chosen Sultan Which princes especially the Sultan of DAMASCO although they had not of long been at any good accord among themselues or with the Aegyptian yet in this common danger of their superstition which by the losse of AEGIPT was like to be greatly weakned they joyned hands together and so sent him great aid The new Sultan thus strengthened drew neerer vnto the Christians which then lay encamped not farre from DAMIATA and had with them a hot skirmish wherein hee was put to the worse and so with some losse glad to retire But the Christians the next day in hope of like successe sallying out againe were ouerthrowne with ten times more losse than was he the day before and so faine to flie vnto the campe By which victorie the Sultan encouraged began now to conceiue better hope of the successe of his wars and by stopping the passages both by water and land to prouide that no victuals could without great perill bee brought either vnto the citie or the campe insomuch that at length victuals began to grow scarce in both whereof the Sultan was not ignorant as being thereof throughly informed by such fugitiues as for want or other causes oftentimes fled out of the French campe into his Winter thus passing and wants still increasing it fortuned that the gouernour of the great citie of CAIRE vpon the fortune whereof depended the state of the whole kingdome a man not euill affected vnto the Christian religion and in his heart highly offended with the Sultan for the death of his brother by him wrongfully executed by secret messengers persuaded the French king to come on with his armie to the citie the regall seat of the Sultan promising him to deliuer it into his power with full instructions what he had in all points to do for the gaining thereof Whereupon the king who had before of himselfe purposed the same exploit but now filled with a greater hope assembled together the greatest forces he was able to make At which time also he sent for the earle of SALISBURIE with the rest of the English men who for many proud indignities offered them by the French especially by the earle of ARTOIS the kings brother whereof they could haue no redresse were gone to PTOLEMAIS without purpose to haue any more serued in those warres But now being sent for by the king with promise of better vsage and honourable recompence for the wrongs past returned againe into AEGIPT there to doe their last endeuour With whose comming the king strengthened but more by the new supplies brought vnto him by his brother Alphonsus out of FRANCE leauing the duke of BURGUNDIE with a conuenient garison with the queene his
strengthening of their kingdome bought an infinit number of slaues especially of the poore and hardie Circassians called in antient time Getae and Zinchi neere vnto COLCHIS and the EUXINE sea brought vnto ALEXANDRIA and other ports of AEGYPT out of those bare cold countries by marchants and from thence transported to CAIRE and other cities of AEGYPT of which poore slaues the late Aegyptian Sultans taking their choice and culling out from the rest such as were like to be of greatest spirit and abilitie of bodie deliuered them vnto most skilfull and expert teachers by whom they were carefully taught to run to leape to vaut to shoot to ride with all other feats of actiuitie and withall cunningly to handle all manner of weapons as well on horsebacke as on foot and so instructed and become cunning were taken out of their schooles into pay and enrolled together as the Sultans choice horsmen were commonly called by the name of Mamalukes In whose good seruice the late Sultans finding great vse spared for no cost both for their maintenance and encreasing of their number dayly erecting new nurseries stored with yoong frie which growing vp and readie was still joyned to the other It is woonderfull to tell vnto what a strength and glorie this order of the Mamalukes was in short time grown by the care of the Aegyptian kings By them they mannaged their greatest affaires especially in time of wars and by their valour not onely defended their countrey but gained many a faire victorie against their enemies as they did now against the French But as too much power in such mens hands seldome or neuer wanteth danger so fell it out now betwixt the late Sultan Melech-sala and those masterfull Mamaluke slaues who proud of their preferment and forgetfull of their dutie and seeing the greatest strength of the kingdome in their hands traiterously slew Melech-sala their chiefe founder setting vp in his place as aforesaid one Turquiminus a base slaue one of their owne order and seruile vocation but indeed otherwise a man of a great spirit and valour This Melech-sala murthered by the Mamalukes was the last of the free borne kings of AEGYPT in whom the Turks kingdome in AEGYPT erected by Sarracon and the great Sultan Saladin as is before said and in his stocke and family euer since continued tooke end as did also all the power of the Turks in that great and rich kingdome For the proud Mamalukes hauing now got the soueraigntie into their hands and exalted a Sultan out of themselues imperiously commanded as great lords ouer the rest of the people not suffring them to haue the vse either of horse or armour or to beare any sway in the common weale but keeping them vnder with most heauie impositions and still preferring their owne slaues wherewith the countrey of AEGYRT now swarmed made the naturall countrey people of all others most miserable not daring to meddle with any thing more than merchandize their husbandrie or other their base mechanicall occupations whereof the greatest profit still came vnto the Mamalukes who as lords of all with great insolencie at their pleasure tooke it from them as their owne As for the great Sultan they still chose him from among themselues not suffering any the Sultans children to succeed their fathers in the kingdome for feare least they in processe of time proud of their ancestors and parentage should recken of them as of his slaues as indeed they were and so at length bring in another more free kind of gouernment Against which they prouided also not onely by this restraint of their Sultans children but of their owne also taking order and exstablishing it as an immutable law That though the sonnes of the Mamalukes might enjoy their fathers lands wealth after their death yet that it should not be lawfull for them in any case to take vpon them the name or honour of a Mamaluke so embarring them from all gouernment in the common wealth to the intent it might still rest with the Mamalukes Neither was it lawfull for any borne of Mahometan parents which could not be slaues or of the race of the Iewes to be admitted into that Order but onely such as being borne Christians and become slaues had from the time of their captiuitie beene enstructed in the Mahometan superstition or else being men grown and comming thither had abjured the Christian religion as many reprobates did in hope of preferment Right strange it is to consider vnto what honour and glorie this slauish empire in short time grew many of those poore slaues by rare fortune or secret diuine power exalted out of the dust vnto the highest dedegree of honour proouing most excellent and renowmed princes of such strength and power as was dreadfull euen vnto the greatest princes of the world In which great glorie this seruile empire to the worlds woonder flourished from this time amongst the greatest by the space of 267 yeates vntill that hauing run the appointed race it was with a great destruction by Selymus the victorious emperour of the Turks ouerthrown in the yeare 1517 and the kingdome of AEGYPT with all SYRIA and the land of PALESTINE brought into the forme of Prouinces vnited vnto the Turks empire as they are at this day and as in the course of this historie shall in due time and place God willing at large appeare But leauing the kingdome of the Turks thus ouerthrown in AEGYPT and the Mamalukes there triumphing the French king returned into FRANCE and the Christians in peace in SIRIA let vs againe returne into the lesser ASIA and vnto the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE whether the affaires both of the Turkes and of the Christians now call vs. All this while the Greeke empire for so the Greeks will haue it called flourished both in peace and plentie in the lesser ASIA vnder their emperour Iohn Batazes the power of the Latines in the meane time declining as fast at CONSTANTINOPLE vnder the rule of the Latin emperour Baldwin the second As for the Turks whom we left grieuously troubled both with famine and the often incursions of the Tartars they had all this while and yet also enough and more than enough to do to withstand the same enemie At length it fortuned that Iohn Ducas the Greeke emperor died being at the time of his death about threescore yeares old wherof he had happily raigned three thirtie by whose good discreet gouernment the Greeke empire before broght low and almost to naught by the Latines began againe to gather strength and to flourish both in ASIA and some little part of EUROPE also Of him are reported many notable matters which as impertinent to our purpose I could willingly passe ouer were I not by the woorthie remembrance of one of them staied a while by the way This noble and famous emperour hauing long lamented the death of the faire empresse Irene his first wife at last married another yoong ladie the sister of Manfred king of SCICILIE
called Anne with whom amongst other honourable and beautifull dames sent by the king her brother for the accompanying of her to CONSTANTINOPLE was one Marcesina a rare paragon of such a feature as if nature had in her meant to bestow her greatest skill From whose mouth alwaies flowed a fountaine of most sugred words and out of her eies issued as it were nets to entangle the amorous in vpon this so faire an object the emperour not fearing further harme tooke pleasure oftentimes to feed his eies vntill that at length caught with her lookes he had lost his libertie and was of a great emperor become her thrall in such sort as that in comparison of her he seemed little or nothing to regard the yoong empresse his wife but so far doated vpon her that he suffered her to be attired and honoured with the same attire and honour that the empresse was her selfe whom she now so farre exceeded both in grace and fauour with the emperour and honour of the people as that shee almost alone enjoyed the same without regard of her vnto whom it was of more right due Whilest she thus alone triumpheth at length it fortuned that shee in all her glorie attended vpon with most of the gallants of the court and some of the emperours guard would needs goe whether for deuotion or for her recreation I know not to visite the monasterie and faire church which Blemmydes a noble man of great renowne both for his integritie of life and learning had of his owne cost and charges but lately built in the countrey where he together with his monkes as men wearie of the world liued a deuout and solitarie contemplatiue life after the manner of that time with the great good opinion of the people in generall This Blemmydes was afterward for his vpright life and profound learning chosen Patriarch of CONSTANTINOPLE which great honour next vnto the emperour himselfe he refused contenting himselfe with his cell Marcesina comming thither in great pompe and thinking to haue entred the church had the dores shut against her by the monkes before commaunded so to doe by Blemmydes their founder and so was to her great disgrace kept out For that deuout man deemed it a great impietie to suffer that so wicked and shamelesse a woman against whom he had most sharply both spoken and written with her prophane and wicked feet to tread vpon the sacred pauement of his church She enraged with this indignitie hardly by so proud a woman to be with patience disgested and prickt forward by her flattering â—ollowers also returning to the court grieuously complained thereof vnto the emperour stirring him vp by all meanes she could to reuenge the same persuading him to haue been therein himselfe disgraced Whereunto were joyned also the hard speeches of her pickthanke fauourits who to currie Fauell spared not to put oyle as it were ynto the fire for the stirring vp of the emperour vnto reuenge Who with so great a complaint nothing mooued vnto wrath but strucke as it were to the heart with a remorse of conscience and oppressed with heauinesse with teares running downe his cheekes and fetching a deepe sigh said Why prouoke you me to punish so deuout and just a man whereas if I would my selfe haue liued without reproch and infamie I should haue kept my imperiall majestie vnpolluted or stained But now sith I my selfe haue beene the cause both of mine owne disgrace and of the empires I may thanke mine owne deserts if of such euill seed as I haue sowne I now reape also an euill haruest After the death of this good emperour Theodorus his sonne borne the first yeare of his fathers raigne being then about three and thirtie yeares old was by the generall consent of the people saluted emperour in his stead who in the beginning of his empire renewed the league which his father had made with Iathatines the Turkish Sultan And so hauing prouided for the securitie of his affaires in ASIA he with a puissant armie passed ouer the strait of HELLESPONTUS into EUROPE to appease the troubles there raised in MACEDONIA and THRACIA by the king of BULGARIA his brother in law and Michaell Angelus Despot of THESSALIA who vpon the death of the old emperour began to spoile those countries not without hope at length to haue joyned them vnto their owne by whose comming they were for all that disappointed of their purpose and glad to sue to him for peace But whilest he was there busied he was aduertised by letters from NICE That Michaell Paleologus whom he had left there gouernour in his absence was secretly fled vnto the Turks with which newes he was not a little troubled The cause of whose flight as Paleologus himselfe gaue it out was for that he perceiued himselfe diuers waies by many his enemies brought into disgrace and the emperours eares so filled with their odious complaints so cunningly framed against him as that they were not easily or in short time to bee refelled and therefore fearing in the emperours heauie displeasure to be suddainely taken away to haue willingly gone into exile if so happely he might saue his life from the mallice of them that sought after it At his comming to ICONIUM he found Iathatines the Sultan making great preparation against the Tartars who hauing driuen the Turks out of PERSIA and the other farre Easterne countries as is before declared and running still on did with their continuall incursions spoile a great part of their territories in the lesser ASIA also and now lay at AXARA a towne not far off from ICONIUM against whom the Sultan now making the greatest preparation hee could gladly welcommed Paleologus whom he knew to be a right valiant and worthie captaine commending to his charge the leading of certaine bands of Greekes whom he had retained to serue him in those warres as he had others also of the Latines vnder the conduct of Boniface Moline a nobleman of VENICE and so hauing put all things in readinesse and strengthened with these forraine supplies of the Greekes and Latines set forward against his enemies the Tartars who at the first sight of the strange ensignes and souldiors were much dismayed fearing some greater force had been come to the aid of the Turkes Neuerthelesse joyning with them in battell had with them at the first a most terrible and bloodie conflict wherein that part of the armie that stood against Paleologus and his Greekes was put to the worse to the great discomfiture of the Tartars being euen vpon the point to haue fled had not one of the greatest commaunders in the Turks armie and a nigh kinsman of the Sultans for an old grudge that he bare vnto the Sultan with all his regiment in the heat of the battell reuolted vnto the Tartars whereby the fortune of the battell was in a moment as it were quite altered they which but now were about to haue fled fighting like lyons and they that were
brought backe againe vnto the Sultan Who pittying his hard fortune set him againe at libertie and by a ship set out for that purpose transported him into CYPRUS where he was by the queene of that Island his aunt as some say honorably entertained and so furnished of all things fit for his estate Departing thence he came to MARSIELLES where after he had some few daies refreshed himselfe he from thence trauelled by land home into his owne country where at the first he was not knowne of his own children and friends as being growne old in prison and by them long before accounted among the dead but now at last found againe and by them knowne he was of his children joyfully receiued as their father and of his subjects as their prince Howbeit he shortly after died and was honourably buried in the monasterie of DOBRAN Thus in the whole course of this historie it appeareth by that which is alreadie written what notable expeditions euen the greatest Christian princes of the West to their immortall glorie from time to time vndertooke against the enemies of Christ and his most sacred word and for the reliefe of the poore distressed Christians in SYRIA and in the land of PALESTINE wherof as diuers of them had right glorious successe vnto the great profit of the Christian common weale so some of them answered not with like euent as vndertaken with too small strength or otherwise ouerthrowne by the discord or mallice of the Christians themselues rather than by the enemies force Which neuerthelesse how vnfortunatly soeuer they fell out in the hands of such woorthie men as vndertooke them yet haue they this glorie commendation and comfort That they were taken in hand for the honor of the sonne of God Christ Iesus and the defence of his veritie against the false Prophet Mahomet and his most blasphemous doctrine so honourable and just a quarrell as might well beseeme the greatnesse of the greatest prince yea of all the princes of Christendome Yet could not the woorthinesse thereof euen in those more zealous times or the dangerous estate of that part of the Christian common-weale euen then like to perish as some others bee now or the lamentable complaints of the poore oppressed Christians crying out vnto their Christian brethren for aid any whit moue the Christian princes of that time with their combined forces to reach vnto them their helping hands or to yeeld vnto them any succour or reliefe for they little feeling those harmes so farre off and more regarding their owne hereditarie quarrels employed those forces one against another vnto the effusion of so much Christian blood as might haue sufficed not for reliefe of the distressed Christians in SYRIA onely but to haue regained whatsoeuer had beene before from them taken by the Turks or Sarasins The Germane princes were still at a jarre about the choice of their emperours the French agreed not with the English or them of the Low countries neither the English with the Scots the Arragonians were at oddes with the French and in Italie were almost as many deadly factions as prouinces Of which discord of the Christians the greatest occasion of their ruine and decay Melechsares the Aegyptian Sultan vnderstanding by his espials raised a great armie of the Mamalukes and others with a full purpose to haue vtterly rooted out all the remainders of the Christians in SYRIA and the land of PALESTINE and so to haue entirely joyned those two great countries vnto his owne kingdome But what he had so mischieuously deuised he liued not to bring to passe being in the middest of those his great designes taken away by suddaine death After whom Alphix or as some call him Elpis succeeding him in the kingdome and with a puissant armie entring into SYRIA laid siege to TRIPOLIS which he at length tooke by vndermining of it and put to sword all the Christians therein except such as by speedie flight had in time got themselues out of the danger and rased the cittie downe to the ground Which calamitie betided vnto the Christians the ninth of Aprill in the yeare 1289. Presently after he had the strong castle of NELESINE yeelded vnto him whereinto hee put a strong garrison to hinder the Christians from building againe the late destroyed citie In like manner also hee tooke the citties of SIDON and BERYTHUS which hee sacked and laied them flat with the ground And after that hee remooued to TYRE which after three moneths straight siege was by the cittizens now out of all hope of releefe yeelded vnto him vpon condition That they might with bag and baggage in safetie depart With like good fortune hee in short time and as it were without resistance tooke all the rest of the strong townes and castles which the Christians yet held in SYRIA and the land of PALESTINE excepting onely the cittie of PTOLEMAIS whereunto all the poore Christians fled as vnto a Sanctuarie to bee there defended by the honourable knights Templars and Hospitalers Nothing now left vnto them more than that strong cittie the Sultan of his owne accord made a peace with them for the space of fiue yeares fearing as was supposed to haue drawne vpon him all the Christian princes of the West if he should at once haue then vtterly rooted out all the Christians in those countries together The Christian affaires thus brought to the last cast in SYRIA and yet faintly as it were breathing by the benefit of the late obtained peace Peter Beluise master of the Templars with the Grand Master of the knights Hospitalers suddenly passed ouer as embassadours from the rest into EUROPE vnto Nicholaus Quartus then Pope crauing his fatherly aid who mooued with so great miseries of the poore afflicted Christians sollicited the other Christian princes to haue sent them reliefe especially Rodolph the Germaine emperour who then busied with the affaires of the empire and his troubles neerer home as were the other Christian princes also gaue good words but no helpe at all Yet some of them vnder the colour thereof got from their subjects great summes of money which they employed to their other worse vses onely the Pope sent fifteene hundred men at armes whom with deuout persuasion and much earnest preaching hee had induced to take vpon them that sacred expedition and entertained them of his owne charge vnto whom also many others out of diuers countries vpon a religious zeale joyned themselues as voluntarie men who meeting together at BRUNDUSIUM and there embarked with the two grand masters of the Templars and Hospitalers in safetie at length arriued at PTOLEMAIS There was then in the citie a great number of people of all sorts of able men there was about fiftie thousand and about fortie thousand of the weaker sort amongst whom diuers murders fellonies rapes and such other shamefull outrages all hasting the dreadfull judgements of God were daily committed and let passe vnregarded more than of them that were so injured For
solemnitie of words promised to whomsoeuer could bring vnto him the Despot either quicke or dead which were of purpose giuen vnto the country people passing too and fro to be dispersed abroad in the high waies and about in the country neere vnto the Despots campe And after that he caused the death of the emperour his grandfather to be euerie where proclaimed and how that he was by the Constantinopolitans in a tumult slaine which the deuiâ—â—â—s thereof in euery place reported Yea some there were that swore they were themselues present at his wofull death and saw it with their eies othersome more certainely to persuade the matter shewed long white goats haires or such like gathâ—â—ed out of white wooll as if they had beene by the furious people pluckt from the old emperours head or beard at such time as hee was slaine Which things being commonly reported in euery towne and village but especially in the Despots campe wonderfully fillâ—d mens heads with diuers strange and doubtfull â—houghts then diuers also of the dispersed edicts being found and brought vnto the Despot strucke him and not without cause into a great feare insomuch that by the persuasion of his best friends he without longer stay retired in hast to THESSALONICA Whither shortly after came a gallie from CONSTANTINOPLE with secret letters from the emperour to the Despot for the apprehension of fiue and twentie of the cheefe cittizens vehemently suspected for the stirring vp of thâ— people to rebellion and so to haue deliuered the citie vnto the prince all whom the Despot should haue sent bound in that gallie to CONSTANTINOPLE but they in good time perceiuing the danger they were in secretly stirring vp the people and by and by after ringing out the bels the signall appointed for the beginning of the rebellion had in a very short time raised a woonderfull tumult in the citie insomuch that all the citizens werâ— vp in armes who running headling vnto the house of the Despot found not him for he forewarned of their comming was fled into the castle but slew all they met of his or els robbing them cast them in prison As for the Despots house they tooke what they found therein and afterwards pulled it downe to the ground Then comming to the castle they fired the gates which the Despot seeing and not able to dâ—fâ—nd the place tooke horse and fled vnto a monasterie not far off where being taken by them that pursued him he full sore against his will for thâ— safegard of his life tooke vpon him the habit of a monke neuerthelesse he was froÌ„ thence caried prisoner to the yong prince his nephew who shewed himselfe much more courteous vnto him than all the rest of his nobilitie waiters for they as if they would haue eaten him vp were euen foorthwith readie to haue torne him in peeces hâ—d noâ—â—he prince embracing him in his armes saued his life Yet the next day after by the persuasion of his counsell he sent him to DIDIMOTICHVM where hee was cast into a most loathsome prison being verie deepe and straight in manner of a well no bodie to attend vpon him but one boy where he lay in miserable darkenesse and stinke they which drew vp his ordure from him and the boy whether by chance or of purpose pouring it oftentimes vpon his head Where after he had lien a great while in most extreame miserie wishing to die and could not he was at length by the princes commandement entreated thereunto by certaine religious men remooued into a more easie prison where we will for euer leaue him Things falling out crosse with the old emperor and although they were neuer so well deuised still sorting out vnto the worst he became verie pensiue and doubtfull what to do So it fortuned that one day in his melancholy mood hauing a Psalter in his hand to resolue his doubtfull mind he opened the same as if it were of that heauenly Oracle to aske counsell where in the first verse that he light vpoÌ„ was Dum coelestis dissociat reges niue conspergentur in Selmon When the Almightie scattered kings for their sakes then were they as white as snow in Selmon Which he applying to himselfe as if all those troubles and whatsoeuer else had happened in them proceeded from the will of God although for causes to him vnknowne hee by and by sought to reconcile himselfe vnto his nephew contrarie to the mind of Syrgiannes desiring nothing but trouble For as we haue before said the yoong prince although he was desirous of the power and libertie of an emperor yet he left the ornaments and care thereof vnto his grandfather had he not oftentimes and earnestly been egged forward by his companions to affect the whole empire happily could and would haue contented himselfe with the former pacification for being now sent for he came first to RHEGIVM and there visited his mother now set at libertie and sent thither for the furtherance of the desired pacification where he with her and by her counsell did whatsoeuer was there done So within a few daies the matter was brought into so good tearms that an attonement was made and he himselfe went and met the emperour his grandfather before the gates of the citie the old emperour sitting then vpon his horse and the prince lighting from his a good furlong before he came at him and although his grandfather was verie vnwilling and forbad him so to doe yet he came to him on foot and kissed his hand and foot as he sat on horesebacke and afterward taking horse embraced him and there kissed one another to the great contentment of the beholders and so hauing talked some few words departed the old man into the citie and the yoong man into his campe which then lay neere vnto PEGA where staying certaine daies he came diuers times into CONSTANTINOPLE and so went out againe for as then his mother partly for her health partly for the loue of her sonne lay at PEGA But Syrgiannes nothing glad of the agreement made betwixt the emperour and his nephew walked vp and downe sicke in mind with a heauie countenance especially for that in time of peace his busie head stood the commonweale in no stead Wherefore in all meetings assemblies he willingly conuersed with them which most disliked of the present state and spake hardly as well of the emperour as of his nephew wronged as he thought by them both whereas in the time of their greatest distresse hee had as hee said stood them in good stead But seeing one Asanes Andronicus walking melancholie vp and downe as a man with heauinesse oppressed who hauing done good seruice for the yoong prince and not of him regarded had fled vnto the old emperour and there found no such thing as he expected for the ease of his greefe although he were a man honourably borne and otherwaies indued with many good parts with him Syrgiannes acquainted himselfe as grieued with the like
might haue PRVSA with all the other prouinces about the same Which letters when Isa had read and saw that Mahomet offered him but titles for kingdomes and such countreys as were rather sometimes tributaries vnto their father Baiazet than any part of his kingdome and now of late by Tamerlane againe restored vnto their ancient libertie and gouernours sharing out the best and strongest part thereof vnto himselfe he brake forth into choler and said What doth not my fathers kingdome of right belong vnto me being the elder brother Mahomet is yet but a youth and scarce crept out of the shell by what right then can hee claime my fathers kingdome as his inheritance If he can by the sword win it let him take it and so hold it Mahomet hauing receiued this answere prepared himselfe to the field where his brother as readie as himselfe stood expecting his comming and hauing set his armie in order of battaile gaue the first charge which was the beginning of a most cruell and bloodie fight wherein as it commonly falleth out in doubtfull battailes many were on both sides slaine At last the fortune of Mahomet preuailing Isa his armie began to retire which he seeing left nothing vndone for the encouraging of his fainting souldiours which belonged to a politicke Generall or valiant souldiour to doe but pressing into the thickest of his enemies there with his own hand slew the antient and valiant captaine Eine Subbassa who had many times beene Generall of the footmen in old Baiazet his warres But what preuaileth courage against euill fortune Isa must either flie or die And therefore hauing done what he could in so desperate a case being himselfe on euerie side forsaken in the end was glad himselfe to flie to the sea side where finding a shippe readie bound for CONSTANTINOPLE he passed ouer thether in saftie and there yeelded himselfe vnto the protection of the Greeke emperour Emanuel In this chase Mahomet his souldiors tooke the valiant captaine Temurtases prisoner another of Baiazet his great commanders and brought him to Mahomet who in reuenge of the death of Eine commaunded his head presently to be smitten off and his bodie to be hanged vpon a tree by the hie way side Of this victorie Mahomet certified his brother Solyman at HADRIANOPLE and in token thereof sent him Temurtases his head This battaile was much spoken of both for that it was fought betwixt two brethren and also for the death of the two famous old captains Eine and Temurtases who both together as louing friends had fortunatly fought many great battels vnder Baiazet his ensignes and now as it were by destinie and against their wils without any priuat grudge were both drawne into contrarie factions and slaine both whilst they liued wishing a good peace betwixt the ambitious brethren But as the Turks vse to say What is by God written in a mans forehead before his birth cannot in his life be auoided After this victorie Mahomet thinking himselfe now in sure possession of all his fathers dominions in ASIA led his armie to PRVSA where he was of the citizens joyfully receiued as their Sultan and for his great bountie of all men highly commended and honoured From thence he went to NICE and so to NEAPOLIS and there in both places was likewise receiued Thether resorted vnto him all the garrisons of CARASINA SARVCHANIA and AIDINIA with other the inhabitants of those countries with all loyaltie submitting themselues vnto him with such honour and reuerence as belonged to their king All things thus sorting according to his desire in ASIA he sent to the prince Germean for the bodie of his father Baiazet and for his brother Musa which were there left by Tamerlane as is before declared This dead bodie was by the same prince at the request of Mahomet with great solemnitie sent to PRVSA and there sumptuously buried with all the Turkish obsequies and ceremonies the Turkish Alcoran or booke of their law being read seauen daies vpon his tombe All which time great cheere was kept for all commers and much giuen to the poore vpon the Turkish deuotion for Baiazet his soule but aboue all others exceeding bountie was extended to the posteritie of their prophet Mahomet which are knowne from others amongst the Mahometans by the colour of their apparell which is all greene and not lawfull to be worne of any but of them so that they were by the bountie of Mahomet at that time greatly enriched He also endowed the Abbey which his father had there lately built with great lands and possessions for the maintenance thereof All which things done and the solemnitie past he went in progresse to all parts of his kingdome and was in euerie place joyfully receiued and so afterward returned to AMASIA and there in great pleasure spent that summer Where we will for a while leaue him to see what Solyman his eldest brother in the meane time doth at HADRIANOPLE whose liuely countenance is by the skilfull workemans hand thus expressed Non malus es nisi te eneruet male suada voluptas Quaeque minus bello conuenit ingluuies Hospitio Mirxi fruitur iam Musa Valachi Ille tuum vigilat pronus in exitium IAC BOISARDVS Euill art thou not except leaud lust doe hasten on thy fall Or riot which beseemeth not a martiall man at all Thy brother Musa entertaind by Marke to thine annoy Doth take no rest but waiteth still how he may thee destroy Soliman the eldest sonne of Baiazet who kept his court at HADRIANOPLE there peaceably raigning all this while ouer the countries which his father Baiazet sometime possessed in EVROPE hearing what his brother Mahomet had done and how violently against all right hee had driuen Isa out of PRUSA and made him glad to flie to CONSTANTINOPLE was with this his outrageous dealing much offended and thereupon calling vnto him his Bassaes faithfull counsellors declared vnto them the vnnaturall proceedings of Mahomet against his brother Isa. Wherin said he he doth me also great wrong in taking vpon him the soueraignetie ouer those great dominions and countries in ASIA which of right belong to me his eldest brother and not to him the yongest of six In reuenge of which injurie and wrong I intend in mine owne right to passe ouer into ASIA with a strong armie and by force of armes to recouer mine inheritance there if I may not otherwise come by it Vnto which speech one of his graue counsellors replied That in his opinion it was not the best course for himselfe to goe in person into those wars For although said he your brother Mahomet be but young and therfore by your greatnesse lesse accounted of yet is his fortune great and his experience aboue his yeares None haue yet had to doe with him but they haue had ynough of him yea it is worth the noting how politickly he hath borne himselfe for his owne safetie and the safegard of the countries which he gouerned all
at all Wladus by his espials vnderstanding of this the manner of Mahomets encamping came in the dead time of the night and with all his power furiously assailed that quarter of the Turkes campe where the Asian souldiours lay and slew many of them in their tents the rest terrified with the suddennesse of the alarum fled out of their tents for refuge vnto the Europeian souldiours the prince following them at the heeles and entring into that quarter of the campe also did there great harme and strucke such a generall terrour and feare into all the Turks army that they were euen vpon the point to haue wholy forsaken their tents and betaken themselues to flight Yea Mahomet himselfe dismaied with the terrour of the night and tumult of his campe and fearing least the Hungarians had joyned their forces with the pâ—ince not knowing which way to turne himselfe had vndoubtedly fled had not Mahomet Bassa a man of great experience in martiall affaires persuaded him otherwise and by generall proclamation made through the campe That no man should vpon paine of death forsake the place wherein he was encamped slaied the flight and with much adoe enforced them to make head against the prince Wladus perceiuing the Turkes now to begin to stand vpon their guard and to make resistance after great slaughter made returning tooke the spoile of the tents forsaken by the Asian souldiours and vpon the approach of the day againe retired with victorie into the woods As soone as it was day Mahomet appointed Haly-Beg with certaine companies of select souldiours to pursue the Valachies who ouertaking part of the princes armie tooke a thousand of them prisoners and put the rest to flight all which prisoners were by the tyrants commaund presently put to the sword From that time Mahomet euerie night entrenched his army and caused better watch and warde to bee kept in euerie quarter of his campe than before As he marched along the countrey he came to the place where the Bassa and the secretarie were hanging vpon two high gibbets and the dismembred Turks empailed vpon stakes about them with which sight he was grieuously offended And passing on farther came to a plaine containing in breadth almost a mile and in length two miles set full of gallowes gibbets wheels stakes and other instruments of terrour death and torture all hanging full of the dead carkases of men women and children thereupon executed in number as was deemed about twentie thousand There was to be seene the father with his wife children and whole family hanging togither vpon one gallowes and the bodies of sucking babes sticking vpon sharpe stakes others with all their limbes broken vpon wheeles with many other strange and horrible kinds of death so that a man would haue thought that all the torments the Poets faigne to bee in hell had been there put in execution All these were such as the notable but cruell prince jealous of his estate had either for just desert or some probable suspition put to death and with their goods rewarded his souldiours whose cruell manner was togither with the offender to execute the whole family yea sometimes the whole kindred Mahomet although he was by nature of a fierce and cruell disposition wondred to see so strange a spectacle of extreame crueltie yet said no more but that Wladus knew how to haue his subjects at commaund After that Mahomet sent Iosephus one of his great captaines to skirmish with the Valachies who was by them put to the worse but by the comming in of Omares the sonne of Turechan they were againe in a great skirmish ouerthrowne and two thousand of their heads brought by the Turkes vpon their launces into the kings campe for which good seruice Omares was by the king preferred to be gouernour of THESSALIA When Mahomet had thus traced VALACHIA and hauing done what harme he could saw it to be to no purpose with such a multitude of men to hunt after his flying enemy which still kept the thicke woods or rough mountaines he returned againe to CONSTANTINOPLE leauing behind him Haly-beg with part of his army to prosecute that warre and with him Dracula the younger brother of Wladus who was also called Wladus as a stale to draw the Valachies into rebellion against the prince This Dracula the younger was of a little youth brought vp in Mahomets court and for his comely feature of him most passionatly affected which inordinat perturbation so preuailed in the intemperat nature of the lasciuious prince that he sought first by faire words and great gifts to corrupt the youth and not so preuailing attempted at last to haue forced him wherewith the noble youth being enraged drew his rapier and striking at him to haue slaine him grieuously wounded him in the thigh and thereupon fled Neuerthelesse being drawne backe againe to the court and pardoned he was afterwards reconciled to the king and so became his Ganimede and was of him long time wonderfully both beloued and honoured and now set vp for a stale as is before said for the Valachies his countreymen to gase vpon It fortuned that after the departure of the king diuers Valachies came to Haly-Beg the Turkish Generall to raunsome such friends of theirs as had been taken prisoners in those warres and were yet by him detained to whom the younger Dracula by way of discourse declaring the great power of the Turkish emperour and as it were lamenting the manifold and endlesse miseries of his natiue countrey cunningly imputed the same vnto the disordered gouernment of his cruell brother as the ground of all their woes assuring them of most happy and speedy redresse if the Valachies forsaking his fierce brother would cleaue vnto him as their soueraigne in speciall fauour with the great emperour Which speech he deliuered vnto them with such liuely reasons and in such effectuall tearmes that they their present persuaded by him and others by them in short time all as if it had been by a secret consent forsooke Wladus the elder brother and chose Dracula the younger brother to be their prince and soueraigne Who joyning vnto him the Turkes forces by the consent of Mahomet tooke vpon him the gouernment of that warlike countrey and people yet holding the same as the Turkish tyrants vassaile the readiest way to infidelitie Wladus seeing himselfe thus forsaken of all his subjects and his younger brother possessed of his dominion fled into TRANSYLVANIA where he was by the appointment of the Hungarian king apprehended and laied fast in strait prison at BELGRADE for that he had without just cause as it was laid to his charge most cruelly executed diuers Hungarians in VALACHIA yet such was his fortune after ten yeares hard imprisonment to be againe enlarged and honourably to die in battaile against his auntient enemies the Turks Mahomet returning out of VALACHIA to CONSTANTINOPLE sent the same fleete which hee had vsed in his late warres into the AEGEVM to take in such islands
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
kept in order and gouerned great speakers but small doers greater in shew than in deed The Great Master hauing carefully prouided and ordered all things needfull for defence of the citie and fearing nothing more than the faint hearts of the citisens caused them all to bee called together for encouragement of whom hee spake vnto them as followeth Valiant gentlemen and worthie citisens we heare that the Turke our mortall enemie is comming against vs with a huge armie raised of diuers nations from whose naturall crueltie and wonted periurie except we defend our selues by force one and the selfe same danger is like to befall me my knights and you all For wee haue with common consent and hand greeuously spoiled him both by sea and land and you are by booties taken by strong hand out of his dominions enriched and at this day we keepe his people in greeuous seruitude and he ours but he iniuriously and we most iustly For his ancestors wearie of the darke dennes and caues of the mountaine CAVCASVS their naturall dwelling without right title or cause incited onely with couetousnesse ambition and the hatred of our most sacred religion haue driuen the Christians out of SYRIA and afterwards oppressed the Grecians in GRECIA where not contented to haue destroied the people with one simple kind of death as barbarisme is euer cruell and mercilesse they haue with most exquisit and horrible torments butchered many thousands of that nation All whom this wicked proud youth whose mischeefe exceedeth his yeares aâ— euill neighbour to all men not contented with the dominions of ARABIA SYRIA AEGIPT the greatest part of ASIA and of many other places moe seeketh in tyrannie murther spoile periurie and hatred against Christ and Christians farre to excell and forceth himselfe to the vttermost of his power to take from vs our Islands and to subdue the Christian countries that so at length being lord of all and commaunder of the World he may at his pleasure ouerthrow the Christian cities kill the Christians and vtterly root out the Christian name which he so much hateth For the repulsing of which intollerable iniurie we haue especially chosen this Island of the RHODES for our dwelling place because the same seemed more commodious than any other for the annoying of this barbarous nation We haue done what in vs lay holpen by you we know by proofe your great valor and fidelitie which we now haue not in any distrust Wherefore I will not vse many words to persuade you to continue in your fidelitie and loyaltie neither long circumstance to encourage you to play the men sithence worthie minds are not with words either encouraged or dismaied But concerning my selfe and my knights of the Order I will speake a few words I wiâ—â— them with whom as I hope the Christian princes and other my knights of the West will in good time ioine their forces are most readie and prest to defend your selues your children your wiues your goods the monuments of your ancestours and sacred temples dedicated to the seruice of our God Which opinion that it may remaine firme and fix in your minds if nothing els my faithfulnesse in your warres my bodie not yet altogether spent but able enough to endure paines and trauell the nobilitie of these worthie knights of the Order their loue towards you and their hatred towards your enemies were sufficient to confirme but beside this the strength of this citie which this noble Order hath with infinit charges so notably fortified with ditches wals towers and bulwarkes against all the force and furie of artillerie is such that no citie may worthely be compared much lesse preferred before the same It is wonderfully stored with all kind of weapons and war like prouision we haue laid vp plentie of wine flesh and corne in vaults so that neither wet weather nor wormes can attaint the same of wood and wholesome water not to be taken from vs things necessarie for men besieged we haue plentie and able men ynow for the defence of the citie All which things promise vnto vs assured victorie and such end of the warre as we wish for Besides this Necessitie which giueth courage euen vnto cowards will enforce vs to fight Yet standeth on our side true religion faith conscience deuotion constancie the loue of our countrey the loue of our libertie the loue of our parents wiues children and whatsoeuer els we hold deare Wheras they bring with them the proud commaund of their captaines infidelitie impietie vnconstancie a wicked desire of your bondage of your bloud and the bloud of your parents wiues and children Out of doubt beloued citisens our good God will not suffer so many good vertues to be ouercome by their foule vices Wherefore be you in minds quiet and secure and trouble not your selues with forboding feare of your enemies onely continue in the fidelitie and loyaltie which you haue alwaies kept inuiolat and vnspotted toward this sacred and honourable fellowship in most dangerous wars and hardest chances of fortune and if need shall so require with courageous hand shew your valour against your enemies and 〈◊〉 it knowne vnto the Spaniards French Italians Hungarians and English That the Rhodians are of power to daunt the Turkish pride and to auert their fleets and armies from ITALIE which they haâ—e so many yeares threatened with fire and sword and will no doubt thither with all speed hasten and come if that which my mind abhorreth to speake they should here preuaile Neither will this ambitious youth in courage falshood and crueltie exceeding Hanniball imitate him in that that hauing ouerthrowne the Romanes in the great battell at â—ANNAS knew not to vse his victorie but he will presently with more than Caesarsâ—eleritie â—eleritie bring forth the treasures his father got in AEGIPT and with great fleets and huge armies inuade APVLIA CALABRIA and SICILIA from whence he will forthwith breake into FRANCE and afterwards into SPAINE and other Christian countries raging through them with all kind of crueltie But I am caried away further than I purposed and than need is For your fidelitie and valor most worthie citisens to endure the siege and repulse the enemie is such as needeth not my persuasion and of greater resolution than that it can be shaken with the dangers incident to men besieged Yet the greatest and most forcible miseries of all which is hunger and thirst I assure you you shall neuer feele which pinching calamities for all that some people in faithfulnesse courage and valour nothing comparable to you haue neuerthelesse most constantly endured For they of PETELINVM besieged by the Carthaginensians for want of victuall thrust their parents and children out of the citie the longer to hold out the siege and liued themselues with hides and leather sod or broiled and leaues of trees and manie other homely things by the space of eleuen months and could not be ouercome vntill they wanted strength longer to stand vpon the wals and to
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
all such strong places as were yet for him holden he surrendered them to Basta and so forthwith honourably accompanied put himselfe vpon his way towards the emperour After whose departure out of TRANSYLVANIA all that prouince voluntarily and without more adoe yeelded to Basta as to the emperours lieutenant who presently called an assembly of all the Nobilitie of the countrey taking of them an oath for their obedience and loyaltie vnto the emperor Thus by the wisedome and prowesse of this worthy commaunder is the countrey of TRANSYLVANIA once againe brought vnder the emperours obeysance a matter of far greater importance than to haue woon the strongest citie the Turke holdeth in HVNGARIE But whilest things thus passed in TRANSYLVANIA great troubles arise also in VALACHIA the country next adjoyning for that the people of that prouince not able longer to endure the great insolencie of the Turks who after the death of Michaell had by their power made one Hieremias Vayuod there by a generall consent tooke vp armes and proclaiming one Radol a fauourit of the Emperours Vayuod chased Hieremias before placed by the Turkes quite out of the countrey who flying vnto Simon Palatine of MOLDAVIA his friend by his meanes and the helpe of the Turkes returning into VALACHIA draue out thence Radol againe who being now at this present with Basta with about ten thousand Valachians his followers earnestly requested of him now that hee was so quietly possessed of TRANSYLVANIA to helpe him with his forces for the recouerie of VALACHIA And Basta well considering how much it concerned the quiet and sure keeping of the possession of TRANSYLVANIA for the Emperour to haue that so neere a prouince to friend easily yeelded to his request and gaue him a great regiment of his old approoued souldiors and so sent him away to recouer his estate with whom at his entrance into VALACHIA the Moldauian meeting with a great power both of his owne and of the Turkes come thither in the fauour of Hieremias there was fought betwixt them a most terrible and bloudie battell the glorie whereof fell vnto Radol he carrying away the victorie In which battell two of the Turkes Bassaes were there slaine with a great numbers of others both of the Moldauians and Turkes After which victorie Radol recouered againe the soueraigntie of VALACHIA for which he was beholden to Basta and shortly after with the same aid cut in peeces a great power of the Tartars that were comming to haue aided the Moldauian Now in the meane time in HVNGARIE also passed many an hot skirmish betwixt the Christians and the Turkes whose garrisons at BVDA and other places in the lower HVNGARIE attempting to haue surprised ALBA REGALIS and discouered by the Christians were with great slaughter enforced to retire At which time also Countie Serinus vnderstanding by his espials that the Turkes with two hundred waggons with munition and victuals were going to CANISIA vpon the sudden set vpon them and hauing slaine and put to flight the conuoy that guarded them carried the waggons with all that was in them away with him And shortly after the free Haiduckes of COMARA in a great partie going out towards BVDA to seeke after bootie and hauing taken threescore Turkes prisoners and so with them about to haue returned home vnderstanding by the way that Ali sometime the Bassa of BVDA and now gouernour of PESTH was with a small retinue about to come downe the riuer Danubius from BVDA towards BELGRADE there to meet the Visier Bassa but then comming into HVNGARIE they slew all their prisoners and hauing got two small boats about fifteene miles beneath BVDA lay in wait for the Bassa who according to their expectation comming downe the riuer was by these aduenturers fiercely assailed and of his thirtie followers hauing foureteene slaine being himselfe also shot in two places of his bodie was there with a great bootie taken and so brought to COMARA and shortly after presented vnto Matthias the archduke at VIENNA who amongst other things certainely enformed him that Hassan Bassa was with a great armie by the commaundement of the great Sultan Mahomet comming to besiege ALBA REGALIS and that he was now vpon his way as farre as BELGRADE presently sent thither the Countie Isolan gouernour thereof who with much adoe got into the citie the Turkes hauing alreadie taken all the passages to haue hindered the Christians from putting either men or munition more than was therein alreadie Howbeit the Countie now got in there and being no lesse good enginer than a valiant commaunder caused all them in the citie to labour vpon the rampiers so that beside the naturall situation thereof which was very strong hee had in short time so fortified it as that in most mens judgement it seemed a place almost impregnable This Ali Bassa was sometime the Great Turkes butler but after the taking of AGRIA made Bassa of BVDA which great place he held but three moneths being by the enuie and ambition of some but especially of Amurath Bassa remoued thence and made gouernour of PESTH from whence now going downe the riuer to BELGRADE it was his fortune to be thus taken by the Haiduckes vnto whom hee offered for his ransome three hundred thousand Sultanines and had with him when he was taken seuentie thousand duckats Mahomet the great Sultan not a little troubled with the losse of ALBA REGALIS taken from him by the Christians the last yeare and now resolued for the recouerie of the same to engage if need should be a great part of his forces had caused an armie of aboue an hundred thousand strong to meet together at HADRIANOPLE for that purpose vnder the leading of Mahomet Bassa otherwise called Sardar Bassa an Albanois and one of the chiefe Visiers to bee sent into HVNGARIE Who by the way of BELGRADE comming to BVDA and from thence to ALBA REGALIS there the twelfth of August encamped as he had oftentimes before threatened with the multitude of his tents couering all the countrey round about as if it had beene a white snow where hauing well entrenched himselfe and planted his artillerie he began a most terrible and furious batterie in such sort as if he had not meant to haue made a breach onely but to haue beaten the citie euen from the face of the earth which seemed now to tremble vnder his feet and the clouds to rent with the thundering of his great ordinance and for that the marish and deepe ditches were a great let vnto his men for to come vnto the assault he caused them with the number of his pioners to be filled vp a worke thought almost impossible and so brought on his men to assault the counterscarfe which the gouernour had caused to be made before the citie for the better defence thereof which assault cost him much bloud by reason of the wonderfull valour of the defendants yet in the end the great number of the Turkes preuailing the Christians were
râ—nâ—ing of the league 391 a. in danger 398 h. Scanderbeg dieth 402 m. buried at Lissa 403 a. his bones digged vp by the Turks and of them greatly honoured 404 h Scodra besieged by Solyman Bassa 411 e. relieued by Matthias king of Hungarie 412 h. a yearely fee appointed by Mahomet to one to put him daily in mind of the siege of Scodra i. Scodra the second time besieged by Mahomet the great 415 e. sore battered 418 i. the fourth time assaulted 419 e. twelue thousand Turks slaine in this last assault 420 m. most furiously the fift time assaulted by the Turks 421. by composition yeelded vnto the Turk 426 k. the Scriuano rebelleth against the Turke in Caramania and giueth Mehemet Bassa a notable ouerthrow 1134 g. in a great battell ouerthroweth him againe the next yeare with an armie of fiftie thousand Turks 1142 h. hauing ouerrun a great part of the Turks dominions in Asia dieth 1150 g. his younger brother steppeth vp in his stead and in a great battell ouerthroweth Hassan Bassa and killeth him 1150 h Selymus ambitious and of a turbulent spirit and therefore of the Ianizaries and men of warre better beloued than his other brethren 478 l. aided by Mahometes the Tartar king riseth against his aged father 479 b. coloureth his rebellious purpose with the inuasion of Hungarie 480 g. marcheth with his armie towards Hadâ—ianople 481 e. in a great battell ouerthrowne and put to flight by his father Baiazet at Tzurulum 486 h. by the persuasion of the Bassaes by his father sent for home 491 c. chosen Generall by his father to go against his rebellious brother Achomates is by and by after by the Ianizaries saluted Emperour 494 g. causeth his father to be poysoned 495 d. putteth three of his fathers pages to death for mourning for their master 496 h. bountifully rewardeth the souldiours of the Court. 499 c. murthereth fiue of his brothers sonnes 500 g. causeth Corcutus his brother to be strangled 502 h. treason intended against him discouered 503 a. craueth aid of Aladeules and the other mountaine princes against the Persians 507 c. Selymus perplex ed. 508 i. receiueth great losse in passing the riuer Euphrates 513 c. he and Hysmaell compared together 515 d. Selymus with a great armie entereth into Armenia and taketh Ciamassum a city of the Persian kings 518 k. vanquisheth Aladeules the mountaine king putteth him to death and conuerteth his kingdome into the forme of a prouince 520 l. inuadeth Hungarie 521 b. sendeth his embassadours with presents to Campson the Aegiptian Sultan 525 f. encourageth his souldiors to go against the Mamalukes 526 h. passeth the mountaine Amanus and commeth into Comagena l. in the battell of Sing a ouerthroweth the Mamalukes 530 g. in doubt least Sinan Bassa had been lost becommeth exceeding melancholie 536 k. meeteth with Sinan Bassa at Gaza 537 c. passeth the sandie desarts and meeteth with Tomombeius at Rhodanus 538 c. giueth him battell and putteth him to flight 540 m. encourageth his souldiors to the winning of Caire 544 l. fighteth a great and mortall battell with the Mamalukes in the citie of Caire 545 b. causeth the citie to be set on fire e. putteth Tomombeius and the Mamalukes to flight and so taketh the citie 546 i. his embassadors sent to Tomombeius slain by the Mamalukes 548 k. ouerthroweth Tomombeius againe at the riuer of Nilus 550 h. causeth him being taken to be tortured and put to death l. cunningly reduceth the Arabians to his obedience 553 b. purposing to turne his forces vpon the Christians is strucke in the backe with a canker 561 a. his death concealed by Ferat Bassa 567 c Selymus the second by the Ianizaries saluted Emperour 827 c. appeaseth the tumultuous Ianizaries 828 g. sendeth Cubates his embassadour to Venice to demaund Cyprus of the Senat. 841 c. rageth to haue it denied him 842 m. be inuadeth the Venetians 845 e. in his rage about to haue put to death all the Christians in his dominious 885 f. sendeth out Vluzales his Admirall with two hundred gallies against the Christians 888 l. desirous of peace concludeth the same with the Venetians 904 k. by his Bassaes taketh Guletta from the Spaniards and the citie of Tunes 915 d. dieth c. Serinus Gouernour of Sigeth 821 e. his comfortable and resolute speech vnto his souldiours 822 g. burneth the new towne not now to be longer defended and retireth into the old i. his last speech vnto his souldiors 823 d. slaine and his head sent to Countie Salma f. the Seruians in mutinie amongst themselues are with a great slaughter ouerthrowne by the Turks 192 i Seruia becommeth tributarie vnto the Turks 192. wholly yeelded vnto the Turks 356 Ssetigrade besieged by Amurath 316 l. in vaine diuers times by the Turks assaulted 319 b. by the working of a traitor Amurath hath the strong citie yeelded vp vnto him 321 f Sigismund King of Hungarie with the Christian princes his confederats with a great armie inuadeth the Turks dominions 205 b. his proud speech vpon the greatnesse of his armie d. in a great battell ouerthrowne by Baiazet at Nicopolis 206 h. hardly escapeth himselfe by flight i. Sigismund prince of Transyluania in danger by his owne subiects to haue beene betrayed vnto the Tartars 1046 l. the conspirators apprehended and executed 1047 d. giueth his subiects leaue to spoile the Turkes c. entereth into a confederation with the Emperour 1048 k. persuadeth Michaell the Vayuod of Valachia and Aaron the Palatine of Moldauia to reuolt from the Turk 1049 e. sendeth Aaron the Palatine with his wife and sonne prisoners to Prage 1062 l. marrieth Maria Christina the late Archduke Charles his daughter 1072 k. ouerthroweth thirtie thousand Turks comming as vnbidden guests to his marriage l. in a great battell ouerthroweth Sinan Bassa with his Turks 1073 e. receiueth the Zaculians into his protection and hath from them great aid 1074 m. putteth Sinan Bassa to slight 1075 d. by force taâ—keth Tergouista from the Turks f. taketh also Bucaresta 1076 i. goeth vnto the Emperour at Prage 1088 g. besiegeth Temâ—swar 1092 g. with eighteene thousand men commeth to the aid of Maximilian the Archduke going to haue relieued Agria 1096 l. doubting the power of the Turke resigneth his principalitie of Transyluania vnto the Emperour 1100 k. repenting himselfe returneth again into Transyluania and taketh vpon him the gouernment 1106 g. by his embassadours offereth againe his principalitie vnto the Emperour 1109 d. in a great battell ouerthrowne together with the Moldauian by Michaell the Vayuod of Valachia 1122 h. by the fauour of the Nobilitie recouereth his state again in Transyluania 1139 d. in battell ouerthrowne by Basta and Michaell the Vayuod flieth out of Transyluania 1140 i. by the fauor of his subiects and countenance of the Polonians recouereth againe his state 1142 g. doubting how to be able to hold it against the Imperials yeeldeth it by composition vnto Bassa the Emperours lieutenant and goeth himselfe vnto the Emperour 1143 c
c. after the death of young Bohemund created King of Antioch 26 i Tarsus in Cilicia yeelded vnto Baiazet 446 m. Tartar Han his letters vnto the King of Polonia 1083 c Tauris yeelded to Selymus 512 c. who contrarie to his promise exacteth a great summe of money from the Taurisians and so departeth 513 a. sacked by Solyman 651 f. taken by the Turks 991 d. hath a new castle therin built by the Turks in six and thirtie daies 992 i. miserably spoiled l. Taurica Cheâ—sonesuâ— with the Tartars Precopenses and Dâ—steâ—ces subdued by the Turks 412 m Techellis inuadeth the Turks dominions 469 c. ouerthroweth Orchanes and Mahometes Baiazet his nephewes 471. discomfiteth Caragoses the Viceroy of Natolia 472 i. killeth Alis Bassa 474 l. flieth into Armenia 475â— robbeth a Carauan of marchants and therefore burnt at Tauris 476 h. Temeswar taken by the Turks 756 g Temurtases Baiazet his lieutenant in Asia taken prisoner by Aladin the young King of Caramania 208 k. againe set at libertie hangeth the Caramanian King m. Teufenbach taketh Sabatska 1026 k. winneth Filek 1027 c. besiegeth Hatwan 1032 g. ouerthroweth the Bassa of Buda h. giueth the same Bassa a second ouerthrow 1037 f Theobald King of Nauarre maketh an vnfortunat expedition into the Holy land 99 f. with Lewis the French King goeth against the Moores 118 k. in his returne dieth of the plague in Sicilia l. Theodorus Lascaris flieth into Bythinia and possessing himselfe of many countries taketh vpon him the name of the Greeke Emperour at Nice 84 l. he killeth Iatâ—atines the Turkish SultaÌ„ 87 c Theodorus Lascaris son to Iohn Batases chosen Emperour 108 m. aideth the Sultan of Iconium 109. c. falleth sicke and dieth 110 g Theupulus Earle of Paphos vnworthily hanged by the faithlesse Bassa Mustapha 867 d Thracia spoiled by the Turks 156 g Tomombeius by the generall consent of the Mamalukes chosen Sultan of Aegipt 533 d. maketh great preparation against the Turks and seeketh to entrap them 538 g. his deuices discouered i. he fighteth a great battell with Selymus and is put to the worse 540 m. raiseth new forces at Caire 541 c. fortifieth Caire 542 k. fighteth a great battell in the citie 545 b. ouercome flieth 546 h. driuen out of Caire raiseth new forces in Segesta 547 d. distresseth the Turks in passing the bridge made ouer Nilus 549 b. giueth anotable attempt to haue gained the bridge f. repulsed and put to flight 550 i. taken and brought to Selymus l. tortured and shamefully put to death m. Trapezond yeelded to Mahomet the Great 360 k. Transyluania giuen by Solyman to the child King Iohn his sonne 716 l Tripolis in Barbarie besieged by Sinan Bassa 753 a. battered b. the weakest places thereof and â—ittest to be battered by a fugitiue Christian discouered to the Turks d. vpon hard conditions yeelded to the proud and faithlesse Bassa 755 d Tunes besieged by Lewis the French king 119 a. yeelded to Charles the Emperour 667 c. by him vpon an easie tribute againe restored to Mulcasses 669 d. againe yeelded to the Turks 915 d. Turks their originall beginning diuersly reported 1 c. discended from the Scythians 2 b. the causes why they left their auntient and naturall seats in Scythia to seeke for other in countries more Southerly 2 l. where they first seated themselues in Asia after their departure out of Scythia 3 b. their first kingdome erected in Persia by Tangrolipix their first Sultan 4 l. the Turks first called into Europe by the Catalonians 152 g. they differ not from the Persian about the interpretation of their law but about the true successor of their false prophet Mahomet only 462 i. Turqueminus chosen Sultan of Aegipt 106 h. Tzihanger refuseth the noble Mustapha his brothers wealth treasure offered him by his father Solyman and for sorrow killeth himselfe 763 e V VAlachia when first spoiled by the Turks 204 g. inuaded by Mahomet the Great 362 g. oppressed by the Turks 1050 h. in great troubles 1143 d Valmes fortified by Mahomet the Great 402 g. Valetta the Grand master of Malta aduertised of Solymans purpose for the inuasion of him his knights 793 f. his effectuall speech vnto his knights 794 g. his great preparation against the Turks comming k. his whole strength 796 g. he certifieth Garzias of Toledo Viceroy of Sicilia of his estate l. sendeth a new supplie into the castle S. Elmo twice before assaulted by the Turks 798 g. disappointed of a supplie to haue beene brought him by his owne gallies h. his letters to Garzias the Viceroy of Sicilia 800 g. he sendeth three of his knights to know the state of them in the castle S. Elmo 801 e. encourageth his souldiors after the losse of the castle 803 c. his Christianlike letters to the Gouernor of the citie of Melita â— his resolute answere to the messengers sent vnto him from the great Bassa 804 i. he receiueth a small supply from Sicilia 805 f. maketh hard shift to send newes of his distresse to the Viceroy of Sicilia 808 l. his comfortable speech vnto his souldiors at such time as the Turks were entered the new citie 814 h. his great carefulnesse 817 e. his letters to the Grand Prior of Almaine concerning the manner of the Turks proceedings in the siege of Malta 818 g Venerius the Venetian Admirall and Barbadicus their prouiditor persuade the rest of the Christian confederats to giue battell vnto the Turks at Lepanto 871 d. comming to the reliefe of Don Iohn is encountered by Partau Bassa 879 a. in danger b. at the request of the Spaniards displaced but not disgraced 887 e the Venetians with a great fleet spoile the coasts of Lycia Pamphilia and Cilicia 19 a. in the deuision of the Greeke Empire amongst the Latines had for their share all the rich islands of the Aegeum and Ionian with the famous island of Candie or Crete 84 h. enter into confederation with other Christian princes against the Turke 389 e. they with their confederates doe the Turks great harme 407 d. receiue a great ouerthrow from the Turks at the riuer of Sontium 414 k. their marchants in Syria imprisoned by Campson Gauruâ— the Aegiptian Sultan 471 b. their Senatours diuersly affected towards the confederation with the Emperour and the French King against Solyman 693 d. they refuse to yeeld vp Cyprus vnto Selymus demanding the same 841 e. make great preparation for their own defence and craue aid of the other Christian princes 842 k. what princes promised them aid l. wearie of the delaies and crosse dealing of the Spaniards their confederats conclude a peace with Selymus without their knowledge 904 k. Veradinum besieged by the Turks 1106 h relieued by the lord Basta l. Vesprinium taken by the Turks 1025 c Vfegi Bassa taken prisoner 500 l. put to death 501 b Vicegrâ—de taken by the Christians 1072 i Victor Capella with a notable speech persuadeth the Venetians to take vp arms against Mahomet the Great 387 a Vienna by Solyman