Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	answer_n	letter_n	son_n	855	5	7.1227	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33410	The history of the Turkish War with the Rhodians, Venetians, Egyptians, Persians, and other nations being a compact series of the memorable battels, sieges, and progress of the Ottoman armies in Europe, Asia, and Africa, for near an hundred years, with their various success by sea and land : but a relation more particularly of the first bloody siege of Rhodes in the reign of Mahomet the Great ... and the last under the command of Solyman the Magnificent, who ... totally subdued that famous city and island, defended by the valour of the renowned Peter Aubusson ... / written by Will. Caoursin and Rhodgia Afendy.	Caoursin, Guillaume, d. 1501.; Sinan Paşa, 1440-1486.; Bouhours, Dominique, 1628-1702.	1683 (1683)	Wing B3824D; Wing B3827; Wing C464_CANCELLED; ESTC R24724	170,593	517

and Master of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem setled himself there that nothing could be more proper for the Ottoman Emperors then a place that might facilitate the Conquest of Aegypt and Syria and lastly that the Enterprize was no less easy then honourable They told him that there was but little provision and but few Souldiers in Rhodes and shewing him the Plat-form of the City they gave him to understand that the Walls of the Castle were old and ruinous that the Jews quarter was the most weak and that when he had won St. Nicholas Tower it would be easy to gain the rest They added also that Rhodes being the passage to Italy he was not to despise the Favours of Fortune that offer'd him the Conquest of Rome as well as of Constantinople besides that it did not become him to suffer a Captain of a Troop of Vagabond Knights to refuse to do him that homage which Kings themselves were forc'd to stoop to Now as Princes have their ears open to Councils that flatter their ambition Mahomet easily harken'd to the instigations of Demetrius and Meligate However being wise and knowing that precipitate rashness is the ruin of many great undertakings he thought it convenient to consult his chief Ministers before he resolv'd upon any thing Who being of a contrary opinion to that of the Renegado's did all they could to divert him from the expedition against Rhodes They represented to him how that the City was newly fortify'd that Souldiers and Ammunition were brought in every day That the Grand Master was an extraordinary person too courageous to yield and too vigilant to be surpriz'd They put Mahomet in mind that though the forces of the Knights were not comparable to his yet he could never take the least Castle from them with all the Armies which he had sent against them and that it behov'd him to consider the future by what had pass'd besides that upon the least Motion which he should make that way all Europe and Asia would take Arms in favour of the Rhodians That the Grand Master had renew'd an alliance with the Soldan of Aegypt and that without any great difficulty he would be able to make the King of Persia his friend That the Pope labour'd to unite the Princes of Christendom against the Ottoman Empire that all these Enemies united in a league together would not fail to assault him in several places together and make such a diversion of his own Forces that in some place or other they would certainly recover to his loss They added moreover that there were other Islands to take before Rhodes They shew'd him besides that the Conquest of Rhodes would be no addition to his renown that he might conquer new Empires but never regain lost honour which he hazarded all at once in a dangerous expedition where he had nothing to win but where he had so much to lose At length they concluded all that the safest way was by negotiation and accommodation to engage the Knights to pay him some yearly tribute and thereupon they advis'd him to send an Embassador to the Grand Master to propose him Peace upon those conditions But that they might not offend the Grand Signior in case of refusal they were of opinion that the Embassy should be sent in the name of Zizim his Son and Selebi his Nephew telling him also that such a way of proceeding could not but take effect or at least that during the negotiation the Knights would not be so strict upon their guards so that under the pretence of treaty he might surprize the Castle of St. Peter and facilitate thereby the enterprize upon Rhodes whenever he should determine to undertake it Whatever inclinations Mahomet might have to follow the counsel of the Renegado's he stuck to the advice of his Ministers and it may be said that at that time he made his ambition give way to his prudence They made choice of Demetrius for the chief in the Embassy That wicked man was easily satisfied that his opinion was not follow'd partly for the confidence which they repos'd in him and partly our of the hopes which he had that his counsel might afterwards be resum'd into consideration if the negotiation which he had taken upon him did not produce any good effect He was entrusted with a Letter to the Grand Master written in Greek and fign'd in Turkish by the two Princes The Contents whereof are as follows conformable to the Original Copy TO THE Thrice Generous and Thrice Famous Prince Peter D'Aubusson Grand Master of Rhodes or Thrice Honoured Father and Lord. INtegrity and Valour have so many Charms to allure the love of men of whatsoever Nation or Religion that it is no wonder if the Princes of the Blood Royal of the Ottomans and of the Sect of the Prophet Mahomet have no mean thoughts of friendship for you and your Order We are obliged thereto and in some measure forc'd to it by the Renown which your Heroick Vertues have acquir'd over all the East Yet some there are who have endeavour'd to render you obnoxious to our Thrice Illustrious Emperor And some of his Favourites continually exasperate him to turn his Victorious Arms against you to abolish the Christian Name in your destruction But we far from inspiring him with any such thoughts have us'd all our endeavors to avert his formidable Thunder from your Dominions and we have been so succesful therein that his Highness refuses not to heark'n to Peace willing to receive you into the number of his Allies Of which we were desirous to give you information by Demetrius our Embassador to whom you may give credit If you will but list'n to the Propositions which he shall make you on our behalf as we conjure you to do we are ready to be our selves the Mediators and the chief Promoters of your quiet In expectation of your answer we pray the All-powerful Creator of Heaven and Earth to preserve you in a flourishing condition From the City of Patara the 9th of February in the year of the Birth of your Prophet Jesus 1478. Your Sons and good Friend ZEM SCELBEI Son of the Invincible Emperor Mahomet and Che-Le-Bi Sultan Sangiach of Mandachia Though this Letter were but only a snare which the Sultan laid for the Grand Master it was sincere on the Princes side that were put upon the affair For they had both of them a natural affection for the Knights of Rhodes and something of an inclination to the Christian Religion particularly Zizim who was endu'd with much Generosity and a Regularity in his conditions After Demetrius had presented the Letter to the Grand Master he declar'd to him that he did not demand but only a slight Tribute for the sole conditions of the Peace and then craftily insinuated that the Proposals of the Princes were too civil to be deny'd by the generosity of the Knights That the friendship of the Invincible Mahomet was above the value of a slight