him that by the help of his own Favorites and the countenance of Boniface Marquess of Mont-Ferrat who even then was come with a great Power into Syria he extorted from the Nobility whatsoever he desired But seven months were scarce well passed but that this young King Baldwin was dead and buried poysoned as was reported by his Mother for the desire she had of the Kingdom her self whose death she with all secrecy concealed until she had obtained of the Patriarch and other Princes of the Kingdom that Guy her Husband might be proclaimed King. So by her means it was so wrought that upon one and the self same day the young King Baldwin was buried by his Uncle and Guy the Count Crowned This young King Baldwin by reason of his tender years and short Reign is of some not reckoned amongst the Kings of Ierusalem howbeit seeing he was by his Uncle and the Princes of that time thought worthy of the Kingdom let him also have his place amongst the rest as the Eighth King of Ierusalem When Guy was thus possessed of the Kingdom the Count of Tripolis seeing himself out of all hope of the Government and highly therewith discontended did what he might by all means to cross the doings of the King whose sick and aspiring mind Saladin prickt daily more and more forward promising him his helping hand whensoever he should need which courtesie the Count desirously embraced For now the fatal period of the Kingdom of Ierusalem grew fast on and all things tended to destruction discord reigning in every place which Saladin well perceiving after that he had compacted with the Count by Messengers sent of purpose invited the Turks Sarasins and Aegyptians as men agreeing in one and the same Religion generally to take up Arms in so fit an opportunity of the discord of the Christians assuring them of great prey and spoil besides the Honour of the Conquest The City of Ptolemais was the place by him appointed where all this Power should meet whether such a multitude of the barbarous Mahometans partly for the hatred of the Christian Religion partly for the hope of the rich spoil which Saladin had promised them came flocking out of all places that in short time there was met together about fifty thousand Horsemen besides an infinite number of Foot and unto such as could not safely pass by the borders of Ierusalem to them the false Count gave safe conduct by the Countries of Tiberias Nazareth and Galilee All the Power of the Infidels thus assembled Saladin laid siege unto the City of Ptolemais which the Templars and the Knights Hospitallers had notably fortified and strongly manned as before unto them given by the Kings of Ierusalem to defend against the Infidel and therein now were both the Masters of both those honourable Orders with the whole flower of the Knights of their Profession Unto this City Saladin gave a most terrible Assault upon May-day in the morning in the year 1187. which was by the Christians notably defended year 1187. and the Enemy with great slaughter still beaten down In the heat of this Assault the two great Masters sallied with certain Troops of their most ready Horsemen assailed the Enemies Camp and bearing down all before them raised there a great tumult and by and by turning upon the backs of them that were assaulting the City made there an exceeding great slaughter Insomuch that Saladin dismaid first with the confusion in his Camp and now with the sudden danger behind him was glad to give over the Assault and to turn his whole Forces upon them where was fought a most bloody and terrible battel Amongst others that there fought the Count of Tripolis now an Enemy unto God and his Country disguised in the habit of a Turk notably helped the Infidels and meeting with the great Master of the Knights Hospitalers unhorsed him who surcharged with the weight of his Armor and oppressed with the multitude of his Enemies there died Nevertheless such was the valour of these worthy men and new Succour still coming out of the City that Saladin having in that battel and at the Assault lost fifteen thousand of his Turks was glad with the rest to betake himself to flight Neither was this so notable a Victory gained by the Christians without blood most part of the worthy Knights Hospitalers being together with their grand Master there slain Saladin by this Overthrow perceiving that by open Force he should not be able to do much against the Christians thought it good unto his Forces to joyn also Policy Wherein the false Count of Tripolis was the man he thought best to make choice of as his fittest Instrument to work by Him he compacted withall to seek for grace at the King of Ierusalems hands as of his dread Soveraign and after so long discord to sue to be reconciled unto him as now weary of the Turks Amity with whom he should make shew to be utterly fallen out At which time also to give the matter the better grace Saladin of purPose with a great Army came and besieged Tiberias a City of the Counts Jurisdiction for the relief whereof the traiterous Count craved Aid of the King and the other Princes of the Sacred War. Who with an Army though not great yet very well appointed came according to his desire and encamped near unto the Fountain of Sophor where they had not long stayed but that they met with the huge Army of the Turks being in number one hundred and twenty thousand horse and one hundred and sixty thousand Foot with whom they joyned a most sharp and terrible battel which by reason of the extremity of the heat of the weather it then being the twelfth of Iuly and the approach of the night was again given over both Armies as if it had been by consent retiring The next day the battel was again begun wherein the Turks by the treason and shameful flight of the false Count of Tripolis gained the Victory In this Battel Guy the King himself with Gerard Master of the Templars Boniface Marquess of Mont-Ferrat and divers others Men of great mark were taken Prisoners And to say the truth in this Battel was broken the whole Strength of the Christians in the East The Christian Commonweal by the Treason of the false Count thus betrayed unto the Infidels Saladin without any great resistance had the Cities of Ptolemais Biblis and Berithus delivered unto him in all which places he used his Victory with great moderation not enforcing any Christian more than the Latines to depart thence but suffering them there still to remain as before yielding unto him their obedience with such Tribute as he had imposed upon them With like good fortune he within the space of one Month took all the Port-towns betwixt Sidon and Ascalon alongst the Sea-coast excepting only the ancient City of Tyre unto the City of Ascalon also he laid Siege by the space of nine days but
Germany Frederick the Third Arch-Duke of Austria 1440. 54. Maximilian the Third 1494 25. Kings Of England Edward the Fourth 1460. 22. Edward the Fifth 148â— 0. Richard the Third 1483. 3. Henry the Seventh 1485. 24. Henry the Eighth 1509. 38. Of France Lewis the Eleventh 1461. 22. Charles the Eighth 1483. 14. Lewis the Twelfth 1567. 17. Of Scotland James the Third 1460. 29. James the Fourth 1489. 25. Bishops of Rome Xystus the IV. 1471. 13. Innocentius the VIII 1484. 8. Alexander the VI. 1492. 11. Pius the III. 1503. 26 days Jullus the II. 1503. 9. En Selymus scelere ante alios immanâ—or omnes In Patris et Eratrum dirigit arâ—â—a necem In Persas movet inde ferox Memphilica Regna Destruiâ—â—el Syros Aethiopasque domat Hinc in Christiâ—olaâ— irarum effundere fluctus Ipsorumque uno vertere regna parat Cum diro victus prosternitur ulcere Christus Scilicet est populi portus et aura sui Lo Selymus the vilest of the Othoman brood Embrud his hands in Father's Brothers bloud Persian Egyptian Syrian and Moore Submit their Scepters to his insolent pow'r But when the Christians Realms he vainly thought To speedy desolation to have brought A mortall ulcer seizd him to make knowne The great Messiah can protect his owne The LIFE of SELYMUS First of that NAME The THIRD and most WARLIKE Emperor of the Turks THIS Selymus by favour of the great Bassaes and Men of War whom he had before corrupted year 1512. having deprived his Father Bajazet first of the Empire and shortly after of his Life also and now fully possessed of the Empire himself first took view of the Treasures which the Turkish Kings and Emperors his Ancestors had before of long time heaped up in great abundance out of which he gave unto the Souldiers of the Court two millions of Ducats and for a perpetual remembrance of his thankfulness towards them augmented their daily wages allowing unto every Horsemâ—n four Aspers a day and to every Footman two above their wonted allowance By which exceeding bounty he greatly assured unto himself the minds of the Men of War. Shortly after he passed over with a great Army into Asia leaving the government of the Imperial City of Constantinople unto his only Son Solyman and marching into Galatia came to the City of Ancyra in hope there to have oppressed his elder Brother Achomates But he understanding before of his coming withal wisely considering how unable he was to withstand his Forces fled before into the Mountains of Cappadocia upon the Confines of Armenia taking up men by the way as he went and praying aid of all sorts of People yea even of such as were but of small ability themselves and unto him meer Strangers that so he might in best manner he could provide such strength as might serve him to make head against his Brother and for the recovery of Asia Selymus having spent that Summer without doing any thing worth the speaking of and considering that he could not well winter in that cold Country near unto the great Mountain Taurus by reason of the deep Snows and extream cold there usually falling and that to go farther was to no purpose forasmuch as Achomates flying from place to place and Mountain to Mountain was not to be surprised he retired back again into Bithynia and sending his Europeian Horsemen down to the Sea-coast and the Janizaries to Constantinople resolved to winter with the rest of his Army at Prusa At which time being wholly bent against Achomates his Competitor of the Empire he for certain years continued the League which his Father Bajazet had before concluded with Uladislaus King of Hungary Sigismundus King of Polonia and the Venetians And thinking no care no not of Children superfluous which might concern the establishing of his Empire he called unto him five of his Brothers Sons Orchanes the Son of Alem Scach Mahometes the Son of Tzian Scach Orchanes Emirsa and Musa the Sons of his Brother Mahometes all young Princes of great hope of years betwixt sixteen and twenty excepting Musa who was not past seven years old Of all these Mahometes whom his Uncle Achomates had a little before taken Prisoner at Larenda as is before declared and upon the death of Bajazet had again set him at liberty being about twenty years old was for rare Fonture and Princely Courage accounted the Paragon and Beauty of the Othoman Family which great perfection as it won unto him the love and favour of the Men of War and also of all the People in general so did it hasten his speedy death only Selymus his cruel Uncle envying at his life After he had got these poor innocents into his hands he sent for divers of his great Doctors and Lawyers demanding of them Whether it were not better that some five eight or ten persons should be taken away than that the State of the whole Empire should with great effusion of Blood be rent in sunder and so by civil Wars be brought in danger of utter ruin and destruction Who although they well perceived whereunto that bloody question tended yet for fear 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 Civil War and Discord be brought to confusion in which general calamity those few must also of necessity perish with the rest Upon colour of this answer and the necessity pretended he commanded these his Nephews before named to be led by five of his great Captains into the Castle of Prusa where they were all the night following most cruelly strangled It is reported that Mahometes with a Pen-knife slew one of the bloody Executioners sent into his Chamber to kill him and so wounded the other as that he fell down for dead and that Selymus being in a Chamber fast by and almost an Eye-witness of that was done presently sent in others who first bound the poor Prince and afterward strangled him with the rest whose dead bodies were buried at Prusa amongst their Ancestors The cruelty of this Fact wonderfully offended the minds of most men insomuch that many even of his Martial men filled with secret indignation for certain days absented themselves from his presence shunning his sight as if he had been some fierce or raging Lion. Of all the Nephews of old Bajazet only Amurat and Aladin the Sons of Achomates yet remained year 1513. whom he purposed to surprise upon the suddain and so to rid himself of all fear of his Brothers Children having then left none of the Othoman Family but them and his two Brethren upon whom to exercise his further Cruelty These two young Princes had a little before recovered the City of Amasia from whence they were the Summer before expulsed by their Uncle Selymus at such time as Achomates their Father was glad to flie into the Mountains of Cappadocia Selymus fully resolved upon their destruction sent
if it had been but to look to his charge when he was come as near as he could to Alis without mistrust thought good to assay if he could by policy bring that to pass which he was otherwise with great danger to attempt by force Wherefore feigning himself to be extream sick he sent Embassadors to Alis requesting him as a friend to vouchsafe to come unto him being at the point of death unto whom he had many things of importance from the great Emperor to impart and would if he should die leave with him all his charge until Solyman should otherwise dispose thereof Alis who from his youth had always honoured the Turkish Emperors and faithfully served them mistrusting no harm came to the Bassa accompanied with his four Sons whom the faithless Bassa without regard of infamy caused presently to be put to death with their Father and so reducing all that Country into the manner of a Province under Solymans obeisance came to him with twenty thousand Men about the time that the City of the Rhodes was yielded up This is the faithless dealing of the Turks not with the Christians only but with them of their own superstition also using it as no small policy utterly to extinguish the Nobility of all Countries subject to their servile Tyranny Solyman after he had thus subdued the Rhodes and disposed of the Island as he liked best returning to Constantinople brake up his Army and for the space of three years after followed his pleasure not doing any thing worthy of remembrance During which time and many years after the rich and flourishing Country of Italy sometime Mistress of the World was miserably afflicted and rent in pieces by Charles the Fifth then Emperor and Francis the French King the one envying unto the other the glory of the Empire and he not content therewith seeking with immoderate ambition to make himself Lord of all Italy 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 War to the great trouble and sore weakning of the Christian Common-weal Whereupon Solyman waiting all occasions that might serve for the enlarging of his Empire and annoying of the Christians thought it not a fit time for him to set his foot into Hungary whereunto he had already laied open a way by the taking of Belgrade He knew right well that Lewis then King of Hungary was but young altogether unacquainted with the Wars commanding over his headstrong Subjects especially his rich Prelates and Nobility no otherwise than pleased themselves being himself rather by them altogether overruled besides that he was in good hope that the other Christian Princes near unto him either carried away with regard of their own Estate would not or else before unto himself by League fast bound could not afford unto him any great aid or succour the Germans he knew would make small hast unto such Wars as should yield them much danger and but small pay As for the Princes of the House of Austria Charles the Emperor and Ferdinand his Brother although they were joyned unto the young King with the nearest bonds of Alliance Lewis having Married Mary their youngest Sister and Ferdinand Ann King Lewis his Sister yet was there as he thought small help to be expected from them Charles having his hands full in Italy and Ferdinand altogether careful of himself and that Sigismund King of Polonia would for the young Kings sake break the ancient League he had with the Turkish Emperors he could hardly be perswaded As for other Christian Princes farther off he stood not in any great doubt year 1526. Thus having with himself singled out this young Prince the Hungarian King whom he had in his greedy mind already devoured he set forward from Constantinople and was come on his way as far as Sophiâ— in Servia with a mighty Army of two hundred thousand men before that the Hungarians had any knowledge of his coming so blind and senseless was that State which now sleeping in security had long before lost those Eies which ever watcht and never spared cost or pains to keep the same in safety in stead of whom were others come in place sharp of sight and too too provident for that concerned their own advancement but blind as Beetles in foreseeing this great and common danger wherewith they were shortly after all quite overwhelmed until it was now brought home unto their own Doors The young King of himself but weak by reason of his youthful years and nothing strengthned by them for whom he had most done and should have been his greatest stay was wonderfully dismaied with the fame of the approach of so mighty an Enemy yet the better to withstand him he sent Embassadors with all speed unto the Christian Princes his Neighbours requesting their Aid against the common Enemy but all in vain In the mean time after the ancient manner of his Country he gave out general Summons for the Assembly of his Counsel for the Wars whether his great stipendary Prelates of duty bound to appear came with their Troops of evil appointed Horsemen and not half full who also delivered in less sums of Mony by far than of right they should have done towards the maintenance of the charge of that common War. And the temporal Nobility forgetting the warlike Discipline of their famous Ancestors as fresh-water Souldiers which had seen the Turkish Emperor in his strength and but little acquainted with some light skirmishes or small invasions in their vain bravery made light account of the Turks proudly vaunting That although they were in number but few yet they would easily overthrow the great numbers of them if ever they came to handy strokes But above all the rest one Paulus Tomoreus Archbishop of Colossa sometimes a Minorite who had before been in divers light skirmishes against the Turks with great insolency did so confidently brag and boast of the Victory he vainly dreamed of that in his Sermons unto the Souldiers and in open talk with the Nobility if he could have done so much as he vaunted of it should seem that he himself had been enough to have overthrown the Turks whole Army But when all the Kings Army was assembled and a general muster taken there was hardly found five and twenty thousand men in all horse and foot So that the foolish hardiness of Tomoreus and others so forwards to give the Turks battel was of most wise men disliked The old Souldiers and men of great experience said plainly That it was meer folly and madness with such a handful of men to give battel unto the Enemy who would bring eight times so many more into the Field as they were Wherefore some wished that the young King should be withdrawn from the eminent danger among whom Stephanus Verbetius a noble Captain of all the rest best acquainted with the Turkish Wars gave Counsel
great Spirit and yet exceeding proud which was the cause that he was both the less beloved and feared of his Subjects in general but especially of the Janizaries and other his Souldiers and men of War who scorning his loose Government and griev'd to see even the greatest Affairs of his State not only imparted to Women but by them managed and over-ruled also as by his Mother the Sultaness his Wife and others not only rebelled against him but were oftentimes in their Rages about to have deposed him He was altogether given to sensuality and voluptuous pleasure the marks whereof he still carried about with him a foul swoln unwealdy and overgrown Body unfit for any Princely Office or Function and a Mind thereto answerable wholly given over unto Idleness Pleasure and Excess no small means for the shortning of his days which he ended with Obloquy unregarded of his Subjects and but of few or none of them lamented He had Issue four Sons and three Daughters married unto three of the great Bassaes. His first and eldest Son was called Mahomet after his own Name whom he caused to be strangled in his own sight upon suspicion of aspiring to the Empire and conspiring with the Rebels in Asia but afterward finding him guiltless caused his Body to be buried in his own Sepulchre and hanged the Bassa that had misinformed him His second Son died a natural Death being yet very young His third Son was Sultan Achmat who succeeded his Father and came to the Empire by the untimely Death of Mahomet his eldest Brother His fourth Son being then a Youth of about sixteen Years old was carefully kept within the Seraglio with such a strait Guard set over him as that his Name was not to be learned even by a good understanding Friend of mine of late lying above three Months together at Constantinople who most curiously enquired after the same having very good means to have learned it He was reported to have been long since murthered howbeit that he of late lived but looking every day to be by his Brothers cruel Commandment strangled which is accounted but a matter of course and a Death hereditary to all the younger male Children of the Othoman Emperours the Policy for the maintenance of their great Empire entire and whole so requiring His dead Body lieth buried at Constantinople in a fair Chappel of white Marble near unto the most famous and beautiful Church of S. Sophia for that only purpose by himself most sumptuously built about fifty foot square with four high small round Towers about the which are certain small round Galleries of Stone from which the Turkish Priests and Church-men at certain hours use to call the People every day to Church for they use no Bells themselves neither will they suffer the Christians to use any But the top of this Chappel is built round like unto the ancient Temples of the Heathen Gods in Rome In the midst of this Chappel being indeed nothing else but this great Sultan's Sepulchre standeth his Tomb which is nothing else but a great Urn or Coffin of fair white Marble wherein lieth his Body covered with a great covering of the same Stone over it made rising in the midst and stooping on each sidâ— not much unlike to the Coffins of the ancient Tombs of the Saxon Kings which are to be seen on the North side of the Quire of S. Paul's Church and in other Places of this Land but that this Coffin of the Great Sultan is much greater and more stately than are those of the Saxon Kings it being above five foot high at the end thereof and by little and little falling toward the feet covered with a rich Hearse of Cloth of Gold down to the ground his Turbant standing at his Head and two exceeding great Candles of white Wax about three or four Yards long standing in great brass or silver Candlesticks gilded the one at his Head the other at his Feet which never burn but there stand for shew only all the Floor of the Chappel being covered with Mats and fair Turky Carpets upon them And round about this his Tomb even in the same Chappel are the like Tombs for his Wives and Children but nothing so great and fair Into this Chappel or any other the Turks Churches or Chappels it is not lawful for either Turk or Christian to enter but first he must put off his Shoes leaving them at the Church or Chappel Gate or carrying them in his hand Near unto this Chappel and the great Temple of Sophia are divers other Chappels of the other great Turks as of Sultan Selim this Man 's Grand father with his seven and thirty Children about him of Sultan Amurath this Man's Father with his five and forty Children entombed about him Anâ— in other places not far from them are the Chappels and Sepulchres of the rest of the Great Sultans as of Sultan Mahomet the Great of Sultan Bajazet Sultan Selim the first Sultan Solyman all by these great Mahometan Emperours built whose Names they bear And being all of almost one form and fashion have every one of them a fair Hospital adjoyning unto them wherein a great multitude of poor People are daily still relieved Some others of the great Bassaes have their Chappels and Sepulchres with their great and stately Alms-houses also not much inferiour unto those of the great Sultans as namely Ibrahim Bassa of all the Bassaes that ever were amongst the Turks the most magnificent hath his stately Chappel Sepulchre and Alms-Houses near both in Place and Beauty unto that of Solyman's The Turks bury not at all within their Churches neither are any at all buried within the Walls of the City but the great Turkish Emperours themselves with their Wives and Children about them and some few other of their great Bassaes and those only in Chappels by themselves built for that purpose All the rest of the Turks are buried in the Fields some of the better sort in Tombs of Marble but the rest with Tomb-stones laid upon them or with two great Stones the one set up at the head and the other at the feet of every Grave the greatest part of them being of white Marble brought from the Isle of Marmora They will not bury any man where another hath been buried accounting it Impiety to dig up another man's Bones by reason whereof they cover all the best Ground about the City with such great white Stones which for the infinite number of them are thought sufficient to make another Wall about the City But not to stand longer upon the manner of the Turks Burials leaving this great Sultan to rest with his Ancestors let us now prosecute the course of our History Christian Princes of the same time with Mahomet the Third Emperours of Germany Rodolph the Second 1577. Kings Of England Queen Elizabeth 1558. 47. Of France Henry the Fourth 1589. Of Scotland James the Sixth 1567. Bishops of Rome Clement the
Marquess Villa presented him with a Bason of Gold valued at six thousand Ducats together with a Patent recounting at large the many famous Exploits which he had performed in their Service which they expressed with a stile so generous and obliging as may serve for a Record to transmit the Fame of his Merits to all Posterity Marquess Villa being departed from Candia the Captain-General recalled all his Forces from divers parts of the Archipelago which he had sent thither with the Soldiers wounded in the last Battle and being returned they brought with them great numbers of Pioniers and Workmen to labour in the Fortifications and Mines at the same time also the Captain-Pasha arrived at Canea bringing two thousand Janisaries withhim The Marquess St. Andrea Montbrun a Gentleman of the French Nation was transported to Candia by the General Proveditor Cornaro where being entred into the Charge and Office of Marquess Villa wanted nothing of the vigilance and circumspection of his Predecessour And therefore in the first place having visited all the Forts Out-works and Retrenchments of the Town ordered what was necessary for repair of the breaches and amended what was deficient in the most distressed Fortifications And though the Turks fired a Mine the 22 th of August at the point of the Fort St. Andrea which made a most dangerous breach yet it was so valiantly defended and so speedily repaired that the Enemy gained little or no advantage and all by the extraordinary diligence of this Marquess St. Andrea who passed whole months without uncloathing himself and as his nights were without sleep so his days consumed without repose applying himself personally to all places where was most of danger especially at the Fort of St. Andrea where he took up his constant Quarters The Turks now daily pressing the Town more nearly than before Skirmishes and Sallies were more frequent and more bloody so that about this time the Proveditor General Bernardo Nani applying himself with all earnestness in the performance of his Charge was slain by a Musket-shot in his head his death was much lamented by all being a Gentleman who was born as may be said in the Fleet having had his Education there and passed his youth in Wars and dangers for the safety and honour of his Country Girolamo Bataglia was elected by the Republick to succeed him in the Office whose death was also seconded by that of Francesco Bataglia Brother of the Duke of Candia being shot in the breast with a Musket-bullet and though he was sent thither to administer Justice to the People yet his zeal and courage carrying him to Martial Acts beyond his duty made a grave for him amongst the other Heroes and Worthies of that place The Turk approaching daily nearer with their Works infested very much the passage of Vessels to the Town and shot so directly into the Port that no Ship Galley or Bark could remain in any security from their Cannon to remedy which a small Redoubt was raised at Tramata which being well and strongly fortified served for a small Port under the shelter of which the lesser Vessels found some protection and was of great relief to the distressed City About this time the Popes Gallies with those of Malta arrived commanded by Fra. Vincenzo Rospigliosi the Popes Nephew who having not brought a greater number of people than what served to man their Gallies they were not able to spare many for defence of the Town The long continuance of this Siege and the same thereof noised through the whole World moved the heroick and gallant Spirits of our Age to descend into this Campus Martius this Field of War and give proofs of their Prowess and Valour in defence of the Christan Cause some being moved by a principle of vain-glory proceeding from the briskness of a youthful and aery Spirit and others from the sense of Devotion and fervour towards Religion amongst which none were more forward than some Gentleman of the French Nation as namely Monsieur La Fueillade alias Duke of Roanez with the Count St. Paul a young Cavalier to forward which design taking first the Licence and Benediction of their King they appointed their Rendezvous at Tolon where they listed two hundred Gentleman Cadets or younger Brothers who went in quest of Honour and not of Pay with four hundred ordinary Souldiers who expected their maintenance from the bounty of their Leaders The chief of whom was Monsieur La Fueillade and his Lieutenant the Chevalier De Tresmes Their whole Body was divided into four Bridgades The first commanded by Count St. Paul. The second by the Duke Dâ— Cardâ—â—ousse The third by the Count De Villa Maur. And the fourth by the Duke De Cheateau Tiery When these Persons of Honour and Courage arrived at Candia they found the City hardly beset and reduced to a strait and difficult condition for the Turks were advanced so near to the Fort of St. Andrea that the Souldiers within and without could cross their Muskets and reach Tobaco one to the other howsoever this breach was so well repaired with a good Palissado fortified with several Bonnets and a double Retrenchment on the Bastion it self and a third Retrenchment of squared stone withal that the courage of the Besieged being nothing abated by the many and furious assaults of the Enemy the Town still remained in a defensible posture and still capable with good Succours and Supplies to yield matter of imployment for several years to the Ottoman Forces These worthy Champions as I said being arrived moved with the sense of Religion and desire of glory to themselves challenged the priviledge of mounting the Guard of St. Andrea but that being already prepossessed by the Knights of Malta and other Officers of the place was refused to them Howsoever the Captain-General Morosini was pleased to gratifie them with the Guard of a small Chapel over that Bastion on the right hand of the breach a place of no less danger and therefore of no less honour than the other with which the Cavaliers being satisfied Monsieur St. Paul mounted the Guard one day at six a clock in the morning and continued there â—â—til the same hour of the day following during which time he lost his Major Dupre and Monâ—ieur De Marenval the latter of which had his brains knocked out with so violent a blow of a great shot that some pieces of his skull dangerously wounded the Sieurs De Chamilly and De Lare who were near to him and more maliciously did the Turks ply the stations of these new-come Guests than any others throwing Bomboes Granadoes Stink-pots and other sorts of artificial Fire without cessation into their Quarters notwithstandiug which this young Prince and Monsieur La Fueillade exposed themselves like common Souldiers animating their men more with their example than their words And now by this time by so many Works and removals of Earth by so many Traverses and Mines under ground and throwing up the
staff of the Sinners always to rage into the portion of the Just with merciful eye to look down upon these distressed men and with an unwonted kind of clemency to touch the Sultans heart in such sort as that he which but the other day stood in dread of the Emperor and now having him as it were in his power was overcome with his misery or as in times past he by Husai overthrew the councel of Achitophel and changed the mind of Absalom to follow such advice as should bring him to destruction so then also he turned the mind of the Turkish Sultan that perswaded by certain of the chief men about him who in time of peace had used to receive great Gifts and Presents from the Emperor he of his own accord by his Embassadors offered Peace unto the Emperor before that he in so great distress sued unto him for any and that upon the self same conditions they had made their Leagues before The Turks in the mean time ignorant of the Sultans resolution early in the morning were ready to assault the Emperors Camp in hope at once to have overthrown his whole power and with a barbarous outcry still riding about it came so nigh that with their Arrows they slew divers of the Christians within their own Trenches against whom the Emperor sent out Iohn the Son of Constantinus Angelus and after him Macroducas Constantinus but to little or no purpose In the mean time came one Gabras a man of greatest reputation among the Turks Embassador from the Sultan by whose commandment the Turks ceased further to assault the Camp. This Gabras coming unto the Emperor and after the manner of the Barbarians honouring him with reverence done even down to the ground first presented him with a goodly Horse whose furniture was all of Silver as if it had been for triumph and a rare two edged Sword. Afterwards falling into a large discourse concerning a Peace to be made and with many kind words as with an Inchantment appeasing the Emperors heaviness conceived of his late loss he among other pleasant conceits then uttered seeing the Emperor in a rich Robe of yellow over his Armor told him that the colour was not fit for War as ominous and portending evil luck whereat the Emperor a little smiling gave it him with the fortune thereof and receiving the Horse and Sword sent him from the Sultan signed the Peace Amongst other conditions of the Peace which the dangerousness of the time suffered not the Emperor curiously to examine one was That Dorileum and Subleum before by him fortified and the ground of this unfortunate War should be again rased Peace thus beyond all hope being concluded and the Emperor delivered of a great fear purposed another way to return home to avoid the sight of the Slain yet was he by his Guides even of purpose as it was thought led back the same way to behold with his eyes those miserable spectacles of the Slain which could not with any tears be sufficiently lamented for the Straights were made plain the Vallies were raised into Hills and the Forrests lay covered with the Carcasses of the Slain no man passed by but with heaviness and grief calling by name upon their Friends and Familiars there lost Having again passed those doleful Straights the Turks were again in the tail of the Army for it was reported That the Sultan repenting himself to have suffered his Enemies so to escape out of his hand had given leave to such as would to pursue them but followed not himself with his whole Power as before for most of the better sort of his Souldiers loaded with the Spoil were now returned home Yet these that followed after the Army slew many especially such as were weak or wounded and so unable to follow the rest although the Emperor to help the matter had for the repressing of them placed the best of his Captains and Souldiers in the Rereward Being come to Chonas and now out of fear of his Enemies he gave unto every one of his hurt Souldiers mony to pay for the curing of their wounds and to bring them into their Countries and coming to Philadelphia there staied for the refreshing of himself after so great miseries In his return he rased Subleum according to his promise but not Dorileum whereof the Sultan by his Embassadors complaining he answered That what he had promised inforced thereunto by necessity he greatly forced not to perform In revenge whereof the Sultan sent out one of his most valiant Captains called Atapack with 24000 good Souldiers chosen out of his whole Army with straight charge to waste and destroy all the Emperors Provinces and Towns even unto the Sea-side without sparing Man Woman or Child and in token thereof to bring with him some of the Sea-Water an Oar and some of the Sea-Sand who according to his Charge spoiled Phrygia with the Cities along the River Moeander even unto the Sea side and so returning with a rich Prey by the way spoyled what before he had left untouched But in passing the River Moeandâ—r when he feared least he fell into the hands of Iohn Bataza the Emperors Nephew and of Ducas Constantine a most valiant Captain of purpose sent against him by the Emperor with a great Power where he was by them slain together with all his Army and the rich booty he had taken all again recovered Many other hard conflicts passed after this betwixt the Imperials and the Turks the one continually seeking to annoy the other all which for that therein nothing fell out much worth the remembrance I for brevity willingly pass over In these endless troubles died Emanuel the Greek Emperor when he had by the space of eight and thirty years worthily governed that great Empire having in the time of his sickness but a little before his death taken upon him the habit of a Monk in token he had forsaken the World. All the time of his Reign he was no less jealous of the Christian Princes of the West than of the Turks in the East and therefore ever dealâ— with them unkindly In time of War he was so laborious as if he had never taken felicity but in pain and again in Peace so given over to his pleasure as if he had never thought of any thing else After whose death the Turkish Sultan without resistance invading the Frontiers of the Empire took Sozopolis with divers Towns thereabout in Phrygia and long besieged the famous City of Atâ—alia and so daily encroached more and more upon the Provinces of the Empire joyning the same unto his own which was no great matter for him to do the Greek Empire being then no better governed than was the Chariot of the Sun as the Poets feign by Phaeton far unfit for so great a charge for Alexius Comnenus otherwise called Porphyrogenitus being then but a Child of about twelve years old succeeding his grave Father in the-Empire after the manner of
Ministers of his Wickedness who had now oftentimes in their mouths that saying of the Poet Est mala res multos dominarier unicus esto Rex Dominusque An evil thing it is to be ruled by many One King and one Lord if there be any And that the old age of an Eagle was better than the youth of a Lark So by the general consent of that wicked Assembly unworthy the name of a grave Council a Decree was made That Alexius should as a man unfit to Govern the State be deprived of all Imperial Dignity and commanded to live a private life Which disloyal Decree of the Conspirators was yet scarcely published but that another more cruel came out of the same Forge That he should forthwith be put to death as one unworthy longer to live For the execution of which so horrible a Sentence Siephanus Hagiochristophorites one of the chief Ministers of Andronicus his Villanies and by him promoted even unto the highest Degrees of the Honours of the Court with Constantinus Trypsicus and one Theodorus Badibrenus Captain of the Tormentors were sent out who entring his Chamber by night without compassion of his tender age or regard of his Honour or Innocency cruelly strangled him with a Bow string which detestable murther so performed Andronicus shortly after coming in spurned the dead body with his foot railing at his Father the late Emperor Emanuel as a forsworn and injurious man and at his Mother as a common Whore. The head was forthwith struck off from this miserable Carkass the mirror of Honours unstability and left for the monstrous Tyrant to feed his eyes upon the body wrapped up in Lead was in a Boat carried to Sea by Io. Camaterius and Theodosius Chumenus two of Andronicus his noble Favorites who with great joy and glee returned with the same Boat to the Court as if they had done some notable Exploit But long continueth not the joy of the Mischievous Vengeance still following them at the heels as it did these two who not long after with the rest that conspired the innocent Emperors death all or most part of them came to shameful or miserable ends Thus perished Alexius the Emperor not yet full fifteen years old in the third year of his Reign which time he lived more like a Servant than an Emperor first under the command of his Mother and afterwards of the Tyrant which brought him to his end Who joyeth now but old Andronicus made young again as should seem by his new gained Honours for shortly after the murder committed he married Anne the French Kings Daughter as some report before betrothed to young Alexius a tender and most beautiful Lady not yet full eleven years old an unfit Match for three score and ten And in some sort as it were to purge himself and his Partakers of the shameful murther by them committed and to stop the mouths of the people he by much flattery and large promises procured of the Bishops a general Absolution for them all from the Oath of Obedience which they had before given unto the Emperor Emanuel and Alexius his Son Which obtained he for a while had the same Bishops in great Honour and shortly after in greater Contempt as men forgetful of their Duties and Calling After that he gave himself wholly unto the establishing of his Estate never reckoning himself thereof assured so long as he saw any of the Nobility or famous Captains alive that favoured Emanuel the late Emperor or Alexius his Son of whom some he secretly poysoned as Mary the Emperor Emanuels Daughter with her Husband Caesar some for light occasions he deprived of their sight as he did Emanuel and Alexius the Sons of that noble Captain Iohn Comâ—enus Andronicus Lapardus whose good Service he had oftentimes used Theodorus Angelus Alexius Comnenus the Emperor Emanuels base Son some he hanged as Leo Synesius Manuel Lachanas with divers others some he burnt as Mamalus one of the Emperor Alexius his chief Secretaries all men of great Honour and place For colour whereof he pretended himself to be sorry for them deeply protesting that they died by the severity of the Law not by his will and by the just doom of the Judges whereunto he was himself as he said to give place and that with tears plentifully running down his aged Cheeks as if he had been the most sorrowful man alive O deep dissimulation and Crocodiles tears by nature ordained to express the heaviness of the heart flowing from the eyes as showers of rain out of the Clouds in good men the most certain signs of greatest grief and surest testimonies of inward torment but in Andronicus you are not so you are far of another nature you proceed of joy you promise not unto the distressed pity or compassion but death and destruction how many mens eyes have you put out how many have you drowned how many have you devoured Most of the Nobility that favoured the late Emperor Emanuel and Alexius his Son thus taken out of the way by Andronicus struck such a fear into the rest that for safeguard of their lives they betook themselves to flight some one way some another never thinking themselves in safety so long as they were within the greedy Tyrants reach whereof shortly after ensued no small Troubles to the shaking of the State of the whole Empire Isaac Comnenus the Emperor Emanuels nigh Kinsman took his Refuge into Cyprus and kept that Island to himself Alexius Comnenus Emanuels Brothers Son fled into Silicia and there stir'd up William King of that Island against Andronicus who with a great Army landed at Dyrrachium took the City and so from thence without resistance passing through the heart of Macedonia spoiling the Country before him as he went met his Fleet at Thessalonica which famous City he also took by force and most miserably spoiled it with all the Country thereabout so that he brought a great fear upon the Imperial City it self Unto which so great evils Andronicus intangled with domestick Troubles and not knowing whom to trust was not able to give remedy although for shew he had to no purpose sent out certain of his most trusty Ministers with such Forces as he could well spare For the Majesty of his Authority growing still less and less and the number of his Enemies both at home and abroad daily increasing and the favour of the unconstant people who now began to speak hardly of him declining he uncertain which way to turn himself rested wholly upon Tyranny proscribing in his fear not only the Friends of such as were fled and whom he distrusted but sometimes whole Families together yea and that for light occasions sometime those who were his best Favorites whose Service he had many times used in the execution of his Cruelty so that now no day passed wherein he did not put to death imprison or torture one great Man or other Whereby it hapned that the
Swords proved their Strength who could strike furthest into his Buttocks Thus miserably perished this famous Emperor after he had reigned two years That which was left of his Body for many had carried away some pieces thereof being taken down from the place where he hung was cast into a base Vault in the Theater where it for a space lay as the loathsome Carkass of some wild Beast and the miserable Spectacle of Mans Fragility for Isaac the Emperor would not suffer it to be buried Howbeit aftewards the Fury of the People overpassed it was by some more charitable men removed thence and laid in a low Vault near unto the Monastery of the Ephori which as Nicetas Choniates Author of this History speaking of the time wherein he lived saith is yet there undissolved to be seen He was a man most honourably descended of Stature tall and well proportioned in his Countenance sate a certain reverend Majesty adorned with such notable Vertues as might have made him worthily to have been compared unto the greatest Emperors of his Stock and Family had he not obscured the same with too much Ambition and Cruelty whereof the one caused him to lead the greatest part of his Life in Prison or Exile the other brought unto him a most shameful End. Isaac Angelus his Successor by the Favour of the People thus exalted unto the Empire at the first governed the same with great Lenity and Moderation as if he had altogether abhorred from the Effusion of his Subjects Blood but aftewards not a little troubled both with Foreign Enemies and Domestical Rebellion besieged in the Imperial City by such of the Nobility as thought themselves no less worthy of the Empire than himself for repressing of which Insolencies and the assuring of his State he became so severe in chastising the Offendors and such others as he had in distrust that he was counted of most men not inferior in Cruelty to Andronicus his Predecessor few days passing without the condemnation of execution of one great Man or other besides them of the meaner sort of whom he seemed to make no great reckoning whereby he in few years lost the Love and Favour of his Subjects who before had him in great honour and became unto them no less odious than was before Andronicus Upon which general dislike of the People his ingrateful younger Brother Alexius by him before for a great sum of Mony redeemed from the Turks took occasion to rise up against him and by the Favour of the Souldiers deprived him together both of the Empire and his Sight and having put out his Eyes thrust him into a Monastery there to live as it were out of the World as a man condemned to perpetual darkness after he had reigned nine years and eight months being not yet full forty years old Whither it were the revenging hand of God for the hard measure used to Andronicus or not I leave it to the wiser to consider who in his deep Providence wherewith he best governeth all things would have a moderation used in punishment of our most Capital Enemies as having always before our Eyes the slippery State of Power and Authority and that as all worldly things are subject to change so by the just Judgment of God it oftentimes falleth out that what hurt we do unto others the same we may receive again from others In these so great and strange mutations of the Constantinopolitan Empire which I have somewhat more at large prosecuted not so much for the novelty of the matter although it were right strange as for that out of the Losses and Ruin thereof the greatness of the Turks for the most part grew Clizasthlan Sultan of Iconium after the death of the Emperor Emanuel found means to take from the Empire divers strong Towns and Castels in the lesser Asia together with a great part of the Country of Phrygia Alexius Andronicus and Isaac the succeeding Emperors troubled with dangers nearer home having nothing to oppose against him but fair Intreaty and rich Presents so redeeming for a while an unsure Peace with no less charge in short time to be renewed again This victorious Sultan for so he may of right be called holding in his Subjection a great part of the lesser Asia now a Man of great years dying left behind him four Sons Masut Coppatine Reucratine and Caichosores all men grown Amongst whom he divided his Kingdom Unto Masut he bequeathed Amasia Ancrya Doryleum with divers other pleasant Cities of Pontus unto Coppatine he assigned Melytene Cesarea and the Colony now called Taxara unto Reucratine he allotted Aminsum Docea with some other Cities upon the Sea-Coast but unto Caichosroes he left Iconium his Regal Seat and with it Lycaonia Pamphilia and all the Countries thereabouts as far as Cottianyum Of these four Coppatine long lived not after his Father for whose Inheritance Reucratine Prince of Docea and Masut Prince of Anâ—yra his two Brethren fell at variance and so at last into an open War. But Masut finding himself too weak for his warlike Brother Reucratine yielded unto him the Territories which he saw he must needs forego and glad now to keep his own so made peace with him Reucratine being a man of an ambitious and haughty Spirit with his Forces thus doubled denounced War unto his Brother Caichosroes who doubting his own Strength fled unto the Emperor Alexius Angelus for aid as had his Father done before him unto the Emperor Manuel although not with like good Fortune For the Emperor but of late having obtained the Empire by the deposing of his Brother and altogether given to pleasure reputing also those Domestical Wars of the Turks some part of his own safety sent him home without Comfort as one strong enough of himself to defend his own quarrel against his Brother Howbeit he was scarcely come to Iconium but he was by Reucratine expulsed thence and driven to fly into Armenia where he was by Zebune King of that Country a Turk also honourably received and courteously used but yet denied of the aid he requested the King pretending that he was already in League with Reucratine and therefore could not or as some thought fearing the dangerousness of the matter would not intermeddle therein Wherewith the poor Sultan utterly discouraged returned again to Constantinople and there in poor Estate as a man forlorne passed out the rest of his days Now having thus passed through the Turkish affairs in the lesser Asia together with the troubled Estate of the Constantinopolitan Empire no small cause of the Turkish greatness the course of time calleth us back again before we pass any farther to remember their proceedings also at the same time and shortly after in Syria Iudaea Aegypt and those more Southerly Countries where these restless People ceased not by all means to enlarge their Empire until they had brought all those great Kingdoms under their Obeysance After the death of Baldwin King of
the Relief thereof he raised his Siege and retired as he did also next year after having in vain attempted the strong Castle of Mont-Royal on the further side of Iordan In like manner also the third year he came again into the Holy Land and spoiled the Country beyond Iordan but hearing of the Kings coming against him he forthwith returned again into Egypt All these light Expeditions this politique Prince made not so much for hope of Victory or to prove his Enemies strength as to train his Souldiers especially the effeminate Egyptians and to make them fitter to serve him in his greater designs year 1173. Shortly after died Noradin Sultan of Damasco and in his time a most notable Champion of the Turks after he had reigned nine and twenty years Upon whose death Almericus forthwith besieged the City of Paneale in hope to have again recovered the same but he was by the Widow of the late dead Sultan for a great sum of money and the delivery of certain noble Prisoners intreated to raise his Siege and depart So having sent away his Army and traveling with his ordinary Retinue to Tyberias where he had the Summer before been sick of the Flux feeling himself not well he returned on Horse-back by Nazareth and Neapolis to Ierusalem where his old Disease increasing upon him he was also taken with a Fever wherewith after he had been some few days grievously tormented he requested his Physitians with some gentle potion to loose his Belly which was now somewhat stayed which they refusing to do he commanded the potion to be given him upon his own peril hap thereon what hap should which being given him and his Belly again loosed he seemed therewith to have been at the first well eased but his wonted Fever with great vehemency returning before his weak and spent Body could be with convenient meats refreshed he suddenly died the tenth of Iuly in the year 1173. when he had reigned about ten years His dead Body was with the great lamentation of all his Subjects solemnly buried by his Brothers He was a most wise Prince and withall right valiant amongst many most fit for the Government and Defence of that troublesome Kingdom so hardly beset with the Infidels if it had pleased God to have given him longer life Four days after the death of Almericus was Baldwin his Son then a Youth about thirteen years old by the general consent of the Nobility chosen King and by Almericus the Patriarch in the Temple with great Solemnity Crowned in the year 1173. unto whom as not yet by reason of his tender age fit himself to manage the weighty Affairs of the Kingdom Raymond Count of Tripolis was by the whole consent of the Nobility appointed Tutor to supply what was wanting in the young King. Noradin Sultan of Damasco dead as is aforesaid left behind him Melechsala his Son yet but a Youth to succeed him in his Kingdom Whose Government the Nobility disdaining sent secretly for Saladin Sultan of Egypt unto whom at his coming they betrayed the City of Damasco the Regal Seat of the Turks in Syria Whereof Saladin possessed and entring into Coelosiria without Resistance took Heliopolis Emissa with the great City of Caesarea and in fine all the whole Kingdom of Damasco the City of Arethusa only excepted But thus to suffer Melechsala the young Prince to be wronged and the Kingdom of Damasco to be joyned to the Kingdom of Egypt was of the wiser sort thought not to stand with the safety of the Kingdom of Ierusalem lying in the middle betwixt them both Wherefore the Count of Tripolis Governor of that Kingdom made out certain Forces to have hindred his proceedings At which time also Cotobed Prince of Parthia and Melechsala Uncle sent certain Troops of Parthian Horse-men to have aided his distressed Nephew who were by Saladin overthrown and almost all slain near unto Aleppo where Melechsala lay As for the Count of Tripolis and the other Christian Princes with whom Saladin in the newness of his Kingdom had no desire to fall out he appeased them with fair Intreaty and Rewards unto the Count he sent freely the Hostages which yet lay for his Ransome at Emissa unto 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 four years passed in great quietness to the great strengthening of him in those new gotten Kingdoms At length upon the coming over of Philip Earl of Flanders the Christian Princes of Syria encouraged consulted of an Expedition to be made into Egypt whereof Saladin having Intelligence drew down into that Country the greatest part of his strength But Philip disliking of that Expedition and the rather for that he saw no great chearfulness in the Count of Tripolis and the rest thereunto they with one consent changed their Purpose for Egypt and turning their Forces a quite contrary way miserably and without resistance wasted the Country about Emissa and Caesarea Whilst the Christians wâ—re thus busied in Coelosiria Saladin on the other side took occasion out of Egypt to invade the Kingdom of Ierusalem of whose coming King Baldwin having intelligence with such small Forces as he had left hastned himself to Ascalon In the mean time Saladin with a great Army was entred into the Holy Land where burning the Country before him and raging in the blood of the poor Christians he came and encamped not far from Ascalon and struck such a fear upon the whole Country that they which dwelt in Ierusalem were about to have forsaken the City as for the King himself he lay close within the City of Ascalon not daring to adventure upon so strong an Enemy Wherewith Saladin encouraged and out of fear of his Enemies dispersed his Army some one way some another to forrage the Country Which the King perceiving secretly with all his Power issued out of the City if happily so he might overtake the Sultan unawares neither was he deceived in his expectation for coming suddenly upon him and secretly charging him he had with him for a good space an hard and doubtful battel until that the Victory by the Power of God at length inclining to the Christians Saladin with his Turks fled overthrown with a great slaughter most part of his great Army being either there slain or lost afterward with hunger and cold This Victory fell unto the Christians the 25 th day of November in the year 1177. not without the Almighty Hand of God year 1177. the Turk having in his Army above six and twenty thousand Horse-men and the King not past four hundred Horse with some few Foot-men After which Victory Baldwin in great Triumph returned to Ierusalem and there shortly after with great care and diligence repaired the decayed Walls of the City Saladin in revenge of this Overthrow made divers Incursions into the Frontiers of the Christians and did great harm specially in
for himself took him into his Protection and forthwith sent Embassadors to Lascaris threatning unto him all extremities except he did forthwith give place unto Alexius his Father in law unto whom as unto the Greek Emperor those Countries which were by him possessed of right as he said appertained With which unexpected Message Theodorus was not a little troubled as fearing both the Sultans Power and the inclination of the people to their old Emperor Nevertheless having propounded the matter in Council and finding the minds of his Subjects well affected towards him and a readiness in them in his quarrel to adventure their lives he encouraged therewith accompanied only with two thousand choice Horse-men together with the Sultans Embassador without farther stay set forward to Philadelphia the Sultan at the same time with Alexius whom he carried with him as a bait to deceive the people withall and twenty thousand Turks besieging the City of Antioch situate upon the winding banks of the River Meander Which the Emperor Theodorus well understanding and that the Sultan by gaining that strong City standing upon the passage of the great River the bounder of his Empire should open a fair way for himself into the heart of Romania Asiatica to the great hazard of his whole Empire resolved with those few he had to do what he might to relieve his City And so setting forward upon the Spur carrying nothing with him more than a little Victual and now come near unto the City sent before the Sultans Embassor following him at the heels Who coming to the Sultan and telling him of the Emperors approach with so small a Power could hardly perswade him that it was so although he bound it with many Oaths yet at length perswaded of the truth of the matter and that indeed it was so he in all hast put his Army in the best Order he could upon such a sudden but not to his best advantage being hindred so to do by the straitness of the place wherein he lay Of the two thousand select Horse-men in the Emperors Army were eight hundred Italians all most resolute men who giving the first charge brake through the midst of the Sultans Army disordering his whole battel as they went after whom followed also the Greeks though not with like courage but those Italian Horse-men now divided from the rest and in number but few in coming back again were by the disordered Turks some on Horseback some on Fooâ— so beset on every side as that there was no way left for them to pass but there valiantly fighting were altogether slain having both before and at the time of their death made such a slaughter of the Turks as is hardly to be believed to have been possible for so few men to have made The Greeks also hardly laid to by the Turks and discouraged by the slaughter of the Latines were even upon the point to have fled when as the Sultan now almost in possession of a certain Victory descrying the Greek Emperor and trusting to his own great strength singled him out being as ready as himself to meet him when as at the first encounter the Sultan with his Horsemans Mace gave him such a blow upon his head as might have killed a Bull so that the Emperor therewith astonied fell down from his Horse who yet even in the fall coming something again unto himself and although dismounted yet quickly recovering his feet with his Faulchion hoxed the hinder legs of the Mare whereon the Sultan rid being a most beautiful Beast and of a wonderful height which now suddenly faultring under him and so the Sultan tumbling down as from an high Tower before he could recover himself had his head cut off by the Emperor which by and by put upon a Launce and so holden up with the sight thereof so dismayed the Turks that strucken with a sudden fear they presently fled leaving the Victory unto the Emperor before more than half overcome who for all that considering his small number durst no further pursue them but entring the City gave thanks to God for so great a Victory Unto whom the Turks shortly after sent their Embassadors and so upon such reasonable conditions as it pleased him to set down concluded with him a Peace Alexius himself Author of these Troubles taken in this battel and carried to Nice was by the Emperor his Son in law notwithstanding his evil deserts well intreated and used Whilst the Latines thus spend those Forces in subverting of the Greek Empire which should have been imployed for the Relief of the Christians in Syria and that the Greek Emperor Lâ—scaris was thus troubled with the Turks the Affairs of the Christians in Syria and the Holy Land grew still worse and worse Whereof the Knights Hospitalers and Templars the chief Champions of the Christian Religion in those Countries greatly blamed Almericus the King of Cyprus for that he being so near at hand and having married Isabella the Heir of that Kingdom and so in her Right taken upon him the Title of the King of Ierusalem gave himself wholly to pleasure doing nothing for the Defence or Relief of the poor distressed Christians or repressing of the Turks who although they were yet in League with the Christians there and at some discord also among themselves yet spared not as occasion served still more and more to encroach upon them and by building of new Castles and Fortresses to cut them short Of all which things the aforesaid Knights by their Embassadors certified Pope Innocentius requesting his fatherly care for the remedy thereof certifying him withall that there was yet living one Mary the Daughter of the Marquess of Mont-Ferrat a Lady of rare beauty whom they as her Tutors had brought up in hope of the Kingdom and now were ready to bestow her upon some such man as he should think worthy of her together with the right she had unto the Kingdom Hereupon Innocentius discharging Almericus of the Title of the Kingdom of Ierusalâ—m gave it to Iohn Count de Brennâ— of Daulphine in France a man of great fame and valour then in Arms with the other Latine Princes against the Greeks Who now returning home commended his Earldom to his Brother and with such Power as he was able to make setting forward came first to Venice where he was royally entertained and from thence sailing to Constantinople was with like Honour received by the Emperor Henry and so at length the fifth of September arrived at Ptolemais in Syria where he was with the great rejoycing and applause of the people received as their King And the last of the same month marrying the aforesaid Lady Mary at Tyre was there together with her with a great Solemnity Crowned King in the year year 1209. 1209. Which Almericus the old King of Cyprus hearing shortly after died for grief Neither wanted this noble Gentleman thus honoured with the Title of a Kingdom some that envied at his Promotion
should thereby have followed after them The Christians perceiving their flight without resistance entred the City and being strangers did what they could to quench the fire and to save that which the Inhabitants themselves would fain have with fire destroyed and so afterwards found great abundance of Riches with plentiful store of all manner of Victuals wherewith the Souldiers both inriched and refreshed themselves This so happy and unexpected a Victory happened unto the Christians about the beginning of October in the year 1249. Sultan Meledin himself discouraged with the loss of so strong a City offered unto the French King for the redeeming thereof and to have peace at his hands more Territory in Syria and the Land of Palestine than the Christians had of long time before which large Offer was by the French especially by the Earl of Arthois the Kings Brother proudly rejected and Alexandria the most famous Port and Metropolitical City of Egypt further demanded to the great discontentment of the Turks and Sarasins In these troubles died Meledin the old Sultan a man not much beloved of his people in whose stead Melech-sala or Melexala as some call him a valiant and couragious Prince well beloved of his Subjects and but even then returned out of Syria and Arabia where he had been to crave Aid of the other Mahometan Princes was chosen Sultan Which Princes especially the Sultan of Damasco although they had not of long been at any good accord amongst themselves or with the Egyptians yet in this common danger of their Superstition which by the loss of Egypt was like to be greatly weakned they joyned hands together and so sent him great Aid The new Sultan thus strengthened drew nearer unto the Christians which then lay encamped not far from Damiata and had with them a hot skirmish wherein he was put to the worse and so with some loss glad to retire But the Christians the next day in hope of like success sallying out again were overthrown with ten times more loss than was he the day before and so fain to fly unto the Camp. By which Victory the Sultan encouraged began now to conceive better hope of the success of his Wars and by stopping the passages both by Water and Land to provide that no Victuals could without great peril be brought either unto the City or the Camp insomuch that at length Victuals began to grow scarce in both whereof the Sultan was not ignorant as being thereof throughly informed by such Fugitives as for want or other causes oftentimes fled out of the French Camp into his Winter thus passing and want still increasing it fortuned that the Governor of the great City of Caire upon the fortune whereof depended the State of the whole Kingdom a man not evil affected unto 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 perswaded the French King to come on with his Army to the City the Regal seat of the Sultan promising him to deliver 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 himself 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 Earl of Salisbury with the rest of the Englishmen who for many proud indignities offered them by the French especially by the Earl of Artois the Kings Brother whereof they could have no redress were gone to Ptolemais without purpose to have any more served in those Wars but now being sent for by the King with promise of better usage and honourable recompence for the wrongs past returned again into Egypt there to do their last endeavour With whose coming the King strengthned but more by the new supplies brought unto him by his Brother Alphonsus out of France leaving the Duke of Burgundy with a convenient Garrison with the Queen his Wife Odâ— the Popes Legate and divers other great Ladies in Damiata he himself set forward with his Army towards Caire Of whose coming the Sultan hearing and loath upon the Fortune of one Battel to adventure his whole Estate offered by his Embassadors to restore unto him all the Land of Palestine with a great summ of Mony for the defraying of the charges of those Wars and all the Prisoners he had taken so that he would redeliver unto him the City of Damiata and joyn with him in League and Amity Which fair offer for all that the French King by the perswasion of the Legate and others refused So the King marching still on was to pass an Arm of the great River Nilus the Sultan on the other side still ready with his Army to stay his passage which he had thought to have made by a Bridge of Boats prepared for the same purpose but better conducted by a Fugitive Sarasin unto a Foord before to him unknown sent his Brother Robert Earl of Artois with the third part of the Army before him accompanied with the Master of the Templars and the Earl of Salisbury with their Followers Who passing the River at the aforesaid Foord suddenly assailed the Turks in their Tents the Sultan being then absent in solemnising one of their prophane Feasts and put them to flight With which Victory the French Earl above measure encouraged would needs on forwards as if he would himself alone have carried away the glory of the whole Conquest Whom for all that certain of the ancient Templars better acquainted with the manners of that deceitful Nation than he and better considering also of their own Ability and Strength perswaded him to content himself with the Honour he had already got and not to proceed any further in prosecuting of the Enemy until the coming of the rest of the Army especially in that desperate estate of the Enemy wherein he was to win or lose all Unto whom the proud Earl in great despight replyed that he would prosecute his Victory and follow his good fortune calling them Dastards and Cowards opprobriously objecting unto them the common Fame whereby it was commonly reported That the Holy Land might long since have been again united unto the body of the Christian Common-wealth but for the foul collusion of the false Templars and Hospitalers with the Turks and Infidels With which reproachful Speech the Master of the Templars not without cause moved answered for himself and his Fellows That he should when he would and where he durst display his Ensigns and he should find them as ready to follow as he was to go before them The Earl of Salisbury also willing to stint this strife perswaded Earl Robert not to be so wedded to his own opinion but to listen to the grave and wholsome Counsel of the Templars being men of great experience and so turning unto the Master of the Templars began likewise with gentle words
whereof the greatest profit still came unto the Mamalukes who as Lords of all with great insolency at their pleasure took it from them as their own As for the great Sultan they still chose him from among themselves not suffering any the Sultans Children to succeed their Fathers in the Kingdom for fear lest they in process of time proud of their Ancestors and Parentage should reckon of them as of their Slaves as indeed they were and so at length bring in another more free kind of Government Against which they provided also not only by this restraint of their Sultans Children but of their own also taking order and establishing it as an immutable Law That though the Sons of the Mamalukes might enjoy their Fathers Lands and Wealth after their death yet that it should not be lawful for them in any case to take upon them the name or honour of a Mamaluke so debarring them from all government in the Common-Wealth to the intent it might still rest with the Mamalukes Neither was it lawful for any born of Mahometan Parents which could not be Slaves or of the race of the Jews to be admitted into that order but only such as being born Christians and become Slaves had from the time of their Captivity been instructed in the Mahometan Superstition or else being men grown and coming thither had abjured the Christian Religion as many Reprobates did in hope of preferment Right strange it is to consider unto what Honour and Glory this slavish Empire in short time grew many of these poor Slaves by rare Fortune or secret divine Power exalted out of the dust unto the highest degree of Honour proving most excellent and renowned Princes of such strength and power as was dreadful even unto the greatest Princes of the World. In which great glory this servile Empire to the Worlds wonder flourished from this time amongst the greatest by the space of 267 years until that having run the appointed race it was with a great destruction by Selymus the victorious Emperor of the Turks overthrown in the year 1517 and the Kingdom of Egypt with all Syria and the Land of Palestine brought into the form of Provinces united unto the Turks Empire as they are at this day and as in the course of this History shall in due time and place God willing at large appear But leaving the Kingdom of the Turks thus overthrown in Egypt and the Mamalukes there triumphing the French King returned into France and the Christians in peace into Syria let us again return into the lesser Asia and to the Imperial City of Constantinople whither the affairs both of the Turks and of the Christians now call us All this while the Greek Empire for so the Greeks will have it called flourished both in peace and plenty in the lesser Asia under their Emperor Iohn Batazes the power of the Latines in the mean time declining as fast at Constantinople under the Government of the Latine Emperor Baldwin the Second As for the Turks whom we left grievously 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 Enemy At length it fortuned that Iohn Ducas the Greek Emperor died being at the time of his death about thrâ—escore years old whereof he had happily reigned three and thirty by whose good and discreet Government the Greek Empire before brought low and almost to nought by the Latines began again to gather strength and to flourish both in Asia and some little part of Europe also Of him are reportedmany notable matters which as impertinent to our purpose I could willingly pass over were I not by the worthy remembrance of one of them staied a while by the way This noble and famous Emperor having long lamented the death of the fair Empress Irene his first Wife at last married another young Lady the Sister of Manfred King of Sicily called Anne with whom amongst other honourable and beautiful 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 always flowed a fountain of most sugred Words and out of her Eyes issued as it were Nets to intangle the Amarous in Upon this so fair an object the Emperor not fearing farther harm took pleasure oftentimes to feed his Eyes until that at length caught with her Looks he had lost his liberty 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 young Empress his Wife but so far doated upon her that he suffered her to be attired and honoured with the same Attire and Honour that the Empress was her self whom she now so far exceeded both in Grace and Favour with the Emperor and Honour of the People as that she almost alone enjoyed the same without regard of her unto whom it was of more right due Whilst she thus alone triumpheth at length it fortuned that she in all her glory attended upon with most of the Gallants of the Court and some of the Emperors Guard would needs go whether for her Devotion or for her Recreation I know not to visit the Monastery and fair Church which Blemmydes a Noble Man of great Renown both for his Integrity of Life and Learning had of his own costs and charges but lately built in the Country where he together with his Monks as men weary of the World lived a devout and solitary contemplative life after the manner of that time with the great good opinion of the People in general This Blemmydes was afterward for his upright life and profound Learning chosen Patriarch of Constantinople which great honour next unto the Emperor himself he refused contenting himself with his Cell Marcesina coming thither in great Pomp and thinking to have entred the Church had the doors shut against her by the Monks before commanded so to do by Blemmydes their Founder and so was to her great disgrace kept out For that devout man deemed it a great Impiety to suffer that so wicked and shameless a Woman against whom he had most sharply both spoken and written with her prophane and wicked feet should tread upon the sacred pavement of his Church She enraged with this indignity hardly by so proud a Woman to be with patience disgested and prickt forward by her flattering Followers also returning to the Court grievously complained thereof unto the Emperor stirring him up by all means she could to revenge the same perswading him to have been therein himself disgraced Whereunto were joined also the hard speeches of her pickthank Favourites who to curry Favour spared not as it were to put oyl unto the fire for the stirring up of the Emperor to Revenge Who with so great a complaint nothing moved unto
Wrath but struck as it were to the heart with a remorse of Conscience and oppressed with heaviness with tears running down his Cheeks and fetching a deep sigh said Why provoke you me to punish so just a man Whereas if I would my self have lived without reproach and infamy I should have kept my Imperial Majesty unpolluted or stained But now sith I my self have been the cause both of mine own disgrace and of the Empires I may thank mine own deserts if of such evil seed as I have sown I now reap also an evil harvest After the death of this good Emperor Theodorus his Son born the first year of his Fathers Reign being then about three and thirty years old was by the general consent of the People saluted Emperor 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 having provided for the security of his affairs in Asia he with a puissant Army passed over the Straight of Hellespontus into Europe to appease the troubles there raised in Macedonia and Thracia by the King of Bulgaria his Brother-in-Law and Michael Angelus the Despot of Thessalia who upon the death of the old Emperor began to spoil those Countries not without hope aâ— length to have joyned them unto their own by whose coming they were for all that disappointed of their purpose and glad to sue to him for peace But whilst he was there busied he was advertised by Letters from Nice that Michael Paleologus whom he had left there Governour in his absence was secretly fled unto the Turks with which news he was not a little troubled The cause of whose flight as Paleologus himself gave it out was for that he perceived himself divers ways by many of his Enemies brought into disgrace and the Emperors Ears so filled with their odious complaints so cunningly framed against him as that they were not easily or in short time to be refelled and therefore fearing in the Emperors heavy displeasure to be suddenly taken away to have willingly gone into exile if so happily he might save his life from the malice of them that sought after it At his coming to Iconium he found Iathatines the Sultan making great preparation against the Tartars who having driven the Turks out of Persia and other the far Eastern Countries as is before declared and running still on did with their continual incursions spoyl a great part of their Territories in the lesser Asia also and now lay at Axara a Town not far off from Iconium against whom the Sultan now making the greatest preparation he could gladly welcomed Paleologus whom he knew to be a right valiant and worthy Captain commending to his charge the leading of certain Bands of Greeks whom he had retained to serve him in those Wars as he had others of the Latines under the conduct of Boniface Moline a Nobleman of Venice and so having put all things in readiness and strengthened with these forreign Supplies of the Greeks and Latines set forward against his Enemies the Tartars who at the first fight of the strange Ensigns and Souldiers were much dismaied fearing some greater force had been come to the aid of the Turks nevertheless joyning with them in Battel had with them at the first a most terrible and bloody conflict wherein that part of the Army that stood against Paleologus and his Greeks was put to the worse to the great discomfiture of the Tartars being even upon the point to have fled had not one of the greatest Commanders in the Turks Army and a nigh Kinsman of the Sultans for an old grudge that he bare unto the Sultan with all his Regiment in the heat of the Battel revolted unto the Tartars whereby the fortune of the Battel was in a moment as it were quite altered they which but now were about to have fled fighting like Lions and they that were Victors now glad to turn their Backs and flie in which Flight a great number of Turks fell the fierce Tartars most eagerly pursuing them Paleologus with the General of the Turks hardly chased by the Tartars and glad every hour to make a stand and to fight for their lives with much ado after many days flight recovered a Castle of the Generals neer unto Castamona and so saved themselves The Tartars after this so great a Victory wherein they had broken the whole Strength of the Turks and brought in hazard the whole State of their Kingdom without resistance forraged all the Countries and Provinces subject unto the Turkish Sultan making Spoil of whatsoever they light upon insomuch that the Sultan discouraged and having now no Strength left to oppose against them fled unto the Greek Emperor Theodorus for aid who most honourably entertained him with all his Train and comforted him with such small aid as he thought good then to spare him which for his more safety he sent home with him under the leading of Isaacius Duâ—as sirnamed Murtzufle a man in great credit with him In recompence of which kindness the Sultan gave unto the Emperor the City of Laodicea whereinto he presently put a strong Garrison Nevertheless it was not long before it fell again into the Hands of the Turks being a place not to be holden by the Greeks Yet for all this the Sultan finding himself still to weak to withstand the continual invasions of the Tartars and weary of the harms he dayly stustained by the advice of his chief Councellors made a League with them yielding to pay them a certain yearly Tribute thereby to redeem his peace From which time the Tartars accounted of the Turks as of their Tributaries and Vassals Not long after this Michael Paleologus was by the Emperors kind and gracious Letters called home with his faithful promise also before given for his security who before his return bound himself also by solemn Oath to be unto the Emperor and his Son always loyal and from thenceforth never to seek after the Empire or give cause of new suspect for such matters as he had been before charged with but for ever to yield unto the Emperor his Son or other his Successors in the Empire his dutiful Obedience and Fidelity Upon which conditions he was again made great Constable and so received into the Emperors Favour and lived the rest of his Reign in great honour and credit with him Now Theodorus the Emperor having reigned three years fell sick and died leaving behind him his Son Iohn then but a Child of six years old to succeed him in the Empire whom he upon his death bed together with the Empire commended to Arsenius the Patriarch and one George Muzalo his faithful Councellor as to his trusty Tutors to see him safely brought up and the Empire well and peaceably governed This Muzalo was a man of mean Parentage but for his familiar Acquaintance and civil Behaviour of a Child brought up in the Court with the
the Mamalukes and others with a full purpose to have utterly rooted out all the remainders of the Christians in Syria and the Land of Palestine and so to have entirely joyned those two great Countries unto his own Kingdom But what he had so mischievously devised he lived not to bring to pass being in the midst of those his great designs taken away by sudden death After whom Alphix or as some call him Elpis succeeding him in the Kingdom and with a puissant Army entring into Syria laid Siege to Tripolis which he at length took by undermining of it and put to the Sword all the Christians therein except such as by speedy flight had in time got themselves out of the danger and rased the City down to the ground which calamity betided unto the Christians the ninth of April in the year 1289. Presently after he had the strong Castle of Nelesine yielded unto him year 1289. whereinto he put a strong Garrison to hinder the Christians from building again the late destroyed City In like manner also he took the Cities of Sidon and Berythus which he sacked and laid them flat with the ground And after that he removed to Tyre which aâ—ter three months straight Siege was by the Citizens now out of all hope of relief yielded unto him upon condition That they might with bag and baggage in safety depart With like good Fortune he in good time and as it were without resistance took all the rest of the strong Towns and Castles which the Christians yet held in Syria and the Land of Palestine excepting only the City of Ptolemais whereunto all the poor Christians fled as unto a Sanctuary to be there defended by the honourable Knights Templars and Hospitalers Nothing now leâ—t unto them more than that strong City the Sultan of his own accord made a Peace with them for the space of five years fearing as was supposed to have drawn upon him all the Christian Princes of the West if he should at once have then utterly rooted out all the Christians in those Countries together The Christians affairs 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 over as Embassadors from the rest into Europe unto Nicholaus quartus then Pope craving his fatherly aid Who moved with so great miseries of the poor afflicted Christians solicited the other Christian Princes to have sent them relief especially Rodolph the German Emperor who then busied 〈◊〉 the affairs of the Empire and his Troubles nearer home as were the other Christian Pâ—inces also gave good words but no help at all Yet some of them under the colour thereof got from their Subjects great sums of Mony which they imployed to other worse uses only the Pope sent fiâ—teen hundred men at Arms whom with devout perswasion and much earnest Preaching he had induced to take upon them that sacred Expedition and entertained them of his own charge unto whom also many others out of divers Countries upon a Religious Zeal joyned themselves as voluntary men who meeting together at Brundusium and there embarked with the two grâ—nd Masters of the Templars and Hospitalers in safety at length arrived at Ptolemais There was then in the City a great number of People of all sorts of able men there was about fifty thousand and about forty thousand of the weaker sort amongst whom divers Murders Felonies Rapes and such other shameful Outrages all hastning the dreadful judgments of God were dayly committed and let pass unregarded more than of them that were injured For all the chief Commanders were then at variance among themselves every one of them laying claim not worth a rush unto the vain Title of the Kingdom of Ierusalem Henry King of Cyprus coming thither with a great Fleet charged the Templars to deliver him the Crown of that Kingdom which they had as he said wrongfully taken from Almericus and Guy his Ancestors And Charles King of Sicilia by his Embassadors laid claim unto the Title of that Kingdom as due unto the Kings of that Island and understanding it to be given unto Henry King of Cyprus caused all the Revenues of the Templars within his Dominion to be brought into his Treasuries and their Lands and Houses to be spoyled Hugh also Prince of Antioch laboured with tooth and nail to defend the overworn Right that his Father and Grandfather had unto that lost Kingdom And the Count of Tripolis laid in for himself That he was descended from Raymund of Tholous and that beside himself remained no Prince of the antient Nobility which had won that Kingdom out of the hands of the Sarasins and that therefore that regal Dignity did not of better right appertain unto any other than unto himself Neither did these four Princes more strive for the Title of the lost Kingdom than for the present Government of the City straightway about to perish The Popes Legate pretending thereunto a right also for that King Iohn Brenne had before subjected it unto the See of Rome As for the claim unto the City of Ptolemâ—is the Patriarch of Ierusalem challenged unto himself the Preheminence for that the Metropolitical City of Tyrâ— under which the City of Ptolemais was the third Episcopal Seat was under his jurisdiction even by the Decree of the West Church The Templars also and the Knights Hospitalers whose power in the City was at that time far the greatest pretended the Government thereof of best right to belong unto them as the just reward of their blood already and afterward to be spent in the defence thereof promising great matters if it might be wholly referred unto them Neither spared the French King or the King of England by their Messengers to claim the Soveraignty of the City by their Predecessors sometimes won And they of Pisa having still a Consul therein and by often Marriages with the natural Inhabitants grown into great affinity with them did what they might to get the Government into their Hands The Venetians also by their Authority and great Wealth laboured to gain the good Will of the People sparing therein no Cost And they of Genoa no less cunning than the rest supplanted the strongest Factions by giving aid both apertly and covertly unto the weaker that so having weakned the Faction they most doubted and hated they might by the joynt favour of the weaker aspire unto the Government of the stronger and so consequently of the City it self The Florentines also by their continual Traffique thither were not out of hope by one fineness or other amongst so many Competitors to find a mean to step up above the rest But the greatest part of the People for all that were most inclined unto the Armenians and Tartars as both for their nearness and power most like of all other to stand them in stead All
occasion upon the flight of Syrgiannes with all the power he could make marched towards the City and being come within sight thereof encamped laying ambushes upon every way and passage thereabout for to have intercepted Syrgiannes who was then at Perinthus and the third night after with three hundred select Souldiers deceiving them that lay in wait for him as if they had been all asleep before the rising of the Sun came to Constantinople and if thâ— old Emperor would have given him leave he had suddenly charged them that did lie in wait for him before they were aware of his coming But as soon as it was day the Prince hearing of the escape of Syrgiannes and no such tumult in the City as he had expected presently without more ado retired with his Army the same way he came back again into Thracia By and by after Constantine the Despot was by the old Emperor his Brother sent by Sea to Thessalonica to take upon him the Government of Macedonia and by the way to apprehend Xene the Empress the young Princes Mother and after with all the power he could make to invade the young Prince in Thracia that so setting on him on the one side out of Macedonia and Syrgiannes with the Turks for the Emperor in this civil Discord was glad to use their help also and the â—ithynian Souldiers on the other they might so shut him up betwixt them and take him According to which resolution the Despot coming to Thessalonica there took the Empress whom with all her Family he thrust into a Gally and so sent her to Constantinople where she was in the Palace kept close as too much favouring the proceedings of the Prince And afterward raising all the power he could in Macedonia invaded the Prince in Thracia breaking by force through the Wall of Cristopolis The young Prince seeing himself by this means now like to be driven to a great strait sent Synadenus with his Thracian Army to defend the Frontiers of his Empire towards Constantinople against Syrgiannes with his Turks and Bithynians in hope himself by many subtle devices and slights to be able to encounter his Uncle and Despot And first he caused divers edicts and prosâ—riptions to be written in hast wherein great rewards and preferments were with great solemnity of words promised to whomsoever could bring unto him the Despot either quick or dead which were of purpose given to the Country People passing to and fro to be dispersed abroad in the high Ways and about in the Country near unto the Despots Camp. And after that he caused the death of the Emperor his Grandfather to be every where proclaimed and how that he was by the Constantinopolitans in a tumult slain which the devisers thereof in every place reported Yea some there were that swore they were themselves present at his woful death and saw it with their Eyes othersome more certainly to perswade the matter shewed long white Goats hair or such like gathered out of white Wool as if they had been by the furious People pluckt from the old Emperors Head or Beard at such time as he was slain Which things being commonly reported in every Town and Village but especially in the Despots Camp wonderfully filled Mens Heads with divers strange and doubtful thoughts then divers also of the dispersed Edicts being found and brought to the Despot struck him and not without cause into a great fear insomuch that by the perswasions of his best Friends he without longer stay retired in hast to Thessalonica Whither shortly after came a Gally from Constantinople with secret letters from the Emperor to the Despot for the apprehension of five and twenty of the chief Citizens vehemently suspected for the stirring up of the People to Rebellion and so to have delivered the City to the Prince all whom the Despot should have sent bound in that Gally to Constantinople but they in good time perceiving the danger they were in secretly stirring up the People and by and by after ringing out the Bells the signal appointed for the beginning of the Rebellion had in a very short time raised a wonderful tumult in the City insomuch that all the Citizens were up in Arms who running headlong unto the House of the Despot found not him for he forewarned of their coming was fled into the Castle but slew all they met of his or else robbing them cast them in Prison As for the Despots House they took what they found therein and afterwards pulled it down to the ground Then coming to the Castle they fired the Gates which the Despot seeing and not able to defend the place took horse and fled to a Monastery not far off where being taken by them that pursued him he full sore against his Will for the safeguard of his life took upon him the habit of a Monk nevertheless he was from thence carried Prisoner to the young Prince his Nephew who shewed himself much more courteous to him than all the rest of his Nobility and Waiters for they as if they would have eaten him up were even forthwith ready to have torn him in pieces had not the Prince embracing him in his arms saved his life Yet the next day after by the perswasion of his Council he sent him to Didimotichum where he was cast into a most loathsom Prison being very deep and strait in manner of a Well no body to attend upon him but one Boy where he lay in miserable darkness and stink they which drew up his Ordure from him and the Boy whether by chance or of purpose pouring it oftentimes upon his Head. Where after he had lien a great while in most extreme misery wishing to die and could not he was at length by the Princes commandment entreated thereunto by certain religious men removed into a more easie Prison where we will for ever leave him Things falling out cross with the old Emperor and although they were never so well devised still sorting out unto the worst he became very pensive and doubtful what to do So it fortuned that one day in his melancholy mood having a Psalter in his hand to resolve his doubtful mind he opened the same as if it were of that heavenly Oracle to ask Counsel wherein the first verse that he light upon was Dum coelestis dissociat Reges nive conspergentur in Salmon When the Almighty scattered Kings for their sakes then were they as white as snow in Salmon Which he applying to himself as if all those troubles and whatsoever else had happened in them proceeded from the Will of God although for causes to him unknown he by and by sought to reconcile himself unto his Nephew contrary to the mind of Syrgiannes desiring nothing but trouble For as we have before said the young Prince although he was desirous of the Power and Liberty of an Emperor yet he left the Ornaments and Care thereof unto his Grandfather and had not he oftentimes and earnestly been egged
divided betwixt his Sons was by their discord and the ambition of some of their disloyal Subjects in short time after brought to great confusion and his Posterity utterly rooted out by Usun-Câ—ssanes the Armenian Prince as in the process of this History may appear But to return again to our purpose Mahomet delivered of his greatest fear by the departure of Tamerlane out of those Countries determined to go to Prusa in Bithynia where his Brother Isa as then reigned but understanding that Isa had before taken the Straits whereby he should pass the Mount Horminius he took another way about and came to Palaeo-Castron where the valiant Captain Eine-beg Sub-bassa then remained who with all honour and gladness received him and there for certain days refreshed both him and his Army Afterwards greater Forces still repairing unto him he marched thence to Ulabad called in ancient time Lopadium Of whose coming Isa before understanding and having assembled his Army marched thither also and encamped on the other side of the Town towards Prusa ready to give him battel But Mahomet seeing his Brother so forward consulted with his Captains what were best to be done where Eine Sub-bassa a man of great experience and of late one of Bajazet his great Counsellors and Captains told him That it was not for their Honours being Brethren to pollute their hands one in the others blood but to assay if the quarrel might by some other good means be composed and they made Friends For which purpose Mahomet presently sent Letters unto his Brother Isa concerning the partition of their Fathers Kingdom in Asia betwixt them offering unto him the Provinces of Aidinia Saruchania Germeania Charasia Charamania with other Countries to them belonging so that he might have Prusa with all other Provinces about the same Which Letters when Isa had read and saw that Mahomet offered him but Titles for Kingdoms and such Countries as were rather sometimes Tributaries unto their Father Bajazet than any part of his Kingdom and now of late by Tamerlane again restored unto their ancient Liberty and Governors sharing out the best and strongest part thereof unto himself he brake forth into choler and said What doth not my Fathers Kingdom of right belong unto me being the elder Brother Mahomet is yet but a Youth and scarce crept out of the shell by what right then can he claim my Fathers Kingdom as his Inheritance If he can by the Sword win it let him take it and so hold it Mahomet having received his Answer prepared himself to the field where his Brother as ready as himself stood expecting his coming and having set Army in order of battel gave the first Charge which was the beginning of a most cruel and bloody fight wherein as it commonly falleth out in doubtful Battels many were on both sides slain At last the fortune of Mahomet prevailing Isa his Army began to retire which he seeing left nothing undone for the encouraging of his fainting Souldiers which belonged to a politick General or valiant Souldier to do but pressing into the thickest of his Enemies there with his own hand slew the ancient and valiant Captain Eine Sub-bassa who had many times been General of the Footmen in old Bajazet his Wars But what prevaileth courage against evil fortune Isa must â—ither fly or die And therefore having done what he could in so desperate a case being himself on every side forsaken in the end was glad himself to fly to the Sea-side where finding a Ship ready bound for Constantinople he passed over thither in safety and there yielded himself unto the Protection of the Greek Emperor Emanuel In this chase Mahomet his Souldiers took the valiant Captain Temurtases Prisoner another of Bajazet his great Commanders and brought him to Mahomet who in revenge of the death of Eine commanded his Head presently to be smitten off and his Body to be hanged upon a Tree by the High-way side Of this Victory Mahomet certified his Brother Solyman at Hadrianople and in token thereof sent him Temurtases his Head. This battel was much spoken of both for that it was fought betwixt two Brethren and also for the death of the two famous and old Captains Eine and Temurtases who both together as loving Friends had fortunately fought many great battels under Bajazet his Ensigns and now as it were by destiny and against their wills without any private grudge were both drawn into contrary Factions and slain both whilst they lived wishing a good Peace betwixt the ambitious Brethren But as the Turks use to say What is by God written in a mans forehead before his Birth cannot in his life be avoided After this Victory Mahomet thinking himself now in sure possession of all his Fathers Dominions in Asia led his Army to Prusa where he was of the Citizens joyfully received as their Sultan and for his great bounty of all men highly commended and honoured From thence he went to Nice and so to Neapolis and there in both places was likewise received Thither resorted unto him all the Garrisons of Carasina Sâ—ruchania and Aidinia with other the Inhabitants of those Countries with all Loyalty submitting themselves unto him with such Honour and Reverence as belonged to their King. All things thus sorting according to his desire in Asia he sent to the Prince Germean for the Body of his Father Bajazet and for his Brother Musa which were there left by Tamerlane as is before declared This Body was by the same Prince at the request of Mahomet with great Solemnity sent to Prusa and there sumptuously buried with all the Turkiâ—h Obsequies and Ceremonies the Turkish Alcoran or Book of their Law being read seven days upon his Tomb. All which time great chear was kept for all Commers and much given to the Poor upon the Turkish devotion for Bajazet his Soul but above all others exceeding bounty was extended to the Posterity of their Prophet Mahomet which are known from others amongst the Mahometans by the colour of their Apparel which is all green and not lawful to be worn of any but of them so that they were by the bounty 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 Solemnity past he went in Progress to all parts of his Kingdom and was in every place joyfully received and so afterward returned to Amasia and there in great pleasure spent that Summer Where we will for a while leave him to see what Solyman his eldest Brother in the mean time doth at Hadrianople Solyman the eldest Son of Bajazet who kept his Court at Hadrianople there peaceably Reigning all this while over the Countries which his Father Bajazet sometime possessed in Europe hearing what his Brother Mahomet had done and how violently against all Right he had driven Isa out of Prusa and made him glad to fly to
wonderfully even to the astonishment of the World increased and extended their Empire But of them more shall be said hereafter This great King was whilst he lived of his Subjects wonderfully beloved and no less of them after his death lamented He was more faithful of his word than any of the Turkish Kings either before or after him by Nature melancholy and sad and accounted rather politick than valiant yet was indeed both a great dissembler and painful in travel but wayward and testy above measure which many imputed unto his great Age. He had issue six Sons Achmetes Aladin Mahomet Hasan otherwise called Chasan Urchan and Achmetes the younger of some called Calepinus three of whom died before but the two youngest were by their unnatural Brother Mahomet who succeeded him in the Turkish Kingdom even in their infancy in the beginning of his Reign most cruelly murthered Christian Princes of the same time with Amurath the Second Emperors Of the East John Palaeologus 1421. 24. Constantinus Palaeologus 1444. 8. Of the West Sigismund King of Hungary 1411. 28. Albert the Second King of Hungary and Bohemia 1438. 2. Frederick the Third Arch-Duke of Austria 1440. 54. Kings Of England Henry the Fifth 1413. 9. Henry the Sixth 1422. 39. Of France Charles the Sixth 1381. 42. Charles the Seventh 1423. 38. Of Scotland James the First 1424. 13. James the Second 1436. 29. Bishops of Rome Martin the V. 1417. 13. Eugenius the IV. 1431. 16. Nicholas the V. 1447. 8. Qui riâ—i inÌ„uumeros populos tot regno lot urbes Solus eâ— immensi qui timor orbis â—ram Me 〈◊〉 quaecunque rapit mors improba sed sum 〈◊〉 â—xcelsa duclus ad astra tamen 〈◊〉 Aleâ—â—â—nder non me suit Anibal et non Eâ—deriâ— Auâ—oniâ—s tot licet ille Duces 〈…〉 Danaos domuique feroces 〈…〉 populâ—s Sauromatas que truces Pannonius sensiâ—â—â— antum surgebit in armis Vis meaâ—quâ—e latio cognita nuper erat Arsacidae sensere manus has sensit Arabsque El mea suâ—t Persae cognita tela duci Mens fueral bellâ—re Rhodum superare superbam Italiam sed non fata dedere modum Hei mehi nam rapuit mors aspera quaeque sub alto Pectore â—onâ—ideram rertit et hora brevis Sic hominum faâ—lus perâ—unt sic Stemata Sicque Imperium atque qurum quicquid et Orbis habet I who to kingdomes Cities brought their fate The terrour of the trembling world of late Yield to the greater Monarch Death but am Yet proud to think of my immortal fame Greater than Alexander once was I Or him that Camps of Romans did destroy I vanquisht the victorious Greeks and I Destroyd Epyrus and fierce Tartary From mighty Me th'Hungarians had their doome And the report reacht y e proud walls oâ— Rome Th'Assyrian and Arabian felt my hand Nor could the Persian my dread power withstand Ore Rhodes and Italy I designd to ride But fate the progress of my aimes denyd Ai me grim Death and one unlucky houre Has baffled all my thoughts and boundless power So haughty man and all his hopes decay And so all sublunary gloryes pass away The LIFE of MAHOMET The Second of that NAME The Seventh KING and First EMPEROR of the TURKS For his many VICTORIES sirnamed The Great THE report of the death of old Amurath the late King was in short time blown through most part of Christendom to the great joy of many but especially of the Greeks and other poor Christians which bordered upon the Tyrants Kingdom who were now in hope together with the change of the Turkish King to make exchange also of their bad Estate and Fortune and the rather for that it was thought that his eldest Son Mahomet after the death of his Father would have imbraced the Christian Religion being in his Childhood instructed therein as was supposed by his Mother the Daughter of the Prince of Servia a Christian. But vain was this hope and the joy thereof but short as afterward by proof appeared For Mahomet being about the Age of one and twenty years succeeding his Father in the Kingdom in the year of our Lord 1450. year 1450. embraced in shew the Mahometan Religion abhorring the Christian but indeed making no great reckoning either of the one or of the other but as a meer Atheist devoid of all Religion and worshiping no other God but good Fortune derided the simplicity of all such as thought that God had any care or regard of worldly men or of their actions which graceless resolution so wrought in him that he thought all things lawful that agreed with his lust and making conscience of nothing kept no League Promise or Oath longer than stood with his Profit or Pleasure Now in the Court men stood diversly affected towards the present State the mighty Bassaes and others of great Authority unto whom the old Kings Government was never grievous inwardly lamented his death doubting lest the fierce Nature of the young King should turn to the hurt of some of them in particular and the shortning of their Authority in general as indeed it shortly after fell out But the lusty Gallants of the Court weary of the old King who in hope of preferment had long wished for the Government of the young Prince were glad to see him set upon his Fathers Seat. And the vulgar People never constant but in unconstancy and alwaies fawning upon the present exceedingly rejoyced in their young King. The Ianizaries also at the same time according to their accustomed manner took the Spoil of the Christians and Jews that dwelt amongst them and easily obtained pardon for the same whereupon he was by the same Ianizaries and other Souldiers of the Court with great Triumph saluted King. Which approbation of these men of War is unto the Turkish Kings a greater assurance for the possession of their Kingdom than to be born the eldest Son of the King as in the process of this History shall appear so great is the power of these masterful Slaves in promoting to the Kingdom whichsoever of the Kings Sons they most favour without much regard whether they be the eldest or not This young Tyrant was no sooner possessed of his Fathers Kingdom but that he forgetting the Laws of Nature was presently in person himself about to have murthered with his own hands his youngest Brother then but eighteen Months old begotten on the Daughter of Sponderbius Which unnatural part Moses one of his Bassaes and a man greatly in his favour perceiving requested him not to embrue his own hands in the blood of his Brother but rather to commit the execution thereof to some other which thing Mahomet commanded him the Author of that counsel forthwith to do So Moses taking the Child from the Nurse strangled it with pouring water down the throat thereof The young Lady understanding of the death of her Child as a Woman whom Fury had made past fear came and in her rage reviled the Tyrant to
them that had the leading of the Wings of Scanderbegs Army divers of the common Souldiers thrust the Heads of the slain Turks upon the points of their Spears in token of Victory to the great astonishment of the Turks and now joining themselves with Scanderbeg more fiercely charged the main Battel of the Turks than before Nevertheless Moses encouraging his Souldiers did what was possible for a man to do and even with his own Valour a great while staid the course of the Victory until he seeing the ground about him covered with the dead bodies of his best Souldiers and that there was no remedy but that he must either flie or there die turned his Back and fled In which Flight many of the hindermost of the Turks were slain as for Moses himself he escaped by ways to him well known only with four thousand men the poor remainder of so great an Army the rest to the number of about eleven thousand all choice men were slain whereas of the Christians were not past an hundred lost and about eighty wounded Of all the Turks that were taken only one was saved who being a man of good account had yielded himself to Zacharias and was afterward ransomed the rest were all by the common Souldiers without Pity tortured to death in revenge of the Cruelty by them shewed at Belgrade Scanderbeg himself either not knowing thereof or winking thereat Moses with the rest of his discomfited Army lay still a while upon the Borders of Epirus and would fain have perswaded them after the departure of Scanderbeg to have followed him again into Epirus to have surprised the Garrison left in Dibra in number not above two thousand promising to bring them upon the same Garrison before they should be aware of their coming But the Turks having him now in contempt were about by general consent to forsake him and to return home And so Moses seeing no remedy returned with them to Constantinople with countenance as heavy as if he had been a condemned man now carried to the place of Execution and the Turks which had not long before had him in great admiration expecting that he should have ended the Wars in Epirus began now to disgrace him as fast and to speak all the evil of him they could devise Yea the Tyrant himself although he could blame nothing in the Man but his Fortune was so highly offended with him for the loss of his Army that he had undoubtedly put him to most cruel death had not the great Bassaes and others near about him perswaded him otherwise saying That in so doing he should alienate the minds of all others from revolting unto him or attempting any great thing for his service So was he by their mediation pardoned his life but withal so disgraced that he had little or nothing allowed him afterwards for his necessary maintenance all which despightful contumelies he outwardly seemed patiently to bear but was inwardly so tormented with melancholy and grief that he could neither eat nor drink the remembrance of the foul Treason committed against his Prince and Country was day and night before his Eyes and the disgraces of the Turks Court inwardly tormented him with intollerable grief the sight of the Tyrant who measured all things by the event filled his Heart with secret indignation and to return again to his natural Prince of whom he had so evil deserved he was ashamed sometime the clemency and princely nature of Scanderbeg whom he knew of old slow to revenge and easie to be intreated to forgive heartned him on to think of return and by and by the consideration of his foul Treason overwhelmed him with despair Thus with contrary thoughts plunged too and fro tormented with the unspeakable griefs of a troubled conscience not knowing what to do purposing now one thing and by and by another at last he resolved to forsake the insolent Tyrant and to submit himself to the mercy of Scanderbeg wishing rather to die in his Country for his due desert than to live with infamy derided in the Turks Court. Resting himself upon this resolution one Evening he got secretly out of the Gates of Constantinople and travelling all that night and the day following before he rested by long and weary journeys came at last unto his native Country of Dibra The Garrison Souldiers beholding their old Governor all alone full of heaviness as a man eaten up with cares moved with compassion forgetting the evils he had been the occasion of received him with many tears and friendly embracings and brought him to Scanderbeg who by chance then lay not far off Moses coming unto him with his girdle about his Neck in token that he had deserved death as the manner of that Country was found him walking before his Tent and there with heavy cheer falling down upon his Knees at his Feet submitted himself unto his mercy and with great humility and signs of repentance craved his most gracious pardon Which his request Scanderbeg presently granted and taking him up by the Hand embraced and kissed him in token he had from his Heart forgiven him and within a few days after caused all such things of his as were before confiscate to be again restored unto him with all such Offices and Promotions as he had before enjoyed and by open Proclamation commanded That from thenceforth no man should either publikely or privately speak of that Moses had trespassed Mahomet understanding that Moses was returned again into Epirus and honoured of Scanderbeg as in former time was much grieved thereat and fumed exceedingly first for that he had at all trusted him and then that he had so let him slip out of his Hands being verily perswaded that all that Moses had done was but a fineness of Scanderbeg to deceive him Shortly after that Moses was returned into Epirus Mahomet by like practice allured unto him Amesa Scanderbeg his Nephew promising to make him King of Epirus in his Uncles stead For by that means the crafty Tyrant thought it a more easie way to draw the minds of the people of Epirus from Scanderbeg unto him descended of the Princes Blood than to Moses or to any other Stranger he should fet up Amesa upon this hope of a Kingdom fled to Constantinople and because he would clear the mind of the Tyrant of all Suspition and distrust he carried with him his Wife and Children as the most sure Pledges of his Fidelity This Amesa was of Stature low and the Feature of his Body not so perfect as might sufficiently express the hidden Vertues of his Mind he was of Courage haughty above measure subtil and of a pregnant Wit wonderful painful and thereto courteous and bountiful the chief means whereby aspiring minds steal away the Hearts of Men whatsoever he got of himself or had by the gift of his Uncle he divided it among his Souldiers or Friends he was very affable and could notably both cover and dissemble his affections for which
part Mariners able Bodies who in the time of the Siege did great service encouraged by their Sea Captains the Island People which repaired into the City served to little other purpose but to dig and carry Earth unto the Rampiers and the Citizens except it were some few of the better sort were for the most part weak and of small Courage not able to indure any labour or pains and yet hardly to be kept in order and governed great speakers but small doers greater in shew than in deed The Great Master having carefully provided and ordered all things needful for the defence of the City and fearing nothing more than the faint Hearts of the Citizens caused them all to be called together for incouragement of whom he spake unto them as followeth Valiant Gentlemen and worthy Citizens we hear that the Turk our mortal Enemy is coming against us with a huge Army raised of divers Nations from whose natural cruelty and wonted perjury except we defend our selves by force one and the self same danger is like to befal me my Knights and you all For we have with common consent and hand grievously spoiled him both by Sea and Land and you are by booties taken by strong hand out of his Dominions inriched and at this day we keep his People in grievous servitude and he ours but he injuriously and we most justly For his Ancestors weary of the dark Dens and Caves of the Mountain Caucasus their natural Dwelling without Right Title or Cause incited only with Covetousness Ambition and the hatred of our most sacred Religion have driven the Christians out of Syria and afterwards oppressed the Grecians in Grecia where not contâ—nted to have destroyed the People with one simple kind of death as Barbarism is ever cruel and merciless they have with most exquisite and horrible Torments butchered many thousands of that Nation All whom this wicked proud youth whose mischief exceedeth his years an evil Neighbour to all men not contented with the Dominions of Arabia Syria Egypt the greatest part of Asia and of many other places more seeketh in Tyranny Murther Spoil Perjury and Hatred against Christ and Christians far to excel and forceth himself to the uttermost of his power to take from us our Islands and to subdue the Christian Countries that so at length being Lord of all and Commander of the World he may at his pleasure overthrow the Christian Cities kill the Christians and utterly root out the Christian name which he so much hateth For the repulsing of which intollerable injury we have 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 have done what in us lay holpen by you we know by proof your great Valour and Fidelity which we now have not in any distrust Wherefore I will not use many words to perswade you to continue in your Fidelity and Loyalty neither long circumstances to encourage you to play the men sithence worthy minds are not with words either encouraged or dismayed But concerning my self and my Knights of the Order I will speak a few words I with them with whom as I hope the Christian Princes and other my Knights of the West will in good time joyn their Forces are most ready and prest to defend your selves your Children your Wives your Goods the Monuments of your Ancestors and sacred Temples dedicated to the service of our God. Which opinion that it may remain firm and fixt in your minds if nothing else my Faithfulness in your Wars my Body not yet altogether spent but able enough to endure pains and travel the Nobility of these worthy Knights of the Order their Love towards you and their Hatred towards your Enemies were sufficient to confirm but beside this the strength of this City which this noble Order hath with infinite charges so notably fortified with Ditches Walls Towers and Bulwarks against all the force and fury of Artillery is such as that no City may worthily be compared much less preferred before the same It is wonderfully stored with all kind of Weapons and Warlike Provision we have laid up plenty of Wine Flesh and Corn in vaults so that neither wet Weather nor Worms can attaint the same of Wood and wholesome Water not to be taken from us things necessary for men besieged we have plenty and able men enough for the defence of the City All which things promise unto us assured Victory and such end of the War as we wish for Besides this Necessity which giveth Courage even unto Cowards will enforce us to fight Yet standeth on our side true Religion Faith Conscience Devotion Constancy the Love of our Country the Love of our Liberty the Love of our Parents Wives Children and whatsoever else we hold dear Whereas they bring with them the proud command of their Captains Infidelity Impiety Unconstancy a wicked desire of your Bondage of your Blood and the Blood of your Parents Wives and Children Out of doubt beloved Citizens our good God will not suffer so many good vertues to be overcome by their foul vices Wherefore be you in mind quiet and secure and trouble not your selves with forboding fear of your Enemies only continue in the Fidelity and Loyalty which you have always kept inviolate and unspotted toward this sacred and honourable Fellowship in most dangerous Wars and hardest chances of Fortune and if need shall so require with couragious band shew your Valour against your Enemies and make it known unto the Spaniards French Italians Hungarians and English That the Rhodians are of power to daunt the Turkish Pride and to avert their Fleets and Armies from Italy which they have so many years threatned with Fire and Sword and will no doubt thither with all speed hasten and come if that which my mind abhorreth to speak they should here prevail Neither will his ambitious youth in Courage Falshood and cruelty exceeding Hannibal imitate him in that that having overthrown the Romans in the great Battel at Cannas knew not to use his Victory but he will presently with more than Caesars celerity bring forth the Treasures his Father got in Egypt and with great Fleets and huge Armies invade Apulia Calabria and Scicilia from whence he will forthwith break into France and afterwards into Spain and other Christian Countries raging through them with all kind of cruelty But I am carried away further than I purposed and than need is For your Fidelity and Valour most worthy Citizens to endure the Siege and repulse the Enemy is such as needeth not my perswasion 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 never feel which pinching calamities for all that some People in Faithfulness Courage and Valor nothing comparable to you have nevertheless most
his Hope and all his Protection did so greatly feaâ— his coming Wherefore to rid himself of that Fear he commanded twelve thousand Souldiers that changing their Weapons and Apparel they should go and lie in wait for Osman in the Borders between Cholchis and Iberia towards the Tartarian Nomades by which way he was to come and so making an assault upon him to bereave him of his Life Hoping that such an outrage once done could not or would not be imputed to his procurement but rather to the Tartar Nomades or to the Mengrellians or to the Georgians or to the Muscovites or to the Robbers by the High-way and to be short rather to any body else than to him This Commandment of the Tartar King was accordingly by the Souldiers put in Practice who without further stay joyned themselves together and so rode towards the Place appointed And now were the Messengers sent from Amurath come to Osman who presently put himself on his way towards Constantinople having left behind him at Derbent and Sumachia two Bassaes thought to be the most sufficient men in Seruania having also appointed very good orders in the same and an assured establishment of all those Countries and Places which Mustapha first had subdued and he himself had afterwards maintained under the Obedience of Amurath He had also provided for the safety of his own Person in passing those troublesome and dangerous Passages through which he was to travel by chusing out four thousand Souldiers which he had tried in divers Battels and brought up under his own Discipline through whose Valour he doubted not safely to pass through the Treacheries of the Albanians and the populous squadrons as well of the Tartarians as of the Mengrellians Thus departed he from Derbent and coasting along the Rocks of Caucasus that at all times of the year are all white and hoary with continual Snows leaving on his left hand Media Iberia and Cholchis and on the right hand the famous Rivers of Tanais and Volga even at his first entrance unto the Shores of the Euxine Sea he was by the above named twelve thousand Tartarians being apparelled like Theeves that lie upon those ways suddenly assailed and fought withall But like as an huge Rock lying open to Tempest and Waves standing fast and unmoveable in it self resisteth the thunderings and rushings of the great and fearful Billows so stood Osman fast and firm and couragiously sustained this treacherous assault turning the bold Countenances of his resolute Souldiers against the rebellious multitude of those traiterous Squadrons who as is their manner in the begining used great force but finding so stout resistance in those few whom they had thought with their only looks and shoutings to have put to flight they began at length to quail Which Osman quickly perceiving couragiously forced upon them and in a very short space and with a very small loss of his own 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 fear that he had conceived lest when he came to Constantinople he would procure his Destruction from Amurath had sent this Army to seek his Death Of which Treason Osman caused a perfect process to be made together with the Dispositions of the Tartarian Prisoners which he sent the shortest way he could devise to Amurath at Constantinople with Letters declaring all that had passed inflaming him to revenge so dangerous an Injury and so wicked a Practice Amurath receiving these Advertisements from Osman according to the Necessity of the matter took order that Vluzales his Admiral with certain Gallies well appointed should pass over to Caffa to fetch Osman and withall to carry with him Islan a Brother of the Tartar Kings commanding Osman by Letters that he should to the terror of others put to death the treacherous King and place his Brother in his room This Tartar King was one of those mighty Princes who basely yielding to the Othoman Power led under them a most vile and troublesome Life as their Tributaries and Vassals always at command whose younger Brother Islan presuming of the sufficiency of himself and the favour of the People going to Constantinople became a Suiter unto the Turkish Emperour to have his eldest Brother thrust out of his Kingdom as a man for his evil Government hated of his Subjects and to be placed himself in his room Which his suit was so crossed by the Ambassadors of the King's Brother who spared for no cost in the behalf of their Master that the ambitious Youth was sent from the Turks Court to Iconium and there clapt fast up in Prison where apparelled like an Eremit he led his Life altogether conformable to his Misery with such a kind of external Innocency as if he had been void of all hope or ambitious desire of a Kingdom but rather like a forlorn and unhappy wretch with vain Affliction and impious Devotion to prepare himself to a laudable and honourable Death But whilst he thus lived sequestred from all worldly Cogitations upon the discovery 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 tenour aforesaid Now in the mean time Osman had by cunning means got into his hands this Tartar King being as is reported betrayed by his own Counsellors corrupted by the Turks Gold whom with his two Sons Osman upon the receit of the aforesaid Letters from Amurath caused to be presently strangled with a Bow-string and Islan his younger Brother to be saluted King in his Place yet as Vassal to Amurath This shameful death the usual reward of the Turkish Friendship was thought justly to have hapned unto his Tartar King for that he long before supported by Amurath had most unnaturally deposed his aged Father from that Kingdom just revenge now prosecuting his so great Disloyalty Osman embarked himself at the forenamed Gallies at the Port of Caffa passing over the Euxine Sea and entering into the Thracian Bosphorus arrived at Constantinople where he was received with great Pomp and singular significations of good Love. But with most evident and express kinds of Joy was he saluted by Amurath himself when by his own Speech and Presence he declared unto him every particularity of the matters that had hapned in his long and important Voyage and in lively manner represented unto him the Perils and Travels that he had passed and the Conquests that he had made in Siâ—uan After all which Discourses Amurath who longed after nothing more than to see the Persian King somewhat bridled and the famous City of Tauris brought under his own Subjection began to enter into Conference with Osman about that Enterprise and in the end would needs know throughly of him what issue he could promise him of this his desire and in what
many other Places of the Turkish Empire At which time also the Janizaries at Constantinople having received some Disgrace by some of the Great Sultan's Favourites and with great Insolency requiring to have their Heads caused their Aga well accompanied presumptuously to enter into the Seraglio to prefer this their Request whom Mahomet to the terror of the rest caused for his Presumption to be taken into the midst of the Spahi and so by them to be cut in pieces which was not done without the great Slaughter of the Spahi themselves also slain by the Janizaries Whereupon the other Janizaries arising up in Arms also and even now ready to have revenged the Death of their Captain were yet by the Wisdom of Cicala Bassa bestowing amongst them a great Sum of Money again appeased without farther harm doing Which their so great Insolency Mahomet imputing unto their excessive drinking of Wine contrary to their Law of the great Prophet by the persuasion of the Mufti commanded all such as had any Wine in their Houses in the City of Constantinople and Pera upon pain of Death to bring it out and sâ—ave it except the Ambassadors of the Queen's Majesty of England the French King and of the State of Venice so that as some report Wine for a space ran down the Channels of the Streets in Constantinople as if it had been Water after a great shower of Rain Sigismund the Transilvanian Prince now of late again possessed of Transilvania as is before declared could not yet well assure himself of the keeping thereof year 1602 for that he with the Transilvanians of his Faction alone was not able to withstand the force of Basta who still strengthened with new Supplies both of men and all things else necessary for the Wars from the Emperour was now with a great Power already entred into Transilvania the Polonians busied in the Wars of Suevia and the Turks with their other greater Affairs neither of them sending him their promised Aid the greatest hope and stay of himself in that newness of his Estate Wherefore seeing himself every day to lose one place or other and fearing also lest his Souldiers for want of Pay should in short time quite forsake him and go over to Basta he thought it best betimes and whilst he had yet something left and was not yet altogether become desperate otherwise to provide for his Estate especially having small Trust in the Turks to whom he had been before so great an Enemy Wherefore he dealt with Basta for a Truce or Cessation from Arms until Ambassadors might be sent unto the Emperour to intreat with him for some good Attonement Wherewith Basta being content and the Ambassadors sent the matter was so handled with the Emperour that Sigismund to make an end of all these Troubles was contented to the behoof of his Imperial Majesty to resign unto Basta his Lieutenant all such places as he yet held in Transilvania upon much like Conditions he had about three Years before made with him and so in all and for all to submit himself unto his Majesty Which intended Surrender of the Prince's being bruted in Transilvania Zachel Moises his Lieutenant and now in Field with the Prince's Forces not able to endure or to hear that that noble Province should again fall into the hands of the Germans encouraging his Souldiers went upon the sudden to assail Basta in hope to have found him unprovided and so discomfiting his Army to have driven the Imperials quite out of Transilvania but he an old and expert Commander perceiving even the first moving of the Transilvanians with great Celerity put his Army in good order and so joyned Battel with them wherein he with the loss of some five hundred men overthrew Moises with his Army of Transilvanians Turks and Tartars having slain above three thousand of them and put the rest to flight Moises himself with some few others being now glad to take their Refuge into the Frontiers of the Turks Territories towards Temeswar But when Sigismund understood what his Lieutenant had without his knowledge done he in token of his own Innocency went himself unto the Imperial Camp accompanied only with certain of his Gentlemen and thereunto Basta excused himself of that which was by his Lieutenant against his Will and without his Privity done frankly offering to perform whatsoever was on his part to be performed according to the Agreement made betwixt the Emperour and him And so presently calling his Garrisons out of all such strong Places as were yet for him holden he surrendred them to Basta and so forthwith honourably accompanied put himself upon his way towards the Emperour After whose Departure out of Transilvania all that Province voluntarily and without more ado yielded to Basta as to the Emperour's Lieutenant who presently called an Assembly of all the Nobility of the Country taking of them an Oath for their Obedience and Loyalty unto the Emperour Thus by the Wisdom and Prowess of this worthy Commander is the Country of Transilvania once again brought under the Emperour's Obeisance a matter of far greater Importance than to have won the strongest City the Turk holdeth in Hungary But whilst these things thus passed in Transilvania great troubles arise in Valachia the Country next adjoyning for that the People of that Province not able longer to endure the great Insolency of the Turks who after the Death of Michael had by their Power made one Ieremias Vayvod there by a general consent took up Arms and proclaiming one Radoll a favorite of the Emperours Vayvod year 1601 chased Ieremias before placed by the Turks quite out of the Country who flying unto Simon Palatine of Moldavia his Friend by his means and the help of the Turks returning unto Valachia drave out thence Radoll again who being now at this present with Basta with about ten thousand Valachians his Followers earnestly requested of him now that he was so quietly possessed of Transilvania to help him with his Forces for the recovery of Valachia And Basta well considering how much it concerned the quiet and sure keeping of the possession of Transilvania for the Emperour to have that so near a Province to friend easily yielded to his request and gave him a great Regiment of his old approved Souldiers and so sent him away to recover his Estate with whom at his entrance into Valachia the Moldavian meeting with a great Power both of his own and of the Turks come thither in the favour of Hieremias there was fought betwixt them a most terrible and bloody Battel the glory whereof fell unto Radoll he carrying away the Victory In which Battel two of the Turks Bassaes were there slain with a great number of others both of the Moldavians and Turks After which Victory Radoll recovered again the Soveraignty of Valachia for which he was beholding to Basta and shortly after with the same Aid cut in pieces a great power of the Tartars that were coming to
weak but meer Cowards before the Courageous who instead of assaulting the Walls of any strong Town fell upon the Cottages of poor Country Villages ransacking and pillaging the poor Inhabitants as well in the Villages of the Territories subject unto the Turks as in the Territories of the Christians constraining the poor People contrary to their Conscience and to the Prejudice of their Faith to swear to serve the Turk Besides that they inforced them to furnish them with all warlike Provision and Munition which they put into Canisia but a while after that our men had defeated the Garrison there Neither were they so contented all the Neighhours being thereabouts subject to this Tempest for they passed into Stiria with their Families and over-ran a part of that Province spoiling it of Men Cattel and Goods leaving instead of them Destruction Misery and Death and carried away with them two thousand poor Christians for Slaves whom they sold unto the Turks and made great profit of them From thence they went into the Country of Shavary embruing themselves with the Blood of the Christians rifling their Villages and after that burning them carrying away with them a thousand Christian Captives into most miserable Bondage and Slavery Which cruel Outrages afterward thrust the valiant Colonel Collonitz into the Field against these barbarous People to stay their Incursions and to defeat them if he could This worthy Commander had but a few days before been troubled in appeasing the French light Horsemen in Garrison in the Villages about Roquesburg risen up in Mutiny for their Pay whose hot and moved Spirits he by his Wisdom so calmed as that they were content again to be sworn to the Emperour and so joyned themselves unto the Army of Collonitz which was then 10000 good men Strong In the mean time the Tartars greedy of Prey and still seeking after Booty ransack'd and spoiled five and twenty Country Villages about Veradin all which they afterward burned also carrying away with them a great Booty both of Men and Cattel no man resisting them At which time other Companies of them also invaded the County Serin's Island as far as Rackenspurge made in it great spoil as had their Fellows elsewhere and beside other Booty carried away with them two thousand Christian Captives These outrages of the Tartars armed the County on the one side and Collonitz on the other who courageously opposing themselves against these Barbarians for a time stay'd their Incursions they not daring to abide the force of this little Army sufficient enough for the Valour thereof to have overthrown that of their Enemies for number dreadful This made them to turn their course another way into Sclavonia being in number five and thirty thousand men leaving nothing behind them there but Death and Desolation for the number of Prisoners and great Booties which they carried from thence Amongst other their spoils it was their Fortune by the way to meet with six hundred of the Christian Souldiers of whom not one escaped their hands but were slain every Mothers Son. At length it so fortuned that certain of their Troops in roaming abroad fell into the danger of the County Serin who with his Followers still hovered aloof off for fear to be of their great Multitude overwhelmed a part whereof now falling into his hands were by his Souldiers overthrown and all cut in pieces and a number of Christian Captives by them taken delivered out of Chains and set at Liberty Which Exploit was greater for the fear it brought upon the Enemy than for the slaughter there made For the Tartars still in doubt to meet again with the Christian Troops who lâ—ft not one of them alive that they could light on were glad now to keep themselves closer together and so did a great deal the less harm than when they without fear roamed up and down at their Pleasure so that even by this little Victory the Country received some Comfort and the Earl greater Honour small helps being infinite Treasures in time of Necessity which out of it would not be to be reckoned of The Garrison Souldiers of Canisia of late defeated by Collonitz in going to meet the Convoy coming towards them with Victuals as is before declared the rest of the Garrison desirous to be revenged were consulting of the means how to bring the same to pass It fortuned that at the same time there was a fugitive Christian Souldier in the Town who made shew of a man male-content desirous to turn Turk of whom the Turks made much reckoning for that he seemed to know much of the Designs of the Christians and the means how to cross them whereof he so assured them as if the matter had been now already done promising to bring them even into the midst of the Christian Camp and to deliver it into their Hands and Power Howbeit his meaning was nothing less for seeing the Turks much busied with carrying in of Victuals into the Castle brought into the Town after the overthrow of their Fellows before sent forth for the bringing in thereof and wholly intentive to that Business knowing the place in the Castle where the Powder and Munition lay he at the same time by a Train lay'd Fire thereunto and afterward amidst the tumult and the stir by a loop-hole in the Wall got himself out of the Town and came to Collonitz whâ— with his Troops lay near thereby in ambush expecting the Opportunity to perform some notable exploit upon the Success of so dangerous an adventure whereunto he had before been made privy Neither failed the fire any thing of the accustomed violence thereof but seemed rather to redouble the same it had so suddenly consumed the Buildings Munitions and Persons All the place felt the Fury thereof the Cannons Canoneers Souldiers and whatsoever else was subject unto this dreadful blast all was shaken and turned upside down yea the fire burst out of the Castle and burnt the greatest part of the Town also There was a Confusion of fear mishap and misery together the Terror whereof caused many of the Turks to cast themselves over the Walls in hope so to have saved their Lives but whilst they thought so to have escaped the Danger of the Fire they presently fell upon the edge of the Sword for meeting with the Souldiers of Collonitz who lying in ambush near thereby awaited the opportunity in that so confused a Tumult to have seised upon the place they were all either taken Prisoners or slain But see the hap how one cross chance of Fortune overthrew this so notable a Design as had it been well followed might in one moment have recovered that strong Place which had before for the space of many days indured the greatest Forces of the Othoman Emperour neither yet was then so lost but through the infamous Treachery of our own men You have heard before how that Collonitz had by fair Perswasions rather than by true Effects appeased the
Souldiers which had been ruined during the Troubles of Moldavia desiring the Polonian to remember it well lest they should be found to differ when they should come to treat of her Ransome The Tartarian returning soon after to his House he found Iaques the Polonian there whom he entertained very kindly both in reward of the good Offices he had done to his Brother and for the hope he had of his Prisoners ransome remembring that Iaques had told him that she was his Kinswoman and that it might be he would bring it After some little Discourse Iaques asked him What ransome he would require for his Polonian Prisoner To whom the Tartarian answered That he would have six thousand Chequines for her and her Son unless he would give him the Stone with the which he had cured his Brother to whom the Polonian replyed That as for the Stone it was not in his Power having restored it to a Nobleman whom he had followed when he was taken Prisoner And as for the ransome which he demanded for his Prisoner and her Child it was more than she and all her Kindred were worth she being Wife to a Captain who had been taken Prisoner at the defeat of Alexander and for want of means was still detained The Tartarian interrupted him saying That he understood she was of noble extraction and that she had rich Kinsfolks who would not suffer her to spend her Life in Captivity I confess said the Polonian that she is issued from Noble Parents but they are ruined during the Troubles of Moldavia adding withal that he would not have returned if he had thought he would have demanded above a thousand Chequines the which he offered him intreating him to accept it in regard she was his Kinswoman and for the good Office he had done for his Brother You have been satisfied reply'd the Tartarian and have no cause to complain Notwithstanding after some contesting by the mediation of the Captains Brother who had been so well cured the Ladies ransome was set at three thousand Chequines whereof her faithful Agent gave present Intelligence to Prince Charles Brother to prince Coreskie who sent this sum with all possible speed and so the Princess and her little Infant were redeemed from Captivity and conducted into Polonia by their faithful Sollicitor From whence she advertised the Prince by Letters of her delivery This relation was written by a Frenchman who by his report was present in all the Troubles of Moldavia but as touching her delivery by means of the Cure I cannot warrant it but leave it to the censure of Physicians and Naturalists who can best judge of the Virtuâ—s of Stones Herbs and Plants but it is certain that she was imprisoned and ransomed as an unknown Person In the year 1617 there came to Paris a Chiaus year 1617 a Spanish Renegado called Solyman sent from Constantinople with Letters from the Emperour Achmat to the King for the delivery of eight and twenty Slaves who had redeemed their Liberty for Money in divers Ports of Italy and in their return to Constantinople had been taken by the Ships of Merceilles the King caused them to be set at Liberty But the Chiaus had also charge to intreat his Majesty to cause Justice to be done unto the Moors Grannadines expelled out of Spain and wronged in their Goods and Persons upon their Passage into France wherein he had what contentment he could expect of Justice Notwithstanding he did witness openly his amazement at their long delays in the dispatch of Suits saying plainly That France which had the Reputation throughout the World to maintain every mans right inviolably did no Justice but after long and tedious Pursuits and that the Execution of decrees was many times longer than the Suit it self Whereas the Turks Justice said he was speedily administred to every Man and within eight days they saw an end of the greatest and most important Suits This Chiaus was favourably entertained and defraied with his Train for the space of six or seven Months at the Kings Charge As the Turks Estate hath not grown great but by Combustions so it is ordinarily full of Troubles whereby it seems that the Preservation thereof depends in making War upon others or to support it when as neighbour Princes seek to recover that which they had unjustly wrested from them by the Othoman Force So this great Estate entertained this year four great Armies two at Land the one against the Persians his antient Enemy the other consisting in a manner all of Tartarians against the King of Poland as supporting the part of the Vayvod of Moldavia against the Turk who had settled another in that Province And two naval Armies the one in the Black Sea against the Cossacks or Russians who made daily Incursions into the Othomans Country Men wholly given to Arms which go to Sea in small Boats able to carry but five or six Men made of the Bodies of hollow Trees but they are in a manner invincible with these kind of Boats for when as the disadvantage of a Combat forces them to sound a retreat they retire near unto the Land and in such Places whereas the Turkish Gallies cannot approach and so they easily prevent a total overthrow Finally in case of Necessity they carry their Vessels with them For in the end of the last year finding the passage of the Black Sea stopped at the mouth of the River of Danow by the Turkish Gallies they put their Boats into Carts and taking the way by the Mountains they brought them easily into the Sea. The Turks fourth Army is in the white Sea as they call it employed either to conduct the Caravan which brings the Tribute from Egypt to Constantinople or in search of the Gallies of Malta and Florence which scoure those Seas continually to annoy the Turk The Army against the Persian is led by Haly Bassa Successor to Mehemet Bassa he who fled into Persia after that he had lost threescore thousand men in a set Battel after which being sent for to come unto Constantinople fearing that the Sultan would take revenge of so great a loss upon his life he retired to the Sophy where he now remains The Turks being much annoyed both at Sea and Land by the Vscoques made great Complaint to the Estate of Venice with whom they are in League being greatly grieved at their Thefts and complaining much that they could not pass by Sea without danger of Servitude or Death adding withal that these Pyrates having gotten a way into Turkey by the Venetians Territories they were by them made Slaves and slain in their own Countries and although they went not from their Houses nor undertook any Voyages yet they were still in alarm and subject unto ruine That the small Resistance which was made gave great cause of jealousie that there was some secret Intelligence betwixt the Subjects of the Seigniory of Venice and the Vscoques and that they
he resolved to condemn him in a manner Solemn and Extraordinary for mounting one Day on his Throne he commanded Facardin to be brought in and placed on a low Chair where ordering his Crimes whereof he was accused to be recited he passed a formal Sentence of Death upon him but Facardin arising to justifie himself was not permitted to speak only he obtained a quarter of an hours reprieve to make his Prayers and afterwards was strangled by the hands of two Mutes Morat growing now into Years took into his own Hands the Reins of Government year 1634. resolving to rule Singly and Absolutely and to make himself rather Feared than Beloved He degraded four Viziers at once and banished them into Cyprus confiscating their Estates for no other Reason than because they had denied him the use of their Mules and Camels on occasion of his Service He became extremely severe against the Souldiery crushing them with all imaginable Rigour on the least appearance of Reluctancy to his Commands declaring That he expected Blind and Silent Obedience from all but especially from his Souldiery He imposed a great Tax upon Copper and because he had several Warehouses filled with that Mettal which had for many Years lain by he forced the People to buy it at his own Rates At which Aggrievance the Commonalty growing desperate began to Mutiny and Rebel but Morat put a speedy stop thereunto by cutting off the Heads of fifty of the most Seditious and so passed to Prusa with the Attendance of six Gallies He caused a Kadi to be hanged to the great Displeasure and universal Resentment of the Ulemah who are Students in the Law who to make known their Aggrievance and Consult a a Remedy assembled in great Numbers at the House of the Mufti The Queen-Mother being acquainted with this Meeting and fearing the ill Consequences thereof gave immediate Advice to the Sultan who with like Expedition dispatched a Boat to bring over the Mufti and his Son to Prusa who were no sooner arrived than they were strangled not being permitted to speak for themselves or to alledge any Plea or Excuse for their Lives This Act of Cruelty beyond the Example of former Ages and never practised by the most tyrannical of his Predecessors struck a Terror on the whole Empire for Men observing the unjust Rigour which was executed on the Head and Chief of their Law the Oracle and Mouth which resolved their difficult Problems and whom the World so reverenced and honoured that few Examples have been of Capital Punishment executed on his reverend Head feared that Innocence was not sufficient to secure their own less considerable Estates from his Fury and Violence There is a particular Death allotted for Mufties which is by braying them in a Mortar which is kept in the seven Towers at Constantinople and there shewed to Strangers which Instrument hath been seldom made use of Morat being greatly addicted to Wine was sensible of the ill Effects of it in himself and that the heat of debauchery inclined him to Violence and Cruelty and from hence collecting how dangerous this Humour of Drunkenness was in his People especially in his Souldiery for that much of the late Seditions might be attributed thereunto he published a most severe Edict against Wine commanding all Taverns to be demolished the Butts to be broken and the Wine spilt It was the common Custom of the Grand Signior to walk the Streets in disguise when meeting with any drunken Person he would imprison him and almost drub him to Death It was his fortune to meet a Deaf Man one day in the Streets who not hearing the Noise of the People nor the Rumor of his Approach did not so readily shift out of the way as was consistent with the fear and dread of so awful an Emperor for which default he was strangled immediately and his Body thrown into the Streets All People feared and trembled at these Practices and were as careful to look out abroad for the Grand Signior lest they should be surprised with the bluster of his presence as Mariners are of being taken unprovided by some sudden Gust or Hurricane for there was scarce a Day that one Innocent or other was not sacrificed to his Fury and tyrannical Fancy One Thomas Zanetti a Venetian Merchant who had built a lofty Jardac or a high Room of Prospective on the top of his House was accused to the Grand Signior to have designed that Place for no other end than that he might with a long Glass oversee the Chambers of the Ladies and the Gardens and Walks of the Seraglio For which Reason without farther inquiry he was hanged in his Shirt on the top of his Jardac with a red Streamer in his Hand that so the Grand Signior might be sure that the Sentence was executed The Estate of Zanetti whether belonging to himself or Principals was confiscated but in regard the Goods for security were privately conveyed to the Ware-houses of several Frank Merchants strict search was made for them but in regard the Marks and Numbers were altered they could not be distinguished wherefore the Grand Signior concluding that all the Frank Merchants had combined together to deceive him he imprisoned every Man of them nor would he release them until they had paid forty thousand Dollars for their Ransom and Liberty After which upon pretence of a Plot or Agreement of the Franks to defend themselves from the leviation of this Tax the Turks searched their Houses for Arms in taking of which they were so rigorous that they spared not so much as a Birding-piece nor yet the Sword of Sir Peter Wych then Ambassador for England though he alledged that it was the very Sword with which his Majesty had conferred the Honour of Knighthood upon him But from these Transactions at Home let us pass to the Wars in Poland and Persia. That Invincible Prince Vladislaus King of Poland had gained such good Success against the Czar of Muscovy that the Czar was forced to demand Assistance from the Turks The Grand Signior though he had lately made a Peace with Poland and sworn to maintain the Articles of Chocin concluded by his Predecessor Sultan Osman yet the continual Depredations which the Cossacks made did always administer reasonable Pretences for a War To which Abassa one of his chief Counsellors a valiant and presumptuous Captain did much incite him for promising to himself the Conduct of that Army designed against Poland did much flatter the Sultan and himself with the Fancy of mighty Success The War being thus resolved upon the Turk who commonly strikes before he Quarrels gave Orders to Abassa to make Levies of Men in Moldavia and Valachia and to put the Tartars in Arms and the Militia of Buda and of the Parts along the Danube into a warlike Posture and with all Expedition to enter Poland Abassa who had with wonderful diligence put his Troops in readiness ordered the Tartars with a Body of
Turk And so Peace was without long Debate clapt up the Grand Signior by reason of his Indisposition which increased upon him being not inclinable to trouble his Head with the Burden of Business Peace being thus concluded with Persia there appeared a perfect Sun-shine aâ—d fair Weather in the Ottoman Court neither Dissensions at home nor Wars abroad troubling the Quiet and Repose of the Sultan Until some Differences happening between the Princes of Moldavia and Walachia exhaled the first Cloud of Disturbance At that time Lupulo was Prince of Moldavia a Person of evil Principles covetous and unjust Matthew was Prince of Walachia a good Man zealous for the Christian Religion and one who administred equal Justice to his People Lupulo not contenting himself with his own but desirous also of his Neighbours Possession made instances to the Port to have the Principality of Moldavia conferred upon his Son alledging that thereby he should be better enabled to balance the Power of Ragotski in Transylvania and on all occasions be rendred more serviceable to the Grand Signior's Designs and Interest And seconding this Proposition with a Present of fifty thousand Dollars to the Chimacam and promise to increase the annual Tribute he obtained the Chimacam's Friendship at whose Instance the Grand Signior was perswaded to write unto Matthew to surrender up his Province into the hands of the Son of Lupulo declaring That it having been accustomary to change the Princes of those Countries every three years he ought after an Injoyment of above seven years to content himself with a quiet and voluntary Resignation unless he would desire to draw upon himself a Ruin by the Anger and Displeasure of the Sultan Matthew having no Posterity resolved not to surrender his Government but with his Life and having a particular Animosity against Lupulo could by no means incline his Mind to make his Enemy happy with the Spoils of his Estate Wherefore having obtained Assistance from Ragotski he resolved to withstand tâ—e Forces of young Lupulo and engage with him And being ready to mount on Horse-back and begin the Battel he first dispatched an humble Message to the Grand Signior acquainting him That he was ready at his Command to resign his Principality into the Hands of the meanest Greek his Majesty would appoint who being the Source of all Equity and Justice he hoped that he would not oblige him to such Terms as would raise his Mortal Enemy upon his Ruin a Man so intent to his own Interest and so unconscionable to compass them that all late Revolutions Wars and Commotions have been raised either by him or by his Instruments This Letter being received and read by the Grand Signior was seconded in a few hours after with News of the total Defeat of young Lupulo which put the Grand Signior so much into choler that he immediately committed the Chimacam to the seven Towers for being the Projector and Author of this Counsel It was supposed however that Morat's Anger would not proceed to that degree as to extend to his Life but being informed that he was rich and that he was possessed of two Millions of Dollars which lay by him in ready Mony it was concluded that so vast a Wealth could not in a short time be honestly gained which appearing as an undeniable Evidence and Testimony of his Violence and Oppression the Grand Signior made no Difficulty to pass the Sentence of Death against him nor to condemn the Mony to his own Exchequer His Office was given to Sinan Pasha and the Principality confirmed unto Matthew During all this Time the Quarrel which the Turks conceived against the Venetians for violating their Port of Valona was not yet composed but now having time to peruse and consider old Accounts the Venetian Bailo was called by the Chimacam to Audience and to a Conference with him concerning this Matter In the first place therefore the Bailo alledged That the Pirates of Barbary had for the space of twenty Years roved in the Venetian Gulf and made Prize in that time of so many Ships and Goods belonging to Merchants that the Republick had been prejudiced by them in several Millions which also did in some manner prejudice the Customs of the Grand Signior to whom the Venetian Merchants pay for the most part yearly the Sum of an hundred thousand Dollars in Custom for their Goods besides the benefit which the Ottoman Dominions receive by so profitable a Commerce Hereunto the Chimacam replied That the damages which the Turks received by the Corsairs or Free-booters at Sea under the Colours of Malta Leghorn Majorca and other places were greater and more dishonourable to the Majesty of the Ottoman Grandeur than the depredations of the other side were to Venice And therefore it would bâ— necessary for the good of the World that such Violences were prevented in all places and that Men of such wicked Profession should be esteemed for universal Enemies and to have no other Quarter nor Articles granted theâ— than what we give to wild and hurtful Beasts whom we destroy by Snares and Gins and all Advantages The which also was never denied to the Venetians whilst they encoâ—ntred and took them in the open Seas but to enter into priviledged Places and violate a Sanctuary of the Grand Signior's without respect to the mighty Power of so dreadful a Monarch was an act so insolent as could never obtain Pardon without due Compensation for the Offence which could not be done but either by a Restitution of the Vessels or else of a like Number in the places of them Hereunto the Bailo replied That if an Accommodation could not be made on other Terms nor Peace maintained but by a submission to Pyrats and supportation of all their Injuries and Robberies a War must inevitably ensue for the good success of which they depended on the Blessing of God Almighty and the general Assistance of all Christendom which will esteem it self universally concerned in this Cause and obliged as well to make good this Quarrel against Pirates as to preserve Venice for their main Bulwark and Defence against the Ottoman Force You make me Smile answered the Chimâ—cam when you tell me of the Power of Christendom which contains nothing more of Terrour than the Name Do not I know who have been Pasha of Buda that the Emperour hath no Mony and that when the Swâ—â—ds a small and inconsiderable People have made War upon him they have almost over-run his Country As for France if they understand their own Politicks they will scarce bâ— perswadâ—d to lend assistance to the Empire when we make War against it The Spaniards have so much to do at Home and to conserve themselves from the Incroachments of their powerful Neighbour the French that they are wholly unable to lend Forces to wage a War at such a distance from their Dominions Wherefore considering the Advantage we have upon you which we well know and understand you must either
Forgatz and the German Garison opposing this Mutiny of the People a Civil War began amongst themselves but at length the advantage falling unto Ragotski the Gates were opened unto the Transylvanians with which Success their Spirits being raised to higher Matters they proceeded forward until General Getz with a strong Body gave a stop unto their Progress And thus was the Fire of War rekindled again in Hungary by means of Ragotski to whom notwithstanding the Turks would never adhere being well acquainted with his turbulent and unsteady Humour In the mean time the Emperor dispatched his Ambassador with rich Presents to the Sultan desiring him to forbear giving farther Assistance unto Ragotski but what between Skirmishes Propositions and Treaties Matters were not composed until the 14 th of August 1645 at which time all Articles were concluded and signed between the Emperor and Ragotski But to return now to the Affairs of Constantinople Sultan Ibrahim having the Fortune of Active and Prudent Ministers attended entirely to his Pastimes and Pleasures without Prejudice to his Interest and the State of his Empire for the first Vizier being Faithful and Vigilant immediately cut off those Members with the Sword which he suspected in the least manner inclinable to Sedition amongst which were the Pashaws of Aleppo and Caffa For by this kind of seasonable and speedy Remedies the Plethory of the Ottoman Empire is commonly evacuated and the Body Politick thereof restored to its pristine state of Health and Safety In like manner the Valede Sultana being a Woman of great Courage and Abilities attended carefully to the Welfare of her Son whom she sometimes decked up and set forth as a Property of Majestick Gravity to the People whilst she her self assumed the Authority and carried all things with a high and imperious Spirit and being ambitious to be feared as well as honoured she laid violent Hands on the first Vizier called Mustapha and strangled him for though he was an Active and Faithful Minister yet because he passed something on her which she imagined did savour of neglect and because she apprehended his Power which was greatly confirmed by the Interest and Favour he had with the Janisaries and their Favourers she resolved to make him an Example as well of her Revenge as her Power after whose Death the Charge of first Vizier was conferred on Mahomet the Pasha of Damascus The same Fate befel the Captain-Pasha who was likewise strangled for having over-boldly or peremptorily made answer to some Impertinencies of the Grand Signior and his Office was afterwards conferred on Beker Pasha of Rhodes With such Rigour as this do the Sultans govern who resolve to be obeyed and to have their Commands executed without delay or contradiction Whilst these Matters were in agitation the Tartars forgetful of their Peace made another Incursion with thirty thousand Men into Russia against whom Konispolski having made Head with twenty thousand Men only overthrew them and killed twelve thousand and took three thousand Prisoners pursuing the rest to the Borders of Walachia In like manner Wisnowick a noble Polander happily encountred another Party of Tartars as they were on their return from spoiling the Countries of Moscovia of whom having killed 10000 Men he recovered their Booty and sent the rest Home naked and empty This was the true and most effectual Means for the Polanders to avenge and right their Injuries and more prevalent than Ambassies and Messages of Complaint unto the Port which we have experienced since and in the present Reign of the Son of Ibrahim to have been so far from producing Matter worthy so much as the Charge of the Ambassador that they have been retorted with Ignominy and Affronts But here Ibrahim perceiving how the Poles had avenged themselves with their own Sword would seem to approve of the Action which he could not hinder and to appear a sincere Observer of the Peace he deposed the Tartar Han for his unlawful Incursions which was such a satisfaction to the Crown of Poland as they never could obtain by force of Justice Complaints and Vertue of passive Valour until their active Fortitude took their Cause in Hand and pleaded for them On the 19 th of March of this Year a fourth Son was born to Sultan Ibrahim and on the 19 th of February following being in the Year 1645 notwithstanding all the Reports of his Impotency was born a fifth Son named Solyman to the great contentment of his People The Turks Gallies this Year under the Command of Beker their new Captain-Pasha made an Attempt on the Coast of Calabria bringing from thence two hundred Slaves and attempting the like near Corton paid for their former Booty with the loss of five hundred Men. Howsoever the Gallies of Malta being six in number had better Success as to themselves though the Consequences thereof proved fatal to the Venetians having given the first occasion of that long War which afterwards ensued between the Turk and them The truth of which Story is this free of all Romance or Fable which the Knights of St. Iohn or Malta would mix therewith It happened that the Kuzlir Aga or chief Eunuch which governs the Women in the Signior's Seraglio having cast his Eye on a fair Slave then set to sale by a Persian Merchant became so enamoured of her that he purchased her for himself under the Notion of a Virgin at the price of four hundred and fifty Dollars But the Eunuch had not long entertained this Lady in his Service before she proved with Child not by him you may conceive if you understand how the Eunuchs of this Country are disarm'd of their Virility At which he was so greatly offended that he banished her from his Society and confined her to the House of his Steward The time being come for her to be delivered of her great Belly it proved a Son and some Months after the Aga being desirous to see the Babe was so pleased with the Aspect of it that he resolved to adopt it for his own ordering it Cloaths and other Neceâ—saries agreeable to its Condition It happened that about that time Sultan Mahomet which now reigns was then born and there wanting a Nurse for the Child this beautiful Slave was preferred to the Honour so that she was entertained near two Years in the Seraglio During which time Sultan Ibrahim took such an affection to the Nurse's Boy that he loved him better than his own eldest Son who was of a bad Complexion and of no better Air in his Face than his Father and took great delight to play and sport with him at which the Mother of Sultan Mahomet was so displeased that she could not longer endure either Nurse or her Boy and for her sake took so much displeasure against the Kuzlir Aga who preferred her that neither his Presence nor Service were acceptable and so violent she was in her Passion that one day when Sultan Ibrahim was playing with his Women and Children
his Life so long as he acted nothing contrary unto his which he confirmed by Vows and all imaginable Protestations encouraging him to proceed forward to his Government with those cheerful Words and Assurances that Solyman Pasha taking his farewel with more ease of mind and confidence of Life departed Adrianople in three days after his designment to the new Office But not many days Journey had he advanced into Asia before the Grand Signiors and Viziers Commands overtook him altering his design for Damascus and instead thereof ordered him a Pilgrimage unto Mecha and exile into the remote and desert parts of Arabia until he should be thought worthy to be recalled by that power which banished him In like manner some few days after the Mufti being on a Friday seated in his place in the Mosch of Sultan Selim a very noble and famous Fabrick and attending there the Grand Signiors entrance that he might begin his Prayers was unexpectedly whispered in the Ear that he should retire and give place to another Mufti which immediately he obeyed and in four hours departed Adrianople being banished to Gallipoli for his Friendship as was supposed to Solyman Pasha and for not passing the Fetfa for his Death according to the will and desire of the Grand Signior During the Transaction of these affairs in divers parts the Wars against the Venetians were carried on faintly the Gallies had no other design or employment than to transport recruits of Men and Ammunition to Canea that so the Turks might rather keep the ground that they had gained in that Island than add thereunto by new Conquests until such time as that being freed from other Wars they might have leisure and opportunity to attend unto that alone Accordingly the Captain Pasha set forth at the usual Season from Constantinople and arrived at Scio with twenty three Gallies besides his own called the Bastard-Gally or Admiral the advice of which coming to the Captain-General of the Venetians he hastned thither with all his Fleet to besiege him in the Port but this seeming after some days a tedious work and what might lose too much time he resolved to depart from thence and so leaving a sufficient Guard before the Port he set Sail with two Galleasses thirteen light Gallies and seven Auxiliaries for the Coast of Rhodes where his Brigaâ—tiâ—es advised that the remainder of the Turkish Fleet were Anchored and were taking aboard two thousand Soldiers for reinforcing Canea but before the Venetians could arrive intelligence was given them by the way that the Turks were loosed from Rhodes and were Anchored under the Island of Patmos wherefore altering their course they steered for Nio and there watering their Vessels sailed near to Nixia where the Van-guard discovered five and thirty Gallies of the Enemy which had made prize of a Tartana laden with Provisions designed for the Venetian Fleet and having taken out her lading had set her on fire The Venetians having their Enemy in their Eye gave them chase until the Evening when the Night coming on put an end to the pursuit but keeping their course towards Candia they had sight again of them the next Morning and coming nearer the Turkish Admiral put forth his Flag of Defiance as if he intended to come to a Battel but the Wind blowing hard and the Sea increasing both Fleets were separated until the Morning when the Venetians discovered certain of the Enemies Gallies to Leeward of Milo where bearing down before the Wind upon them five of them ran ashore one was sunk and four were taken by the Venetian and Maltese Gallies three of which fighting with great Courage and Valour killed divers brave Cavaliers of one and the other Country The men which ran the Gallies ashore at Milo did it with design to secure themselves in that small Fort which the Turks possessed in that Island but they were not able to withsâ—and the valour of the Venetians who having first recovered the Cannon of the Gallies which were ran ashore with their rigging and what else was useful they set the Hulls on Fire and immediately entering the Port the Captain-General landed two hundred select men and veterane Soldiers to besiege the Fortress giving Orders to one Manolacchi Macchiotti who was well acquainted with the Turkish Language to summon them to a Treaty the which they readily accepted and were received to quarter at discretion of the General the next Morning they were brought down to the Sea-Coast to the number of about nine hundred amongst which there was a Janizar-Aga a Bey of Rhodes and three of Constantinople besides Captains and other persons of condition and quality These Prisoners being divided into several Gallies and Ships the Venetians departed and cruising about the Coast of Candia to hinder the importation of all succours they encountered with Antonio Priuli with a good Squadron of Vessels under his Command THE HISTORY OF Sultan Mahomet IV. THE XIII EMPEROUR OF THE TURKS The Second BOOK Anno Christi 1662. Hegeira 1073. AT the beginning of this Year the People of Algiâ—r sent Messengers and Presents to the Grand Signiors Court then at Adrianople complaining against the Actions His Majesties Fleeâ— under the Command of the Earl of Sandwich had done against their Town and Castles pretending those Forts to be the Grand Signiors and the Affront offered to him as willing to interest him in thier Quarrels and Piracies And that thier Addresses might be more graciously received they brought with them certain Presents which tho in former times were Yearly were now only as their Affairs required and on this occasion were doubled for besides their Presents to the Ministers and Officers of State they brought to the Grand Signior a Ship made in Silver beset with Emrods Rubies and other Stones fourteen young and hansom Boys and a Neger Eunuch for the Seraglio But the Earl of Winchelsea His Majesties Embassador there Resident being then at Court had so well prepossessed the Vizier with the Ground and Reasons for the War that the complaints of Algier were judged in no wise touching the Ottoman Interest or the breach of Peace any Impeachment of the good Correspondence and Friendship which then intervened between the King of England and the Grand Signior But their Presumption to search English Ships and take out Strangers Goods was objected as an Argument of their Disobedience and Rebellion contrary to the Grand Signiors Capitulations which also was aggravated by their ill Treatment of the Grand Signiors Pasha whom they had beaten imprisoned and cast out of all Power and Authority which severe Reprehensions so terrified and discouraged them that they not only desisted from their Pretensions against the English but began to fear lest the Power and Interest of the Ambassador at Court should contrive some mischief to their own Persons Soon after this the Vizier esteeming it necessary towards his better establishment to gratifie the City of Constantinople and the Grandees of the Empire by the
and undisturbed March to the Gates of Vienna which he swallowing also in his thoughts hoped by his own success to repair the shame of Solyman's flâ—ght from the Walls of that City and besides the glory of forcing the Emperor from his Imperial Seat he should atone for the sin of the Ottomon Cowardice and be the first who undertook to mend the actions and outvâ—e the prowess of the most magnificent and most successful of their Sultans But the Ambition of this grand design giving way to necessity and to those other impediments which obstructed it after due and mature Consultation Newhausel called by the Hungarians Oywar was fixed upon as the place to be first attempted and held up to the eye of the Souldiery as the reward and prize of their valour and hazard Wherefore Boats were provided and Planks and Timbers for a Bridge to pass the Danube which the Turks in a few days according to their usual expeditions had raised so that the Army both Horse and Foot began to transport themselves as fast as was possible to the other side but the multitudes crouded over in that disorder and haste that Three or four Thousand men had scarce passed the River before the Bridge was so broken and shattered that some time was necessarily required to repair it before the rest of the Army durst adventure to follow their Companions The Approach of the Turkish Army alarmed all that side of Hungary but especially the Inhabitants of Newhausel who observing the Turks to bend their Course that way plainly fore-saw the Storm of VVar to be breaking on them The News also of the fall of the Bridge and thereby the Separation of about Four thousand Turks from the Body of the Army was brought in by the Countrey people who forsaking their Villages fled for succour to the stronger Fortress of Newhausel Hereupon Forcatz the Governour of Newhausel a valiant and experienced Souldier though esteemed by the Turks unfortunate taking this Alarm judged that this occasion of cutting off that part of the Turkish Army which had past the River was in no wise to be omitted and therefore assembled a Council of VVar which consiâ—ted of all the principal Officers and Commanders of the Garison amongst which was Colonel Volter that commanded the Four thousand men lately sent to reinforce the Town he declared that his Opinion was immediately to make a Sally on that part of the Turkish Army which had already passed the River before the Bridge was repaired for Transportation of the others which endeavours by God's Assistance succeeding well might not only discourage the Enemy but be a means to divert them from their present design upon their City This Advice though he pressed with heat of Argument and violence of Speech yet could it not prevail with the rest of the Council which seemed wholly averse thereunto especially Volter who declared That his Commission was not to fight in the Field but to conserve himself within the Walls for maintenance of his Garison Some days passed in this Dispute whilst Forcatz growing more eager and hot on this design used opprobrious Terms and expressions of infamy towards the other Officers accusing all such of Cowardice and Treason who refused to concur with him in this Enterprize and advantage on the Enemy which Heaven seemed to reach out to them for their Deliverance if their wisdom and courage afforded them only will and grace to lay hold on the opportunity These sharp words and resolution of the Governour provoked the minds of the Officers to a condescention and thereupon about Eight thousand men of Choice and approved Souldiers well armed with stout hearâ—s and hard Iron not suffering themselves to be upbraided with such reproach in the silence of the Night under the Conduct of Forcaâ—z their own Commander Volter remaining in the Town tooâ— their way towards the Turkish Camp. and being armed with Firelocks marched with all privacy without lighted Matches or sound of Drum or Trumpet But whilst the foregoing Dispute lasted the Turks had transported the gross of their Army over the River and then lay on her Banks resting securely under their Pavillions The Christians approaching near the Turkish Camp with the first twilight and dawning of the Morning perceiving the Enemy unprovided but not discovering their Force dealt at first on-set their shot most plentifully amongst them and proceeding amidst the thickest cutting shooting killing and making havock of all before them The amazed Turks having many of their Companions brought to their last sleep before themselves were throughly awake and some flying before they discovered the reason or the danger an Alarm was given by the confused murmur of Allah Allah and that the Christians were upon them reached the farthest Quarters of the Turkish Army which immediately put themselves into Battalia and order of fighting whilst this handful of Germans proceeded forwards dealing their blows amongst their Enemies cutting the Cords of the Tents and destroying all before them But by this time the Turks having put themselves into a posture of Defence the Horse and Foot came marching in a Body extending their Wings in the form of a half Moon so as to enclose this small number and on all sides to assail them The Germans seeing this formidable sight approach and no safety in flight encouraged each other to sell their Lives at as dear a rate as they could all hopes of escape seeming desperate they fought with that courage and obstinacy as amazed the Turks and yielded not until their Spirits fainted with labour and their Swords were blunted by the Bodies of their Enemies The Count Forcaâ—z hardly escaped but by the help of his Horse with some few others fled to Newhausel which unwillingly received him wishing that the rashness of his Counsels had only proved his own destruction and not involved so many brave and innocent Souldiers who were only unfortunate for being over-powered by his command and perswasions The rest overwhelmed with multitudes yielded for though they behaved themselves beyond the power and courage of men yet the numbers of the Enemy prevailed at length over these Christian Champions whose Gallantry was more eminent and conspicuous in being subdued than the Glory of their Enemies in the Victory In this Skirmish few escaped amongst which Four hâ—ndred Gentlemen were slain and about eighteen hundred Prisoners reported to be taken a bad Omen at the beginning of this War. This Rout being given the Turks triumphed in Blood and success and returned wâ—th their Captives and Trophies back to Strigonium where the Vizier mounting a Throne of State and Majesty treated these valiant Souldiers not like men of War or Captives takâ—n in open Field but as a Judge condemned them to dye by the hand of the Hangman or Executioner passing a formal Sentence of Death upon them as if they had been Thieves or Assassinates arrested by the hand of Justice The Sentence being passed and the Turkish Army drawn up these valiant
with Women in Turkey is but strange and unfamiliar yet not to be guilty of this discourtesie I shall to the best of my information write a short Account of these Captivated Ladies how they are treated immured educated and prepared for the great Atchievements of the Sultan's Affection and as in other Stories the Knight consumes himself with Combats Watching and Penance to acquire the love of one fair Damsel here an Army of Virgins make it the only study and business of their Life to obtain the single nodd of invitation to the Bed of their great Master The Reader then must know that this Assembly of fair Women for it is probable there is no other in the Seraglio are commonly Prizes of the Sword taken at Sea and at Land as far fetched as the Turk commands or the wandring Tartar makes his Incursions composed almost of as many Nations as there are Countries of the World none of which are esteemed worthy of this Preferment unless Beautiful and undoubted Virgins As the Pages before mentioned are divided into two Chambers so likewise are these Maids into two Odaes where they are to work sew and embroider and are there lodged on Safawes every one with her Bed apart between every five of which is a Kadun or grave Matron laid to oversee and hear what Actions or Discourse passes either immodest or undecent Besides this School they have their Chambers for Musick and Dancing for acquiring a handsome Air in their carriage and comportment to which they are most diligent and intent as that which opens the Door of the Sultan's Affections and introduces them into Preferment and Esteem Out of these the Queen-Mother chuses her Court and orderly draws from the Schools such as she marks out for the most Beauteous Facetious or most corresponding with the harmony of her own Disposition and prefers them to a â—ear attendance on her Person or to other Offices of her Court. These are always richly attired and adorned with all sorts of precious Stones fit to receive the Addresses and Amours of the Sultan over them is placed the Kadun Kahia or Mother of the Maids who is careful to correct any Immodest or light Behaviour amongst them and instructs them in all the Rules and Orders of the Court. When the Grand Signior is pleased to dally with a certain number of these Ladies in the Garâ—en Helvet is cry'd which rings through all the Seraglio at which word all People withdraw themselves at a distance and Eunuchs are placed at every Avenue it being at that time death to approach near those Walls Here the Women strive with their Dances Songs and Discourse to make themselves Mistresses of the Grand Signior's Affection and then let themselves loose to all kind of lasciviousness and wanton Carriage acquitting themselves as much of all respect to Majesty as they do to Modesty When the Grand Signior resolves to chuse himself a Bed-fellow he retires into the Lodgings of his Women where according to the Story in every place reported when the Turkish Seraglio falls into Discourse the Damsels being ranged in order by the Mother of the Maids he throws his Handkerchief to her where his eye and fancy best directs it being a Token of her election to his Bed. The surprised Virgin snatches at this Prize and good Fortune with that eagerness that she is ravished with the Joy before she is deflowered by the Sultan and kneeling down first kisses the Handkerchief and then puts it in her Bosom when immediately she is congratulated by all the Ladies of the Court for the great Honour and Favour she hath received And after she hath been first washed bathed and perfumed she is adorned with Jewels and what other Attire can make her appear Glorious and Beautiful she is conducted at Night with Musick and Songs of her Companions chanting before her to the Bed-chamber of the Sultan at the Door of which attends some Favourite Eunuch who upon her approaching gives Advice to the Grand Signior and permission being given her to enter in she comes running and kneels before him and sometimes enters in at the Feet of the Bed according to the ancient Ceremony or otherwise as he chances to like her is taken in a nearer way with the Embraces of the Grand Signior This private Entertainment being ended she is delivered to the care of the Kadan Kahia or Mother of the Maids by whom she is again conducted back with the same Musick as before and having first washed and bathed hath afterwards the lodging and attendants that belongs to Hunkiar Asa-kisi that is the Royal Concubine if it be her good Fortune to conceive and bring forth a Son she is called Hasaki Sultana and is honoured with a solemn Coronation and Crowned with a small Coronet of Gold beset with precious Stones Other Ladies who produce like Fruits from the Grand Signior's Bed have not yet the like Honour but only the Name of Bash Hasaki Inkingi Hasaki the first and second Concubine and so forward The Daughters that are born from the Grand Signior are oftentimes at four or five years of Age wedded to some great Pasha or Beglerbeg with all the Pomp and Solemnities of Marriage who from that time hath care of her Education to provide a Palace for her Court and to maintain her with that State and Honour as becomes the Dignity of a Daughter to the Sultan At this tenderness of Age Sultan Ibrahim Father of the present Grand Signior married three of his Daughters one of which called Gheaher Han Sultan hath had already five Husbands and yet as is reported by the World remains a Virgin the last Husband deceased was Ishmael Pasha who was slain in the passage of the River Raab and is now again married to Gurgi Mahomet Pasha of Buda a Man of 90 Years of Age but rich and able to maintain the greatness of her Court though not to comply with the youthfulness of her Bed to which he is a stranger like the rest of her preceding Husbands After the death of the Grand Signior the Mothers of Daughters have liberty to come forth from the Seraglio and marry with any Person of Quality but those who have brought forth Sons are transplanted to the old Seraglio where they pass a retired Life without Redemption unless the Son of any of those Mothers by death of the first Heir succeeding release his Mother from that Restraint and make her sharer with him in all his Happiness and Glory CHAP. X. Of the Agiam-Oglans WE have hitherto spoken of the Ichoglans or Pages Mutes Dwarfs Eunuchs and the Feminine Court it will now be necessary to speak of the under Officers and Servants called Agiam-Oglans who are designed to the meaner Uses of the Seraglio These are also Captives taken in War or bought of the Tartar but most commonly the Sons of Christians taken from their Parents at the Age of ten or twelve Years in whom appearing more strength of Body than of Mind they are
was found appertaining to him all which was confiscated to the Grand Signior as was sufficient to have enriched and raised his Prince had he been impoverished and in a declining condition The other great Officer is the Tefterdar or Lord Treasurer who receives the Revenue of the Grand Signior and pays the Souldiery and makes other publick Disbursements this Office is different from the Treasurer of the Seraglio of whom we have already spoken who attends to nothing else but the Expences of the Court and to gather in the accidental Profits and Presents paid to the Grand Signior which is so considerable that every Sultan for the most part amasses a particular Treasure of his own which after his death is inclosed in a certain Chamber and shut with an Iron Gate and the Key-hole stopped with Lead and over the Port is writ in Golden Letters The Treasures of such a Sultan And this shall suffice to have been spoken of the Offices and Dignities of the Empire CHAP. XIII Of the Tartars and Tartar Han and in what manner they depend upon the Turks THE Tartars may very well be accounted amongst the other Princes subject to the Ottoman Power I mean not the Asiatick Tartars or the Tartar of Eusbeck though so much Mahometan as to wear green Turbants and to deduce their Race from the Line of Mahomet himself for having conquered China and possessing a greater Empire than the Ottoman they are far from acknowledging any subjection or degree of Inferiority to the Turk nor are all the European Tartars Subjects to the Sultan for the Kalmuk and Citrahan Tartars Men of strange barbarity and countenance different from all the other Race of Mankind though Professors of the Mahometan Religion are yet faithfully and piously obedient to the Duke of Muscovy their lawful Prince But the Precopentian Tartar which inhabits Taurica Chersonesus now called Crim the principal City of which is Theodosia now Cafa and the Nagaentian Tartar which inhabits by the Palus Meotis between the Rivers of Volga and Tanais are the People which may be accounted amongst the Subjects or at least Confederates of this Empire though only the City of Cafa of all those Dominions is immediatly in Possession and Government of the Turk which in my opinion appears to be a cautionary Town and Pledg for their Obedience and though the Han or Prince of the Country is Elective yet he is chosen out of that true Line and confirmed by the Grand Signiors who have always taken upon them a Power to depose the Father and in his place constitute the Son or next of the Lineage when found remiss in affording their Auxiliary helps to the War or guilty of any disrespect or want of Duty to the Ottoman Port. This present Han which now governs called Mahomet Ghirei for that is the Sirname of his Family remained during the Life of his Father according to the custom of the eldest Son of this Prince a Hostage to the Turk in Ianboli a Town in Thrace four days journey distant from Adrianople situate on the Euxine or Black Sea but from thence upon jealousy of too near a vicinity to his own Country was removed to Rhodes where he passed an obscure and melancholy Life until the Death of his Father and then being recalled to Constantinople had there his Sword girt on swore Fealty to the Grand Signior with all other Formalities performed according to their Custom of Regal Inauguration But being setled in his Kingdom and mindful of his Sufferings at Rhodes he had ever stomached the Pride of the Ottoman Emperor by which and the dissuasion of the Polonians and the other Neighbouring Tartars as a thing dishonourable to so ancient and powerful a People to resign the Heir of their Kingdom a Hostage to their Neighbours this present Prince hath refused this part of Subjection which the Vizier Kupriuli often complained of but not being in a condition to afford a Remedy unto it thought it prudent to dissemble But yet these People are esteemed as Brothers or near Allies with the Turk to whom for want of Heirs Male in the Ottoman Line the Empire is by ancient Compact to descend the expectation of which though afar off and but almost imaginary doth yet conserve the Tartar in as much observance to the Turk as the hopes of an Estate doth a young Gallant who is allured to a complacency and obsequiousness with the petulant Humour of a Father that adopts him who is resolved never to want Heirs of his own Family And thus the Tartar is as obedient as other Subjects and though the Turk exercises not his Power there by Commands as in other places of his Dominions but treats all his Business by way of Letters yet these Letters serve in the place of Warrants for the signification of the Grand Signior's Pleasure and are as available as the Autogra and other Formalities of the Imperial Edict are in other places in subjection to the Turk When the Sultan writes to the Cham of Tartary he uses this style To the Government wherein flourishes the Mass and Original of Regency on which Fortune depends and by which Felicity is obtained Possessor of Excellent Power and Established Glory elected by the Favour of that King from whom Succours are to be demanded The King of Grim Gian Begh Ghirai Chaw whose Heighth be for ever maintained After respect had to those Blessings which are freighted with Amber and Salutations perfumed with Narcissus proceeding from the Imperial Grace Be it known unto you c. By ancient Compact between the Empire and the Kingdom of Tartary it is agreed that whensoever the Grand Signior goes in Person to the Warâ— the Tartar Han is to accompany him in Person with an Army of one hundred thousand Men but if the Vizier or some other General be in the Field then is he only obliged to send forty or fifty thousand under the command of his Son or some principal Officer of his Kingdom who are paid and maintained out of the Booty and Pillage they acquire In the Year 1663 the Tartar called on occasion of the War in Hungary to the assistance of the Turk they made such Incursions into that Country Moravia and Silesia sacking and burning all Cities and Towns that they carried away One hundred and sixty thousand Captiâ—e Souls in one Year which precise number I am informed from those who had received good information of the Pengick or Certificates that were given upon every Head for the Tartar being an absolute Free-booter makes prize of all that comes within his Power and lest he should prey on the Subjects of the Turk they are bound to take out Attestations from certain Registers of the Names Countries and Age of their Captives lest they should deceive the Turk with the sale of those who are already their own Subjects and Slaves The Tartar is to the Turk as the Giacal to the Lion who hunts and finds the Prey for the Lion to
produce factions or disturbances in the State. But these modern times have produced other Sects amongst the Turks some of which seem in part dangerous and apt to make a considerable rupture in their long continued union when time changes and revolutions of State shall animate some turbulent spirits to gather Souldiers and Followers under these Doctrines and other specious pretences One of which is call Kadezadeli a Sect sprung up in the time of Sultan Morat whose chief Propagatour was one Burgali Effendi who invented many Ceremonies in praying for the Souls departed at the burial of the dead Those that are of this Sect cause their Imaum to cry loud in the ears of the inanimate body to remember that God is one and his Prophet one Those who are principally devoted to this Sect are the Russians and other sort of Renegado Christians who amongst their confused and almost forgotten notions of the Christian Religion retain a certain Memory of the particulars of Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead But the opinion esteemed Orthodox and most generally allowed amongst the Turks is That no Mahometan gones eternally to Hell but after a certain space of years is delivered thence and passes into Paradise After death they assign two sorts of punishments the first is called Azabâ— Kaberi or the punishment of the Grave which being the bed of wicked men binds with its Earth so fast as it crushes their bones and shuts the pores and crevises through which they should see into Heaven but the bodies of good men enjoy the comfort of having a window from their dark inclosure to behold the Vision of God's glory The other is the pain of Hell where the souls remain untill their torments are accomplished and Divine Justice satisfied There is an opinion of late years principally maintained amongst the Gallants of the Seraglio and common in Constantinople the professours of which are called Chupmessahi or the good followers of the Messiah these maintain that Christ is God and Redeemer of the World the young Scholars in the Grand Signior's Court are generally devoted to this Tenent especially those which are the most courteous affable and best disposed that it is grown into a Proverb amongst them when they would commend and praise gentleness and courtesie of each others nature they do it with the expression of Chupmessabisen as if they would say You are gentle accomplished and excessive in your favours as becomes one who professes the Messiah Of this sort of people there are great numbers in Constantinople some of which have so boldly asserted this Doctrine that they have suffered Martyrdom under this denomination which is still maintained and secretly professed by such multitudes as wear white Turbants that upon some notable opportunity were this Cause and Religion made the ground of some Toleration and Insurrection amongst its Disciples and Professours it might take an unexpected footing and prepare a ready way for the Plantation of the Gospel but of this we shall speak more hereafter in its due place And because it is our intent here to declare the several Religions amongst the Tâ—â—ks it will not be from our purpuse to mention how far Atheism hath spread it self into the Countries and as Logicians illucidate one contrary with another and Painters set off the Whiteness of their Colours with a foil of Jet or other Blackness so the privation of all Religion is not unaptly placed in the same Chapter with the various and different professours of it These then give themselves the Title of Muserin which signifies The true secret is with us which secret is no other than the absolute denial of a Deity that nature or the intrinsecal principle in every individual thing directs the orderly course which we see and admire and that the Heavens Sun Moon and Stars have thence their original and motion and that man himself rises and fades like the grass or flower It is strange to consider what quantities there are of men that maintain this principle in Constantinople most of which are Kadies and learned men in the Arabian Legends and others are Renegadoes from the Christian Faith who conscious of the sin of their Apostasie and therefore desirous that all things may conclude with this World are the more apt to entertain those opinions which come nearest to their wishes One of this Sect called Mahomet Effendi a rich man Educated in the knowledge of the Eastern Learning I remember was in my time executed for impudently proclaiming his blasphemies against the being of a Deity making it in his ordinary discourse an argument against the being of a God for that either there was none at all or else not so wise as the Doctours preached he was in suffering him to live who was the greatest enemy and scorner of a Divine Essence that ever came into the World. And it is observable that this man might notwithstanding his accusation have saved his life would he but have confessed his errour and promised for the future an assent to the principles of a better but he persisted still in his blasphemies saying That though there were no reward yet the love of truth obliged him to die a Martyr I must confess untill now I never could believe that there was a formal Atheism in the World concluding that the principle of the being of a God was demonstrable by the Light of Nature but it is evident now how far some men have extinguished this light and lamp in their Souls This poisonous Doctrine is so Infectious that it is crept into the Chambers of the Seraglio into the Appartments of the Ladies and Eunuchs and found entertainment with the Pashaes and their whole Court this sort of People are great favourers and lovers of their own Sect courteous and hospitable to each other and if any by chance receives a Guest within his Gates of their own judgment besides his Diet and Fare with much freedom he is accommodated with a handsome Bedfellow of which Sex he most delights they are very frank and liberal and excessive in their readiness to do each other service It is said that Sultan Morat was a great favourer of this opinion in his Court and Militia desirous withal to propagate that of Kadizadeli amongst the vulgar that they being a severe morose and covetous people might grow rich and spare for the benefit of his Exchequer for the Sect of Kadizadeli before-mentioned is of a melancholy and Stoical temper admitting of no Musick chearfull or light discourses but confine themselves to a set Gravity in publick as well as private they make a continual mention of God by a never wearied repetition of these wordâ— Ilahe ila Ellah that is I profess there is one God There are some of these that will sit whole nights bending their bodies towards the Earth reciting those words with a most dolefull and lamentable Note they are exact and most punctual in the observation of the rules of Religion and
a. returneth in haste and with false suggestions stirreth up Solyman himself against his Son ib. b. his exceeding Treachery at the coming of Mustapha to his Fathers Camp 515 a. disgraced by Solyman flieth to Roxolana at Constantinople 516 b. â—y her means restored again unto his former Honours dieth afterwards of a dropsie 517 b. Russeworme a great Lord beheaded 867 a. The Russians and Tartars make Incursions upon the Turks 908 b. S. SAcmar yielded to the Haiducks 860 a. Sahib after the death of Sultan Aladin by Master taking upon him the Government is by the Nobility thrust out and the Turks Kingdom in Asia rent in sunder amongst them 89 a. Sahamal the Georgian cutteth off the Head of Aider 659 a. submitteth himself to Mustapha the Great Bassa 662 b. slain by Osman Bassa his Son-in-Law 666 a. Saladin the Turk chosen Sultan of Egypt killeth the Calyph and all his Posterity 40 b. invadeth the Kingdom of Jerusalem and by Baldwin suddenly sallying out of Ascalon overthrown 42 a. besiegeth Berythus both by Sea and Land taketh Edessa and Carras 42 b. 43 a. spoileth the Holy Land 43 a. in vain besiegeth Ptolemais 44 b. besiegeth Tiberias and by the Treason of the County of Tripolis overthroweth Guy the King coming to the relief thereof and taketh him Prisoner 45 a. winneth Jerusalem with all the other Cities and Towns in the Holy Land except Tripolis Tyre and Antioch ib. a. besiegeth Tyre and with the loss of his best Soldiers and of his Tents retireth ib. b. taketh Antioch with all the Provinces and Towns thereunto belonging ib. b. putteth to death the Christian Captives 50 a. dieth and forbiddeth any funeral Pomp to be used at his burial 51 b. Salvagus a worthy Knight 538 b. Salazar a Spanish Captain goeth as a spy into the Turks Camp at the siege of Malta 548 b. Sauguin the Turk overthroweth King Fulke coming to the relief of the Castle of Mont-ferand and hath the Castle yielded unto him 21 a. taketh Edessa and there useth all manner of Cruelty against the Christians 22 a. besieging Cologenbar is there stabbed by one of his own Friends and slain ib. a. Sarmentus slain 466 a. Sarugatin Osmans Brother slain and accounted of the Turks for a Saint 96 b. Scanderbeg with his Brethren by their Father John Castriot given in Hostage to Amurath 177 a. wisely dissembleth his desire for the delivery of himself and his Country 193 a. by great policy recovereth the City of Croin out of the hands of the Turks 193 b. hath the strong Cities of Epirus yielded unto him 194 a. spoileth Macedonia 195 b. in a great battel overthroweth Alis Bassa with two and twenty thousand of his Turks 196 b. going to the Aid of King Uladislaus is by the faithless Despot denied passage through Servia 201 a. spoileth the Despots Country and so returneth into Epirus 204 a. his resolute answer unto Amurath's melancholy Letters 205 b. putteth Ferises to flight 206 b. overthroweth Mustapha the second time and taketh him Prisoner 213 b. carefully setteth all things in order against the coming of Amurath 214 b. his effectual speech unto the Soldiers and Citizens of Sfetigrade to encourage them against the coming of the Turk 215 a. cunningly entrappeth some of the forerunners of Amuraths Army 216 a. troubleth his great Army 217 b. with his own hand killeth Feri Bassa 218 b. troubleth Amurath's great Army at the Siege of Croia 222 a. in danger to have been slain or taken ib. a. deceiveth Mahomet the young Prince in his own device 223 a. flieth by night into Epirus 259 a. his answer by Letters unto the Letters of Mahomet 262 b. his answer unto Mahomets Letters concerning the renewing of the League 265 b. in danger 271 b. Scanderbeg dieth 275 a. buried at Lissa ib. a. his bones digged up by the Turks and of them greatly honoured ib. a. Scodra besieged by Solyman Bassa 280 a. relieved by Matthias King of Hungary 281 a. a yearly fee appointed by Mahomet to one to put him daily in mind of the siege of Scodra ib. a. Scodra the second time besieged by Mahomet the Great 283 a. sore battered 285 a. the fourth time assaulted 286 a. twelve thousand Turks slain in this last assault 287 a. most furiously the fifth time assaulted by the Turks 287 b. by composition yielded unto the Turk 291 a. The Scrivano rebelleth against the Turk in Caramania and giveth Mehemet Bassa a notable overthrow 792 b. in a great battel overthroweth him again the next year with an Army of fifty thousand Turks 797 a. having over-run a great part of the Turks Dominions in Asia dieth 804 a. his younger Brother steppeth up in his stead and in a great battel overthroweth Hassan Bassa and killeth him ib. a. Selymus ambitious and of a turbulent spirit and therefore of the Ianizaries and men of War better beloved than his other Brother 326 a. aided by Mahometes the Tartar King riseth against his aged Father 326 b. coloureth his rebellious purpose with the Invasion of Hungary 327 a. marcheth with his Army towards Hadrianople 328 a. in a great battel overthrown and put to flight by his Father Bajazet at Tzurulum 331 a. by the perswasion of the Bassa's by his Father sent for home 335 a. chosen General by his Father to go against his rebellious Brother Achomates is by and by after by the Ianizaries saluted Emperour 336 b. causeth his Father to be poysoned 337 b. putteth three of his Fathers Pages to death for mourning for their Master 338 a. bountifully rewardeth the Soldiers of the Court 339 a. murthereth five of his Brothers Sons ib. b. causeth Corcutus his Brother to be strangled 341 a. Treason intended against him discovered 342 a. craveth Aid of Aladeules and the other mountain Princes against the Persians 345 a. Selymus perplexed ib. b. receiveth great loss in passing the River Euphrates 349 a. he and Hysmael compared together 350 b. Selymus with a great Army entreth into Armenia and taketh Ciamaâ—fum a City of the Persian Kings 352 b. vanquisheth Aladeules the Mountain King putteth him to death and converteth his Kingdom into the form of a Province 354 a. invadeth Hungary ib. b. sendeth his Ambassadors with Presents to Campson the Egyptian Sultan 357 a. encourageth his Soldiers to go against the Mamalukes 358 a. passeth the Mountain Amanus and cometh into Comagena ib. b. in the battel of Singa overthroweth the Mamalukes 360 b. in doubt lest Sinan Bassa had been lost becometh exceeding melancholy 364 b. meeteth with Sinan Bassa at Gaza 365 a. passeth the sandy Desarts and meeteth with Tomombeius at Rhodanus 365 a. giveth him battel and putteth him to flight 367 a. encourageth his Soldiers to the winning of Caire 370 a. fighteth a great and mortal battel with the Mamalukes in the City of Caire 370 b. causeth the City to be set on fire 371 a. putteth Tomombeius and the Mamalukes to flight and so taketh the City ib. a. his Ambassadors sent to
by the general consent of the Mamalukes chosen Sultan of Egypt 362 a. maketh great preparation against the Turks and seeketh to entrap them 365 b. his devices discovered ib. b. he fighteth a great battel with Selymus and is put to the worse 367 a. raiseth new Forces at Caire ib. b. fortifieth Caire 368 b. fighteth a great battel in the City 370 b. overcome flieth 371 a. driven out of Caire raiseth new Forces in Segesta 372 a. distresseth the Turks in passing the Bridg made over Nilus 373 a. giveth a notable attempt to have gained the Bridge ib. b. repulsed and put to â—light 374 a. taken and brought to Selymus ib. a. tortured and shamefully put to death ib. a. Totisa yielded to the Turks 865 b. Transilvania miserably distressed 840 a. the troubles secretly maintained by the Nobles ib. a. new Troubles 843 a. the Rebels surprised and slain ib. a. the miserable State of that Province 843 b. new Troubles raised 901 b. Transilvania given by Solyman to the Child King John's Son 483 b. Trapezond yielded to Mahomet the Great 245 b. Treachery of the Polonian General 936 b. Tripolis in Barbary besieged by Sinan Bassa 509 a. battered ib. a. the weakest places thereof and fittest to be battered by a fugitive Christian discovered to the Turks ib. b. upon hard Conditions yielded to the proud and faithless Bassa 511 a. Troubles in Moldavia 902 a. new Troubles 908 b. in Transilvania 910 a Tumult at Pera 933 b. Tunes besieged by Lewis the French King 83 b. yielded to Charles the Emperour 449 b. by him upon an easie Tribute again restored to Muleasses 451 a. again yielded to the Turks 620 b. Turks their original Beginning diversly reported 1 a. descended from the Scythians 2 a. the causes why they left their ancient and natural Seats in Scythia to seek for other in Countries more Southerly ib. b. where they first seated themselves in Asia after their departure out of Scythia ib. b. their first Kingdom erected in Persia by Tangrolipix their first Sultan 3 b. the Turks first called into Europe by the Catalonians 106 a. they differ not from the Persians about the Interpretation of their Law but about the true Successor of their false Prophet Mahomet only 314 b. They raise an Army 804 b. cowardly retire for fear of the Christians 805 a. carrying a Convoy of Victuals to Buda overthrown by the Christians ib. b. the Convoy recovered by the Turks 806 a. again taken from them by the Christians ib. a. overthrow the Garrison of Pesth ib. a. bathing themselves at Buda by them of Pesth surprised and slain ib. b. seeking to surprise Palotta are overthrown 807 a. three of their Spies taken ib. b. overthrown by Collonitz ib. b. together by the ears among themselves 811 b. defeated by Collonel Sultze 823 b. again overthrown 825 b. their Army stealeth by night out of Hungary 828 b. overthrown by the Vayvod of Valachia 834 a. the manner of their burials 836 b. treacherously seek to surprise Pesth 838 a. seek in vain to surprise Lippa 842 a. overthrown by them of Pesth 843 a. their unreasonable demands for Peace 848 b. troubled with Civil Wars 857 b. betrayed by the Haiducks 864 a. thinking to surprise others are themselves surprised 877 a. repair to Buda in Multitudes 882 a. their Army for Transilvania 917 a. threaten War in Hungary 920 a. their courses there 923 b. defeated at Vasselloy 932 a. the Greatness of their Empire and their beginning 955 a. Turqueminus chosen Sultan of Egypt 111 b. Tzihanger refuseth the noble Mustapha his Brothers Wealth and Treasure offered him by his Father Solyman and for sorrow killeth himself 516 a. V. VAcia shamefully betraied by the Haiducks 558. b. Valachia spoiled by the Tartars 847 a. the Vayvod expelled his Country by Battori 901 b. Valachia when first spoiled by the Turks 140 b. invaded by Mahomet the Great 247 b. oppressed by the Turks 737 b. in great Troubles 798 b. Valmes fortified by Mahomet the Great 274 a. Valetta the Grand Master of Malta advertised of Solyman's purpose for the Invasion of him and his Knights 536 a. his effectual speech unto his Knights ib. a. his great preparation against the Turks coming ib. a. his whole strength 537 b. he certifieth Garzias of Toledo Viceroy of Sicilia of his Estate 538 a. sendeth a new supply into the Castle of S. Elmo â—wice before assaulted by the Turks 539 a. disappointed of a supply to have been brought him by his own Gallies ib. a. his Letters to Garzias the Viceroy of Sicilia 540 b. he sendeth three of his Knights to know the sâ—ate of them in the Castle S. Elmo 541 b. encourageth his Soldiers after the loss of the Castle 542 b. his Christian-like Letters to the Governor of the City of Melita 543 a. his resolute answer to the Messengers sent unto him from the Great Baâ—sa ib. b. he receiveth a small supply from Sicilia 544 b. maketh hard shift to send News of his distress to the Viceroy of Sicilia 546 a. his comfortable speech unto his Soldiers at such time as the Turks were entred the new City 550 a. his great carefulness 552 b. his Letters to the Grand Prior of Almaine concerning the manner of the Turks proceedings in the Siege of Malta 553 a. Venerius the Venetian Admiral and Barbadicus their Proveditor perswade the rest of the Christian Confederates to give battel unto the Turks at Lepanto 590 a. coming to the relief of Don John is encountered by Partau Bassa 595 b. in danger ib. b. at the request of the Spaniards displaced but not disgraced 601 b. The Venetians with a great Fleet spoil the Coasts of Lycia Pamphilia and Cilicia 13 b. in the division of the Greek Empire amongst the Latines had for their share all the rich Islands of the Aegeum and Ionian with the famous Island of Candy or Crete 59 a. enter intâ— Confederation with other Christian Princes against the Turk 265 b. they with their Confederates do the Turks great harm 277 b. receive a great overthrow from the Turks at the River of Sontium 282 b. their Merchants in Syria imprisoned by Campson Gaurus the Egyptian Sultan 321 a. their Senators diversly affected towards the Confederation with the Emperour and the French King against Solyman 467 b. they refuse to yield up Cyprus unto Selymus demanding the same 569 a. make great preparation for their own defence and crave Aid of the other Christian Princes 570 a. what Princes promised them Aid ib. a. weary of the delays and cross dealings of the Spaniards their Confederates conclude a Peace with Selymus without their Knowledge 613 a. Veradinum besieged by the Turks 773 b. relieved by the Lord Basta 774 a. Vesprinium taken by the Turks 721 a. Vesprinium yielded to the Rebels 864 a. Ufegi Bassa taken Prisoner 340 a. put to death ib. b. Vicegrade taken by the Christians 752 a. Vicegrade yielded to the Turks by the Haiducks 859 a. Victor Capella
the Pacification of Vienna which they called the Foundation of the Kingdom So that this Edict of Lintz was ratify'd and inserted in the Articles of the year 1647 with this Clause Notwithstanding the opposition of the Clergy and other Seculars which shall have no force or vigour for the future Besides the Subscription of the Pacification of Vienna made by all the States both Ecclesiastick and Civil runs thus We underwritten do with common consent in the name of all the States and Orders of the Kingdom of Hungary and the places annex'd to it promise freely and voluntarily c. The third Argument was That if the Lutherans and Calvinists must be tolerated then those only must be tolerated which are of the Confession of Ausbourg and the Confession of the Swisses But both one and the other had abandon'd those Confessions and they instanced in several Articles from which they had deviated But this last seems only a frivolous shift and shews the Resolution the Clergy had taken to oppress the Protestants and indeed this they had always done when they thought themselves the stronger and notwithstanding that this Liberty was often confirm'd as particularly in the Treaties with Botskai Bethlem and Prince Ragotski yet the Roman Catholick Lords and Gentlemen and especially the Arch-Bishops and Bishops persecuted them with Fire and Sword massacr'd them in their Churches and used all manner of Cruelties towards them as far as their Power and Authority could reach so that there remain'd scarce any place of Rest or Security for the Protestants but in the free Cities and those too quickly after were involved in the same misfortune For Nadasti Serini Frangipani and other Catholick Lords taking part with Prince Ragotski against the Emperor in the year 1670. the Austrian Troops entr'd Hungary and carried all before them and with them Troops of Bishops Arch-Bishops and Jesuits whose Actions out-did the Fury of the Soldiers and took this opportunity of dispoiling the Protestants of their Goods Churches Ministers and constrain'd a great part of the People to change their Religion The Protestant Lords were tax'd at immense Sums Soldiers quarter'd upon them and by these means several forc'd to turn Catholicks In short all Upper and Lower Hungary with all the Free Towns fell into the Hands of the Catholicks whose Severities and Cruelties as they found nothing to oppose them so they suffer'd nothing to escape them And this miserable Kingdom labour'd at once under the Licence and Rapine of the German Soldiers and the Rage and Fury of the Jesuitical Converters The Protestants were hang'd up at their Church Gates and several of their Towns burnt One Iohn Backi a Minister was burnt a live at Comarin and the Widow of Laurent le Sur who was of the same Profession had her Head cut off in the same Town And multitudes of both Sexes and all Ages and Conditions were banish'd To Authorize these Cruelties at least to give them a fair gloss they constituted a Chamber of Justices at Poson compos'd of Ecclesiasticks and Seculars all sworn Enemies to the Protâ—stants where it was first order'd That the most considerable Persons should be cited to appear and clear themselves of the Crime of Rebellion laid to their charge They began with those of the Nobility which they thought the easiest to be wrought upon They which made their appearance were thrown into Prison without being judicially heard condemn'd to great Fines and were each minute solicited to change their Religion A Declaration was presented to those whom they found most firm and constant whereby they were required that to satisfy his Imperial Majesty of their Loyalty and Obedience they should no longer protect their Ministers and should promise not to hinder the Priests from saying Mass in their Churches or performing other Ecclesiastical Functions till they were enlightn'd from above saw their Errors and were converted to the Catholick Church But the greatest Storm fell upon the Ministers at whom they chiefly aim'd and that they might get rid of them the better they establish'd three Courts of Judicature One at Tirnavia for those of Poson and two of Poson for the rest of Hungary Nor were they all cited for fear of making too much noise but a few and those of the Ausbourg Confession to try what success they were like to expect from the Prosecution of the rest And because they chiefly design'd to ruin the Protestant Religion under pretence of Rebellion they presented those that appear'd these following Articles to sign 1 st That all the Ministers of both Confessions School-Masters Readers Students c. to escape the Punishments which they had incurred for their Rebellion should promise under their Hands to renounce all their Functions both poublick and private and pass the rest of their Lives peaceably and quietly upon pain of Death if they disobey'd Or 2 ly That they should be banish'd for ever with promise never to return to their Country or to any of the Hereditary Lands or other dependencies on the Empire nor yeâ— to go over to their Enemies Or 3 ly That they should change their Religion which his Majesty chiefly wish'd and design'd and which would be most agreeable both to him and to the Courts of Justice The 25 th of September 1673. Some Ministers to the number of 32 or 33 appear'd and being threatned to be sentenc'd to die if they sign'd not the foregoing Articles some consented others chose to be banish'd and one chang'd his Religion This lucky beginning encourag'd them to proceed and finding fear to be the strongest motive to work upon them they cited all the Ministers Regents School-Masters c. of Hungary to appear before them which caused a strange consternation amongst them and produced very different effects some of them the Nobility would not suffer to appear others fled some again abandoned themselves to the care of Providence made their appearance at Poson to justifie their Innocence from these horrible Calumnies with which they were blackn'd to testifie their obedience and submission to the Magistrate and to satisfie their Churches who earnestly begg'd of them not to forsake them in that calamitous Condition There were 250 Ministers that appear'd and by their Tryals two long to repeat it appears That their Religion was the chief Crime and tho' other things were laid to their Charge yet all was but pretence they used all means to intimidate them and to shake that great constancy which they shew'd for their Religion they sentenced them to death imprisoned them threatned them with the Gallies and employ'd all the pernicious arts of torment and vexation that a persecuting spirit could contrive to shake or surprize the Frailty of Man dragged them into their Churches forced them upon their Knees to adore the Host and their Images let loose the fury of the Soldiery upon them and encouraged them to torment them in the midst of this barbarous usage they would sometimes pretend to shew a glimpse of Pity and endeavour
Garrisons or Regiments respectively All Counties and Cities who by their Deputies shall appear before the Commissioners in order to such Reconciliation shall have safe Pasports to go and return with all security As to matters of Religion the Worship of God and Restitution of Churches all the particulars agreed unto and promised at the last General Diet held at Edemburg shall be perform'd and inviolably maintained As to the Statute made in the year 1655 concerning the Coronation of the King of Hungary on which various Glosses and Interpretations have been put which have caused great disorders and disturbances the same shall be referr'd to the next Convention of the States to consider thereof and Decrees therein what shall be most agreeable to the Fundamental Constitutions of the Nation So that a true and impartial Interpretation being put on all things as well in Religious as in Temporal Matters a good and lasting Peace and right understanding may pass between the King and his People And as to those who shall not take hold of this Golden Scepter now held forth unto them with this opportunity and within the time limited It is declared That they are excluded from Mercy and are guilty of all the Miseries which shall fall upon themselves and their Country and shall be Prosecuted as Rebels Outlawed and Felonious Persons and such as are never more to be receiv'd into Grace or Pardon To put this Commission into Execution were appointed the Duke of Loraine the Count Kinski Chancellor of Bohemia the Baron of Abele and Count Vinceslat of Altheim who were to open the same at Presburg on the 15 th day of February But in regard nothing was declar'd explicitely in this Decree touching Liberty of Conscience the Exercise of the Protestant Religion and the Conservation of Privileges it seemed so short and narrow and incomprehensive of the Cause for which the Malecontents had so long contended that very few thought it worthy the acceptance Howsoever some there were who being convinced by the Success of the Emperor that they had engolfed themselves in a desperate Interest embraced the offers of the Imperial Pardon such were the Baron of Baragotzi who abandoning Tekeli's party Fled with Three hundred Hussars into his Castle of Zakwar The Count Humanai and some other Hungarian Lords followed his Example and fortified themselves in the Castle of Angwar The Barons Ladislaus Francis Baragotzi Schienissi Clebai and Malkai intending a like Revolt were seized and by Order of Tekeli were put to Death With all these Misfortunes the Spirit of Tekeli being nothing abated but rather raised with Rage and Despair he Issued out a Proclamation of his own in Imitation of that of the Emperor's in which with an Imperial Stile he declared Pardon to all such as should within a time limited return to the defence of the Malecontented party of which he had owned himself the Head and Protector And for their better Encouragement he laid out a Project of constituting a Republick by which all the Nobility and many of the Commonalty should come to bear a share in the Government And to punish those who had Revolted from him he marched with a Body of 10.000 Men of his own and a considerable force of the Turks under the Command of the Pashas of Buda and Agria to Besiege Count Baragotski in his Castle of Zakwar of which Count Rabata having advice he presently marched with all his Forces against them which Tekeli fearing declin'd an Engagement in a Season when the Winter was scarce past but on a suddain turning his design on the Castle of Angwar which was defended by the Count of Humanai he took it by force in three Days time and carried away the Count himself to Cassovia where he cut off his Head. To revenge these Insults the Lituanians whom the King of Poland had left behind him in their Winter-quarters made frequent Incursions upon the Countries of the Malecontents especially into the County of Sepusa burning their Villages and carrying away their Cattle But this Militia remain'd not long in those parts before they were recalled by the King of Poland out of Hungary either because he was informed that his Soldiers deserted daily or else out of some pique or discontent of being refused to be Mediatour and Guaranty for the Peace with the Malecontents for which Reason he declared That he would not concern himself in a War against Tekeli and his Complices but against the Turks only to which the Articles of Alliance did oblige him and to no other The Spring being now advanced and Tekeli at Cassovia he Wrote a Letter from thence to the Pope Dated the 12 th of April wherein he represented That ever since the last year he was very desirous to put an end to the Troubles of Hungary upon those Terms and Conditions which were agreed with the Baron Saponara And being not able to obtain from the Emperor a Grant to constitute the King of Poland Guaranty of this Treaty he was forced to take new Measures and to support Himself and his Interest under Protection of the Turks which his Enemies interpreted to be a Renuntiation of his Christianity But he sacredly protested to his Holiness that he took up Arms for no other Reason and Cause than the Defence of his Country and to conserve himself from entire Ruin having had the experience of many years that the Emperor was in no State or Condition to defend him That He and his Party did not deserve the Odious Name of Rebels considering that the Arms they took up were in Defence only of the Liberties and Privileges granted unto them by the ancient Kings of Hungary and particularly by King Andrew the II. whose Letters are conserved amongst the Archives of the Vatican which if his Holiness would be pleased to inspect and examine he would easily find that those Articles have been so far from being performed that they have been wholly laid aside and violated in every particular That as to his own Person he hath been despoyled of his Estate and made an Exile in the very tender years of Youth with others of the Hungarian Nobility who could never obtain redress upon their complaints but instead thereof received Sentence of Death by corrupt and partial Iudges without any regard to the formalities prescribed by Law. And tho' in this Cause not only Protestants but great numbers of Catholicks were concerned amongst which George Lippa Archbishop of Gran was one a Person very Zealous for Restoration of those Liberties which the Emperor had Sworn to maintain when in the year 1655 he had received the Crown of Hungary at Presburg yet nothing could avail towards moderating the violent Proceedings of that Council by which the Emperor was governed so that having no other remedy they were enforced as their last Refuge to have recourse unto their Arms not with design to act against the Catholick Religion or to the prejudice thereof either in Hungary or elsewhere
the Workmen yet nothing hinder'd to perfect the Allodgment which was made wide and extreamly well fortified on all sides The City of Newhausel is Situate on a Plain with some little rising Hills about it and on the Banks of the River Neutra it is not far from Comorra and about a Days Journey from Strigonium it is encompassed by six Bastions according to the manner of the modern Fortifications the distance of the Curtains and of the Flankers are of an exact equality and the Form is a Sex-Agon or Six-Angles After the Turks had taken it in the Year 1663 they brought the Neutra round the Town and filled the Ditch with Water and made it so Deep that it was almost impossible to form any Mine under it The presence of the Duke of Loraine who was always an Overseer and director in making the Trenches in which he for the most part remain'd until after Midnight did very much contribute to the dispatch of that Work So that between the 14 th and 21 th all matters requisite for the Siege were finished the Allodgment on the brink of the Ditch was more enlarged than before the Water whereof being Fathomed was found to be seventeen or eighteen Foot in Depth and sometime increased notwithstanding the Drain by the excessive Rains which not only supplied it with Water but much incommoded the Soldiers in their Trenches The Batteries continually plaid with good Success and not only had beaten down a great part of the Parapet but had made a considerable Breach in the Bastion it self which they intended to widen and open yet more by the help of another Battery newly raised consisting of eighteen Pieces of Cannon but whilst these things were in agitation News was brought to the Duke of Loraine that the Turkish Army began to march towards Buda and Alba Regalis and that Six thousand Turks and Tartars were advanced towards Vicegrade Upon this intelligence General Lesly who was appointed to watch the Motion of the Enemy was Order'd to endeavour unto the utmost of his power to hinder and obstruct the Passage of the Seraskier over the River Sava and Drave and Colonel Heusler with Two thousand Horse was dispeeded towards Pest to get intelligence of the Designs of the Vizier Soon after this Advices came That the Seraskier was advancing with all his Forces towards Buda and had made a Bridge not far from thence over the Danube but that it was not yet known whether he intended to attempt the raising of the Siege or to Sit down before some Town whereby to make a diversion But to be better provided and in a readiness either to meet the Seraskier in the Field or to defeat his Attempt against any fortified Place The Duke of Loraine order'd a Detachment of a Regiment of Savoiard Dragoons to joyn with some of the Bavarian and Lunenburg Troops to the number of Three thousand Men and therewith to Reinforce those Regiments which guarded the Bridge of Comorra During the time that a considerable Force was employ'd to observe the Motion of the Seraskier the Siege was carried on with all imaginable Courage and Resolution the Cannon continually fired from the several Batteries and the Bombs and Carcasses were thrown into the Fortress with such good Success that on the 22 d the Town appear'd to Smoak and Flame in three several places which continued all Night to the great Terrour and Labour of the Defendants But at length by the great Rains which fell the Fires were not only extinguished but the Christians very much incommoded in their Trenches and the Waters of the Ditch increased as fast almost as they were sunk by the Drain So that it seeming a long and tedious Work before the Ditch could be emptied of it's Water a contrivance was made to pass a Miner over the Ditch in a Boat and fix it to the Breach in the Wall but the Boat receiving a Shot from the Town was ready to sink and those therein were so incommoded with showers of Stones from the smaller Guns and Petreras planted on the Walls that they were forced to Retire and give over that Design On the 24 th the Defendants made a Sally on that side where a Guard was appointed of Swedes and Suabians to defend the Drain which was made to sink the Water of the Ditch and surprized them at a time when they were overcharged with Wine which they had unfortunatly gotten and laid for the most part in so profound a Sleep without so much as a Match lighted that a Hundred of them with their Lieutenant Colonel two Captains and two Lieutenants did never awake from their natural Sleep but insensibly passed from it into the last Sleep of Death The Turks return'd back again into the Town without much harm but with great Joy and Triumph which they testified by the Musick which was heard from the Walls into the Trenches But on the 25 th greater care was taken with the Guards on that side and endeavours used to enlarge the Channel which being perform'd the Water in the Ditch sunk eight Foot so that the Faggots Stones and Rubbish were prepar'd to fill it up and that Labour so closely followed that in one Night the Ditch was half filled up on that side where the Imperialists were lodged But on that of the Bavarians they advanced little by Reason that the Defendants fired so continually from the Parapet of the Bastion which was opposite to them as disturbed the Work and hinder'd them very much in carrying Faggots and Rubbish so freely as was done on the other side The Work was now to fill the Ditch on each side as well where the Imperialists as where the Bavarians were Quarter'd To prevent which the Turks on the 27 th about Noon made a Sally by the Port of Strigonium and stopped the Channel by which the Water vented it self out of the Ditch and ran into the River but being opposed by Three hundred Bavarians they received a Repulse and made their Retreat back into the Town the Bank being again opened the Water fell so low that the Imperialists discover'd a secret Passage by which the wet and moorish Ground kept a Correspondence with the Ditch and supplied it with some Waters from thence the Christians endeavour'd to stop this Conveyance and the Turks to open it so that what one did by Day the other destroy'd by the Night The increase of the Waters in the Ditch caused the Besiegers to despair of being able to effect any thing by their Mines but finding that their Batteries opened the Breach more and more they resolved to perform their work by the two Attacks on the right and on the left Hand The two Galleries were in a short time advanced that to the right went drawing near to the Wall being well cover'd and flanked with Baskets Barrels and Gabions filled with Earth in which Action the Lieutenant Colonel of Count Souches was killed The
also made a Detachment of some Regiments to hinder the run-away Tartars from attacking the Imperialists in the Flank whilst he assail'd the Turks year 1686. who were reputed to be Twelve thousand Men Commanded by the Vizier himself The Action was so bravely perform'd that the Van-guard of the Turks was beaten and foreced to retreat to a Place where their Infantry lay under covert supported by Six hundred Ianisaries with Thirty Field-pieces which were discharged with terrible Fire and Smoke upon their Enemies but the Christians having receiv'd their Fire with undaunted Constancy and Courage they assail'd the Turks and Tartars with such bravery that they put them to flight In this last Encounter above Three hundred Ianisaries were kill'd upon the Place all their Artillery and Baggage taken with their Timbals which they sound before the Pashas and many Colours together with Five hundred Horse and Two thousand Beasts of Burden laden with Baggage and Provisions and all this on the Christian side with the loss only of a Hundred Foot Soldiers and about Fifty Horsemen After which Veterani returning to the Camp before Segedin where Te Deum was sung some Prisoners were releas'd to carry the Intelligence of these Successes into the Town And thereupon a Treaty being desired and Hostages given it was agreed That the Soldiers of the Garrison only should have liberty to march out with as much Baggage as every Man was able to carry upon his Shoulders and to be conducted in safety as far as Temeswar Thus Segedin being taken great quantities of Provisions were found therein which served to augment the Loss and increase the terrible Consternation in the Turkish Army and in the Court and in all parts of the Ottoman Dominions Nor did the Turks Misfortunes of this Year's Campaign end here nothing being able to withstand a victorious Army Prince Lewis of Baden divided his Army into two Bodies the first he Commanded himself and march'd towards Darda which is a Fortress built by the Turks and serv'd to cover the Bridge of Esseck the other Detachment was committed to the Conduct of Count Scaffemberg with Orders to Attack Zyclos the which he so well executed that in five or six Days he took the Place the Soldiers and Inhabitants Surrendring at discretion In the Town were found Twelve Pieces of Cannon with stores of all sorts of Provision and Ammunition The Men were made Prisoners of War but the Women and Children were dispersed into several Cities and Towns under obedience of the Emperor After the taking of Zyclos the Count of Scaffemberg joyn'd again with Prince Lewis who was now come before Darda on the first of November where he understood the two Pashas who had layn encamp'd on that side with about Two thousand Five hundred Men were already pass'd the Bridge of Esseck and that the Garrison of Darda had abandon'd the Place and march'd the same way carrying their Cannon and Provisions with them and to hinder the pursuit of their Enemies after them had beaten down and burnt a great part of the Bridge behind them The Fort and the Bridge being both possess'd without any opposition Prince Lewis burnt about Six thousand Paces more of the Bridge notwithstanding the Cannon-shot which they fired continually from the Town of Esseck without any great loss or damage to the Imperialists or the People of the Country which came in to their Assistance so that by what one side and the other had done the Bridge was totally ruin'd Prince Lewis having put a good Garrison into Darda march'd to Zyclos and thence to Kapeswar which he took upon Conditions that the Garrison should march out and be conducted in safety as far as Sigeth There were in that Town Twenty four Pieces of Cannon planted and the Magazines well stor'd with all sorts of Provisions and Arms. In this glorious manner did this Campaign end in favour of the Christian Arms And now it being time for both Armies to retire into their Winter-quarters the losing Party had leisure to lament and quarrel and lay the fault on each other and the victorious Party to rejoyce and triumph And so it was for by this time the news of the loss of Buda and the several Victories gain'd by the Christians being come to Constantinople it struck all sorts and conditions of Men with a wonderful Consternation and Astonishment and yet under this Affliction and pressure of heavy Taxes they behav'd themfelves with much Humility and Resignation of Mind to the Will and Pleasure of God acknowledging all these Miseries which had fallen upon them the flights and turning of their Backs to their Enemies the loss of their fortify'd Towns and the Slaughter of their brave Soldiers and valiant Men of War to be all the effects of the Divine Anger and Vengeance upon them for their Sins The Imaums or Parish-Priests the Shecks or Preachers in their Moschs the Religious Men such as the Dervices Kalenderi Nimetulahi and others made diverse Processions exhorting the People as they pass'd to Repentance and Amendment of Life and particularly to lament their Sins of drinking Wine and unnatural Lusts the common Wickedness and Vices of the People And for better observation of their Law which had been much neglected it was commanded on pain of Death strictly to observe the Ramazan which is the Month of Fasting during which Month no Man is by their Law in the Day time till Night comes to tast Bread or drink Water Every Friday in that Month the Mufti and Kadees clothed in penitential Habits were oblig'd to visit all the principal Moschs of the City and to make Prayers for turning away the Anger and Displeasure of God But the People and Soldiery were of another Temper being inclin'd to enquire after the Cause and Grounds of all these Evils Slaughters and Confusion The News of taking Buda and putting all the Garrison to the Sword which as reported consisted of Eight thousand Men besides Women and Children had fill'd all Constantinople with a most wonderful Consternation the common sort of Shopkeepers and Handycrafts-men ran to Coffee-houses and Places of publick Meetings to hear the News and Particulars of what had pass'd The Kadees who were Lawyers and Judges and the Otorack Ianisaries who are like the Milites immeriti or Soldiers with dead Pay caball'd every Day together without the knowledge of the Grand Seignior which so soon as he came to hear he was affrighted not knowing what might be the issue of such seditious Meetings and thereupon doubling his Guards in the Seraglio with Bostangees who are Gardiners and stout able Men he sent to know the meaning of such numerous Assemblies to which answer was made That seeing to their Grief the extream Ruin and Danger then threatning both the Person of his Majesty and the whole Empire they thought it their Duty as Loyal Subjects and Slaves and true Musselmen and Believers to consult together what Advices and Expedients
on the 17 th about eight a Clock in the Morning the new Grand Seignior went by Boat from the Seraglio to Eiub where the Nakib Effendi or Chief of Mahomet's Kindred Girt him with the Sword which is a Ceremony answering to our Coronation and having said Noon-Prayers at that place and all the Ceremonies ended he rode from the Mosch in a Solemn Cavalcade through the City back to the Seraglio but not with such Splendor and Magnificence as had been done in the time of the Grand Seigniors his Predecessors All People crouded as we may believe to see the Features and Fashion of their new Sultan of whose Person and Abilities Reports had created already a high Expectation He was of a long lean pale Visage but not of an ungrateful Aspect his Eyes were full and black and his Beard was black but somewhat grisly what his Qualications of Mind were will be more evidently discovered hereafter and come then more properly to be described in their due place But in the mean time we may reflect that the change of the person of the Prince could not be of much advantage to the Publick For what the other did out of a remiss and voluptuous Humour attending only to his Divertisements and leaving the Care and Management of all his Affairs to the Contrivance and Conduct of his Ministers this Grand Seignior must now do out of necessity being wholly unexperienced in the World having all his Life been kept up in a Chamber without other Conversation than that of a few Eunuchs some old Women and two or three Hogiaes or Masters to assist him in his Studies As Books were his Entertainment in his confined Life so â—he seemed to have had an affection for them in the choice he made of Kupriogli for his Favourite who was esteemed in that Country a learned Man and to have had the best Library of any in that whole Empire It was said That he had promised his deposed Brother all security of his Life and that he should be kept in the same manner as he was and that he might allow him what comfort he could in that manner of Life he suffered his Children to be with him for some Days but they were afterwards by the Councils of others taken from him and lodged apart His other Brother Achmet the Companion with him in his Imprisonment he visited and promised to be kind to him but he was not perfect Master of his Senses of which we shall speak more when we come to see him on the Throne after the Death of Sultan Solyman The Hazaki Sultana or Empress of the deposed Sultan was sent to the old Seraglio there to remain until Death or some other Revolution of Fortune shall release her In the place of her the Mother of the present Grand Seignior who for some years was reported to be dead appeared alive and removed from the old Seraglio to her Son but she was a little Maddish Thus were all things turned up-side down all the great Officers of the Empire except the Captain Pasha or Admiral being changed Which when a Man seriously considers and that these Revolutions were carried on by common Soldiers one would admire that they should pass with so little Confusion or Blood-shed For except those six which were killed in the Army and Cuchiuck Mahomet at Constantinople in a Military Fury there was only Solyman and Regeb cut off for the Death of Ibrahim at Rhodes did not proceed from them but from Regeb As to the daily Insolences in the Streets they were not committed by the Spahees but by poor Drunken Ianisaries who had neither Money nor Cloths and therewith would be supplied from Christians and Iews and Turks too But this was no new thing but what had been formerly practised by the baser sort of the Soldiers as often as they came from the War or were shortly going thither And now since things were thus changed some Reformation was expected and that was to begin in the Seraglio where the first and most plausible thing was the Retrenchment of the Expences which during the time of the late Sultan had been excessive the very Barly for the Horses costing One thousand five hundred Dollars or Three hundred pounds Sterling a Day the number of the Hawks and Dogs with the People who attended them was vast all which were ordered to be reduced for the present Sultan took so little delight in these Divertisements thaâ— he was to learn how to Ride and the Stables were to be reduced to a Hundred Horse one Hundred and fifty of the Pages were to be made Spahees and the rest were to be changed and new ones put into their places The same was to be performed in the Courts and Chambers of the Women so that the Retrenchments made were calculated to amount unto Eight thousand Purses of Money a year every Purse being Five hundred Dollars and may be accounted to be almost a Million of pounds Sterling The Greyhounds and Dogs of which there were many Hundreds kept in the Seraglio for the use of the late Sultan were all let loose and suffered to run about the Streets of Constantinople where they might have starved had not the godly Men whose Religion consists much in feeding Dogs and Cats taken Compassion on them and fed them daily with Bread from the Bakers Shops These Retrenchments of expence in the Seraglio pleased the Soldiers wonderfully hoping that thereby the more Money would be coming to them and so they continued very observant and quiet during all the time that the Money was paying out but so soon as that began to fail and fall short they became as troublesome as ever assembling with great Insolence at the Vizier's House threw Stones at his Windows storming and raging like Mad-men until such time as with fair words and promises of Money within a few Days they were for a while appeased Thus far had the Soldiery found the ways to raise Money but now they being at a stand it was the Vizier's turn to set on foot some new invention or conjuration for more But so empty and drained were all the great Banks that no other way could be thought on but only to go over the rich Men once more and to squeeze them to the last Dreggs of all their Estates to perform which they began with the old Kuzlir Aga who obtained his Liberty upon payment of Nine hundred Purses in all besides his Furniture and Curiosities which were taken from him to a great value and after that he had the favour to be Banisht to Grand Cairo The Hasnadar Aga who as we have said succeeded him was displaced and paid Two hundred Purses and the Aga of the old Seraglio was made Kuzlir Aga which Promotion was according to the ancient Methods that every one should rise and succeed gradually and favoured something of a Reformation But because this new Tax would not reach the entire Sum required for
Adventures and to run with him all the hazards of his Fortune and so continued to Comfort and Encourage him until all his Troops being got together when one Night being in Consulation with Yeghen in what manner they might with most Advantage annoy the Port Orders were privately given to the Domestick Servants to fall upon him which was accordingly executed and his Head on a sudden taken from his Shoulders with the Heads of many of his Followers which were immediately dispatched by Mamoot to the Port for a Testimony of his Fidelity to the Sultan and in Reward thereof to Challenge the Promises which had been made him In the Month of September last as we have already related News was brought to the Port that the Disorders in Asia increased where the Robbers appeared in great Bodies Commanded in chief by Yedic and encouraged by Yeghen who sent Commissions over to his Kinsman Yedic by which such numbers of Robbers assembled from all Parts that all the Country was spoiled and laid waste by them and the People being fled there was nothing but Rapine and Violence in all Places To suppress these Disorders Commands were sent by the Vizier to the Pashas and Governors but these Officers were so far from being able to Execute them that they returned back stripped and plundered Whereupon new Measures were taken to pacifie these Mutineers or Robbers rather with Promises that Yeghen should be created General of the Army and that these Troops now in Asia should be passed over into Hungary there to Fight under the Command and Conduct of their Beloved Yeghen where they all hoped to be made Pasha's But whilst these Mutineers were preparing to march into Europe News came to the Grand Signior of the Death of Yeghen with many of his Followers the which was confirmed by the undoubted Evidence of their Heads which were laid at the Feet of the Sultan This particular Action changed the whole Scheme of the Turkish Councils and all the soft Promises made to Yedic were changed into Vengeance and Punishment Orders being given to the Chimacam not only to oppose and hinder the passage of the Asiaticks into Europe but to Fight and Defeat them them in their own Country By this time a great Party of these Rebels were come very near to Scutari and scattered in the adjacent Villages where remaining with all security not having as yet received the fatal News of the Death of Yeghen when by Order of the Chimacam some of the Ottoman Troops quartered on the side of Scutari fell upon them and by surprize entirely defeated them some of which were drowned in the Sea and others killed by the Sword Those who were already passed over to Constantinople hearing of this Disaster and the Fate of Yeghen retired back into Asia and recounted those unhappy Stories to Yedic who was upon his March to follow his advanced Troops Upon this News Yedic and his Companions despairing of all hopes of Pardon declared themselves more openly Rebels than before so that assembling all the Scum and Rascality of the People to the number of about 6000 Men they marched towards Prusa in Bithynia pillaging destroying and ruining all in the way before them So that there was no passage for any unless Emirs or Green-Heads mounted on Mules and Asses with Pack-Saddles The Ottoman Court which lately by the Death of Yeghen and the Defeat of so many Troops near Scutari thought all things now safe and secure from the Asiatick Rebellion were again strangely surprized with a Consternation to hear that the Rebellion increased and grew hotter than before to suppress which a Pasha was sent to Prusa to raise the Nefiran who had the Fortune at first to Defeat a considerable Body of the Enemy but being a Person of no Expeâ—ience in the War and ignorant of Martial Discipline he unfortunately engaged with a more expert Body of the Rebels by whom he was defeated and made a miserable Sacrifice to the Fury and Revenge of Yedic who killed and made Prisoners all the Forces of the Pasha Yedic being encouraged with this unexpected Success caused himself to be Proclaimed King and Soveraign of Anatolia and by his Arbitrary Power laying Impositions and exacting Contributions from all Cities and Towns of that Country he laid Siege to Angora a rich City famous for the Trade of Grogram Yarn who would not submit it self to the Tyranny and Plunder of Yedic Of which the English and other Merchants at Smyrna took such an Alarm not knowing but that the Rebels encouraged with the Riches and Openness of the Town without any Walls or Fortifications might march thither they Packed up all their Goods and put themselves in a readiness to fly on Shipboard when any Danger approached where they might remain out of all danger or Violence either to their Persons or Estates The People of Angora being in a Condition not long to withstand a Siege and Despairing of all Relief from the Ottoman Port made their Composition with Yedic and Ransomed their Town from Plunder by the Payment of 80 Purses of Money each Purse containing 500 Dollars This unhappy State of Affairs suggested unto the Turkish Governors their old Methods of fair Promises and smooth Words to work upon the Aâ—fections of Yedic and his Complices assuring them all of Pardon and Reward in caâ—e they would return to their Duty But these being a sort of rough Villains bred up in Rapine and Violence who were Conscious that they could never merit a Pardon and had transgressed beyond all Hopes of ever being trusted they no sooner heard the fawning Words of the Grand Seignior's Grace and Favour pronounced towards them but with one Consent they cryed out loudly against it saying That they had learned not to be Cheated and Betrayed like Yeghen and their Brethren near Scutari And that their Rebellion might carry a good Face and some Reason with it Yedic and his Complices declared That they took not up Arms for Spoil or Disaffection to the Grand Seignior but out of pure Zeal to Religion and true Profession of the Mahometan Law which the present Governors had miserably corrupted In Defence of which he Summoned all the People and Inhabitants of Anatolia to come in under his Standard and joyn with them to Reform the Abuses of the Government and State. These Traiterous Practices of Yedic being made known at the Port it plainly appeared that there was no other means and expedient left to reclaim the Practices of such Robbers and suppress the dissolute Lives of Rebels but only force and dint of Sword to which end the Pasha of that Country honoured with the Title of Teftish which is as much as an Inquisitor who in the Times of Peace is every two or three Years ordained to enquire into the State of Anatolia and make enquiry into Robberies Breaches of the Peace and Abuses of the Government committed by the Kadees Aga's and
into a Fever which endangered his Life and gave occasion to the People to Talk much of his Death and setting up in the Throne Sultan Mustapha the Son of Sultan Mahomet IV who had been Deposed But this Passion of Mind which possessed the Grand Seignior passing over with a little Time he being Naturally of a Jolly Temper given to Musick and Wine his Fever quitted him and he recovered So also did the Old Ali Pasha who had been Chimacam at Adrianople and upon the Death of Kupriogli as we have said was made Grand Vizier his Disease was the same with that of the Grand Seignior proceeding from Afflicting himself at the News of the Rout of the whole Turkish Army and the Apprehensions he had of new Turbulencies arising thereupon amongst the Soldiery the which had struck him with a kind of Apoplexy and a Stupidity in his Understanding but it went off so soon as he perceived the Soldiery to return more mildly Home than was expected and then he began to revive and take upon him the Power and Authority of his Government He was an Ancient Man and of great Experience but he was neither esteemed for a Wise nor an Undertaking Man which are two Qualities very necessary in a Grand Vizier But the Mufti made some amends for the Inabilities of that Great Minister for being a Person of a deep Understanding and highly esteemed by all Parties for his profound Wisdom he became very helpful to the Grand Vizier who had the good quality to hearken unto the Counsels of those who were wiser than himself it being one of his Infirmities to be irresolute which shows an Imbecility of Mind and is a quality the most disagreeable to an absolute Monarchy But being pushed forward by his Friends he governed well for being a Man not very Avaritious as few Turks but are he preferred none but such as were Men of Merit and had signalized themselves by long Services or some great or good Actions his Country was Bosnia which hath given many Valiant and Stout Soldiers to the Turks being reputed Men of Bravery and Fidelity in their Words and Actions Never had the Ottoman Empire since it came to be an Empire more need of Able Valiant and Wise Men than at present and never were they more rare and hard to be found For what with the War which destroyed their brave and best of their Gallant Soldiers and Commanders and with their Seditions and Tumults at Home in which their Principal Officers both Civil and Military were cut off none remained alive but only Upstarts or some Leaders of the Insolent or Seditious Soldiery And this was the State of the Empire not only oppressed by the Victorious Enemy on the Frontiers but by a want of all things at Adrianople even to a Famine which raised the Out-cries and Clamours of the People against the Government which being joyned to the Abuse of Copper-Money than which at that time no other was to be seen or currantly passed discouraged the Country-Men from bringing Provisions to the Market and caused the People more earnestly to cry out for a Peace and exclaim against the French for having now for four Years engaged them in a War the most Bloody the most Ruinous and most destructive to the Ottoman Empire that was ever known The French Ambassador fearing that these Tumults and the Inclinations of some of the Ministerswould at length prevail for a Peace he bestowed his Money very liberally where he thought it might be well placed for as yet the French King wanted not Money as he did some Years afterwards but he could not as yet fix any on the Chimacam Chusaein Pasha at Constantinople who always told the Ambassador's Servants that he wanted none of his Presents being well provided with what was necessary for his Maintenance and Equipage The Difficulty of this Great Minister's Proceedings did not a little trouble the Thoughts of the Ambassador especially when he had understood that this Chimacam had wrote to the Mufti to perswade to a Peace the League with France being apparently destructive to the Empire saying as it were How long shall these People be a Snare to us And hereof the Ambassador was the more apprehensive when he heard that the Sultan was returning to Constantinople for his Health being perswaded by the Physicians That the Air of that City and the Sea would be more conducing to his Health than that of Adrianople by which he feared that the Chimacam might have the better opportunity to instill these Imaginations into the Head of the Grand Seignior than he could at a distance But before the Departure of the Grand Seignior from Adrianople for Coâ—stâ—ntinople a General Council of War was held by all the Chief Officers of the Army At which three principal Points were concluded The First was To do their best Endeavours and use all possible means for the Relief of Great Waradin But on the other side it was considered That the Miliâ—ia on the Frontiers was tyred out and become weak by their Labours and Disgraces of the preceding Campaign so that the Means for executing this Design was not prescribed A Second Proposal was not to confide much in the Counsels of the French but to consult the Opinion of the Soldiery whether they were inclinable to a Peace And Thirdly In case the Soldiery shou'd be averse to a Peace that then Preparations should be made with all diligence to raise Men and make Provisions of War for the ensuing Year But whilst Matters were disposing to quiet the Minds of the Soldiery of which great Numbers were passed over into Asia much harassed and discontented so that some Insurrections were feared in those Countries Behold on a sudden the People murmured against the base Allay of the Money which was nothing but Copper or at best mixed with a little Silver which was a mighty prejudice to Trade and caused a dearness of all Provisions so that the Poor were almost Starved whereupon the Rabble in a furious manner assaulted the Mint-Office and Killed the Master who was set over the Coinage and committed many other Insolences and were not appeased until an Order was published That the Copper-Money should be no longer Currant at which the People dispersing Silver-Money was issued from the Mint where the Officers worked Day and Night in Coining Aspers and greater Money and with Promises of being paid shortly in this Money the Soldiers were very much pleased and satisfied tho' the Discontents of the Asiatick Soldiers gave great Apprehensions and Fears to the Port of some Revolt or Insurrection in Asia which had it at that time happened it had in all probability produced a Peace But this Blessing both to the Christians and the Turks was reserved for a more happy time as we shall see if God gives us Life some Years afterwards with which we shall put a Period to this History Anno 1692. THE English Ambassador Sir William Hussey
hurtful Order for the Christian Common-weal The ground of the error of divers writers about the Successors of Tangrolâ—pix otherwise of them called Sadoch Peter a French Hermit goeth on pilgrimage to Jerusalem The description of Peter the Hermit The Letters of Simon Patriarch of Jerusalem and of the grand Master of the Hospitalers unto the Pope and other Christian Princes in the behalf of the oppressed Christians in Jerusalem Rome and Constantinople which was also called Nova Roma or new Rome The Council of Claremont in France An expedition agreed upon by the Council for the relief of the Christians oppressed in the Holy Land. The chief Commanders of the Christians in their expedition into the Holy Land. Godfrey Duke of Buillon and the other Christian Princes meet together at Constantinople Nice â—esieged by the Câ—ristiâ—ans A cruel battel â—â—ught betwixt the Turks and the Christians Solyman flyeth Antioch in Pisidia taken by the Christians Heraclea yielded Sultan Solyman his letters unto the Persian Sultan Axan The Christians bind themselves by Oath never to return until they had won the Holy City Antioch in Syria besieged by the Christians The description of the famous City of Antioch Antâ—och betrayed to the Christians Cassianus Governor of Antioch in flying slain The Lâ—tters of Bohemund Prince of Tarentum to his Brother Roger Prince of Apulia concerning the winning of Antâ—och Edessa in vain besieged by the Turks Corbanas the Sultans Lieutenant with a great Army cometh to recover again the City of Antioch Bohemund chosen Prince of Antioch The Plaguâ— in the Christian Army Discord arising upon emulation betwixt Bohemund and Raimund The exceeding joy of the Christians upon the first descrying of the holy City Jerusalem re-edified by the great â—mperor Aelius Adrianus A brief discouâ—se of the state and fortune oâ— the Holy City of Jerusalem from the destruction thereof under Vespasianus the Emperor and Tiâ—us his son until it was now again recovered out of the hands of tâ—e Infidels by Godfrâ—y of Buillon anâ— the other Christian Princes of the West Jerusalem besieged by the Christians The Genowaies come to the Siege A most cruel and bloody fight betwixt the Christians and the Turks in the Templâ— of Jerusalem Godfrey Duke of Buillon by the general consent of the Christian Army chosen first King of Jerusalem An hundred thousand Turks and Sarasins slain Godfrey of Buillon first Christian King of Jerusalem dieth of the Plague Baldwin Count of Edessa and Brother to Godfrey Second King of Jerusalem King Baldwin mortally wounded Ptolemaâ—s won by King Baldwin Bohemund dieth at Antioch 1111. Sidon won Baldwin Brugensis chosen King of Jerusalem Joppa besieged by the Sarasins Tyre besieged by the Christians Damasco in vain besieged by the Christians The death of Baldwin the second the third King of Jerusalem Calo Joannes the Greek Emperor seeketh in vain to have surprised the City of Antioch The deatâ— of Calo Johannes the Greek Emperor The miserable death of Fulk fourth King of Jerusalem Baldwin the third of that name fifth King of Jerusalem Conrade third Emperor of Germany taketh upon him an expedition into the Holy Land. Conrade the Emperor not suffered to enter into Constantinople The Turks with a great Army seek to stay Conrade his farther passage at the River Maeander A notable speech of Conrade the Emperor to encourage his Souldiers to adventure the River Maeander The Turks overthrown by the Christians with a wonderful slaughter Nicetas Chonlates Annali primo reium a Manuele Comneno Imperatore gestar fol. 139. Icoâ—lum in vain besieged by the Christians The honoâ—rable Expedition of Lewis the French King by the malice of the Greeks and envy of other Christian Princes of Syria frustrated and brought to nought Damasco in vain besieged by Lewis the French King. Paneada taken and sacked by the Turks Paneada again repaired by the Christians The death of King Baldwin lamented by his Enemies Discord among the Turks in the lesser Asia Masut the Sultan divideth his Kingdom amongst his three Sons Another foolish Icarus Nicetas Choniates rerum â—b imper Manuele Comneno gestar li. 3. sol 143. Unkindness betwixt the Emperor and the Sultan A great oversight of the Emperor Baldwin slain The misery of the Christians by the Turks inclused in the straits The Emperor in great perplexity The desperate resolâ—tion of the Emperor A most miserable Spectacle The Emperor in danger to have been taken valiantly defendeth himself The malapert speech of an insolent Souldier to the Emperor The great patience of the Emperor The fearful resolution of the Emperor A sharp reprâ—hension of a common Souldier unto the Emperor The Emperor returneâ—h The Emperor altogether performs not what he had promised to the Sultan Atapack with all his Army slain Andronicus aspireth Ambition covered with the zeal of the Common-weal Andronicus departeth from Oenum toward Constantinople Andronicus encampeth in sight over against Constantinople Xiphilinus sent over to Andronicus dealeth unfaithfully in doing his message The proud answer of Andronicus Contoslephanus revolteth to Andronicus Alexius in despair Alexius and his Friends apprehended A strange alteration Alexius brought to Andronicus hath his eyes put out The meeting of the Patriarch and Andronicus Andronicus passeth over the Strait Andronicus taketh upon him the Government Andronicus tyrannizeth A miserable State of a Coâ—monâ—eal Mary the Daughter of Emanuel with her Husband Caesar poysoned by Andronicus Xene the Empresâ— accused of Treason and condemned Dangerous to speak the truth to a Tyrant A wicked Council The miserable death of the Empress The slie practise of Andronicus in aspiring to the Empire Alexius deprived of of the Empire Alexius condemned Alexius the Emperor crâ—â—lly strangled An unequal Marriage Andronicus seeketh by tyranny to establish his Estate Exceeding Cruâ—lty Isaac Angelus taketh Sanctuary The people in a tumult resort unto Angelus Andronicus in vain seeketh to appease the tumultuous People Isaac Angelus by the people in a tumult saluted Emperor Andronicus â—orsaken of his flattering Favourites A strange change Andronicus the Emperor taken and brought in bonds to Angelus Andronicus the Emperor hanged up by the Heels Niceâ—as Choniates Annal. lib. 1. fol. 161. col 4. Isaac Angelus the Emperor tyranniseth Isaac the Emperor thrust from the Empire and deprived of his sight by his Brother Alexius Clizasthlan the Turks Sultan incroacheth upon the Greek Empire in the lesser Asia Clizasthlan divideth hiâ— Kingdom amongst his four Sons The Sons of Clizasthlan at variance among themselves Almericus sixth King of Jerusalem Noradin the Turk discomfited by the Christians Saladin lest in Alexandria by Saracon craveth aid Alexandria yâ—eded to Almericus Pelusium â—aken by Almeriâ—us The Sultan of Egypt under the colour of Friendship slain by Saracon How the Kingdom of Egypt first fell into the hands of the Sarasins with the notable alterations thereof Baldwin the Fourth of that Name seventh King of Hierusalem Saladin overthrown by King Baldwin The Christians dividing the Spoil overthrown by the Turks Saladin goetâ— out of
Pâ—sha of Temiswar Count Serini overthrows a Party of Turks and Tartars Zechâ—hyd revolts to Apafi Oseck The Bridge burned Quinque Ecclesiae taken by Serini Sigeth Besieged The Siege raised Claudiopolis yields it self to Apafi Count Pâ—ter Sâ—â—ini 〈◊〉 the Tuâ—ks in the Streights 〈…〉 The dâ—nger of Serini Serini maâ—eâ— known to the Eâ—peror his design against Kanisia Kanisia besieged The Dieâ— at Ratisbone The strength of the Christian Army Italy England Poland France Count Strozzi's Speech to the French King. Rebellion of the Beghs in Egypt Ibrahim Pasha sined and imprisoned A Dispute between the Mufti and a Shegh Predictions amongst the Turks The Grand Signiors aversion to Constantinople A small Seraglio by that name near Constantinople A Son born to the Grand Signior The Siege of Kanisia * Fifteen English Miles The 〈…〉 â—he 〈◊〉 Aâ—my 〈◊〉 Sâ—râ—zzi slain Serini's Reasons to fight with the Turks The German Residents Letter to Count Serini Montecuculi contrary to the opinion of Serini decâ—â—nes the Battel with the Turks Serini retireâ— from the Warâ— Serinsâ—â—ar taken Reflections on the disgrace of Serini Nitra tâ—ken by â—he Christians The Tâ—rks assault Soise Lewa taken The Pope recals hâ—s Forces from assistanâ—e of the Emperor The Pope supplies the Emperor with Money but not with men Count Soise marches to raise the Siege of Leventz The Turks before Lewa The Christian Army put themselves into Battalia Husaein Pasha routed and â—â—ed Refâ—ge deniâ—d them at Sâ—râ—gonium The Moldaâ—ians 〈◊〉 Valacâ—â—ans return home 〈…〉 Bâ—rcan Barcan burnt The Turks with part of their Army pass the Rab. The Rab swells with immoderate Rains. The Turks vain joy Signifies the Son of a Kul or Slave The defeat given the Turkish Army by the River Rab. Tac. lib. 1. The slâ—â—n on the Turks side Reasons why the Services of Montecuculi were accepted better than those of Serini Sedition in the Turkish Camp. Tac. in Vita Agricola The Grand Signiors hunting at Yamboli Vizier sends for the Princes of Moldavia and Valachia The Princeâ— of Moldavia and Valachia recalled to the Wars Fides Graeca or the honesty of a Greek The reasons which inclined both Parties to Peace The Hungarians oppose the Peace The Emperors Reasons for a Peace The French Army march homeward Serini's Death The Character of Sirini The Vizier sends for his Mother to Belgrade The Blazâ—ng Star. The â—ultâ—ns hatâ—ed to Coâ—sâ—antiâ—â—â—â—â— increases The Sultan seeks to destroy his Bâ—other The Vizier offers to depose the Tartar Chan. The Turkish Ambassadour departs Rumours of the People on occasion of stay of the German Ambassadour Mustapha Pasha's affectation and popularity * It is in the fashion of a Mace which the Turks wear at their Saddles The German Ambassadors Entrance Audiâ—nce given to the German Ambassador The Genoese make Peace with the Turk The Genoese received The Turks resolve to prosecute the War in Candia The G. â—iâ—nior paâ—sionately loves his Queen The Turks prepare for a War on Candia The G. Signior arrives at Constantinople Marquess Villa received into service of the Venetians The Speech of Marquis Villa to the Senate The Reasons why the German Ambassadour interposed not in behalf of Transylvania The German Ambassador's Audience with the Vizier An Ambassadour arrives from France Reflexions of the Turks on the â—mbassy of Monsieur De Ventâ—lay A strange â—â—â—idâ—nt befallen the French Captain of the Mâ—n of War. The French Embassadours second Audience The Grand Signiors Huntings The Nogay Tartar desires Lands of the Grand Signior Marquess Villa suâ—veys the Forts in Dalmatia Spalato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clâ—ssa â—â—bâ—nico * Iune * Sabatai wâ—â—te a Letter to elâ—â—t one maâ—â—ut of every Tribe The Iews â—â—rupâ—e to say the head of Israel 1662 7. Arab. Prov. Arab. Prov. The course of life which Sabatai led after he turned Mahometan The manner of exchange of the Emperors and Turks Ambassadour The â—urks medâ—tate a new War. An Engagement near Canea Marquess Villa lands at the City of Câ—ndia The Venetians incamp The Turks assault them The Turks make another assault The Venetian Camp raised TheGreat Vizier arrives at Thebes Twelve Tâ—rkis◠〈◊〉 taâ—en The Vizier passes over into Candia By the number of Coftans is to be esteemed the honour the Turks bear to one Prince above the other The Polish Ambassadours Audience The Death of the Polish Ambassadour The Revolt of the Pasha of Balsora The disposition of the Turks Camp. The Batteries raised by the Turks The â—irst Mine blown up Two Sallies made by the Christians The Captain-General disarms his Gallies Five Mines the Christians sprang Attempts of the Turks on the side of Panigra Arrival of Gallies from the Pope and Malta Chevalier d'Harcourt An Agent arrives at Candia to treat with the Vizier The Turks assault Panigra The Turks fire a dreadful Mine The Turks spring another Mine Two Mines of the Christians Four Mines and a Sally of the Christians Two Mines of the Christians One Mine of the Christians * Which is their Triumph for Victory The G. Signior sends a Messenger to bring him certain information of the state of his Camp in Candia The Winter causes all Action to cease General Barbaro and Uvertmiller departed from the Army The deaths of Secretary Giavarina and Padavino Formality in making Ianiâ—aries in these days A Fight at Sea. The success of the Turks at Sea. Captain Georgio taken by tâ—e Turks The Turks resolve to make their passage by St Andrea A Sally made by the Christians Another Sally Marquess Villa returns into Italy Causes of Marquess Villa 's departure Marquâ—ss Villa's Speech Marquess St. Andrea visits the Works Some French Gentlemen Adventurers for honour arrive at Candia The Christians overthrow a battery of the Turks A Sâ—llâ— made by the French. The Dukes of Brunswick â—nd Lunenburg sent â—orces to râ—lieve Candia Count Waldeck 〈◊〉 â—f his wouâ—dâ— A Mine of an hundred and sixty Sacks of Powder fired by the Chrians The Christians sally on the side of Sabionera Katirgi-Oglé his original and life The Turks storm three Bastions at once The Female Court sent to Constantinople The Ianisaries jealous of the safety of the Sultans Brothers The Grand Signior displeased with Tobacco An Ambassador sent from Venice French 〈◊〉 â—f 〈◊〉 sail to Constantinople The Grand Signior sends a Messenger to the French King. Sir Daniel Harvey Ambassador from his Majesty A Relation of the state of Candia toward the end of this year The story of the false Reaux or Temins The Grand Signior designs to cut off his Brothers Tac. Lib. 6. The Turks storm again the Foâ—t of St. Andrea Succours sent out of Christendom The French Fleet loose from Tolon They arrive at Candia The French Forces landed A Council of War held in Candia The order of the Christian Army to make their Sally The Christians sally at the Gate St. George The Christians fall upon the Turks The Christian Army in confusion French Officers slain The French leaue the Town The Turks make an assault A Council
the side of Danubius whereof the Secretary by speedy Messengers gave Chamuzes Intelligence who secretly passing over Danubius with certain Troops of Horsemen and riding a good way into the Country lay in ambush upon the way whereby the Prince and the Secretary must needs pass according as was before appointed the Secretary accompanied with the Prince put himself upon the way and at the very prefixed time came to the place where Chamuzes lay in ambush with his Horsemen who suddenly arising and on every side assailing the Prince slew divers of his men before they were well aware of his coming But Wladus being a man of great courage and better appointed than the Bassa had supposed for he went always attended upon with a strong Guard of valiant and stout men so received Chamuzes and his Turks that he slew many of them and at length after a hard Conflict took him with the rest Prisoners whose Hands and Feet he caused to be cut off and their Bodies afterwards to be thrust upon sharp Stakes set fast in the ground to the terror of all that saw them and did the Bassa so much honour as to hang him and the Secretary upon a Gibbet a great deal higher than the other Turks And not satisfied with this Revenge presently gathered his Forces and passing over Danubius into the Turks Dominions burnt all the Country before him along the Sea side killing Man Woman and Child without mercy after which great spoil and slaughter made he returned again to Valachia The report of this News being brought to Mahomet set him in such a choler and rage that he commanded the great Bassa Mahometes which first told him thereof to be cruelly whipt which servile punishment in that Tyrannical Government hath usually been inflicted even upon the greatest Princes of the Court upon the least displesure of the Tyrants especially if they be not natural Turks born accounting the rest in their anger but as their base and contemptible Slaves as well appeareth by the woful end of many even of the greatest of them But when he understood by most sure advertisements that all was as thâ— Bassa had before reported or rather worse it is not to be in words expressed into what a rage he fell the spoil of his Country grieved him much but the shameful death of the Secretary his Embassador and of Chamuzes the Bassa tormented his heart and filled him with Indignation and desire of Revenge Wherefore with all speed possible he assembled his Souldiers and Men of War out of all parts of his Dominions to Philippopolis and had in short time raised such an Army as the like he had not at any time imployed since the winning of Constantinople At the same time also he sent his Admiral with 25 Gallies and 150 Sail of other small Vessels by the Euxin to enter the River Danubius and there landing his Men to joyn his Forces with the Prince of Podolia who for a grudge he bare against Wladus had promised to Aid the Turk against him When all things were now in readiness he marched with his Army from Philippopolis and passing over Danubius entred into Valachia before which time the Admiral had landed his Men and with the help of the Podolian had burnt the City of Prailaba the greatest Town of Trade in all Valachia and was besieging Cebium called in ancient time Lycostomos where after they had lien a while and received some loss they left the Siege and departed the Podolian back again into his Country and the Admiral to his Fleet. Mahomet being got over Danubius burnt the Villages drave away the Cattel and made havock of all that came in his way As for Prisoners he took but few for the Valachies before his coming had retired their Wives and Children and all that were unfit for Wars either into their strong Cities or into the Refuge of great and thick Woods whereof there is in that Country plenty or else into the high and rough Mountains where they were in more safety than in any their strongest Holds and all such as were able to bear Arms followed the Prince who ever kept the Woods and Mountains still following the Turks Army so near as he possibly could with safety and many times cut off such as stragled any thing far abroad from the Army into the Country yet never durst shew himself in plain Field being indeed but a handful in comparison of the Turks multitude Mahomet to small purpose roaming up and down the Country at his pleasure staid never long in one place and making no reckoning of such a weak Enemy as durst never shew himself pitcht his Tents still in the open Plains and so lay with his Army in great security not entrenched at all Wladus by his Espials understanding 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 Turks Camp where the Asian Souldiers lay and slew many of them in their Tents the rest terrified with the suddenness of the Alarm fled out of their Tents for Refuge unto the European Souldiers the Prince following them at the heels and entring into that quarter of the Camp also did there great harm and struck such a general terror and fear into all the Turks Army that they were even upon the point to have wholly forsaken their Tents and betaken themselves to flight Yea Mahomet himself dismaid with the terror of the night and tumult of his Camp and fearing lest the Hungarians had joyned their Forces with the Prince not knowing which way to turn himself had undoubtedly fled had not Mahomet Bassa a man of great experience in Martial Affairs perswaded him otherwise and by general Proclamation made through the Camp That no man should upon pain of death forsake the place wherein he was encamped staid the flight and with much ado enforced them to make head against the Prince Wladus perceiving the Turks now to begin to stand upon their guard and to make resistance after great slaughter made returning took the spoil of the Tents forsaken by the Asian Souldiers and upon the approach of the day again retired with Victory into the Woods As soon as it was day Mahomet appointed Haly-Beg with certain Companies of select Souldiers to pursue the Valachies who overtaking part of the Princes Army took a thousand of them Prisoners and put the rest to flight all which Prisoners were by the Tyrants Command presently put to the Sword. From that time Mahomet every night entrenched his Army and caused better Watch and Ward to be kept in every quarter of his Camp than before As he marched along the Country he came to the place where the Bassa and the Secretary were hanging upon two high Gibbets and the dismembred Turks impailed upon Stakes about them with which sight he was grievously offended And passing on farther came to a Plain containing in breadth almost a mile and in
length two miles set full of Gallows Gibbets Wheels Stakes and other Instruments of Terror Death and Torture all hanging full of the dead Carkases of Men Women and Children thereupon executed in number as was deemed about twenty thousand There was to be seen the Father with his Wife Children and whole Family hanging together upon one Gallows and the Bodies of sucking Babes sticking upon sharp Stakes others withall their Limbs broken upon Wheels with many other strange and horrible kinds of death so that a man would have thought that all the Torments the Poets feign to be in Hell had been there put in execution All these were such as the notable but cruel Prince jealous of his Estate had either for just desert or some probable suspition put to death and with their Goods rewarded his Souldiers whose cruel manner was together with the Offender to execute the whole Family yea sometimes the whole Kindred Mahomet although he was by Nature of a fierce and cruel Disposition wondred to see so strange a Spectacle of extream cruelty yet said no more but that Wladus knew how to have his Subjects at Command After that Mahomet sent Iosephus one of his great Captains to skirmish with the Valachies who was by them put to the worse but by the coming in of Omares the Son of Turachan they were again in a great Skirmish overthrown and two thousand of their heads brought by the Turks upon their Launces into the Kings Camp for which good Service Omares was by the King preferred to be Governor of Thessalia When Mahomet had thus traced Valachia and having done what harm 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 thick Woods or rough Mountains he returned again to Constantinople leaving behind him Haly-beg with part of his Army to prosecute that War 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 up in Mahomets Court and for his comely Feature of him most passionately affected which inordinate perturbation so prevailed in the intemperate Nature of the lascivious Prince that he sought first by fair words and great Gifts to corrupt the Youth and not so prevailing attempted at last to have forced him wherewith the Noble Youth being enraged drew his Rapier and striking at him to have slain him grievously wounded him in the Thigh and thereupon fled Nevertheless being drawn back again 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 beloved and honoured and now set up for a Stale as is before said for the Valachies his Country-men to gaze upon It fortuned that after the departure of the King divers Valachies came to Haly-beg the Turkish General to Ransome such Friends of theirs as had been taken Prisoners in those Wars and were yet by him detained to whom the younger Dracula by way of discourse declaring the great Power of the Turkish Emperor and as it were lamenting the manifold and endless Miseries of his Native Country cunningly imputed the same unto the disordered Government of his cruel Brother as the ground of all their Woes assuring them of most happy and speedy Redress if the Valachies forsaking his fierce Brother would cleave unto him as their Soveraign in special Favour with the great Emperor Which Speech he delivered unto them with such lively Reasons and in such effectual Terms that they there present perswaded by him and others by them in short time all as if it had been by a secret consent forsook Wladus the elder Brother and chose Dracula the younger Brother to be their Prince and Soveraign Who joyning unto him the Turks Forces by the consent of Mahomet took upon him the Government of that War-like Country and People yet holding the same as the Turkish Tyrants Vassal the readiest way to Infidelity Wladus seeing himself 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 laid fast in strait prison at Belgrade for that he had without just cause as it was laid to his charge most cruelly executed divers Hungarians in Valachia yet such was his fortune after ten years hard imprisonment to be again enlarged and honourably to die in battel against his ancient Enemies the Turks Mahomet returning out of Valachia to Constantinople sent the same Fleet which he had used in his late Wars into the Aegeum to take in such Islands as being before under the Constantinopolitan Empire had upon the loss of the City put themselves under the Protection of the Venetians but especially the Isle of Mitylene called in ancient time Lesbos pretending that Nicholaus Catelusius Prince thereof did harbour the Pirats of Italy and other places and also bought of them such Prisoners and other Booty as they continually took from the Turks at Sea or alongst the Sea coast out of many places of his Dominions pretending also the chastising of the said Prince for that he had by treachery slain his eldest Brother and so unjustly taken upon him the Government His Fleet thus set forward he himself with a small Army passed over into Asia and came by land to Possidium a City of Ionia over against Mitylene From whence he embarked himself over the narrow Strait into the Island where after he had once landed his Army he in short time overran the whole Island and miserably spoiled the same leading away all the Inhabitants thereof into Captivity who shortly after were sold at Constantinople like Flocks of Sheep and from thence dispersed into all parts of his Dominions After he had thus harried the Country and left nothing therein unspoiled he besieged the Prince in the City of Mitylene whereof the Island now taketh Name and with his great Ordnance continually battered the same by the space of 27 days in which time many sharp Assaults were also given by the Turks whereby the Defendants were greatly diminished and wasted The Prince perceiving himself not able long to hold out offered to yield up the City with all the strong Holds in the Isle upon condition that Mahomet should therefore give unto him some other Province or like value to the Island which his Offer Mahomet accepted and by solemn Oath bound himself for performance of that he had promised Whereupon the Prince came out of the City and humbled himself before him excusing himself for the receiving of the Men of War wherewith he was charged as done for no other purpose but that they should forbear to spoil his own Country much subject to their fury utterly denying that he had at any time bought or shared any part of such Prizes as had by those Pirats by Sea
they considered the straitness of the place the small number of the Defendants and multitude of the Enemy they should well perceive in what danger they were if the Turks should often with such obstinacy renew the Assault yet forasmuch as they had ever hitherto felt the help of God so present who had still mercifully defended them against the rage of the Enemy and wanted nothing needful for the defence of the place the keeping whereof they had requested of the Grand Master as an honour although they knew right well it could not without most manifest danger of their Lives be holden yet they would for all that keep it to the last Man for that perhaps the like honourable occasion for them to shew themselves in should never again be offered wherefore they had as they said resolved in that place to spend their lives for the Glory of God and the Christian Religion The Course of this Life they said was but short but that Honour and Fame was for ever and whereas death is to all Men prefixed it were to be wished that the Life which is to Nature due should rather seem to be by us frankly given to God and our Country than reserved as Natures Debt which if it should so happen they would so use the matter as that the barbarous Enemy should have neither pleasure nor joy which should not cost him much Blood even of his best Souldiers This they willed the Knights to tell the Great Master and to request him not to be too careful of them but to promise to himself those things of them which best beseemed resolute Men especially of them who had vowed themselves to that sacred War. This answer of greater resoultion than fortune received the three Knights when they had diligently viewed the Castle returned to the Grand Master who calling to Counsel his Knights and having heard the answer of the besieged would needs hear also what opinion the three Knights themselves 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 command he would undertake to perform it and there rather to lose his Life than to forsake it after he had once taken upon him the charge thereof But Rocca the French Knight was far of another mind and said plainly that the place could not possibly be holden against so strong an Enemy and that if Iulius Caesar himself were alive and saw to what strait the place was brought especially all the Rampiers being either beat down or sore shaken and such a power of obstinate Enemies lying round about it he would never suffer so many valiant Souldiers to be lost but quit the place and reserve his Men to a further service for why it was the part of valiant Men to perform so much as was of Men to be performed but to strive to do more was no Manhood at all wherefore he thought it best to do that which Men use with Members mortified whose recovery is desperate in which case we doubt not to make a separation so to save the rest of the Body 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 Bulwarks were yet defensible and then because he saw so great a consent among the Defendants and such a chearfulness to withstand the Enemy which thing as he said presaged Victory These opinions of the Knights thorowly in Counsel debated and every particular well weighed it seemed good to the greater part that they which were in the Castle should for certain days 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 keep them to the last that even therein the barbarous Enemy might perceive with whom he had to do and so see his Pride abated For if they should have forsaken the place they might have been thought to have done it for fear whereby the Enemies insolency might have been increased and the honourable Order of those sacred Knights disgraced But the Turks intentive to that they had before determined the three and twentieth day of Iune assembling all their Forces both by Sea and Land round about the Castle in the dead time of the night on every side set up scaling Ladders made Bridges wrought Mines and with two and thirty great Pieces of Artillery battered the rest of the Walls yet standing and presently gave a most terrible Assault The Defendants on the other side beat down some repulsed other slew many ever more careful how to wound the Enemy than to save themselves 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 divers uncertain cruel and dreadful and now it was the third hour of the day when still the Victory stood doubtful and had not the fury of the great Ordnance been so terrible that it now had beaten down all the Walls unto the very Rock whereon the Castle stood the Defendants might for some longer time have endured the Enemies Force But the very Rock bared both of Walls and Defendants and more than four hundred slain a Man could now scarcely shew himself but he was presently struck in Pieces Monserratus Governor of the Castle and Garas of Euboea Men of equal Valour Integrity and Honour were both slain with one shot for a short and transitory Life made Partakers of Immortality together Yet the rest which stood in defence of the Castle nothing terrified with so great a loss and slaughter of their Fellows but augmented rather as it were with new Courage from above fought with greater Force than before overthrew the Turks Ensigns now set up in the Castle slew the Ensign-bearers Captains and Colonels now respecting nothing more but honourably to lay down their Lives for their Religion and the obtaining of immortal Fame By this time the Sun was mounted to the middle of Heaven great was the Heat and Men exceeding weary the murdring shot never ceased and such was the multitude of the Enemy that he sent in fresh Men instead of them that were wearied or wounded On the other side the small number of the Christians and those weakned with Labour Watching Thirst and Wounds did what Men might yet at length were overcome by a greater Force and so the Castle by the Turks won but with such slaughter of their Men that it was a wonder that so many should be slain of so few The Defendants were all slain every Man in valiant Fight Here may I not in silence pass over the inhuman and more than barbarous Cruelty of the Turks against the dead Bodies of the slain Knights that thereby may appear that Cruelty never wanteth whereon to shew
it self merciless yea even after death The Turks after they had taken the Castle finding certain of the Knights yet breathing and but half dead first cut their Hearts out of their Breasts and then their Heads from their Bodies after that they hanged them up by the Heels in their red Clokes with white Crosses which manner of Attire they after an ancient Custom use in time of War as they do black in time of Peace in sight of the Castles Saint Angelo and Saint Michael And yet Mastapha the Turks General not so contented commanded them afterwards to be fast bound together and so cast into the Sea whose dead Bodies were in few days after by the Surge of the Sea cast up into the Haven Major and known by their Friends were by the commandment of the sorrowful Great Master honourably buried With which the Enemies most barbarous Cruelty he was so moved that he commanded that no Turk should from that time be taken prisoner but to be presently slain And thereupon all that were before taken were forthwith put to the Sword and their Heads cast over the Walls on that side towards the Enemy From the beginning of the Siege to the taking of the Castle of the Christians were slain a thousand three hundred amongst whom were an hundred and thirty of the sacred Knights of the Order all worthy to be registred in the Book of everlasting Fame The Castle of Saint Elmo thus lost Valetta although his mind as he had good cause was inwardly attainted with exceeding grief yet made semblance otherwise because he would not daunt the minds of his Souldiers telling them that nothing was hapned unprovided for or unforeseen This was as he said the Will of God and the chance of War that sometimes one sometimes another should be overcome and that cowardise not such Valour as was in them that were gon gave occasion to living Friends to lament yet that the Enemy was not for that to be feared who had also received such a loss as he might thereby rather seem conquered than a victorious Conqueror whereas the loss of his Knights was recompenced with Honour and Immortality things of themselves sufficient to inflame all noble minds to behave themselves valiantly As for himself he said that trusting not in his own strength but in the help of Almighty God he had not yet cast off the hope of Victory over the relicks of the discomfited Enemy and that he well hoped they were all of the same mind wherein he most earnestly requested them to persist unto the end When he had thus said he being a Man armed against all Fortunes withdrew himself a little aside where casting many things in his troubled mind he determined to send Letters to Petrus Mesquita Governour of the City of Melita to certifie him and the Knights of the Order that were at Messana and the Viceroy of the loss of St. Elmo the Copy whereof because that in them evidently appeareth the Christian mind of him the Great Master I have thought good here to set down as followeth Whilst these Knights are setting forward in the mean time chanced the miserable misfortune of the Castle Saint Elmo which although it brought unto us that grief you may easily imagine we for all that as if it had happened by some secret appointment of God have taken it in that part that he as a most merciful Father purposeth thereby to warn us but not utterly to destroy us Neither do I think it lawful to doubt of his mercy and power Yet for all that I may nevertheless complain that we are of them forsaken of whom it least beseemed So that in the space of seven and thirty days wherein our most valiant Souldiers endured all the force of the Enemy which truly was done rather by the power of God than of Man we were holpen of our own which owe so much unto us not so much as with the least help which they might oftentimes have sent us But I list to ascribe it whatsoever it is to God of whom alone as we have hitherto received so many good things so rest we in hope hereafter to receive also For for any thing that I can see we must not now trust to Mans help forasmuch as we could by no Letters no Diligence no Prayers no Admonitions and to be brief by no Commands move them who of all others ought most to have obeyed it The shortness of the time suffereth us not to write to the Viceory of these things it shall be your part to certifie both him and other our Friends thereof who if they had obeyed our command or aided us with never so little a supply of Souldiers happily we had not lost the Castle St. Elmo in defence whereof we have spent the best part of our Souldiers Wherefore except the Viceroy make hast to deliver us from this Siege I fear that he cannot in time come but especially if we be here besieged before the coming of those our small helps which we as in a Dream have promised unto our selves and which we now scarce hope will be in time present For all that we do not distrust of God his love and providence by whose divine inspiration the rare courage of the Viceroy being in short time stirred up will hasten hither to relieve us For all our welfare consisteth in celerity Our Enemies having drawn all their Fleet into the Haven Marza Moxet are busied in cleansing the Castle and repairing the Breaches that they may afterward the better use them against us Wherefore upon the sight of these our Letters send unto us the Captains Catherin Belcacar Belmest and Zoricius with their Companies that we may use their faithful and valiant service God of his mercy send us aid from some place and keep you Fare you well from our Castle St. Angelo the twenty fourth of June 1565. Mesquita having received these Letters commanded a Galliot forthwith to be launched and therein embarked Masius Cedonellus one of the Knights to whom he delivered both the Letters of the Grand Master to him and others of his own almost of the same purport directed to the Knights of the Order which lay at Messana requesting him with all speed possible to pass over with them into Sicilia In the mean time Mustapha the Turks General sent a Messenger to Valetta and with him an old Spanish Captive with promise of liberty if he would go with his Messenger to the Town to talk with Valetta concerning the yielding up thereof and to try if he would by any means come to agreement who coming to the Town the Turk still waiting at the Gate the Christian was let in and brought to the Great Master to whom he declared what he had in charge from the Bassa But as soon as Valetta heard of the name of composition and yielding he was so filled with indignation that had he not been a Christian he would presently have commanded him to have