rested upon the coming of the two mighty Princes Philip the Second of that name King of France and Richard the First King of England who having agreed betwixt themselves with their combined Forces to relieve the distressed Christians of the East and again if it were possible to repair the broken State of the Kingdom of Ierusalem were now met together at Marseilles in Provence From whence the French King first departing with his Fleet for Cicilia and with a prosperous gale for certain days holding on his course and now come nigh unto the Island was by force of a furious tempest suddenly arising so tossed and tumbled in the deep that many of his Ships there perished eaten up of the Sea others by force of Weather driven upon the Sands and Rocks were there broken all to pieces and the rest some with their Masts broken some with their Tacklings and Sails rent and all in general sore Weather-beaten with much ado arrived at Messana the desired Port. At which place King Richard afterwards but with better fortune arrived with his Fleet also Both the Kings now met together resolved there to winter the French King enforced by necessity so to do for the repairing of the late Losses he had received as well in his People and Provision as in his Shipping all which was to be relieved by new Supplies out of France and the King of England staying to take Order for the Dowry of his Sister Ioan Widow of William the late King of Cicilia with Tancred the base Son of Roger that had now aspired unto the Kingdom of that Island About which matter great Stirs arose betwixt King Richard the Queens Brother and Tancred the new King insomuch that it was like to have broken out into open War had it not to the good contentment of King Richard been otherwise taken up and so the Controversie ended But whilst these two great Kings thus wintred in this fruitful Island and oftentimes as good Friends met together sometime for their disport and sometime to confer of their so weighty Affairs the way as was thought to have appeased all former displeasure and to have increased love it fell out clean contrary jealousie and distrust not only reviving the old but also still raising new Quarrels betwixt them to the great hindrance of the common good by them intended which may serve for a warning to all great Princes willing to continue in Amity and to hold a good Opinion one of another never to see one the other or coming so to an interview not to converse or stay long together which as it is not often done without the danger of their persons so can it not possibly be long continued but that it will engender in themselves as well as in their Followers Jealousie envy hatred and mistrust aâ— we have before said and hereafter in the coursâ— of this History may appear There was an old 〈◊〉 betwixt these two great Kings Richard â—nd Philip about Adela the French Kings Sister whom Richard having before his Father yet living affianced had now rejected as her whom his aged Father Henry the Second had too familiarly used and in stead of her to the great disgrace of the French espoused the Lady Berengaria Daughter to the King of Navar which Indignity with divers others then arising betwixt the French and the English as then with great heart-burning smouldred up in respect of the common Cause then in Hand afterwards brake out again to the shameful overthrow of this most honourable Expedition and lamentable disturbance of both Realms Winter past and the Spring now come the French King not altogether the best pleased first loosed from Messana and with his Fleet in safety arrived at Ptolemais where he was by the Christians now the third year lying at the Siege so joyfully received as if he had been to them sent with Succours from Heaven After whom shortly after followed also King Richard of whose Fleet by force of Weather sore beaten and dispersed two Ships by the rage of the Tempest driven aground upon the coast of Cyprus were by the Island people spoiled and the Men that in them had hardly escaped the danger of the Sea with most barbarous Inhumanity some slain and some taken Prisoners the rest of the Fleet arriving there also were with like Incivility forbidden to land the Cipriots ready at hand in all places to keep them off With which so great an Indignity the King justly moved and by force landing his people with incredible Celerity and Success over-ran the whole Island never ceasing until he had made a full Conquest thereof and taken Isaac Comnenus commonly called The King of that Island and of some for what reason I know not Emperor of the Griffons Prisoner yet was he indeed neither King nor Emperor but being a man of great Nobility and Power and of the honourable Stock of the Comneni had in the troublesome Reign of Andronicus Comnenus the Emperor his Cousin laid hold upon that fruitful Island and there tyrannized as a reputed King until that now he was by King Richard taken Prisoner and for his unfaithful dealing sent fast bound in Chains of Silver into Syria The King thus possessed of the whole Island there at Limozin married the Lady Berengaria the King of Navars Daughter brought thither by Ioan late Queen of Cicilia the Kings Sister And so disposing as he thought best of all things for the safe keeping of the Island set forward again with his Fleet towards Syria Where by the way he light upon a great Ship of the Sultans laded with Victuals and other War-like Provisions for the relief of the besieged all which became a Prey unto him So holding on his course he at length arrived at Ptolemais where he was by the French King and the rest of the Christians there lying most honourably rereived Now had the City of Ptolemais been three years besieged by the Christians and notably defended by the Turks during which time many an hot Assault and bloody Skirmish had passed betwixt them And now the eyes of all men were fixed upon the two Kings of England and France unto whom all the rest offered their Obedience and Service The Christian Camp was great composed especially of Englishmen Frenchmen Italians and Almains not them that were left of the Emperor Frederick his Army for they were for the most part dead or else returned home again into their Countries but of such as moved with the Zeal they bare unto this Religious War came daily in great numbers thither as did also many others of divers Nations desirous in some measure to be partakers of so honourable a War. These Religious and Venerous Christians thus lying at the Siege had with much painful labour undermined one of the greatest Towers of the City called the accursed Tower with some part of the Wall also by means whereof they were in hope to find a way into the City Wherefore all things being
grant or accept Whereupon Saladin forthwith caused such Christian Captives as were in his power to be beheaded which albeit King Richard understood yet would he not prevent the time before agreed upon for the execution of his Prisoners being the twentieth day of August upon which day he caused the Turks Prisoners to the number of 2500. or as the French and Germans write to the number of 7000 in the sight of Saladins Army to be executed The loss of the strong Town of Ptolemais much empaired the reputation of Saladin even among his own People as it commonly falleth out that the evil success of a great Commander in his affairs altereth the good Will Affection and Opinion especially of the Vulgar Sort which judge of all things by the Event And albeit that his losses were great and such as much daunted him yet he thought it best as the case then stood to make them greater and with his own hands as it were to ruinate and overthrow such Towns and Cities as he saw he could not keep rather than to suffer them whole and undefaced to fall into the Enemies Hand So carried headlong with despair he caused all the Towns he had along the Sea coast in Syria and Palestine to be sacked and ruinated and their Walls overthrown especially such as were of most importance and like to stand the Christians in stead namely Porphiria Cesarea Ioppa Ascalon Gaza and Elam with divers other Castles and Citadels in the Countries thereabouts most part whereof were again by King Richard and the Templars fortified and repeopled although Saladin in the mean time did what he might to have letted the same Nothing more hindred the good proceeding of the Christian Princes in this and other their most honourable expeditions against the Infidels than the discord among themselves one still envying at anothers Honour and every one jealous of his own Great strife and heartburning there had been between the two Kings of France and England during the time they were together in this sacred Expedition to the great hindrance of the same No less contention had there been betwixt Guy the late King of Ierusalem and Conrade Marquess of Mont-Ferrat about the Title of that lost Kingdom whereby the whole power of the Christians in Syria was divided into two Factions Richard King of England Baldwin Earl of Flanders Henry Earl of Champaine the Knights Hospitalers of St. Iohn the Venetians and Pisans taking part with Guy And Philip the French King Odo Duke of Burgundy Rudolph Earl of Claremont the Templars the Genoways the Lantgrave of Thurin Leopold Duke of Austria and Robert Count of Nassau taking part with Conrade the Marquess But Conrade shortly after the taking of Ptolemais being slain by two of the desperate Assassins or as some others say by two desperate Ruffians suborned thereunto by the Prince of Torone in revenge of the despight done unto him by the said Marquess by taking from him Isabel his Espoused Wife as he was walking in his City of Tyre and doubting no such Treason King Richard seeing now a fit occasion offered for the utter extinguishing of that claim and how to entitle himself unto that Kingdom perswaded the aforesaid Isabel the Widdow of the late Marquess and in whose right he had laid claim unto the Kingdom to relinquish that so troublesom a Title and to take to her Husbnamd Henry Earl of Champain his Nephew unto whom he gave the City Tyre Guy the King exclaming to the contrary as of a wrong done unto himself Shortly after he began also to tamper with Guy perswading him to resign unto him that little right and interest he had in the Kingdom of Ierusalem and in lieu thereof to receive at his Hands the Kingdom of Cyprus which his offer the poor King was glad to accept By which exchange Guy became King of Cyprus and Richard King of Ierusalem which honourable Title he afterwards as some report used in his Stile as did some others his Successors the Kings of England after him So Guy with all his Wealth passing over into Cyprus took possession of the Kingdom where he long lived not Nevertheless that pleasant Kingdom continued in his Family of the Lusignans by the space of about 283 years afterwards untill that at length that Family failing in the Posthumus Son of Iames the Bastard last King of that Island it fell into the Hands of the Venetians by whom it was holden as a part of their Seigniory almost an hundred years until that it was in our fresh remembrance again from them taken by Selymus the Second great Emperor of the Turks in the year 1571. as in the process of this History shall in due place God willing be declared Now was King Richard for the increase of his honour more desirous than before of the City of Ierusalem as the most precious and honourable prize of all that religious War. And thereupon with all the power of the Christians then at his command set forward from Ptolemais and was come on his way as far as Arsuâ— a Town situated betwixt Cesarea and Ioppa In the Vauward was King Richard himself with the Englishmen after whom followed Odo Duke of Burgundy with his French and in the Rereward Iaques de Avenes with the Flemings Brabanders and Wallons who after the death of their Count Philip at the Siege of Ptolemais had put themselves all under his Regiment Saladin with a great Army still at hand and as it were tending upon them first with certain Embuscadoes charged the Rereward and so afterwards came on with his whole power upon whom Iaques turning himself with his Flemings received the charge with great assurance and so long themselves endured the same until the French came in to their succors and after them the English also There was fought a notable Battel and great Valour shewed both on the one side and on the other but especially by them of the Turks part who knew well the purpose of the Christians for the besieging of Ierusalem and that thereupon depended their only hope and that he that could hold the same might almost assure himself to carry away the glory of that War. The French and the English in that â—attel honourably strove who might shew the greatest Valour neither would the low Countrymen under Iaques their General seem to be any thing behind them This sharp conflict began about Noon and continued until the going down of the Sun. King Richard as some write was there wounded with an Arrow and Iaques valiantly there fighting was slain having sold his life dear to the great admiration of the Infidels and dying left the Victory unto the Christians It is reported that in this Battel was slain more Turks and Sarasins than in any one Battel within the memory of man before of the Christians were not lost any great number either any man of name more than the aforesaid Iaques the valiant General of the Flemings The next day the Christians
removed to Bethlem a Town about the mid way betwixt Ioppa and Ierusalem But winter now coming fast on and want of Victuals like enough to increase the King changing his mind for the Siege returned with the greatest part of the Army to Ascalon which he that Winter new fortified the Walls thereof being before by Saladin in his dispair demolished the Duke of Burgundy with his Frenchmen all that while quietly wintring at Tyre In the mean time the power of the Christians was thus greatly diminished some one way departing from the Camp and some another The Italians for the most part with them of Pisa who in these three years Wars had striven with the Venetians for the Honour of their Service were now returned home as were the Venetians themselves also Nevertheless Winter now past and the Spring time come King Richard took the Field again and came to Bethlem where by the way he met with an exceeding great number of Camels charged with great store of Victuals and Munition sent by Saladin out of Egypt to Ierusalem all which he took but purposing to have gone on to the Siege of Ierusalem he was by the backwardness of the French glad to change his purpose and to return to Ptolemais for the Frenchmen perswaded by the Duke their General who well knew the French Kings mind that if any thing worth remembrance were done it was to be done by them and that the glory thereof should wholly redound unto the King of England as there in person present and to his Englishmen shewed themselves so unwilling to the Siege as that therein was nothing done to the great grief of that worthy Prince At which time also news was brought unto King Richard how that Philip the French King forgetful of his solemn promise made before his departure out of Syria had now invaded the Country of Normandy and excited Earl Iohn the Kings Brother a man of an haughty and aspiring nature to take upon him the Kingdom of England in his absence as had before in like case William the younger Brother served Duke Robert his eldest Brother then absent at his Father the Conquerors death in the first sacred expedition under Godfrey of Bulloin Wherefore King Richard beside the present difficulties fearing lest while he was so far off in Wars for defence of the Christian Common-weal he might lose his Kingdom at home thought it best to grow to some good end with Saladin and so to make his return but the politick and wary Sultan not ignorant of the discord of the Christians and that their Forces daily decayed in Syria either of the troubled Estate of the Kings affairs at home in his Kingdom or of his desire to return would not hearken to any other conditions of Peace but such as might both for the present weaken the Forces of the Christians in Syria and discourage others that had a mind to come thither afterward when they should see that for nought they should travel to conquer that which they must of necessity restore again The conditions he offered were That the Christians should forthwith restore whatsoever they had won in those three years Wars Ptolemais only excepted and from thenceforth for the space of five years the Turks should not in any thing molest the Christians but to suffer them in peace to live by them which hard conditions for that no better could be had the King was glad to accept and so concluded a Peace Whereby the labour and travel of the two great Kings and so many Nations with them were all become frustrate and vain having now to no purpose lost their Men their Mony their Time their Hope their Blood their long Travel to gain that they must now in one hour forego nothing more left unto the poor Christians in Syria than the Cities of Antioch Tyre and Ptolemais This done King Richard leaving the affairs of Asia unto the charge of Henry Count of Champagne his Nephew shipping the greatest part of his People with his Wife Berengaria first for Cicilia and from thence for England where they in safety at length arrived followed shortly after with some few himself where by the way by extremity of Weather he was in the Adriatique driven to land upon the Coast of Histria where travelling with a small retinue homewards in the Habit of a Templar he was discovered and taken Prisoner by Leopold Duke of Austria whom he had before disgraced at the winning of Ptolemais as is before declared who now glad to have him in his power made prise of him and sold him to Henry the Emperor for forty thousand pounds by whom he was kept Prisoner by the space of a year and three months and then ransomed for the Sum of an hundred and fifty thousand pounds About this time died the great Sultan Saladin the greatest terror of the Christians who mindfull of mans fragility and the vanity of worldly honours commanded at the time of his death no Solemnity to be used at his burial but only his Shirt in manner of an Ensign made fast unto the point of a Lance to be carried before his dead body as an Ensign a plain Priest going before and crying aloud to the People in this sort Saladin Conqueror of the East of all the greatness and riches he had in his life carrieth not with him after his death any thing more than his shirt A sight worthy so great a King which wanted nothing to his eternal commendation more than the true knowledge of his Salvation in Christ Jesus He reigned about sixteen years with great honour and dying left nine Sons which were all murthered by Sephradin their Uncle excepting one called also Sephradin Sultan of Alâ—ppo who by the Favour and Support of his Fathers good Friends saved himself from the treacherous practises of his Uncle Of this Sephradin the Uncle descended Meludin Sultan of Egypt and Coradin Sultan of Damasco and Ierusalem Saladin his great Kingdom being by them now again rent in pieces The death of Saladin in short time bruited abroad with the discord among the Turks and Sarafins about his Dominions put Celestinus then Pope in good hope that the City of Ierusalem might in that change and hurly be easily again recovered and that Kingdom established But when he had in vain dealt to that purpose with the Kings of France and England then altogether busied in their Wars the one against the other he perswaded Henry the Sixth then Emperor to take the matter in hand who for that he well could not or else would not himself in person undertake that long expedition sent Henry Duke of Saxony his Lieutenant with a great Army into Asia unto whom were joyned two Legats Conradus Archbishop of Mogunsia another of the Electors and Conradus the Bishop of Herbipolis At which time also may other great Princes took upon them that holy War namely Herman Lantgrave of Thurin Henry Palatine of Rhine Henry Duke of Brabant Conrade
was once attempted against the Portugals at Diu and Ormuz the like whereof Alphonsus Albuquercius the King of Portugal's Viceroy in India attempted when as with his light Horsemen running through that Country he thought upon a sudden to have spoiled Mecha and to have robbed the Sepulchre of Mahomet as had hapned under the Empire of the Sultans and as Trajan the Emperour had long since in like manner attempted to rage and spoâ—l Those Places which he possessed in Affrick were as they said to be set upon and the Coast of Spain towards the Mediterranean to be infested so at length to gratifie the Moors his Subjects who still instantly requested the same that so they might more safely traffick and travel and that so the Moors might at length be delivered from the imperious command of the Spaniards of which exploit Sultan Selymus lately before dead was in his life time well perswaded but might now at this time be much more commodiously done for that the Moorish Nation was now greatly increased and much oppressed by the Spaniards and having got great Wealth by the Trade of Merchandise even by Nature or Religion had conceived a mortal hatred against the Spaniards whereunto might not a little avail the Ports in Affrick whereinto the Turks Fleet might at all times in safety retire And in brief that which was of greatest importance to the better success of this War the French King and the Queen of England had of their own accord promised the Continuation of their Wars and that the French King should invade Navarre and by force of Arms recover the right he pretended unto that Kingdom whilst in the mean time the Queen of England should not only trouble him in the West Indies and other Places of the Ocean toward the North and West but might also stir up new Broils in the Kingdom of Portugal where most part of the People with great impatience bear the proud command of the Spaniard as perswaded and that truly all their Prosperity and Quietness to have been lost together with their last King their true and lawful Sovereign For he at Peace with the Kings of France and England exceedingly thereby enriched his Subjects by Traffick whereas since they fell into the Hands of the Spaniard they daily complain of their new Losses and Dangers by Reason of his perpetual Wars Moreover that there was to be found great store of exiled Spaniards dispersed here and there which being malecontent and weary of the Spanish Government were fled not only out of Portugal but even out of Arragon and other parts of his Kingdom which now living in France England and Constantinople both secretly and openly liberally offered great helps the like whereof many of the Moors also promised All which together seemed to promise a most easie Expedition and certain Victory if any should upon the sudden invade Spain for that there was almost no use of Arms the Inhabitants at home seldom times exercising themselves therein neither in Places needful having any ordinary Garrisons and but few Horses fit for Service And that in fine it was to be considered Spain to be greatly bared of men which knew how valiantly and courageously to manage Arms for the often choice they make of them which almost most daily transported into the Indies Italy and the Low-Countries whereby the strength of his Country must needs be exceedingly impaired so that if they should be invaded with any strong and mighty Army they might seem hardly able to be holpen or defended by their own People but should need the Aid and help of the other near Provinces subject unto this Kingdom which if they should be either letted or stay to come in good time they should leave so much the more easie Victory unto their Enemies In the fifth place were they which went about to perswade Amurath to break his League with the Venetians using Reasons rather probable than true although they might seem unto the Turks less doubtful for that men easily and willingly believe such things as they themselves desire These men went about to prove no Expedition to be less difficult than this as judging of things present by the event of former Wars passed wherein the Turks had always taken something from the Venetians who to redeem their Peace were divers ways enforced to satisfie the Turks That the Venetian Common-wealth was afraid of the Turks and abhorred War was manifest they said in that that in all Actions it had propounded unto it self Peace as the end thereof and after the manner of their Ancestors never entred into Wars but enforced thereunto and would happily upon the first denouncing of Wars willingly depart with certain Places for fear of greater harm or to be utterly overcome as it appeared they did in the yielding up of Cyprus The Power and Force whereof was not so great as that it could alone stand against the great Sultan and to confederate it self with others would require no small delay for the great and many Difficulties which commonly used to arise in making of Leagues not being now so conjoyned with the Spaniard as in times past of whose aid it being of late destitute was constrained to make an hard Peace with Selymus And if so be the Spaniard would needs joyn himself unto the Venetians against the Turks yet that he could by no means afford unto them such Aid and Supplies as were of necessity to be required unto so great a War he himself being in his Wars otherwise so intangled as for all other Confederation they could make without him to be but weak and to no purpose That which the Pope could do herein to be but little for albeit he should according to his Duty exhort other Christian Princes to give Aid and to stir them up unto this War yet that beside some little supply of Money hardly drawn out of his own Coffers and the Ecclesiastical Revenues he could scarcely perform any thing more or when he had done his uttermost devoir could but joyn five Gallies of his own unto the Venetian Fleet which with the Gallies of the Duke of Savoy of the Knights of Malta and of the Florentines could but make a Fleet of some twenty Gallies which was but a small matter Besides that the Turks were perswaded that betwixt the Venetian State and the other Christian Princes was no such Friendship and good Agreement as the greatness of the imminent Danger of that War and as the necessity of the cause would require and that hitherto their Treasures had been so exhausted in paying the Debt they were run into in the last War and in building of Fortresses that happily they were not now so furnished with Coin as was requisite for the defraying of so great a War. And unto this War against the Venetians consented almost all the Visier Bassaes differing only in this Where or against what Place of the Venetian Territory this War were to be first begun some naming one place
in his stead Mahomet Effendi Treasurer in the time when the Giurbaes governed an ill Man and of a bad Reputation Nor could the Vizier think himself secure whilst Yeghen Command his Forces so near as Sophia and was disobedient to all Commands aspiring to no less than to be Seraskier or General of the Army nor could it be thought he would stop there or at any other point until he came to be Grand Vizier Wherefore Mustapha Vizier dispatched private Orders to have Yeghen strangled who remained hovering about between Belgrade and Sophia keeping all Strangers from any near approach so that the execution of those Orders were respited until a more opportune conjuncture For he continued still in Rebellion having refused to go to Bosna declaring that he would not give up the Command of Seraskier of the Army in Hungary to Hassan Pasha or any other Whilst these things were in Agitation an Envoy arrived at Constantinople from the Emperor of Morocco with Letters of Complement to the Grand Seignior upon his Exaltion to the Throne and with Offers year 1688. that as the Christians were united together against the Musulmen so he was ready to give his Assistance to the Grand Seignior in defence of the Mahometan Faith. It being now the Spring time when the Turks always put their Horses out to Grass and Soil The Imbrahor or Master of the Horse invited the Grand Seignior into the Fields to see in what order his Horses were governed at their Pasture and there gave him a very Splendid Entertainment The Grand Seignior was so pleased with the Dinner the Air and the Fields that in two or three days afterwards he went again to the Meadows at Cat-Hanah about two English Miles at farthest from Pera where he was again feasted not without the Censure and Murmuring of the People who said That in a short time he would follow the Example of the late Sultan in his Diversions and Negligence in the Government so they should have changed as indeed they had to little purpose It began now plainly to appear That the Turks by reason of their intestine Divisions had made very inconsiderable Preparations either by Land or Sea year 1688. Howsoever something was necessary to be and therefore in the first place Eleven Gallies were sent to Guard the Black Sea against the Cosacks who as was reported were preparing to make Incursions into the Parts near Constantinople as they had usually done in former times But their chief Apprehensions and Fears were raised from a Report that the Imperialists were marching towards Belgrade And indeed they had great Reasons for it for they had nothing of Force on the Frontiers nor nothing to oppose them in case the Emperor should think fit to push forward his Conquests which nothing could obstruct besides Famine and Hunger in a March through a ruined and a desart Country The Turks in these extremities finding no safety or success and protection in their Arms had recourse to their last refuge which was if possible to obtain a Peace with the Emperor a Method which they had never practised before since they were an Empire to be the first to Sue for a Peace But now Necessity pressing them they were for dispatching an Ambassador to the Kings of France England and the States of Holland whose design substance and main drift of his Embassy was only pretended to give notice unto those Powers of the Exaltation of Sultan Solyman to the Throne of the Ottoman Empire But with private Instructions to insinuate unto those Princes severally to interpose in a Mediation of Peace and to use their endeavours to give a stop to the Career of the Imperial Arms which good Offices in order to a Peace might reasonably be expected from Kings and Princes who had for many years maintained a happy Peace and Correspondence with the Ottoman Port where their Ambassadors had been treated with Friendship and their Merchants with Security and their Trade flourished on all sides with Profit and Advantage One Achmet Aga being proposed for this Embassy he was severally treated and feasted by the three Ambassadors who by the Discourses they had entertained with him observed him to be a Person discreet and better practised in Affairs of Countries different to their own than commonly Turks are who think it an Indignity to them to look into the States of Christian Princes year 1688. which so lately the Ottoman Empire overlooked as unworthy their Consideration To Transport this Ambassador a French-ship was appointed and his Equipage prepar'd but by the Conduct of Sir William Trumbal English Ambassador then at Constantinople and the confused Affairs of the Turks this Embassy did not succeed And indeed the Turky Company could not expect to Reap any thing from thence but trouble and expence and perhaps displeasure at the Port in case his Entertainment had not equalled that which he had received at Paris Howsoever the Turks were better resolved in the Point of that Embassy designed to the Emperor And to that end they chose Hamedi Effendi one who had been bred up a Clerk and afterwards came to be first Accountant in the Treasury and Mauvro Cordato a Greek by Nation a Man of Intrigue and Business having for many years been employed for Interpreter to the Grand Vizier ever since the Death of Panaioti The Turks being ashamed as a thing below the Dignity of their Empire to Sue for Peace thought it might prove a certain consequence in Answer to a civil Letter written by the Grand Seignior to the Emperor giving notice of his Exaltation to the Ottoman Throne much after the same Tenour with that which was written to the other Powers with this Addition and Alteration year 1688. That whereas the ancient Amity and Friendship had been broken during the Reign of his Predecessor he as to his own Person had not been consenting nor instrumental thereunto and that God having punished the Authors of this War he resolved to take different Measures and considering the Emperour as his Neighbour he was desirous to enter into a League of Friendship with him and to establish a firm and lasting Peace in case the Emperor should be inclining thereunto These Ambassadors were appointed to begin their Journey towards the end of Iune towards whose expences the Grand Seignior intended to allow Six thousand Dollars which was esteemed a sufficient Provision for them until they came to the Confines whence according to the ancient Canon they are to be conducted by the Emperor's Guards and defray'd at his Expence Their Retinue consisted of 60 persons half of which was habited in the Turkish and half after the Grecian Fashion As yet they had received no Passports for them but in assurance that they would be granted the Ambassadors were posted away to Belgrade there to remain in expectation of them The New Grand Seignior during all these Combustions and Negotiations minded little or nothing of Business nor indeed was
and Henry the Third then reigning in England that they both promised them aid Whereupon Lewis a man of a great devotion and always forward in that service against the Infidels took upon him the Cross the cognisance of the sacred War causing his three Sons Philip that succeeded him in the Kingdom sirnamed the Fair Peter Count of Alangon and Iohn Count of Nevers sirnamed Tristan for that his Mother was in her greatest heaviness for the taking of her Husband delivered of him in Egypt and most of the Nobility of France to do the like unto whom also Theobald King of Navar his Son-in-Law Alphonsus his Brother and Guydo Earl of Flanders joyned themselves And so having put all things in readiness took his way to Marselleis and from thence embarking himself with his Army in the Genoway Ships hired for that purpose set forward the first of March in the year 1270. But being at Sea he was by force of Weather constrained to land in Sardinia year 1270. and there to stay a while departing thence he at length arrived at Carthage the place by him desired where in the entrance of the Haven he surprised certain of the Enemies Ships but landing his men and assaulting the Town he was there notably repulsed This is not that antient great and famous City which sometime mightily strove with the proud Mistress of the World for Soveraignty but another built long after in the ruins or at least not far from the ruins of the same In the besieging whereof the Frenchmen found such resistance as well put them in remembrance of the antient glory of the Carthaginians One day it fortuned as the King thus lay at the Siege that the Defendants made a great and fierce Sally out upon the Frenchmen who before commanded so to do by little and little retired to draw their Enemies further on betwixt whom and the City the Constable with a great power coming in and charging them behind and they which before retired now standing close unto them they were on both sides hardly beset who for all that as became valiant men worthily defended themselves and made there a great fight though not without extreme peril which they in the City beholding gave out a most hideous and piteous cry a certain sign of their hard estate within astonying with the suddenness thereof both their Friends and Enemies But whilst they of the Town betwixt hope and despair stood thus beholding the fight at Land the Frenchmen by Sea approaching a Bulwark on that side of the Town took it without resistance which so dismaied them without that they began forthwith to flie of whom the greatest part casting away their Weapons were by the Kings commandment taken to mercy and they likewise of the Town upon promise of their lives yielded the same unto the King. Carthage thus won the King laid Siege to Tunes the chief City of that Kingdom being not far off where by the way he was encountred by the King of the Countrey who having there lost ten thousand of his Moors betook himself to flight with the rest Who thus overthrown resolved no more to tempt Fortune but to keep himself safe within the Walls of the City if happily so he might as it oftentimes falleth out more weaken his Enemies by lying still and protracting the time than by open Force and Valour Which their purpose King Lewis perceiving resolved not to stir from thence until that he were become Master of the City which as it seemed could not hold out for want of Victuals considering the multitude of People that were got into it Nevertheless thus besieged both by Sea and Land and so straightly hemmed in on every side as that no relief could possibly be brought unto it yet held it out by the space of six Months After which time Wants daily more and more increasing amongst the besieged Embassadors were sent out to the King to intreat with him of peace But whilst these Embassadors go to and fro and reason upon the capitulations of the desired peace behold a great and furious Plague arose in the French Camp which began to cut them down by heaps there dyed Iohn Tristan Count of Nevers the Kings youngest Son born in the first expedition that the said King his Father made into the Holy Land even at such time as he was taken Prisoner which Tristan died the five and twentieth day of August in the year of our Lord 1270. The good King having yet scarcely performed the Obsequies of his Son fell sick of the bloody Flix whereof he there shortly after died also About which time arrived there Charles King of Sicily the French Kings Brother with a great number of fresh Souldiers whose coming lightned somewhat the Frenchmens hearts heavy for the death of their King and daunted the Moors before brag of the same Shortly after whom arrived there also Prince Edward King Henry the Third his Eldest Son who travelling through France and taking shipping at Aquesmort not far from Marseilles was now in ten days with a brave Company of Englishmen come to Tunes and thereof the other Christian Princes namely of Philip the French King his Father Lewis being now dead of Charles King of Sicily and of the two Kings of Navar and Aragon joyfully received But these Princes had a little before his arrival concluded a Peace with the Moors King and the Infidels upon condition that he should pay a yearly Tribute of forty thousand Crowns unto the King of Sicilia and to suffer the Christian Religion to be freely preached in his Dominions by such devout persons as should be there left for that purpose and that unto such as should by their preaching be converted unto the Faith in Christ Jesus it should be lawful for them to be baptized and to profess the Christian Religion Of which Peace Prince Edward understanding did what he might to have disswaded them from the same saying that the War was by them all taken in hand against the Infidels as Enemies to the Cross of Christ with whom they were not to have Peace and for the recovery of the Holy City But say what he would and do what he could the Peace to his great discontentment was now concluded which they might not as they said again break and thereupon with the first fair Wind hoised sail and returned towards Sicilia with purpose the next Spring to have gone into Syria which their determination was shortly after by the hand of God disappointed For being come upon the Coast of the Island not far from Drepanum most of the great Princes and other Nobility in their long Boats went on Land the rest of the Fleet lying at Anker about a League off for that being for the most part Ships of great burthen they were not able to put into the Harbor But as they so lay by force of a sudden and violent Tempest then arising some were eaten up with the rough Sea some falling foul one on
another there perished together others driven upon the Main were there beaten in pieces so that of that great Fleet before the Storm ceased perished about an hundred and twenty Sail with all the People as well Mariners as Souldiers left in them and great store both of Armor and Munition In such sort that most of the common Souldiers and Mariners which had escaped the Plague at Tunes there upon the Coast of Sicilia perished by Shipwrack Only Prince Edwards Fleet being in number but thirteen Ships escaped free without loss either of Ship or Man. Neither were they that were got to Land at Drepanum in much better case the Plague still following them whereof died Theobald King of Navar and Isabel his Wife King Lewis his Daughter Elizabeth the French Queen with a wonderful number of noble Gentlemen and other common Souldiers in such sort that Philip the French King discouraged with the greatness of the mortality and the miserable loss at Sea resolved there to make an end of the intended War and so returned into France as did the rest that were left every Man into his own Country Only Prince Edward having passed that Winter in Sicilia year 1271. with the first of the next Spring set forward again on his Voyage and in 15 days after arrived with his Fleet at Ptolemais where after he had by the space of a Month rested Himself and his Souldiers after their long travel and fully inquired of the State of the Country he with six or seven thousand Souldiers marching from Ptolemais about twenty Miles into the Land took Nazareth and put to Sword all them he found therein and so again returned After whom the Enemies following in hope to have taken him at some advantage he understanding thereof turned back upon them and killing a great number of them put the rest to flight And after that about Midsummer understanding that the Sarasins were again making Head at a place called Cakhow about forty Miles off he set forwards towards them and coming upon them early in the Morning before they were aware slew about a Thousand of them and dispersed the rest Aided also by the Nobility of Cyprus he with like success as before made a third Expedition against the Turks and Infidels insomuch that his Fame began to grow great amongst them and they to stand of him in no little dread But whilst he thus prevailed he was by foul Treachery almost taken out of the way The Admiral of Ioppa feigning himself desirous to become a Christian and willing to further the Princes proceedings had by a secret Messenger and Letters sundry times Intelligence with him as well concerning his own good Entertainment as the effecting of that which he had promised This Messenger by the Admiral thus employed was though to the Prince unknown one of the Assasines a company of most desperate and dangerous Men among the Mahometans who strongly deluded with the blind zeal of their Superstition and accounting it meritorious by any means to kill any great Enemy of their Religion for the performance thereof as Men prodigal of their Lives desperatly adventure themselves unto all kind of dangers So now this Messenger being resolved to die coming the fifth time unto the Prince and being searched for having any Weapon about him as the manner was had access unto him then lying in his Chamber upon his Bed in his Jerkin bare Headed because of the heat of the Weather where after due reverence done he pulled out certain Letters from his Lord unto the Prince which he read with great delight as penned of purpose for to please But as he was further questioning with him of many matters and all the company voided the desperate Messenger making as though he would have pulled out some other secret Letters suddenly pluckt out an envenomed Knife which he had secretly hidden about him thinking to have struck him into the belly as he lay for the avoiding of which stroke the Prince lifting up his Arm was therein grievously wounded But as the Villain was about to have doubled the stroak the Prince with his Foot gave him such a blow that he felled him to the ground and with that starting up caught him by the hand where in strugling with him for the knife and wresting it out of his hand he hurt himself therewith in the Forehead but getting it from him presently thrust it into the Murtherers Belly and so slew him The Princes Servants being not far off and hearing the bustling came running in where finding the Messenger dead on the floor one of them with a stool beat out his brains whereat the Prince took some displeasure for so striking a dead man. This danger of the Princes much troubled and grieved all the Christians in Syria and the more for that the wound in his Arm after it had been certain days well dressed by the skilful Surgeons and Physitians began to mortifie and grow black insomuch that they and others about him began to mutter among themselves and to look heavily upon the matter as not without danger Which he perceiving said unto them Why whisper you thus amongst your selves What see you in me Can I not be healed Tell me the truth and fear not Whereunto one of them answered And like your Highness we doubt not of your healing but that it will be painful for you to suffer If suffering said he may again restore my health I commit my self unto you work on me your skill and spare not So the next day they cut out all the dead and poysoned flesh out of his Arm and in fifteen days after perfectly cured his wound to the great rejoycing of all his People The great Sultan to clear himself of this so dishonourable a treachery sent three of his Noble men unto the Prince calling to witness his false Prophet That the same was done neither by him nor his consent Which Embassadors the Prince honourably used but suffered them not to come nigh him So having tarried eighteen Months at Ptolemais and no ayd coming from the other Christian Princes as was expected he took shipping and returning homeward landed first in Sicilia and from thence crossing over into Apulia and so travelling to Rome was there honourably entertained by Gregory the Tenth then Pope and from thence by the way of France arrived in England where he was shortly after crowned King in the year 1272. his Father the old King Henry the Third being a little before his return dead The year following Gregory the Tenth not ignorant of the hard estate of the Christians in Syria year 1273. as having there been of late himself with Prince Edward at which time he was in his absence elected Pope and now desirous to procure them some relief ratified the election of Rodulphus of Hapspurge unto the Empire upon condition That he should promise to take upon himself the Cross and to give them relief for the performance whereof he offered unto the
solemnly kept by the space of nine days Thus at length having passed through the troubled State of the Greek Empire during the long Reign of the old Emperor Andronicus the considerate Reader may easily see the causes of the declining and ruine also of this famous Empire and how that the Greek Emperors troubled with their tempestuous Affairs nearer home in Europe yea in the very Imperial City it self and in their own Palaces were not at leisure to look over the Strait into Asia but glad to leave their Territories there unto the weak defence of themselves At which time and even in the midst of the aforesaid trouble Othoman on the one side with great industry laid the Foundation of his Empire in Phrygia and Bithynia now the greatest terror of the World and then did those things which we now have of him written The other Princes of the Turks also the Successors of Sultan Aladin at the same time on the other side alongst the River Meander encroaching on as fast until that at last amongst them they had thrust the Greek Emperors quite out of Asia and in fine became themselves together with the Greek Empire a Prey unto the Othoman Kings as in the process of this History shall more at large appear But again to return unto Othoman himself who all this while that old Andronicus the Greek Emperor was thus troubled had with his Son Orchanes sought by all means on every side to inlarge his Kingdom the Garrisons by him left in the two late built Castles near unto the great City of Prusa under the Charge of the two valiant Captains Actemur and Balabanzuck as is before declared having now continued there certain years had by shutting up the passages and spoiling of the Country brought the City into such distress and penury that many of the Citizens and other the poor Christians fled into the City there died of Famine The rest now out of all hope to be relieved by the Greek Emperor not then able to relieve himself came to Composition with Orchanes for Othoman was then sick of his old Disease the Gout covenanting with him that they might in safety with life and liberty depart and so much of their Goods as they themselves could carry and so yielded to him the City Which conditions as most write were on the Turks behalf well and faithfully performed yet some there be that report them to have been in most part by Orchanes broken Thus was Prusa one of the greatest Cities of that part of Asia yielded unto the Turks in the year of our Lord 1327. and was afterwards by Orchanes made the Royal Seat of the Othoman Kings About this time or very shortly after Othoman in the eight and twentieth year of his Reign died at the age of 69 in the year of our Lord 1328. and lieth buried at Prusa where his Tomb is yet at this day to be seen in a certain Chappel of an old Monastery in the Castle standing in the midst of the City covered with a Mantle of green Chamlet and a little Tulipant or Turkish Hat such as he used to wear lying over his head differing from those which the Turks now wear especially the better sort of them so great that they can therewith scarcely come in at a door There is also another Monument of him to be seen at Suguta fast by the Sepulchre of his Father Ertogrul there made by his Sons in remembrance of him whereof some have reported him to have been there buried Howbeit the Turks themselves generally suppose the true Monument wherein he is interred to be at Prusa as is aforesaid He was wise politick valiant and fortunate but full of dissimulation and ambitious above measure not rash in his Attempts and yet very resolute what he took in hand he commonly brought to good effect to all men he was bountiful and liberal but especially to his Men of War and the poor whom he would many times feed and cloth with his own hands Of a poor Lordship he left a great Kingdom having subdued a great part of the lesser Asia and is worthily accounted the first Founder of the Turks great Kingdom and Empire Of him the Turkish Kings and Emperors ever since have been called the Othoman Kings and Emperors as lineally of him descended and the Turks themselves Osmanidae as the People or Subjects of Othoman or Osman for so he is of the Turks commonly called NOte That in the reckoning up of certain of the great Christian Princes and Prelates of the same time at the end of every of the Turkish Kings and Emperors Lives the first and greatest number following their Names sheweth the Year of our Lord wherein such an Emperor King or Bishop began to Reign or Sit and the number following how long he reigned or sate As for example Andronicus the elder began to Reign in the East in the Year of Grace 1282. and reigned 43 years and so of the rest Wherein we seek not the exact Computation unto a month or day as not much material to our History or any part of our purpose but only the reasonable view of the great Princes of the forepassed Times as they lived in Ages together Christian Princes of the same time with Othoman Emperors Of the East Andronicus Paleologus the elder 1282. 43. Andronicus Paleologus the younger 1325. 29. Of the West Albertus of Austria 1298. 10. Henry of Lucelbourg 1308. 6. Lewis the Fourth of Bavaria 1314. 32. Kings Of England Edward the First 1272. 34. Edward the Second 1307. 20. Edward the Third 1327. 50. Of France Philip the Faire 1286. 28. Lewis 1314. 2. Philip the Long. 1316. 5. Charle the Faire 1321. 7. Of Scotland John Baliol. 1292. Robert Bruce 1306 24. Bishops of Rome Boniface the VIII 1295. 8. Benedict the XI 1304. 2. Clement the V. 1306. 11. John the XXII 1317. 18. †ORCHANES OTOMANI II SECVNDVS TVRCARVM REX ANNO 1328. Suscipit Orchanes desuncti Scepâ—ra Parentis Major ut ingenio sic magis Arte valens Bithynos Phrygiamque domat Prusamque Superbam Et populos late Marte farente premit Sic laetus tantis Asiam turbasse ruinis Transit in Europam Callipolimque capit Rident interea Groeci sua damna sed ecce Dum sua contemnunâ— in sua fata ruunt His Fathers glorious Race now being run The politick Orchanes mounts the Throne Bithynia Phrygia Prusa farr and neare All by his prosperous Armes subjected were Proud of his Asian spoiles his Banners spread\ To Europe â—re the beauteous Nicomede Meanwhile the Greeks th' impending Tempest scorne And are by th'mighty Torrent overborne The LIFE of ORCHANES or URCHAN Second King of the Turks AFTER the death of Othoman his two Sons Orchanes whom the Turks call Urchan and Aladin his Brother having with great Solemnity enterred their Father at Prusa immediately summoned a Parliament whereunto both the Brethren came accompanied with the chief of their Nobility This Parliament was called especially
after his death to the power of Bajazet his Son had he not by Domestical troubles been enforced to turn himself another way and as it were to neglect in time to relieve his distressed Garrison in Otranto as shall hereafter be declared Christian Princes of the same time with Mahomet the Great Emperors Of the East Constantinus Palaeologus last Christian Emperor of Constantinople 1444. 8. Of the West Frederick the Third Arch-Duke of Austria 1440. 54. Kings Of England Henry the Sixth 1422. 39. Edward the Fourth 1460. 22. Of France Charles the Seventh 1423. 38. Lewis the Eleventh 1461. 22. Of Scotland James the Second 1436. 29. James the Third 1460. 29. Bishops of Rome Nicholas the V. 1437. 8. Calixtus the III. 1455. 3. Pius the II. 1458. 6. Paulus the II. 1464. 7. Xystus the IV. 1471. 13. Arma manu quatiunt fratres hostilia regnum Hinc Bajazethes Lizimus inde petit Bajazethes rerum potitur Rhodon inde Quiritum Lizimus extrema maenia sorte petit Sustinet et bello varias et pace procellas Bajazethes foelix et miser inter opes Iam senio tremulus sert bella domestica regno A Gnato ejectus dira venena bibit Two Brothers now infest the mighty State Lemes on this ' Side Bajazet on that Fortune crowns Bajazet while Lemes flyes From Rhodes to Rome drivin by his destinies Much Bajazet endur'd in warr and peace Happy and wretched his triumphall daies Till worne with age and with domestick strife A Cup of Poyson ends his loathsome life The LIFE of BAJAZET The Second of that NAME AND Second Emperor OF THE TURKS UPon the death of Mahomet the late Emperor great Troubles began to arise about the Succession in the Turkish Empire some of the Bassaes and great Captains seeking to place Bajazet the eldest Son of Mahomet in the Empire and others with no less devotion labouring to prefer Zemes or Gemes otherwise called Zizimus Bajazet his younger Brother By occasion whereof there arose two great and mighty Factions which in few days grew to such heat that many great Tumults and hot Skirmishes were made in the Imperial City betwixt the Favorites of both Factions and great slaughter committed In these Broils the proud Janizaries for an old grudge slew Mahometes one of the four great Bassaes a man by whose grave Counsel most of the weighty Affairs of the Turkish Empire had been managed during the Reign of the late Emperor and proceeding further in their accustomed Insolency spoiled all the Christians and Jews which dwelt amongst them of all their Wealth and Substance at which time the rich Merchants and Citizens of Constantinople which were natural Turks themselves escaped not their ravenous Hands but became unto them a Prey and Spoil also The other three Bassaes of the Court Isaac Mesithes and Achmetes lately returned from the winning of Hydruntum in Italy although they secretly maligned and envied one at the greatness of another yet to appease these so dangerous Troubles and to assure their own Estates joyned hands together and by their great Authority and multitude of Followers and Favorites found means that Corcutus one of the younger Sons of Bajazet a young Prince of eighteen years old was as it were by general content of the Nobility and Souldiers saluted Emperor and with great Triumph and Solemnity placed in the Imperial Seat. In whose name the aforesaid Bassaes at their pleasure disposed of all things little or nothing regarding either Bajazet or Zemes then both absent the one at Amasia and the other at Iconium in Lycaonia For the jealous Turkish Kings never suffer their Sons to live in Court near unto them after they be grown to years of discretion but send them to Govern their Provinces far off where they are also under the Command of the Emperors Lieutenants-General in Asia or Europe and may not depart from their Charge without great danger not so much as to visit their Father without express leave and commandment So jealous are those Tyrants yea even of their own Sons Bajazet and Zemes hearing of the death of their Father and of the Troubles in the Imperial City hasted thitherward with all speed where Bajazet being the nearer first arrived but finding the Empire already possessed by Corcutus his younger Son and himself excluded he in grief of his heart poured forth most grievous Complaints before God and man calling Heaven and Earth to witness of the great wrong and injury done unto him by the proud Bassaes. And what by Tears and humble Obtestations what by great Gifts and greater Promises but most of all by the earnest labour and solicitation of Cherseogles Vice-Roy of Graecia and the Aga or Captain of the Janizaries both his Sons in law prevailed so much with the great Bassaes and Souldiers of the Court that Corcutus being of a mild and courteous disposition overcome by their intreaty and the reverence of his Father resigned unto him the Imperial Government which he presently took upon him with the general good liking of the people and made Corcutus Governor of Lycia Caria and Ionia with the pleasant and rich Countries thereabouts allowing him a great yearly Pension for the better maintenance of his Estate with promise also of the Empire after his decease and so sent him away to his Charge where he most pleasantly lived during the Reign of his Father Bajazet giving himself wholly to the study of Philosophy which made that he was afterwards less favoured of the Janizaries and other men of War. Zemes thus prevented by his elder Brother and understanding by his Friends how all things stood at Constantinople and that Bajazet was already possessed of the Empire returning with great speed raised a puissant Army in the Countries which were under his Command and marching through the heart of Asia the less by the way as he went took into his possession such Cities and strong Places as he thought best and so entring into Bithynia took the great City of Prusa the ancient Seat of the Othoman Kings Purposing in himself that as Bajazet had shut him out of Europe so he would also in requital thereof exclude him out of that part of the Turkish Empire which is beyond Hellespontus in Asia and to make himself Lord thereof Wherein Fortune at the first seemed unto him most favourable all the people wheresoever he came yielding unto him Obedience as unto their Prince and Soveraign so that in short time he seemed both unto himself and to others in strong possession of that part of the Empire Of these his proceedings Bajazet having Intelligence and perceiving the greater part of his Empire now in danger to be lost and doubting further that Zemes his ambitious Mind would hardly rest therewith long contented for remedy of so great a Mischief levied a strong and puissant Army wherewith he passed over into Asia and came to Neapolis a City of Anatolia near whereunto Zemes lay with his Army strongly incamped As
Germany Frederick the Third Arch-Duke of Austria 1440. 54. Maximilian the Third 1494 25. Kings Of England Edward the Fourth 1460. 22. Edward the Fifth 148â— 0. Richard the Third 1483. 3. Henry the Seventh 1485. 24. Henry the Eighth 1509. 38. Of France Lewis the Eleventh 1461. 22. Charles the Eighth 1483. 14. Lewis the Twelfth 1567. 17. Of Scotland James the Third 1460. 29. James the Fourth 1489. 25. Bishops of Rome Xystus the IV. 1471. 13. Innocentius the VIII 1484. 8. Alexander the VI. 1492. 11. Pius the III. 1503. 26 days Jullus the II. 1503. 9. En Selymus scelere ante alios immanâ—or omnes In Patris et Eratrum dirigit arâ—â—a necem In Persas movet inde ferox Memphilica Regna Destruiâ—â—el Syros Aethiopasque domat Hinc in Christiâ—olaâ— irarum effundere fluctus Ipsorumque uno vertere regna parat Cum diro victus prosternitur ulcere Christus Scilicet est populi portus et aura sui Lo Selymus the vilest of the Othoman brood Embrud his hands in Father's Brothers bloud Persian Egyptian Syrian and Moore Submit their Scepters to his insolent pow'r But when the Christians Realms he vainly thought To speedy desolation to have brought A mortall ulcer seizd him to make knowne The great Messiah can protect his owne The LIFE of SELYMUS First of that NAME The THIRD and most WARLIKE Emperor of the Turks THIS Selymus by favour of the great Bassaes and Men of War whom he had before corrupted year 1512. having deprived his Father Bajazet first of the Empire and shortly after of his Life also and now fully possessed of the Empire himself first took view of the Treasures which the Turkish Kings and Emperors his Ancestors had before of long time heaped up in great abundance out of which he gave unto the Souldiers of the Court two millions of Ducats and for a perpetual remembrance of his thankfulness towards them augmented their daily wages allowing unto every Horsemâ—n four Aspers a day and to every Footman two above their wonted allowance By which exceeding bounty he greatly assured unto himself the minds of the Men of War. Shortly after he passed over with a great Army into Asia leaving the government of the Imperial City of Constantinople unto his only Son Solyman and marching into Galatia came to the City of Ancyra in hope there to have oppressed his elder Brother Achomates But he understanding before of his coming withal wisely considering how unable he was to withstand his Forces fled before into the Mountains of Cappadocia upon the Confines of Armenia taking up men by the way as he went and praying aid of all sorts of People yea even of such as were but of small ability themselves and unto him meer Strangers that so he might in best manner he could provide such strength as might serve him to make head against his Brother and for the recovery of Asia Selymus having spent that Summer without doing any thing worth the speaking of and considering that he could not well winter in that cold Country near unto the great Mountain Taurus by reason of the deep Snows and extream cold there usually falling and that to go farther was to no purpose forasmuch as Achomates flying from place to place and Mountain to Mountain was not to be surprised he retired back again into Bithynia and sending his Europeian Horsemen down to the Sea-coast and the Janizaries to Constantinople resolved to winter with the rest of his Army at Prusa At which time being wholly bent against Achomates his Competitor of the Empire he for certain years continued the League which his Father Bajazet had before concluded with Uladislaus King of Hungary Sigismundus King of Polonia and the Venetians And thinking no care no not of Children superfluous which might concern the establishing of his Empire he called unto him five of his Brothers Sons Orchanes the Son of Alem Scach Mahometes the Son of Tzian Scach Orchanes Emirsa and Musa the Sons of his Brother Mahometes all young Princes of great hope of years betwixt sixteen and twenty excepting Musa who was not past seven years old Of all these Mahometes whom his Uncle Achomates had a little before taken Prisoner at Larenda as is before declared and upon the death of Bajazet had again set him at liberty being about twenty years old was for rare Fonture and Princely Courage accounted the Paragon and Beauty of the Othoman Family which great perfection as it won unto him the love and favour of the Men of War and also of all the People in general so did it hasten his speedy death only Selymus his cruel Uncle envying at his life After he had got these poor innocents into his hands he sent for divers of his great Doctors and Lawyers demanding of them Whether it were not better that some five eight or ten persons should be taken away than that the State of the whole Empire should with great effusion of Blood be rent in sunder and so by civil Wars be brought in danger of utter ruin and destruction Who although they well perceived whereunto that bloody question tended yet for fear of displeasure they all answered That it were better such a small number should perish than that the whole State of the Empire should by Civil War and Discord be brought to confusion in which general calamity those few must also of necessity perish with the rest Upon colour of this answer and the necessity pretended he commanded these his Nephews before named to be led by five of his great Captains into the Castle of Prusa where they were all the night following most cruelly strangled It is reported that Mahometes with a Pen-knife slew one of the bloody Executioners sent into his Chamber to kill him and so wounded the other as that he fell down for dead and that Selymus being in a Chamber fast by and almost an Eye-witness of that was done presently sent in others who first bound the poor Prince and afterward strangled him with the rest whose dead bodies were buried at Prusa amongst their Ancestors The cruelty of this Fact wonderfully offended the minds of most men insomuch that many even of his Martial men filled with secret indignation for certain days absented themselves from his presence shunning his sight as if he had been some fierce or raging Lion. Of all the Nephews of old Bajazet only Amurat and Aladin the Sons of Achomates yet remained year 1513. whom he purposed to surprise upon the suddain and so to rid himself of all fear of his Brothers Children having then left none of the Othoman Family but them and his two Brethren upon whom to exercise his further Cruelty These two young Princes had a little before recovered the City of Amasia from whence they were the Summer before expulsed by their Uncle Selymus at such time as Achomates their Father was glad to flie into the Mountains of Cappadocia Selymus fully resolved upon their destruction sent
of the Field When Martial minds with couraged bold withstand their Foes with spear and shield Let him well know how that in vain he beareth Arms but for a shew And that the honour of the Field will never such a Coward know Ne let him hope to gain the Spoil by any Wars he takes in hand That feareth with couragious mind his Enemies Forces to withstand Christian Princes of the same time with Selymus the First Emperors of Germany Maximilian the First 1494. 25. Charles the Fifth 1509. 39. Kings Of England Henry the Eighth 1509. 38. Of France Lewis the Twelfth 1497. 17. Francis the First 1514. 32. Of Scotland James the Fourth 1489. 25. James the Fifth 1513. 32. Bishops of Rome Julâ—us the II. 1503. 9. Leo the X. 1513. 8. Imperij Solyman patrij moderatur habenas Regnaque Christianum cladibus usque metit Antiquam capit ille Rhodon Nexumque Parumque Turrheni infastat Littora curva Maris Pannonios multo populatur milite fines Et cingit muros clara Vienna tuos Inclyta Sigethi dum moenia concutit armis Cogitur hinc Stygiam nudus adire domum Magnificent Solyman mounts his Fathers Throne With Christian Slaughters formidable growne Rhodes Naxos Paros felt his cruelty And the sweet Shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea Th' Hungrarian Territories he did inrade And feirce attemps on fair Vienna made Till from the walls of Sigeth meanly câ—me Th' aspiring Tyrant crept to his long 〈◊〉 The LIFE of SOLYMAN THE FOURTH and most MAGNIFICENT Emperor of the Turks THe death of Selymus was with all carefulness concealed by Ferhates the only Bassa then present for fear lest the Janizaries and Souldiers of the Court getting knowledge thereof should after their wonted manner in the time of the vacancy of the Empire spoil the Merchants and Strangers in places where they lay in Garrison and especially in the Imperial City and not so contented after their accustomed insolency prescribe unto the greatest Bassaes at their pleasure For preventing whereof Ferhates dispatched a trusty Messenger with Letters in Post to Solyman the only Son of Selymus then lying at Magnesia certifying him of the death of his Father and that he should deserve well of his peaceable Subjects by hastning his coming to Constantinople whilst all things were yet in good order in time to repress with his presence the feared disordered proceedings of his Men of War. Solyman having to his great content perused the Bassaes Letters as one desirous enough of the Empire yet considering the cruel disposition of his Father whom upon a meer jealous conceit of his aspiring mind and for certain words by him let fall in dislike of his Fathers extream dealing had practised most unnaturally to have taken him away by Poison which danger he escaped only by the carefulness of his Mother who misdoubting the worst caused the Poisoned rich Shirt sent to him from his Father to be first worn by one of his Chamber whereof he in short time after died and also that the Letters were signed only by Ferhates and the news not seconded from any of the other Bassaes fearing some hidden and secret Plot of his Father tending to his destruction durst not adventure to remove from his charge but returned the Messenger as one to whom he gave little or no credit Ten days thus spent and the death of Selymus nothing as yet suspected Ferhates understanding by his Messenger the weariness of Solyman and that he expected more assured advertisement sent presently unto the other great Bassaes Pyrrbus and Mustapha at Hadrianople that they should without delay repair unto the Court unto whom at their coming he declared the death of the Emperor Which after they had seen to be true they by another secret and speedy Messenger advertised Solyman again thereof confirming those Letters with all their Hands and Seals whereby Solyman now assured of his Fathers death presently put himself upon the way and by long and painful journies in few days came to Scutarium called in ancient time Chrisopolis over against Constantinople Where he was met with the Aga or Captain of the Janizaries and by him transported in a Gally over that strait passage to Constantinople where at his landing the Janizaries by the appointment of their Captain were ready to receive him knowing as yet nothing of the death of Selymus until that Solyman being now in the midst of them the Captain with a loud voice said unto them Behold your Emperor Whereupon they all with great acclamation cried out Long live the great Emperor Solyman which consent of the Men of War is unto the Turkish Emperors the greatest assurance of their Estate And so with much Triumph he was by them brought into the Roial Palace and placed in his Fathers Seat in the year 1520. in which year also Charles the Fifth was chosen Emperor of Germany The Janizaries disappointed by the Bassaes of the spoil of the Merchants especially Christians and Jews received of the bounty of Solyman a great Largess and in the beginning of his Reign had their accustomed Wages somewhat augmented also to their wonderful contentment Solyman was about twenty eight years old when he began to Reign and was at the first supposed to have been of a mild and peaceable disposition so that the Princes to whom the Name of Selymus was before dreadful were now in hope that a quiet Lamb was come in place of a raging Lion. But in short time they found themselves in their expectation far deceived and especially the Christian Princes bordering upon him unto whom he became a far more dangerous Enemy than was his Father before him converting his Forces most part of his long Reign upon them which Selymus had almost altogether imployed against the Kings of Persia and Egypt the greatest Princes of the Mahometan Superstition The first that felt his heavy Hand was Gazelles Governour of Syria who presently upon the death of Selymus thinking himself now discharged of the Oath of Obedience which he had given to Selymus but not to his Successors and earnestly desiring to restore again the Kingdom of the Mamalukes lately overthrown gathered together the remainder of the dispersed Mamalukes which speedily resorted unto him out of all parts of Asia and Africk and alluring with rewards the Leaders of the wild Arabians with great numbers of the Country People of Syria discontented with the Turkish Government entred into open Rebellion and by force of Arms drave the Turks Garrison out of Byrtha Trypolis and divers other Cities of Syria taking them into his own possession And the better to effect that he had taken in hand he sent Embassadors to Caire unto Cayerbeius who had of Selymus received the Government of Egypt the unworthy reward of his horrible Treason perswading him by any means to take revenge of the injury and wrong before done to the Mamalukes and by killing of the Turks Garrisons to make himself Sultan of Egypt and restore again the Kingdom of the
thus ended shortly after a great Sedition was raised at Constantinople by the Souldiers of the Court which returning out of Persia with great Insolency demanded their Pay. For the satisfying of whom by the consent of the great Sultan himself the Value of the Coin was inhansed and a new kind of Subsidy for levying of Money imposed upon the Subjects in general none excepted who standing upon their antient Liberties and Priviledges refused to pay it especially the Ianizaries and other Souldiers of the Court. Wherefore their Aga or Captain was commanded to appease them and to perswade them to pay the demanded Tribute in attempting whereof he was in danger to have been slain by the insolent Ianizaries and yet nevertheless for prevailing no more with them was in displeasure thrust out of his Office and another placed in his room that should have married Amurath's Daughter of whom for all that the Ianizaries would not accept in any case but threw Stones at him and threatned to kill him The next Night a great Fire arose in the City for the quenching whereof the Ianizaries were commanded as their Duty was to put to their helping hands which they not only most obstinately refused to do but also kept back others that brought Water for the quenching thereof and together with the other Souldiers of the Court did what they might to make it burn the faster With the rage of this Fire were consumed seven of their Temples twenty five great Inns fifteen thousand Houses with many Warehouses and Shops To appease this dangerous stir and to prevent further mischief commandment was given to the Beglerbeg of Graecia and David Passy a Jew the first Authors of this new Imposition that they should either gather the aforesaid Tribute by them devised and pay the Souldiers or by some other means to give them Contentment But here began the Priests publickly to perswade the People from payment of this new Tribute or any other such like perswading them in any case to defend their antient Liberties and Customs whereupon the Churches were by the Priests shut up publick Prayers for the Health of the Sultan intermitted the Bassaes Houses assaulted and all the City on a new hurly burly For the appeasing whereof Amurath was glad to yield unto the Ianizaries to pay the Souldiers out of his own Treasury to revoke his Mandates given out for the exaction of the new tribute and to deliver the two Perswaders thereof to the Pleasure of the Ianizaries who drew them up and down the Streets at Horses Tails and afterwards cutting off their Heads in scorn tossed them from hand to hand one to another as if they had been Tennise Balls About the latter end of September Sinan Bassa of Buda having with the assistance of the Sanzacks about Fille raised an Army of eleven thousand Souldiers with purpose to have spoiled all the upper part of Hungary came the sixth of October before the Castle of Putnoc and gave thereunto summons but finding them in the Castle better provided and more resolute than he had before supposed he departed thence and passing the River Schayo came to Sixo a Town of about five hundred Houses which after a sore battery he took and burnt it down to the Ground In the mean while Claudius Russel General for the Wars in that part of Hungary having assembled his Forces came upon him and after a hard fight put him to the worse when he had slain of his Turks about two thousand five hundred besides three hundred other drowned in the River Schayo Shortly after the Christians in like manner breaking into the Frontiers of the Turks took from them the Castles of Blavenstein Gestes with some other small Forts thereabouts in the upper part of Hungary year 1589 Sinan for that he had contrary to the League and without the Commandment of Amurath so unfortunately attempted War in Hungary was the next year in great Displeasure sent for to Constantinople and Ferat Bassa of Bosna late General of the Turks Army against the Persians and now but newly come home placed in his room at Buda Amurath before not ignorant of the great Preparation that Philip the King of Spain had made and of the invincible Armado as it was termed by him set forth for the Invasion of England the Fame whereof had long before filled a great part of the World as also of the evil Success thereof the last year viz. 1588 and of the purpose her Majesty of England had for the troubling of his rich Trade especially into the West Indies and for the relieving of Don Anthonio by him driven out of Portugal wrote unto her about this time concerning those and such like matters as had been moved by her Agent as followeth Amurath the Third Emperour of the Turks unto Elizabeth Queen of England France and Ireland greeting MOST Honourable Matron of the Christian Religion Mirror of Chastity adorned with the Brightness of Sovereignty and Power amongst the most chast Women of the People which serve Iesu Mistriss of great Kingdoms reputed of greatest Majesty and Praise among the Nazarites Elizabeth Queen of England to whom we wish a most happy and prosperous Reign You shall understand by our high and Imperial Letters directed unto you how that your Orator resiant in our stately and magnificent Court hath presented unto the Throne of our Majesty a certain writing wherein he hath certified us how that about four years ago you have made war upon the King of Spain for the abating and breaking of his Forces wherewith he threatneth all other Christian Princes and purposeth to make himself the sole Monarch both of them and all the World beside As also how that the same King of Spain hath by force taken from Don Anthonio lawfully created King of Portugal his Kingdom and that your Intention is that his Ships which go and come into the Indies may from henceforth be embarred and stayed from that Navigation wherein are yearly brought into Spain precious Stones Spices Gold and Silver esteemed worth many millions wherewith the aforesaid King as with a great Treasure enriched hath means to molest and trouble all other Christian Princes which if he shall still proceed to do he will make himself daily stronger and stronger and such an one as may not easily be weakned After that your aforesaid Orator requested our Highness in the beginning of the next Spring to send out our Imperial Fleet against him being assured that the King of Spain could not be able easily to withstand it for that he had now already received a great overthrow by your Fleet and being scarce able to withstand you alone if he should be on divers parts invaded must needs be overcome to the great benefit of all the Christian Princes as also of our Imperial State. Besides this that whereas the aforesaid Don Anthonio is by force driven out and deprived of his Kingdom that we to the imitation of our
divided the Spoil betwixt them finally That in what sort soever the matter past they held them insupportable to all men but especially to themselves The Turks threatned to take their just Revenge the which being impossible to effect in the Country of the Vscoques for that by the Letters of the Commonwealth of Venice their Passage was stopped they resolved to be revenged upon their Subjects and recover a part of their Goods which they had lost Finally they prepared to come into the Gulph of Venice with a mighty Army the which without doubt had brought that State into great Extremities and been very prejudicial to many Provinces of Christendome But for that the Insolencies and Thefts of the Vscoques had like to have ingaged the Venetians in a dangerous War against the Turk with whom they were in League it shall neither be unpleasant not unprofitable to make a little Digression and shew what these Vscoques were About the Year 1550 there assembled together in certain places near the Sea belonging to the Princes of the House of Austria People who were cruel violent and infamous from divers parts of the Country of Chimâ—ra Dalmatia and the other Confines of Hungary and such as had been banished from the State of Venice whose delight was only to live upon Spoil and Blood. All these Thieves being thus gathered together whom they called by a general Name Vscoques as enemies to all Art and Industry to live honestly by their Labours retired themselves into a desaâ—t Country receiving no Pay from the Princes of Austria who command there Being thus by their natural Inclination given to Spoil adding thereunto the spur of Poverty nothing moved them to stay in those places but all liberty was left them to rob and spoil whereupon they applied all their Minds and Forces so as having made certain light Foists they began to make Courses at Sea with the most barbarous and impious Cruelty that ever was practised amongst the Scythians Tartarians or any other inhumane Nation whatsoever And for that it is an ordinary course for any one that will commit a great Villany to seek out some goodly Pretext to cover it so they concluded among themselves to shadow their Insolencies and Thefts with a colour to go against the Infidels wherefore in the beginning there were no Merchants were they Turks Jews or Subjects to the Turk although they were Christians but if they entred into the Gulf either to traffick or to furnish Venice with Provision and Merchandise they were taken by them their Goods divided amongst them and they forced to pay a great Ransome or to dye miserably All the Ports of the State of Venice both of Istria Dalmatia and the Islands from whence they received their Victuals and Provision were soon after shut up by these Pyrates who not content to spoil the Turks which trafficked no more by reason of their great Dangers and Loss allured by the rich Spoils which they took and the desire they had to encounter them they began to set upon the Venetian Ships forcing the Merchants whom they took to confess by Torments that the Goods belonged to Turks although in effect their chief Booty came from Christians Having drawn many unto them of their own Humours and thinking their Spoils at Sea not sufficient to satisfie their covetous Desires nor the Presents which they were to give to others to be favoured and supported in the Courts of Princes they stayed not long before they entered with all violence into the Turks Country through the Venetian Territory to whom they were as hurtful as to the Turks from whence they carried away rich Spoils and many Prisoners There was nothing that was precious rich or good but was subject to the insatiable greediness of those pittiless Thieves and Pirates if passing by Sea they came near unto the Maritine Coasts Whereupon grew the great Complaint you have heard made by the Turks threatning to be revenged upon the Estate of Venice for the insolency of the Vscoques which afterward bred a cruel War betwixt that State and the Arch-duke Ferdinand of Grets now Emperour who seemed to support them thereby to ingage the State in a War with the Turk But for that the Success thereof doth not belong to our History we will leave it to them that have written it at large On the fifteenth of November this year Sultan Achmat Chan having lived thirty years and governed that great Empire of Turkey fifteen died When he came to the Empire he was but fifteen years old He was of a good Constitution well complexioned and somewhat inclined to be fat strong and active which appeared by his Exercise in casting of a Horse-mans Mace of nine or ten pounds weight wherein he exceeded any one of his Court in memory whereof there are two Pillars set up in one of the Courts of the Seraglio at Constantinople with an Inscription as marks of his Dexterity He was by nature ambitious and proud which some hold qualities befitting his great Estate He was not so cruel as many of his Predecessors but he was much given to Sensuality and Pleasure for the which he entertained three thousand Concubines and Virgins in a Seraglio being the fairest Daughters of the Christians His Mother was a Christian of Bosna or of Cyprus and therefore it is thought he was somewhat favourable to Christians He was much delighted in Hawking and Hunting and namely for Hawking he kept in Grecia and Natolia 40000 Faulkoners who attended his coming and kept his Hawks in their several places of Charge and had good yearly Pensions Neither were his Huntsmen much fewer in number or of less Charge As the Turkish Emperours are bound by the Law of their Religion once every day to practise some manual Trade so Mahomet his Father gave himself to the making of Arrows and Achmat to the fashioning horn Rings such as the Turks wear when they draw their Bows This they do in the morning after they are ready and have said their Prayers then they call for their Exercise but it is only for form for they scarce make an Arrow or a Ring in a whole year Christian Princes at the same time with Achmat. Emperours of Germany Rodolph the Second 1577. 35. Matthias 1612. Kings Of Great Britain King James Of England 1602. Of Scotland 1567. Of France Henry the Fourth 1589. Lewis the Thirteenth 1610. Bishop of Rome Paul the V. 1605. Nought but affliction thundring out of Heaven Makes men on earth to any goodness given Nor longer than she thunders any fear That any heav'n holds any Thunderer So Mustapha while heaven restrain'd his state And held him fetter'd in his brothers hate To vertuous actions did his studies drive Was curteous pious and contemplative But when his brother could no longer live And liberty did to him power give Then pride and tyrannie his horses were And drive him alwaies past heav'ns love or fear Greatness on Goodness
which had been fought wherein there had been an hundred thousand men slain And although the Turks lost the greatest number yet they remained Masters of the Field and spoiled the Perâ—ians Camp who was retired or fled for that the manner of the Sophy is to fight with the Turks in retiring or giving way a little and with this manner of fighting they have always made Head against the Turks After this Overthrow the Visier advanced with his Army and entred far into Persia which made many doubt that his Return would prove difficult yet soon after there came Letters to Constantinople importing That the Turks being in Persia in great distress for Victuals the Sophy had sent an Ambassador to the Visier to demand Peace promising hereafter to satisfie the Tributes of Silk which he ought yearly unto the Turk and that the Visier in regard of the necessity of his Army had accepted his Offer and granted him Peace the which Sultan Osman did afterwards ratifie After the conclusion whereof the Sophy sent many Camels loaden with Victuals unto the Turks Army which was in great distress and want During the Turks War in Persia upon the Anniversary day of Sultan Achmat there appeared in the Night a Comet over the City of Constantinople in form like unto a crooked Sword or Turks Scimiter and it was so great as it extended from the Meridian near unto our Zenith unto the Horizon the point began to shew it self an hour after midnight and then it appeared little and somewhat whitish and gave but a glimpse after an hour it was more apparent and of a deeper colour and the more it did rise the redder it was and like unto blood but at the break of day it vanished by little and little in the light and it was so big when the point approached near unto the Zenith as the Hilt was hidden under the Horizon The Mathematicians did observe that it followed the motions of the Heavens it did always rise in one place and the bending of the said Sword was toward Crates more Southerly than it It did appear directly in the East a quarter toward the South the point coming directly towards Constantinople and the Blade extending it self to the said East a quarter to the South which is justly the part where Persia is situated The Edge looked directly towards Constantinople the which made men discourse diversly and many were amazed fearing that it did signifie the loss and defeat of their Army in Persia whose Return they feared much Vri and Husseine Chiaus having finished his Embassy in France came into England with the like Charge and had Audience from his Majesty at White-hall Sir Thomas Glover being Interpreter from whom I received a true discourse of his whole Speech as followeth The Turkish Ambassador's Speech to his Majesty HAc subhanehu ve Allahuteale Saadetlu ve izzetlu Padishah hazeretlerinung vmriny ve deuletiny ziyad ve berziyad eileie Amen yah Rabil alemin Ziyade cudretlu ve saadetlu Sultan Ali Osman Chan Padishah Hazeretleri saadetlu Padishah Hazeretlerine juzbin selamler ve doaler idub bu namei humaiun saadet maakrunile Sultanum Hazeretlerine irsal idub vmidleri oldurchi maabenilerinde munakid olan sulhu selah bu anedeghin ne veczuzre chywz olundise halia dachi ol vslub vzre her daim giunden ginne artirub mucarer olmasina murad humaiunleridur Ali Osman Padishahung dachi Lala ve Bash vezirazam Bassa hazeretleri saadetlu Sultanum hazeretlerine juz bin selamber idub bu mektub sherifleri dachi haki pay sheriflerine irsal idub doaler ider Assitanei saudette dachi mutemekin olan elczighiz nam Paulo Pinder Cullighiz haki pay sheriflerine juz kylyndikdensongra mubarek aiaghyn pusse idub bu mektub Sultanum hazeretlerine irsal eiledy ler. The Interpretation hereof is thus THat most true incomprehensible and most high God increase and multiply your Majesties Years in all Happiness and Felicity Amen oh thou Lord of the World. The most invincible most mighty and most happy Sultan Osman Chan of the Othoman Empire Monarch sendeth unto your excellent Majesty a hundred thousand Salutations and Greetings evermore praying the most high God for your Majesties Happiness sendeth unto your Highness with all possible Honour and Renown this his Imperial and most noble Letter and withal hopeth that the sacred bond of Peace which hath been hitherto inviolably on your Majesties parts kept and observed your Majesty will be well pleased still on your part with daily increase more and more of Friendship earnestly to continue therein And his Imperial Majesty on his behalf is also resolved in like manner evermore punctually to keep and observe the same Also the most mighty Emperour's Tutor and his chief Visier Bassa hath addressed to the dust of your noble Feet this his most honourable Letter with a thousand Commendations praying everlastingly that mighty God for your Majesties long Life and Happiness Also your Majesties Ambassador at Constantinople your Slave Paul Pinder bowing his Forehead to the dust of your Majesties Feet and most humbly kissing your Highness blessed Feet hath directed unto your Majesty this his submissive Letter This that now followeth is the said Ambassador's Speech to his Majesty at the taking of his Leave at White-hall SAadetlu Padishahum Nitekim bu kullighiz haki pay sheriflerine effendimuz olan Cudretlu ve adaletlu Ali Osman Padishah Hazeretlerinung name humaiunlerin destimuzile teslin eileduk Regia ve temenamuz budurki Sultanum hazaretcleri dachi angha giore effendimuze name sheriflerile giouab idub bu killighize teslim èi lemek erzany buriurila ve herdaim saadette ve deulette peydar ola The Interpretation verbatim is thus MOST happy Emperour As I have with mine own Hands bowing my self to the dust of your Princely Feet appresented unto your excellent Majesty the most mighty and high Sultan Osman my Lord and Master his Imperial Letter so likewise I most humbly beseech your Majesty that you will be pleased in conformity thereof to vouchsafe your princely Answer by your noble Letter and to deliver the same into the hands of me your Slave and be ever Partaker of all Blessedness and Happiness A Copy of the Letter of Sultan Osman the Othoman Emperour written to the King's Majesty and presented by Hussein Chiaus ALthough in this transitory World if the King or the Beggar should enjoy the longest term of Life that might be and obtain all that his heart could wish yet it is most certain that in the end he must depart and be transported to the World Eternal and it is well known unto the wise that it is impossible for man to abide for ever in this World. The occasion of this Prologue is that the immortal omnipotent and only God hath by his divine Will and Pleasure called unto himself our Father of blessed Memory Sultan Achmat Chan who in life was happy and in death laudable and departing out of this momentary World to be nearer the merciful Creator being changed into perfect Glory and eternal Bliss hath his habitation on high
having given Two hours space for to carry the intelligence we weighed our Anchors and stood in for the Port of Constantinople At this time a Bostangee one belonging to the Grand Signior's Garden came aboard sent by the Bostangee-bashee or Head of the Gardeners to discover and know what Ship it was of such Equipage and greatness advising us also that the Grand Signior was seated in a Chiosk or Summer-house on the corner Wall of the Seraglio Having thus our Anchor aboard with a fresh and favourablegale our Flags and Ensigns displayed and a Streamer at every Yard-arm our Guns and Wast-clothes out and being near the Wall of the Seraglio the same Bostangee came again aboard acquainting us that it was the Grand Signior's pleasure that we should rejoyce with Guns which was his expression the Ship having her Sails swelled out with a gentle Gale and the swiâ—tness of her motion retarded by the current gave the Turks an opportunity to take a full prospect of her the decks being full of men we fired Sixty one Guns as we passed and with that order that the Vessel could never appear with better advantage had she been described by the Hand of the most skilful Painter And thus we came to an Anchor on Toppennau side where Sir Thomas Bendysh came immediately aboard to congratulate the safe arrival of this new Ambassador And now here it may be enquired whether the Seraglio returned any answer to this salute by those Guns which lye under the Garden-wall of which most or all are dismounted I answer noâ— for this having been the first Man of War or first Royal ship that ever carried up an English Ambassador to Constantinople it having been the custom formerly to have them transported thither on some goodly Merchant-ship laden with the rich Commodities of our Country a return of Guns was never demanded or expected and perhaps it was a matter not then thought of which if it had and been required it is probable in that conjuncture if ever it would have been granted both because old Kuperlâ—e the Father then governed who was a great friend to the English and Enemy to the French whose Ambassador was then under restraint would have in meer opposition and hatred to them bestowed those honours on our Nation which at another time could not have been extorâ—ed for a great Sum of Money and so much I collect from the very words of Kuperlee who after our Lord Ambassador had made his Entrance in a more splendid manner than usual as we shall understand by the sequel he demanded of our Chief Druggerman how the French resented this treatment He answered not well but with an envious Eye as he supposed let them burst with malice replied the Vizier Of late years since the glory and greatness of France their Ambassadors have been always transported up to Constantinople in the Kings Ships Monsieur la Haye the younger came on a Man of War of the Kings and a Fireship Monsieur de Nointel with Two men of War and a Fireship and now lately Monsieur de Guilleragues with no less an Equipage than the former All which before they entered Constantinople made a stop about the Seven Towers capitulating first to have a re-salute from the Seraglio before they would pass their Complement to that place which being denied as a thing never practised the French Men of War have of late passed with silence without giving or receiving a salute Howsoever as things stand now I should scarce advise that English Men of War should insist upon the like for we having once done it a custom may be pretended and that may give a beginning to such a dispute which a new Ambassador ought studiously to avoid the present circumstances of France not suiting exactly with the sole Interest of Trade which is exercised by England Against the next Day being the Eighteenth things were provided for the entrance of his Excellency and indeed with that state and handsome Equipage that neither any Embassador from England nor yet from the Emperor passed with greater Splendor and Honour than this For when his Excellency first descended from the Ship into his Boat the Ship fired Fifty one Guns so leisurely that they so continued until he set his Foot on the shoar where mounting on Horse-back covered with a rich Velvet Foot-cloth the whole Equipage marched in this Order on Horse-back also First the Vayvod of Galata and his Men. 2. The Captain of the Janisaries with his Janisaries 3. The Chaous-bashee with his Chaouses 4. The English Trumpeters 5. The English Horsemen Merchants of Constantinople and those of Smyrna which came to attend his Excellency by order of the Factory being in number Six with their Servants 6. The Embassadors Druggermen and Janisaries 7. His Excellency with St. Thomas Bendysh attended with their Pages and Footmen 8. The Secretary and Gentlemen 9. The Countess of Winchelsea in her Coach and Three other Coaches following with her Women covered with Red-cloth made after the fashion of Waggons lying on the carriages unhung 10. Which were followed by some Officers and Reformadoes of the Ship. Such an appearance as this being Extraordinary the Streets were crouded with People and all Windows filled with Spectators and that which made the passage more uneasy was the Rabble scrambling for Five Sol-pieces of which sort of Money 500 were by Order of the Lord Ambassador scattered amongst the People who regarded not the danger of being trampled under foot whilst they had the Silver in their Eye His Excellency being thus lodged at his House at Pera he was immediately saluted from the Emperors Resident by his Secretary and soon after by Signor Padavino Secretary to their Excellencies Balarino and Capello of whom we shall hereafter have occasion to name being those who negotiated the Affairs of the Venetian Republick And the next Day following the like Complement was passed from the French Ambassador and the Dutch Agent Three days after the Grand Signior sent a Present to his Excellency of Ten Sheep Fifty Hens a Hundred Loaves of Bread Twenty Sugar-loaves Twenty Wax candles Ten whereof were white and Ten yellow This we mention particularly because it was a Gift anciently bestowed in the times of the first Ambassadors and though it had not been of late years practised yet being found in the Old Registers the custom was again revived because the Turks were in an humour to gratifie and shew all the Honour they could to the English Ambassador On the Twenty eighth of this Month of Ianuary his Exellency had his first Audience of the Great Vizier and being attended thither and met by the Turkish Officers on Constantinople side in the same manner as when he first landed he was conducted to the Viziers Palace and being held up under the Arm by Two of his Gentlemen that being the fashion of great men amongst the Turks he was introduced to the Presence of the Vizier who being aged and decrepit
satisfactions he shewed them the Emperour's Commission and Orders to begin the Campaign with the Siege of Buda exhorting them to do their duty in an enterprise of such great importance whereon depended not only the conservation of his Highness's Conquests the security of his Crown and the good of Christendom but also the ruine of the Ottoman Empire being the loss of this considerable place would be attended on with the surrender of the other Cities and Fortresses of Hungary which would return to the Obedience of their natural Sovereign The Generals who expected to begin with the Siege of Agria or Alb-Royal were overjoy'd to understand that the design was upon Buda and this News being spread amongst the Officâ—rs and Souldiers of the Armies they all testified their Satisfaction by their forwardness and their desire to see themselves before a Place where they might signalize their Valour and revenge the Death of their Comrades who had been interred in the Trenches of the former Siege The Voluntiers to the number of six thousand of all Quality and Conditions which were come thither out of Germany France England Spain the Low-Countries and other parts of Europe to seek Honour in so pious a War shewed much Ardour and Zeal to signalize themselves in so glorious an undertaking The Troops of the Circles were not yet come and they of Brandenburg who marched through Silesia and the Straits of Iabluncka advanced but slowly by reason of the difficulty of their way and could not come so soon as desired But the Armies to lose no time discamped on the twelfth of Iune by break of day the Duke of Lorrain taking his way by the Bridge of Gran had passed it the thirteenth the Troops of Saxony having the Vauntguard The Elector of Bavaria marched on this side the Danube to possess the City of Pest. Whilst the two Armies were thus marching on both sides the River Count Rabatta who was Commissary General had caused a prodigious quantity of Gabions and Fagots which the Souldiers had made as they came to the general Randezvouz to keep them from Idleness to be imbark'd and sent by Water towards Buda together with the Artillery Ammunitions Provisions Forrage and other necessary things for the subsistence of Armies The next day the Armies advanced the great one near Vicegrade and the other by Vaccia The fifteenth the Imperial Horse followed by the Foot and their Cannon and Baggage passed Vicegrade some Prisoners having been made by a party that the Duke had sent to make Discoveries These unanimously declared that they of Agria and Alba Regalis fearing a Siege had refuged all their best Moveables in Buda and that this Capital City was as well as the other Places furnished with Troops and necessary Provisions to sustain a long Siege in expectation of Relief Being come within an hour of the Town without any encounter the Horse made halt as well to repose themselves as to expect the coming up of their Infantry and Artillery and now they begin to lay a Bridge of Boats at the Isle of St. Andrew for the Communication of the two sides of the Danube On the eighteenth the Baron of Diependal General de Battalia invested the City of Buda whilst the Infantry were marching up and taking up their Posts half a League from the place they began to break Ground and work at their Line of Circumvallation A great party of Horse and Foot appeared out of the Garrison at the Vienna Port but they returned again upon the advance of a Detachment of Imperial Horse who had Orders to charge them contented to welcome the Assailants with eight Volleys from their Cannon though they kill'd but one Pioneer by reason of the too great distance The nineteenth the Duke advanced with the Army as far as the hot Baths the Turks having abandoned that Post the day before The general Quarters were taken up within a quarter of a League of the Town The same day the Elector of Bavaria seized upon the City of Pest which the Turks had quitted retiring with their Cannon Ammunitions and Provisions into Buda after they had broken part of the Bridge behind them The Croats who scouted about the Country took a Turkish Chiaux with a Convoy of forty Spahis who was sent with Letters from the Port to the Visier of Buda Being brought to the Camp his Letters were examined which contained rigorous Orders to the Visier to be very careful of the Places which depended on his Government and to assure him of a quick and powerful relief in case he were attack'd On the twentieth the Bridge over the Danube was finished The same day a party of Horse sallied out of the Town with design to surprise the Christians advanced Guard but the Duke being advertised of it in time sent four squadrons to which many Volunteers joyned themselves with orders to charge them but they upon their approach retired without any engaging The Artillery being arrived two Batteries were raised against the lower Town where the Duke of Lorrains Attack was and at Night the Trenches were opened A Janizary who deserted reported much after the same manner that the Prisoners already mentioned had done that there were but eight thousand men of formed Troops in the Town The Visier having some time before sent two thousand Souldiers to Agria and as many to Alba-Regalis upon a supposition that the Christians would not think of besieging Buda which had been so fatal to them but two years ago This Run-away affirmed further that the Place was abundantly furnished with all manner of Provisions and Ammunitions to sustain a very long Siege that the Visier Abdi Bassa was no great Warrior and therefore the less considered by the Souldiery that he had assembled all the Officers and Souldiers of the Garrison together had exhorted them to do their Duty and to support with Honour the Glory of the Turbant adding that he had Orders from the Grand Seignior to defend the City with his Life which he was resolved to do and expect the Succours which the Grand Visier would infallibly bring them To this the Ianizaries and Spahis replyed that they were ready to sacrifice their Lives in his Highness's Service and for defence of their Laws upon Condition however that the Visier would immediately give them ten Crowns a Man that the Souldiers and Officers that were detained in Prison for what Crime soever should be set at Liberty and that he would not suffer things to come to the last extremity lest the same misfortune might happen to them as did to those of Newheusel all which the Visier promised them to oberve exactly I must acknowledge I am entring into a tedious Narrative and somewhat against my Humour which affects lucid brevity but the History of this Siege perhaps circumstantially the greatest upon Record full of such strange Events of Emulation in the pursuit of Glory of succesful Temerity and an invincible Resolution on the one side as also the Fidelity the
the Soldiers Pay and Donative they were forced to Coin out of Plate and Silver and Gold taken off from the Horses Furniture belonging to the Seraglio Two hundred Purses in Gold and Sixty in Silver with which every one being satisfied all was quiet and calm again and the Spahees returned to their own Homes leaving six of the Chief Mutiniers to remain behind a◠Constantinople That is to say one Chief with two Assistants for the white Colours and the like for the red and Four hundred Captains called Bolucbashees Two hundred for each Colour or Ensign and these were appointed to hold the power in their Hands which their Mutinies and late Rebellions had gained for them About this time the Turks proposed at the instigation of the French Ambassador to send a Chiaus into France England and Holland to acquaint those Princes with the advancement of Sultan Solyman to the Throne of the Ottoman Emperors The which Embassy thô little desired by the other Ministers being a Complement insignificant in it self and which would only cost Money and Trouble was yet much pressed by the French who were then contriving to do something extraordinary to engage the Turk in a strict Alliance with them being at that time resolved to disoblige and enter into a War against the Emperor and all the Princes of Germany But by Troubles afterwards amongst the Turks themselves and by the revived Spirits of Mutiny amongst the Soldiery their thoughts were so taken up with their Seditions Forreign Enemies and other Misfortunes that they thought it not so seasonable to send such triumphant Messages in the declension of their Affairs as might have been in more happy and prosperous times Howsoever the French Ambassador and Merchants at Constantinople to evidence their good Affection to the Port freely supplied the late Selictar Aga now appointed Pasha of Grand Cairo with two Ships to Transport him and his Equipage to Alexandria and farther to oblige him lent him in Money and Goods to the value of One hundred and fifty Purses for security of which Pawns were given to remain aboard until the Debt was satisfied And now the Grand Vizier began to appear in publick with the usual Pomp and Equipage he made his Visit with great State to the Mufti and daily held the Divans in the Seraglio besides those at his own House The new Sultan had been so little a while in the Government that he could not as yet give many Indications of his Temper but as to what appeared of him at first he seemed very devout a strict observer of his Law and much addicted to reading so that he could not shake off his habitual retiredness nor enjoy the pleasures of a Court and of such a Throne as anciently cast off all the Cares of it on the Vizier and other Ministers for he neither conversed with Women nor took any publick Diversion In the mean time his deposed Brother Sultan Mahomet who had always used much Exercise began by an unaccustomed Confinement to be tainted with the Scurvy his Legs swelled and gave Symptoms of the Dropsy Wherefore he sent to his Brother the present Sultan desiring that some Physitians might be permitted to come to him for his Cure. But grave Solyman returned him answer That in case he should allow that and he miscarry the World would say that he was an occasion of his Death so that in lieu of the Physitians he would pray to God for him and he who sent the Sickness could give him a Cure. These civil Commotions and Mutinies amongst the Soldiers were more dangerous to the Ottoman State than all the Ruins Defeats and Losses they had received from the Enemy and gave the Imperialists an opportunity to act and succeed in all their Enterprizes in Hungary and march and rove with their Parties through the whole Country without opposition or controule But the Season of the year being too much advanced it was thought time to draw the Armies into Winter-quarters and to lodge them in the conquered Countries Thus Count Dunewalt after he had fortified and secured the Castles and Places which he had taken quartered his Army at Possega Valkovar and other places bordering upon Croatia Likewise the two Regiments of Palfy and Staremberg which had lately been detached from the Duke of Lorain's Army to attend the Emperor's service at Possonium on occasion of the Coronation of Ioseph King of the Romans joyned with some other Hungarian Troops near Buda attacked in their way thither the Fortresses of Ciocca and Palotta and took them by which the Garrison of Alba Regalis was much streightned and disabled from making Incursions so far as the Danube The Duke of Loraine marching as we have said towards Transilvania resolved to take Quarters for his Army in that fruitful Principality as yet not much wasted with the War and the better to prepare them dispatched away the Baron Huntschin with full Commission to Prince Apafi to Treat about the places which might be assigned with most convenience for the Soldiery and ease to the People Huntschin speedily returned with advice that he had been favourably received by Apafi who having assembled several of his Boyars or Noblemen together had resolved to send Deputies to the Duke of Loraine giving him to understand the great joy and satisfaction they had received by the happy Successes of the Imperial Arms by which they flattered themselves so far as to believe that they should now be freed from the Tyranny and oppression of the Ottoman Yoak and that as a Testimony thereof they had readily consented to afford all the succour and subsistence they were able to the maintenance of the Christian Troops during the whole Winter season But as to assign them places for Quarters within the Principality of Transilvania they instantly desired to be acquitted in regard that such a Concession would greatly offend the Port and lay them open to the Incursions and to the Fire and Sword both of the Turks and Tartars To this Message the Duke of Loraine made Answer in obliging but yet in general Terms and in the mean time the Army still advanced without farther Treaty it being well known that neither the Turkish Troops nor those of the Country were in a capacity to Dispute their Passage so that on the 11 th of October the Army arrived at Salone the first Town of Transilvania year 1687. where after having without many questions or complements put a Garrison of about a Hundred Men into the place they marched forward towards Clausembourg But on their way thither the Duke of Loraine was met by three Deputies from the Prince and States who repeated the same Offers which had been related by Baron Huntschin touching the Ammunition and Provisions with which they would furnish the Troops to which they added also an offer of some Money but as to assigning places for Winter-quarters it was a matter impossible and of the most dangerous consequence
enraged hereat drew up into a Body before the Vizier's House and some of them ran upon the Walls and drew from thence two Pieces of Cannon intending therewith to batter down the Vizier's Palace which was ready for Execution when the Renegado Wrebeck a Fellow very dear to the People came with Tears in his Eyes to dissuade them from so violent an Attempt and having used many very pungent Arguments to them he prevailed so far that the Tumult was appeased During this interval or suspension of Arms I who was as it were the Tribune of the People was called again and desired to appease the Multitude promising to answer their desires But they having been so often deluded refused to give any Credit to their Words unless they would solemnly swear on the Alchoran to yield the City nor yet would they draw off and return the Cannon unto the Walls until such time as they had begun to make some steps towards the execution of their desires Hereupon the three Commanders with some of the Citizens assembled in the great Moseh as if they intended to agree upon the Propositions which were to be offer'd to the Enemies but in reality they intended nothing less labouring all that Day to appease the Tumults with Mony and Provisions The Vizier made large distributions to the Spahees and the Aga to the Janisaries and the Pasha to the Citizens and Soldiers of the Country and by these means they took an Oath of the People patiently to endure until St. George's Day being the 23d of April which is a Day regardby the Turks But howsoever they would esteem themselves absolved from this Oath in case an Enemy should in the mean time appear before their Walls and streighten them yet farther by a Siege Colonel Riccardi having by this Relation been rightly informed of the true State of the Town he thought fit to make Tryal of another Appearance before the Walls and came with more than One hundred Horse within Cannon-shot of the place which had he done the preceeding Day before the People had taken an Oath to hold out until St. George's Day the City had most certainly been yielded But now instead thereof they made several Shots from the Bastions and sallied out both Horse and Foot without any other execution on either side than the taking of one Turk whose Head they cut off in sight of his Companions Thus the Colonel having sufficiently been informed of the State of the matter on which he was employed he departed from Palotta with his Troops on the 31 st of March year 1688. and Lodging that Night within a League of Alba Regalis a certain Ianisary well armed and clothed came to them in the Morning and gave an Account that he was fled from the City with some other Companions amongst which was an Odabashee or Captain of the Ianisaries who having been over active and forward in the late Mutiny feared in cooler Blood to be called to question by the angred Officers After which Colonel Riccardi finding little farther to be done marched back to Buda as Colonel Bisterzi did with his Forces to Palotta The obstinate Defence which Alba Regalis made gave some trouble to the Court at Vienna both because it was necessary to have it subjected before the beginning of the Campaign and because the Captive Turks and Deserters were so numerous in those parts and in the Towns and Redoubts over all those Qarters as might give just occasion of Jealousie and fear of Danger in case any design of Massacre or Assassination should be plotted by them But so vile and mean were the Turks esteemed and their price and value so low that a lusty Fellow was sold for a Dollar and a Woman for a quarter But we must here take our leave of Alba Regalis for a while and return to Constantinople where we shall find the Seditions and Military Mutinies broken out again with more Fury and Danger even to the very shaking of the Foundations of the Empire than at the latter end of the last year For the Cabals daily increased amongst the mutinous Soldiers They had lately received their pay and were satisfied in all they could demand their Officers had some of them been displaced and others strangled as they were pleased to bestow their Heads and Offices but not being herewith contented unless every one of them could be made a Vizier or Pasha they were emboldned to proceed to farther Outrages There had been a kind of a cessation of these intestine Troubles for about the space of two Months during which time the new Sultan was persuaded as a thing accustomary to send an Ambassador to France England and Holland to give notice of his happy exaltation to the Sublime Throne of his Ancestors but whilst this was meditating and preparations making for carrying on the Wars of the ensuing Summer which was designed most vigorously to be acted in the Morea and in a defensive manner only in Hungary the Thoughts of sending an Ambassador into Christendom as lately designed were laid aside which was not unpleasing either to Sir William Trumbal who was then Ambassador for his Majesty of Great Britain at Constantinople nor yet to the English Company of Merchants at London trading into the Levant Seas who could expect to reap nothing but trouble and expence from such an Embassy And indeed all things were at a stand by the Insolencies of the Soldiers the Officers both Civil and Military being discouraged and at a stop and full Period in the Grand Seignior's Service had work enough to contrive how to guard their own Persons against the violence of the Soldiers and provide for the safety of their own Lives The daily Cabals of Mutinous Soldiers having been held in several places of the City were adjourned at length to the Vizier's own House where with Menaces and greater Insolencies than formerly they demanded the removal of Kuperlee the Chimacam from his Office saying That he was as bad a Man as his Father who had spilt Rivers of Blood and ruined the Empire It was an unusual Piece of Favour and Mercy in this People to deal thus gently with him who were accustomed formerly to be Executioners of their own Sentence upon those whom they suspected to be no good Wishers to their Side and Faction To oppose them herein had been to no purpose and to expostulate with them had been equally dangerous wherefore the Vizier being sensible of their Outragious and Irrational Humour not patient of the least Contradiction seemed to concur with them in all they asked and ordered a Gally immediately to Transport Kuperlee to the Castles on the Hellespont or Dardanelli There was no need of Commands or Force to drive Kuperlee away for he was affrighted and readily leapt into the Gally thinking it a happy occasion to save his Life and escape out of their Hands The Vizier also at their instance discharged several Officers which they had nominated putting the Chief