as being before vnder the Constantinopolitane empire had vpon the losse of the citie put themselues vnder the protection of the Venetians but especially the isle of MITYLENE called in auntient time LESâ—OS pretending that Nicholaus Catelusius prince therof did harbour the pyrats of ITALY and other places and also bought of them such prisoners and other bootie as they continually tooke from the Turkes at sea or alongst the sea coast out of many places of his dominions pretending also the chastising of the said prince for that he had by treacherie slaine his eldest brother and so vnjustly taken vpon him the gouernment His fleet thus set forward he himselfe with a small army passed ouer into ASIA and came by land to POSSIDIVM a citie of IONIA ouer against MITYLENE From whence he embarked himselfe ouer the narrow straite into the island where after he had once landed his army he in short time ouerran the whole island and miserably spoiled the same leading away all the inhabitants thereof into captiuitie who shortly after were sold at CONSTANTINOPLE like flocks of sheepe and from thence dispersed into all parâ—s of his dominions After he had thus harried the countrey and left nothing therein vnspoiled he besieged the Prince in the citie of MITYLENE whereof the island now taketh name and with his great ordinance continually battered the same by the space of 27 daies In which time many sharpe assaults were also giuen by the Turkes whereby the defendants were greatly diminished and wasted The prince perceiuing himselfe not able long to hold out offered to yeeld vp the citie with all the strong holds in the isle vpon condition that Mahomet should therefore giue vnto him some other prouince of like valew to the island which his offer Mahomet accepted and by solemne oath bound himselfe for performance of that he had promised Whereupon the prince came out of the citie and humbled himselfe before him excusing himselfe for the receiuing of the men of warre wherewith he was charged as done for no other purpose but that they should forbeare to spoile his owne countrey much subject to their furie vtterly denying that he had at any time bought or shared any part of such prizes as had by those pirats by sea or land been taken from the Turkes With which his excuse Mahomet seemed to be reasonably well contented and with good words cheered him vp neuerthelesse as soone as the citie with all the other strong holds in the isle were by the princes meanes deliuered into his hands hee no longer made reckoning of his Turkish faith but cruelly caused many of the chiefe citizens of MITYLENE to be put to death and three hundreth pirats whom he found in the citie to be cut in two peeces in the middle so to die with more paine And when he had placed conuenient garrisons in euerie strong hold in the isle he returned to CONSTANTINOPLE carrying away with him the prince and all the better sort of the inhabitants of MITYLENE that were left aliue togither with all the wealth of that most rich and pleasant island leauing it almost desolat none remaining therein more than his owne garrisons with a few of the poorest and basest people Mahomet after he was arriued at CONSTANTINOPLE cast the prince Nicholaus with Lucius his cosin whose helpe he had before vsed in killing of his elder brother into close prison where they seeing themselues euerie houre in danger of their liues to winne fauour in the tyrants sight wickedly offered to renounce the Christian religion and to turne Turke Which Mahomet vnderstanding caused them both to be richly apparelled and with great triumph to be circumcised and presently set at libertie yet still bearing in minde his olde grudge he shortly after when they least feared any such matter clapt them both fast againe in prison and there caused them to be most cruelly put to death A just reward for the bloodie murtherers and apostacie who to gaine a little longer life were content to forsake God Shortly after it fortuned that Stephen king of BOSNA in antient time called MaeSIA SVPERIOR who supported by the Turkish emperour had wrongfully obtained that kingdom against his owne brethren refused now to pay such yearely tribute as hee had before promised for which cause Mahomet with a strong armie entered into BOSNA and laied siege vnto the cittie of DOROBIZA which when he had with much adoe taken he deuided the people therof into three parts one part whereof he gaue as slaues vnto his men of warre another part he sent vnto CONSTANTINOPLE and the third he left to inhabit the citie From DOROBIZA he marched to IAZIGA now called IAICA the cheefe citie of that kingdome which after four months siege was deliuered vnto him by composition In this citie hee tooke the kings brother and sister prisoners with most of the nobilitie of that kingdome whom he sent as it were in triumph vnto CONSTANTINOPLE The other lesser cities of BOSNA following the example of the greater yeelded themselues also But Mahomet vnderstanding that the king of BOSNA had retired himselfe into the farthest part of his kingdome sent Mahometes his cheefe Bassa with his Europeian souldiors to pursue him wherein the Bassa vsed such diligence that he had on euery side so inclosed him before he was aware that hee could by no meanes escape which was before thought a thing impossible So the king for safegard of his life was faine to take the citie of CLYSSA for his refuge where he was so hardly laied to by the Bassa that seeing no other remedie hee offered to yeeld himselfe vpon the Bassaes faithfull promise by oath confirmed that he should be honourably vsed and not to receiue in his person any harme from the Turkish emperour Wherupon the Bassaes oath to the same purpose was with great solemnitie taken and for the more assurance conceiued in writing firmed by the Bassa and so deliuered to the king which done the king came out of the citie and yeelded himselfe The Bassa hauing thus taken the king prisoner carried him about with him from place to place and from citie to citie vntill he had taken possession of all the kingdome of BOSNA and so returning vnto his master presented vnto him the captiue king who was not a little offended with him for that hee had vnto him so farre engaged his Turkish faith But when the poore king thought to haue departed not greatly fearing further harme he was suddenly sent for by Mahomet at which time he doubting the worst caried with him in his hand the writing wherein the Bassaes oath for his safetie was comprised neuerthelesse the faithlesse tyrant without any regard thereof or of his faith therein giuen caused him presently to be most cruelly put to death or as some write to be flaine quicke Thus was the Christian kingdome of BOSNA subuerted by Mahomet in the yeare 1464 who after he had at his pleasure disposed thereof and reduced it
Turkes and went backward with the Christians In the time of these warres not farre from CALLIPOLIS was a little castle called CONGERE the captaine whereof was by a Greeke name called Calo Ioannes a valiant and painefull man this captaine continually molested and troubled the Turks which lay on that side of CALLIPOLIS vnder the leading of Ezes-beg many of whom he slew and tooke prisoners as hee could find them at any aduantage Solyman much angred herewith by craftie and secret espials learned a certaine time when he was gone out of his castle to doe some exploit vpon the Turks whereupon he presently so beset the castle with souldiors that hee could by no meanes returne thither but hee must first fall into their hands and for more assurance placed others also in by-waies least he should by any way escape The captaine ignorant of all this prosecuted his enterprise and hauing taken a Turke prisoner thinking to returne to his castle was hastely pursued by Fazill-Beg for which cause making the more hast he suddainly fell into the danger of the Turks laid in ambush where his men were all slaine and he himselfe taken and brought before his own castle and had there his head presently strucke off whereupon the castle was forthwith by them that were therein hauing now lost their captaine surrendred and Chazi Ili Beg a valiant captaine of the Turks placed in the same who from thence neuer ceased to trouble the countrey euen to the wals of DIDYMOTICHUM as did Solyman also out of CALLIPOLIS Thus in the space of one yeare the Turks got strong footing in EUROPE possessing diuers castles and townes with the countrey about them which Solyman gaue in reward vnto his captaines and souldiors as appeareth by the 〈◊〉 and tombes of Ezes-beg and Fazill-beg the two which first came ouer into EUROPE which 〈◊〉 there yet well knowne About this time it fortuned that as this maâ—â—all prince Solyman was for his disport hawking in the fields of BOLAYRE on EUROPE side galloping in to his faulcon was with his horse ouerthrowne in a ditch of which fall he being sore brused shortly after died The newes of his death being brought to Orchanes his father 〈◊〉 him then being sicke just occasion of great sorrow so that within two moneths after he died also being fourescore yeares old when hee had thereof raigned 31 yeares and died about the yeare of our Lord 1359. Some histories report otherwise both of his death and of the time wherein he liued as that he should beslaine in a battell against the Tartars or as others write with an arrow at the siege of PRUSA in the yeare of our Lord 1349. But Ioannes Lâ—unclauiâ—â— in his historie collected out of the Turks owne chronicles whom we follow as most probable reporteth it as before This Orchanes was wise courteous and bountifull more ingenious than his father in deuising warlike engins He built diuers princely Churches Abbeies Colledges and Cels and was in his superstitious religion very zealous insomuch that he appointed pensions to all such as could in the church say the booke of Mahomets law by heart and appointed competent maintenance for all Iudges of his courts because they should not take any thing in reward of his subjcts for the peruerting of justice He greatly inlarged his kingdome in ASIA and not content to bee inclosed with the seas of EVXINUM and HELLESPONTUS set fast footing in EVROPE which some attribute to his sonne Amurath He was vnto the Christians alwaies a most mortall enemie and so 〈◊〉 FINIS Christian princes of the same time with Orchanes Emperours Of the East Andronicus Palaeologus the younger 1325. 29. Iohn Palaeologus 1354. 30. Of the West Lewes of Bauaria 1314. 32. Charles the fourth sonne to Iohn king of Bohemia 1346. 10. Kings Of England Edward the third 1327. 50. Of Fraunce Philip Valois 1328. 22. Iohn Valois 1350. 14. Of Scotland Robert Bruce 1306. 24. Dauid Bruce 1341. Bishops of Rome Iohn the XXII 1317. 18. Benedict the XII 1335. 7. Clement the VI. 1342. 12. Innocent the VI. 1354. 10. AMVRATH AMVRANTHES PRIMVS TERTIVS TVRCARVM REX FLORVIT AN o 1350 Scauâ—s Amurathes animo dum maxima versat Discordes Graecos sternere Marte parat Totus intentus fines extendere regni Europam penetrans obuia quaeque rapit Attoniti trepidant nimia formidine Thraces In medio quorum sceptra superba locat Hinc Moesos premit ille feros miserumque Dynasten Cossoui in campis obruit atque necat Sed non longa fuit sceleris tam dira voluptas A seruo caesus concidit ense ferox RICH. KNOLLEVS Whilest Amurath in his deepe thoughts of greatnesse plots the ground The wrangling Greekes by force of arms he seekes how to confound And wholy bent for to extend his kingdome with his power Piersing the confines of EVROPE doth what he meets deuour As men dismaid the Thracians quake to see their foule disgrace Amiddest whom the tyrant stout his scepter proud doth place The fierce Bulgarians he did meet and in the field subdue And in COSSOVAS fatall plains the wofull Despot slue But long is not the wickeds joy which they in mischiefe take Stabd by a Slaue the wretch his end in that same place did make R. K. THE LIFE OF AMVRATH THE FIRST OF THAT NAME THIRD KING OF THE TVRKES AND THE GREAT AVGMENTOR OF THEIR KINGDOME AMurath the yonger sonne of Orchanes succeeded his father in the Turkish kingdome his elder brother Solyman being dead a little before his father This Amurath with greater zeale than any one of the Turkish kings aduanced the Mahometane religion and had therein wonderfull successe In the beginning of his raigne he gathered a great armie out of all parts of his kingdome to PRUSA purposing to passe ouer HELLESPONTUS to inuade the Christians in THRACIA But vnderstanding that the other Mahometane princes in ASIA had combined themselues against him hee was thereby enforced to â—eaue his former determination for EUROPE and to turne his forces vpon them In which wars â—e mightily preuailed against them and returned with victorie to PRUSA But hauing so subduâ—d those confederat princes he the next yeare after prosecuted his warres before intended against â—he Christians in EUROPE For which purpose hauing leuied a strong armie in ASIA he passed ouer to CALLIPOLIS accompanied with his tutor whom the Turks call Lala Schahin whose graue aduice and counsaile he most followed in all his waightie affaires being at that time one of his cheefe counsellors From CALLIPOLIS he marched to the castle of BENUTUM which was by composition yeelded vnto him From thence he went to TZVRVLUS where the Christians gaue him a sharpe encounter but in the end he wan the towne and caried away the victorie And so proceeding farther tooke diuers other small castles and townes in that part of THRACIA which of the antient Romane Colonies was then called ROMANIA and now of the Turks RUMILIA namely MESINE BURGOS and
contemne thine enemie be he neuer so weake of which one thing aboue all others I haue repented my selfe of long and shall doe after my death if any feeling of humane thinges remaine in the dead And that I was so foolish and inconsiderat as to foster vp as it were in my bosome this my domesticall and neglected enemie wherby I haue purchased vnto my selfe this calamitie and for euer blemished the honor of the Othoman kings whilest I so basely ending my daies vnder the wals of CROIA shall become a by-word vnto the world and all posteritie for euer This traitour should euen then haue been oppressed when hee by great treacherie first recouered his wicked kingdome in that newnesse of his estate and before the minds of the people were assured vnto him then it had been an easie matter without bloudshed to haue vtterly extinguished the wretch together with his name Ali Bassa whose euill fortune was the first beginning of his good nor the other Generals who by him slaine or taken prisoners increased his strength and credit with his subjects should not haue been sent against him a thing which I haue oftentimes thought vpon but could scarce haue beleeued that euer I should haue thereby receiued such disgrace together with the ignominious renting of my kingdome if I had not been taught the same by mine owne experience to my great losse and hearts greefe We entred into EPIRVS and here encamped an hundred and threescore thousand men strong now if leisure serue you take view of them examine the matter you shall find a great want of that number The fields could not contain our regiments and the multitude of our men but now how many tents stand emptie how many horses want riders You shall go to HADRIANOPLE with our forces much impaired As for me the destinies haue vowed my spirits to this country of EPIRVS as vnto me fatall But wherfore do I impute vnto my selfe these impediments and chances of Fortune for then first began this seed of mischiefe in EPIRVS when the Hungarians with other the Christian princes rose vp in armes against vs at which time we fought not with them for soueraigntie but for the whole state of our kingdome as the bloudie battailes of VARNA and COSSOVA still witnesse vnto the world So whilest I had neither leisure nor sufficient power to take order for all my important affaires at once in the meane time this enemy grew as you see But how or in what order you are hereafter to wage warre against him you may not looke for any direction from me which haue in all these matters so euill directed my selfe Fortune neuer deceiued my endeuors more than in this But happely thou Mahomet my sonne maiest prooue a more fortunat warriour against him and for so many honors alreadie giuen vnto me the destinies haue reserued the triumph of EPIRVS for thee Wherfore my sonne thou shalt receiue from me this scepter and these roial ensigns but aboue all things I leaue vnto thee this enemie charging thee not to leaue my death vnreuenged It is all I charge thee with for so great and stately a patrimonie as thou art to receiue from me it is the only sacrifice that my old departing ghost desireth of thee Shortly after he became speechlesse and striuing with the pangs of death halfe a day he then breathed out his gastly ghost to the great joy and contentment of the poore oppressed Christians He died about the middle of Autumne in the yeare of our Lord 1450 when he had liued 85 yeares as most write and thereof raigned 28 or as some others report 30 about fiue months after the siege laid before CROIA Thus lieth great Amurath erst not inferiour vnto the greatest monarchs of that age dead almost in despaire a worthy mirror of honours frailtie yeelding vnto the worldly man in the end neither comfort nor reliefe Who had fought greater battails who had gained greater victories or obtained more glorious triumphs than had Amurath Who by the spoils of so many mightie kings and princes and by the conquest of so many prowd and warlike nations againe restored and established the Turkes kingdome before by Tamerlan and the Tartars in a manner clean defaced He it was that burst the hart of the prowd Grecians establishing his empire at HADRIANOPLE euen in the center of their bowels from whence haue proceeded so many miseries and calamities into the greatest part of Christendome as no tongue is able to expresse He it was that first brake downe the Hexamile or wal of separation on the strait of CORINTH conquered the greatest part of PELOPONESVS He it was that subdued vnto the Turks so many great countries and prouinces in ASIA that in plaine field and set battaile ouerthrew many puissant kings and princes and brought them vnder his subiection who hauing slaine Vladislaus the king of POLONIA and HVNGARIE and more than once chased out of the field Huniades that famous redoubted warriour had in his prowd and ambitious heart promised vnto himselfe the conquest of a great part of Christendome But O how farre was he now changed from the man he then was how farre did these his last speeches differ from the course of his forepassed life full of such base passionat complaints and lamentations as beseemed not a man of his place and spirit but some vile wretch ouertaken with dispaire and yet afraid to die Where were now those haughtie thoughts those loftie lookes those thundring and commaunding speeches whereat so many great commaunders so many troups and legions so many thousands of armed souldiours were woont to tremble and quake Where is that head before adorned with so manie trophies and triumphs where is that victorious hand that swaied so many scepters where is the majestie of his power and strength that commanded ouer so many nations and kingdoms O how is the case now altred he lieth now dead a gastly filthy stinking carkas a clod of clay vnregarded his hands closed his eyes shut and his feet stretched out which erst prowdly traced the countries by him subdued and conquered And now of such infinit riches such vnmeasurable wealth such hugie treasures such stately honors and vainglorious praises as he in his life time enjoyed his fraile bodie enjoyeth nothing but left all behind it O the weake condition of mans nature O the vaine glorie of mortall creatures O the blind and peruerse thoughts of foolish men Why do we so magnifie our selues why are we so puffed vp with pride why do we so much set our minds vpon riches authoritie and other vanities of this life whereof neuer man had yet one daies assurance and at our most need and when we least thinke quite forsake vs leauing euen them that most sought after them and most abounded in them shrowded oft times in the sheet of dishonor and shame That his death is otherwise by some reported I am not ignorant the Turkes saying that he died miraculously
kingdome of PONTVS which Vsun-Cassanes of right claimed as his wiues dowrie into the forme of a prouince and so vnited it vnto the Turkish empire Which so manifest a wrong Vsun-Cassanes in the newnesse of his so late atchieued greatnesse durst not aduenture to redresse but after that he was surely seated and had with the course of time ouercome all dangers at home being daily prickt forward with the remembrance of the former injuries still suggested by the importunitie of his wife Despina and the solicitation of the Venetians to whom he had by solemne promise bound himselfe he determined now to take the matter in hand and to trie his forces vpon his proud enemie the Turkish emperour Hereupon he raised a great armie and being well appointed of all things necessarie passing through ARMENIA toward PONTVS neere vnto the riuer EVPHRATES was encountred by Mustapha Mahomet his eldest sonne a young prince of great hope and Amurath the great Bassa of ROMANIA whom Mahomet fearing such a matter had sent before with a strong armie out of EVROPE to joyne with such forces as Mustapha had alreadie raised in ASIA so to withstand the inuasion of the Persian These two great commaunders Mustapha and Amurath joyning battell with Vsun-Cassanes were by him in the plaine field ouerthrowne where Amurath the great Bassa himselfe with thirtie thousand Turkes were slaine Mustapha with the rest of the armie by shamefull flight sauing themselues Now when Mahomet vnderstood that Amurath was slaine and his armie discomfited he was therewith exceedingly troubled But purposing to be thereof reuenged gaue order into all parts of his dominions for the leuying of new forces so that at the time by him appointed was assembled a great and mightie armie of three hundred and twentie thousand men Vsun-Cassanes in like manner was in the field with an armie nothing in number inferiour vnto his enemie These two Mahometane kings drawing after them their hugie armies met togither neere the mountaines of ARMENIA where at the first encounter one of the Turks greatest Bassaes was slaine with fortie thousand Turkes With which hard beginning the prowd tyrant was so daunted that he could hardly be persuaded to proue his fortune anie farther but contenting himselfe with that losse was about to haue retired and had vndoubtedly so done if some of his most expert and valiant captaines which might be bold with him had not sharpely reproued him that hauing so populous an armie as scarcely felt that small losse he should once thinke of returning without victorie With which their comfortable persuasions he was againe encouraged to giue battell Yet for his more safetie he withdrew his armie into a strait betwixt two mountaines and with his cariages fortified the front thereof as with a trench behind which cariages he placed his great ordinance and on either side his archers The Persians as men of great valouâ— and thereto encouraged with their former victories came on as men fearing no perill to haue charged the Turkes euen in their strength presenting their whole armie before they were aware into the mouth of the Turkes artillerie which suddenly discharged amongst the thickest of them brake their rankes and tooke away a number of them Besides that the Persian horses terrified with the vnacquainted and thundring report of the great ordinance were not to be ruled by their riders but starting backe ran some one way some another as if they had felt neither bit nor rider Which their confusion Mahomet perceiuing presently tooke hold of the occasion offered and with his horsemen fiercely charged them being now by themselues entangled and out of order Neuerthelesse the Persians made great resistance and slew manie of the Turkes but still fighting confusedly and out of order they were at the last enforced to flie In which fight a great number of them were slaine and their tents also taken Zeinal Vsun-Cassanes his eldest sonne labouring to stay the flight of the Persians was slaine with a small shot So the honour of the day remained with the Turkes yet had they no great cause to brag of their winnings hauing lost in that battaile fortie thousand souldiours whereas of the Persians fell not aboue ten thousand Mahomet contenting himselfe with this deere bought victorie returned homewards And Vsun-Cassanes leauing another of his sonnes with his armie for the defence of ARMENIA returned likewise to TAVRIS But whilest the Christian princes were in their greatest expectation what might bee the euent of these warres betwixt these two mightie Mahometane kings they vpon the suddaine concluded a peace and confirmed the same with new affinitie excluding the Christians quite out of the same This last battell betwixt Mahomet Vsun-Cassanes was fought in the yeare of our Lord 1474 about foure yeares before the death of Vsun-Cassanes who died the fifth of Ianuarie in the yeare 1478. In the time of these warres died the noble Mustapha Mahomet his eldest sonne at ICONIVM hauing spent himselfe with reuelling amongst his paragons or as some write commanded to die by his father vpon this occasion This youthfull prince vpon a time comming to the court to see his father or as they tearme it to kisse his hand became amorous of the wife of Achmetes Bassa a ladie of incomparable beautie and daughter to Isaack Bassa the cheefe men in the Turkish empire next vnto Mahomet himselfe but finding no meanes how to compasse her in whom his soule liued he awaited a time when as shee after the manner of the Turkes went to bathe her selfe and there as he found her all disroabed shamefully forced her without regard either of his owne honour or of hers Of this so foule an outrage Achmetes her husband with his clothes and hat all rent for madnesse came and greeuously complained to Mahomet crauing vengeance for the same vnto whom Mahomet againe replied Art not thou thy selfe my slaue and if my sonne Mustapha haue knowne thy wife is shee not my bondslaue hee hath had to doe withall cease therefore thus to complaine and hold thy selfe therewith content Neuerthelesse hee in secret sharpely reproued his sonne for so hainous and dishonourable a fact by him committed and commaunded him out of his sight and as hee was of a seuere nature caused him within a few dayes after to be secretly strangled Neuerthelesse the wrong done vnto the Bassa sunke so deep into his haughtie mind as that he would neuer admit excuse therefore but put away his wife the ground of the implacable hatred betwixt him and the great Bassa Isaack his father in law and in fine the very cause of his vtter destruction as is afterward declared in the life of Baiazet Mahomet deliuered of his greatest feare by the peace he had lately concluded with Vsun-Cassanes the Persian king was now at good leisure to employ all his forces against the Christians And bearing a deadly hatred against the princes of EPIRVS and ALBANIA with a wonderfull desire to extend his empire vnto the
the Turkâ— 1464 The great 〈◊〉 betwixt Mâ—homâ—t and Scanderbeg are at large written by Marinus Barletius in 13 books De vita gestis Scanderbegi from whence this Historie is taken and wâ—re done betwixt the yeares 1450 and 1467. Vide Marinum Barâ—etium lib. de vita gestis Scanderbegi Debreas sent with 14000 horsemen tâ— inuade Epirus A skirmish betwixt the Christians and the Turks The battell betwixt Scanderbeg Debreas Debreas slain by Scanderbeg and his armie ouerthrowne A pleasant contention betwixt Musachius and a Turke for his ransome The craftie procâ—eding of the Turâ—â— messenger Moses corrupteâ— Scanderbeg crâ—ueth aid of Alphonsus king of Naples Alphonsus sendeth aid vnto Scanderbeg Scanderbeg besiegeth and â—istresseth Belgrad Musachius slain and the Epirots put to â—â—ight Scanderbeg seeth his men slain and is not able to releeue them Scanderbeg flieth by night into Epirus Mahomet sendeth Moses with fifteene thousand seiâ—ct men to inuade Epirus A combat betwixt a Turke and a Christianâ— The battell betwixt Scanderbeg and Moses Moses contemned of the Turkâ— Moses flieth from Constantinople Amesa his first speech vnto Mahomet Amesa honourablâ— entertained by Mahomet A notable speech of Scanderbeg vnto his captainâ— how the Turks were to be withstood aâ— their comming into Epâ—uâ— The Eâ—iroâ—s remoâ—e all their 〈◊〉 â—ut of the 〈◊〉 into the 〈…〉 Turks Amesa is by the Bassa created king of Epirus The Turks camp 〈…〉 Scanderbeg suddenly assaileth the Turkes A notable victorie of the Christians The sâ—eeâ—h of Amâ—sa to Scanderbeg The answere of Scanderbeg to Amesa The death of Amesa A peace for a yeare concluded betwixt Mahomet and Scanderbeg The letters of Scanderbeg to Mahomet The answere of Scanderbeg to the former letters of Mahomet The letters of Mahomet to Scanderbeg for the concluding of a perpetuall peace betwixt them A peace câ—â—cludâ—d betwixt Maâ—omet and Scanâ—erbeg The notable speech of Victor Capella to persuade the Venetians to take vp armes against Mahomet The Venetians take vp armes against the Turk The Venetians enter into confederation with other Christian princes against the Turke The letters of Mahomet to Scanderbeg Scanderbeg his answere to the letters of Mahomet Ten thousand Turkes slaiâ—â— The Venetianâ— attempting to win Patras receiue great losse 〈◊〉 of a 〈◊〉 â—hosâ—n king of Hungaâ—â—e Mahomet sendeth Balabanus to inuade Epirus Balabanus goeth against Scanderbeg The battell betâ—ixt Balabanus and Scanderbeg Moses and other 〈◊〉 captaines cruellâ— exâ—cuted by Mahâ—met The battell of Sfetigrade betwixt Balabanus and Scanderbeg Scanderbeg his 〈◊〉 traiâ—â—â—â—â—ly flâ—e to Balabanus Iacup slaine by Scanderbeg and his armie discomfited 1463 Mahomet commeth to the siege of Croia Scanderbeg surpriseth Ionima the brother of Balabanus and Hedar his sonne 1466 Scanâ—erbeg falleth siâ—ke The death of Scanderbeg Scanderbeg buried at Lyssa The bodie of Scanderbeg digged vp by the Turkes and of them greatly honoured Mathias king of 〈…〉 â—ingdome of 〈◊〉 from the Turke 1470 Chalcis the chiâ—fe citie of Euboea besieged by the Turkâ— Treason in the citie Chalcis taken by the Turkes The fruitfull island of Euboea taâ—en by the Turkes 1471 1472 The Venetianâ— aided by king Ferdinand the bishop of Rome and the great master of the Rhodes doe the Turks great harme all alongst the coast of the lesser Asia 1473 Mahomet no 〈◊〉 troublesome vnto the Mahometaâ—e princes than to the Christian Vsun-Cassanes in a great battell ouerthroweth the Persian king 1474 Two huge armies of the Turkâ— and Persians in 〈◊〉 together The death of the noble Mustapha Mahomet his eldest sonnâ— 1475 Solâ—man Bassa besiegeth Scodra with an armie of eightie thousand men Mattâ—ias â—ing of Huâ—gaâ—ie 〈◊〉 the Turks to â—orsake the siâ—ge of Scodra 1476 1477 Croia besieged by the Turke Contarenus the Venetian Generall slaine The Turkâ— shâ—w themselues at the riuer of Sontium The countrey of Friuli spoiled by the Turkes 1478 1479 Vide Marinum Barletium de expug Scodrensi The poore countrey people flie for feare of the Turks Two oâ— the Turkâ— attempting to touch the wals of 〈◊〉 are both slâ—ine and one of their heads set vp vpon the wal Mahomet in person himselfe commeth vnto the siege of Scodra The order of Mahomets campe Mahomet purposing to giue a generall assault encourageth his captaines and soldiors therunto The cittie of Scodra assaulted by the Turks the fourth time A most terrible assault Twelue thousand Turkes slaine in the last assault The Turkâ— superstitiously reuerence the new Moone Scodra againe most furiously assaulted by the Turkes The assault fiercely againe renued by the Turks A wofull sight A doubtfull fight A notable speech of the great Bassa Achmetes Lyssa taken by the Turks and the bones of Scanderbeg dâ—gged vp by them and had in great reuerence A hard choice Scodra yeelded vnto the Turks 1480 Mahomet longeth after the Rhodes A death right worthy such a traitour The oration of the Great Master to the rest of the knights and souldiors to encourage them valiantly to with sâ—and the Turks Eight hundred Turks slaine Treason against the great Master dâ—scâ—â—ered and the traitours executed Two thousand fiue hundred Turks slaine in the assault The resolute answer of the great Master A faire breâ—â—h made by force of the Turkes batterie The Bassa raiseth his siege Achmetes landâ—th his army in Apulia neere to Otranto and spoileth the countrey Otranto taken by the Turkes 1481 Mahomet dieth at Geiuisen in Bythinia not without suspition of poyson He is buried aâ— Constantinople The description of Mahomet The sonnes of Mahomet Mustapha Baiazet and Zemes. Otranto yeelded vp by the Turks vpon composition Phil. Loâ—icer Turc Hist. lib. 1. Dissention amoÌ„g the Turks about the succesâ—ion Baiazet commeth to Constantinople Zemes riseth against his brother Baiazet Bâ—iazet gâ—eth agaâ—â—sâ— Zemes. Achmetes made Generall of Baiazet his armie Zemes flieth into Syria 1482 Zemes his speech vnto Caytbeius Sultan of Aegypt Caytbeius the Aegiptian Sultan sendeth embassadors to Baiazet 1483 The king of Caramania solliciâ—eâ—h Zemes toâ—â— take vp armès against Baiazet Zemes flieth tâ— sea Zemes his letters to his brother Baiazet Zemes flieth to the Rhodes The description of Zemes. 1484 Achmetes his death contriued Achmetes his son stirreth vp the Ianizaries to help his father Baiazet for feare deliuereth Achmeâ—es to the Ianizaâ—ies Achmetes slaine 1485 Baiazet purposeth to destroy the Ianizaries Baiazet inuadeth Moldauia Many great princes sue to the Master of the Rhodes for Zemes. 1486 Baiazet inuadeth Caramania Tarsus in Cilicia yeelded to Baiazet A long and terrible battell betwixt Baiazet and the king of Caramanâ—a 1487 1488 Achmetes Bassa discomâ—iâ—ed and taken prisoner and sent to Caiâ—e 1489 A long and terrible battell betweene tâ—e Turks and the Mamalukes The Turks flie away by nighâ— 1492 A peace concluded betwixt Baiazet and Caitbeius Alphonsus king of Naples and Alexander Bishop of Rome craue aâ—d of Baiazet against Charles the French king Baiazet sendeth Dautius his embassadour to Alexander bishop of Rome Io. Rouereus robbeth the Turkes embassadour 1495 Zemes dieth
an hundred thousand fighting men with which so great a power the emperors lieutenant thought it not good to encounter vntill he had procured farther aid from the emperour especially out of IBERIA and therefore kept himselfe with such power as he had within his strong and fenced places which Alim perceiuing and out of hope to draw him vnto battell roming vp and downe the countrey at last besieged ARZEN an open towne but full of rich merchants by whom it was contrarie to his expectation notably defended for the space of six daies vntill that at length the Turks seeing no other way to win it set fire vpon it in diuers places by force whereof the inhabitants were enforced for safegard of their liues to flie and to leaue the towne with an infinit wealth to the spoile of the enemie By this time was Liparites gouernour of IBERIA come with a great power to the aide of the emperors lieutenant in MEDIA whereof Alim hauing intelligence without delay hasted with his armie towards his enemies and meeting with them a little before night had with them a cruell fight wherein the victorie fell vnto the Christians who had the Turks in chace a great part of the night Neuerthelesse Liparites valiantly fighting in another wing of the battell was there taken and so carried away prisoner For whose ransome the emperor sent a great summe of money with certaine presents to the Sultan all which he sent back againe and frankly set Liparites at libertie wishing him neuer to beare armes more against the Turks And with him sent the Seriph a man of great place among the Mahumetans his embassadour vnto the emperour who comming to CONSTANTINOPLE amongst other things proudly demanded of the emperour to become tributarie vnto the Sultan and so to be at peace with him for euer Which his vnreasonable demand was by the emperour with no lesse disdaine scornfully rejected and the Seriph so dismissed which contempt of his embassadour the Sultan taking in euill part as also not a little mooued with the death of his nephew and losse of his armie with all his power inuaded the Roman prouinces But being come as far as COIME without any notable harme doing for that the countrey people hearing before of his comming had in time conueighed themselues with their substance into their strong holds whereof there was great store in those countries and hearing also that the Greeke emperour was raising a great power to come against him at CESAREA not daring to proceed any further leauing so many enemies behind him he fretting in himselfe returned into MEDIA where finding the people all fled into their strong townes he laid siege vnto MANTZICHIERT a citie standing in a plaine champion countrey but strongly fortified with a triple wall and deepe ditches This citie he furiously assaulted by the space of thirtie daies without intermission but all in vaine the same being still notably defended by Basilius gouernour thereof and the other Christians therein The Sultan wearie of this siege and about to haue risen was by Alcan one of his great captaines persuaded yet to stay one day for him to make proofe in what he were able to do for the gaining thereof whereunto the Sultan yeelding committed the whole charge of the assault vnto him Alcan the next day diuiding the armie into two parts and placing the one part vpon the higher ground of purpose with the multitude of their shot to haue ouerwhelmed the defendants with the other part of the armie furnished with all things needful for the assault approched the wals the Sultan in the meane time with certaine of the chiefe Turks from an high place beholding all that was done But this so forward a captaine in the middest of his endeuour lost himselfe being slaine with a great number of his followers in approching the wall His dead bodie knowne by the beautie of his armour was by two valiant yoong men that salied out of the gate drawne by the haire of his head into the citie and his head being foorthwith cut off was cast ouer the wall among the Turks wherewith the Sultan discouraged and out of hope of gaining the citie rose with his armie pretending himselfe with other his vrgent affaires to be called home and threatning withall the next spring to returne with greater power and to do great matters But not long after great discord arose betwixt the Sultan and his brother Habramie Alim in so much that the Sultan sought by diuers meanes to have taken him out of the way which Habramie perceiuing fled to his nephew Cutlu Muses and ioyning his forces with his denounced war vnto the Sultan his brother who meeting with them not far from PASAR ouercame them in plaine battell wherein Habramie was taken and presently by the commandement of his brother put to death But Cutlu Muses with his cousin Melech six thousand Turks fled into ARMENIA and by messengers sent of purpose requested of the emperour Constantinus Monomachus to be receiued into his protection But the Sultan with his armie following them at the heeles they for their more safetie were glad to flie into ARABIA The Sultan afterwards turning into IBERIA did there great harme spoiling the countrey before him against whom the emperour sent Michael Acoluthus a valiant captaine of whose approch the Sultan hearing and that he would vndoubtedly ere long give him battell deeming it no great honour vnto him to ouercome the emperours seruant but an eternall dishonour to bee of him ouerthrown retired with his armie backe againe to TAVRIS leauing behind him one Samuch with three thousand Turks to infest the frontiers of the emperors territories which both he and other the Turks captaines afterward more easily did for that Monomachus the emperour hauing prodigally spent the treasures of the empire to encrease his reuenue had imposed a tribute vpon the frontier countries of his empire woont before to be free from all exactions in lieu whereof they were bound to defend the passages from all incursions of the enemies but now pressed with new impositions had dissolued their woonted garrisons and left an easie entrance for the barbarous enemies into the prouinces confining vpon them Besides that the emperours immediatly following and especially Constantinus Ducas abhorring from wars and giuen altogether to the hoording vp of treasure gaue little countenance and lesse maintenance vnto men of seruice which in short time turned vnto the great weakning and in fine to the vtter ruine of the Constantinopolitane empire At the same time also the gouernment of the Constantinopolitane empire by the death of Constantinus Ducas the late emperour came to his wife Eudocia with her three sonnes Michael Andronicus and Constantinus all verie yoong whose sex and tender yeeres the barbarous nations hauing in contempt at their pleasure grieuously spoiled the prouinces of the empire namely MESOPOTAMIA CILICIA CAPADOCIA yea and sometime as far as CoeLESIRIA The report wherof much troubled the empresse
Raimund in the meane time with the rest besieging the citie of TRIPOLIS who become much more insolent than before by reason of some fortunate roads he had made vpon the enemies the last winter ceased not still to maligne Bohemund and his proceedings matter enough to haue diuided the whole power of the Christians to haue turned their weapons vpon themselues which Bohemund wel considering rise with his armie and because he would not with his presence trouble the proceeding of the religious war retired himselfe to ANTIOCH After whose departure Godfrey and the earle of FLANDERS tooke GABELLA a citie about twelue miles from LAODICIA and from thence returned againe to the siege of TORTOSA whether Raimund came also with his armie hauing before driuen the gouernour of TRIPOLIS to such composition as pleased himselfe and to furnish him with such things as he wanted Thus was TORTOSA hardly on three sides besieged by the Christians but so notably defended by the Turks that after three months hard siege the Christians were glad to depart thence and marching alongst the sea side spoiled the countrey about SIDON But forasmuch as that citie was not easily to be woon they left it encamped before PTOLEMAIS which they also passed by the gouernor thereof sending them out victuals with such other things as they wanted and vpon summons giuen promising to yeeld the citie after they had once woon the citie of IERVSALEM From thence they came to CESARIA in PALESTINE where they solemnly kept the feast of Whitsontide and so to RAMA which they found for feare forsaken of the Infidels Marching from RAMA and drawing neere to IERVSALEM they in the vantgard of the armie vpon the first descrying of the Holy citie gaue for joy diuers great shouts and outcries which with the like applause of the whole armie was so doubled and redoubled as if therewith they would haue rent the verie mountaines and pearced the highest heauens There might a man haue seene the deuout passions of these most woorthie and zealous Christians vttered in right diuers manners Some with their eies and hands cast vp towards heauen called aloud vpon the name and helpe of Christ Iesus some prostrat vpon their faces kissed the ground as that whereon the Redeemer of the world sometime walked others joyfully saluted those holy places which they had heard so much of and then first beheld In briefe euerie man in some sort expressed the joy he had conceiued of the sight of the Holy citie as the end of their long trauell This most antient and famous citie so much renowmed in holy writ is situat in an hillie countrey not watred with any riuer or fresh springs as other famous cities for most part be neither yet was it well seated for wood or pasture ground But what wanted in these and such other benefits of nature was by the extraordinarie blessings of the most highest so supplied as that the Iewes there dwelling so long as they kept the ordinances of the Lord were of all other people in the world justly accounted the most happie and fortunate Yet in those so blessed times was this citie for the sinne of the people oftentimes deliuered into the enemies hand and the glorie thereof defaced as well appeareth by the whole course of the historie of holy Scripture as also by the antient and approoued histories as well of the Iewes themselues as others Neuerthelesse it still rise againe though not in like glorie as before in the time of king Dauid Salomon and the other next succeeding kings and so was still repeopled by the Iewes vntill that at last according to the foretelling of our Sauiour Christ it was with a great and of all others most lamentable destruction vtterly rased and destroyed by the Romans vnder the leading of Vespatian the emperour and his noble sonne Titus fortie yeeres after our Sauiour his pretious death and passion Sithence which time it was neuer vntill this day againe repaired or yet well inhabited by the Iewes but lying buried in the ruines of it selfe all the raigne of Domitian Nerua and Trajan vntill the time of the great emperour Aelius Adrianus it was againe by him reedified about the yeere 136 and after the name of him called AELIA who together with the name changed also in some part the antient situation of the citie For whereas before it was seated vpon the steepe rising of an hill in such sort that towards the East and the South it ouerlooked the whole ground hauing onely the temple and the castle called ANTONIA in the highest part of the citie Adrian translated the whole citie vnto the verie top of the hill so that the place where our blessed Sauiour suffred his most bitter passion with the sepulcher wherein he was also laid and from whence he in glorie rise againe before without the citie were then enclosed within the walles thereof as they are at this day to be seene Yet for all that the emperour being dead in processe of time this new built citie recouered againe the antient name of IERVSALEM whereby it hath euer since and is at this day yet known This citie so reedified the emperour first gaue vnto the Iewes whom he afterwards againe thrust out for their rebellion and gaue it to the Christians to inhabit ouer whom one Marke first bishop of the Gentiles there had the charge But forasmuch as the Romane emperours were at that time altogether idolaters and persecutors of the poore Christians the church also at IERVSALEM with others endured sundrie and many grieuous persecutions vnder the emperors Antoninus Commodus Seuerus Maximinus Valerianus Aurelianus Dioclesianus and Maxentius vntill that at length Constantine the Great conuerted vnto the faith of Christ about the yeere of Grace 320 suppressing the Pagan idolatrie gaue generall peace vnto the afflicted church whereby the Christian church at IERVSALEM for the space of three hundred yeeres after happily flourished vnder the Greeke emperours vntill the time of the emperour Phocas who hauing most cruelly slaine the good emperour Maurice with his children and so possessed himselfe of the empire gaue occasion thereby vnto Chosroe the Persian king in reuenge of the death of Maurice his father in law with all his power to inuade SIRIA who as a tempest bearing downe all before him tooke also by force the citie of IERVSALEM hauing that yeere which was about the yeere six hundred and ten slaine almost an hundred thousand christians But Phocas the vsurper being by them of his guard most cruelly slaine and Heraclius succeeding in his steed Chosroe was by him againe driuen out of SIRIA and the Holy citie againe recouered about the yeere 624. In these great wars against the Persians Heraclius had vsed the helpe of the Arabians called Scenite a warlike people of ARABIA DESERTA altogether giuen to the spoile who the wars now ended expecting to haue receiued their pay were contrarie to their expectation and without all reason rejected by them that
Christians was honourably buried in the church of the sepulchre of our Sauiour on the mount CALVERIE where our Sauiour suffred his passion in which the Christian kings succeeding him were also afterwards buried He departed this life the eighteenth of Iuly in the yeere of our Lord 1100 when he had yet scarce raigned a full yeere Whose tombe is yet at this day there to be seene with an honourable inscrption thereupon After the death of Godfrey the Christians made choice of Baldwin his brother countie of EDESSA who leauing his former gouernment to Baldwin surnamed Burgensis his neere kinsman came to IERVSALEM honourably accompanied and was there by the Patriarch on Christmas day with all solemnitie crowned king in the yeere 1101. He aided by the Venetians and Genowaies at sea and by Bohemund king of ANTIOCH by land tooke from the Infidels the citie of CESAREA STRATONIS standing vpon the sea side and ouerthrew certaine companies of the Aegyptian Sultans at RAMA But vnderstanding that the Christian princes of the West were comming to his aid with a new power he glad thereof went to meet them and safely conducted them to IERVSALEM alongst the sea coast by the cities of BERYTVS SIDON TIRE and PTOLEMAIS all yet holden by the enemies At which time the Turks at ASCALON hauing receiued great aid from the Arabians and Aegyptians inuaded the countrey about RAMA where betwixt them and the Christians was fought a most cruell battell wherein the Christians receiued a most notable ouerthrow many of their great commanders being there slaine and among the rest Stephen earle of CHARTERS but lately returned home from the former expedition and now come backe againe and Stephen earle of BVRGVNDIE and THOLOVS yea the king himselfe hardly escaped the enemies hands and after many dangers came at length to IOPPA after it had beene constantly before reported him to haue been in that battell also slaine Who hauing there in hast repaired his armie came againe speedily vpon his enemies fearing as then nothing lesse and ouerthrew them with such a slaughter as that they had small cause to rejoyce of the former victorie Neither were the rest of the Christian princes in the other parts of SIRIA and PALESTINE in the meane time idle but sought by all meanes to enlarge their territories Tancred prince of GALLILIE hauing raised a great power tooke APAMEA the Metropoliticall citie of CoeLESYRIA and after much toile woon also the citie of LAODICEA Baldwin also gouernour of EDESSA besieging the citie of CARRAS had brought the besieged Turks to such extremitie that they were about to haue yeelded the citie when suddenly hee was set vpon by a great armie of the Turks sent from the Persian Sultan for the reliefe of the besieged and being there ouerthrown was himselfe there taken with Benedict the bishop and one Ioscelin his kinsman who after fiue yeeres captiuitie found means with the Turke that had taken them to redeeme themselues to the great offence of the Persian Sultan of the Sultan Solyman King Baldwin after the late victorie liued for a season at some good rest in IERVSALEM vnmolested by his enemies but knowing his greatest safetie among such warlike people to consist in armes he vpon the sudden raised the whole strength of his kingdome and laid siege to PTOLOMAIS otherwise called ACON a citie of PHoeNICIA standing vpon the riuage of the sea where he found such resistance that he was glad to raise his siege and depart hauing done nothing more than spoiled the pleasant places without the citie By the way in his returne backe againe it fortuned him to meet with certaine companies of the enemies aduenturers by whom he was in a skirmish mortally wounded although he died not thereof in long time after for albeit that the wound was by his surgeans healed vp yet was the griefe thereof so great that at length it brought him to his end Yet he notwithstanding the former repulse the next yeere encouraged by the comming of the Genua fleet laid hard siege againe to PTOLOMAIS both by sea and land which after twentie daies siege was by composition yeelded vnto him Shortly after the gouernour of ALEPPO with certaine others of the Turks great captaines in those quarters hauing joyned their forces together and so inuaded the countrey about ANTIOCH were by Tancred whom Bohemund at his departure into ITALY had left gouernour of that citie notably encountred and put to flight At which time also the Caliph of AEGYPT sending great forces both by sea and land against the king of IERVSALEM was in both places discomfited at land by the Christians and at sea by tempest Bohemund in the meane time with a great armie of voluntarie men and others wherein he is reported to haue had fiue thousand horse and fortie thousand foot returning towards the Holy land in reuenge of many injuries done by Alexius the emperour vnto the souldiers of this sacred war contrarie to his faith and promise to them before giuen by the way landed his men in EPIRVS and grieuously spoiled the countrey about DIRRACHIVM part of the emperours dominion Neither made he an end of spoiling vntill he had enforced the emperour for redresse of so great harmes to make peace with him and againe by solemne oath to promise all securitie and kindnesse vnto all such Christian souldiers as should haue occasion to trauell too or fro through his countries during the time of this religious war After which agreement hee put to sea againe and so returned for IERVSALEM But whilest he staid at ANTIOCH hee shortly after there died in the yeere 1108 leauing the principalitie thereof vnto his yoong sonne Bohemund a child vnder the tuition of his nephew Tancred Yet were the cities of BERYTVS SIDON and TIRE alongst the sea coast in the enemies possession for the gaining whereof Baldwin the king raised a great armie and so came and laid siege to BERYTVS which after many sharpe assaults he at length woon the three and twentith day of Aprill in the yeere 1111 and put to sword most part of them that he found therein The same yeere also he assisted by a fleet sent vnto him out of NORWAY besieged the citie of SIDON which the citizens seeing themselues now beset both by sea and land at length yeelded vnto him by composition the nineteenth day of December After which victorie he dismissed the fleet and returned himselfe in triumph to IERVSALEM Now of all the famous cities alongst the sea coast of PHoeNICIA and PALESTINE from LAODICEA to ASCALON was onely the citie of TYRE that remained in the hands of the enemies which citie Baldwin also hardly besieged neuerthelesse it was so well defended by the Turks that after he had all in vaine lyen before it by the space of foure months he was glad to rise with his armie and depart It fortuned that within two yeeres after the Turks with a mightie armie sent from the Persian Sultan
the empire that the name of a boy should be set before the name of so reuerend graue wise and excellent a man as was Andronicus his companion in the empire Shortly after Andronicus being brought into the great temple to be crowned then first began to shew vnto the people a cheerfull countenance and setting aside his sterne looke after his long deuotion done filled the vaine peoples heads with many large promises of a more happie forme of gouernment than before All which prooued nothing but meere dissimulation and deepe deceit that cheerfulnesse of countenance and speech seruing but for a while to couer his inward and couert most inhumane crueltie And the more to deceiue the world the ceremonies of his coronation past at such time as he should for the consummation and confirmation of all receiue the sacred and dreadfull mysterie the pledge of our redemption not without due reuerence to be named much lesse with impure hands touched after he had receiued the bread and taken the cup in his hand he with a most deuout countenance framed of purpose to deceiue his eies cast vp to heauen as if his soule had there alreadie beene the fairest maske of hypocrisie swore by those dreadfull mysteries and most deeply protested in the hearing of the people standing by that he had taken vpon him the fellowship of the empire for no other end or purpose but to assist Alexius his cousin in the gouernment and to strengthen his power whereas his secret meaning was nothing lesse as shortly after appeared For after a few daies spent in faigned deuotions for the prosperous beginning of his empire he foorthwith turned his mind vnto other his more secret but most wicked and execrable designes And hauing aboue all things purposed the death of the yoong emperour he called together them of the counsell his owne creatures and corrupt ministers of his wickednesse who had now oftentimes in their mouths that saying of the Poet Est mala res multos dominarier vnicus esto Rex dominusque An euill thing it is to be ruled by many One king and one lord if there be any and that the old age of an Eagle was better than the youth of a Larke So by the generall consent of that wicked assembly vnworthie the name of a graue counsell a decree was made That Alexius should as a man vnfit for the gouernment of the state be depriued of all imperiall dignitie and commanded to liue a priuat life Which disloyall decree of the conspirators was yet scarcely published but that another more cruell came out of the same forge That he should forthwith be put to death as one vnwoorthie longer to liue For the execution of which so horrible a sentence Stephanus Hagiochristophorites one of the chiefe ministers of Andronicus his villanies and by him promoted euen vnto the highest degrees of the honours of the court with Constantinus Trypsicus and one Theodorus Badibrenus captaine of the tormenters were sent out who entring his chamber by night without compassion of his tender age or regard of his honour or innocencie cruelly strangled him with a bow string which detestable murder so performed Andronicus shortly after comming in spurned the dead bodie with his foot railing at his father the late emperor Emanuell as a forsworne and injurious man at his mother as a common whore The head was forthwith strucke off from this miserable carkasse the mirrour of honours vnstabilitie and left for the monstrous tyrant to feed his eyes vpon the bodie wrapped vp in lead was in a boat carried to sea by Io. Camaterius and Theodosius Chumenus two of Andronicus his noble fauourits who with great joy and glee returned with the same boat to the court as if they had done some notable exploit But long continueth not the joy of the mischieuous vengeance still following them at the heeles as it did these two who not long after with the rest that conspired the innocent emperours death all or most part of them came to shamefull or miserable end Thus perished Alexius the emperor not yet full fifteen yeeres old in the third yeare of his raigne which time he liued more like a seruant than an emperour first vnder the command of his mother and afterwards of the tyrant which brought him to his end Who joyeth now but old Andronicus made young againe as should seeme by his new gained honours for immediatly after the murder committed he married Anne the French kings daughter as some report before betrothed to yong Alexius a tender and most beautifull ladie not yet full eleuen yeeres old an vnfit match for threescore and tenne And in some sort as it were to purge himselfe and his partakers of the shamefull murder by them committed and to stop the mouths of the people he by much flatterie and large promises procured of the bishops a generall absolution for them all from the oath of obedience which they had before giuen vnto the emperour Emanuell and Alexius his sonne which obtained he for a while had the same bishops in great honour and shortly after in greater contempt as men forgetfull of their duties and calling After that he gaue himselfe wholly vnto the establishing of his estate neuer reckoning himselfe thereof assured so long as he saw any of the nobilitie or famous captaines that fauoured Emanuell the late emperour or Alexius his sonne aliue of whom some he secretly poysoned as Marie the emperour Emanuels daughter with her husband Caesar some for light occasions he depriued of their sight as he did Emanuell and Alexius the sonnes of the great and noble captaine Iohn Comnenus Andronicus Lapardas whose good seruice he had oftentimes vsed Theodorus Angelus Alexius Comnenus the emperour Emanuell his base sonne Some he hanged as Leo Synesius Manuell Lachanâ—s with diuers others Some he burnt as Mamalus one of the emperour Alexius his principall secretaries all men of great honour and place For colour whereof he pretended himselfe to be sorrie for them deepely protesting that they died by the seueritie of the law not by his will and by the just doome of the Iudges whereunto he was himselfe as he said to giue place and that with teares plentifully running downe his aged cheekes as if he had ben the most sorrowfull man aliue O deepe dissimulation and Crocodiles teares by nature ordained to expresse the heauinesse of the heart flowing from the eies as shoures of raine out of the clouds in good men the most certaine signes of greatest griefe and surest testimonies of inward torment but in Andronicus you are not so you are far of another nature you proceed of joy you promise not vnto the distressed pitie or compassion but death destruction How many mens eies haue you put out how many haue you drowned how many haue you deuoured Most of the nobilitie that fauoured the late emperour Emanuel Alexius his son thus taken out of the way by Andronicus strook such a feare
after his father for whose inheritance Reucratine prince of DOCEA and Masut prince of ANCYRA his two brethren fell at variance and so at last into open war But Masut finding himselfe too weake for his warlike brother Reucratine yeelded vnto him the territories which he saw he must needs forgo and glad now to keepe his owne so made peace with him Reucratine being a man of an ambitious and haughtie spirit with his forces thus doubled denounced war vnto his brother Caichosroes who doubting his owne strength fled vnto the emperour Alexius Angelus for aid as had his father done before him vnto the emperour Manuel although not with like good fortune For the emperour but of late hauing obtained the empire by the deposing of his brother and altogether giuen to pleasure reputing also those domesticall warres of the Turkes some part of his owne safetie sent him home without comfort as one strong enough of himselfe to defend his owne quarrell against his brother Howbeit he was scarcely come to ICONIUM but that he was by Rucratine expulsed thence and driuen to flie into ARMENIA where he was by Lebune king of that country a Turke also honourably receiued and courteously vsed but yet denied of the aid he requested the king pretending that he was alreadie in league with Reucratine and therefore could not or as some thought fearing the dangerousnesse of the matter would not intermeddle therein Wherewith the poore Sultan vtterly discouraged returned againe to CONSTANTINOPLE and there in poore estate as a man forlorne passed out the rest of his daies Now hauing thus passed through the Turkish affaires in the lesser ASIA together with the troubled estate of the Constantinopolitan empire no small cause of the Turks greatnesse the course of time calleth vs backe againe before wee passe any further to remember their proceedings also at the same time and shortly after in SIRIA IVDEA AEGYPT and those more Southerly countries where these restlesse people ceased not by all meanes to enlarge their empire vntill they had brought all those great kingdomes vnder their obeisance After the death of Baldwin king of HIERUSALEM of whom we haue before spoken Almericus his yoonger brother earle of IOPPA and ASCALON being then about seuen and twentie yeeres old was by the better good liking of the cleargie and people than of the nobilitie elected king not for that there wanted in him any good parts woorthie of a kingdome but for that some of them enuied vnto him so great an honour Neuerthelesse he was as we said by the generall consent of the people elected proclaimed and by Almericus the Patriarch with all solemnitie crowned the seuenteenth day of Februarie in the yeare of Grace 1163. To begin whose troubled raigne the Aegyptians first of all denied to pay vnto him their woonted tribute In reuenge whereof he in person himselfe with a puissant armie entred into AEGYPT and meeting with Dargan the Sultan ouerthrew him in plaine battell and put him to flight who to stay the further pursuit and passage of the Christians cut the bankes of the riuer NILUS and so drowned the countrey that the king was glad to content himselfe with the victorie he had alreadie gotten and so to returne to HIERUSALEM The next yeere Almericus was againe drawn downe with his power into AEGYPT by Dargan the Sultan to aid him against Saracon whom Noradin the Turke king of DAMASCO had sent as generall with an armie to restore Sanar the Sultan before expulsed and to depose Dargan In which expedition Dargan being slaine and Saracon hauing woon certaine townes kept them to himselfe Sanar doubtfull of his good meaning joyned his forces with Almericus and by his helpe expulsed Saracon out of AEGYPT But whilest Almericus was thus busied in AEGYPT Noradin the Turke making an inroad into the frontiers of the Christians neere vnto TRIPOLIS was by Gilbert Lacy master of the Templars in those quarters and the other Christians when he least feared so suddenly set vpon that he had much adoe by flight to saue himselfe halfe naked for hast most of his followers being at the same time slaine In reuenge of which disgrace he not long after with a greater power came and besieged ARETHUSA For reliefe whereof Bohemund prince of ANTIOCH Raymund the yoonger earle of TRIPOLIS Calaman gouernour of CILICIA and Toros prince of ARMENIA came with their power Of whose comming the Turke hearing raised his siege and departed After whom these Christian princes eagerly following were by the Turks shut vp in certaine deepe and rotten fennes whâ—â—einto they had vnaduisedly too far entred and there with a great slaughter ouerthrown In which conflict all the chiefe commanders of the armie were taken except the prince of ARMENIA who forecasting the danger had retired after he had in vaine dissuaded the rest from the further pursuit of the flying enemie The prince of ANTIOCH there taken was about a yeare after for a great summe of money redeemed but the countie of TRIPOLIS was after eight yeares strait captiuitie hardly deliuered Noradin after this victorie returning againe to the siege of ARETHUSA in few daies woon the towne and encouraged with so good successe and the absence of the king laid siege to the citie of PANEADE which was also deliuered vnto him vpon condition that the citizens might at their pleasure in safetie depart At the same time Saracon generall of Noradin his forces tooke from the Christians two castels the one in the countrey of SIDON the other beyond IORDAN vpon the borders of ARABIA both in the custodie of the Templars twelue of whom the king at his returne hanged vp for treason Shortly after Saracon king Noradin his great man of war with all the power of the Turkes came downe againe into AEGYPT with purpose to haue fully subdued all that notable kingdome vnto his lord and master Of whose power Sanar the Sultan standing in dread praied aid of Almericus promising vnto him beside his yearely tribute the summe of fortie thousand ducats for his paines The matter fully agreed vpon and all things now in readinesse Almericus set forward with his armie and encountring with Saracon and his Turks at the riuer NILVS ouerthrew him in a great battell yet not without some losse for the Turks in their flight lighting vpon the kings carriages with the whole baggage of the armie and ouerrunning them that had the charge thereof caried away with them a most rich prey whereby it came to passe that as the Christians had the victorie so the Turkes enjoyed the spoile Saracon after this ouerthrow hauing againe gathered together his dispersed souldiers tooke his way to ALEXANDRIA where he was by the citizens receiued after whom the king following gaue no attempt vnto the citie for that he knew to be but vaine but encamped close by the side of the riuer NILVS from whence the citie was chiefly to be victualed Whose purpose Saracon perceiuing and betime foreseeing the distresse of his whole armie
inuaded by Almericus they praid aid of Noradin the Turke Sultan of DAMASCO who vnto their reliefe sending Saracon with an armie repulsed indeed the Christians but oppressing their libertie tooke vnto himselfe the kingdome which he left vnto his nephew Saladine in whose posteritie it remained vntill it was from them againe taken by the Circassian slaues the Mamalukes vnder whose seruile gouernment it was holden of long time vntill that by the great emperor of the Turkes Selymus the first it was againe conquered and the Mamalukes vtterly destroied In the gouernment of whose posteritie the mightie emperors of the Turks it hath euer since remained as part of their empire vntill this day as in the processe of this historie God willing shall appeare Saladin thus possessed of the great kingdome of AEGYPT and all things set in such order as he thought best for the newnesse of his state with a great armie entred into the land of PALESTINE in the yeare 1170 and there besieged DARON which towne he woon and ouerthrew such as were sent by king Almericus to haue relieued the same with which small victorie contenting himselfe as with the good beginning of his rising fortune he returned backe againe into his kingdome Yet was his armie so great and populous as that the like armie of the Turkes had neuer before beene seene in the Holy land Wherefore Almericus considering in what great danger he stood his kingdome now being on both sides beset by the Turks sent out his embassadours vnto the Christian princes of the West to craue their aid for the defence of that kingdome which their fathers had woon And for the same purpose went himselfe in person vnto the emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE of whom he was royally entertained and afterwards sent backe loaded with the promises of great matters as were also his embassadours from the princes of the West All which for all that sorted vnto nothing but vanished into smoake The yeare following viz. 1171 Saladin besieged PETREA the metropoliticall citie of ARABIA but hearing that Almericus with a great power was comming to the reliefe thereof hee raised his siege and retired As he did also the next yeare after hauing in vaine attempted the strong castle of MONT-ROYALL on the further side of IORDAN In like manner also the third yeare he came againe into the Holy land and spoiled the countrey beyond IORDAN but hearing of the kings comming against him he foorthwith returned againe into AEGYPT All these light expeditions this politike prince made not so much for hope of victorie or to prooue his enemies strength as to traine his souldiers especially the effeminat Aegyptians and to make them sitter to serue him in his greater designes Shortly after died Noradin Sultan of DAMASCO and in his time a most notable champion of the Turks after he had raigned nine and twentie yeares Vpon whose death Almericus foorthwith besieged the citie of PANEADE in hope to haue againe recouered the same but he was by the widow of the late dead Sultan for a great summe of money and the deliuerie of certaine noble prisoners intreated to raise his siege and depart So hauing sent away his armie and trauelling with his ordinarie retinue to TIBERIAS where hee had the summer before beene sicke of the flix feeling himselfe not well he returned on horsebacke by NAZARETH and NEAPOLIS to HIERUSALEM where his old disease increasing vpon him he was also taken with a feuer wherewith after he had beene some few daies grieuously tormented hee requested his physitians with some gentle potion to loose his belly which was now somewhat staied which they refusing to do he commaunded the potion to be giuen him vpon his owne perill hap thereon what hap should which being giuen him and his belly againe loosed he seemed therewith to haue been at the first well eased but his woonted feauer with great vehemencie returning before his weake spent bodie could be with conuenient meats refreshed he suddenly died the tenth of Iuly in the yeare 1173 when he had raigned about ten yeares His dead bodie was with the great lamentation of all his subjects solemnly buried by his brothers Hee was a most wise prince and withall right valiant amongst many most fit for the gouernment and defence of that troublesome kingdome so hardly beset with the infidels if it had pleased God to haue giuen him longer life Foure daies after the death of Almericus was Baldwin his sonne then a youth about thirteene yeares old by the generall consent of the nobilitie chosen king and by Almericus the Patriarch in the temple with great solemnitie crowned in the yeare 1173 vnto whom as not yet by reason of his tender age fit himselfe to mannage the waightie affaires of the kingdome Raymund countie of TRIPOLIS was by the whole consent of the nobilitie appointed tutor to supply what was wanting in the yoong king Noradin Sultan of DAMASCO dead as is aforesaid left behind him Melechsala his sonne yet but a youth to succeed him in his kingdome Whose gouernment the nobilitie disdaining sent secretly for Saladin Sultan of Aegypt vnto whom at his comming they betrayed the citie of DAMASCO the regall seat of the Turkes in SYRIA Whereof Saladin possessed and entring into CELESIRIA without resistance tooke HELIOPOLIS EMISSA with the great citie of CESAREA and in fine all the whole kingdome of DAMASCO the citie of ARâ—THUSA onely excepted But thus to suffer Melechsala the young prince to be wronged and the kingdome of DAMASCO to be joyned vnto the kingdome of Aegypt was of the wiser sort thought not to stand with the safetie of the kingdome of HIERUSALEM lying in the middle betwixt them both Wherefore the countie of TRIPOLIS gouernour of that kingdome made out certaine forces to haue hindred his proceeding At which time also Cotobed prince of PARTHIA and Melechsalas vncle sent certaine troupes of Parthian horsemen to haue aided his distressed nephew who were by Saladin ouerthrowne and almost all slaine neere vnto ALEPPO where Melechsala lay As for the countie of TRIPOLIS and the other Christian princes with whom Saladin in the newnesse of his kingdome had no desire to fall out he appeased them with faire intreatie and rewards vnto the countie hee sent freely the hostages which yet lay for his ransome at EMISSA vnto the other princes he sent rich presents and therewith so contented them all that they returned without any thing doing against him After which time three or foure yeareâ— passed in great quietnesse to the great strengthening of him in those his new gotten kingdomes At length vpon the comming ouer of Philip earle of FLANDERS the Christian princes in SYRIA encouraged consulted of an expedition to be made into AEGIPT whereof Saladin hauing intelligence drew downe into that countrey the greatest part of his strength But Philip disliking of that expedition and the rather for that he saw no great cheerefulnesse in the countie of TRIPOLIS and the rest thereunto they
whom he was kept prisoner by the space of a yeare and three months and then ransomed for the summe of an hundred and fiftie thousand pounds About this time died the great Sultan Saladin the greatest terrour of the Christians who mindfull of mans fragilitie and the vanitie of worldly honours commanded at the time of his death no solemnitie to be vsed at his buriall but onely his shirt in manner of an ensigne made fast vnto the point of a launce to be carried before his dead bodie as an ensigne a plaine priest going before and crying aloud vnto the people in this sort Saladin Conquerour of the East of all the greatnesse and riches hee had in his life carrieth not with him after his death any thing more than his shirt A fight woorthie so great a king as wanted nothing to his eternall commendation more than the true knowledge of his saluation in Christ Iesu. He raigned about sixteene yeares with great honour and dying left nine sonnes which were all murthered by Saphradin their vncle excepting one called also Saphradin Sultan of ALEPPO who by the fauour and support of his fathers good friends saued himselfe from the treacherous practises of his vncle Of this Saphradin the vncle discended Meledin Sultan of AEGYPT and Coradin Sultan of DAMASCO and HIERUSALEM Saladin his great kingdome being by them now againe rent in pieces The death of Saladin in short time bruited abroad with the discord amongst the Turks and Sarasins about his dominions put Celestinus then Pope in good hope that the citie of HIERUSALEM might in that change and hurle be easily againe recouered and that kingdome established But when hee had in vaine dealt to that purpose with the kings of FRANCE and ENGLAND then altogether busied in their wars the one against the other he persuaded Henrie the sixt then emperor to take the matter in hand who for that he well could not or else would not himselfe in person vndertake that long expedition sent Henrie duke of SAXONIE his lieutenant with a great armie into ASIA vnto whom were joyned two Legats Conradus Archbishop of MOGUNSIA another of the electours and Conradus the bishop of HERâ—IPOLIS At which time also many other great princes tooke vpon them that holy war namely Herman Lantgraue of THURIN Henrie Palatine of RHENE Henrie duke of BRABANT Conrad marques of MORAVIA Frederick duke of AUSTRIA and Albertus Hapspurgensis with some others vnto whom also joyned themselues the bishops of BREME HALBERSTAT and RATISBON with diuers other great prelates Who hauing passed through HUNGARIE and THRACIA and by the Greeke emperour Alexius Angelus relieued with all things necessarie were by the Graecian ships transported vnto ANTIOCH and so by land came to TYRE and from thence to PTOLEMAIS with purpose to haue gone to relieue the Germains besieged in IOPPE who before their comming were all by treason slaine and the citie rased wherefore being come to the ruins thereof they departed thence to SIDON which they found also abandoned by the Turks After that they tooke BERITHUS which citie they fortified and so went to besiege TORONE which citie when they had brought vnto the extremitie as that it must needs as it was thought either yeeld or bee taken the Turkes came on so fast to the reliefe therof that the Christians were glad to raise their siege and to be gone which they in garrison at BERITHUS perceiuing seeing the enemie to approch them they abandoned the citie and joyning themselues vnto the rest of the armie marched all together to IOPPE a little before ruinated which they now againe fortified But the enemie comming to BERITHUS and finding it forsaken rased it downe to the ground and so in few moneths space was BERITHUS both repaired and rased in the yeere 1197. But whilest the Christians were repairing the citie of IOPPE the Turks proud of that they had done at BERITHUS came now to disturbe also the fortifying of that place Of whose comming the Christians vnderstanding remooued by night about fiue miles from the citie of purpose to draw the Turks vnto a conuenient place for battell The Turks thinking them to haue beene fled for feare sent part of their armie to assaile the citie and with the other followed after them disorderedly as if it had beene after men they had had in chace Vpon whom the Christians turning had with them at the first a sharpe encounter but afterwards put them to flight in which conflict certaine thousands of the Turks fell of whom the Christians taking the spoile and hauing put the rest to flight returned againe vnto the fortifying of the citie But the joy of this victorie was by the sudden death of two of the greatest princes in the armie greatly diminished for the duke of SAXONIE hauing in the battell taken great paines in performing the parts both of a woorthie generall and valiant souldier had ouer heated himselfe and thereupon without regard of his health taking cold died of a feauer the fourth day after The duke of AUSTRIA mortally wounded in the battell died also the night following About this time or not long after died Celestinus the pope author of this expedition and Henrie also the Germaine emperour after whose death great troubles began to arise in GERMANIE about the chusing of a new emperour Whereof the bishop of MOGUNSIA then chiefe commander of the armie of the Christians in SIRIA one of the electors and the other Germaine princes with him hauing intelligence could not by any persuasion or praiers of the poore Christians in whose quarrell they were come bee persuaded longer to stay but that needs home they would indeed home they went the same way that they came After whose departure the Turks tooke IOPPE hauing one of the ports betraied vnto them by one of the citie at such time as the Germains there in garrison after the manner of their countrey vpon S. Martins day were carelesly making merrie together in their pots vpon whom so surcharged with wine the Turks entring by the port giuen vnto them put them all with the rest of the Christians to the sword and so afterward rased the citie downe to the ground Of which victorie they became so proud that they had thought without stop to haue driuen the Christians quite out of SIRIA but by the comming of Simon countie of MONT-FORT a most valiant and expert captaine sent thither by Philip the French king with a regiment of tall soldiers at the instance of Innocentius Tertius that succeeded Celestinus in the papacie and by ciuill discord then raigning among the Turks themselues for soueraigntie their furie was repressed and a peace betwixt them and the Christians concluded for the space of ten yeares during which time the Turks promised not to molest the Christians in TYRE or PTOLEMAIS which hapned in the yeare 1199 or as some others say 1198. After which peace so concluded the woorthie countie returned again with his souldiers into
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
because he was as yet but yoong and vnfit for the gouernment he was by the consent of the nobilitie affianced and afterward married vnto Martha the yoonger daughter of Iohn Brenne king of HIERUSALEM a woorthie old captaine but as then gouernour of RAVENNA which citie he being certaine yeares before sent for out of FRANCE for that purpose by Honorius the Pope he notably defended against the emperour Frederick his sonne in law but that affinitie was before broken off by the death of the said emperours wife who now sent for out of ITALIE vnto CONSTANTINOPLE had committed to his charge and protection both the person and empire of the young emperour Baldwin now his sonne in law Which great and heauie charge he for certaine yeares after worthely and faithfully discharged vntill such time as that Baldwin was himselfe grown able to take vpon him the gouernment Now although the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE with the countries of THRACIA THESSALIA MACEDONIA ACHAIA PELOPONESUS and the rest of the prouinces of GREECE were all or for the most part vnder the gouernment of Baldwin the emperour the Venetians or other the inferiour Latine princes yet were the oppressed Greekes the naturall inhabitants thereof in heart not theirs as abhorring nothing more than that their forraine gouernment but wholly deuoted to their owne naturall princes Theodorus Lascaris Alexius Comnenus the one raigning at NICE in BITHYNIA and the other at TRAPEZOND in PONTUS both called by the Greekes emperours and so of them generally reputed Lascaris of the two the better beloued and by far of greatest power had during the time of his raigne fought many an hard battell as is in part before declared and strongly fortified his cheefe citties against the inuasion of his enemies as well the Turkes as the Latines and so hauing as it were erected a new empire in ASIA and there raigned eighteene yeares died leauing behind him one Iohn Ducas Batazes that had married the faire ladie Irene his daughter and heire to succeed him in the Greeke empire in ASIA This Iohn was a man of a great wit and spirit and of more grauitie for his yeares than was Theodorus his father in law neuer vndertaking any thing before he had thereof well considered and once resolued not omitting or neglecting any thing for the performance therof So that it was not vnfitly said of the Greeks The planting of this new empire to haue required the celeritie of Lascaris but the stay thereof to haue been the grauitie of Ducas He in the beginning of his raigne in very short time hauing set all things in good order greatly augmented his legions and shooting at a fairer marke than the empire he yet held euen the imperiall citie it selfe and the recouerie of all THRACIA and GRECIA out of the hands of the Latines which could not be done without a fleet at sea built a great number of gallies in the ports of the lesser ASIA And so hauing rigged vp and manned a strong fleet and scouring the seas in one Summer tooke in most of the Islands of the AEGEUM namely LESBOS CHIOS SAMOS ICARIA COOS with the famous Island of the RHODES and many others also And not so contented to haue encreased his empire the next spring crossing the HELLESPONT and landing his forces first inuaded CHERSONESUS and afterward to terrifie the Latines forraged the countrey far and neere euen to the gates of CONSTANTINOPLE no man daring to oppose himselfe against him At which time also he took many cities strong towns alongst the sea coast as CALLIOPOLIS SESTUS CARDIA with diuers others therabout some by force some by composition the Greeks almost in euery place yeelding themselues where they were not so oppressed by the Latines as that they could not helpe him Now by these proceedings of the Greek emperor in EUROPE was plainly to be seen again the ruin of the Latin empire in the East all things prospering in his hand according to his hearts desire Assan the Bulgarian king no small terror both vnto the Latins the Greeks moued with the fame hereof by his embassadors sent of purpose vnto Iohn the Greek emperor offred his daughter Helena in mariage vnto yong Theodore his son of which offer the emperor gladly accepted For being busied in his greater affaires he was loth to haue so great a king as was Assan his enemie able at his pleasure to cal in the Scythes who with their multitude as a great flood breaking ouer the bankes had oftentimes caried away whole countries before them Wherefore the match agreed vpon the two great princes by appointment met together about CHERSONESUS where Helena king Assans daughter being then about ten yeares old was with great joy and triumph solemnly married vnto yong Theodor the emperours sonne much of the same age Not long after embassadours were also sent vnto the emperour from the Sultan of ICONIUM to confirme and prolong the league betwixt them for the Tartars not contented to haue driuen the Turkes out of PERSIA and the farre Easterne countries began now also to cut them short in their prouinces in the lesser ASIA wherefore the Sultan of ICONIUM fearing least whiles he had his hands full of those his most dreadfull enemies of themselues too strong for him he should behind be set vpon by the Greeke emperour and so thrust out of all sent these embassadours vnto him for peace which he for many causes easily graunted First for that he foresaw what an hard matter it would be for him to maintaine warre at once both in ASIA against the Turks and in EUROPE against the Latines then by this warlike nation as by a most sure bulwarke to keepe his owne countries safe from the inuasion of the barbarous Tartars vnto whose furie he should himselfe lie open if the Turks were once taken out of their way Both sufficient reasons for the emperour to yeeld vnto the Sultan which he did so was the peace concluded and the embassadors dispatched This peace exceedingly comforted and afterward inriched the emperours countries for now the people generally deliuered of the feare and miserie of continuall warre began on all hands to fall to their fruitfull labours of peace Yea the emperour himselfe to the stirring vp of others to the like good husbandrie caused so much land to be plowed vp for corne so many vineyards to be planted as might plentifully suffice his owne house and such poore as he daily relieued with a great ouerplus which he caused to be carefully laid vp in store He kept also great heards of cattell flockes of sheepe and foules of all sorts without number The like he caused his kinsmen other of the nobilitie to doe to the intent that euery great man hauing sufficient for his own spending at home should not take any thing from the poore countreyman that so euery man contenting himselfe with his owne might liue in peace without the grieuance of others By which means in a few
strengthening of their kingdome bought an infinit number of slaues especially of the poore and hardie Circassians called in antient time Getae and Zinchi neere vnto COLCHIS and the EUXINE sea brought vnto ALEXANDRIA and other ports of AEGYPT out of those bare cold countries by marchants and from thence transported to CAIRE and other cities of AEGYPT of which poore slaues the late Aegyptian Sultans taking their choice and culling out from the rest such as were like to be of greatest spirit and abilitie of bodie deliuered them vnto most skilfull and expert teachers by whom they were carefully taught to run to leape to vaut to shoot to ride with all other feats of actiuitie and withall cunningly to handle all manner of weapons as well on horsebacke as on foot and so instructed and become cunning were taken out of their schooles into pay and enrolled together as the Sultans choice horsmen were commonly called by the name of Mamalukes In whose good seruice the late Sultans finding great vse spared for no cost both for their maintenance and encreasing of their number dayly erecting new nurseries stored with yoong frie which growing vp and readie was still joyned to the other It is woonderfull to tell vnto what a strength and glorie this order of the Mamalukes was in short time grown by the care of the Aegyptian kings By them they mannaged their greatest affaires especially in time of wars and by their valour not onely defended their countrey but gained many a faire victorie against their enemies as they did now against the French But as too much power in such mens hands seldome or neuer wanteth danger so fell it out now betwixt the late Sultan Melech-sala and those masterfull Mamaluke slaues who proud of their preferment and forgetfull of their dutie and seeing the greatest strength of the kingdome in their hands traiterously slew Melech-sala their chiefe founder setting vp in his place as aforesaid one Turquiminus a base slaue one of their owne order and seruile vocation but indeed otherwise a man of a great spirit and valour This Melech-sala murthered by the Mamalukes was the last of the free borne kings of AEGYPT in whom the Turks kingdome in AEGYPT erected by Sarracon and the great Sultan Saladin as is before said and in his stocke and family euer since continued tooke end as did also all the power of the Turks in that great and rich kingdome For the proud Mamalukes hauing now got the soueraigntie into their hands and exalted a Sultan out of themselues imperiously commanded as great lords ouer the rest of the people not suffring them to haue the vse either of horse or armour or to beare any sway in the common weale but keeping them vnder with most heauie impositions and still preferring their owne slaues wherewith the countrey of AEGYRT now swarmed made the naturall countrey people of all others most miserable not daring to meddle with any thing more than merchandize their husbandrie or other their base mechanicall occupations whereof the greatest profit still came vnto the Mamalukes who as lords of all with great insolencie at their pleasure tooke it from them as their owne As for the great Sultan they still chose him from among themselues not suffering any the Sultans children to succeed their fathers in the kingdome for feare least they in processe of time proud of their ancestors and parentage should recken of them as of his slaues as indeed they were and so at length bring in another more free kind of gouernment Against which they prouided also not onely by this restraint of their Sultans children but of their owne also taking order and exstablishing it as an immutable law That though the sonnes of the Mamalukes might enjoy their fathers lands wealth after their death yet that it should not be lawfull for them in any case to take vpon them the name or honour of a Mamaluke so embarring them from all gouernment in the common wealth to the intent it might still rest with the Mamalukes Neither was it lawfull for any borne of Mahometan parents which could not be slaues or of the race of the Iewes to be admitted into that Order but onely such as being borne Christians and become slaues had from the time of their captiuitie beene enstructed in the Mahometan superstition or else being men grown and comming thither had abjured the Christian religion as many reprobates did in hope of preferment Right strange it is to consider vnto what honour and glorie this slauish empire in short time grew many of those poore slaues by rare fortune or secret diuine power exalted out of the dust vnto the highest dedegree of honour proouing most excellent and renowmed princes of such strength and power as was dreadfull euen vnto the greatest princes of the world In which great glorie this seruile empire to the worlds woonder flourished from this time amongst the greatest by the space of 267 yeates vntill that hauing run the appointed race it was with a great destruction by Selymus the victorious emperour of the Turks ouerthrown in the yeare 1517 and the kingdome of AEGYPT with all SYRIA and the land of PALESTINE brought into the forme of Prouinces vnited vnto the Turks empire as they are at this day and as in the course of this historie shall in due time and place God willing at large appeare But leauing the kingdome of the Turks thus ouerthrown in AEGYPT and the Mamalukes there triumphing the French king returned into FRANCE and the Christians in peace in SIRIA let vs againe returne into the lesser ASIA and vnto the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE whether the affaires both of the Turkes and of the Christians now call vs. All this while the Greeke empire for so the Greeks will haue it called flourished both in peace and plentie in the lesser ASIA vnder their emperour Iohn Batazes the power of the Latines in the meane time declining as fast at CONSTANTINOPLE vnder the rule of the Latin emperour Baldwin the second As for the Turks whom we left grieuously troubled both with famine and the often incursions of the Tartars they had all this while and yet also enough and more than enough to do to withstand the same enemie At length it fortuned that Iohn Ducas the Greeke emperor died being at the time of his death about threescore yeares old wherof he had happily raigned three thirtie by whose good discreet gouernment the Greeke empire before broght low and almost to naught by the Latines began againe to gather strength and to flourish both in ASIA and some little part of EUROPE also Of him are reported many notable matters which as impertinent to our purpose I could willingly passe ouer were I not by the woorthie remembrance of one of them staied a while by the way This noble and famous emperour hauing long lamented the death of the faire empresse Irene his first wife at last married another yoong ladie the sister of Manfred king of SCICILIE
called Anne with whom amongst other honourable and beautifull dames sent by the king her brother for the accompanying of her to CONSTANTINOPLE was one Marcesina a rare paragon of such a feature as if nature had in her meant to bestow her greatest skill From whose mouth alwaies flowed a fountaine of most sugred words and out of her eies issued as it were nets to entangle the amorous in vpon this so faire an object the emperour not fearing further harme tooke pleasure oftentimes to feed his eies vntill that at length caught with her lookes he had lost his libertie and was of a great emperor become her thrall in such sort as that in comparison of her he seemed little or nothing to regard the yoong empresse his wife but so far doated vpon her that he suffered her to be attired and honoured with the same attire and honour that the empresse was her selfe whom she now so farre exceeded both in grace and fauour with the emperour and honour of the people as that shee almost alone enjoyed the same without regard of her vnto whom it was of more right due Whilest she thus alone triumpheth at length it fortuned that shee in all her glorie attended vpon with most of the gallants of the court and some of the emperours guard would needs goe whether for deuotion or for her recreation I know not to visite the monasterie and faire church which Blemmydes a noble man of great renowne both for his integritie of life and learning had of his owne cost and charges but lately built in the countrey where he together with his monkes as men wearie of the world liued a deuout and solitarie contemplatiue life after the manner of that time with the great good opinion of the people in generall This Blemmydes was afterward for his vpright life and profound learning chosen Patriarch of CONSTANTINOPLE which great honour next vnto the emperour himselfe he refused contenting himselfe with his cell Marcesina comming thither in great pompe and thinking to haue entred the church had the dores shut against her by the monkes before commaunded so to doe by Blemmydes their founder and so was to her great disgrace kept out For that deuout man deemed it a great impietie to suffer that so wicked and shamelesse a woman against whom he had most sharply both spoken and written with her prophane and wicked feet to tread vpon the sacred pauement of his church She enraged with this indignitie hardly by so proud a woman to be with patience disgested and prickt forward by her flattering â—ollowers also returning to the court grieuously complained thereof vnto the emperour stirring him vp by all meanes she could to reuenge the same persuading him to haue been therein himselfe disgraced Whereunto were joyned also the hard speeches of her pickthanke fauourits who to currie Fauell spared not to put oyle as it were ynto the fire for the stirring vp of the emperour vnto reuenge Who with so great a complaint nothing mooued vnto wrath but strucke as it were to the heart with a remorse of conscience and oppressed with heauinesse with teares running downe his cheekes and fetching a deepe sigh said Why prouoke you me to punish so deuout and just a man whereas if I would my selfe haue liued without reproch and infamie I should haue kept my imperiall majestie vnpolluted or stained But now sith I my selfe haue beene the cause both of mine owne disgrace and of the empires I may thanke mine owne deserts if of such euill seed as I haue sowne I now reape also an euill haruest After the death of this good emperour Theodorus his sonne borne the first yeare of his fathers raigne being then about three and thirtie yeares old was by the generall consent of the people saluted emperour in his stead who in the beginning of his empire renewed the league which his father had made with Iathatines the Turkish Sultan And so hauing prouided for the securitie of his affaires in ASIA he with a puissant armie passed ouer the strait of HELLESPONTUS into EUROPE to appease the troubles there raised in MACEDONIA and THRACIA by the king of BULGARIA his brother in law and Michaell Angelus Despot of THESSALIA who vpon the death of the old emperour began to spoile those countries not without hope at length to haue joyned them vnto their owne by whose comming they were for all that disappointed of their purpose and glad to sue to him for peace But whilest he was there busied he was aduertised by letters from NICE That Michaell Paleologus whom he had left there gouernour in his absence was secretly fled vnto the Turks with which newes he was not a little troubled The cause of whose flight as Paleologus himselfe gaue it out was for that he perceiued himselfe diuers waies by many his enemies brought into disgrace and the emperours eares so filled with their odious complaints so cunningly framed against him as that they were not easily or in short time to bee refelled and therefore fearing in the emperours heauie displeasure to be suddainely taken away to haue willingly gone into exile if so happely he might saue his life from the mallice of them that sought after it At his comming to ICONIUM he found Iathatines the Sultan making great preparation against the Tartars who hauing driuen the Turks out of PERSIA and the other farre Easterne countries as is before declared and running still on did with their continuall incursions spoile a great part of their territories in the lesser ASIA also and now lay at AXARA a towne not far off from ICONIUM against whom the Sultan now making the greatest preparation hee could gladly welcommed Paleologus whom he knew to be a right valiant and worthie captaine commending to his charge the leading of certaine bands of Greekes whom he had retained to serue him in those warres as he had others also of the Latines vnder the conduct of Boniface Moline a nobleman of VENICE and so hauing put all things in readinesse and strengthened with these forraine supplies of the Greekes and Latines set forward against his enemies the Tartars who at the first sight of the strange ensignes and souldiors were much dismayed fearing some greater force had been come to the aid of the Turkes Neuerthelesse joyning with them in battell had with them at the first a most terrible and bloodie conflict wherein that part of the armie that stood against Paleologus and his Greekes was put to the worse to the great discomfiture of the Tartars being euen vpon the point to haue fled had not one of the greatest commaunders in the Turks armie and a nigh kinsman of the Sultans for an old grudge that he bare vnto the Sultan with all his regiment in the heat of the battell reuolted vnto the Tartars whereby the fortune of the battell was in a moment as it were quite altered they which but now were about to haue fled fighting like lyons and they that were
saued vnto himselfe some good part of his kingdome Wherein he was much deceiued being as some say carried away a farre off into exile because hee should not hinder the Tartars proceedings or as others report and happely with more probabilitie being by him detained as his prisoner and afterwards to the terror of his sonne cut in peeces in his sight vnder the wals of DAMASCO after that it had in vaine beene twice assaulted by the Tartars which strong citie for all that he afterwards tooke by strong hand and sacked it and by the persuasion of his wife ouerthrew all the Mahometane temples as he had before in euery place where he came But purposing to haue gone on forward to HIERUSALEM and to haue conquered the whole land of PALESTINE newes was brought him of the death of his brother Mango the great Chan whereupon he staied his journey and returned backe againe in hope of that great empire hauing in this expedition spent almost six yeares Thus by the Tartars was the kingdome of the Turks at DAMASCO ouerthrowne At which time the broken affaires of the Christians in SYRIA and the land of PALESTINE might easily haue beene repaired and those two goodly kingdomes againe restored to the Christian commonweale had the Christian princes of the West then in time put to their helping hands on the one side as did the Tartars on the other But they then at fatall discord among themselues and busied with their warres at home let slip that so faire an opportunitie the like whereof they seldome or neuer had since Haalon the Tartar prince in token of his good will toward the Christians and their affaires at his departure from DAMASCO left his sonne Abaga there with twentie thousand horsemen to aid them in their warres if they should come as was expected for the recouerie of the Holy land who hauing there stayed some while and hearing of his fathers troubles at home followed himselfe after him but yet left behind him Guirboca a valiant captaine with ten thousand of his horsemen to like purpose that his father had him who by the insolencie of certaine Christian souldiors in garrison about SIDON was of a friend together with his Tartars made a foe These garrison souldiors hauing by chance fet in some bootie out of the Tartars territorie not onely refused to restore the same againe but also foulely intreated such as the Tartar had sent for the demaunding thereof Whereupon further quarrels arising it fortuned a nephew of Guirbocas a valiant yoong gentleman to be slaine in reuenge whereof hee besieged SIDON and hauing taken it sacked it and burnt it downe to the ground After which time he and his Tartars became vtter enemies vnto the Christians doing them all the harme they could deuise This discord betwixt the Tartars and the Christians gaue occasion vnto Melech the Aegyptian Sultan now jealous of the Tartars neerenesse with a great armie of his Mamalukes others to enter into SYRIA and to spoile the countrey about DAMASCO against whom Guirboca with his Tartars although both in strength and number far inferiour went out But joyning battell with him at too much oddes and the victorie inclining vnto that side where most strength was he there valiantly fighting was slaine with most part of his Tartars such as escaped fled into ARMENIA vnto the friendly king By this victorie all SYRIA with the land of PALESTINE excepting some few places yet holden by the Christians fell again into the hands of the Aegyptian Sultans as did some of them shortly after also for Bandocader succeeding Melech in the Mamaluke kingdome comming into SYRIA with a great armie took ANTIOCH from the Christians with it most of the other places before by them defended The citie he burnt rased the castle down to the ground and afterward entring into ARMENIA did there great harme also Whilest the Turks kingdome thus goeth to wracke in SYRIA ruinated by the Tartars but possessed by the Mamalukes their affairs in the lesser ASIA now the whole hope of that nation went not at that time much better for Iathatines the Turkes Sultan there also inuaded by the Tartars and hauing lost ICONIUM his regall citie fled with his brother Melech to the Greeke emperour Michaell Paleologus in hope to be of him relieued for the kindnesse hee had not long before shewed him in like case when as he fled from the late emperour Theodore whereof now putting him in remembrance he requested him either with some conuenient force to aid him or els to assigne vnto him some corner in his large empire where hee might in safetie rest with his wife and children and other followers whom with much wealth hee had brought with him in great number The emperor on euery side himselfe incombred with warres thought it not good in so great newnesse of his empire to deminish his owne forces and to assigne vnto him any place to inhabit seemed no lesse dangerous for that he hauing been a great prince and commanding ouer many great countries and brought vp in all princely royaltie was not like to content himselfe with a little beside that his nobilitie then dispersed by the Tartars were like ynough in great numbers to resort vnto him as vnto their head so soone as they should once heare that he were seated in any place and yet vnkindly to cast him off that had so honourably vsed him in like extremitie the emperour was loath And therefore feeding him vp with faire words and foording him on from time to time with delaies he held him a great while as a man in suspence betwixt hope and despaire At length in the absence of the emperour though happily not without his priuitie he was commaunded with all his traine in number about twelue hundred to get him to AENUS a citie of THRACIA standing vpon the sea coast where he much discontented liued like an honourable prisoner at large but with the watchfull eyes of so many vpon him as that he could by no meanes as he desired escape In which case we will for a while leaue him to feed vpon his owne melancholy thoughts Now had Michaell Paleologus the emperour raigned at NICE two yeares when new troubles began againe to arise in the West part of his empire on EUROPE side by the trecherie of Michaell Angelus Despot of EPIRUS For the speedie repressing whereof he sent one Alexius Strategopulus a worthie captaine and a man of great nobilitie whom for his good seruice against the said Despot he had in the beginning of his raigne made Caesar with little aboue 800 Bythinian souldiors and commission for the taking vp of so many mo as he should for that seruice need in MACEDONIA and THRACIA commaunding him when he had passed the strait with those souldiers to take his way through the suburbs of CONSTANTINOPLE to terrifie the Latines whom he was loth to suffer too long to liue in rest and quiet or to stir too far out
These extraordinarie fauours gaue occasion for many to thinke That Sultan Aladin hauing no children intended to make Othoman his adoptiue sonne and successor in his kingdome The presents and charters sent him Othoman humbly accepted sending vnto Aladin the fift part of the spoile of NICE taken from the Christians but the princely honors due vnto the Sultan onely he vsed not during the life of Aladin intending not long after to haue gone himselfe in person to visit the Sultan and so to haue grown into his further fauour But hauing prepared all things for so honourable a journey at what time as he was about to set forward he was certainely informed of the death of Aladin and that Sahib one of his great counsellors had taken vpon him the dignitie of the Sultan as is before declared which newes much discontented the aspiring mind of this Oguzian Turke in good hope to haue succeeded him in the kingdome or at least wise to haue shared the greatest part thereof vnto himselfe whereof he was now altogether disappointed Yet immediatly after the death of Aladin he thought it now fit time to take vpon him the princely honours before graunted vnto him by the Sultan in his life time which he for modestie sake had forborne Aladin yet liuing wherefore he made one Dursu surnamed Fakiche that is to say a man learned in the Turkish law bishop and judge of CARA-CHISAR commaunding the publicke prayers which were wont to be made for the health and prosperous raigne of the great Sultan to be now made in his owne name which was first openly done by the said bishop in the pulpit of CARA-CHISAR At the same time he began also to coine money in his owne name and to take vpon him all other honours belonging vnto a Sultan or king which was about ten yeares after the death of his father Ertogrâ—l and in the yeare of our Lord 1300 vnto which time the beginning of the great empire of the Turkes is vnder the fortune of this Othoman to be of right referred as then by him thus begun When Othoman had thus taken vpon him the majestie of a king he made his sonne Orchanes prince and gouernour of CARA-CHISAR promoting his principall followers to be gouernours of other strong castles and forts diuers of which places retaine the name of those captains at this day He himselfe made choice of the cittie NEAPOLIS about twentie miles from NICE to seat his regall pallace in where also diuers of his nobilitie built them houses and changed the name of the citie calling it DESPOTOPOLIS as who should say The citie of the lord or prince For all this Othoman ceased not to deuise by all meanes hee could to augment his kingdome and for that cause being accompanied with his sonne Orchanes made many rodes into the countries adjoyning vpon him surprizing such places as might best serue his purpose for the enlargement of his kingdome all which in particular to rehearse were tedious The Christian princes rulers of the countries bordering vpon this new kingdome fearing lest the greatnesse of Othoman might in short time be their vtter confusion agreed to joyne all their forces together and so to commit to the fortune of one great battell their owne estates with his According to which resolution the Christian confederat princes which were for the most part of MYSIA and BYTHINIA leuying the greatest forces they were able to make with fire and sword inuaded Othomans kingdome Who hauing knowledge beforehand of this great preparation made against him had in a readinesse all his captaines and men of war and hearing that his enemies had entred his dominion in warlike manner marched directly towards them and meeting with them in the confines of PHRIGIA and BYTHINIA fought with them a great and mortall battaile wherein many were slaine on both sides as well Turks as Christians and after a long fight obtained of them a right bloodie victorie In this battaile Casteleanus one of the greatest Christian captaines was slaine another called Tekensis of the country which he gouerned in PHRIGIA chased by Othoman vnto the castle of VLUBAD not far distant from the place where the battaile was fought was for feare deliuered vnto him by the captaine of the same castle and was afterward by Othomans commaundement most cruelly cut in pieces within the view of his cheefe castle which Othoman afterward subdued with all the countrey thereabouts The other Christian princes and captaines saued themselues by flying into stronger holds farther off The prince of BYTHINIA the cheefe author of this war fled into the strong cittie of PRUSA which the Turks now call BURUSA whether Othoman not long after led his armie in good hope to haue woon the same but finding it not possible to be taken by force began presently at one time to build two great and strong castles vpon the cheefe passages leading to the citie which castles he with great industrie finished in one yeare and in the one placed as captaine Actemeur his nephew in the other one Balabanzuck both men of great courage and skilfull in feats of war in this sort hauing blocked vp the citie of PRUSA so that little or nothing could without great danger be brought into it he subdued the most part of BYTHINIA and so returned home leauing the two castles well manned with strong garrisons vnder the charge of the captaines beforenamed Othoman returning home to NEAPOLIS honorably rewarded his souldiors according to their deserts establishing such a quiet and pleasing gouernment in his kingdome that people in great number resorted from far into his dominions there to seat themselues whereby his kingdome became in few yeares exceeding populous and he for his politicke gouernment most famous And so liuing in great quietnesse certaine yeares being now become aged and much troubled with the gout his old souldiors accustomed to liue by the wars abhorring peace came vnto him requesting him as it were with one voice to take some honourable war in hand for the inlarging of his kingdome with great chearfulnesse offring to spend their liues in his seruice rather than to grow old in idlenesse which forwardnesse of his men of war greatly pleased him and so giuing them thanks for that time dismissed them promising that he would not be long vnmindfull of their request But yet thinking it good to make all things safe at home before hee tooke any great wars in hand abroad thought it expedient to call vnto him Michael Cossi the onely Christian captaine whom for his great deserts he had at all times suffered to liue in quiet with his possessions as it were in the heart of his kingdome and by faire means if it might be to persuade him to forsake the Christian religion and to become a follower of Mahomets so to take away all occasion of mistrust which if he should refuse to doe then forgetting all former friendship â—o make war vpon him as his vtter enemie Whereupon Cossi
of the affaires of the empire and aduantage of the forreine enemie was not a little troubled with a jealous suspition of his brother Constantine commonly called Porphyrogenitus as if he had sought to haue aspired vnto the empire seeking by all meanes to win vnto himselfe the loue and fauour of all men but especially of the nobilitie both at home and abroad and so by that meanes to mount vnto the height of his desires All which as most men thought were but meere slanders maliciously deuised by such as enuying at his honour and taking occasion by the emperours suspition ceased not to increase the same vntill they had wrought his vnwoorthie destruction The first ground of this false suspition in the emperours head was for that this Constantine was euen from his childhood for many causes better beloued of the old emperour his father than Andronicus as better furnished with those gifts of nature which beautifie a prince and of a more courteous behauior than was his brother insomuch that had he not been the yoonger brother his father could willingly haue left him his successour in the empire This was one and the cheefest cause of the emperours grudge and the ground of his suspition Yet was there another also and that not much lesse than this for that his father in his life time had of long thought to haue seperated from the empire a great part of THESSALIA and MACEDONIA and to haue made him absolute prince thereof and had happely so done had hee not beene by death preuented which thing also much grieued Andronicus and the more incensed him against his brother Which his secret hatred he for all that according to his wisdome cunningly dissembled not only during the time that his father liued but three yeares after his death also making shew of the greatest loue and kindnesse towards him that was possible Constantine in the meane time of such great reuenues as were by his father assigned vnto him reaping great profit most bountifully bestowed the same vpon his followers and fauorits and others that made sute vnto him as well the meaner sort as the greater and with his sweet behauior woon vnto him the hearts of all men for affabilitie courtesie in high degree easily allureth mens minds as doe faire flowers in the spring the passengers eyes This was that precept of the wise Indians That the higher a prince was in dignitie and the more courteous he shewed himselfe vnto his inferiours the better he should be of them beloued He therefore that should for the two first causes blame Constantine should doe him wrong as both proceeding not of himselfe but of his fathers too much loue but in the third hee was not altogether blamelesse for if for want of experience hee prodigally gaue such gifts as for the most part might haue besâ—emed the emperour himselfe he ignorantly erred yet did he no little offend but if he knew that for his too profuse bountie he could not be vnsuspected of his brother and yet without regard held on that course hee was greatly to bee blamed therein For if nothing els might haue mooued him yet he should haue considered to what end the like doings of others in former times had sorted and how many it had brought to vntimely end So although perhaps that Constantine meant no harme vnto his brother or any way to supplant him yet did these things not a little increase and agrauate the former suspitioâ—s and open the eares of the emperour his brother vnto such calumniation as commonly attendeth vpon immoderat bountie But to returne vnto our purpose This honourable Constantine then liued in LYDIA but lately maried and in good hope long to liue being not past thirtie years old but pleasantly spending the time with his wife at NYMPHEA in LYDIA at such time as he was thus secretly accused vnto his brother the emperour thought it good as vpon other occasions of businesse to passe ouer into ASIA himselfe but indeed with a secret resolution vpon the suddaine to oppresse his brother vnawares as by proofe it fell out For at his comming ouer Constantine fearing nothing lesse was forthwith apprehended with all his greatest fauorits of whom one Michaell Strategopulus sometime a man in great authoritie with the emperour his father and of all other for wealth honour and noble acts most famous was cheefe who together with Constantine were fast clapt in prison where we will leaue them euery houre looking to die their lands and goods being before confiscated But these woorthie men especially Constantine and Strategopulus thus laid fast who many times in great battailes discomfited the Turks and notably defended the frontiers of the empire alongst the East side of the riuer MEANDER they now finding none to withstand them forraged not only all the rich countrey beyond the riuer but with an infinit multitude passing the same did there great harme also so that there was no remedie but that the emperour must of necessitie make choice of some other woorthie captaine for the defence of those his cities and countries by the incursion of the Turks then in danger in that part of ASIA There was then in the emperours court one Alexius Philanthropenus a right valiant and renowned captaine and then in the flower of his youth of him the emperour thought good to make choice for the defence of those frontiers of his empire in ASIA against the Turks which were before the charge of his brother Constantine and Strategopulus joyning vnto him one Libadarius an old famous captaine and a man of great experience also appointing vnto him the gouernment of the cities of IONIA and vnto the other the frontiers along the winding bankes of MEANDER Where Alexius hauing now gotten a charge woorthie his valour and in many great conflicts with the Turks still carying away the victorie became in short time of great fame besides that he was exceeding bountifull and courteous vnto all men a costly but a readie way vnto dangerous credit and renowne Thus at the first all things prospered in his hand according to his hearts desire yea the Turks themselues bordering vpon him hardly beset on the one side by the Tartars and on the other by himselfe and yet not so much feared with their enemies behind them as mooued with his courtesie came ouer vnto him with their wiues and children and serued themselues many of them in his campe but as they say That in Iupiters court no man might drinke of the tun of blisse but that he must tast also of the tun of woe so fell it out with this great captaine who hauing but tasted of the better tun had the worse all poured full vpon his head For Libadarius seeing all so prosper with him and somewhat enuying thereat began to feare and suspect least he proud of his good fortune and now growne very strong casting off his allegeance should aspire vnto the empire and so first begin with him as the neerest vnto him
Turks which they had before taken from him But in kingdomes appointed vnto ruine faire occasions helpe not for the stay thereof yea the greatest helpes prouided by the worldly wise by a secret commaunding power aboue being oftentimes conuerted to the destruction of that they were prouided for the safegard of as it now fell out with the emperour and these Spanish souldiours for this seruice done the Greekes returned home as did the Massagets also But these Catalonians with Ronzerius their generall roaming vp and downe the emperours territories in ASIA did there great harme turning their forces as enemies vpon them whom they were sent for to relieue alleadging that they had not their pay according to the emperours promise and that therefore they must liue vpon them that had sent for them and deceiued them So were the poore people in euerie place spoiled their wiues and daughters rauished their priests and aged fathers tortured to confesse such secret store as they had all was subject vnto these dissolute souldiours rage and lust yea many of them that had nothing to redeeme themselues vpon the greedie souldiours imagination hauing their hands or feet or some other part of their bodies cut off lay by the high waies side begging an halfe penie or a peece of bread hauing nothing left to comfort themselues with more than their miserable voice and fountaines of teares with which their wrongs and miseries woorse than those they had sustained by the Turks the emperour much grieued and well the more for that they were done by him whom he had entertained to relieue them but what remedie his coffers were so bare as that he was not able to do any thing for the redresse thereof Ronzerius hauing thus spoiled the emperours countrey in ASIA and left nothing that pleased either him or his with all his power passed ouer into EUROPE and leauing all the rest of his armie at CALIPOLIS with two hundred of his men went vnto the yoong emperour Michael then lying with a small power at ORESTIAS in THRACIA to demaund of him his pay or if need were to extort it from him with threats with whose insolencie at his comming the emperour more offended than before his souldiours there present perceiuing the same with their drawn swords compassing him in fast by the court slew him with certaine of his followers the rest in all hast fled to CALIPOLIS to certifie their fellowes what had happened Thus by the death of Ronzerius the yong emperor had thought to haue discouraged the Catalonians and abated their pride as like ynough it was to haue done yet in proofe it fell not out so but was the cause of far greater euils So when God prospereth not mens actions the best falleth out vnto the worst and their wisest deuices turne vnto meere follies for the Catalonians at CALLIPOLIS hearing of the death of Ronserius their Generall first slew all the citizens in the citie and notably fortifying the same tooke that as their refuge Then deuiding their souldiors into two parts with the one part of them manned out eight gallies which vnder the leading of the Great captaine Tenza robbed and spoiled all the marchants ships passing the straits of HELLESPONTUS to or from CONSTANTINOPLE the other part left in the citie in the meane time forraging the countrey all about them But Tenza shortly after encountering with a fleet of the Genowaies well prouided for him was by them ouerthrowne and most of his gallies sunke and himselfe taken but yet afterwards redeemed by his fellowes and so againe inlarged Now the Catalonians at CALLIPOLIS somewhat discouraged with the losse of their fleet and so many of their men for certaine daies kept themselues quiet within their wals as not well knowing what course to take for they feared both the Massagets and Thracians them for that they had vpon light causes abused them and slaine diuers of them in the late Asian warre and these for that they had but euen the other day burnt their houses and spoiled their labours in the countrey thereby for which and other their outrages they vtterly despaired of the emperours fauour whom they had so highly offended But that which most of all terrified them was for that they looked euery day when Michael the yoong emperour who as then lay not farre off should with a great power come to assault them for feare of whom they cast a deepe ditch about the citie with a strong counterscarfe so preparing themselues as if they should haue beene euen presently besieged But the time so passing and the emperour delaying his comming they began to thinke of other matters For being brought to that strait that they could not well tell which way to turne them but that they were on euery side beset with danger they vpon a malicious resolution and vnto the Greekes most fatall by messengers sent of purpose craued aid of the Turkes that dwelt on the other side of the strait oueragainst them in ASIA who presently sent them fiue hundred good souldiors after whom followed also many other fugitiues and loose companions in hope of spoile with whom the Catalonians for the present strengthened and being themselues three thousand strong issued out of the citie and forraged the countrey thereabouts bringing in with them great heards and flockes of sheepe and other cattell together with their keepers wherwith both the emperours and their subjects incensed prepared themselues for reuenge This was the first calling in of the Turks into EUROPE that I read of and the beginning of those endlesse miseries wherewith the Christian commonweale hath beene euer since most greeuously afflicted and a great part thereof ouerwhelmed few or none greeuing thereat but such as themselues feele the heauinesse thereof whom God in his mercie comfort The Catalonians and Turks now lying about CYPSELLA and APRI in THRACE Michael the emperour with his Macedonian and Thracian souldiors the Massagets and the Turcopuli encamped at APRI These Turcopuli were Turks also in number about a thousand who as is in the former part of this historie declared beeing fled with their Sultan Iathatines vnto the Greeke emperour and left behind him at such time as he was by the Europian Tartars deliuered had forsaken their Mahometane superstition and so being become Christians were enrolled amongst the Greeke souldiors Shortly after the emperour aduertised by his scouts of the approch of his enemies commaunded euery man to be in a readinesse and his captaines to put his armie in order of battell who seeing the enemies battell deuided into three parts put theirs also in like order placing the Turcopuli Massagets in the left wing the Macedonian and Thracian choice horsemen in the right wing and the rest with the footmen in the maine battell At which time the emperor himselfe riding from place to place with comfortable speeches encouraged his men to fight valiantly against their enemies The Sunne rising the enemies battell began to come on in
matter with the common people as if hee wearie of the world had voluntarily taken vpon him that silly profession Neuerthelesse within foure daies after Synadenus vnderstanding them in euery place to whisper among themselues and secretly to mutter against the hard dealing with the old emperour who had long raigned ouer them and so by right was againe to doe if his nephew should chance to die and that the ecclesiasticall lawes enforced no man against his will to enter into religious orders he therewith enraged sent vnto him certaine of his owne confederacie to exact of him an oath in writing That he should neuer more after that time seeke after the empire or yet accept of the same if it were offred him neither to substitute any other which if he should refuse to do to put him in feare of his life And the more to terrifie him set a guard of insolent barbarous souldiors ouer him for feare of whom he yeelded to doe whatsoeuer they required and so his oath being solemnely conceiued into writing another man leading his hand because he was blind he signed the same with a red crosse aboue and a blacke crosse beneath after the manner of the religious Hauing thus liued in darkenesse disgraced shut vp in his chamber as a man forsaken of the world with an vnsure guard euer to attend him by the space of two yeares it fortuned that the twelft of Februarie towards night a day in the Greeke Church dedicated to the vigil of S. Anthonie whose name they had giuen him certaine of his friends that were suffered to haue accesse vnto him going as their manner was once in three or foure daies to visit him amongst whom was his daughter sometime the prince of SERVIA his wife but as then a widdow and Nicephorus Gregoras author of this Historie he entred with them as with his friends into a familiar discourse of many matters wherin he so deceiued the time that it was past midnight before they perceiued how the time passed But the cockes crowing he brake off the talke and bidding them farewell gaue them leaue to depart pleasantly saying That to morrow they would make an end of their discourse who all thereupon tooke their leaue and departed no signe of any sicknesse as then appearing vpon him And after they were gone called for meat and did eat the meat he eat was certaine shell-fish for it was with them a fasting day and he had not eaten any thing after which when as hee should haue drunke a cup of wine for the comforting of his old stomack and disgesting of that so hard meat he drunke cold water as his manner was when he felt any inward heat to drinke the same immoderatly which hurtfull manner of diet he then vsing also began by and by to feele a great paine in his stomacke and so presently after became very sicke falling withall into a great loosenesse of bodie so that in the space of one quarter of an houre he was glad oftentimes to arise and to go vnto an homely house of office in an inner chamber thereby to discharge natures burden where after many euacuations sitting downe vpon an homely bed fast by and not able to recouer his owne bed hauing as then none to helpe him there before it was day died after he had raigned 43 yeares His death was by many strange signes and accidents as it were foretold first a great eclipse of the Sunne appeared just so many daies before his death as hee had liued yeares and after that another eclipse of the Moone and with it an earthquake the day before he died at night being S. Anthonie his euen whose name his enemies had thrust vpon him at which time also the sea with a great tempest rising aboue the wonted bounds made diuers breaches in the wals of the citie towards the sea as if it had been some violent enemie and ouerflowed also diuers houses in the citie Manie crosses and pinacles were then also from the tops of churches and other high buildings ouerthrowne and with them a great pillar sometime one of the ornaments of the citie standing before the church commonly called The Church of the fortie martyrs which being verie high and below burnt and worne away with time had put manie in feare as they passed by it least it should haue fallen vpon them insomuch that the Emperour vpon a time passing that way was requested by some of the nobilitie there present to ride farther off from it for feare of falling vpon him who smiling at their vaine feare by chance answered O would to God I might liue so long as this piller will stand which now falling out according to his speech gaue many of them that had heard him so say occasion to maruell His dead bodie was honorablie buried in the monasterie of LIBE which his mother Theodora the empresse had not long before new built and his obsequies there after the maner of that time yeerely solemnlie kept by the space of nine daies Thus at length hauing passed through the troubled state of the Greeke empire during the long raigne of the old emperour Andronicus the considerat Reader may easily see the causes of the declining and ruine also of this famous empire and how that the Greeke emperours troubled with their tempestuous affaires neerer home in EUROPE yea in the verie imperiall citie it selfe and in their owne pallaces were not at leasure to looke ouer the strait into ASIA but glad to leaue their territories there vnto the weake defence of themselues At which time and euen in the middest of the aforesaid troubles Othoman on the one side with great industrie laid the foundation of his empire in PHRIGIA and BYTHINIA now the greatest terrour of the world and then did those things which we now haue of him written The other princes of the Turkes also the successours of Sultan Aladin at the same time on the other side alongst the riuer MEANDER encroching on as fast vntill that at last amongst them they had thrust the Greeke emperours quite out of ASIA and in fine became themselues together with the Greeke empire a prey vnto the Othoman kings as in the processe of this historie shall more at large appeare But againe to returne vnto Othoman himselfe who all this while that old Andronicus the Greeke emperour was thus troubled had with his sonne Orchanes sought by all meanes on euerie side to inlarge his kingdome the garrisons by him left in the two late built castles neere vnto the great citie of PRUSA vnder the charge of the two valiant captains Actemur Balebanzuck as is before declared hauing now continued there certaine yeares had by shutting vp the passages and spoiling of the countrie brought the citie into such distresse and penurie that many of the cittizens and other the poore Christians fled into the citie there died of famine The rest now out of all hope to be relieued by the Greeke emperour not then able to
that did this Cobelitz vnto Amurath The dead bodie of Amurath was presently with all secrecie conueied into his tent by the Basâ—aes and captaines present at his death whether Baiazet was also brought with an ensigne before him as the successour in his fathers kingdome His younger brother Iacup surnamed Zelebi or the noble yet ignorant of that had hapned was by the great Bassaes sent for as from his father who casting no perill but comming into his fathers tent was there presently by them strangled by the commaundement of Baiazet as most histories report howbeit the Turkes annales charge him not therwith This was the beginning of the most vnnaturall and inhumane custome euer since holden for a most wholesome and good policie amongst the Turkish kings and emperours in the beginning of their raigne most cruelly to massacre their brethren and neerest kinsmen so at once to rid themselues of all feare of their competitors This Amurath was in his superstition more zealous than any other of the Turkish kings a man of great courage and in all his attempts fortunat he made greater slaughter of his enemies than both his father and grandfather his kingdome in ASIA hee greatly enlarged by the sword mariage and purchase and vsing the discord and cowardise of the Grecian princes to his profit subdued a great part of THRACIA called ROMANIA with the territories thereto adjoyning leauing vnto the emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE little or nothing more in THRACIA than the imperiall citie it selfe with the bare name of an emperour almost without an empire he wan a great part of BULGARIA and entred into SERUIA BOSNA and MACEDONIA he was liberall and withall seuere of his subjects both beloued feared a man of verie few words and one that could dissemble deeply He was slaine when hee was threescore eight yeares old and had thereof raigned thirtie one in the yeare of our Lord 1390. His dead bodie was by Baiazet conuaied into ASIA and there royally buried at PRUSA in a faire chappell at the West end of the citie neere vnto the Bathes there where vpon his tombe lieth his souldiours cloake with a little Turkish tulipant much differing from those great turbants which the Turkes now weare Neere vnto the same tombe are placed three launces with three horse tailes fastened at the vpper end of them which he vsed as guidons in his wars a thing in antient time not strange There standeth a castle with a tombe made in remembrance of him in the plaines of COSSOUA where he was slaine and his entrailes buried which giueth occasion for some to report that hee was there also himselfe enterred FINIS Christian princes of the same time with Amurath the first Emperours Of the East Iohn Palaeologus 1354. 30. Andronicus Palaeologus 1384. 3. Emanuell Palaeologus 1387. 30. Of the West Charles the fourth 1346. 32. Wenceslaus son to Charles king of Bohemia 1378. 22. Kings Of England Edward the third 1327. 50. Richard the second 1377. 23. Of Fraunce Iohn Valois 1350. 14. Charles the fifth 1364. 16. Charles the sixt surnamed The welbeloued 1381. 42. Of Scotland Dauid Bruce 1341. 29. Robert Stuart 1370. Bishops of Rome Innocent the VI. 1354. 10. Vrban the V. 1364. 8. Gregorie the II. 1372. 7. Vrban the VI. 1378. 11. BAIAZET BAIAZETTHES PRIMVS QVARTVA TVRCORVM REX ANNO 1390 Fulminis in morem celeri rapit agmina motu Baizethes fidei pacis impatiens Regni Hadrianopolim sedes sibi legit vt esset Posset vt Europae iungere regna suis. Constantinopolim gemina obsidione fatigat Iam Graetas vana spe sibi spondet opes Cum Tamburlano praebet sua terga catenis Vinctus in cauea probra pudenda subit Prowd Baiazet most false of faith and loathing blessed peace His warlike troupes like lightening to shake he doth not cease Of HADRIANOPLE he makes choice for his imperiall seat That EVROPS kingdomes he might joyne vnto his empire great CONSTANTINOPLE he distrest twice with straight siege and long And vainly thought to haue possest the Graecians wealth by wrong But ouercome by Tamberlane fast bound in fetters sure Trod vnder foot and cloas'd in cage great shame did there indure THE LIFE OF BAIAZET THE FIRST OF THAT NAME THE FOVRTH AND MOST VNFORTVNAT KING OF THE TVRKES BAiazet or as the Turks call him Baiasit of his violent and fierce nature surnamed Gilderun or lightening succeeded his father Amurath in the Turkish kingdome his younger brother Iacup being strangled immediatly after his fathers death as is before declared He in the first yeare of his raign inuaded SERVIA and there besieged CRATOVA a citie of the Despots whereunto the siluer mines of SERVIA not the least cause of that warre belonged Which citie was yeelded vnto him vpon condition That the Christian inhabitants might with life and libertie depart Who were no sooner gone out of the cittie but that by his commaundement they were all most cruelly slaine by his men of warre for that purpose sent out after them At this time hee also woon VSCUPIA with diuers other castles in the countrey neere vnto CRATOVA Sigismund at the same time king of HUNGARIE a yong prince of great hope and brother to Wenceslaus then emperour of the West aduertised from the Seruians his allies and confederats of these proud proceedings of Baiazet by his embassadours sent of purpose requested him That as he was a just prince and wished to liue in quiet with his owne to desist from doing of such open wrong and from inuading of such countries of his friends and confederats as he had no right in Which embassadours so sent Baiazet detained without answere vntill such time as he had ouerrun a great part of the Despot his country and therein done what he thought good Then calling the said embassadours vnto him into one of the strong townes which hee had in euerie corner filled with his owne souldiours told them that they might there see that his right both vnto that towne and the rest by him taken was good inough for as much as the verie wals acknowledged the same and so giuing them leaue to depart willed them so to tell their master Which his proud answere by the same embassadors reported vnto the yong king no lesse troubled him than if open warre had by them been denounced vnto him seeing the tyrant as should seeme pretending right vnto whatsoeuer hee could by force get neuerthelesse being himselfe not yet well setled in his kingdome and in doubt of the contrarie faction that altogether liked not of his election into HUNGARIE for their king he was glad at that time to put it vp and so to hold himselfe content The next yeare Baiazet by Ferises Beg tooke the citie of VIDINA with many other strong townes and castles in SERVIA and afterwards returned to HADRIANOPLE But whilest that hee thus raged in EUROPE the Caramanian king inuaded and spoiled the frontiers of his countries in ASIA which although he was not then at
there in one of his countrey pallaces royally feasted him At which time Mahomet requested the emperour to joine with him in that warre against their common enemie but hee excused himselfe by reason of his great age yet neuerthelesse assisted him with certaine companies of valiant Christians whose seruice afterward stood the Turke in great stead So Mahomet taking his leaue of the emperour marched with his armie to the riuer WYZEN in THRACIA where by the way he receiued letters from the antient captaine Chasis Eurenoses aduising him to be very circumspect in his marching and not to make too much hast to joine battaile with his brother counselling him also if he could by any means to allure Iegides Bassa Barac Beg and Sinan Beg to forsake his brother and to follow his ensignes for that in those men consisted Musa his greatest strength and promised in good time to come vnto him himselfe also if he were not too hastie This messenger that brought this newes Mahomet bountifully rewarded and so sent him away Shortly after as he was marching towards HADRIANOPLE part of the enemies armie began to shew it selfe vnder the leading of Cara Calile and was presently charged by Michaell Ogli and put to flight So holding on his way to HADRIANOPLE hee laied siege to the cittie where the cittizens sent out vnto him certaine of their grauest and most substantiall burgesses to certefie him That by reason of the garrison there left by Musa they could not as then deliuer the cittie vnto him but if it should please him to goe and trie his fortune in the field against his brother who should be the commaunder thereof he should find them readie to follow his good fortune and to yeeld themselues the cittie and all therein to his pleasure if it were his good hap to carrie away the victorie With which answere Mahomet contenting himselfe raised his siege and tooke the way towards ZAGORA In that place Musa is reported to haue come secretly disguised into Mahomet his campe and to haue taken full view thereof but perceiuing himselfe too weake to encounter his brother withdrew his armie into the safegard of the great woods and strong places and so from thence retired with his armie towards PHILIPPOPOLIS and so marched along the riuer MERITZE called in antient time HEBKUS Where Iegides Bassa with Hamza Beg and Ismir Ogli three of Musa his great captaines set vpon the rereward of Mahomets armie and were by Michael Ogli repulsed Mahomet holding on his way came to SOPHIA where as he went Musa diuers times from the mountaines made shew of his armie but durst not come downe into the plaine to giue him battaile Mahomet hauing refreshed his armie at SOPHIA marched to SARKIVE where he receiued letters from Iegides Bassa Barac Beg and Sinan Beg all secretly persuaded by old Eurenoses to reuolt vnto him the tenor whereof in breefe was this Iegides Bassa Barac Beg and Sinan Beg vnto the great Sultan Mahomet We are three young men most mightie Monarch and haue with vs three thousand choice soldiors men of incomparable valor such as the world hath scarce the like draw your forces neare vnto vs with as much speed as you can and you shall find vs readie to come ouer vnto you Fare you well Whereupon he marched all the next night after vntill he came to the riuer MORAVA and there encamped where the three aforenamed captains according to their promise joined themselues vnto him with all their souldiors Thither came also old Eurenoses of all others the most famous captaine amongst the Turks and now no longer blind bringing with him a great companie of most expert souldiours Marke the Despot of SERVIA for the displeasure he bare vnto Musa sent him aid thether also By which supplies Mahomets armie was greatly encreased who after he had courteously welcomed all these new come captains he began againe to march farther vntill he came to COSSOVA the vnfortunate plaine where Hamza Beg the prince of SMYRNA his sonne hauing forsaken Musa came vnto him with fiue hundreth horse certifying him that all the nobilitie had forsaken his father so as he marched from place to place his forces still encreased by the reuolt of his brothers Musa seeing his souldiours thus daily fall from him insomuch that he had almost none now left but the souldious of the court which were indeed his best men of warre and alwaies vnto him faithfull because he had been euer vnto them exceeding bountifull thought it best to attempt something before he were left himselfe alone Wherfore hauing yet with him seuen thousand of those expert souldiors he drew neerer vnto his brother seeking to haue taken him at some aduantage But Mahomet hauing knowledge of his purpose and contented to be aduised by his old expert captaines had euer a vigilant eye vnto him Yet at last whether it were vpon good hope or els prickt forward with despaire Musa vpon the suddaine valiantly set vpon his brothers armie but his souldiors oppressed with multitude rather than ouercome with true valour after a hard and bloodie fight were put to the worst which he seeing desperatly brake into the middest of his enemies seeking there for death amongst the thickest of them But being knowne by Baiazet Bassa Mahomet his lieutenant generall desirous to take him aliue he was beset on euery side where seeing himselfe in more danger to be taken than slaine hee with great courage brake from amongst the middest of them and fled In which flight his horse falling into a deepe muddie ditch or as some others say hoxed by Sarutzes his owne seruant and himselfe wounded ouerthrew him and there before he could againe recouer himselfe was taken by Baiazet Bassa the great lieutenant Michael Ogli and Barac Beg which had hardly pursued him out of the battaile and so was with his handes bound by them brought through the middest of the armie Which pitifull sight greeued not a little the hearts of many to see him but euen now so great a king and one of the sonnes of great Baiazet by the strange change of fortune bound like a captiue slaue led forth to execution yet were most part glad thereof hoping this long ciuile wars would now in him take end Shortly after came vnto him a noble man called Balta Ogly sent as was thought from Mahomet himselfe who after he had in few words bitterly reprooued him for the crueltie by him before shewed vnto his brother Solyman in like case caused him presently to be strangled with a bow string His dead body was by and by after presented to his brother Mahomet who seeing it shed a few Crocadils teares ouer it He raigned three yeares and seauen moneths and was afterwards conuaied to PRUSA and there lieth buried by the bodie of his brother Solyman in the same chappell with his grandfather Amurath Mahomet after the death of Musa now free from all competetours tooke vpon him the sole gouernment of the
Cadelescher to NICE in ASIA as vnto a place of exile allowing him neuerthelesse a great pension wheron to liue This Bedredin had in his house one Burgluzes Mustapha his steward these two laid their heads together how to raise some tumult or rebellion to trouble the peaceable gouernment of Mahomet For which purpose Burgluzes according to the plot by them laid tooke his way into AYDINIA sometime called CARIA there pretending a great zeale of reformed religion with a wonderfull grauitie began to broach diuers new and strange opinions farre differing from the Turkish antient superstition yet very plausible and well fitting the humour of the vulgar people By which meanes he was in short time reputed for a famous learned deuout man and had many followers drawing after him much people fit to begin some great innouation Bedredin glad of his mans successe fled from NICE into the prince Isfendiar his countrey from whence he tooke shipping ouer the Euxine into VALACHIA and there withdrawing himselfe into a great forrest as if hee had beene some deuout and religious man allured vnto him a great number of outlawes and theeues which there liued Whom when he had sufficiently instructed and framed to his purpose he sent them in the habit of religious men into the countrey of ZAGORA and other places in the frontiers of Mahomet his dominions neere vnto him as his disciples who with great boldnesse and confidencie published Bedredin his doctrine and authoritie and how that he was by God appointed to be the king of justice and commaunder of all the world whose doctrine and manner of gouernment was as they said alreadie receiued as they gaue it out in ASIA being set forth but by one of his schollers Burgluzes whose fame was now dispersed throughout all the Turks dominion and that therefore if any were desirous of preferment they should repaire to Bedredin who would in short time shew himselfe vnto the world and promote his followers according to their deserts Many of the country people deluded with this phantasie and practise of these seditious seed-men resorted to Bedredin in hope of preferment and with them some of good calling also At last out of the forrest commeth this great prophet with banner displaied attended vpon with a great multitude of the seditious vulgar people which daily resorted vnto him more and more Mahomet for the repressing of these dangerous tumults sent his sonne Amurath and Baiazet the great Bassa with two thousand men to apprehend Burgluzes in AYDINIA but when they came thither they found him guarded with three thousand men well appointed readie to aduenture their liues in defence of their foolish prophet Neuerthelesse Amurath and Baiazet not dismayed with the multitude of those vplandish people set vpon them where was fought a right bloodie battaile for the number and many slaine on both sides yet at last the rebels fled in which flight Burgluzes himselfe was slaine and hewen all to peeces After which victorie Baiazet from thence hasted to MAGNESIA and there executed Torlac Kemal another seditious Turkish monke which with two thousand by him seduced did much harme in the countrey thereabout At the same time also Mahomet sent another power against Bedredin but most of his followers seeing in him no such matter as was by his disciples and himselfe promised and as they hoped for were alreadie fallen from him so that of that great multitude which before followed him few or none were left with him whereby he was easily apprehended by them that Mahomet had sent against him and so being brought to Mahomet to SERRAS was there in the market place before a tauerne dore faire hanged without any farther harme Mahomet in the short time of his raigne finished the great Mahometane temple at HADRIANOPLE before begun by his brethren Solyman and Musa Where he also built a princely pallace the seat of the Turkish kings in EUROPE vntill the taking of CONSTANTINOPLE Hee also built another temple with a most sumptuous abbey and a publicke schoole thereto adjoyning endowing the same with great reuenewes such as had by him and those his brethren of late been taken from the Christians He gaue also great summes of money yearely to be paid at MEDINA and MECHA for the releefe of poore pilgrims trauelling from far to the sepulchre of their great prophet Mahomet at MEDINA or his temple at MECHA Shortly after Mahomet fell sicke at HADRIANOPLE and perceiuing himselfe in danger of death by his last will appointed his eldest sonne Amurath to succeed him in his kingdome and sent Eluan-beg a man in great fauour with him in post to AMASIA to will him with all speed to repaire to the court at HADRIANOPLE But feeling death to approch and that hee could not possibly liue vntill the comming of his sonne he straightly charged his Bassaes with all secrecie to conceale his death vntill his comming for feare least any trouble should arise vpon the bruit thereof before his comming thither And so hauing set all things in order he departed out of this world vnto his prophet Mahomet about the yeare of our Sauiour Christ 1422 when hee had raigned seuenteene yeares accounting in his raigne that troublesome ten yeares next after the captiuitie of Baiazet in which time the Turkes kingdome was by his ambitious sonnes rent in sunder as is aforesaid vntill it was at length againe by this Mahomet restored vnto the former integritie about 7 yeares before his death which the Turks account for the whole time of his raign and the other troublesome 10 yeares as a vacancie or Anarchie of their kingdome as is aforesaid Mahomet being dead the three great Bassaes Eiuases Baiazet and Ibrahim to rid themselues of the feare they had of the Ianizaries and other souldiors of the court called a Diuano or counsell for the warres as if the king had been aliue wherein it was pretended That Mahomet had determined to make warre vpon the prince of SMYRNA and that for that seruice it was his pleasure That the Ianizaries should forthwith passe ouer into ASIA to the castle of BAGA Wherupon presse money was presently giuen them and they sent ouer with letters directed to the viceroy of ANATOLIA for the assembling of an armie for BAGA In the meane time the great Bassaes of the court sat daily in counsell placing and displacing promoting and disgracing whome they thought good as if the king had so commaunded The kings physicians also to countenance the matter were commanded continually to go too and fro with their potions and receits after their wonted manner as if they had had the king still in cure And letters were sent in post to Eluan Beg for speedie dispatch of the businesse for which he was sent into ASIA Yet for all this cunning dissimulation the pentioners and other souldiours of the court wont to be neere vnto the kings person and some of them alwaies of the priuie chamber began to suspect the matter and comming to
great Bassa passing ouer HELLESPONTUS found all the countrey reuolted vnto their new found king Mustapha but marching on towards HADRIANOPLE with purpose to haue giuen him battaile he was first forsaken of the Europeian souldiours which he brought out of ASIA and afterwards of all the rest also and so being left post alone with his brother Hamze Beg was for safegard of his life glad to yeeld himselfe to Mustapha of whom he was gratiously entertained and vpon promise of his loialtie sworne one of his priuie counsaile Mustapha thus now possessed of the Turkish kingdome in EUROPE and entertaining great thoughts the better to maintaine his credit leauied a great armie to make war vpon Amurath in ASIA And as he was vpon his way at a place which the Turks call SASLIDERE or the place of Willows his other counsailors repining at the great honor he gaue to Baiazet Bassa aduised him to beware that he trusted him not too farre of whose small faith he had sufficient triall alreadie and was like ynough when occasion should serue to reuolt from him to Amurath and to draw after him some great part of his armie to the great perill both of himselfe and all them his faithfull seruants and followers Vpon which jealous conceit this great Bassa Baiazet was there forthwith as a traitour apprehended and without further triall executed at which time his brother Hamze was with much adoe spared This done Mustapha proceeded on his journey and passed ouer with his armie at CALLIPOLIS into ASIA Amurath vnderstanding of the proceedings of Mustapha in EUROPE and of his preparation made for his inuasion of ASIA created three new Bassaes Omer Vruge and Alis all three the sonnes of Temurtases these he joyned with his old Bassaes Ibrahim and Eiuases All these fiue he vsed as councellours for the wars by whose aduice he sent for Mahomet Beg surnamed Michaell Ogli who in the time that Musa raigned was viceroy in EUROPE and therefore a man well knowne to most principall men in Mustapha his armie but had been kept prisoner in the castle of AMASIA from the time that Musa was deposed and put to death by his brother Mahomet vntill now that hee was after eight yeares imprisonment for this speciall purpose inlarged and receiued into fauour About the same time that Mustapha set footing in ASIA Amurath hauing gathered his armie set forward from PRUSA to meet him yet with such distrust in his forces which were thought to be much inferiour to the Europian souldiours which followed Mustapha that hee was glad vpon a superstitious opinion or zeale to prostrate himselfe at the feet of an Emir one of the false prophet Mahomets posteritie to receiue at his hipocritall hands a gracelesse blessing for his better speed by whom he was made to beleeue that after two repulses he had with much adoe at the thâ—rd time obtained graunt of the great prophet Mahomet that he should preuaile in that war and therupon had his sword girt vnto him with the Emir his holy hands with many other vaine and superstitious ceremonies Yet for all these charmes hee marched on with his armie in feare enough vntill he came to the riuer of VLIBAD otherwise called RINDACUS where hauing intelligence of the approch of Mustapha he for feare caused the bridge ouer the riuer there to be broken downe and encamped himselfe on that side the riuer Not long after came Mustapha and finding the bridge broken encamped at the foot therof on the other side so that nothing parted the two armies but the breadth of the riuer onely Whilest they lay thus neere encamped together that the souldiours might on both sides take the full view one of another and also talke together Mahomet-beg surnamed Michael Ogli but lately deliuered out of his long imprisonment as is aforesaid came to the riuer side and with a loud voice called by name vpon the great captaines and old souldiours that were in Mustapha his armie asking by name for many of his old friends and acquaintance many of them being there present rejoycing to see that honourable man whom they supposed to haue been dead in prison many yeares before came gladly to the side of the riuer to heare what he could say Then with a loud voice he began to persuade them that the man whom they followed was not the honourable Mustapha but some base high minded fellow set vp by the Grecians abusing the obscuritie of his birth as the vaile vnder the couert whereof hee went craftily about to intrude himselfe into the honourable discent of Baiazet and so masking in the counterfait titles of stolen honor had misseled them from their dutie to their naturall king and soueraigne to follow him a meere deceiuer And further assured them that Mustapha Baiazet his sonne was dead and buried in the bed of fame two and twentie yeares before honourably ending his daies in deâ—ence of his countrey in the great battaile of mount STELLA against Tamerlane Wherefore they should doe well to forsake that supposed Mustapha and againe to yeeld their dutifull obedience vnto their vndoubted soueraigne Amurath These words deliuered vnto them by Mahomet whom they generally both reuerenced and trusted wrought such effect in their minds that some presently aduentured to swimme ouer the riuer and joyned themselues vnto him and many others that staied still began now to doubt least they had worshipped a wrong saint At the same time also Eiuases Bassa to terrifie Mustapha sent vnto him letters as in great secret aduertising him That Amurath had the next night purposed with his armie to passe ouer the riuer aboue the broken bridge at which time the chiefe captaines of his armie being as hee said corrupted had promised to deliuer Mustapha into his hands and with his head to pay the ransome of them all This he coloured with such faire glosses that Mustapha partly beleeued the same So when the dead time of the night was come Eiuases with certain troupes of horsemen passed ouer the riuer at the verie same place hee had in his letters named and that with such a noise and tumult as Amurath with his whole armie had been comming Mustapha seeing things begin thus to worke according as Eiuases Bassa had before written and with this doubting also to be presently betraied and carying about him a guiltie conscience the mother of feare and distrust tooke horse slenderly accompanied but with ten persons of his whole armie and fled in hast no man pursuing them vntill he came to the riuer of BOGA and there with a great summe of money obtained passage by corrupting the captaine that dwelt in the castle vpon the passage of the riuer and the third day after passing ouer the strait of HELLESPONTUS landed at CALLIPOLIS The flight of Mustapha once knowne in his armie they all yeelded themselues to Eiuases Bassa who taking possession of Mustapha his tent caused the broken bridge to be repaired whereby Amurath passing with his armie joyned himselfe with
heard the answere that was sent him from the citie deliuered by the mouth of a coÌ„mon soldior he smiled thereat said He is vndoubtedly a valiant soldior if his deeds be answerable to his speeches but if my force faile me not I will also make him happy amongst the happy ghosts of theÌ„ of STELLVSA and by by commanded the gouernor of STELLVSA with the other captiues to be brought before him there caused some of theÌ„ which were content voluntarily to forsake their Mahometane superstition to be presently baptized to the great greefe of the other Turks Desdrot the Gouernour with the rest to the terrour of the defendants were in their sight put to death whereupon the garrison souldiors with great indignation gaue a great shout from the wall and bitterly rayled vpon the Christians Scanderbeg considering the strength of the citie with the time of the yeare vnfit for souldiors to keepe the field for Winter was now growne on left Moses Golemus a most valiant captaine with a garrison of three thousand souldiors to keepe in the Turkes garrison at SFETIGRADE and to defend the borders of EPIRVS vntill he might at more conuenient time himselfe returne againe to the siege and so with the rest of his armie repaired to CROIA when hee had in the space of little more than one moneth to his immortall praise recouered his kingdome and driuen the Turks out of euery corner of EPIRVS excepting onely SFETIGRADE which citie also not long after was by composition deliuered vnto him During all this time from his first comming into EPIRVS he neuer slept aboue two houres in a night but with restlesse labour prosecuted his affaires He euer fought against the Turkes with his arme bare and that with such fiercenesse that the blood did oftentimes burst out of his lips It is written that he with his owne hand slew three thousand Turkes in the time of his warres against them But of his great and worthie victories obtained against the two mightie Turkish kings Amurath and Mahomet his sonne more shall be said hereafter in due time and place After that Scanderbeg had thus by great force and pollicie wrung his inheritance out of Amuraths hands and scoâ—red the Turks out of euery corner of EPIRVS he proceeded further and ouerran part of MACEDONIA making sundrie incursions into the heart of that countrey being then in the Turks possession whereby he so enriched his souldiours that they desired of him no better pay Which was so vsuall a thing with this restlesse prince as that it began to grow into a prouerbe in most princes courts That the spoile of Amurath his dominions was Scanderbegs reuenewes Complaint hereof came daily to Amuraths court which the craftie aged sire being then troubled with the Hungarian warres seemed at the first to make no great account of but as of that hee could easily and at his pleasure remedie although hee was therewith inwardly greeued at the heart But when the certaine report of one mischeefe as it were in the necke of another continually sounded in his eares and that he saw no end to be expected of these miseries he sent Alis Bassa one of his greatest men of warre with an armie of fortie thousand select souldiors at once to subdue the countrey of EPIRVS and to bring it againe vnder his obeisance The setting forth of this great armie vnder the conduct of so famous a captain replenished the minds of the Turks with such an assured hope of victorie that a man would haue thought Scanderbeg had been alreadie taken and now brought to execution yea the common souldiors before their setting forth were oftentimes at vaine contention for the diuision of the spoile they were neuer like to haue So readie are men to promise wonders to themselues whilest they conferre but with their owne desires And on the other side Fame the forerunner of great attempts had filled all the small countrey of EPIRVS with great terrour and feare of Alis Bassaes comming The countreymen with their families fled into the strong citties and the cittizens within their wals fell to fortifying the same and kept continuall watch and ward as if the enemie had thenâ—lien euen fast by them â—he aged men and women commended themselues and all theirs first vnto God by prayers and then to the courage of the lustie souldiors with teares as in case of extreame perill and danger Onely Scanderbeg was nothing mooued either with the terrible report of the Bassaes comming or the vaine feare of his subjects but alwayes kept the same cheerefulnesse both of countenance and speech as he was wont being well acquainted with the tumult of the Turkish wars and hauing as was supposed certaine intelligence before from his secret friends in the Turkes court of all Amuraths designes So that hauing set all things in order for the safetie of his countrey he began to leuie an armie at CROIA at which time most part of his subjects of EPIRVS which were able to beare armes repaired vnto him the confederate Christian princes also his neighbours and for most part his kinsmen sent vnto him great supplies beside other deuouâ— and warlike minded Christians which voluntarily resorted vnto him from farre in great numbers Out of which multitude of people he chose only eight thousand horsemen and seuen thousand foot when as he might haue raised a far greater armie and placing some few in garrisons in the frontier cities where he thought most conuenient all the rest he sent home againe to their dwellings At which his confidencie his friends yea and his enemies also much maruelled that when hee might haue had so many he would take the field with so few With which small armie of fâ—teene thousand he marched from CROIA fourescore miles to DYBRA where hearing by his espials of the approch of his enemies after he had with cheerefull speech encouraged his soulâ—â—ors he encamped with his armie in the lower countrey of DYBRA neere vnto a wood side righâ— in the way where the Bassa must needs passe In which wood he placed Gnee Musachee and Amesa in ambush with three thousand men commanding them to stand close vntill they saw 〈◊〉 had throughly joyned battaile with the Bassa and then with all their force to breake forth vpon his rereward The Bassa marching forward came and encamped neere vnto Scanderbeg a little before the going downe of the Sunne and there rested that night making great shew of mirâ—â— and joy with great fires in euerie corner of the campe as the Turkish manner of encamping is Wheras in Scanderbegs campe all things were silent and no shew of any fire at all for so Scanderbeg had commanded which made the Turks the more carelesse deeming thereby the Christians as good as alreadie discouraged The next morning Scanderbeg ranged his armie in order of battaile placing Tanusius in the left wing with fifteen hundreth horsemen and as many foot and Moses in the right with like number and
Neither was it to be thought as Cherseogles said that the naked Tartarian horsmen although they were in number moe would euer be able to abide the first charge of Baiazet his well armed pensioners As for the Ianizaries of whose approued faith and valour tried in manie dangers hee had before had good experience there was no doubt but that they would now to the vttermost of their power defend the person and honour of their aged and victorious emperour who had of long time so well of them deserued and also reuenge his quarrell vpon disobedient Selymus who neither fearing God the just reuenger of such vngratious dealing neither the infamie of men had most vnnaturally lift vp his sword against his father wickedly to depriue him of life of whom he had receiued life Wherefore he persuaded him in his owne just quarrell to go forth vnto his souldiours with cheerfull countenance and putting them in remembrance of the benefits they had from time to time most bountifully receiued at his hands as also of their alleagance and duetie to make them to vnderstand that reposing his trust in their fidelitie and valour hee had resolutely set downe with himselfe in that place before he went any farther by their faithfull hands to chastise the presumptuous insolencie of his vnnaturall sonne togither with his rebellious followers But now that we are fallen into the remembrance of this Cherseogles it shall not be amisse both for the honour of the man and the great loue he alwaies bare vnto the Christians to step a little out of the way to see the cause why he being a Christian borne turned Turke For hee was not as almost all the rest of the great men about Baiazet were of a child taken from his Christian parents and so brought vp in the Mahometan religion but being now a man grown turned Turke yet so as that he neuer in heart forgot either the Christian religion or loue toward the Christians a thing not common among such renegates He being the sonne of one Chersechius a small prince of ILLYRIA neere vnto the Blacke mountaine and going to be maried vnto a ladie whom he most entirely loued and vnto whom he was alreadie betrothed honourably descended of the house of the Despot of SERVIA his intemperat father with lustfull eye beholding the young ladie of rare feature and incomparable beautie desired to haue her for himselfe and regarding more the satisfying of his owne inordinat desire than his owne honour or the fatherly loue of his sonne tooke her in marriage himselfe all his friends labouring in vaine to dissuade him and with open mouth crying shame of so foule a fact Wherefore the young man moued with the indignitie of so great an injurie and driuen headlong with despaire fled first to the Turkes garrisons which lay not farre off and from thence to CONSTANTINOPLE where the fortune of the man was to bee wondred at For being brought before Baiazet who with cheerefull countenance entertained him for that he was honourably descended and well liked both of the man and of the cause of his reuolt smiling vpon him said Be of good cheere noble youth for thy great courage is worthy of farre greater fortune than thy fathers house can affoord thee now in steed of thy loue wrongfully taken from thee by thy father the kinswoman of a poore exiled prince thou shalt haue giuen thee in marriage the daughter of a great emperour of rare and singular perfection And not long after abjuring his religion and changing his name of Stephen to Achomates and Cherseogles hee married one of Baiazet his daughters a princesse of great beautie and deserued to haue a place amongst the Bassaes of greatest honour in the court Yet still retaining the remembrance of his former profession with a desire to returne thereto againe insomuch that he kept in his secret closet the image of the crucifix which he shewed to Io. Lascaris as to his trustie friend as he himselfe reported This man at such time as the citie of MODON was taken by the Turkes and a multitude of poore Christian captiues cruelly put to death in the sight of Baiazet by earnest entreatie saued the Venetian Senatours there taken and afterward by earnest sute deliuered Andreas Gritti being prisoner at CONSTANTINOPLE and condemned to die who not manie yeares after was chosen duke of VENICE He was the chiefe meanes whereby the Venetians to their great good obtained peace of Baiazet He also by his great authoritie and of his owne charge redeemed innumerable Christians from the seruitude of the Turkes and set them at libertie Neither is his kindnesse towards the furtherance of good learning to be forgotten for at such time as the aforesaid Io. Lascaris the notable and learned Grecian by the appointment of Leo the Tenth sought for the antient works of famous writers he procured the Turkish emperours letters patents that he might freely at his pleasure search all the libraries in GRaeCIA to the great benefit of good letters Now Baiazet encouraged by this mans persuasion as is aforesaid and hearing as hee lay in his pauilion the alarum of the enemie with the tumult and clamour of his owne souldiours as if they had been men afraid and sundrie messengers also at the same time comming vnto him with newes That Selymus with his Tartarian horsemen had almost enclosed the reareward of his armie and alreadie taken some of his baggage grinding his teeth for verie madnesse and griefe of mind with teares trickling downe his hoarie cheekes got him out of his pauilion in his horselitter for hee was at the same time so troubled with the gout that he was not able to sit on horsebacke and turning himselfe vnto the pensioners and Ianizaries standing about him as their manner is said vnto them Will you foster children valiant souldiours and faithfull keepers of my person who with great good fortune haue serued me in field aboue the space of thirtie yeares and for your faithfull and good seruice haue both in time of peace and warre of me receiued such rewards as by your owne confession and thanksgiuing farre exceeded your owne expectation and the measure of our treasures Will you I say suffer the innocent father to be butchered by his gracelesse sonne And your olde emperour tormented with age and diseases to be cruelly murthered by a companie of wild Tartars little better than arrant roagues and theeues Shall I be now forsaken in this my heauie olde age and last act of life and shall I be deliuered vnto mine enemies by them by them I say who many yeares ago with great faithfulnesse and inuincible courage defended mine honour and right against my brother Zemes and haue manie times since not onely valiantly defended this empire against most warlike nations but also most victoriously augmented the same But I will not so easily beleeue that which to my no small griefe is brought vnto mine eares concerning the reuolting of mine armie neither if I did
thought that Mahometes would either for loue or feare haue presently come vnto him and now finding his requests to bee with greater grauitie and consideration denied by his nephew than they were by reason of him demaunded entred with his armie into the borders of his prouince and with fire and sword began to destroy the countrey before him Which Mahometes with such power as he had thinking to remedie was by the way encountered by his vnckle not farre from LARENDA and there ouerthrowne and taking that citie for refuge was theâ—e certaine daies besieged by Achomates and at last togither with his brother then but a child deliuered into his hands at such time as the citie was by the fearfull citisens by composition yeelded vnto him Achomates hauing taken the citie with his two nephewes caused Mahometes his counsellors with his foster brother by whose persuasion it was supposed that he had so answered his vnckle and endangered himselfe to bee all put to death These proceedings of Achomates filled Baiazet with griefe and indignation that he should in so great yeares be set vpon by two of his owne sonnes one after the other Yet to proue if those troubles might with out more bloudshed be pacified he sent his embassadours vnto him to reproue him for his disloialtie and to command him forthwith to set at libertie his two nephewes Mahometes and his brother and so without more stir to get him againe to AMESIA which if he should refuse to doe then to denounce vnto him open warre But he which by how much the more he had after his repulse ambitiously affected the empire had resolued with himselfe to deale so much the more cruelly in his proceedings hauing receiued this message from his father caused the chiefe embassador for that he had in franke speech deliuered his message and denounced vnto him wars to be in his owne presence put to death and threatned the rest with the like if before the going downe of the sunne they voided not his campe This outrage highly offended Baiazet and alienated the minds of manie before well affected to Achomates for that without any reuerence of his father and contrarie to the law of nations he had violated the embassadours sent to him for peace Vpon the first brute hereof the souldiours which then waited at the court gate in the hearing of Baiazet exclaimed that the insolencie of Achomates was not longer to be suffered but forthwith by force to be repressed that by sufferance and delay he would grow from euill to worse and that if Baiazet should prolong the time and in fatherly sort seeke by faire meanes to reclaime him hee should afterwards in vaine craue the aide of his best souldiours against his rebellious sonne strengthened by his owne long sufferance Mustapha also the chiefe Bassa with Bostanges and others of great place who secretly fauoured Selymus and had cunningly caused these things by fit men to be dispersed amongst the souldiours began at the first to mutter and as it were to wonder at the strangenesse and hainousnesse of the fact in such slie sort as if they had condemned the deed done but not the doer But afterward when they saw that Baiazet was throughly heated both by his owne angrie disposition and the speech of the souldiors and vpon the confidence of his former victorie against Selmus now readie to seeke reuenge they began then to heape fresh coles vpon the fire and bitterly to inuay against Achomates as a traitour to his aged father and the state and withall highly commended the fidelitie and courage of the Ianizaries and souldiours of the court who for the safetie and honour of their aged emperour were most prest and readie to expose themselues their liues and whatsoeuer else they had vnto new dangers So was Achomates by the craft and subtiltie of these great men by the anger of his father and the judgement of the souldiours proclaimed traitour and order taken that the souldiours of the court with the Europeian horsemen should with all possible speed be sent against him into ASIA But when choise was to be made ofsome valiant and worthie Generall that might take vpon him so great a charge which seemed especially to appertaine vnto some one of the great Bassaes it was strange to see how they all began to straine courtesie at that preferment and euerie one to refuse the place and disable himselfe saying That it were a great indignitie that the emperours armie should be led against his sonne by anie of his seruants and the souldiours hauing their lesson before hand said plainly That they durst not nor would not draw their swords or lift vp their hands against the sonne of the emperour and heire apparant of the empire except they were conducted and commaunded by some of the Othoman bloud in person present with them for so had his brother long before when he rebelled in CILICIA and now of late Selymus his rebellious sonne beene both ouerthrowne and vanquished euen by the conduct of Baiazet himselfe and not by anie of his seruants These things all tended to this purpose that Selymus might by indirect meanes be reconciled to his father whom they secretly fauoured although for feare of displeasure they durst not so much as name him but by way of disgrace and by this verie meanes to make way for his returne to CONSTANTINOPLE and so consequently giue him power to seaze vpon the empire For it was probably supposed that neither Baiazet himselfe being verie aged and diseased neither Corcutus altogither buried in his studie would vndertake the managing of those wars so that of the Othoman family onely Selymus was left to whom that charge might be committed all the nephewes of Baiazet by reason of their tender yeares as yet vnfit for the same At these speeches of the Bassaes and the souldiors Baiazet as a man perplexed and in a chafe flung away into his pallace excusing himselfe by his great yeares and diseased bodie but complaining deepely that Corcutus in following the vaine title of learning with a quiet contented kind of life had in the meane time neglected other studies and honourable qualities better beseeming his princely birth and calling As hee was thus reasoning with himselfe and deuising what course to take Mustapha the old Bassa who all the time of his raigne had vsed to disburden him of his cares hauing by way of talke drawne him into a full discourse concerning the proceeding in the intended warre set vpon him with this craftie and premeditated speech framed of purpose for his destruction Your Maiestie may not most dread soueraigne although by yeares and strength of bodie you were neuer so well able you may not I say either transport your armie or your selfe passe ouer in person into ASIA least whilest you are there from place to place chasing Achomates you leaue a far more dangerous enemie behind you in EVROPE who may in your absence seaze vpon THRACIA GRaeCIA yea and
could not well winter in that cold country neere vnto the great mountaine TAVRVS by reason of the deepe snowes and extreame cold there vsually falling and that to go farther was to no purpose forasmuch as Achomates flying from place to place and mountaine to mountaine was not to be surprised he retired backe againe into BITHYNIA and sending his Europeian horsemen downe towards the sea coast and the Ianizaries to CONSTANTINOPLE resolued to winter with the rest of his army at PRVSA At which time being wholy bent against Achomates his competitor of the empire he for certaine yeares continued the league which his father Baiazet had before concluded with Vladislaus king of HVNGARIE Sigismundus king of POLONIA and the Venetians And thinking no care no not of children superfluous which might concerne the establishing of his empire he called vnto him fiue of his brothers sons Orchanes the sonne of Alem Schach Mahometes the sonne of Tzihan Schach Orchanes Emirsa and Musa the sonnes of his brother Mahometes all young princes of great hope of yeares betwixt sixteene and twentie excepting Musa who was not past seauen yeares old of all these Mahometes whom his vncle Achomates had a little before taken prisoner at LARENDA as is before declared and vpon the death of Baiazet had againe set him at libertie being about twentie yeares old was for rare feature and princely courage accounted the paragon and beautie of the Othoman family Which great perfection as it woon vnto him the loue and fauour of the men of warre and also of all the people in generall so did it hasten his speedie death onely Selymus his cruell vnckle enuying him life After he had got these poore innocents into his hands he sent for diuers of his great doctors and lawyers demaunding of them Whether it were not better that some fiue eight or ten persons should be taken away than that the state of the whole empire should with great effusion of bloud be rent in sunder and so by ciuile warres be brought in danger of vtter ruine and destrustion Who although they well perceiued whereunto that bloudie question tended yet for feare of displeasure they all answered That it were better such a small number should perish than that the whole state of the empire should by ciuile warre and discord be brought to confusion in which generall calamitie those few must also of necessitie perish with the rest Vpon colour of this answere and the necessitie pretended he commaunded these his nephewes before named to be led by fiue of his great captaines into the castle of PRVSA where they were all the night following most cruelly strangled It is reported that Mahometes with a penknife slew one of the bloudie executioners sent into his chamber to kill him and so wounded the other as that he fell downe for dead and that Selymus being in a chamber fast by and almost an eyewitnesse of that was done presently sent in others who first bound the poore prince and afterward strangled him with the rest whose dead bodies were buried at PRVSA amongst their auncestours The crueltie of this fact wonderfully offended the minds of most men insomuch that many euen of his martiall men filled with secret indignation for certaine daies absented themselues from his presence shunning his sight as if hee had beene some fierce or raging lyon Of all the nephewes of old Baiazet onely Amurat and Aladin the sons of Achomates yet remained whom he purposed to surprise vpon the sudden and so to rid himselfe of all feare of his brothers children hauing then left none of the Othoman familie but them and his two brethren vpon whom to exercise his further crueltie These two young princes had a little before recouered the citie of AMASIA from whence they were the Sommer before expulsed by their vncle Selymus at such time as Achomates their father was glad to flie into the mountaines of CAPADOCIA Selymus fully resolued vpon their destruction sent Vfegi one of his Bassaes with fiue thousand horsmen who by great journies trauelling to AMASIA might vpon the sudden come vpon these two young princes and take them altogither vnprouided and as then fearing no such danger which was thought no great matter for the Bassa to doe forasmuch as he might with his light horsmen easily preuent the fame of his comming and the citie of AMASIA where they lay was neither well walled nor as then furnished with any sufficient garrison for defence therof beside that Achomates himselfe was at that time absent busied in taking vp of souldiours vpon the frontiers of CARAMANNIA But Mustapha the old Bassa by whose especiall meanes Selymus had obtained the empire as is before declared in the life of Baiazet being priuie vnto his wicked purpose and now in mind altogither alienated from him detesting his most execrable tyrannie both for the vnworthy death of Baiazet his father and the guiltlesse bloud of so many young princes his nephewes by him shed without all pitie and hauing compassion of the imminent danger whereinto these two brethren were now like also to fall by secret and speedie messengers gaue them warning of the comming of the Bassa and of all that was entended against them Who vpon such knowledge giuen presently aduertised Achomates their father thereof and laid secret ambush themselues for the intercepting of their enemies So that within few daies after the Bassa comming with his horsemen towards AMASIA fell before he was aware into the middest of his enemies at which time also Achomates following him at the heeles so shut him in with his armie on euerie side that most of his men being slaine he himselfe with diuers other captaines were taken prisoners and brought to Achomates and by his commaundement committed to safe custodie Now it fortuned that some of Achomates souldiors scoffing at the prisoners whom they had taken told them how they had been deceiued and how all the matter had been carried so hard a thing it is to haue euen the greatest counsels in court kept secret boasting that they wanted not their friends euen of such as were most inward with Selymus who secretly fauoured the better cause and would not long suffer the cruell beast to rage further All which things Selymus his souldiours reported againe after they were raunsomed and returned home But Vfegi the Bassa lying still in prison and getting certaine knowledge of the whole matter by secret letters gaue Selymus to vnderstand that Mustapha the great Bassa whom he most of all trusted had secret intelligence with Achomates and had beene the only cause of the losse of his armie Selymus of late enuying at the great honour and authoritie of Mustapha and wishing him dead whose desert he was not able or at leastwise not willing to requite caused him vpon this accusation without farther triall to be secretly strangled in his owne sight and his dead bodie as it werein scorne of his former felicitie to be cast out into
with age and liuing in the height of worldly blisse although he knew it fitter for him at those yeares to giue himselfe ease and quietnesse than to thrust himselfe into warres and other princes quarrels yet thought this expedition to be for many causes both good and necessarie First he deadly hated the man for his inhumane crueltie and therefore could neuer be persuaded to renew the league with him which he had in former time made with his father Baiazet Besides that he desired to abate and represse his audacious insolencie grown alreadie by his prosperous successe beyond the bounds of reason for Selymus hauing taken TAVRIS ouerthrowne the Persians and slaine Aladeules began now to seeme terrible to all the princes that bordered vpon him and there were many which said he was another Alexander who whilest other princes sate still as men a sleepe did in the meane time plot in his victorious mind the monarchie of the whole world But aboue all things the feare of the losing of SYRIA and consequently the losse of all his kingdome the quickest motiue for stirring vp of the suspitious minds of the greatest princes most enforced Campson to take in hand this warre For as much as the goodly kingdomes of AEGYPT IVDEA and SYRIA oppressed with the intollerable gouernment of the proud Mamalukes and therefore lesse faithfull to the Aegyptian kings were in danger to reuolt to the Turkes if the Persians should by any mischance or fortune of warre be of the Turkes vanquished For which cause Campson in the beginning of this warre solicited by the Persian embassadours had made a firme league and confederation with Hysmaell and also moued with the miserie of the wofull young prince Aladin the sonne of Achomates was in mind persuaded that the cruell Turkish tyrant might by his and the Persian kings forces easily be thrust out of his empire in ASIA and EVROPE For Aladin who after the death of Achomates his father fled to Campson the Sultan of AEGYPT as is before declared had liued three yeares as a forlorne and distressed prince in the Aegyptian court and by all meanes he could deuise incited the Mamalukes to reuenge the injuries and crueltie of his vncle Selymus The eldest sonne also of the late king Aladeules a goodly young prince hauing at once lost his father his kingdome and whatsoeuer he held else was in good time fled to the Aegyptian king and had so filled the minds of all men with the indignation and detestation of Selymus his exceeding crueltie that the princes of the Mamalukes of their owne accord came to Campson humbly beseeching him to take vpon him so just a warre and if by reason of his great yeares hee should thinke himselfe vnable to endure the trauell thereof it would then please him yet to giue them leaue of themselues to take the matter in hand for the repressing of the insolencie of that great and wicked tyrant These Mamalukes farre excelled the Turkes not onely in strength of bodie skilfull riding and goodly armour but also in courage and wealth Beside that they had not forgotten with what small power they had vnder the leading of Caitbeius their great Sultan ouerthrowne the Turkes great armies in CILICIA first at ADENA and afterward at TARSVS where they tooke prisoners Mesites Palaologus the great Bassa and Cherseogles Baiazet his sonne in law by which victorie they grew into such a proud and vaine conceit of themselues as if they had beene the onely souldiours of the world able of themselues to vanquish and ouercome whomsoeuer they should set vpon These so valiant souldiours were for the most part of the poore people called in auntient time Getae Zinchi and Bastarnae borne neere vnto the Euxine sea and the â—ens of Maeotis especially on that side where the riuer Corax falleth into the Euxine which countrie is of later time called CIRCASSIA of the people called CERCITae neere vnto CHOLCHIS These miserable and wretched people the Valachians Podolians Polonians Roxolanes and Tartars dwelling by TAVRICA puld from their mothers breasts or by other violent means surprised sold vnto merchants who culling out the best for strength of bodie or aptnesse of wit conuaied them by sea to ALEXANDRIA from whence they were continually sent to the great Sultan of AEGIPT and by his appointment were at CAIRE after the old manner of that people deliuered to masters of fence and such other teachers who carefully instructed them being shut vp in their schooles in all manner of feats of actiuitie where after they were become able to bend a strong bow and taught cunningly to shoot leape run vault ride and skilfully to vse all manner of weapons they were then taken into pay and receiued into the number of the kings horsemen or Mamalukes and such of them as proued cowardly or vnapt were made slaues vnto the rest So that they seeing all honour credit and preferment laied vp in martiall prowesse did with all diligence and courage employ themselues to militarie affaires and therein so well profited that oftentimes they which at the first were but bare and base slaues of the meanest of the Mamalukes by many degrees of seruice rise at length to the highest degrees of honour All these Mamalukes were the children of Christian parents from the time of their captiuitie instructed in the Mahometane superstition for no man borne of a Mahometane father or of a Iew could be admitted into the number of the Mamaluke horsemen which was so straightly obserued that the honour of a Mamaluke horseman neuer descended vnto the sons of the Mamalukes yet might they by law inherit their fathers lands possessions and goods by which reason the sonnes of the Sultans themselues neuer succeeded their fathers in the kingdome Hereby also it came to passe that many Christians of loose life or condemned for their notorious offences flying thither and abjuring the Christian religion and suffering themselues to be circumcised being men meet for the warres grew by degrees to great honour as did Tangarihardinus the sonne of a Spanish mariner who by his forwardnesse and industrie grew into such credit and authoritie with Campson the great Sultan that almost all things were done by his aduice and counsell and was diuers times by him employed in most honorable seruice being sent embassadour both to Baiazet the Turkish emperour and to the state of VENICE about matters of great importance Yet his impietie escaped not the hand of God for at length by the enuie of the court he was brought into disgrace thrust out of his place and cast into prison where he loaded with cold yron most miserably died Neither was it to be maruelled if the Mamalukes were growne to that excesse of wealth for as much as the Aegyptians and Syrians being miserably by them oppressed were not suffered to haue the vse either of horse or armour neither admitted to any matters of counsell but being impouerished and brought low with heauie impositions and dayly injuries
of the Mamalukes gaue themselues wholly to the trade of marchandise husbandrie and other mechanicall occupations ouer whom the Mamalukes had power and commaund as imperious masters ouer their seruants and would with greater insolencie than is to be beleeued abuse the poore countrey people beating and spoiling them at their pleasure and not so contented rauishing their wiues and daughters without redresse The Aegyptians a people in auntient time much renowned for their valour and prowesse were by these masterfull slaues kept in this miserable thraldome and slauerie about the space of three hundred yeares For after the declination of the Romane empire that rich countrey falling into the gouernment of the Constantinopolitane emperours the Aegyptians soone wearie of the proud and auaritious soueraignetie of the Greekes called in the Sarafins by whose helpe they expulsed the Greekes and after chose the Generall of the Sarafins for their king after whose name the Aegyptian kings were of long time called Caliphes as they had of antient time beene called by the names of Pharao and Ptolomey The last of these Caliphes raigned at such time as the Christians vnder the leading of Godfrey and Bohemund passing as conquerours through ASIA and SYRIA erected the kingdome of HIERVSALEM Hee being inuaded by Americus sixt king of HIERVSALEM and finding himselfe too weake prayed aid of the Sultan of SYRIA who sent him Sarraco a valiant captain with a strong power to aid him but Sarraco no lesse vnfaithfull than courageous trecherously slew the Caliphe in whose aid he came and tooke vpon himselfe the kingdome After Sarraco succeeded Saladine his brothers sonne who vtterly extinguished the name and authoritie of the Caliphes in AEGYPT whom Sarraco had yet left as high priests This Saladine oftentimes vanquished the Christian armies in SYRIA and IVDEA and at length quite ouerthrew the kingdome of HIERVSALEM as is in the former part of this historie to be seene Saladine dying left the kingdome of AEGIPT to his brother whose posteritie successiuely raigned of long time there vntill the time of Melechsala This Melechsala last of the free borne kings and of the posteritie of Saladine had great and mortall warres with the Christians wherein hauing lost most of his best soldiors and reposing no great confidence in the Aegyptians thought good to strengthen himselfe with a new kind of souldiors meere slaues bought for money For at that time the Tartars breaking into ARMENIA and CAPADOCIA and ouerrunning the people called COMANI joyning vpon CAPADOCIA made generall spoile of that people as of prisoners taken by law of armes Of this base people Melechsala for a little money bought a great multitude which he transported into AEGIPT and furnished them with armes by whose prowesse he not onely defended the frontiers of his kingdome but also besieged Lewes the French king in his trenches not farre from DAMIATA called in auntient time HELIOPOLIS or PELVSIVM and shortly after in plaine battaile tooke him prisoner as is long before declared But in the pride of this victorie Melechsala was by the conspiracie of these his new souldiours slaine in whose place they set vp one Turqueminius a desperat fellow of their owne companie honouring him with the title of the great Sultan of AEGIPT Turqueminius of a base slaue now become a great monarch after the manner of men forgetting his old companions which had so highly promoted him and hauing them in great disdaine was by one of them called Clotho suddainely slaine for which fact he was by those base souldiors his companions chosen Sultan in his place who for the short time of his raigne did much for the confirming of that seruile monarchie yet was he at length slaine also by Bandocader sometimes one of his fellow seruants who also succeeded him in the kingdome After him in long order succeeded many valiant men of the same seruile state condition whom for breuitie I wittingly passe ouer Amongst the rest Caitbeius of whom we haue before spoken in the life of Baiazet was for wealth and martiall prowesse most famous who according to the manner of his predecessours did with greater bountie and care maintaine that seruile gouernment than any of them who had before him raigned in AEGIPT and was for his notable gouernment and noble acts justly accounted amongst the greatest princes of that age After whose death great troubles arose in that seruile monarchie about the succession Whereby the Mamalukes drawne into diuers factions some seeking to prefer one and some another had in foure yeares space with ciuile warres sore weakened their estate and slaine diuers of their greatest princes which had aspired vnto that kingdome For appeasing of which mischeefes tending to the vtter ruine of their kingdome the great courtiers and cheefe men amongst the Mamalukes with one consent offered the kingdome to Campson Gaurus or as the Turkes call him Cansaues Gauris of whom wee now speake a man of great integritie and courage and altogether free from ambition He terrified with the dreadfull example of so many kings whom hee had seene in short time miserably slaine by the ambitious aspiring of other proud competitors when he was sore against his will hoist vp vpon the shoulders of the nobilitie and cheefe souldiors and so carried into the court as their manner was began earnestly to refuse the kingdome and to withstand their choice excusing himselfe as vnfit for so high a place and with teares standing in his eyes besought the other great lords his friends that they would forbeare to thrust him well contented with his priuat life into that glorious place subject to so many dangers and the rather for that he neither had money to giue bountifully vnto the souldiors of the court as other the Aegyptian Sultans had accustomed neither held that sufficiencie and authoritie as was requisit for repressing of such violent and seditious tumults as were too rise in that troublesome time and confusion of all things The nobilitie on the other side persuaded him That he would not vpon a foolish obstinacie or vaine modestie refuse the offer of his present good fortune but couragiously to take vpon him the gouernment of the state now sore shaken with ciuile discord together with the regall dignitie which was with the generall good liking of all men so frankely offered vnto him At last they all by solemne oath promised vnto him That they would with all their power policie and wealth maintaine and defend the majestie of his state and that the men of war should not demaund their wonted largesse before the same might by his receiuers and treasurers bee raised of his customes and other reuenewes of the crowne By which persuasions Campson encouraged suffered himselfe to be saluted Sultan and so tooke vpon him the gouernment Afterwards when he had giuen vnto the men of warre ten millions of duckats by the name of a largesse and by his moderat gouernment had caused men generally to haue his prowesse and wisdome in admiration he did
also with a rupture ouercome with heat and griefe of mind fainted in that great presse and so falling downe was without regard troden to death after he had with great majestie gouerned the kingdomes of AEGYPT IVDEA and SYRIA many yeares The valiant Tetrarchs of DAMASCO and TRIPOLIS whilest others fled for life either to the campe or to the citie of ALEPPO labouring in the hindermost of their flying troups to represse the force of their pursuing enemies were both fighting honorably slaine Selymus erecting a few tents in the same field wherin the battell was fought keeping most part of his armie in armes slept not all that night but stood fast as a man not yet assured of his victorie or good fortune fearing least men of so great valour as were the Mamalukes should in the couert of the night returne and set vpon him in his campe for hee knew right well that they were ouercome and put to flight rather by the treacherie of Cayerbeius and furie of his great ordinance than by the valour of his souldiours But Gazelles and the other Mamalukes after they certainly vnderstood of the death of Campson hauing giuen their horses a short bait departed in hast from ALEPPO to DAMASCO The next day Selymus remouing with his armie took the rich tents of his enemies full of all princely store which he gaue vnto his soldiors for a prey and marching from thence to ALEPPO had the citie peaceably deliuered vnto him by Cayerbeius where he fauourably tooke the citisens into his protection and the more to win their hearts granted vnto them greater priuiledges than they had in former time enjoyed In this battell were slaine not aboue a thousand Mamalukes but of their seruants and followers a greater number mo being slaine in the flight than in the fight when as their horses fainting for heat and dying vnder them for thirst many of them were enforced to betake themselues to their feet and so were easily slaine of euerie base horseman For a great number of goodly horses died there which being foggie fat and delicatly brought vp in cold stables could not endure the vehemencie of the heat and that vnacquainted trauell for that day all things were burnt with the scorching heat of the Sunne This famous battell was fought the seauenth of August in the yeare of our Lord 1516 the verie same day which is strange to tell whereon but two yeares before he had obtained the victorie against Hysmaell the great Sophi in the CALDERAN fields Selymus lost in this battell three thousand horsemen whereby it may easily be gathered that he had there receiued a notable ouerthrow of his horsemen if Sinan Bassa in the left wing which by the treason of Cayerbetus escaped with small losse had also happened vpon his Sybeius as the other Generall did The dead bodie of Campson found two daies after without any wound appearing therupon was by the commaundement of Selymus laied forth in open place for all men to behold that such as beleeued him yet to liue and to be gone to repaire his armie at CAIRE might be out of all hope of his returne and others that were alreadie reuolted might thereby be the more confirmed as now out of all feare of him Not long after when the dead bodie began to putrifie and grow noisome and to conuince the fame of his escape had lien openly to the view of all men by the space of three daies it was without any funerall pompe or solemnitie simply buried in the most auntient temple of ALEPPO Of the rising and fall of this great man Ianus Vitalis hath written this elogium or epitaph CAMPSON GAVRVS Sultan of Aegypt Fortuna caeca surda verè diceris Et mente vana praedita Ad alta tollis scamna in imo conditos Vt mox cadant profundius Morosa tu mortalium appetentium Votum omne fulmine ocyus Fugas deinde te nihil petentibus Benignitate prodigis Campson vt ille Gaurius nil ambiens Nil te proterua flagitans Inuitus imperator orae Aegiptiae Tumultuosa militum Ex fece plebis factus insolentia Supra volabat nubila Inter receptus altiora sydera Mox excidens altissimus Absumptus armis hinc hinc rebellibus Grauis senectae pondere Fit ludus atrox impotentis aleae Tuaeque peruicaciae Amisit cum vita opes quas maximo Cum regno habebat maximas In English thus Fortune well cal'd both deafe and blind And thereto fond with all Thou setst the beggar vp aloft To worke his greater fall Thou peeuish dame more sudden than The thunder clap from hie Rejects the sutes of greedie wights Which to thee call and crie And lauishly consumes thy selfe And whatsoelse thou hast On such as craue nothing of thee Nor wish not to be grac't As Campson Gaurus seeking nought Ne crauing ought of thee Against his will by souldiours rage was raisd from base degree And soaring vp aboue the clouds Made king of Aegypt land Receiu'd amongst the highest starres Did there in glorie stand But forthwith falling thence opprest With rebels warre and age Became the scorne of thine ouerthwart Most fierce and fickle rage And so with life togither lost A world of wealth also Which with his stately kingdome great He greatest did forgo Selymus hauing receiued the citie of ALEPPO into his obeisance sent Ionuses Bassa before him with a great part of his light horsemen to pursue his flying enemies to DAMASCO whither he himselfe in few daies after came also with the rest of his armie when he vnderstood that his enemies were departed thence and fled to CAIRE They of DAMASCO thinking it not to stand with their good to stay the course of his victorie and with their liues to hazard the great wealth of that rich citie without delay presently opened vnto him the gates at his comming By whose example other cities alongst the sea coast moued especially TRIPOLIS BERYTVS SYDON and PTOLEMAIS sending their embassadors and receiuing in the Turks garrisons yeelded themselues in like manner Not long after Selymus held a great counsell in his campe which then lay vnder the wals of DAMASCO for he would not bring his souldiours into the citie for troubling the quiet and populous state thereof togither with the great trade of merchandise which at that time was with wonderfull securitie kept there by merchants of diuers countries comming from far euen from the remotest parts of the world And in the campe such was the militarie discipline of that most seuere commaunder that the souldiours knowing the victorie to giue them no whit the more libertie suffered the fruitfull orchards and gardens of the citisens in the most plentifull time of Autumne to rest in safetie vntouched without any keeper By which seuere and strait gouernment he so politikely prouided against all wants that his campe was in all parts furnished with plentie of all things necessarie and that at prises reasonable There taking
some notable hospitall for releefe of the poore To whom Selymus replied Wouldst thou Pyrrhus that I should bestow other mens goods wrongfully taken from them vpon workes of charitie and deuotion for mine owne vaine glorie and praise assuredly I will neuer doe it nay rather see they bee againe restored vnto the right owners Which was forthwith done accordingly to the great shame of many Christians who minding nothing lesse than restitution but making ex rapina holocaustum do out of a world of euill gotten goods cull out some small fragments to build some poore hospitall or mend some blind way a poore testimonie of their hote charitie Selymus lying thus sicke to death and rotting aboue the ground in his tent as he was vpon the way going to HADRIANOPLE sent before Pyrrhus and Achmetes two of his greatest Bassaes to prouide for the solemnising of the great feast which the Turkes call Bairam and is as it were their Easter purposing to come after himselfe at leisure as his weake bodie would giue him leaue and kept with him onely Ferhates the third of his greatest Bassaes and priuie counsellours But such was the furie of his foule disease continually attainting him with intollerable paines that shortly after the departure of the other two Bassaes he breathed out his cruell ghost in the moneth of September in the yeare 1520 neere vnto the citie CHIVRLI in the selfe same place where he had sometime most vnnaturally assayled his aged father Baiazet with purpose to haue slaine him had not the fortune of the old emperour in a great battell preuailed both against his force and the treason of his own people Thus intending the mischeefe he could not performe cut off by a loathsome and vntimely death hee to the great joy of all Christendome ended his dayes when hee had liued six and fortie yeares and thereof raigned eight which time of his raigne was nothing els but a most horrible and dreadfull time of bloudshed His dead bodie was afterwards solâ—mnly by his sonne Solyman buried in a new temple at CONSTANTINOPLE which he to the imitation of his father and grandfather had for that purpose before built Vpon his tombe is engrauen in the Greeke Turkish and Sclauonian tongues this short Epitaph Hic maximus adsum Selym qùi orbem domui Non bella relinquo sed pergo inquirere Non vlla me fortuna potuit euertere Licet ossa iacent animus bella quaerit In English thus Lo here I lie great Selymus which held the world in feare The world I leaue but not the wars which I seeke though not here No fortunes force or victors hand could take from me the spoiles And though my bones lie buried here my ghost seekes bloudie broiles He vsed commonly to say That nothing was sweeter than to raigne without feare or suspition of his kindred A little before his death he commended his sonne Solyman to Pyrrhus Bassa straightly charging him that after his death he should leaue the Persian and turne his forces altogither vpon the Christians And the more to incense him to the effusion of bloud he left him the liuely counterfeit of himselfe hanging at his bed side with sundrie bloudie precepts breathing forth his cruell and vnmercifull disposition Tabulae Epigraphe Soldanus Selymus Othomannus Rex Regum Dominus omnium Dominorum Princeps omnium Principum filius Nepos Dei S. S. S. Ad dextram versus Graeca lingua ad scripti in hunc sensum Tutus vt imperij princeps sibi sceptra capessat Anxia ne dubio corda pauore premat Ne putet esse nefas cognatum haurire cruorem Et nece fraterna constabilire domum Iura fides pietas regni dum nemo supersit Aemulus haâ—d turbent relligione animum Haec ratio est quae sola queat regale tueri Nomen expertem te sinit esse metus Ad Sinistram lingua Sclauonica Te semel aduersus peccantem mitis haberi Ne studeas poena vindice tutus eris Protinus ense rescindendum putrescere si quid Incipiet clemens rex male sceptra gerit Ad veniam facilis peccanti porigit ansam Quase sustentans ad noua damna ruat Ad Calcem tabulae lingua Turcica Qui non ipse sua princeps hastilia dextra Agmen in aduersum marte fauente iacet Sed refugit saeuis caput obiectare periclis Dum grauia impauido praelia corde subit Iste sciat vanis belli sese artibus vti Et votis nunquam fata fauere suis. Nulla sibi speret suscepti commoda belli Hostiles acies quisquiâ— adire timet The Inscription of the Table Sultan Selymus Othoman King of Kings Lord of all Lords Prince of all Princes the sonne and nephew of God On the right hand of the Table were written Greeke verses to this sence The prince that safely seekes to raigne and hold his state in quiet rest Must neuer suffer troubled care to harbour in his princely brest Nor thinke it sinne to spill the bloud of his most neere and dearest kin Not of his brother so thereby assured safetie he may win Law faith deuotion and such like to breake them all he must not spare Nor conscience make of any thing to rid him from aspiring care This is the way and onely meane that may protect a princes state And set him safe without all feare whilest none may liue whom he doth hate On the left hand of the Table was written in the Sclauonian tongue Of him that seekes to worke thy woe deserue not to be counted kind But take him for thy mortall foe and plague him with reuenging mind The rotten lym is cut away for feare of doing further harme The gentle prince doth beare small sway if no abuse can make him warme Forbearance makes men more offend and to presume of further grace It doth but strength to rebels lend to thrust their soueraigne out of place At the lower end of the same â—able was written in Turkish verse What prince in person dareth not in open field to meet his foe And there with vnappauled heart his deadly darts himselfe to throw But hides his head for feare of harme and shuns the danger of the field When martiall minds with courage bold withstand their foes with speare and shield Let him well know how that in vaine he beareth armes but for a show And that the honour of the field will neuer such a coward know Ne let him hope to gaine the spoyle by any warres he takes in hand That feareth with courageous mind his enemies forces to withstand FINIS Christian princes of the same time with Selymus the first Emperors of Germanie Maximilian the first 1494. 25. Charles the fift 1509. 39. Kings Of England Henrie the eight 1509. 38. Of Fraunce Lewis the twelfth 1497. 17. Francis the first 1514. 32. Of Scotland Iames the fourth 1489. 25. Iames the fifth 1513. 32. Bishops of Rome Iulius the II. 1503. 9. Leo the X. 1513.
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
or wound them which appeared vpon the wals The gallies also did oftentimes out of their prows discharge their great pieces against the citie to the greater terrour than hurt of the defendants Solyman perceiuing that he did but lose his labour in besieging the citie as he was told at the first by his great captaines Lutzis Aiax and Barbarussa determined now to raise his siege and to returne to CONSTANTINOPLE greatly ashamed that he had no better sped neither in ITALIE nor at the siege of CORFV But when he was about to haue departed it was told him how vnfaithfully some of his soldiors had dealt with them of CASTRVM in ITALIE who yeelding themselues vpon the Turks faith to them giuen for the safegard of their libertie and goods were neuerthelesse most injuriously spoiled of all that they had and caried away into bondage Which fact as tending to the dishonour of his name and the deterring of others from yeelding Solyman tooke in so euill part that for amending thereof he caused the authors of that fact to be put to death and the captiues of CASTRVM to be diligently sought out and sent home againe into their countrey well deseruing therein the commendation of a most just prince The Turks left the siege of CORFV and departed out of the island about the twelfth of September in the yeare 1537 carrying away with them aboue sixteene thousand of the island people into perpetuall captiuitie So Solyman rising with his armie marching thorow ACARNANIA and AETOLIA returned thorow MACEDONIA to CONSTANTINOPE hauing in this his expedition done great harme both in ITALIE and CORCYRA but yet nothing encreased his empire or honour Before his departure calling vnto him Lutzis his Admirall he commaunded him also to returne with his fleet to HELESPONTVS who passing by ZAZINTHVS and landing some of his men in the night tooke diuers of the countrey people prisoners But vnderstanding that the citie it selfe was both strong and well manned he departed thence to CYTHERA where vnfortunatly attempting to haue taken the castle and disappointed of his purpose he made what spoile he could vpon that island and with eight hundred prisoners returned into AEGEVM to AEGINA a rich and famous island and well peopled both with marriners and other inhabitants Approching the island he by his messengers sent before vnto the Gouernour of the citie attempted first by faire meanes and afterwards by threats to haue had the citie yeelded vnto him and not so preuailing but perceiuing them to stand vpon their defence he landed his men and gaue the signall of battell Which they of the island refused not but manfully met him and at the first encounter slew many of his men wherewith the Admirall grieuously offended and still landing fresh men euen with his multitude oppressed them of the island being but in number few and wearie of long fight and so enforced them them to retire into the citie To be reuenged of this injurie the Bassa caused certaine pieces of great ordinance to be landed and a batterie planted against the citie by force whereof he had in short time in diuers places opened the wals and then with all his power assaulting the breaches forthwith tooke the citie which after he had rifled he burnt it downe to the ground rased the wals and put the men euerie mothers sonne to the sword As for the women he gaue them without respect vnto the lust of his souldiors and marriners whom afterwards togither with the boies and young children he shipped into the countrey neere vnto ATHENS to be from thence conuaied to CONSTANTINOPLE into most miserable seruitude AEGINA thus vtterly rased he with much like force and crueltie raged vpon them of PAROS and the other islands thereabouts killing the old men and such as made resistance and thrusting the rest into his gallies Shortly after he came to the island of NAXOS where all the island people were for feare of his comming fled out of the country into the citie there landing his men he made hauocke of whatsoeuer came to his hand And in the meane time sent a messenger vnto the duke to will him to yeeld himselfe and his citie to the obedience of the Turkish emperour Solyman Which messenger admitted into the citie and brought before the duke in blunt and plaine tearmes without farther circumstance deliuered his message as followeth If thou wilt without more adoe yeeld thy selfe thy citie and territorie to the Constantinopolitane emperour thou shalt deserue his fauour and so saue thy selfe with that thou hast But if thou otherwise aduised shalt now refuse this grace thou shalt neuer hereafter haue the like offer but for euer vndoe thy selfe thy wife and children thy citisens and subiects in generall Here is present a most mightie fleet with most valiant and victorious souldiours furnished with all the habiliments of war requisite for battell or siege Be warned by them of AEGINA PAROS and other thy neighbours princes of the islands Thy hap is good if thou be not misaduised and warned by other mens harmes wilfully refuse to remedie thine owne and when thou mightest be safe wilfully cast away thy selfe This said he was commaunded by the duke to stand aside and a while to expect his answere who with the chiefe of his subjects there present but much troubled and all full of heauinesse and sorrow consulted what answere to make But after they had according to the waightinesse of the cause and necessitie of the time fully debated the matter it was with generall consent agreed That for as much as they were not themselues of power to withstand so furious an enemie neither to expect for helpe from others they should therfore yeeld vnto the present necessitie which otherwise threatned vnto them vtter destruction and reserue themselues vnto better times Whereupon answere was giuen vnto the messenger by the duke That he was readie to yeeld himselfe vnto Solyman as his vassaile and of him as of his soueraigne to hold his seignorie for the yearely tribute of fiue thousand duckats Of which offer the Bassa accepted receiuing in hand one yeares tribute So was that notable island yeelded vnto the Turkish obeisance the 11 of Nouember this yeare 1537 from whence Lutzis the proud Bassa laded with the rich spoile of the countries and islands he had passed by returned to CONSTANTINOPLE with his fleet Not long after this great Bassa then in credit and authoritie next vnto Solyman himselfe fell at ods with his wife Solymans sister for that he after the vnnaturall manner of those barbarous people kept in his house a most delicat youth in whom he took more pleasure than in his wife Which she being a woman of great spirit not able to endure and knowing her husband by marrying of her to haue been from base degree aduanced vnto the highest honours that the emperour her brother could heape vpon him in great rage reproued him with most bitter words saying That she had married
much noted as presaging the wofull ouerthrow which was the day before râ—receiued at BVDA but not yet knowne in ITALIE From MILLAINE he departed to GENVA where he was aduertised by letters from his brother king Ferdinand of the ouerthrow of the Germans of the victorie of the Turkes and the comming of Solyman Vpon which newes Vastius and Auria his two chiefe commaunders the one at land the other at sea would haue persuaded him to haue deferred his intended expedition for AFRICA vntill the next Spring and with such power as he had alreadie raised in ITALIE brought with him out of GERMANIE to stay still in ITALIE so to make shew vnto the Turks as if he would haue returned and holpen his brother and in the meane time to assure himselfe of his state in ITALIE against the French who as it was thought would be readie to take all occasion of aduantage if any mishap should befall him either by the force of the enemie or violence of tempest But he constant in his former resolution answered them as they sate in counsell that they had persuaded him for great reasons to stay in ITALIE but that he was for farre greater to passe into AFFRICKE for if he should then stay in ITALIE it would be thought that he was for feare of the Turkes fled out of GERMANIE which disgrace could no otherwise be preuented but by the present prosecuting of his former determination for ALGIERS and satisfying the expectation of his subjects of SPAINE and so by sea valiantly to proue their better fortune which had of late not so euill fauoured them at land in hope that ALGIERS might be woon before the seas should grow rough and dangerous with Winter tempests which if it should fall out according to his mind hee would not as he said greatly care what the French could doe Yet was it thought that the dissembling friendship betwixt the French king and him would not long endure and the rather for that there was a new grudge risen betwixt them about the death of Antonius Rinco who for certaine yeares had lien embassadour for the French king at CONSTANTINOPLE to Solyman and was a few moneths before sent backe againe by him into FRANCE to the king but returning back againe with new instructions from his master for the confirmation of a further league betwixt the Turkish Sultan and him he was by certain Spaniards of the emperors old souldiors who had knowledge of his comming belaid vpon the riuer Padus as he was going down to VENICE so to haue passed into EPYRVS and slaine togither with Caesar Fregosius or as the common report went first taken and tortured to get from him the secrets of his negotiation and afterwards slaine Which report so much touched Vastius in credit that in purgation of himselfe he offered the combat to any man of like qualitie to himselfe that durst charge him with the truth thereof But many were of opinion that he was well and worthely taken away for vndertaking so odious a charge as to stirre vp the Turkes against the Christians and to shew vnto them such opportunities as might best serue their purpose by discouering vnto them the emperours desseigns to the great hurt of the Christian commonweale But were it well or were it euill as Paulus the third of that name then bishop of ROME meeting the emperour at LVCA as he came from GENVA could not or would not determine sure it serued as no small occasion to set those two great princes againe at ods whereby the wished vnitie of the Christian state was sore shaken and a way opened for the Turke The emperour at his comming to LVCA was honourably receiued by the cardinals and bishops and lodged in the court the great bishop was before placed in the bishops pallace whither the emperour came thrise to talke with him and the bishop to him once But the bishop hauing nothing at all preuailed with the emperour and the French embassadour for the appeasing of the troubles euen then like to arise betwixt him and the French king did what he might to persuade him to employ such forces as he was about to passe ouer with into AFFRICKE against the Turkes in defence of his brother Ferdinand and of the countrey of AVSTRIA if Solyman should happely pursue his late obtained victorie at BVDA But hee still resolute in that fatall determination of inuading of AFFRICKE rejected that the bishops request also So the great bishop hauing mooued much and preuailed little in the greatest matters which most concerned the common good taking his leaue of the emperour returned by easie journies to ROME The emperor in the meane time with certain bands of Italians vnder the leading of Camillus Columna and Augustinus Spinula and six thousand Germanes came from LVCA to the poâ—t LVNE and there embarking his souldiours in certaine marchant ships prouided for the purpose and fiue and thirtie gallies departed thence commaunding the masters of the ships to direct their course to the islands of BALEARES but after they had put to sea they were by force of tempest suddenly arising brought within sight of CORSICA where after they had beene tossed too and fro two dayes in the rough seas and put out of their course the wind something falling they put into the hauen of SYRACVSA now called BONIFACIVM The dispersed fleet once come together into the port of SYRACVSA and the rage of the sea well appeased he put to sea againe for the islands BALEARES now called MAIORCA and MINORCA where in his course he met with a tempest from the West more terrible and dreadfull than the first wherein diuers of the gallies hauing lost their mastes and sailes were glad with extreame labour and perill in striuing against the wrought sea to get into a harbor of the lesser island taking name of Barchinus Mago the famous Carthaginensian whose name it retaineth vntill this day From hence the emperour with all his fleet passed ouer to the greater island being wonderfull glad that Ferdinand Gonzaga his viceroy in SICILIA was in good time come with the Sicilian gallies and ships of ITALIE in number a hundred and fiftie saile wherein he had brought such store of bisket and victuall as might haue sufficed for a long warre Mendoza was also expected to haue come thither with his fleet from SPAINE but he by reason of contrarie winds being not able to hold that course altered his purpose according to the tempest and so happily cut ouer directly to ALGIERS So the emperour nothing misdoubting the carefull diligence of Mendoza and thinking that which was indeed alreadie chanced and the wind now seruing faire by the persuasion of Auria his Admirall hoysed saile and in two dayes came before ALGIERS and there in goodly order came to anker before the citie in the sight of the enemie Whilest the fleet thus lay two of the pyrats which had beene abroad at sea seeking for prize returning to ALGIERS not knowing
Turkish captaines by sending them great presents and receiuing the like againe And last of all his letters directed to certaine Hungarian captaines were produced wherein he seemed to promise them as his friends and followers greater entertainment than agreed with his present estate All which things king Ferdinand of his owne disposition not easily to be persuaded to conceiue euill of the Germanes his countreymen were it neuer so apparant or true but of strangers any thing quickly beleeued and therefore caused him as is beforesaid to be apprehended But Perenus as he was brought by Medices the Admirall to VIENNA when he was come neere vnto the gate of the citie and heard that Phillippus Torniellus with certaine other braue captaines of his acquaintance were come to meet the Admirall he requested that the close coach wherein he rid might be opened and that he might haue leaue to speake to those noble and valiant gentlemen Which thing was easily graunted for that the nobilitie and approoued valour of the man seemed vnto them which had the charge of him vnworthie of such restraint of libertie or imprisonment yea or of the least suspition thereof So he turning himselfe towards them spake vnto them in this sort Wretched I noble gentlemen said he whom despightfull enuie hath circumuented guiltlesse but much more miserable king Ferdinand whom domesticall theeues bereaues of substance friends and honour all at once For so it commeth to passe that by this inconsider at wrong done vnto me he shall vtterly lose the loue and fidelitie of the Hungarian nation and may therefore for euer not without cause despaire for the obtaining of the kingdome of HVNGARIE sithence that it is not lawfull for me inferiour to none of my nation in birth and hauing for my good and faithfull seruice well deserued reward of a iust king so much as to reioice for the deliuerance of my sonne from the captiuitie of the Turks but that by my sinister fortune dreadfull death in stead of incomparable ioy must be presented to mine eyes For will these malicious pick-thanks guiltie of their owne cowardise the wicked contriuers and witnesses of my wrongfull accusation spare me being laid fast and in durance which neuer spared the kings honour For euerie man of what nobilitie soeuer be he neuer so guiltlesse when he is once in hold must be content to endure not what he hath deserued but what his hard fortune assigneth Yet my vpright mind and cleare consâ—ience which onely thing God the most iust iudge leaueth as a comfort to men in miserie wrongfully accused deliuereth me of this care and so will the Marquesse our Generall to whom I before vpon a mistrust foretold that such a danger would shortly befall me and that I had rather be slaine guiltlesse than to withdraw my selfe from triall which thing I told him at such time as I was so guarded with mine owne strength that I feared no mans force I beseech you doe me this honourable fauor as to request king Ferdinand in my behalfe quickly and honourably to proceed to the triall of my cause and according to his owne princely disposition and not the will of others to discerne betwixt his faithfull friends and faigned flatterers Truly wee are too too vnfortunat captaines if for a little euill successe we shall be so adiudged as men that had ouerthrowne their fortune Cazzianer peraduenture receiued the iust punishment hee had deserued for the shamefull forsaking and losing of the armie at EXEK when as he possessed with an vncouth feare forgot the dutie of a Generall more afraid of death than dishonour for when he had voluntarily committed himselfe to safe custodie be was so generally condemned of cowardise that despairing to defend his cause he brake prison and as wickedly as vnfortunatly reuolted to the Turkes But neither was I of late the Generall neither were we vanquished although we preuailed not but honourably retiring valiantly repressed the insolencie of the pursuing enemie As for the kingdome of HVNGARIE I might then well haue affected the same and easily haue deserued it at Solymans hands when as king Ferdinand after the death of king Iohn was making his preparation for that warre at which time my friends and followers at my deuotion with the loue of the Hungarians towards me seeming of no small importance for the obtaining of the victorie might haue ministred no vnreasonable or vnseasonable hope to haue drawne a man into courses not altogither beseeming a Christian Wherefore I haue and will so long as I liue fight against the Turkes if king Ferdinand shall shew himselfe an indifferent iudge in this accusation falsely surmised against me by the malice of mine enemies When he had made an end of speaking the Admirall courteously persuaded him to haue good hope in the clemencie of the most just king and shortly after performed his request for he and Torniellus taking the king as he was hunting entreated him to deale fauourably with Perenus For all that Perenus could not obtaine that his cause might be openly heard but was committed to safe keeping there to remaine in perpetuall prison but whether it was for the misprission of new treason or for reuenge of his old inconstancie is vncertaine Thus three the only great princes left of the Hungarian bloud equally worthie of the kingdome Valentine Maylat and Perenus snarled almost in like snares of enuie cut off all hope of raising a king to their seditious and therefore miserable countreymen when as Perenus lay too late bewailing his vnconstancie in perpetuall prison and the other two fast in chaines neere vnto the Euxine sea expected death the end of their miseries This end had the wars taken in hand against the Turks by the generall consent of the Germans in the yeare 1542 which many thought might worthily be compared with the greatest losses of those times When as king Ferdinand hauing in vaine spent a great masse of treasure the fittest stay for the imminent warre and lost the opinion before conceiued of the strength of GERMANIE had now as a weake prince and subject to injurie prouoked against him the Turkes bold enough otherwise but as then insolent for their late victories Polinus the French kings embassadour still following the Turkes court ceased not by all meanes to solicite Solyman with his gallies to aid the king his master in the inuasion of the dominions of Charles the emperour in ITALIE SICILIE and SPAINE In which sute he was so crossed by Solyman the eunuch Bassa then Vesier that he was almost in despaire of speed for the malitious eunuch being himselfe a great sea man and enuying the honor of Barbarussa who was to be imploied in that seruice sought by keeping him out of all honourable actions to diminish his former glorie and concerning the present protested openly as he sat in counsell that he saw no other cause why the Turkish emperour should to his great charge and the common danger send out such a
that it was well knowne that a peacocke and two feisants dressed after the manner of the kings kitchin cost aboue an hundred duckats so that not onely the dining chamber when they were carued vp but all the house was so filled with the strange and fragrant smell that all they that dwelt neere thereabouts were partakers of the pleasure of that vnusuall and delicat perfume From NAPLES he was about to haue trauelled by land to the emperour being then in conference with the Pope at BVXETVM fearing to aduenture the sea possessed by his enemies fleet had not the emperour by his letters willed him to stay still where hee was But whilest he made his abode at NAPLES and carefully attended what course Barbarussa would take who furnished with so great a fleet was departed from NICE disappointed of his purpose he was by certaine messengers aduertised out of AFFRICKE That Amida his sonne was risen vp against him and possessing himselfe of the kingdome had slaine his captaines polluted his wiues and taken the castle of TVNES With which newes he being exceedingly troubled determined without delay to passe ouer into AFFRICKE and though late yet as he might to remedie his domesticall troubles in hope to oppresse that rebellion in the beginning and his sonne also before he could gather any strength to rest vpon Wherefore he with all the hast hee could opened his cofers and entertained souldiors the viceroy giuing leaue to all such banished men as would to come and giue their names to passe ouer as souldiors into AFFRICKE vpon report whereof such a number of malefactors condemned persons came flocking to NAPLES that it was thought a sufficient armie might haue beene made of such kind of men euery one of them chusing rather to enter into pay and blot out the infamie of banishment and proue the fortune of warres than to liue wandering vp and downe in the woods and in danger euery houre to be hanged Of these infamous men one Ioannes Baptista Lofredius a man well borne but of a fierce and couetous disposition vndertooke the leading he couenanting with Muleasses to haue three moneths pay before hand leuied eighteene hundred men which he presently shipped and keeping the greatest part of their pay to himselfe passed ouer with the king into AFFRICKE and landed at GVLETTA But how Amida rise vp against his father and what was the end of that bloudie rebellion shall not be amisse briefely to rehearse There were certaine noble men of great authoritie about Amida when Muleasses departed which at their pleasure ruled the young prince who easily harkened vnto their counsell and followed the same the chiefe of these was one Mahometes sonne of Bohamer who in the raigne of Mahometes Muleasses his father was Maniphet whom Muleasses possessed of the kingdome put shamefully to death by cutting off his priuities because he had by hastie marriage deceiued him of Rhahamana a maiden of incomparable beautie the daughter of Abderomen captaine of the castle whom he most passionatly loued for which cruell fact Mahometes his sonne had of long time conceiued a deadly hatred against Muleasses which he had many yeares dissembled that he might as occasion serued be the more cruelly reuenged Next vnto him was another Mahometes surnamed Adulzes whom Muleasses was wont commonly to call his worst seruant These two with a few others conspiring togither gaue it out that Muleasses was dead at NAPLES and before his death had most irreligiously as they accounted it reuolted to the Christian religion With which report they perceiuing Amida moued came vnto him and persuaded him quickly to enter into his fathers seat least Mahometes his younger brother then lying in hostage with the Christians at GVLETTA should by the fauour and helpe of Touarres whose garrison was euer readie be preferred before him For Mahometes was eighteene yeares old resembling his grandfather in name fauour and disposition and therefore of the citisens of TVNES best beloued wherefore Amida came in post hast out of the campe to TVNES to lay first hand vpon his fathers kingdome The people which as yet had heard nothing of the kings death receiued him with doubtfull countenance and as many stood maruelling that he was so rashly come into the citie without his fathers commaundement Mahometes appointed by Muleasses to gouerne the citie came out and sharpely reproued him as guiltie of high treason persuading him to returne againe vnto the campe and seeing him stay by force of the multitude thrust him out of the citie Amida deceiued of his expectation got him out of the way into the pleasant country of MARTIA betweene VTICA and the ruins of old CARTHAGE But Mahometes Gouernour of the citie after he had repulsed Amida got him with all speed by water to Touarres at GVLETTA to know of him more assuredly if any such euill newes were brought from SICILIE of the death of the king and to complaine of the rashnesse and intollerable presumption of Amida Where staying somewhat long in discoursing with the captaine and afterwards returning to the citie he was suspected to haue practised with the captaine to make Mahometes the pledge in GVLETTA king in his fathers steed for so the common voice went The Moores are by nature a faithlesse people vnconstant hastie suspitious desirous of newes which true or false they for the time interpret as serueth best their factions whereunto they are exceedingly giuen So at the first there rise in the citie a doubtfull rumour of the making of a new king the suspition wherof more and more encreasing set all the citie on an vprore By occasion whereof certaine of the citisens to whom the verie name of Muleasses was odious speedily certified Amida then in the gardens of MARTIA sighing and grieuing at his hard fortune how all stood and that now was the time to doe himselfe good He reuiued with that vnexpected newes and encouraged by the persuasion of Bohamar and Adulzes and other his followers resolued to take hold vpon that good offer of fortune which would not alwaies frowne and to follow his good hap So in hast returning to TVNES and entring in at the gate which he then found open ran presently to the gouernours house and finding him not at home cruelly slew all his houshold and with his bloudie companie went presently to the castle where Fares the captaine seeking to haue kept him out and boldly laying hands vpon his horses bridle to haue thrust him backe was by a desperat Ethiopian one of Amida his followers thrust thorow with a sword and slaine ouer whose bodie yet sprawling Amida forcing his horse brake into the castle with his friends and finding Mahometes gouernour of the citie presently slew him also And so by this meanes Amida in the space of an houre a little before a man in despaire obtained the citie the castle and the kingdome togither After that he murthered his younger brethren and embrued with bloud without shame polluted his
began as men amased now too late to betake themselues to their weapons for in making resistance they were quickly slaine by the Numidians which came in with Abdamaelech who thus possessed of the castle the cheefe strength of that kingdome let in his friends which were many in the citie by whom he was presently saluted king the rest of the citisens either well liking of the matter or at least not daring for feare to stirre But as in these worldly things for which men so vainely toyle is no assurance so this new king shortly after fell sicke and died when he had raigned but six and thirtie dayes and was afterwards royally enterred After whose death his mightie friends with the cheefe of the citisens persuaded and encouraged by Touarres the Spaniard chose Mahometes his son a child scarse twelue yeares old to reigne in his fathers place appointing Abdalages Maniphaet brother to him whom Amida slew Abdelchirinus Mesuar Schyriffus a great man in their Mahometane superstition Perellus a Christian knight to be his directers and gouernours which foure swayed all at their pleasure But Abdelchirinus tendering the welfare of his countrey and deuising out of season how to set vp one of the royall bloud that were of himselfe able to gouerne the kingdome saying That it was not for the common good to be ruled by a child was for his labor by his other three fellowes suddenly slaine with all his kindred and knowne friends After whose death the other three erected a manner of Triumvirat gouernment euery one of them laying hand vpon one part of the state or other as liked him best Amida thus shut out of TVNES and hauing lost his kingdome wandered vp and downe to LEPTIS CYRAPOLIS and many other places crauing aid of euery man to recouer his kingdome miserably rent in sunder as he said by most wicked men who insolently triumphed ouer the boy king Which they of TVNES knew well to be true and daily complained of the death of Abdelchirinus whom they called the faithfull counsellor and father of his country Whilest Amida is thus trudging vp and down crauing helpe of this and that prince proouing his friends and sounding his subjects affection towards him Muleasses growne miserable with long imprisonment and the calamitie of his disaster fortune obtained of the young king his nephew so much fauour as that hee might sometime goe out of the castle to the church vnder colour whereof hee tooke sanctuarie a place in TVNES holden in such reuerence amongst the Moores as that it was a most inuiolate refuge to all such as fled thereunto Not long after at such time as Bernardinus Mendoza the Admirall of SPAIN came to GVLETTA with the Spanish fleet Muleasses at the request of Touarres was conueyed out of the Sanctuarie to the lake and so by water to GVLETTA there to be present at the consultation there holden for the vtter subuersion of Amida and the driuing out of the Turks out of such cities as they yet held alongst the sea coast in AFFRICA Muleasses had hardly before escaped the hands of certaine of his enemies in TVNES who sought after his life preserued by an old woman who mooued with pitie hid him from their furie vnder a great heape of garlike and had he not now in good time escaped to GVLETTA he had againe fallen into the hands of his mercilesse sonne Amida who shortly after recouered againe his kingdome and would not as he said himselfe haue spared him for the reuerence of any sanctuarie For the citisens of TVNES wearie of the euill gouernment of such as were in authoritie about the yong king and not a little offended with the king himselfe for espousing Melucca his cousin one of Muleasses his daughters secretly encouraged Amida by letters to repaire to the citie promising to aid him in recouering his kingdome Whereupon he came in such hast that the young king had scarce time to get out of the citie and Amida entring without resistance and holpen by his friends easily obtained againe the kingdome and exercised most exquisit crueltie vpon his enemies of whom he caused some to be torne in peeces and deuoured of fierce mastiues kept hungrie for that purpose Perellus he caused to be tortured his secrets to be cut off and himselfe afterwards burnt to ashes in the market place But Muleasses stayed not long at GVLETTA offended with the couetousnesse of Touarres who as he said had not faithfully restored such things as he had before put him in trust withall but had auaritiously in his miserie deceiued him of part of his rich houshold stuffe with certaine notable pretious stones some of his treasure wherof the blind king so greeuously complained to Charles the emperour that for deciding the matter they were both commaunded to repaire vnto him into GERMANIE where in conclusion to end the strife Touarres was discharged of his gouernment and Muleasses sent into SICILIE there to be kept of the common charge of that rich island Muleasses by the way comming to ROME was honourably feasted by Cardinall Fernesius at which time he shewed himselfe both in his apparrell and behauiour not forgetfull of his better fortune and being brought vnto the presence of Paulus the great bishop would doe him no greater honour but to kisse his knee accounting it too great an indignitie to haue kissed his foot He was of stature tall and of a princely disposition vnworthie of so hard a fortune had he not in like manner before vnmercifully dealt with his owne brethren Barbarussa wearie of his long lying to so small purpose in PROVINCE requested the French king either thorowly to employ him or els to giue him leaue to depart offering if he so pleased to spoile all alongst the coast of SPAINE from the mountain PYRaeNEI to CADIZ But he not ignorant what hard speeches ran of him alreadie in all parts of Christendome for bringing in the Turkes was loth to leaue vnto the memorie of all posteritie the foule remembrance of so wofull a slaughter besides that he was aduised to disburden his countrey of such troublesome guests who rouing about did much harme in the prouince where they lay and as it was reported now and then snatcht vp one countrey peisant or other and chained them for slaues in their gallies Wherefore in supplie of the Turkes that were dead the king gaue vnto Barbarussa all the Mahometane slaues in his gallies to the number of about foure hundred and furnishing him with all kind of prouision and bestowing great gifts vpon him and his captaines sent him away and with him Strozza with certaine gallies his embassadour to Solyman So the Turkes departing out of PROVINCE kept alongst the coast vntill they came neere vnto SAVONA whither the Germanes sent diuers presents and fresh victuals to Barbarussa which he tooke so thankfully that he protested not to hurt any of their territorie From thence he kept a right course to the island
haue built him a stately tombe erected also in memoriall of him a Mahometane church called the church of Mahomet the lesser for the difference of Mahomet the great who woon CONSTANTINOPLE Whereunto he also annexed a monasterie and a colledge with many things mo after the grosse manner of their superstition for the health of his soule as he vainly supposed After that Solyman according to his wonted manner which was but euery second or third yeare to take in hand some notable expedition ceased from warres by the space of two yeares in which time many of the great princes and worthie men of that age died amongst whom was Francis the French king Hariadenus Barbarussa that famous Turke of whom we haue so often spoken who being of great yeares and no lesse fame left this life in the yeare 1547 and was buried at a house of his owne called Besictas neere vnto BOSPHORVS THRACIVS on EVROPE side not farre from the mouth of Euxinum about foure miles from PERA where he had but few yeares before at one time sold about sixteene thousand Christian captiues taken out of CORCYRA and to make famous that place appointed for his buriall he of his owne cost built there a Mahometane temple there yet with his sepulchre to be seene that place was in auntient time called IASONIVM About which time also died of conceit that famous captaine Alphonsus Daualus Vastius taken away by vntimely death when he had liued but fortie fiue yeares At which time Charles the emperour by his embassadour Gerardus Veltunich concluded a peace with Solyman for fiue years wherein king Ferdinand was also included which peace was afterwards before the expiration thereof by Solyman at the request of Henrie the French king broken Solyman had now almost three yeares taken his rest when it fortuned that Ercases Imirza king of SIRVAN moued with the often injuries of Tamas his brother the great Persian king fled to Solyman at CONSTANTINOPLE to craue aid of him against his brother Solyman glad of such an occasion to worke vpon entertained him with all courtesie and promised to take vpon him his quarrell and to protect him against his vnnaturall brother And when he had made all things readie for so great an expedition passed ouer into ASIA and after long and painefull trauell entred at last with a puissant armie into ARMENIA and there in the borders of the Persian kingdome first besieged the citie of VAN which after ten daies siege was yeelded vnto him vpon condition that the Persian souldiors there in garrison might with life and libertie depart with their armes as souldiors which was at the first by Solyman granted and so the citie surrendred From thence Solyman sent his chiefe commanders with a great part of his armie to burne and spoile the enemies countrey which they for a time cheerfully performed and running farre into the countrey striue as it were amongst themselues who should doe most harme where Imirza amongst the rest for whose sake Solyman had vndertaken this warre was as forward as the best to wast and spoile his brothers kingdome sparing nothing that came to hand the best and richest things he got he presented to Solyman to draw him on still in that warre But that serued not his turne to recouer againe his kingdome of SIRVAN for Tamas without shewing any power to withstand the Turks had after his wonted manner caused his people to withdraw themselues far into the mountaine country leauing nothing behind them in that wast countrey to relieue them but the bare ground so that the farther the Turks went the more they wanted without hope of better successe than such as they had before to their losse made proofe of in their former expeditions into that great kingdome The conceit whereof so much pierced not the common souldiors onely but euen the captaines themselues that to make an end of that long and vnprofitable warre taken in hand for another mans good they consulted amongst themselues either to kill Imirza or else to disgrace him with Solyman Which they so cunningly wrought some suggesting false suspitions of his treacherous dealing in the proceeding of that warre and others with like craft vnder colour of friendship giuing him warning in secret of the danger he was in the one filling Solymans head with distrust and the other Imirzas with feare briefly to shut the matter vp in their owne tearmes They persuaded the hare to flie and the hounds to follow Imirza doubting some sudden mischiefe fled for succour to an old acquaintance of his one of the princes of CHALDEA who most treacherously sent him in bonds to Tamas his brother his most cruell enemie who glad to haue the author of all his troubles with the Turks deliuered into his hands cast him in prison and that Solyman nor any other should in his behalfe further prosecute the warre or by his meanes hope for victorie caused him to be in prison murthered In this expedition against the Persian king Solyman was occupied a yeare and nine moneths all which time the Turks endured great troubles and were oftentimes hardly distressed by the Persians vntill at last Solyman himselfe wearie of that tedious warre wherein he had got neither honour nor profit thought it best so to make an end and thereupon returned againe to CONSTANTINOPLE in the yeare 1549. In the meane time it fortuned that one Dragut Raises a notable pirat of the Turks had craftily surprised the citie of AFRICA in the kingdome of TVNES called in auntient time APHRODISEVM and also LEPTIS PARVA and now of the Moores called MAHAMEDIA and there setling himselfe as in a place both commodious and of good assurance exceedingly troubled the Christians both by sea and land especially such as traded in the Mediterranean So that the emperour moued as well with the manifold injuries done by that arch-pirat vpon the frontiers of his dominions as by the daily complaint of his poore subjects commaunded the Viceroy of SICILIE and Auria his Admirall to leauie a sufficient power in time to represse that pirat before he grew to farther strength Whereupon they with a strong fleet well manned and thorowly appointed for that purpose and aided by the knights of MALTA passed ouer into AFFRICKE and landing their forces by the space of three moneths besieged the citie before possessed by the pirat which with continuall batterie they had at length made saultable And hearing that Dragut was comming with a new supply to relieue it they with all sceleritie assailed it both by sea and land and in the space of a few houres tooke it by force the tenth day of September in the yeare 1550 in which assault many of the enemies were slaine and the rest taken Auria hauing thus dispossessed the pirat and aduisedly considering that the citie was not without an infinit charge to be holden by the Christians among so many of the infidels rased it downe to the ground carrying away
with the manner of his life and gouernment and by their letters diligently to aduertise him of whatsoeuer they should see or heare bearing them in hand that the more suspitiously or odiously they should write of him the more gratious and acceptable it would be vnto the great Sultan Wherfore he by these men oftentimes certified of the princely disposition courage wisedome valour and bountie of Mustapha whereby he had woon all mens hearts saw plainly that he would at length be vndoubtedly preferred to the empire yet durst he not for all that aduenture to temper with Solyman about that detestable conspiracie against the inocent prince but still deliuering the letters to the malitious woman left the rest by her vngratious head to be wrought And she still as occasion best serued her purpose ceased not with pleasing allurements and flatterie wherein she was most excellent to infect Solymans mind that whensoeuer he should chance to haue any speech of Mustapha she might take the fitter occasion to bring forth those letters Neither was she in her drift deceiued but hauing found a fit opportunitie with teares trickling downe her cheekes which to serue their turns subtile women seldome want she told the emperour in what danger he stood recounting amongst other things how Selymus his father had by such meanes depriued Baiazet his grandfather both of his life and empire togither and therefore most instantly besought him as if it had altogither proceeded of a carefull loue by that example warned to looke to himselfe But these light arguments of suspition seemed as they were indeed vnto Solyman scarce probable so that she little preuailed thereby Which thing she well perceiuing and inwardly grieued thereat conuerted her cruell mind to other mischieuous deuises and sought by all meanes how to poyson the young prince neither wanted there wicked men as it were vowed to all kind of mischiefe and villanie readie to haue performed what she desired had not Gods prouidence withstood so horrible a practise For whereas certaine rich apparell was by her sent vnto him in his fathers name he fearing the worst would not touch it before he had caused it to be worne by one of his seruants by which curious warinesse as it was thought he for that time preuented the treason of his wicked stepdame and made her malitious practise manifest to the world Yet rested she not so but was still plotting new deuises tending all to one purpose for being growen to that height of honour and power as neuer was woman in the Othoman court and by the meanes of Trongilla a Iew as it was thought hauing bewitched the mind of the Turkish emperour she still grew more and more in fauour and obtained that her sonnes might by turnes be still present in the court of purpose that by their daily presence and continuall flatterie they should more and more procure their fathers loue and if by chance Mustapha should come thither she might haue the better meanes to dispatch him if not to expect some other fit time when she might by some one or other meane take him away But Mustapha neuer comming for why the emperors sons vse not without their fathers leaue to go out of the prouinces assigned vnto them or to come to CONSTANTINOPLE but after the death of their father to receiue the empire attended vpon with a number of souldiors she easily deuised another practise that her sonnes should wait vpon their father not in the citie only but in the prouinces also so that Tzihanger surnamed Croâ—chbacke alwaies followed his father in the campe Certaine yeares thus spent and she still hammering her mischieuous deuises at length fortune fauouring her wicked desire got from the Bassa which had the gouernment of Mustapha and the prouince of AMASIA for as we haue said euerie one of the kings sons hath with him one Bassa which is as it were his lieutenant in administration of justice and martiall affaires certaine suspitious letters wherein was contained that there was a speech of a marriage to be made 〈◊〉 Mustapha and the Persian kings daughter which thing he thought good to giue knowledge of to the Counsell that if any harme should ensue thereof he might be out of all suspition These letters being brought to Rustan he thought he had now as good as halfe brought to end the long desired ruine of Mustapha so making no stay he opened the matted to Roxolana and afterwards both togither went to the court and declared all the matter to the emperour in doing whereof they forced both their vngratious wits to fill his head yet doubtfull with suspition and to possesse his mind with the feare of his owne most dutifull sonne saying That he as a proud and ambitious young man rauished with the desire of so glorious an empire sought against the lawes both of God and nature to take his father out of the way that so he might with more speed satisfie his aspiring mind And to giue the more credit to this their most false suggestion they warned him of the alliance by him purposed with the Persian king the auntient enemie of the Othoman emperours wishing him to beware least Mustapha supported by the strength of PERSIA and the fauour of the Sanzacks and Ianizaries whose loue he had by bountie purchased should in short time when he feared least togither depriue him both of his life and empire With these and such like accusations they so preuailed with the aged man whom they neuer suffered to rest in quiet that he at length resolued to worke his safetie as he supposed by the death of his owne sonne in this sort In the yeare 1552 he caused proclamation to be made almost in all the prouinces of his empire That for as much as the Persians without resistance with a great armie inuaded SIRIA burning and destroying the countrey before them he to represse that their outragious insolence was enforced to send thither Rustan Bassa with an armie which according to his appointment was in short time raised Now when all things were in readinesse as if it had beene for such a warre as was pretended he commaunded Rustan with as much secrecie and as little tumult as was possible to lay hands vpon Mustapha and to bring him bound to CONSTANTINOPLE which if hee could not conueniently effect then by any other meanes to take him out of the way With this wicked and cruell charge Rustan with a strong armie marched towards SIRIA Mustapha vnderstanding of his comming without delay with 7000 of the best horsemen in all Turkie made towards SIRIA also whereof Rustan hearing and perceiuing that he could not as he desired conueniently execute the cruell commaund of the vnnaturall father forthwith turned his backe and treading the same steps he came returned with his armie to CONSTANTINOPLE with such speed that he endured not to behold the very dust raised by Mustapha his horsemen much lesse his presence giuing it out That he certainely
had indeed displaced onely to please the tumultuous Ianizaries resolued to haue Achomates put to death Of which his purpose Achomates altogither ignorant and one morning after his wonted manner comming into the Diuano in all his honour vpon the sudden receiued word from Solyman that he must presently die and forthwith was the hangman readie to haue strangled him as was giuen him in charge whom the stout Bassa thrust from him with his hand with countenance and cheere in shew no more troubled than if the matter had nothing concerned him And looking a good while round about him espied at last an honest man whom he had before many times pleasured whom he most earnestly requested for all the kindnesse shewed vnto him to do him that last fauour as to strangle him with his own hand which should be vnto him the greatest good turne that he could possibly deuise detesting nothing more than to die with the hand of the executioner Which thing when he after much intreatie had vndertaken to performe Achomates willed him that he should not at one twitch strangle him outright but letting the bow string slake againe giue him leaue once to breath and then to dispatch him which his request was by his friend accordingly performed and he in that sort strangled wherein it seemeth that he was desirous first to tast of death and not to die all at once Immediatly after whose death Rustan basâ—a was againe restored to his place of chiefe Visier and had the great seale deliuered vnto him which honour he enjoyed about six years after and so at last died of the dropsie This was the end of these two great Bassaes Achomates and Rustan who in that time swaied that great empire vnder Solyman and of whom we haue so much spoken It is reported that Solyman hauing appointed Achomates to die should say It is better for his great heart once to die than to die a thousand times in seeing his honour taken from him and bestowed vpon another The Turkes gallies by the sollicitation of the French before brought down into the Tuscane sea did much harme vpon the coasts of CALABRIA and SICILIA in this yeare 1554 as they had the yeare before and so did diuers yeares after At which time also Pandulphus Contarenus the Venetian Admirall scouring alongst the seas carefully looking to the frontiers of the Venetian estate chanced to meet with the Bassa of CALIPOLIS who the yeare before had rifled certaine Venetian marchants in reuenge of which injurie he set vpon him and after a great spoyle made both of the Turkes and their gallies he ransacked DIRRACHIVM then one of the Turks port townes in DALMATIA The next yeare 1555 the same Bassa recouered his strength but not daring to be too busie with the Venetians surprised the Islands of PLVMBIS and ELBA subject to the duke of FLORENCE and withall sent letters to Solyman to persuade him to take vp armes against the Venetians as they which had broken the league At the same time Haly the Bassa of BVDA by policie surprised the strong castle of BABOZA in HVNGARIE and was in good hope by the like finenesse to haue taken the towne and castle of ZIGETH a place of great importance but failing of his purpose he came the next yeare 1556 with a great armie and the 13 day of Iune encamped before the towne wherein was Gouernour Marcus Horwath a valiant captaine with a garrison of notable souldiors Shortly after he began a most terrible batterie during which time the Christians sallying diuers times out slew many of his men who for all that vsed such diligence that the twentieth of Iune they woon the vttermost wall and after fiue hot assaults were in hope at the sixt to haue woon the castle also but the Christians perceiuing the danger resolutely sallied out and hauing slaine eight hundred of them draue the rest againe from the wall yet the Turkes gaue it not so ouer but with a great number of caâ—ts laboured to haue filled vp the marrish and ditches about the towne which their attempt was by the industrie of the defendants also defeated The Bassa perceiuing how hardly the towne would be woon by force attempted to haue persuaded them to haue yeelded it vp by composition but fayling therein of his purpose began againe the twelfth of Iulie to assault the citie which assault he maintained fiue dayes together without intermission still sending in fresh men in stead of them that were wearied or slaine yet was the citie for all that by the valour of the Christians notably defended So when he had in vaine proued the vttermost of his forces he raised his siege the one and twentieth day of Iuly and departed but within six dayes after he returned againe from the citie QVINQVE-ECLESIae and assaulted the citie afresh but was at length glad to giue ouer the siege and be gone when he had lost of his best souldiors aboue two thousand and of the defendants slaine but a hundred and twentie After his departure there was ten thousand great shot found wherewith he had battered the towne and the castle which was for this time thus worthely defended The Turks in the meane time after their wonted manner ceased not to doe what harme they could in the Tuscane sea and had againe miserably spoyled the Island of CORSICA for withstanding of whom the bishop of ROME exacted of his peopled a great subsidie and finely stript the Iewes of their money and seized vpon their rich marchants goods in his territorie at whose earnest sute Solyman in their behalfe writ vnto the bishop as followeth Sultan Solyman most mightie Emperour of Emperours the sonne of Selym Emperour of Emperours to whom God giue eternall victorie to Pope Paulus the fourth greeting Most excellent and most mightie Lord of the professors of the Messias Iesu and lord of ROME the Almightie keepe thee At such time as thou shalt receiue our â—eale thou shalt vnderstand by our letters that certaine Hebrewes haue come vnto vs complaining that they are oppressed of thee with too greeuous exactions when they come to trafficke at ANCONA This burden I request thee to take from them and to restore againe vnto them their goods that thereby they may be able to pay vnto vs our tribute which if thou as I hope thou wilt shall doe thou shalt feele our fauour Farewell from CONSTANTINOPLE the last of the blessed moneth Rambeluch in the yeare of our great Prophet Mahomet nine hundred threescore and foure Haly Bassa greeued with the late repulse he had receiued at ZIGETH came againe the next yeare and besieged it at which time king Ferdinand sent Nicholaus Polwiler and the countie Serinus with a power raised in SVEVIA and AVSTRIA to recouer BABOZA a castle betwixt ZIGETH and STIRIA before surprised by the Turks of whose comming the Bassa hauing intelligence rise with his armie and departed from ZIGETH which he had for certaine moneths
be decided and determined by discreet and indifferent men on both parts and the authors of such discord and variance to be punished as suspected persons and breakers of the league We also prohibit those skirmishes or combats which were wont to be sometimes on both sides made vpon the borders And desire that the forme of this league and peace and euerie article thereof may be publikely read and set vp in sundrie places of your dominions and commaundement giuen that they may with due obedience and reuerence be obserued and kept Which we likewise haue now before promised faithfully and assuredly to performe and your embassadour whom a few moneths agone you sent vnto vs in your name requested the same thing of vs and hath with earnest praiers moued vs by imperiall oath and these letters of credence to witnesse that we did ratifie and confirme the same as if we our selues should speake to you in presence Wherefore we haue giuen to him these our letters of pacification to you directed that your generals souldiors and subiects may be bound also to obserue and keepe all these things wherefore so long as nothing contrarie to this league shall be done on your part so long in like manner all these articles of peace shall be of me accepted and assured For witnesse and confirmation whereof I sweare this oath By the true and liuing creator of heauen and earth by the true signes of our great and reuerend prophet by my imperiall power and by my true faith that nothing contrarie or repugning vnto the aforesaid articles conditions and promises of the eight years league agreed vpon betwixt vs shall be attempted or done by any our Gouernours Generals Vayuods c. Commaunding moreouer all our sworne gouernours of our most mightie empire in WALACHIA and MOLDDAVIA and king Stephen himselfe and others which haue the gouernment of our empire confining vpon you That they all and euerie of them as well as our selues shall iustly faithfully and religiously accept reuerence and keepe these conditions of peace towards your subiects cities castles townes and other things appertaining to you and in the least thing not to hurt iniurie or wrong any your subiects In briefe we shall as farre as our part concerneth vs giue vnto this most mightie and great new made loue and friendship so great honour reuerence and authoritie that that which may euen in the least things be had shall not on our part be wanting In token whereof we haue suffered certaine Christian captiues whom by your embassadour you requested to haue set at libertie franckly to returne vnto you without raunsome out of which captiuitie they could neuer haue been redeemed if in regard of this our amitie and friendship we had not granted them libertie trusting that you will in like sort set at libertie such of ours as you haue captiues Giuen at our imperiall pallace and seat in the most mightie citie of CONSTANTINOPLE the first day of September in the yeare of our great and reuerend prophet 969. The same embassadour after he had deliuered these letters presented vnto the emperour the gifts he had brought from his Great master which was two great cups of naturall christall curiously wrought and set with stones of great price a couragious Turkie horse with a saddle and trappings wrought with gold and set with pretious stones and garnished with chaines of pure gold and foure of the fairest camels that were to be got in all CONSTANTINOPLE In deliuering of which presents the Bassa made his excuse that the horse and camels had lost their beautie being with foure moneths trauell from CONSTANTINOPLE growne somewhat leane and wearie This peace thus concluded betwixt the emperour Ferdinand and Solyman held firme vntill the death of Ferdinand who about two yeares after in the yeare 1564 vpon S. Iames his day died being sixtie yeares old whereof hee raigned as emperour not full seauen yeares In whose place succeeded Maximilian his sonne before chosen king of the Romans But immediatly after the death of Ferdinand the captaines on the frontiers of that part of HVNGARIE which was holden for the emperour on the one side and the Turkes captaines with the Vayuod of TRANSILVANIA on the other side wearie of their ease began contrarie to the forme of the league to surprise strong holds and townes one in another confines wherof ensued much trouble The authour whereof was Melchior Balas the emperours lieutenant in that part of HVNGARIE which bordereth vpon TRANSILVANIA who first surprised certaine townes vpon the frontiers thereabouts in reuenge whereof the Vayuod suddenly set vpon SACâ—MAN a town in the emperours territorie which he tooke and therein Balas his wife and children In despight whereof Balas ransacked and burnt DEBREZIN a great towne of the Vayuods But not long after the Vayuod Solymans vassall and aided by him with foure thousand Turkes and three thousand Moldauians did much harme vpon the frontiers of that part of HVNGARIE which belonged to the emperour and first tooke HADAD and afterwards besieged VNGAR In requitall whereof Maximilian the emperour sent Lazarus Suendi a valiant captaine who with an armie of eight thousand besieged the strong castle of TOKAY which he tooke the fift of Februarie in the yeare 1565 and after that tooke the rich towne of ERDEN In the meane time Solyman who had in himselfe fully purposed to be reuenged of all these injuries as well appeared by that he did the yeare following to stay the emperour from proceeding farther vntill such time as he were at better leisure to be reuenged for as then he was making great preparation for MALTA sent Marcus Lilinesius a renegat Transiluanian of CIBINIVM his embassadour to Maximilian to put him in remembrance of the league made with his father and to wish him to haue regard how he further proceeded to the breach thereof Whereupon the emperour because he would not seeme vnwillng to hearken to peace commaunded his lieutenants and captaines no more to inuade TRANSILVANIA or that part of HVNGARIE which the Turkes held Howbeit that whilest this embassadour was thus intreating of peace at VIENNA the Bassa of TEMESVVAR in the borders of TRANSILVANIA made diuers incursions into the borders of HVNGARIE and with six thousand souldiors besieged the strong castle of IVLA and the Turkes in great number came daily into TRANSILVANIA At which time also Suendi Generall of Maximilian his forces vpon the frontiers by messengers sent for that purpose wished him not to giue any credit vnto the Turks embassadour who meaning nothing but warre vnder the colour of peace sought nothing else but to take him vpon the sudden vnprouided Neither ceased these troubles thus but daily grew from euill to worse for in Iune the Transiluanians besieged ERDEN before taken by the imperials and after two moneths siege had it yeelded vnto them In the meane time Chernouich the emperours embassadour to Solyman returned from CONSTANTINOPLE assuring him that the great
1555. 22 daies Paulus the IIII. 1555. 4. Pius the IIII. 1560. 5. Pius the V. 1566. 6. SELYMVS SELYMVS SECVNDVS TVRCARVM IMPERATOR QVINTVS FLORVIT AN o 1566 Dissimilis patri Selymus regalia Sceptra Corripit dira concutit arma manu Foedus cum venetis frangit Quid foedera prosunt Armataque manu Cypria regna rapit Instrauit tumidum numerosis classibus Aequor Vt Naupactiacas nobilitaret aquas Moldauum foeda mulctauit morte Dynasten Et magni fines prorogat imperij Obruit Hispanos multa vi Punica regna Destruit regnis adijcit illa suis. Sed nimis in venerem pronus vinoque sepultus Extremum properat praecipitare diem R. KNOLL Vnlike his father Selymus the royall Scepter takes And shaking armes with cruell hand exceeding stirs he makes With VENICE state his league he breaks with Turks what league can stand And CYPRVS kingdome takes from them by force of mightie hand He couered the swelling seas with hugie fleets to see That vanquished vnto those seas he might an honour be The Vayuod of MOLDAVIA he brought to wofull end The borders of his kingdome great that so he might extend In GVLET he the Spaniards ouerwhelmd with mightie power And thereby TVNES kingdome did the selfesame time deuour But wholy giuen to venerie vnto excesse and play He posteth on before his time to hast his fatall day R. K. THE LIFE OF SELYMVS THE SECOND OF THAT NAME FIFT EMPEROVR OF THE TVRKES SElymus the only sonne of Solyman then left aliue by letters from Muhamet Bassa vnderstanding of the death of his father hasted from CVTAI a citie of GALATIA not farre from ANCYRA towards CONSTANTINOPLE and comming to SCVTARIE was from thence by Bostanges Bassa of the court conducted ouer the strait to CONSTANTINOPLE where by him and Scander Bassa Selymus his sonne in law and then Solymans Vicegerent he was conuaied into the imperiall pallace the three and twentith of September in the yeare 1566 and there possessed of his fathers seat was by the Ianizaries there present saluted emperour He was about the age of fortie two yeares when he began to raigne a man of an vnconstant and hastie disposition wholy giuen to wantonnesse and excesse so that he neuer went to wars himselfe but performed them altogether by his lieutenants contrarie to the charge of Selymus his grandfather giuen by him to his father Solyman whereof he was neuer vnmindfull The next day he came abroad and shewed himselfe in his majestie and in the temple of SOPHIA after the manner of the Turkish superstition caused solemne praiers and sacrifices to be made for his father which done he gaue vnto the Ianizaries a largious of 100000 Sultanines with promise to augment their wages And all things being now in readinesse for his intended journey he with a goodly retinue set forward from CONSTANTINOPLE the seauen and twentith of September and the twentith of October a little from BELGRADE met the armie comming from SIGETH gallantly marching vnder their ensignes with the dead bodie of Solyman whom the souldiors generally supposed to haue been yet liuing but troubled with the gout to haue kept his horse-litter as his manner was to trauell Selymus alighting came in his mourning attire to the horse-litter looked vpon the dead bodie of his father kissed it and wept ouer it as did all the other great Bassaes also And that the death of Solyman might then be made knowne to all men the ensigns were presently let fall and trailed vpon the ground a dead march sounded and heauie silence commaunded to be kept through all the campe Shortly after Selymus was with the great applause of the whole armie proclaimed emperour his ensignes aduaunced and euerie one of the great commaunders of the armie in their degree admitted to kisse his hand So marching forward he returned againe to CONSTANTINOPLE the two and twentith of Nouember but thinking to haue entred his pallace which they commonly call the SERAGLIO he was by the discontented Ianizaries but now come from the wars prohibited so to do they with great insolencie demaunding of him a greater donatiue togither with the confirmation both of their auntient and new priuiledges before they would suffer him to enter Against which their so great presumption the Visier Bassaes togither with the Aga opposing themselues and seeking by all means to appease them were by them fowly intreated and well rapped about the pates with the stocks of their calliuars but especially the two great Bassaes Muhamet and Pertau as the chiefe authors that their lord had dealt no more liberally with them With which so sudden and vnexpected a mutinie of his best souldiors Selymus not a little troubled and calling vnto him the Aga or captaine of the Ianizaries demaunded of him the cause thereof who with teares trickling downe his cheekes for griefe told him That it was for money Which by Selymus now promised vnto them togither with the confirmation of their liberties and the Aga with faire words and heauie countenance most earnestly entreating them not to blemish the antient reputation of their wonted loyaltie with so foule a disorder nor to expose the life of him their louing captaine vnto the heauie displeasure of their angrie Sultan and farther assuring them that he would not faile them in the least of his promises but content them to the full of their desires the mutinie was at length appeased the insolent Ianizaries againe quieted and Selymus into the SERAGLIO receiued Howbeit Muhamet chiefe of the Visier Bassaes for certaine daies after went not out of his pallace neither came as he was woont into the DIVANO but kept himselfe cose for feare of some greater mischiefe from them This tumult thus ouerpassed and all againe well quieted Selymus with all royall solemnitie buried his father in a chappell which he after the manner of the Mahometane kings had in his life time most stately built with a colledge and an hospitall Where fast by his side is to be seene the tombe of Roxolana his best beloued wife and of certaine others his murthered children and by him hangeth his scimitar in token that he died in wars an honour not otherwise granted to the Mahometane princes The reuenues arising of the countrey about SIGETH of late woon from the Christians at the time of his death were giuen to the maintenance of the houses by him built of deuotion which for the magnificence thereof exceed all the rest before built by the Mahometane kings and emperours except those which were the buildings of Mahomet the great and Baiazet the second It was by many thought that Solyman was in good time by death cut off as purposing that yeare to haue wintered in HVNGARIE and the yeare following to haue done great matters against the Christians both by sea and land The great armie of the Turks thus drawne out of HVNGARIE by the death of Solyman in some part assuaged but altogither appeased not the endlesse troubles of
to hand But after the battell had of long time stood doubtfull the hope of the Christians encreased vpon two causes for which the courage of the enemie quailed first for that many of the Turks being slain or wounded they were brought to a small number then for that both parties saw Chiroche himselfe slaine from which time the enemie as well destitute of a leader to direct them as of fresh supplies to relieue them began to be cut downe right or taken Which their danger was the more encreased because the gallie bulged with the great shot was now leake and in danger to sinke wherefore the Turkes in that wing ouercome with despaire began to thinke rather how to saue themselues by flight than by fight reposing their trust in nothing more than in the neerenesse of the maine But as they were turning about toward the shore they were preuented by the Christians who entring the gallie and hauing slaine or driuen ouer boord almost all that were left tooke Chiroche yet breathing but halfe dead and seeing small hope of his life with fresh wounds made an end of him Diuers and doubtfull was the whole face of the battell as fortune offered vnto euery man his enemie so he fought according as euery mans disposition put into him courage or feare or as he met with moe or fewer enemies so was there here and there sometime victorie and sometime losse Many fights were in sundrie places seene mingled together Some gallies whiles they run to stemme others are themselues by others stemmed Some which you would thinke were flying away falling by fortune vpon one victorious gallie or other suddenly take them Othersome as if they had beene of neither part row vp and downe betwixt the battels The chance of warre in one place lifteth vp the vanquished and in another ouerthroweth the victorious All was full of terrour errour sorrow and confusion And albeit that fortune had not yet determined which way to encline yet the Christians at length began to appeare much superior both in courage and strength and the Turkes seemed now rather to defend themselues than to assaile their enemies Bacianus in the rereward intentiuely marked all the whole fight and euer as need required sent in present aid without respect whether they were the Popes gallies the king of SPAINES or the Venetians that were distressed In this long and terrible fight it chanced that the Turkes seeing the Christian Generals gallie hardly charged on the prow by Haly Bassa to bee almost bared of defendants in the poupe all the soldiors hauing their hands full before were about to haue bourded her abath and to that purpose were fetching a compasse about her Which Bacianus quickly perceiuing glistering in bright armour came speedily in with certaine gallies and by opposing of himselfe against them stayed their course In all the battell was not seene a more cruell fight for hauing discharged many volleyes of shot and arrowes and darts without number they grapled at length together and came to the sword where with the formost Bacianus not onely with words but with his presence and valour wonderfully encouraged his souldiours hauing receiued in his targuet of proofe two small shot Many were on both sides slaine the Spaniards attempting sundrie times to haue entered the Turkes gallies were with great losse repulsed but not giuing it so ouer neither giuing the enemie leaue to breath or so much as to looke behind him valour was vanquished by pertinacie and the Spaniards hauing ouerthrowne and slaine their enemies enjoyed their gallies Now had Don Iohn with like courage and strength but with doubtfull victorie fought three houres and more with Haly Bassa when after so dreadfull and dangerous a fight and many a deadly wound on both parts giuen and receiued our men began to faint and brought to the vttermost of their deuoire were in danger to haue beene ouercome had not Don Iohn betaken himselfe vnto his onely and last refuge He had as is beforesaid reserued vnder the hatches foure hundred of his best and select souldiours for their valour chosen out of the whole armie against all the euents of so long and dangerous a battell these men attentiuely attending euery becke of Don Iohn vpon signe giuen as was before appointed suddenly start out and with a terrible crie and desperat onset assailed the enemie before almost spent with labour and wounds This fresh and vnexpected companie so suddenly growne vp first astonied and afterwards confounded and with a great slaughter vanquished the Turkes and possessed the galley The Bassa deadly wounded in the head with a shot and all embrued with bloud was taken and as a joyfull spectacle brought to Don Iohn who seeing him readie to breath his last commaunded him to be despoyled of his armour and his head strucke off Which presently set vpon the point of a speare hee for a space held vp aloft with his owne hand as a trophey of his victorie as also with the sight thereof to strike a terrour into the minds of the other Turkes who in the other gallies fast by fought yet right valiantly neither was he therein deceiued for the Turks beholding the knowne countenance of the Bassa their late Generall and a flag of the crosse set vp in the top of his gallie and the noise of the Christians crying victorie running through the armie were therewith so discouraged that confounded with feare they turned their gallies and with might and maine made toward the land which was not much more than a mile off Which Canalis and Quirinus yet breathing with the late slaughter of the Turkes perceiuing with their gallies hardly pursued the flying enemie and sunke and tooke diuers of their gallies Partau his sonne by the staying of the rest got time to run his gallie on ground and so forsaking her saued himselfe and his men by running ashore so did also diners others run themselues aground and forsake their gallies which presently became a prey vnto the Christians In this hot conflict was Caracoza the famous pyrat who abjuring the Christian religion had turned Turke and of long time done exceeding much mischeefe vpon the coasts of the Christian countries valiantly fighting slaine by Buzzacharinus of PADVA by whose death many were deliuered of a great feare Haly Bassa had brought forth with him his two sonnes Achmat and Mahomet the one three and twentie yeares old and the other thirteene the nephewes of the great emperour Selymus by his sister married to Haly them their father had placed in a great gallie with a strong guard of the Ianizaries who seeing the discomfiture of the maine battell and the danger now drawing neere vnto themselues were exceedingly afraid and therefore to saue themselues though it best with all speed to make toward the maine But in so doing they were preuented by Requisenius the great Commendour who with his furious Spaniards bourding the Turkes alreadie dismayed and running away slew of them
so put in execution what he thought best for the honour of himselfe and the generall quiet of the kingdome Who joyeth now but Aidere in conceit a king replenished with vnwonted joyes receiuing honour from all men sauing from his best friends By meanes wherof perceiuing now the prohibition of them and moued also with the great stirre of Zalchan his greatest fauourit who discouering the deceit and crying vpon king Aider threatened the ladie the Sultans and the rest that waited vpon the faigned succession indeed ordained but for the scorne and despight of the ambitious man strucken with an exceeding feare and full of sorrow he withdrew himselfe closely amongst certaine women of the Court hoping so to find some way to escape with life In the meane time so greatly encreased the cries and threatenings of the friends and fauourits of Aidere who now had all of them prepared themselues for some dangerous and pernitious attempt that the counsellors with consent of the ladie his sister were enforced to take order That to bereaue this tumultuous seditious people of all their hope and courage Aidere should be depriued of his life Whereupon Sahamal the Georgian vncle to Aidere by the mothers side by the appointment of the ladie Periaconcona and the Sultans after long search made for him at last found him hidden amongst the women and without further delay taking him by the lockes strucke his head from his shoulders and in the place where Zalchan and the rest of his vnâ—ortunat fauourites stood crying and threatening amongst the thickest prease of the proud conspiratours flung the head all bloudie and as it were yet breathing for heat crying aloud vnto them Behold there your king enioy him at your pleasure At which sudden and horrible spectacle euery man burned in rage and anger neither for the present wanted there many a rash head that vainely threatened most cruell reuenge But in the end when they perceiued the neere succession of Ismahel ineuitable and the death of Aidere irreuocable euery man betooke himselfe to his owne priuat affaires and so at last deuided themselues one from another and so departing from the pallace scattered themselues some one way some another euery man as hee thought best for his owne safetie Shortly after Ismahel the desired king arriued at CASBIN where he was of his sister and the Sultans joyfully receiued as their lawfull and vndoubted soueraigne and with the great acclamation of the people saluted king who as soone as he saw himselfe possessed of the royall seat and his power now answerable to his desires he after the manner of the Turkish pollicie most vnnaturally caused the heads of his eight yonger brethren to be strucken off and withall vsed such further diligence that not onely all those which were neere vnto them in bloud or affinitie were bereaued of their liues but also all the fauourits of his late slaine brother Aidere were destroied in that publicke slaughter so that all the streets of CASBIN were defiled with bloud and all the citie resounded with mourning and complaints Which vnexpected crueltie altogether vnworthie so worthie a thought king so altered the minds of his subjects in generall that all their former hopes were now conuerted into new feares and their joy into mourning But much greater and farre more lamentable did the miseries grow as soone as it was giuen out That hee would change the religion of the Persians who with great deuotion honor their foolish Prophet Aly into the superstition of the Turks who with no lesse impietie obserue and maintaine the wicked rites of Ebubekir Haumer Osman and others by them supposed to be the most true successours of their great Prophet Mahomet For by meanes of this vncouth noueltie and vnexpected change and by force of an edict concerning that matter published by this new king many of his prophane priests many of the gouernours of his friendly and subject cities too much deuored to their former superstition were driuen some into exile some clapt into prison some had their eyes pluckt out among whom was the Caliph of CASBIN and not a few others in sundrie sorts depriued of their liues Yea many ladies joyned in bloud with Ismahel himselfe and diuers others of his kinsfolks to whom neither sex nor age nor innocencie could be a sufficient defence endured sundrie torments and strange calamities so that in PERSIA was neuer felt greater troubles or a more dangerous change In this so great an innouation and among these tumults there went abroad withall a generall rumour not in the cities of PERSIA onely but in the regions of the Turks also euen as farre as CONSTANTINOPLE That Ismahel with a puissant army of such as fauored this new proclaimed vanitie was determined in person himselfe to go to BABYLON now called BAGDAT there to receiue the crowne of the empire at the hands of him that he should find to be the successour of their great Caliph and in the chiefest place among their vncleane priests as had sometime Solyman the great emperour of the Turkes and the Persian kings of auntient times In this world of troubles when as the feare of farther miseries increased rather than any hope of auntient quietnesse he was when he least feared by the helpe of the aforenamed ladie Periaconcona suddenly bereft of his life but whether ouertaken in some of his owne amorous practises or poisoned by his said sister or that she as some probably affirme hauing secretly conspired with Calil Chan Emir Chan Pyry Mahamet Curchiâ— Bassi being all at that time men of great account and as it were presidents of the kingdome who disguised in womens apparell and brought in by her strangled him at such time as he had priuatly withdrawne himselfe amongst his parmours is vncertaine Howsoeuer it was sufficeth it that he by the helpe of the said ladie Periaconcona was by vnnaturall death taken out of this world the foure and twentith day of Nouember in the yeare of grace 1577 to the exceeding joy of all those nations who by his death thought themselues now freed of many great and dangerous troubles when he had raigned one yeare seauen moneths and six daies Ismahel thus taken out of the way the ladie began forthwith to persuade with the great Sultans the ministers of Ismahels death that as they had for the generall good of PERSIA contriued the death of the late king so now that they would take vpon them the protection of that great kingdome with the preseruation of the majestie and libertie thereof vntill such time as it were knowne who should worthily succeed in that crowne which now remained in their hands There was at that time many of the greatest princes and Gouernors of that kingdome assembled at CASBIN there gaping after such mutations of those troublesome times as might best serue their priuat dessignes Emir Chan burning in ambitious desires was in hope by means of a match to be made with a sister of Periaconcona
mountaine peasants which notwithstanding cannot be truly justified of this Osman his father being Beglerbeg of DAMASCO and his mother the daughter of the Beglerbeg of BABILON it doth oftentimes in the course of this variable world draw diuers men into princes Courts and aduance them to the highest dignities Truth it is that from a priuat souldiour though well borne he by sundrie degrees grew vp to the highest honours of that so great an empire and was at one instant created the cheefe Counsellor and Generall of the Othoman forces Great was the joy that Osman conceiued hereat and great was the desire hee had to make himselfe worthie of so honourable fauours and the greater confidence he perceiued that Amurath had reposed in him the more eagerly was hee spurred on to doe any thing possible whereby he might shew himselfe to haue deserued the same And therefore aduising with himselfe that for as much as the greatnesse of the enterprise required a greater armie than was leuied in former yeares so it was necessarie also for him the sooner to send out his aduertisements into all his subject prouinces and by his owne example to stirre vp the other captaines and souldiours euen in the Winter though it were as yet somewhat troublesome to passe ouer to SCVTARI and from thence to ANGORI to AMASIA to SIVAS and there in those territories to driue out the time vntill his soldiors which were summoned were all gathered together And because vpon this his great speed it might peraduenture fall out that the enemie misdoubting his purpose for TAVRIS might prouide a greater armie than they would otherwise he caused it to be giuen out That he must goe for NASSIVAN to the end that the Persians so beguiled should not regard the gathering of so mightie an armie as they would haue done if they should haue heard of the Turkes comming to TAVRIS and so the generall cousening rumor flew not only through all the cities subject to the Turkes but into the countries of the Persian also who notwithstanding being very jealous of the citie of TAVRIS and fearing that the matter would fall out as indeed afterwards it did ceased not to make most curious and diligent enquirie about it And although the disgrace offered to his embassadour at CONSTANTINOPLE dissuaded him from sending any other for treatie of peace yet to spie out the secrets of the Turkes and to vnderstand the certainetie of their purpose for NASSIVAN or TAVRIS he sent diuers messengers to Osman as if he had meant to feele his mind touching a peace but in very deed for nothing els but to sound his designements which for all that he could not with all the cunning he could vse possibly discouer but still remained doubtfull as at the first the fame still running for NASSIVAN In the beginning of this yeare now growing towards an end Amurath sent one Mustapha one of the meanest of his Chiaus vnto Stephen king of POLONIA to excuse the death of Podolouius so shamefully murthered as is before declared as if the same had happened by the insolencie of certaine souldiors and not by his commaundement who the better to colour the matter had brought with him two base fellowes as authors of that outrage for the king to take reuenge vpon but were indeed no such men as they were pretended to be but rather as it was thought men before condemned for some other fact worthie of death and now sent thither to serue this purpose for whom the Chiaus in proud and threatening manner in the name of his master required to haue present restitution made of all such goods as the Polonian Cossackes had not long before taken from the Turks and the captaine of the said Cossackes to be deliuered also vnto him to be carried to Amurath and so hardly vrged the matter that notwithstanding the vnworthie death of Podolouius and his followers and the taking away of his horses all the goods taken by the Cossackes were forthwith restored which the Chiaus almost in triumphant manner presented vnto Amurath at CONSTANTINOPLE This Summer also Amurath disporting himselfe with his Muts was almost dead These Muts are lustie strong fellowes depriued of their speech who neuerthelesse by certain signes can both aptly expresse their owne conceits and vnderstand the meaning of others these men for their secrecie are the cruell ministers of the Turkish tyrants most horrible commaunds and therefore of them had in great regard With these Muts mounted vpon faire and fat but heauie and vnreadie horses was Amurath vpon a light and readie horse sporting himselfe as the manner of the Turkish emperours is riding sometime about one sometime about another and striking now the horse now the man at his pleasure when suddenly he was taken with a fit of the falling sicknesse his old disease and so falling from his horse was taken vp for dead insomuch that the Ianizaries supposing him to haue beene indeed dead after their wonted manner fell to the spoyling of the Christians and Iewes and were proceeding to further outrages had not their Aga or captaine to restraine their insolencie to the terror of the rest hanged vp one of them taken in the manner and certaine others in the habit of Ianizaries Neuerthelesse Amurath shortly after recouered againe and to appease that rumour of his death openly vpon their Sabboth which is the friday rid from his pallace to the temple of Sophia where I with many others saw him saith Leunclauius his countenance yet all pale and discoloured This yeare also happened such a chance as had like to haue raised new warres betwixt the Turks and the Venetians which for as much as it is worth the reporting I thought it not good in silence to passe ouer The widow of Ramadan Bassa late Gouernour of TRIPOLIS in BARBARIE with her sonne her familie and a great number of slaues of both sorts being about to depart from TRIPOLIS to CONSTANTINOPLE had rigged vp a faire gallie for the transporting of her selfe and her substance reported to be worth eight hundred thousand duckats vnto which gallie for her more safetie she had joyned two others as consorts Thus embarked she came to the mouth of the Adriaticke where sayling by CORFV she was by force of tempest driuen into the gulfe of the Adriaticke At which time one Petrus Emus one of the Venetian Senatours with certaine gallies had the charge for the keeping of that sea agaist pyrats and all other enemies whosoeuer He hearing of the Turkes comming into the gulfe without delay set vpon them and being too strong for them tooke them all and hauing them now in his power exercised most barbarous crueltie as well vpon the women as the men for hauing slaine the men in number two hundred and fiftie and the sonne of Ramadan in his mothers lap he caused the women being before rauished to haue their breasts cut off and afterwards to be cast ouerbourd into the sea being in number about fortie The brother of
state For the appeasing of which so dangerous a tumult Mahomet called vnto him certaine of the chiefe men among these seditious such as were thought to be able to do most with them whom he sought by faire persuasions and large promises to win vnto him and by them to pacifie the rest Which serued him to little or no purpose vntill such time as the great Bassaes themselues came out with their followers who with many faire persuasions mixt with most grieuous threats and firme promise of a generall pardon with much adoe appeased the tumult yet for the more safetie kept all the chiefe streets of the citie with strong watch and ward This broile thus ouerblowne a new tent was by the commaundement of the new emperour set vp before the temple of Sophia wherein on the right hand was placed the dead bodie of the late Sultan Amurath his father and on the left hand the bodies of his nineteene strangled brethren layed forth of purpose as an heauie spectacle for the people to behold who all not long after were together with their father with great solemnitie after the Turkish manner buried and Mahomet himselfe being about nine and twentie yeares old now openly proclaimed great emperour of the Turks and lord of all from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same After that returning to his pallace he made vnto his Bassaes and other great men a sumptuous and royall feast as the manner was but whilest they were in the middest of their mirth vpon the sudden all the citie was againe in an vprore and the people in armes in such sort as that it was thought scarce one man would haue escaped aliue from that banket had not the chiefe Bassa with his grauitie and wisdome and wonderfull labour in good time appeased their furie and withall to their greater terrour caused all the great ordinance in the citie to be brought forth into the streets readie charged to be shot off amongst them Whilest these troubles thus passed at CONSTANTINOPLE vpon the late confederation made betweene the emperour the Transyluanian prince the Valachians and Moldauians diuers fortunate inrodes and skirmishes were by them made in the frontiers of the Turkes dominions many strong places were surprised many rich booties taken and notable exploits done which we will but briefely passe ouer as the precedents of a greater warre The citie of WELTZE before taken by the Turks was now againe in the beginning of this yeare recouered and the Christians about SCVTHIA in number about foure thousand breaking into the Turks frontiers carried away an exceeding rich prey with diuers notable captiues The like did also the Christians of VIVARIA at which time also the garrison souldiors of ALTENBVRG making a rode into the countrey about RAB encountered with foure thousand Turks of whom they slew two hundred tooke certaine prisoners whom they sent some to PRESBVRG some to ALTENBVRG and Sinan Bassa the late Generall returning towards CONSTANTINOPLE with much treasure which he had greedily scraped together in the late wars in HVNGARIE was by the Valachians set vpon by the way not farre from BELGRADE and stript of all that he had hauing much adoe to escape himselfe with some few of his followers The same Valachians together with the Transyluanians vnder the conduct of their valiant captaine Gestius Ferens entering further vpon the Turkes tooke from them diuers of their townes and castles as PONDESIE NICOPLISE KILLA and REBNICHI and meeting with twelue thousand Tartars slew a great number of them and put the rest to flight With this insolencie of the Valachians his late tributaries but now his enemies the Turkish emperour was highly offended and therefore sent one Bogdanus a Valachian borne descended of the Palatines house with a great power to expulse the old Vayuod and to possesse himselfe of that honour as his tributarie promising vnto him all fauour and kindnesse Bogdanus thus supported and furnished came with his power into VALACHIA yet thought it best before he attempted any great matter to expect the comming of the Tartars left the last yeare in HVNGARIE by Sinan of whose comming the Valachians and Transyluanians hauing vnderstanding met them by the way and joyning battell with them slew eight thousand of them put the rest to flight and so returned vnto whom presently after this victorie the Transyluanian prince sent foureteene thousand souldiours moe to aid them against the Turkes But Bogdanus vnderstanding both of the ouerthrow of the Tartars and the comming of this new supplie durst not proceed any farther in his enterprise but kept himselfe still in his trenches Not long after by the commaundement of the Turkish emperour Han the Crim Tartar with a great power of his Tartarian horsemen entred into MOLDAVIA with purpose to haue by fire and sword reduced that countrey againe vnto the Turks obeisance of whose comming Aaron Vayuod of MOLDAVIA hauing knowledge and aided by his neighbour Michael Vayuod of VALACHIA so belayed the Tartars that he in three diuers battels ouerthrew them and hauing slaine twelue thousand of them enforced the rest to retire againe out of his countrey and following the course of this victorie presently after tooke BENDAR SCHINITZ TIGNA MECâ—NIS with some other castles and fortresses of the Turkes neere vnto the riuer of Danubius all which he furnished with his owne garrisons and withall tooke in the rich countrey of BOâ—RAGA the inhabitants thereof willingly submitting themselues vnto him as men wearie of the Turkish thraldome With like good fortune aided by the Polonian Cossackes he ouerthrew Ianicula the sonne of Bogdanus sometime Vayuod of MOLDAVIA now sent by Mahomet with a great power as a most fit instrument to trouble the Vayuod and to recouer againe that countrey with whom Aaron couragiously encountering at SCARPETRA a mile from Danubius ouerthrew him in plaine battell and hauing slaine eight thousand of his Turkes put him to flight and tooke the spoile of his whole campe Neither yet so contented marched presently to NESTER ALBA where he put the Turkes in a great feare and afterwards burnt the suburbs of the citie and so retired How Amurath the late Sultan in the beginning of these troubles had at CONSTANTINOPLE shut vp in prison Frederick Krecowitz the emperours embassadour is before declared This embassadour Sinan Bassa brought with him the last yeare when he came into HVNGARIE who after many indignities by him suffered both vpon the way and at BELGRADE there died fiue of whose seruants the false Bassa caused to be kept in straight prison as guiltie of their masters death so to auert the infamie thereof from himselfe But now lying himselfe at BELGRADE for the better mannaging of this yeares wars vpon the comming of a new treasurer from the Court he caused these fiue poore prisoners to be brought before him and most impudently charged them with the death of their master saying that they should answere for the same vnto God and their
rather penceable behind them but let the war be vndertaken with no lesse charge and preparation than if the enemies royall seat were to be assailed which standing in an open and plaine countrey shall alwaies without much adoe be his that being strongest can take it This haue I written at large as my purpose was all which I most humbly beseech your Holinesse with your diuine wisedome to consider of and with your wonted clemencie to accept the same and so prostrate at your Holinesse feet I most humbly commend me to your clemencie From Zamoschie the tenth of Ianuarie 1596. This much the great Chancelour in defence of himselfe and of that he had done in MOLDAVTA which howsoeuer it contented the Pope well I wote it nothing pleased the Emperour and much lesse the Transyluanian prince now not a little weakened by the taking away of the countrey of MOLDAVIA from him To end this troublesome yeare withall many sharpe and bloudie skirmishes yet daily passed in diuers places of those frontier countries the Turkes almost in euery place still going to the worse In the beginning of Nouember Leucouits gouernour of CAROLSTAT the second time surprised WIHITZ in the frontiers of CROATIA where these wars first begun but being not able to take the castle contented himselfe as before with the spoile of the citie and afterward setting it on fire departed Maximilian also attempted ZOLNOCI and the Christians in garrison at STRIGONIVM and PLINDENBVRG now become neere neighbours vnto the Turkes at BVDA did with continuall â—nâ—odes not a little molest them both all the latter end of this yeare and the beginning of the next And the Turkes in BRAILA in VALACHIA vpon the side of Danubius fearing after the flight of Sinan to be besieged by the Vayuod forsooke the citie and in â—uen hast passed the riuer that in that tumultuous passage three hundred of them perished Sinan Bassa by the Transyluanian prince of late driuen out of VALACHIA was not long after sent for to CONSTANTINOPLE but the craftie old fox not ignorant of the fierce nature of the great Sultan and warned by the late miserie of Ferat found occasions to delay the time so long vntill that he was sent for againe and after that the third time also In the meane while he had so wrought by his mightie friends in Court by rich rewards mightier than they that at his comming to the Court he was there honourably receiued as the chiefest of the Bassaes and being afterwards offered to bee discharged of the warres as a man of aboue fourescore yeares old he refused so to be saying That he was borne and brought vp amongst souldiors and martiall men and so wished amongst them to die as not long after he did dying as was thought of conceit of the euill successe he had in his warres against the Transyluanian Mahomet the Turkish Emperour exceedingly grieued with the losse of so many his cities and strong places this yeare lost as namely STRIGONIVM VICEGRADE SISEG PETRINIA LIPPA IENNA TERGOVISTA BVCARESTA ZORZA and many others of lesse name and both by letters and messengers vnderstanding daily of the slaughter of his people and wasting of his frontiers commaunded great preparation to be made against the next Spring giuing it out That he would then in person himselfe come down into HVNGARIE with such a power as neuer had any his predecessours the Othoman kings and emperours and there take most sharpe reuenge of all his former wrongs Neuerthelesse these his so hastie designes were by the plague and famine which then both raged extreamely in most part of his empire and by other great occurrents of the same time so crossed that by that time the Spring came he scarcely well knew which way to turne himselfe first For beside these troubles of the West of themselues ynough to haue filled his hands the Georgians in the East a warlike people moued with the good successe of the Christians in VALACHIA and HVNGARIE had taken vp arms against him and the old Persian king but a little before dead had left that great kingdome to his sonne a man of greater spirit than was like to endure the manifold injuries before done vnto his father by the Turks to the great dishonour of that kingdome and prejudice of himselfe Of which things the Bassa of TAVRIS gaue him ample intelligence wishing him betimes to prouide for such stormes which joyned to the rest filled his head with many troubled thoughts wherunto we leaue him vntill the next Spring The Transyluanian prince carefull of his estate and not a little troubled with the disseuering of MOLDAVIA thought it not vnfit for his affaires now after the flight of Sinan and discomfiture of the Turkes to go in person himselfe vnto the emperour to declare vnto him the wrong done him by the Polonian and farther to conferre with him concerning the mannaging of the warres against the common enemie So hauing put all things in readinesse for his journey he set forward in Ianuarie 1596 and by the way of CASSOVIA the fourth of Februarie arriued at PRAGE in BOHEMIA where he was by the emperours appointment most honourably entertained But immediatly after his comming thither he fell sicke of an ague which grieuously vexed him for the space of three weekes In the latter end of Februarie hauing somewhat recouered his health he went to the church where after his deuotions done he was by the Deane of the Cathedrall church welcomed with a most eloquent oration setting forth his worthie praises and farther animating him vnto the like exploits against the common enemie of all Christianitie Whereunto he forthwith answered in Latin so eloquently and so readily that all men maruelled that heard him protesting in his speech That as he and his subjects had not hitherto spared their liues or goods in defence of the common cause so would they not afterwards spare the same but aduenture all for the benefit of the Christian common-weale well hoping that the emperour and the other Christian princes would not as occasion should require be wanting vnto him with their forces or the cleargie with their prayers which done he doubted not as he said by the power of God but to obtaine more notable victories than he had yet against the Turkes the enemies of God Whilest he yet thus lay at the emperours Court it fortuned that the people called Siculi offended to haue their liberties in some part infringed in the late assembly of the States holden in TRANSYLVANIA in December last rise now vp in armes in diuers places refusing to yeeld their former obedience vnto the prince A matter like enough to haue wrought him much trouble and supposed not to haue been done without the priuitie of the Cardinall his vncle but by the wisedome and courage of such as he had in his absence put in trust with the gouernment of his countrey diuers of the ringleaders of this rebellion were apprehended and in diuers
of the euill successe of the affaires of HVNGARIE on the one side and the desire he saw in the Persians to recouer their lost fortresses on the other and grieued also with more particular wrongs concerning himselfe as a man altogither discontented resolued to take vp armes and calling vnto him his souldiors and as he was a well spoken man laying before them the deformities of the present state gallantly persuaded them with the promise of honour soueraigntie and rich rewards what an easie thing it were to chase the grand signior out of ASIA and to set themselues with all that part of the empire at libertie And so euen at the first hauing woon vnto him three thousand harquebusiers and fiue thousand horsemen tooke the field to the great hurt of the Turkes and trouble of the state A strange matter in that tyrannicall empire The newes whereof comming in post to the Court commission was forthwith directed vnto foure of the Sanzackes of ASIA neerest vnto him for the speedie suppressing of that rebellion but euen then arising Whereof Cusahin vnderstanding and that they with ten thousand horse and foot were comming to oppresse him without farther stay went couragiously to meet them and so encountring of them ouerthrew them with a great slaughter and tooke from them their baggage with six pieces of great ordinance And after with his people seized vpon all the castles thereabouts giuing whatsoeuer he found therein for a prey vnto his souldiors who also much enriched themselues with the spoile of the Iewes as the people whom they most hated and neuer rested vntill he had made almost all the countrey of CARAMANIA his owne After that he laid siege to COGNA a citie in the confines of NATOLIA which was forthwith yeelded vnto him And yet not so contented gaue it out by open proclamation that for the reformation of the disordered state he would ere long go to besiege the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE and that therfore all such as would follow him should of him be intreated as his friends and companions threatning vnto the rest most cruell death and destruction Of which his proceedings Mahomet as then disporting himselfe at his gardens of pleasure in the countrey all alongst the side of PROPONTIS vnderstanding and fearing to be there surprised or that some sudden innouation might be raised in the citie hasted with all speed to CONSTANTINOPLE and from thence in all hast dispatched Mehemet one of the Visier Bassaes the sonne of Sinan with all the forces he could make to go against him Who passing ouer into ASIA with a great power and yet fearing to come to the triall of a battell with him whom he knew to be a man of himselfe desperatly set and not a little fauoured also euen of his owne souldiors so secretly wrought by large promises that Cusahin his footmen were euen vpon the point to haue forsaken him Which he quickly perceiuing fled forthwith through SIRIA into ARABIA with his horsemen and the horsemen of Simon the Georgian purposing the next Spring by the helpe of Arabians and Persians to appeare in the field with greater forces than before After whom Mehemet the great Bassa following came with his armie to ALEPPO there to Winter and to expect the returne of the rebell together with the Spring This so dangerous a rebellion with the troubles of TRANSYLVANIA and VALACHIA were the cause that the grand signior seeing himselfe in so many places forsaken of his subjects was the readier to encline vnto peace with the emperour whereunto for all that the emperour was not hastie to hearken but vpon honourable conditions as knowing that the Turke required the same not for any desire he had to liue in quiet but for that his troubled affaires both at home and elswhere abroad so required his Ianizaries and other men of warre in this his so weake gouernment being growne so insolent as that they were hardly to bee by him commaunded openly threatening in their discontented humors not only the deposing of the principall officers about him but of himselfe also and of the banishment of the Sultanesse his mother saying that she had bewitched him to the end she might her selfe rule which she indeed doth in all his greatest affaires But the rebell Cusahin the next yeare growne againe very strong was now come into the field and euen readie to haue giuen the Bassa battell who as hee was a man of great wisedome and experience well considering with what a desperat enemie hee had to doe thought it best againe to proue if his rebellious followers might by faire meanes bee drawne from him and so comming neere vnto him by open proclamation promised a free and generall pardon to all such as had followed the rebell in those wars if forsaking him they should forthwith returne home to their dwellings and so to the obedience of their just and lawfull prince and soueraigne Which generall pardon so proclaimed was the ruine of Cusahin for that the greatest part of his followers now enriched with the great booties they had gotten and now also hauing free pardon offered them returned home into their owne countries there at ease to liue of their euill gotten goods leauing their captaine with some few others which staied with him with little hope to be saued So that within a few daies after Cusahin thus forsaken of his followers was himselfe taken and brought prisoner to CONSTANTINOPLE where shortly after hee was with most exquisit torments tortured to death The troubles of this yeare thus past Rodolph the Christian emperour with the beginning of the next whilest the ground yet couered with snow and the vnseasonablenesse of the weather would not suffer the souldiors to keepe the field caused a Diet of the princes of the empire to be called to consider with him of such helpes as were by them to be giuen against the Spring for the maintenance of the warres which yet he had against the Turke who all promised to send their souldiors with their pay and such further contribution as might serue for the maintenance of that defensiue warre against the common enemie Whereunto also Clement now bishop of ROME this yeare of Iubilie put to his helping hand as he had diuers times before by sending thither such aid both of men and money as hee had before promised so that by this meanes great preparation was made by the Christians for the taking of the field with the first of the Spring At which time the Turkes also began to stirre who although Ibrahim Bassa their Generall by the appointment of his great lord was then in some speech with the emperour about a peace yet ceased not they in the meane time that this treatie was from day to day prolonged with their companies scattering here and there to doe what harme they could vpon the frontiers of the emperours territories the cause why he with more speed called vpon his friends for their promised aid And for the
trecherously slaine by Ferrat Bassa 600 l Alis Bassa of Buda by the commaundement of Amurath strangled 1003 d Alis Beg Gouernour of Strigonium comming downe into the lower town there staied by the Ianizaries 1066 k. his resolute answer vnto the message sent him from the lord Palfi 1009 e. slain with a great shot 1071 c Almericus Earle of Ioppa after the death of his brother Baldwin chosen sixt king of Ierusalem 53 d. with a puissant armie entereth Aegipt and in plaine battell ouerthroweth Dargan the Sultan e. aideth Sanar the Sultan against Saracon Noradins Generall whom he ouerthroweth in Aegipt 56 i taketh Alexandria l. winneth Pelusium 57. dieth 58 k Aloysius Grittus the duke of Venice his sonne sent by Solyman as his lieutenant into Hungarie to ouersee king Iohn 631 f. contemned by Americus causeth him to be murthered 633 d. besieged by the Transyluanians 634 h. taken and beheaded l. the great riches found about him 635 a Alphonsus king of Naples sendeth aid vnto Scanderbeg 369 f. with Alexander the Bishop of Rome craueth aid of Baiazet the Turke against Charles the French king 551 a Alphonsus resigneth his kingdome of Naples vnto his sonne Ferdinand 453 e Alphonsus Daualus Vastius lieutenant Generall of the Emperours land forces in his expedition for Tunes 655 b. his speech vnto the Spanish captaines 659 b. commaundeth the Emperour 665 d. with Hannibaldus sent embassadours from the Emperor and the French king to the state of Venice for a confederation betwixt that State them to be made against Solyman 992 g. his Oration in the Venetian Senate h. the answere of the duke m. the Senators diuersly affected towards the confederation 693 d Alteration of Religion in the Greeke Church the cause of great trouble 144 m. Amesa with his Turkes ouerthrowne and taken prisoner by Scanderbeg 366 g Amesa emploied by his vncle Scanderbeg for the recouerie of Croia out of the hands of Turkes 284 h. corrupted flieth to Mahomet the Turke 375 b. his first speech to Mahomet c. honourably entertained 376 i. by Isaack Bassa created king of Epirus 378 d. taken prisoner by Scanderbeg 381 d. sent prisoner into Italie 382 h. enlarged returneth to Constantinople and there dieth â—83 b Amurath the first succeedeth his father Orchanes in the Turkish kingdome 189 c. inuadeth Europe d. taketh Hadrianople f. maketh his roiall seat in Europe 191 b. beginneth the order of the Ianizaries e. returneth into Asia 192 g. marrieth his son Baiazet vnto Hatune the daughter of the prince Germean with a great dowrie 193 c. purchaseth the principalitie of Amisum of Chusen Beg. d. inuadeth Seruia and taketh Nissa the metropoliticall citie thereof e. imposeth a yearely tribute vpon the countrey of Seruia f. in a great battel ouerthroweth Aladin the king of Caramania his sonne in law with the other Mahometane prinâ—â— his confederates 196 g. by his captaines winneth and spoileth a great part of Bulgaria 199 a. in a great mortall battell ouerthroweth Lazarus the Despot of Seruia with his confederats in the plaines of Cossoua 200 i. slaine k. buried at Prusa 201 b. Amurath the second placed in his fathers seat 255 c. afraid to goe against the rebell Mustapha 256 h. in vaine besieged Constantinople 258 g. strangleth his brother Mustapha l. winneth Thessalonica 260 g. taketh vnto himselfe the greatest part of Aetolia i. enforceth the princes of Athens Phocis and Beotia to become his tributaries h. falsifieth his faith with Iohn Castriot prince of Epirus and poysoneth his three eldest sonnes his hostages l. oppresseth the Mahometane princes in Asia 261 c. spoileth Hungarie d. contrarie to his saith inuadeth Seruia and subdueth it 262 g. putteth out the eyes of the Despots sons his wiues brethren g. besiegeth Belgrade 263 c. dealeth subtilly with the embassadors of king Vladislaus 264 g. notably encourageth his souldiors to the assault of Belgrade h. shamefully repulsed 266 h. his sullen answere vnto the embassadours of king Vladislâ—us i. sendeth Mesites Bassa to inuade Transyluania 267 f. grieued with the losse of Mesites and his armie sendeth Abedin Bassa to reuenge his death 270 l. in despaire about to haue slain himselfe 289 a. by the mediation of the Despot of Seruia obtaineth peace of king Vladislaus for ten yeares b. inuadeth Caramania d. wearie of the world committeth the gouernment of his kingdome to his sonne Mahomet and retireth himselfe vnto a monasticall life c. at the report of those preparations of the Hungarians and request of his Bassaes forsaketh his solitarie life and raiseth a great armie in Asia 296 k. by the Genowaies transported with his armie into Europe l. ioyneth battell with K. Vladislaus at Varna 297 b. about to haue sled reproued of cowardise by a common souldiour c. prayeth vnto Christ. e. in danger to haue beene slaine 298 h. wisheth not many times so to ouercome as he did at the battell of Varna m. to performe his vow resigneth his kingdome to his sonne Mahomet which he shortly after resumeth againe 299 b. his craftie letters to Scanderbeg 300 g. his passionate speech in his rage against Scanderbeg 302 i. breaketh through the Hexamylum imposeth a yearly tribute vpon them of Peloponnesus 304 h. after three daies hard fight with great slaughter of his men ouercommeth Huniades in the plaines of Cassoua 309 b. inuadeth the Despot 310 k. his graue letters of aduice to Mustapha concerning his inuading of Epirus 311 e. commeth with a great armie to Sfetigrade 316 l. in vaine with great â—urie giueth many a desperat assault vnto the citie 319 b. in one assault looseth seuen thousand of his Turks 320 i. by great promises seeketh to corrupt the garrison of Sfetigrade l. by the practise of one man hath the citie of Sfetigrade yeelded vnto him 321 e. hauing lost thirtie thousand of his Turks at the siege of Sfetigrade returneth to Hadrianople 322 h. with a great armie commeth againe into Epirus and besiegeth Croia 323 c. in two assaults looseth eight thousand of his souldiors 326 k. content to buy the life of one Christian with the losse of twentie of his Turks 327 a. seeketh by great gifts to corrupt Vranacontes the Gouernour of Croia 328 i. ouercome with melancholie tormenteth himselfe 330 g. by his embassadours offereth Scanderbeg peace h. his last speech vnto his sonne Mahomet concerning such things as at his death grieued him most k. dieth 331. b. buried at Prusa 332 g Amurath the sonne of Achomates flieth vnto Hysmael the Persian king 504 k marrieth his daughter 505 a. spoileth Cappadocia and for feare of his vncle Selymus retireth d. Amurath the third taketh vpon him the Turkish Empire 919 c. pacifieth the Ianizaries and augmenteth their priuiledges d. strangleth his fiue brethren e. his letters vnto the nobilitie of Polonia in the behalfe of Stephen Bathor Vayuod of Transyluania 920 i. attentiue to the slirs in Persia. 923 f. enformed thereof by Vstref Bassa of Van. 924 m. resolueth to take the Persian warre in hand 925 d.
in their warres The spare dies of the Ianizaries The precise manner of the Turkes in their fasâ—â— Presents sent froÌ„ the emperor Ferdinand to Solyman Baiazet goeth tâ— Amasia and seeketh for his fathers fauor Solyman dissembleth with Baiazet Baiazet departeth from Amasia with purpose to flie into Persia. Baiazet deceiueth the Bassa of Sebastia The Bassa of Erzirum deceiued by Baiazet Solyman much grieued with the flight of his son The eager pâ—â—suit of the â—assaâ—â— and Sâ—â—zackâ— Baiazet well entertained by thâ— Persian king Tamas the Persian king in feare of Baiazet Baiazet his followers dispersed and slaine Baiazet imprisoned The Persian king sâ—ndeth embassadours with presents to Solyman The cause why the Persian king would by no meanes let Baiazet go out of his hands The miserable estate of Baiazet The agreement betweene the Persian king Solyman for the destruction of Baiazet Baiazet and his foure sonnes strangled The rare force of innocencie 1558 Charles the emperour resigneth the empire to his brother Ferdinand shortly after dieth 1559 The Christian princes set out a fleet for the recouerie of Tripolis in Barbarie 1560 The Christian fleet arriueth at the Island of Zerbi The castle of Zerbi taken by the Christians Piall Bassa Solymanâ— Admirall sent to remoue the Christians out of Zerbi Part of the Christian fleet oppressed at Zerbi by the sudden comming of the Turks The castle of Zerbi besieged by the Turks Don Aluerus with the rest of the cheeâ—e commanders taken prisoners The castle of Zerbi yeelded vnto the Turks The Turks with victorie returne to CoÌ„stantinople Augerius Busbequius legationis Turcicae epist. 4. The miserie of the Christian captiues Piall in disgrace with Solyman shunneth to come to Constantinople One of the imperiall ensignes of Charles the fifâ— redeemed from the Turkâ— The death of the noble Andreas Auria 1561 A great shipwracke 1562 Maximilian chosen king of the Romans and after crowned king of Hungarie Solyman by his embassadour confirmeth a peace with Ferdinand the emperour for eight yeares Solymans proâ—â— letters to the emperor Ferdinand Presentâ— from Solyman to the emperour Ferdinand 1564 The death of the emperour Ferdinand New troubles in Hungarie 1565 The Turks purposing warre craftily sue for peace Solyman maketh preparation against the knights of Malta Solymans Oration to his captains for the inuasion of Malta Valetta the Grand master aduertised of Solymans purpose Valetta his Oration vnto his knights The knights make preparation for the Turks comming Solymans fleet departeth from Constantinople The Turks fleet arriueth at Malta The description of Malta Acts 27 28. Riuerius with other knights taken of the Turks The Turks land They of the castle of S. Michael skirmish with the Turks The Turks besiege the castle of S. Elmo Dragut commeth to aid the Turks The Turks assault the castle S. Elmo S. Elmo againe assaulted New supplie sem into the castle S. Elmo The Great master disappointed of a supplie by the searefulnesse of the shipmaster S. Elmo againe assaulted The Turkes repulsed The Turks make a bridge ouer the castle ditch A terrible batterie Medranus a valiant captaine Eight hundred Turks slain â—ith the fall of the bridge The Turks retire The Great masters letters to Garzias Viceroy of Sicilia Foure gallies sent to the Great master for the reliefe of Malta A most terrible assault Dragut slaine Three knights sent to view the state of the castle S. Elmo The resolute anâ—swere to them in the castle to the knights The three knights of diuers opinions concerning the keeping of the castle S. Elmo The Turks â—uriously assault the citie The castle of S. Elmo taken by the Turks Barbarous crueltie exercised by the Turkes vpon the dead bodies of the knights Valetta encourageth his souldiors after the losse of the castle S. Elmo Valetta his letters to the Gouernour of Mâ—lita Mustapha Bassa sendeth messengers to the Great master The answere of the Great master to the Turkes messengers Philip Lascaris flieth from the Turks to the castle S. Michaell The knights of Malta craue aid of the Viceroy The cold answere of the Viceroy to the knights A traitor taken and executed aâ— Melita The souldiors new come out of Sicilia come to the Great master The praier of Valetta Ochiall Bassa made Gouernour of Tripolis A terrible batterie Three gallies depart from Messana with aid towards Malta The gallies vpon a signe giuen returne backe The king of Algiers commeth 〈◊〉 aid the Turks A desperat fugitiue The king of Algiers notably repulsed both by sea and land A hard shift to carrie newes A bridge made ouer the castle ditch by the Turks The Turks repulsed A mine of the Turks defeated The bridge made by the Turkeâ—â— burnt Aquilates a Spaniard flieth to the Turks The Turkes at one time assault the new citie and the castle S. Michaell The garrison soldiours of Melita salying out cause the Turkes to giue ouer the assault at S. Michaels Mustapha sendeth a messenger to Solyman Salazer a Spanish captaine as a spie entreth the Turkes campe 〈◊〉 Turks mines 〈◊〉 by the â—â—â—â—stians Robles Gouernor of the castle of S. Michael slaine The Turkâ— at once assault the townes S. Angelo and S. Michael and are at both places repulsed Another assault The resolute answere of the great Master The Turkes assault both the townâ— the fourth time The Turks enter the new citie The comfortable speech of the Great master when the Turkes were entred The Turks with great slaughter againe repulsed A mine of the Christians found by the Turks The Turks desperatly assault the towne of S. Michael The Turks enforced to retire The Christian fleet driuen by tempest to the Island Aegusâ— The Christian fleet commeth to Gaulos A fugitiue discouereth the enemies purpose to the Great master The Viceroy arriueth at Malta and landeth his forces The Turks forsake the siege The Turks ouerthrowne by the Christians flie to their gallies The Turks depart from Malta The carefulnesse of the Great Master The letters of the Great master to the graund prior of Almanie concerning the manner of the Turks proceedings in the siege of Malta 1566 The island of Chios taken by the Turks The Turks surprise townes in Hungarie Great troubles in Hungarie The good successe of the emperours captains A great pâ—ey The Turks wiâ—h much labour make a bridge ouer the great riuer of Drauus The Turks encampe before Sigeth Countie Serinus his comfortable and resolute speech to his soldiors Solyman commeth into the campe at Sigeth The defendants burne the new towne The Turks win the old towne Solyman dieth of the bloâ—die flix Muhamet Bassa concealeth the death of Solyman The great bulwarke vndermined set on fire by the Ianizaries The little castle set on fire The last speech of countie Serinus to his souldiors Serinus slaine Serinus his head sent to countie Salma The Bassaâ— quipping little to countie Saâ—â—â— Nicholaus Keretschen corrupted for money beâ—â—ayeth Gyula to the Turks A traiâ—or well rewarded The Gouernor of Alba Regalis
Vladislaus seâ—keth in value to open the passage of the mountainâ— Hemus The Hungarians much troubled in passiâ—g a thicke â—ood Vladislaus honorably receiued at Buda Scanderbeg wisely dissembleth his desire for the deliuerse of himselfe and his countrey Scanderbeg commeth with his armâ—â— to Petrelâ—a Petrella yeelded vnto Scanderbeg Petra-Alba yeelded Stellusa yeelded by the garrison A notable speech of a common soldior to the rest of his fâ—llowes for the holding out of the citie against Scanderbeg Scanderbeg his short answere to the souldiors speech Desdrot gouernour of Stellusa executed Macedonia spotâ—ed by Scanderbeg Alis Bassa with an armie of forty thousand sent against Scanderbeg The battell betwixt Alis Bassa and Scanderbeg A great slaughter of the Turks Amurath in dispâ—â—e Amurath by thâ— persuasion of Cali Bassa seeketh for peace of king Vladislaus The capitulatâ—ons of the ten yeares peace concluded betwixt Vladislaus and Amurath Amurath inuâ—deth Caramania The â—unning speech wherwith Iulian the Cardinal perâ—â—adeth 〈◊〉 Vladislaus to breake the leaguâ—â—e had before made with Amurath Iulian the Cardinall absolueth king Vladislaus and the â—ect from their oath before giuen to Amurath The letters of king Vladislaus to Scanderbeg Scanderbeg his answere by letters vnto king Vladislaus King Vladislaus setteth forward against the Turks Dracula aâ—â—eth Vâ—adâ—slaus with his sonne and 4000 horse His last farewell vnto the king The great battell of Varna fought betweene king Vladislaus and Amurath Amurath prayeth vnto Christ. A cruell fight Amurath in danger King Vladislaus slaine Huniades flyeth Amurath to perform his vow resigneth his kingdome to his sonne Mahomet which he in short time after taketh again vpon him The comparison betwixt Huniades and Scanderbeg The sullen and craftie letters of Amurath to Scanderbeg The resolute answere of Scanderbeg to Amurath his letters Amurath 〈…〉 Sâ—anderbeg Scanderbeg his valiant resolution for the assaulting of Mustapha in his camp Peloponnesus made tributarie vnto the Turke 1446 Baiazet borne Huniades in the minoritie of the king chosen Gouernor of all the kingdome of Hungarie 1448 Huniades goeth against the Turks The false Despot giueth Amurath knowledge both of Huniades his comming and of his strength The omynous speech of an old woman The notable speech of Huniadâ—s to 〈…〉 against the Tuâ—ks The great baâ—â—aile of Cossoâ—â— fought betwixt Amurath and Huniades three daies together The battaile begun againe the second day Huniades encourageth his souldiors The battaile againe begâ—n the third day Huniades flieth The number of the Turks and Christians slain in the battaile of Cossoua Huniades taken prisâ—ner noâ— by the Dâ—spot 1449 The Despot inuaded by Amurath craueth aid of Huniades Amurath his graue letters of aduertisement to Mustapha concerning his going againe into Epirus The sâ—eech of Caragusa the Tuâ—ke to Manessi Manessi his stout answere to Caragusa The battaile betwixt Scanderbeg and Mustapha Mustapha ranâ—somed Thâ— lamentable 〈◊〉 of the â—â—â—ke ciâ—izenâ— out of Croia Scanderbeg commeth to Sfetigrade The effectuall speech of Scanderbeg vnto the souldiors and citizens of Sfetigrade to encourage theÌ„ against the comming of Amurath A notable â—tratageme of Scanderbeg for the intrapping of his enemies 1449 Amurath commeth to Sfetigrade with his armie The resolute answere of Perlat the Gouernor vnto the Bassa Sfetigrade assaulted The Turkes 〈…〉 The Ianizaries desperatly attempt to surprise the citie The Ianizaries repulsed Scanderbeg commeth to trouble the assault and 〈◊〉 met with by Feri-Bassa Amurath by greâ—â— pâ—â—miseâ— seeketh to corrupt the garrison of Sfetigrade A traitor â—orrupted with Amurath his Lâ—â—ge pâ—omises conspireth to betray the citie The carkas of a dead dog cast by the traitor into the common 〈◊〉 that serued the citie The Gouernor in vaine seeketh to peâ—suaâ—e the garrison sâ—uldiors to drinâ—e of the water of the well A traitoâ—â—orthâ—ly rewarded according to his treason 1450 Amurath assembleth againe his army at Hadrianople Croia baâ—â—red The cheerefull speech of Vranacontes the Gouernour to encourage his soldiours Croia assaulted Scanderbeg in danger Mahomet thinking to deceiue Scanderbeg is himselfe by him deceiued The Turkes retire Amurath seeketh to vndermine Croia The craftie speech of the Bassa sent from Amurath to corrupt the Gouernour and to persuade the â—â—â—hers to yeeld vp the cittie Vranacontes reiecteth Amurath his presents and threatenâ—th the Bassa Croia againe in vaine assaulteâ—â— The last speech and admonition of Amurath vnto his sonne Mahomet vpon his death bed Amurath his death Amurath an example of the vaâ—itie of worldly honour Amurath buried at Prusa A great poliâ—â—â— Amurath his disposition The sonnes of Amuraâ—h Paulus Iouius Illust virorum Elog. lib. 3. 1450 Mahomet of no religion Mahomet murdereth his brethren A cruell reuenge of an angrie woman Mahomet reformeth the Turkish coÌ„monweale 1451 Mahomet goeth against the king of Caramania Mentesia subdued by the Turks 1452 Mahomet maketh preparation for the besieging of Constantinople Constantinus the emperor in vaine craueth aid of the Christian princes 1453 Vide â—â—onardi Châ—ensis Archiepiscopi Miâ—â—len hist. dâ— captiuitate Con lantinopolitana Mahomet encamâ—eth before Constantinople The situation of Constantinople Constantinople built by Pausanâ—as destroyed by Seuerus reedified by Constantine the Great and now taken by Mahomet the Turke The magnificent temple of S. Sophia The frugalitie of the Turkes in their pâ—iuat buildâ—â—gâ— The Turks flâ—et Constantinople vndermined by the Turks Seuentie of the Turks galliots brought eight miles ouerland by the deuice of a Christian into the hauen of Constantinople A wonderfull bridge made by the Turks ouer the hauen of Constantinople A notable fight betweene four of the Christians ships and the Turks flâ—et The citizens of Constantinople without cause murmure against the emperour A bare shift for money Constantinople assaulted by the Turks Mahomet renueth the assault The Christians forsake the 〈◊〉 Constantinople woon by the Turkes Mahomet solemniseth his feastâ— in Constantinople with the bloâ—d of the Grecian nobilitie Pera yeelded to the Turke Mahomet notably dissembleth his hatred against Caly Bassa Mahomet placeth his imperiall seat at Constantinople and is worthely accounted first Emperor of the Turks 1454 Thomas and Demetrius rebell against Mahomet and are by him spoiled of part of their dominion Mahomet commeth againe into Peâ—â—ponesus Demetrius submitteth himselfe to Mahomet Peloponesus subdued by the Turks The death of George Despot of Seruia Serâ—ia yeelded to the Turke Belgrade besieged The Turks fleet ouerthrown by the Christians Carazies Bassa slaine Belgrade assaulted by the Turks The Turks notably repulsed The death of the most famous captaine Huniades 1461 Vsun Cassan the Persian king sendeth embassadours with presents to Mahomet Mahomet inuadeth Ismael prince of Sinope Trapezond besieged by Mahomet Trapezond yeelded vnto the Turks The ruine of the empire of Trapezond 1462 Mahomet seeketh to entrap Wladus prince of Valachia Chamuzes Bassa and the Turkes secretarie haÌ„ged Mahomet himselfe in person inuadeth Valachia A most horrible spectacle Two thousand of the Valachies slaine The death of Wladus 1462 Mitylene besieged Mitylene yeelded to