wherewith he had couered his rich and royal garments and presently knowne to be the yong emperour the people came flocking about him and with many joyfull acclamations receiued him as their dread lord and soueraigne yet some few more fauouring the old emperor fled into the castle and there stood vpon their guard which after they had for a space notably defended was at length taken from them THESSALONICA thus yeelded Demetrius Andronicus and Asan Michael the old emperor cheefe captaines then lying with his armie not farre off and not well trusting one another fled most of whose souldiors presently went ouer vnto the young emperour who departing from THESSALONICA came to SERRE which by composition was deliuered vnto him also but not the castle for that was by Basilicus Nicephorus the captaine thereof still holden for the 〈◊〉 emperour This Basilicus was a man honourably descended but of no great capacitie or wit as the finer sort supposed and therefore not of them much regarded or thought fit for the taking in hand of any great matter whom yet the old emperour for his plaine sinceritie more than for any thing els had made captaine of that castle and gouernour of the country thereabouts which he yet still held and in these most troublesome times shewed himselfe wiser than them all that had so thought of him of whom some died in despaire some fled some were taken prisoners and so suffered a thousand euils the rest with the losse of their honour traiterously reuolting from the old emperour to the yong whereas he alone looking but euen forward vpon his allegeance with his trust in God so long as the old emperour liued opposed himselfe against these troubles and stood fast for him and was not to be moued with any faire promises or cruell threats of the yong aspiring emperour whereof he lacked none But hauing strongly fortefied the castle committed to his charge there kept himselfe vntill that hearing of the death of the old emperour he then reconciling himselfe vnto the yong as vnto his right soueraigne deliuered vp vnto him the castle who in reward of his fidelitie gaue it him againe to hold for him in as ample manner as he had before held it from his grandfather for wise men honour vertue euen in their enemies as did king Philip in Demosthenes when as he said If any Athenian liuing in Athens doth say that he preferreth me before his countrey him verely would I buy with much money but not thinke him worthie my friendship But if any for his countries sake shall hate me him will I impugne as a castle a strong wall or a bulwarke and yet admire his vertue and reckon the citie happie in hauing such a man And so in few words to conclude a long discourse the yong emperour in short time hauing romed through all MACEDONIA and without resistance taken all the strong townes and cities therein he there tooke also Demetrius the Despots wife and children with all his treasure as also the wiues of Andronicus and Asanes and of all the Senators that followed them after whom the great commaunders their husbands were also for the most part taken and cast in prison some at THESSALONICA some at DIDIMOTICHUM some of the rest afterwards most miserably perishing in exile Wherewith the old emperour discouraged was about to haue sent his embassadours vnto his nephew for peace whilest he was yet thus busied in MACEDONIA and had indeed so done had not another hope arising in the meane time quite altered that his better purpose It fortuned at the same time whilest the old emperour was thus thinking of peace That Michael the Bulgarian prince in hope of great profite thereof to arise secretly offered his aid vnto him against the young emperour his nephew of which his offer the old emperour gladly accepted and embassadours were sent too and fro about the full conclusion of the matter no man being acquainted therewith more than two or three of the emperour his most secret friends and trustie counsellors Yet in the meane time disdayning to be so coupt vp as he was by Synadenus one of his nephews captaines euen in the imperiall citie sent out one Constantinus Assan with the greatest part of his strength against him who encountring him at the riuer MAVRVS was there by him in plaine battell ouerthrown and taken prisoner the rest of his discomfited armie flying headlong backe againe to CONSTANTINOPLE All things thus prosperously proceeding with the yoong emperour and the countries of MACEDONIA and THRACIA now almost all at his commaund he returned in hast with all his power to CONSTANTINOPLE to preuent the comming of the Bulgarians thither as fearing least that they finding the citie weakly manned should trecherously kill the old emperour with such as were about him and so ceize vpon the citie themselues or at leastwise giue him such aid as might keepe him out and so cut off all his hope for obtayning of the same At which time also there was great want of victuall in the citie he with his armie hauing shut it vp on the one side by land and the Venetians with their gallies on the other side by sea who then at ods with the Genowaics dwelling at PERA kept all that strait sea betwixt EVROPE and ASIA in such sort as that neither victuals nor marchandise could be brought that way either to CONSTANTINOPLE or PERA The yoong emperour comming to CONSTANTINOPLE attempted at his first comming to haue entred the citie in hope without any great resistance to haue beene receiued but repulsed by the defendants was glad to get him further off About this time came also vnto the citie three thousand horsemen the promised aid of the Bulgarian prince vnto the old emperour who although he wanted men and was right glad of their comming yet remembring the harmes he had before receiued by forrein aid and not now daring to trust them too far suffered not them to come into the citie more than their Generall and some few others of their commanders with him Now the yoong emperour vpon the comming of this aid least some great harme might betide either the old emperour or himselfe to the vtter subuersion of their state secretly sent vnto his grandfather requesting him to be well aduised how he trusted those forrein people too far offering himselfe to do whatsoeuer he should commaund rather than so great a harme should happen vnto either of them as was from them to be feared But the trust the old emperour had conceiued of this Bulgarian aid had so confirmed his mind as that hee little listened vnto his nephews request besides that how could hee well trust him that had so oftentimes deceiued him Wherewith the young emperour much grieued and now againe almost dispairing of his farther successe dislodged and drew neere vnto the place where these Bulgarian horsemen lay encamped from whence hee sent certaine embassadours with great gifts and presents vnto the Generall and the rest of the chiefe
inuaded by Almericus they praid aid of Noradin the Turke Sultan of DAMASCO who vnto their reliefe sending Saracon with an armie repulsed indeed the Christians but oppressing their libertie tooke vnto himselfe the kingdome which he left vnto his nephew Saladine in whose posteritie it remained vntill it was from them againe taken by the Circassian slaues the Mamalukes vnder whose seruile gouernment it was holden of long time vntill that by the great emperor of the Turkes Selymus the first it was againe conquered and the Mamalukes vtterly destroied In the gouernment of whose posteritie the mightie emperors of the Turks it hath euer since remained as part of their empire vntill this day as in the processe of this historie God willing shall appeare Saladin thus possessed of the great kingdome of AEGYPT and all things set in such order as he thought best for the newnesse of his state with a great armie entred into the land of PALESTINE in the yeare 1170 and there besieged DARON which towne he woon and ouerthrew such as were sent by king Almericus to haue relieued the same with which small victorie contenting himselfe as with the good beginning of his rising fortune he returned backe againe into his kingdome Yet was his armie so great and populous as that the like armie of the Turkes had neuer before beene seene in the Holy land Wherefore Almericus considering in what great danger he stood his kingdome now being on both sides beset by the Turks sent out his embassadours vnto the Christian princes of the West to craue their aid for the defence of that kingdome which their fathers had woon And for the same purpose went himselfe in person vnto the emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE of whom he was royally entertained and afterwards sent backe loaded with the promises of great matters as were also his embassadours from the princes of the West All which for all that sorted vnto nothing but vanished into smoake The yeare following viz. 1171 Saladin besieged PETREA the metropoliticall citie of ARABIA but hearing that Almericus with a great power was comming to the reliefe thereof hee raised his siege and retired As he did also the next yeare after hauing in vaine attempted the strong castle of MONT-ROYALL on the further side of IORDAN In like manner also the third yeare he came againe into the Holy land and spoiled the countrey beyond IORDAN but hearing of the kings comming against him he foorthwith returned againe into AEGYPT All these light expeditions this politike prince made not so much for hope of victorie or to prooue his enemies strength as to traine his souldiers especially the effeminat Aegyptians and to make them sitter to serue him in his greater designes Shortly after died Noradin Sultan of DAMASCO and in his time a most notable champion of the Turks after he had raigned nine and twentie yeares Vpon whose death Almericus foorthwith besieged the citie of PANEADE in hope to haue againe recouered the same but he was by the widow of the late dead Sultan for a great summe of money and the deliuerie of certaine noble prisoners intreated to raise his siege and depart So hauing sent away his armie and trauelling with his ordinarie retinue to TIBERIAS where hee had the summer before beene sicke of the flix feeling himselfe not well he returned on horsebacke by NAZARETH and NEAPOLIS to HIERUSALEM where his old disease increasing vpon him he was also taken with a feuer wherewith after he had beene some few daies grieuously tormented hee requested his physitians with some gentle potion to loose his belly which was now somewhat staied which they refusing to do he commaunded the potion to be giuen him vpon his owne perill hap thereon what hap should which being giuen him and his belly againe loosed he seemed therewith to haue been at the first well eased but his woonted feauer with great vehemencie returning before his weake spent bodie could be with conuenient meats refreshed he suddenly died the tenth of Iuly in the yeare 1173 when he had raigned about ten yeares His dead bodie was with the great lamentation of all his subjects solemnly buried by his brothers Hee was a most wise prince and withall right valiant amongst many most fit for the gouernment and defence of that troublesome kingdome so hardly beset with the infidels if it had pleased God to haue giuen him longer life Foure daies after the death of Almericus was Baldwin his sonne then a youth about thirteene yeares old by the generall consent of the nobilitie chosen king and by Almericus the Patriarch in the temple with great solemnitie crowned in the yeare 1173 vnto whom as not yet by reason of his tender age fit himselfe to mannage the waightie affaires of the kingdome Raymund countie of TRIPOLIS was by the whole consent of the nobilitie appointed tutor to supply what was wanting in the yoong king Noradin Sultan of DAMASCO dead as is aforesaid left behind him Melechsala his sonne yet but a youth to succeed him in his kingdome Whose gouernment the nobilitie disdaining sent secretly for Saladin Sultan of Aegypt vnto whom at his comming they betrayed the citie of DAMASCO the regall seat of the Turkes in SYRIA Whereof Saladin possessed and entring into CELESIRIA without resistance tooke HELIOPOLIS EMISSA with the great citie of CESAREA and in fine all the whole kingdome of DAMASCO the citie of ARâ—THUSA onely excepted But thus to suffer Melechsala the young prince to be wronged and the kingdome of DAMASCO to be joyned vnto the kingdome of Aegypt was of the wiser sort thought not to stand with the safetie of the kingdome of HIERUSALEM lying in the middle betwixt them both Wherefore the countie of TRIPOLIS gouernour of that kingdome made out certaine forces to haue hindred his proceeding At which time also Cotobed prince of PARTHIA and Melechsalas vncle sent certaine troupes of Parthian horsemen to haue aided his distressed nephew who were by Saladin ouerthrowne and almost all slaine neere vnto ALEPPO where Melechsala lay As for the countie of TRIPOLIS and the other Christian princes with whom Saladin in the newnesse of his kingdome had no desire to fall out he appeased them with faire intreatie and rewards vnto the countie hee sent freely the hostages which yet lay for his ransome at EMISSA vnto the other princes he sent rich presents and therewith so contented them all that they returned without any thing doing against him After which time three or foure yeareâ— passed in great quietnesse to the great strengthening of him in those his new gotten kingdomes At length vpon the comming ouer of Philip earle of FLANDERS the Christian princes in SYRIA encouraged consulted of an expedition to be made into AEGIPT whereof Saladin hauing intelligence drew downe into that countrey the greatest part of his strength But Philip disliking of that expedition and the rather for that he saw no great cheerefulnesse in the countie of TRIPOLIS and the rest thereunto they
towne Townes they said consisted of the number of men and not men of the enclosures of wals and ditches They that were of this opinion for the deliuering vp of the towne seeing the other obstinatly set downe to the contrarie withdrawing themselues from the counsell presently tooke vp armes and by force entred the houses of them that were of contrarie opinion and tooke from them their weapons by that means and perforce to constrain them to yeeld to their desire As soone as they that lay before CAIRE almost drowned in the waters vnderstood of this dissention at DAMIATA about the deliuerie of the towne they sent them word That if they would not yeeld the towne vnto the Sultan they would foorthwith send to PTOLEMAIS which would not faile to do what should be commanded to haue it in steed of DAMIATA surrendred vnto the Aegyptians So was DAMIATA againe yeeded vnto the infidels and so great labours of the Christians taken at the siege and winning thereof all lost That which made the indignitie thereof more tollerable was that Meledin the Sultan hauing without bloodshed gained so great a victorie did neither by word or deed any thing in despite or reproch of the Christians but vsed theÌ„ with all courtesie relieuing them also with victuals such other things as they wanted by faithfull guides conducting them in safetie out of the country In like manner also Corradin his brother Sultan of DAMASCO made truce with the Latins for eight yeares Whereupon the king of HIERUSALEM went ouer into ITALIE and there by the persuasion of Honorius the Pope his wife being now dead gaue his daughter Yoland now crowned queene of HIERUSALEM in the right of her mother in marriage to Fredericke king of SICILIA and emperour of the Latines the rather thereby to stirre him vp for the taking in hand of the sacred warre Euer since which time hee and the kings of SICILIA his successours haue beene called kings of HIERUSALEM albeit that they haue euill prosecuted that their pretended right and title as still busied in more prophane wars against other Christian princes King Iohn afterwards departing from ROME for FRANCE was by the way honourably entertained at PISA but arriuing at the French court he found Philip the French king desperatly sicke who by his last will and testament gaue vnto the knights Hospitalers and Templars sixtie thousand crownes for the maintenance of their warres against the infidels which money was to their vse afterward paied vnto king Iohn Who shortly after to discharge himselfe of a vow he had made to visit the pilgrimage at COMPOSTELLA going into SPAINE by the way married Berengaria the king of CASTILE his daughter and there staying a great while returned againe into FRANCE where he lay long expecting the setting forward of the emperour Frederick his sonne in law for the recouerie of his wiues right vnto the kingdome of HIERUSALEM which although he solemnely vowed at such time as he with all princely magnificence married the said ladie at ROME yet otherwise letted with troubles neerer home performed not the same vntill almost seuen yeares after all which time the Christians in SYRIA enjoying the fruit of the late concluded peace for eight yeeres liued in great rest and quietnesse where so leauing them vntill the arising of new troubles let vs in the meane time againe returne vnto the troubled affaires of the Turkes Greekes and Latines at CONSTANTINOPLE and in the lesser ASIA Henry the second emperour of the Latins at CONSTANTINOPLE after he had as is aforesaid with much adoe repressed the furie of the Bulgarians and Scythes his barbarous enemies and so giuen peace vnto the miserable countrey of THRACIA died hauing raigned a most troublesome raigne about the space of eleuen yeares After whom succeeded Peter countie of AUSSERRE his sonne in law third emperour of the Latines in CONSTANTINOPLE who in the beginning of his empire willing to gratifie the Venetians and to reuenge himselfe of Theodorus Angelus a great prince of EPIRUS competitor of his empire besieged him in DIRRACHIVM which strong citie the said Theodorus had but a little before surprised belonging to the Venetian seignorie At which siege Peter the emperour lying was so cunningly by the wilie Greeke vsed that a peace was vpon most honourable conditions betwixt them concluded and a familiar kind of friendship joyned Insomuch that the emperour at his request not well aduised came vnto him as his guest who now of his enemie become his hoste entertained him with all the formalities that faigned friendship could deuise But hauing him now in his power and fearing no harme regarding neither the lawes of fidelitie or hospitalitie he most traiterously slew him as he was yet in the middest of his banquet Of whose end some others yet otherwise report as that he should by the same Theodorus haue been intercepted about the pleasant woods of TEMPE in THESSALIA as he was trauelling from ROME to CONSTANTINOPLE and so afterwards to haue been by him cruelly put to death Of whose misfortune Tepulus gouernour of CONSTANTINOPLE vnderstanding for the more safetie of the state in that vacancie of the Greeke empire made peace with Theodorus for fiue yeares and the Turks for two Shortly after came Robert the sonne of the aforesaid vnfortunate emperour Peter with his mother to CONSTANTINOPLE and there in his fathers stead was solemnely saluted emperour but not with much better lucke than was his father before him for shortly after his comming he tooke to wife a faire young ladie the daughter of a great rich and noble matrone of the citie but before beâ—rothed vnto a gallant gentleman a Burgundion borne with whom the old ladie broke her promise and more carefull of her daughters preferment than fidelitie gaue her in marriage vnto the new emperour The joy of which so great an honour was in short time conuerted not into a deadly heauinesse but euen into death it selfe For the young Burgundion more enraged with the wrong done him than discouraged with the greatnesse and power of the emperour consorted himselfe with a companie of lustie tall souldiors acquainted with his purpose and awaiting his time when the emperour was absent by night entred the court with his desperat followers and first meeting with the beautifull young empresse cut off her nose and her eares and afterward threw her old mother into the sea and so fled out of the citie into the woods and mountaines with those desperat cut-throates the ministers of his barbarous crueltie The emperour pierced to the heart with this so great a disgrace shortly after went to ROME to what purpose was not certainely knowne but in returning backe againe through ACHAIA he there died leauing behind him his yoong sonne Baldwin yet but a child begotten by his first wife to succeed him in the empire who by the name of Baldwin the second was crowned the fift and last emperour of the Latines in CONSTANTINOPLE And for
beare authoritie and rule and are had in greater honour and reputation than the rest such as are the men of warre and courtlers but he is borne a Christian either of father or at the least of his grandfather auouch those onely to be Turks which liue in NATOLIA al of them either marchants or of base and mechanicall crafts or poore labourers with the spade and pickaxe and such like people vnfit for the warres the rest as I say holding it for a title of honour to be discended of Christian parents Yea the Grand Sign â—or himselfe although by the fathers side he bee come of progenitors such as were naturall Turks borne yet many of them had Christian mothers which they accounted in the greatest part of their nobilitie and honour Thus by the wisedome of Amurath was the order of the Ianizaries and other souldiours of the court greatly aduanced though not by him begun and the politicke state of the Turks kingdome to say the truth quite altered the naturall Turks more than the Sultan himselfe now bearing therein no sway but onely these new souldiours all of them discended from Christian parents and by adoption as it were become the sonnes of the Turkish Sultans and vnder them commanding all by whom they haue euer since managed their estate by their good seruice wonderfully euen to the astonishment of the world encreased and extended their empire But of them more shall be said hereafter This great king was whilest hee liued of his subjects woonderfully beloued and no lesse of them after his death lamented He was more faithfull of his word than any of the Turkish kings either before or after him by nature melancholie and sad and accounted rather politicke than valiant yet was indeed both a great dissembler and painefull in trauaile but wayward and testie aboue measure which many imputed vnto his great age He had issue sixe sonnes Achmetes Aladin Mahomet Hasan otherwise called Chasan Vrchan and Achmetes the younger of some called Calepinus three of whom died before him but the two youngest were by their vnnaturall brother Mahomet who succeeded him in the Turkish kingdome euen in their infancie in the beginning of his raigne most cruelly murthered FINIS Christian princes of the same time with Amurath the second Emperours Of the East Iohn Palaeologus 1421. 24. Constantinus Palaeologus 1444. 8. Of the West Sigismund king of Hungarie 1411. 28. Albert the second king of Hungarie and Bohemia 1438. 2. Frederick the third Archduke of Austria 1440. 54. Kings Of England Henrie the fift 1413. 9. Henrie the sixt 1422. 39. Of Fraunce Charles the sixt 1381. 42. Charles the seuenth 1423. 38. Of Scotland Iames the first 1424. 13. Iames the second 1436. 29. Bishops of Rome Martin the V. 1417. 13. Eugenius the IIII. 1431. 16. Nicholas the V. 1447. 8. MAHOMET II. MAHOMETHES II COG MAGNVS TVRCARVM IMPERATOR PRIMVS FLORVIT AN o 1450 Qui vici innumeros populos tot regna tot vrbes Solus immensi qui timor orbis eram Me rapuit quae cunque rapit mors improba sed sum Virtute excelsa ductus ad astra tamen Maior Alexander non me fuit Annniball non Fuderit Ausonios tot licet ille duces Vici victores Dannos domuique feroces Caoniae populos Sauromatasquè truces Pannonius sensit quantum surgebat in armis Vis mea quae latio cognita nuper erat Arsacidae sensere manus has sensit Arahsquè Et mea sunt Persae cognita tela duci Mens fuerat bellare Rhodum superare superbam Italiam sed non fata dedere modum Hei mihi nam rapuit mors aspera quaequè sub alto Pectore condideram vertit hora breuis Sic hominum fastus pereunt sic stemata sicquè Imperium atquè aurum quicquid orbis habet In English thus I that so many nations townes and kingdomes haue brought low And haue alone dismaied the world and fild the earth with woe Am now by death which all deuoures brought downe from hie degree Yet doth the glorie of my name surmount the starrie skie The great king Alexanders fame the world no better fild Nor worthy Hannibal whose force so many Romans kild I vanquisht the victorious Greeks and tam'd with mightie hand The warlike people of EPIRE and fierce TARTARIA land My force in field HVNGARIA felt my greatnesse is there knowne Which of late time through ITALY to their great ruth is blowne Th'Assyrians felt my heauie hand so did th' Arabians wild The Persian king with all his force I driue out of the field I purposed to win the RHODES and ITALY t' vndoe If that the fatall destinies had granted leaue thereto But wo is me for grisly death hath brought all this to nought And in the twinckling of an eye is perisht all I thought So perisheth the pride of man his honour wealth and power His golde and whatsoeuer else it fadeth as a flower THE LIFE OF MAHOMET SECOND OF THAT NAME SEVENTH KING AND FIRST EMPEROVR OF THE TVRKS FOR HIS MANY VICTORIES SVRNAMED THE GREAT THe report of the death of old Amurath the late king was in short time blowne through most part of Christendome to the great joy of many but especially of the Greekes and other poore Christians which bordered vpon the tyrants kingdome who were now in hope together with the change of the Turkish king to make exchange also of their bad estate and fortune and the rather for that it was thought that his eldest sonne Mahomet after the death of his father would haue embraced the Christian religion being in his childhood instructed therein as was supposed by his mother the daughter of the prince of SERVIA a Christian. But vaine was this hope and the joy thereof but short as afterward by proofe appeared For Mahomet being about the age of one and twentie yeares succeeding his father in the kingdome in the yeare of our Lord 1450 embraced in shew the Mahometane religion abhorring the Christian but indeed making no great reckoning either of the one or of the other but as a meere Atheist deuoid of all religion and worshipping no other god but good fortune derided the simplicitie of all such as thought that God had any care or regard of worldly men or of their actions which gracelesse resolution so wrought in him that he thought all things lawfull that agreed with his lust and making conscience of nothing kept no league promise or oath longer than stood with his profit or pleasure Now in the Court men stood diuersly affected towards the present state the mightie Bassaes and others of great authoritie vnto whom the old kings gouernment was neuer greeuous inwardly lamented his death doubting least the fierce nature of the yong king should turne to the hurt of some of them in particular and the shortening of their authoritie in generall as indeed it shortly after fell out But the lustie gallants of the Court wearie of the
of the Turkes horsemen saued themselues by flight In this battell seauen thousand of the Turkes footmen were slaine and all their ensignes taken with great store of prouision After which victorie Chasan and Techellis resting their armie one day marched to the citie of CVTAIE neere vnto the mountaine HORMINIVS This citie is scituated as it were in the middest of ASIA the lesse and is the seat of the Turkish emperours Viceroy in ASIA as SOPHIA in MoeSIA is for his other Viceroy in EVROPE For it was reported that the country people had for feare of the present warre conuaied thither the greatest part of their wealth and the rebels well knew that the Viceroy himselfe with his chiefe horsemen were fled thither also Neither doubted they but that all the armie might be greatly enriched by the wealth of that cittie if they should without delay employ their whole forces for the gaining thereof their enemies now altogither discouraged with their late ouerthrow Techellis also deeming that enterprise of so much worth as whereon to gage his whole forces comming before the citie placed such field pieces as he had before taken in the battell and his archers in such fit places as might most annoy the defendants afterwards hee caused scaling ladders to be set vp and proclamation made through all his campe That the whole spoile of the citie should be the souldiours if they could take it with promise of greater rewards to them that should first recouer the top of the walles Filled with this hope the rebellious multitude approched the wall fearing neither enemies force multitude of shot or danger of death striuing who should first mount the ladders and some clambering one in the necke of another so to get vp by the ruines of the wall The defendants in the meane time from aboue casting downe vpon them great stones timber fire scalding water lime sand and such like without measure Wherwith although many were ouerthrown and crusht to death or spoiled yet others presently stept vp in their place neither was anie of them seene for feare of so present danger to shrinke backe or be discouraged For the Viceroy on the one side and Techellis on the other were both eyewitnesses of euery mans valour in that hot seruice the one prickt forward with doubtfull hope for feare to be enforced to giue ouer the assault so begun and the other with the due regard of his honour life and state all subject to that danger and therefore in person himselfe performed all the parts of a woorthie cheefetaine and couragious souldior But at length the defendants wearied with the fierce assault of the enemie and for most part wounded Techellis continually sending in fresh men and withdrawing such as were hurt by plaine force brake into the citie in two places ouer the heapes of the dead bodies and hauing repulsed the defendants burst open one of the gates and thereby brought in his whole armie Then began a miserable slaughter of the souldiors and poore citisens in euery house and corner of the citie At which instant the pallace whether the viceroy had retired himselfe with his familie was also taken The viceroy himselfe with his wiues and children were there also taken prisoners and the stately pallace built of marble in a trice consumed with fire The rich citie of CVTAIE the seat of the great commander of the Turkish empire in ASIA thus taken by Techellis and his whole armie both beautified and enriched with the spoile therof he persuaded himselfe that it was now no hard matter for him to take the citie of PRVSA also the antient seat of the Turkish kings in BYTHINIA and so to endanger the whole state of the Turkes empire in ASIA if he should now without delay carrie the terrour of himselfe thither before the Turkes could in that countrey make head against him or the citizens be able in so suddaine a feare to make any sufficient prouision for the defence of themselues and their citie and so in the course of his good fortune to vse the courage and cheerefulnesse of his souldiors Wherefore appointing a day when he would set forward he commaunded all things necessarie to bee made readie for the taking of that rich citie being neither strongly walled neither furnished with any good garrison for the defence thereof But whilest hee was making this preparation a new armie lately shipt ouer the Hellespont from CALLIPOLIS into ASIA enforced him to change his former determination For Baiazet awaked at the name of Techellis and the fame of the new superstition now generally receiued in PERSIA had long before giuen commaundement to his sonnes nephewes and the viceroy of ASIA That they should with all carefulnesse prouide that that part of his kingdome tooke no harme thereby But after he saw Techellis of a poore hermit become a great captaine and backt also with the Persian king and all his dominions in ASIA now in danger of some great alteration he sent Alis Bassa ouer with his Europeian armie This Alis an eunuch borne in MACEDONIA yet for his courage comparable with the greatest captaines had for his many and worthie deserts in the time of the great emperour Mahomet Baiazet his father got vnto himselfe both the honour and name of a most famous cheefetaine He hauing made choice of the principall horsemen of EPIRVS MACEDONIA SERVIA ILLYRIA and THRACIA and joyning vnto them seuen thousand Ianizaries the most assured hope of the Turkes in all their expeditions passed ouer from CALLIPOLIS into PHRYGIA and vpon the way directed his letters vnto Achomates and Corcutus Baiazet his sonnes and to all the other Sanzackes and Gouernours of the Turkes prouinces in ASIA That they should with as much speed as they could raise their forces and meet him in GALATIA But Techellis aduertised of his comming thought it best for him to depart out of PONTVS and to retire to some place of more safetie least by longer staying he should be enclosed by his enemies repairing thither wards on euery side or els vpon some great disaduantage be enforced to joyne battaile for he saw that if he stayed neuer so little he should find no safe passage or place of refuge to retire vnto hauing left such large and spacious countries so many enemies cities so many great riuers so many discontented people behind him all which the first fauour of the vulgar sort and speedie course of his victorie had a little before laid open vnto him Wherefore calling together his captaines and most expert men of warre to consult vpon the matter it was generally thought to bee a point of meere madnesse or els of extreame necessitie with so small a power of vnskilfull souldiors without any sufficient strength of horsemen to joyne battaile with such an enemie as better knew the country than he and farre exceeded him both for the number and expertnesse of his souldiors Wherefore Techellis trussing vp the rich prey he had before gotten began now
kept in order and gouerned great speakers but small doers greater in shew than in deed The Great Master hauing carefully prouided and ordered all things needfull for defence of the citie and fearing nothing more than the faint hearts of the citisens caused them all to bee called together for encouragement of whom hee spake vnto them as followeth Valiant gentlemen and worthie citisens we heare that the Turke our mortall enemie is comming against vs with a huge armie raised of diuers nations from whose naturall crueltie and wonted periurie except we defend our selues by force one and the selfe same danger is like to befall me my knights and you all For wee haue with common consent and hand greeuously spoiled him both by sea and land and you are by booties taken by strong hand out of his dominions enriched and at this day we keepe his people in greeuous seruitude and he ours but he iniuriously and we most iustly For his ancestors wearie of the darke dennes and caues of the mountaine CAVCASVS their naturall dwelling without right title or cause incited onely with couetousnesse ambition and the hatred of our most sacred religion haue driuen the Christians out of SYRIA and afterwards oppressed the Grecians in GRECIA where not contented to haue destroied the people with one simple kind of death as barbarisme is euer cruell and mercilesse they haue with most exquisit and horrible torments butchered many thousands of that nation All whom this wicked proud youth whose mischeefe exceedeth his yeares aâ— euill neighbour to all men not contented with the dominions of ARABIA SYRIA AEGIPT the greatest part of ASIA and of many other places moe seeketh in tyrannie murther spoile periurie and hatred against Christ and Christians farre to excell and forceth himselfe to the vttermost of his power to take from vs our Islands and to subdue the Christian countries that so at length being lord of all and commaunder of the World he may at his pleasure ouerthrow the Christian cities kill the Christians and vtterly root out the Christian name which he so much hateth For the repulsing of which intollerable iniurie we haue especially chosen this Island of the RHODES for our dwelling place because the same seemed more commodious than any other for the annoying of this barbarous nation We haue done what in vs lay holpen by you we know by proofe your great valor and fidelitie which we now haue not in any distrust Wherefore I will not vse many words to persuade you to continue in your fidelitie and loyaltie neither long circumstance to encourage you to play the men sithence worthie minds are not with words either encouraged or dismaied But concerning my selfe and my knights of the Order I will speake a few words I wiâ—â— them with whom as I hope the Christian princes and other my knights of the West will in good time ioine their forces are most readie and prest to defend your selues your children your wiues your goods the monuments of your ancestours and sacred temples dedicated to the seruice of our God Which opinion that it may remaine firme and fix in your minds if nothing els my faithfulnesse in your warres my bodie not yet altogether spent but able enough to endure paines and trauell the nobilitie of these worthie knights of the Order their loue towards you and their hatred towards your enemies were sufficient to confirme but beside this the strength of this citie which this noble Order hath with infinit charges so notably fortified with ditches wals towers and bulwarkes against all the force and furie of artillerie is such that no citie may worthely be compared much lesse preferred before the same It is wonderfully stored with all kind of weapons and war like prouision we haue laid vp plentie of wine flesh and corne in vaults so that neither wet weather nor wormes can attaint the same of wood and wholesome water not to be taken from vs things necessarie for men besieged we haue plentie and able men ynow for the defence of the citie All which things promise vnto vs assured victorie and such end of the warre as we wish for Besides this Necessitie which giueth courage euen vnto cowards will enforce vs to fight Yet standeth on our side true religion faith conscience deuotion constancie the loue of our countrey the loue of our libertie the loue of our parents wiues children and whatsoeuer els we hold deare Wheras they bring with them the proud commaund of their captaines infidelitie impietie vnconstancie a wicked desire of your bondage of your bloud and the bloud of your parents wiues and children Out of doubt beloued citisens our good God will not suffer so many good vertues to be ouercome by their foule vices Wherefore be you in minds quiet and secure and trouble not your selues with forboding feare of your enemies onely continue in the fidelitie and loyaltie which you haue alwaies kept inuiolat and vnspotted toward this sacred and honourable fellowship in most dangerous wars and hardest chances of fortune and if need shall so require with courageous hand shew your valour against your enemies and 〈◊〉 it knowne vnto the Spaniards French Italians Hungarians and English That the Rhodians are of power to daunt the Turkish pride and to auert their fleets and armies from ITALIE which they haâ—e so many yeares threatened with fire and sword and will no doubt thither with all speed hasten and come if that which my mind abhorreth to speake they should here preuaile Neither will this ambitious youth in courage falshood and crueltie exceeding Hanniball imitate him in that that hauing ouerthrowne the Romanes in the great battell at â—ANNAS knew not to vse his victorie but he will presently with more than Caesarsâ—eleritie â—eleritie bring forth the treasures his father got in AEGIPT and with great fleets and huge armies inuade APVLIA CALABRIA and SICILIA from whence he will forthwith breake into FRANCE and afterwards into SPAINE and other Christian countries raging through them with all kind of crueltie But I am caried away further than I purposed and than need is For your fidelitie and valor most worthie citisens to endure the siege and repulse the enemie is such as needeth not my persuasion and of greater resolution than that it can be shaken with the dangers incident to men besieged Yet the greatest and most forcible miseries of all which is hunger and thirst I assure you you shall neuer feele which pinching calamities for all that some people in faithfulnesse courage and valour nothing comparable to you haue neuerthelesse most constantly endured For they of PETELINVM besieged by the Carthaginensians for want of victuall thrust their parents and children out of the citie the longer to hold out the siege and liued themselues with hides and leather sod or broiled and leaues of trees and manie other homely things by the space of eleuen months and could not be ouercome vntill they wanted strength longer to stand vpon the wals and to
of the RHODES the antient bulwarke of Christian religion vnto our mercilesse enemies polluted with the infamous superstition of Mahomet who besides the insatiable thirst they haue of our bloud how faithlesse and mischeeuous they are by nature if we know not we need not make example of our selues but wee may take example by the calamitie of CONSTANTINOPLE the late miserie of EVBoeA and that which later was of METHONE as also by the Mamalukes at CAIRE miserably slaine contrarie to the league contrarie to the faith and promise by the Turkish emperour himselfe before giuen What doe you not remember how the death of the most noble captaines at BELGRADE was of late procured by the falshood craft and deceit of these same faithlesse miscreants Let vs then being men of wit and vnderstanding trust these mad beasts let vs giue our selues into their power which haue no regard of right or reason of religion or any thing els whose couetousnesse and crueltie it is hard to say which is greater which for these many years haue plotted and laboured nothing more than how by policie or force they may vtterly root out the very name of the Rhodians which they so deadly hate They keepe vs shut vp and besieged now the sixt moneth feeling together with vs extreame dangers and endlesse labours slaine by heapes before our wals and fortresses and cannot be remoued hence with thunder lightening stormes tempests and all the calamities of Winter a time which giueth intermission to all warres both by sea and land so desirous they are of reuenge and greedie of our bloud and that not altogether without cause for we haue also shed theirs and gladly would still so doe if it lay in our power But seeing it seemeth good vnto God otherwise and that we are surprised with ineuitable necessitie yet let vs whilest we are at libertie and haue power ouer our selues by honourable death amongst the Christian ensignes eschew the torments and reproches which our cruell enemies hope to inflict vpon vs so shall wee enioy eternall fame and glorie prepared both in heauen and earth for such as honorably die in defence of their prince and countrey Which honour it becommeth not them to enuie vnto thy most noble name and vertue worthie Grand Master which hauing for many yeares enioyed the commoditie and profit of peace and greatly enriched by bountie of this sacred militarie Order refuse now to beare this last burden of war At these words an antient Greeke for his wisedome and discretion of great reputation both with the Greekes and Latines perceiuing his countreymen wrongfully touched and the desperat holding out of the citie vainely persuaded tooke hold and interrupting this yong gallant in answere of that he had said spake as followeth That greefe of mind and desparation can make men rather eloquent than wise as you haue many times heard before this so you might this day perceiue also most valiant gentlemen for aduised modestie neuer falleth into obloquie neither confoundeth falshood with truth it desireth not the slaughter of the citisens it persuadeth not furie nor exhorteth men to madnesse but it is by nature so engrafted in many that when they cannot by their owne wisdome and policie deliuer themselues from their troubles they yet seeke to draw others into the fellowship of the same danger so greedie haue mallice and miserie alwaies been of companie But if you worthie Commaunder will giue me also leaue to speake a man amongst his countreymen not of meanest place or authoritie which thing both the present calamitie and vrgent necessitie might of you easily obtaine I would alledge such reasons and lay down such matter as should not only refell the copious and glorious words of this sharp witted Orator scrapt together of purpose to flourish out the matter but also such as might stir vp your mind to that which is â—onest profitable and necessarie expulsing hatred feare trouble or despaire This gentleman whom we all know not only to be a vehement Orator but somtime a man most terrible wheras for all his great words he is by nature mild and so mild that he neuer had the heart to kill nay not so much as lightly to wound any one of them whom he calleth barbarous mad cruell whose perfidious dealing he detesteth whose cruelty he accuseth whose maner of liuing he exclaimeth against as altogether without law without reason without order without regard and now in time of truce and whilest the showers of arrows yroâ— bullets fire and stones doth cease creeping out of his caue maketh much adoe and keepeth a great stir and not knowing in what danger he is doth now with glorious words call vpon death whereof he hath hetherto shewed himselfe too much afraid and all forsooth as he saith least he should be enforced to endure the mocking and scorning of the enemie But this is meere pride not Christian fortitude or humilitie But our enemie neither threateneth nor purposeth any such matter nothing so perfidious or cruell as he would make him rubbing vp the slaughters at CAIRE EVâ—oeA METHONE and CONSTANTINOPLE cities taken either by force or warlike policie and not yeelded vp by composition vpon faith giuen betwixt the besieger and the besieged who because he would spare vs will not suffer vs to doe that wherby we should vndoubtedly perish But wherof proceedeth this new found clemencie this vnwonted fauor towards the people of the RHODES I am not of the tyrants priuie counsell neither euer curiously sought after the reason of another mans bountie but am glad to receiue it when I need it Yet for all that I will not dissemble what I thinke in a matter so doubtfull He is willing as I suppose in this siege and conquest of the RHODES to shew vnto other nations whom he purposeth to inuade both his power and his patience least alwaies satisfying his cruell nature he should make desolation in places he would raigne ouer and so for euer alienating the minds of men be enforced to fight with all men with fire and sword by which rigour he hath not so much hurt his enemie as himselfe For this cause as I suppose he leaueth vnto vs life goods least whilest he in going about to take them from vs by force we seeking to keep theÌ„ by desperatnes we should both fall into great destruction no lesse lameÌ„table to the conqueror than to the vanquished Besides that if he should kill all here truly he might then enter the breaches of the citie on the bodies of the dead no man now left aliue to resist him But LERVS is shut vp ARANGIA is strongly fortified LINDVS is by situation impregnable here he knoweth are weapons armour and men here he must begin a new war except he will haue the remainder of your war the fatall plague of his empire to prey still vpon his subiects all which strong places he shall haue without slaughter without bloudshed as reason is if he shall let you and vs
could by pollicie bring that to passe which he was otherwise with great danger to attempt by force Wherefore faining himselfe to be extreame sicke he sent embassadours to Alis requesting him as a friend to vouchsafe to come vnto him being at the point of death vnto whom he had many things of importance from the great emperour to impart and would if he should die leaue with him all his charge vntill Solyman should otherwise dispose thereof Alis who from his youth had alwaies honoured the Turkish emperours and faithfully serued them mistrusting no harme came to the Bassa accompanied with his foure sonnes whom the faithlesse Bassa without regard of infamie caused presently to be put to death with their father and so reducing all that countrey into the manner of a prouince vnder Solymans obeisance came to him with twentie thousand men about the time that the citie of the RHODES was yeelded vp This is the faithlesse dealing of the Turks not with the Christians onely but with them of their owne superstition also vsing it as no small pollicie vtterly to extinguish the nobilitie in all countries subject to their seruile tyrannie Solyman after he had thus subdued the RHODES and disposed of the Island as he liked best returning to CONSTANTINOPLE brake vp his armie and for the space of three yeares after followed his pleasure not doing any thing worthie of remembrance During which time and many yeares after the rich and flourishing countrey of ITALIE sometime mistres of the world was miserably afflicted and rent in peeces by Charles the fift then emperour and Francis the French king the one enuying vnto the other the glorie of the empireâ—punc and he not content therwith seeking with immoderat ambition to make himselfe lord of all ITALIE most of the other Christian princes and states being at the same time either by the one or by the other drawn into the fellowship of that warre to the great trouble and sore weakening of the Christian common-weale Whereupon Solyman waiting all occasions that might serue for the enlarging of his empire and annoying of the Christians thought it now a fit time for him to set his foot into HVNGARIE whereinto he had alreadie laied open a way by the taking of BELGRADE He knew right well that Lewes then king of HVNGARIE was but yong altogether vnacquainted with the warres commaunding ouer his headstrong subjects especially his rich prelates and nobilitie no otherwise than pleased themselues being himselfe rather by them altogether ouerruled Besides that he was in good hope that the other Christian princes neere vnto him either carried away with regard of their owne estate would not or els before vnto himselfe by league fast bound could not affoord vnto him any great aid or succour The Germanes hee knew would make small hast vnto such warres as should yeeld them much danger and but small pay As for the princes of the house of AVSTRIA Charles the emperour and Ferdinand his brother although they were joined vnto the young king with the neerest bonds of alliance Lewes hauing married Marie their youngest sister and Ferdinand Anne king Lewes his sister yet was there as he thought small helpe to be expected from them Charles hauing his hands full in ITALIE and Ferdinand altogether carefull of himselfe And that Sigismund king of POLONIA would for the young kings sake breake the antient league he had with the Turkish emperors he could hardly be persuaded As for other Christian princes farther off he stood not in any great doubt Thus hauing with himselfe singled out this young prince the Hungarian king whom he had in his greedie mind alreadie deuoured he set forward from CONSTANTINOPLE and was come on his way as far as SOPHIA in SERVIA with a mightie armie of two hundred thousand men before that the Hungarians had any knowledge of his comming so blind sencelesse was that state which now sleeping in securitie had long before lost those eyes which euer watcht and neuer spared cost or paines to keepe the same in safetie in stead of whom were others come in place sharpe of sight and too too prouident for that concerned their owne aduancement but blind as beetils in foreseeing this great and common danger wherewith they were shortly after all quite ouerwhelmed vntill it was now brought home vnto their owne dores The yong king of himselfe but weake by reason of his youthfull yeares and nothing strengthened by them for whom he had most done and should haue beene his greatest stay was wonderfully dismayed with the fame of the approch of so mightie an enemie yet the better to withstand him he sent embassadors with all speed vnto the Christian princes his neighbors requesting their aid against the common enemie but all in vaine In the meane time after the auntient manner of his countrey he gaue out generall summons for the assembly of his counsell for the warres whether his great stipendarie prelates of dutie bound to appeare came with their troupes of euill appointed horsemen and not halfe full who also deliuered in lesse summes of money by farre than of right they should haue done towards the maintenance of the charge of that common war And the temporall nobilitie forgetting the warlike discipline of their famous ancestors as fresh water souldiors which had neuer seene the Turkish emperour in his strength and but little acquainted with some light skirmishes or small inuasions in their vaine brauerie made light account of the Turkes proudly vaunting That although they were in number but few yet they would easily ouerthrow the great numbers of them if euer they came to handâ—e strokes But aboue all the rest one Paulus Tomoreus archbishop of COLOSSA sometimes a Minorite who had before been in diuers light skirmishes against the Turks with great insolencie did so confidently brag and boast of the victorie he vainely dreamed of that in his sermons vnto the souldiours and in open talke with the nobilitie if he could haue done so much as he vaunted of it should seeme that he himselfe had been ynough to haue ouerthrowne the Turks whole armie But when all the kings armie was assembled and a generall moster taken there was hardly found fiue and twentie thousand men in all horse and foot So that the foolish hardinesse of Tomoreus and others so forwards to giue the Turks battell was of most wise men disliked The old souldiors and men of great experience said plainely That it was meere follie and madnesse with such a handfull of men to giue battell vnto the enemie who would bring eight times so many moe into the field as they were Wherefore some wished that the young king should be withdrawne from the imminent danger amongst whom Stephanus Verbetius a noble captaine of all the rest best acquainted with the Turkish warres gaue counsell that the person of the yong king should for the safetie of the common state whatsoeuer should happen be kept out of
notable men some fighting some flying were there slaine amongst whom was Octauianus Serosactus author of the euill counsell whereof ensued that calamitie Barcotius the Generall flying on horsebacke to the little gate which was not to be passed thorow and crying in vaine to them that fled to haue the great gate opened was by the comming in of Ianizaries slaine whose head and right hand full of rich rings was by the barbarous enemie carried about in derision vpon a launce The rest of the flying multitude finding the little gate shut vp with the bodies of the dead and the bridge maliciously drawne vp desperatly threw themselues into the deepe ditch where some of them labouring to swim out were caught by the legs and armes by other that could not swim and both together drowned Some hardly crauling ouer were shot in the head or backe with the Turkes arrowes othersome sticking fast in the mud were as if it had beene in sport shot to death by the Turkes some few there was which got ouer and were saued There was yet left in the citie the Generall of the German horsemen and Vscasades of CRâ—MONA an Italian captaine these two gathering the remainder of the souldiors which were left placed them vpon the wals but the citisens were strucke with such a feare that they could not tell which way to turne themselues For now Birrous the maior with the aldermen and other chiefe citisens seeing the slaughter of the Italians and Germans were so ouercome with despaire that they thought no hope of their well doing was to be reposed in making of any farther resistance but onely in the mercie of Solyman Wherefore Birrous spake vnto the Turks from the wall That he might safely send embassadours to Solyman to intreat with him vpon reasonable conditions for the yeelding vp of the citie which thing Achomates easily granted With these embassadours for the citisens went also the generals of the German horsemen and Carolus Rufus an Italian captaine who of all others had borne himselfe most valiantly in all the assaults to the great admiration of the Turks to intreat for the safetie and libertie of the souldiors The embassadours being brought before the great Bassaes requested That yeelding the citie the citisens might enjoy their liues and libertie whereunto they were so answered as that it seemed they should not all be pardoned yet was the generall feare well diminished for that the punishment respected but some few Rufus was courteously entertained and easily obtained that the Italians might in safetie depart with bag and baggage to VIENNA the like grace also obtained the Generall of the Germans for his soldiors Solyman the eunuch Bassa offered vnto Rufus honourable entertainment if he would haue serued Solyman which when he refused as bound to king Ferdinand by oath in honour of his valour he gaue him a rich cloake wrought with flowers of gold The embassadours returning into the citie and telling how they had sped deliuered the citisens of a great feare Shortly after the citie being yeelded Achomates by open proclamation in the market place commaunded the Italians and Germans to make themselues readie against the next day to depart and to take good heed that no Hungarian went with them hee also straightly charged the citisens to keepe their houses vntill the strange souldiors were departed At the time appointed the Italians and Germans set forward conducted by Homares with a companie of the Turks horsemen who faithfully defended them against the Tartares running vp and downe the countrey after spoile neither was any thing taken from them but their dags which the German horsemen after a new fashion carried at their saddle bowes these the Turks greatly desired delighted with the noueltie of the inuention to see them shot off with a firelocke without a match But after the departure of Homares they were in their trauell set vpon by the Hungarians with whom they had many hoat skirmishes and had hardly escaped vnspoiled had they not been rescued by the kings souldiors lying in garrison in the castles as they passed alongst the countrey The few which remained after many troubles came at last to VIENNA more like ghoasts than men Solyman entring quietly into the citie first visited the sepulchers of the Hungarian kings and gaue out proclamation That the Hungarians should feare of him no harme for that he was not come to conquer them but to deliuer them from the bondage of the Germans and so to restore againe that entire kingdome vnto Stephen the right heire of king Iohn But within three or foure daies after he called out the chiefe citisens into a field not farre off wherein the bodies of condemned men were woont to be buried as if he would haue there taken an oath of them for their fidelitie whither after they were all assembled in the best manner they could as to some solemn feast the cruell tyrant without regard of his faith or promise caused them all to be slaine Howbeit some report that he caused them onely to be put to death which bare office in the citie at such time as they reuolted from the obedience of the queene and the infant king vnto Ferdinand and had then brought in German souldiors and that he sent the rest into exile to BVDA and BELGRADE So Solyman leauing Baâ—ibeius gouernour of ALBA REGALIS and Mahometes sometime gouernour of BELGRADE his lieutenant generall for the whole gouernment of that kingdome returned againe toward CONSTANTINOPLE Winter now beginning to approach after he had that Sommer woon Sâ—IGONIVM and ALBA REGALIS two of the chiefest cities of HVNGARIE All this while king Ferdinand had raised no power worth the speaking of to withstand so mightie an enemie onely at VIENNA lay seauen thousand Germans and foure thousand Italians at such time as Solyman departed from ALBA REGALIS which were shortly after discharged Whilest Solyman thus lay at the siege of ALBA REGALIS he sent his Tartarian horsemen which serued him to small purpose in the siege to spoile the countrey round about these sauage people doing much harme were in diuers places circumuented by the Hungarians and about three thousand of them slaine one of them being taken prisoner had found in his knapsacke halfe a child of about two yeares old the loathsome remainder of his barbarous feeding Barbarussa all this while lying with his fleet as we haue before said at MARSEILâ—ES fretted exceedingly that he had to his dishonour vndertaken so long a voyage by sea to pleasure him which was not able as he said to direct his owne dessignes to any certaine resolution but shamefully suffered the best time of the yeare for seruice negligently to passe away without any thing doing the blame wherof would as he said be imputed to him at CONSTANTINOPLE and that Solyman who desired to aid the king his friend and confederat and by all â—eanes to annoy his enemies would take in euill part to haue it reported that he had
purpose by Sultan Tocomac whereby he might plainly perceiue the good mind and zeale the Persian king had for the maintenance of the peace And although in the short raigne of Ismahel there was some rumor raised that he meant to go vnto BABYLONIA and some such like newes yet that was but a youthfull part and an effect of that heat which is commonly proper to such as being kept long in straight prison cannot vse their libertie with moderation and had therefore receiued due punishment for it by sudden and vnexpected death But as for the king that now is he did aboue all others embrace amitie with his majestie and therefore did most earnestly desire that it would please him to temper his anger conceiued which had incensed him to take vp armes against a king so much his friend being of the same religion and better affected towards him than all the rest of the nations in the world This embassadour the Turkish emperour dismissed without any resolution at all but onely gaue order that whatsoeuer he had to say touching this peace he should communicat it with his Visier Many were the discourses that happened for that the Turke required all those cities and countries which till that time he had conquered with the sword or as their prowd manner of phrase is whereon his Generals horse had trod to be yeelded again vnto him and the embassadour on the other side had no warrant from his king to yeeld any more than that part of GEORGIA which is on this side the riuer of Araxis Whereupon the said embassadour began to feare least he should be suspected for a spie and so be euill intreated wherewithall he did find himselfe too manifestly charged by the hard speech that the Visier vsed towards him Being thus doubtfull whereupon to resolue perceiuing himselfe strained to the grant of these demaunds and receiuing also some threatnings withall he determined with himselfe to enlarge his speeches with the Visier in diuers and sundrie particularities and to giue him good hope that he should be able to persuade with his king the yeelding vp of so much as Amurath had and did demaund Hereupon was Maxut Chan the embassadour in friendly manner and without any outrage sent from CONSTANTINOPLE to CHARS and commission giuen to Sinan then at CHARS that without delay and with all fidelitie he should cause the embassadour to be conducted to VAN and from thence into PERSIA wheresoeuer he did desire all which was faithfully performed But to returne againe to Sinan the Generall who from SIVAS had sent the said embassadour to CONSTANTINOPLE as is before declared and being departed thence arriued at ERZIRVM where he tooke a suruey of his armie and other prouision necessarie for this expedition and so from thence was now come to CHARS from whence he dispatched the Persian embassadour much discontented that no other conclusion for peace could be wrought Maxut Chan at last arriuing at the Persian Court reported vnto the king all that had happened in this his embassage the summe whereof was That Amurath would not condiscend to any condition of peace vnlesse the whole countrey of SIRVAN might be yeelded vnto him for that he had once as he said conquered the same Neither did the same embassadour forbeare to tell the king the suspition Amurath had conceiued of him to haue been a spie rather than an embassadour and of the large promises he was faine to make to the Turke to auoid the manifest danger of imprisonment or death all which for all that now lay in his majesties power to performe or not The king for the present remained well satisfied with that Maxut had done and in reward of his great trauell and expences gaue him the charge of the chamber at TAVRIS naming him the chamberlaine of that rich and great citie Of which new office though verie honourable and of great importance he tooke small pleasure for that one Emir Chan his auntient enemie was chiefe Gouernour of that citie from whom he feared some dangerous treacherie wherefore he appointed his deputie for the execution of the office and withdrew himselfe from TAVRIS to CASSANGICH a place of his owne there to passe away the time vntill it should please the king otherwise to dispose of him But Emir Chan who still nourished in his mind the auntient hatred he had conceiued against him tooke this as a most fit occasion to bring him into disgrace with the king certifying him That Maxut not contented with the great preferment it had pleased him to bestow vpon him had in contempt of his rewards abandoned TAVRIS and subsisted in his place a most base person to represent the kings majestie and to mannage his treasure and that he absented himselfe farre from that citie and the court there hauing withdrawne himselfe into the confines of TVRKIE no doubt for some mischieuous intent either to yeeld himselfe vnto them or els to haue intelligence with them and was like ynough to be guiltie to himselfe of the great errour he had alreadie committed by offering SIRVAN vnto the Turkish king and making promise of so large conditions whereby he had obtained such a sure and saâ—e conuoy to conduct him when as he had before discouered himselfe to be a fauorer of the Turks and a traitor to his owne king and that therefore it were good to make triall of his inclination and so peraduenture to decline some great mischeefe tending to the danger of the Persian state This malitious accusation slily contriued so wrought in the mind of the suspitious king that he commaunded Emir Chan secretly to apprehend Maxut and to bring him to the Court and if he could not by other meanes then by torture to wrest from him the truth of all those matters Glad was Emir to haue his enemie thus put into his hands and thought it long 〈◊〉 he had brought this shame vpon Maxut who hauing alreadie heard some iâ—ckling thereof resolued with himselfe to doe any thing rather than to fall into the power of his hatefull enemie And therfore at such time as fifteene tall fellows were for that purpose sent vnto him from Emir Chan who in the kings name summoned him to the Court he without making any shew that he took the matter otherwise than well entertained them courteously and made them great cheere but when he perceiued them to be ouercome with sleepe which crept vpon them by reason of the excesse wherewith they had ouercharged themselues he caused them to be straightly bound and with long cords hanged them downe into a deepe well and there shut them vp secretly couered Then gathering together the most precious things he had in his house and setting his wiues his children his brethren and nephewes on horsebacke fled with all his familie in the euening and the next day arriued at SALMAS and was there friendly entertained by the Turkish Bassa and from thence conueyed to VAN where he was also courteously welcommed by
Sigismund the late prince might now be bestowed vpon himselfe and for his seruice done to be furnished with money for the payment of his souldiors And that the emperor with the other princes of the empire should assure him That if he were taken by the Turke they should raunsome him but in case he were by the great power of the Turke driuen out of those countries then by the emperours appointment to haue some conuenient place allotted vnto him in the vpper HVNGARIE to liue in with the yearly pension of an hundred thousand dollars All which his requests if it would please him to grant he promised this yeare to doe so much against the Turke as had not in an hundred yeares been done before with vaunt that if he had had the imployment of the money which was spent in the time of this war he would not haue doubted but to haue brought all the countries from the Euxine or Blacke sea to BVDA ALBA REGALIS and SOLNOCK vnder the emperors obeysance A large promise indeed but hardly to haue been performed by a farre greater prince than he Thus whilest things stood in discourse after the Cardinals death Sigismund the late prince in the meane time supported by the Polonians with the aid of the Turkes the Tartars and the Moldauians was readie to haue inuaded TRANSYLVANIA yea the Tartars as the forerunners of his greater power were alreadie entred the countrey and had out of the frontiers thereof carried away some bootie Whereof the Vayuod vnderstanding in great hast assembled his forces out of all places which in short time was growne to some good head the countrey people togither with the free Haiduckes an aduenturous and resolute kind of souldiors in great number daily resorting vnto him So being now eight thousand strong and most of them braue and lustie men he with them and twentie pieces of artillerie remoued to CRONSTAT the foure and twentith day of Aprill sending part of his armie which euerie day more and more encreased before him to NESSEN where all his forces being assembled to the number of almost fiftie thousand horse and foot hee with great sceleritie passed the rough and high mountaines into MOLDAVIA without resistance but yet not without some trouble his souldiors by the way being glad sometimes to eat the leaues of trees the enemie hauing of purpose before carried away whatsoeuer he could that might haue yeelded him reliefe Of whose speedie comming and great strength Sigismund and Ieremias the Vayuod of MOLDAVIA hearing and vpon the reasonable estimate of their owne forces finding themselues too weake to encounter him retired themselues out of MOLDAVIA into the frontiers of POLONIA there to gather greater strength and so to meet him for as yet Ieremias the Vayuod had not receiued from the Turke such forces as were vnto him promised and as he still expected Michael the Vayuod in the meane time his enemies thus fled with fire and sword entering into MOLDAVIA tooke in the greatest part thereof the fearefull countrey people still yeelding vnto him as he went and the rather for that Ieremias their Vayuod placed by the Polonian but tributarie vnto the Turke had laied vpon them a most grieuous imposition as vpon euerie man a duckat a moneth for which they exceedingly hated him But here in MOLDAVIA Michael the Vayuod hauing still in his companie one of the emperours commissioners in TRANSYLVANIA most trustie seruants who might faithfully report vnto them the whole manner of their proceedings after the departure of Sigismund and Ieremias his enemies staied not long but hearing that they were retired towards the confines of POLONIA without longer delay made towards them and the eighteenth of May found them by the castle OTHVNE neere vnto the riuer Nester being thirtie thousand strong Polonians Moldauians Turkes and Tartars with whom he joyned a most fierce and cruell battell which begun about ten a clocke before noone was with great courage but greater obstinacie on both sides maintained vntill the euening At which time the fortune of the Valachian preuayling his enemies at last betooke themselues to flight of whom were there slaine eight thousand beside many others of them drowned in the riuer Nester where of the Valachians were lost two thousand onely Concerning Sigismund and Ieremias diuers reports were after this ouerthow giuen out some saying that they were slaine and some that they were in flying drowned howbeit the truth was that they both by flight escaped to the greater trouble of themselues as of their afflicted countries also Michael after this so notable a victorie taking in the rest of MOLDAVIA caused the people to sweare their obedience vnto the emperour himselfe and his sonne to the great offence of the Polonians not a little as they tooke it wronged therein but especially of the great Chancellor an old enemie vnto the house of AVSTRIA Whereof ensued greater troubles in those frontier countries than before to the further effusion of more Christian bloud much better to haue been emploied against the fatall enemie in defence of the Christian common-weale Yet thus the three warlike and frontier countries of TRANSYLVANIA VALACHIA and MOLDAVIA the surest bulwarkes of that side of Christendome and most exposed vnto the furie of the common enemie were now once againe vnited vnder the obeysance of the emperour to the great benefit no doubt of the Christian common-weale and hurt of the Turkes if they might haue so continued as God wot they did not long Now the Vayuod notwithstanding this so great a victorie well considering that he of himselfe could hardly keepe this new gained prouince of MOLDAVIA against the power of the Turke pretending that to him it belonged as his own to giue to whom he pleased as also against the Polonians not more desirous to restore Ieremias againe into MOLDAVIA than the prince Sigismund into TRANSYLVANIA without the help of some other more mightie prince whom he might rest vpon by his embassadours sent for that purpose offered the soueraigntie of all those three countries vnto the emperour with condition that he should appoint him perpetuall Gouernour of the same vnder him The emperour also vnderstood how that Mahomet the great Turke had not long before againe sent vnto him another of his Chiaus commaunding him without delay to restore the countrey of TRANSYLVANIA vnto the prince Sigismund vnto whom he was by the mediation of the king of POLONIA now before reconciled threatning otherwise with fire and sword to destroy VALACHIA and by force of armes to depriue him both of TRANSYLVANIA and his life togither Wherefore the emperour doubting least the Vayuod either for feare or for the better assuring of his owne estate should to his prejudice fall to some agreement with the Turke yeelded to all that his embassadours had of him requested with condition that he should be bound as need should require to serue with his people against the Turke and that in TRANSYLVANIA neere vnto his
trouble them in the castle and the vpper citie of BVDA Which their entended exploit they happily attempted and brought to passe in this sort The citie of PESTH standing right ouer against BVDA is as we haue oftentimes beforesaid deuided from the same with the great and swift riuer of Danubius ouer which the Turkes vpon boats had with great labour and cost of late built a most easie and commodious bridge for passage or carriage of things from the one citie to the other this bridge the Imperials thought necessarie first to breake the more easily to besiege either the one or other citie and for that purpose had by a strange deuice built a ship which by the force of the streame carried downe the riuer and resting vpon the bridge should by a wonderfull power breake the same Which ship the Turks seeing comming downe the riuer with the rest of the fleet after her they ran by heapes especially out of the Water citie to the bridge for the defence thereof where whilest they were thus busied Countie Sultze on the other side by land with a Petarde blew vp one of the gates of the citie and so entering and killing all such as he light vpon came vnlooked for vpon the backes of the Turkes at the bridge of whom some he slew some he draue into the riuer who there perished the rest in number not many by speedie flight retiring themselues into the citie whereupon he had now brought such a generall feare that they all as well the souldiors as the citisens with the Christians at their heeles with as much hast as they could tooke their refuge into the vpper citie of BVDA much stronger and better fortified than was the lower citie At which time the bridge was by them vpon the riuer broken also so that now the one citie could no more thereby relieue the other as before The Water citie thus woon and the bridge broken the next was for the Imperials to besiege either the one or the other citie But for that they of PESTH might with their great ordinance much annoy them in the besieging of the castle and the vpper citie of BVDA they thought best to begin with it first which they did in much like sort as they had before done at the lower citie of BVDA the same deuice againe well prospering in their hand For the lord Russworm with the fleet vpon the riuer making a great shew as if hee would euen presently on that side haue entered had with the stirre by him raised drawne downe most part of the garrison souldiors vnto that side of the citie where most shew of danger was whilest in the meane while Countie Sultze with the gouernour of ALTHEM before vndiscouered vpon the sudden by land scaled the other side of the citie and gained the wals the Turkes yet dreaming of no such matter But hereupon began a great outcrie the Turkes standing as men astonied especially now feeling the Christians weapons in their bodies before they knew they were got into the citie In this so great an amasement such of them as could fled into the strongest towers the rest hid themselues in cellars and other the most secret corners they could find out of which they were afterwards by the Christians drawne and slaine They which were retired also into the towers and other stronger places of the citie seeing the great ordinance in euery place bent vpon them and now out of all hope of reliefe offered to yeeld requesting onely that they might with their wiues and children with life depart promising for that fauour so shewed them to persuade them of BVDA also in like manner to yeeld Vpon which promise that their poore request was graunted and the lord Nadasti with certaine other captaines sent with some of these citisens of PESTH with their wiues and children to BVDA who comming thither according to their promise most earnestly requested them of BVDA to yeeld for that they were not now to expect any further helpe and that by their foolish obstinacie they should bee the cause of the death of them their friends their wiues and children Vnto whom also to mooue them the more the lord Nadasti promised in the name of the Generall That they should all excepting some few of their chiefe commaunders in safetie depart howbeit they of BVDA would not hearken thereunto but stood still vpon their guard In this citie of PESTH well inhabited with Turkish marchants the Christians found great store of wealth which all became a prey vnto the souldiors with a thousand horses for seruice many great pieces of artillerie and much other warlike prouision PESTH thus woon and a strong garrison left therein they returned againe ouer the riuer to besiege the castle and vpper citie of BVDA which they attempted by vndermining the same as also by batterie hauing placed some of their great ordinance so high that they could at their pleasure shoot into the middest of the streets of the citie wherewith they much troubled the Turkes not a little before discouraged with the losse of PESTH thundering also at the same time with their other batteries in diuers places at the wals both of the castle and of the citie Where vnderstanding that the Turkes garrisons of the frontier townes and castles thereabouts hearing of the siege were comming to the reliefe of their distressed friends they sent out their horsemen with some part of their footmen against them who meeting with them gaue them a great ouerthrow and so with victorie returned againe vnto the rest of the armie lying at the siege being still in hope either by force or composition to become masters of the citie But whilest they lay in this hope and hauing the twelfth of October brought their approaches neerer vnto the wals had there planted certaine notable pieces of batterie with purpose the next day with all their power to haue assaulted the citie behold the Visier Bassa hearing by the way as he was going to BELGRADE and so to CONSTANTINOPLE that PESTH was woon and BVDA besieged changing his mind returned in hast with such forces as hee had yet left and so vnlooked for came and sat downe before PESTH being not then aboue fiue and twentie thousand strong but those all or for the most part old and expert souldiors But whilest the Bassa thus lay at the siege of PESTH on the one side of the riuer and the Imperials at the siege of BVDA on the other diuers braue attempts were in both places giuen both on the one side and the other The Christians besieged by the Turkes in PESTH hauing amongst them diuers braue captaines and desirous of honour one day vnder their conduct sallied out of the citie to skirmish with the Turkes and comming with them to the sword by plaine valour disordered them and enforced them to flie and so allured with the sweetnesse of the victorie pursued them euen to their trenches from whence a great squadron of the
are supposed to haue had their beginning from the Galatians Capadocians Armenians and the old inhabitants of ASIA the lesse which by long and continuall wars in former ages and especially by the lamentable irruption of the Scythians were enforced to forsake their cities and dwellings and for safegard of their liues to flie into those rough and desolate mountaines These distressed people searching euery hill and euery daâ—e and following the opportunitie of the riuers and fountaines but especially the mildest temperature of the aire and fauourable aspect of the Sunne built in many places poore countrey villages and afterwards diuers faire townes where in processe of time they growing to better estate there rise vp some amongst them which ouerruling the rest ambitiously tooke vpon them the name of kings desiring to be had in regard and to bee feared of their neighbours although they commaunded but ouer rough woods and ragged rockes Neere vnto the confines of Aladeules kingdome is the citie Oâ—PHA which many suppose to haue been the famous citie EDESSA because that as yet there remaineth certaine monuments of Baldwin in Latine letters who after his brother Godfrey was possessed of HIERVSALEM is reported to haue taken EDESSA and there raigned Not farre from thence is also the antient citie AMYDA which at this day is called CARAMIDA joyning vpon MESOPOTAMIA which countrey lying betweene the two great riuers Euphrates and Tigris is now called DIAREECHA The cheefe citie of Aladeules kingdome was MARAS so called as may bee thought of the faire riuer Marsias running through it out of the mountaine CaeLENE taking the name of Marsias ouercome by Apollo and made famous by the verses of many learned Poets But Aladeules after he saw that Selymus with his armie was entered into the frontiers of his kingdome and drawing neere vnto him brought downe all his horsemen in number about fifteene thousand from the mountaines into a faire large valley commaunding his footmen whereof hee had great store to keepe the mountaines on the right hand and the left where hauing the high rockie mountains and strait passages much for his aduantage he determined in that place which he had long before chosen and fortified to expect the comming of his enemies Selymus considering the disaduantage of the place although hee perceiued the victorie could not without great losse of his men be obtained and before persuaded that his enemies would neuer haue willingly been drawne to battaile yet made no doubt to aduenture his fortune presuming vpon the multitude and strength of his armie Wherefore he commaunded Sinan Bassa the Eunuch whom hee had made generall of the Europeian horsemen in stead of Casan Bassa before slaine with a square battaile to charge the enemie afront for as much as the place would not suffer him to raunge his battaile in length nor to vse any wings and he himselfe with his Ianizaries and Asian horsemen followed after in the rereward Neither were the souldiors of Aladeules vnmindfull of themselues or of their king who valiantly fought in the head of the battaile but hauing spent their arrowes did couragiously receiue the furious assault of the Turkes and standing close to them still keeping the aduantage of the ground did with such force repulse them that the old beaten souldiors of the Turkes seemed little or nothing to preuaile either with their multitude or valour for the Turkes by reason of the straightnesse of the place could not enclose them on either side and were beside greeuously wounded by Aladeules footmen who standing vpon the sides of the hils with their darts and arrowes from aboue ouerwhelmed the Turkes in the valley When Selymus saw that Aladeules contrarie to his expectation made strong resistance and valiantly withstood his forces he drew certaine companies of harquebusiers out of his owne squadrons and sent them to relieue their fellowes and at the same instant commaunded the Ianizaries for all the danger to mount the hill Then the mountaine people terrified with the strangenesse of the shot and not able to abide the force therof by and by turned their backes and by knowne waies fled into their sure haunts in the mountains and woods fast by Yet the greatest slaughter fell amongst these footmen who when they saw the horsemen put to flight and the Ianizaries comming vp the hils against them did with much difficultie by steepe and broken waies clamber vp the high mountaines as oftentimes it falleth out that both the strength of meâ—s legs and other their wonted forces faile them most when surprised and ouercome with sudden feare they desire to run and flie fastest The Turkes hauing them in chase had the killing of them vntill the going downe of the Sunne The horsemen with the king vpon their swift horses well acquainted with those rockes and rough waies with little losse retired themselues into the further and stronger places of the mountaines Aladeules after this discomfiture finding himselfe in all things farre inferiour to his enemie thought it best by protracting the warre to wearie him out wherefore as the Turkes pursued him and burnt the poore countrey cottages standing in their way he still fled from mountaine to mountaine neuer offering battell or shewing himselfe but in places of great aduantage And therefore Selymus fearing least in that barren rough and vnknowne countrey he should either want vittaile or by some other meanes be entrapped if he should still with his whole armie follow after his strong enemies vpon the seauenth day left off to pursue them any farther And encamping himselfe in the most conuenient place of that countrey sent Sinan Bassa with his light horsemen who carrying with them certaine daies victuals should still at the heeles follow the enemie and with all speed and pollicie possible hunt after the king himselfe Selymus in the meane time curiously enquiring of the countrey captiues after the strength of Aladeules and what meanes hee had to maintaine the warre found that he had taken with him his best men both horse and foot and had commaunded the countrey people to forsake the villages of purpose to leaue all desolat to the enemie and hauing surely entrenched himselfe vpon a certaine strong rocke whither he had before conuaied great store of prouision was resolued not to giue battell vnto his enemies vntill he had drawne them into the impregnable straits of the mountaines where their hugie multitude should little auaile them but to increase their owne losse An other cause there was also as they said for that he feared to be betraied by Alis Beg his kinsman Generall of his horsemen who first fled in the late battell whose vnfaithfulnesse and hatred might seeme to proceed of a just ground for that Aladeules had in former time treacherously murthered his father vpon a jealous suspition of his aspiring to the kingdome Selymus vnderstanding all this caused the captiues to haue their irons struck off and in steed of their giues lading them with gifts and promises sent them to
Alis Beg with secret letters and rewards to persuade him in so fit a time to reuenge his fathers death which thing if he would performe by some notable exploit vpon Aladeules he should both purchase vnto himselfe great credit with Selymus and also the kingdome These homely messengers according as was giuen them in charge hauing imparted the matter to Sinan Bassa within few daies had so wrought that Alis Beg whom the desire of a kingdome togither with Selymus his rewards prickt forward to seeke reuenge was easily drawne to joyne hands with Selymus And when he could no other way hurt Aladeules who mistrusting all things warily looked vnto himselfe he found the means to go ouer to Sinan Bassa carrying after him a great part of Aladeules his best horsemen by whose meanes the rest also which remained being with rewards corrupted one companie after another came at last all ouer vnto the Bassa Aladeules circumuented with this vnexpected treacherie which neuer before thought it possible that his men should all so suddenly haue forsaken him and reuolted vnto the Turkes was now glad to repose all his hope in secret flight But Sinan Bassa and Alis Beg hardly pursuing him as he fled thorough the mountaines hiding himselfe in rockes and the thicke woods at last drew him out of a caue being betraied by the countrey peasants Aladeules being brought to Selymus was within a few daies after put to death and his head in great derision afterwards carried about through all ASIA the lesse and afterward by way of barbarous ostentation sent by Selymus to the Senat of VENICE as a loathsome testimonie of his victorie Aladeules thus dead Selymus reduced all his kingdome into the forme of a prouince which he deuided into three parts and after the manner of the Turkish gouernment appointed to euerie part a Sanzacke yet so that Alis Beg should be chiefe ouer the rest with such soueraigntie as that he wanted nothing of a king but the name only And for the better gouernment of all things in that new gained kingdome he left Sinan Bassa there all the rest of that sommer with commaundement that after he had set all things in good order he should winter at ICONIVM and he himselfe with a small traine returned to CONSTANTINOPLE for he had heard that whilest he was busied in his wars against Hysmaell and Aladeules in ARMENIA that the Hungarians had made diuers incursions into SERVIA and spoiled that countrey Wherefore for feare of losing SAMANDRIA which standing neere to Danubius for the conuenient situation thereof is reputed the bulwarke of SERVIA and THRACIA he sent Ionuses Bassa then gouernour of BOSNA with eight thousand horsemen who passing the riuer Sauus entred into CROATIA as farre as CETINVM and at the same time transported an other armie ouer Danubius into HVNGARIE to the intent that the Hungarians at one instant beset with double danger should be enforced to feare their owne state and withall to shew vnto the world of what strength and power the Othoman emperours were Deeming it to concerne much both for the present and the time to come to the daunting of the Christians if hee should by his happie attempts make it knowne that he could at once easily and readily maintaine so many and so puissant armies and wage so great warres in diuers parts of the world and so farre distant one from an other In the end of the yeare when he had thus with double inuasion repressed the Hungarians he spent the Winter following at HADRIANOPLE CONSTANTINOPLE in making of greater preparation for warre than euer he had before from the beginning of his raigne For he was aduertised that the great monaches of the North his neighbours namely Maximilian the emperour Vladislaus king of HVNGARIE and Sigismundus king of POLONIA with the princes of GERMANIE had combined themselues togither to make warre vpon him But after he had learned by his sure intelligencers whom he had with great charge sent into all parts of EVROPE diligently to obserue what was done in the courts of those great princes that all the great meetings of the Christian princes proued nothing but glorious words and sumptuous banquets he being rid of that vaine feare God so appointing turned himselfe and all those his wonderfull preparations againe toward the East to the great quiet of Christendome in generall Yet least happily in the absence of himselfe and of his armies the Christian princes might take occasion to inuade his dominions he strengthened the frontiers of his empire with most strong garrisons and left his sonne Solyman who afterward proued the great scourge of Christendome at HADRIANOPLE with a strong power and Pyrrhus Bassa his tutor a man of great wisedome and gouernment at CONSTANTINOPLE This great Bassa was of CILICIA a natiue Turke borne which was a thing accounted strange forasmuch as the great Bassaes were alwaies chosen of the Christian bloud After that he sent Cherseogles whom of all others he most trusted with his armie into BYTHINIA and made Zafferus an eunuch Admirall of his nauie which he had but a little before built and with a wonderfull labor and charge rigged forth Then staying a few daies at CONSTANTINOPLE to see the young souldiours but then chosen Ianizaries he departed thence and went to his old armie lying with Sinan Bassa at ICONIVM purposing to haue againe inuaded the Persian When he was come thither he vnderstood that Campson Gaurus Sultan of AEGYPT with a great armie leuied in AEGYPT and IVDEA was come into SYRIA giuing it out that he would aid the Persian king his confederat and with all hostilitie enter into CILICIA if Selymus should farther proceed to inuade Hysmaell the Sophi his friend and allie Selymus perplexed with these newes and fearing that if he should once passe ouer the riuer Euphrates Campson lying so neere in readinesse should forthwith breake in at his backe into ASIA by the mountaine AMANVS and so endanger that part of his dominion staied at ICONIVM and sent his embassadours with great presents to Campson to pacifie him if it might be The chiefe men in this embassage were the Cadelescher a man of great account amongst the Turks and of them exceedingly reuerenced for the opinion they had of his great Mahometane superstition who afterwards wrote the Commentaries of this warre and Iachis a great captaine The scope of whose embassage was to entreat Campson that he would not hinder or disturbe Selymus from making warre vpon the Persian king who had so often and so forceably inuaded his dominions in ASIA and by bringing in a new forme of superstition had corrupted and altered the most certaine grounds of the Mahometane religion And if they found him resolutly set downe and not to be by any conditions remoued then with all possible diligence to learne his strength and farther designes so farre as by any means they could and with all speed to make their returne But Campson now farre spent