and so leaving the Ships and Galeasses at Zacynthus went with the rest of the Fleet to Cephalenia whether Don Iohn was not yet come but had sent word thither That if they had any desire to joyn their Forces with his they should yet come further back unto him in Corcyra This Message which they had rather feared than expected much troubled the Venetians who readier to suspect every mischief than to hope for any good began to fret and complain That the Spaniards could very well tell the Venetians what they had to do and forget in the mean time what was on their own part to be performed A hard thing it was to say and yet to be said that now they had more to do with those their dallying Friends and Cofederates than with their Enemies for with their Enemies they were to fight but in time of Battel but with them they were to wrestle at all times and in all places They were by them as thâ—y said drawn from the fight of their Enemies when as they might have been overthrown not to the intent that with their united Forces they might more safely â—ight against them or under the conduct of Don Iohn gain the Victory but rather lest any thing should have been done which might be to the honour or profit of the Venetians and that time which was to have been bestowed in the managing of the War spent in lingring and delaying and vain going forward and backward to no purpose One only way there was as they said to have dispatched with the Turk which was by overcoming him in another notable Battel and so to have utterly broken his strength at Sea which Course the Confederates made no less difficult by their backwardness and delays than the Enemy by declining of Battel That they had long ago by many secret signs probably conjectured that the Spaniards had more care to hinder and cross other Mens doings than to do any thing of themselves That their endeavours were to frustrate those great hopes which promised unto the Christian Common-weal the greatest Felicity and Happiness together with immortal Glory and That the Turks of late discouraged with the fortunate proceedings of the Christians might again rejoyce at their mishaps The Venetians notwithstanding all these their murmuring Speeches loath to fall off from the Spaniard kept still on with the rest until they came to Don Iohn at Corcyra who then lay with 53 Gallies and 18 Ships at Spâ—lca in the uttermost end of the Island At their first meeting Don Iohn shewed himself not a little offended that they had not with more duty before attended his coming and they again not a little complained of his long stay with many other their grievances which were tedious here to rehearse The Fleet now all with much ado at length met together which consisted of two hundred Gallies nine Galeasses and thirty six tall Ships It was by general consent agreed That they should again set forward toward the Enemy They were not yet under Sail when two of their Espials brought them news that the Enemies Fleet weakly furnished both of Mariners and Souldiers was come to Navarinum which filled them all with good hope that the Turks Fleet so evil provided might in that place upon the suddain be easily oppressed and the rather if they came upon them unexpected Wherefore because they would not be descried they kept not their Course on right forth but sailing by night kept aloof upon the right hand and having passed Zacynthus came with great silence unto the Strophades where they lay at Anchor all that day In the evening they loosed thence so casting their Course that the more to terrifie the Enemy they might before day fall upon him and be seen in the mouth of the Haven where he lay before there could be any report made of their coming thither But this Course so well set the time was so evil cast that it was fair day long before they could come to the appointed place when the Turks out of their watch Towers discovered a far off the coming of the Christian Fleet gave warning thereof unto their Fellows whereupon an Alarm was presently raised in the Town and all Men in Arms ran headlong to the Walls and to the Haven But the Turks out of hope with their evil rigged Fleet to be able to withstand the Christians and not daring to trust to that weak Habor and all now in a great hurly burly ran confuseded hand over head Souldiers and Mariners aboord and whilst they had yet time got them in hast out of that Habor and as Men chased by their Enemies got them into safe Harbor at Modon a strong Town of Peloponnesus about six miles off Columnius was sent before the rest of the Fleet to have pursued them but they were got so far before him that they had recovered the Harbor before he could overtake any of them The Christian Fleet coming before the Harbor and leaving a space as it were of purpose for the Enemy to come out into there lay in the face of the Town daring the Turks Battel But when they had so lien almost all that day and no Man durst come out and now towards the evening certain signs of Tempest appeared the Christians fearing to be by force of Weather driven on ground put farther off again to Sea. Then at length Uluzales sent out certain light Gallies to follow in the tail of the Fleet when the Confederates suddainly staying their Course and turning their Prows upon them drave them headlong again into the Harbor and afterwards retired themselves with the whole Fleet into the Islands Oenusae now called Sapientia right opposit against Modon The next day wanting fresh Water they removed unto the Bay of Messina there to water in the mouth of the River Pamisus which there falleth into the Sea where in passing by Corone they were oftentimes shot at out of the Town and landing their Men to water were encountred by certain Troops of Horsemen sent for that purpose by Uluzales There was Water dearly bought with the Lives of many there slain on both sides in the end the Christians prevailing watered and so again returned unto the Oenusae from whence they came Methoâ—e or Modon for it is by both Names known standeth almost in an Island stretching far into the Sea where towards the West runneth out a long point of the Land a great way into the Sea in the uttermost part thereof standeth a great round Tower. The Town it self is on the one side enclosed with the Sea and toward the Land so strongly fortified as that it seemeth almost impregnable Towards the South cometh in a fair Bay about three miles wide safe from all Winds except the Northerly Wind only and shut up by a little Island in the mouth of the Bay maketh a safe and quiet Harbor with two entrances thereinto on either side of the Island Within this Bay lay the Turks Fleet
Black Sea lying from it Northward and two hundred miles from the Strait of Hellespontus or Calipolis from thence South Which noble City of all others most fitly seated for the Empire of the World and with great Majesty overlooking both Europe and Asia is by the Cosmographers accounted to stand in the height of 43 Degrees upon seven little Hills of no great but easie ascent and was there first built by Pausanias the Lacedemonian King and called Bizantium and so many years flourished as a populous and rich City until the civil Wars betwixt Severus the Emperor and Niger what time it indured the Siege of the Romans under Severus three years with such obstinacy that it yielded not until it was brought to such extremity that the Citizens did eat one another and then yielding had the Walls overthrown by Severus and the City it self destroyed and brought to the low estate of a poor Country Village and so by him given to the Perinthians In which base estate it continued until the time of Constantine the Great the Son of Helena whom some will needs have to have been an English Woman by whom it was new built and beautified with Buildings so stately and sumptuous that unto the strange beholders it seemed a dwelling place for Heavenly Wights rather than for Earthly Men. And to grace it the more translated his Imperial Seat thither and called it Nova Roma or New Rome and all that pleasant part of Thracia alongst the Sea Coast of Hellespontus Propontis and Basphorâ—s by the name of Romania of the fair Roman Colonies there by him planted which name it at this day retaineth and is of the Turks called Rumilia and Rum-Ili that is to say the Roman Country But as for the City it self the glorious name of the Founder so prevailed that the City was and yet is of him called Constantinople or Constantine his City and now of the barbarous Turks commonly but corruptly Stamboli It is as we said built in the form of a Triangle whereof the longest side which runneth from North-East to South-West is on the South-side washed with the Propontis and towards the ending of the point which is about the seven Towers is somewhat indented being commonly reputed to be eight miles long The other side lieth East and West five miles in length being washed with the Havon which is somewhat more than eight miles long before it meet with the fresh water and about a quarter of a mile broad on the suther side whereof standeth the City of Pera commonly called Galata sometime a Colony of the Genowaies This Haven is very deep and by that reason as commodious as deep bearing Ships full fraught close to the Shoar so that they may discharge their Burthens with the least trouble that may be and is of Strabo called Cornu Bizantij or the Horn of Bizantium The third side of this City towards the Continent lieth almost North and South five miles also in length those two sides that lie upon the Sea and the Haven are environed and girt with a single Wall built after the antique manner with many high Towers which strongly defend and flank the same Without which Walls especially towards the Haven there lieth a Street between them and the Shoar But the other side which is the third and regardeth the main Land beside the Ditch which is also fenced is defended with three Walls the first Wall standing upon the Ditch being but low and the second not far distant from the first raised somewhat higher but the third overlooketh and commandeth both the other from whence as from an high sortress both the other Walls and all the Ditch without may easily be defended But the two utter Walls with the whole space betwixt them are now by the Turks but slenderly maintained lying full of Earth and other Rubbish even as they were in the time of the Grecians some cause why they with less heart and courage defended the same against the barbarous Enemies In the East part of the City on that point which in the Reign of the Grecians was called the Cape of S. Demetria distant from Asia not much more than half a mile stands the Seraglio or Palace of the great Turk containing in it self a great part of an Hill enclosed round with a Wall as if it were it self a City in circuit more than two miles wherein amongst other stately Buildings near unto the Sea standeth a very fair and sumptuous Gallery built for pleasure with a private Gate well fortified and planted with great Ordnance and other Munition whereby the great Turk at certain times passeth when he is disposed in his Gally to take his pleasure upon the Sea or to pass over the Strait unto his Houses or Gardens of Delight on the other side in Asia In this great City are also many other most stately and sumptuous Buildings as well of late erected by the Turkish Sultans since they became Lords thereof as before by the Greek Emperors amongst all which the Temple of S. Sâ—pâ—ia standing on the East side of the City nor far from the Scraglio now reduced unto the form of a Mahometan Moschie and whither the great Turk goeth oftentimes to hear Service being indeed but the Sanctuary or Chancel only of the great stately and wonderful Church built by Iustinian the Emperor is most beautiful and admirable That which standeth of it now is both round and very high built after the fashion of the Pantheon in Rome but much greater fairer and not open in the top as is that the Walls thereof being of the finest Marble and the Floor all paved with fair Marble also In the midst there is a very great and large Circle compassed in with high and huge Pillars of most excellent Marble of divers sorts and these support a mighty Vault that beareth up as many more Pillars above standing after the very same order and in a down right line almost of the like greatness and goodness of the Marble with the other below upon which above the second Vault in manner of a Loovar resteth the great round Roof which coverth all that space of the Church which is compassed with the aforesaid Pillars being all enameled and fillited with the Pictures of Saints after the antient manner of some great Churches in Christendom but that the Turks who like not to have any Pictures in their Churches have put out their Eyes only as loath to spoil such a rare peece of work and utterly to deface it In like manner the Walls of the upper Vault are wrought painted or portraied after the same order though in some part decaied by reason of their long continuance and standing About this Church are eighteen or twenty Doors of Brass right fair and costly well declaring the magnifence and greatness thereof in more antient times when as it had as is reported more than two hundred Doors of like making and greatness and besides the hugeness of the Frame
for them to dwell in with the Temple of the Sepulchre of our Saviour and Mount Sion not for any devotion either unto them or those places but for that it yielded them a great profit by the recourse of devout Christians travelling thither reserving in the mean time unto themselves the other two parts of the City with the Temple of Solomon before re-edified by the Christians Now whilst the Sarasins thus triumph it in the East and not in the East only but over a great part of the West also contenting themselves with such Tributes as they had imposed upon the subdued Nations and Countries up start the Turks a vagrant fierce and cruel people who first breaking into Asia as is before declared and by rare fortune aspiring unto the Kingdom of Persia subdued the Countries of Mesopotamia Syria with the greatest part of the lesser Asia and Iudaea together with the Holy City who both there and in all other places held the poor oppressed Christians in such Subjection and Thraldom as that the former government of the Sarasins seemed in comparison of this to have been but light and easie Neither was there any end or release of these so great miseries to have been expected had not God in mercy by the weak means of a poor Hermit stirred up these most worthy Princes of the West to take up Arms in their defence who having with their victorious Armies recovered the lesser Asia with a great part of Syria were now come unto this Holy City The Governour of Ierusalem understanding by his Espials of the proceedings of the Christians had before their approach got into the City a great garrison of right valiant Souldiers with good store of all things necessary for the holding out of a long Siege The Chrstians with their Army approaching the City encamped before it on the North for that toward the East and the South it was not well to be besieged by reason of the broken Rocks and Mountains Next unto the City lay Godfrey the Duke with the Germans and Lorains near unto him lay the Earl of Flanders and Robert the Norman before the West gate lay Tancred and the Earl of Tholouse Bohemund and Baldwin were both absent the one at Antioch the other at Edissâ— The Christians thus strongly encamped the fifth day after gave unto the City a fierce assâ—ult with such chearfulness as that it was verily supposed it might have been even then woon had they been sufficiently furnished with scaling ladders for want whereof they were glad to give over the assault and retire But within a few days after having supplied that defect and provided all things necessary they came on again afresh and with all their power gave unto the City a most terrible assault wherein was on both sides seen great valour policy and cunning with much slaughter until that at length the Christians weary of the long Fight and in that hot Country and most fervent time of the year fainting for lack of Water were glad again to forsake the assault and to retire into their Trenches only the Well of Siloe yielded them water and that not sufficient for the whole Camp the rest of the Wells which were but few being before by the Enemy either filled up or else poysoned Whilst the Christians thus lay at the Siege of Ierusalem a Fleet oâ— the Genowaies arrived at Ioppa at which time also a great Fleet of the Aegyptian Sultans lay at Ascalon to have brought relief to the besieged Turks in Ierusalem whereof the Genowaies understanding and knowing themselves too weak to encounter them at Sea took all such things out of their Ships as they thought good and so sinking them marched by Land unto the Camp. There was amongst these Genowaies divers Engineers men after the manner of that time cunning in making of all manner of Engines fit for the besieging of Cities by whose device a great moving Tower was framed of timber and thick planks covered over with raw Hides to save the same from fire out of which the Christians might in safety greatly annoy the Defendants This Tower being by night brought close to the Wall served the Christians instead of a most sure fortress in the assault the next day where whilst they strive with warlike Valour and doubtful Victory on both sides from morning until midday by chance the wind favouring the Christians carried the flame of the fire into the face of the Turks wherewith they had thought to have burnt the Tower with such violence that the Christians taking the benefit thereof and holpen by the Tower gained the top of the Wall which was first footed by the Duke Godfrey and his Brother Eustace wâ—â—h their followers and the Ensigns of the Duke there first set up to the great encouraging of the Christians who now pressing in on every side like a violent River that had broken over the Banks bare down all before them All were slain that came to hand Men Women and Children without respect of Age Sex or Condition the Slaughter was great and the sight lamentable all the Streets were filled with blood and the bodies of the dead Death triumphing in every place Yet in this confusion a wonderful number of the better sort of the Turks retiring to Solomons Temple there to do their last Devoir made there a great and terrible Fight armed with dispair to endure any thing and the victorious Christians no less disdaining after the winning of the City to find there so great resistance In this disperate conflict fought with wonderful obstinacy of mind many fell on both sides but the Christians â—ame on so fiercely with desire of blood that breaking into the Temple the foremost of them were by the press of them that followed after violently thrust upon the weapons of their Enemies and so miserably slain Neither did the Turks thus oppressed give it over but as men resolved to dy desperately fought it out with invincible courage not at the gates of the Temple only but even in the midst thereof also where was to be seen great heaps both of the Victors and the vanquished slain indifferently together All the Pavement of the Temple swam with blood in such sort that a man could not set his foot but either upon some dead man or over the shooes in blood Yet for all that the obstinate Enemy still held the Vaults and top of the Temple when as the darkness of the night came so fast on that the Christians were glad to make an end of the Slaughter and to sound a Retreat The next day for Proclamation was made for mercy to be shewed unto all such as should lay down their weapons the Turks that yet held the upper part of the Temple came down and yielded themselves Thus was the famous City of Ierusalem with great bloodshed but far greater honour recovered by these worthy Christians year 1099. in the year 1099 after it had been in the hands of the Infidels above
that the Camp lay defended on the right hand with the steep Hill on the left hand with the River and behind toward the City with a strong Bulwark Upon the right hand upon a little rising ground he placed the lesser Camp wherein were the Hungarians which favoured King Ferdinand and then followed his Ensigns He made also a Bridge from his Camp into a little Island which lay in the River and with a Fort well planted with Ordnance commanded both the River and the Plain so to beat the Enemies Fleet coming up the River and themselves also as they should march alongst the Plain He was about also to have made a Bridge of Lighters and Boats quite over the River from his Camp to Pesth and in this order to expect the coming of new supplies from King Ferdinand and to repel the Enemy who was coming and with long Siege to weary them in Buda for there was such store both of Victual and all other warlike Provision in Pesth as would well have sufficed his Army until Winter had been spent As soon as the Turks were come nigh the City Valentinus as an Embassador from the Queen met them with two thousand Horse and fully instructed both the Mahomets what the Christians did what strength they were of and how they might most conveniently encamp their Army Wherefore the Bassa marching on boldly forward came within half a mile of the Christian Camp where he quickly intrenched himself round with a strong Trench filling a great part of the Plain with his Tents But the other Mahometes Governour of Belgrade a most politick Captain took the higher ground towards the rising of the Hill nearer unto the Tents of the Hungarians than of the Germans Unto these two Armies thus encamped belonged also two Fleets the Christian Fleet consisted of four and twenty Galliots about fourscore small Pinnaces and little less than a hundred Ships of burden and other great Boats whereas the Turks Fleet was not thought to be past half so great Neaâ— unto the little Island joyned as we have beâ—ore said by a Bridge to the Christian Camp beneath in the River had the Turks taken another Island called Cepellia over against their own Camp where casting up a great Bulwark in the uppermost end thereof and planting it with great Oâ—dnance they from thence shot at the Fort which the Christians held in the little Island and at their Vessels passing to and fro in the River as the Christians did at them likewise This Island of Cepellia lyeth somewhat more than foâ—ty miles in length in the River Danubius full of Country Villages so commodiously that if Râ—gâ—ndorff had at the first taken it and fortified it before the coming of the Turks as the Hungarians perswaded him to have done the Turks could by no means have encamped in the Plain but must needs have forsaken their Fleet fetching a great compass about more toward the West further off from the River which would have turned to the Turks great disadvantage But no Man is so wise as to foresee all things when as the very evil success be the Plot never so well laâ—â—d shall of it self beside the loss leave unto the unfâ—rtunate Man the Note of the want of provident forâ—sight and discretion But Rogendorff was not willing to divide his Forces until he had some new supply from King Ferdinand Whilst the Armies lay thus near one to the other there were some light skirmishes made every day either by the Horsemen or the Footmen and sometime one brave Man challenging forth another hand to hand whom he thought by his Armor or some other sign of his worth to be like to himself which was so pleasant a sight to behold that both the Armies upon a military courtesie as if it had been so agreed would many times for certain hours forbear to shoot any shot of purpose to see those Gallants with true Prowess to prove their Valour and Manhood one upon another with their Spears and Swords only In which light skirmishes the German Horsemen were often times put to the worst who mounted upon greaâ— heavy Horses fitter for a set Battel could 〈…〉 so readily charge the Enemy nor pursue him in his flight as could the Turks with their nimble and ready light Horses so well acquainted with that manner of flying fight that they would with wheeling about easily frustrate the first charge of the heavy Horsemen and by and by come upon them again with a fresh charge and so oft retire and come on again until they had either wearied or overthrown them But the Hungarians acquainted with that manner of fight as well as they and also better armed did easily encounter the Turks and foil them although they were in number more There was amongst the German Captains a Nobleman called Eckius Rayschachius whose Son a valiant young Gentleman being got out of the Army without his Fathers knowledge bare himself so gallantly in fight against the Enemy in the sight of his Father and of the Army that he was highly commended of all Men and especially of his Father who knew him not at all yet before he could clear himself he was compassed in of the Enemy and valiantly fighting slain Rayschachius exceedingly moved with the death of so brave a Man ignorant how near it touched himself turning about to the other Captains said This worthy Gentleman whatsoever he be is worthy of eternal commendation and to be most honourably buried by the whole Army As the rest of the Captains were with like compassion approving his Speech the dead Body of the unfortunate Son rescued was presented to the most miserable Father which caused all them that were there present to shed Tears but such a suddain and inward grief surprised the aged Father and struck so to his Heart that after he had stood a while Speechless with his Eies set in his Head he suddainly fell down dead From that time the General commanded That no Man should upon pain of death go out of the Army to skirmish with the Enemy without leave wherein he was so severe that he hanged up one or two that presumed to transgress his Commandment which thing much discouraged his own Men and so encouraged the Enemy that they would sometime brave the Christians upon the top of their own Trenches Many days had now passed since the coming of the Bassa the Turks and they of Buda daily encreasing both in strength and courage when on the other side faint courage weak strength troubled council uncertain resolution the ominous signs of an undoubted overthrow were easie to be seen and hope it self the stay of all human Actions especially of Martial Affairs almost lost the only things that held their fainting Hearts was the often Letters of King Ferdinand and the firm opinion they had conceived That Charles the Emperor would not in so great a danger fail to aid his Brother both with Men and Mony and last of all the
he had lost of his best Souldiers above two thousand and of the Defendants slain but an hundred and twenty After his departure there was ten thousand great Shot found wherewith he had battered the Town and the Castle which was for this time thus worthily defended The Turks in the mean time after their wonted manner ceased not to do what harm they could in the Tuscan Sea and had again miserably spoiled the Island of Corsica for withstanding of whom the Bishop of Rome exacted of his People a great Subsidy and finely stript the Jews of their Mony and seised upon their rich Merchants Goods in his Territory At whose earnest suit Solyman in their behalf writ unto the Bishop as followeth Sultan Solyman most Mighty Emperor of Emperors the Son of Selymus Emperor of Emperors to whom God give eternal Victory to Pope Paulus the Fourth Greeting MOst excellent and most mighty Lord of the Professors of the Messias Iesu and Lord of Rome the Almighty keep thee At such time as thou shalt receive our Seal thou shalt understand by our Letters that certain Hebrews have come unto us complaining that they are oppressed of thee with too grievous Exactions when they come to traffique at Ancona This burthen I request thee to take from them and to restore again unto them their Goods that thereby they may be able to pay to us our Tribute which if thou as I hope thou wilt shalt do thou shalt feel our Favour Farewel From Constantinople the last of the blessed Month Rambeluch in the year of our great Prophet Mahomet nine hundred threescore and four Haly Bassa grieved with the late repulse he had received at Zigeth came again the next year and besieged it at which time King Ferdinand sent Nicholaus Polwiler and the Count Serinus with a Power raised in Suevia and Austria to recover Baboza a Castle betwixt Zigeth and Stiria before surprised by the Turks of whose coming the Bassa having intelligence rose with his Army and departed from Zigeth which he had for certain Months hardly besieged and not far from Baboza met with Polwiler and Serinus who joyning Battel with him after a hard and sharp Fight overthrew him and put him to Flight This Victory with the coming down of young Ferdinand King Ferdinands Son Archduke of Austria with new Supplies so terrified the Turks in that part of Hungary along the River Dravus that they for fear forsook Baboza Sammartin San-Lawrence and divers other small Castles which they had before taken and fled to Quinque Ecclesiae The Governor of Zigeth encouraged herewith sallying out with his Garrison slew many of the Turks in their Flight towards Quinque Ecclesiae and meeting by chance with a Troop of Horsemen which were bringing the Turks Pay overthrew them took the Mony and so with an exceeding rich Prey returned to his Castle At which time also Adam the Governor of Rab otherwise called Iavarinum having burnt the Suburbs of Alba Regalis and driven away many thousands of Cattle at a Town called Sian overthrew five hundred Turks and as many fugitive Christians and so with a great Prey and little or no loss at all of his Men returned Henry the French King at the same time in Wars with Philip King of Spain and troubled with the loss of his Army overthrown not far from Saint Quintins at which time the Duke Montmorency Constable of France and General of the Army with his Son and divers other of the Nobility of France were taken Prisoners by his Embassador Michael Condignac solicited Solyman to have by Sea invaded Naples and Sicilia so to have withdrawn the Spanish Forces out of France to defend their own Frontiers Which thing Solyman offended with the insolency of the Embassador refused to do yet nevertheless commanded his adventurers all alongst the Coast of Africk to infest those Seas and to do what harm they could upon the Coast of Italy and Sicilia which they so diligently performed that the Viceroy of Sicilia was fain for defence of those Countries to lie in readiness with his Gallies in the Ports of Cajeta and Naples In the mean time the Guise Lord Grand Prior of the Knights of Saint Iohns in France and Brother of Francis the Duke of Guise General of the French Kings Army in Italy who upon the overthrow reâ—eived at Saint Quintins called out of Italy shortly after took Cajais Admiral of the Gallies of Malta went out toward the East with four Gallies well appointed to lie in wait for the Turks and by fortune met with two great Ships laded with the Turks Merchandize which he took and by and by after light upon four of the Turks Gallies with whom he had a great Fight yet at length having sunk one of them and burnt another he took the other two After which Victory returning towards Malta to have repaired his Gallies and cured his wounded men he was met with four other great Gallies of the Turks who desirous to revenge the loss of their Fellows set upon him and he seeing now no remedy but that he must needs fight couragiously encountred them But forasmuch as he had in the two Fights before lost some of his Men and seventy two of the Knights in the Gallies lay sore wounded he by the Counsel of the Captains retired towards Malta but by the way one of his Gallies was taken by the Turks with two and fifty Knights of the Order yet with the rest and the Prizes before taken he recovered the Island of Malta where he staied that Winter and the next Spring sailed into France to be partaker of those troubles which beginning shortly after have but of late taken end The immoderate Fortune of the great Sultan Solyman was not in any thing more contrary to his desire than in the proof of those his Children of whom the World held the greatest expectation Mustapha his eldest Son the Mirror of Courtesie and rare hope of the whole Turkish Nation the suspitious Tyrant had most unnaturally caused to be murdered in his own presence to the grief of all his Subjects in general as is before declared poor Tzibanger was dead for sorrow and Mahometes his eldest Son by his best beloved the fair Roxolana was departed this life also So that now remained unto him only Selymus the unworthy Heir of so great an Empire and Bajazet his younger Brother the lively image of his Father both Men grown and the Sons of the same Roxolana but so far differing the one from the other both in Feature of Body and Disposition of Mind as if they had not been of the same Kindred and Line Sâ—lymus the elder Brother most like unto his Mother was in the secret determination of the aged Emperor his Father appointed Heir of that most mighty Empire Bajazet much resembling his Father was on the other side strongly supported by the care and entire love of his Mother which whether it proceeded of a
you and plainly and openly to protest that we attribute this so notable and wonderful a Victory to our Lord Christ Iesus the greatest King of all Kings and Author of all good things Which that you may the more worthily and willingly do we will declare the whole matter not at large for that were to write an History but briefly and in few words Sultan Solyman the most mortal Enemy of the Christian Name and especially of our Society not contented to have spoyled us of the most famous Island of the Rhodes the Castle of Tripolis and almost whatsoever we had else commanded a great and strong Fleet to be made ready against us which departing from Constantinople the one and twentieth day of March arrived here the eighteenth day of May Which Fleet consisted of almost two hundred and fifty Gallies Galliots and other Ships The number of the Enemies that bear Arms according to the truth was about forty thousand more or less General of the Land Forces was Mustapha Bassa and of the Fleet Pial Bassa was Admiral who having spent a few days in landing their Forces viewing the places pitching their Tents and setting things in ordâ—â— as the manner of War is they began first to assail the Castle of Saint Elmo situate in the mouth of the Haven with great Force and most furious Battery Which when they had many days done without intermission and had opened a great part of the Wall and with all kind of Weapons assaulted the Breach yet was it by the Valour and Prowess of our Knights and other worthy Souldiers kept and defended by the space of thirty five days with the great loss and slaughter of the Enemy although the Castle it self in the Iudgment of many seemed not possible to be but a few days defended against so great a Force At length the four and twentieth day of June when our Men could no longer endure the multitude and fury of the Enemy environed and shut up both by Sea and Land and destitute of all help the Castle was taken by the Turks those few of our Men which were left being all slain Of which Victory they being proud began to besiege the Castle and Town of Saint Michael and this new City especially at the Castle and Portugal Bulwark and as their manner is with great diligence and greater force and number of great Artillery and Warlike Engins they began in divers places at once to batter and beat down the Walls Which Siege the dreadful Army of the Turks by Sea and Land made to be most fearful and terrible with such huge great Ordnance as the like for bigness and force was in no place to be seen day and night thundring out their Iron and Stone Shot five and seven hands about wherewith not the thickest Walls but even the very Mountains themselves might have been beaten down and overthrown by fury whereof the Walls in many places were so battered that a Man might easily have entred as on plain ground Where when the barbarous Enemies had with wonderful Force and hideous Outcries oftentimes attempted to enter so often were they with great Slaughter and Dishonour repulsed and beaten back many of their Men slain or wounded Their Generals as well at Sea as Land after that they had in so many places with all their Forces in almost four months Siege and Assault with exceeding fury in vain attempted the Breaches and lost the greatest part of their old Souldiers especially Winter now coming on wherein all Wars by Law of Nations ought to cease thought of nothing else but of departure or rather of flight which the coming of Garzias of Toledo Viceroy of Sicilia and Admiral of the King of Spain his Fleet with ten thousand select Souldiers amongst whom were at the least two hundred and fourteen of our Knights and many other noble and valiant Gentlemen which only with a Christian Zeal voluntarily met together from divers parts of the World to help and relieve us caused them to hasten So have you summarily and in few words the proceedings and flight of the Turks Fleet and the Victory by us by the power of God thereof obtained It shall be your part to consider and conjecture in what state our Order and this Island now standeth into what poor estate we are brought how many things we want wherein except we be relieved by the help and aid of our Brethren especially such as you are as we well hope and assuredly believe we shall our State will quickly take end Fare you well From Malta the ninth of October 1565. The Great Master thus delivered of so great a Siege and bountifully relieved by the Christian Princes and the great Commanders of his Order speedily repaired the Breaches and places battered and with new Fortifications strengthned those places as he had by the late passed dangers perceived to be most subject to the Enemies Force After the return of the Turks Fleet to Constantinople Solyman being exceeding angry with the Governor of the Island of Chios his Tributary as well for that he had during the late Siege of Malta had intelligence with the Great Master and revealed unto him many of the Turks Designs as also for detaining of two years Tribute which was yearly ten thousand Ducats and had also neglected to send his wonted Presents to the great Bassaes who therefore the more incensed the Tyrant commanded Pial Bassa his Admiral to make ready his Fleet and by Force or Policy to take that fruitful and pleasant Island wholly into his own hand Who without delay with a Fleet of eighty Gallies the fifteenth day of April in the year 1566 being then Easter day year 1566. arrived at Chios The chief Men of the Island upon sight of the Fleet forthwith sent Embassadors to the Bassa with Presents courteously offering unto him the Haven and whatsoever else he should require Pial with great kindness accepted their offer and presently possessed himself of the Haven in three places and afterward landing sent for the Governor of the City and twelve of the chief Citizens to come unto him as if he had some special matter to confer with him about from the great Sultan before his departure thence for Malta or Italy Who having a little conferred together went to him with great fear and that not without cause for as soon as they were come before him he commanded them to be laid hold upon and cast fast into Irons which done the Souldiers forthwith took the Town Hall and without resistance pulling down the Towns Ensign wherein was the Picture of Saint George with a red Cross instead thereof set up one of the Turks the like whereof was done with great rejoycing of the Turks through the whole Island After that they rifled the Churches and again consecrated them after their Mahometan manner The Governor of the City and the Senators with their Families the Bassa sent in five Ships to Constantinople as for the Vulgar People they were at
in this sort Mustapha Bassa unto the Venetians THat the Kingdom of Cyprus by ancient right belongeth unto the Kingdom of Egypt you are not ignorant which being conquered by the Turks is together with it become of right a part also of the Othoman Empire that Island we come to challenge leading after us two hundred thousand valiant Souldiers unto which power and the Wealth of the Othoman Kingdoms all which the most mighty Emperor is abouâ— if need shall be to send thither and to bend his whole strength thereon all the united Forces of the Christian Kings are not comparable much less the Venetians so small a part of Europe forsaken of their Friends can suffice Wherefore we will and exhort you for the ancient amity which hath been betwixt your State and the victorious Othoman Family to yield this Kingdom unto the most puissant Emperor whose very name is become dreadful unto all the Nations of the World and quietly and without resistance to leave the Island with the Love and Friendship of so great a Monarch to be for ever inviolably kept betwixt him and you Whereas if you shall before such wholsome Counsel fondly prefer your vain hopes you are to expect all the calamities of War with such dreadful examples as the angry Conquerors use to make of their vanquished Enemies For resolution whereof we yet give you half a months space to bethink your selves in and so fare you well All this being now in readiness and a most Royal Gally of wonderful greatness and beauty by the appointment of Selymus prepared for the great Bassa the General he together with Haly Bassa and the rest of the Fleet departed from Constantinople the six and twentieth of May and at the Rhodes met with Pial as he had befor appointed The whole Fleet at that time consisted of two hundred Gallies amongst whom were divers Galliots and small Men of War with divers other Vessels prepared for the transportation of Horses with this Fleet Mustapha kept on his Course for Cyprus They of the Island in the mean time carefully attending the Enemies coming from their Watch-Towers first discovered their Fleet at the West end of the Island not far from Paphos from whence the Turks turning upon the right hand and passing the Promontory Curio now called Del Le Gate landed divers of their Men who burnt and spoiled certain Villages and with such Spoil and Prisoners as they had taken returned again unto the Fleet which holding on their former Course came at length to a place called Salinae of the abundance of Salt there made where they knew was best landing and there in an open Road came to an Anchor where the Bassa's without any resistance upon a plain Shore landed their Army Now all the hope of the Christians was to have kept the Turks from landing which they should with all their strength and power have done neither was it a matter of any great difficultie for had the Defendants but kept the Shore and from the dry and firm Land valiantly repulsed their Enemies they might undoubtedly with their Shot and Weapons have kept them from landing or else have done them greater harm knowing in the mean time that in all the Island was no good harbour for them to put into and that riding in an open Road subject to all Wind and Weather they could not long without danger of Shipwrack ride it out but they either terrified with the greatness of the Fleet or prevented by the celerity of the Enemy to their great hurt omitted so fair an opportunity as the woful sequel of the matter declared It exceedingly incouraged the Turks that they had so easily footed the Island which they thought they should not have not done without a bloody Fight The Bassa now landed presently intrenched his Army and forthwith sent the Fleet to transport the rest of his Forces out of Pamphilia into the Island And at the same time sent out certain Scouts to take some Prisoners of whom they might learn the situation of the Country the best ways to pass them with his Army the strength of his Enemies and what they did and many other such like things which it concerned him to know But the greatest question among the Turks themselves was Whether they should first set upon Famagusta or Nicosia Famagusta standeth low altogether subject to the scortching Heat which was then great according as the time of the year and nature of the Country required wherefore the Bassa for fear of diseases to arise in his Army of the immoderate heat and unwholesome situation of the place thought it better to begin his Wars with the Siege of Nicosia and to make that City the seat of the War for the conquest of the rest of the Island So having put all things in order and well viewed the Country and finding nothing he need to stand in doubt of he set forward with his Army toward Nicosia which was about thirty miles distant being the chief and richest City of all the Island Which way soever the Army marched it spread a great deal of ground and the nearer it came the greater was the slaughter of the Country people and the number of Prisoners taken of all sorts But when news of the Enemies approach was brought unto the City a general fear presaging future misery possessed the hearts of all Men. There was not in the City any valiant or renowned Captain who as the danger of the time required should have taken upon him the charge neither any strong Army in the Island to oppose against the Enemy the Governour of the City was one Nicholaus Dandulus a Man too weak for so great a burthen who always brought up in Civil Affairs was to seek how to defend a Siege Of the Citisens and Country people he had taken up four thousand Footmen and a thousand Horsemen all raw Souldiers commanded by the Gentlemen of the Country Men of all others most courteous but as well the Captains as the Souldiers as Men brought up in a plentiful Country fitter for Pleasure than for War. The greatest hope and strength of the City was reposed in twelve hundred Italian Footmen and six hundred Horsemen The whole number of the Souldiers in Garrison for defence of the City was deemed about 8000 Horse and Foot too weak a Company against so fierce and strong an Enemy and the more for that the Bassa an old and most expert General was there in person himself present a most severe and absolute Commander whom it would have been a hard matter to have withstood with equal power The Venetians had ever had great care of the Island of Cyprus as lying far from them in the midst of the sworn Enemies of the Christian Religion and had therefore oftentimes determined to have fortified the same yet fearing thereby to seem to distrust or dread the Turks and so give them occasion of offence left it still undone This City of
together was an hundred and seventeen Sail amongst which were twelve great Galeasses but all too weak to give Battel to the Turks as being themselves stronger in Shipping than in Men. Nevertheless the Admiral sorry and weary to see the spoil of the Venetian Territory and moved with the distress of the besieged in Nicosia rather than for any hope he had with that strength to do any good against the Turks Fleet departed from Corcyra towards Crete and the twelfth of August landed at Suda a Port of that Island In the later end of this month Columnius the Popes Admiral and Auria Admiral for the King of Spain arrived there also whom the Venetian Admiral welcomed with great joy and triumph The whole Fleet of the Confederate Princes now at length met together consisted of an hundred ninety two Gallies and twelve Galeasses beside Victualers and other small Vessels laded with Munition and other necessary provision for the Fleet. Of these Gallies the Pope had set forth twelve the King of Spain forty two the rest with the Galeasses were the Venetians In this Fleet were embarked thirteen thousand six hundred threescore Souldiers of whom the Pope sent eleven hundred the King of Spain three thousand nine hundred and the Venetians eight thousand six hundred and sixty These three great Commanders entring into counsel what course to take in their proceedings in this War after long discourse too and fro at length by the perswasion of Zanius the Venetian Admiral resolved to go directly for Cyprus and to give the Turks Battel in hope thereby to raise them from the Siege of Nicosia About the midst of September this great Fleet furnished with all things needful for such an expedition loosed from Crete and with a fair gale of Wind set forward for Cyprus in all their Course keeping such order as if they should presently have met with the Enemy In the midst of these troubles died Petrus Loredanus Duke of Venice leaving the rest of the care of that War to Aloysius Mocenicus who succeeded him in the Dukedom Whilst the Christians thus slowly proceed in their so weighty Affairs Mustapha in the mean time laid hard Siege to Nicosia and dividing his Army into four parts assaulted four of the Bulwarks of the City with greater force than at any time before from the beginning of the Siege The Assault was both long and terrible Fury and the very sight of the warlike General who was there a present witness and beholder of every mans forwardness or cowardise a matter of great moment besides their natural fierceness carried the Turks headlong without any peril or danger And on the other side the greatness of the danger the fear to lose both life and liberty with the hope of relief encouraged the Defendants to dare any thing so that the Turks could not approach the Walls or mount the scaling Ladders but they were presently slain or together with the Ladders thrown to the ground Many of the Turks were there slain but especially such as were most forward and of the Defendants were also more lost than stood with the safety of so small a number and forasmuch as few or none escaped out of that fight unwounded the poor Defendants were brought unto a small number Many skilful men were of opinion that the City might have been that day taken if the assault had by the Bassa been longer maintained by bringing still on fresh men but such was his loss as that he was glad for that time to give over the assault and so with dishonour to retire After this Assault it was by some of the Captains thought good that they should whilst they were yet of some reasonable strength in the City sally forth upon the Enemy so to make shew that they had yet some good hope in themselves and withall by so sudden an eruption to perform something upon the secure Enemy Of which motion Dandulus the Governor in no case liked as loth by such a dangerous piece of Service to diminish the number of the Defendants and so to give the Enemy an easier means to take the City Yet seeing all the Captains generally of another mind he yielded unto their desire So in the hotest time of the day when as the Turks least thought that the Christians would have sallied out certain Italian Companies under the Conduct of Caesar Plovianus of Vincentia and Albertus Scotus issued out by the Gate that leadeth to Famagusta and upon the sudden brake into the Enemies Trenches where they found the Turks some playing some sleeping but fearing nothing less than that the Christians whom they daily braved durst to have adventured to come forth At the first entrance the Italians prevailed and brought a great fear upon that quarter of the Turks Army and slew many But when the Turks awaked with the Alarm came running in on every side the Italians oppressed with the multitude were glad to retire in which retreat divers of them were slain and amongst them their two Leaders Caesar and Albertus so that this sally served to no other purpose than to weaken the Defendants themselves and to cause the Turks to keep better Watch and Ward against such sudden Eruptions All hope of long defending the City now almost lost and that the Defendants could hardly stand upon the Walls or shew their Heads without present danger they for want of better Counsel rather than for any hope of good Success sent out certain Scouts Men skilful of the Ways and Passages of the Country whom they had for great Reward induced to undertake the matter to crave Aid of the Country-people that were in great multitude fled into the safety of the Mountains and to tell them that if they came not in time to their Relief their Wives and Children whom they had before sent into the City must needs in short time fall into the Enemies hand or perish with hunger but these Messengers were by the vigilant Enemy intercepted and in the sight of the besieged tortured to death About the same time divers Letters were shot with Arrows into the City to perswade the besieged Christians to yield themselves for that in so doing they should find the Bassa a mild and merciful Conqueror whereas otherwise if they should by wilful holding out delay his Victory they were sure to indure whatsoever could be indured or suffered But when Mustahpa had thus in vain with hope and fear tried the minds of the Defendants he called forth to Parley certain Souldiers that were standing upon the Bulwark called Constantius of whom some were by the consent of the Governor sent forth unto him unto whom Mustapha by his Interpreter complained That no answer was given unto his Letters he set forth unto them the Glory Power and Greatness of the Turkish Empire and debased the strength of the Venetians then he perswaded them to yield propounding unto them the miseries that would fall upon them if the City should by
further attempts and proceedings of the furious Enemy The eighteenth of September the Turks with all warlike Provision upon the sudden by Night assaulted the strong Castle of Toccay in the upper Hungary in hope to have surprised it but finding it a matter of more Difficulty than they had before imagined they departed thence and attempted the lesser Comara which standing in a marish Ground was also easily defended At which time also the Bassa of Buda with his Power entred into the Frontiers of the Christians but having well viewed the Cities Towns Castles and Forts upon those Borders and finding nothing for his purpose he without any thing doing returned again to Buda The six and twentieth day of September Hassan the Bassa of Bosna incamped with his Army betwixt the Rivers of Kulp and Sauus and in the Darkness of the Night passing over part of his Army into Turopolis with Fire and Sword most miserably spoiled all that pleasant and fertile Island the Lord of Bonny to whom the keeping thereof was committed labouring in vain to defend the same About the end of this Month the Bassa of Ziget with the Sanzacks of Mohas Koppan and Quinque Ecclesiae and other Turks of great name came with a strong Army and encamped between Ziget and Rodesto And shortly after News was brought to the Emperours Court that Kanysia a City of Stiria not far from the River Zala was hardly besieged by the Enemy and that the Turks in coming thither had taken many Christian Captives whom they had sent to be sold at Constantinople and that there was in the Turks Army about an hundred and sixty thousand men But forasmuch as the Christian Army daily increased also and was now grown to the number of threescore thousand men began to hope well that the Enemies Rage would be stayed from any further proceeding About the same time Ernestus the Arch-duke appointed General of the Army with the Marquess Son to Ferdinand the Arch-duke his Lieutenant came both unto the Army In these Preparations about the beginning of October heavy News was brought unto the Emperours Court how that 7000 men whom he but a little before had sent into Croatia under the Conduct of Thomas Artelius Beane George Gleichspacher and Dionysius Denke to hinder the Course of the Turks Proceedings being incamped betwixt Wihitz and Carolstat and having the twelfth of September discovered from an high Hill certain Companies of the Turks which were indeed of purpose come thither to view the Army of the Christians sent out fifty Horsemen to discover the Turks Army where it lay and what it attempted Who finding no more of the Turks than those whom they had before seen from the Mountain returned again unto the Army with such simple Intelligence whereunto the Christians giving Credit became secure in their Tents as Men out of Fear of the Enemy and so kept but negligent Watch. But in this so great Security the Enemy on a sudden came upon them and with an hundred thousand men brake into their Trenches where the Christian Foot-men for all that for the space of four hours maintained a notable fight wherein many were on both sides slain But the poor Christians being beset round and oppressed with the Multitude of their Enemies were slain almost all yet the Captains seeing the Danger by speedy flight saved their Lives for which their Cowardise and careless Negligence they were afterwards apprehended and beheaded Almost all the common Souldiers were there slain yea such as fell alive into the hand of the Enemy were most cruelly cut in pieces The spoil also of the Tents of the Christians fell unto the Enemy wherein beside the abundance of other things they found sixty thousand Dollars brought but two days before from the Lintz for the Souldiers pay The Turks after their barbarous manner in Ostentation of their Victory laded fourteen Waggons with the Heads of the slain Christians which they sent unto divers places thereabouts This was indeed a great Victory but gained by the Turks with much Blood for the Christians fighting as men desperate slew of their Enemies about twelve thousand and died themselves as men rather with number oppressed than with true Valour vanquished The Night following the Turks upon the sudden in the dead time of the Night surprised the Castle of St. George and without respect of Age or Sex cruelly put to the Sword all them that were therein except an hundred and fifty Persons whom they carried away Captives and so setting the Castle on fire departed At the same time divers Companies of the Turks were seen about Siseg who led away with them about six hundred Christians into most miserable Captivity And that nothing might be wanting unto the Calamities of this so miserable a wasted Country three hundred Waggons charged with all manner of Provision sent out of the Provinces thereby for the Relief of the Garrison Souldiers in Croatia were all intercepted by the Turks and so â—arried away The Emperour considering these Proceedings of the Turks and that their Strength daily increased gave notice by Writing to all the Princes and States of the Empire what Incursions the Turks had of late made into Croatia and the Frontiers of Hungary with other Places near unto them and that the Beglerbeg of Graecia with the Bassaes of Bosna Buda and Temeswar without regard of the League yet in Force had taken divers Cities Towns Castles and strong Places and so extended the bounds of their Dominion above forty German Miles having slain or carried away into Captivity the poor Inhabitants of those Countries and now to be grown to that height of Pride that except their farther Proceedings were with like Forces repressed they would in short time set Foot into Germany it self and possessing themselves of Stiria and Carinthia would from thence daily more and more incroach upon the Empire which to hinder was not in his Power only but required their help in general Wherefore he requested them now at length in so publick a Danger to open their Coffers and to send out their Forces against the common Enemy Which Request of the Emperour with the due Consideration of so great a Danger moved not only the Princes and States of the Empire but others also farther off to yield liberal Contribution unto so necessary and general a Carse The Turks now hearing of the great Preparation of the Christian Princes beside the Army which was already in the Field and that they had made a strong Bridg over the River of Drauus which they had also fortified thereby in safety at their Pleasure to transport their Army without further delay furnished such Places as they had gotten with strong Garrisons and so withdrew themselves into their own Territory which they did the rather for that the Plague then raged sore in Constantinople insomuch that there died a thousand a day Which Contagion had also taken hold of the Turkish Army so that the Christians for fear of
Valachia and Moldavia do so abound with Corn and Cattel that they plentifully serve the Imperial City of Constantinople not only with Corn and Flesh but also yearly send at the least 150 Ships thither by the black Sea laden with other kind of Victuals Of which so great Commodities the Turks were now deprived by the revolt of the aforesaid Countries The Prince leaving a strong Garrison in Tergovista sâ—t forward with his Army towards Bucaresta hoping there to have found Sinan But he hearing of the loss of Tergovista and thinking himself in no good safety at Bucaresta fled thence also to Zorza The Prince coming to Bucaresta found it abandoned by the Turks and so took it without resistance yet had therein certain Field-pieces with good store of Shot and Powder left there by Sinan Having there stayed a while for the manning of the Place he set forwards again towards Zorza and that with such speed that he overtook great numbers of the Turks all whom he put to the Sword so that the Fields betwixt Bucaresta and Zorza were in many Places covered with the dead Bodies of the Turks Nevertheless he could not make so great haste marching still in good order but that the fearful Bassa disorderly hasting was about some six hours or more before come to the Bridge he had with great charge made over the River of Danubius Over the hithermost part of which Bridge being in length about a mile was Sinan with the greatest part of his Army before the coming of the Prince got over into an Island in the midst of the River wherein he had at his coming over incamped but doubting now there to stay with all the speed he could got him over the other part of the Bridge also unto the farther side of the River with so many of his Men as in so short time possibly could Where to stay the farther pursuit of the Prince he brake the Bridge on that side and set it on fire and thereby cut off also many of his own men that were not as yet come over Whom the Prince inclosing forced many of them into the River where they perished the rest flying into the Island were by the Christians fiercely pursuing them either there slain or seeking by the other part of the Bridge to have got over whereof the farther end was before broken down by Sinan and the hither end toward the Island now cut off by the Christians were together with the Bridge carried away by the violence of the River and so altogether perished Other some of the Christians in the mean time took the Bridge that leadeth unto the Castle of Zorza which standeth compassed about with an Arm of Danubius and being not very great was kept by a Garrison of seven hundred select Souldiers Unto which Castle the Prince presently laid siege the resolute Souldiers being not by any means to be perswaded to yield it up but to hold it out even unto the last man and after he had sore battered it by plain force took it and put to the Sword all the Garrison Souldiers he could lay hands upon About an hundred of these Turks seeing they must needs fall into the Power of their Enemies desperately leapt from the top of the Castle into the River where not one of them escaped being all either drowned or slain with small shot In the winning of this Castle two hundred and fifty of the Christians were lost and many wounded but of the Turks and Tartars betwixt the eighteenth and the last of October perished above six and twenty thousand In this Castle were taken thirty nine great Pieces with such store of Armour and other warlike Provision as might have served for an whole Kingdom and four thousand Christians beside Women and Children whom Sinan had taken out of Valachia restored to their former Liberty With whom the Prince after he had set all things in order returned in great Triumph to Tergovista and so afterwards to his Palace at Alba-Iulia where as also at Claudiopolis and other Cities through his Dominions he caused publick Prayers with Thanksgiving to Almighty God to be devoutly made for so great a Victory as did also Michael the Vayvod in Valachia who in all these great Wars against the Turks was nothing inferiour unto the Transilvanian himself A greater loss than this the Turkish Emperour received not at Land in many Years before being by this so happy and victorious a Prince and the Revolt of these three Countries deprived of so much Territory as they had not from the Christians of long time gained It was by some of them of the better sort of the Turks that were taken reported That Sinan Bassa should oftentimes say That this young Transilvanian Prince had bereft him of all the Honour and Renown he had with great travel got in the course of his long Life and that although he had escaped his hands yet that he feared he would be the cause for him in these his great years even in the winding up of all to lose his Life together with his Goods and Honour Now was the Transilvanian Prince's Name after the Overthrow of this great Bassa become dreadful unto the Turks and also famous through all Christendome Whilst this worthy Prince was thus busied in this Expedition against Sinan he caused the Castle of Ienna standing upon the High-way between Temeswar and Giula to be besieged by certain of his Captains appointed to that Service in which Castle lay one of the Turks Sanzackes with a Garrison of seven hundred Turks who much troubled such as passed that way They now brought to some Extremity and terrified with the Success of the Prince offered to give up the Castle so that as Souldiers with their Scimiters by their sides they might in safety be brought to Panoda Which their Offer being accepted of and they now upon their way the Hungarian light Horse-men that should have conducted them informed that these Turks now under their charge had secret Intelligence with the Turks in Garrison at Giula and Temesware That they should lie in Ambush for them near Panoda and so cut them off by the way set upon these Turks whom they should have conducted and cut the Throats of four hundred of them and yet still holding on their way met with these Turks that lay in Ambush for them whom they after a sharp Skirmish overthrew and having slain a great many of them put the rest to flight By the taking of Ienna the ways thereabout were quieted especially for them of Waraden The Sanzack of Ienna reported That Mahomet had a little before sent word unto his Bassaes and Sanzanckes in Hungary That such Castles and Towns as they thought were not to be defended against the Christians they should betimes as occasion served yield them up or forsake them so to spare the needless loss of his good Souldiers of whom he had with so many Towns and strong-holds lost no small number
the Walls And immediately after two Companies of the Haiducks placed ten Ladders against one of the Towers of the Castle and so with their Ensigns in their hands courageously mounted the Ladders in hope to have gained the Place but the Turks as men resolved to live and dye in their Castle valiantly repulsed those Haiducks and by force drew in unto them from off the Ladders the two Ensign-bearers of the Haiducks whose Heads they cut off and cast them down unto their Fellows which were yet coming up the Ladders and the two Ensigns so gained upon the Walls they placed in the mid'st of their own as the Trophies of the Spoils of them who would have spoiled them With which so great Courage of the Enemies and death of their Fellows our men not a little dismayed kept themselves close at the foot of the Wall as afraid any farther to force the Place which to their loss they saw stored with such valiant men to defend it Collonitz perceiving this discomfiture of these men and well assured that the Castle was not but by Valour to be won immediately drew out of every Company of the County Ringrave certain of the best and most resolute Souldiers to renew the Assault Which so honourable a Charge they cheerfully undertook and as men of Courage began forthwith to mount the Ladders Which the Haiducks beholding again took courage and partly ashamed of themselves and partly to be partakers of the Spoil and Prey if they should prevail did what they might for the wâ—nning of the Place striving now who should do best Which Assault was with such fury and prease of men maintained that the Turks not able longer to withstand so great Forces were constrained to yield both themselves and their Castle unto the fury of their angry Enemies Which Castle indeed cost much Christian Blood but yet more of the Turks for the Haiducks armed with rage and revenge slew almost all in the Castle as well Rascians as Turks and took the rest Prisoners Among others there was an Hungarian Renegade there taken whom for haste they beheaded being not at leisure to impale him the ordinary punishment for such faithless Miscreants But during this spoil made by men chafed with fury the Wind and Fire were on their part exercising of their rage also For the Fire which they had cast upon the Palisado and which they had before neglected as of little or no force now increased with the Wind by little and little getting hold of one thing after another having burnt the Palisado got hold of the Castle also whereunto the Souldiers loaded with Prey and Booty the things they most desired had no regard at all so that the Fire utterly consumed the Castle with whatsoever else had escaped their greedy hands The Turks in Garrison at Bâ—ulouvenar a Fortress but a League distant from this burnt Castle seeing these Flames of Fire and doubting what might betide themselves began to consult what course were best for them to take as either to attend the coming of the Enemy and so to abide the chance of War or else betimes to provide for themselves by flight the Consideration of their Honour and Duty perswaded them to stay but the ruine of their Neighbours as strong and valiant as themselves perswaded them otherwise In fine the care of the Preservation of their Lives prevailed and the Resolution was that they should fly And so puting all their Houshold-stuff and Goods into certain Boats there ready upon the Lake they by the midst thereof fled foolishly perswading themselves that our men coming thither and finding nothing there would not long there stay but be gon after whose departure they might as they thought return again unto their old dwellings and in the mean time hide themselves in the Marish until that the Enemy were past But our men coming thither and finding no man in the Castle neither yet any thing else that could well be carried away wondered to see that there were any men so cowardly as for fear to abandon such a Place as for the strength thereof might have been an Example to others to stand upon their Guard and defence they sought out every Corner thereabout to find out whither the Turks were fled At last after much diligent search they found certain Boats which the Turks had sunk in the Channel near unto the Castle Gate which caused them to think that they were fled by Water and happily were in some place not far off These Boats were forthwith drawn up out of the Water and found furnished with Oars and such other things as belonged unto them Which done Collonitz chose out certain of the most valiant and resolute of the Haiducks whom he commanded in those Boats to follow after the Turks in the Lake Who accustomed to such Exploits and not ignorant of the Places and Secrets of their Country went aboard and did as they were commanded Neither had they gon past two Leagues upon the Lake but that they discovered a party of the fugitives hid in a little Island awaiting the end of this Tempest to recover again that which they had forsaken The Turks dismayed with the sight of these men and forced by necessity to stand upon their Guard welcomed them with certain little faulcon shot which they brought with them in their Boats thinking to have hindered them from landing But they were too well acquainted with such Musick to be moved therewith besides that the desire of the Booty which was by the Turks brought out of the Castle into the Isle exceedingly animated them for the gaining thereof so that all fear of Danger set apart they landed in the Isle Whom so landing the Turks with great Courage received so that betwixt them was fought a greater fight than is for so small a number on both sides to be believed only Valour and not number holding the Balance of the Victory But in the end the chief of the Turks and he which was their Governour in Boulouvenar slain the rest discouraged came to Parley yielding themselves with their Wives and Children and all that they had as a Prey unto the Victors The Prisoners were brought back again unto the Castle until the next day that our men having put a good and strong Garrison of four hundred Haiducks and two hundred Hussars into Boulouvenar with their Prisoners and their Booty returned toward Comara where they notwithstanding divers Reports of the assembly of the Turks Garrisons for the surprising of them upon the way in safety arrived with a rich Booty and a number of Wagons loaded with the Spoils of their Enemies The Emperour had for his part thirteen Ensigns beside the Places won which being nigh unto Canisia much bridled the Spoylings and Incursions of that Garrison But leaving these endless Troubles of Hungary for a while let us now again look into Transiâ—vania to see what they there do Moyses the Rebel by Basta the Emperours Lieutenant as
that he was contented to grant them Peace on Conditions that they surrendred to him all the Island of Candia with the Fortress of Clissia in Dalmatia and paiment of three Millions of Gold for the Dammages of the War. But these seemed to the Senate to be such unreasonable Propositions and so prejudicial to their Honour that they resolved to maintain the War and to defend themselves more vigorously than ever ANNO 1658. NOtwithstanding the Designs of the Turks against Dalmatia they were not less intent to their Affairs in Candia designing to try their Fortune once again in the Siege of the principal City of that Name for that falling into their Hands the whole Island would quickly be reduced and with that Conquest an end would be put unto the War. The Venetians on the other side attended to their Business with all diligence not neglecting any Provisions which might secure their Interest in that Country year 1658. and that they might regain what they had lost they held Intelligence with some Persons in Canea hoping by their means to surprise the Town but the Turkish Governour being very vigilant reinforced his Garison with five hundred Men and Chusaein Pasha coming to his Assistance with thirty Gallies disappointed the Venetians of landing at that place The Rendezvous of the Army which was to march into Dalmatia was ordered to be at Adrianople where the Brother-in-Law of the Pasha of Aleppo who was Commander of the Forces of that Place arriving later than the day prefixed was for that reason put to death by the Great Vizier This Severity so enraged the Pasha that immediately he raised an Army of forty thousand Men and marched towards Scutari threatning Constantinople it self unless the Head of the Great Vizier were given him by way of reprizal for that of his Brothers The Divan being startled hereat returned him a gentle Message neither denying nor granting his Demand as if they intended to amuse him with Hopes But he interpreting this Delay for a Refusal did not only persist in requiring the Head of the Vizier but of four other principal Counsellors whom he judged to have concurred in the Sentence for his Brother's Death and in farther prosecution hereof he burnt and spoiled all the Country about Constantinople and the Plague raging at the same time in the City affected the Inhabitants with such Sadness and Discontent that the chief Ministers apprehended more Evil from thence than from the Enemy without The Army of the Pasha daily increasing and being grown from forty to sixty thousand Men caused the Vizier to abandon all other Thoughts and Designs but those which tended to the destruction of the Pasha and his Complices so that there necessarily followed a Revulsion of the Forces from Dalmatia the Vizier himself diverting them from thence and Transylvania marched with the whole Army towards Constantinople Yet before the Great Vizier departed from Adrianople he perswaded the Grand Signior to set the Bailo Capello and the Secretary Ballarino at Liberty that thereby he might give some jealousy to the Rebels as if he designed to make a Peace with Venice to have more Power and better leizure to make his War against them This Counsel though prudently given had yet little Influence on the Humor of the Pasha who continued his March fortifying himself in the most advantageous Passes of the Country But what was most bold of all his Actions and rendred his Pardon beyond the Clemency of his Soveraign was the proclaiming a Youth of twenty Years of Age then with him in his Army to be the Son of Sultan Morat and consequently the lawful Heir of the Crown and that in right of him he had taken possession of a great part of Asia and was marching towards Constantinople with resolution to dispossess Sultan Mehmet and exalt this lawful and undoubted Heir on the Throne of his Ancestors This and other Rumors from Persia that that King taking the advantage of these Disorders was making Preparations to regain Bagdat or Babylon and revenge himself of all those Cruelties which the Turks had inflicted on his Subjects and Country increased the Fears and Cares of the chief Ministers of State. Notwithstanding which Chusaein Pasha prosecuted his Business no less in Candia than formerly in hopes to put an end to the War there before the end of the Summer and in order thereunto he received a Recruit of five and twenty thousand Men from the Morea But the daily increase of the Pasha's Forces and his approach towards Constantinople as it was a Matter of the highest Consequence so it required the most prudence and caution in the management In the first place therefore by Fetfa or Resolve from the Mufti the Pasha was declared a Rebel and guilty of High Treason against the Sultan notwithstanding which a Chaous was dispatched with Letters of Pardon if now repenting of his Fault he would disband his Army and return to his former Obedience he should be received into Grace and Favour The Pasha received the Chaous with the same Ceremony and Honour as if he had been an Ambassador being willing to consider him under that Character rather than under the Notion of a Pursuivant or Officer sent to affright him into his Duty and in Answer to the Message replied That it was not in his power to condescend to any Conditions for that since he had assumed the Cause of this Youth who was the Son of Sultan Morat concealed to that Age by his Mother for fear of the Power of his Uncle he could not assent to any Terms or Conditions less than the Exaltation of him to the Ottoman Throne And so carrying this Young Man with him as a Property whereby to cover his Rebellion with the Guise of Justice and Duty he maintained a Court for him after the Ottoman Fashion and causing the Tagho or Standards to be carried before him he permitted him to give Audiences send Dispatches and to take on him all the Royal Marks of Empire The Army of the Pasha was by this time encreased to seventy thousand Men one part of which he sent towards Scutari and another towards Smyrna which alarm'd all the Countries round about and gave the Grand Signior such cause of Apprehension that he tried divers Means and made many Propositions of Honours and Benefits to the Pasha whereby to allure him to Obedience One while he offered to him the Government of Grand Cairo but that being rejected he endeavoured to raise Men in Asia to oppose the progress of his Arms of which some numbers being got into a Body and perceiving the formidable Force of the Pasha revolted and joined themselves to his Party This Extremity of Affairs caused the Grand Signior not only again to proclaim the Pasha a Rebel but to give liberty to his People to destroy him and his Souldiers in any parts where they should encounter them In pursuance of which License a Village in Asia having killed twenty five or thirty of the Pasha's Men
important places the which Marquess Villa performed accordingly in the night preceding the first of Iune with much order and care for first he caused the Artillery to be withdrawn with the Mortar-pieces Ammunition and Provisions of War and placed in the Fort of Mocenigo then he caused half the Army to work in filling the Trenches whilst the other half remained in form of Battel and two hours before day blew up the Fort which having done they marched in three Bodies to the City to the great joy and satisfaction of the Turks who on that occasion made a day of Festival These particulars of Action having passed under the Conduct of Marquess Villa without any signal Victory or advantage over the Turk administred subject to such who in the parts of Christendom were emulous of his glory and envious of his eminent charge to give liberty to their tongues to disparage the management of his Affairs as not agreeable to that high expectation of success which the World conceived thereof when he first entred on this imployment But here it is observable at what rate men who lye soft and warm in their beds at home unconcerned in the dangers labours and hazards of those who live and act abroad can make their reflexions and pass their censures on active and ingaged men not considering the state of affairs the uncertainty of Succours in so long and distant a tract of Sea as passes between Venice and Candia subjected to Winds and a thousand Casualties nor yet the numerous Troops of the Enemy nor the Puissance of â—hat Empire which for its Power Richess and the Valour of its Soldiery may be esteemed the most Potent and considerable of all the Monarchies and known Kingdoms of the Universe But what conjectures soever envious men might make of the Conduct of Marquess Villa yet the Senate of Venice appplauded his labours and owned his services as being such which having merited the admiration and esteem of all the World did in a particular manner challenge their thankfulness and acknowledgments About this time the Gallies of Malta arrived at Candia where some dispute arising touching the place of precedence in the Fleet which the Venetians denied to them they deparâ—ed thence with some dissatisfaction and returned to the Westward to transport the young Empress out of Spain into Italy And now intelligence coming to Candia by divers Letters that the Great Vizier was departed from Adrianople with a numerous Aâ—my and was already arrived at Thebes where a general Rendezvous was appointed of the whole Army with resolution to be transported from Malvoisin to that Island the Venetian Generals and Commanders in chief concluded it necessary if possible to hinder their passage and rather to fight them at Sea which was their more propitious Element â—han to attend their Landing where they would be forced to dispute with unequal numbers and on disadvantageous terms Accordingly the Captain-General reinforced his Fleet with two thousand Foot and a thousand Horse under the Command of Count Licinio Martinoni appointing the Rendezvous to be at Argenâ—iera to which place also Marquess Villa repaired touching by the way at Milo for refreshment of his Horse it being an Island abounding with Herbage the Captain General being for some days detained at Standia by contrary Winds a Consultation was held for the more advantageous management of the War aâ—ter which the whole Fleet making Sail was on August the ninth scattered by a furious storm and not being able to recover Santoxini they by good fortune fetched Stampalia an â—sland abounding with generous Wines excellent Fruit Partridges and other Provisions at length after various fortunes arriving at Andâ—a which is a great and populous Island another Council of War was held where it was again concluded That all care was to be taken to intercept the Succours which the Enemy daily sent to Candia to which end the Cavalier Grimani Captain of the Galleons was ordered to cruise about the Coast and hearing that twelve Turkish Ships were lading Provisions in the Gulf of Velo he repaired thither and had the good â—ortune to take them with all their lading but the other Squadrons missed of the like success for notwithstanding the care and vigilance which was used all matters seemed to succeed prosperous â—or the Turks and adverse to the Christians the designs of the first having an issue agreeable to their intentions whilst those of the latter were always disappointed either by Naâ—ure or by Fortune or rather by that secret hand of Providence which had allotted that Island for a Prâ—ze to the Ottoman Arms. By this time the Turkish Army being at their Rendezvous at Thebes the Great Vizier prepared to imbark and considering the difficulty of the passage thought it prudent first to make new Propositions to Signior Ballarino before he entred on this hazardous attempt supposing perhaps that the rumour of this March might have affrighted the Venetians to a Surrender of that Kingdom that they might spare the blood and charge of that War which afterwards ensued wherefore Ballarino being called from his House at Constantinople began his Journey towards Thebes on the twenty fifth of August accompanied by a Capugibashee and three Janizaries and in twenty three days arriving at Thâ—ssalonica now called Salonica he fell sick of a violent Feaver caused by that agitation of body in his Travels to which he was unaccustomed and for want of that sleep which he used to take after his slender dinner passing the rest of the day and night in continual watchings at first he felt only some little alterations which he hoping might pass over resolved to proceed on his Journey notwithstanding the perswasions to the contrary of Signior Patavino his Secretary with whom I was well acquainted and ever esteemed for an honest and a worthy Person but he continued resolute to proceed fearing leâ—t his delays by the way should lose him the opportunity of that moment of Treaty which was impossible afterward to be retrieved for in his Journey he would often reason in this manner If I should stop here what censure would the World pass on me I may possibly excuse my self but in the mean time the Vizier may ingage too far in his design and frustrate all those methods and foundations which I have laid towards a Peace and then if I live I shall be over-burdened with the reproaches of the World for having abandoned the grand incumbance in its ultimate necessity which is charged upon me which will be a more sensible afâ—liction than the agony of death My sickness will be esteemed by many to be rather dissembled than real The dead man lives in the memory of his faithfulness and constancy and the living man dies in the indelible characters of his cowardise and misfortune These were his own words And thus â—ravelling forward his Feaver daily increased to that excess that on the sixth day he was forced to stop at a City called Isdino where having
never be augmented These and several other Passages fill'd the Imperial Court with diffidence notwithstanding Tekely's fair words and yet the Negotiations were still continued the Emperour having proposed to an Officer that Tekely had sent him to grant to his Master the Soveraignty of all he possessed in upper Hungary with several other Demeanes so willing they were to have detached this subtile and brave Enemy from his intelligence with the Turks who at length declared that he could not separate his Interests from the Port which obliged Hoffman and Saponara to retire The 18 of Ianuary 6000 Turks entred into Canisia most Janizaries and the Garisons of Belgrade and Newhausel were also augmented with great numbers of this Militia The 25 th of Ianuary 5000 Tartars arrived at Buda who were sent to Newhausel and 12000 Foot came in their place who by reason they could not lodge in the City encamped at the foot of the Walls Upon this News order was given to break the Ice round the Isle of Schults to keep the River open the better to oppose the irruptions of the Turks and Malecontents The Ice which was of an extraordinary thickness broke the wooden Bridge at Vienna with the loss of three Charets loaden with Wine and Oates which fell in The Inhabitants of the aforesaid Isle of Schults were by reason of the oppression of the Imperialists forc'd mostly to abandon it the noise whereof being spread through the Kingdom had like to have caused a general Insurrection The beginning of February the Turks entred into the Isle of Serin in Croatia where they committed great disorders One of their parties defeated a Convoy with Munitions of War and other provisions designed for Zendra Lossenhilts who commanded the same being slain The Turks who provided all things necessary to attempt the siege of Vienna laid in at Buda vast stores of Ammunition and Materials to make Bridges of nor were they less vigilant on the other side the Suburbs were demolished round within a hundred paces of the City and the great Island was fortified and put into a Condition to lodge a whole Army Redoubts were built at both ends of the wooden Bridge which is on the side nearest the City and the Bridge which traversed the great Arm of the Danube was taken down to build another on the other side of the Favorites with several other small Forts for its security Two hundred thousand pallizadoes were sent from Newburg to serve for the Fortifications of Vienna whereof every Citizen undertook to maintain a Souldier well armed in case the City should be besieged All Boats were also stopped at Vienna being designed to transport Provisions and Ammunition into Hungary However Tekely continued to block up the Places which remained in the Emperours Obedience in upper Hungary and to shut up the Passages that no relief might be sent to them he did not cease howâ—oever to testifie to the Deputies of the Loyal Countries that he did desire with Passion that his Imperial Majesty would grant him reasonable Conditions that might restore him to the obedience which he owed him and to make it appear to all the World that he had not taken Arms against him out of any animosity he released an hundred German Prisoners without Ransom and sent to assure the Emperour that he had dispatched Fagou and Sirmay his two chief Ministers to the Port to endeavour to obtain a prolongation of the Trevis He spake to the same purpose at the Diet he had convened and released yet again eighty Prisoners which he had taken at Tokay and gave Count Herberstein his Liberty upon his parole The Turks about the later end of February made a new attempt upon the Isle of Schults with 1000 men of the Garrison of Newhausel conducted by an Hungarian Renegade but the Ice which was not strong enough breaking a great number of them were drowned the Imperialists took many Prisoners and amongst others the Sub-governour of Newhawsel's Son. A Turkish Officer that offered ten thousand Dollars for his Life had his Head chopt off At the same time several new Troops of the Infidels arrived who lodged at Essek and along the Rivers Savus and Dravus They armed several Brigantines which vogued upon the Danube to hinder the Imperialists to send any Succours or Ammunition to their Garrisons The Bassa of Belgrade received orders to repair an ancient Palace seated upon a Hill near the Town to lodge the Grand Seignior there who designed to stay there during the Campania In March Tekely with a considerable body of the Turkish and his own Troops endeavoured to Surprise Tirnaw to cut off the Communication of the Fortress of Leopolstat with the River Waagh But this Enterprise failing this Count summoned a second Diet in upper Hungary though those of the Loyal Counties were admonished not to appear there At the same time Collonel Albert Caprara advertised the Emperour that the Grand Seignior offered to prolong the Cessation if he would surrender to him the Isles of Schults of Serin and of Raab with the Fortresses of Raab and Comorra but his Imperial Majesty did not think it expedient to accept of such disadvantageous Terms which rendered the Turks entire Masters of Hungary and gave them an open passage to the very Walls of Vienna After that it was impossible for this Minister to write any more to his Master for the Turks kept so strict a Guard about him that he was suffered to have no Communication with any for fear of informing the Emperour with the vast preparations of War which were made in all the extent of the Ottoman Empire The Turks at the same time surprised a Quarter of the Dragoons kill'd forty and took many Prisoners they lodged 15000 men in the Neighbourhood of Essek to hinder the Imperialists from burning the Bridge and by that means hinder their Passage into the lower Hungary The Emperour on the other side caused all his Forces on the side of the Rhine except four Regiments which he left for the Frontiers to march towards Vienna and Hungary His Troops also that were in Bohemia under the command of Count Taff were commanded that way In the beginning of April the Grand Seignior sent the Bassa Zanko who though he had but one hand was one of the best Officers in the Turkish Army to Cassovia to command under Count Tekeley At the same time the Emperour made a great Detachment of all the Regiments that were in Hungary to march toward Treinschin under the Command of the Count of Schults to go meet a great Body of Succours which came out of Poland under the Conduct of Lubomirski The Count Herberstein had Orders to pass into Croatia with all the Troops of the lower Austria to oppose the Enemy who pretended to make an Irruption into that Province The Grand Seignior shewed so much passion for the War of Hungary that to complement him all the Ministers of the Court would particularly contribute to it Every one offered to
them to retire And yet they escaped by their Courage and Resolution the danger that threatned them forcing their Passage back to the Niester by a very orderly retreat which they likewise passed tho' the Turks were much stronger than they and so were dispersed into their Winter Quarters Nor were the Turks very unsuccesful in Dalmatia The Christians had besieged Singn but were forced to retire by the joynt Forces of the Turks in those quarters with loss of some hundreds of their men two pieces of Cannon and most of their Baggage But the Wars being rather defensive in those parts on both sides than otherwise nothing of any very great Consequence besides Incursions and mutual Ravages worthy of Memory did happen year 1685. The traverses at Sea were of more noise and consequence The Turkish Fleet was affirmed to consist of sixty Gallies and twenty men of War who were at Sea though supposed not well manned On the other side the Venetian Fleet was stronger full of Sea-mâ—n besides thirteen thousand Land-Forces of several Nations all commanded by their General Morosini who sailing for the Levant landed his Forces in the Morea at the Fortress of Calamata which he took and afterwards sate down before Coron where having made large Breaches and extremely annoyed the place with their Bombs the Bassa hung out a white Flag but all Conditions except surrendring upon discretion being refused him he put out a black Colours intimating he would defend it to extremity which he also did The Bassa of Petrasso marched with eight thousand Men to his relief but upon consideration of the strength of the Christians he durst not attempt it but contenting himself to re-inforce the Garrison of Modon and with falling upon the Greeks that favoured the Venetians he made a great slaughter of them The Visier of Morea Kalil Bassa having got together a competent Army of near ten thousand would re-attempt the relief of Coron in order to which he sent a Party to attack a Redoubt somewhat distant from the Line of the Besiegers but were repulsed but assaulting it again they took it at the second storm Hereupon the Chevalier de la Tour a Knight of Malta hastening thither with twelve hundred Men recovered it from the Turks with the loss of his own life and many of his Men. A while after the Visier made an attempt upon the main Camp but was beaten off with mutual loss In the mean time the Christian General finding the neighbourhood of the Turks troublesome and foreseeing that his Troops would not be able to subsist unless they had the Country open resolved to attempt their removal in order to which drawing ten Men out of a Company to which were joyned fifteen hundred Voluntiers with one of the Regiments of Brunswick and that of Malta they marching before day surprised and fell upon the Enemy on all sides the action was so sudden that the Turks before they could recollect themselves were driven out of their several Posts pursued and quite dispersed Of the Enemy there were near a thousand killed in the action and pursuit of which number was the Visier Kalil and Mehemet Bassa All their Cannon and Baggage were taken with nine pieces of brass Cannon seventeen Colours and the great Standard with three Horse-tayles hanging at it This Victory was some days after completed by the taking of Coron where the Christians forcing the way into the Town through their very large Breaches put all they met to the Sword. There were above three thousand of the Turks slain in this storm and four or five hundred of the Christians among which were two Knights of Malta Prince Phillip of Savoy the Prince of Brunswick the Marquiss of Courbon and St. Paul besides thirty Knights of Malta with several other Persons of Quality wounded There were seventy-six Pieces of Brass Cannon besides great store of Ammunition and Provision with Plunder reckoned at above two Millions found in this place These Successes encouraged the Greeks to submit to the Venetians and the Province of Maina being also disposed to cast off the Ottoman Yoak were greatly encouraged to it by Morosini who sending a Detachment with such Maynots as were entred into the Service of the Re-publick gave them orders to attack Zarnata a Fortress built to keep that People in awe In the mean time the Christian Fleet sailed towards Calamata near which place the Forces landed The Captain Bassa hearing of the ill successes of his Country-men in Morea came with his Fleet to Napoli di Romania where securing the Ports with great Chains he landed what Men he possibly could and joyning with a great Body of Horse and Foot he marched towards Calamata to keep the Mainotes from revolting to the Venetians Zarnata had been threatned into surrender six hundred Men that garrisoned it marching out with their Arms and Baggage though the Aga that commanded it distrusting his conduct stayed in the Christian Camp. The Captain Bassa being advanced Morosini being re-inforced with three thousand Saxons resolved to fight him Being met the Turkish Horse fell upon the Christians left Wing and at the same time a great Body of their Foot advanced towards their right but found such brave resistance that they were forced to retire They returned to the charge again but with the same success and being pressed fell into disorder and were defeated though the loss was not very great on either side The Garrison of Calamata nearing of this rout fired their Magazin and quitted the place leaving eleven Pieces of Cannon behind them which was immediately garrisoned by the victorious The Maynotes thereupon besieged Porto Vitulo the which with Chielifa and Passavia are the only places of strength that the Turks possess in that great Province but these likewise as also Porto Vitulo being forced by the Inhabitants to surrender came all under the dominion of the Venetians from whence General Morosini having put good Garisons into those places marched towards Navazino But the season being too far advanced having razed Calamata and Passava as not very defensible he dispersed his Army into Winter Quarters sailing himself with his Gallies to Santa Maura A Fleet under the command of the Seigniors Molino and Delfino had cruised the whole Summer in the Archipelago putting those Islands under contribution though no material action at Sea had passed betwixt the two Fleets of the Christians and Turks The Captain Bassa after these misfortunes shewed a great inclination to peace signifying his desire to set a Treaty on foot for that purpose to which end he signified the same to General Morosini by a particular Messenger who referred him to his Superiours There had likewise been an Aga some time at Comorra who declared that the Grand Seignior did desire to re-establish a Peace or Truce betwixt the two Empires desiring that Commissioners might be appointed on both sides for that purpose that he had ordered the Bassa of Buda to cease from all
danger of his own Life in some mutiny deny them dismission for that Year's Campaign VVhich the Janisaries esteemed always a Privilege due to their Order but the Asiatick Timariots called Timar Spahcelar were always sooner dismissed in consideration of the long Iournies they were to make to their VVinter-Quarters some of them being as far distant as Bagdat or Babylon as Damascus or Scham as Aleppo and Iconium and other Parts which to Travel backwards and forwards would take up commonly four or five Months time After which to pass a Summers Campaign was very Laborious for the Asiatick Forces to undergo who commonly are esteemed a soft People which yet they were obliged to do on Forfeiture of all their Hereditary Estates in which the Turks by their ancient Constitutions were so Rigorous that they would admit of no excuses for their absence even of Death it self for in case the Father died lealeaving an Infant Son of a Year old even then he was obliged to the VVar though he was carried in the Arms of his Nurse The Hungarians consequently being always in Action and obliged to a perpetual Duty against the Enemy were never excused from a strict vigilance over all the Motions of their Neighbours whom in the times of Peace we might properly call Enemies for they Fought very often and yet without VVar so called for in case they met and engaged in the Field with a less number than Five thousand Men on a side and without Cannon it was not called VVar but a Martial Exercise in the times of Peace and that is the reason why we find so many Palancas raised over all Hungary on one side and the other which are designed to give a stop to any suddain Irruption of an Enemy within which Palancas so called the Poor Inhabitants on either side Shelter their VVives and Children their Horses and Cattle with all their Faculties and Substance it being not lawful for the Enemies on either side to possess them Besides on their High-ways and Roads to a Market every thing was to be secured and neither side could touch the same without Iustice performed upon due Complaints made to the Pasha or Christian Governour of the Province This was the Ancient Constitution whilst the Turks prevailed in Hungary But since the last VVar and Peace concluded things no doubt have been set upon another Foot and other Provisions have been made to secure the Christian Cause and Interest for before this time the Turks were become the most Insolent People in the VVorld and would never do Iustice to a Christian for unless it were consistent with their own Interest and Design they would shew themselves Proud Haughty and Supercilious expecting Gifts and returning none expecting for a Flower a piece of Gold or some piece of Cloth of the finest Dye and Spinning we have in England and to this Pass were the Turks come that they called the Presents made to them by the Christians to be their Tribute and the Ambassadors sent to them they acknowledged for no other than for Mahapous as they called them which signified Hostages given for Peace and the Security of the Good-behaviour of their Masters towards the Port Their Pride was also so extraordinary that they would never vouchsafe to require any Counterpart from the King or Prince with whom they Treated or Copies unless such as were conserved amongst their Archives or Office of the Reis Effendi or Chief Secretary inferring that the Power of the Grand Seignior was able to make good whatsoever he should require on the Score of the Royal Signature which no Sovereign Prince will now receive from a Proud and Insolent Turk For praised be that God of the Christians who hath brought down that Imperious Spirit of the Turks to such a Degree That they can now own their Weakness and be ashamed of their former Follies which render'd them insupportable in their Conversation with Christians Mahomethes Quartus Magnus Turcarum Imperator Qui Requat Anno 1687. THE HISTORY OF THE TURKS From the Year 1678 to the Year 1699. WE have in our preceding History represented the Ottoman Empire for several years past under many Circumstances of Happiness and Glory The Turks had been successful in their Wars abroad having increased and enlarged their Empire by adding Newhausel in Hungary thereunto with the Countrey belonging to it They had gained and conquered all the Island of Candia with that invincible Fortress and thereupon had put an end to a War with the Venetians which had continued for the space of Twenty six Years After which they carried their Conquering Arms into Poland where they took the strong Fortress of Caminiec which is the Key of that Kingdom and thence marched into that Countrey as far as Leopolis which they brought under the Tribute of Eighty thousand Crowns a-year and so returned back again into their own Dominions without any Opposition or so much almost as the Appearance of an Enemy And to render this Action the more observable it was attended with the least Expence of Blood and Treasure of any Enterprize of so bold and daring a Design and proved an Expedition so profitable and beneficial that scarce a Ianizary or Horseman returned without Spoil or Plunder or Slaves of both Sexes All which Wars were acted within the space of Thirteen Years during the Government of Achmet Kuperli with such Intervals also of Peace that War seemed but an Entertainment to exercise the Soldiery and amuse their Minds lest they should fall into Mutiny and Sedition all the Particulars of which we have already at large related And here I cannot but observe and say That Justice is the proper means to render a People flourishing and happy an Instance whereof we have through all the Government of Kuperli who being a Person educated and skilful in the Law administred Justice equally to the People his Eyes were not blinded with Avarice which might biass or thwart him in giving Judgment he was not cruel or bloody or inclined to take away Mens Lives for the sake of their Riches nor more ambitious than what served to make him jealous of his Honour and zealous to conserve and keep up his Fame and Reputation in the World which is necessary for Ministers in his sublime Station Wherefore let us look on those Times which were as quiet calm and peaceable as any that ever had smiled on the Ottoman State and justly attribute those Blessings to the Favour of Heaven which was pleased in those Days to behold so much Justice and Equity dispensed to a People unaccustomed thereunto and perhaps in Reward thereof to make the Government more easie and pleasant than either before or since those Halcyon Days But now that Kara Mustapha comes to succeed in the Place of so just and equal a Governour a Person of Violence Rapine Pride Covetousness False Perfidious Bloody and without Reason or Justice we have nothing to represent at the beginning of his Government besides his Oppression