at BELGRADE where hee was of his subjects honourably receiued And hauing there staied certaine daies and well refreshed his armie departing thence and passing the riuer SAVUS came to the royall citie of BVDA where he was of all his subjects joyfully receiued also The Legat and Huniades going on his right hand and the Despot on the left after whome followed other colonels captaines and lieutenants with their companies who at the first meeting with the cittizens more than a mile out of the cittie in token of their mutuall joy gaue together such joyfull acclamations and outcries as that the heauens seemed to resound and the earth to shake with the noise thereof Before the king at his comming vnto the cittie went a long companie of the notable Turkes captiues and next before him Carambey bound in chaines vpon whom all mens eyes were fixed With them were also carried the enemies ensignes and such spoyles as had beene saued Behind the king came Huniades in a triumphant robe in the middest betwixt the Legate on the right hand and the Despot on the left as he that next vnto the king had best deserued the honor of the triumph Next vnto them followed the deuout Christians that for the zeale of religion had most honourably of their owne charges voluntarie serued in those wars and on both sides of them the ciuile magistrates and best of the citizens behind them came the rest of the legions and about them both vpon the right hand and the left the promiscuous common people doubling and redoubling the praises of the king and Huniades Before all these went the prelates and priests in solemne procession singing hymnes and psalmes of thanksgiuing vnto almightie God Vladislaus comming vnto the gate of the citie acknowledging God to haue been the authour of so great a victorie alighting from his horse on foot went first vnto the Cathedrall church of our ladie and there giuing most hartie thanks vnto almightie God hanged vp the enemies ensignes and part of the spoile in perpetuall remembrance of so notable a victorie which hee afterward caused to bee most liuely depainted in a faire table of most curious worke and there in the same church to bee hanged vp as were also the armes of all the noble Christians that serued in that most famous expedition which there long time after remained Which solemnities ended he went to his pallace in the castle and there hauing giuen vnto euerie man but especially vnto Huniades his due commendation gaue them leaue to depart Thus the Hungarians with whom also the Polonians in most part agree report of this notable expedition of their king Vladislaus howbeit the Turks notable dissemblers of their own losses confessing the great ouerthrow call the Bassa so ouerthrowne not by the name of Carambey but of Cassanes and the noble prisoner that was taken by the name of Mechmet Beg Sanzacke of ANCYRA Amurath his son in law and brother to Cali-Bassa Amurath his great councellour of some called Carambey after the name of his father Out of this late slaughter of the Turkes wherein Carambey was taken escaped that valiant prince and famous warriour George Castriot of the Turks called Scanderbeg as is before declared whose noble mind had long time desired to breake out of the golden fetters of the Turkish thraldome and to be reuenged of the intollerable injuries by Amurath done to his countrey his parents his brethren and himselfe Although hee had alwaies most warily dissembled the same for feare of the old tirant being often times solicited and animated therevnto by secret letters and messengers from his friends in EPIRVS knowing right well that the least ouerture thereof had been vnto him present death But finding no fit meanes for the accomplishing thereof wisely dissembled the same with all the shewes of loue and loyaltie vnto Amurath that might be vntill that now in this great ouerthrow of the Turks armie vnder the leading of Carambey and in so great a confusion he tooke occasion to put in practise what he had long before in his deepe conceit plotted for the deliuerie both of himselfe and his countrey from the Turkish bondage and slauerie At which time Scanderbeg for so from henceforth we will call him hauing a little before imparted the matter vnto some of his trustie friends and countrey men no lesse desirous of libertie than himselfe but especially vnto his nephew Amesa the sonne of his brother Reposius a young man of great courage in that great confusion of the Turkish armie when euerie man was glad to shift for himselfe had euer in his flight a vigilant eie vpon the Bassaes principall secretarie whom accompanied with a few Turks he with his nephew Amesa and other of his faithfull friends closely followed as he fled from the slaughter but when he had got the secretarie with his few followers in place most conuenient for his purpose he set vpon the Turks and slew them euerie one and carying the secretarie away with him fast bound when hee had brought him whether he thought good with great threats compelled him sore against his will to write counterfait letters as from the Bassa his maister vnto the gouernour of CROIA commanding him in Amuraths name Forthwith to deliuer vnto Scanderbeg the new choseÌ„ Gouernor the charge of the citie with the garrison there cunningly enterlacing many other things in the same letters wherby the matter might seeme more probable Which letters so extorted he presently slew the Secretary as many more of the Turks as came in his way of purpose that his doings might be the longer kept from knowledg of Amurath who not hearing what was become of him might reasonably conjecture that he was slaine by the Hungarians amongst the rest of the Turks Whilest the fame of this great ouerthrow is going to HADRIANOPLE and there filleth the Turks court with sorrow and heauinesse in the meane time Scanderbeg hauing with him three thousand Epirot souldiours which followed him out of the battaile as men desirous rather to fight for the libertie of themselues and of their countrey than in the quarrell of the Turkâ— was with incredible celeritie come into the vpper country of DIâ—RA in the borders of EPIRUS about seauenty miles from CROIA into which countrey he was most joyfully receiued where he staied but one daie and chose a few of those three hundreth which he brought with him to wait vpon him when he went to CROIA as if they had been his domesticall seruants the rest with other three hundreth lustie souldiours which were then come vnto him out of DIBRA he appointed to be led by secret by-waies through the woods and mountaines by perfect guides vntill they came so nigh CROIA as was possible for them to come vnperceiued and there to sâ—aie vntill he might find oportunitie to conuaie them into the citie to oppresse the Turkish garrison So hee with a small companie of his followers as if they had been his priuat retinew tooke
enemie to come on in one onely thicke front by reason of the straightnesse of the place hauing on the right hand towards the riuer placed as it were all his horsemen and towards the mountaine his footmen alone and fiue hundred foot placed aloft without any artillerie as it seemed he would haue done hauing planted some below at the foot of the hill in the way and in the middest euen before the front of the battell where the horsemen came after the footmen he also placed his squadron in one front onely to the entent not to be enclosed by the enemie on the flanke of his armie The bodie of his maine battell consisted of one great squadron of about three thousand Almaine footmen flanked on each side with a hundred fiftie Rutters of SILESIA before the squadron toward the right hand he had set a loose wing of three hundred musketiers in the right wing towards the hill he placed a companie of launces with two squadrons of the countrey footmen and in the left wing toward the riuer one squadron of Transyluanian footmen and two of launces for that the enemie was at that time very strong in horsemen the Cossackes archers and harquebusiers he placed in the reward of his great artillerie he would make no vse for that hauing not much he would not stand vpon the defence thereof but desired rather with all speed to come to the sword with the enemie vnacquainted with such close fight foot to foot and well the lesse fit by reason of their light armour And therfore he thought it best first to set forward his squadron of Almaines to giue the charge bending towards the right hand amongst the thickest of the footmen towards the artillerie at the foot of the hill as there whereas was the strength of the enemies infanterie And doubting in the performing hereof to be charged on the left side with a great squadron of about three thousand launces which seemed to stand vpon that wing to giue the first charge hee gaue order vnto Rodouiz his lieutenant and colonell of the Rutters which had the leading of the left wing that he should at a certaine signe giuen set forwards towards the left hand for the charging of that great squadron So his people being set in order and the manner of proceeding set downe hee putting on his helmet with cheerefull countenance said That at that time he trusted hee should shew vnto the Vayuod that his trunchion could doe more than his scimitare And himselfe setting forward betwixt the squadron of the Almaine footmen and the wing of the musketiers about two houres after noone marched faire and softly towards the enemie who without moouing expected the discharging of their artillerie whereunto the neerer that the enemie came vnto it the lesse harme it did him by shooting either ouer or short in the field which easily ascended The wing of musketiers went directly to giue a charge vnto the artillerie and the squadron towards the foot of the hill where Basta desired forcibly to charge that thereby they might bee enforced to spend their first vollies and with some discouragement or disorder to retire presently came in all afront just vpon the signe giuen and so with his Almaine footmen and the Rutters on the right hand enclosed and compassed in behind the greatest part of the enemies footmen At which very instant the Rutters on the left hand also so couragiously charged vpon the three thousand launces that better could not haue beene desired of any band of most old and expert souldiours The launces retiring without any hurt and the first volley discharged forced the infanterie and so disordered the rest Whereupon the wings charging there ensued presently a great slaughter and ouerthrow onely fortie of Basta his men being slaine and as many hurt where of the enemies were lost in the battell ten thousand and greater had the slaughter beene if the village and approach of the night had not couered many of them that fled and stayed the pursuite of the victors that followed them Which putteth me in remembrance of the great victorie that Scipio Asiaticus had against Antiochus wherein were slaine of the Romanes but three hundred although that in the fight one of the wings stood for a time doubtfull there being lost of the enemies aboue fiftie thousand Howbeit there were aâ—terwards found in all as was by the peasants of the countrey reported twentie thousand slaine in this battell By this victorie Basta recouered many ensignes and much armour before sent by the emperour vnto the Vayuod together with all his tents and baggage And presently after the ouerthrow there were many troupes of horsemen sent out euery way with proclamation To spare the liues of such of the Siculi as should lay downe their armes of whom many were sent prisoners vnto diuers places especially to FOGARAS a strong towne toward VALACHIA As for the Vaâ—uod himselfe hee with certaine Cossackes escaped by flight The morrow following Basta dispatched away the Countie Cauriòli to enforme the emperour of all the particularities of the successe of that expedition who seemed to bee therewith pleased yet neither gaue reward vnto the Countie neither commended Basta in that he had done foreseeing perhaps what was to ensue thereof although hee had in writing before approoued his resolution and motion made in fauour of the Confederates Staying that day in that quarter Basta gaue order vnto the Chiaki to send out a thousand horsemen to pursue the flying Vayuod who in stead of so doing joyning themselues with other their consorts setled themselues to ransacke ALBA IVLIA vnder the colour that there was the Vayuods wealth and substance yet as the manner of such men is sparing neither marchant nor citisen which worthely seemed vnto Basta a great wrong for to see the innocent punished and the guiltie to escape free And albeit that he made what hast he might thitherwards with all his campe and so stayed one day not farre from thence to haue giuen some redresse vnto the spoile that had happened yet was all that his labour lost for that so many of the greater sort and chiefest amongst them had their hands therein with whom he thought it more wisedome as then to dissemble than to fall into any tearmes of seueritie without hope of doing any good So he resolued in all hast to march towards FOGAâ—AS whither he heard say the Vayuod was come with new forces out of VALACHIA and MOLDAVIA and in six daies march came to CIBINIVM where he receiued certaine newes That the Great Chancellour of POLONIA and Sigismund sometime the Transyluanian prince were with a strong armie vpon the frontiers of MOLDAVIâ— hauing sent before them Moises the Siculian with about eight thousand of the Siculi his souldiours to what purpose was easie to bee seene Which aduertisement interrupted the course of Basta his victorie for that it seemed not reasonable to pursue the enemie and to leaue behind him a doubt of
one another seemed almost as great as his And so with infinite numbers of most horrible outcries still aduanced forward Tamerlane his souldiours all the while standing fast with great silence There was not possible to be seen a more furious charge than was by the Turks giuen vpon the prince of CIARCAN who had commandement not to fight before the enemie came vnto him neither could haue been chosen a fairer plaine and where the skilfull choice of the place was of lesse aduantage for the one or the other but that Tamerlane had the riuer on the left hand of his armie seruing him to some small aduantage Now this yong prince of CIARCAN with his fortie thousand horse was in this first encounter almost wholie ouerthrowne yet hauing fought right valiantly and entred euen into the middest of the Ianizaries where the person of Baiazet was putting them in disorder was himselfe there slaine About which time Axalla set vpon them with the avauntgard but not with like danger for hauing ouerthrowne one of the enemies wings and cut it all to peeces and his footmen comming to joyne with him as they had been commaunded he faced the battalion of the Ianizaries who right valiantly behaued themselues for the safetie of their prince This hard fight continued one hower and yet you could not haue seene any scattered but the one still resolutely fighting against the other You might there haue seene the horsemen like mountaines rush together and infinite numbers of men die crie lament and threaten all at one instant Tamerlane had patience all this while to see the euent of this so mortall a fight but perceiuing his men at length to giue ground he sent ten thousand of his horse to joyne againe with the ten thousand appointed for the areareward and commaunded them to assist him at such time as he should haue need of them and at the verie same time charged himselfe and made them giue him roome causing the footmen to charge also ouer whom the prince of THANAIS commaunded who gaue a furious onset vpon the battalion of the Ianizaries wherein was yet the person of Baiazet who had sustained a great burthen Now Baiazet had in his armie a great number of mercinarie Tartarians called Destenses with many thousands of other soldiors taken vp in the countries of the poor exiled Mahometan princes in whose just quarell and the Greeke emperours Tamerlane had chiefely vndertaken that war these Tartarians and other souldiours seeing some their friends and othersome their naturall and louing princes in the armie of Tamerlane stroken with the terrour of disloyaltie and abhorring the crueltie of the proud tirant in the heat of the battaile reuolted from Baiazet to their owne princes which their reuolt much weakened Baiazet his forces Who neuerthelesse with his owne men of warre especially the Ianizaries and the helpe of the Christian souldiours brought to his aid from SERUIA and other places of EUROPE with great courage maintained the fight but the multitude and not true valor preuailed for as much as might be done by valiant and couragious men was by the Ianizaries and the rest perfourmed both for the preseruation of the person of their prince and the gaining of the victorie But in the end the horsemen with whom Tamerlane himselfe was giuing a fresh charge and his avauntgard wholy knit againe vnto him reenforcing the charge he with much adoe obtained the victorie Baiazet himselfe wounded and now mounted on horsebacke thinking to haue scaped by flight fell into the hands of Axalla Vnto whom he yeelded himselfe thinking it had been Tamerlane who for a space knew him not but tooke him for some other great commaunder of the Turks Musa surnamed Zelebi or The noble one of Baiazet his sonnes with diuers other of Baiazet his great captaines were there taken also and amongst the rest George the Despot of SERUIA who notwithstanding this misfortune had that day gained vnto himselfe the reputation of a great and worthie captaine insomuch that Tamerlane euen in the heat of the battaile maruailing to see him and the Scruians with the other Christians which he had brought to the aid of Baiazet so valiantly to fight said vnto some of the captaines that were neere vnto him See how couragiously yonder religious fight supposing them by their strange attire to haue been some of the Turks superstitious votaries But being now taken and afterwards brought to Tamerlane hee was by him courteously welcomed but yet withall reprooued for that he had fought for Baiazet against him who was come in fauour of the Christian emperour and the other poore oppressed princes such as the Despot himselfe was Who therevnto boldly answered That indeed it was not according to his dutie but according to the prosperitie of Baiazet vnto whom it seemed that all the world did bend and that his owne safetie had caused him though against his will to take part with him Wherevpon Tamerlane held him excused and so without more adoe gaue him leaue at his owne pleasure to depart Baiazet also himselfe being afterwardes brought vnto Tamerlane as a prisoner and by him courteously entertained neuer shewed any token of submission at all but according to his proud nature without respect of his present state presumptuously answered him vnto whatsoeuer he demaunded Wherewith Tamerlane mooued told him that it was now in his power to make him to loose his life Wherevnto he answered no more but Doe it for that that losse should bee his greatest happinesse Tamerlane afterwards demaunding of him what made him so proud as to enterprise to bring into his subjection so noble a prince as was the Greeke emperour he answered Euen the same thing that hath mooued thee to inuade me namely the desire of glory and soueraigntie But wherfore then said Tamerlane doest thou vse so great cruelty towards them thou hast ouercome without respect of age or sex That did I said he to giue the greater terrour vnto mine enemies And what wouldest thou haue done with me said Tamerlane if it had been my fortune to haue fallen into thy hands as thou art now in mine I would said Baiazet haue enclosed thee in a cage of iron and so in triumph haue caried thee vp and downe my kingdome Euen so said Tamerlane shalt thou bee serued And so causing him to bee taken out of his presence turning vnto his followers said Behold a proud and cruell man he deserueth to be chastised accordingly and to bee made an example vnto all the proud and cruell of the world of the just wrath of God against them I acknowledge that God hath this day deliuered into my hands a great enemie to whom we must therefore giue thanks which he performed the same day For the battaile was won at foure of the clocke and there was yet fiue houres of day light The next day Tamerlane commaunded the dead to be buried where amongst the rest they found the bodie of the prince of CIARCAN dead
as a man carelesse of his state and wholly wedded vnto his owne pleasure hath giuen occasion not vnto the vulgar people onely alwayes readie to say the worst and soldiors of the Court the guarders of your person but euen vnto the greatest commaunders of your armies and empire to murmure and grudge I dare not say to conspire against you Yet pardon me dread Soueraigne if I should so say for that there is no man which with great discontentment maruelleth not much to see so great an alteration in your heroicall disposition and nature whereby you are become far vnlike that noble Mahomet which hauing ouerthrowne the Greeke empire and taken the great citie of CONSTANTINOPLE promised both vnto himselfe and others the conquest of ITALIE and the sacking of ROME the stately seat of the antient Romane conquerours You haue giuen your selfe ouer as they say for a spoile and prey vnto a poore simple woman your slaue and vassale who with her beautie and allurements hath so bewitched your vnderstanding and reason as that you can attend nothing but her seruice and the satisfying of your most passionate and inordinate desires which how much the more you cherish them so much the more they torment and vexe you Enter but a little into your selfe I pray you and compare the life you now lead with the like time heretofore by you spent in treading honors steps and you shall find a notable difference betwixt the one and the other Had the noble Othoman the first raiser of your house and familie so giuen himselfe ouer vnto pleasure you had not now inherited the countries of BITHYNIA and GALATIA with others moe alongst the Euxine by him conquered Neither had his sonne Orchanes the liuely image of his father and follower of his vertues by leading this kind of life triumphed ouer LICAONIA PHRIGIA and CARIA or extended the bounds of his empire so farre as vnto the straits of HELLESPONTVS What should I speake of Amurath his sonne and successour in the empire who in person himselfe first of the Othoman kings passed ouer into EVROPE placed his imperiall seat at HADRIANOPLE conâ—uered THRACIA BVLGARIA and RASCIA Yea Baiazet your great grandfather is in his misfortune to bee more than you commended as vanquished in field by the mightie Tamerlane with foure hundred thousand horsemen and six hundred thousand foot and not by a silie woman comforting his mishap with the honour and greatnesse of him by whom he was so ouercome Neither may I with silence passe ouer your woorthie grandfather the noble Mahomet who not contented to haue restored the shaken empire conquered also a great part of MACEDONIA euen to the Ionian sea and carying the terror of his armes ouer into ASIA did great matters against the Caramanians and others As for your father Amurath of worthie memorie I cannot but to my great greefe and sorrow speake of him who by the space of thirtie yeares made both the sea and earth to quake vnder his feet and with strong hand more than once vanquished the Hungarians brought vnder his subiection the countries of PHOCIS Bâ—OTIA AETOLIA with a great part of MOREA and to speake of him truly brake euen the very heart strength of the Grecians and other his fierce enemies Let all these most famous conquests of your noble progenitors whose worthie praises as eternall trophees of their honour are dispersed into euery corner of the world awake you out of this heauie Lythargie wherein you haue too long slept yea let the remembrance of the conquest of this imperiall citie by you to your immortall glorie woon stir you vp to greater things and let it neuer bee said of you That you were able with your sword to ouercome your greatest enemies and not with reason to subdue your inordinate affections Thinke that your greatest conquest and suffer not your selfe so great a conquerour to be led in triumph by your slaue What auaileth it you to haue woon CONSTANTINOPLE and to haue lost your selfe Shake off these golden fetters wherein the wilie Greeke hath so fast bound you which at the first though it seeme vnto you hard and painefull yet shall time disgest it and make you to thinke it both good and necessarie for your estate Weane your selfe from your desires and giue rest vnto your troubled thoughts which if you cannot doe at once striue by little and little to doe it pleasure groweth greater by the seldome vse thereof and satictie bringeth loathsomenesse Moderat your selfe therefore and againe take vp armes Your soldiors if they be not employed abroad will to your farther trouble set themselues to worke at home Idlenesse maketh them insolent and want of martiall discipline corrupteth their manners Hereof proceedeth their intemperat and disloyall speeches That if you will not lead them forth for the honour and enlarging of the Othoman empire as did all your most noble progenitors they will set vp another that shall euen one of your owne children And what the common souldior foolishly sayth their great commaunders malitiously purpose which what a confusion it would bring vnto the whole state of your empire together with the danger of your royall person I abhorre to thinke Wherefore it is time it is now high time for you to shew your selfe and with the maiestie of your presence to represse their tumultuous insolencie before it breake farther out Rebellions are by far more easily preuented than in their heat appeased The discontented multitude is a wild beast with many heads which once enraged is not a little to be feared or without danger to be tamed yet doe you but shew your selfe master of your owne affections and you shall easily master them also But what is fit for you to doe beseemeth me not for to say yea pardon me I beseech you that I haue thus much contrarie perhaps to your good liking alreadie said prouoked by what diuine inspiration I know not euen halfe against my will to discouer vnto you the secret of my heart and to lay open vnto you those things which others knowing as well as I doe yet for feare keepe the same from you And if I haue gone too farre or in any thing that I haue said forgâ—t my selfe impute the same my dread Soueraigne vnto the zeale of my loue and loyaltie towards you or vnto my fidelitie so often by you tried or to our antient education the ground of your affection towards me or to what els shall please you rather than to my presumption from which how farre I haue alwayes been I appeale euen to your maiesties owne knowledge Hauing thus said he fell downe at his feet as there to receiue the heauie doome of his so free speech if it should bee otherwise than well taken of the angrie Sultan who all this while with great attention and many a sterne looke had hearkened vnto all that the Bassa had said for well he knew it to be all true and that in so saying he had but discharged
Master of the RHODES first Baiazet his brother fearing least hee should at one time or other againe breake forth vpon him or els set vp by the Christian princes trouble his estate offered great summes of mony to haue had him deliuered into his hands and Charles the French king purposing the conquest of NAPLES which he in few yeares after performed and after that to haue inuaded GRaeCIA thought Zemes a most fit instrument for the furtherance of those his high designes and was therefore wonderfull desirous to haue had him Matthias also king of HVNGARIE a fortunat warriour against the Turke persuaded that the hauing of him might be vnto him a great furtherance in the course of his victories sought by all the meanes he could to haue obtained him At which time also Innocentius the eight of that name bishop of ROME no lesse desirous than the rest to haue in his keeping so great a pledge of peace and warre the bridle of the Turkes furie together with the large pension hee was sure to receiue yearely from Baiazet for the safe custodie of him so wrought the matter by Lyonell bishop of CONCORDIA his â—â—nning legat that the Great Master fearing on the one side to be constrained by the great power of Baiazet to graunt that he had so often refused and now so earnestly solicited on the other side by the bishop caused Zemes to bee deliuered to him at ROME in the yeare 1488 for which doing hee was by the bishop honoured with the honour and title of a Cardinall So Zemes to the great profit of the bishop who receiued from Baiazet a yearely pension of fortie thousand duckats remained in safe custodie at ROME all the time of Innocentius and also of Alexander the sixt his successour vntill that the French king Charles the eight passing through the heart of ITALIE with a strong armie against Alphonsus king of NAPLES in the yeare 1495 and making his way through the citie of ROME so terrified the great Bishop who altogether fauoured and furthered the title of Alphonsus that he was glad to yeeld to such articles and conditions as pleased the king and amongst the rest to giue in hostage vnto the king his gracelesse sonne Caesar Borgia Valentinus and also to deliuer vnto him Zemes his honourable prisoner as shall be afterwards in place conuenient at large declared In the beginning of Baiazet his raigne whilest he was busied against his brother Zemes in ASIA Iohn Castriot the sonne of Scanderbeg aided by the Venetians after he had fortunately ouerthrowne the Turks in a battell neere vnto CROIA recouered a great part of EPIRVS out of their possession At which time also Iohn Chernouich a Christian prince of ALBANIA casting off the Turkish yoke imposed vpon him by the late emperour Mahomet suddainely tooke vp armes and by the helpe of the Venetians valiantly expulsed his enemies out of that part of ALBANIA and so troubled Baiazet that he was glad to suffer him peaceably to enjoy all that hee had by force recouered and further to content him with a small tribute for the rest Baiazet highly offended with Abraham whom some call Pyramet the king of CARAMANIA for aiding his brother Zemes against him in reuenge thereof raised a great armie both in EVROPE and ASIA marching alongst ASIA the lesse through the countries of PHRIGIA MISIA CARIA LYDIA and PAMPHILIA entered at length into CARAMANIA But the king of CARAMANIA hearing before of his comming and knowing himselfe too weake to meet him in field fortified the strong cities and places of his kingdome and retired with his armie into the straits of the mountaine TAVRVS where it parteth CILICIA from SIRIA wherin he was in more safetie than in any of his strongest holds Baiazet finding no way to come to him spent most part of the Summer in spoyling of the open countrey but perceiuing his enemies could not so be drawne into the field he laied siege vnto the famous citie of TARSVS being the cheefe citie of the champaine part of CILICIA the natiue place of S. Paule the Apostle and in short time so battered the wals of the citie with his great ordinance that he had made them saultable The citizens considering the danger they were in offered to deliuer vp their cittie their libertie liues and goods reserued Of which their offer Baiazet accepted and most honourably performed his promise for their safetie not permitting any of his souldiours to enter the citie more than such as must needs for the guard of his person and safe keeping of the cittie And for as much as Winter began now to grow fast on he dispersed his soldiors into the countrey villages round about not suffering the countrey people to till or sow their land or to doe any thing els which might turne to their profit or good whereby they were enforced to yeeld themselues wholly to his deuotion The Caramanian king seeing his people dayly fall from him and fearing to be at length forsaken of his souldiors also in this his distresse obtained aid both of men and money of Caytbeius the great Sultan of AEGIPT and so with all the power hee could make tooke the field with the first of the Spring fully resolued to trie the fortune of a battell although in strength and power he knew himselfe much inferiour to his puissant enemie Baiazet glad to see his enemie so forward speedily assembled his armie and without delay offered him battell which the Caramanian king refused not So betwixt them was begun a fierce and terrible fight which by the skilfull conduct of the leaders and exceeding courage of the soldiors was maintained the whole day with doubtfull victorie and great slaughter on both sides new supplies still comming on in stead of them which were slaine The day declining the Caramanian king whose fatall destinie had now appointed him vnto his last worke seeing his wearied souldiours rather ouerlayed with multitude than by force vanquished to begin to giue ground vnto their enemies courageously thrust forward with his guard and other valiant souldiours about him with such furie that hee brake into the middest of his enemies battaile where being knowne hee was forthwith enuironned by the Turkes and so hardly charged on euery side that hauing his horse slaine vnder him he was enforced to fight on foot where after he had with his owne hand slaine diuers of his enemies hee fell downe dead in the middest of them His souldiors discouraged with his death turned their backes and fled and in flying were for most part either slaine or taken prisoners After this victorie Baiazet speedily ouerran all that large countrey and without resistance in short time brought vnder his obeysance all the countrey of CILICIA There was at that time in that part of CILICIA which is called TRACHEA and lieth towards the seaside an antient Mahometane prince who had vnder his commaund most part of that country with the famous and populous citie of SCANDELORO
after they had giuen the first charge with their launces they would by and by with wonderfull actiuitie vse their bowes and arrowes casting their targuets behind them and forthwith the horsemans mace or crooked scimitar as the manner of the battaile or place required Their horses were strong and courageous in making and swiftnesse much like vnto the Spanish Iennets and that which is of many hardly beleeued so docible that at certaine signes or speeches of the rider they would with their teeth reach him vp from the ground a launce an arrow or such like thing and as if they had knowne the enemie run vpon him with open mouth and lash at him with their heeles and had by nature and custome learned not to be afraid of any thing These couragious horses were commonly furnished with siluer bridles guilt trapping rich saddles their neckes and breasts armed with plates of yron the horseman himselfe was commonly content with a coat of maile or a breastplate of yron The cheefe and wealthiest of them vsed headpieces the rest a linnen couering of the head curiously foulded into many wreathes wherewith they thought themselues safe ynough against any handie strokes the common souldiours vsed thrumd caps but so thicke as that no sword could pierce them Campson of all his armie made fiue battailes The first was committed to Cayerbeius because it was in his owne prouince where the battaile was to be fought The second was led by Sybeius who for his wonderfull actiuitie was of them called Baluano which in their language signifieth a tumbler or one that sheweth feats of actiuitie he was gouernour of DAMASCO a man of singular faith and valour These two great commaunders were appointed at once to charge both the wings of the Turkes armie After them followed Gazelles with the third battaile to second either the one or the other of the two formost as need should require Campson himselfe led the fourth all glistering in guilt armour behind the rest almost a mile and a halfe The last was left for defence of the campe But Selymus according to his wonted manner so ordered his battaile that his Asian horsemen were in the right wing his Europeian horsemen in the left his Ianizaries and artillerie in the maine battaile before whom in the middle betweene the two wings he had placed his most valiant and gallant pentioners amongst whom contrarie to his wonted custome he chose to serue that day Cayerbeius as soone as he was come neere the enemie in token of his braue courage gaue a hote charge vpon the Europeian horsemen and by and by as if hee would haue compassed in that wing wheeled a great way about behind them where chauncing vpon a great companie of scullions drudges and other base people that followed the campe with an infinit number of cammels and carriages hee made there a great stirre with little slaughter that as a valiant and cunning traitour he might in the selfesame time satisfie the expectation of his valour and of his treason together In the other wing the gouernour of DAMASCO to enter vpon the open side of the enemie forbearing to charge him afront and turning about his troupes on the left hand entred ouerthwart their rankes where the Mamalukes fought with such furie that hauing made great slaughter of the Asian horsemen they brake in amongst them as if it had beene a raging flood bearing all downe before them vntill they came to the ensignes in the middest of that wing neither could Mustapha the Beglerbeg who was by birth an Hungarian and Selymus his brother in law neither the Imbrahor-Bassa or master of the house although they did what they might to withstand him after the first were ouerthrowne stay the rest but that they would needs turne their backes and flie So Sybeius as a valiant conquerour hauing cut in two peeces the right wing of the enemies battaile and thrusting in betwixt the battaile of the footmen and the backes of the pentioners brought a great terrour and feare vpon the whole maine battaile The matter was now brought to extreame danger for Selymus by the breaking in of Sybeius was almost cut off from his footmen in whom he had reposed his greatest confidence And now the Ianizaries were hardly charged by Gazelles who following the fortune of Sybeius had set vpon the head of the enemies battaile The Asian horsemen also being put to the worse and cut in peeces found no meanes how to restore againe their disordered battaile In this extremitie Sinan Bassa in good time came in with his horsemen by his comming for that he had beene but lightly charged by Cayerbeius the traitour and had brought with him many fresh troupes of horsemen the furie of the Mamalukes was repressed the Turkes againe encouraged and the victorie shortly after wrung out of the Mamalukes hands the great artillerie being by the commaundement of Selymus at the same time discharged amongst them by the terrible thundring whereof the Mamalukes horses somewhat troubled could not so well as before be ruled neither could the men themselues although they were of wonderfull courage much preuaile being on euerie side oppressed with the multitude of their enemies Yet in that distresse being nothing dismaied although they were by Cayerbeius and their good fortune forsaken they were not to seeke either of courage or direction but seâ—â—ing themselues close togither they brake through the middest of their enemies with great slaughter of the European horsemen and hurt of the pentioners and so with speed fled towards the campe and citie After whom followed Sinan Bassa with the readiest and freshest troups of his horsemen for Selymus who that day in the extreame heat for his wonderfull paines courage and direction seemed vndoubtedly greater than himselfe riding vp and downe called earnestly vpon his souldiours to vrge the victorie and with all speed to pursue their flying enemies Campson had now his destinie so leading him set forward of purpose to come to the reliefe of his men sent before or if the Turks should be ouercome to be partaker of the victorie when vpon the way he vnderstood by them that fled that Cayerbeius was reuolted his armie ouerthrowne and the terrour so great as that the flight of his souldiours was not now possibly to be staied beside that to augment the feare it was reported that the multitude of his enemies and force of their artillerie was so great that they were not then to bee encountred With which heauie newes the proud old man who in the perpetuall course of his good fortune had neuer tasted of euill hap was readie for sorrow and griefe of mind to haue sunke downe to the ground And forthwith his owne men and the enemie pursuing them comming vpon him who in their headlong course without regard ouerthrew whomsoeuer they met euerie man making shift for himselfe without respect of others harmes he being a corpulent man of great yeares and beside the heauinesse of his armour troubled
their goods and exacted of the people in generall a great sum of money as the just punishment of their false treacherie hearing now of the comming of Selymus went to meet him with his victorious souldiours furnished with the spoiles of their enemies Whom Selymus most honourably receiued and gaue generally to the captaines and particularly to the most valiant of the common souldiours garments of silke with a great sum of money in reward of their good seruice After that he staied but foure daies at GAZA for that he thought it not good to giue any long time of breathing vnto his discouraged enemies now twise ouerthrowne or to suffer the new Sultan not yet well setled in his kingdome to grow stronger by new preparations and supplies raised in the most populous and plentifull countrie of AEGYPT Which to let although it required great hast in setting forward and serued as spurs vnto him naturally hasting to glorie and renowme yet was his armie to be refreshed after so long and painfull trauell and great prouision to be made for the carriage of water vpon camels all the way through the drie solitarie and sandie desarts For betweene GAZA and CAIRE lie vast vnpeopled and barren sands which moued by the wind rise vp in billowes in manner of a wrought sea so troublesome that oftentimes it is not possible to see for dust and the light sands in many places gauled deepe with the wind wonderfully troubleth the wearie passengers But such a sudden calme ensued the great raine which fell but a few daies before that Selymus vnto his great good fortune wanted nothing that he could wish for the happie conducting of his armie for the ayre was become so calme that there was no blast of wind to raise the sand to trouble their sight and withall such plentie of water was found almost in euerie place by reason of the aboundant raine which being not yet sunke farre into the sand afforded them water in such plentie if they digged but two foot deepe that the souldiors commonly thought it needlesse to carrie any bottle of water for feare of thirst Yet for all that the wild Arabians failed not in all that passage on euerie side to houer about the Turkes armie as haukes ouer their prey and suffered none of them to straggle out of order or stay behind the armie but they were straightway snatcht vp and slaine Against whom Selymus prouided an easie remedie by placing his field pieces in diuers parts of his armie which by the direction of the leaders as euerie man happened to be neerest vnto the danger were forthwith discharged vpon the roaming enemie And in the rearward of his armie were placed strong companies of harquebusiers for defence of the weake and feeble souldiours who could but softly follow the armie and were therefore most subject to danger By this meanes Selymus with some small losse receiued from the Arabians in eight daies march drew neere to CAIRE Sinan Bassa going before him who with his Europeian souldiors still kept one daies journey before There is a village about six miles distant from the citie of CAIRE called MATHAREA famous for the plentie of most excellent baulme which liquor of all others most fragrant and soueraigne distilled out of low trees there planted whose vttermost â—ind the people cut with yuorie kniues to giue the liquor passage which baulme for the notable vertues thereof being not elsewhere to be had mens diseases and wanton desires haue made of a wonderfull price Into that place neere vnto a village called RHODANIA had Tomombeius conuaied all his new and old prouision of artillerie and had drawne deepe ditches ouerthwart all the field and crosse the high way which he had closely couered ouer with weake hurdles and earth as if it had beene firme ground And he with his Mamalukes in number about twelue thousand and a great multitude of Arabian horsemen lay in places conuenient of purpose that when the Turkish battels should approach they should first feele the force of his great ordinance before they came within the shot of their arrowes and forthwith vpon great aduantage with all his forces suddenly to set vpon them disordered and entrapped All which things were so cunningly and so politikely dispatched and done that there was none in the Sultans armie which doubted of the good successe of that day and a great mischiefe had vndoubtedly befallen the Turkes had not fortune which fauoured Selymus and frowned vpon Tomombeius or more truely to say the fatall period of that kingdome so requiring by the false treacherie of a few frustrated the great endeuors of the Mamalukes There was in the Sultans armie amongst the soldiors of the court foure Epirot Mamalukes who grieued to see Tomombeius contrarie to their desires preferred vnto the kingdome by others of a contrarie faction whether it were vpon a malicious disposition or vpon hope of reward and better entertainment or for that in so great a declination of their kingdome they thought it good to seeke for new friends of more assurance fled secretly to Sinan Bassa as to a most famous captaine and one of their owne nation For this great commaunder Sinan Selymus his right hand was borne in a poore countrey village of EPIRVS in the mountaine countrey of AMERACIA whom a wonderfull mischance preferred to that height of credit and wealth for it is reported that a sow kept in the house wherein he was borne bit off his genitories being then but a child as he lay by chance sleeping in the shadow and being made of greater esteeme by that mishap was by them which tooke vp delicat minions for the Turkish emperour brought to CONSTANTINOPLE and presented to the great emperour Mahomet Selymus his grandfather where fortune by the fatall direction of his good hap aduanced him to his appointed honours whom she had long before dismembred By these fugitiue Mamalukes Selymus and Sinan were instructed of all the deuises of the enemie and especially what stratagems Tomombeius had with great cunning and pollicie deuised whereinto they must needs fall if they should go directly on and not forsake the hie way Wherfore guided by the same fugitiues they fetch a great compasse on the left hand and by an vnused way before it was day hauing escaped the front of their enemies campe with all the dangers prepared for them they came and shewed themselues at their backs in order of battell with their great artillerie readie bent because they were desirous without delay to joyne battell Tomombeius now too late perceiuing that his plot was discouered by the treason of some of his owne people although he was therewith aboue measure grieued for that all which he had with so great industrie and the labour of so many men brought to passe was through spightfull fortune made frustrat and in a moment brought to nought yet for all that as he was a man of an inuincible courage presently entred into his wonted and deepe deuises and calling
fiftie thousand men set forward from HADRIANOPLE his Europeian horsemen going before him conducted by Abraham the great Bassa and Achomates Michael-ogli Generall of the Acanzij or voluntarie horsemen and his Asian souldiours led by Becrambeus Bassa following after him he himselfe with his Ianizaries and souldiours of the court keeping in the middle And marching on this sort came in fifteene daies to BELGRADE where king Iohn accompanied with Lascus and such of the Hungarian nobilitie as tooke his part came vnto him of purpose to make himselfe knowne vnto him which was to protect him and doing him all the honour he possibly could to request him to proceed to reuenge his quarrell Solyman with graue and yet friendly countenance raising himselfe a little from the cushion wheron he sat gaue him his right hand protesting That nothing could happen vnto him better or that he more desired of God than to be able to relieue distressed princes especially such as were wrongfully oppressed by his enemies wherefore he willed him to be of good comfort promising of his bountie frankly to bestow vpon him whatsoeuer he should in that warre win with the sword from the enemie King Iohn obtained this rare fauour of Solyman by the earnest mediation of Abraham the commaunding Bassa whom he had before at CONSTANTINOPLE by his embassadour Lascus so woon with gifts and requests that he thorowly tooke vpon him the defence of the kings cause wherein Lascus was especially holpen by Aloysius Grittus the Duke of VENICE his sonne who then followed the Turkes campe and was for his fathers sake and the great sufficiencie he held himselfe had in great reputation amongst the Turkes and in such fauor with Abraham who did all in all with Solyman that he could persuade him to any thing he would For this Aloysius Grittus borne and brought vp in CONSTANTINOPLE and wonderfull eloquent in the Turkish tongue had by the honourable carriage of himselfe and the great port he kept in his house so thorowly possessed Abraham that all commanded that he would manie times bring Solyman himselfe ouer the hauen to PERA to solace himselfe in Grittus his pleasant gardens and banquetting houses which he had there most sumptuously made after the Italian manner whereby to his great profit he obtained to be the chiefe man in receiuing of the Turkes customes The fame of Solymans comming directly from BELGRADE to BVDA so terrified the citisens of BVDA that they almost all forsooke the citie and fled vnto other places further off some to STRIGONIVM some to ALBA REGALIS some to POSSONIVM so that at his first comming he entred the citie almost desolate without any resistance the castle holden by a garrison of Germains he commaunded to be besieged The captaine of the castle was one Thomas Nadastus a man of great account among the Hungarians both for the honour of his house and his qualities answerable to the same graced with singular learning He perceiuing his souldiors dismaied with the sight of so great an armie and willing to surrender vp the castle as beseemed a valiant captaine forbad his souldiours to haue any talke with the enemie commanded the great artillerie to be bent and discharged vpon the Turkes and seeing his souldiours slacke and timorous reproued them of cowardise and treason threatning them with shamefull death if they did not hold out the siege to the vttermost and shew themselues valiant men both for the honour of their countrey and of king Ferdinand whose pay they receiued and of whose bountie they were to expect rewards and preferments answerable to their deserts But they misdoubting by the running too and fro of the Turks that the castle was vndermined and smelling or at least wise imagining themselues to smell the sent of the gunpouder which they supposed to be in the mine and doubting to be presently blowne vp were strucke with such a sudden feare that neither the feare of future punishment neither the shame of so foule a fact nor the reuerence of so worthie a captaine could stay them but that they would needs without further delay deliuer vp the castle which when they could by no meanes persuade the resolute captaine to consent vnto but that he still with sterne countenance exclaimed against their cowardise and treason they laid hands vpon him and bound him hand and foot and so presently concluded with the enemie to yeeld vnto him the castle so that they might in safetie depart thence with bag and baggage which their request Solyman granted But when the garrison souldiours in number about seauen hundred were about to depart with their baggage towards POSSONIVM as was before agreed and the Ianizaries comming into the castle hauing loosed the captaine were about to let him go also Solyman aduertised of the treacherie of the garrison souldiours and of the fidelitie of the captain changing his mind judged such villanous minded men vnworthie of his mercie and in detestation of their perfidious dealing with their captaine gaue them all to his Ianizaries to be slaine but to the captaine himselfe he offered honourable entertainment which when he refused Solyman courteously sent him away holpen therein by the commendation of king Iohn although his sister was married to Stephanus Maylat his deadly enemie Which bloudie execution done by the commaundement of the cruell tyrant the Turkes said was not onely lawfully done but also to the immortall glorie of his name in the execution of justice which might peraduenture seeme reasonable if the perpetuall hatred of that most barbarous nation against the Christians gaue not just occasion of suspect that it proceeded rather of their auntient malice than of any regard of justice For why should the Germans who had offended to his great good and therefore obtained his safe conduct be thought worthie of so cruell death when as Solyman himselfe in punishing the perjurie of another ran into wilfull perjurie himselfe peruerting the commendation of justice which he so much desired by his most bloudie and vnjust sentence BVDA the chiefe citie of HVNGARIE thus taken by Solyman he resolued forthwith to besiege VIENNA the chiefe citie of AVSTRIA in good hope that by the carriage away of that the other cities of lesse strength both of HVNGARIE and AVSTRIA would without any resistance be yeelded vnto him Wherefore he sent before him Achomates with the voluntarie horsemen who according to the manner of the Turkish warres running thorow the heart of HVNGARIE and entring with fire and sword into AVSTRIA passed by VIENNA miserably burning and destroying the countrey before him as farre as LYNTZ The poore people not knowing where to hide themselues from the furie of their enemies nor of whom to craue helpe fled as men and women dismaied carrying with them their beloued children the vnfortunat pledges of their loue and what else they could as things saued out of the middest of the fire For whatsoeuer fell into the enemies hand was lost without recure the
and so charging the enemie performed the part not onely of a courageous cheefetaine but of a resolute and valiant souldior also rescuing with his owne hand Andreas Pontius a noble gentleman of GRANADO whom vnhorsed and sore wounded the enemie was readie presently to haue slaine had not the emperour by his comming in saued him deseruing thereby the Oken garland which the Romans by the name of Ciuica Corona gaue as an honour to such as had in battell saued a citisen About the same time it fortuned that thirtie thousand Moores came vpon the suddaine to haue surprised a little tower standing vpon a hill neere vnto the ruines of old CARTHAGE wherein the emperour had placed certaine soldiors for the keeping thereof because it was neere vnto his campe Before these Moores went a Numidian priest who bellowing out certaine superstitious charmes cast diuers scrols of paper on each side the way wherein he cursed and banned the Christians and now they had with fire and smoake brought the Christians in that tower to great extremitie when the emperour himselfe comming to their rescue with certaine companies of horsemen and footmen slew the conjuring priest with others and put the rest to flight The discomfiture of the Spanish horsemen caused many men to thinke that if the emperour should come to a set battell with the enemie he should find his horsemen too weak both for that they were but few in number and not to bee compared with the Numidians For which cause and diuers others certaine of the emperours graue counsellors but none of the best souldiours wished him not to proceed further in that dangerous warre but with speed to returne out of AFFRICKE for as much as he had woon honour enough by the taking of GVLETTA and the surprising of the enemies fleet whereby he had to his immortall praise and the common good of Christendome deliuered all the frontiers of the Christian countries in the Mediterranean from the danger and feare of those most cruell pyrats besides that the flix began to rage in his campe whereof many of his souldiors fell sicke and died dayly whereas on the contrarie part the mightie Numidian princes such as were Muleasses old enemies were reported to come in dayly to the aid of Barbarussa These vnseasonable speeches the emperour thought good to represse betime reasoning against the authors thereof with great grauitie as against men who with more feare doubted of the successe of things and the euent of the victorie than beseemed them whom for their constant resolution and good opinion conceiued of their discretion hee had chosen to be of his most secret counsell Saying that he desired not of them that their needlesse and dishonourable labour wherein they should shew themselues more carefull of his person than of his honour for as much as those things which he now alleadged should haue been said before the warre was taken in hand now by good hap halfe ended before hee euer passed ouer into AFFRICKE For he might as he said haue rested quietly in SPAINE and haue easily neglected and reiected the iniuries done vpon the sea coasts and the complaints of his subiects but he was as they well knew for most vrgent causes come thither whereas hee was resolued to satisfie the expectation of the world with a notable victorie or if God should otherwise appoint there to end his daies with honour Wherefore he willed them to cease farther to flatter him that was no way dismaid or to possesse the minds of his valiant souldiours with a vaine forboding feare and with resolute minds togither with him their chieftaine against the next day to expect what the fortune of the field should appoint for the full accomplishment of that war For he was as he said set downe to giue the enemie battell or if he refused the same to batter the wals of TVNES not doubting but that God would stand on his side in so good and so godly a quarrell The emperour leauing a sufficient garrison in the castle of GVLETTA commanded the breaches to be repaired and the great ordinance there taken to be laid vpon carriages which before after the old rude sea fashion lay bound in great vnweldie pieces of timber with yron rings fastned thereto and could not handsomely be handled or remoued too or fro After that when he had caused the countrey to be well viewed all about which betwixt the Oliue groues and the right side of the lake giueth a direct passage vnto the citie of TVNES he set forward with his armie in so good order that he still marched as readie to fight for feare of the pollicies and sudden assaults of the enemie On the left hand marched the Italians next vnto the lake on the right hand the Spaniards neere vnto the Oliue groues which in the manner of a great wood ran all alongst the countrey from the ruines of CARTHAGE almost to the wals of TVNES in the middest betwixt both marched the Germans next vnto them followed the great ordinance and after it the carriages of all the armie In the vauntgard was Vastius whom the emperour had made Generall of the armie and especially for that day in the rearward was the duke of ALâ—A with certaine troupes of chosen horsemen in the middle of the maine battell was the emperour and by his side Lewes his brother in law the king of PORTINGALES brother The Italians were conducted by the prince of SALERN the Spaniards by Alarco an auntient captaine and the Germans by Maximilian Eberstein But the emperour in his armour ceased not to ride from squadron to squadron with cheerfull countenance and full of hope recounting vnto them the former victories which they had gotten for him and telling them that he did that day expect of them a most honourable daies seruice for as much as they were to fight against the naked enemies of the Christian religion wherefore they should with resolute minds set downe themselues to endure the waight of their armour the painfulnesse of the march the heat of the Sunne and sand and the tediousnesse of the thirst arising therof vntill they might joine battell with their enemies where they should vndoubtedly by the goodnesse of God in whose quarrell they fought obtaine the victorie in the meane time they should with patience ouercome all difficulties comforting themselues with the vndoubted hope of a most rich prey which they were to expect of the spoile of a rich citie Whereunto euerie squadron answered with a great shout that he should not trouble himselfe with those matters which he had before rehearsed but to assure himselfe that they his souldiours would most patiently endure all extremities and not deceiue the expectation he had conceiued of their wonted valour but by valiant fight to make him emperour not of AFFRICKE but of ASIA also Now Vastius had withdrawne two companies of harquebusiers out of the Spanish squadron to skirmish with the Moores who continually followed in the taile
his souldiors but his reuerend yeares more to see him being aboue threescore and seauenteene yeares old to performe all the parts of a braue youthfull commaunder in the verie face of the greatest danger The fierce enemie hauing slaine many of the Christians pressed on more furiously and fighting close togither entred the prow of Venerius his gallie now bared of defendants and with their multitude rather than true valour oppressed the Venetians who had there no doubt been ouercome had not Ioannes Lauretanus and Catherinus Malipetra two valiant captaines and lying not farre off speedily come to their reliefe By whose comming in the fight was in the turning of an hand quite altered so that they which a little before fiercely assailed led the Venetian gallies were now glad to defend their owne so for a space the fight stood indifferent but in processe of the battell those two worthie captaines whilest they also performe the parts of most resolute souldiors were both slaine shot through with small shot The fall of these notable men did rather enrage than discourage the minds of their souldiors so that blinded as it were with furie and suddenly become other men they desperatly pressed in vpon the Turks So that whilest they on the one side kill and wound them and Venerius more hardly chargeth them on the other the terrour of the battell was turned from them that were euen at the point to haue beene vanquished vpon the victors And our men after great slaughter of the Turkes tooke two of their gallies Pertau the Bassa in a long boat escaped the danger and so got him out of the battell Not farre off thence Columnius the Popes Admirall as a valiant chieftaine hardly assailed other of the Turkes gallies and made amongst them great slaughter one singled from the rest he tooke and disordered the other Lignius the Admirall of GENVA with like courage thrust himselfe into the thickest of the enemies there made a notable fight Many an enemie fell about the prince of PARMA Rueres Vrsinus Cornea and Iustinianus who for their present honour and future fame fought most couragiously At the same time Chiroche or Sirocke of some called Mahomet Bey with his right wing with great confidence came forward against the left wing of the Christian fleet but falling before he was aware into the danger of the galeasses was from out of them miserably beaten with the great ordinance hauing many of his men slaine and diuers of his gallies sunke and torne few of the hugie and deadly shot falling in vaine into the sea by reason of the thicke standing of the Turkes gallies where also diuers of the enemies were burnt with pots of wild fire cast into their gallies out of the tops of the galeasses Chiroche to auoid the danger of the galeasses and to shun the dangerous shelfes betwixt him and the maine which the riuer Achelous running betweene the borders of ACHARNANIA and AETOLIA and there falling into the sea maketh sent a great part of his gallies vnder the conduct of one Alis a notable renegat of GENVA to cast about aloofe vpon the right hand and so to come vpon the backe of Barbadicus the leader of the left wing of the Christian fleet Which he perceiuing forthwith turned his gallies and with their prows receiued the first onset The great ordinance first on both sides discharged diuers of the gallies grapled fast togither in such sort as that they encountred one another not with their missiue weapons onely as with their small shot arrowes and darts but with their drawn swords foot to foot Amongst the rest the fight of two of the Christian gallies was most notable in the one was Barbadicus himselfe in the other Marcus Ciconia vpon whom fell six of the enemies gallies and vpon Barbadicus fiue who although they were on euerie side distressed with a most doubtfull and dangerous fight yet did they most valiantly with worthie resolution endure the same In the furie of this battell Barbadicus encouraging his souldiors and fighting himselfe euen there where most danger was was hit in the left eye with an arrow and so strucke into the braine almost through the head wherewith falling presently downe he was taken vp for dead howbeit he died not thereof vntill three daies after The supposed death of this worthie man much troubled the Christians and both the armies felt his fall such force there is in the valour of one worthie man for the Turks now as conquerors lustily boorded the gallie troubled with the losse of the captaine and the Venetians as men discouraged gaue way the gallie had there vndoubtedly beene lost had not Federicus Nanius and Syluius Porcia with their gallies speedily come to her releefe by whose comming in such an alteration was made as that the gallie before halfe taken was not onely cleared but diuers of the Turks gallies also bourded and some of them taken not without the great slaughter of the Turks In this so hard and mortall a conflict Syluius was grieuously wounded in the thigh and in his right side It is reported of Barbadicus That lying that euening at the point of death the battell then ended he like another Epaminondas asked which part had got the victorie and being told that the Christians had got it and that the Turks fleet was most part taken and the rest sunke or burnt he with his eyes cast vp vnto heauen gaue vnto God immortall thankes therefore and not long after joyfully departed this life to liue in blisse for euer Ciconia in the meane time hardly beset with six of the enemies gallies as we haue before said was himselfe sore burnt with wild fire and hurt in the face and hauing endured a long and terrible fight was now euen at the point to haue beene lost when sudden releefe comming in he was now contrarie to all hope saued and therewith so much encouraged that with his wearie and wounded souldiors as men from death reuiued he afresh charged the enemie and tooke one of his principall gallies with one of the Turks fairest ensignes which in the Venetian Armorie is yet there to be seene of his worthie valour his honest wounds in his face and the forepart of his bodie were most certaine and vndoubted witnesses Not farre off in the same wing Ioannes Contarenus an honourable and valiant gentleman did with his great shot exceeding great harme amongst the Turks gallies Which Chiroche perceiuing and therewith enraged ran so fiercely vpon the side of Contarenus his gallie that with his beake he had well neere stemmed her presently grapling fast with her was like to haue bourded her whom neuerthelesse the Christians notably repulsed with greater slaughter than was thought possible for so small a number to haue made neither did the enemies fall vnreuenged but all embrued with the bloud of the Christians Seldome hath beene seene a more cruell fight or more resolute captaines to encounter hand
assurance it can haue in this long I must needs say but euill assured peace is well to be seene in that in the great consultation of this great Sultan Amurath with his Bassaes after the Persian warre for the inuading of Chistendome the Polonians for all this league so solemnly constrained were nothing the more regarded but laied in the same ballance with the rest and preserued onely by the Prouidence that all gouerneth which leading the Turke against the Christian emperour their neighbour hath giuen them that peace they were otherwise hardly to haue looked for Vnto whom for all that hauing to his endlesse praise maintained a long and most chargeable warre they haue not lent any great helpe or friendly hand yet lying themselues still in the lyons mouth and like enough to be the next God grant I be therein deceiued that is to be of him deuoured But leauing these the heauie conceits of a melancholy mind and ominous forbodings of that I wish not to returne againe toward PERSIA Amurath his greatest care Amongst many the ambitious competitours for the mannaging of these Turkish so great desseigns was the great Bassa Mustapha euen he who in the raigne of the late emperour Selymus conquered CYPRVS carrying thence togither with his victorie perpetuall infamie for his faithlesse and cruell dealing with Bragadine the worthie and renowmed Gouernour of FAMAGVSTA appointed Generall of the Turkes armie into PERSIA and authoritie giuen him to prouide whatsoeuer hee should thinke needfull for so great a warre And commaundement giuen vnto the Bassaes and other commaunders of the greatest part of the Turkish empire Eastward that they should themselues with their souldiors of all sorts bound by their perpetuall annuities to go to the warre in the beginning of the Spring this yeare 1578 repaire to ERZIRVM a citie of CAPADOCIA bordering vpon ARMENIA there to attend the commaund of their new Generall Who hauing his dispatch from CONSTANTINOPLE and for fashion sake conducted by most of the court ouer the strait to SCVTARI and from thence passing through the countries of AMASIA and SIVAS in the verie beginning of Sommer arriued at ERZIRVM and there staied vntill such time as his people victuals artillerie and other his necessarie prouision was come thither From whence he departed for SIRVAN hauing first taken a diligent surueigh of his whole armie mustering the souldiors of euerie nation by themselues namely of the Mesopotamians twelue thousand of the Assyrians and Babylonians fourteene thousand of the Syrians two thousand of them of the lesser ASIA now comprehended vnder the name of NATOLIA ten thousand of the Iewes and Philistims one thousand and of the Cilicians foure thousand After whom followed the soldiors of GRaeCIA the glorie and hope of all the campe valiant men to the number of ten thousand and after them the familiar and faithfull guard of the Generall ten thousand Ianizaries of CONSTANTINOPLE with harquebusiers on their shoulders and scimitars by their sides of the citie also of ERZIRVM and the jurisdiction thereof appeared foure thousand vnder the ensigne of Beyran Bassa their Generall All these were stipendaries to the Turkish emperour vnto whom other voluntarie aduenturers joyned themselues in number not inferiour to the rest but better furnished and of greater courage So that in this generall suruey of the armie were found about an hundred and ten thousand men most part horsemen yet was there not any stirred out of ARABIA AEGIPT AFRICA or HVNGARIE or other places alongst the sea coasts neither were the prouinces from whence these souldiours were drawne left destitute or vnfurnished of their ordinarie garrisons Besides this multitude of men Mustapha brought with him fiue hundred small pieces of artillerie with many loads of mony for his souldiors pay with further order for the taking vp of more at ALEPPO and other places if his occasions should so require He caused also great quantitie of corne to be transported by the Great sea called in antient time Pontus Euxinus to TRAPEZONDE so to be conueyed to ERZIRVM being but foure dayes journy distant thence To be short hauing taken order for all things he thought necessarie for the warre he in seemely array departed from ERZIRVM and in eight dayes arriued at the ruins of CHARS and in the fruitfull countrey thereabout rested himselfe but was there surprised with such a violent tempest of wind and raine as rent in sunder his tents and did great harme by meanes wherof many fell sicke and were constrained to forsake the armie Hauing stayed three dayes at CHARS the bounder of the Turkish and Persian empires he departed thence with his armie and that euening lodged vnder the mountaines of CHâ—ILDER supposed to be part of the hils PERIARDO where hearing the Persians to be in armes he thought it best for the securitie of his armie so to pitch his tents as that he might well discouer the comming of the enemie and not to be assaulted at vnawares And therefore planting himselfe in the plaine he gaue order that Beyran Bassa of ERZIRVM should take possession of a certaine hill on the right hand and Deruis the Bassa of CARAEMIT should keepe another hill that stood on the left hand and with them Osman Bassa Mahamet Bassa Mustafsade Bassa aduenturers with many others as well stipendarie as voluntarie men should likewise pitch their tents vpon the same hils in such sort as that they making as it were two wings to the campe might discouer the comming of euery man and yet he himselfe being shaddowed with the two hils might lie vnperceiued of any Mahamet the new king of PERSIA as yet scarcely setled in his kingdome stirred vp by the fame of these motions resolued in himselfe to stand vpon the defence of his state and for a time to dissemble the conceiued hatred which he bare to some of the Sultans of PERSIA and princes of GEORGIA and to make some apparent shew that he was reconciled to them for that without them he could not promise vnto himselfe any forme of an armie or defence wherein notwithstanding all the troubled state of his kingdome he wrought so cunningly that almost all the great men of account tooke vpon them the protection of his state and kingdome And so Tocomac a Sultan the Chan and Gouernour of REIVAN a famous man well knowne vnto the Turkes and of great reputation amongst the Persians was chosen Generall of this expedition with charge That gathering together the greatest number of men he could out of ATROPATIA out of MEDIA the greater and other places neere vnto the Turks he should by all meanes possible stop their passage into GEORGIA and MEDIA ATROPATIA And thereupon precepts were sent out into all parts of the kingdome That all the Chans Sultans and souldiours whatsoeuer should come readie prest to attend vpon their new Generall Many obedient to the kings proclamation came but many there were that would not stirre a foot for their obstinacie in the broiles begun
of the Turkes should be sent thither for the more assurance of the conquest thereof alreadie begun and for the succour of the fortresse at TEFLIS which must needs otherwise fall againe into the hands of the Georgians This matter so troubled the Persian king as that he seemed to haue bent his whole counsels and thoughts thereupon when Simon a Georgian a famous captaine sometime prisoner with Ismahel the late king at CAHACA and by the familiaritie he had with him seduced from the Christian faith for defence whereof he had in the time of king Tamas chosen to liue depriued of his libertie and state thinking it now a fit time to obtaine at the kings hand such helpe as he had long desired for the recouerie of his dominion vsurped by Dauid otherwise called Daut Chan his yonger brother who for the obtaining thereof of king Tamas had voluntarily renounced his Christian religion offered now vnto the king his faithfull seruice for the defence of that part of the Georgian countrey wherein TEFLIS stood being in right part of his owne inheritance against the Turkes reprouing by way of disgrace his yonger brother of cowardise and promising the performance of great matters in himselfe both for the defence of that euill defended countrey and further annoying of the enemie With great contentment did the Persian king consent to the request of Simon and named him Chan of all that kingdome which he possessed before whilest he was a Christian and sent with him Aliculi Chan into GEORGIA with fiue thousand horsemen and certaine pieces of artillerie taken at ERE 's when Caitas Bassa was slaine Simon afterwards comming to GEORGIA was joifully receiued of his countreymen and there pressed about three thousand souldiors of his own and of his neighbours excusing himselfe that he was become a Persian not because he preferred the Mahometane superstition before the Christian religion but only so to be deliuered from his long imprisonment by that means to maintaine his estate And in this order were the affaires of GEORGIA assured and strengthned in best manner that might then be Now began the Spring to approach and euerie man prepared himselfe to the discontinued trauels of the wars begun and now were met togither at ERZIRVM out of all the wonted prouinces all the Turkes forces with all things necessarie for the intended warre With this armie in all things equall with the first Mustapha set forward and in twelue daies came to CHARS not perceiuing in his souldiors any signe of discontentment at all And for as much as here they were to stay and to fortifie both with wals and ditches that ruinated citie and that with as great speed as was possible there was no remedie but that beside the pioners enginers that were brought for that purpose many of the Spaoglani yea and of the Ianizaries also must be set to worke Whereupon they all suddenly in a tumult began with bitter protestations to tell the Generall That their stipends wherewith it pleased the Sultan to fauour them were not bestowed vpon them to employ their forces and vertues in such seruile workes but onely with their swords and other weapons to exercise that force and hardinesse for which they were esteemed worthie of that honour Whereunto the Generall answered in most haughtie tearmes and not yeelding one jot to their inciuilitie but vsing all meanes of authoritie and terror brought them to worke so much as he desired So that within the space of twentie three daies the towers and wals were erected the ditches digged the artillerie orderly planted vpon the wals and the water brought round about it Many inconueniences happened in the armie while they were busie in this worke and namely vpon the 25 day of August when they had almost euen finished the whole building the souldiors endured a most sudden cold by reason of the snow that then fell in great aboundance CHARS thus fortified the Generall resolued to send succours into GEORGIA to TEFLIS without which it was most certaine that that fortresse would be yeelded to the Georgians but in what sort to relieue it he remained doubtfull To send part of his armie with some valiant captaine seemed dangerous and to go himselfe with all his forces would sound as he thought to his discredit with his great lord and master whom he had alreadie made beleeue that he had subdued all the Georgians and brought all that prouince to his obedience and deuotion In this ambiguitie the desire he had to preserue his credit with Amurath preuailed and so he made choise of Hassan Bassa of DAMASCO sonne to Muhamet principall Visier of the court a gallant gentleman and of great valour to whom he deliuered betweene eighteene and twentie thousand souldiors joining vnto him one Resuan captaine of certaine aduenturers that voluntarily offered themselues to follow the forces of Hassan assigning vnto him likewise fortie thousand duckats and many loads of meale rise and barley with other things necessarie both for diet and war and so sent him away for TEFLIS Hassan with this charge set forward fully resolued to put these succours into TEFLIS or to lose all and at length came to the famous strait of TOMANIS where the ouergrowne woods on the one side with the deepe vallies and craggie rocks on the other would astonish a right constant beholder When vpon the sudden the Persians and the Georgians vnder the conduct of Aliculi Chan and Simon at vnawares set vpon the Turkes and joyned battell with them For these two valiant captaines remaining for the most part in the borders of TEFLIS and TOMANIS with eight thousand souldiors waiting for some opportunitie to annoy either them of the fort of TEFLIS or else such as should come to their succours vnderstanding by their espials of the comming of Hassan with this aid had scattered themselues all alongst the said strait in hope there to assaile the Turks and holpen by the aduantage of the place to driue them headlong into the deepe valley and at once to bereaue them both of their goods and life But Hassan carefull of nothing more than how to auoid that danger chose rather to make his journey through the thicke woods and so as he might to escape the ambush that the enemie might lay for him vpon that straight passage And so entring with his armie into the wood which he was to haue left vpon his left hand to discouer what might be plotted against him he was hardly charged by the enemie and constrained to fight with a thousand windings and turnings in and out through a thousand crooked paths and doubtfull cranks in a most confused medley with great slaughter of his men who not accustomed to this kind of fight nor acquainted with the situation of the place were in the skirmish driuen so farre that downe they fell and being not able to recouer themselues were presently slaine And thus with much adoe he at length passed the strait
vnto the Vayuod to call vnto him farther helpe hauing now with him about twentie thousand foot and twelue thousand horse with seuen and twentie field pieces amongst whom were diuers of the Siculi in hope of their auntient libertie men of good account and sort with a mixture of the Cossackes Valachians Rascians and Seruians people of prey seruing onely to spoile whom Basta knew to be farre inferiour in courage to his twelue thousand foot and six thousand horse not onely for the valour of his owne men accustomed vnto the frontire seruice but also for the confederats who engaged with their goods liues and honour and desirous to be reuenged of the Vayuod were like enough to stand well by it Wherefore he set forward the sixteenth day and in two daies march came within sight of the Vayuod who hauing sent out certaine great troupes of horsemen to take view of the enemie and seeing them repulsed set fire on MIRISLO a village fast by out of which they had before drawne certaine small field pieces into the campe MIRISLO is a village two leagues on this side of ALBA IVLIA directly vpon the high way stretching from the side of Maracz a nauigable riuer vnto the foot of an hill alongst which the riuer running sometimes neerer and sometimes further off together with the rising of the hill maketh an vnequall list of ground in some places halfe a mile broad and more and in some other shut vp as it were into a narrow throat as in the selfesame place where the aforesaid village standeth and where the Vayuod lay encamped in a place of great aduantage behind a great trench drawne from the riuer crosse that little space of ground betwixt the mountaine and the riuer On this side which frō MIRISLO the further a man goeth the further the plaine enlargeth Basta encamping close vnto the village opposed against the comming of the enemie three great corps du guard two of them Hungarians towards the hill fauoured with a church and the third towards the riuer of the Almaine footmen vnder the charge of countie Tomaso Caurioli of BRESCIA Sergeant Major of the field with all the artillerie who as in a place neer and very open vnto the enemy there entrenched himselfe still approching neerer and neerer both on the one side and the other Towards the euening of the selfesame seuenteenth day came to Basta one Peter Armenio with letters from the Vayuod containing That hauing vnderstood of his arriuall in the campe of the conspirators he now further desired to know whether it were by the consent and commaundement of the emperour or not and how it came to passe that he would so doe considering the diuers chances of warre the sword hanging as it were euen ouer his head if hee should chance to lose the battell Whereunto Basta answered That the morrow following he would shew him the authoritie he had from the emperour alluding to the imperiall standerd he carried with him and that as concerning the fortune and danger to ensue he referred that vnto the will and pleasure of the Almightie the just judge of all controuersies But in the meane time hee exhorted him to leaue that prouince he had so euill gouerned vnto his imperiall majestie as he was in dutie bound promising him free passage into VALACHIA and giuing him time to consider thereupon vntill eight a clock the next morning after which time it should be free for euery man to doe for himselfe what he could Which answere the Vayuod hauing red enflamed with disdaine with many proud words full of threats and disgrace although it was then night presently caused by the sound of the drum and trumpet the battell to bee proclaimed against the next day On the other side Basta after he had assured his campe hauing not onely sent but gone himselfe to haue the counsell of his owne eyes for his better vnderstanding how the enemie lay and finding no reasonable meanes for him there to attempt any exploit by as well for the strength of the trench before the front and in part along the side of the enemies campe as also for the danger of a rising ground on the left hand whereunto all the plaine betwixt the enemies campe and the village was subject thought it best to remoue and to make a short retreat about the space of an Italian mile according to the commodiousnesse of the place thinking it no hard matter of so proud an enemie and not altogether so well acquainted with martiall stratagemes to gaine a notable victorie This his purpose propounded in counsell was greatly disliked of the captaines of the confederates vnto whom it seemed more safetie to assault the Vayuod yet lying in his strength than to retire before the face of an enemie so strong and aduenturous for that such a retreat according to the manner of that countrey would be deemed no other than a plain flight and to breake his order and arise was as they said but to discourage his owne people and to encourage his enemies But Basta the better to persuade them promised therein to shew vnto them a more cunning kind of fight than was yet vnto them knowne and declared the assurance that he in his own person with the Almaines in the rereward would giue them in that retreat in such sort as that they should not loose so much as a man much lesse they needed to feare to fall into any disorder in so short a space his purpose being only to giue the plaine vnto the enemie wherin to shew himselfe in the open field So the retreat being agreed vpon the morning following being the eight and twentith of September the three corps du guard before spoken of were betimes called backe and the baggage sent away after which followed the Transyluanians and Hungarians the Almaines in the rereward enclosing the great ordinance The Vayuod aware of their departure sent forthwith a great troupe of horsemen especially of the Cossackes to take view of them and to skirmish with them which were so farre kept off by a companie of musketiers in the rereward as that they could not come so nigh as to doe any harme although that all the way they went they were by them still charged to the great contentment of Basta to see so good a beginning of his designes as might bring them all to their wished effect But when he saw the great artillerie vpon the carriages to come out of the village a certaine signe that the enemie set forward with all his forces he marched faire and softly to giue him hope to ouertake him and so retired as farre as he thought good from the village hauing before thought of a conuenient place wherein his people might with roume ynough vpon aduantage stay when as about halfe a mile from him and as farre from the village he might see the enemie march with his people in order of battell then began he to march towards him also and perceiuing the
but the Christians came on so fiercely with desire of blood that breaking into the temple the foremost of them were by the presse of them that followed after violently thrust vpon the weapons of their enemies and so miserably slaine Neither did the Turks thus oppressed giue it ouer but as men resolued to die desperatly fought it out with inuincible courage not at the gates of the temple onely but euen in the middest thereof also where was to be seene great heaps both of the victors and the vanquished slaine indifferently together All the pauement of the temple swam with blood in such sort that a man could not set his foot but either vpon some dead man or ouer the shooes in blood Yet for all that the obstinate enemie still held the vaults and top of the temple when as the darknesse of the night came so fast on that the Christians were glad to make an end of the slaughter and to sound a retrait The next day for that proclamation was made for mercie to be shewed vnto all such as should lay downe their weapons the Turks that yet held the vpper part of the temple came down yeelded themselues Thus was the famous citie of IERVSALEM with great bloodshed but far greater honor recouered by these worthie Christians in the yeere 1099 after it had beene in the hands of the infidels aboue foure hundred yeeres The next day after hauing buried the dead and cleansed the citie they gaue thanks to God with publicke praiers and great rejoycing The poore Christians before oppressed now ouercome with vnexpected joy welcomed their victorious brethren with great joy and praise and the souldiers embracing one another sparing to speake of themselues freely commended each others valour Eight daies after the princes of the armie meeting together began to consult about the choice of their king amongst whom was no such difference as might well shew which was to be preferred before the others And although euerie one of them for prowesse and desert seemed woorthie of so great an honour yet by the generall consent of all it was giuen to Robert duke of NORMANDIE who about the same time hearing of the death of the Conquerour his father and more in loue with his fathers new gotten kingdome in ENGLAND in hope thereof refused the kingdome of IERVSALEM then offered vnto him which at his returne he found possessed by William Rufus his yoonger brother and so in hope of a better refusing the woorse vpon the matter lost both After whose departure Godfrey of BVILLON duke of LORAINE whose ensigne was first displaid vpon the wals was by the generall consent both of the princes and the armie saluted king He was a great souldier and endued with many heroicall vertues brought vp in the court of the emperour Henrie the fourth and by him much emploied At the time of his inauguration he refused to be crowned with a crowne of gold saying That it became not a Christian man there to were a crowne of gold where Christ the sonne of God had for the saluation of mankind sometime worne a crowne of thorne Of the greatest part of these proceedings of the Christians from the time of their departure from ANTIOCH vntill the winning of the Holy citie Godfrey by letters briefly certified Bohemund as followeth Godfrey of Buillon to Bohemund king of Antioch greeting After long trauell hauing first taken certaine townes we came to IERVSALEM which citie is enuironed with high hils without riuers or fountaines excepting onely that of Solomans and that a verie little one In it are many cesterns wherein water is kept both in the citie and the countrey thereabout On the East are the Arabians the Moabits and Ammonits on the South the Idumeans Aegyptians and Philistians Westward alongst the sea coast lie the cities of PTOLEMAIS TIRVS and TRIPOLIS and Northward TIBERIAS CESAREA PHILIPPI with the countrey DECAPOLIS and DAMASCO In the assault of the citie I first gained that part of the wall that fell to my lot to assaile and commanded Baldwin to enter the citie who hauing slaine certaine companies of the enemies broke open one of the gates for the Christians to enter Raymond had the citie of Dauid with much rich spoile yeelded vnto him But when we came vnto the temple of Soloman there we had a great conflict with so great slaughter of the enemie that our men stood in blood aboue the ancles the night approching we could not take the vpper part of the temple which the next day was yeelded the Turks pitifully crying out for mercie and so the citie of IERVSALEM was by vs taken the fifteenth of Iuly in the yeere of our redemption 1099 39 daies after the beginning of the siege 409 yeeres after it fell into the hands of the Sarasins in the time of Heraclius the emperour Besides this the princes with one consent saluted me against my will king of IERVSALEM who although I feare to take vpon me so great a kingdome yet I will do my deuoir that they shall easily know me for a Christian king and well deseruing of the vniuersall Faith But loue you me as you do And so farewell from IERVSALEM Whilest these things were in doing at IERVSALEM such a multitude of the Turks and Sarasins their confederats now in their common calamitie all as one were assembled at ASCALON a citie about fiue and twentie miles from IERVSALEM to reuenge the injuries they had before receiued as had not before met together in all the time of this sacred war Against whom Godfrey the late duke and now king assembled the whole forces of the Christians in those countries and leauing a strong garrison in the new woon citie set forward and meeting with them joyned a most dreadfull and cruell battell wherein as most report were slaine of the Infidels an hundred thousand men and the rest put to flight The spoile there taken far exceeded all that the Christians had before taken in this long expedition Godfrey after so great a victorie returning to IERVSALEM gaue vnto God most humble thanks The rest of the princes returned either to their charge as did Bohemund to ANTIOCH Baldwin to EDESSA Tancred into GALLILEY whereof he was created prince or else hauing now performed the vttermost of their vowes returned with honour into their owne countries This was of all others the most honourable expedition that euer the Christians tooke in hand against the Infidels and with the greatest resolution performed for the most part by such voluntary men as mooued with a deuout zeale to their immortall praise spared neither life nor liuing in defence of the Christian faith and religion all men woorthie eternall fame and memorie Not long after ensued a great pestilence the readie attendant of long war and want whereof infinit numbers of people died and among the rest Godfrey the first Christian king of IERVSALEM neuer to be sufficiently commended who with the generall lamentation of all good
almost touching one another gaue vnto the painefull traveller a most hard and difficult passage Into this so dangerous a valley the emperour not fearing the enemies force desperately entred with his armie hauing neither prouided for the cleering of the passages or safetie of his carriages in no other order than as if hee had marched through the plaine and champain countrey although it were before told him that which he shortly after but too late saw that the enemie had strongly possessed both the straits and the mountains to hinder his farther passage The vauward of his armie was conducted by Iohn and Andronicus the sonnes of Angelus Constantine accompanied with Macroducas Constantine and Lapardas Andronicus In the right wing was Baldwin the emperours brother in law and in the left Maurozomes Theodorus After them followed the drudges and scullions with an infinit number of carters and other base people attending vpon the carriages with the baggage of the whole armie Next vnto these came the emperour with the maine battell consisting for the most part of right valiant and worthie souldiers The rereward was shut vp by Andronicus Contostephanus with a number of most resolute men They were not farre entred into these straits but that the Turks from the mountains and broken cliffes shewed themselues on euery side deliuering their deadly shot from the vpper ground vpon the Christians below as thicke as haile Neuerthelesse the sonnes of Angelus with Macroducas and Lapardus and the vauntguard casting themselues into a three square battell in forme of a wedge with their targuets in manner of a penthouse cast close together ouer their heads and their archers on euery side lustely bestowing their shot amongst the thickest of their enemies by plaine force driue them out of the straits they had before possessed and caused them to retire farther off into the mountaines and so hauing made themselues way with little or no losse passed those dangerous straits vntill that at length hauing recouered the top of an hill very commodious for their purpose as the case stood they there staied and presently encamped themselues And happely with like good fortune might the rest of the armie haue passed also had they in like order and with like courage presently followed after But failing so to doe and troubled with the multitude of their carriages which could not possibly make any way through those strait and rough passages but troubled themselues one another as also the whole armie they were from the vpper ground miserably ouerwhelmed with the multitude of the Turkish archers whose arrowes fell as thicke vpon them from the mountaines as if it had been a perpetuall tempest or shoure of haile to the great disordering dismaying of the whole armie which the Turks quickly perceiuing and therewith encouraged in great numbers came downe from the mountaines where they had before houered ouer the heads of the Christians and forcibly entring the plaine ground and comming to handy blowes first ouerthrew the right wing where Baldwin himselfe seeking to restore his disordered companies and to stay the furie of the enemie now raging in the blood of the Christians with a troupe of valiant horsemen breaking into the thickest of them as became a worthie captaine was there compassed in with the multitude of his enemies and slaine together with all his followers and the greatest part of the whole wing by him commanded With this victorie the Turkes were so encouraged that comming down with all their power they stopped all the waies whereby the Christians were to passe who as men couped vp in those dangerous straits were not able either to defend themselues or to helpe one another but inclosed as deere in a toyle and one troubling another were the cause both of the destruction of themselues and others For by reason of the straitnesse of the place neither could they that were before retire either they that were behind in the rereward come forward to relieue the one the other as need required the carriages also which were many and in the middle of the armie seruing them to no other purpose than to the hurt of themselues There were the beasts that serued for burden together with the souldiours ouerwhelmed with the Turkes shot the vallies lay full of dead bodies the riuers ran mingled with the blood of men and beasts in such terrible manner as is not by pen to be expressed For the Christians not able either to goe forward or retire were there in those straits slaine like sheepe if any courage or sparke of valour were by any shewed against the enemie fighting at so great aduantage it was but lost seruing to little or no purpose And to increase these miseries the Turks in scorn shewed vpon the point of a launce the head of Andronicus Bataza the emperours nephew who comming with an armie out of PAPHLAGONIA and HERACLEA PONTICA against the Turks of AMASIA was now by the way by them ouerthrowne and slaine The report whereof confirmed by the sight of his head and the consideration of the desperat danger wherin the whole armie presently stood so troubled the emperour that hee was at his wits end and with drie teares if it may be so said dissembling his inward greefe as one out of comfort stood doubtfull which way to turne himselfe For the Turks hauing suffred the vauntguard to passe with all their power charged the emperours maine battell as his cheefe strength nothing doubting but that hauing once ouerthrowne it they should easily and at pleasure ouerthrow the rest Oftentimes had the emperour attempted to haue driuen the enemie out of those straits and so to haue opened a way for his armie to haue passed but all in vaine the power of the Turkes still increasing and they at great aduantage notably maintaining the passages before by them taken Neuerthelesse seeing no lesse danger in staying still than in going forward he with a few of his best souldiers armed with despaire and resolued to die vnto which kind of men nothing is terrible set forward directly vpon his enemies willing the rest with like resolution euery man to make for himselfe the best shift he could And so with many wounds and sturdie blows both giuen receiued he by plaine force and might of hand brake through the thickest of his enemies and so escaped out of those straits as out of a trap But yet not without many wounds receiued in his person and himselfe so wearied as that he was not able to lift vp his helmet being beaten close to his head and in his targuet were found sticking thirtie of the Turkes arrowes or thereabouts the manifest tokens of his danger The other legions seeking to follow the emperour for other way they had none were on euery side hardly assailed by the Turkes and infinit numbers of them slaine beside many others that perished in those straits ouerborne and troden to death by their owne fellowes Yea such as had the fortune to
Turks which they had before taken from him But in kingdomes appointed vnto ruine faire occasions helpe not for the stay thereof yea the greatest helpes prouided by the worldly wise by a secret commaunding power aboue being oftentimes conuerted to the destruction of that they were prouided for the safegard of as it now fell out with the emperour and these Spanish souldiours for this seruice done the Greekes returned home as did the Massagets also But these Catalonians with Ronzerius their generall roaming vp and downe the emperours territories in ASIA did there great harme turning their forces as enemies vpon them whom they were sent for to relieue alleadging that they had not their pay according to the emperours promise and that therefore they must liue vpon them that had sent for them and deceiued them So were the poore people in euerie place spoiled their wiues and daughters rauished their priests and aged fathers tortured to confesse such secret store as they had all was subject vnto these dissolute souldiours rage and lust yea many of them that had nothing to redeeme themselues vpon the greedie souldiours imagination hauing their hands or feet or some other part of their bodies cut off lay by the high waies side begging an halfe penie or a peece of bread hauing nothing left to comfort themselues with more than their miserable voice and fountaines of teares with which their wrongs and miseries woorse than those they had sustained by the Turks the emperour much grieued and well the more for that they were done by him whom he had entertained to relieue them but what remedie his coffers were so bare as that he was not able to do any thing for the redresse thereof Ronzerius hauing thus spoiled the emperours countrey in ASIA and left nothing that pleased either him or his with all his power passed ouer into EUROPE and leauing all the rest of his armie at CALIPOLIS with two hundred of his men went vnto the yoong emperour Michael then lying with a small power at ORESTIAS in THRACIA to demaund of him his pay or if need were to extort it from him with threats with whose insolencie at his comming the emperour more offended than before his souldiours there present perceiuing the same with their drawn swords compassing him in fast by the court slew him with certaine of his followers the rest in all hast fled to CALIPOLIS to certifie their fellowes what had happened Thus by the death of Ronzerius the yong emperor had thought to haue discouraged the Catalonians and abated their pride as like ynough it was to haue done yet in proofe it fell not out so but was the cause of far greater euils So when God prospereth not mens actions the best falleth out vnto the worst and their wisest deuices turne vnto meere follies for the Catalonians at CALLIPOLIS hearing of the death of Ronserius their Generall first slew all the citizens in the citie and notably fortifying the same tooke that as their refuge Then deuiding their souldiors into two parts with the one part of them manned out eight gallies which vnder the leading of the Great captaine Tenza robbed and spoiled all the marchants ships passing the straits of HELLESPONTUS to or from CONSTANTINOPLE the other part left in the citie in the meane time forraging the countrey all about them But Tenza shortly after encountering with a fleet of the Genowaies well prouided for him was by them ouerthrowne and most of his gallies sunke and himselfe taken but yet afterwards redeemed by his fellowes and so againe inlarged Now the Catalonians at CALLIPOLIS somewhat discouraged with the losse of their fleet and so many of their men for certaine daies kept themselues quiet within their wals as not well knowing what course to take for they feared both the Massagets and Thracians them for that they had vpon light causes abused them and slaine diuers of them in the late Asian warre and these for that they had but euen the other day burnt their houses and spoiled their labours in the countrey thereby for which and other their outrages they vtterly despaired of the emperours fauour whom they had so highly offended But that which most of all terrified them was for that they looked euery day when Michael the yoong emperour who as then lay not farre off should with a great power come to assault them for feare of whom they cast a deepe ditch about the citie with a strong counterscarfe so preparing themselues as if they should haue beene euen presently besieged But the time so passing and the emperour delaying his comming they began to thinke of other matters For being brought to that strait that they could not well tell which way to turne them but that they were on euery side beset with danger they vpon a malicious resolution and vnto the Greekes most fatall by messengers sent of purpose craued aid of the Turkes that dwelt on the other side of the strait oueragainst them in ASIA who presently sent them fiue hundred good souldiors after whom followed also many other fugitiues and loose companions in hope of spoile with whom the Catalonians for the present strengthened and being themselues three thousand strong issued out of the citie and forraged the countrey thereabouts bringing in with them great heards and flockes of sheepe and other cattell together with their keepers wherwith both the emperours and their subjects incensed prepared themselues for reuenge This was the first calling in of the Turks into EUROPE that I read of and the beginning of those endlesse miseries wherewith the Christian commonweale hath beene euer since most greeuously afflicted and a great part thereof ouerwhelmed few or none greeuing thereat but such as themselues feele the heauinesse thereof whom God in his mercie comfort The Catalonians and Turks now lying about CYPSELLA and APRI in THRACE Michael the emperour with his Macedonian and Thracian souldiors the Massagets and the Turcopuli encamped at APRI These Turcopuli were Turks also in number about a thousand who as is in the former part of this historie declared beeing fled with their Sultan Iathatines vnto the Greeke emperour and left behind him at such time as he was by the Europian Tartars deliuered had forsaken their Mahometane superstition and so being become Christians were enrolled amongst the Greeke souldiors Shortly after the emperour aduertised by his scouts of the approch of his enemies commaunded euery man to be in a readinesse and his captaines to put his armie in order of battell who seeing the enemies battell deuided into three parts put theirs also in like order placing the Turcopuli Massagets in the left wing the Macedonian and Thracian choice horsemen in the right wing and the rest with the footmen in the maine battell At which time the emperor himselfe riding from place to place with comfortable speeches encouraged his men to fight valiantly against their enemies The Sunne rising the enemies battell began to come on in
than to hazard all vpon the successe of a doubtfull victorie and so foolishly to preferre an vncertaine hope before a most certaine benefit So making peace with the Thessalians and the Spring being come receiuing of them their promised rewards guides to conduct them passing ouer the mountaines beyond THESSALIE and the straits of THERMOPILE they encamped neere vnto LOCRIS and the riuer CEPHISUS which rising out of the mountaine PERNASSUS and running toward the East hath on the North side of them LOCRIS and OPUS and on the South the inland country of ACHAIA and BEOTIA and being a great riuer vntill it come to LEBADIA and HALIARTES is there deuided into two riuers the one called AESOPUS and the other ISMENUS whereof the former runneth through the countrey of ATTICA vntill it come into the sea and the other neere vnto AULIS where the noble Grecians as they say being about to goe vnto TROY met and there staied falleth into the Euboean sea But the duke of THEBES and ATHENS and of all that countrey hearing of their comming and as hee thought well prouided also for them as hauing all the Winter and Spring time before put his forces in readinesse with great pride and contempt denied them passage through his countrey at such time as they asked the same making no more reckning of them than as of a sort of loose wandering rogues that could find no place to rest or thriue in wherewith they enraged resolued among themselues either there to seat themselues in his countrey or to die therefore And so passing the riuer into BEOTIA not far from the same encamped themselues being in number about â—500 horse and 4000 foot But so lying and expecting the comming of their enemies they caused all the plaine ground about where they lay and meant to fight to be plowed vp which they with certaine small cuts out of the riuer so watered as that it differed but a little from a deepe marish or bog Hether about the middle of the Spring commeth the prince of the countrey with a gallant armie raised out of ATHENS THEBES PLATEA LOCRIS PHOCIS and MEGARA in number about 6400 horse and 4000 foot an armie too strong hee thought for so contemptible an enemie But the weakest enemie not feared doth oftentimes the greatest harme as here by proofe was to be seene for the prince comming vnto the aforesaid plaine now grown green with grasse and casting no perill encouraging his men came brauely on with all his horsemen to haue charged his enemies who stood fast vpon the firme ground a little without their trenches as readie to encounter him But before he was come to the middle of the plaine his horses sinking deepe into the rotten and new ploughed ground and there intangled as in a marish lay for the most part tumbling in the mire together with their riders or els plunging in the deepe and hauing cast them ran vp and downe the plaine as fortune led them othersome sticking fast stood with their riders vpon their backes as if they had been very images not able for to mooue Which the Catalonians beholding and therewith encouraged ouerwhelmed them with all manner of shot and slew them at their pleasure vntill they had almost made an end of them and with their horsemen so speedely pursued the rest in chace euen vnto the cities of THEBES and ATHENS that they without more adoe euen at that instant surprised them both with all that was in them So the Catalonians hauing as it were at a cast at dice woon a most goodly countrey garnished with faire townes and cities which they neuer built and stored with all manner of wealth which they neuer sweat for there ended their long trauailes and seated themselues Not ceasing as saith Nicephorus Gregorias the reporter of this historie speaking of the time wherin these things were done and wherein hee himselfe liued in CONSTANTINOPLE vnto this present day by little and little to extend the bounds of their territorie Where leauing them with whom we happely haue too long straied from our purpose let vs againe returne vnto the Turks and Turcopuli their companions In the armie of the Catalonians at such time as they were about to haue besieged THESSALONICA were three thousand Turkes of whom eleuen hundred were of them as wee said which remained with Melech at AENVM after the flight of Iathatines there Sultan vnto the Tartars and renouncing their superstition became Christians and so being baptized and hauing wiues and children were enrolled among the emperours souldiours but at the battell of APRI reuolted vnto the Catalonians and were commonly known by the name of Turcopuli the other being the greater part were such Turks as with Chalel their captaine came out of ASIA being sent for by the Catalonians Now all these Turks as well the one as the other at such time as the Catalonians were about to inuade THESSALIA and to seeke their new fortunes in the countries more Westward and so farther off from ASIA partly distrusting the societie of them as dangerous vnto them and loth also further to follow their vncertaine fortunes into countries further off among people to them vnknowne began to arise in mutinie and to refuse to go Whereupon their captaines Melech and Chalel requested of the Generall of the Catalonians to giue them leaue with quietnesse to return which their request he easily graunted as now not greatly needing their helpe after that he was departing out of the emperours dominion and so they gladly departed proportionally diuiding all the captiues and spoiles they had taken in that long war according to the number of both parts These Turks after their departure from the Catalonians diuided themselues into two parts the Turcopuli or renegat Turks following Melech and the rest Chalel their generall But Melech being before become a Christian as were his followers also and after that hauing receiued most honorable entertainment at the emperours hands and yet againe most shamefully breaking his faith before giuen and violating his religion had reuolted vnto his enemies dispairing of the emperours further friendship which he had so euill deserued made choice rather to goe vnto Crales prince of SERVIA by whom he was sent for than to come againe into the sight of Andronicus the Greeke emperour And so going vnto him with a thousand horse and fiue hundred soot was there of him well entertained himselfe but his souldiours all commanded to deliuer vnto the prince both their horses and armour and to fall to other trades and not to beare armes but at such time and so many of them as should seeme good vnto the prince that had receiued them into his countrey But Chalel with the Turks his followers in number about 1300 horse and eight hundred foot staying at MACEDONIA offered vnto the Greeke emperour quietly to depart his countrey so that he would giue him passage by the straits of CHRISTOPULIS by him fortified and in safetie transport him and his souldiours
that he rather was astonied to see how he from so farre had enterprised so dangerous a journey to hinder the fortune of his lord in whose fauor the heauens as he said did bend themselues to further his greatnesse and vnto whom all the world subjected it selfe and that he committed great follie in going about to resist the same Vnto which so proud a speech Tamerlane replied That hee was sent from heauen to punish his rashnesse and to teach him that the proud are hated of God whose promise is to plucke downe the mightie and raise vp the lowly As for thy selfe said he thou hast alreadie felt although I pitie thy mishap what the valour of my Parthian horse is against thy Turkish and thy master I haue alreadie caused to raise his siege of CONSTANTINOPLE and to looke to his owne things here in ASIA Furthermore Tamerlane changing his speech demaunded of him If his master did come resolued to bid him battaile Assure your selfe said he there is nothing he more desireth and would to God I might acknowledge your greatnesse in giuing me leaue to assist my lord at that battaile Good leaue haue thou said Tamerlane goe thy waies and tell thy lord that thou hast seene me and that he shall in the battaile find mee on horsebacke where he shall see a greene ensigne displaied The Bassa thanking him swore that next vnto his lord he vowed vnto him his seruice And so returning declared vnto Baiazet how that he had seene Tamerlane and truly reported vnto him all that he had willed him to say not forgetting ouer all to publish his courtesie and bountie who besides that he had frankely set him at libertie had also giuen him a very faire horse well furnished although he well knew hee was to serue against himselfe Whereunto Baiazet answered no more but that hee would shortly make triall of him and that he well hoped before the match were ended to make him acknowledge his owne follie The next day the two armies drew neere together and encamped within a league the one of the other where all the night long you might haue heard such noise of horses as that it seemed the heauens were full of voices the aire did so resound euery man thought the night long to come to the triall of his valour and the gaining of his desires The Scythians a people no lesse greedie than needie talked of nothing but the spoile the prowd Parthians of their honour and the poore Christians of their deliuerance all to be gained by the next dayes victorie euery man during the night time speaking according to his owne humor All which Tamerlane walking this night vp and down in his campe heard and much rejoyced to see the hope that his soldiors had alreadie in generall conceiued of the victorie Who after the second watch returned vnto his pauillion and there casting himselfe vpon a carpet had thought to haue slept a while But his cares not suffering him so to doe he then as his manner was called for a booke wherein was contained the liues of his fathers and auncestors and of other valiant worthies the which he vsed ordinarily to read as he then did not as therewith vainely to deceiue the time but to make vse thereof by the imitation of that which was by them worthily done and declining of such dangers as they by their rashnesse or ouersight fell into And afterwards hauing a little slumbered he commaunded Axalla to be sent for who forthwith came vnto him with diuers other great lords and captaines the cheefe commaunders of his armie with whom after he had a while consulted of the order of the battaile he mounted on horsebacke himselfe and sent euery one of them vnto their owne charges to put the same in readinesse At the which very instant he receiued newes that the enemie marched forward and came to take his ground for the battaile whose order of march Tamerlane was desirous to see that so accordingly he might marshall his owne And hauing caused three thousand horsemen to aduaunce forward with charge to begin the skirmish himselfe followed after to lodge euery part of his forces in such places as he had foreseene to be fittest for his aduantage Now seeing the Ianizaries march in a square battell in the middest and vpon the two fronts two great squadrons of horsemen which seemed to bee thirtie thousand horse and another which aduanced and couered the battailion of the Ianizaries he thought this their order to be very good and hard to be broken and thereupon turning himselfe vnto Axalla who was neere vnto him said I had thought this day to haue fought on foot but I see that it behoueth me now to sight on horsebacke to giue courage vnto my souldiors to open the great battalion of our enemies And my will is that my men come forward vnto me as soone as they may for I will aduance forward with an hundred thousand footmen fiftie thousand vpon each of my two wings and in the middest of them fortie thousand of my best horsemen My pleasure is that after they haue tried the force of these men that they come vnto my avauntguard of whom I will dispose and fiftie thousand horse more in three bodies whom thou shalt commaund which I will assist with fourescore thousand horse wherein shall be mine owne person hauing an hundred thousand footmen behind me who shall march in two squadrons for my arereward I appoint 40000 horse 50000 footmen who shall not march but to my aid And I will make choice of 10000 of my best horse whom I will send into euery place where I shall thinke needfull within mine armie for to impart my commaunds Ouer the first fortie thousand horse the prince Ciarcan commaunded ouer the formost footmen was the lord Synopes a Genouois kinsman to Axalla and his lieutenant ouer the footmen a captaine of great estimation the prince Axalla his owne charge consisted of fiue squadrons of horsemen Baiazet his armie being also both faire and great came brauely still on forward towards their enemies who stirred not one whit from the place they had taken for the battaile except certaine light horsemen Scythians Parthians and Muscouits who sent out as loose men hotly skirmished betwixt the two armies Now was Tamerlane by an espie aduertised that Baiazet hauing before giuen order for the disposing of his armie was on foot in the middest of thirtie thousand Ianizaries his principall men of warre and greatest strength wherein he meant that day to fight and in whom he had reposed his greatest hope His battaile of horse was verie faire amounting to the number of an hundreth and fortie thousand horse all old souldiours The Sultan of EGYPT hauing also sent vnto his aid thirtie thousand Mamalukes all verie good horsemen with thirtie thousand foot So that his armie marching all in one front in forme of an halfe Moone but not so well knit together as was Tamerlanes whose squadrons directly followed
an enemie either meanes to raise any in so great a confusion and feare was wonderfully grieued thereat and perplexed in mind as not well knowing which way to turne himselfe At length hee tooke his flight into ALBA IVLA vnto his old friend George Lepe Bishop of that citie a man of great vertue and grauitie but whilest hee there staieth with his friend about the raising of a tumultuarie armie the enemie was now come neere vnto him who hauing ouer-runne the greatest part of the countrey had scraped together such a bootie and taken such a multitude of prisoners that surcharged as it were with the spoile he was glad to march softlier yet still burning the countrey before him Which Huniades and the good bishop beholding out of the citie so much greeued thereat that albeit that they both well knew themselues with an handfull of men in hast taken vp hand ouer head too weake to encounter with their enemies yet thought it better with such power as they had to goe out and so in defence of their countrey honourably to die than longer to behold the most miserable destruction of the same But whilest they vpō this resolution caried forth with too hot a desire of reuenge march vnaduisedly on headlong without any scouts or espials sent out before them they fell before they were aware into such ambushes both of horse and foot as the craftie enemie had in the secret woods and vallies wherby they were to passe laid of purpose to intercept them which now with great force and horrible outcries breaking out vpon them on euerie side dismaied them with a great feare Huniades and the bishop seeing themselues so entrapped and beset with the multitude of their enemies as that they must needs perish if they should longer staie fled incontinently backe againe after whom followed all the rest of their armie and at their heeles the egre Turks who spared none of the flying Christians they could ouertake but put them all to the sword neuerthelesse most part of them escaped backe againe to ALBA IVLA The Bishop thinking to haue saued himselfe by the swiftnesse of his horse comming to a riuer in taking the same was ouerthrowne and there by the enemie slaine With whose death the Bassa encouraged as also with the present victorie began now more at libertie to range abroad and at his pleasure with fire and sword to wast that part of the country which yet remained vnspoiled leauing in the meane time as a man out of feare the rich prey hee had taken together with his baggage and cariages to be carried all together as a notable testimonie of his victorie vnto his great lord and maister Huniades in the meane time with wonderfull celeritie running about the borders of his country and out of euerie towne and village taking such souldiors as he could persuaded also the Sicilians or people commonly called Siculi in defence of their wiues and children to take vp armes who all in respect of the present necessitie cheerefully did whatsoeuer he commaunded With this tumultuarie armie he followed the Bassa who thē in great pride was returning laded with the spoile of the whole countrey with purpose to set vpon him as time or place should giue him occasion In the meane time Mesitis being told that Huniades with a great power was comming after him and now euen at hand is reported to haue made no great reckoning thereof but to haue proudly answeared vnto him that brought the newes Let him come and with the spoile of himselfe enrich our victorie There was present when he thus said one Iohn one of Huniades his espials who discouered vnto him many of the Turkes designes concerning the joyning of battaile with him but especially that the Bassa had commanded through his armie That aboue all things they should in the beginning of the battell assaile the person of Huniades himselfe for that he being once slaine the rest would easily be put to flight as all depending on his direction and that for the performance thereof he had appointed certaine companies of his best souldiours giuing them certaine tokens whereby they might know both him and his horse There was then in the armie one Simon Kemene a right valiant and couragious gentleman not much vnlike vnto Huniades with whom he chaunged both his horse and armour appointing vnto him a strong troupe of his choise horsemen to attend vpon him neither was this counterfait Huniades vnwilling to expose himselfe vnto the danger accounting it honour inough if by his death he might saue the life of his friend and preserue so worthie a defendour of the common weale Huniades following fast after the Bassa marching before him sought by light skirmishes sometimes on the one side sometimes on the other and sometimes in the reareward to stay him and at some aduantage if any such were giuen to fight with him before he should get out of the countrey At length finding such an oportunitie as he thought good to lay hold vpon he with all his forces as if it had ben a violent tempest came vpon the Turks so sodainly as that they had not time to put themselues into order of battell but were glad confusedly to fight as they might and without order in which disordered fight many fell on both sides but farre more of the Turkes But whilest both armies with like obstinacie encounter together certaine troupes of the most valiant Turks descrying Simon the counterfeit Huniades and by the signes before deliuered vnto them both of his horse and armour supposing him to haue been Huniades indeed with all their power made towards him to haue slaine him according as they had in charge where meeting with right valiant men of no lesse courage than thēselues there was fought a most terrible bloodie battell in such sort as if in that very place should haue ben tried the whole fortune of the day But the Turks still bending their forces more more thither for the killing of him of whō they stood in more dread than of all the rest at length by plain force made a way vnto him hauing slain them that were about him though not without their own great losse furiously assailing him slew him vainly supposing it to haue ben the very generall himselfe who had he there perished as like inough it was he should had hee not beene before warned of the Bassaes purpose no doubt but that the whole country had bin with him or shortly after quite lost But Huniades in the mean time riding too and fro in the armie encouraged his soldiors not to forsake the victorie they were now as it were in possession of nor leaue vnreuenged so many slaughters and harmes so lately committed by their enemies but to remēber as they were fighting that they caried in their hands their wiues and children and were in that one battell to reuenge the wrong by them done both to God and man Sometime he with new supplies encouraged such
Here fiue hundreth light horsemen being sent ouer the riuer not so much to seeke after preie as to view the countrey which way the armie might most safely and easily passe hapned vpon the Turks scouts of whom they tooke foure and vnderstanding by them that two thousand of the Turks were comming at hand knowing themselues to weake to encounter them they retired backe againe with all speed they could vnto the riuer where many of them for feare leapt headlong from the high and broken bankes and so perished in the deepe the rest terrified with the misfortune of their fellows stood still doubtfully expecting what should become of themselues Beyond the riuer was another hill vpon the top whereof the king with a great number of horsemen were hunting whom the Turks a far off discrying and doubting to fall into some ambush of purpose laid for them betwixt them and the riuer without coÌ„ming on further retired Which they that before fearefully staied on the farre side of the riuer perceiuing and now encouraged by the comming of the king downe to the riuer followed a while after so to increase their feare and so hauing well feared one another retired on both sides worse afraid than hurt The next daie the king passed ouer the riuer sending out his scouts to see if all were cleare before him by whom he was aduertised that the Turks were at hand hauing placed certaine ambushes fast by expecting but a fit time to set vpon him Wherevpon entring into counsaile with his best and most expert captaines what were best to be done it was resolued vpon that Huniades the next night with ten thousand choice horsemen should vpon the suddaine set vpon the enemie then fearing nothing lesse Who conducted by the espials was in the first watch of the night brought verie neere vnto them The moone by chance as fauoring his great attempt did then shine out so that he might well discern how the enemie lay encamped and which way for to charge them to his most aduantage which was by the same way they were most like no flye if they should be put to the worst vnto which place he led his men and there with a most hideous outcrie entred the campe as then for the most part buried in sleepe and securitie when as the Turkes awaked with the suddaine noise as it were out of a dead sleepe and dismaied with the horrour of the crie began to betake them some to their weapons some to their heeles Of whom such as fled lighting vpon the enemies troupes standing in their way ran as fast backe againe the other scarce yet well awake and ouercome with feare and now scarcely themselues had much adoe to make themselues readie to fight Huniades in the meane time riding vp and downe amongst his men cheered them vp still crying out and calling vpon them couragiously to assaile their sleepie naked and fearefull enemies and not to let slip so faire an occasion and so notable a victorie now alreadie in their hands At the first encounter the Turks rather made a stirre than fought but after that they heard that Huniades was there as men dismaied with his name they turned their backs and fled finding which way soeuer they tooke their fellowes halfe dead or wounded yeâ— such a confusion was raised amongst them with the greatnesse of the sudden feare that thustinâ— together with an inconsiderate desire of flight they trod one another vnder foot and thruâ—â— themselues vpon one anothers weapons the greatest part of them driuen headlong into the thickets and other straits and not able in time to get out thence were there by the victorious enemie fiercely pursuing of them slaine All that night the fearefull Turks were with great slaughâ—â—â— held in chace but as soone as it was day the rest that remained of them ran also the same forâ—â—e with their fellowes A farre greater slaughter was there made than a man would thinke that so few men could haue made when as but with ten thousand horse thirtie thousand Turks were in one night slaine and foure thousand taken with a number of their ensignes Of Huniades his men were not many lost for the greatnesse of the slaughter most report not aboue fiue hundreth for few of them found any enemie to resist them There was taken all the spoile of a most rich camp the enemie hauing caried with them nothing out of it Huniades hauing in so short time gained so notable a victorie and enriched his armie returned to the king in great triumph neither wâ—â— that day more joyfull vnto these victorious souldiors than vnto the rest of the armie who most joyfully expected their returne The king and the Despot hearing of the approach of Huniades from the slaughter of the Turks with the great applause and joyfull acclamation of the other legions went to meet him three miles and at such time as at their first meeting Huniades was about to haue lighted to haue done him honour he would in no case suffer him so to doe but taking him by the right hand joyed with him for the victorie thanking God in the hearing of the whole armie that hee of his mercie had giuen him such a captaine as without enuie in all mens judgements was worthie to rule the Romane empire In briefe he shewed how much his countrey his kingdome yea the Christian commonweale was bound and indebted vnto him gaue him his due praises exhorting all others to imitate his glorie the like honour did also all the rest of the nobilitie vnto him As for the common souldiors they could not be satisfied with beholding of him but embracing one another as if they would haue died one in anothers armes welcomed their victorious friends So with joy joyning their forces together and sending the rich spoile of the enemie with the prisoners chained together in long rancks before them the king and Huniades in great triumph returned into the campe where they caused generall prayers with thankesgiuing vnto almightie God for so great a victorie to bee made thoughout the armie The Legat Iulian generall of the voluntarie Christians which for deuotion serued of their owne charge after so great a victorie most earnestly persuaded the king and the rest of the great commaunders of the armie to prosecute their good fortune and in God his so great fauor not to loiter but daily to march forward and to take in the rest of BVLGARIA Now had Huniades by his espials learned that from SOPHIA it was but three dayes journey to PHILIPPOPOLIS a great citie of THRACIA and the like distance from thence to HADRIANOPLE the cheefe seat of the Turkish tyrant and as much more to CONSTANTINOPLE The onely difficultie was how to passe the great and rough mountaine HEMVS which running a maruellous way in length euen vnto the Euxine sea and mating almost the skie deuideth the countries of BVLGARIA and SERVIA from MACEDONIA and THRACE and for the great height and roughnesse thereof is
heard the answere that was sent him from the citie deliuered by the mouth of a coÌ„mon soldior he smiled thereat said He is vndoubtedly a valiant soldior if his deeds be answerable to his speeches but if my force faile me not I will also make him happy amongst the happy ghosts of theÌ„ of STELLVSA and by by commanded the gouernor of STELLVSA with the other captiues to be brought before him there caused some of theÌ„ which were content voluntarily to forsake their Mahometane superstition to be presently baptized to the great greefe of the other Turks Desdrot the Gouernour with the rest to the terrour of the defendants were in their sight put to death whereupon the garrison souldiors with great indignation gaue a great shout from the wall and bitterly rayled vpon the Christians Scanderbeg considering the strength of the citie with the time of the yeare vnfit for souldiors to keepe the field for Winter was now growne on left Moses Golemus a most valiant captaine with a garrison of three thousand souldiors to keepe in the Turkes garrison at SFETIGRADE and to defend the borders of EPIRVS vntill he might at more conuenient time himselfe returne againe to the siege and so with the rest of his armie repaired to CROIA when hee had in the space of little more than one moneth to his immortall praise recouered his kingdome and driuen the Turks out of euery corner of EPIRVS excepting onely SFETIGRADE which citie also not long after was by composition deliuered vnto him During all this time from his first comming into EPIRVS he neuer slept aboue two houres in a night but with restlesse labour prosecuted his affaires He euer fought against the Turkes with his arme bare and that with such fiercenesse that the blood did oftentimes burst out of his lips It is written that he with his owne hand slew three thousand Turkes in the time of his warres against them But of his great and worthie victories obtained against the two mightie Turkish kings Amurath and Mahomet his sonne more shall be said hereafter in due time and place After that Scanderbeg had thus by great force and pollicie wrung his inheritance out of Amuraths hands and scoâ—red the Turks out of euery corner of EPIRVS he proceeded further and ouerran part of MACEDONIA making sundrie incursions into the heart of that countrey being then in the Turks possession whereby he so enriched his souldiours that they desired of him no better pay Which was so vsuall a thing with this restlesse prince as that it began to grow into a prouerbe in most princes courts That the spoile of Amurath his dominions was Scanderbegs reuenewes Complaint hereof came daily to Amuraths court which the craftie aged sire being then troubled with the Hungarian warres seemed at the first to make no great account of but as of that hee could easily and at his pleasure remedie although hee was therewith inwardly greeued at the heart But when the certaine report of one mischeefe as it were in the necke of another continually sounded in his eares and that he saw no end to be expected of these miseries he sent Alis Bassa one of his greatest men of warre with an armie of fortie thousand select souldiors at once to subdue the countrey of EPIRVS and to bring it againe vnder his obeisance The setting forth of this great armie vnder the conduct of so famous a captain replenished the minds of the Turks with such an assured hope of victorie that a man would haue thought Scanderbeg had been alreadie taken and now brought to execution yea the common souldiors before their setting forth were oftentimes at vaine contention for the diuision of the spoile they were neuer like to haue So readie are men to promise wonders to themselues whilest they conferre but with their owne desires And on the other side Fame the forerunner of great attempts had filled all the small countrey of EPIRVS with great terrour and feare of Alis Bassaes comming The countreymen with their families fled into the strong citties and the cittizens within their wals fell to fortifying the same and kept continuall watch and ward as if the enemie had thenâ—lien euen fast by them â—he aged men and women commended themselues and all theirs first vnto God by prayers and then to the courage of the lustie souldiors with teares as in case of extreame perill and danger Onely Scanderbeg was nothing mooued either with the terrible report of the Bassaes comming or the vaine feare of his subjects but alwayes kept the same cheerefulnesse both of countenance and speech as he was wont being well acquainted with the tumult of the Turkish wars and hauing as was supposed certaine intelligence before from his secret friends in the Turkes court of all Amuraths designes So that hauing set all things in order for the safetie of his countrey he began to leuie an armie at CROIA at which time most part of his subjects of EPIRVS which were able to beare armes repaired vnto him the confederate Christian princes also his neighbours and for most part his kinsmen sent vnto him great supplies beside other deuouâ— and warlike minded Christians which voluntarily resorted vnto him from farre in great numbers Out of which multitude of people he chose only eight thousand horsemen and seuen thousand foot when as he might haue raised a far greater armie and placing some few in garrisons in the frontier cities where he thought most conuenient all the rest he sent home againe to their dwellings At which his confidencie his friends yea and his enemies also much maruelled that when hee might haue had so many he would take the field with so few With which small armie of fâ—teene thousand he marched from CROIA fourescore miles to DYBRA where hearing by his espials of the approch of his enemies after he had with cheerefull speech encouraged his soulâ—â—ors he encamped with his armie in the lower countrey of DYBRA neere vnto a wood side righâ— in the way where the Bassa must needs passe In which wood he placed Gnee Musachee and Amesa in ambush with three thousand men commanding them to stand close vntill they saw 〈◊〉 had throughly joyned battaile with the Bassa and then with all their force to breake forth vpon his rereward The Bassa marching forward came and encamped neere vnto Scanderbeg a little before the going downe of the Sunne and there rested that night making great shew of mirâ—â— and joy with great fires in euerie corner of the campe as the Turkish manner of encamping is Wheras in Scanderbegs campe all things were silent and no shew of any fire at all for so Scanderbeg had commanded which made the Turks the more carelesse deeming thereby the Christians as good as alreadie discouraged The next morning Scanderbeg ranged his armie in order of battaile placing Tanusius in the left wing with fifteen hundreth horsemen and as many foot and Moses in the right with like number and
oppressed Christian countries from the cruell slauerie and bondage of the Turke Suffer not this so fit an occasion to slip away than which a fitter can neuer be giuen EVROPE is vnfurnished of the Turks busied in the Caramanian war their returne is embarred by the Christians fleet now in the sea of HELLESPONTVS you need but to goe see and as it were to take a view of THRACIA MACEDONIA GRECIA and EPIRVS there is no enemie there left to oppose himselfe against you Wherefore for God his cause I request you aboue all things to continue the Christian league and with your happie and victorious forces to march forward into MACEDONIA and THRACIA as is before by you with the other Christian princes your confederates agreed In conclusion hauing much spoken of the authoritie and power of the great bishop he in his name disanulled the league whatsoeuer by the king made with the Turke and absolued him with the rest whom it might concerne from the oath they had giuen and the promises they had made Which so well contented both the king and the rest that there was now no more question of the oath or of the lawfulnesse of the warre but a decree made for the continuation of the league with the other Christian princes their confederats and for the prosecution of the warres against the Turks as was with them before agreed whom they could now say they were not to forsake and to leaue them as a prey vnto the Turke their greedie enemie now for nothing more in danger than for that at their request they had taken vp armes in their quarrell Vnto which vnfortunat decree both the Despot and Huniades the cheefe authors of the late peace betwixt the king and Amurath easily consented the Despot induced with the great hope he had conceiued of the good successe of the war and Huniades with the desire of the kingdome of BVLGARIA promised vnto him by Vladislaus and by faire charter also as some said assured vnto him Of this the kings resolution for the breach of the peace with the Turke notice was with all speed giuen vnto the Constantinopolitane emperour and Francis the Florentine Cardinall then lying with a fleet of seuentie gallies at the straits of HELLESPONTVS for feare least they hearing of the former concluded peace should alter also or els quite desist from their former purposes In the meane time whilest these things were yet in plotting the Turke ignorant hereof according to his promise had withdrawne all his garrisons out of SERVIA and other places befoâ—â— agreed vpon in the late concluded peace restoring the same vnto the Despot and others the laâ—â—full owners although it was not done at the very prefixed day at which it should haue been done In which time also he set at libertie great numbers of captiues amongst the rest the two blind sonnes of the prince of SERVIA faithfully performing whatsoeuer he had before vpon his religion promised in the league with the Christians before concluded so desirous hee was of peace with the Hungarians Howbeit Vladislaus by the counsell of Huniades detained to his own vse certaine of the strong holds in SERVIA for which cause George the Despot euer afterwards bore a secret grudge against Huniades Now as king Vladislaus hauing by the persuasion of Iulian the Cardinall renounced the league betwixt him and Amurath was preparing his forces the same of the Epirot prince Scanderbeg was also by the recouerie of his fathers kingdome of EPIRVS out of the Turkes hands and by the late ouerthrow of Alis Bassa growne great euery man speaking of him honour and praise Wherewith Vladislaus moued and reasonably persuaded what a furtherance it would be vnto his haughtie designes aiming at no lesse than the vtter ouerthrow of the Turks kingdome in EVROPE if he might vnto his owne great preparations joine also the strength of that so fortunate a prince by the consent of his nobilitie with all speed dispatched away his embassadours with letters vnto him certifying him of his honorable purpose for the rooting out of the Turks and in that common cause praying his aid against such a dangerous and dreadfull enemie the purport whereof here followeth Vladislaus king of Hungarie and Polonia vnto the noble Scanderbeg prince of EPIRVS greeting It may be that some good hap hath deferred this our late congratulation vntill this present to the intent we might at this time together with you rejoyce in the double successe of your prosperitie first for the happie recouerie of your estate and then for that the same hath by your wisedome and valour beene of late so notably defended Wherefore in this we rejoyce not onely in your behalfe but in the behalfe of all good Christians that it hath pleased God of his goodnesse by your valour to haue giuen so great an encrease and comfort vnto the Christian commonweale for as much as amongst other our great euils the losse of the Albanian people hath not beene to be accounted the least at such time as Iohn Castriot a worthie prince your father oppressed by Amurath and by the vngratefull destinies taken out of this world had neither the meanes to leaue vnto you his kingdome and scepter as vnto his sonne then liuing in his enemies power either was able yet otherwise to prouide for his affaires And would to God this your father most happie in such a sonne might haue till now liued whose felicitie had in that surmounted all others if he might but haue seene you before his death For as you seeme vnto me aboue all other princes in the world without offence bee it said most accomplished with all the good graces and perfections both of bodie and mind so are you endowed also with a certaine diuine and wonderfull fortune vnder the good conduct whereof not onely the whole kingdome of EPIRVS may thinke it selfe in securitie but all the rest of the other nations also lately by the detestable fraud and violence of the Othoman kings dismembred from the realme of MACEDON may also recouer the former beautie of their antient lawes and liberties For to say nothing of those things which euen from your childhood hauing continually made you enuied haue heretofore purchased vnto you an immortall fame and glorie euen amongst the Barbarians themselues what can be more glorious than this victorie which as wee haue heard and beleeue you to your singular admiration haue obtained by the ouerthrow and vtter discomfiture of Alis Bassa with his so great and mightie apower But now ô Scanderbeg God so appointing it who in his deepe and secret wisedome hath reserued you vnto these so dangerous times for the publicke good and comfort of the Christian commonweale there offers it selfe vnto you an object of farre greater glory with a most faire and fit occasion for you to reuenge your selfe of all the wrongs and injuries both new and old by Amurath the Turkish Sultan done not in priuate to the person of your selfe onely
not charge mee with such crimes for euer I care not The long catalogue of thy kindnesse towards me which thou rehersest I could willingly rmēber if it drew not with it the wofull remembrance of my greater miseries Which if they were to be compared together the greatnesse of thy good deserts would be ouerwhelmed with the multitude of thy greater tyrannies which I had rather thou shouldest count with thy selfe than blush whilest I repeat them Euery man that knoweth them may meruell how I had power to endure them or that thou wast not wearie at last of thy crueltie and secret hatred Thou tookest away my fathers kingdome by force thou diddest murther my brethren and my selfe thou diddest most wickedly vow to death when I little feared any such crueltie And doth it now seeme strange to thee ô Amurath that an inuincible mind desirous of libertie should seeke to break out of the bonds of so great slauerie How long at length diddest thou thinke I would endure thy proud and insolent bondage which for all that I many yeares endured and refused not thy commaund I exposed my selfe to publicke and priuat dangers both voluntarily and by thy designement speeches were giuen out daily by thy selfe and the admonition of my friends concerning thy deepe trecherie was rife in mine eares yet for all that of long time I simply beleeued both thy words and deeds to haue beene deuoid of all fraud vntill thy cankered mallice began too too apparently to shew it selfe then began I also to glose with thee wholly metamorphosed into thine owne conceits vntill I found occasion to recouer my libertie Wherefore there is no cause thou shouldest now greeue if thou be well beaten with thine own rod. But these are but trifles Amurath in comparison of those things which I haue laied vp in hope and resolution of mind Therefore hereafter surcease thine angrie threats and tell not vs of the Hungarian fortune Euery man hath his owne resolution and euery man a particular gouernour of his actions and so will we with patience endure such fortune as it shall please God to appoint vs In the meane time for direction of our affaires we will not request counsell of our enemies nor peace of thee but victorie by the helpe of God Farewell from our campe When Amurath had read these letters and further conferred with Arradin hee was filled with wrath and indignation wondering at the great resolution of so small a prince presently casting in his mind as was thought the difficultie of that warre Yet because he would giue no token of feare oftentimes stroking his white beard as his manner was when he was throughly angrie with a dissembled cheerefulnesse of countenance said Thou desirest wicked man thou desirest the title of some honourable death we will giue it thee beleeue vs wee will giue it thee Wee our selues will bee present at the buriall of our foster child and in person though vnbidden honour the funerall pompe of the great king of EPIRVS that thou shalt neuer complaine among the damned ghosts that thou diddest die a base or obscure kind of death And for because at that time by reason of many great occurrents hee could not conuert his whole power into EPIRVS he sent Ferises one of his best captaines with nine thousand choice horsemen to keepe Scanderbeg in doing and to spoile his countrey so much as he could Which was with such speed done that it was thought Ferises would haue beene in the heart of EPIRVS before Scanderbeg could haue had knowledge of his comming But for all his hast he could not so preuent the flying fame but that Scanderbeg hearing thereof and hauing his men alwayes in readinesse placed fifteene hundred good footmen in ambush vpon the rough mountaines leading into the valley of MOVEA whereby the Turks must needs passe into EPIRVS placing also two thousand horsemen as he thought most fit conuenient for his purpose Ferises descending from the high mountaines full of woods and bushes by the broken and stonie waies leading into the valley was in that troublesome and intricate passage fiercely set vpon by Scanderbegs readie footmen suddainely arising out of ambush where the Turks hauing no vse of their horses but rather by them encombered were slaine as Deere enclosed in a toyle In this conflict seuen hundred and sixtie Turks were taken prisoners and a greater number slaine and Ferises himselfe with the rest enforced to flie crying still out as hee fled Better some saued than all lost Scanderbeg hauing thus ouerthrowne Ferises pursued him into MACEDONIA and with the spoile there taken rewarded his souldiours as he had also many times before done Amurath greeued with the ouerthrow of Ferises presently sent Mustapha a politicke and hardie captaine with a new supplie of six thousand souldiours to take the charge from Ferises commaunding him in no case nor vpon any occasion to enter farre into EPIRVS but onely to burne and spoile the frontiers thereof saying That he would account it for good seruice if he might but vnderstand that the trees and fruits of that countrey had felt the force of his anger Mustapha hauing receiued his charge when he began to draw neere the borders of EPIRVS continually sent out scouts before his armie to see if the passages were cleere and so warily entred the vallie of MOCRE A where Ferises not long before was ouerthrowne In this fruitfull vallie being the frontiers of Scanderbegs dominion Mustapha entrenched his armie vpon the rising of a hill and placed espials vpon the tops of the high mountaines round about by them to discouer the comming of the enemie and to haue notice thereof by signes into the campe then reseruing foure thousand horsemen with himselfe to keepe his campe hee sent forth the rest of his armie about nine thousand horsemen to forrage and spoile the countrey giuing charge before that euerie man vpon paine of death should presently retire to the campe vpon signe giuen from thence as to a place of safetie and refuge The Turkish armie ranging ouer that rich and pleasant vallie burnt the villages cut downe trees spoiled the vineyards and made hauocke of all things that fire and sword could destroy in that point executing Amuraths commaund to the full At length Scanderbeg drawing neere to this vallie with foure thousand horsemen and a thousand foot was aduertised of all the enemies doings by an Epirot souldiour who greeuously wounded had hardly escaped from the Turks of him he vnderstood what number of Turkes were burning and destroying the countrey of the campe also kept by Mustapha and how espials were placed vpon the mountaines Scanderbeg hauing well considered Mustapha his warie proceedings and seeing no pollicie to bee vsed against so carefull an enemie resolued to vanquish him by plaine force by assaulting him suddainely in his trenches before his dispierced souldiors could repaire to the campe and hauing to this purpose with effectuall persuasions encouraged the minds of his valiant soldiors readie
commended Balabanus highly as the onely man that knew how to fight against Scanderbeg and in reward of his good seruice sent him diuers rich giftes with commaundement to repaire againe his armie and to proceed in his warres so happely begun Which thing Balabanus with all diligence performed Yet trusting more vnto his pollicie than his strength lying at ALCHRIA sent againe diuers rich presents to Scanderbeg as desirous to liue in peace by him but seeking indeed to bring him into securitie and so suddenly if it were possible to entrap him Which thing Scanderbeg well perceiuing rejected his faigned friendship togither with his presents as sent from a base peisant Whereupon Balabanus entered into a new deuise and by secret meanes with great rewards corrupted Scanderbeg his scouts whereof some were Balabanus his kinsmen though it were to Scanderbeg vnknowne By which practise he had vpon the sudden in the night oppressed Scanderbeg lying encamped in ORONYCHEVM if Scanderbeg himselfe who commonly spent most part of the night in carefull watch going about the campe had not in the silence of the night a farre off perceiued the comming of the enemie by the noise of his horses and thereupon with wonderfull celeritie putting his armie in such order as he best could was readie to receiue him and at last after a great fight put him to flight and hauing him in chase slew most part of his armie Balabanus himselfe with a small remnant hardly escaping Now when Mahomet vnderstood that Balabanus was ouerthrowne and his armie lost hee was in doubt whether to send another Generall or else againe to prooue the fortune of the old But after hee had well considered that Balabanus was a right valiant captaine and one that well knew the countrey of EPIRVS and withall a mortall enemie to Scanderbeg he resolued to staie vpon him and not to send anie other So committing to his charge fourteene thousand horsemen and three thousand foot sent him againe to inuade EPIRVS and the more to encourage him promised to make him king of that countrey if he could subdue Scanderbeg Balabanus with this armie comming to ALCHRIA and still in vaine plotting how hee might circumuent his warie enemie after his wonted manner sent diuers presents to Scanderbeg which he still scornefully refused Three moneths he lay still at ALCHRIA with nothing more troubled than with his owne thoughts but finding nothing that pleased himselfe hee determined to aduenture by plaine force to subdue him And vpon that resolution marched with all his armie into the great plaines neere vnto SFETIGRADE whither Scanderbeg came with his armie also which then consisted of eight thousand horsemen and fifteene hundred foot with which small power hee refused not to joyne battaile with Balabanus being in number two to one But after they were come to handâ—e blowes to haue seene Scanderbeg his men fight a man would haue said them to haue beene rather raging lyons than men they so furiously assailed their enemies without regard of perill or danger as men nothing afraid to die Scanderbeg with great skill gouerned that battaile carefully prouiding for euery danger himselfe valiantly fighting in the head of his battaile but not without care of the rest still sending speedie releefe where most need was and bringing in fresh supplies in stead of them that were wounded or slaine performed all the parts of a most worthie cheefetaine and valiant souldior where most perill was there was hee straight and at his presence danger fled as if victorie had attended vpon him But whilest he thus fought in the middest of his enemies his horse fortuned to be slaine vnder him and falling down with him sore brused one of his armes whereof he complained long time after The Turkes seeing him downe pressed on fiercely to haue slaine him but hee was quickly rescued by his owne souldiors and remounted And forthwith encountering with one Suliman a great commaunder in the Turkes armie slew him in fight hand to hand whereupon such a terrour fell vpon the Turkes that they began to retire and after a while to betake themselues to plaine flight Scanderbeg pursuing them with such execution that of that great armie few escaped with Balabanus to carrie newes home Balabanus now thrice vanquished by Scanderbeg and in the last battaile hauing lost what hee could loose except he should haue lost himselfe returned to Mahomet at CONSTANTINOPLE of whom he was sharpely rebuked for the great ouerthrowes he had so often receiued At which time Balabanus at first gaue place to the kings furie but afterwards when the heat was ouer hee with a large discourse cunningly excused himselfe imputing all those his mishaps vnto the appointment of God and the fortune of warre and in the end told Mahomet plainely That it was but in vaine to send such small armies into EPIRVS But if it would please him at once to send two valiant captains with a puissant and strong armie who deuiding the same betwixt them and entering at one time into diuers parts of EPIRVS might spoile the countrey before them and enclose Scanderbeg betwixt them if he should aduenture to giue either of them battaile being before resolued neither of them to offer him battaile or yet to accept of the same being by him offered except the other were also at hand and so by mutuall consent to vndertake him but neuer single By which course hee promised vnto him an easie and assured victorie for as much as it were impossible for any man so beset and as it were on euery side coupt vp with his enemies either to escape or yet to make any great resistance This persuasion of Balabanus so well fitted the tyrants humor that he appointed Balabanus himselfe to be the man to put his own deuise in execution giuing him commission to leuie such an armie as he should thinke sufficient for the performance of that seruice and withall to associate vnto himselfe for his companion which soeuer of his captaines as he pleased Balabanus according to his commission tooke musters of the men of warre and made choice of fortie thousand good souldiours and chose one Iacup Arnauth otherwise called Iames the Epirot because he was also borne in EPIRVS a valiant captain to be his companion whom he sent with sixteene thousand soldiors by the way of THESSALIA and GRECIA into EPIRVS commaunding him in no case to joyne battaile with Scanderbeg vntill he himselfe were also come into the countrey with the other part of the armie And so setting both forward Balabanus taking the neerer way through THRACIA and MACEDONIA came first into EPIRVS with twentie thousand horsemen and foure thousand foot and encamped in the valey of VALCHALL Scanderbeg both by his espials and letters from his secret friends in the Turkes court hauing certaine intelligence of all Balabanus his intent and purpose had in readinesse against his comming a strong armie of eight thousand horsemen and foure thousand foot all choise souldiours And now hearing
that he was come into EPIRVS and encamped in VALCAAL sent out three espials to discouer in what order he lay one of which spies was Balabanus his kinsman but not so knowne to Scanderbeg by whose persuasion the other two when they had taken full view of Balabanus his army and should haue returned to Scanderbeg to haue giuen intelligence of that they had seene like false traitors went ouer to Balabanus and discouered vnto him all that they knew concerning Scanderbeg hoping therefore to receiue some great reward as their fellow had before borne them in hand Scanderbeg maruelling that his espials returned not againe as they were appointed and doubting that they had been by the enemie intercepted and vsing many times in matters of such importance to trust himselfe best presently went out with fiue lustie souldiours and rid foorth to discouer the manner of the enemies lying Balabanus like a craftie fox mistrusting that Scanderbeg deceiued of his first espials would for like purpose send forth others laied certaine horsemen in secret ambush in diuers places to intercept them if it were possible These horsemen lay not so couert but that they were in good time descried by Scanderbeg and his followers who with Argus eies pried into euerie bush and thicket as they went before he was altogether fallen within their danger and yet but so that he came to handie strokes where Scanderbeg and his followers oppressed with multitude were glad to flie as fast as they could into the next wood the Turkes horsemen following them at the heeles It fortuned that as they were flying a great old tree was fallen crosse the way which Scanderbeg putting spurs to his horse leapt ouer with one of his men after him the other foure not able to get ouer turned backe vpon the Turkes and there fighting were slaine One of the Turkes which so hardly pursued Scanderbeg being well mounted forced his horse to leape the tree and still followed after Scanderbeg who looking backe and seeing but one turned vpon him and slew him the other Turkes hauing slaine foure of Scanderbeg his men which could not get ouer the tree returned And Scanderbeg accompanied but with one of his followers came backe againe to his campe and there with all speed put his army in readinesse to go against Balabanus before the comming of his companion with the other part of his army Vpon which resolution after he had with cheerfull persuasions encouraged his souldiours and filled their minds with hope of victorie he set forward and came with great speed into the valley of VALCHAL where Balabanus lay Scanderbeg had deuided his army into foure squadrons whereof Tanusius had the leading of one Zacharias Groppa of another the third was committed to Peicus Emanuel and Scanderbeg himselfe conducted the fourth So setting forward he sent before certaine companies of harquebusiers and archers to prouoke the enemie and to draw him foorth vnto battell Balabanus also shewed himselfe with his army in seemly order before his tents but there stood fast and would not stirre expecting continually the comming of his fellow Which Scanderbeg perceiuing and that he sought but to dallie out the time and as one vnwilling to fight had againe retired his army into the safetie of his trenches drew neerer and neerer vnto him continually skirmishing with such as he sent out daring him into the field and brauing him vnto his trenches in such sort as if hee would haue forced the same and by strong hand haue â—et him out thence Whereat the Turkes fretted and chafed exceedingly insomuch that they were readie to rise against their Generall because he would not lead them forth to battell but suffer them to be so disgraced Balabanus mindfull of that he had promised vnto Mahomet his great lord and maister did what he might to haue deferred time but when he saw that his fellow came not and that he could no longer delay the matter being so continually assailed and braued by Scanderbeg his souldiours that his Turkes therewith prouoked were readie oftentimes to haue issued out without his direction and now no remedie but that he must needs fight placed his men in good order and so went out of his trenches to giue battell himselfe leading the left wing thereof where betwixt him and Scanderbeg was made a fierce fight many falling on both sides But Scanderbeg strengthned with the old garrison of CROIA and the most expert souldiors of DIBRA preuailed vpon the Turkes and forced them to giue ground yet still keeping their order The fight was so great in this part of the battell that in other places they stood almost still as lookers on expecting the doubtfull fortune of their Generals Which thing Scanderbeg perceiuing drew certain troups out of the right wing where as he saw was least danger which speedily fetching a compasse about charged the side of the enemies army and againe withdrawing themselues and with wonderfull celeritie wheeling about set vpon the backe of them that fought in the left wing so that the Turkes there fiercely charged both before and behind by the most valiant souldiours of Scanderbeg his army fell in other places with a great slaughter Balabanus with exceeding courage gainstood his enemies so long as there was any hope left but when he saw the fortune of Scanderbeg to preuaile and all about him to become desperat he made shift for himselfe and fled out of the battell as fast as he could The rest of the army being in other places before troubled and disordered fled also some one way some another euerie man as his fortune led him Some few that followed Balabanus escaped the rest were for most part either slaine or taken prisoners Scanderbeg had scarcely well breathed himselfe after this victorie and deuided the spoile amongst his souldiours but that newes was brought to him in post from the lady Mamiza his sister then lying at PETRELLA that Iacuppe Arnauth was by the way of BELGRADE come into EPIRVS with an army of sixteene thousand horsemen burning and destroying the countrey before him and then lay encamped in the plaines of TIRANNA the lesse When Scanderbeg to proue the minds of his soldiors had cheerfully imparted vnto them such newes as was like to be the beginning of new labour and perill they were therewith nothing dismaied but readie to follow him with such cheerfulnesse of countenance mind as if they should haue gone to some great feast or banquet reckoning of them but as of the remnant of a discomfited army This cheerfulnesse of his souldiours Scanderbeg tooke as an assured token of his good successe and hauing all things in readinesse presently set forward and in short time came to the place where the enemie lay Iacuppe hearing of his comming remoued his campe into a corner of the plaine of TIRANNA neere vnto a little hill as a place of more safetie for his armie to lie in Scanderbeg taking the plaine encamped his armie in the same place from whence
to carrie newes home Calibeius and Cherseogles the Bassaes were in that flight both taken prisoners and afterwards presented to Caitbeius the Sultan at CAIRE with eighteene ensignes of the Turkes Sanzackes which are great men amongst them hauing euerie one of them the regiment and commaund of some one prouince or other and are in degree next vnto the Bassaes. Neither was the fortune of Baiazet his nauie at sea better than that of his armie at land for as it lay at rode vpon the coast of SYRIA at the mouth of the riuer Orontes which runneth by the famous citie of ANTIOCHIA his gallies were by tempest and rage of the sea put from their anchors and in the sight of their enemies swallowed vp of the sea or else driuen vpon the main and there with the surges of the sea beaten in peeces Baiazet not a little troubled with these losses both by sea and land at length with much adoe by his embassadours concluded a peace with the Sultan vnto whom he restored all such places as he had before taken from him for which the â—ultan deliuered vnto him Calibeius Cherseogles Achmetes and Ishender with all the rest of the â—urkes prisoners which he had in great number in his keeping â—hortly after this peace was concluded betwixt these two great and mightie princes Caitbeiâ—â— the Sultan died who of a Circassian slaue by manie degrees of honour and by the fauour of the Mamalukes his fellowes obtained the rich kingdome of Aegypt which he right worthely gouerned to his immortall praise by the space of two and twentie yeares commaunding at one time the great and rich countrey of AEGYPT with all AFFRIKE as farre as CIRENE Westward and IVDEA with a great part of ARABIA and all SYRIA vnto the great and famous riuer Euphrates Eastward In the latter end of his raigne he ouercome with the importunitie of his wife Dultibe an Arabian borne a woman of an hautie spirit joyned his sonne Mahomethes a young man of about foure and twentie yeares old with him in the fellowship of his kingdome that so possessed of it his father yet liuing hee might the better enjoy it after his death Contrarie to the custome of the Mamalukes who of long time had not vsed to haue their king by succession but by their free election Who grudging to be thus defrauded of their wonted choise immediatly after the death of Caitbeius slew Mahomethes his sonne and in a few moneths after foure mo who one after another without their good liking had aspired vnto the kingdome neither could they be contented vntill such time as that they had according to their wonted custome set vp a Sultan of their owne choise About the same time that the aforesaid peace was concluded betwixt the two great Mahometane princes Baiazet and Caitbeius Charles the French king was making great preparation against Alphonsus king of NAPLES giuing it out That after he had recouered that kingdome he would forthwith from thence inuade the Turkes dominions in GRaeCIA Which great attempt the haughtie king was induced to take in hand by the persuasion of diuers of his nobilitie but especially by the solicitation of Lodouicus Sfortia duke of MILLAN whereby the whole state of ITALIE was in short time after sore shaken and Sfortia himselfe author of those troubles at last carried away by the French miserably ended his dayes as a prisoner in FRAVNCE Alphonsus the Neapolitane king doubting the greatnesse of the French king his enemie entered into a confederation with certaine of the states of ITALIE against the French but especially with Alexander the sixt then Bishop of ROME for the beter assurance whereof he gaue his base daughter in marriage to Godfrey Borgia the Bishops sonne and made him prince of CARINVLA his other sonne Francis he entertained also in great pay to serue him in his wars And by his embassadour Pandonius Camillus lately returned out of FRANCE gaue Baiazet to vnderstand what the French king had purposed against them both requesting him to aid him with six thousand horsemen and as many foot against their common enemie promising to giue them honourable entertainement during those warres And to further the matter Alexander the great Bishop sent George Bucciarde a Ligurian skilfull in the Turkish language embassadour to Baiazet to declare vnto him with what great preparation both by sea and land the young French king desirous of honour and the enlargement of his kingdome was about to inuade NAPLES and then with what great power after he had dispatched his warres in ITALIE he purposed to passe ouer into GRaeCIA and that hee had to that end earnestly trauelled with him to haue Zemes his brother deliuered into his hands whom he desired to vse as a most fit instrument for the troubling of his state and empire by reason of his many friends yet that his Holinesse hauing the French in distrust as a proud and ambitious people as also carefull for the danger of the citie of ROME and of the state of ITALIE in generall had entered into a confederation with Alphonsus king of NAPLES with their vnited forces to withstand that proud nation both by sea and land wanting nothing more for the accomplishment thereof than mony by which onely meanes Baiazet might as hee said prouide for the safetie of his kingdome in GRECIA if he would put to his helping hand to furnish them with mony for the entertainment of souldiors for as much as the citie of ROME and the kingdome of NAPLES were the surest wals of that side of the Othoman empire if hee not altogether refusing the charge would not spare for a little cost to maintaine the warre rather in that forraine countrey than to receiue it brought home to his owne dore concluding That it were much more commodious and easie with his treasures to represse his enemie in a strange countrey a farre off than by dint of sword and plaine battell in his owne A thing by experience well knowne that they which haue neglected and set at nought remote dangers for sparing of charge haue afterwards been enforced with greater danger to receiue the same into their owne bosomes when as they were become desperat and past remedie Baiazet who both by his espials and often letters and embassadours from Alphonsus knew all this to be true gaue great thankes to the bishop by his embassador for that he sitting in so high place did so friendly and in so good time admonish him both a stranger and of a contrarie religion of things of so great consequence yet for answere hee willed him to returne againe to his master with one Dautius his embassadour who should carrie with him both money and his other secret resolutions concerning those matters Amongst other things giuen him in charge was an Epistle written in Greeke wherein the barbarous king with great cunning persuaded the bishop to poyson Zemes his brother as a man of a religion altogether contrarie to his for indeed of
of the French out of NAPLES began now to turne his forces vpon the Christians and by his lieutenant Balt-beg Sanzacke of SILISTRA inuaded the countries of PODOLIA and RVSSIA being part of the Polonian kingdome where the Turkes did great harme and carried away many prisoners But comming againe the second time and making such like spoile as before they stayed so long that the cold of the Winter which in those countries is very extreame was now come on and in their returne as they were about to haue passed through MOLDAVIA they were by Stephanus prince of that countrey denied both passage and victuals and forced to take the way alongst the sea coast where many of them stragling from the armie were by the way cut off and slaine by the Moldauians and the rest what by the extremitie of the cold what for want of food and foulenesse of the way perished so that of that great armie very few returned home The Turks histories report That in this expedition were lost fortie thousand Turkes He sent also Cadumes one of his Bassaes into ILLIRIA who spoiling that countrey with a part of CROATIA was encountred by nine thousand Croatians and Hungarians neere vnto the riuer Moraua vnder the leading of countie Bernard Francopaine where after a cruell and bloudie fight the Christians were put to the worse and aboue seuen thousand of them slaine the rest saued themselues by flight through the mountaines and woods Of the Christians that were lost manie were drowned in Moraua chusing rather so to end their daies than to fall into the hands of their cruell enemies This ouerthrow was imputed to the Generall who would needs giue the Turkes battell in plaine field although he was earnestly entreated by countie Io. Torquatus to haue kept the straits of that countrey whereby he might haue had great aduantage of the enemie Torquatus himselfe hauing lost all his horsemen in that battell and his horse killed vnder him fought valiantly on foot vntill hee was by the multitude of his enemies oppressed and slaine The Bassa to giue Baiazet a sure testimonie of the victorie caused all the noses of the slaine Christians to be cut off and put vpon strings and so by wagon sent them as a barbarous present to CONSTANTINOPLE After the death of Charles the French king Lewes the twelfth of that name hauing obtained that kingdome writ himselfe also duke of MILLAN as discended of one of the daughters of Io. Galeatius first duke of MILLAN in which his supposed right he was fully resolued to make warre vpon Sfortia then duke of MILLAN And for his better successe in those warres sought by all meanes he could to draw some other of the princes and states of ITALIE into the fellowship of that intended warre but aboue all others the Venetians as most commodious for his purpose with whom he made a firme league and for the aid they were to giue him couenanted that they should haue for their share the citie of CREMONA with all the pleasant countrey about AEDVA then part of Sfortia his dominion which was afterwards accordingly performed Sfortia vnderstanding of this compact made aâ—â—inst him and knowing himselfe farre too weake of himselfe to stand against so puissant enemies attempted first to set Maximilian the emperour with the states of GERMANIE vpon the French king But that not sorting to his desire he sought to agree with the king by offering to hold his dukedome of him by paying him a yearely tribute After he had thuâ— in vaine proued all the meanes he could deuise to haue appeased the French king prouided for his own safetie he by his embassadors sent of purpose certified Baiazet of the confederation betwixt the French king and the Venetians and that their purpose was after they had oppressed him and some other of the states of ITALIE then with their vnited forces to inuade his dominions and that therefore it were good for him in time to looke vnto it and to giue aide against those which would in short time become his most dangerous enemies By this meanes the Duke was in good hope so to busie the Venetians by bringing the Turke vpon them as that they should stand the French in small stead At which time also the embassadours of FLORENCE did what they could to pricke forward the Turke to make warres vpon the Venetians for the malice they bare against them for protecting them of PISA against the oppression of the Florentines Baiazet persuaded by the embassadors and calling to remembrance the injuries before done him by the Venetians first in giuing aid to Iohn Castriot the sonne of Scanderbeg and Iohn Chernouich another prince of EPIRVS whereby he lost a great part of that countrey and was also farther enforced to yeeld to such conditions as altogither stood not with his honour and againe by denying to giue his fleet leaue to put into their harbours in CYPRVS in the time of his warres against the Sultan of AEGYIT all which he was glad then to endure for feare least that his brother Zemes then liuing should by their means be set vp against him promised now to do what these embassadours had requested glad in his mind that the discord of the Christian princes had presented vnto him so fit an opportunitie of reuenge Hereupon he made great preparation both by sea and land against the Venetians and vpon the sudden caused Scander Bassa his lieutenant in ILLYRIA with twelue thousand horse to breake into the countrey of FRIVLI part of the Venetian territorie vpon the frontiers of ITALIE The Bassa as he had in charge passing ouer diuers great riuers at length entred the countrey burning and destroying all before him as farre as LIQVENTIA carrying away with him all the poore countrey people prisoners But when he was come to the bankes of TILIAVENTVM and vnderstood that hee came too late to pleasure the duke of MILLAN for why the French with the Venetians had before without resistance driuen him quite out of ITALIE and GERMANIE he there with more then barbarous crueltie put foure thousand poore prisoners to the sword and so hauing filled the country with mourning and with bloud returned from whence he came loded with the spoile of that rich countrey At the same time also Baiazet put to sea such a fleet as none of his predecessors had before set forth and with a great armie in person himselfe marched alongst the sea coast of MOREA in such sort as that his armie by land and his fleet at sea as neere as they could kept euen pace the one within sight of the other Neither were the Venetians vnmindfull of themselues but set forth a strong fleet vnder the charge of Anthony Grimani their Admirall in number farre inferiour to the Turkes but for equipage strength skilfull marriners and all other manner of warlike prouision much superiour For which cause the Turkes although defied and braued by the Venetians yet durst not at the first joyne with
are supposed to haue had their beginning from the Galatians Capadocians Armenians and the old inhabitants of ASIA the lesse which by long and continuall wars in former ages and especially by the lamentable irruption of the Scythians were enforced to forsake their cities and dwellings and for safegard of their liues to flie into those rough and desolate mountaines These distressed people searching euery hill and euery daâ—e and following the opportunitie of the riuers and fountaines but especially the mildest temperature of the aire and fauourable aspect of the Sunne built in many places poore countrey villages and afterwards diuers faire townes where in processe of time they growing to better estate there rise vp some amongst them which ouerruling the rest ambitiously tooke vpon them the name of kings desiring to be had in regard and to bee feared of their neighbours although they commaunded but ouer rough woods and ragged rockes Neere vnto the confines of Aladeules kingdome is the citie Oâ—PHA which many suppose to haue been the famous citie EDESSA because that as yet there remaineth certaine monuments of Baldwin in Latine letters who after his brother Godfrey was possessed of HIERVSALEM is reported to haue taken EDESSA and there raigned Not farre from thence is also the antient citie AMYDA which at this day is called CARAMIDA joyning vpon MESOPOTAMIA which countrey lying betweene the two great riuers Euphrates and Tigris is now called DIAREECHA The cheefe citie of Aladeules kingdome was MARAS so called as may bee thought of the faire riuer Marsias running through it out of the mountaine CaeLENE taking the name of Marsias ouercome by Apollo and made famous by the verses of many learned Poets But Aladeules after he saw that Selymus with his armie was entered into the frontiers of his kingdome and drawing neere vnto him brought downe all his horsemen in number about fifteene thousand from the mountaines into a faire large valley commaunding his footmen whereof hee had great store to keepe the mountaines on the right hand and the left where hauing the high rockie mountains and strait passages much for his aduantage he determined in that place which he had long before chosen and fortified to expect the comming of his enemies Selymus considering the disaduantage of the place although hee perceiued the victorie could not without great losse of his men be obtained and before persuaded that his enemies would neuer haue willingly been drawne to battaile yet made no doubt to aduenture his fortune presuming vpon the multitude and strength of his armie Wherefore he commaunded Sinan Bassa the Eunuch whom hee had made generall of the Europeian horsemen in stead of Casan Bassa before slaine with a square battaile to charge the enemie afront for as much as the place would not suffer him to raunge his battaile in length nor to vse any wings and he himselfe with his Ianizaries and Asian horsemen followed after in the rereward Neither were the souldiors of Aladeules vnmindfull of themselues or of their king who valiantly fought in the head of the battaile but hauing spent their arrowes did couragiously receiue the furious assault of the Turkes and standing close to them still keeping the aduantage of the ground did with such force repulse them that the old beaten souldiors of the Turkes seemed little or nothing to preuaile either with their multitude or valour for the Turkes by reason of the straightnesse of the place could not enclose them on either side and were beside greeuously wounded by Aladeules footmen who standing vpon the sides of the hils with their darts and arrowes from aboue ouerwhelmed the Turkes in the valley When Selymus saw that Aladeules contrarie to his expectation made strong resistance and valiantly withstood his forces he drew certaine companies of harquebusiers out of his owne squadrons and sent them to relieue their fellowes and at the same instant commaunded the Ianizaries for all the danger to mount the hill Then the mountaine people terrified with the strangenesse of the shot and not able to abide the force therof by and by turned their backes and by knowne waies fled into their sure haunts in the mountains and woods fast by Yet the greatest slaughter fell amongst these footmen who when they saw the horsemen put to flight and the Ianizaries comming vp the hils against them did with much difficultie by steepe and broken waies clamber vp the high mountaines as oftentimes it falleth out that both the strength of meâ—s legs and other their wonted forces faile them most when surprised and ouercome with sudden feare they desire to run and flie fastest The Turkes hauing them in chase had the killing of them vntill the going downe of the Sunne The horsemen with the king vpon their swift horses well acquainted with those rockes and rough waies with little losse retired themselues into the further and stronger places of the mountaines Aladeules after this discomfiture finding himselfe in all things farre inferiour to his enemie thought it best by protracting the warre to wearie him out wherefore as the Turkes pursued him and burnt the poore countrey cottages standing in their way he still fled from mountaine to mountaine neuer offering battell or shewing himselfe but in places of great aduantage And therefore Selymus fearing least in that barren rough and vnknowne countrey he should either want vittaile or by some other meanes be entrapped if he should still with his whole armie follow after his strong enemies vpon the seauenth day left off to pursue them any farther And encamping himselfe in the most conuenient place of that countrey sent Sinan Bassa with his light horsemen who carrying with them certaine daies victuals should still at the heeles follow the enemie and with all speed and pollicie possible hunt after the king himselfe Selymus in the meane time curiously enquiring of the countrey captiues after the strength of Aladeules and what meanes hee had to maintaine the warre found that he had taken with him his best men both horse and foot and had commaunded the countrey people to forsake the villages of purpose to leaue all desolat to the enemie and hauing surely entrenched himselfe vpon a certaine strong rocke whither he had before conuaied great store of prouision was resolued not to giue battell vnto his enemies vntill he had drawne them into the impregnable straits of the mountaines where their hugie multitude should little auaile them but to increase their owne losse An other cause there was also as they said for that he feared to be betraied by Alis Beg his kinsman Generall of his horsemen who first fled in the late battell whose vnfaithfulnesse and hatred might seeme to proceed of a just ground for that Aladeules had in former time treacherously murthered his father vpon a jealous suspition of his aspiring to the kingdome Selymus vnderstanding all this caused the captiues to haue their irons struck off and in steed of their giues lading them with gifts and promises sent them to
since decaied and gone the old Mamalukes who in the time of Caitbeius were of some fame and reputation are all dead You shall in battell meet but with a sort of gallant horsebreakers rather than souldiours which can cunningly mannage their horses in sport to the pleasure of the beholders but know not how to encounter the enemie or to endure to be wounded who as carpet knights effeminat with long peace and corrupted with excesse and delicacie of their great cities neuer saw their foes entrenched or armed enemies neither euer heard the sound of a trumpet but at plaies or shewes Wherefore you are to make but small account of them being furnished with no store of ordinance or strength of footmen But as the reuerend interpretours of our sacred lawes and religion hauing orderly performed all their obseruances doe diuine vnto vs all happinesse so you as men full of hope set forward cheerfully vnto most assured victorie ouer your proud enemies For God no doubt fauoureth the quarrell of men iustly prouoked and offereth means of victorie to such as take vp iust and necessarie armes Yet to ouercome the enemie and to enioy the victorie in deed wholy consisteth in the courage and valour of them which deeme nothing better or more honourable than to spend their liues for the honour of their prince and countrey Here the Ianizaries shaking their weapons forthwith cried out with cheerfull voice That he should lead and conduct them whither soeuer he would saying That they were readie as couragious men to ouercome all the difficulties of those hard passages and patiently to endure all the labours and dangers incident to that warre Selymus by the mountaine people hauing found out the easiest passages resolued to passe ouer the mountaine with his armie in three places and so appointing three great companies of the common souldiours and countrey people for the opening of the straight passages he commaunded the rough and vneuen waies to bee made plaine and smooth for the transporting of his ordinance and the broken passages to be cast euen that so his baggage and carriages might the better passe and the more to encourage his souldiours to take paines he promised present reward to all such as in transporting of his ordinance should take any extraordinarie pains Wherby it came to passe that the same being of the smaller sort bearing bullet of no great height was in short time by the cheerfull labour of his souldiours drawne ouer those great hils and dales so that in fiue daies all his armie with his baggage and carriages were got ouer the mountaine TAVRVS and come into the plaines of COMAGENA For that mountaine where it taketh the name of AMANVS which is almost in the middle where the riuer Euphrates parteth the mountaine TAVRVS and the bay ISSICVS is neither exceeding high or yet impassable for as it commeth neerer the sea it is not so rough as elsewhere but is in many places inhabited and tilled by the mountaine Cilicians a fierce kind of people accustomed to labour and toile who are now called Caramannians which is to say the inhabitants of the blacke mountaines for that the burnt rocks of the mountaine seeme a farre off to be blacke Alis-beg which betraied Aladeules whom Selymus had a little before sent for as soon as the armie was come downe into the frontiers of the enemies country with a strong power of his light horsemen speedily ouerran all that countrey which is at the foot of AMANVS and TAVRVS therby to vnderstand of the countrey people and such as they could take prisoners where Campson lay with his armie and also by keeping the passages to doe what possibly might be done that Selymus his comming might not be knowne to the enemie But Campson who with no lesse vanitie than pride had fondly flattered himselfe onely by the authoritie greatnesse of his name to haue terrified Selymus and ouerruled him at his pleasure could not be persuaded that he was come ouer the mountaine AMANVS vntill certaine newes was brought him that he was encamped with a most puissant armie within two daies march of him With which vnexpected newes being sore troubled and in the middest of that danger to seeke counsell as one which began rightly to consider of his owne strength and the strength of his enemie began then to doubt what were best for him to doe and in great perplexitie sometime hoped well and by and by was as a man halfe discouraged and dismaied And now become exceeding carefull both of his honour and himselfe he began to doubt whether it were better for him to giue place to so great a danger and shunning battell to retire with his armie into places of more safetie or els couragiously to abide the comming of his enemies and to hazard the fortune of a battell although it were vpon great disaduantage Forasmuch as he reputed it farre more honourable after the example of his predecessors from whom he had receiued that great kingdome both gotten and kept by martiall prowesse to die with honour in the field than by shamefull and vnwoonted flight either to blemish their militarie glorie continued aboue the space of 300 yeares or for loue of a small remainder of life being now 77 yeares old to seeme willing to reserue vnto obloquie and shame his last daies depriued of all honour and reputation There were amongst his cheefetaines many which preferred wholesome counsell before that which was in shew more glorious but aboue all others one Iamburd surnamed Gazelles sometimes the follower of great Caitbeius a valiant man of great honour for his long experience in martiall affaires and at that time gouernor of APAMIA He as he was of opinion That to fight with the Turkes armie consisting for most part of expert soldiors with so small a power were a thing of desperat danger so was he also that it were good speedily to retire and to chuse the citie of DAMASCO as the fittest place for those warres for as much as the Turkes armie could make no hast after them by reason of their footmen and carriages so that they might at case and with safetie retire and there calling together all the Mamalukes which were in garrison in IVDEA and AEGIPT and entertaining the Arabians their neighbours to protract the warre vntill Winter when as they might easily distresse the enemie for want of victuall And that it was not to be feared that ALEPPO if it were furnished but with a reasonable garrison could by and by be taken of the enemie who had but small field peeces not fit for batterie Beside that in short time aide would come from the Persians out of MESOPOTAMIA yea and Hysmaell himselfe hearing of the Turkes expedition into SYRIA was like ynough to breake into ASIA the leâ—se neither would the Christians refuse to furnish them with great artillerie from the Islands of the RHODES and CYPRVS against that common enemie if they were thereto in time requested All which things being
vnâ—o him his chiefe commaunders quickly told them what he would haue done Now in this short moment of time he was to doe many things at once the signall was to be giuen for the souldiours to mount their horses and to make themselues readie the order of his campe was to bee changed his battell to be ordered his souldiours to be encouraged and all his great ordinance as the case required quite contrarie way to be turned all which things as they could but hardly and troublesomely by one commaunder be directed so were they hastily and disorderedly at once done by many But aboue all other things the great concourse of people for turning and remouing the great artillerie most troubled the well ordering of the rest for many of them were hugâ—e yron pieces of great waight made fast in stocks of wood with rings and yron claspes after the old and rude manner of ship ordinance which for their exceeding ponderous waight could not be out of their places remoued but by the strength of many horses and the great labour of men with leauers and roules put vnder them and such as were mounted vpon carriages when they were drawne through all parts of the campe with the great clamor of the disordered and hastie people some drawing some thrusting forward the same with their tumultuous stirre and doings wonderfully troubled the other souldiors as they were mounting to horse and repairing toward their ensignes But two things maruellously helped these difficulties the soldiors cheerefulnesse and constancie which was such as passeth credit For they did not vpon any apprehension of feare faile either in hope or courage as oftentimes it happeneth in suddaine accidents wherein euen the old approued souldiors doe many times faile of their wonted valor And although they were twice ouercome in battell yet still they were of greater spirit confidence as men destitute neither of courage or skill but onely of fortune Wherefore Tomombeius hauing with much adoe ordered his battell and his souldiors with great cheerefulnesse desiring the signall to be giuen commaunded all the multitude of his Arabians to compasse in the wings of the enemies battell behind and so to skirmish with them that so if it were possible the Turkes horsemen might with the danger of the doubtfull fight with such an vncertaine enemie be disordered before he set forward to charge them with his troupes and withall commaunded his great ordinance which was now turned vpon the enemie to be presently discharged So did the Turks likewise discharging at once from a conuenient distance both their greater and smaller ordinance and speedily recharging them brought them within an arrow shot so that for a good space they lay beating the one the other on both sides with their great artillerie onely in which manner of fight the Aegyptian canoniers were almost all slaine and many of their fieldpieces broken by force of the enemies shot For Selymus had in his camp many excellent and skilfull canoniers whom he had with great entertainement allured out of ITALIE and GERMANIE and especially of those refuce Iewes which by the zeale of king Ferdinand being driuen out of SPAINE afterwards to the shame of the Christians dispersed those rare and deadly deuices through the East The cheefe of these canoniers was one Iacobus è Regio Lepidâ— a cunning enginer who but a little before ouercome by the Turks rewards abjuting the Christian religion reuolted vnto the Mahometane superstition But after that the Mamalukes had brought the matter to battell on both sides they gaue out a most hideous and dreadfull crie and with exceeding furie assailed the Turkes in three places for Selymus still keeping his wonted order approched his enemies with his battell in forme of an halfe Moone Mustapha Bassa had the leading of the Asian horsemen in the right wing and Ionuses Bassa of the Europeians in the left he himselfe stood in the maine battell with the squadron of his trustie Ianizaries and great store of artillerie but Sinan the Eunuch Bassa generall of the field led after him a great number of most valiant horsemen drawne out of euery troupe to be readie against all the vncertaine euents that might happen in the battell vnto whom hee joyned fiue hundred harquebusiers Ianizaries men of wonderfull courage and actiuitie selected out of Selymus his owne squadron to relieue such part of the armie as should chance to be most pressed by the enemie So almost at one time whilest Tomombeius stood in the maine battell against Selymus and the wings of the Mamalukes with equall battell encountred the wings of the Turkes and the Arabians also valiantly charging them in the rereward as they had in charge foure sharpe battels were at once made in diuers places It is reported by some that were present in that battell that what for the clamour and crie of souldiors what for the noise of drums and trumpets and such like instruments of warre what for the thundering of ordinance clattering of armour and rising of the dust all mens minds were so confounded and abashed that running on headlong as men furious and desperat when neither their speeches could be heard their tokens knowne their ensignes seene or captaines vnderstood mistaking one another in that hurly burly they slew many of their friends in steed of their enemies for neuer battels met together with greater hatred neither did euer two great kings with lesse care of their persons and safetie more resolutely or desperatly make shew of their strength and courage For both of them with like danger both of themselues and of their armies seeing plainly that they had put both their liues and kingdomes to the hazard of a battell promised vnto themselues no other hope of safetie but what they should obtaine by victorie Gazelles desirous both of honour and of reuenge to require the Europeian horsemen with like slaughter as he had before receiued from them not far from GAZA with wonderfull furie assailed Ionuses Bassa and at the first encounter brake his first rankes and ouerthrew certain of his guidons at which time the Arabians pressing couragiously in at their backes enforced those victorious troupes which in all battels had hitherto carried away the prise the very flower of THRACIA THESSALIA EPIRVS MACEDONIA and GRaeCIA to flie and shew their backes which neuer enemie had before that time seene At which time Siâ—â—n Bassa carefully attending euery accident came speedily in with his most valiant troupes of fresh men vpon the side of the enemie and restored againe the battell now declining and foulely disordered But whiles Sinan who in this his last worthie labour had interrupted the manifest victorie of Gazelles was with an inuincible courage valiantly fighting in the head of his battell he was by the comming in of the courageous captain Bidon with his Mamalukes ouercharged and slaine His most valiant followers also labouring to rescue and carrie away his dead bodie were by Gazelles vnfolding his troupes that standing
and lay by heapes slaine in the ditches and breaches of the towne Solyman from his standing for that purpose made of high masts beholding the miserable slaughter of his men and no hope of gaining the citie caused a retreat to be sounded a thing welcome both to the Rhodians and the Turkes In this terrible assault which endured by the space of six houres diuers of the knights of the Order were slaine especially of the French and Spanish nation with a hundred and fiftie common souldiours all worthie of eternall fame and of the Turks as they which write most modestly report twentie thousand The yong tyrant was so much offended with the shamefull repulse he had receiued at this last assault that he fell into a rage against all them who had persuaded him to enter into that action but especially against the great Bassa Mustapha whom he accused as an vnfaithfull counsellour and cheefe persuader of that vnluckie warre who flattering him in his vaine humour by extolling his forces aboue measure falsely extenuating the power of the enemie assuring him that vpon the first approch of his armie they would yeeld themselues without resistance had drawne him into that dangerous expedition like to sort to the great dishonour of himselfe and all the Othoman familie for which doing he adjudged him worthie of death and in a great furie commanded the executioner without further delay to put him to death in his presence Which dreadfull doome so suddenly and vpon so light an occasion giuen vpon a man of so great marke and qualitie strucke such a terrour into the minds of all there present that none of them durst speake one word against the rigour of that sentence or so much as fet a sigh in pitying of his case The executioner now readie to giue the fatall stroke Pirrhus the most antient of all the Bassaes moued with compassion and presuming of his great fauour with the tyrant whom he had from his childhood had the charge and gouernment of stept foorth and appealing vnto his mercie earnestly requested him to spare his life Wherewith Solyman was so filled with wrath and indignation that for his presumption and for sending for him to CONSTANTINOPLE to come to that dangerous siege he commaunded him to be executed also All the rest of the counsellors seeing the danger of these two great men fell downe at the feet of the fuming tyrant crauing pardon saying That the enemies ground had alreadie drunke too much of the Turkish bloud and was not to be further moistened with the bloud of such two noble personages and worthie counsellors Solyman moued with this generall intercession of his great men pausing a little vpon the matter the heat of his furie being something ouer suffered himselfe to bee intreated and graunted them their liues vnto Pyrrhus for his great age and wisdome and to Mustapha for his wiues sake who was the tyrants naturall sister sometime the wife of Bostanges All the time of this siege the Turkes great fleet furnished with men and all manner of warlike prouision lay before the entrance of the hauen without doing any thing at all for the Admirall being no man of warre seeing the mouth of the hauen chained and the castles vpon the entrance full of ordinance and strongly manned durst not attempt either to enter the hauen or besiege the castles for which his cowardise and for that he had negligently suffered prouision both of victuall and munition to be conueyed into the citie during the time of the siege to the great releefe of the besieged he was by Solyman adjudged to die a most cruell death but by the mediation of Achimetes one of his best men of warre the seueritie of that sentence was changed into a punishment vnto any noble mind more grieuous than death it selfe For he was by Solymans commaundement openly set vpon the poupe of the admirall gallie and there as a slaue receiued at the hands of the executioner a hundred stripes with a cudgell and so with shame was thrust out of his office After that Solyman had in so many places with all his power so long time in vaine besieged the RHODES his haughtie courage began to quaile so that he was vpon point to haue raised his siege and left the Island yea the greefe he had conceiued went so neere him that he many times fainted and lay speechlesse as if he had been a dead man The remembrance of so many vnfortunat assaults the death of so many worthie captaines the losse of so many valiant souldiors sufficient to haue subdued a great kingdome so much grieued him that a great while after he shunned the companie of men and would not suffer himselfe to be spoken withall vntill at length he was againe by Abraham his minion a man in whom he tooke singular pleasure recomforted and persuaded to continue the siege for that Time as he said which worketh all things would at length tame the fiercenesse of his enemies whom the sword could not vpon the suddaine subdue In the meane time Solyman for his pleasure and to shew vnto the Rhodians that he purposed not to depart began to build a sumptuous castle vpon the top of the mount PHILERMVS in the eye of the citie During which time diuers letters were shot into the citie with Turkish arrowes out of the campe wherein many of Solymans most secret counsels were reuealed and the reuolt of a great man promised which the Rhodians by many circumstances gathered to haue been Mustapha who could not easily forget the injurie so lately offered vnto him by Solyman needs it must be some one of Solymans secret counsell otherwise he could not haue reuealed so great secrets as it were out of the bosome of Solyman But see the chance at the very same time tidings came vnto Solyman That Cayerbeius the gouernour of AEGIPT was dead in whose place Solyman sent Mustapha to CAIRE as gouernour of AEGIPT by that honourable preferment again to please his discontented mind after which time no more letters came into the citie Now the Turkes began to make faire warres their terrible batteries began to grow calme and for certaine daies it seemed by the manner of their proceeding that they purposed rather by long siege than by assault to take the towne Neuerthelesse the enemies watching day and night in their trenches vsed all the policie they could sometimes offering vnto the souldiors vpon the wals great rewards if they would yeeld vp the citie and sometimes threatening them as fast and to breed a dislike amongst the defendants they would oftentimes say that Solyman desired only to be reuenged vpon the Latines without meaning any harme vnto the Greekes It was now the beginning of October and Winter began to grow fast on great raine with terrible thunder and lightening and mightie tempests heauens threats then fell so abundantly that the Turks before wearied in bodie with labour and wounds were now also in mind
could by pollicie bring that to passe which he was otherwise with great danger to attempt by force Wherefore faining himselfe to be extreame sicke he sent embassadours to Alis requesting him as a friend to vouchsafe to come vnto him being at the point of death vnto whom he had many things of importance from the great emperour to impart and would if he should die leaue with him all his charge vntill Solyman should otherwise dispose thereof Alis who from his youth had alwaies honoured the Turkish emperours and faithfully serued them mistrusting no harme came to the Bassa accompanied with his foure sonnes whom the faithlesse Bassa without regard of infamie caused presently to be put to death with their father and so reducing all that countrey into the manner of a prouince vnder Solymans obeisance came to him with twentie thousand men about the time that the citie of the RHODES was yeelded vp This is the faithlesse dealing of the Turks not with the Christians onely but with them of their owne superstition also vsing it as no small pollicie vtterly to extinguish the nobilitie in all countries subject to their seruile tyrannie Solyman after he had thus subdued the RHODES and disposed of the Island as he liked best returning to CONSTANTINOPLE brake vp his armie and for the space of three yeares after followed his pleasure not doing any thing worthie of remembrance During which time and many yeares after the rich and flourishing countrey of ITALIE sometime mistres of the world was miserably afflicted and rent in peeces by Charles the fift then emperour and Francis the French king the one enuying vnto the other the glorie of the empireâ—punc and he not content therwith seeking with immoderat ambition to make himselfe lord of all ITALIE most of the other Christian princes and states being at the same time either by the one or by the other drawn into the fellowship of that warre to the great trouble and sore weakening of the Christian common-weale Whereupon Solyman waiting all occasions that might serue for the enlarging of his empire and annoying of the Christians thought it now a fit time for him to set his foot into HVNGARIE whereinto he had alreadie laied open a way by the taking of BELGRADE He knew right well that Lewes then king of HVNGARIE was but yong altogether vnacquainted with the warres commaunding ouer his headstrong subjects especially his rich prelates and nobilitie no otherwise than pleased themselues being himselfe rather by them altogether ouerruled Besides that he was in good hope that the other Christian princes neere vnto him either carried away with regard of their owne estate would not or els before vnto himselfe by league fast bound could not affoord vnto him any great aid or succour The Germanes hee knew would make small hast vnto such warres as should yeeld them much danger and but small pay As for the princes of the house of AVSTRIA Charles the emperour and Ferdinand his brother although they were joined vnto the young king with the neerest bonds of alliance Lewes hauing married Marie their youngest sister and Ferdinand Anne king Lewes his sister yet was there as he thought small helpe to be expected from them Charles hauing his hands full in ITALIE and Ferdinand altogether carefull of himselfe And that Sigismund king of POLONIA would for the young kings sake breake the antient league he had with the Turkish emperors he could hardly be persuaded As for other Christian princes farther off he stood not in any great doubt Thus hauing with himselfe singled out this young prince the Hungarian king whom he had in his greedie mind alreadie deuoured he set forward from CONSTANTINOPLE and was come on his way as far as SOPHIA in SERVIA with a mightie armie of two hundred thousand men before that the Hungarians had any knowledge of his comming so blind sencelesse was that state which now sleeping in securitie had long before lost those eyes which euer watcht and neuer spared cost or paines to keepe the same in safetie in stead of whom were others come in place sharpe of sight and too too prouident for that concerned their owne aduancement but blind as beetils in foreseeing this great and common danger wherewith they were shortly after all quite ouerwhelmed vntill it was now brought home vnto their owne dores The yong king of himselfe but weake by reason of his youthfull yeares and nothing strengthened by them for whom he had most done and should haue beene his greatest stay was wonderfully dismayed with the fame of the approch of so mightie an enemie yet the better to withstand him he sent embassadors with all speed vnto the Christian princes his neighbors requesting their aid against the common enemie but all in vaine In the meane time after the auntient manner of his countrey he gaue out generall summons for the assembly of his counsell for the warres whether his great stipendarie prelates of dutie bound to appeare came with their troupes of euill appointed horsemen and not halfe full who also deliuered in lesse summes of money by farre than of right they should haue done towards the maintenance of the charge of that common war And the temporall nobilitie forgetting the warlike discipline of their famous ancestors as fresh water souldiors which had neuer seene the Turkish emperour in his strength and but little acquainted with some light skirmishes or small inuasions in their vaine brauerie made light account of the Turkes proudly vaunting That although they were in number but few yet they would easily ouerthrow the great numbers of them if euer they came to handâ—e strokes But aboue all the rest one Paulus Tomoreus archbishop of COLOSSA sometimes a Minorite who had before been in diuers light skirmishes against the Turks with great insolencie did so confidently brag and boast of the victorie he vainely dreamed of that in his sermons vnto the souldiours and in open talke with the nobilitie if he could haue done so much as he vaunted of it should seeme that he himselfe had been ynough to haue ouerthrowne the Turks whole armie But when all the kings armie was assembled and a generall moster taken there was hardly found fiue and twentie thousand men in all horse and foot So that the foolish hardinesse of Tomoreus and others so forwards to giue the Turks battell was of most wise men disliked The old souldiors and men of great experience said plainely That it was meere follie and madnesse with such a handfull of men to giue battell vnto the enemie who would bring eight times so many moe into the field as they were Wherefore some wished that the young king should be withdrawne from the imminent danger amongst whom Stephanus Verbetius a noble captaine of all the rest best acquainted with the Turkish warres gaue counsell that the person of the yong king should for the safetie of the common state whatsoeuer should happen be kept out of
behind them all such vnnecessarie baggage and appointed what carriages should suffice for euery companie whereat the souldiors began at the first to murmure and presently after to arise vp in mutinie for many of the captains being rich and disliking of that long and dangerous expedition couertly incited the common souldiors to crie out vpon Vastius the Generall for their pay alreadie due Which thing once put into their heads and the matter set on foot quickly grew to that heat that they all with one voice said flatly That they would goe no foot further before they had receiued their pay Vastius although he well perceiued that tumult to be raised by some of his enemies which sought thereby to lighten his credit was glad for all that for the present to dissemble the matter and yeelding to the necessitie of the time to content the mutinous souldiors with one months pay promising them their full contentment at such time as they should come vnto the emperour and so when he had with much adoe appeased that tumult he set forward into GERMANIE Immediatly after the Spaniards followed the Italians who with such cheerefulnesse offered themselues to that seruice that euery captaine brought with him twice so many in his companie as was expected so that Vastius who before doubtfull of their forwardnesse in so dangerous a warre especially in the aid of the Germanes of whom they had in the late warres receiued great harmes had by great and earnest persuasions induced diuers of the nobilitie and others of the better sort to enter into that honourable action in hope that they would draw after them great numbers of their friends and tennants as indeed they did was now glad to send backe again many of the common souldiors by reason of the multitude and also to his great discredit and the offence of many full sore against his will to displace most part of those forward gentlemen whom he had but a little before made captaines who to their no small charge had gallantly furnished themselues according to their degrees and places for the emperour had then appointed what number of Italians he should bring and also giuen commaundement That rejecting the rest he should commit the leading of them onely to those old expert captaines of whose valour and discretion he had before had good experience These were Martius Columna Petrus Maria Rubeus Philippus Torniellus Ioannes Baptista Castalius Fabritius Maramaldus Pyrrhus Stipicianus and Camillus Columna being all men of great worth and approoued faith towards the emperour In these Italian companies were fourteene thousand select footmen beside many other braue men who voluntarily resorted from diuers places to VIENNA After these footmen followed Ferdinand Gonzaga with two thousand horsemen and certaine troupes of Grecians and Spaniards and with them came many noble gentlemen out of all parts of ITALIE who had before beene great commaunders but now serued as priuat gentlemen voluntarily without charge or pay accounting it a great shame to tarrie at home as cowards and not to be present in that religious warre The emperour also about the same time hauing taken view of his horsemen come out of the low countries most excellently appointed and shipping his great ordinance whereof hee had bought great store at NVRVMBERGE departed downe the riuer from RATISBONE to LINTZ The riuer of Danubius neuer carried so many vessels and souldiours since the time of the great Romane emperours as it did at that present And yet besides them which went downe the riuer by shipping the pleasant bankes on both sides were filled with great companies of horsemen and footmen passing all alongst the riuer vnder their colours with their drums and trumpets sounding which altogither made the most glorious shew that a man could well behold vpon earth In the meane while Solyman in six and fiftie daies march come to BELGRADE thrust ouer the great riuer Sauus by bridges made in diuers places an infinit number of his horsemen into HVNGARIE and leauing Danubius on the right hand turning a little vpon the left marched directly towards the rich countrey of STIRIA called in auntient time VALERIA and now STIERMARKE By the way as he went he came to the little towne of GVNZA which one Nicholas Iureschitz a man of an inuincible courage kept with a small garrison of his own This towne standeth in a plaine not farre from the citie of SABARIA built square and but of a small compasse not verie strongly walled a poore obscure thing neuer famous till now by the great dishonour that the great Turkish emperour Solyman there receiued Abraham the chiefe Bassa who so absolutly commaunded amongst the Turkes as if Solyman had receiued him into the fellowship of the empire with himselfe was verie desirous to saue this captaine Nicholas for that he knew him to be a man of great courage and was familiarly acquainted with him at such time as he lay embassadour at CONSTANTINOPLE wherefore he attempted first by gentle persuasions and large offers and afterwards by most terrible threats to induce him to yeeld the towne vnto Solyman But finding him so resolutly set downe that he was neither by faire nor foule meanes but onely by force to be remoued out of his towne he enclosed the same round about with the hugie armie of the Turks and by mines ouerthrew the wals in three places Which sudden breach whilest the garrison souldiours most valiantly defended against the furious assault of the Ianizaries on the South side of the town the Bassa planting his field pieces vpon the hils on the North side did from thence grieuously annoy the defendants who fiercely assailed by their enemies before and beaten with the great ordinance behind were grieuously distressed Wherewith the worthie Gouernour somewhat troubled though not much discouraged suddenly of timber and boords raised vp a curtaine twelue foot high at the backs of his souldiours wherwith they were so couered from the sight of their enemies that they could not make any certaine shot at them but onely shot at that curtaine at all aduentures not doing any thing so great harme as before and with desperat and restlesse labour in despight of all the Turkes great power repaired the breaches in as strong manner as at the first In the meane time two hundred of the Turks horsemen stragling from the campe and seeking after bootie into the country as farre as NEOSTAT were by the Hungarian horsemen intercepted and all slaine or taken whose heads the Hungarians brought to VIENNA and the more to encourage the souldiours which daily repaired thither in token of good lucke set them vp vpon stakes vpon the wals of the citie Then was it certainly knowne of the prisoners that Solyman had in his campe fiue hundred thousand men and three hundred field pieces which were not of greater bignesse but that a camell might well carrie one of them being taken from the carriage for why Solyman purposing by destroying the countrey before
skirmishes when he could take the enemie at aduantage The day appearing Lodronius againe awaking heard a certaine confused noise of the Turkes and withall saw himselfe forsaken of the greatest part of the horsemen whereupon he complained in vaine that he was betraied yet for all that he was nothing discouraged but cheered vp the footmen exhorting them to remember their former valour and to resolue with themselues only with courage to ouercome the danger which hard fortune had at that time brought them into for that valiant men were rather to thinke of an honourable death than shamefull flight whereby whether they should escape with life or not was vncertaine As for himselfe who had been their happie Generall in many battels he said he was resolutely set downe by repulsing the enemie to bring them into place of safetie or else valiantly fighting togither with them to end his daies As Lodronius was yet thus encouraging the footmen the horsemen of CARINTHIA SAXONIE AVSTRIA and BOHEMIA who mindfull of their duetie had in vaine expected the appointed signall from the Generall came to Lodronius as vnto the most valiant captaine beseeching him in steed of their treacherous Generall to take vpon him the place promising to doe whatsoeuer he commaunded and to fight as men against those infidels for their religion and king so long as they were able to hold vp their weapons Lodronius would in no case accept of that honour so franckly offered modestly protesting himselfe vnworthie thereof Yet as a man of courage and moued with the hard estate of such an armie he with a solemne protestation promised to execute the place in the best manner he could and so did as long as his fortune gaue him leaue It is reported that as Lodronius was encouraging the footmen and earnestly inuaying against shamefull flight an old German souldior was so bold as bluntly yet sharpely to say vnto him Worthy Lodronius thou canst neuer be thought to flie shamefully with a horse of such a price vnder thee Lodronius perceiuing the old souldiors meaning alighted and with his sword hoxed his horse saying alowd This day valiant souldiors shall you haue me both your Generall and fellow souldior fighting on foot as one of your selues see now that you deceiue noâ— my expectation but let vs either with glorious victorie or honourable death end this warre togither yet so as that we die not vnreuenged All his other horses he gaue away vnto such sicke and wounded souldiors as he best knew amongst whom was one Picenard of CREMONA a captaine who was then in an extreame fit of an ague and had hardly escaped the hands of the enemie The first troupes of horsemen and bands of footmen were scarcely out of the campe with their ensignes but the Turkes comming on with a hideous crie assailed them on euerie side and many sharpe skirmishes were giuen vnto the horsemen as they marched with such euent that the Christians sometime valiantly receiuing the enemies charge and sometime charging them againe repulsed the proud enemie still busie with them In these continuall skirmishes Antius Maceâ— Fâ—â—hstat Generall of the Carinthian horsemen fighting valiantly was slaine being for his braue armouâ— supposed by the Turkes to haue beene the Generall of the field And by like mishap â—oure and twentie horsemen of great name were slaine also and their guidon taken amongst these were three noblemen Andreas Reschius Christophorus Hernaus and Georgius Himelbergâ—â— In another place was made a most cruell skirmish with the Saxon horsemen and them of 〈◊〉 THVRINGIA and FRANCONIA who followed the Saxons ensigne of these fighting most valiantly was slaine aboue 36 worthie captaines lieutenants or ancients and Chuenriâ—â—â— a principall captaine of the Saxons taken who afterwards died in bonds â—mongst the Turks Amongst them which were slaine Sebastianus Methesâ—us and Iacobus Scullemburgh were of greatest nobilitie In like manner the horsemen of AVSTRIA couragiously resisting the enemie for a space were in the end ouerthrowne where amongst them was slaine two valiant noblemen Fettaius and Hofchirchius with diuers other men of great place and reputation both in their own countrey and abroad But the greatest slaughter was made amongst the Bohemian horsemen vpon whom being disordered by the Ianizaries harquebusiers the Turkish troupes of the old garrison souldiors breaking in with their scimitars and heauie yron mases made a most bloudie execution The battell of footmen being sore gauled and almost disordered in their march by certaine companies of Ianizaries and archers of the Asapi who from a woodie banke of a marrish discharged their shot and arrowes continually vpon them yet neuer comming to handy blows was on the other side so hardly charged by Amurathes with his troupes of horsemen of BOSNA that being not able longer to keepe order it was at last by him broken and cut in peeces where the Turks with their swords and hatchets slew the poore Christians without mercie Lodronius himselfe carried away with the breaking in and force of the horsemen was driuen into a marrish where after that he being sore wounded and almost fast in the deepe mud had done the vttermost of that his last endeuour he by the faire entreatie of the Turks persuading him rather to yeeld than there to be slaine so yeelded himselfe that he with three companies which were with him after they had laid downe their weapons were all saued as valiant souldiors for now the mercilesse Turkes embrued with the Christian bloud were wearie of slaughter and began greedily to seeke after the spoile hunting after them who flying dispersedly thought themselues to haue escaped the enemies hands with such successe that a great number of them was taken and led away for slaues few of the footmen escaped and almost all the rest which were not fled before the battell were to be seene dead vpon the ground This shamefull ouerthrow at EXEK was reported to haue exceeded the most grieuous ouerthrowes that the Christians had receiued in any former time for the flower both of horse and foot there lost by the rashnesse and fault of an vnluckie Generall rather than by the valor of the enemie ruthfully perished so that many prouinces were filled with heauinesse and mourning For it neuer chanced before as was to be seene by the vnfortunat battels of Sigismund the emperour and king Ladislaus that the Turks got such a victorie without some losse so that they which fell almost vnreuenged at EXEK may seeme to haue augmented that losse by the great infamie thereof Mahometes hauing thus almost without the bloud of his souldiors obtained so great a victorie and taken the spoile of the Christian campe pitched his tents in a little meddow being cleansed of the dead bodies and after he had merrily feasted with his captaines commanded the cheefe prisoners the goodly spoiles and fairest ensignes to be brought vnto him and openly commending the captaines who had that day done any good seruice commaunding diuers bags of money to
of his liberalitie promised vnto the other confederats that they should for reasonable price haue as much wheat as they would out of SICILIA without paying any custome Solyman vnderstanding of this confederation and preparation made against him by these Christian princes commaunded Barbarussa his Admirall to make readie his fleet to goe against these enemies and to doe all the harme he could vpon the Islands subject to the Venetian state Which thing Barbarussa with great care and diligence in short time performed and so with a hundred and thirtie gallies in most warlike manner appointed with the first of the Spring in the yeare 1538 departed from HELLESPONTVS directly to CRETE where hauing passed the promontorie of GYAMVS which at this day is called SPARTA he vnaduisedly landed most part of his men to haue surprised the citie CANEA which was in auntient time called SYDONIA For Grittus one of the Venetian Senatours then kept the citie with a strong garrison who from the wals and bulwarkes thereof so plagued the Turkes with great and small shot and the sallying out of two companies of Italians that Barbarussa hauing lost many of his men was faine to retire againe to his fleet in such hast that he left behind him a thousand of his Turkes which were gone further into the Island after bootie who were afterwards all slain by them of CRETE After that he attempted to haue taken diuers places in the Island and was euery where notably repulsed With the citie of CANDIA whereof the Island now taketh name and was in antiâ—nt time called CYTHEVM he durst not meddle but sayling almost round about the Island tooke onely CECILIA a little towne before forsaken of the inhabitants which he set on fire and so departed from CRETE for he was aduertised that Vincentius Capellius the Venetian admirall who was now come to CORCYRA would in short time come to releeue them of CRETE Auria Admirall of the emperours fleet passing the strait of MESSANA came to CORCYRA also and there joyned with the Venetians The Christian fleet was then so great that it was thought the Turkes durst not meet it at sea but by all meanes shun to giue battell For Barbarussa then lay with the Turkes fleet in the bay of AMBRACIA expecting when the Christians should enter the straight entrance thereof where he had on both sides placed diuers peeces of great Ordinance to haue sunke them in their comming in for Grimanus the Patriarch a little before departing from CORCYRA had with the great Bishops gallies begun to besiege PREVESA a towne vpon the promontorie of ACTIVM fast by that strait and landing some of his soldiors with three great peeces of artillerie so battered the castle of PREVESA that he was like ynough to haue taken it had not the Turks from AETOLIA come to relieue it with a strong power both of horse and foot Wherefore the Patriarch shipping againe his men and ordinance returned to the fleet at CORCYRA not repenting him of his journey for that he had well viewed the straits of that bay and all the enemies fleet riding at anker within it Vpon the returne of the Patriarch and relation made what he had both done and seene the great commaunders of the Christian fleet entred into counsell what course were best to take for their better proceeding in that great act on Gonzaga the viceroy Generall of the land forces was of opinion That it was best to land the souldiors and great ordinance and with all their force to assault the castle of PREVESA which once taken and their ordinance there placed the enemies fleet might in the bay be vtterly defeated for that all pasâ—â—gâ— to sea might easily be taken from them by sinking of one of their great ships in the mouth of the strait and by moaring there of three great galleons full of artillerie so that if Barbarussa would desperatly aduenture to come out he must needs bee sunke in the mouth of the bay Whereunto Auria replied That Gonzaga his counsell was in words and shew glorious but to be put in execution most dangerous for that first to land the souldiors and great artillerie hee said was a thing too too full of hazard and perill for it was to bee thought that the Turks in AETOLIA would as they had before done come with speed with their horsemen to relieue the besieged in the castle whose force the Christian footmen could hardly abide Besides that if the fleet should by force of weather be constrained to forsake that coast as it well might Autumne now comming fast on after the souldiors were landed from whence should they then get any victuall in the enemies countrey or what releefe should they hope for if they should hap to be distressed being on euery side beset with their enemies and their friends by tempest driuen from them Wherefore he thought it best if the enemie could not be drawn out of the bay to battell to goe directly into the bay of NAVPACTVM to take that towne which was not greatly fortified and so to ransacke and spoile all the townes euen to the bottome of the bay of CORINTH which the Graecians in the fleet said might easily be done By taking of which course it might so fall out that Barbarussa moued with the danger of his friends would for shame come out and joyne with them in battell This counsell of Auria was best liked both of Capellius and the Patriarch being farre more desirous to fight with their enemies at sea than at land Auria hauing put in order his fleet came to PREVESA and so to the strait of the bay of AMâ—RACIA where he so placed the whole fleet which was in number two hundred and fiftie saile that it might easily of the enemie be numbred Which sight as it was reported wonderfully troubled Barbarussa who although he was of a courageous disposition and such a man as greatly feared not either the valor or martiall discipline of the Christians yet was he exceedingly moued with the sight of so great a fleet so well appointed for a greater had not of long time been seene in the Ionian sea So that an eunuch of Solymans court sent by him as Barbarussa his companion seeing him to delay the time as a man halfe discouraged did with most vnciuile and proud words take him vp because he would not forthwith goe out of the bay and fight with the Christians which lay at the mouth thereof daring of them wherein he was not as he said to regard his owne safetie who as a coward could not endure the sight of the enemie but the honour of Solyman his soueraigne who would not take it well to haue the glorie of his name stained with so shamefull a delay for if he were a valiant and martiall man as he professed himselfe to be he ought neuer to despaire of victorie And if it should so fall out that fortune should frowne vpon them and not
of the emperour and king Ferdinand thinking that they would haue come downe to BVDA with a puissant armie was resolued to be present himselfe at so notable a battell and was therefore comming thither with his armie in all hast Wherefore Perenus thus forewarned said plainly to Rogendorff and the other captaines That except they would presently rise with the armie and depart he would now whiles he had yet time make shift for himselfe and his countrey men Their opinions diuersly deliuered at last they all agreed that it was best the next night to passe ouer the riuer to PESTH only the Generall vpon a fatall obstinacie said He would not without king Ferdinands commaundement depart from BVDA and therfore sent countie Salma with a swift pinnace vp the riuer to VIENNA to know his pleasure therein In the meane time vrged with feare Perenus fretting at their long stay it was resolued vpon that they should the next night after the Moone was downe passe ouer the riuer in foure conuoies to PESTH In the first were to passe ouer the Hungarians with the great ordinance in the second the German and the Bohemian horsemen and in the other two the footmen and the baggage of the armie For it was not so easie a matter to make a bridge ouer Danubius as they had at first supposed for after they had begun it and almost planked it there rise such a wind and tempest and the violent riuer became so rough that the timber wherewith the bridge was fastened togither was broken the joints vnlosed and many of the boats whereof the bridge was framed their cables being broken were carried away with the force of the streame The first and second conuoy fortune so well fauoured that they passed well ouer for although they of BVDA and the Turkes seeing in the day time from their high places the fleet drawing togither into one place might haue some suspition of the matter some ghessing one thing and some another yet could they foresee nothing of the sudden departure of the enemie But that multitude of ships and boats now passing too and fro could not long deceiue the attentiue and vigilant enemie and so much the lesse for that two fugitiue Hungarians euen then discouered vnto the bishop the flight of the Germans who presently certified the Bassa and the other Mahometes thereof which without farther delay came almost with all their power to assault the Christians in their camp the great ordinance was brought forth and after the Ianizaries other footmen followed the horsemen dismounted froÌ„ their horses to do the better seruice who all with a horrible crie assailed the trenches Then began the Germans to quaile their flight being now discouered yet did they with the Bohemians for a while notably resist the enemie All the campe was filled with tumult and confusion and especially at the riuer side euerie man in that great feare striuing to get aboord without regard of order or shame for the dead time of the night then couered with darke and thicke clouds made all things more terrible euen vnto them which were of best courage the authoritie of Rogendorff the Generall in the darknesse of the night and so great damour both of his owne people and of the enemie and the thundring of the ordinance was as nothing He besides that he was then sicke in mind lay in his bed wounded by a wonderfull and fatall chance for as he was writing letters to the king a faulcon shot out of the enemies campe falling in his tent and striking in sunder a chest which stood there wounded him grieuously in the left shoulder with a splinter of the same The other captaines of the footmen enuying that the horsemen were so well escaped stood as men more carefull of themselues than of the common danger faintly resisting the enemie The vppermost tents wherein Perenus lay were first taken by Mahometes of BELGRADE and Valentinus and the German footmen chased all ouer S. Gerrards mount They of BVDA also sallied out and entred the campe on that side which was next vnto the citie and with wild fire burnt the tents a little before forsaken by the Germans And the bishop at the same time caused a great stacke of straw standing by the kings stables neere vnto the riuers side to be set on fire which gaue such a light that a man might haue seene all ouer Danubius vnto the wals of PESTH as if it had been light day whereby the great confusision of the Christian armie by land as well as the shamefull flight by water was of the Turkes plainly discouered Then was the great artillerie from euerie place discharged vpon the flying fleet as well from BVDA as the Turks campe And to encrease the feare Cason the Turkes Admirall rowing with his light boats against the streame set vpon the ships crossing the riuer to PESTH where he tooke certaine boats loded with souldiors and with his great ordinance sunck diuers others so that the riuer was filled with dead bodies and the miserable companie of souldiors and mariners labouring to saue their liues by swimming for at such time as the Ianizaries hauing slaine the first companies were broken into the lower campe and the rest of the Germans flying ouer the bridge into the little island were there slaine without mercie by the Turkes pursuing them many of them leapt into the riuer and there perished Three hundred saile of one sort of ships and other were so confused and mingled togither that Danubius seemed that night to haue beene couered ouer as if it had beene with a great bridge But the Christian fleet seeing all lost cleered themselues so soone as they could of the Turks and so beating them backe with their great ordinance out of the poupes of their ships got vp the riuer to COMOâ—A The rest of the land forces endured the same fortune in the campe of whom the Bohemians died most honourably slaine by the enemie in fight Many falling into the hands of them of BVDA were saued or slaine as was their fortune to fall into the power of a mercifull or mercilesse man But the sunne rising plainly discouered the slaughter of the Christians and the victorie of the Turkes not so well before knowne There was about 3000 men of one sort and othâ—â— who in warlike manner had taken a little hill by Saint Gerrards church and there stood vpon their guard vntill such time as more than two thousand of them were slaine the rest casting away their weapons yeelded in hope of life and were reserued for a spectacle more grieuous than death it selfe At the same time Cason with his victorious fleet comming to the shoare of PESTH brought such a feare vpon them that were escaped thither and might easily haue defended the wals only with the crie of his souldiors and the thundring of the artillerie that the horsemen for hast to get out were like to ouerrun one another The Germans had at that
any thing of the fleet fell into the bay amongst them before they were aware the bigger whereof Viscontes Cicada stemmed with his gallie and sunke him the other with wonderfull celeritie got into the hauen In the meane time Mendoza with his gallies had passed the promontorie of Apollo now called the cape of CASSINEVS and in token of honour saluting the emperour after the manner at sea with all his great Ordinance gaue him knowledge that the Spanish fleet was not farre behind In this fleet was aboue a hundred tall ships of BISCAY and the low countries and of other smaller vessels a farre greater number In these ships besides the footmen was embarked a great number of braue horsemen out of all parts of SPAINE for many noble gentlemen had voluntarily of their own charge gallantly furnished themselues with braue armour and courageous horses to serue their prince and countrey against the Infidels Ouer these choice men commaunded Ferdinand of TOLEDO duke of ALBA for his approoued valour then accounted a famous captaine These ships going altogether with sailes were not yet able to double the cape as did Mendoza with his gallies for now it was a dead calme howbeit the billow of the sea went yet high by reason of the rage of the late tempest and did so beat against the plaine shore that it was not possible to land the souldiors but that they must needs be washed vp to the middle which thing the emperour thought it not good to put them vnto and so to oppose them seasicke and thorow wet against the sudden and desperat assaults of their fierce enemies He also stayed for the comming of the Spanish ships for two causes first that he might with his vnited power more strongly assault the citie and terrifie the enemie then to communicat the whole glorie of the action with the Spaniards at whose request and forwardnesse and greatest charge he had vndertaken that warre Which fatall delay of two dayes although it was grounded vpon good reason did not onely disturbe an assured victorie but to the notable hurt of the whole armie opened a way to all the calamities which afterwards ensued In the meane while the emperour sent a conuenient messenger to Asanagas otherwise and more truly called Assan-Aga or Assan the eunuch who with a little flag of truce in his hand making signe of parley and answered by the Moores with like as their manners is went on shore and was of them courteously receiued and brought to Assan This Assan was an eunuch borne in SARDINIA brought vp from his youth in the Mahometane superstition by Barbarussa a man both politicke and valiant and by him left for the keeping of his kingdome of ALGIERS in his absence with Solyman This messenger brought into his presence required him forthwith to deliuer the citie first surprised by force and trecherie by Horruccius and afterwards to the destruction of mankind fortified by Hariadenus Barbarussa his brother to Charles the mightie emperour come in person himselfe to be reuenged on those horrible pyrats which if he would doe it should be lawfull for the Turks to depart whether they would and for the naturall Moores to abide still with their goods and religion wholly reserued vnto them vntouched as in former time and for himselfe he should receiue of the emperour great rewards both in time of peace and warres so that he would remember himselfe that he was born in SARDINIA and was once a Christian and accept of the fairest occasion which could possibly be offered for him to returne againe to the worshipping of the true God and to enjoy the fauour and bountie of the most mightie emperour and withall to reuenge himselfe of the cruell tyrant Barbarussa for the vnnaturall villanie done vnto his person But if he would needs dallie on the time and make proofe of the strength of so great a preparation he should vndoubtedly with the rest of his followers receiue the same reward of his obstinacie which they had to the example of others receiued at TVNES Wherunto the vngratious eunuch answered That he thought him altogether mad that would follow his enemies counsell and with a grinning countenance asked him Vpon what hope the emperour trusted to be able to win the citie the messenger pointing with his finger directly to the fleet told him That which you see with his great artillerie and valour of his souldiors both horse and foot Whereat the eunuch scornefully laughing replied And we with like force and valour will defend this citie and make this place alreadie famous for your ouerthrowes here twice now the third time of all others most famous by the emperours discomfiture It is reported that there was in ALGIERS an old witch famous for her predictions who had as it was said foretold the shipwrackes and miserie of Didaco Verra and Hugo Moncada to them of ALGIERS and also prefixed a time when as the Christian emperour aduenturing to besiege that citie should there receiue great losse both by sea and land The fame of which blind prophecie seruing fitly to confirme the hope of good successe in the minds of the vulgar multitude Assan so fed and augmented although hee himselfe being a craftie wise fellow beleeued no such vanitie that he did therewith not only encourage his owne souldiors but also strucke a terror into the minds of the weaker sort of his enemies seeing themselues cast vpon so dangerous a coast vpon the approch of Winter There was in garrison in the citie but eight hundred Turkes and most of them horsemen but such as whose valour and resolution farre exceeded their number For Assan had lost many of his best men some in fight against Mendoza and othersome at sea slaine or taken by Auria in CORSICA and in other places by the Rhodian Neapolitane and Sicilian gallies but many moe were by his leaue gone to aid the Moores against the Portingals the other multitude did scarce make vp the number of fiue thousand which were partly naturall Moores borne in that countrey and partly such as were born in GRANADO to whom was joyned many fugitiues out of the islands of MAIORCA and MINORCA who in former time hauing entred into rebellion and fearing condigne punishment were fled to ALGIERS and there reuolted to the Mahometane superstition But the captaines of the wild Numidians made vp a great number both of horse and foot which lying stragling without the citie in the open fields should night and day vex and molest the Christians This brutish people naturally enemies vnto the Christians had Assan with rewards and hope of a rich spoile allured out of the countries thereabout to aid him neither was it lawfull for any man to carrie his wife or children out of the citie into places of more safetie farther off or to shew any small token of feare paine of death being by the imperious eunuch proposed to whosoeuer should but looke heauily for feare of danger or speake a
the citie and couragiously charged them But Vitellius warned of his former harme and seeing his enemies come on as he desired couered his shot with his pikes and standing close receiued the enemies charge his shot still playing vnder the pikes oftentimes vpon their knees many of the Turkes were there laid on ground whilest they desperatly sought to haue broken the order of the Christians In the meane time when many of the Turks horsemen and Ianizaries comming out of the gates and diuers others beholding the fight were come ouer the riuer from BVDA to be partakers of the victorie had filled the hithermost banke Vitellius in good time of purpose by little and little retired as if he had been ouercharged Then began the enemie to giue a great shout and more fiercely to assaile the Christians their horsemen also clapt behind them to haue there charged them Which thing Perenus diligently noting and that the Turks in following of Vitellius were drawne a great way from the gates he suddenly with his light horsemen clapt in betwixt the citie and the Turks at their backs after whom followed also Mauritius afterwards duke of SAXONIE with a strong troupe of German horsemen of purpose to haue shut them in for retiring backe againe into the citie But then the Turks perceiuing the danger and finding themselues shut in stood as men more than halfe dismaied bethinking themselues which way to take and so began to retire When Vitellius comming on couragiously with his pikemen and his harquebusiers deuided into two wings charged them fiercely and the Hungarian and German horsemen breaking in amongst them on the other side made great slaughter of them and strucke such a feare amongst the flying Turkes that many of them in running to the gate thrust one another thorow with their pikes diuers other were also by the horsemen driuen into the riuer and there drowned That day Segemenes lost aboue an hundred of his Ianizaries and foure hundred others The chiefest commendation for this piece of seruice was giuen to Vitellius who had so well and so quickly reuenged himselfe of the Turkes and next him to Perenus who as a skilfull captaine had so well awaited the time to entrap the enemie neither is Mauritius the young Saxon prince vnworthie his due praise who valiantly charging the Turkes and hauing his horse slaine vnder him was in danger to haue beene there lost himselfe had not Nicholas Ribische one of his followers couered him with his owne bodie vntill such time as that hee was rescued by others Ribische himselfe presently dying of his wounds This little victorie so encouraged the Germanes that the Marquesse commaunded the great ordinance to be presently brought forth and the batterie planted which was at the first placed so farre off that it did little harme although the wall were both old and thin not aboue fiue foot thicke and the ordinance laied either a little too low or mounted too high either shot short or quite ouer the citie into BVDA which fault once perceiued the batterie was remooued neerer and a faire breach soone made in the wall with the continuall beating of fortie great pieces of artillerie Vitellius was the first that offered to assault the breach so that the Germanes would presently second him which thing they all by holding vp of their hands promised courageously but cowardly about by and by to breake that promise for oftentimes it chanceth That they which before the danger are readiest to promise their helpe are in the very danger it selfe of all others most slacke The Hungarians also for their parts promised not to be behind The silence of the enemie at the breach and in the citie was wonderfull so that many thought he had beene fled backe ouer the riuer to BVDA for Segemenes captaine of the Ianizaries an old beaten souldior ordered all things with as little stir as was possible He had receiued new supplies from Vlamas and had cast a deepe countermure within the wall against the breach and on the inner side of the same had made a strong barricado with gabions and wine vessels filled with sand and earth behind which stood the Ianizaries next vnto them the Turkish archers and last of all the horsemen who had left their horses to serue on foot The signall for the assault once giuen foure Italian captaines ran desperatly with their companies by the ruines of the wall to the breach but whilest they there set vp their ensignes and wondering at the enemies fortification were readie betwixt hope and feare to leape downe they were suddenly ouerwhelmed with a shoure of arrowes and bullets Yet Vitellius still encouraging them brought them still on who did what they might to haue entred but the Germane footmen with their Generall stood still vnder the wals looking on as men nothing moued either with the hope of victorie or danger of their friends and the Hungarians not so much as once looking vpon the enemie retired two of the Italian captaines Rufus and â—â—olla were there slaine and Carolus Vitellius his nephew shot in the shoulder The Turks with shot and stones still repulsed and beat downe the Italians whereof the Germanes also standing still felt part and were more gauled than a man would haue thought men could haue beene that did nothing for there they still stood for shame least if they should haue also first retired they should haue incurred a second infamie as bad as the first Which thing Vitellius perceiuing would in no case depart from the breach but wished rather to lose his men by whole companies than to leaue the least colour of excuse to the Germanes or that they should say they stayed longest of whom he with greater anger than greefe complained that he was forsaken and cowardly betrayed In time of this assault one of the Turks was heard to speake aloud in the Italian tongue Why doe not you valiant Italians spare your selues and giue place to those lasie Germanes We all wish to spare you and to beat the drunkennesse out of their most cowardly heads that they should no more hereafter prouoke vs. At length the Germanes wearie of their hot standing and nought doing got them farther off after whom the Italians forthwith retired but so disorderly to be quickly out of the danger of the enemies shot that if the Turks had at the same time sallied out at all the gates it was thought that the whole campe had beene greatly endangered In this attempt rather than assault seuen hundred Christians were slaine outright and many moe hurt who died afterwards of their wounds All this while the Marquesse and Hugonot the great commaunders of the armie kept themselues so farre from gunshot that they were no where to be seene vntill that Torniellus and Fotiscu two valiant captaines finding them out wished them for shame to shew themselues for the comforting of the armie A little before night they consulted with the other captaines Whether they
fathers concubines Muleasses landed as we haue before said at GVLETTA with such forces as he had brought with him out of ITALIE was aduised by Touarres the Spaniard not to aduenture with such a handfull of men to go to TVNES before he were well assured of the good disposition of the citisens towards him And was the more earnest with Lofredius not to go because the Viceroy had expressely written that he should in no case go any further than GVLETTA except the king according to his promise had a good strength of Numidians to joyne with him But certaine of the noble men amongst the Moores which vnder the colour of friendship were fled out of the citie and had after the solemne manner of their nation put their swords vnto their throats and sworne to be faithfull vnto him wonderfully prickt forward both the king and Lofredius too hastie of themselues to their owne destinie bearing them in hand That Amida vpon the first sight of his father would forsake the citie and betake himselfe to flight so without more staying Muleasses with ensigne displaied set forward towards TVNES Lofredius cheerfully following him Touarres requesting them in vaine to beware of the Moores treacherie Muleasses marching still forward was come so nigh the citie that they might from the wals descrie him when suddenly a strong troupe of Moores sallied out of the gate with a terrible crie and fiercely assailed him whom the kings horsemen valiantly receiued many falling on both sides Muleasses in this hoat skirmish fighting couragiously against his enemies was wounded in the face and bled exceedingly which discouraged them about him that they doubting of his life turned their backes and fled when presently a wonderfull number of horse and foot suddenly issuing out of the oliue gardens had beset Lofredius and his souldiors round vpon whom the Italians discharged certaine field pieces but after they had once discharged them they had no leisure to charge againe for the barbarous enemie came on so thicke and so fast that the Italians seeing themselues too weake and compassed in round let fall their weapons as men discouraged and cast themselues into the lake so by swimming and taking hold of the little boats to saue themselues from the enemies sword which boats stood those distressed men in great steed for being furnished with small pieces they did beat backe the Moores who eagerly pursued them euen into the lake with their horses Lofredius as a man amased with the sudden comming of the enemie tooke the lake with his horse and was there vnhorsed by the enemie and slaine as were diuers with him Some few there were that fought couragiously chusing rather honourably to die in the middest of their enemies than shamefully to be strangled in the stincking lake Muleasses soiled with his owne bloud and with the dust flying amongst the rest was knowne and taken nothing more bewraying him than his odoriferous perfumes In this conflict thirteene hundred Italians were lost the rest which escaped Touarres relieued and shortly after shipped them ouer into SICILIE from whence they trauelled home to NAPLES but so poore as well shewed the miserie of their fortune Amida hauing thus obtained the victorie was more carefull of nothing than to make his father vnfit for gouernment which he did by cutting the sight of both his eyes with a hoat penknife the like crueltie he vsed vpon Nahasar and Abdallas his brethren then taken with his father After that he certified Touarres captaine of GVLETTA That he had taken a few youths prisoners which he would deliuer vnto him and that he had bereft his father of his sight who had deserued a worse punishment as he that had long before done the like to his brethren but had yet left him his life as an example to other tirants and to shew that he dealt not altogither vnmercifully with so perfidious a father Last of all he confirmed vpon certaine conditions the same league which his father had with him which he well saw was to great purpose especially in that newnesse of his kingdome Neither did Touarres refuse the same as standing with his present profit for vpon this agreement Amida was to giue him certaine money to pay his souldiors and to deliuer him the prisoners he had taken with the ensignes and bodie of Lofredius For more assurance wherof he gaue Sehites his sonne then nine yeares old in hostage yet vpon condition that if an assured peace could not be agreed vpon but that they must needs enter into warre then Touarres should forthwith restore him his sonne Schites in safetie These capitulations although they seemed not vnreasonable and were of them well liked yet Touarres thought it not altogither agreeing with the honour of the emperour that he should enjoy the kingdome who by most hoâ—rible treason and detestable villanie had thrust himselfe thereinto without the emperours leaue Wherefore he entred into a new deuise to call in the rightfull heire who might at the emperours pleasure offended with the injurie done by Amida raigne in TVNES There was in exile amongst the Numidians one Abdamaelech euer since the time that Roscetes fled to Barbarussa Him because he was Muleasses naturall brother Touarres sent for putting him in hope of the kingdome supported by Anemseha a great prince amongst the Numidians who had all that long time courteously entertained him Neither was Abdamaelech slow to accept the occasion presented especially encouraged thereunto by the Numidian prince his good friend and the predictions of the Astrologers who had foretold him That he should die king of TVNES Which vaine kind of diuination hauing in it no manner of assurance yet causeth great minds oftentimes to vndertake great attempts beyond reason which falling out with more hap than they were with reason foretold giueth some credit to that vanitie and causeth those cold prophets to be of some accounted as great wisards And to worke this feat such a time was offered as a better could not be wished for Amida hauing set all things in order as he pleased in the citie and casting no perill was gone to BISERTA to take order for his customes which was there great vpon fishing Wherefore Touarres to keepe his promise sent backe Sâ—hites Amida his sonne in a boat to TVNES and receiued Abdamaelech who trauelling most part by night was secretly come to GVLETTA and there resting himselfe and his horses a few houres to preuent the fame of his comming posted in hast with a troupe of his Numidian followers to TVNES and passing thorow the citie went directly to the castle which he entred without resistance of the warders supposing him to haue beene Amida come from BISERTA for Abdamaelech had after the manner of the Moores couered his face with a scarfe as if it had beene to haue kept him from the Sunne and the dust and by that happie sleight got into the castle before it was knowne who he was The warders perceiuing their â—rror
were no more to be discerned but all in vaine for why our men had alreadie descried them so those three gallies returned again into SICILIA For Valetta that good prince thoght it not meet to bring so many of the sacred knights so many noble gentlemen and valiant souldiors into a most manifest danger for he saw certaine of the Turkes gallies to lie by night in the mouth of the hauen MARZA MOXET at a place called the Little sands to impeach the going in or out of the hauen MAIOR About the same time they which lay in garrison in the citie of MELITA hearing of the notable sally made by the souldiors lately come and taking heart thereupon at such time as the Turkes were fetching in a certaine bootie of cattell the horsemen pursued them and hauing slaine diuers of them recouered the prey and yet not so contented chased them euen to their campe But the other Turks seeing their fellowes flying in such hast towards them raised an alarum ran to the Generals tent and for that time ceased their batterie The Great master probably conjecturing that the Turkes would in short time assault both the towne and castle of S. Michaell thought good by his presence to encourage and strengthen the garrison and therefore was about to haue gone thither by a bridge made of boats from the one point of the land to the other betweene S. Michaels and S. Angelo but quickly vnderstanding the certaintie thereof returned againe into his castle Some there be that thinke For him to haue so done had been a venturous part and full of danger and therefore to haue been discommended for that great things are performed not so much by strength of bodie as of mind by pollitike counsell and direction wherewith a Generall although absent may yet with his forces be alwaies present but the Generall once lost which may easily happen if he will present his person to the danger we see most commonly all fall togither with him no otherwise than doth all parts of the bodie when the soule departeth But othersome are of contrarie opinion That the Generals presence especially in great dangers is both praise worthie and most necessarie for that he as the soule cannot prouide for or rule the bodie except it be present yea placed therein and that Valetta in so doing followed the examples of the greatest kings and most famous Generals as of Alezander the great Iulius Caesar Themistocles Marius and others whose words vnto their souldiors were these I my selfe will be your conducter in the field in the battell partaker of the danger with you you shall be in all things as my selfe Besides that who knoweth not that as in other things so most of all in martiall affaires all things are better more orderly and more easily done when the master is present neither was the learned Poet his meaning any thing else when in the warres betwixt the Latines and the Rutilians he saith Vrget praesentia Turnâ— whereupon they concluded that the Great master in going had done both valiantly wisely and according to his dutie But this we leaue for martiall men to determine At the same time the king of ALGIERS came to aid the Turkes with seauen gallies and ten galliots and in them 2200 souldiors who sorie that he was not there at the beginning and desirous to doe some notable act and withall to make proofe of the valour of his souldiours requested the great Bassa to bestow vpon him the first place in the besieging the castle S. Michael which he not onely graunted but joyned vnto his forces two thousand of his owne best souldiors These things obtained he commaunded ninetie small vessels by deuices to be carried ouer land out of the port MARZA MOXET to AQVA MARSIA for that he purposed on that side to besiege the castle by water But Valetta perceiuing the enemies purpose both by seeing that was done and also aduertised thereof before by a Christian fugitiue presently called vnto him two faithfull and skilfull shipmasters of MALTA and imparting the matter vnto them demaunded what they thought best to be done to keepe the Turks from landing as it seemed they purposed at the wals foot They quickly conceiuing the matter answered That in their opinion if a chaine were made of masts and saile-yards or sparres joyned together with yron rings and so drawne all alongst from the corner of the castle of S. Angelo to that place where the enemie thought to land their purpose might be so defeated This their deuice so pleased the Great master that the night following such a chaine was made and fast mored in the appointed place The Turkes as soone as it was day perceiuing this barre stood as men doubtfull not knowing how by any meanes to land their men as they had before purposed Whilest they stood so abashed a Christian fugitiue a most desperat villaine in which kind of men foolish hardinesse is accounted a vertue and desperation constancie came to the king and promised him to breake the chaine and so with a hatcher in his hand cast himselfe into the sea after whom followed two or three moe to helpe him who swimming to the chaine got vp vpon it and began to hew apace with their hatchets Which the Christians beholding suddenly fiue or six of the Maltases swam thither with their drawne swords in their hands hauing slaine two of them caused the other to flie after which time none of the Turks was so hardie as to attempt the same The barbarous king for all that gaue not ouer his purpose so but with wonderfull diligence prepared for the siege which the fifteenth day of Iuly began both by sea and land But the defendants turning their great ordinance vpon that place from whence the galliots came with the furie thereof in the space of three houres which the assault endured slew two thousand Turks and sunke twelue of the galliots the rest comming as farre as the chaine when they could get no farther nor land their men turned their prows vpon the corner of the castle but were glad at last to retire and leaue that they came for vndone The assault by land also endured fiue houres wherein many of the Turkes were slaine and of the defendants two hundred amongst whom was Federicus the Viceroy of SICILIA his sonne strucke in sunder with a great shot Gordius a Frenchman Franciscus Sanoghera and his nephew Iohn Spaniards all knights of the Order Medina was also wounded whereof he afterward died But Valetta considering into what danger the state of MALTA was like to fall if he should be constrained to fight many such fights where his souldiors wearied day and night without rest were still to encounter with fresh men heard nothing of any aid or new supplie the seuenteenth day of Iuly he sent a messenger into SICILIA who swam from the castle to the farthest part of the bay to AQVA MARSIA and from thence escaped vnknowne thorow the
those fiue Turks came which had done those things which the wounded Maltese reported For all that these gallies kept on their course as farre as POZALO from whence they certified the Viceroy by letters all that had happened and not daring to put to sea the South wind blowing with a stiffe gale against them they returned backe againe to SIRACVSA expecting there farther direction from the Viceroy For which cause they forthwith sent one of the knights to him to MESSANA by whom they receiued answere That they should go no farther but to stay for the comming of the whole fleet readie in short time to passe ouer to MALTA But Salazar brought by the gallies to POZALO resolued with his little boat to go on and although the day he departed thence the aire was troubled with great wind thunder and raine yet the daies following prouing more calme he in short time arriued in the island of MALTA and came in safetie to the citie MELITA and there disguised himselfe in Turkish apparell and taking with him one companion who could also speake the Turkish language by night got into the enemies camp where diligently marking all things they perceiued that there was in all the Turkes armie of land soldiors scarce fourteene thousand and of them many wounded and sicke and that the rest was but an vnseruiceable and feeble multitude for that the course of wars had as commonly it doth consumed their best souldiors When they had thus viewed the campe they returned againe to the citie from whence Salazar with one Petrus-Paccius a Spaniard a venturous and valiant man went to a certaine place neere vnto the watch towre of MALECA which when they had curiously viewed Paccius was there left that obseruing the signes from the island of GAVLOS and the citie of MELITA he might giue knowledge of all things to the Viceroy at his approach as he was by Salazar instructed As for Salazar himselfe he in his little boat which at his comming into the islle he had there left happily returned to MESSANA and there declared vnto the Viceroy all that he had seene constantly affirming amongst other things That the Turks fleet was but weake lame and disfurnished both of men and munition farre vnable to encounter with 10000 Christians About which time also one of the two frigots which were before sent to MALTA returned with another Spaniard and a fugitiue from the Turks campe and foure gallies before gone from MESSANA were also come in with foureteene Turks taken about the island of MALTA who all confirmed the same that was by Salazar reported which was That the Turks armie was with often assaults wonderfully weakened both in number and strength so that they could not with stripes be enforced to the assault for which the Bassa had with his owne hands slaine diuers of them and that which more increased their feare they saw none of their men wounded but that they died thereof Besides that they saw the Christians with inuincible courage to defend their strong places and not to spend one shot in vaine wherefore they were sorie and repented that they euer tooke in hand that expedition they detested such a war shrinking as much as they could from the assault and as they might stealing quite away which many of them did especially such as had before abjured the Christian faith For which cause diligent watch and ward was kept and commandement giuen by the great Bassa that they should resolue with themselues either to win the towne or there all to lay vp their bones for that the great Sultan Solyman had so commaunded whom to gainsay was in it selfe death These and such like persuasions caused the Viceroy somewhat the sooner to thinke of the bringing foorth of his fleet the besieged in the meane time did what men might for defence of the place and themselues There was in the castle one Franciscus Giuara captaine of the vauntguard a noble and valiant gentleman of a great conceit he about ten foot from the towne wall which the enemie had with their great ordinance beaten downe caused a curtaine to be drawne fiftie foot long and fiue foot thicke with flankers at both ends which in two nights was brought to perfection and was afterwards a great helpe to the besieged The enemie in the meane time began a mine vnder the corner of the towne ditch where Boninsegna a Spaniard and a most valiant knight had the charge which the besieged perceiuing by a countermine defeated the same It happened in the meane time that as a fugitiue was swimming to the towne he was taken by the enemy which much grieued the besieged desirous to haue vnderstood something of the state of the enemies campe and of their purposes Now when the former mine had taken so euill successe part of the Turkes assailed the castle S. Michael and part with gunpouder thought to haue blowne vp the castle bulwarke but by the carefulnesse and courage of the defendants all their attempts were disappointed for many of the Turkes were in both places slaine and certaine bags of pouder taken from them in the mine With these and other such difficulties Mustapha and Piall the Turkes Generals disappointed of their hope consulted with the other great captaines of the armie Whether they should there still continue that desperat siege or depart where most were cleere of opinion That it was best betime to depart Yet for all that the old Bassa said He would there stay vntill the galliot which he had before sent to CONSTANTINOPLE were returned with answere from Solyman and in the meane time both by force and pollicie to seeke after victorie which thing he oftner did than stood with the broken estate of his armie or of the besieged neither resting himselfe nor suffering others to take rest for one while he battered the wals another while he wrought mines or else made bridges sometime he cast vp mounts and then againe filled the ditches and euer and anon gaue one assault or another In all which doing he vsed such industrie that whatsoeuer he tooke in hand was in short time brought to such perfection as might haue carried a stronger place had not the valour of the defendants far exceeded all his strong and pollitike deuises It fortuned that as Robles the camp-master and Gouernour of the castle S. Michael was by night viewing the ruines of the wall he was strucke in the head with a small shot and slaine leauing behind him to his fellowes the great desire of himselfe for why he was a man for many his good parts wherewith he had many times stood the defendants in great stead worthily beloued In whose stead the Great master sent one of the Colonels that was with himselfe a most expert and resolute captaine to take charge of S. Michaels castle who by his vigilant care and prouidence so well discharged the charge committed vnto him that as often as the Turkes attempted the place so often they were
affections also was become a great fauourit of Mustapha Now to colour so manifest a wrong and breach of the Turkes faith Mustapha the Generall according to the Turkish manner a little before his arriuall in CYPRVS gaue the Venetians there to vnderstand by letters of his comming as also of his purpose for the taking of that island from them for that without some such slender denouncing of warre vnto them against whom it is intended the Turkes generally account their expeditions not to be altogither so lawfull or fortunat as otherwise and therefore writ vnto them in this sort Mustapha Bassa vnto the Venetians That the kingdome of CYPRVS by auntient right belongeth vnto the kingdome of AEGYPT you are not ignorant which being conquered by the Turks is togither with it become of right apart also of the Othoman empire that island we come to challenge leading after vs two hundred thousand valiant souldiors vnto which power and the wealth of the Othoman kingdomes all which the most mightie emperour is about if need shall be to send thither and to bend his whole strength theron all the vnited forces of the Christian kings are not comparable much lesse the Venetians so small a part of EVROPE forsaken of their friends can suffice Wherefore we will and exhort you for the auntient amitie which hath been betwixt your State and the glorious Othoman family to yeeld this kingdome vnto the most puissant emperour whose verie name is become dreadfull vnto all the nations of the world and quietly and without resistance to leaue the island with the loue and friendship of so great a monarch to be for euer inuiolatly kept betwixt him and you Whereas if you shall before such wholsome counsell fondly preferre your vaine hopes you are to expect all the calamities of warre with such dreadfull examples as the angrie conquerours vse to make of their vanquicted enemies For resolution whereof wee yet giue you halfe a moneths space to bethinke your selues in and so fare you well All this being now in readinesse and a most royall gallie of wonderfull greatnesse and beautie by the appointment of Selymus prepared for the great Bassa the Generall he togither with Haly Bassa and the rest of the fleet departed from CONSTANTINOPLE the six and twentith of May and at the RHODES met with Piall as he had before appointed The whole fleet at that time consisted of two hundred gallies amongst whom were diuers galliots and small men of warre with diuers other vessels prepared for the transportation of horses with this fleet Mustapha kept on his course for CYPRVS They of the island in the meane time carefully attending the enemies comming from their watch towers first discouered the fleet at the West end of the island not farre from PAPHOS from whence the Turkes turning vpon the right hand and passing the promontorie CVRIO now called DEL LE GATE landed diuers of their men who burnt and spoiled certaine villages and with such spoile and prisoners as they had taken returned againe vnto the fleet which holding on the 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 Bassaes without any resistance vpon a plaine shoare landed their armie Now all the hope of the Christians was to haue kept the Turkes from landing which they should with all their strength and power haue done neither was it a matter of any great difficultie for had the defendants but kept the shoare and from the drie and firme land valiantly repulsed their enemies they might vndoubtedly with their shot and weapons haue kept them from landing or else haue done them greater harme knowing in the meane 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 shipwracke ride it out But they either terrified with the greatnesse of the fleet or preuented by the celeritie of the enemie to their great hurt omitted so faire an opportunitie as the wofull sequell of the matter declared It exceedingly encouraged the Turks that they had so easily footed the island which they thought they should not haue done without a bloudie fight The Bassa now landed presently entrenched his armie 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 certaine scouts to take some prisoners of whom they might learne the situation of the countrey the best waies to passe them with his armie 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 amongst the Turkes themselues was Whether they should first set vpon FAMAGVSTA or NICOSIA FAMAGVSTA standeth low altogether subject to the scorching heat which was then great according as the time of the yeare and nature of the countrey required wherefore the Bassa for feare of diseases to arise in his armie of the immoderat heat and vnwholesome situation of the place thought it better to begin his warres with the siege of NICOSIA and to make that citie the seat of the warre for the conquest of the rest of the island So hauing put all things in order and well viewed the countrey and finding nothing he needed to stand in doubt of he set forward with his armie toward NICOSIA which was about thirtie miles distant being the cheefe and richest citie of all the island Which way soeuer the armie marched it spread a great deale of ground and the neerer it came the greater was the slaughter of the countrey people and the number of prisoners taken of all sorts But when newes of the enemies approach was brought into the citie a generall feare presaging future miserie possessed the hearts of all men There was not in the citie any valiant or renowmed captaine who as the danger of the time required should haue taken vpon him the charge neither any strong armie in the island to oppose against the enemie The Gouernour of the citie was one Nicholaus Dandulus a man too weake for so great a burthen who alwaies brought vp in ciuile affaires was to seeke how to defend a siege Of the citisens and countrey people he had taken vp foure thousand footmen and a thousand horsemen all raw souldiors commaunded by the gentleman of the countrey men of all others most courteous but as well the captaines as the souldiors as men brought vp in a plentifull countrey fitter for pleasure than for warre The greatest hope and strength of the citie was reposed in twelue hundred Italian footmen and six hundred horsemen The whole number of the souldiors in garrison for defence of the citie was deemed about eight thousand horse and foot too weake a companie against so fierce and strong an enemie
high honours greater than which there is none in the Turkish empire readily accepted the offer and dispatching his lieutenant for CARAEMIT to the gouernment of those countries in his absence with an hundred of his owne followers setled himselfe in the said fort with a garrison of twelue thousand souldiors furnished with all necessarie prouision vntill the next Spring The Generall hauing thus set all things in order and carefully prouided for the safetie of the fortresse departed according to his promise and the same morning which was the fourscore and seuenth day after his departure from ERZIRVM came to a place called SANCAZAN seuen miles distant from TAVRIS The Turkes were now vpon the point of their encamping in a confused disorder and hurly-burly when those that were hindermost in the armie heard the neighing of horses and the noise of drums and trumpets as if it had beene the comming of an armie Which when the whole campe vnderstood they ran all headlong and disordered as they were to the rescue on that side where the noise of the horses and warlike instruments was heard But whilest the Turkes were thus intentiuely busied on that side to expect the comming of the enemie the Persian prince without any signe or token of battell with eight and twentie thousand horsemen was readie vpon them on the other side who hauing discouered the cammels and other carriages whereupon their booties their spoiles and their riches were laden which they had taken in TAVRIS beside much of their prouision for victuals for the sustenance of the armie he turned vpon them and with a prouident and safe conuoy had taken for a prey eighteene thousand of the cammels and mules well loden with the same booties and victuals which the prince sent presently away with six thousand of his souldiors and he himselfe with his two and twentie thousand Persians entered into the Turks armie who now to withstand his assault had on that side also made head against him A gallant thing it was and terrible withall to see what a mortall battell was made what singular prowesse shewed euen presently in the forefront of the battell for in a moment you might haue seene the tents and pauillions turned vpside downe and their encamping lodgings replenished with dead carkasses and bloud victorious death raunging and raigning in euery corner The Turkes themselues were astonished and maruelled to see their enemies so few in number and intermingled among so populous an armie of warlike people more like fatall ministers of death than mortall men to brandish their swords ouer them as if it had lightened and to make so generall a slaughter and doe to this day with great admiration recount the valour and prowesse of the Persians But they all now doubting least the enemie in this furie should forcibly haue entered the very lodgings of the sicke Visier it was commaunded not by himselfe for he lay now at the last gaspe but by him who at that time commaunded in his name That without delay the artillerie should be vnbarred and discharged which in that medley and confusion of both armies without any exception or distinction of persons ouerthrew both friends and foes and did perhaps more harme among the Turkes themselues than among the Persians for at the first thundering noise thereof the prince with all speed retired after whom presently followed all the rest so that the Turkes which remained behind were more annoyed with the deadly shot than were the Persians who flying away could not feele the dammage but that the Turkes must first be well payed for their labour The Turkes pursuing the flying Persians made shew as if they would gladly haue ouertaken them but night comming on they feared to proceed any further than they might without danger returne In this battell of SANCAZAN were slaine twentie thousand Turks without any notable losse of the Persians Among the rest in the same place died the Visier Osman Generall of the late dreadfull but now desolate armie not by the hand of the enemie but consumed by the vehemencie of an ague and a flux of bloud Whose death notwithstanding was kept secret from the whole army euery man verily thinking that it was but onely the continuance of his sicknesse because the chariots wherin he lay were still kept close and in his name Cicala Bassa for so he had appointed in his will gaue out answeres and commaundements to the whole armie Neuerthelesse it was disclosed to the Persians by meanes of three young men who in the life of Osman hauing charge of his jewels and treasure were with the best thereof and the fairest of his horses fled to the Persian king to whom they reuealed the death of the Generall The Persians who before had thought it not possible for so great cowardise and dishonourable kind of fighting and ordering of an armie to haue proceeded from the vertue and valour of Osman of whose worth they had too manifest a triall and experience in times past now vnderstanding of his death were thereby encouraged to attempt the vtter ouerthrow of the Turkish remnant and so to giue them an honourable farewell Whereupon the Persian prince with foureteene thousand men followed the Turkes who had now raised their campe and were remooued to a certaine riuer of salt water not farre from SANCAZAN where the prince caused a few tents to be pitched about foure or fiue miles distant from the Turkish campe the aforesaid brooke running in the middest betweene the two armies Now the prince had purposed to haue assailed the Turkes in the morning whiles they were loading their carriages hoping in that confusion to haue wrought them some notable mischiefe which his designement was reuealed vnto the Turks by one of his spies whom they had caught And therefore they did neither rise so early in the morning as their manner was nor load their stuffe vntill such time as they were all armed and on horsebacke readie to receiue their enemies By which their warie and vnusuall manner of rising the Persians perceiued that their purpose was by some meanes discouered And yet considering that if they should loose this occasion they should find no other good oportunitie to annoy them before the next Spring they vtterly resolued to aduenture the assault and hauing obserued that the enemies artillerie was on the right side of the armie they in the sight of euery man began to enter on the left But the Turkes presently so vncouered and vnbarred their artillerie against the assailants as was to their great losse and danger Howbeit they were so nimble and so quicke to shrowd themselues vnder the enemies armie and to auoid the mischieuous tempest that being come now very neere the Turkes squadrons they must needs joyne battell with them The Persians had purposed before as soone as they saw the Turkes begin to stirre to retire and so to draw them on into a very filthie and deepe marish which being then drie was not feared or
Turks and Tartars died dayly so that of fourescore fiue thousand Tartars which came the last yeare into HVNGARIE now remained scarce eight thousand the rest being all deuoured with the sword famine and the pestilence Great were the harmes the Turkes still daily receiued from the late reuolted countries of TRANSYLVANIA VALACHIA and MOLDAVIA the Christians of those places seeking by all meanes to annoy them Michael Vaiuod of VALACHIA not contended with that he had alreadie done but entring into the Turks frontiers surprised SCHIMELE together with the castle wherein he found 14 field pieces amongst which were two which had vpon them the armes of the emperour Ferdinand and other two hauing vpon them the armes of Huniades which pieces he afterwards sent as a present to the Transyluanian prince After that he tooke OROSIGE a famous port towne the dwelling place of the Turks great purueyor for butter cheese and hony and such other prouision for the Court wherein he found such store of the aforesaid prouision as might well haue sufficed eight thousand men for a whole yeare and still prosecuting his good fortune tooke from the Turkes KILEC and GALEMPE with the strong castle of S. George commonly called GRIGIO and at length besieged LAGANOC With the beginning of the Spring came Matthias the Archduke and Generall of the Christian armie from the assembly of the nobilitie of HVNGARIE at PRESBVRG to VIENNA and so from thence to the emperour his brother at PRAGE who appointed him Generall of the lower HVNGARIE and Maximilian his brother Generall of the vpper countrey giuing them for their lieutenants vnto Maximilian the lord Teuffenbach and to Matthias the countie Charles Mansfelt by him sent for out of FLANDERS and after created one of the princes of the empire Iohn de Medices who was yet in HVNGARIE he made master of the great ordinance with charge to fortifie KOMARA which he so well performed as that it was thought nothing in strength inferior to RAB All this while the emperor ceased not both by his embassadors and letters to sollicite the Christian princes for the repressing of the common enemie to put to their helping hands and so much preuailed with them that out of his owne hereditarie prouinces and from other princes his friends he had this Spring raised a right puissant and strong armie for the defence of HVNGARIE which how it was raised and from whom it shall not be much from our purpose briefely to remember as the chiefe strength vnder God wherby the Christian commonweale was this yeare most notably defended Out of the higher SAXONIE came a thousand two hundred horsemen and out of the lower SAXONIE six hundred from FRANCONIA a thousand horsemen from SVEVIA foure thousand footmen out of the countie of TIROL as many from BAVARIA three thousand out of BOHEMIA two thousand men at armes six hundred light horsemen and six thousand footmen from SILESIA a thousand fiue hundred horsemen from LVSATIA fiue hundred horse and a thousand foot from MORAVIA a thousand horse and two thousand foot out of AVSTRIA two thousand horse and six thousand foot from HVNGARIE fiue hundred horsemen and a thousand foot from the nobilitie of SVEVIA and FRANCONIA foure thousand foot from the king of SPAINE out of the low countries vnder the conduct of Charles countie Mansfelt two thousand horsemen and six thousand foot Vnto these the bishop of ROME added two thousand horsemen and eight thousand foot the great duke of FLORENCE sent fiue hundred horse and three thousand foot the duke of FERRARA a thousand fiue hundred footmen the duke of MANTVA a thousand foot and duke Venturee fiue hundred horse All which being put together fill vp the number of fifteene thousand nine hundred horsemen and fiftie thousand fiue hundred foot Which notable armie raised from the power of diuers Christian princes and conducted by worthie chiefetaines had by the goodnesse of God much better successe this Summer against the auntient enemies of Christendome than had the like armie the yeare before as in the processe of this Historie shall appeare Among the worthie commaunders that were in this puissant armie Charles countie Mansfelt the sonne of Peter Ernestus the old countie from his youth brought vp in armes was by the king of SPAINE at the request of the emperour sent with the aforesaid forces of two thousand horse and six thousand foot out of the Low countries as a man for his approued valour and direction fit to manage these dangerous warres against the Turke vnder Matthias the Archduke as his lieutenant Generall who hauing raised the appointed forces for most part Wallons departed from BRVXELLES about the midst of Februarie and by the way taking his leaue of his aged father at LVXENBVRG and trauelling through GERMANIE came in March to PRAGE where he was by the Emperour and the Archduke his brother most honorably entertained and shortly after with great solemnitie created one of the Princes of the empire His forces following after him were by the way staied partly by the inundation of waters the riuers they were to passe ouer at that time rising to an vnwonted height partly by the jealousie of some of the Germane princes who denied them passage through their territories vntill such time as that the emperour by his letters had opened vnto him the way which princes for all that stood vpon their guard and so gaue them passage Now ran great rumours of the wonderfull preparations of the Turkes as also of the Christians Fame after her wonted manner encreasing the report of all things aboue measure which caused the Turks with exceeding care to looke to the fortification of their frontier townes especially of RAB and STRIGONIVM as did the Christians to the fortification of KOMARA and ALTENBVRG In the meane time many hoat skirmishes passed betweene the Christians and the Turkes especially in the late reuolted countries of TRANSYLVANIA and VALACHIA wherein the Turkes were still put to the worse to the great discontentment of their emperour Neere vnto TEMESVVAR the Bassa of BVDA was ouerthrowne by the valiant captaine Gestius Ferentz and the Transyluanians And in VALACHIA the Turks Generall entring with a great armie was there also by the lord Nadasti and the Valachians aided with the Transyluanians in a great battell discomfited and ouerthrowne Eight thousand of the Turkes heads in token of this victorie the lord Nadasti sent to ALBA IVLIA to the Transyluanian prince and certaine ensignes amongst which one was most richly garnished with pretious stones and pearle thought to be worth thirtie thousand dollars which the prince afterward restored againe to Nadasti offering him great possessions in TRANSYLVANIA if he could haue beene content there to haue seated himselfe All this Spring the Turkes countenanced their warres with greater boasts and threats than true force giuing it out That they would in short time worke wonders both by sea and land For the more credit whereof Murat Rays a notable pyrat was sent out
in MOLDAVIA which for that it cannot be better told than by the great Chancelor himselfe let vs heare how he by his letters answereth the matter euen vnto Clement the Pope himselfe that now is Iohn Zamoschie vnto Clement the Eight the great Bishop Most holy and blessed father in Christ and most gratious lord after the kissing of your most blessed feet and my most humble commendations I haue by your Holinesse lettters directed both vnto the kings maiestie and my selfe vnderstood as well his royall maiestie and my most gratious lord and master as also my selfe as his seruant to be both accused vnto your Holinesse as if by those things by vs done in MOLDAVIA the endeuours of the Christians had been hindered and the power of the enemie confirmed Whereof I am not with many words to purge my selfe vnto your Holinesse forasmuch as I assure my selfe your Holinesse to haue alreadie fully vnderstood both what the things were that were done in MOLDAVIA and how they were done partly by the kings maiesties letters and partly by his principall secretarie for that cause especially sent vnto your Holinesse Yet doubt I not to request this one thing of your Holinesse that if it hath knowne me for a man I will not say of any capacitie or wit but euen of the least experience in the world or of any religion at all so to persuade it selfe of me nothing to haue been done especially in this matter either rashly or to the hinderance of the Christian common-weale I will not now repeat what mine opinion was concerning the league and confederation to be made with the rest of the Christian princes for the combining of their forces against the common enemie especially his sacred maiesties as also what mine owne labour and endeuour was in the last assembly of the States in the high court of parliament Which thing after it was euen by them whom it most concerned either delaied or neglected or vtterly cast aside and yet his maiestie had still a great desire to doe the Christian common-weale some great good I also to the vttermost of my power laboured to that end that by the common decree of the kingdome an expedition might be made into TARTARIA not so much in reuenge of the iniuries done by that enemie in these late yeares past as so in the meane time to turne him from the necks of the Christians as that he should not ioyne his forces with the Turks or if it so pleased God to blesse those our endeuors vtterly at length to root out that so great a mischiefe But how it came to passe that this expedition so much by the king desired yet scarcely begun or taken in hand tooke not effect it is not needfull for me to declare for that I suppose your Holinesse hath by others especially your Nuntio vnderstood the same In the mean time by others and often messengers newes was brought That Sinan Bassa with a great armie was alreadie come ouer Danubius and I by letters from the Vayuod of the further VALACHIA was aduertised now that he not able to encounter him had forsaken that prouince which at the first impression taken and almost vtterly wasted by Sinan he was now come fast vpon TRANSYLVANIA and in MOLDAVIA the Tartar was still expected insomuch that Roswan who hauing taken prisoner Aaron the Palatine whom he serued in his house and so himselfe inuaded the Palatinaâ— began now also to quake for feare and to craue helpe of me or rather to seeke how he might flie away as not long after he did neither hauing any great strength about him or expecting any greater from the people of that countrey for why that prouince was brought so low by the miseries of the former yeares but especially by such as had euill gouerned the same that at such time as I entred into MOLDAVIA I assure your Holinesse there were not in it of housholders aboue 15000 and those also for the most part poore countrey people of the basest sort in whom there could neither be any great helpe neither if they had bin able to haue done any thing durst Roswan haue trusted himselfe with them vpon whom he had with all kind of crueltie tyranised Chotijm a castle in the very confines of this kingdome was kept with no greater garison than 200 Hungarians who perceiuing themselues neither of sufficient strength to hold the place nor to withstand the enemie they also by and by followed after Roswan All the rest of the prouince was not only vnarmed but altogether poore naked without any certain gouernment without counsell without strength and without any defence at all two castles only excepted which standing vpon the confines of POLONIA might haue serued better for the enemy out of them to haue infested vs than for the defence of MOLDAVIA against them so that had the enemie once set foot into that prouince neither could it without a great power haue bin recouered neither being recouered could easily haue bin defended against so puissant an enemy and that which worse was was not it selfe alone to haue bin consumed with that fire but like ynough to haue caried away with it PODOLIA also bordering vpon it with a great part of RVSCIA Wherefore in this state of things when as both that prouince was in greatest danger to haue bin lost so many enemies houered not more ouer the heads of all Christendome than ouer this kingdome what was of vs to be done I know to whom I speake these things euen vnto him not only whose diuine wisdome but singular loue also towards my natiue countrey is to me most knowne Verely I entred into MOLDAVIA with no great armie yet such an one as happily as in like case it often chanceth fame had made amongst the enemies a very great one so that Sinan fearing if he should thrust himselfe with his army into the straits whereby he was to breake into TRANSYLVANIA to be shut in by our armie stayed his iourny and the Tartar the more earnestly he was called vpon by Sinan by reason of the fame of this our armie resolued to make himselfe so much the stronger So that whilst he assembleth the Nogaian Tartars and others further off and so from all parts raiseth the greatest power he could the matter was delaied almost vnto the end of Nouember at which time he with a most huge armie accompanied with Sendziak Iehiuense and a great power of the Turkes raised out of their prouinces thereby came directly vpon me in the fields of COROCE Sendziak the Tartar Cham his sisters sonne now called himselfe the Bassa of MOLDAVIA as did the Tartars eldest sonne name himselfe prince of another part of that prouince also for so that countrey was to haue beene deuided betwixt them that that part which was next vnto the Tartars dominions should be allotted vnto the Tartar and the other part confining vpon this kingdome to be gouerned by Sendziak as Bassa thereof and so to make
The report of this ouerthrow giuen vnto the Turks by the Valachian with the sacking of NICOPOLIS running abroad brought a generall feare vpon the Turkes euen in the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE For the staying whereof Mahomet commaunded the chiefe of his Bassaes with a great power of tumultuarie soldiors taken vp in hast to go forthwith against the Vayuod to stay the course of his farther proceedings to the dismaying of his people himselfe thundring out most horrible threats against him who encouraged with his late victorie and well acquainted with the Turks manners little regarded the same as knowing that he was not with words but with armes to be vanquished Now Mahomet the Turkish emperour oppressed with melancholie to see himselfe at once assailed with the plague then raging in CONSTANTINOPLE the bloudie wars in HVNGARIE and the horrible mortalitie and losse of his people in both places and withall not ignorant of the eâ—ill successe of his armie at VERADINVM of the great harme done at NICOPOLIS by the Valachian yet for all that ceased not in what he might to prouide for so many euils but gaue order to Taut Bassa with all speed to set forward as we haue said from CONSTANTINOPLE toward VALACHIA as from whence he feared the greatest danger who without delay to make the Vayuod to vnderstand how highly the great Sultan was displeased with him put himsâ—â—fe vpon the way with six hundred Ianizaries towards HADRIANOPLE with purpose there to Winter vntill the Spring and so to expect the comming of the rest of the armie that so with the same vnited vnto the forces of Mehemet Satergi who the last yeare besieged VERADINVM he might in the field appeare more terrible vnto his enemies The Christian Emperour also at the same time rested much discontented that his people in so faire a way for the winning of the castle of BVDA had yet failed thereof the Wallons laying the fault vpon the lords Swartzenburg Palfi and the rest of the commaunders that it was not woon for that when they as valiant men offered to haue done therein the vttermost of their deuoir their leaders had made choise by the spade and mattocke rather than by the sword to performe the same But Michael the Vayuod seeing the Turkes not a little dismayed with the sacking of NICOPOLIS began afresh to their greater terrour and hurt to make new inrodes vpon them in such sort as that he was entred an hundred miles into their territorie against whom Mehemet Satergi as yet the Turkes generall in HVNGARIE comming with his forces he againe retired carrying away with him the spoile of the countrey by him wasted They of BVDA in the meane time fearing some sudden assault to bee giuen vpon them and suffering within great want of victuals expected long to be relieued both with victuals and other necessaries vnderstanding yet withall that the Grand signior had caused it to bee giuen out in CONSTANTINOPLE that he was raising a great power of his best and most expert souldiors and had therefore sent for vnto the Court all his old men of warre such as had serued in the wars of PERSIA to be now againe employed in HVNGARIE Where the Turks in the meane time prouiding to relieue the distressed citie of BVDA both with men and many other necessaries certaine resolute Hungarians vnderstanding by their espials that one of the Turkes Bassaes with three thousand souldiors was comming thither to encrease the garrison laied themselues close in ambush in a place whereby the Turkes were to passe where they had not long stayed but that the Turks as men without feare disorderedly passing by were by them with such force and furie assailed that in a moment when they least thought they were ouerthrowne and put to flight with the losse of many of their horses much money and jewels and many captaines there taken prisoners the Bassa himselfe with much adoe hardly escaping into the citie But shortly after foure hundred Christians scouring the countrey about BVDA and hauing taken a good bootie of cattell and other pillage returning loaded with the prey were by the way assaulted by the Turks and enforced to forsake the same and to fight for their liues whom for all that they notably repulsed with the slaughter of diuers of them and so againe recouering their bootie returned with victorie And about this time or not long after in the vpper HVNGARIE a great power of the Turkes and Tartars hauing forraged a great part of that countrey and done the Christians great harme came before CASSOVIA making shew as if they would euen presently haue besieged that citie which put the inhabitants in such a feare that many of them without further deliberation fled forthwith as fast as they could into the mountaines thinking themselues more safe there than in the citie Neuerthelesse by the persuasion of George Basta the emperours lieutenant in those parts two thousand valiant and expert souldiors staied there with him expecting what the Turks would doe who approching the wals demaunded of them of the citie a great summe of money by way of contribution threatening otherwise the vtter ruine and destruction thereof Which their proud demaund was by Basta stoutly rejected and they with the losse of a great many of their liues enforced to get them further off Wherefore seeing themselues not able to preuaile against a citie so well prouided they for feare by night rise and departed quite another way than that whereby they came doing great harme still as they went The free Haiduckes of VALACHIA also a warlike kind of people liuing for the most part vpon prey and willing to shew some token of their hatred toward the Turkes by certaine bridges passing ouer the Danubius encountered with the Bassa of NATOLIA with a great power whom they ouerthrew with much slaughter of his people and the losse of his brother there slaine also and so afterwards ouerrunning the countrey did there exceeding harme and tooke the same Bassa his sonne prisoner Thus passed the Winter with many light skirmishes and incursions in diuers parts of HVNGARIE and other the frontier countries which had done great harme had it not beene before hand well prouided for by the Imperials who in most places strengthened with new supplies stayed the furie of their barbarous enemies Maximilian the Archduke in the meane time comming from PRAGE to VIENNA found himselfe there to haue in his campe but foure and twentie thousand foot and ten thousand horse readie against the next Spring diuers of the Germane princes this yeare not sending thither any aid at all by reason of their troubles neerer home with the Spaniards in the lower side of GERMANIE which made him the more to dread the enemies comming who he knew after his accustomed manner would that Summer appeare in the field with a farre greater number But to haue holpen this want the great duke of MVSCOVIâ— about this time by his embassadours amongst other things
they againe at them in the castle and that they had alreadie receiued from the Turks twentie thousand duckats with some prouision of victuals were shortly after to receiue from them the rest of the money promised them and so to deliuer the towne For preuenting whereof the lord Swartzenburg the two and twentith of Iune sent the lord Sharpfenstein with a French colonell three thousand souldiors certaine Petardes and a number of scaling ladders towards PAPPA whom the false rebels suffered peaceably to enter the towne the foure and twentith of Iune still encouraging them to come on calling them their countreymen and brethren and in token of friendship shaking them by the hands telling them that hauing assurance of their pay they desired no more But hauing now receiued in so many of them as they thought good and as they knew they were well able to deale with shutting the rest out they cut them all in peeces and afterwards in derision called vpon the high Dutches to come on in like manner Three hundred of these rebels at the same time had laied themselues in ambush by a mill fast without the towne who by the Wallons and Haiduckes without discouered were also by them charged vpon whom for all that by reason of the shot out of the towne they could doe no good but hauing lost three hundred men and amongst them Hanniball Kralzs the lord Sharpfensteine his lieutenant generall and one Del la Margose the chiefe enginer they retired Which losse the desperat rebels if it had beene in their choice had wished rather to haue happened vnto the Dutches than to the Wallons or Hungarians About three daies after three of these rebels being by chance taken prisoners by the Imperials and brought to RAE were not only apparrelled but also trimmed after the Turkish fashion as men not desiring longer to be accounted Christians the rest of their fellowes in the towne also all imitating the Turkes fashions as well in their apparrell as in their manner of seruice yet for all that would not these metamorphosed monsters yeeld the towne vnto the Turks before they had the full summe by them agreed vpon the Bassa of BOSNA being commaunded from the Grand signior in all hast to prouide it for them and so to receiue of them the towne Neuerthelesse for their more strength and their more credit with the Turkes they receiued into the towne one ensigne of the Turks with certain waggons of victuals brought thither with so strong a conuoy as that the Imperials durst not meddle therwith in which waggons being discharged they sent in bonds six hundred Hungarians and Dutch men women and children prisoners to ALBA REGALIS being all of them glad to be so sent away in hope to find more fauour and courtesie at the hands of their enemies than they had found with these renegat Christians So shortly after these rebels sent out certaine messengers vnto the gouernour of ALâ—A REGALIS to know his full resolution which messengers conducted by certaine Turkes of great account were vpon the way by the free Haiduckes all intercepted and the messengers taken with an hundred Turkes moe In the meane while Michael Marotti before imprisoned by the rebels in PAPPA by letters secretly aduertised the lord Swartzenburg of a certaine place whereby he might as he said easily enter the towne and the rather for that the rebels were at variance amongst themselues Who thereupon the twelfth of Iuly came to PAPPâ— with nine thousand horse and foot but disappointed of his purpose for entering the towne hardly neuerthelesse belayed the same vpon whom the mutiniers many times desperatly sallied out right valiantly encountered them albeit that they were still without any notable losse by their enemies too strong for them beaten backe againe into the towne In one of which sallies it fortuned one of their captaines to be taken who to the terrour of the rest was presently flaine quicke and his head and skin vpon a pike set vp before the towne for his fellowes to behold But the lord Swartzenburg still more and more preuailing vpon them they sent secretly for aid to the Turks whereof he for all that getting intelligence sent also for three regiments of souldiours moe to come vnto him to the siege by whose comming he well strengthened and bringing his approches neerer the towne tooke from the rebels the mill a strength which they very vnwillingly lost as in hope thereby to haue the more easily receiued aid from the Turkes who hauing made preparation to haue relieued them were letted so to doe by the rising of the water which had spoiled all the prouision for their reliefe at the bridge of ESSEG as also hindered them for marching forward At length the Imperials were come with their trenches euen to the towne ditches out of which they had let out all the water where some of the townesmen eâ—caping out of the towne declared how that the mutinous souldiors within laboured both day and night to fortifie the towne but to be in their worke much letted by the continuall assaults of the Imperials as also that they now had neither bread nor wine nor other victuals left more than a little salt and threescore horse of which they had alreadie begun to eat and that although they were not altogether so valiant yet that they had resolued to die by the hands of the souldiors as men expecting no other mercie Yet shortly after viz. the nine and twentith of Iuly they desperatly fell out vpon the trenches of Marspurgisch a Dutch captaine of whose souldiors they slew many being drunke and driuing the rest out of their trenches raised a great alarum Which the lord Swartzenburg hearing hasted thither to the rescue where with an vnluckie musket shot hee was strucke in the head and slaine Whereof the rebels got knowledge the same euening and Del la Mota their Generall in reward of that seruice gaue vnto them that had made that sallie a thousand dollars to be deuided amongst them The dead bodie of that so worthie a man as had done great seruice for the Christian commonweale was afterwards with great solemnitie brought to RAB and there honourably enterred The like desperate sallie they made againe the next day and slew of the Imperials an hundred and thirtie and tooke certaine prisoners and in retiring backe againe into the towne cried aloud That when they lacked meat rather than they would yeeld the towne they would eat Christians whereof Marotti should bee the first The lord Swartzenburg thus slaine the gouernment of the armie was by Matthias the archduke committed to the lord Redern a noble man both valiant and learned who although hee were verie sickly came vnto the camp before PAPPA the eight of August where vnderstanding that the rebels now brought vnto extremitie had a purpose by night to flie away and so be gon he caused a more vigilant and strong watch to be kept when lo according to his expectation
Sigismund the late prince might now be bestowed vpon himselfe and for his seruice done to be furnished with money for the payment of his souldiors And that the emperor with the other princes of the empire should assure him That if he were taken by the Turke they should raunsome him but in case he were by the great power of the Turke driuen out of those countries then by the emperours appointment to haue some conuenient place allotted vnto him in the vpper HVNGARIE to liue in with the yearly pension of an hundred thousand dollars All which his requests if it would please him to grant he promised this yeare to doe so much against the Turke as had not in an hundred yeares been done before with vaunt that if he had had the imployment of the money which was spent in the time of this war he would not haue doubted but to haue brought all the countries from the Euxine or Blacke sea to BVDA ALBA REGALIS and SOLNOCK vnder the emperors obeysance A large promise indeed but hardly to haue been performed by a farre greater prince than he Thus whilest things stood in discourse after the Cardinals death Sigismund the late prince in the meane time supported by the Polonians with the aid of the Turkes the Tartars and the Moldauians was readie to haue inuaded TRANSYLVANIA yea the Tartars as the forerunners of his greater power were alreadie entred the countrey and had out of the frontiers thereof carried away some bootie Whereof the Vayuod vnderstanding in great hast assembled his forces out of all places which in short time was growne to some good head the countrey people togither with the free Haiduckes an aduenturous and resolute kind of souldiors in great number daily resorting vnto him So being now eight thousand strong and most of them braue and lustie men he with them and twentie pieces of artillerie remoued to CRONSTAT the foure and twentith day of Aprill sending part of his armie which euerie day more and more encreased before him to NESSEN where all his forces being assembled to the number of almost fiftie thousand horse and foot hee with great sceleritie passed the rough and high mountaines into MOLDAVIA without resistance but yet not without some trouble his souldiors by the way being glad sometimes to eat the leaues of trees the enemie hauing of purpose before carried away whatsoeuer he could that might haue yeelded him reliefe Of whose speedie comming and great strength Sigismund and Ieremias the Vayuod of MOLDAVIA hearing and vpon the reasonable estimate of their owne forces finding themselues too weake to encounter him retired themselues out of MOLDAVIA into the frontiers of POLONIA there to gather greater strength and so to meet him for as yet Ieremias the Vayuod had not receiued from the Turke such forces as were vnto him promised and as he still expected Michael the Vayuod in the meane time his enemies thus fled with fire and sword entering into MOLDAVIA tooke in the greatest part thereof the fearefull countrey people still yeelding vnto him as he went and the rather for that Ieremias their Vayuod placed by the Polonian but tributarie vnto the Turke had laied vpon them a most grieuous imposition as vpon euerie man a duckat a moneth for which they exceedingly hated him But here in MOLDAVIA Michael the Vayuod hauing still in his companie one of the emperours commissioners in TRANSYLVANIA most trustie seruants who might faithfully report vnto them the whole manner of their proceedings after the departure of Sigismund and Ieremias his enemies staied not long but hearing that they were retired towards the confines of POLONIA without longer delay made towards them and the eighteenth of May found them by the castle OTHVNE neere vnto the riuer Nester being thirtie thousand strong Polonians Moldauians Turkes and Tartars with whom he joyned a most fierce and cruell battell which begun about ten a clocke before noone was with great courage but greater obstinacie on both sides maintained vntill the euening At which time the fortune of the Valachian preuayling his enemies at last betooke themselues to flight of whom were there slaine eight thousand beside many others of them drowned in the riuer Nester where of the Valachians were lost two thousand onely Concerning Sigismund and Ieremias diuers reports were after this ouerthow giuen out some saying that they were slaine and some that they were in flying drowned howbeit the truth was that they both by flight escaped to the greater trouble of themselues as of their afflicted countries also Michael after this so notable a victorie taking in the rest of MOLDAVIA caused the people to sweare their obedience vnto the emperour himselfe and his sonne to the great offence of the Polonians not a little as they tooke it wronged therein but especially of the great Chancellor an old enemie vnto the house of AVSTRIA Whereof ensued greater troubles in those frontier countries than before to the further effusion of more Christian bloud much better to haue been emploied against the fatall enemie in defence of the Christian common-weale Yet thus the three warlike and frontier countries of TRANSYLVANIA VALACHIA and MOLDAVIA the surest bulwarkes of that side of Christendome and most exposed vnto the furie of the common enemie were now once againe vnited vnder the obeysance of the emperour to the great benefit no doubt of the Christian common-weale and hurt of the Turkes if they might haue so continued as God wot they did not long Now the Vayuod notwithstanding this so great a victorie well considering that he of himselfe could hardly keepe this new gained prouince of MOLDAVIA against the power of the Turke pretending that to him it belonged as his own to giue to whom he pleased as also against the Polonians not more desirous to restore Ieremias againe into MOLDAVIA than the prince Sigismund into TRANSYLVANIA without the help of some other more mightie prince whom he might rest vpon by his embassadours sent for that purpose offered the soueraigntie of all those three countries vnto the emperour with condition that he should appoint him perpetuall Gouernour of the same vnder him The emperour also vnderstood how that Mahomet the great Turke had not long before againe sent vnto him another of his Chiaus commaunding him without delay to restore the countrey of TRANSYLVANIA vnto the prince Sigismund vnto whom he was by the mediation of the king of POLONIA now before reconciled threatning otherwise with fire and sword to destroy VALACHIA and by force of armes to depriue him both of TRANSYLVANIA and his life togither Wherefore the emperour doubting least the Vayuod either for feare or for the better assuring of his owne estate should to his prejudice fall to some agreement with the Turke yeelded to all that his embassadours had of him requested with condition that he should be bound as need should require to serue with his people against the Turke and that in TRANSYLVANIA neere vnto his
onely of the citie of ANCYRA and the countrey thereabout three hundred thousand duckats so by exacting of great summes of money from the country people such as be his enemies heaping vp great treasures for the maintenance of his warres Now though Mahomet the Turkish emperour had called home Mahomet the Visier Bassa out of HVNGARIE to goe against the rebels into ASIA as is aforesaid yet had hee before prouided that for the better assurance of his townes and territories in HVNGARIE the Tartar Han with a great power of his Crim Tartars should euen against that time come downe into that countrey Which rough and needie people dwelling neere vnto the fennes of MEOTIS for pay or prey alwaies readie to doe the Othoman emperours seruice setting forward vnder the leading of their great Han himselfe and of his two sonnes and by plaine force breaking through VALACHIA though not without great losse of their men being fought with by the Valachians and free Haiduckes a whole day were now in the latter end of December with their huge companies come into HVNGARIE the Han himselfe with fortie thousand to QVINQVE ECCLESIae and his sonnes with twentie thousand moe into POSSEGA a fertile countrey lying betweene the great riuers Sauus and Drauus where they spoiled as well the Turkes as the other poore Christians pretending all that frontier countrey with the whole commaund thereof to be giuen vnto them by the Turkish emperour in reward of their seruice But long they lay not there quiet but that to shew for what they came they enforced the Christians thereabout to victuall CANISIA for the Turkes and so breaking into STIRIA not farre from CORAMANT the neerest fortresse of the Christians towards CANISIA carried away aboue two thousand Christians captiues and shortly after surprising KETSCHEMET a great and populous towne slew most part of the inhabitants and carried away the rest prisoners Othersome of them also at the same time making an inrode to SHARVAR and hauing burnt twentie countrey villages downe to the ground carried away thence about a thousand soules into most miserable captiuitie and thraldome They also at their first comming relieued them of BVDA the lord Nadasti with his Hussars who before kept them from victuals not being able for the great number of them now longer so to doe By them also the Turkes encouraged tooke and burnt certaine places possessed by the Christians neere vnto BVDA putting them all to the sword that they sound therein So that the poore countrey of HVNGARIE neuer to be sufficiently pitied with the rest of the countries and prouinces belonging vnto the house of AVSTRIA and confining vpon the Turke were not so much eased by the calling home of the Visier Bassa with his armie as they were now annoyed by the comming of these roagish Tartars a people wholly euen from their infancie giuen to the spoile Against whom for all that the Christians besides their ordinarie garrisons began now euen in the depth of Winter to oppose some other of their forces also the Palatine of Râ—ENE sending ten companies of horsemen to POSSONIVM from thence to be sent to SHARVAR for the defence of STIRIA and Collonitz but lately knighted by the emperour for his part raising foure hundred horse a thousand Hussares and three thousand of the free Haiduckes for the repressing of those Tartars the duke of BRVNSVVICKE also at that time for the same seruice sending thither a thousand horse with two thousand foot against those sworne enemies of the Christian Religion The troubles of this yeare thus ouerpast ALBA REGALIS being by the Christians lost PESTH with some other places woon TRANSYLVANIA recouered BVDA besieged the Visier Bassa returned and the Tartars come into HVNGARIE Ianuarie with a sharpe frost began to open the next yeare euen this which now is viz. 1603 by force whereof the riuers in many places but especially in those more Easterly countries were not onely frosen ouer but seemed rather wholly turned into yse Danubius that great riuer for all his swift course being then also as it is often so hard frosen that men and carts might safely passe too and fro thereupon In which so hard a season the Turkes in garrison at BVDA hauing once vpon the frosen riuer braued the Christians in PESTH and the two and twentith of Ianuarie comming out the second time in like brauerie were by two hundred of the Christian souldiors of PESTH put to flight vpon whom the Turkes in greater number returning chased them likewise backe againe euen to the bridge whereby they were to haue passed the ditch into the citie which now drawne vp for feare of greater harme from such a number of the Turkes as were now coâ—e out the poore souldiors so shut out and too weake for so great a power of their enemies were there all euery man slaine the Turkes themselues with little harme returning to BVDA But within a few daies after one Lehner a captaine of the Christian garrison grieued more than the rest with this so great a dishonour and certainly vnderstanding that certaine of the chiefe of the Turkes of BVDA with two captaines and a great traine of gallant gentlewomen were for their pleasure gone to the hoat bathes neere vnto BVDA taking with him threescore muskitiers went in hast ouer the riuer vpon the I se to salute them in their bath and to wish it might be vnto them wholesome who comming suddenly vpon them as they were merrie and bathing of themselues and not dreaming of any such danger slew all the men except one boy the gentlewomen in the time of the conflict naked as they were running as fast as they could vnto the citie feare hauing in them ouercome the modestie of their sex Which exploit done the captaine leauing the Turkes slaine in the bath now become red with their bloud returned with his souldiors the same way he came to PESTH after whom they of BVDA stirred vp with the crie of the fearefull women sent out certaine of their garrison after them but to no purpose for why they were in safetie before got home By continuance of this frost by reason that victualâ— could not be sent downe the riuer the souldiours in garrison at PESTH were driuen to such wants as that dogs and cats were accounted good meat amongst them About this time also the Ianizaries and Spahi the Turkes best souldiours perceiuing the warres against the rebels in ASIA not to haue beene so well managed as they could haue wished and as in truth they might haue beene many of their captaines and commaunders as it was thought secretly fauouring and furthering the rebels proceedings whereby much of their bloud had beene spilt and many a good man through their carelesnesse lost to the small good of their Sultan rise now vp in a tumult and so as men enraged beset the house of the chiefe of the Visier Bassaes. Who much dismaied therewith and vnderstanding the cause of their discontentment went in hast
Corcutus to haue their heads struck off and their bodies to be flung into the sea saying That if he were by any extremitie driuen to flie and hide his head they would not stick to serue him in like manner as they had done his brother Now of all the posteritie of Baiazet remained none aliue to trouble the cruel tyrants thoughts but only Achomates and his two sons who vpon the approch of the Spring set forward with his armie from AMASIA excited by the often letters of his friends who assured him that Selymus might vpon the sudden be easily oppressed if hee would with all expedition come to PRVSA forasmuch as the Ianizaries and Europeian horsemen the vndoubted strength of his armie were at that time absent and he himselfe as one hated both of God and man could not in so sudden and vnexpected danger tell what he were best to doe or which way to turne himselfe wherefore they willed him without delay to hasten his comming and not to expect the milder weather of the Spring least in the meane time Selymus should call togither his dispersed forces God they said did oftentimes offer vnto men both the opportunitie and means to doe great matters if they had the power to lay hold thereon and therfore he should do well now by celeritie courage to seeke to better his euill fortune which but a little before had bereft him of his fathers kingdome for if Sommer were once come on he must either gaine the victory by plain battel which would be a hard matter or else get him packing out of CAPADOCIA and all ASIA the lesse Achomates who before had promised vnto himselfe better successe as well for the great strength he had of his owne as for the new supply of horsemen he had procured from Hysmaell the Persian king but especially for the hope he had that Selymus generally hated for his late crueltie should in the time of the battell be forsaken of his owne souldiours yeelded to the persuasion of his friends who with many pleasing words set before his eies glorious things easie to be spoken but hard to be effected Wherefore when he was come into GALATIA with somewhat more than fifteene thousand horsemen hauing for hast left his footmen by easie marches to come after him Selymus aduertised of his comming by speedie messengers sent for his horsemen to PRVSA In the meane time whiles he is leuying other common souldiours and respecting the rest of his forces fortune which alwaies fauoured his attempts did then also auert the danger prepared for him by the vnfaithfulnesse of his followers and shewed vnto him the open way to victorie For Achomates secret friends which were in Selymus his campe continuing firme in their good will towards him did earnestly by letters persuade him being alreadie set forward and now come as farre as PAPHLAGONIA to make hast and to come before Selymus his forces were come together for that he had sent for the Ianizaries and Europeian horsemen and did with all speed and diligence make all the preparation hee could possibly which for all that would all come too late if he should vpon the suddaine come vpon him before hee were prouided Which letters being by chance intercepted gaue Selymus certaine knowledge both of his brothers purpose and comming together with the treason entended against him by his owne seruants wherefore executing them who had writ those letters he in their names caused others to the same effect to be written to Achomates persuading him with all speed possible to come still on and not to stay for his footmen for that Selymus might easily bee oppressed with a few troupes of horsemen if Achomates would with speed but come shew himselfe vnto his friends and fauourites who vpon the first signall of battaile would raise a tumult in the armie and vpon the suddain kill Selymus vnaduisedly going too and fro in the battaile Which letters so written Selymus caused to be signed with the seales of them whom he had before executed found meanes to haue them cunningly deliuered to Achomates as if they had been sent from his friends who giuing credit to the same and presuming much vpon his owne strength doubted not to leaue his footmen who followed easily after him vnder the conduct of Amurath his sonne and came and encamped with his horsemen neere vnto the mountain HORMINIVS vpon the bank of the riuer Parthemius Selymus also departed from PRVSA and hauing receiued into his armie ten thousand Ianizaries but a little before come ouer the strait sent before Sinan Bassa Generall of his Asian horsemen to know make proofe of the strength of his enemies The Bassa not knowing as yet where Achomates lay neither of what force he was being deceiued by the darkenesse of the morning fell into a place of disaduantage where he was set vpon by Achomates and hauing lost seuen thousand of his men was glad with other eight thousand which were leâ—t to flie backe vnto Selymus For all this losse was not Selymus discomfited or doubtfull of the victorie but forthwith marched on forward to the riuer Elata which runneth directly out of the mountaine HORMINIVS into PONTVS watering most large fields vpon the right hand which at this day are called the plaines of the new land So did Achomates also who although he knew his brother to be euery way too strong for him yet being encouraged with the late victorie and in hope that his friends in Selymus his armie whom he vainely supposed to haue beene yet liuing would in the very battaile doe some notable matter for him and that victorie would follow his just quarrell resolued neither to retire backe neither to expect the comming of the rest of his armie The riuer was betwixt the two campes and the number of both armies certainely discouered yet could not Achomates to whom the open fields offered a safe retreat vnto the rest of his armie possessed with a fatall madnesse be persuaded considering the greatnesse of the danger in time to prouide for the safetie of himselfe and his armie carried headlong as it seemed by ineuitable destinie to his fatall destruction which presently after ensued Selymus a little before the going downe of the Sun with his armie passed ouer the riuer Elata and gaue generall commaundement through all his campe that euery man against the next day should bee readie for battaile and in a wood not far off placed a thousand horsemen in ambush vnder the leading of Canoglis his wiues brother a valiant young gentleman whom his father had a little before sent from TAVRICA vnto his sonne in law with a chosen companie of Tartarian horsemen vnto him Selymus gaue in charge that when the battaile was joyned he should shew himselfe with his horsemen vpon the backe of his enemies and there to charge them As soone as it was day Selymus in a great open field put his armie in order of battaile placing his horsemen in
two wings so that all his spearemen were in the right wing and the archers and carbines in the left in the maine battaile stood the Ianizaries with the rest of the footmen On the otherside Achomates hauing no footmen deuided his horsemen into two wings also Whilest both armies stood thus raunged expecting but the signall of battaile a messenger came from Achomates to Selymus offering in his masters name to trie the equitie of their quarrell in plaine combat hand to hand which if he should refuse he then tooke both God the world to witnesse that Selymus was the onely cause of all the guiltlesse bloud to be shed in the battaile and not he whereunto Selymus answered that he was not to trie his quarrell at the appointment of Achomates and though he could be content so to doe yet would not his soldiors suffer him so to aduenture his person and their owne safetie and so with that answere returned the messenger backe againe to his master giuing him for his reward a thousand aspers Achomates hauing receiued this answere without further delay charged the right wing of his brothers armie who valiantly receiued the first charge but when they were come to the sword and that the matter was to be tried by handie blowes they were not able longer to endure the force of the Persian horsemen who being well armed both horse and man had before requested to be placed in the formost rankes by whose valour the right wing of Selymus his armie was disordered and not without great losse enforced to retire backe vpon their fellows Which thing Selymus beholding did what he might by all meanes to encourage them againe and presently brought on the left wing with their arrowes and pistols in stead of them that were fled and at the same time came on with the Ianizaries also who with their shot enforced Achomates his horsemen to retire Achomates himselfe carefully attending euery danger with greater courage than fortune came in with fresh troupes of horsemen by whose valour the battell before declining was againe renewed and the victorie made doubtfull but in the furie of this battell whilest he was bearing all downe before him and now in great hope of the victorie Canoglis with his Tartarian horsemen rising out of ambush came behind him and with great outcries caused their enemies then in the greatest heat of their fight to turne vpon them at which time also the footmen standing close together assailed them afront and the horsemen whom the Persians had at first put to flight now moued with shame were againe returned into the battaile so that Achomates his small armie was beset and hardly assailed on euery side In fine his ensignes being ouerthrowne and many of his men slaine the rest were faine to betake themselues to flight Where Achomates hauing lost the field and now too late seeking to saue himselfe by flight fell with his horse into a ditch which the raine falling the day before had filled with water and myre and being there knowne and taken by his enemies could not obtaine so much fauour at their hands as to bee presently slaine but was reserued to the farther pleasure of his cruell brother Selymus vnderstanding of his taking sent Kirengen the same squint-eyed captain which had before strangled Corcutus who with a bow string strangled him also His dead bodie was forthwith brought to Selymus and was afterwards by his commaundement in royall manner buried with his ancestours in PRVSA Now Amurat Achomates his sonne vnderstanding vpon the way by the Persian horsemen who serred together had againe made themselues way through the Turkes armie of the losse of the field and the taking of his father returned backe againe to AMASIA and there after good deliberation resolued with his brother to betake themselues both to flight he with the Persian horsemen passing ouer the riuer Euphrates fled vnto Hysmaell the Persian king but Aladin the younger brother passing ouer the mountaine AMANVS in CILICIA fled into SIRIA and so to Campson Gaurus the great Sultan of AEGYPT After this victorie Selymus hauing in short time and with little trouble brought all the lesser ASIA vnder his obeisance and there at his pleasure disposed of all things determined to haue returned to CONSTANTINOPLE but vnderstanding that the plague was hot there hee changed his purpose and passing ouer at CALLIPOLIS and so trauelling through GRECIA came to HADRIANOPLE where hee spent all the rest of that Summer and all the Winter following and afterward when the mortalitie was ceased returned to CONSTANTINOPLE where it was found that an hundred and threescore thousand had there died of the late plague Hysmaell the Persian king whose fame had then filled the world hearing of the arriuall of Amurat sent for him and demaunded of him the cause of his comming The distressed young prince who but of late had lost his father together with the hope of so great an empire now glad for safegard of his life to flie into strange countries oppressed with sorrow by his heauie countenance and abundance of teares more than by words expressed the cause of his comming yet in short strained speech declared vnto him how that his father his vncle with the rest of his cousins all princes of great honour had of late beene cruelly murdered by the vnmercifull tyrant Selymus who with like furie sought also after the life of himselfe and his brother the poore remainders of the Othoman familie who to saue their liues were both glad to flie his brother into AEGYPT and himselfe to the feet of his imperiall majestie Hysmaell moued with compassion and deeming it a thing well beseeming the greatnesse of his fame to take the poore exiled prince into his protection and to giue him releefe willed him to be of good comfort and promised him aid And the more to assure him thereof shortly after gaue him one of his owne daughters in marriage For it was thought that if Selymus for his tyrannie become odious to the world should by any means miscarie as with tyrants it commonly falleth out that then in the Othoman familie sore shaken with his vnnaturall crueltie none was to be preferred before this poore prince Amurat besides that it was supposed that if hee should inuade him with an armie out of PERSIA that vpon the first stirre all the lesser ASIA mourning for the vnworthie death of Achomates would at once reuolt from him who for his crueltie and shamefull murthers had worthely deserued to bee hated together both of God and man Wherefore in the beginning of the Spring Hysmaell furnished Amurat his new sonne in law with ten thousand horsemen willing him to passe ouer the riuer of Euphrates at ARSENGA and to enter into CAPADOCIA as well to make proofe how the people of that countrey were affected towards him as of the strength of the enemie after whom he sent Vsta-Ogli the most famous cheefetaine amongst the Persians with twentie thousand horsemen moe with
it the seat of a perpetuall war from whence PODOLIA RVSCIA and the lesser POLONIA might be with continuall incursions wasted euen before our faces concerning which matter they now dispersed their letters wherein they published the power and authoritie giuen them from the grand signior exhorting the people of that country to receiue the same A whole day we fought with this multitude our men alwaies by the goodnesse of God hauing not onely the vpper hand but without any notable losse also yet not without great slaughter of theirs and would to God I had had such strength as that not onely the conditions of peace but euen the enemies themselues might haue beene in my power But when we were oftentimes come to parle they still requiring the same and so at length vnto conditions of peace if such were giuen them as whereby this onely kingdome had without the wrong of any other beene deliuered from so great and sudden a danger what reasonable man could find fault therewith if we should haue preferred the health and welfare of our country whereunto all good men owe all they haue before other mens profits But now these things were so done as that it was no lesse prouided for the good of the neighbour Christians yea and happily not the least for theirs who for the same slander this kingdome vnto your Holinesse the furie of Sinan Bassa was by this meanes â—â—pressed who whilest he feared to be shut vpon the straits by our armie now come into MOLDAVIA and expected the Tartars comming spent almost all the rest of the Summer idely and without any thing doing The Tartar himselfe was not onely turned from the bowels of Christendome whereinto hee had purposed as the yeare before to haue entered we hauing with our owne breasts receiued his force and furie but being brought vnto conditions was expressely enioyned in a most short prefined time and without any more harme doing to returne againe into his country by the selfesame way he came and by no other whereby it is come to passe that vntill this day Christendome hath not this yeare yet felt the Tartars weapons But vnto TRANSYLVANIA and HVNGARIE what a space and power was giuen for them to gather their strength and forces together and out of the same places to oppose them against the enemie when as our armie kept them safe at their backes and eased not onely MOLDAVIA but VALACHIA and TRANSYLVANIA also of that care Whereas if this cause of delay had not been obiected vnto the Turks first and after vnto the Tartars not to say anything of the Turkes the Tartars at the very selfesame time that the Tâ—â—â—syluanian armie was gone into VALACHIA against Sinan might haue broken into TRANSYLVANIA before it could haue returned home or els marching directly towards that armie might haue met with it out of TRANSYLVANIA As for MOLDAVIA which together with the memorie of the Christian name yet left in it had vtterly perished was most manifestly preserued by the comming of our armie Which what end it would haue had if the enemie might at his pleasure haue raged as he did in the farther VALACHIA those most bitter remembrances in it yet at this day smoking doe well declare out of which it is well known moe thousands of Christian captiues to haue beene carried away into most wofull captiuitie than almost out of any other prouince in all the time of these miserable warres Which although it bee thus yet boast we not thereof neither send we any triumphant letters vnto your Holinesse nor brag we of our good seruice done for the Christian commonweale contenting our selues with the conscience of the thing it selfe In the meane time we are accused vnto your Holinesse but for what cause If any man complaine for the taking of MOLDAVIA I will not say it was by them before willingly forsaken whilest I was yet in the frontiers thereof but that this kingdome hath a most auntient right vnto it and such a right as that when our kings being busied in their warres against the Muscouite the Cruciat Teuronâ—o brethren or others some others also troubling the state thereof it for a time became a prey vnto the Turkish tyrants yet in all the leagues made or renewed betwixt this kingdome and them was still excepted That all such things as the Palatine of MOLDAVIA was of dutie to performe vnto the king should by him still be performed Which kings of POLONIA and namely Augustus himselfe the last of the Iagellonian race appointed diuers of those Palatines themselues Which although they be things most manifest yet hauing more regard vnto the welfare of that prouince as a Christian countrey than of our right we restored the same into the same state wherein it hath beene for many yeares before these wars Wherefore if any man thinke any thing done whereby the enemies of the crosse of Christ might be eased or strengthened or the defendors of the faith hindered it is so farre from any such thing to be done that rather as is before declared the enemies force is repressed and auerted and greater meanes giuen to the Christians afront to impugne them the enemie being at their backes by vs shut from them But I feare that they haue not fully enformed your Holinesse how these things were done who haue reported vnto your said Holinesse not onely the name of the Turkes to haue beene proclaimed together with the Polonians in MOLDAVIA but also the name of the Tartars the proper enemies of the Polonians and by the power and decrees of them three as it were confederat together things to haue beene ordered in MOLDAVIA Which their complaint if it tend to that end as if a confederation were made with them I frankely confesse certain conditions to haue been giuen them but such as whereby is prouided not only for the quiet and securitie of this kingdome but no lesse also for the whole Christian commonweale as is before declared All which things for all that although they were done for the good of this kingdome and all Christendome in generall yet were they so done that they were all by me referred vnto the kings maiestie and the states of the kingdome so that at this present the kingdome is at free libertie either to ioyne in confederation with the rest of the Christian princes or if that cannot vpon certaine and indifferent conditions be agreed vpon yet with no mans iniurie or hurt to ratifie this ioyned with the health and good of a great part of the Christian commonweale onely God graunt that the Christian princes may seriously thinke both of this so Christian a confederation against the common enemie and striue also all together against the enemie with their weapons and not with misreports and slanders one against another They are not to assaile the enemies feet but his throat neither is the seat of the warre to be placed in the borders of POLONIA where it concerneth themselues much to haue all things
rather penceable behind them but let the war be vndertaken with no lesse charge and preparation than if the enemies royall seat were to be assailed which standing in an open and plaine countrey shall alwaies without much adoe be his that being strongest can take it This haue I written at large as my purpose was all which I most humbly beseech your Holinesse with your diuine wisedome to consider of and with your wonted clemencie to accept the same and so prostrate at your Holinesse feet I most humbly commend me to your clemencie From Zamoschie the tenth of Ianuarie 1596. This much the great Chancelour in defence of himselfe and of that he had done in MOLDAVTA which howsoeuer it contented the Pope well I wote it nothing pleased the Emperour and much lesse the Transyluanian prince now not a little weakened by the taking away of the countrey of MOLDAVIA from him To end this troublesome yeare withall many sharpe and bloudie skirmishes yet daily passed in diuers places of those frontier countries the Turkes almost in euery place still going to the worse In the beginning of Nouember Leucouits gouernour of CAROLSTAT the second time surprised WIHITZ in the frontiers of CROATIA where these wars first begun but being not able to take the castle contented himselfe as before with the spoile of the citie and afterward setting it on fire departed Maximilian also attempted ZOLNOCI and the Christians in garrison at STRIGONIVM and PLINDENBVRG now become neere neighbours vnto the Turkes at BVDA did with continuall â—nâ—odes not a little molest them both all the latter end of this yeare and the beginning of the next And the Turkes in BRAILA in VALACHIA vpon the side of Danubius fearing after the flight of Sinan to be besieged by the Vayuod forsooke the citie and in â—uen hast passed the riuer that in that tumultuous passage three hundred of them perished Sinan Bassa by the Transyluanian prince of late driuen out of VALACHIA was not long after sent for to CONSTANTINOPLE but the craftie old fox not ignorant of the fierce nature of the great Sultan and warned by the late miserie of Ferat found occasions to delay the time so long vntill that he was sent for againe and after that the third time also In the meane while he had so wrought by his mightie friends in Court by rich rewards mightier than they that at his comming to the Court he was there honourably receiued as the chiefest of the Bassaes and being afterwards offered to bee discharged of the warres as a man of aboue fourescore yeares old he refused so to be saying That he was borne and brought vp amongst souldiors and martiall men and so wished amongst them to die as not long after he did dying as was thought of conceit of the euill successe he had in his warres against the Transyluanian Mahomet the Turkish Emperour exceedingly grieued with the losse of so many his cities and strong places this yeare lost as namely STRIGONIVM VICEGRADE SISEG PETRINIA LIPPA IENNA TERGOVISTA BVCARESTA ZORZA and many others of lesse name and both by letters and messengers vnderstanding daily of the slaughter of his people and wasting of his frontiers commaunded great preparation to be made against the next Spring giuing it out That he would then in person himselfe come down into HVNGARIE with such a power as neuer had any his predecessours the Othoman kings and emperours and there take most sharpe reuenge of all his former wrongs Neuerthelesse these his so hastie designes were by the plague and famine which then both raged extreamely in most part of his empire and by other great occurrents of the same time so crossed that by that time the Spring came he scarcely well knew which way to turne himselfe first For beside these troubles of the West of themselues ynough to haue filled his hands the Georgians in the East a warlike people moued with the good successe of the Christians in VALACHIA and HVNGARIE had taken vp arms against him and the old Persian king but a little before dead had left that great kingdome to his sonne a man of greater spirit than was like to endure the manifold injuries before done vnto his father by the Turks to the great dishonour of that kingdome and prejudice of himselfe Of which things the Bassa of TAVRIS gaue him ample intelligence wishing him betimes to prouide for such stormes which joyned to the rest filled his head with many troubled thoughts wherunto we leaue him vntill the next Spring The Transyluanian prince carefull of his estate and not a little troubled with the disseuering of MOLDAVIA thought it not vnfit for his affaires now after the flight of Sinan and discomfiture of the Turkes to go in person himselfe vnto the emperour to declare vnto him the wrong done him by the Polonian and farther to conferre with him concerning the mannaging of the warres against the common enemie So hauing put all things in readinesse for his journey he set forward in Ianuarie 1596 and by the way of CASSOVIA the fourth of Februarie arriued at PRAGE in BOHEMIA where he was by the emperours appointment most honourably entertained But immediatly after his comming thither he fell sicke of an ague which grieuously vexed him for the space of three weekes In the latter end of Februarie hauing somewhat recouered his health he went to the church where after his deuotions done he was by the Deane of the Cathedrall church welcomed with a most eloquent oration setting forth his worthie praises and farther animating him vnto the like exploits against the common enemie of all Christianitie Whereunto he forthwith answered in Latin so eloquently and so readily that all men maruelled that heard him protesting in his speech That as he and his subjects had not hitherto spared their liues or goods in defence of the common cause so would they not afterwards spare the same but aduenture all for the benefit of the Christian common-weale well hoping that the emperour and the other Christian princes would not as occasion should require be wanting vnto him with their forces or the cleargie with their prayers which done he doubted not as he said by the power of God but to obtaine more notable victories than he had yet against the Turkes the enemies of God Whilest he yet thus lay at the emperours Court it fortuned that the people called Siculi offended to haue their liberties in some part infringed in the late assembly of the States holden in TRANSYLVANIA in December last rise now vp in armes in diuers places refusing to yeeld their former obedience vnto the prince A matter like enough to haue wrought him much trouble and supposed not to haue been done without the priuitie of the Cardinall his vncle but by the wisedome and courage of such as he had in his absence put in trust with the gouernment of his countrey diuers of the ringleaders of this rebellion were apprehended and in diuers
Iune following going into VALACHIA there tooke the like oath of obedience of Michael the Vayuod and his people who loathing the Turkish soueraigntie all willingly yeelded themselues into the emperours protection These commissioners also at the same time came to agreement with the Tartars embassadors offering vnto the emperour peace and aid for the yearely pension of 40000 duckats and as many sheepe-skin gownes their vsuall manner of apparrell All this while continued the Diet of the empire begun in December last past at RATISBONE Matthias the emperours brother being there his deputie and in his majesties name demanding a greater aid for the maintenâ—nce of his warres against the Turke the common enemie than was by the princes and states of the empire offered where after great and long deliberation a large proportion was by them all agreed vpon for the defraying of the charges of those wars and defence of the Christian commonweale to be paied in three yeares next and so thereupon was the assembly dissolued But as they were returning home behold contrarie to all hope RAB one of the strongest fortresses of Christendome three yeares before betrayed vnto the Turks by countie Hardeck was now by the wisedome and valour of Adolphus Baron of Swartzenburg the Emperours lieutenant in the lower HVNGARIE againe recouered to the great griefe of the Turks and wonderfull rejoycing of the Christians in sort as followeth This noble gentleman the lord Swartzenburg of no lesse courage than experience then lying at KOMARA and still in doubt least the Turks so neere vnto him at RAB should attempt something against him and his charge prouided for his own defence all that winter time with a strong garrison keeping continuall watch and ward although it were as then no time for the enemie with any armie to keepe the field So Winter passing and the Spring approaching it fortuned that the two and twentith day of March about seauen a clocke in the night the gates being shut were heard neere vnto the wals of the towne two men who by their speech seemed to be Italians with great instance requesting for the safegard of their liues to be let in for feare of the enemies pursuit Which by one of the Sentinels was forthwith reported vnto the Gouernor who doubting it to be some subtile practise of the enemie commaunded them there to take their fortune vntill the morning at which time they were receiued into the citie and being brought before the Gouernour prostrating themselues forthwith at his feet pitiâ—ully requested him to haue compassion of their miserie and to comfort them with his charitable reliefe that so they might at length returne againe into their countrey who at the first asked them what countrey men they were and from whence they came at that time of the night Whereunto they answered That they were Italians and that they had but euen then escaped out of the cruell hands of the Turkes at RAB But desiring to know of them some newes they after their manner humbled themselues shewing by their gesture not to know any yet would he needs vnderstand of them the particularities when and how they were taken by the Turkes and the meanes they had vsed to escape out of that cruell seruitude all in order as it had befallen them Where the yonger of them beginning told him That now almost two yeares ago at such time as the Christians were ouerthrowne by the Turkes vnder AGRIA and euerie man in that confusion then seeking the best and neerest way to saue themselues they hauing by flight now escaped the greatest danger of the enemie and so trauelling ouer the countrey towards VIENNA were to their great misfortune by an hundred Turkes come out of RAB to scoure the countrey and to seeke after prey taken prisoners and as slaues committed to the chaine where they had almost two yeares vntill now with great patience serued These two fugitiues by their outward appearance seemed to be men of good spirit and valour which caused the Gouernor to be the more desirous to know of them the meanes they had vsed for their escape So the yonger proceeding in his tale gaue him to vnderstand of the whole matter telling him That they had been three moneths before still carefully deuising how to recouer their lost libertie which now seemed to make some offer of it selfe vnto them For that since the time that the emperours armie rise the last yeare from before the towne they were not kept so strait or looked vnto as before but lay as men by the Turkes not much regarded which caused them the more cheerfully to take the offer of the time and to resolue either the sooner to die or to set themselues at libertie And that so one day as they were carrying certaine munition from the pallace of Giaffer Bassa for the souldiors they secretly conuaied three pieces of coard of some reasonable bignesse therwith by night to let themselues downe from the wall and so as they might to escape which stolne coard that it should not be seene and so their purpose suspected they buried in the ground But the night being come for them to effect in what they had so long desired and they roaming vp and down in the darke and still finding one let or other they were enforced for that time to stay and to deferre it vntill the night following which being come and choise made of a most conuenient place they made fast the coard aboue and so thereby slid downe first the elder and then the yonger who not knowing how to swim was yet by the good direction and helpe of his fellow conducted ouer vnto the farther side of the broad and deepe ditch and that so in the night so darke as that one of them could hardly see the other they were come by chance to KOMARA thinking to haue taken the way to VIENNA The Gouernour thus fully instructed of their escape demaunded of them farther how the strong towne of RAB was by the Turks gouerned and guarded who told him verie euill and with small care especially since the departure of the emperours campe and also that foure gates of the towne were filled vp with earth which if they were broken open would all fâ—ll into the towne ditch and so farther them that would attempt to enter with diuers other particularities Whereof the Gouernour hauing well considered thought with himselfe that if by some ingenious deuise he might by night with some good strength vpon the sudden enter the towne it might happily be so againe recouered Vpon which so great a dessignment he thought good to consult farther with the lord Palfi whom he requested in all hast and with as much secresie as was possible with 1600 foot and as many horse as he could make to come vnto him to KOMARA Who vpon the aduertisement so giuen staâ—ed not but presently giuing order vnto his men set forward by night and the six and twentith day of March before day with 1400 foot and
120 horse arriued at KOMARA where they were all joyfully receiued and the gates after they were entred againe fast shut and so kept for feare of the enemies secret spies of whom no man can be too warâ—e be he neuer so wise Now whilest these soldiors were refreshing themselues in the mean time the Gouernour with the lord Palfi discoursed to the full concerning the entended enterprise which resolued vpon they found themselues vpon the view of their men to haue two thousand six hundred foot of the garrison souldiors and three hundred horse all good and couragious men and well appointed for the entended seruice who there staying two daies after their comming and many of them in the meane time after the manner of their religion confessing themselues and receiuing the sacrament were become so couragious as that they doubted not in the quarrell of the Christian Religion to encounter a farre greater number of the Turks than themselues And the more to stirre them vp the lord Palfi at the same time deliuered vnto them a notable speech not for all that telling them whither they were to go but that they were his Christian soldiors and brethren vnder his leading both of long and late time who neuer by him deceiued of their wonted pay at such time as it was due would not now as he hoped forsake him And albeit that he well knew them to haue deserued at his hands a greater contentment neuerthelesse being himselfe depriued of his reuenue by these late warres and his possessions euerie houre subject vnto the incursions of the Turks could not therefore according to his desire and their deserts shew vnto them the great good will he bare them Yet that now and euen presently was come the time wherein they might not only aboundandly enrich themselues but also adorne their heads with an immortall crowne of glorie and make themselues for euer famous by performing the most happie and glorious exploit that euer was by valorous souldiors attempted or atchieued in that part of the world And to the intent that they all might know how deerely he accounted of the life and honour of euerie one of them he would therefore himselfe with the lord Swartzenburg of whom proceeded all that faire deuise and new stratageme be present with them in the action and that therefore they were not to thinke that they were led forth to any priuat danger farther than their commaunders themselues whose folly were to be accounted great if rashly and vpon no good ground they should aduenture their liues and honours togither wherof they ought not now to doubt hauing by a thousand proofs knowne how much they had been of them alwaies regarded And that therefore it behoued them so much the more to shew their valour in this peece of seruice vndertaken for the great benefit of the Christian common weale and the honour of Christ Iesu vnto whom they were with one accord to make their prayers with his mightie hand to strengthen their hearts and with glorious victorie to bring to happie end the intended exploit against his enemies to the honour of his name and the aduancement of the Christian religion and faith At the end of which speech all the souldiors cried aloud That they were most readie to do any their commaunds and to follow them whither soeuer So order was taken that within three houres they should euerie man be prest and readie with their armes according to their places and so hauing well refreshed themselues about eleuen a clocke the seuen and twentith day of March they in good order began to set forwards toward RAB But for that the multitude of souldiors oftentimes giueth the enemie warning of that is intended against him Palfi gaue order to one Iohn Stroine his Sergiant maior to follow faire and softly after him with 1700 horse and foot which he well performed And so vpon the breake of the day they began to draw towards RAB and there lay close in ambush all that day vntill night about seuen miles short of the towne refreshing themselues in the meane time with plentie of victuals which they had brought with them from KOMARA Night the fauourer of deceit being come in two houres march they began to draw neere to RAB and there staied about fiue houres from whence they sent before them a French enginer a man of great judgement with thirteene others before rewarded with 1500 duckats hauing with them foure Petardes engines of force to blow vp into the ayre any thing whereunto they be fastened be it neuer so great or waightie where by good chance they found the draw-bridge down and the portculleis vp for that the Turkes then casting no perill expected euerie houre for certaine wagons with prouision from ALBA REGALIS By which good hap the Christians vnperceiued comming to the gate and therunto fastening their Petardes in good order gaue fire to the same which presently tooke not hold yet were they not farre gone but that they were by a Sentinell descried who demaunding what they were was presently answered by the violent engines which in a trice tore in sunder the gate with some part of the wall and of the fortifications neere vnto it When now the watch but all too late began to giue the alarum and the Christians in the foreward thrusting presently in tooke the gate none of the Turkes yet comming to the defence thereof or to hinder them from entring The first that appeared were two hundred Turkes which with their wonted crie Alla Alla in such hideous manner as if they would therewith haue rent the heauens would haue staied the Christians from farther entring but were themselues ouercharged by three hundred which were alreadie entred At which time also the Bassa came on with more than a thousand following him and that with such courage and furie as was neuer greater to be seene in any Turke where after a most terrible fight maintained by the space of two houres the Bassa himselfe being slaine the Turks began a little to retire whereby a thousand Christians mo had leisure to enter when strait waies after came Giaffar the great Bassa with aboue a thousand tall souldiors following him all the inhabitants also of RAB running after him and that with such force that they constrained the Christians to retire vnto the gate wherby they entred Who resolued rather honorably to die within the towne than with dishonour to be forced out there with incredible courage sustained the greatest impression of the furious enemie where was to be seene the true Christian valour for the performance of so great an exploit well worthie of eternall memorie But this Bassa also the other being dead of a wound in his necke encountred by the lord Swartzenburg after he had in that sharpe conflict shewed great tokens of his valour was there at length slaine also both whose heads strucke off were for a present afterwards sent to the emperour at PRAGE with all the particularities