departure nearly approached yet the Grand Signior was so impatient that he would scarce expect until the Equinoctial which was the Term formerly appointed and published for this expedition resolving sometimes to proceed before and leave the Vizier to follow him letting fall words often That such as loved and honoured him would keep him company But this hasty resolution and eager desire of his Journey the Vizier Mufti and others of his Counsellours did moderate perswading him to a little longer patience to which though with some difficulty he assented yet he could not forbear from his Horses back and constant exercises abroad nor could he be induced to take one Nights repose longer in his great Seraglio at Constantinople but lodged at Daout Pasha a small Palace about four miles distant from Constantinople Which extravagant manner of living most People attributed to his wandring humour and delights in hunting riding and such like exercises having his sole pleasure in the Woods and Fields But others who judged with better Foundation did conceive That the Grand Signiors choice of other places of Residence rather than his Imperial Seraglio proceeded not so much from his own unsetled humour and course of living as from an apprehension of some Designs and mutinous Treasons of the Janisaries against him For to speak the truth since the death of Kuperlee the Militia began again to be corrupted and if we may believe the opinion of the most principal Turks the Vizier undertook this War to employ the busie spirits of the Soldiery which began to grow resty and insolent through idleness and by that means secure his own life and establish his Condition and Fortune The Equinoctial being come the Grand Signior would not have one days longer patience for though the Season was wet and rainny yet the Tents were pitched and though the Wind was so violent and forcible as overturned almost the whole Camp yet no difficulties and inconveniencies of Weather could give one hour of intermission to the Sultans desires Wherefore on the Ninth of this Month the Grand Signior departed from Constantinople attended with his Court his principal Officers of State and with what part of his Army was then a in readiness to march The magnificence of the show they made was according to the usual Solemnity yet worthy the sight of a Stranger and perhaps not incurious to the Reader in its Relation First marched with a singular Gravity the several and distinct Orders of Civil and Military Officers in their proper Habits and Caparisons the Santones in their wild dress followed by the Emirs or such as are of the Kindred of their false Prophet the Great Vizier and Mufti rode in rank together the Vizier on the left hand the most honourable place amongst the Soldiery being the side to which the Sword is girt as the right is of greatest esteem amongst such as are of the Law being that hand which guides the Pen The Trappings of the Viziers Horse were plaâ—ed with Gold and before him were carried three Horse-tails called in Turkish Tugh and behind him came about Three hundred and fifty Pages all Young men well mounted and armed with Jacks and Coats of Male Next followed the Minions of the Court or Seraglio viz. the Paicks with Caps of beaten Gold and embroidered Coats the Solacks with Feathers armed with Bows and Arrows these two last are of the highest degree of Lacqueys which more nearly attend the Person of the Grand Signior these were followed by Nine led Horses of the Grand Signior richly adorned with precious Stones and Bucklers all covered with Jewels of an unknown value Immediately before the Person of the Grand Signior was led a Camel carrying the Alcoran in a Chest covered with cloth of gold The Gr. Signior himself was clothed in a Vest of cloth of gold lined with a Sable incomparably black held up from the sides of his Horse by four Pages his Person was followed with great numbers of Eunuchs and Pages with long red Caps wrought with Gold about the head carrying Lances and Mails with two Locks one on each side of their Head which are worn by such only as are of the Royal Chamber After these crowded great numbers of Servants with the chief Comp. of Saphees commanded by the Selictor Aga in number about 1800. And in this manner and order they marched to their Tents The Tents were raised on a small Hill as may be judged about Four Miles distant â—â—om Constantinople and about Two Thousand in number ranged at that time without order only the Grand Signior's seemed to be in the midst and to over-top all the rest well worthy observation costing as was reported One hundred and eighty thousand Dollars richly embroidered in the inside with Gold and supported by Pillars plated with Gold. Within the Walls of this Tent as I may so call them were all sorts of Offices belonging to the Seraglio all Retirements and Apartments for the Pages Chioskes or Summer-houses for pleasure and though I could not get admittance to view the innermost Rooms and Chambers yet by the outward and more common places of resort I could make a guess at the richess and greatness of the rest being sumptuous beyond comparison of any in use amongst the Christian Princes On the right hand hereof was pitched the Grand Viziers Tent exceedingly rich and lofty and had I not seen that of the Sultans before it I should have judged it the best that my eyes had seen The ostentation and magnificence of this Empire being evidenced in nothing more than in the richess of their Pavilions sumptuous beyond the fixed Palaces of Princes erected with Marble and Mortar On the Sixteenth of this Month the Aga of the Janisaries first raised his Tents and began his march the next day followed the Grand Signior Vizier and other Officers and Spahees At which time all Asia was full of Soldiers flocking from all parts of the East as from Aleppo Damascus Arabia Erzirum and Babylon So that for a long time Boats and Barks were continually imployed to ferry the Souldiery from Scutari into Europe And the High-ways Villages and all parts of the Road towards Adrianople were filled with Soldiers as if all Asia had issued out to devour and inhabit the German Possessions And for greater expedition in the march of the Army Proclamation was made of a general Rendezvous at Sophia at the Biram then within Three weeks time where they designed to soil their Horse and refresh themselves before they fell in earnest to their business But before the Grand Vizier departed from Adrianople to prosecute a War in Hungary against the Emperor he called Signior Ballarino to his presence as if he would treat with him of matters tending to an adjustment with Venice when at the same time he had 20000 men in a readiness at Scutari to march into Dalmatia and to joyn with other Forces in Bosna and Croatia but this dissimulation and
Tyranny not spare Men of meaner calling which spared not his dearest and most ancient Friends Selymus marching from Arsenga came to the Confines of the lesser Armenian Kings and of Aladeules where by his Embassadors he requested the Kings of those Nations who were then in Arms that they would joyn their Forces with his against the Persian and to go with him into Armenia the great promising that when the Wars were happily ended he would give unto them all such Territories as should chance in those Wars to be taken from the Enemy as a reward of their Aid But these poor Kings which hated both Hysmael and Selymus for their manifold injuries they daily received in the Frontiers of their Dominions lying in the midst between them as commonly it falleth out that the weakest go to the walls craftily expecting the Evâ—nt of this War would not openly shew themselves but answered that they had taken up Arms for no other purpose but for the defence of themselves and their Kingdoms Not meaning in that doubtful War to bear themselves as Enâ—mies unto either of those great Princes their Friends and Neighbors of whofe just grievances they were not able or worthy to determine yet if he would without Hostility in peaceable manner pass through their Dominions they promised to give free passage unto him and his Army and after he was entred into Armenia the greater to relieve him with such Provision of Victual as their bare Countries could afford Selymus thus deceived of this his first Hope for why he thought those poor Kings would at the first either for love or fear have been ready to have done him all the service they could dissembled his grief for the present as wholly bentagainst Hysmael fearing that if he should by word or deed defend those neuter Princes he should have them at his back his most assured and undoubted Enemies Wherefore passing the Mountains called Scodrisci he came in eight days unto the great Mountain called Moschij which the famous River Euphrates with his mighty stream and huge broken banks separateth from the great Mountain Antitaurus and with perpetual steep ridges runneth into Iberia and Colchis and on the East discovereth Armenia the greater here Selymus with Ensigns displayed marching alongst the bank of the River departed not from the same for fear to lack Water in that hot and dry Country and so held on his way directly Eastward leaving the Country of Armenia the less upon his left Hand and the Frontiers of the Kingdom of Aladeules on the right until he came unto the Mountain Periardo This great Mountain famous by the rising of two great and notable Rivers out of it is for the wonderful fertility of all things of the barbarous People called Leprus which is to say fruitful for Euphrates and Araxis there running out of two divers and contrary Marshes with many arms water and enrich that champion and dry Country Selymus having made so great a Journy and yet not able so much as by report to understand what was become of Hysmael his so great and populous Army which he knew was but a little before departed out of Cappadocia as a Man in doubt and half afraid stayed and incamped his Army at the head of the River Euphrates and from thence sent out his Scouts every way if happily they could intercept some which might give him knowledge of his Enemies But the Armenians whether it were for fear of the coming of the Turks or that Hysmael their King had so commanded were all before fled out of that part of the Country whereby Selymus was to pass with his Army and having forsaken their Houses and carried away with them or else by Fire destroyed whatsoever might serve for the use of Man. The Turkish Scouts after they had by the space of two days scoured up and down the Country returned back again to Selymus not having taken so much as any one Man shewing unto him That all things were destroyed before him and nothing left but wild Fields and a most desolate Country without any appearance of Man or Beast and that they were of opinion that either the Armenian Guids were deceived in the way or else had of purpose brought them into such desert places whereas wanting Pasture for their Horses and Food for Men they must needs together perish with Hunger Which their present fear was greatly increased by the weak Kings whom they had left behind them at their backs but especially Aladeules who either for shame or fear had a few days at the first holpen the Turks with Victual but after they were farther entred into Armenia performed nothing of that he had before most faithfully promised seeking therein the favor of Hysmael who he thought would with the same good fortune vanquish the Turks that he had not long before the greatest part of the East Selymus perplexed in mind began now to suspect Treason to fear Famine to dread the Deserts and forsaken places and with grief of mind to call to remembrance all that old Chendemus his faithful Counsellor had before most truly told him for all that he shewed himself unto his Souldiers with cheerful Countenance as a Man nothing dismaied which his firm constancy seemed to promise unto their discouraged minds good success with speedy Victory Wherefore calling unto him his Guids and such as best knew the Country and understanding by them that on the right Hand beyond the Mountain Periardo lay the most fruitful Country of all Armenia he rose with his Army and compassing the Hill toward the North turned down toward the River Araxes and above the City of Coy passed his Army over the River his Footmen by little Bridges and his Horsemen by Foords for Araxes until it have received such Rivers as fall into it out of the Marshes of Periardo runneth but with a small stream and is in some places easie to be passed over Selymus had scarcely well got over the River and incamped his great Army when Vasta Ogli who having joyned his Forces with Amurat lying incamped not far off and fearing lest the City of Coy and the unprovided Citizens should by the sudden coming of the Enemy be oppressed quickly rose with his Army and set forwards to meet the Turks for that City of all others in that Country for fresh Fountains and Rivers most pleasant wherein the Persian Kings for the great plenty of all manner of Fruit and wholsomeness of the Air leaving Tauris were wont to spend most part of the Summer had then in it many rich Citizens and sumptuous Buildings which Vasta Ogli thought good betimes to rescue and not with dishonour to lose that rich City looking as it were upon it and leaving it unto the Enemy to suffer him there â—o refresh his hunger-starved Souldiers with plenty of all things Cassianus an Armenian Born and present in those Wars did by many probabilities as Iovius writeth shew unto him That this City of Coy was in ancient
Chimacham Mechmet Bassa was at that present chief Visier Next unto the Bassa which is as much as to say great Lord follow the Beglerbegs and have their places in Court next unto them They are Men of great Authority and have the command of great Kingdoms and Armies under whose Obedience are divers Sanzacks which are sent as Governours into Provinces during the Princes Pleasure These are Men of great Experience and have command over the Spahi and Timariots the Turks chief Forces on Horse-back whom they call continually to exercise their Arms. There is one Beglerbeg of Greece which hath all the Countries in Europe in the Turks Dominions under his Charge and this is the first of all the Beglerbegs who hath under him above thirty Sanzacks There are six other Beglerbegs in Asia whereof the first is he of Natolia or Asia the less He hath the Government of Pontus Bythinia and other Kingdoms and hath under him twelve Sanzacks The Beglerbeg of Caramania with seven Sanzacks The Beglerbeg of Alâ—duley under whose Command are seven Sanzacks The Beglerbeg of Amazia and Toccato having four Sanzacks There is also one in Mesopotamia and under his command twelve Sanzacks or Governours of Provinces There is likewise a Beglerbeg of Damas Suria and Iudaea who hath under him twelve Sanzacks And there is one of Caire who commands over sixteen Sanzacks his Charge extends to the Arabians but they are not so Obedient as the Turks other Countries As for the Turks Forces they consist of Horse-men Foot-men and Fleets at Sea. His Horsemen consist of Spahi Timari Spachoglani Silictari and Olofagi who have Assignations of Lands for the Entertainment of them and their Horses For no Man can injoy any Possessions but he is injoyned to entertain a certain number of Souldiers proportionable to the Revenues of the Land so as the Governour or Bassa is always bound to have this number ready to march when they are called Of these Timariots they are able to raise about an hundred and fifty thousand Horse always ready at the first call for the which the Prince disburseth not a penny for in regard of the Land which is alotted them they are bound to maintain themselves their Horse and Arms in the War. Wheresoever the Turk conquereth any Countrey he divides it among his Souldiers assigning four thousand Aspers yearly which is little above ten pound sterling to every one for himself and his Horse and so proportionably if he have more Land. These Horse-men are much pestered with Arms when they go to War for they have a Jack a Spear with a little white Banner a Caliver hanging under his left Arm a Cimitar a Bow and Arrows at his Girdle and a Battel-axe at his Saddle bow And of these kind of Horse-men they say there are eighty thousand in Greece besides an infinite number in his other Countries This Turkish Cavalry work two great Effects for they serve as a support to his Estate to suppress all Seditions and they are ready to undertake any Enterprise Besides these he entertains many Horse-men about his Person whereof some are Spahi and these are Christian Slaves bred up young in the Princes Seraglio who by their Merits attain to that degree and afterwards to greater Dignities They are always attending about the Princes Person wheresoever he goes being commonly thirteen hundred The Caripices are held for the flower of all his Horse-men being in number about eight hundred who march still about the Princes Person during the Wars The Spachoglani which is as much as to say young Men on Horse-back are above three thousand who have yearly pensions in Money which they are bound to receive yearly at Constantinople or else they are held as dead Men. In the Wars they march on the right Hand of the Grand Seignior and are known from the Spahies by the Banners of their Lances which have two points and of divers colours the others being pointed and all white but they are armed alike They are Men at Arms of a good fashion and are commonly advanced by the Sultan to higher Places They have a Captain or Aga of great Esteem with a Lieutenant and every twenty have a Boluch Bassa The Salichtari are also Horse-men and lodge upon the left Hand of the Prince being in number about three thousand Their Breeding is like unto the Spahi and there is no difference betwixt them but in their March the one having the right Hand and the other the left which is the more honourable among the Turks There is yet another sort of Horse-men which they call Olofagi being about two thousand in number and they march on the right and left Hand of the Prince These several Troops are as it were a Nursery for all the chief Officers of that Empire out of which they do commonly chuse their great Commanders Besides they have their mercinary Souldiers called Alcanziis which come to serve the Turk from Tartaria Valachia and Moldavia As for his foot Forces they consist chiefly in Ianizaries into which number they have not used to inroll many of Asia whom they have held faint-hearted but those of Europe who have always had the Reputation to be Valiant Their manner to entertain this Discipline is to send every three years into all the Provinces of Europe from whence they bring ten or twelve thousand Christian Children as a Tribute making choice of such as have any shew of Magnanimity Agility or Courage which are Parts fit for a Souldier These Children being brought to Constantinople and visited some of them are sent into Natolia Caramania and other Provinces to dig and weed the Ground where they forget their Parents Countrey and Faith and learn the Language and Vices of them with whom they converse and so become Mahometans They continue in those places three or four years without any charge to the Prince being entertained by them for whom they Labour after which time they are called home and put into the Sultan's Seraglioes at Pera Adrianopolis and other Places But they that have the best Faces and are most active are reserved for their Princes Service These Children being brought into the Princes Seraglioes are of two sorts the one are called Aiamoglani that is to say simple Boy they are instructed by severe Masters in divers manual and painful Exercises as Shoomakers Gardiners and such like base Trades Their Feeding and Apparel is very mean and for the most part they lie in great and spacious Rooms like unto Religious Men having a Light continually burning and Guards about them These have liberty to go abroad who after the Age of twenty years are dismissed whereof some are sent into the Sultan's Gardens which are many and great others are imployed as Car-men to carry Wood Hay Water and other Provision for the Palace and some are sent to the Kitchins and Stables yet when Places fall they are preferred to be Janizaries and have competent
which caused him to strike off their heads with as little remorse as one would do the tops of Popples untill he had absolutely made a destruction of them Those now which remain are poor and inconsiderable contented to comrade ten or twelve in a company for maintenance of a poor Tent and two or three Horses and a Mule for Baggage and Provisions these are more tame and subject to the Cudgel and can take a beating patiently on the soles of the feet which is their punishment as the Ianizaries is to receive the blows on the Buttocks that so this chastisement may neither incommode the seat of the Horsemen nor the marches of the foot but if the crime be great and capital they are sent for by Chiauses or Pursuivants to appear before the Visier by whom being condemned and strangled near the Walls of the Grand Signior's Seraglio their bodies are afterwards about two or three hours in the night thrown into the Sea without other solemnity than the firing of one of those great Guns next the Sea which are planted under the Walls of the Seraglio which serve for so many warning pieces for others Example Their pay is divers but in general it is from twelve to one hundred Aspers a day those who proceed from the Seraglios of Pera Ibrahim Pashaw and Adrianople which are so many Nurseries and Schools as well of the principles of War as Literature or have been Cooks Mates for the Cook of these Societies is principal Officer of respect or Baltagees that is Hatchet-men who cut Wood for the Grand Signior's Seraglio and are licensed to live abroad with the title of Spahee have the lowest pay of twelve Aspers a day but those who are extracted from the less or greater Chamber of the Grand Signior's own Seraglio called Seni serai have 19 Aspers pay and if they are favoured with the title of an Office they receive two or three Aspers augmentation But such as are elected to the War out of more eminent Chambers as the Landery the Turbant Office the Dispensatory the Treasury the Falconers Lodge and others which we have mentioned in the description of the Seraglio have at first thirty Aspers daily pay an encrease of which is obtained sometimes by the Visiers or Registers favour unto two Aspers more sometimes by services in the War by receiving two Aspers augmentation for the head of every Enemy he brings in two Aspers more for intelligence of the death of any Spahee out of the pay of the deceased as also at the Incoronation or Instalment of every Grand Signior five Aspers increase is given as a donative general to the whole Army of Spahees and thus many of them by art industry and good success go augmenting until they arrive to an hundred Aspers and here is their non plus ultra they can rise no higher They are paid quarterly from three months to three months which they may omit to receive for nine months but if twelve pass they can onely demand the nine the other quarter or more is confiscated to the publick Exchequer Their place of payment is now in the Hall of the Visier which formerly was in the Houses of the Pay-Masters and Treasurer but changed by the Visier Cupriuli on occasion of the disorders and abuses of the Officers which caused Mutinies and Disturbances amongst the Soldiery For the rich Spahees living far distant to excuse themselves from a long journey to the City agreed with the Pay-Masters that they for some certain part of their Income should without farther trouble to themselves take up their Dues and make it over quarterly to their Countries of abode these men thus tasting the benefit of this trade agreed with others for some little gains to dispatch them before the rest by which means and the payment onely on Wednesdays and Saturdays those Spahees that came from remote parts making so long attendance had with their excesses in Constantinople spent as much as the principal summ they expected of which growing sensible at first they began to murmur then to threaten the Pay-Masters and at last proceeded to open Mutiny by forcing the doors breaking the windows of the Officers with many other insolencies and disorders until Kupriuli to remedy these abuses ordered the money to be given out in his presence and the Payment to be continued every day untill the Pay was ended The Sons of Spahees presenting themselves before the Visier may claim the privilege of being enrolled in the Grand Signior's Books but their Pay which is the lowest rate twelve Aspers a day is to issue forth from their Fathers proportion but then they are in the road of preferment and are capable by their services and merits to make additions upon foundation of their own industry Besides the forgoing ways by which the Spahees gain their encrease of pay I am given to understand that formerly they had another benefit called Gulamiie or safe Conduct Money which was one per cent of all Monies to those whom the Collectours of the Grand Signior's Revenue summoned to convey the Treasure for more security to the Capital City besides the maintenance of themselves and their Horses in the Journey but this as too chargeable a deduction from the Imperial Revenue was with time taken off to the great discontent of the Spahees in general The Grand Signior going in Person to the Wars according to the ancient custome of other Sultans bestows a largess on the Spahees of Five thousand Aspers a Man which they call Sadak Akchiafi or a donative for buying Bows and Arrows as also to the Ianizaries as we shall hereafter mention This Army of Spahees is in the War a mere confused multitude without any Government or distribution into Troops or Regiments but march in heaps fight without order little account kept of their presence or absence from the Camp onely at the pay in the month of November whosoever appears not unless favoured by the Officers hath his name raced from the Grand Signior's Register Their duty in the War is to stand Centinel with a Ianizary at the end of every Cord at the Grand Signior's Pavilion as also at the Visier's armed with his Cimitar Bows Arrows and Lance mounted on Horse-back as the Ianizary on foot with a Sword and Musket and also the charge of the Treasure for payment of the Militia is committed in the Field to their custody This Order of Soldiers was in ancient times in great esteem and honour in all parts of the Empire by reason of their accomplishments in Learning refined Education in the Imperial Court their nearness to Preferments and acquaintance and Interest with the Grandees of the Empire The place of the Selibtari in their marches to the War was to flank the Grand Signior on the left hand and the Spahi Oglani on the right and were always the ultimate reserve of the Battel as the Life-guard to the Sultan But like
the Workmen yet nothing hinder'd to perfect the Allodgment which was made wide and extreamly well fortified on all sides The City of Newhausel is Situate on a Plain with some little rising Hills about it and on the Banks of the River Neutra it is not far from Comorra and about a Days Journey from Strigonium it is encompassed by six Bastions according to the manner of the modern Fortifications the distance of the Curtains and of the Flankers are of an exact equality and the Form is a Sex-Agon or Six-Angles After the Turks had taken it in the Year 1663 they brought the Neutra round the Town and filled the Ditch with Water and made it so Deep that it was almost impossible to form any Mine under it The presence of the Duke of Loraine who was always an Overseer and director in making the Trenches in which he for the most part remain'd until after Midnight did very much contribute to the dispatch of that Work So that between the 14 th and 21 th all matters requisite for the Siege were finished the Allodgment on the brink of the Ditch was more enlarged than before the Water whereof being Fathomed was found to be seventeen or eighteen Foot in Depth and sometime increased notwithstanding the Drain by the excessive Rains which not only supplied it with Water but much incommoded the Soldiers in their Trenches The Batteries continually plaid with good Success and not only had beaten down a great part of the Parapet but had made a considerable Breach in the Bastion it self which they intended to widen and open yet more by the help of another Battery newly raised consisting of eighteen Pieces of Cannon but whilst these things were in agitation News was brought to the Duke of Loraine that the Turkish Army began to march towards Buda and Alba Regalis and that Six thousand Turks and Tartars were advanced towards Vicegrade Upon this intelligence General Lesly who was appointed to watch the Motion of the Enemy was Order'd to endeavour unto the utmost of his power to hinder and obstruct the Passage of the Seraskier over the River Sava and Drave and Colonel Heusler with Two thousand Horse was dispeeded towards Pest to get intelligence of the Designs of the Vizier Soon after this Advices came That the Seraskier was advancing with all his Forces towards Buda and had made a Bridge not far from thence over the Danube but that it was not yet known whether he intended to attempt the raising of the Siege or to Sit down before some Town whereby to make a diversion But to be better provided and in a readiness either to meet the Seraskier in the Field or to defeat his Attempt against any fortified Place The Duke of Loraine order'd a Detachment of a Regiment of Savoiard Dragoons to joyn with some of the Bavarian and Lunenburg Troops to the number of Three thousand Men and therewith to Reinforce those Regiments which guarded the Bridge of Comorra During the time that a considerable Force was employ'd to observe the Motion of the Seraskier the Siege was carried on with all imaginable Courage and Resolution the Cannon continually fired from the several Batteries and the Bombs and Carcasses were thrown into the Fortress with such good Success that on the 22 d the Town appear'd to Smoak and Flame in three several places which continued all Night to the great Terrour and Labour of the Defendants But at length by the great Rains which fell the Fires were not only extinguished but the Christians very much incommoded in their Trenches and the Waters of the Ditch increased as fast almost as they were sunk by the Drain So that it seeming a long and tedious Work before the Ditch could be emptied of it's Water a contrivance was made to pass a Miner over the Ditch in a Boat and fix it to the Breach in the Wall but the Boat receiving a Shot from the Town was ready to sink and those therein were so incommoded with showers of Stones from the smaller Guns and Petreras planted on the Walls that they were forced to Retire and give over that Design On the 24 th the Defendants made a Sally on that side where a Guard was appointed of Swedes and Suabians to defend the Drain which was made to sink the Water of the Ditch and surprized them at a time when they were overcharged with Wine which they had unfortunatly gotten and laid for the most part in so profound a Sleep without so much as a Match lighted that a Hundred of them with their Lieutenant Colonel two Captains and two Lieutenants did never awake from their natural Sleep but insensibly passed from it into the last Sleep of Death The Turks return'd back again into the Town without much harm but with great Joy and Triumph which they testified by the Musick which was heard from the Walls into the Trenches But on the 25 th greater care was taken with the Guards on that side and endeavours used to enlarge the Channel which being perform'd the Water in the Ditch sunk eight Foot so that the Faggots Stones and Rubbish were prepar'd to fill it up and that Labour so closely followed that in one Night the Ditch was half filled up on that side where the Imperialists were lodged But on that of the Bavarians they advanced little by Reason that the Defendants fired so continually from the Parapet of the Bastion which was opposite to them as disturbed the Work and hinder'd them very much in carrying Faggots and Rubbish so freely as was done on the other side The Work was now to fill the Ditch on each side as well where the Imperialists as where the Bavarians were Quarter'd To prevent which the Turks on the 27 th about Noon made a Sally by the Port of Strigonium and stopped the Channel by which the Water vented it self out of the Ditch and ran into the River but being opposed by Three hundred Bavarians they received a Repulse and made their Retreat back into the Town the Bank being again opened the Water fell so low that the Imperialists discover'd a secret Passage by which the wet and moorish Ground kept a Correspondence with the Ditch and supplied it with some Waters from thence the Christians endeavour'd to stop this Conveyance and the Turks to open it so that what one did by Day the other destroy'd by the Night The increase of the Waters in the Ditch caused the Besiegers to despair of being able to effect any thing by their Mines but finding that their Batteries opened the Breach more and more they resolved to perform their work by the two Attacks on the right and on the left Hand The two Galleries were in a short time advanced that to the right went drawing near to the Wall being well cover'd and flanked with Baskets Barrels and Gabions filled with Earth in which Action the Lieutenant Colonel of Count Souches was killed The
of this Month the Grand Vizier being displaced as was reported at his own seeking Mustapha Pasha the Chimacam succeeded him in the Sublime Office so that all Matters of the Treaty were at a stand and were to begin again but for the better understanding the true state of these Affairs nothing can be more authentick and particular than what was Written in a Letter from Mr. Coke the Secretary to Sir William Trumball which was as followeth The Copy of a Letter from Mr. Coke to Sir William Trumball late Ambassador with the Grand Seignior Adrianople 28. May O. S. 1693. AS to the Negotiations of Peace I know it will be no surprize to hear they are in the same state as you left them For my part I was too short-sighted to discover those great Inclinations in the Port towards it which Seignior Colyer represented which had made such Impressions in Seignior Heemskirk that upon Mr. Herbert's Death he came flying with a full Sail down the Danube not to begin the Treaty but conclude the Peace and thought it was so easie that it was only to speak with the Vizier and the Business was done He arrived at Belgrade the first of October S. V. 1692 the next Day had Audience of the Vizier and the third he gave in Writing to Mauro Cordato to Translate and give the Vizier his Proposals for a Peace or Truce for 30 Years The substance of which for the Emperor was on the Foot of Uti possidetis under which Notion Transylvania to retain to him each liberty to fortifie in their Confines Teckely to be delivered up the Republick of Ragusa not to be called to Accounts for Arrears of Tribute or for the future pay any to the Port For Poland Restitution of Caminieck and with-hold in Podolia all Ucrania the Castelli on the Borysthenes Moldavia and Wallachia and if the Tartars made any Incursions into their Territories the Port to pay the Damages that Crown receiv'd For Venice the Province of Levadia Athens and Thebes to be given them as an Equivalent for the Morea and in like manner several Territories on the side of Lepanto and in Dalmatia He expected an Answer to this and that the Port would change their Old Style of receiving Proposals and making none into an open Negotiation by Writing but he found all this imaginary and not to be reduced to Practice Mauro Cordato told him These Proposals were injuâ—ious to the Empire and ask'd If he had no other to make The Reply was He had no more to say till he had an Answer to what he had already proposed which he had earnestly pressed for many Days in six Letters to Mauro Cordato The Answer was The Vizier was returning to Adrianople and must acquaint the Grand Seignior with what passed and he must go thither for his Answer This startled him who thought to have concluded the Treaty at Belgrade and immediately return'd so he pressed for an Answer or to be dismissed but was told He could not devest himself of his Character which remained till my Lord Paget arrived to whom Accidents might happen as had to other Ambassadors so he was forced to go by the Danube to Rusic and so to Adrianople where he arrived the 24th of November departing from Belgrade the 23d of October When he arrived first at Belgrade Marquis D'Orat who was with Teckely and the French said He was no Englishman but a German and came from the Emperor The Port had been sensible it was too great a Condescension to send their Ambassadors at Vienna which Point of Honour they thought regain'd by having one come to make Overtures to them and a particular Minister for that Business in their Hands whom perhaps they may not easily part with When Seignior Heemskirk was come to Adrianople he would have Visited the Chimacam who excus'd it the Grand Vizier not being arrived who came the 2d of December and a few Days after an Audience was desired of him which he put off as not having discoursed with the Grand Seignior A private Council was held Orders sent out to all parts for raising Men and to the Treasurer to give Money for providing Cannon Ammunition and all things necessary to be early in the Field The Stassaki-Aga was sent to the Tartar Man with Money to be distributed among them to meet the Grand Vizier with a considerable Force at Belgrade Seignior Heemskirk continued his Sollicitations all December and the beginning of January by his own Druggerman to the Vizier's Kiah and by Letters to Mauro Cordato and wrote a Complaining Letter to the Vizier of his being come hither for an Answer and after so long time and being come so far nothing was done To which he was answer'd by Word of Mouth never in Writing That my Lord Paget being come to Belgrade and in his way hither it was thought fit in a Council to attend his Arrival to see if he brought no other Proposals for if they were the same one Answer would serve them both The sixth of January Seignior Colyer came to Adrianople against the Desire of Seignior Heemskirk who wrote to him not to come and at first there was great Coldness between them and Tyles was never employed by Seignior Heemskirk The last of January his Excellency my Lord Paget arrived he would have enter'd privately but the Vizier desired the contrary that it might not be thought the Port had wanted in their Respect to him and his Lordship was received with a great deal of Ceremony and Numerous Attendance of Chiauses and Ianisaries The 18th of February his Excellency had his first Audience of the Grand Vizier and gave him his Credentials one for his Residence the other for the Mediation The seventh of March his Lordship had his Audience of the Grand Seignior and was very kindly received He spoke his Complement which was Interpreted by Mauro Cordato and the Grand Seignior answered That His Majesty was a good Friend to the Port and all such should be ever kindly received by him The seventeenth of March his Excellency had a private Audience of the Vizier where was the Mufti His Lordship made the Offers of His Majesty's Mediation for a Peace or Truce between the Emperor and his Allies and the Port on the Foot of Uti possidetis only Caminieck to be restored or razed The Vizier said in a Business of so great Import he must consult the Heads of the Law and the Militia and an Answer shou'd be given The 14th ditto his Excellency Signior Heemskirk and Colyer were called to the Vizier to a Publick Audience where on the Safra sate the Vizier the Mufti and Cadelesker oâ— his Left Hand on his Right the Chimacam Ismael Passa Ianisar-Aga the Nisangi Passa and the Tefterdar and the three Ambassadors the two Generals on Stools below the Safra the Kiah-Beg and all the Heads and Ojacks of the Ianisaries the two Generals chief of the Spahy's and chief of the Treasury in all near 100
the Mamalukes and others with a full purpose to have utterly rooted out all the remainders of the Christians in Syria and the Land of Palestine and so to have entirely joyned those two great Countries unto his own Kingdom But what he had so mischievously devised he lived not to bring to pass being in the midst of those his great designs taken away by sudden death After whom Alphix or as some call him Elpis succeeding him in the Kingdom and with a puissant Army entring into Syria laid Siege to Tripolis which he at length took by undermining of it and put to the Sword all the Christians therein except such as by speedy flight had in time got themselves out of the danger and rased the City down to the ground which calamity betided unto the Christians the ninth of April in the year 1289. Presently after he had the strong Castle of Nelesine yielded unto him year 1289. whereinto he put a strong Garrison to hinder the Christians from building again the late destroyed City In like manner also he took the Cities of Sidon and Berythus which he sacked and laid them flat with the ground And after that he removed to Tyre which aâ—ter three months straight Siege was by the Citizens now out of all hope of relief yielded unto him upon condition That they might with bag and baggage in safety depart With like good Fortune he in good time and as it were without resistance took all the rest of the strong Towns and Castles which the Christians yet held in Syria and the Land of Palestine excepting only the City of Ptolemais whereunto all the poor Christians fled as unto a Sanctuary to be there defended by the honourable Knights Templars and Hospitalers Nothing now leâ—t unto them more than that strong City the Sultan of his own accord made a Peace with them for the space of five years fearing as was supposed to have drawn upon him all the Christian Princes of the West if he should at once have then utterly rooted out all the Christians in those Countries together The Christians affairs thus brought to the last cast in Syria and yet faintly as it were breathing by the benefit of the late obtained Peace Peter Beluise Master of the Templars with the grand Master of the Knights Hospitalers suddenly passed over as Embassadors from the rest into Europe unto Nicholaus quartus then Pope craving his fatherly aid Who moved with so great miseries of the poor afflicted Christians solicited the other Christian Princes to have sent them relief especially Rodolph the German Emperor who then busied 〈◊〉 the affairs of the Empire and his Troubles nearer home as were the other Christian Pâ—inces also gave good words but no help at all Yet some of them under the colour thereof got from their Subjects great sums of Mony which they imployed to other worse uses only the Pope sent fiâ—teen hundred men at Arms whom with devout perswasion and much earnest Preaching he had induced to take upon them that sacred Expedition and entertained them of his own charge unto whom also many others out of divers Countries upon a Religious Zeal joyned themselves as voluntary men who meeting together at Brundusium and there embarked with the two grâ—nd Masters of the Templars and Hospitalers in safety at length arrived at Ptolemais There was then in the City a great number of People of all sorts of able men there was about fifty thousand and about forty thousand of the weaker sort amongst whom divers Murders Felonies Rapes and such other shameful Outrages all hastning the dreadful judgments of God were dayly committed and let pass unregarded more than of them that were injured For all the chief Commanders were then at variance among themselves every one of them laying claim not worth a rush unto the vain Title of the Kingdom of Ierusalem Henry King of Cyprus coming thither with a great Fleet charged the Templars to deliver him the Crown of that Kingdom which they had as he said wrongfully taken from Almericus and Guy his Ancestors And Charles King of Sicilia by his Embassadors laid claim unto the Title of that Kingdom as due unto the Kings of that Island and understanding it to be given unto Henry King of Cyprus caused all the Revenues of the Templars within his Dominion to be brought into his Treasuries and their Lands and Houses to be spoyled Hugh also Prince of Antioch laboured with tooth and nail to defend the overworn Right that his Father and Grandfather had unto that lost Kingdom And the Count of Tripolis laid in for himself That he was descended from Raymund of Tholous and that beside himself remained no Prince of the antient Nobility which had won that Kingdom out of the hands of the Sarasins and that therefore that regal Dignity did not of better right appertain unto any other than unto himself Neither did these four Princes more strive for the Title of the lost Kingdom than for the present Government of the City straightway about to perish The Popes Legate pretending thereunto a right also for that King Iohn Brenne had before subjected it unto the See of Rome As for the claim unto the City of Ptolemâ—is the Patriarch of Ierusalem challenged unto himself the Preheminence for that the Metropolitical City of Tyrâ— under which the City of Ptolemais was the third Episcopal Seat was under his jurisdiction even by the Decree of the West Church The Templars also and the Knights Hospitalers whose power in the City was at that time far the greatest pretended the Government thereof of best right to belong unto them as the just reward of their blood already and afterward to be spent in the defence thereof promising great matters if it might be wholly referred unto them Neither spared the French King or the King of England by their Messengers to claim the Soveraignty of the City by their Predecessors sometimes won And they of Pisa having still a Consul therein and by often Marriages with the natural Inhabitants grown into great affinity with them did what they might to get the Government into their Hands The Venetians also by their Authority and great Wealth laboured to gain the good Will of the People sparing therein no Cost And they of Genoa no less cunning than the rest supplanted the strongest Factions by giving aid both apertly and covertly unto the weaker that so having weakned the Faction they most doubted and hated they might by the joynt favour of the weaker aspire unto the Government of the stronger and so consequently of the City it self The Florentines also by their continual Traffique thither were not out of hope by one fineness or other amongst so many Competitors to find a mean to step up above the rest But the greatest part of the People for all that were most inclined unto the Armenians and Tartars as both for their nearness and power most like of all other to stand them in stead All
have in hand but that all cannot be at once told and for the better understanding of the desirous Reader I thought it not good abruptly to break off the course of the aforesaid History drawing so near to an end but to make him partaker of the heaviness thereof Now had the Turks no Kingdom left in the lesser Asia and that also at the pleasure of Gazan the great Tartar C ham divided betwixt Mesoot and Cei-Cubades as his Vassals bound unto him by a yearly Tribute as is aforesaid who both kept in awe by the greatness of the Tartar did nothing worth the remembrance but as they lived so also died almost buried in obscurity Of these two Mesoot died without issue but Cei-Cubades departing left behind him his Son Aladin who by the name of Aladin the Second succeeding in the Kingdom united again the same before divided yet paying still Tribute unto the Tartar his Sovereign as had his Father with the other late Sultans of the Turks before him Much it was not that this Aladin did albeit that the power of the Tartars in his time began to decline and not to lie so heavy upon the Turks as before He was a man of a quiet Spirit and therefore much delighted in Peace a great Friend to Othoman the first founder of the glorious and mighty Othoman Empire as in his life shall appear But this Aladin the last of the Turks Sultans of the Selzuccian Family dying without issue one Sahib his Visier-Azemes or chief Counsellor and then a man of greatest Authority aspired unto the Kingdom which he had for the most part himself swayed all the Reign of the late Sultan his Master which usurped Sovereignty no way unto him due he could neither himself long hold or deliver unto his Posterity for that many others of the Nobility men of great Power and born of greater Families than he envying at his honour and disdaining to be governed by him or any other no greater than themselves laid hold some upon one Country or Province some upon another where they were able to do most erecting unto themselves greater or lesser Satrapies according to the measure of their own Strength and Power without respect of any Superiority one should have over another but every one of them absolutely commanding over so much as he was able by strong hand to hold So that as it had oftentimes before chanced that the great Monarchies destitute of their lawful Heirs had in part or all become rich Preys unto such as could first lay strong hand upon them even so fell it now out in the great Kingdom of the Turks every one of their great Princes measuring the greatness of his Territory not by the measure of his right but by the strength of his own power Wherein they shared so well for themselves that Sahib at first in possession of all was in short time thrust quite 〈◊〉 of all and so the great Kingdom of the Turks in the lesser Asia brought unto a meer Anarchie no King now left among them the whole Kingdom being divided into divers Satrapies or other lesser Toparchies The greatest of those Princes that thus shared the Turks Kingdom amongst them was one Caraman Alusirius who as strongest took unto him the City of Iconium the Regal seat of the Turkish Sultans with all the great Country of Cilicia and some part of the Frontiers of the Countries of Lycaonia Pamphilia Caria and the greater Phrygia as far as Philadelphia and the City of Antioch upon the River Meander All which large Territory was of him afterward called Caramania and by the same name is commonly at this day known and by our late Geographers described Of this Caraman also descended the Caramanian Kings who of long time after unfortunately strove with the Othoman Sultans for the Sovereignty of their Empires until that at length they with their Kingdom and all the rest of these Turkish Satrapies were in the fatal greatness of the Othoman Empire swallowed up and devoured as in the process of this History shall if God so will in due time and place be declared Next Neighbour unto him was Saruchan of the Greeks called Sarchan of whom the Country of Ionia-Maritima was and yet is called Saru-Chan-Ili and Saruchania that is to say Saruchans Country The greatest part of Lydia with some part also of the greater Misia Troas and Phrygia fell to Calamus and his Son Carasius of whom it is called Carasia or Carasi-Ili or as we might say Carasius his Country The greatest part of the antient Misia with some part of Lydia was possessed by Aidin and was of him called Aidinia or Aidin-Ili as his Country Some part of the great Country of Pontus with the Cities of Heraclea-Pontica Custamona Synope and others neer unto the Euxine and the Country of Paphlagonia fell into the hands of the Sons of Omer or as the Greeks call him Amur of whom that Country took not its name as did the others of such Princes as possessed them but is commonly called Bolli of a City in that Country by the Turks so named As was also Mendesia or as some call it Mentesia a Country in the lesser Asia so by the Turks called of Mendos or Myndus a City in Caria There were beside these divers other places and Toparchies in the lesser Asia which in the renting of this great Kingdom from the Turks received names before unto the world unknown all which to prosecute were tedious Let it suffice us for the manifesting of the Turks Anarchie and the ruin of their Kingdom in the lesser Asia as in part also for the more evidence of the heavy History following to have remembred these as the chiefest especially such as took their names of such great Princes or Captains as in that so great a confusion of the Turks Kingdom by strong hand first seized upon them and so left them to their posterity of whom much is to be said hereafter These Princes one and all that thus shared the late Aladinian Kingdom were descended of the better sort of the Turks which with the Selzuccian and Aladinian Sultans driven out of Persia by the Tartars had under them seated themselves in the lesser Asia as is before at large declared Now amongst these great men that thus divided the Turks Kingdom most of them that write of the Turks Affairs both Greeks and Latines reckon up Othoman the raiser of his House and Family for one who indeed in the later time of the late Sultan Aladin began to flourish and was of him for his Valour extraordinarily favoured as in this History shall appear but of his Kingdom held no more than one poor Lordship called Suguta in Bithynia not far from the Mountain Olympus long before given unto his Father Erthogrul for his good service with such other small holds thereabout as he had himself gained from the weak Christians his Neighbours For although he
out of which City the Turks oftentimes fallied and gave him many an hot skirmish It is reported That the young King Sigismund beholding the greatness of his Army in his great jollity hearing of the coming of the Turks Army should proudly say What need we to fear the Turk who need not at all to fear the falling of the Heavens which if they should fall yet were we able with our Spears and Haldberts to hold them up from falling upon us But Bajazet understanding what Spoil the Hungarian King had made in his late gained Countries and of the Siege of Nicopolis commanded the Ladders and other great provision now in readiness for the scaling and assaulting of the City of Constantinople to be burnt because they should not come into the hands of the Christians and so raising his Siege marched with a right puissant Army to Nicopolis sending Eurenoses before of purpose to intercept some of the Christians thereby to learn the State of their Camp and Army But they hearing of his coming so well looked to themselves that he with shame returned to his Master as he came without any one Prisoner taken Which thing much troubled Bajazet as fearing he should have to do with a wary Enemy Sigismund understanding of the approach of Bajazet leaving a sufficient Power for the continuing of the Siege rose himself and with the rest of his Army went to meet his proud Enemy Of whose coming and approach Bajazet understanding divided his Army into two parts and being now come within the sight of the Christian Army made shew but of the one half keeping himself close in secret ambush not far off with the other The Christians deeming themselves as they were far more in number than the Turks which they saw divided their Army also into two parts purposing betwixt them to have inclosed the Turks Of all the Christians that were there present the French desired to have the honour of the first charge to be given upon the Turks and in their heat upon good hope set forward the Hungarians with a great part of the Army not yet set in order and so began the Battel where betwixt them and the Turks was fought a right cruel Fight and in a little time many thousands slain But this Fight had not long endured when Bajazet with the other half of his Army suddenly arising came on with such violence as well became his sirname of Gilderun or Lightning and so hardly charged the French that they amazed at the suddainess of the danger and oppressed with the fury and multitude of the unexpected Enemy stood at the first as men dismaid but seeing no remedy encouraging one another valiantly fought it out until they were almost all either slain or taken Prisoners still in hope to have been relieved by the Hungarians and the rest In this hard conflict divers of the French Horsemen having forsaken their Horses fought on Foot as their manner was which Horses running back without their Riders upon the Hungarians caused them to doubt that the French were quite overthrown wherewith dismaied they without further coming on all turned their backs and fled in so great hast as that it booted not the King or any other great Commander to go about to stay their Flight The French thus by their too much hast overthrown the Turks pursuing the Hungarians and the rest of the Christians made of them a great slaughter of whom also many were drowned in the great River Danubius At which time also the Turks took so many Prisoners that it was thought every several Turk had his Prisoner King Sigismund himself who but a little before had despised even the falling of the Heavens had then also undoubtedly fallen into his Enemies hands had he not in a little Boat by good hap got over Danubius not unlike another Xerxes who having covered the Seas with his Ships and with a world of men passed over into Grecia was afterwards by the strange change of Fortune himself alone in a small Fisher-Boat glad to get back again into Asia Sigismund being thus got over Danubius and fearing the violence of the Hungarians for the loss of the Battel fled by Sea into Thracia unto Constantinople from whence he failed unto the Island of the Rhodes and from thence sailing through the Aegean and Ionian Sea landed at length at Dalmatia and so having wandred from place to place tossed with many Fortunes after eighteen Months long and painful travel returned again into Hungary Where he found the State of his Kingdom in his absence much troubled the contrary Faction in the mean time having made choice of Ladislaus King of Naples for their King who was even then with a great Army going to have taken possession of the Kingdom had not Sigismund in good time by the help of certain of the chief of the Hungarian Nobility prevented him In this Battel called the Battel of Nicopolis were of the Christians twenty thousand slain and of the Turks threescore thousand The Count of Nivers the French Kings near Kinsman was there taken Prisoner with three hundred great Commanders more where after he had endured great contumely and reproach in the presence of Bajazet he was commanded to make choice of five other of the Captains such as he liked best all the rest being cut in pieces before his Face and he with the other five left alive sent Prisoners to Prusa from whence they were afterwards ransomed for two hundred thousand Ducats This bloody Battel of Nicopolis was fought in the year of our Lord 1396. Bajazet after this great Victory having worthily relieved his besieged City returned again to the Siege of Constantinople laying more hardly unto it than before building Forts and Bulwarks against it on the one side towards the Land and passing over the Strait of Bosphorus built a strong Castle upon that Strait over against Constantinople to impeach so much as was possible all passage thereunto by Sea. This strait Siege as most write continued also two years which I suppose by the circumstance of the History to have been part of the aforesaid eight years Emanuel the besieged Emperor wearied with these long Wars sent an Embassador to Bajazet to intreat with him a Peace which Bajazet was the more willing to hearken unto for that he heard news that Tamerlane the great Tartarian Prince intended shortly to war upon him Yet could this Peace not be obtained but upon condition that the Emperor should grant free Liberty for the Turks to dwell together in one Street of Constantinople with free exercise of their own Religion and Laws under a Judge of their own Nation and further to pay unto the Turkish King a yearly Tribute of ten thousand Ducats Which dishonourable Conditions the distressed Emperor was glad to accept of So was this long Siege broken up and presently a great sort of Turks with their Families were sent out of Bithynia to dwell in Constantinople and a Church there built for
unto him all that he had willed him to say not forgetting over all to publish his Courtesie and Bounty who besides that he had frankly set him at liberty had also given him a very fair Horse well furnished although he well knew he was to serve against himself Whereunto Bajazet answered no more but that he would shortly make trial of him and that he well hoped before the march were ended to make him acknowledg his own folly The next day the two Armies drew near together and incamped within a League the one of the other where all the night long you might have heard such noise of Horses as that it seemed the Heavens were full of Voices the Air did so resound and every man thought the Night long to come to the trial of his Valour and the gaining of his desires The Scythians a People no less greedy than needy talked of nothing but the Spoil the proud Parthians of their Honour and the poor Christians of their deliverance all to be gained by the next Days Victory every man during the Night time speaking according to his own humour All which Tamerlane walking this Night up and down in his Camp heard and much rejoiced to see the hope that his Souldiers had already in general conceived of the Victory Who after the second watch returning unto his Pavillion and there casting himself upon a Carpet had thought to have slept a while but his Cares not suffering him so to do he then as his manner was called for a Book wherein was contained the lives of his Fathers and Ancestors and of other valiant Worthies the which he used ordinarily to read as he then did not as therewith vainly to deceive the time but to make use thereof by the imitation of that which was by them worthily done and declining of such dangers as they by their Rashness or Oversight fell into And afterwards having a little slumbred he commanded Axalla to be sent for who forthwith came unto him with divers other great Lords and Captains the chief Commanders of his Army with whom after he had a while consulted of the order of the Battel he mounted on Horseback himself and sent every one of them to their own Charges to put the same in readiness At which very instant he received News that the Enemy marched forward and came to take his ground for the Battel whose order of march Tamerlane was desirous to see that so accordingly he might marshal his own And having caused three thousand Horsemen to advance forward with charge to begin the skirmish himself followed after to lodge every part of his Forces in such places as he had foreseen to be fittest for his advantage Now seeing the Ianizaries march in a square Battel in the midst and upon the two Fronts two great Squadrons of Horsemen which seemed to be thirty thousand Horse and another which advanced and covered the Battalion of the Ianizaries he thought this their order to be very good and hard to be broken and thereupon turning himself to Axalla who was near unto him said I had thought this Day to have fought on Foot but I see that it behoveth me now to fight on Horseback to give Courage unto my Souldiers to open the great Battalion of our Enemies And my Will is That my men come forward unto me as soon as they may for I will advance forward with an hundred thousand Footmen fifty thousand upon each of my two Wings and in the midst of them forty thousand of my best Horsemen My Pleasure is that after they have tried the force of these men that they come unto my Avauntguard of whom I will dispose and fifty thousand Horse more in three Bodies whom thou shalt command which I will assist with eighty thousand Horse wherein shall be mine own Person having an hundred thousand Footmen behind me who shall march in two Squadrons and for my Rereward I appoint forty thousand Horse and fifty thousand Footmen who shall not march but to my aid And I will make choice of ten thousand of my best Horse whom I will send into every place where I shall think needful within my Army for to impart my Commands Over the first forty thousand Horse the Prince Ciarcan commanded over the foremost Footmen was the Lord Synopes a Genoese Kinsman to Axalla and his Lieutenant over the Footmen a Captain of great estimation the Prince Axalla his own charge consisted of five Squadrons of Horsemen Bajazet his Army being also both fair and great came bravely still on forward towards their Enemies who stirred not one whit from the place they had taken for the Battel except certain light Horsemen Scithians Parthians and Muscovites who sent out as loose men hotly skirmished betwixt the two Armies Now was Tamerlane by an Espy advertised that Bajazet having before given order for the disposing of his Army was on foot in the midst of thirty thousand Ianizaries his principal men of War and greatest Strength wherein he meant that day to fight and in whom he had reposed his greatest hope His Battel of Horse was very fair amounting to the number of an hundred and forty thousand Horse all old Souldiers The Sultan of Egypt having also sent unto his Aâ—d thirty thousand Mamalukes all very good Horsemen with thirty thousand Foot. So that his Army marching all in one Front in form of an Half-Moon but not so well knit together as was Tamerlanes whose Squadrons directly followed one another seemed almost as great as his and so with infinite numbers of most horrible Outcries still advanced forward Tamerlane his Souldiers all the while standing fast with great silence There was not possible to be seen a more furious charge than was by the Turks given upon the Prince of Ciarcan who had commandment not to fight before the Enemy came unto him neither could have been chosen a fairer Plain and where the skilful choice of the place was of less advantage for the one or the other but that Tamerlane had the River on the left hand of his Army serving him to some small advantage Now this young Prince of Ciarcan with his forty thousand Horse was in this first encounter almost wholly overthrown yet having fought right valiantly and entred even into the midst of the Ianizaries where the Person of Bajazet was putting them in disorder was himself there slain About which time Axalla set upon them with the Avantguard but not with like danger for having overthrown one of the Enemies Wings and cut it all to pieces and his Footmen coming to joyn with him as they had been commanded he faced the Battalion of the Ianizaries who right valiantly behaved themselves â—or the safety of their Prince This hard fight continued one hour and yet you could not have seen any scattered but the one still resolutely fighting against the other You might there have seen the Horsemen like Mountains rush together and infinite numbers of Men die cry lament and
and Building it self had also divers fair Monasteries and Houses of Religion joyned unto it whereunto belonged six thousand Priests whose Houses and Lodgings extended almost all over the place where now the Turks Palace standeth and the other places adjoining to this great Church which is now their chief Moschie and called by them by the proper name of S. Sophia because they hold even as we do the Wisedom of God to be incomprehensible and infinite The next in magnificence unto this is the Moschie of Solyman wherein he lieth buried and his well beloved Wife the fair Roxolana a work well beseeming the Majesty of so mighty a Monarch There are beside these also many other fair Moschies Seraglioes for the Turk his Wives and Concubines Bezastanes or Burses for Merchants Obelisks Bathes and other publick Edifices and Buildings of great Majesty and State all well worth the beholding wherein consisteth all the Beauty of this so ancient and renowned a City far unlike to that it was in the time of the first Greek Emperors and before it was spoiled by the Latines For the Turks private Houses in this so great and imperial a City so much renowned through the World are for the most part low and base after the Turkish fashion built some of Wood some of Stone and some of unburnt Brick laid with Clay and Dirt which quickly decaieth again they after their homely manner by long custom received never building any thing sumptuously for their own private use but contenting themselves with their simple Cottages how mean soever commonly saying them to be good enough for the short time of their Pilgrimage and yet not sparing for any cost upon the publick Buildings and Ornaments of the Common-Weal which they built with great Majesty and Pomp but especially their Moschies wherein they excel Nevertheless there yet are in Constantinople some other Houses also built high and comely enough but these be few and very old all inhabited by the Christians and Jews and not by the Turks but of this enough And so again to our purpose Mahomet with his puissant Army thus encamped before the City placing his Asian Souldiers on the right hand towards the Bosphorus his European Souldiers on the left hand toward the Haven lay himself with 15000 Janizaries and other Souldiers of the Court in the middle betwixt both against the heart of the City On the farther side of the Haven also by Pera he placed Zoganus one of his chief Counsellors with another part of his Army At which time also Pantologes his Admiral came to the Siege with a Fleet of 30 Gallies and 200 other small Ships and a number of other lesser Vessels which were rowed with three or five Oars a piece full of Turkish Archers fitter for shew than Service But for defence of the Haven and so of the City on that side the Emperor had caused the Haven to be strongly chain'd overthwart from the City to Pera and within the Chain had orderly placed his strong Fleet the greatest strength whereof was seven great Ships of Genoa with three Gallies and two Galliots of Venice three of Creet and a few others of the Island of Chios all which were there rather by chance upon Merchants affairs than that they were provided for any such Service yet by this means the Turks Fleet was shut out of the Haven and so the City put in good safety on that side When Mahomet had thus conveniently encamped his Army and surrounded the City both by Sea and Land he first cast up great Trenches as near as he possibly could unto the Walls of the City and raised Mounts in divers places as high as the Walls themselves from whence the Turks with their Shot greatly annoyed the Defendants After that he placed his Battery against one of the Gates of the City called Calegaria and terribly battered the same specially with one piece of Ordnance of a wonderful greatness which with much difficulty was brought from Hadrianople with an hundred and fifty Yoke of Oxen and carried a Bullet of an hundred pound weight made as his other shot was of a kind of hard black Stone brought from the Euxin Sea for as yet as it seemeth so soon after the invention of that fatal Engine the use of Bullets of metal was unknown There with continual Battery he terribly shook the Walls which although they were very strong yet were they not able to withstand the fury of so great a Battery The Christians also out of the City discharged their great Artillery upon the Turks but so sparingly as if they had been afraid to shake their own Walls or loth for good Husbandry to spend Shot and Powder which was to the Canoneers very sparingly allowed yet that which was spent was so well bestowed that the Turks were therewith grievously annoyed The Breach also which they had made at the aforesaid Gate was by the Defendants with great and dangerous labour again repaired with Faggots and Earth and such like matter best serving for that purpose and so made stronger than before In which most dangerous work they were altogether directed and greatly encouraged by Iustinianus the Genoway the Emperors Lieutenant-General for defence of the City Yet for all this diligence of the Christians Mahomet continued his Battery with no less fury than before but reposing greater hope to find a way into the City by the Spade and Mattock than by Battery he employed his Pioneers whereof he had great store to dig a Mine being altogether directed by Christians skilful in that kind of work whom he had for that purpose entertained By whose cunning direction with the industrious labour of the poor Pioneers the Mine was brought to such perfection that part of the Wall with one of strong Towers in the same was quite undermined and stood supported but with such untrusty stays as the Pioneers had left for the bearing up thereof till such time as it should be by the Tyrants appointment blown up This dangerous work was neither perceived neither yet feared by the Constantinopolitans as a thing not possible to have been done forasmuch as Bajazet and Amurath had both with great labour before in vain attempted the same at such time as they hardly besieged the City But that which those great Kings had with much vain labour by unskilful men made proof of Mahomet had now by men of greater device brought to pass although it took not such effect as he wished for one Io. Grandis a German Captain and a man of great experience suspecting the matter had caused a Countermine to be made whereby the labour of the Turks was in good time discovered and they with Fire and Sword driven out of the Mine and the same strongly filled up again and so the City for that time delivered of a great fear and danger Mahomet perceiving that it availed him not to continue his Battery against that place which was again so strongly repaired removed the
had before worn and for the further gracing of her to be deckt with many most precious Jewels of inestimable value Whereunto the poor Soul gladly obeyed little thinking that it was her Funeral Apparel Now in the mean while Mustapha altogether ignorant of the Sultans mind had as he was commanded caused all the Nobility and Commanders of the Men of War to be assembled into the great Hall every man much marvelling what should be the Emperors meaning therein who had not of long so publickly shewed himself But being thus together assembled and every man according as their minds gave them talking diversly of the matter behold the Sultan entred into the Palace leading the fair Greek by the hand who beside her incomparable Beauty and other the greatest graces of Nature adorned also with all that curiosity could devise seemed not now to the beholders a mortal Wight but some of the stately Goddesses whom Poets in their Extasies describe Thus coming together into the midst of the Hall and due Reverence to them done by all them there present he stood still with the fair Lady in his left hand and so furiously looking round about him said unto them I understand of your great discontentment and that you all murmur and grudge for that I overcome with mine affection toward this so fair a Paragon cannot withdraw my self from her presence but I would fain know which of you is so temperate that if he had in his possession a thing so rare and precious so lovely and so fair would not be thrice advised before be would forego the same Say what you think in the word of a Prince I give you free liberty so to do But they all rapt with an incredible admiration to see so fair a thing the like whereof they had never before beheld said all with one consent That he had with greater reason so passed the time with her than any man had to find fault therewith whereunto the barbarous Prince answered Well but now I will make you to understand how far you have been deceived in me and that there is no earthly thing that can so much blind my senses or bereave me of reason as not to see and understand what beseemeth my high Place and Calling yea I would you should all know that the Honour and Conquests of the Othoman Kings my noble Progenitors is so fixed in my Breast with such a desire in my self to exceed the same as that nothing but death is able to put it out of my remembrance And having so said presently with one of his hands catching the fair Greek by the hair of her head and drawing his Falchion with the other at one blow struck off her head to the great terrour of them all and having so done said unto them Now by this judge whether your Emperor is able to bridle his affections or not And within a while after meaning to discharge the rest of his choler caused great preparation to be made for the Conquest of Peloponnesus and the besieging of Belgrade At the same time that the barbarous Turks took the Imperial City of Constantinople Thomas and Demetrius Palaeologi Brethren to the late unfortunate Emperor Constantinus governed a great part of Peloponnesus one of the most famous Provinces of Grecia which in form of a leafe of a Plane-Tree is almost in manner of an Island environed with the Seas Ionium and Aegeum which running far into the Land on either side thereof separateth the same from the rest of Grecia by two great Bays leaving but a strait neck of Land called of the Greeks Istmos in breadth about five miles which was sometimes by the Grecians and afterward by the Venetians fortified by a strong Wall and five great Castles near unto which place stood the great and famous City of Corinth This Province is in length 175 miles and almost as much in breadth wherein are contained the Countries of Achaia Messenia Lacedemonia Argolica and Archadia with many famous Cities and goodly Havens wherein it far exceedeth all the other Provinces of Grecia These two Princes Thomas and Demetrius dismayed with their Brothers disaster Fortune began now so far to despair of their own Estate that upon the first bruit thereof they were about presently to have fled by Sea into Italy And as it commonly falleth out That one evil happeneth not alone so at the same time it fortuned that the Albanians rise in Arms against the said two Princes their Soveraigns and under the leading of their Rebellious Captain Emanuel Catecuzenus grievously troubled both the poor Princes These Albanians were a rough and hardy kind of people which living after the manner of the rude Scithian Herdsmen by feeding of Cattel had of long time planted themselves in Peloponnesus differing from the natural Greeks both in their manner of living and Language which diversity was no small cause that they oftentimes spurned as now against the Government of the Grecian Princes In this extremity the two distressed Princes not well knowing which way to turn themselves sought for Peace at Mahomets hands year 1454. offering to become his Tributaries Of which their Offer he willingly accepted as an induction to the full Conquest of that Country and sent Turachan Governor of Thessalia one of his greatest Men of War with an Army into Peloponnâ—sus to Aid those Princes against the Albanians by whose help the masterful Rebels were in short time discomfited and the Country of Peloponnesus quieted yet so that it was now become Tributary to the Turkish King. These two Princes Demetrius and Thomas the last of all the Christian Princes that reigned in Peleponnesus having thus lost their Liberty lived for a few years as the Turks Vassals paying such yearly Tribute as they had before promised During which time many Displeasures arose betwixt the two Brothers being both jealous of their Estate and desirous by all plausible means to win the hearts of their Subjects one from another whereby it came so to pass that whiles they both desired to become popular they weakned their own Credit and had not their Subjects at such command as best stood with the safety of their Estate Nevertheless as soon as they understood that the Christian Princes of the West were making great preparation against the Turk and that Calixtus the Third of that Name then the Bishop of Rome had already put a Fleet of Gallies to Sea which did great spoil upon the Borders of the Turks Dominions they vainly perswading themselves that the Turks would in short time be again driven out of Grecia refused to pay any more Tribute to the Turkish King or to keep League any longer with him Upon which occasion Mahomet with a puissant Army came down and first besieged Corinth and afterwards entring into Peloponnesus took divers strong Towns and destroyed the Country before him and forced the two Princes for safeguard of their lives to fly the one to Mantinia and the other into the strong
and Authority with them of Aleppo having in his keeping a strong Citadel built upon the rising of an Iâ—ill in the midst of the City which he kept with a strong and sure Garrison But whiles Campson doth thus slowly and considerately purpose his destruction many of the Sultans secret Friends to him more officious than faithful secretly advised Cayerbeius to beware of the Sultan and by some good means in time to provide for his own safety He understanding of the danger and thinking all delay deadly sent secret Messengers unto Selymus discovering unto him the cause of his grief and promising as occasion should serve to come over unto him and to deliver into his power the Castle with the heart of the Citizens and all the strength of his own Horsemen thereby to provide for his own safety to revenge his Brothers death and to further his Victory against Campson and for performance of promises on both sides required secret Hostages to be given By the same Messengers he also advertised him what Strength the Sultan was of perswading him in any case to make hast to give him Battel before he had gathered any greater Power Selymus nothing doubted to condescend to all that the Traitor had requested promising of himself far greater things than ever he had required assuring himself of the Victory if his Enemy should lose so much of his Strength by the revolt of so great a Commander Campson enforced by the general consent of his Souldiers and the violence of his inevitable Destiny then at hand rejecting the good and faithful Counsel of Gazelles at such time as Selymus was reported to be at hand resolved according to the Counsel of the Traitor Cayerbeius to dare him Battel He lay conveniently incamped upon the River Singa almost ten miles from the City in such sort as that his Souldiers might use the benefit of the River and removed from the Houses and Pleasures of the City might yet nevertheless be easily relieved with the store and plenty thereof The Mamalukes were scarce in number twelve thousand but every one of them according as he was of greater Place or Calling so had he attending upon him more Servants well furnished with Horse and Armor A goodly and invincible Army if the Battel might have been tried by true Valor The Mamalukes wearing their Beards long and rough with grave and stern Countenance having strong and able Bodies used such cunning in all their Fights and Battels that after they had given the first charge with their Launces they would by and by with wonderful activity use their Bows and Arrows casting their Targets behind them and forthwith the Horsemans Mace or crooked Scimeter as the manner of the Battel or Place required Their Horses were strong and couragious in making and swiftness much like unto the Spanish Jennets and that which is of many hardly believed so docible that at certain signs or speeches of the Rider they would with their Teeth reach him up from the ground a Launce an Arrow or such like thing and as if they had known the Enemy run upon him with open mouth and lash at him with their heels and had by Nature and Custom learned not to be afraid of any thing These couragious Horses were commonly furnished with silver Bridles gilt Trappings rich Saddels their Necks and Breasts armed with Plates of Iron The Horseman himself was commonly content with a Coat of Mail or a Breast-Plate of Iron The chief and wealthiest of them used Head-pieces the rest a linnen covering of the Head curiously folded into many wreaths wherewith they thought themselves safe enough against any handy strokes the Common Souldiers used thrumb'd Caps but so thick that no Sword could pierce them Campson of all his Army made four Battels The first was committed to Cayerbeius because it was in his own Province where the Battel was to be fought The second was led by Sybeius who for his wonderful Activity was of them called Balvano which in their Language signifieth a Tumbler or one that sheweth Feats of Activity he was Governor of Damasco a man of singular Faith and Valor These two great Commanders were appointed at once to charge both the Wings of the Turks Army After them followed Gazelles with the third Battel to second either the one or the other of the two foremost as need should require Campson himself led the fourth all glistering in guilt Armor behind the rest almost a mile and an half The last was left for the defence of the Camp. But Selymus according to his wonted manner so ordered his Battel that his Asian Horsemen were in the right Wing his Europeian Horsemen in the left his Janizaries and Artillery in the main Battel before whom in the middle between the two Wings he placed his most valiant and gallant Pensioners amongst whom contrary to his wonted custom he chose to serve that day Cayerbeius as soon as he was come near the Enemy in token of his brave Courage gave a host charge upon the Europeian Horsemen and by and by as if he would have compassed in that Wing wheeled a great way about behind them where chancing upon a great Company of Scullions Drudges and other base People that followed the Camp with an infinite number of Camels and Carriages he made there a great stir with little slaughter that as a valiant and cunning Traitor he might in the self same time satisfie the expectation of his Valor and of his Treason together In the other Wing the Governor of Damasco to enter upon the open side of the Enemy forbearing to charge him afront and turning about his Troops on the left hand entred overthwart their Ranks where the Mamalukes fought with such fury that having made great Slaughter of the Asian Horsemen they brake in amongst them as if it had been a raging Floud bearing all down before them until they came to the Ensigns in the midst of that Wing neither could Mustapha the Beglerbeg who was by Birth a Hungarian and Selymus his Brother in law neither the Imbrahor-Bassa or Master of the House though they did what they might to withstand him after the first were overthrown stay the rest but that they would needs turn their backs and flie So Sybeius as a valiant Conqueror having cut in two pieces the right Wing of the Enemies battel and thrusting in betwixt the battel of the Footmen and the backs of the Pensioners brought a great terror and fear upon the whole main Battel The matter was now brought to extream danger for Selymus by the breaking in of Sybeius was almost cut off from his Footmen in whom he had reposed his greatest confidence And now the Janizaries were hardly charged by Gazelles who following the Fortune of Sybeius had set upon the head of the Enemies Battel The Asian Horsemen also being put to the worse and cut in pieces found no means how to restore again their disordered Battel In this extremity Sinan Bassa
and having lost divers of his Ensigns fled back again to Caire through the same sandy Deserts whereby he came In this Battel was lost the Governor of Alexandria and Orchamus Governor of Caire both Men of great account among the Mamalukes and beside them a great number of Arabians with a thousand or more of the Mamaluke Horsemen Neither got Sinan a joyful or unbloody Victory having lost above two thousand of his best Horsemen and amongst them certain Commmanders Men of great mark The Turks weary of this Battel which had endured from noon till night and many of their Horses fainting under them were not able to pursue their Enemies and therefore encamped themselves in the same place where the Battel was fought near unto the Fountain The day following they at leisure gathered the spoil and cutting off the Heads of their Enemies which were easily known by their long and rough Beards fastned them up upon the Date Trees growing thereby as well in witness of their worthy labour as by that strange and horrible spectacle to feed the eies of their fierce Emperor who was shortly after to pass that way and so to manifest unto him the Victory of that day In the mean time they of Gaza upon the rising of the Sun perceiving the Turks Camp left empty as Men not able longer to dissemble their covert Treachery and vainly supposing that Sinan Bassa upon some knowledge of the coming of the Mamalukes had for fear retired back into places of more safety suddainly set upon such as were left in the Camp which were for most part sick and weak Men yet in number many whom they most cruelly slew and presently after set upon two thousand of the Turks Horsemen sent from Selymus to Sinan which by chance were come thither the same day enquiring with great carefulness what was become of the Bassa and his Army and spoiling them of his Carriages put them to flight who after that discomfiture supposing the Bassa whom they had thought to have found at Gaza tarrying for the coming of Selymus by some mishap or policy of the Enemy to have been lost with all his Army and therefore fearfully retiring were upon the way miserably slain by the Arabians neither had any one of them escaped if they had not met with Iuleb the Governor of Achaia at the City of Rama for he was also sent from Selymus to Sinan Bassa with a strong company of Grecian Horsemen by whose coming the fury of the Arabians was well repressed Yet these pilfering People still calling forth to the prey more and more of their Leaders which dwelt in the Mountains adjoyning and being grown to a great Army overtook the Turks at a Village called Carasbara where they inforced them to fight in a place of great disadvantage For the Arabians having before taken certain straits which closed in the passage at the further end of a large Valley shewed themselves at once before behind and on both sides of the Turks their Weapons were Bows and Arrows and long Spears armed at both ends which they nimbly handled after the manner of the Moors These Weapons they most skilfully used upon their swift Horses and both in their charge and retreat wounded their Enemies deadly So that the Turks in number few and for their Horsemens staves inferior to their Enemies durst not offer to charge them but keeping close together hardly defended themselves still making way as they might and had undoubtedly been brought into extream danger to have been utterly lost had not Iuleb with four Pieces of Artillery which he brought with him for his defence driven them which kept the straits from their high places and so opening the way with all speed brought through his Men which straits once passed and coming into the open Fields he with more safety marched forward skirmishing afar off with the Enemy with his Archers and Harquebusiers and discharging his Field-pieces where he saw the greatest and thickest Troops of those wild People On the other part the Arabians dispersedly hovering about them in Troops were still in the tail of the Army and such as were wounded or weak and could not follow the rest they slew and sought by all means to hinder the Journy not suffering them circumvented with so many dangers either to refresh themselves or to take any rest This was unto the Turks a most dismal day for many of them tormented with thirst and weakned with wounds and extream labor gave up the Ghost and now no help remained in this desperate estate being still beset and hardly laid too with the multitude of those fierce and desperate Enemies when suddainly a great number of other Turks came to them in the mid-way unlooked for being now in despair and even at the last cast for Selymus having left the Imbrahor Bassa with a strong Army upon the borders of Persia for the defence of Syria and Asia and having sent for new supplies of Souldiers to Constantinople which should with a great Fleet be transported into Syria had now removed from Damasco and the better to provide for Victuals and Forrage which began now to grow scant in that wasted Country every day sent before great Troops and Companies of his Army as it were at certain appointed times So Iuleb delivered of the present danger by the coming in of these fresh Souldiers met with Selymus the next day and in order told him all that had hapned unto him and his first Troops at Gaza and Rama and all the way after and also what they supposed by conjectures to have chanced to Sinan Bassa with his Army for the manifold wiles of so dangerous Enemies With which news Selymus became exceeding Melancholy and thereupon thought it not good to go any further before he perfectly knew how all stood with Sinan in which fortune he had reposed all the hope of his good success in that so great an enterprise But whilst he was in this dump suddainly came the Syrian Spies who declaring unto him all that Sinan Bassa had done converted that melancholy passion into no less joy and gladness for he saw that by that Victory Egypt was laid open unto him and his desires as good as half accomplished in less time than ever he expected The next day after he removed with his Army to Rama and by the way as he went to the terror of others burnt the Dwellings together with the Wives and Children of those Arabians who but a little before had done so much harm to his Men in their passage And from thence sending before his Footmen to Sinan Bassa at Gaza he himself with his Horsemen turned out of the way upon the left hand to Ierusalem to visit that most ancient and famous City so much renowned both for the antiquity thereof and the fame of the Religion of the Jews That unpeopled and desolate City lay then defaced with the huge Ruins of the old sacred and stately Buildings not inhabited by
Court four Epirot Mamalukes who grieved to see Tomombeius contrary to their desires preferred to the Kingdom by others of a contrary faction whether it were upon a malitious disposition or upon hope of reward and better entertainment or for that in so great a declination of their Kingdom they thought it good to seek for new friends of more assurance fled secretly to Sinan Bassa as to a most famous Captain and one of their own Nation For this great Commander Sinan Selymus his right hand was born in a poor Country Village of Epirus in the Mountain Country of Ambracia whom a wonderful mischance preferred to that height of credit and wealth for it is reported that a Sow kept in the House wherein he was Born bit off his Genitors being then but a Child as he lay by chance sleeping in the shadow and being made of a greater esteem by that mishap was by them which took up delicate Minions from the Turkish Emperor brought to Constantinople and presented to the great Emperor Mahomet Selymus his Grandfather where fortunâ— by the fatal direction of his good hap advanced him to his appointed honors whom she had long before dismembred By these fugitive Mamalukes Selymus and Sinan were instructed of all the devices of the Enemy and especially what stratogems Tomombeius had with great cunning and policy devised whereinto they must needs fall if they should go directly on and not forsake the high-way Wherefore guided by the same Fugitives they fetcht a great compass on the left hand and by an unused way before it was day having escaped the front of their Enemies Camp with all the dangers prepared for them they came and shewed themselves at their backs in order of Battel with their great Artillery ready bent because they were desirous without delay to joyn Battel Tomombeius now too late perceiving that his Plot was discovered by the Treason of some of his own People although he was therewith above measure grieved for that all that he had with so great industry and the labour of so many Men brought to pass was through spiteful fortune made frustrate and in a moment brought to nought yet for all that he was a Man of an invincible courage presently entred into his wonted and deep devices and calling to him his chief Commanders quickly told them what he would have done Now in this short moment of time he was to do many things at once the signal was to be given for the Souldiers to mount their Horses and to make themselves ready the order of his Camp was to be changed his Battel to be ordered his Souldiers to be encouraged and all his great Ordnance as the case required quite the contrary way to be turned all which things as they could but hardly and troublesomely by one Commander be directed so were they hastily and disorderly at once done by many But above all other things the great concourse of people for turning and removing the great Artillery most troubled the well ordering of the rest for many of them were huge Iron pieces of great weight made fast in Stocks of Wood with Rings and iron Clasps after the old and rude manner of ship Ordnance which for their exceeding and ponderous weight could not be out of their places removed but by the strength of many Horses and the great labour of Men with leavers and rouls put under them and such as were mounted upon Carriages when they were drawn through all parts of the Camp with the great clamour of the disordered and hasty People some drawing some thrusting forward the same with their tumultuous stir and doings wonderfully troubled the other Souldiers as they were mounting to Horse and repairing toward their Ensigns But two things marvellously helped these difficulties the Souldiers cheerfulness and constancy which was such as passeth credit for they did not upon any apprehension of fear fail either in hope or courage as oftentimes it hapneth in suddain accidents wherein even the old approved Souldiers do many times fail of their wonted valour And although they were twice overcome in Battel yet still they were of greater spirit and confidence as Men destitute neither of courage or skill but only of fortune Wherefore Tomombeius having with much ado ordered this Battel and his Souldiers with great cheerfulness desiring the signal to be given commanded all the multitude of his Arabians to compass in the wings of the Enemies Battel behind and so to skirmish with them that so if it were possible the Turks Horsemen might with the danger of the doubtful fight with such an uncertain Enemy be disordered before he set forward to charge them with his Troops and withal commanded his great Ordnance which was now turned upon the Enemy to be presently discharged So did the Turks likewise discharging at once from a convenient distance both their greater and smaller Ordnance and speedily recharging them brought them within an Arrow shot so that for a good space they lay beating the one the other on both sides with their great Artillery only in which manner of fight the Egyptian Canoniers were almost all slain and many of their Field-pieces broken by force of the Enemies shot For Selymus had in his Camp many excellent and skilful Canoniers whom he had with great entertainment allured out of Italy and Germany and especially of those refuse Jews which by the zeal of King Ferdinand being driven out of Spain afterwards to the shame of the Christians dispersed those rare and deadly devices through the East The chief of these Canoniers was one Iacobus e Rogio Lepidi a cunning Engineer who but a little before overcome by the Turks rewards abjuring the Christian Religion revolted unto the Mahometan Superstition But after that the Mamalukes had brought the matter to Battel on both sides they gave out a most hideous and dreadful cry and with exceeding fury assailed the Turks in three places for Selymus still keeping his wonted order approached his Enemies with his Battel in form of an half Moon Mustapha Bassa had the leading of the Asian Horsemen in the right wing and Ionuses Bassa of the Europeians in the left he himself stood in the main Battel with the Squadron of his trusty Janizaries and great store of Artillery but Sinan the Eunuch Bassa General of the Field led after him a great number of most valiant Horsemen drawn out of every Troop to be ready against all the uncertain events that might happen in the Battel unto whom he joyned five hundred Harquebusiers Janizaries Men of wonderful courage and activity selected out of Selymus his own Squadron to relieve such part of the Army as should chance to be most pressed by the Enemy So almost at one time whilst Tomombeius stood in the main Battel against Selymus and the Wings of the Mamalukes with equal Battel encountred the Wings of the Turks and the Arabians also valiantly charging them in the rereward as they had in charge four
attached with the Hand of God and strucken in the Reins of his Back with a Cancer which melancholy and devouring malady contemning all cure did by little and little so eat and corrupt his body as that he before so much honoured became now loathsome and odious both to himself and others As he lay thus languishing his incurable disease still increasing leaning his head in the lap of Pyrrhus the Bassa whom of all others he most loved said O Pyrrhus I see I must shortly die without remedy Whereupon the great Bassa took occasion to discourse with him of many matters and amongst others that it would please him to give order for the well bestowing of the great Wealth taken from the Persian Merchants in divers places of his Empire perswading him to bestow the same upon some notable Hospital for relief of the poor To whom Selymus replied Wouldst thou Pyrrhus that I should bestow other mens goods wrongfully taken from them upon works of Charity and Devotion for mine own vain glory and praise assuredly I will never do it nay rather see they be again restored unto the right owners Which was forthwith done accordingly to the great shame of many Christians who minding nothing less than restitution but making ex rapina holocaustum do out of a World of evil gotten goods cull out some small fragments to build some poor Hospital or mend some blind way a poor testimony of their hot Charity Selymus lying thus sick to death year 1520. and rotting above the ground in his Tent as he was upon the way going to Hadrianople sent before Pyrrbus and Achmetes two of his greatest Bassaes to provide for the solemnizing of the great Feast which the Turks call Bairam and is as it were their Easter purposing to come after himself at leisure as his weak Body would give him leave and kept with him only Ferhates the third of his greatest Bassaes and Privy Counsellors But such was the fury of his foul disease continually attainting him with intollerable pains that shortly after the departure of the other two Bassaes he breathed out his cruel Ghost in the Month of September in the year 1520 near unto the City Chiurli in the self same place where he had sometime most unnaturally assailed his aged Father Bajazet with purpose to have slain him had not the fortune of the old Emperor in a great battel prevailed both against his Force and the Treason of his own People Thus intending the mischief he could not perform cut off by a loathsome and untimely death he to the great joy of all Christendom ended his days when he had lived six and forty years and thereof reigned eight which time of his Reign was nothing else but a most horrible and dreadful time of Bloodshed His dead Body was afterwards solemnly by his Son Solyman buried in a new Temple at Constantinople which he to the imitation of his Father and Grandfather had for that purpose before built Upon his Tomb is ingraven in the Greek Turkish and Sclavonian Tongues this short Epitaph Hic maximus adsum Selymus qui orbem domui Non bella relinquo sed pergo inquirere Non ulla me fortuna potuit evertere Licet ossa jacent animus quaerit In English thus Lo here I lie great Selymus which held the World in fear The World I leave but not the Wars which I seek though not here No Fortunes force or Victors hand could take from me the Spoils And though my Bones lie buried here my Ghost seeks bloody broils He used commonly to say That nothing was sweeter than to reign without fear or suspition of his Kindred A little before his death he commended his Son Solyman to Pyrrhus Bassa straitly charging him that after his death he should leave the Persians and turn his Forces altogether upon the Christians And the more to incense him to the effusion of Blood he left him the lively counterfeit of himself hanging at his bed side with sundry bloody Precepts breathing forth his cruel and unmerciful disposition Tabulae Epigraphe Soldanus Selymus Otomanus Rex Regum Dominus omnium Dominorum Princeps omnium Principum Filius Nepos Dei. S. S. S. Ad dextram Versus Graeca lingua adscripti in hunc sensum TUtus ut imperii Princeps sibi sceptra capessat Anxia ne dubio corda pavore premat Ne putet esse nefas cognatum â—aurire cruorem Et nece fraterna constabilire domum Iura Fides Pietas Regni dum nemo supersit Aemulus haud turbent religione animum Haec ratio est quae sola queat regale tueri Nomen expertem te sinit esse metus Ad sinistram lingua Sclavonica Te semel adversus peccantem mitis haberi Ne studeas poena vindice tutus eris Protinus ense rescindendum putrescore si quid Incipiet clemens Rex male sceptra gerit Ad veniam facilis peccanti porrigit ansam Qua sâ— sustentans ad nova damna ruat Ad Calcem tabulae lingua Turcica Qui non ipse sua Princeps bastilia dextra Agmen in adversum marte favente jacet Sed refugit saevis caput objectare periclis Dum gravia impavido praelia corde subit Iste sciat vanis belli sese artibus uti Et votis nunquam fata favere suis. Nulla sibi speret suscepti commoda belli Hostiles acies quisquis adite timet The Inscription of the Table Sultan Selymus Othoman King of Kings Lord of Lords Prince of all Princes the Son and Nephew of God. On the right hand of the Table were written Greek Verses to this sense THe Prince that safely seeks to reign and hold this State in quiet rest Must never suffer troubled care to harbour in his Princely Breast Nor think it sin to spill the blood of his most near and dearest Kin Not of his Brother so thereby assured safety he may win Law Faith Devotion and such like to break them all he must not spare Nor conscience make of any thing to rid him from aspiring care This is the way and only mean that may protect a Princes State And set him safe without all fear whilst none may live whom he doth hate On the left hand of the Table was written in the Sclavonian Tongue Of him that seeks to work thy wo deseve to be counted kind But take him for thy mortal Foe and plague him with revenging mind The rotten limb is cut away for fear of doing further harm The gentle Prince doth bear small sway if no abuse can make him warn Forbearance makes men more offend and to presume of further grace It doth but strength to Rebels lend to thrust their Sovereign out of place At the lower end of the Same Table was written in Turkish Verse What Prince in person dareth not in open Field to meet his Foe And there with unapplauded heart his deadly darts himself to throw But hides his head for fear of harm and shuns the danger
Gallies he expected out of Spain but held on his course towards Grecia for it was told him that the Enemies Fleet daily increased by the coming in of the Turkish Pirats and that Assem-Beg otherwise called the Moor of Alexandria an arch Pirat was still looked for in whose good directions the Turkish Captains reposed the greatest hope of their Victory When he was come as far as Zazynthus he was informed by the Venetians That Luftibeius Bassa or rather Lutzis Bassa the Turks great Admiral and Solymans Brother in law with Solyman of Acarnania and the Moor men for their skill at Sea of great Fame and Reputation lay before Corone with eighty Gallies manned with divers Companies of the old Janizaries so that it was thought a matter of exceeding peril for him to adventure to relieve the Town except he took the advantage of some prosperous gale of Wind. Wherefore Auria to have yet more certain knowledge of the Enemies Fleet sent before him Christopher Palavicine with one Gally again to view the manner of the Enemies lying who passing the Promontory of Acrites saw all the Turks great Fleet lying in very good order before the City and so returned to Auria confirming that the Venetians had before reported and that the Turks Fleet was greatly increased and lay ready as it should seem to give him battel as soon as he should approach the City For all that Auria nothing dismaid with the greatness of the Turks Fleet made no stay but still kept on his course and with a fair gale of Wind passing the Promontory of Acrytes came directly towards Corone Two great Gallions of all the Fleet the most War-like Ships came formost whereof the one was Aurias's own which he had built with a wonderful Charge and the other was of Sicilia These two great Ships were appointed by Auria to turn a little upon the left hand and at such time as the Enemy should set forward from the shore to cast Anchor betwixt both the Fleets that as occasion should serve they might as out of two strong Castles beat the Turks Gallies with their great Ordnance wherewith they were for that purpose wonderfully stored Next unto these great Gallions followed the other War-like Ships with full sails after whom came the Gallies in three Squadrons whereof Salviatus had the leading of the right Wing which consisted of the Bishop of Romes Gallies and them of Malta in the left Wing and near unto the Enemy commanded Antonius Auria and in the middle was Auria himself At the first sight of the Christian Fleet the Turks moved not from the shore but discharged their Ordnance at them afar off and then begun to set forward and to draw nearer especially the Moor who with greater courage than the rest assailed the side and the rereward of the Fleet for the Christians keeping on their course right forth to Corone and turning nothing to the left hand as was before appointed seemed as if they had fled and so much the more for that the Gallies in the right Wing for fear of the Turks great Ordnance did fetch a great compass farther off into the Sea and many of the middle Squadron and of the left Wing also had disorderly thrust themselves in amongst the Ships although they had received little or no harm of the Enemies great shot In this confusion of the Christian Navy the Moor requested Lutzis the Admiral not to let slip so fair an occasion wherein the Christian Fleet might easily have been overthrown but whilst Lutzis doth slowly and considerately set forward Auria in the mean time had put his Fleet again in order and with a fair Wind was come to Corone Two of the Ships by the way falling foul one on another staid behind being not able to keep way with the rest about which all the Turks Gallies presently flockt and took the lesser of them killing all the Spaniards they found therein Out of this they boorded the greater and with a bloody fight had won the Forecastle and Wast of the Ship when Auria accounting it no small dishonour to have his Ships so surprised at his heels caused all his Gallies to turn again upon the Enemy to rescue those Ships The Turks seeing that and with the Westernly Wind by little and little fallen down so far with the Ships that they were come within the danger of the shoâ—t of the Town began with great stir to forsake the Ships and to betake themselves to their Oars and so in manner of flight withdrew themselves Whom Auria pursued a good way to Modon thundring in their Poupes with his great shot which he liberally bestowed amongst them whilst in the mean time Antonius Auria came to rescue the two distressed Ships There the Spaniards which but a little before had hardly maintained their close fights began now as men revived to shew themselves and couragiously to make resistance and they which came with Antonius Auria to their rescue entring with wonderful celerity on every side slew and took 300 Janizaries which with great courage had entred those Ships and were there left by the sudden departure of their Fellows Amongst whom was taken one Iosuphus an old Captain of 1000 Janizaries to whom Auria after he was come to Corone gave a fair Suit of Apparel and a chain of Gold and so set him at liberty without any ransome thereby to provoke the Turks to the like kind of courteous dealing with the Christians Assam-beg the Pirate and the other Captains of the Turks Fleet wonderfully blamed Lutzis the Admiral for that he would not then fight with the Christians when as he was thereto most earnestly requested both by the Captains and Souldiers in general and had a fair opportunity of Victory offered at such time as the Christians Fleet was disordered but he excused himself saying That it was given him in special Charge from Solyman the Emperor That he should in any case respect the safety of his Navy and not to come to the hazard of a battel The Turks which besieged the City by Land upon the approach of the Christian Fleet forsook their Trenches and fled at which time Mendoza the Governor sallying out took great store of Victual and War-like provision which the Turks had for hast left behind them So Auria to his great honour having driven the Turks from Corone both by Sea and Land furnished the City with store of Corn Wine Victual Powder and Shot and committed the defence thereof to Macicaus and the Companies of the mutinous Spaniards which he had brought from Naples comforting the Greeks and exhorting them patiently for a while to endure those Calamities of War telling them that the Emperor would the next Spring make War against the Turks both by Sea and Land in Peloponnesus and free them from the Turkish Bondage And so imbarking the old Garrison of Spaniards departed from Corone and came before Modon where he lay as it were braving the Turks
advantages to cut off his people spent with long travel wanting Victual and falling into divers Diseases as it commonly chanceth to populous Armies in strange Countries where the change of the Air with the inevitable necessity always attending upon a great Army most times causeth grievous and contagious Diseases Wherefore Tamas to shun the coming of Solyman retired further off into Sultania about six days journey from Tauris Whereof Solyman having knowledge departed from that rich City without doing any harm therein following after Tamas into Sultania to joyn battel with him if he could possible leaving behind him for hast a great part of his Carriages and Baggage with five hundred Janizaries and three of his Sanzacks with their Companies The City of Sultania was in ancient time one of the Royal Seats of the Persian Kings but ruinated by the Scythian Tamerlane retained no shew of the ancient Majesty but only in the Churches by him spared Near unto this City Solyman lay incamped many days expecting that the Persian King in revenge of the injuries to him done and for the safeguard of his Honour should at length come out of the Mountains and shew himself in plain Field and give him battel Which was a thing so far from Tamas his resolution upon the due comparing of his own strength with his Enemies that he retired in such sort that Solyman could by no means learn what was become of him or which way to follow him The Country near unto the City of Sultania wherein Solyman lay incamped at large is on every side invironed with huge Mountains whose tops are to be seen afar off always covered with deep Snow these Mountains were in ancient time called Nyphates Caspius Coathras and Zagrus taking their beginning no doubt from Caucasus the Father of Mountains and joyning one to another some one way some another do divide most large and wide Countries Whilst Solyman in those vast and plain Fields most fit to fight a battel in expected the coming of Tamas such a horrible and cruel Tempest as the like whereof the Persians had never before seen at that time of the year fell down from those Mountains which was so much the more strange for that it fell in the beginning of September with such abundance of rain which froze so eagerly as it fell that it seemed the depth of Winter had even then of a sudden been come in for such was the rage of the blustring Winds striving with themselves as if it had been for Victory that they swept the Snow from off the tops of those high Mountains and cast it into the Plains in such abundance that the Turks lay as men buried alive in the deep Snow most part of their Tents being overthrown and beaten down to the ground with the violence of the Tempest and weight of the Snow wherein a wonderful number of sick Souldiers and others of the baser sort which followed the Camp perished and many others were so benummed some their Hands some their Feet that they lost the use of them for ever most part of their Beasts which they used for carriage but especially their Camels were frozen to death Yea Solyman himself was in great danger to have been overwhelmed in his Tent all the Tents round about him being overthrown with the violence of the Tempest Neither was there any remedy to be found for so great mischiefs by reason of the hellish darkness of that tempestuous night most of their fires being put out by the extremity of the Storm which did not a little terrifie the superstitious Turks as a thing accounted of them ominous And that which troubled them no less than the miseries of the Tempest was the fear of the Enemy whose sudden coming they deadly feared until that after so tedious a night the Sun breaking out the next morning with his chearful beams revived many before ready to give up the ghost for cold and gave comfort unto them all in general by discovering the open Fields clear of their feared Enemies It was a dreadful thing to have seen what misery that one night had brought into the Turks Camp the ground lay almost covered with Bodies of the dead and many lived but so as that they accounted the dead more happy than themselves Many of the Turks vainly thought that horrible Tempest was brought upon them by the Charms and Inchantments of the Persian Magicians whereas it was undoubtedly by the Hand of him who bringeth the proud devices of Princes to naught Solyman troubled as well with the strangeness of the accident as the loss he had received after he had a little refreshed his discouraged Souldiers rose with his Army and took his way on the left hand into Assyria Ulemas the Persian perswading him thereunto for many causes but especially by putting him in hope of the taking of Babylon for that Mahometes a Friend of his was Governor thereof But he when the matter came to proof was not to be won either by Promise or Reward to betray the City Wherefore Solyman resolved to take it by force neither did his Fortune fail him therein for as soon as Mahometes understood that Ulemas was at hand with the Forerunners of the Turks Army and that Solyman with all his Power was coming after who as he thought would never have come so far he not provided to withstand so mighty an Enemy and not beloved of the Citizens fled out of the City Solyman coming in short time after was of the Babylonians received without resistance The City of Babylon commonly called Bagdat rose out of the ruines of the old City of Babylon so much spoken of in holy Writ from whence it is not far distant standing upon the River Tygris which not far beneath falleth into the River Euphrates In this famous City is the Seat of the great Calyph the chief Mahometan Priest whom all the Mahometan Princes have in great Reverence and hath an old Prerogative in the choice and confirmation of the Kings of Assyria and the Sultans of Egypt of which Calyph Solyman according to the old superstitious manner received at his hands the Ensigns and Ornaments of the Assyrian Kings and with great bounty won the hearts of the people and thereupon resolved to spend that Winter there billiting his Army in divers places of that fertile Country The other Cities of Assyria and Mesopotamia also namely Caraemida Meredinum Orsa and Asancesa hearing that Solyman had without resistance taken Babylon yielded themselves and received his Garrisons Yet the fame thereof was so great that Embassadors came unto him as far as Ormus a City in the mouth of Euphrates where it falleth into the Persian Gulf famous for the great Traffique out of India thither suing unto him for Peace Thus the ancient City of Babylon with the great Countries of Assyria and Mesopotamia sometimes famous Kingdoms of themselves and lately part of the Persian Kingdom fell into the hands of the Turks and
against men who with more fear doubted of the success of things and the event of the Victory than beseemed them whom for their constant resolution and good opinion conceived of their discretion he had chosen to be of his most secret Counsel Saying That he desired not of them that their needless and dishonourable labour wherein they should shew themselves more careful of his person than of his honour forasmuch as those things which they now alledged should have been said before the War was taken in hand now by good hap half ended before he ever passed over into Africk For he might as he said have rested quietly in Spain and have easily neglected and rejected the injuries done upon the Sea Coasts and the complaints of his Subjects but he was as they well knew for most urgent causes come thither whereas he was resolved to satisfie the expectation of the world with a notable Victory or if God should otherwise appoint there to end his days with honour Wherefore he willed them to cease further to flatter him that was no way dismaid or to possess the minds of his valiant Souldiers with a vain forboding fear and with resolute minds together with him their Chieftain against the next day â—to expect what the fortune of the Field should appoint for the full accomplishment of that War. For he was as he said set down to give the Enemy Battel or if he refused the same to batter the Walls of Tunes not doubting but that God would stand on his side in so good and so godly a quarrel The Emperor leaving a sufficient Garrison in the Castle of Guleâ—ta commanded the Breaches to be repaired and the great Ordnance there taken to be laid upon Carriages which before after the old rude Sea fashion lay bound in great unweldy pieces of Timber with Iron Rings fastned thereunto and could not handsomely be handled or removed to or fro After that when he had caused the Country to be viewed all about which betwixt the Olive Groves and the right side of the Lake giveth a direct passage unto the City of Tunes he set forward with his Army in so good order that he still marched as ready to fight for fear of the Policies and suddain Assaults of the Enemy On the left hand marched the Italians next unto the Lake on the right hand the Spaniards near unto the Olive-Groves which in the manner of a great Wood ran alongst the Country from the ruins of Carthage almost to the Walls of Tunes in the midst betwixt both marched the Germans next unto them followed the great Ordnance and after it the Carriages of all the Army In the Vaungard was Vastius whom the Emperor had made General of the Army and especially for that day in the Rearward was the Duke of Alva with certain Troops of chosen Horsemen in the middle of the main Battel was the Emperor and by his side Lewis his Brother in Law the King of Portugals Brother The Italians were conducted by the Prince of Salerne the Spaniards by Alarco an ancient Captain and the Germans by Maximilian Eberstein But the Emperor in his Armor ceased not to â—ide from Squadron to Squadron with chearful countenance and full of hope recounting unto them the former Victories which they had gotten for him and telling them that he did that day expect of them a most honourable days service forasmuch as they were to fight against the naked Enemies of the Christian Religion wherefore they should with resolute minds set down themselves to endure the Weight of their Armor the painfulness of the March the heat of the Sun and Sand and the teediousness of the Thirst arising thereof until they might joyn Battel with their Enemies where they should undoubtedly by the goodness of God in whose quarrel they fought obtain the Victory in the mean time they should with patience overcome all difficulties comforting themselves with the undoubted hope of a most rich Prey which they were to expect of the Spoil of a rich City Whereunto every Squadron answered with a great shout that he should not trouble himself with those matters which he had before rehearsed but to assure himself that they his Souldiers would most patiently endure all extremities and not deceive the expectation he had conceived of their wonted valour but by valiant Fight to make him Emperor not of Africk but of Asia also Now Vastius had withdrawn two Companies of Harquebusiers out of the Spanish Squadron to skirmish with the Moors who continually â—ollowed in the tail of the Army whom by those Harquebusiers and certain Troops of Horâ—â—men deputed to that purpose the Duke of Alva notably repulsed in the Rearward The Army was now come unto the Cistâ—rns of fresh Water which Muleasses and otheâ—s which well knew the Country had before told them of which as soon as the Souldiers almost fainting under the weight of their Armor with the scortching heat of the Sun and extremity of Thirst descried afar off they for desire they had to quench their Thirst forthwith forsook their Colours and disorderly ran as fast as they could to those Cisterns Vastius the General to the uttermost of his power labouring in vain both by fair means and foul to have staid them who saw by that disordredness of the Souldiers a great advantage offred unto the Enemy which then was not far off But when the General could neither with words or blows prevail any thing with them the Emperor himself was glad to hast thither with his Presence and Authority to have kept them in order yet such was the force of their intollerable Thirst that neither the sight of the Emperor nor all that he could do could remedy the disorder some fainting in the Sand for lack of Drink and some other for greediness ready to burst their Bellies at the Fountains so that the Emperor was fain with his Truncheon to beat them away Amongst the rest one Sullius Cicero of Arpinas a famous Captain died at the Cistern side with drinking too much This extremity for want of Water seemed justly to have hapned unto them forasmuch as Vastius the day before had by general Proclamation through the Camp commanded that every Souldier should carry with him a Bottle of Wine or Water at his Girdle although he caused so much Water as he conveniently could to be carried in great Casks for the common relief of the Army whereof the Germans had the greatest part some almost ready to give over for Thirst were glad to get a draught of cold Water of their Fellows which had it for two Ducats This disorder being with as much speed as was possible reformed and the Army again brought into order the Emperor held on his march towards the Enemy for Barbarussa with a wonderful multitude of Horsemen and Footmen and a number of Ensigns the instruments of vain fear and foolish bravery gallantly displaied after the manner of the Moors was come about
him to nothing more than War. Wherefore it is good to beware that with the noyse of this suddain War you stir not up the Turks which lie ready as it were expecting such an occasion which cannot be withstood but by the United Forces of the Christian Princes which might by their general consent be done but that their Eies blinded with fatal darkness cannot see it and the Unity of the Christians now desperate seemeth by God reserved to some better time seeing that of late the Christian Kings are fallen off and cannot agree upon the long expected Peace Is not said he the French King deceived of his hope and as he would have it thought greatly dishonoured with his late unkindness Which renewing his old wound will revive in him an endless hatred Away with all dissimulations Enemy to grave Councils and let plain truth although unpleasant unto Princes ears prevent flattery Undoubtedly he being a Prince of no base Courage as it oftentimes falleth out with Men throughly grieved will in his anger as an Enemy pour forth his Gold whereof he hath great store to cross the Emperors designs to trouble the Assemblies of the States of Germany to withdraw the minds of the Princes and with bounty to gain them to himself who envying mightily at the Imperial Dignity wont to be indifferently given to them that best deserved the same to be as it were invested in the House of Austria which in this perpetual succession of so many Emperors hath as it were got a right by long custom Wherefore they will secretly conspire together and as notable lingerers by nature will either give no help at all or else too late at such time as the Turks Garrisons shall come flying to the succor of the young King. Neither is there any cause why any Man should think that the Governours of the Turks Countries near at hand will for the approach of Winter be slack in this cause for they undoubtedly making an honest and honourable shew will take upon them to defend the Fatherless Child and Widow of purpose to make an entrance to the secret desire they have to gain the Kingdom to themselves for if you shall once joyn with them in Battel if the best happen and fortune favour our first attempts truly you shall have War without end with such an Enemy which will bring with him Wealth that will never be spent power not to be overcome and couragious Souldiers sworn to our destruction So will it come to pass and I pray God I be a false Prophet that in seeking for the Kingdom of Hungary by War you shall at length be glad to fight for Austria it self and your own Kingdom also This Speech so moved King Ferdinand that although he purposed to go on with the War yet he thought it good by an honourable Embassage to prove Solymans mind and purpose also which to do no Man was thought fitter than Laschus himself Author of that Council being unto him very well known and familiarly acquainted with all the great Bassa's of the Court. Which service Laschus refused not but being furnished with all things needful for such an Embassage departed from Vienna towards Constantinople Yet for all that King Ferdinand persisting in his former purpose made withal preparation for Wars trusting upon the aid of the Emperor his Brother and the coming over of the Hungarians who ever thought it cause honest enough for them to revolt if it so stood with their present profit But before he would enter into open Wars he sent Nicholas Count of Salma to the Queen to shew her the Instruments of the last League betwixt the King her late Husband and him and to exhort her to yield up the Kingdom which by the late League was another Mans right and not by delaying of the matter to hurt both her Self and her Son for King Ferdinand offered to give unto the Child the Province of Sepusia as was before agreed betwixt the two Kings expresly in the League and to the Queen a greater Revenue and whatsoever else she had in Dowry But if she would forget that lawful League he threatned that neither the Emperor Charles his Brother nor he wanted force wherewith to recover by strong hand the Kingdom annexed to the House of Austria both by ancient right and the new consent of most of the Hungarian Nobility The Count of Salma being received at Buda hardly obtained to be admitted to the presence of the Queen for George the Bishop and Vicche mistrusting her Woman-like Courage said she was not to be spoken withal by reason she was so full of heaviness and sorrow and that they were of Authority as the Kings Tutors and ready to give him both audience and answer Which opinion of her weakness and want of judgment the Queen being a Woman of an heroical and royal Spirit took as tending so much to her disgrace that she said she would kill her self if the Embassadors were not permitted to come into her Chamber which was a dark Room hung with Black as the manner is and she sitting upon a low Pallet negligently attired as one that had no care of her self wan and pale Coloured but as then shedding no Tears yet with voice and countenance so heavy as might shew her Tears to be rather dried up with long Mourning than that her sorrow was any thing abated for the desire of bearing rule had now so possessed her mind that she contemned all the dangers of imminent War and for defence of her Sovereignty resolved with her self to call in the Turks After the Count admitted to her presence had with due reverence and great protestation delivered his Message she demurely answered That such was the Fortune of her Sex and Years that being bereft of the King her Husband and perplexed with the daily griefs both of Body and Mind she could neither give nor take Council but purposed in so weighty a Cause to use the advice of Sigismund her Father whose Integrity and Justice was such as King Ferdinand need no other Judge or Arbitrator to end that Controversie Wherefore she requested a convenient time and space wherein she might ask Counsel of her Father to whose just judgment she said she would stand as she thought the Nobility of Hungary would also Which small time of delay if it should be denied and that they would needs forthwith make War upon her she said that the Emperor and King Ferdinand his Brother should surely win no great Honour if they should come to oppugn her a Widow consumed with Tears and a young Child yet crying in his Cradle The Count so sent away when he was returned to King Ferdinand told him That the Queen was altogether in the power of the Bishop and could neither say nor do any thing but what she had before received from him for he only as he said commanded all as for the rest of the Nobility they shared amongst them the Honours and Preferments of
that the Camp lay defended on the right hand with the steep Hill on the left hand with the River and behind toward the City with a strong Bulwark Upon the right hand upon a little rising ground he placed the lesser Camp wherein were the Hungarians which favoured King Ferdinand and then followed his Ensigns He made also a Bridge from his Camp into a little Island which lay in the River and with a Fort well planted with Ordnance commanded both the River and the Plain so to beat the Enemies Fleet coming up the River and themselves also as they should march alongst the Plain He was about also to have made a Bridge of Lighters and Boats quite over the River from his Camp to Pesth and in this order to expect the coming of new supplies from King Ferdinand and to repel the Enemy who was coming and with long Siege to weary them in Buda for there was such store both of Victual and all other warlike Provision in Pesth as would well have sufficed his Army until Winter had been spent As soon as the Turks were come nigh the City Valentinus as an Embassador from the Queen met them with two thousand Horse and fully instructed both the Mahomets what the Christians did what strength they were of and how they might most conveniently encamp their Army Wherefore the Bassa marching on boldly forward came within half a mile of the Christian Camp where he quickly intrenched himself round with a strong Trench filling a great part of the Plain with his Tents But the other Mahometes Governour of Belgrade a most politick Captain took the higher ground towards the rising of the Hill nearer unto the Tents of the Hungarians than of the Germans Unto these two Armies thus encamped belonged also two Fleets the Christian Fleet consisted of four and twenty Galliots about fourscore small Pinnaces and little less than a hundred Ships of burden and other great Boats whereas the Turks Fleet was not thought to be past half so great Neaâ— unto the little Island joyned as we have beâ—ore said by a Bridge to the Christian Camp beneath in the River had the Turks taken another Island called Cepellia over against their own Camp where casting up a great Bulwark in the uppermost end thereof and planting it with great Oâ—dnance they from thence shot at the Fort which the Christians held in the little Island and at their Vessels passing to and fro in the River as the Christians did at them likewise This Island of Cepellia lyeth somewhat more than foâ—ty miles in length in the River Danubius full of Country Villages so commodiously that if Râ—gâ—ndorff had at the first taken it and fortified it before the coming of the Turks as the Hungarians perswaded him to have done the Turks could by no means have encamped in the Plain but must needs have forsaken their Fleet fetching a great compass about more toward the West further off from the River which would have turned to the Turks great disadvantage But no Man is so wise as to foresee all things when as the very evil success be the Plot never so well laâ—â—d shall of it self beside the loss leave unto the unfâ—rtunate Man the Note of the want of provident forâ—sight and discretion But Rogendorff was not willing to divide his Forces until he had some new supply from King Ferdinand Whilst the Armies lay thus near one to the other there were some light skirmishes made every day either by the Horsemen or the Footmen and sometime one brave Man challenging forth another hand to hand whom he thought by his Armor or some other sign of his worth to be like to himself which was so pleasant a sight to behold that both the Armies upon a military courtesie as if it had been so agreed would many times for certain hours forbear to shoot any shot of purpose to see those Gallants with true Prowess to prove their Valour and Manhood one upon another with their Spears and Swords only In which light skirmishes the German Horsemen were often times put to the worst who mounted upon greaâ— heavy Horses fitter for a set Battel could 〈…〉 so readily charge the Enemy nor pursue him in his flight as could the Turks with their nimble and ready light Horses so well acquainted with that manner of flying fight that they would with wheeling about easily frustrate the first charge of the heavy Horsemen and by and by come upon them again with a fresh charge and so oft retire and come on again until they had either wearied or overthrown them But the Hungarians acquainted with that manner of fight as well as they and also better armed did easily encounter the Turks and foil them although they were in number more There was amongst the German Captains a Nobleman called Eckius Rayschachius whose Son a valiant young Gentleman being got out of the Army without his Fathers knowledge bare himself so gallantly in fight against the Enemy in the sight of his Father and of the Army that he was highly commended of all Men and especially of his Father who knew him not at all yet before he could clear himself he was compassed in of the Enemy and valiantly fighting slain Rayschachius exceedingly moved with the death of so brave a Man ignorant how near it touched himself turning about to the other Captains said This worthy Gentleman whatsoever he be is worthy of eternal commendation and to be most honourably buried by the whole Army As the rest of the Captains were with like compassion approving his Speech the dead Body of the unfortunate Son rescued was presented to the most miserable Father which caused all them that were there present to shed Tears but such a suddain and inward grief surprised the aged Father and struck so to his Heart that after he had stood a while Speechless with his Eies set in his Head he suddainly fell down dead From that time the General commanded That no Man should upon pain of death go out of the Army to skirmish with the Enemy without leave wherein he was so severe that he hanged up one or two that presumed to transgress his Commandment which thing much discouraged his own Men and so encouraged the Enemy that they would sometime brave the Christians upon the top of their own Trenches Many days had now passed since the coming of the Bassa the Turks and they of Buda daily encreasing both in strength and courage when on the other side faint courage weak strength troubled council uncertain resolution the ominous signs of an undoubted overthrow were easie to be seen and hope it self the stay of all human Actions especially of Martial Affairs almost lost the only things that held their fainting Hearts was the often Letters of King Ferdinand and the firm opinion they had conceived That Charles the Emperor would not in so great a danger fail to aid his Brother both with Men and Mony and last of all the
wonderful Globe of Silver of most rare and curious device daily expressing the hourly passing of the Time the motion of the Planets the Change and Full of the Moon the motion of the superior Orbs ever moving by certain Wheels and Weights curiously conveyed within the same and exactly keeping due time and motion lively expressing the wonderful motions and conversions of the Celestial Frame A most curious and strange piece of Work devised and perfected by the most cunning Astronomers for Maximilian the Emperor whose noble mind never spared for any Cost to obtain things of rare and strange device The Embassadors passing down the River of Danubius were at their landing first received by Cason the Admiral of Solymans Fleet and by him brought into a rich Tent the ground under their Feet being all covered wich rich Carpets to whom Rustan Bassa sent such good chear as the Camp afforded but especially most excellent Wine no less forbidden the Turks by their Law than desired of the Germans The next day after the great Bassaes feasted the Embassadors Solyman himself dining not far off in his Pavillion at which Feast the Bassaes for the more courtesie dined with the Embassadors not sitting with their Legs gathered under them flat upon the ground as their manner was but sitting in Chairs at a high Table after the manner of the Christians only Mahometes Governor of Belgrade for his Age and Valour an extraordinary Ghest sat down upon a Cussion beneath the Bassaes. Their Chear was only Rice and Mutton and that so plainly and sparingly dressed as if they had thereby noted our gormandise and excess who measure not our Chear by that which Nature requireth but that which greedy Appetite desireth as if therein consisted the greatest Nobility and the Drink for the great Bassaes themselves right easie to be had was fair Water out of the River Danubius After Dinner the Embassadors were brought in unto Solyman each of them led betwixt two Bassaes holding them fast by the Arms as it had been for honours sake and so brought to kiss his Hand For the Turks suffer no Stranger otherwise to come unto the Presence of their suspicious Emperor but first they search him that he have no Weapon about him and so clasping him by the Arms under the colour of doing him honour dissemblingly bereave him of the use of his Hands lest he should offer him any violence yet hath he always as he sitteth in his Throne lying at hand ready by him a Target a Scimeter an Iron-Mace with Bow and Arrows The great Globe was also brought in by twelve of the Embassadors Servants which with the strangeness thereof filled the mind of Solyman and the Eyes of his Bassaes with admiration for Solyman was of so sharp a Wit that he was not learned only in such Books as contained the Laws and Rites of the Mahometan Superstition but had also curiously studied Astronomy and especially Cosmography in which profitable and pleasant study he much recreated himself as his leasure served The Embassadors desired that he would give the Kingdom of Hungary to King Ferdinand almost upon the same conditions that Lascus had before required it for him at Constantinople paying him such yearly Tribute as King Iohn had usually paid and promising farther to draw Charles the Emperor his Brother into the same League so that Solyman delivered of all fear that way might at his pleasure turn his Forces upon the Persian which it was thought he most desired Besides that they said he should deal neither honourably nor indifferently if he should prefer the young Child before King Ferdinand who beside his ancient Right unto that Kingdom which they were not now to urge as oppressed by his happy Victories but might in time be revived had also a late interest by a League betwixt him and King Iohn wherein he had expresly covenanted by the solemn consent of the greatest part of his Nobility that King Ferdinand should succeed him in the Kingdom Whereby they excused him of the late War as justly taken in hand against the Queen and her Son usurping upon his Right which King Iohn knowing to be good and moved with Conscience had by his solemn act acknowledged though to the great offence and prejudice of Solyman his setter up and defender as also to the touching of himself in honour to have so unthankfully and fraudulently dealt with his Patron to whom he was by the Oath of Obedience bound Wherefore they requested that sith he being a Prince of all others most mighty and magnificent standing upon his upright dealing both in Peace and War had so lightly regarded the slie dealing of so ungrateful a man he would rather accept of King Ferdinand so many ways injured as his Friend and Tributary than to have him his perpetual Enemy Concluding That nothing could be unto him for the good report of his Justice more commendable or for the assurance of a perpetual Peace more profitable or to the immortal praise of his Bounty more honourable than to call a King of a most ancient Discent famous for his Vertue and Fidelity chosen for a King by the Bohemians desired for a King by the Hungarians Emperor elect of the Roman Empire by the Germans and the natural Brother of the great Emperor his Tributary King of Hungary Solyman with chearful countenance accepting and commending of the Presents answered them two days after by Rustan the Bassa his Son in Law that this was his resolute condition of Peace and Friendship If King Ferdinand would forthwith restore all the Cities Towns and Castles which were before belonging to King Lewis and for ever after abstain from Hungary and whereas he had been so often provoked by him to War and had therein bestowed so great charges and taken so much Travel he could for that be content with an easie pain which should be for his great honour to impose an easie Tribute upon Austria upon which Conditions he was content to enter into League with them but if so be that those Conditions seemed unto them too heavy and that they would rather make choice of War than Peace he would bring to pass by continual War that such things as they had taken from the Kingdom of Hungary should be requited with the destruction of Austria But the Embassadors although they were much moved at the proud Demand of Tribute for Austria as that wherein the two Brethren of mighty power Charles the Emperor and King Ferdinand were disdainfully abused to keep the best course of their Negotiation and to win some time in so hard estate of things required a Truce until such time as King Ferdinand and the Emperor his Brother might be made acquainted with the matter Which their request the Turk perceiving their drift and purpose would in no case grant for Winter was now fast coming on It was lawful for the Embassadors all the time they were in the Turks Camp to view every part thereof Rustan
to the worshipping of the true God and to enjoy the favour and bounty of the most mighty Emperor and withal to revenge himself of the cruel Tyrant Barbarussa for the unnatural Villany done unto his person But if he would needs daily on the time and make proof of the strength of so great preparation he should undoubtedly with the rest of his Followers receive the same reward of his obstinacy which they had to the example of others received at Tunes Whereunto the ungracious Eunuch answered That he thought him altogether mad that would follow his Enemies Council and with a grinning countenance askt him Upon what hope the Emperor trusted to be able to win the City the Messenger pointing with his finger directly to the Fleet told him That which you see with his great Artillery and Valour of his Souldiers both Horse and Foot whereat the Eunuch scornfully laughing replied And we with like Force and Valour will defend this City and make this place already famous for your overthrows here twice now the third time of all others most famous by the Emperors discomfiture It is reported That there was in Algiers an old Witch famous for her Predictions who had as it was said foretold the Shipwracks and misery of Didaco Verra and Hugo Moncada to them of Algiers and also prefixed a time when as the Christian Emperor adventuring to besiege that City should there receive great loss both by Sea and Land. The fame of which blind Prophecy serving fitly to confirm the hope of good success in the minds of the vulgar multitude Assan so fed and augmented although he himself being a crafty wise Fellow believed no such vanity that he did therewith not only encourage his own Souldiers but also struck a terror into the minds of the weaker sort of his Enemies seeing themselves cast upon so dangerous a Coast upon the approach of Winter There was in Garrison in the City but eight hundred Turks and most of them Horsemen but such as whose Valour and resolution far exceeded their number For Assan had lost many of his best men some in fight against Mendoza and othersome at Sea slain or taken by Auria in Corsica and in other places by the Rhodian Neapolitan and Sicilian Gallies but many more were by his leave gon to aid the Moors against the Portugals the other multitude did scarce make up the number of five thousand which were partly natural Moors born in that Country and partly such as were born in Granado to whom were joined many Fugitives out of the Islands of Majorca and Minorca who in former time having entred into Rebellion and fearing condign punishment were fled to Algiers and there revolted to the Mahometan Superstition But the Captains of the wild Numidians made up a great number both of Horse and Foot which lying stragling without the City in the open Fields should night and day vex and molest the Christians This brutish People naturally Enemies unto the Christians had Assan with rewards and hope of a rich Spoil allured out of the Countries thereabout to aid him neither was it lawful for any man to carry his Wife or Children out of the City into places of more safety farther off or to shew any small token of fear pain of death being by the imperious Eunuch proposed to whosoever should but look heavily for fear of danger or speak a word favouring of Cowardise The Emperor by Auria making choice of a most convenient place for landing his men laid his Gallies so close unto his tall Ships that his armed Souldiers might with ease come out of the high built Ships into them and so out of them into the long Boats to be forthwith set on shore And such was the speedy diligence of them that had the charge of that matter and the plenty of Boats still ready to receive the Souldiers as fast as they could come out of the Gallies that the Footmen were in a very short time all landed The Emperor having a little rested and refreshed his Souldiers divided his Army into three equal Battels which was in number about twenty thousand Footmen besides Horsemen and others who of their own voluntary Will then followed the Emperors Fortune Unto every Battel he appointed three Field-Pieces to terrifie the Numidian Horseman which were still pricking up and down about them ready to charge if they could take them at anyadvantage And so setting forward a few Furlongs encamped in a strong and convenient place near unto the City between two deep Ditches which the Water falling from the Mountains had naturally worn so deep that neither Horseman nor Footman could well pass over but by Bridge and fast by upon the left hand was an Hill from the top whereof it seemed the City might with great Ordnance well be battered The City of Algiers sometime the Royal Seat of the great King Iuba called of the Romans Iulia Caesarea is in form of a Triangle situate fast by the Sea towards the North having a Haven but neither great neither safe from the North-Wind The Houses farther off from the Sea stand in seemly order upon the rising of a steep Hill as it were upon degrees in such sort that the Windows of one row still overlooks the tops of the next beneath it into the Sea most beautiful to behold The Emperor having divided his Camp into three parts every Nation by themselves lying on the East side of the Town was in great hope to win it and the rather for that whilst he assaulted it on that side his Ships and Gallies from the North side might in time of the Assault with their great Ordnance beat the Enemy all alongst the Wall which still rising higher and higher according to the rising of the steep Hill could not conveniently be defended with one Bulwark as we see it may in plain ground Nearest unto the rising of the Hills lay the Spaniards in the midst the Germans with the Emperor and in the Plain nearest to the Sea the Italians In the mean time whilst the great Ordnance was landing and the Horses unshipping the Numidians with a hideous outcry shewed themselves upon the tops of the Mountains above the Spaniards and from thence easily gauled them with their Darts and Shot for they nimbly running too and fro in the known parts of the rough Mountains would suddainly and fiercely assail them but after the manner of their Nation skirmishing afar off rather than near at hand In which manner of light skirmishes all the day was spent until night with small danger but much trouble to the Spaniards And when night was come these wild People one Company still succeding another in the place they had before taken never left shooting for wheresoever they saw any Fire in the Spanish Camp thither came Arrows Darts and Stones flying as thick as Hail for remedy whereof the Spaniards were glad to put out their Fires and with silence to expect the day that
to think upon that horrid Wreck when as having lost so many Ships and they poor Men landed in Africk were in doubt however to return again into their native Countries Yet the notable courage of the Emperor still kept the distressed Men in hope which never altogether forsaketh wretched Men in the midst of their calamities for he with a couragious heart and chearful countenance performed all the parts of a provident and courteous General For when he had again made sure his Camp against the assaults of the Barbarians he commanded the wearied Captains especially the Duke of Alva wonderfully wearied in the late skirmish and dung wet to spare themselves and take their lest he comforted the wounded Men and caused them to be carried and cherished in the Tents which by chance yet stood for the tempestuous Wind had almost overthrown them all and so not sparing himself for any pains being in his Armor and through wet won the hearts of all his Souldiers the more In this conflict he lost about three thousand Men amongst whom was five of his forward Captains and three Knights of the Rhodes but many more were hurt The greatest loss was thought to be in loss of the Ships and of the Mariners which was also encreased by the loss of a wonderful deal of great Ordnance reckoned so much the greater for that it would come into the hands of the Moors to the common harm of the Christians so soon as the Sea would give them leave to dive for it Shortly after Auria as he was to foresee a Tempest a wonderful observer of the Sea of the Heavens and of the Clouds mistrusting that place departed with the remainder of the Fleet to the Cape called Metafusium because it was a place of safer riding for his Gallies and better for the taking in of the Souldiers advising the Emperor to march thither by Land. Which his Counsel the Emperor liking well of to relieve the hunger of his Souldiers commanded first all the draught-Horses which were first unshipped for the drawing of the great Ordnance and after them the Horses for service to be killed and divided for Meat among the Souldiers As for Wood to make Fire of they had plenty of the Planks and Ribs of the broken Ships Fortune as it were with that one poor benefit recompensing so many calamities The next day the Emperor departed from Algiers with his Army divided into three Battels the sick and wounded Men being received into the middle and when he had marched seven miles the Enemies Horsemen still hovering about him he came to a heady Brook which the Moors call Alcaraz which was grown so high with the abundant Rain and the check of the Wind and of the Sea that being but a shallow thing before it was not now to be passed over by a good Horseman Wherefore the Emperor of necessity there encamped in such sort that lying with his Army in form of a Triangle two sides of his Army was defended with the Sea and the Brook and the other with a strong Guard of armed Men for he thought it not good to depart from the Sea a sure defence for his Army on the left hand to seek a Foord farther off Many adventuring to swim over were by the violence of the Stream carried away and drowned Wherefore the Emperor caused a Bridge to be made over it of the Masts and Sail-yards of the broken Ships which were by chance there taken up and so passed over the Italians and Germans The Spaniards marching higher up the Brook found a Foord whereby they passed over After which time the Turks pursued them no further being called back again by Assan their Governour as for the Moors and Numidians which still followed at hand always ready to skirmish they were easily repulsed by the Harquebusiers and Field-pieces appointed to every Nation but upon such sick and wounded Men as were not able to keep way with the Army they exercised all manner of cruelty for there was none which in that small hope possessed with fear of their own safety was greatly moved with the compassion of their Fellows misery The next day passing over another little River which the Souldiers waded over up to their Brests they came in three days march to the Rode where the Fleet lay and encamped in the Ruins of the old City Tipasa near unto the Sea side which served them in stead of a Fortress against the Barbarians The Sea was now calm the Wind laid and the Weather so faiâ— that all Men thought the Souldiers might now well be embarked and transported into Europe wherefore the Emperor to the great joy of the whole Army commanded every Man to make himself ready to go aboord in such sort that first the Italians next the Germans and last of all the Spaniards should be embarked but so many Ships and Gallies as is before said being lost by Shipwreck it was thought that those which were leâ—t were not able to receive the whole Army although it was crowded together as close as were possible Wherefore the Emperor commanded the Masters and owners of the Ships to cast all the Horses overboord into the Sea reputing it an unmerciful part to prefer the safegard of those Horses although they were of great worth before the life of the basest common Souldier or Horse-boy in his Camp. Which thing much grieved the minds of the Noblemen and Owners of those goodly Beasts not only for that they were not without extream necessity for the present deprived of such an inestimable Treasure but should for ever as they said lose the most notable race of Horses in Spain there with grief and vain compassion was to be seen goodly Horses of service bearing up their proud Heads swimming all about the Sea unto the Ships nearest unto them for safegard as if it had been to the Shore and in the end wearied with long swimming to be there drowned But scarce half the Souldiers were yet embarked when the East and North-East Wind and straitways after divers contrary Winds almost as great as the first rose whereupon the Ships which had already taken in the Souldiers not expecting any command for fear of being driven upon the Rocks directed their Course according as the Wind carried them with full Sails alongst the Coast They were quickly out of sight and dispersed with the Tempest some into one Country some into another carrying the Fame of that Shipwreck and the report that all was lost into the Islands of the Mediterranean and Ports of Italy The force of this Tempest was so great and the Billows went so high that some of the Ships were in the sight of their Fellows swallowed up of the Sea. But amongst the rest two Spanish Ships full of Souldiers were by wonderful mishap by contrary Winds driven again to Algiers and there set fast upon that fatal Shore where the Numidian Horsemen with a multitude of Moors following them came running
that they should without delay yield up the City and put themselves wholly to the mercy of Solyman So the Spaniard being there staid himself writ to Liscanus how he had sped willing him forthwith if he loved his own safety to yield the City without standing upon further terms Liscanus upon receit of these Letters coming forth to the Souldiers declared unto them the necessity of yielding up of the Town and what hope there was to escape with life and liberty But whilst the Souldiers filled with indignation stood as Men in doubt what to do Halis Commander of the Janizaries came unto the Gate and with chearful rather than stern countenance required to have it opened unto him according to the agreement made by Salamanca in the Camp which was forthwith opened by Liscanus and the Keys delivered unto him The Janizaries entring peaceably into the City possessed themselves of the Walls and Fortresses round about commanding the Christian Souldiers to give place out of whom they chose all the beardless Youths and commanded the rest to cast down their Harquebusies and other Weapons in a place appointed which they all for fear did expecting nothing but some cruel execution to be done upon them by the barbarous Enemy Which their fear was the more encreased by a strange accident then unluckily chancing for whilst the Souldiers did as they were commanded with their Harquebusies cast their Flasks full of Powder also one of them suddainly took fire of a Match which was by chance cast in amongst them with fire in it which firing the rest blew about all that heap of Weapons among the Turks which so filled them with anger and fear of some suddain Treachery that they fell upon the Christians and slew divers of them until such time as Halis perswaded that it was a thing hapned rather by chance than malice commanded his Janizaries to stay their fury This tumult appeased Halis caused proclamation to be made That all such Christian Souldiers as would serve Solyman in his Wars should have such place in his Army as their quality required with bountiful entertainment yet of all the Christian Souldiers were found only seventy which careful of their lives accepted the offer fearing that the Turks would upon such as refused exercise their wonted cruelty Halis entertaining them courteously sent them away with the other youths whom he had before culled out down the River to Buda the other Souldiers he took into his protection and used their labour to help the Turks to make clean the Castle But Liscanus who to save his Gold had made Shipwreck of his honour and reputation was glad to give unto Halis the fair Chain of Gold which he had most covetously and insolently before taken from Perenus when as Halis who would otherwise have taken it from him by force by way of military courtesie now craved it of him as a strange kind of ornament among the Turks with which gift he was in hope to have saved the rest of his Coyn. But fortune favoured not so much the covetous Coward for when he was about to depart away with his Horses of service which he kept very good and had cunningly stuffed the Saddles full of Gold thinking so slily to have conveyed it the Turk laughing at him took from him his Horses furnished as they were saying That he which was to go by Water needed no Horses So was the covetous Wretch at once quit of the great Wealth which he had in long time evil got The Captains with the rest of the Souldiers dispoiled of the Arms were conveyed over the River of Danubius and so travelled on foot to Possonium where the Count Salme by the commandment of the King apprehended Liscanus Salamanca and some other of the Captains for suspicion of Treason and committed them to safe custody there to answer for their cowardly yielding up of the City Solyman entred into Strigonium the tenth of August in the year 1543. and there converting Christian Churches into Temples for the Mahometan Superstition first sacrificed for his Victory as he had before done in Buda and after with all speed so strongly fortified the City as if he would thereby for ever have taken from the Christians all hope of recovering the same again deriding the slothful negligence of the Germans who possessed of it fourteen years had neglected all that time to fortifie it Not long after Solyman leaving Ossainus a valiant Captain Governour of Strigonium and sending his Tartarian Horsemen to spoil the Country on the left hand as far as Alba Regalis went himself to besiege the Castle of Tatta called in ancient time Theodota The Garrison Souldiers terrified with the loss of Strigonium and the sight of the Turks Army upon the first summons yielded the Castle without resistance and were so suffered quietly to depart That Castle after the manner of the Turkish Discipline who with few and those very strong Holds keep their Provinces in subjection was by Solymans commandment presently rased down to the Ground Torniellus General of the Italians caused Hanibal Captain of the Castle to have his Head struck off for his cowardly yielding up of the place he had taken charge of thereby to admonish others which had the charge of strong places not to refuse an honourable death in defence of their Country for fear of an ignominious death attending their Cowardise Tatta thus laid in the Dust Solyman marched with his Army towards Alba surnamed Regalis for that the Kings of Hungary by an ancient custom used there to be Crowned and also buried Buda Strigonium and Alba Regalis three princial Cities of the Kingdom of Hungary stand in manner of a Triangle almost equally distant one from another about a hundred miles in compass Buda and Strigonium are situate upon the River of Danubius but Alba standeth more into the Land strongly seated in the midst of a great Lake but not so wholsomely especially in the Summer time the Winter Waters then decreasing and gross vapours arising with the heat of the Sun. From the City through the Marish or Lake unto the firm Land lie three broad and high Causeys in manner of the streaks of a Cart-wheel well built with fair Houses and Gardens on either side and a broad way in the middle whereby Men pass in and out of the City At the end of every Causey toward the Land were cast up strong Bulwarks which the Citizens used not to watch but in dangerous times of War so that by these Bulwarks the Houses of the Suburbs standing upon these Causeys were safe from the danger of the Enemy the Lake filling up all the spaces betwixt the Causeys which what for the Depth what for Mud Flags and Bulrushes growing in it was not by Horse or Man to be passed through And the City it self standing in the midst of the Lake compassed round about with a strong Wall and a deep Ditch always full of Water was hardly to
the Turks who live of the Revenues of the Church of them there was in the Army thirteen thousand who had at Constantinople vowed their Lives for their Superstition Out of Thracia and Peloponesus were come two Colonels and one Lieutenant with twelve hundred Horsemen and three thousand five hundred Volunteers out of divers Countries There also Pial Bassa Solymans Admiral took view of the Fleet wherein were found a hundred and thirty Gallies two and twenty Ships for burthen some greater some lesser besides one that was cast away near unto Methone where was lost six thousand Barrels of Powder thirteen thousand great Shot and four hundred Spahi besides these there were ten Gallies from the Rhodes commanded by Halyport a Man of seventy years two Gallies from Mitylene and about seventeen Galliots and other small Pyrats Ships With this strong Fleet the Turks departing from Methone the thirteenth of May arrived at Malta the eighteenth of the same Month and put into a Haven in the North-East part of the Isle which the Inhabitants call Marzasiroc but perceiving themselves not to be there in safety they removed to another Port called Major The Island of Malta lying betwixt Africa and Sicilia might be doubted whether it were to be accounted in Africk or Europe but that the ancient Cosmographers and the Moors Language which the Malteses have always used claim it for Africk it is in length from the North-East to the South-West twenty Miles and in the broadest place twelve It regardeth Africk Southward over against Leptis Parva and Sicilia towards the North but more towards Pachinum than Lilybeum and is in circuit about threescore Miles It seemeth to have taken the name of Melita of Mel or Hony whereof it yieldeth plenty The Trees there bear Fruit twice a year and they have oftentimes twice Harvest especially of Barly and Cotten Wool yet is the Isle in some places stony gravelly and bare of Wood nevertheless it beareth Figs Apples Almonds Grapes and other Fruit Trees planted by the industry of Man Date Trees also but not fruitful it beareth Thistles of such bigness that the Inhabitants use them for Wood fresh Water is there wonderful scarce and such Wells as they have are filled with Rain in Winter for in Summer they are either clean dry or else the Water becometh brakish The Inhabitants are so burnt with the Sun that they differ little in colour from the Aethiopians they are of a wholesome constitution of Body spare of Diet industrious rather painful than Warlike dying more for Age than of Sickness their Buildings except it be in the City which is in the midst of the Island and in the Suburbs are long and low like unto the Moors covered with Turf or Reed It is commonly supposed that Saint Paul was by Shipwrack cast upon this Island but it is with greater reason to be thought that it was the other Melita in the Adriatick betwixt Corcyra and Illyria and better agreeth with that which Luke writeth of the Apostles Trouble and Shipwrack in the Adriatique out of which Sea it is not to be gathered by the Text that Paul and the rest were driven But again to our purpose That side of Malta which respecteth Sicilia hath in it many good Harbors and commodious Havens fit for shipping where besides the Port of Marzasiroc towards the East where the Turks Fleet first landed and the Port of Saint Thomas with another called Scala not far off it hath two other notable Havens the one called Major and the other Marzamoxet divided the one from the other by a narrow piece of ground which with a ridg runneth in length from the South to the North almost in manner of an Island having the Haven Major on the East Marzamoxet on the West Upon the head of this high ridg standeth the Castle of Saint Elmo of great strength both by Nature and Art. As a Man entreth into the Haven Major upon the left hand are four Promontories pointing far into the Haven on that side almost in manner of Islands making so many Bays upon the first standeth the Gallows whereof also it taketh name upon the very point of the second on a rough and high Rock standeth a most strong Castle called the Castle of Saint Angelo whereunto adjoyned the Town separated from the Castle only with a Wall and a Ditch and is placed in a hollowness cut out of the main Rock strengthened also with the Sea and the industry of Man and is of some called the Burg of others the new City in this Castle resideth the Grand Master and the Souldiers in the Burg upon the third Promontory standeth another strong Castle which they call also the Burg of Saint Michael the fourth Promontory is not inhabited from whence the Sea runneth alongst the winding Banks almost into the midst of the Island unto a place called Aqua Marfia Again after the Port Marzamoxet Westward is the Harbor of Saint George and after that another called Bennorrat then followeth the Port Saint Paul no less than the Port Marzasiroc after which cometh the Port called Salinarum Sinus but on that side of the Island towards Africk is only one Port called Milliaria near unto the Island of Malta lie certain other little Islands as Gauloso now Goza two other called Cuminia and another called Piper all subject to the Malteses Thus much I have thought good to set down concerning the Turks Fleet and for the description of those places wherein this great action was performed the brute whereof then filled the World. Now shall it not be amiss in like manner to declare upon what strength next unto God Valetta the Grand Master stood against so mighty and puissant an Enemy First there was in the Island athousand and three hundred Mercenaries some Spaniards some French some Florentines and the rest of Naples there was also a thousand Seamen of the Knights Fleet and five hundred in the Town of Saint Angelo and of the Country People which were fled into the strong places five thousand Men not altogether unskilful of the Wars there were also five hundred Knights of the Order besides Priests and Squires for of these three sorts of Men are they which are called Brethren of the Order This was the number of them which defended the Castles and Towns of Saint Elmo Saint Angelo and Saint Michael whereunto they were proportionably divided and in the City it self which is called Melita being in the middle of the Island was two hundred Souldiers and as many Citizens with three hundred of the Country People all Horsemen commanded by Io. Vagno a valiant Captain Besides this every place was furnished with plenty of Victual Armor Weapons Artillery and whatsoever else was needful for the enduring of a long Siege and a War that should want many things and that which passed all the rest Minds armed with invincible Courage against whatsoever should chance which oftentimes maketh of the vanquished Victors All these things
to honour them with their Presence to the Palace putting themselves in readiness betimes in the Morning and taking Horse set forward toward the Court. The formost were they that did bear the Present in their hands the people of the City in every Street flocking together in exceeding multitudes to behold them as they passed and verily there had been seldom times seen the like Embassage in those parts for besides the Fame that was blown abroad in every quarter That they were Men sent from one of the greatest Princes in Christendom the diversity of their Attire so few as they were more than any thing beside did represent the Majesty of the Christian Emperor to them that gazed upon his Embassadors and their Train the people conceiving thereby that he was Lord and Ruler over many Provinces and Countries For they that were Hungarians belonging to the Bishop of Agria the chief Embassador being attired in long and sober Garments of very fine Purple-Cloth having their Shoos pieced over the soles with Iron-Plates and half their Heads shaven seemed to differ from them but little but on the other side the High-Dutch attired in black with their Velvet Caps and short Clokes laid with Silver Lace and long Breeches little less than Rutter-wise and Chains of Gold about their Necks appeared very strange and uncouth to the Turkish people so accompanied in this honourable wise the Embassadors entred the first Gate of the Great Turks Palace This Gate is built of Marble in most sumptuous manner and of a stately height with certain words of their Language in the front thereof ingraven and gilt in Marble So passing through the base Court which hath on the right side very fair Gardens and on the left divers Buildings serving for other Offices with a little Moschy they came to the second Gate where all such as come in riding must of necessity alight here so soon as they were entred in at this second Gate they came into a very large Square Court with Buildings and Galleries round about it the Kitchins standing on the right hand with other Lodgings for such as belonged to the Court and on the left hand likewise Rooms deputed to like Services There are moreover many Halls and other Rooms for resort where they sit in Council handling and executing the Publick Affairs either of the Court or of the Empire with other matters where the Bassaes and other Officers assemble together Entring in at this second Gate in one part of the Court which seem'd rather some large Street they saw the whole Company of the Solaches set in a goodly rank which are Archers keeping always near unto the Person of the Great Turk and serving as his Footmen when he rideth they use high Plumes of Feathers which are set bolt upright over their Foreheads In another place there stood the Capitzi in like Array with black Staves of Indian Canes in their hands they are the Porters and Warders of the Gates of the Palace not much differing in their Attire from the Janizaries who stood in rank likewise in another quarter And beside all those with many more that were out of order as well of the Court as of the common people those Knights of the Court which accompanied the Embassadors thither with other great Ones also of like degree were Marshalled all in their several Companies And among the rest the Mutfarachaes Men of all Nations and all Religions for their Valour the only free men which live at their own liberty in the Turkish Empire stood there apparelled in Damask Velvet and Cloth of Gold and Garments of Silk of sundry kinds and colours their Pomp was great and the greater for the Turbants that they wore upon their Heads being as white as whiteness it self made a most brave and goodly shew well worth the beholding In brief whether they were to be considered all at once or in particular as well for the order that they kept as for their sumptuous presence altogether without noise or rumor they made the Embassadors and the rest of their Followers there present eye-witnesses both of their Obedience and of the great State and Royalty of the Othoman Court. Passing through them the Embassadors were led into the Hall where the Bassaes and other great Men of the Court were all ready to give them Entertainment they of their Train being at the same time brought into a Room that stood apart under one of the aforesaid Lodgings all hung with Turky-Carpets Soon after as their use and manner is they brought in their Dinner covering the ground with Table-Cloths of a great length spread upon Carpets and afterward scattering upon them a marvelous number of wooden Spoons with so great store of Bread as if they had been to feed 300 persons then they set on Meat in order which was served in 4â— great Platters of Earth full of Rice-pottage of three or four kinds differing one from another some of them seasoned with Honey and of the colour of Honey some with sour Milk and white of colour and some with Sugar they had Fritters also which were made of like Batter and Mutton beside or rather a dainty and toothsome morsel of an old sodden Ewe The Table if there had any such been thus furnished the Guests without any Ceremony of washing sate down on the ground for Stools there were none and fell to their Victual and drank out of great earthen Dishes Water prepared with Sugar which kind of Drink they call Zerbet But so having made a short repast they were no sooner risen up but certain young Men whom they call Giamoglaâ—s with others that stood round about them snatcht it hastily up as their Fees and like greedy Harpies ravened it down in a moment The Embassadors in the mean time dined in the Hall with the Bassaes. And after dinner certain of the Capitzies were sent for and twelve of the Embassadors Followers before appointed to do the Great Sultan Reverence by whom their Presents being already conveyed away they were removed out of the place where they dined and brought on into an under Room from whence there was an ascent into the Hall where the Bassaes were staying for the Embassadors who soon after came forth and for their ease sat them down upon the Benches whilst the Bassaes went in to Selymus who before this time had made an end of Dinner and was removed in all his Royalty into one of his Chambers expecting the coming of the Embassadors All things now in readiness and the Embassadors sent for they set forward with their Train and came to the third Gate which leadeth into the Privy-Palace of the Turkish Emperor where none but himself his Eunuchs and the young Pages his Minions being in the Eunuchs custody have continual abiding into which inward part of the Palace none entreth but the Capitzi Bassa who hath the keeping of this third Gate and the Cesigniers that serve in the Turks Meat with the
Bassaes and some few other great Men and that only when they have occasion so to do by reason of some great business or sent for by the Sultan Being entred in at this Gate which is of a Stately and Royal Building the Capitzi by whom they were conducted suddenly caused them to stay and set them one from another about five Paces in a little Room which nevertheless was passing-delicate all curiously painted over with divers colours and stood between the Gate and the more inner Lodgings On both sides of which Room when all things else were whist and in a deep silence certain little Birds only were heard to warble out their sweet Notes and to flicker up and down the green Trees of the Gardens which all along cast a pleasant shadow from them as if they alone had obtained Licence to make a noise Selymus himself was in great Majesty set in an under Chamber parted only with a Wall from the Room wherein the Embassadors Followers attended whereinto he might look through a little Window the Portal of his said Chamber standing in counterpoint with the third Gate above mentioned The Embassadors entring in were led single and one after another to make their Reverence unto the Great Turk And in the mean time certain of the Capitzi with the Presents in their hands fetching a compass about before the Window mustered them in his sight All this while not the least sound in the World being raised but a sacred silence kept in every corner as if men had been going to visit the holiest place in Ierusalem Yet for all that the Embassadors Followers placed one from another as is aforesaid were not aware that the great Sultan was so near looking still when they should have been led on forwards all together howbeit they were fet in one after another neither did they that were so fet out return again into the Room but having severally done their Reverence were all except the Embassadors that still staid in the Chamber by one and one sent out another way into the Court neither could he that came after see his Fellow that went before him after he was once taken in to do his Reverence but suddenly as the former was let out the next was advanced forward to the door where Isman the Capitzi-Bassa and the Odda-Bassa taking him by both Arms and by the Neck the one at the right hand and the other at the left and so leading him apace by the way softly felt his wrists with their hands leâ—t peradventure he might have some short Weapon in his sleeve Yet were they not all thus groped as Marc. Antonio Pigafetta the Reporter of this Negotiation saith of himself and some others also Howbeit this hath been and yet is the manner of giving of Access unto the Person of the Great Turk ever since that Amurath the First was after the battel of Cassova murdered by one of Lazarus the Despots men who admitted to his Presence in revenge of the wrong done unto his Master with a short Poniard that he had closely hidden about him so stabbed him in the Belly that he presently died And thus like men rather carried to prison by Sergeants than to the Presence of so mighty a Monarch they were presented unto his Majesty he sitting upon a Pallat which the Turks call Mastabe used by them in their Chambers to sleep and to feed upon covered with Carpets of Silk as was the whole floor of the Chamber also The Chamber it self being not very great was but dark altogether without Windows excepting that one whereof we have before spoken and having the Walls painted and set out in most fresh and lively Colours by great cunning and with a most delicate grace yet use they neither Pictures nor the Image of any thing in their painting The six Visier Bassaes before mentioned were standing at the left hand as they entred in at the Chamber door one by another in one side of the Chamber and the Embassadors on the right hand on the other side standing likewise and uncovered The Dragomans were in another part of the Chamber near the place where the Sultan sat gorgeously attired in a Robe of Cloth of Gold all embroidered with Jewels when as the Embassadors Followers by one and one brought before him as is aforesaid and kneeling on the ground a Turk standing on his right hand with all Reverence taking up the Hem of his Garment gave it them in their hands to kiss Selymus himself all this while sitting like an Image without moving and with a great State and Majesty keeping his countenance dained not to give them one of his looks This done they were led back again never turning their backs towards him but going still backwards until they were out of his Presence So after they had all thus made their Reverence and were departed out of the Chamber the Embassadors delivered unto Selymus the Emperors Letters and briefly declared unto him their Message whom he answering in four words as That they were to confer with his Bassaes presently they were dismissed And so coming out of the two inner Gates they mounted on Horseback and took the way leading towards their Lodging being at their return accompanied with the whole order of the Janizaries with their Aga and other Captains among whom were certain of their Religious Men called Haagi which use to follow the Janizaries who continually turning about and in their going singing or rather howling out certain Psalms and Prayers for the Welfare of their Great Sultan gave the Embassadors and their Followers occasion to wonder that they either left not for weariness or fell not down like Noddies for giddiness All these were sent the more honourably to accompany the Embassadors to their Lodging and beside these many more on Horseback than attended them at their coming forth in regard whereof the Embassadors when they were come to their Lodging to require their greedy courtesie frankly distributed amongst them above four thousand Dollars and yet well contented them not The Embassadors after this Entertainment at Court had divers times Conference with the great Bassaes concerning Peace as Selymus had commanded wherein by reason of the Turks unreasonable Demands as their manner is at their first meetings nothing could be as then concluded so that Selymus himself being shortly after to depart for Hadrianople where he was to continue for some months but rather as it was thought for that they could not agree upon a Point of great Consequence the Treaty for Peace was intermitted until such time as a Messenger dispatched in Post might return unto the Turks Court with some resolute Answer concerning that matter So it was that during the Reign of the late Emperor Ferdinand that the Turk his Subjects in Hungary payed all their Taxes and Tributes unto their old Lords and Masters abiding and living in the Emperors Jurisdiction as did the Subjects of Ferdinand to their Lords that dwelt in the Turks Dominion
the Senate should of that so honourable a Decree reap such commendation as the Event thereof should afford than which nothing is more unreasonable if things fell out well then it was wisely and worthily done if otherwise than was it like to be reputed a foolish rash and woful resolution The greater the danger was now feared from the angry Turk the more careful were the Venetians of their State wherefore they forthwith sent Messengers with Letters unto the Governors of Cyprus charging them with all carefulness and diligence to make themselves ready to withstand the Turk and to raise what power they were able in the Island not omitting any thing that might concern the good of the State and at the same time made choise of their most valiant and expert Captains both by Sea and Land unto whom they committed the defence of their dispersed Seigniory with the leading of their Forces Hieronimus Zanius was appointed Admiral Lucas Michael was sent into Crete Fransciscus Barbarus into Dalmatia Sebastianus Venerius into Corcyra all Men of great Honour Experience and Valour Other meaner Captains were also sent with less charge into the aforesaid places as Eugenius Singliticus a noble Gentlemen with a thousand Footmen into Cyprus who had also the leading of all the Horsemen in the Island after whom Count Martinengus promised to follow with two thousand Footmen more The strong Cities were now by the Venetians in all places new fortified Armor Ordnance and Victual provided and whatsoever else they thought needful for defence of their State. And forasmuch as they well knew they had to do with too mighty an Enemy they by their Embassadors sent for that purpose earnestly solicited most of the Christian Princes to joyn with them in League and to give them aid against the common Enemy who as he was too strong for any one of them so was he not able to stand against their united Forces But the Emperor Maximilian excused himself by the League he had not long before made with the Turk for eight years which he said he might not break yet he had before his Eyes a most pregnant example what small reckoning the Turk maketh of his Faith and League which he without any just cause had broken with the Venetians The like excuse used also Charles the French King and Sigismund King of Polonia who both seemed to be very sorry for that the Venetians were fallen out with the Turk but could not help them for that they were in League with the Turkish Emperor Nevertheless the French did them the Courtesie to offer himself to be a Mediator if they so pleased betwixt them and Selymus The young King of Portugal Don Sebastian pretended also for his excuse the great Plague which had but a little before raged in his Kingdom and much diminished his People as also that he was to maintain Wars by Sea against the Turks in the East-Indies to the no less benefit of the Christian Common-weal than if he should aid the Venetians in the Pope Only Pius Quintus then Pope and Philip King of Spain with certain of the Princes of Italy namely Philibert Duke of Savoy Guido Udebaldus Duke of Urbin Cosmus Medices Duke of Florence and the Knights of Malta promised them aid which they afterward most honourably performed Selymus of himself angry with the Venetians and firm in his resolution for the Conquest of Cyprus was upon the report of Cubates his Embassadors bad entertainment at Venice further enraged he deemed the Maiesty of the Turkish Emperor contemned and himself in the person of his Embassador disgraced seeing that they whom he had thought would have yielded unto any thing rather than the League should have been broken had sent him such a short answer and so contemptuously used his Embassador unto whom they had not afforded so much as common Courtesie It did not a little move him also that the Venetians had in their Letters sent by his Embassador omitted the glorious Titles usually given the Turkish Emperors wherefore in some part to satisfie his angry mood he caused Marcus Antonius Barbarus the Venetian Embassador and all the Christian Merchants of the West throughout his Empire to be clapt up in prison and their Ships staied under an arrest And setting all other things apart set himself wholly for the preparing of such things as should be needful for the intended War. But forasmuch as the Island of Cyprus was the Prey whereafter the greedy Tyrant so much gaped and for which the bloody Wars betwixt the Turk and the Venetians with their Christian Confederats presently ensued it shall not be from our purpose to spend a few words in the describing thereof as the Stage whereon the bloody Tragedy following was as it were acted as also how it came first into the hands of the Venetians and by what right of them so long possessed although it be in some part before declared until it was now by Selymus the great Turk against all right injuriously demanded and at length by strong hand by him wrested from them This Island lieth in the farthest part of the Cilician Sea it hath on the East Syria on the West Pamphilia Southward it regardeth Egypt and Northward Cilicia now called Câ—ramania It is worthyly accounted amongst the greatest Islands of the Mediterranean containing in circuit four hundred and twenty seven miles and is in length after the description of Strabo an hundred and seventy five miles and in breadth not above sixty five It aboundeth with Corn Wine Oyl Cotton-Wool Saffron Hony Rosm Turpentine Sugar-Canes and whatsoever else is needful for the sustentation of Man whereof it sends forth great abundance to other Countries of whom it craveth no help again It was in ancient time called Macaria that is to say Blessed The People therein generally lived so at ease and pleasure that thereof the Island was dedicated to Venus who was there especially worshipped and thereof cally Cypria Marcellinus to shew the Fertility thereof saith That Cyprus aboundeth with such plenty of all things that without the help of any Forraign Country it is of it self able to build a tall Ship from the Keel to the top Sail and so put it to Sea furnished of all things needful And Sextus Rufus writing thereof saith Cyprus famosa divitiis paupertatem populi Romani ut occuparetur solicitavit ita ut jus ejus Insulae avarius magis quam injustius assecuti scil Cyprus famous for Wealth allured the Poverty of the People of Rome to lay hold upon it so that we have rather covetously than justly got the rule thereof In the heart of the Island standeth Nicosia sometime the Regal and late Metropolitical City thereof And in the East end thereof Famagusta sometime called Tamassus a famous rich City the chief and only Port of all that most pleasant Island Other fair Cities there be also as Paphos Amathus now called Limisso and Cyrene This Island of it self long time maintained the
the Peace was for which his discreet carriage of the matter his wisdom was highly by the whole Senate commended and he himself afterward honourably rewarded In the mean time the Commissioners at Rome after long consultation concluded a League which they wouâ—d have to be perpetual as well for invasive as defensive Wars against the Turks and was by solemn Oath confirmed by the Pope the King of Spain and the Venetian Senate the 24 day of May in the year 1571. For the execution of which League it was agreed upon That the Sea and Land Forces should consist of two hundred Gallies an hundred Ships fifty thousand Footmen and four thousand five hundred Horsemen with a proportionate quantity of great Artillery Victuals and other things necessary to be every year ready in March or at farthest in April to meet together at such a place in the East as should be unto them for that purpose appointed to be imployed as the Admirals saw cause and as the present state of things should require For maintenance of which charge it was agreed That the King of Spain should defray the one half and the other half to be divided into three equal parts whereof the Venetians should bear two parts and the Pope the third which if it should be too heavy for him then that remained by him undischarged to be divided into five parts whereof the King was to discharge three and the Venetians two The charge thus proportioned they took order also for the provision of Victuals to be at a reasonable price taken up in any the Confederates Dominions where the Army or Fleet should chance to stay yet so that it should be at the King of Spain his discretion out of his Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily first to take his provision for the victualling of Guletta Malta and his own Navy It was also agreed That if the King of Spain should at any time when as the Confederates had no common War invade Algiers Tripolis or Tunes that then the Venetians should of their own charge aid him with fifty Gallies well appointed as also That the King should in like manner and with like forces aid them as oft as they should by the Turks be invaded But if it should fortune the Roman Territory to be invaded that then the aforesaid Princes should be bound with all their Forces to the uttermost of their power to defend those places and the person of the Pope And that in managing of the Confederate War the three Armirals should confer together of all matters and whatsoever the greater part should agree upon that to be reputed as agreed upon by them all That Don Iohn of Austria Charles the Fifth his natural Son and Brother to the King should have the chief command of the Forces both at Sea and Land but not to display his own Ensign but the common Ensign of the Confederates Also that such places as should be gained from the Turk by the Confedeâ—â—te Army should be divided amongst the Confederate Princes excepting Tunes Algiers and Tripolis which should remain only to the King of Spain That all controversies arising amongst the Generals should be decided by the Pope unto whom the Venetians should lend twelve Gallies furnished of all things saving Men and Victuals which the Pope should of his own charge supply Which Gallies at the end of the War he should again deliver in such case as they then were That an honourable place should be left for Maximilian the Emperor the French King the King of Polonia and the King of Portugal to enter into this League whom with the rest of the Christian Princes it should beseem the Pope to stir up in so good a Quarrel and that it should not be lawful for any the aforesaid Confederate Princes to entreat of Peace or enter into League without the knowledge and consent of the other Confederates And for the better proceeding of all things it was agreed That ever in Autumn the Confederate Princes should by their Embassadors at Rome consult of the next years Wars and according as the time and occurents should require to determine whether their Forces were to be encreased or diminished This League thus at length with much ado concluded was not long after in Iune with great Pomp and Triumph openly proclaimed in Rome Venice and Spain to the great joy of the greatest part of Christendom Whilst these things were in doing the Veneans the more to intangle the Turk thought it good to make proof if they might by any means stir up Tamas the Persian King to take up Arms against him who as he was a Prince of great power so did he exceedingly hate the Turks as well for the difference betwixt the Persians and them about matters of their vain Superstition as for the manifold injuries he had oftentimes sustained There was one Vincent Alexander one of the Secretaries for the State who having escaped out of Prison at Constantinople was but a little before come to Venice a wary wise Man and of great experience who for his dexterity of Wit and skilfulness in the Turkish Language was thought of all others most fit to take in hand so great a matter He having received Letters and Instructions for the Senate and furnished with all things necessary travelling throuâ—h Germany Polonia and the Forests of Moesia in Turkish attire came to Moncastron a Port Town upon the side of the Euxine or Black-Sea at the mouth of the great River Boristhenes where he embarked himself for Trapezond but was by a contrary Wind driven to Sinope a City of great Traffick from whence he travelled by rough and broken Ways to Cutay keeping still upon the left hand because he would not fall upon any part of the Turks Army which was then marching towards Cyprus through all those Countries nevertheless he fell upon a part thereof from which he with great danger rid himself being taken for a Turk and by blind and troublesome Ways through Rocks and Forests arrived at length at Erzirum a strong City of the Turks then upon the Frontiers of the Turks Dominions toward the Georgians This Journey of Alexanders was not kept so secret but that it was vented at Constantinople by a Spy who under the colour of friendship haunting the Venetian Embassadors House at Pera had got certain knowledge of the going of Alexander into Persia. Whereupon certain Curriers were sent out with all speed to beset the three straight Passages into Persia whereby it was supposed he must of necessity pass with certain Notes also of the favour of the Man of his Stature and other Marks whereby he was best to be known But he in so dangerous a Country doubting all things and fearing such a matter leaving his Company behind him with incredible celerity posted from Erzirum to Tauris and was a great way gon before the Turks Curriers came into those Quarters who yet hearing of him followed after as far as they durst but
all Men being demanded their opinions with most substantial reasons declared the necessity of giving Battel and that it was not so dangerous as to be therefore shunned or delaied forsomuch as that violent Enemy was far easier to be dealt withall at Sea than by Land where he must fight without his hugh multitude of Men the Turks chief hope and only means whereby they have obtained so many Victories against the Christians And so concluded their opinions with an effectual perswasion to set forward to Corcyra and without delay as occasion served to give the Enemy Battel Which their opinion being generally well liked was shortly after by the General and the rest approved and a resolution set down for the giving of Battel which was no sooner known but there was general rejoycing through the Army every Man chearfully preparing himself to lay down his life in the publick defence of the Christian Common-weal and that with such an earnest desire of Battel that every day seemed now nothing also but a delay of a most assured Victory Yet before they should come into the sight of the Enemy the three Admirals thought it good to bring forth the Fleet into the Sea and there to martial the same in such sort as if they should even then presently have joyned Battel to the intent that by such orderly disposing of their Fleet and by appointing unto every Man his place he was to keep they might so acquaint them with the order of the Battel as that they should when time served of themselves without farther direction martial themselves and so more readily enter into Battel The next day the Admirals brought forth their Fleets into the open Sea in the right Wing which consisted of three and fifty Gallies was Auria placed In the left Wing was Augustinus Barbadicus with the like number of Gallies also And in the middle Battel stood the General with seventy Gallies On the right hand of the General stood Columnius and on the left Venerius his Associates Thus with equal front the Fleet set forward as if they should even presently have joyned Battel Betwixt the Wings and the middle Battel was left no more space but for three Gallies to row In the Rereward behind the General followed Requisenius the great Commander of Castile with his Gallies after Columnius followed the Admiral Gally of Genoa wherein was Alexander Farnesius Prince of Parma and behind Venerius came the Admiral Gally of Savoy and in her the Prince of Urbin in the space betwixt the middle Battel and the left Wing was placed Paulus Iordanus and betwixt the middle Battel and the right Wing was Petrus Iustinianus with the Gallies of Malta Upon the left Wing attended Anthonius Canalis and Quirinus on the right About half a mile behind all the rest followed Alvarus Bacianus Marquess of Sanâ—race and Admiral of the Neapolitan Fleet with thirty Gallies a Man of great experience in matters at Sea and now so placed to be at all times ready to relieve this or that part of the Fleet as the fortune of the Battel or impression of the Enemy should require The Christians had reposed great hope in six Galeasses which furnished with great store of Ordnance and certain select Companies of most resolute Souldiers seemed rather like Cattles than Ships These Galeasses conducted by Franciscus Dodus a most expert Captain were placed about a mile before the Fleet two of them before each Wing and the other two before the middle Battel so far distant one from another as that with equal space they answered the whole breadth of the front of the Fleet which was almost the space of five miles and served the same in stead of most strong Bulwarks The Gallies throughout the Fleet kept not close together but such a convenient distance one from another as might serve for them at liberty to discharge their Ordnance when time should require In the Wings as also in the main Battel were the Popes the Kings and the Venetian Gallies indifferently intermixed that by the equality of the danger they should have more care to relieve one another than if they had served apart Ioannes Cardonius a most valiant Captain with eight Gallies of Sicily and two Galliots was appointed to go ten miles before the Fleet to descry what he might of the Enemies doings and in his return to joyn the one half of his Gallies to the one Wing and the other half to the other In this sort they departed from Messina with purpose to seek out the Enemy and not long after came to Paxo where of a small broil at the first was like to have risen a great mischief for the next day whilst Don Iohn staied there to take a view of the Venetian Gallies and how they were furnished both of Men and Munition he finding them but weakly manned for supplying of that want appointed four thousand Spaniards and a thousand Italians to be put aboord into the Venetian Gallies where most need was Amongst these Souldiers was one Company under the command of Mutius Tortona their Captain a Man of an unquiet and furious Nature who going aboord the Gally of Andreas Calergus first fell to words with the Captain of the Gally and after much stir into plain fight so that in a trice they were altogether by the Ears as well the Souldiers as the Captains of all which stir Mutius was the only author Venerius being not far off and hearing of the matter sent the Captain of his own Gally to appease the tumult who thrusting himself into the midst of the furious multitude was by Mutius in his fury fouly entreated and divers of them that came with him shrewdly beaten Which thing Venerius himself also of an hot nature taking as done in disgrace of the Venetians and therewith exceedly moved to the terror of others caused Mutius and his Ensign-bearer to be hanged up at the Yards-arm of the same Gally to the great offence of all the Spaniards The General also taking this execution in evil part full of choler and indignation grievously complained That he himself as General was therein not a little wronged and that it became every Commander to know what belonged to his place and not to encroach upon his betters so should the conditions of the League be the better kept if every Commander could keep himself within the bounds of his own Authority Venerius he said whose authority was inferior unto his could not of right without his command determine any thing against Mutius a Spanish Captain And that therein his honour was empaired for which if he had not a publick and honourable amends he threatned by force of Arms to redress his wrong and the League being broken to carry away with him the Kings Gallies Neither wanted there some who favouring Don Iohn his quarrel and angry with the Venetians laied still more Coals on the fire that was already too great Hereunto Venerius sent word unto the
one thousand and of the Cilicians four thousand After whom followed the Souldiers of Graecia the Glory and Hope of all the Camp valiant Men to the number of ten thousand and after them the familiar and faithful Guard of the General ten thousand Ianizaries of Constantinople with Harquebuzes on their shoulders and Scimitars by their sides of the City also of Erzirum and the Jurisdiction thereof appeared four thousand under the Ensign of Beyran Bassa their General All these were Stipendaries to the Turkish Emperour unto whom other voluntary Adventurers joyned themselves in number not inferiour to the rest but better furnished and of greater Courage So that in this general survey of the Army were found about an hundred and ten thousand Men most part Horsemen yet was there not any stirred out of Arabia Egypt Affrica or Hungarie or other Places along the Sea Coasts neither were the Provinces from whence these Souldiers were drawn left destitute or unfurnished of their ordinary Garrisons Besides this multitude of Men. Mustapha brought with him five hundred small pieces of Artillery with many loads of Money for his Souldiers pay with further order for the taking up of more at Aleppo and other Places if his Occasions should so require He caused also great quantity of Corn to be transported by the great Sea called in ancient time Pontus Euxinus to Trapezond so to be conveyed to Erzirum being but four days Journey distant thence To be short having taken order for all things he thought necessary for the War he in seemly array departed from Erzirum and in eight days arrived at the Ruines of Chars and in the fruitful Country thereabout rested himself but was there surprised with such a violent Tempest of Wind and Rain as rent in sunder his Tents and did great harm by means whereof many fell sick and were constrained to forsake the Army Having stayed three days at Chars the Bounder of the Turkish and Persian Empires he departed thence with his Army and that evening lodged under the Mountains of Chielder supposed to be part of the Hills Periardo where hearing the Persians to be in Arms he thought it best for the security of his Army to pitch his Tents as that he might well discover the coming of the Enemy and not to be assaulted unawares And therefore planting himself in the Plain he gave order that Beyran Bassa of Erzirum should take Possession of a certain Hill on the right-Hand and Deruis the Bassa of Caramit should keep another Hill that stood on the left hand and with them Osman Bassa Mahomet Bassa Mustaffade Bassa adventurers with many others as well stipendary as voluntary men should likewise pitch their tents upon the same Hills in such sort as that they making as it were two Wings to the Camp might discover the comming of every man and yet he himself being shadowed with the two Hills might lie unperceived of any Mahamet the new King of Persia as yet scarcely settled in his Kingdom stirred up by the fame of these motions resolved in himself to stand upon the defence of his State and for a time to dissemble the conceived hatred which he bare to some of the Sultans of Persia and Princes of Georgia and to make some apparent shew that he was reconciled to them for that without them he could not promise unto himself any form of an Army or Defence wherein notwithanding all the troubled State of his Kingdom he wrought so cunningly that almost all the great men of account took upon them the Protection of his State and Kingdom And so Tocomac a Sultan the Chan and Governour of Reivan a famous man well known unto the Turks and of great Reputation amongst the Persians was chosen General of this Expedition with charge That the gathering together the greatest number of Men he could out of Atropatia out of Media the greater and other Places near unto the Turks he should by all means possible stop their passage into Georgia and Media Atropatia And thereupon Precepts were sent out into all parts of the Kingdom That all the Chans Sultans and Souldiers whatsoever should come ready prest to attend upon their new General Many obedient to the Kings Proclamation came but many there were that would not stir a foot for their Obstinacy in the Broyls begun and for the Suspition they had of unlooked for Mischiefs at whose Disobedience the King much grieved but now there was no Remedy but to make the best of the matter and for the safeguard of his Honour to make the best resistance they could So with those few which for the love of their Prince and Country were met together in those parts being in number not above twenty thousand Tocomac was dispatched about his Business if happily he might with these small Forces oppress the Enemy in some straight and troublesome Passage where the great multitude should rather serve to the confusion of themselves than to the help of one another These twenty thousand were all Horse-men armed with Scimitar and Bow with some Harquebuzers among and furnished with very fine and well tempered Armour but above all couragious they were and resolute and well the more for the Valour and Prowess of their General So provided of all things necessary they set forward and keeping the way of Tauris and Genge they came to the turning of Chars where they were advertised that the Enemies Army was already passed They were now come within a days Journey of Chielder when they sent quick and faithful Scouts to bring them certain News of the Condition and number of the Turks Army who came thither even at the very time that Mustapha was incamping his Army between the two Hills whereupon the two Bassaes Beyran and Deruis with their People had already pitched their Tents These Scouts discovering the Turkish host aloft perswaded themselves that there was not any other Battel than those which they saw upon the Hills whereof with all speed they could they returned News to Tocomac who at ease had followed these his Scouts a far off Tocomac thus misinformed by his Scouts of the number of his Enemies held on his way boldy with purpose to assault them and having discovered their Tents upon the Hills was throughly confirmed in the Opinion he had before conceived of the number of his Enemies and the Scouts relation and with so much the more confidence set forward to assail them But Beyran and Deruis who quickly from the Hills perceived the Persians coming in the Plain although they knew them to be men of great Courage yet reposing an assured Confidence in their Generals Battel with all speed mounted upon their Horses and ran to meet them So in the aforesaid Plains under Chielder within one hour after noon was joyned a most bloody Battel wherein at last were slain seven of the Turks Sanzacks with a very great number of Souldiers without any apparent loss at all among the Persians who fighting close
Whereupon they all suddenly in a tumult began with bitter Protestations to tell the General That their stipends wherewith it pleased the Sultan to favour them were not bestowed upon them to imploy their Forces and Virtues in such servile Works but only with their Swords and other Weapons to exercise that force and hardiness for which they were esteemed worthy of that Honour Whereunto the General answered in most haughty Terms and not yielding one jot to their Incivility but using all means of Authority and Terrour brought them to work so much as he desired So that within the space of twenty three days the Townes and Walls were erected the Ditches digged the Artillery orderly planted upon the Walls and the Water brought round about it Many Inconveniencies happened in the Army while they were busie in this work and namely upon the twenty fifth day of August when they had almost even finished the whole Building the Souldiers endured a most sudden cold by reason of the Snow that then fell in great abundance Chars thus fortified the General resolved to send Succours into Georgia to Teflis without which it was most certain that the Fortress would be yielded to the Georgians but in what sort to relieve it he remained doubtful To send part of his Army with some valiant Captain seemed dangerous and to go himself with all his Forces would â—ound as he thought to his discredit with his great Lord and Master whom he had already made believe that he had subdued the Georgians and brought all that Province to his Obedience and Devotion In this Ambiguity the desire he had to preserve his Credit with Amurath prevailed and so he made choice of Hassan Bassa Son to Muhamet principal Visier of the Court a gallant Gentleman and of great Valour to whom he delivered between eighteen and twenty thousand Souldiers joyning unto him one Resuan Captain of certain Adventurers that voluntarily offered themselves to follow the Forces of Hassan assigning unto him likewise forty thousand Duckets and many loads of Rice Meal and Barley with other things necessary both for Diet and War and so sent him away for Teflis Hassan with this charge set forward fully resolved to put these succours into Teflis or to lose all and at length came to the famous Streight of Tomanis where the over-grown Woods on the one side and the deep Vallies and craggie Rocks on the other would astonish a right constant Beholder When upon the sudden the Persians and the Georgians under the Conduct of Aliculi Chan and Simon at unawares set upon the Turks and joined Battel with them For these two valiant Captains remaining for the most part in the Borders of Teflis and Tomanis with 8000 Souldiers waiting for some Opportunity to annoy either them of the Fort of Teflis or else such as should come to their Succours understanding by their espials of the coming of Hassan with this aid had scattered themselves all along the said Streight in hope there to assail the Turks and holpen by the advantage of the Place to drive them headlong into the deep Valley and at once to bereave them both of their Goods and Life But Hassan careful of nothing more than how to avoid that danger chose rather to make his Journey through the thick Woods and so as he might to escape the ambush that the Enemy might lay for him upon that straight Passage And so entring with his Army into the Wood which he was to have left upon his left hand to discover what might be plotted against him he was hardly charged by the Enemy and constrained to fight with a thousand windings and turnings in and out through a thousand crooked Paths and doubtful Cranks in a most confused medly with great slaughter of his Men who not accustomed to this kind of Fight nor acquainted with the scituation of the place were in the skirmish driven fo far that down they fell and being not able to recover themselves were presently slain And thus with much ado he at length passed the Streight of Tomanis Hassan deeming himself much disgraced by suffering his Enemies in number so far inferior to have done him so much harm and so to have escaped his hands and further considering that in such Places sleights and stratagems more avail than open Forces burning with desire of revenge would needs stay near unto those Streights as if it had been to refresh his wearied Army but indeed to try if the Persians would adventure again to trouble him or no and appointed Resuan Bassa with certain Bands of the Souldiers of Graece and of his own Adventurers to lie in ambush within the covert of the Streight attentive to every stir of the Enemy Two days the Turks Army lay thus divided and were now resolved the third day to remove thence towards Teflis when as the Persian Captains Aliculi Chan and Simon vainly imagining that this stay of the Turks was for fear of the Persians foolishly returned and gave a fresh onset upon the flank of Hassans Squadrons Who forthwith raising all his Souldiers and giving a sign to Resuan with all speed compassed in his Enemies and straightning them on both sides took some of them alive cut in pieces other some and put all the rest to flight Among others that were taken alive was Aliculi Chan the Persian Captain who over-rashly charging upon the face of Hassan fell into his Hand The next day following being the eleventh day after Hassans departure from Chars he joyfully arrived at Teflis where he found among the poor besieged Turks many Miseries whereof some were already dead and some yet sick for they were so plagued with Famine that they not only devouâ—ed their Horses but even the very Skins of the same Horses of Sheep and of Dogs and in such most miserable wants had passed the time whom Hassan at his arrival comforted with Gifts and good Words exhorting them to persist constant in the service of their King whose Honour as he said was never more than there to be respected And for as much as the Souldiers of the Fort did with one Voice request Hassan to appoint them a new Governour because they did mislike Mahamet Bassa who the last year was left by the General in that Fort Hassan removed the said Mahamet and put Amet Bassa in his place and so after he had filled up the places of the dead Souldiers with a new supply and set all things in order he took his leave recommending the charge and custody of that Fort to their Trust and Valour Hassan returning from Teflis and being without any trouble come to the Streight of Tomanis was advertised by his Scouts That it was so strongly possessed by the Enemy and so shut up with Artillery as that it was not to be passed through for Simon thinking as indeed it fell out that Hassan would return that way had so belayed that Streight as that the Turks could not without most
his Hope and all his Protection did so greatly feaâ— his coming Wherefore to rid himself of that Fear he commanded twelve thousand Souldiers that changing their Weapons and Apparel they should go and lie in wait for Osman in the Borders between Cholchis and Iberia towards the Tartarian Nomades by which way he was to come and so making an assault upon him to bereave him of his Life Hoping that such an outrage once done could not or would not be imputed to his procurement but rather to the Tartar Nomades or to the Mengrellians or to the Georgians or to the Muscovites or to the Robbers by the High-way and to be short rather to any body else than to him This Commandment of the Tartar King was accordingly by the Souldiers put in Practice who without further stay joyned themselves together and so rode towards the Place appointed And now were the Messengers sent from Amurath come to Osman who presently put himself on his way towards Constantinople having left behind him at Derbent and Sumachia two Bassaes thought to be the most sufficient men in Seruania having also appointed very good orders in the same and an assured establishment of all those Countries and Places which Mustapha first had subdued and he himself had afterwards maintained under the Obedience of Amurath He had also provided for the safety of his own Person in passing those troublesome and dangerous Passages through which he was to travel by chusing out four thousand Souldiers which he had tried in divers Battels and brought up under his own Discipline through whose Valour he doubted not safely to pass through the Treacheries of the Albanians and the populous squadrons as well of the Tartarians as of the Mengrellians Thus departed he from Derbent and coasting along the Rocks of Caucasus that at all times of the year are all white and hoary with continual Snows leaving on his left hand Media Iberia and Cholchis and on the right hand the famous Rivers of Tanais and Volga even at his first entrance unto the Shores of the Euxine Sea he was by the above named twelve thousand Tartarians being apparelled like Theeves that lie upon those ways suddenly assailed and fought withall But like as an huge Rock lying open to Tempest and Waves standing fast and unmoveable in it self resisteth the thunderings and rushings of the great and fearful Billows so stood Osman fast and firm and couragiously sustained this treacherous assault turning the bold Countenances of his resolute Souldiers against the rebellious multitude of those traiterous Squadrons who as is their manner in the begining used great force but finding so stout resistance in those few whom they had thought with their only looks and shoutings to have put to flight they began at length to quail Which Osman quickly perceiving couragiously forced upon them and in a very short space and with a very small loss of his own put those Tartarians to flight killing a number of them and also taking many of them Prisoners by whom Osman was afterwards informed as the truth was that their King for fear that he had conceived lest when he came to Constantinople he would procure his Destruction from Amurath had sent this Army to seek his Death Of which Treason Osman caused a perfect process to be made together with the Dispositions of the Tartarian Prisoners which he sent the shortest way he could devise to Amurath at Constantinople with Letters declaring all that had passed inflaming him to revenge so dangerous an Injury and so wicked a Practice Amurath receiving these Advertisements from Osman according to the Necessity of the matter took order that Vluzales his Admiral with certain Gallies well appointed should pass over to Caffa to fetch Osman and withall to carry with him Islan a Brother of the Tartar Kings commanding Osman by Letters that he should to the terror of others put to death the treacherous King and place his Brother in his room This Tartar King was one of those mighty Princes who basely yielding to the Othoman Power led under them a most vile and troublesome Life as their Tributaries and Vassals always at command whose younger Brother Islan presuming of the sufficiency of himself and the favour of the People going to Constantinople became a Suiter unto the Turkish Emperour to have his eldest Brother thrust out of his Kingdom as a man for his evil Government hated of his Subjects and to be placed himself in his room Which his suit was so crossed by the Ambassadors of the King's Brother who spared for no cost in the behalf of their Master that the ambitious Youth was sent from the Turks Court to Iconium and there clapt fast up in Prison where apparelled like an Eremit he led his Life altogether conformable to his Misery with such a kind of external Innocency as if he had been void of all hope or ambitious desire of a Kingdom but rather like a forlorn and unhappy wretch with vain Affliction and impious Devotion to prepare himself to a laudable and honourable Death But whilst he thus lived sequestred from all worldly Cogitations upon the discovery of the King his Brothers Rebellion he was in more than post hast sent for to Constantinople and put into the Gallies bound for Caffa with Letters to Osman of the tenour aforesaid Now in the mean time Osman had by cunning means got into his hands this Tartar King being as is reported betrayed by his own Counsellors corrupted by the Turks Gold whom with his two Sons Osman upon the receit of the aforesaid Letters from Amurath caused to be presently strangled with a Bow-string and Islan his younger Brother to be saluted King in his Place yet as Vassal to Amurath This shameful death the usual reward of the Turkish Friendship was thought justly to have hapned unto his Tartar King for that he long before supported by Amurath had most unnaturally deposed his aged Father from that Kingdom just revenge now prosecuting his so great Disloyalty Osman embarked himself at the forenamed Gallies at the Port of Caffa passing over the Euxine Sea and entering into the Thracian Bosphorus arrived at Constantinople where he was received with great Pomp and singular significations of good Love. But with most evident and express kinds of Joy was he saluted by Amurath himself when by his own Speech and Presence he declared unto him every particularity of the matters that had hapned in his long and important Voyage and in lively manner represented unto him the Perils and Travels that he had passed and the Conquests that he had made in Siâ—uan After all which Discourses Amurath who longed after nothing more than to see the Persian King somewhat bridled and the famous City of Tauris brought under his own Subjection began to enter into Conference with Osman about that Enterprise and in the end would needs know throughly of him what issue he could promise him of this his desire and in what
Ferat Bassa he who sometime had the leading of Amurath's great Armies against the Persians who now departing from Constantinople came to Belgrade in April and there took the charge upon him Where at his first coming in the night time all the Ropes and Cords of the Tents were suddenly cut in sunder and so the Tent let fall about his Ears which some supposed to have been done to his Disgrace by the procurement of Cicala Bassa before by him wronged or as others thought by the insolent Janizaries who disliking of him did it in despight wishing rather to have been led by Mahomet himself Now at his coming the Famine which the last year began amongst the Turks was grown exceeding great not at Buda and Belgrade only but even generally in most places of Hungary possessed by the Turks insomuch that the Tartar Women that followed the Camp were fain to roast their own Children and eat them This Famine was also accompanied with a most terrible Plague whereof great numbers of the Turks and Tartars died daily so that of fourscore five thousand Tartars which came the last year into Hungary now remained scarce eight thousand the rest being all devoured with the Sword Famine and Pestilence Great were the harms the Turks still daily received from the late revolted Countries of Transilvania Valachia and Moldavia the Christians of those Places seeking by all means to annoy them Michael Vayvod of Valachia not contented with that he had already done but entring into the Turks Frontiers surprised Scihmele together with the Castle wherein he found fourteen field pieces amongst which were two which had upon them the Arms of the Emperour Ferdinand and other two having upon them the Arms of Huniades which Pieces he afterwards sent as a Present to the Transilvanian Prince After that he took Orosige a famous Port-Town the dwelling place of the Turks great Purvâ—yor for Butter Cheese and Honey and such other Provision for the Court wherein he found such store of the aforesaid Provision as might well have sufficed eight thousand men for a whole year and still prosecuting his good Fortune took from the Turks Kilec and Galempe with the strong Castle of S. George commonly called Grigio and at length besieged Laganoc With the beginning of the Spring came Matthias the Arch-duke and General of the Christian Army from the Assembly of the Nobility of Hungary at Presburg to Vienna and so from thence to the Emperour his Brother at Prague who appointed him General of the lower Hungary and Maximilian his Brother General of the upper Country giving them for their Lieutenants unto Maximilian the Lord Teuffenbach and to Matthias the County Charles Mansfelt by him sent for out of Flanders and after created one of the Princes of the Empire Iohn de Medices who was yet in Hungary he made Master of the great Ordnance with charge to fortifie Komara which he so well performed as that it was thought nothing in strength inferiour to Rab. All this while the Emperour ceased not by his Ambassadors and Letters to sollicite the Christian Princes for the repressing of the common Enemy to put to their helping hands and so much prevailed with them that out of his own hereditary Provinces and from other Princes his Friends he had this Spring raised a right puissant and strong Army for the defence of Hungary which how it was raised and from whom it shall not be much from our purpose briefly to remember as the chief strength under God whereby the Christian Commonweal was this year most notably defended Out of the higher Saxony came a thousand two hundred Horse-men and out of the lower Saxony six hundred from Franconia a thousand Horse-men from Suevia four thousand Foot-men out of the County of Tirol as many from Bavaria three thousand out of Bohemia two thousand men at Arms six hundred light Horse-men and six thousand Foot-men from Silesia a thousand five hundred Horse-men from Lusatia five hundred Horse and a thousand Foot from Moravia a thousand Horse and two thousand Foot out of Austria two thousand Horse and six thousand Foot from Hungary five hundred Horse-men and a thousand Foot from the Nobility of Suevia and Franconia four thousand Foot from the King of Spain out of the Low-Countries under the Conduct of Charles County Mansfelt two thousand Horse-men and six thousand Foot unto these the Bishop of Rome added two thousand Horse-men and eight thousand Foot the great Duke of Florence sent five hundred Horse and three thousand Foot the Duke of Ferrara a thousand five hundred Foot-men the Duke of Mantua a thousand Foot and the Duke Venturee five hundred Horse All which being put together fill up the number of fifteen thousand nine hundred Horse-men and fifty thousand five hundred Foot. Which notable Army raised from the power of divers Christian Princes and conducted by worthy Chiestains had by the goodness of God much better Success this Summer against the ancient Enemies of Christendome than had the like Army the Year before as in the process of this History shall appear Among the worthy Commanders that were in this puissant Army Charles County Mansfelt the Son of Peter Ernestus the old County from his Youth brought up in Arms was by the King of Spain at the request of the Emperour sent with the aforesaid Forces of two thousand Horse and six thousand Foot out of the Low-Countries as a Man for his approved Valour and Direction fit to manage these dangerous Wars against the Turk under Matthias the Arch-duke as his Lieutenant-General who having raised the appointed Forces for most part Walloons departed from Bruxels about the midst of February and by the way taking his leave of his aged Father at Luxenburg and travelling through Germany came in March to Prague where he was by the Emperour and the Arch-duke his Brother most honourably entertained and shortly after with great Solemnity created one of the Princes of the Empire His Forces following after him were by the way stayed partly by the Inundation of Waters the Rivers they were to pass over at that time rising to an unwonted height partly by the Jealousie of some of the German Princes who denied them Passage through their Territories untill such time as that the Emperour by his Letters had opened unto him the way which Princes for all that stood upon their guard and so gave him Passage Now ran great Rumours of the wonderful Preparations of the Turks as also of the Christians Fame after her wonted manner increasing the report of all things above measure which caused the Turks with exceeding care to look to the Fortification of their frontier Towns especially of Rab and Strigonium as did the Christians to the Fortification of Komara and Altenburg In the mean time many hot Skirmishes passed between the Christians and the Turks especially in the late revolted Countries of Transilvania and Valachia wherein the Turks were still put to the worse to the great discontentment
unto him divers honourable Presents forbidding him nevertheless to invade Moldavia for fear of raising a new and dangerous War against the Polonians also under whose Protection and the Turks the Palatine thereof then rested According unto which Command the Vayvod stayed his intended Expedition yet sending some good part of his Forces unto the Frontiers of Moldavia for fear of Sigismund whom he heard to be hatching some mischief in Polonia and even then to lie upon the Frontiers of that Country Some few months thus passing Husraim Aga a grave reverend old man and much employed by the Turkish Sultan with five other Turks of good account Ambassadors from the great Sultan and a great Retinue following him came to Gronstat in Transilvania where the Vayvod then lay Of whose coming the Vayvod hearing with four thousand Horsemen most bravely mounted went half a mile out of the City to meet them the Foot-men in the mean time on both sides of the Street standing in good order from the Gate of the City whereby they were to enter even unto the Vayvod's Lodging where stood also his Guard all in red and white Silk So meeting in the field they both alighted from their Horses with great reverence saluting the one the other when presently the Ambassador embracing the Vayvod ungirt his Scimiter and in the Name of the great Sultan put another about him so richly garnished with Gold and precious Stones as that no part of the Scabbard was therefore to be seen besides this he presented him with a fair Plume of black Hearns Feathers mixed with some white a right goodly Ornament in form of a great bush which the Vayvod would not in the Field put upon his Head although he were thereunto by the Ambassador most earnestly requested but caused it to be carried before him he also presented him with two very fair red Ensigns in token of the Turks favour and protection the one for himself and the other for his Son Petrasco moreover he gave unto him two exceeding fair Horses richly furnished with four others and a most fair Faulcon The Vayvod himself was most bravely mounted and after the manner of his Country had ten very fair spare Horses led before him At whose Entrance into the Town all the great Ordnance was discharged with great Vollies of small Shot and so the Ambassador still riding on the left hand of the Vayvod being brought to his Lodging had six of his chief Followers every one of them presented with a rich Robe of Cloth of Gold in requital whereof the Ambassador rewarded an hundred of the Vayvod's Followers every one of them with a good suit of Apparel with this Ambassador of the Turks was also the Polonian Ambassador whom the Vayvod in like manner honourably entertained These Ambassadors as was thought did what they might to have drawn this worthy and renowned Man together with the Countries of Transilvania and Valachia from the Emperour unto the Turks Obeisance howbeit he seldom or never spake with them but that either before or after he had Conference with the Lords Vngnad and Zeckel the Emperour's Commissioners concerning their Requests always protesting unto them not to yield to any thing without the Emperour's Consent and good-liking Whereof Mahomet advertised and that he was not by any thing yet said or done to be removed from the Emperour gave him by the same Ambassadors to understand How that he was in some Speech with the Emperour concerning Peace as indeed he then was by Messengers from the Bassaes at Presburg which if it sorted to effect that then it should be well but if not that then it should be good for him whilst yet he had time wisely to consider of his own Estate and to submit himself unto his Protection who was able to defend him rather than for the vain praise of a certain foolish Constancy to adventure himself with all that he had unto most certain Danger and Destruction promising him in recompence of that his Loyalty to give unto him for ever the Countries of Transilvania Valachia and Moldavia and at his need to furnish him both with Men and Money offering moreover to make him a great Commander in his Army in Hungary and the Bassa of Temeswar as his Friend to be at all times ready with fifty thousand Horse and Foot as need should be to assist him against the Emperour reserving unto himself whatsoever he should more win for him for all which Bounty and Kindness requiring only to have him unto him loyal All which his large offers the Vayvod little regarding declared the same unto the Emperours Commissioners yet still protesting never to start but to stand fast for the Christian Emperour Notwithstanding as a man desirous to better his estate he took hereupon occasion to request of the Emperour the Country of Transilvania by him so lately taken in unto him and his Son in Inheritance for ever with such frontier Towns as in former time belonged unto Transilvania and that whatsoever he should win from the Turks might be his and his Sons He also requested that all the Preferments and Dignities in former time granted by his Imperial Majesty unto Sigismund the late Prince might now be bestowed upon himself and for his Service done to be furnished with Money for the payment of his Souldiers And that the Emperour with the other Princes of the Empire should assure him That if he were taken by the Turk they should ransome him but in case he were by the great power of the Turk driven out of those Countries then by the Emperours appointment to have some convenient Place allotted for him in the upper Hungary to live in with the yearly pension of an hundred thousand Dollars All which his requests if it would please him to grant he promised this year to do so much against the Turk as had not been done in an hundred years before with vaunt that if he had had the Employment of the Money which was spent in the time of this War he would not have doubted but to have brought all the Countries from the Euxine or black Sea to Buda Alba-Regalis and Solnock under the Emperours Obeisance A large promise indeed but hardly to have been performed by a far greater Prince than he Thus whilst things stood in discourse after the Cardinals Death Sigismund the late Prince in the mean time supported by the Polonians with the Aid of the Turks the Tartars and the Moldavians was ready to have invaded Transilvania yea the Tartars as the forerunners of his great power were already entered the Country and had out of the Frontiers thereof carried away some booty Whereof the Vayvod understanding in great haste assembled his forces out of all places which in short time was grown to some good head the Country People together with the free Haiducks an adventurous and resolute kind of Souldiers in great number daily resorting unto him So being now eight thousand strong and most of them
Corps du gard two of them Hungarians towards the Hill favoured with a Church and the third toward the River of the Almain Foot-men under the Charge of County Tomaso Caurioli of Brescia Serjeant-Major of the Field with all the Artillery who as in a place near and very open unto the Enemy there intrenched himself still approaching nearer and nearer both on the one side and the other Towards the evening of the self-same seventeenth day came to Basta one Peter Armenio with Letters from the Vayvod containing That having understood of his Arrival in the Camp of the Conspirators he now farther desired to know whether it were by the Consent and Commandment of the Emperour or not and how it came to pass that he would so do considering the divers chances of War the Sword hanging as it were even over his Head if he should chance to lose the Battel Whereunto Basta answered That the morrow following he would shew him the Authority he had from the Emperour alluding to the Imperial Standard he carried with him and that as concerning the Fortune and Danger to ensue he referred that wholly unto the Will and Pleasure of the Almighty the just Judge of all Controversies But in the mean time he exhorted him to leave that Province he had so evil governed unto his Imperial Majesty as he was in duty bound promising him free Passage into Valachia and giving him time to consider thereupon until Eight a clock the next Morning after which time it should be free for every Man to do for himself what he could Which Answer the Vayvod having read inflamed with disdain with many proud Words full of Threats and Disgrace although it was then night presently caused by the Sound of the Drum and Trumpet the Battel to be proclaimed against the next day On the other side Basta after he had assured his Camp having not only sent but gone himself to have the counsel of his own Eyes for his better understanding how the Enemy lay and finding no reasonable means for him there to attempt any Exploit by as well for the strength of the Trench before the Front and in part along the side of the Enemies Camp as also for the danger of a rising ground on the left hand whereunto all the Plane betwixt the Enemies Camp and the Village was subject thought it best to remove and make a short Retreat about the space of an Italian mile according to the commodiousness of the place thinking it no hard matter of so proud an Enemy and not altogether so well acquainted with martial Stratagems to gain a notable Victory This his purpose propounded in Council was greatly disliked of the Captains of the Confederates unto whom it seemed more safety to assault the Vayvod yet lying in his Strength than to retire before the face of an Enemy so strong and adventurous for that such a Retreat according to the manner of that Country would be deemed no other than a plain flight and to break his Order and arise was as they said but to discourage his own People and to encourage his Enemies But Basta the better to persuade them promised therein to shew to them a more cunning kind of Fight than was yet unto them known and declared the assurance that he in his own Person with the Almains in the Rereward would give them in that Retreat in such sort as that they should not lose so much as a man much less they needed to fear to fall into any disorder in so short a space his purpose being only to give the Plane unto the enemy wherein to shew himself in the open Field So the Retreat being agreed upon the Morning following being the 28 th of September the three Corps du guard before spoken of were betimes called back and the Baggage sent away after which followed the Transilvanians and Hungarians the Almains in the Rereward inclosing the great Ordnance The Vayvod aware of their Departure sent forthwith a great Troop of Horse-men especially of the Cossacks to take view of them and to skirmish with them which were so far kept off by a Company of Musqueteers in the Rereward as that they could not come so nigh as to do any harm although that all the way they went they were by them still charged to the great Contentment of Basta to see so good a beginning of his Designs as might bring them all to their wished Effect But when he saw the great Artillery upon the Carriages to come out of the Village a certain sign that the Enemy set forward with all his Forces he marched fair and softly to give him hope to overtake him and so retired as far as he thought good from the Village haying before thought of a convenient place wherein his People might with room enough upon advantage stay whenas about half a mile from him and as far from the Village he might see the Enemy march with his People in order of Battel then began he to march towards him also and perceiving the Enemy to come on in one only thick Front by reason of the straitness of the place having on the right hand towards the River placed as it were all his Horsemen and towards the Mountain his Foot-men alone and 500 Foot placed aloft without any Artillery as it seemed he would have done having planted some below at the foot of the Hill in the way and in the midst even before the Front of the Battel where the Horse-men came after the Foot-men he also placed his Squadron in one Front only to the intent not to be inclosed by the Enemy on the flank of his Army The body of his main Battel consisted of one great Squadron of about 3000 Almain Footmen flanked on each side with 150 Rutters of Silesia before the Squadron toward the right hand he had set a loose Wing of three hundred Musqueteers in the right Wing towards the Hill he placed a Company of Launces with two Squadrons of the Country-Footmen and in the left Wing toward the River one Squadron of Transilvanian Foot-men and two of Launces for that the Enemy was at that time very strong in Horse-men the Cossacks Archers and Harquebusers he placed in the Rereward of his great Artillery he would make no use for that having not much he would not stand upon the defence thereof but desired rather with all speed to come to the Sword with the Enemy unacquainted with such close fight foot to foot and well the less fit by reason of their light Armour And therefore he thought it best first to set forward his Squadron of Almains to give the charge bending towards the right hand amongst the thickest of the Foot-men towards the Artillery at the foot of the Hill as there whereas was the strength of the Enemies Infantry And doubting in the performing hereof to be charged on the left side with a great Squadron of about 3000 Launces which seemed to stand upon that Wing to give
the first charge he gave order unto Rodoniz his Lieutenant and Colonel of the Rutters which had the leading of the left Wing that he should at a certain sign given set forward towards the left hand for the charging of that great Squadron So his People being set in order and the manner of proceeding set down he putting on his Helmet with chearful Countenance said That at that time he trusted he should shew unto the Vayvod that his Trunchion could do more than his Scimitar and himself setting forward betwixt the Squadron of the Almain Foot-men and the Wing of the Musqueteers about two hours after Noon marched fair and softly towards the Enemy who without moving expected the discharging of their Artillery whereunto the nearer that the Enemy came unto it the less harm it did him by shooting either over or short in the Field which easily ascended The Wing of Musqueteers went directly to give a charge unto the Artillery and the Squadron toward the foot of the Hill where Basta desired forcibly to charge that thereby they might be enforced to spend their first Vollies and with some discouragement or disorder to retire presently came in all afront just upon the sign given and so with his Almain Foot-men and the Rutters on the right hand enclosed and compassed in behind the greatest part of the Enemies Foot-men At which very instant the Rutters on the left hand also so couragiously charged upon the three thousand Launces that better could not have been desired of any band of most old and expert Souldiers The Launces retiring without any hurt and the first Volley discharged forced the Infantry and so disordered the rest Whereupon the Wings charging there ensued presently a great slaughter and overthrow only forty of Basta's men being slain and as many hurt where of the Enemies were lost in the battel ten thousand and greater had the slaughter been if the Village and approach of the Night had not covered many of them that fled and staied the pursuit of the Victors that followed them Which putteth me in remembrance of the great Victory that Scipio Asiaticus had against Antiochus wherein were slain of the Romans but three hundred although that in the fight one of the Wings stood for a time doubtful there being lost of the Enemies above fifty thousand Howbeit there were afterwards found in all as was by the Peasants of the Country reported twenty thousand slain in this Battel By this Victory Basta recovered many Ensigns and much Armour before sent by the Emperour unto the Vayvod together with all his Tents and Baggage And presently after the overthrow there were many Troops of Horsemen sent out every way with Proclamation to spare the Lives of such of the Siculi as should lay down their Arms of whom many were sent Prisoners unto divers Places especially to Fogaras a strong Town towards Valachia As for the Vayvod himself he with certa in Cossacks escaped by flight The Morrow following Basta dispatched away the County Caurioli to inform the Emperour of all the Particularities of the Success of that Expedition who seemed to be therewith pleased yet neither gave Reward unto the County neither commended Basta in that he had done foreseeing perhaps what was to ensue thereof although he had in Writing before approved his Resolution and Motion made in Favour of the Confederates Staying that day in that quarter Basta gave order unto the Chiaki to send out a Thousand Horsemen to pursue the flying Vayvod who instead of so doing joyning themselves with other their Consorts setled themselves to ransack Alba-Iulia under the Colour that there was the Vayvods Wealth and Substance yet as the manner of such men is sparing neither Merchant nor Citizen which worthily seemed unto Basta a great wrong for to see the innocent punished and the guilty to escape free And albeit that he made what haste he might thitherwards with all his Camp and so stayed one day not far from thence to have given some redress unto the spoyl that had happened yet was all that his Labour lost for that so many of the greater sort and chiefest amongst them had their hands therein with whom he thought it more Wisdom as then to dissemble than to fall into any termes of Severity without hope of doing any good So he resolved in all haste to march towards Fogaras whither he heard say the Vayvod was come with new Forces out of Valachia and Moldavia and in six days march came to Cibinium where he received certain News That the great Chancellour of Polonia and Sigismund sometime the Transilvanian Prince were with a strong Army upon the Frontiers of Moldavia having sent before them Moyses the Siculian with about eight thousand of the Siculi his Souldiers to what purpose was easie to be seen Which Advertisement interrupted the Course of Basta's Victory for that it seemed not reasonable to pursue the Enemy and to leave behind him a doubt of so great Importance and especially for that he thought he could not assure himself of the Aid of the Country-people in case that Sigismund their old Prince were once seen in Transilvania Wherefore he thought good to stay where he was to provide for all Events as need should be and so resolved to send the Chiaki and one Ladislaus Pithi to Parley with Moyses who made a shew of no great Moment of his good will towards the Confederates In the mean time came two Messengers from the Vayvod offering in his Name that he should do whatsoever were in the behalf of the Emperour to be imposed upon him Unto whom these Conditions were by Basta and the rest of the Council propounded First That he should for ever resign all the claim he had or might have into the Country of Transilvania then That he altogether with his Army should give his Oath of Fidelity unto his Imperial Majesty also That he should forthwith through Valachia go with his Army unto the Frontiers of Moldavia to stay the Polonians from farther entrance and moreover to give his Wife and little Son in Hostage for the performance of these things With which Messengers was sent one Sebastian Techelli to receive the Oath and promised Hostages unto whom was appointed for the place of their safe keeping the Bishops Castle in Alba-Iulia the Vayvod having before requested That they might be so kept in Transilvania although Basta thought it much better to have had them kept in the upper Hungary This agreement being made Basta kept on his way towards Fogaras which he found already possessed by the Chiaki and so from thence to Corona After which the Vayvod distrusting of the Articles agreed upon went directly into Valachia but not at all into Moldavia not so much discomfited with the Forces of the Polonians whom he went against not doubting to give them a great overthrow as for the distrust he had of Moses the Siculian who in the Battel might shew himself his Enemy behind him
VIII 1592. 13. Leo the XI 1605. 26. days Paul the V. 1605. THE LIFE OF ACHMAT The First of that Name Eighth Emperour of the Turks year 1604 MAhomet the late Sultan in the midst of his excessive Pleasures by untimely Death taken away Achmat the elder of his two Sons yet living who was to succeed him in the Empire to prevent the usual and insolent Tumults of the Janizaries and other Souldiers of the Court at the change of the Emperours and to take from them all Occasions of discontentment by the Counsel of the great Bassaes before he took upon him the Government caused an exceeding great sum of Money viz. two millions and an half as a token of his Bounty to be distributed amongst them the Spahi and Silictars his chief Horse-men receiving thereof ten Crowns a man with five Aspers a day more to increase their Pay and the Janizaries thirty Crowns a man and one Asper a day more of ordinary pay they of his Court but especially the chief Officers tasting of this his bounteous Liberality also With which so great a largess all men well contented he in a most rich and stately Chariot so placed as that all men might well see him was in great Majesty carried through all the chief Streets of Constantinople the People on every side gazing upon him and still as he passed by them prosecuting him with their most joyful and happy Acclamations Some wishing that he being but young might as another Solyman begin his Reign with the Conquest of Malta as had the other with the Conquest of the Rhodes and other some as heartily praying that with glorious and victorious Conquests he might be like unto Mahomet â—he Great whom he was then reported much to resemble In which so great and publick Magnificence he being about fifteen years old was with all the accustomed Solemnities openly crowned every man wishing unto him a most long and happy Reign And albeit that no great fruit was for the present from so young and tender a Plant to be expected yet nevertheless by his Authority and in his Name many good Orders were taken for the relief of his Subjects with most heavy Grievances generally oppressed during the loose and careless Reign of his Father His Grandmother also a most proud ambitious and imperious Woman and withal exceeding rich who with great Authority at her Pleasure over-ruled all in the time of the Reign of her Son Mahomet he now removed from the State as not fit for her to have to do therein and so deprived her of all her former Power and Command The Persian Ambassadour whom his Father in his displeasure had close shut up he set at liberty and with him sent the Bassa of Aleppo to intreat of Peace with the great Shaugh of Persia who not long before as was reported had recovered the great City of Tauris and was then preparing himself for new Conquests Which Report for the motion of Peace with the Persian discovered in his Subjects their divers opinions concerning himself some condemning his Patience as not beseeming the Othoman Emperours unto whom Fury and Rage had always made them a way unto their great and dreadful Conquests even against the most puissant Armies and strongest Towns and Fortresses of their Enemies and some others to the contrary praising therein his Wisdom in seeking by fair means now in the beginning of his Reign to disarm his Enemies when they might most hurt him at his better opportunity in his settled estate to oppress them for ever So the Actions of Princes are like unto strange Lights appearing by Night in the Air which hold mens Eyes busied with the intentive beholding of them some thereof divining well and some others evil according to the diversity of the beholders conceits and humours The Treaty for Peace also in Hungary was notwithstanding the death of Mahomet by the Bassa of Buda still continued who as he said by the new Sultan authorised by Letters incited the Governour of Strigonium to repair unto some such convenient Place as wherein the matter might be safely concluded Upon which motion the Governour with the rest of the Commissioners departing from Strigonium the fourth of February came to Collonitz's Camp from whence they were by the Souldiers most bravely conducted along the Banks of Danubius unto the Ships which lay ready for them to carry them down the River to Pesth during which time of their Passage nothing was to be seen or heard but Fire and Smoak and the thundering of the great Artillery both from Pesth and Buda the Christians and the Turks both striving to excell each other in these their shews of Joy and Tryumph The Governour with the rest of his Company being happily arrived at Pesth met there with a number of the better sort of the Turks sent thither by the Bassa to meet him and in his Name â—o greet him who with a thousand Honours again received and saluted them All shews of Kindness and signs of the happy success of the Negotiation begun And now the Christians desirous to excell the Turks as well in Courtesie as in Valour appointed a number of them the next day to go to Buda to invite certain of the chiefest and most honourable men amongst the Turks unto a Banquet at Pesth who willingly accepted of the offer and so came six hundred of the better sort of them over the Danuby to Pesth where the feast was most sumptuously and magnificently prepared for them There were ten fair and rich Pavillions set up for the Entertainment of them a little distant from Pesth in a fair place and fit for this purpose In the first whereof were placed three very proud and stately Tables At the first of which Tables on the right hand were set the Commissioners for the Emperour with the two Bassaes and one Mufti or Arch-Priest with a Mitre upon his Head a long furred Gown upon his Back and under that a Robe of most fine and exceeding rich Silk Upon the left hand at the same Table were placed certain of the Turks Lords and other great men At the other two Tables were set other of the best sort of the Turks mingled with the Christians and so at all the other Tables in like order were set a Christian and a Turk until that the six hundred Turks were placed with as many Christians among them who by their good Countenance and Behaviour one of them to another might have seemed to have been all of one and the same Belief Nation and Country The Turks after the manner of their Superstition would not sit down before the setting of the Sun which being set they with a thousand Ceremonies to the imitation of their Arch-priest set themselves down at the Tables in order as is aforesaid and there merrily reposed themselves until nine of the Clock at night At which time the Tables with great reverence taken away the Turks as men well contented and full
Buda and Strigonium with a purpose to have besieged the same Of whose coming the Germans there in Garrison hearing and warned by the Treachery of the Haiducks of Vacia what to fear from the Haiducks in Garrison with them in Vicegrade betime retired themselves out of the Town into the Castle In which doing they were well advised being otherwise like enough to have run the same Fortune that the Germans their Fellows before had done at Vacia For the Turks with the rebellious Haiducks were no sooner come thither but that the Haiducks in the Town without more ado opened the Gates of the Town unto them as unto their Friends directing them in best sort they could both for the besieging and winning of the Castle Which while the Turks hardly besieged and Germans therein notably defended Hassan the Visier Bassa together with Begedes Bassa to perswade them to yield up the Castle writ unto them in this fort RIght worthy and valiant Friends it is not to you unknown the Castle of Vicegrade of right to belong unto our most mighty and dread Sovereign the Great Sultan And therefore seeing that it is Reason that every man should have that which of right belongeth unto him we advertise and request you to yield up the same Castle unto our most mighty Emperour and the honourable Lord Stephen Botscay Prince of Hungary and with all your Substance to depart thence Promising you upon our Faith and Honour to suffer you quietly and in safety with your Wives and Children Bag and Baggage to depart thence and to provide you sufficient Shipping for the carrying away of your things to Strigonium And if it shall please you to take part with us we promise you the same pay from our Emperour that you had from your own and the same kind Entertainment which the Wallons have before had with us But if that you upon an obstinate Resolution shall refuse this our friendly Motion and Grace offered you blame us not if we shall by strong hand and force of Arms seek to obtain our Right In kindness we offer you our Friendship and so with speed expect your Answer But the Germans hearkening not unto these Letters as Men resolved valiantly stood upon the defence of themselves and of the Place until that by extream Necessity forced thereunto they yielded the same by Composition Basta in the mean time with his Forces much diminished lying at Eperia and in the Country thereabout seeing the general revolt of the Haiducks of late the Emperours greatest strength in Hungary and Botscay the Rebels strength daily to increase more and more with no possibility for himself with such small Forces as he then had to repress the Rebels Insolency or to remedy these so far spreading Evils but for want of great Strength he must lie still as it were a man besieged was therewith exceedingly grieved and as it were almost overwhelmed with the heavy burthen of so many great Miseries at once besetting him To threaten without Power he knew to be but Folly and to speak fair to be but vain Nevertheless having procured from the Emperour a general Pardon for all such as having taken part with the Rebels were willing to return again to their allegiance he to assure all them whom it might concern of the Emperors gracious Favour and to put them all out of fear caused Letters of general Pardon to be published for all men to take knowledge of the purport whereof was this WE George Basta County of Hust and Marmar Lord of Sult Knight Counsellor to his Imperial Majesty Governour of the Realm of Transilvania and Lieutenant of the Christian Armies of the Emperour to all faithful love and greeting Whereas in this so troublesome a State of things some as well of the Nobility as others in these upper parts of Hungary partly of their own accord and partly for fear have revolted from his Imperial Majesty and taken part with the traiterous Haiducks in their Rebellion to the great prejudice of the Emperour's Service and the staining of their Faith We in the name of his Imperial and Royal Majesty whom we know to be greatly inclined and ready to pardon his Subjects even of his own natural Goodness and Clemency have by vertue of the full Power and Authority by his said Imperial Majesty granted unto us given free Grace and Pardon to all them which have withdrawn themselves from his Obeisance or forsaken the same of what order quality or condition soever they be whom we will receive into our Protection as void of all Crime and request them as much as in us is possible to make their Profit of this Grace and to return unto their former Duty and Obeysance under all assurance of Impunity for their forepassed Faults and without any search or inquiry to be of the same hereafter made as well for matters of Religion as of State assuring them of their Lives Goods Fortunes Dignities Franchises Priviledges and Immunities whatsoever as is more at large declared by his Majesties Letters Patents which remain with us And if any letted either with their urgent Affairs or with Sickness cannot repair unto us within the day in the same Letters Patents nominated we will accept of their just Excuses But if any contrary to our hope shall upon any indurate mind or obstinate Contumacy fail to repent and to make their appearance before us within the day limited we denounce them to be Rebels subject unto the Pain of Rebellion and stained with the note of Infamy pronouncing their Lives their Goods and Dignities to be confiscate and devolved unto the Emperours Coffers for which they shall by Us the Chieftains and Captains of his Armies with all Rigour and Extremity be prosecuted Protesting before the Majesty of God before the Majesty of the Emperour and before all Christendom us not to be in any sort culpable of the Evils Calamities and Miseries which shall ensue of the Wars and Disasters which such their Rebellion shall cause but to be there-from exempt and acquitted the only Authors of these Disorders having deserved these Imprecations and Calamities upon tâ—e heads of whom we justly from henceforth lay them as upon the miserable Authors thereof by their Wickedness having refused so great Grace from the Emperour and us unto all men made known by these Presents This Proclamation solemnly by Basta published with the sound of many Drums and Trumpets the sixteenth of Ianuary and ten days Liberty given for such as would come in and again submit themselves divers Gentlemen of the Country near unto Eperia where Basta with his Army lay for fear of being spoiled came in and accepted of the Grace offered other of the seditious dwelling farther off little or nothing at all regarding the same Insomuch that the Rebels in number daily increasing and the Rebellion still farther and farther spreading Botscay was now grown so strong that he dismissed from him most part of the Turks whose service he
that he had more Reason on his side by constant Valour to withstand the wicked and shameful Resolution of his Souldiers than they had with Dishonour to enforce him or to offer him Violence to their eternal Shame and Infamy In the mean time these obstinate and enraged Cowards proceeded from Words to Deeds and from Requests to Violence as did oft times the disloyal Souldiers of Rome in slaying the good Emperours For they in cruel manner without Reverence by force layed Hands upon the Governour put him in Prison and afterwards craving Parley fell to Treaty with the Great Bassa about the delivery up of the Place Wherewith the Bassa well contented sent in unto them Haly Bassa to conclude the matter Where after some little Talk it was a greed That they should deliver up the Place which was not indeed theirs to dispose of and that the Bassa should therefore promise and suffer them with Bag and Baggage in safety to depart whither they would with their Ensigns frilled up and Fire in their Matches leaving behind them their great Ordnance with all their other Munition and Warlike Provision Which only Composition by the perfidious Souldiers made in the absence and in durance of their General was by the Turks faithfully kept amongst a thousand others like before by them broken whether it were in respect of the easie Conquest of the City being one of the chief and principal Places of all Hungary or for that they being overjoyed with the gaining of that which they had so long desired and now so little hoped for they forgot their wonted cruelty and breach of Faith is doubted This City thus yielded the Third of October and the Turks forgetting their wonted Cruelty according to their Faith and Promise before given in safety conducted these cowardly Souldiers within a League of Comara helping them by the way to carry their sick and wounded Men together with their Fardles which the Turks oft-times carried upon their own Shoulders These Cowards which thus went out with their Governour sent out also with them were in number a thousand whole and sound men fitted whilst they were in the City with all things necessary for their Honour and Defence of the Place but themselves destitute and void of all Honour and Courage A thousand which all together were not worth their Governour alone seeing that in him alone there remained more Valour than in all that whole Multitude Many of the Inhabitants which had there long dwelt would not forsake the Place but by the leave of the Turks there remained still the rest which would not having leave in safety to depart whither they would Thus this famous City of Strigonium one of the strongest Bulwarks of Christendom against the Turks which the Christians had now holden by the space of ten Years and one Month after that it was by Count Charles Mansfelt won from the Turks when as it had long time before been it the Turks Possession won from the Christians by Sultan Solyman now again as is before said fell into the Power of the Turks with threescore and ten pieces of great Ordnance and a wonderful deal of other Warlike Provision These base and cowardly Souldiers together with the Count their Governour being come to Comara were justly despoiled both of their Honour and of their Arms and sent back again to Presburg where cursed and detested of all the World and especially of the Hungarians themselves who although they were revolted from their Allegeance toward the Emperour yet could they not but much detest their so shameful and notable Cowardise were there the chief of them committed to Prison where after they had for a certain time lain and being brought to Judgement and convicted of Treason in delivering up the City of Strigonium unto the Turks and in so doing to have greatly damnified the Christian Common-weal they were therefore Condemned and according to the quality of their offences diversly in this manner Executed Captain Leonard Frederick Schleker had his Judgement first to have his right Hand cut off and his Tongue drawn out behind his Neck and both of them nail'd to the Gallows and afterwards to be hanged howbeit through the Intercession of many of his Friends he was not hanged but beheaded Iohn Michael Schorer Iohn Hopfi Adam Lindawar Philip Dur and Caspar Lielharter all Captains were adjudged to have their right Hands first cut off and nail'd to the Gallows and afterward hanged but through the Intercession of County Mansfield they were hanged and their Hands not cut off Iohn Lautenberger was condemned to be quarter'd alive but was at the Intercession of County Mansfield first beheaded and afterward quartered Iohn Dischoff with eleven other were only hanged Laurence Marshal was enjoyned to serve two Years against the Turks as a common Souldier without Pay but through the Intercession of County Mansfield had one Year pardon'd him Ieremy Strelin with divers others which were either fled or else remained still in Strigonium were judged their Names to be set upon the Gallows and being afterwards caught some of them to be quartered and others their Hands to be cut off and nail'd upon the Gallows and afterward hanged And thus these disloyal Captains by shunning of an honourable Death in defence of Strigonium and performing of their Duty by neglecting the same procured unto themselves a most shameful Death attended upon with perpetual Infamy and Dishonour But as the loss of this strong Place was unto the Christians heavy and grievous so was it unto the Turks no less pleasing and joyful it being the Place they had of long above all others desired and whereat they had ever since the loss thereof with their great Armies in Hungary for the space of ten Years still aimed Howbeit this their Joy endured not long their Prosperity being too hot to hold out without some cooling blast of adverse Fortune For the same report of Fame which with the right hand presented unto the Great Sultan at Constantinople the pleasing news of the winning of Strigonium in Hungary even with the left hand delivered likewise unto him the melancholy report of the Overthrow of his great Armies in Asia with the loss of Damasco the greatest City of Syria For to begin with the greatest first The King of Persia invaded by Cicala Bassa Sultan Achmat's great Lieutenant in Asia and hearing that the Bassa of Caramania had express charge with all speed to come unto him with a great supply of Souldiers to be taken up in Caramania and the Countries thereabout he then having a puissant Army on foot before prepar'd for all Events presently set forward against Cicala whom he coming upon before he was ready to fight by his unexpected coming and sudden charge overthrew his Army and took from him all his great Ordnance Cicala himself with three hundred Souldiers with much ado escaping and retiring himself to Adena which City the Persian King pursuing Cicala shortly after straitly
away by the Turks as it was thought to use in some kind of Sorcery the other parts of his Body they had leave to take down and bury This year 1612 they did celebrate at Constantinople a double Nuptial Feast year 1612 for the Marriages of Bassa Mehemet Son to the deceased Cicala with the Sultans Sister and of Bassa Mechmet Admiral at Sea he whom we have seen lately return from Egypt and bring to Constantinople the Revenues of that rich Kingdom with the eldest Daughter of his Emperour For the Feasts of young Cicala the Spahi made Courses on Horseback with Battle-axes and Bars in the open place near unto the Serail where they made divers fire-works of very great charge but of small Invention and they gave Presents to above 20000 Persons besides the charge of the banquetting stuff which amounted to above 20000 Crowns The Pomp was double for the Sultans Women did celebrate that day with the greatest Ladies of the Port and the Men separated in other Places did solemnize it in like manner But the magnificence of the Marriage of the Bassa Admiral at Sea with Achmats eldest Daughter had far more lustre at the Port. The Ceremony was performed on the thirtieth of Iune twenty days after the other and the order of this Pomp as well as some other which we have described in this History requires a particular Relation The day before the Conâ—ummation of the Marriage they sent the Brides moveables and Jewels from the Serail to the Bridegrooms Lodging with this Order and State as followeth First there marched 500 Janizaries on foot being followed with the Grand Provost of Constantinople and the general Serveiour both on Horseback and attired in Cloth of Gold the Aga or Collonel of the Janizaries very proudly adorned and environed with some Janizaries marched alone on Horse-back after thâ—se two hundred men of Quality well mounted and richly attired followed with a slow pace The last which march'd in this Pomp or Ceremony were the Talismans Centons Emirs and other Ministers of Mahomets Clergy And presently followed after the Bassa Achmat Deftarda or High Treasurer who conducted the moveables as chosen by the Sultan to be Godfather or Sagois to the Bride being environed with twelve Footmen attired in long Robes of Gold. After him followed the moveables Apparel and Jewels which made the Brides truss having in the Head excellent Musick after the Turkish manner of Hoboyes and Kettle-drums on Horse-back These Moveables or this Truss consisted of twenty seven Presents The first was a little Hat all of Gold covered with precious Stones and with Pantofles or Womens Shoes after the Turkish fashion of pure Gold enrich'd with Turquoises and Rubies a Book of Mahomets Law the covering whereof was of Masâ—ie Gold all set with Diamonds many Bracelets and other rare Devices for Women of pure Gold with many precious Stones a little Coffer a Cubit long and half as broad all of Christal of the Rock having the corners of Gold in the which were to be seen great Diamonds and huge Pearls to the value of 80000 pounds sterling after this precious Coffer were carried many Smocks embroidered with Gold and Pearl and Head-bands for the Fore-head with many Robes of Cloth of Gold. All this was distributed into twenty seven Presents as we have said and carried with great Pomp by twenty seven Men on foot After these Presents followed eleven Caroches full of young Maidens Slaves to serve the Bride these Caroches were covered and shut and either of them attended by two Eunuchs Moors and after these followed twenty eight Virgin Slaves attired in Cloth of Gold and accompanied by twenty eight black Eunuchs all on Horseback and richly clad After which were seen 240 Mules loaden with Tents of Tapestry Cloth of Gold Satin Velvet with the ground of Gold with many Cushions which are the Chairs the Ladies of Turkie use with many other rich and sumptuous Moveables Such was the Truss which this young Princess brought to her Spouses House Doubtless this Equipage was stately and did well become the Pomp and Greatness of the Othoman House from whence she had issued the mightiest and richest of all the Royal Houses in Europe yea I dare boldly say of all the World. The Marriage day being come the Bride was conducted to her Husbands lodging with no less Pomp and State than her Moveables The Janizaries marched first as they had formerly done being followed by the Grand Provost the Surveior their Aga and many other Officers of the Port. The Emirs who are descended from Mahomet and alone carry green Turbants marched after to the number of eighty this Name of Emir is as much as to say Lord. They which wear them answer not and obey none but their Chief called Mirabachi and their Voice in Judgment stands for two they were followed by the Talismans or Priests of Mahomets Law and by a great number which study it and which aspire to the Offices of Cadies or Judges of Cadilesquiers or Mufti The Visiers or supream Judges of the Turks Estate who judge of all Affairs in Council came after with the Grand Visier who is Lieutenant General to the Turkish Emperor throughout his whole Empire and keeps the Seals of his Empire He had on his left hand which is the most honourable rank in Turkie the Grand Mufti or supream Bishop of their Law. The Musick followed after on Horseback consisting of thirty Men with Drums and Hoboys being followed by eight Egyptians which carried Biscain Tabors and did a thousand Apish Tricks These were followed by forty Musicians marching two and two some playing on Citerns others on Harps and some on Lutes after the Turkish manner A Fool held for a Saint amongst them being mufled with a Cap and a Cloak covered with Mutton bones danced and sung with these Instruments fifty of the chief Officers of the Arsenal march'd after them and thirty Men with Hammers and other Iron Instruments to break down whatsoever advanced too far in the streets and might hinder the free Passage of two Trees of an immense height laden with divers sorts of Fruits all of Wax carried by many Men and supported from the top and the midst with Ropes After these Trees came twenty Officers belonging to Achmat Bassa the high Treasurer Godfather to the Bride And he himself alone richly attired and proudly mounted after whom came two great Torches light carried by many Slaves and then a third torch of a wonderful bigness all covered with plates of Gold and shining more with precious Stones than the Flame which burnt The Raisser Aga with fifty of the Princess's Officers followed these Lights and after them was carried a great Canopy of Crimson Velvet and after it another greater covered with plates of Gold whose Curtains being shut on all sides hung down to the Ground Under this Canopy was the Princess on Horseback with some of her black Eunuchs her Caroch followed covered with Cloth
continued any longer to whom the Prince made Answer That his Intent was not to oppress Moldavia but to free it from the Tyranny of Stephano that he had been invited by a great number of the Boyers who had come unto him into Polonia to that end and had given him assurance that it was the common desire of the Moldavians That upon this confidence he had marched with what Forces he could draw together and that if he did prevail in his Designs as he assured himself with their assistance he would govern them with no less mildness than his Father Prince Ieremy had done whose Son and lawful Successor he was The Deputies returned well satisfied with this Answer and having published it in divers places many Moldavians came and joyned with the Prince's Army and assisted him faithfully in this Action In October Prince Alexander advancing about three Leagues with his Army he made a stand in a fair Champian where there were good Springs to refresh them and in the mean time he called a Council at War to resolve what course he should take and when he should draw the Enemy to fight In the mean time he had sent a Troop of Cossacks to discover the Army who brought word that they were ranged in Battel and that they had twenty Cannons ready in front the which did not much amaze Prince Alexander for that some days before the General of Stephano's Artillery had sent to assure him That if he gave Battel he would annoy his Men as little as he could having a desire to serve the Prince and by this means be revenged of Stephano who had caused his Brother-in-law's Head to be cut off upon a false suspect which he had conceived against him being innocent The which should teach Princes that nothing doth procure them more secret Enemies than Cruelty and that at one time or other they in whom they most relye abandon them when as they least expect it They Vayvod Stephano meaning to make a second Discovery of the Prince's Army sent twelve hundred Tartarians and two or three hundred Moldavians who being seen afar off for that it was in a plain Champain the Prince sent five hundred Cossacks with four hundred Polonian Lances to encounter them The Tartarians perceiving it made a shew at the first as if they would retire to draw them by little and little from their Camp and being about a League off they made a stand thinking that they durst not change them but they were soon deceived for the Polonians fell upon the Tartarians wâ—th such fury as they overthrew them and slew most of them so as there escaped not above five or six hundred who retiring to their Camp caused a great Amasement The Prince's Army was much encouraged by this Exploit and increased daily in number as it is usual in Civil War to follow that Party which hath the first advanced Presently after this Execution the Prince meaning to advance his Army towards the Enemies Camp his foreward was stayed by a Battalion of one thousand Horse who had the night before seised upon a narrow Passage betwixt a Pool and a Marish by the which they knew the Polonian Army must pass but this Obstacle was soon taken away by the Advice which was given by certain Moldavians to send a Company of Horsemen by a way unknown to the Enemy by which means they might surprise them behind before they should be discovered Thâ— Execution of this Stratagem was given to the Cossacks who speedily went being guided by certain Moldavians who coming within fifty Paces of the Enemy undiscovered they charged them and were seconded so fitly by the forward that staid on the other side as of one thousand Horse there returned not above fifty to their Camp to carry news of their bad Success Prince Alexander having happily opened this Passage advanced with his Army within Cannon-shot of Stephano's Camp. Prince Visnouisky was of opinion that they should make a kind of Inclosure with their Carts which might serve them as a Fort having no place of Retreat within ten Leagues the which being discovered by Stephano he shot certain Vollies of Cannon through their Fort so as there were some Souldiers slain and some hurt and the Prince answered him with the like but to small effect for that night surprised them neither had they above eight small Pieces Prince Visnouisky spent the night to encourage his Souldiers letting them understand that they had no reason to be amased although their Enemies were more in number for that most of them were Peasants never trained up in Arms nor seen Battel whereof they had had good proof in many Encounters where they had ever been Victors over their Enemies although they were inferiour in number That they were so many Testimonies and Assurances that God did fight for them and would use them to punish the Tyrannies of Stephano and his Cruelties against Moldavia Finally if they were Victors whereof he doubted not if they did their Duties there was not any one but should return loaden with rich Spoils and Recompences from Prince Alexander This did so encourage the Souldiers as they protested all with one Voice rather to dye than to fail of their Duties Moreover the Princes gave the Collonels and Captains to understand of the Intelligence they had with the General of Stephano's Artillery wherewith they were much comforted The next day being the Eleventh of October they began to put their Armies in Battel during the which there were divers Skirmishes wherein Alexander's Party had still the Advantage so as it seemed they were so many Presages of good Fortune which should befall them that day The Prince's Army was ordered by Visnouisky to whom Prince Alexander had given the Charge of General as most capable having â—undry times given sufficient Proofs of his Sufficiency and Valour in other Battels This General seeing Stephano's Horse-men divided into three Squadrons and the Tartarians most advanced he appointed the Cossacks to encounter with them the which was judiciously and discreetly done for they both go freely to the Charge neither are they covered with any Arms but only with the Skins of certain Beasts wherewith they make themselves to seem as fearful as they can observing no order in their fighting and using Cries which are fearful to such as are not accustomed unto them and being once broken they seldom return again to the Charge The Polonian Lanciers called in their Language Houssarsky being about one thousand and five hundred men well armed made the second Battalion of Alexander's Army led by Prince Coresky and were placed on the right-hand against three thousand Tartarian Valachian and Moldavian Horse-men The Hungarian Foot being about three thousand men were in the midst of Prince Alexander's Army with the Cannon upon a little Hill of some advantage and on the left hand was the rest of the Chavalry who were led by the Princes Alexander and Visnouisky and the Baggage was a
Cherbanne who came with one hundred and fifty Horse to Prince Alexander to assure him that his Master was coming to his aid with five or six thousand men was pursued by the Turks near unto Yas whereas he thought to have found the said Prince and of all his Troop only himself and one more escaped so as the Prince could have no certain news of the said Cherbanne Prince Coresky who had remained with two thousand five hundred Horse not far from Cotnard was also encountred by a great Troop of Turks and Tartarians which he could not well discover by reason of a little Mountain that covered them the Prince seeing some of them appear charged them but finding that as he defeated one Troop a fresh succeeded in his place he was forced to make his Retreat with this advantage that he had almost slain six thousand of his Enemies having not lost above two hundred and fifty of his own men But the Prince was wounded with two Arrows one in the Thigh and the other in the Back which was a great disaster for himself and for the whole Army He which commanded this Troop of Turks being much amazed at this unexpected Encounter having gathered his men together and joyned them to fifteen thousand others whom the Bassa had sent he being yet at Yas he caused this Army to approach within a quarter of a League to the Polonians where having encouraged his men in what he could he told them that to shew his Affection unto the Sultan's Service in this occasion he was resolved to send a Challenge to Prince Coresky whom he confest to be the most valiant of all the Polonian Army so as he presently dispatched one of his Captains to go unto the Prince and to call him in the behalf of his General The Captain coming to Alexander's Camp demanded to speak with Prince Coresky who being brought unto him delivered the Charge he had from his General The Prince although he were neither able to stand nor to sit on Horse-back by reason of his Wounds yet would he needs have accepted this Challenge if Prince Alexander and the chief Noblemen of the Army had not conjured him to excuse himself by reason of his Indisposition letting him know that the event of such a Combat did not only import him but all those of his Party who had their chief hope in him whereunto the Princâ—sses added their instant Intreaties and among others his dear Spouse who was much afflicted for his Wounds The Lord of Tischeuich a brave and valiant Gentleman being then present intreated Prince Alexander to give him leave to accept of the Challenge for Prince Coresky his Cousin the which was willingly granted so as he sent a Gentleman with the said Turk to know if the General would yield thereunto which he did willingly not being ignorant of the Quality and Valour of the said Tischeuich It was agreed that the Combate should be betwixt both Armies lying in a plain open Field within a quarter of a League one of another with promise that neither Party should be assisted These two brave Warriours having taken leave of their Friends came to the place appointed in view of both Armies The Turks General being about fifty Paces from his Army caused Water to be brought with the which he washed his Mouth Eyes Nose Ears and Privy Parts believing according to his Law that this washing would serve as a purifying then turning toward the East he made his Prayer after which he went to Horse-back being richly armed and furnished and then marched softly towards his Adversary who attended him well mounted and armed and so they began their Combat their chief Arms being Bows and Arrows which they spent without hurting one another till at last Tischeuich having a Peâ—ronel shot the Turk thorow the Body and overthrew him who striving to rise again Tischeuich passed over him with his Horse and wounded him in the right Arm and at the next blow slew him after which he cut off his head and carried it to Prince Alexander The Polonians were very joyful of the happy Success of this famous Combate and the Turks being much amazed advertised the Bassa and Michna that it was necessary they should bring the rest of their Army and their Cannon if they would be revenged of the Polonians In the mean time the Traitor Bicho who had abandoned Prince Alexander with a Troop of two thousand Tartarians and Moldavians found means to get before the Polonian Army and to cut off the way betwixt Cotnarde and the Town of Bothocan six Leagues off The Valachians and Transilvanianâ— led by the General of Michna's Army invested them upon the right hand and the body of the Turks Army followed behind so as there remained nothing but upon the left hand a Wood of Timber-trees which might favour their Retreat Skinder Bassa hearing the Success of the Combate commanded his Army to advance presently with sixteen Cannons The Princes seeing themselves environed by so many Enemies they resolved to fortifie themselves with their Carts and Carriages and to defend themselves but what could five or six thousand men prevail against two or three and twenty thousand for so many were thought to be in the Turks Army True it is they expected daily Prince Cherbanne and the Lord Bossi who were within two days Journey and brought with them ten or twelve thousand men This made the Bassa and Michna to advance to force the Polonians to yield or fight Coming near unto their Camp and seeing them invested on all sides but towards the Wood they approached their Cannon which had been able to have spoiled their Camp but it was not their design they only desired to take the Princes and Princesses Prisoners with the chief Noble-men Whereupon they sent to summon the Polonian Army to deliver into their hands the said Princes and Lords promising that the rest of the Army should depart with Bag and Baggage whereunto they would not yield but made an Answer all with one consent That they would rather dye than commit such Baseness and Treachery This being reported to the Bassa and Prince Michna they commanded that some of their Cannon should be charged with small Bullets and discharged through the Polonian Army whereby there were a great number slain and wounded The Princes who had but some small pieces made certain Vollies but to small purpose neither had they any more Bullets left and little Powder for that by ill chance part had been burnt some few days before so as all things seemed to foretell their ruine at hand The Lord of Tischeuich having judiciously observed that remaining in that inclosure he could not escape Death or at least Captivity resolved with five hundred Horse the most valiant among the Polonians to force through three or four Squadrons which were set in guard by the Wood side to the end none might escape that Place being most suspected to the Turks the which they
a large Channel which runneth from the one Sea to the other and is about seven miles in length The City is built upon the declining of a Hill in which there are many rare singularities which I omit being described elsewhere There are in this City seven little Hills upon the which are built seven principal Mosques or Churches by several Emperours whereof the fairest and most stately is that of Sultan Solyman Upon the North side of the City standeth the Grand Seignior's Palace or Seraglio commonly called by the Name of the Port The which hath on the one side thereof the Sea and on the other side of it the Haven the other two being towards the City being about three miles in compass some write of four It is walled about and within it are many Gardens Orchards Medows and Woods Being entred into the first Port which hath double Gates of Iron into a large Court on the left hand there stands a building like unto a Turkish Mosque which now the Grand Seignior useth for a Store-house wherein are great store of Arms which are for the defence of his Seraglio And on the other side of this Court are several Gardens walled in from which they pass to another Court with a Gate like unto the former where are Targuets and Cimitars hanging and many Porters attending as at the former After this they pass into another large Court which is planted with Cypress Trees and full of Grass where Deer feed but round about it is a Cloister which is in length about six hundred and fourscore Foot and above five hundred in breadth paved with Stone and covered with Lead it being supported with one hundred and forty Pillars of white and gray Marble standing upon Bases of Copper with Capitals of the same upon the North side whereof stands the Divano whereas the Visier Bassa and the other Bassaes sit in Council and hear Causes of Importance whereof we will speak hereafter In this Seraglio the Grand Seignior hath many Chambers which are richly appointed wherein he remains and there he hath six young Men which attend his Person and the Service of his Chamber whereof two wait daily and at Night they watch when he sleeps the one of them at his Head the other at his Feet with two Torches burning in their Hands In the Morning as Sanzovino writes when the Grand Seignior attires himself they put into one of his Pockets a thousand Aspers and into the other Pocket twenty Duckets of Gold the which if he give not away that Day is their Fee at Night neither as they say doth he ever put on the same Clothes and whensoever he goes to Hunting or to any other Exercise besides the Money which he hath with him his Casnadar Bassa or chief Treasurer still follows him with great store of Money to give away The Office of these six young Men who are changed as it pleaseth the Grand Seignior is distinct for the one carries his Shooes the second his Bow and Arrows the third his Vest the fourth a Vessel with Water the fifth carries a Seat and the sixth called Oda Bassa is head of the Chamber He hath daily a great number of Persons resident in his Palace imployed in their several Charges some in one place some in another under their several Commanders But among all the great Men in his Court these are of chiefest Eminency and Note First the Capi Aga that is to say the mouth of the Grand Seignior by whom the Sultan speaketh to such as have any great suit unto him for no Ambassadour is admitted unto him but at his first arrival when he delivers his Letters of credit and his Presents and when he hath any business to treat of he repairs to the Visier Bassa or his Aga. The second is Casnadar Bassa the chief Treasurer of the Houshold or Superintendent of the Treasure The third Chilergi Bassa chief Cup-bearer The fourth is Seraglio Agasi Steward or Master of the Houshold The fifth is Chiller Agasi or Saraidar Bassa Overseer of his Seraglio of Concubines who is always an Eunuch as the rest be The sixth and last is Bostangi Bassa chief Gardiner and Overseer of all his Gardens Captain of his Jamoglans and Steerer of his Barge whensoever he goeth by Water He hath a Protogero or Lieutenant and many Gardiners under him which are called Bostangi who when they come out of the Seraglio become Janizaries Solacchi or Capigi according to their Qualities These six Officers of the Sultans House above mentioned have no authority out of his Palace yet the greatest Bassaes stand in awe of them and fear them for that they have free access unto the Sultan and have daily opportunity to incense him against them for by their secret Suggestion and false Informations many of the greatest Bassaes are many times suddenly and undeservedly cut off in the height of all their pomp and glory He hath many Mutes or dumb Men attending about him whereof eight be his daily Companions and Play-fellows in the Seraglio in whose company he takes great delight besides many others to the number of forty which attend upon him as Pages They are all born deaf and dumb yet by long Practice they grow so perfect as they will understand any thing that shall be acted unto them by Signs and Gestures and will themselves by the gesture of their Eyes Bodies Hands and Feet deliver matters of great difficulty to the great admiration of strangers The Grand Seignior hath within his Palace a Seraglio of young Men to the number of five hundred from eight years of Age to twenty these are the well-favouredst and best proportioned of all the Tribute Children which he draweth from Graecia and Natolia and they are chosen out of his Seraglioes at Pera Adrianopolis and other Places and brought to this to be bred up where they are instructed in divers Arts according to their Disposition but especially to Read and Write and in the Doctrine of their Law and to Ride there being a great number of Horses kept within this Seraglio for their Exercise and for the Eunuchs They never go out of the Seraglio till the Sultan thinks them to be of fit Age to undergo some Charge and then he makes them Spacoglani or Silichtari and to some he gives greater Places according to their Valour or the favour they have gotten with him He hath in like manner about fourscore Mutaferache that is to say Lance-bearers to the Grand Seignior which carry his Lance whensoever he goeth to field and acknowledge no other Commander and in time by his Favour or their Merits are made Captains He hath always above one thousand Eunuchs entertained in several Places whereof some of them are in very great credit with him and can prevail much they are called Hudurni many of them are employed to attend his Concubines and Virgins in his Seraglio They are not only deprived of their Genitors but in their Youth
And there shall be sent with all Expedition our Royal Edicts to all our Beglerbegs Beghs Cadees Governours Customers Farmours Superintendents and Commissioners of our Revenues that from henceforth none of them shall give any Molestation to any of your Merchants or other Subjects And insomuch as our happy Gates are ever open to any who with sincerity seek our Friendship good Will and Favour and the Table of our lively Graces is always prepared for all men Therefore whensoever on the behalf of the Polacks an Ambassador shall arrive at our high Court and kiss the hem of our Vesture and repent them of their former Errors and present unto us a good Friendship and sincere League and shall desire our Favour and Amity by the Mediation of your Resident now in our Imperial Port all matters shall be pacified and ended and with a Pen we will blot out all former Differences And the Peace being so established your instances and desires for them shall have grateful acceptance with us and we will give fit order for the Prisoners To the Beglerbeghs of Tunis and Algier and to all other our Slaves in those parts we will presently send our express and high Commands and other Orders that they shall never hereafter transgress the tenor of our Imperial Capitulations nor commit any Injustice nor do any Violence to the Subjects of your Majesty And concerning the business of the Merchant Arthur Garaway wherein you have informed us that there hath been taken from him by Oppression a great estate and faculty in the time of our Father Achmat Han of happy Memory the Visier Achmet Bassa being then Deputy here upon pretence that divers Mussulmens Goods were found in his Hands which cause being now overpassed many years you require a new hearing and inquisition By the Grace of the great God it shall be renewed and examined with all Iustice in the process and Issue whereof you shall be assured to receive a right and fit answer from your Ambassador now remaining in our Court. And in our time we shall never permit that any the least Injury or Injustice shall be done to any Giving you assurance on our behalf that the Foundation and Nerves of Peace Friendship and League between us are of us straitly preserved continued and increased and our Amity Correspondence and Love is ever respected esteemed and precious with us Therefore in the mean time while our Capitulations are making perfect and that the full Conclusion may be certified unto you your Ambassador having sollicited us for an Answer to the Propositions made by you by an express Messenger Robert Roe this our Imperial Letter is written and sent unto you Which arriving we hope that as in times past the antient perfect and acceptable course of Friendship Amity and League adorned with abundant Sincerity resplendent Love and benigne Correspondency on your part hath been alway observed and maintained so it is now also requisite that you preserve the same Affections with all pure firm and constant good Will Grace and Goodness or rather that you advance and increase therein as we will ever do by all sincere ways of Loyal Friendship and Holy Peace nourishing it with our perfect Intention and affectionate Diligence never admitting any occasion that may be thereunto prejudicial Given in our Imperial City of Constantinople the first day of the Month Gemaziel Achir or April in the year of the departure of our Prophet Mahomet 1031 that is Anno Christi Dei pari 1622. The Grand Seignior discontented since his disgrace in Poland as soon as he came to Constantinople meditating Revenge upon his Souldiers and alteration and finding that his Pretence for Mecha did not relish gave out that he would pass into Asia to suppress the Emir of Sidon who had taken Arms and was reported to rebell but indeed having secret Intelligence with Osman and the Visier Delavir Bassa But from which purpose being disswaded by the great instance of the Visier and that it would not so well serve his secret Designs he returned to his first colour that he would visit Mecha the Tomb of his false Prophet To make this Voyage the more secure in apparence he seemed content to accept of any Treaty with the Polacks even to Conditions both of Disadvantage and Dishonour for his Estates in Hungary he re-inforced the Frontiers with divers Troops and though he were much troubled at the League between the Emperour of Germany and Bethlem Gabor yet he dissembled it so as that he would not displease the Transilvanian but rather offered new Succours and forbearance of his Tribute From the Incursions of the Cossacks he hoped to assure himself by the Treaty of the Poles and in occasion of Breach he had the Tartars ready to requite them and for more security he added to the number of his Gallies appointed to keep the Black Sea. The common People and Visiers of the Port that loved rest and knew not the design were much troubled and discontent at this Journey and made many Remonstrances to him of the Inconveniency and Danger to leave the seat of his Empire to the trust of a Deputy in a time when Bethlem Gabor was newly reconciled to the German Emperour and therefore not to be trusted and the Polacks newly reconciled to him and therefore to be mistrustrusted Divers other reasons were made to him many Petitions delivered from the Church-men Lawyers and from all Estates But melancholy Revenge had wholly possessed him so that by no means he could be perswaded to desist The Souldiery passed so far as to threaten publickly and to protest they would not follow but rather set up another King in his absence that should stay among them In conclusion carried by his own fate to Destruction having first commanded away his Armado to the Levant and thereby disposed many of his Souldiers upon Wednesday the seventh of May he began to pass over his Tents and Pavilions to Asia side with great quantities of Treasure The Janizaries and Spahies who had also secret Intelligence upon the King 's own Words and Actions betraying some further project than a Pilgrimage for he made Preparations to carry away all his Jewels and Treasure even defacing his Palace and taking from Churches and his Ward-robes whatsoever could be converted to Bullion suddenly met at the Hippodrome in the City upon a word given and from thence ran to the Seraglio in Tumult but without Arms and there according to their barbarous Mutinies cryed out for the King having first taken order to stop the passage of any thing upon the Water who appearing to them asked What this Insolency meant and what they pretended They then by the mouth of a Multitude for they had no head but that of the Monster demanded first That he should not proceed in his purpose to go to Mecha nor into Asia but that he would abide in the City Secondly they required to have delivered to their Fury the Great Visier
of us nay so much as intimation to us of the Grounds thereof or such Matters and Things as they pretend at least to have against us whereby we might answer for our selves and so whilst we are labouring as for these many Years we have done with all fidelity for them and their publick Interest whereof as we have proof sufficient in our Actions so we have him that is Iudg of the World for Witness to our Conscience they are contriving the ruin of us and our Posterity Which manner of proceeding so unjust horrid and odious before God and Man as in all reason we ought taking to heart and our serious consideration and as well that Violence which is offered to the Laws and his Majesty's Honour and Interest therein as our Self and our Family not pretending to extend that Authority which his Majesty hath put into our Hands to unlawful Ends but only to make a just use of it for the right and lawful defence of our selves and it in the several Occasions aforementioned finding by Accompt under the Hands of the Treasurer of the said Company here that for such Goods as they have brought in and carried out from the Port of Constantinople there is due unto us according to the Capitulations and the Grand Signior's Grants therein to the value of Dollars Ryals of 8 8 seventy four thousand and that for the like in Smyrna there is due Dollars Ryals of 8 8 one hundred thousand in circa and rating that Estate in Land which they have gotten into their power as aforesaid but at the value we were offered for it viz. at ninety seven thousand and five hundred Dollars in all two hundred seventy one thousand and five hundred Dollars Besides for ought we know to the contrary they may else have prevailed themselves upon of ours and as due to us by Privy Seal to the value of one hundred thousand Dollars and Leases under the Great Seal to near as great a value more We hereby enorder Sequestration of all Monies Merchandizes and other Goods and Faculties whatever within the Dominions of the Grand Signior where-ever belonging to the Parties and Members of the said Company in the Schedule hereunto annexed the chief Fomentors Contrivers and Abettors of these unjust and horrid Proceedings requiring you John Hetherington and you Lorenzo Zuma or one or both or either of you by the help and means of that Officer sent by the Vizier and those Commands in your Hands being now at Smyrna on other like Occasions according to your Instructions herewith sent to board and enter all Ships and Vessels and to break open and enter into all and every of the Houses Ware-houses Counting-houses of all and every of the Parties in the Schedule hereunto annexed and aforementioned and there to Attach Arrest and take into your custody and possession and as arrested and sequestred to take carry away and put into safe custody all such Monies Merchandizes other Goods and Faculties of what Nature soever that you shall discover find out and get into your power belonging to any of the Parties or under the Marks of the Schedule hereunto annexed and the same to keep so arrested and sequestred for our better Indemnity Satisfaction and Defence against all Pretences of the Levant Company before-mentioned whatever until we may be heard therein by due course of Law and till farther Order from us in that behalf for which this is to be your Warrant Dated in Pera of Constantinople this 30th of April Anno 1646. To our loving Friends and Servants Iohn Hetherington and Lorenzo Zuma Sackvile Crow To perform and put in execution the foregoing Warrant it was necessary to make use of the Turkish Officers Power and Authority Wherefore Sir Sackvile Crow demanding Audience of the Grand Vizier and representing Matters unto him in that manner as he judged most agreeable to his Cause was heard by him with a gentle and gracious Ear and assurances made to him of all Respect Favour and Assistance imaginable For the Turks had now smelt out a Cause in Transaction which with good improvement might be worth them many Purses of Mony and was of such a Nature as that their Religion and Doctrine obliged them to nourish having the prospect of gaining Mony and enflaming Christian Discord On these Grounds Sir Sackvile Crow easily obtained Commands from the Vizier directed to the Kadi of Smyrna to act all things according to direction of him the Ambassador and to enforce Matters with better execution a Chaous or Pursuivant accompanied with Iohn Hetherington and Lorenzo Zuma Interpreter was dispatched to Smyrna with Commands to carry up the Consul and Factors to Constantinople and to break open the Ware-houses and make seizure on such Estates belonging to the Turkie Company as would answer the Demands and Pretentions of the Ambassador Accordingly the Consul and Factory were carried up and with that other of Galata imprisoned in the Ambassador's House In the mean time the Agents at Smyrna with assistance of the Kadi sealed up all the Merchants Ware-houses but when it came to execution and Seizure more Difficulties arose for the Turks Armenians and Jew-Merchants made high Clamours to the Justice that many of the Goods belonged unto them some were not yet paid for others were only Pawns in the English Hands and all the Town being desirous to favour the Cause of the Merchants a great Uproar and Hubbub arose amongst the People The Kadi affrighted hereat grew more slack and faint in his Proceedings but the Cordial of 1500 Dollars and Gratuities to his Servants overcame the Difficulties and gave him new Resolution so that at length being attended with the Principal Officers of the Town he began first with the Consul's House making Seisure and delivering out of the Ware-houses all the Goods found there with some Caution howsoever and respect to those Pretensions which Stranger-Merchants made thereunto as appears by the following Letters Joh. Hetherington and Lorenzo Zuma their Letters to Sir Sackvile Crow advising further of their Proceedings dated in Smyrna June 16. 1646. Right Honourable YEsterday we received your Lordships of the 4 th present being the Copy of the 3 d And to day we received your Lordships's of the 8 th and rejoice to hear your Lordship is in such a readiness for your just Demands and wish your Lordship less Trouble and better Success than we this day have had and we doubt for many days shall incounter here This morning the Cadie's Son with his Neipe and principal Officers came and we began first with the Consul's House But before we began 't was spoken in the Kaddie's own House and all over the Town our Design to seize what we could find about seven a Clock his Son came and entred the Consul's House and opened all the Warehouses and took from thence with Elford's and Keeble's some four hundred Clothes and nine Bales Mohairs we left behind us 38 Bales of Silk 13 Bales his Servant pretended were sold by
lose their part in this action should play with their great Guns on that side of the Turkish-Army which lay incamped on the Quarters of St. Andrea All the Forces were landed on the 26 th and the whole night following was spent in preparations for the next days sally the Army being drawn up made four Batalions the first called the Admirals commanded by the Sieurs Martel Vandre and Gravier the second was the Vice-Admirals commanded by the Sieurs de la Monthe and Planta the third was the Rere-Admirals under Command of Chevalier de Bouillion Garbaret and the Chevalier Dailly the fourth was the Batalion of the Sieur â— Almeras commanded under him by the Sieurs Panetier de la Rogue Fontier Bitault and the Chevalier de Nemond and on the left hand of these aforesaid Batalions the Guards of the Duke of Beaufort were disposed The Duke of Beaufort unwilling to be a Spectator in this glorious Action without bearing a part in his own person after he had given order to the Fleet to accost the shore on the side of St. Andrea as near as consisted with their security and from thence with their great Guns to annoy the Enemies Camp as much as was possible came that night on shore resolving to fight in the Head of the Forlorn Hope from which hazardous adventure no intreaties or counsel of his friends could prevail to disswade him The Forlorn consisted of 400 men on the head of which marched fifty men with hand Granadoes flanked with three Troops of Horse Commanded by Count Dampire the Regiments of Guards with four Troops of Horse for their Wings flanked also with three Regiments of Foor followed the Forlorn The Reserve consisted of the Regiments of Harcourt Conti Ligniereâ— Rosan Montpesat and Vendosme flanked with four Troops of Horse under Command of the Count Choiseul which placed themselves on a rising ground to hinder all Communication between the Vizier whose Camp was before St. Andrea and the Janizar Aga who lay before Sabionera Between the first and second line were placed fifty Musketiers of the King to be assistant on occasion and the other Troops of Horse were to take the left hand along the Trench leading to the Sabionera the Regiment of Montpeyrous was to mount the Guard on the Fort of St. Demetrius to secure the Retreat if occasion should require In like manner five hundred Pioniers were ordered to level the Trenches of the Enemy on the Quarter of St. Andrea whilst the Body of the Turks Army was imployed in repulsing the violence of the Sally Things being disposed in this manner and the morn approaching the Forces marched out by the Gate of St. George with all silence possible covering their Marches that the fire might not alarm the Enemy the Onset was to begin with the dawning of the day and the Signal was to be given by firing of the chief Mine Royal which being large and furnished with a great quantity of Powder might as was supposed make way to the slaughter of the Turks whom the Christians might find terrified and disordered by such an unexpected accident This Mine was reserved for the last extremity but being low was full of water so that the Powder was stowed on floats and rafts to support it but yet received so great a damp and moisture that when they came to spring it the Powder took not fire which was the first disappointment of this Enterprise Though some are of opinion that the Mine was so vast and contained such a quantity of Powder that the Engineers were timorous to spring it lest it should reverse on the Besieged as well as take effect on the Enemies Camp. But be it how it will a quarter of an hour before day the Generals expecting no longer the Forlorn Hope which lay within half a Musket-shot of the Enemy assaulted two Redoubts took them and put them all to the Sword with the like courage the other Regiments entred the Line and making themselves Masters of the Trenches after much blood and slaughter and storming a Fort on which was the Battery directed against St. Demetrio possessed themselves of it and therewith of a great Magazine of Powder belonging to the Enemy spiking all the Cannon that were found therein The day by this time being clearly broken out discovered the action so that the Turks with all expedition put themselves into a Body on the Hill near New Candy from whence observing and contemning the small number of the Christians came thundring down in great numbers to regain their Trenches The Duke of Navailles perceiving his Forlorn hardly beset came in to their assistance with two Regiments of Foot and two Troops of Horse which behaved themselves with that gallantry as ingaged the Turks again to quit their Trenches But whilst success seemed thus to smile on the Christians the Magazine of Powder which was newly won containing an hundred thirty four Kintals of Powder by what accident is not known took fire and blew up all into the air by which many were destroyed and wounded especially of the Battallion of the Guards with many Officers This fatal blow quite turned the Scale of Fortune For the Souldiers hearing the dreadful clap and feeling as it were the Earth to tremble under them supposed it to be the eruption of some Mine near them with which they were so amazed that they began with confuâ—ion to disperse to the right and left and put themselves into shameful flight In like manner the Forces near the Sea sensible of the blow began to retreat and abandon their design which no perswasions of their Officers or other incouragement could animate them to prosecute but that the faintness of a second Attempt an infirmity accorded of ancient Times to be incident to the nature of the French Nation prevailed upon their spirits beyond any possibility of arrest so that in a disorderly manner they fled into the Body of the first Battalion where being now united with the Reserve they for some time sustained the shock of the Enemy until other Bodies of the Turks from New Candia and St. Andrea over-powered them with greater multitudes so that then they wholly abandoned the field and every one as well as he could sought his Sanctuary and refuge within the Precincts of the Fortifications Howsoever Choiseul and Lebâ—et each of which had a Horse killed under him incouraging their Troops disputed the case yet longer and still with other Officers made head upon the Enemy but at length with the Duke of Navailles and several other Gentlemen who made their way through the Enemy with their Swords they were forced to retreat honourably â—nto the Town The Duke of Beaufort was said to have laboured much in resisting the shameful flight of his men and venturing his Person into danger from whence he resolved never to retreat was overwhelmed with unequal numbers and so fell amongst the common heaps but his body though much sought after being not found it was
they stile all Representatives from Foreign Princes their pawns or pledges of Peace so had not the Turks in that conjuncture thought the interest of France worth the obliging they would never have deviated from their ancient Custom and given an example for other Ministers to demand a priviledge of the like nature But to return again to the designs against Poland the Sultan about the end of Iuly marched with such Forces as were then in a readiness towards the Confines of that Country and though he had not with him above fifteen thousand men yet it was concluded that the Fame and terror of the Grand Signior's motion would either abate and bring low the spirits of the Poles and induce them to dispatch an Ambassador with terms of Peace or at least this readiness of the Turkish Camp would be an early preparation for the designs of the next year and put the whole Empire into a timely motion and that uniting with the Forces of the Frontiers they might make a Body sufficient to resist any sudden Incursion This resolution being taken the Great Vizier led the Van and encamped on the Banks of the Danube near a place called Isacgee where he with all diligence built a Bridge of Boats to pass his Forces with the greatest facility to the other side on which lies the Country of Moldavia The Sultan about a days journey short of the Vizier fixed his Court and Camp at a place called Babadog with intention after some days to cross the River and proceed as far as Kemenitz that by the influence of his powerful Presence he might encourage his Army there and provide all things necessary for security of that Garrison But in the mean time advices coming that the Polish Army consisting of about twenty thousand men was roving about the Confines of Leopolis under the Command of General Sobieski and that a reconciliation was passed between the King and him and that Zircha Commander of the Cosacks joyned to considerable forces of the Moscovite and Calmuck Tartars had made incursions into the parts about Osac caused the Sultan to desist from his designed progress to Kemenitz and to pass no farther than over the River into Moldavia for hunting or other pastimes By these matters the Turks being fully convinced that the Poles resolved not to pay their promised tribute nor to send an Ambassador with propositions which were condescending or supplicating for Peace the Sultan himself dispatched away an Aga with Letters into Poland full of threats menaces and protestations of bringing all that ruine misery and destruction on their Country which always attends the most cruel and bloudy War if they did not retrieve their error by a speedy submission and compliance with those Articles which were the last year accorded And this was the last motion the Turks made towards a Peace which they were desirous to embrace on any terms honourable that so they might have opportunity to divert their Arms to the more mild Climates of Hungary where besides the entertainment they expected to receive from friends who invited them they should not be liable to half those inconveniences of Cold Frosts and Famine as they were probable to meet in the parts of Poland But the Poles were so much in earnest and so little esteemed the menaces of the Sultan that they anticipated his threats by some acts of hostility and showed that they so much scorned his anger that they were resolved to be the first Aggressors For the great Mareschal Sobieski with his Lieutenant General Wisnowitzki marched forward and boldly passed the Niester with fifty thousand select Souldiers The General of the Turkish Army Chusaein Pasha alarmed hereat immediately issued forth such Orders for preparing and fitting his Camp as were agreeable to a speedy Battel and that he might understand the state of his Camp he called the Prince or Vayvord of Moldavia to examine him concerning the state and condition of his Forces the answer he gave proving not satisfactory to the expectation of the Turk who was enraged at the approach of the Enemy with high and proud words insulted over the Prince giving him no better terms than Dog and Infidel and at length struck him over the head with his Pole-Axe notwithstanding which and the disgrace he put upon him imprudently that night committed unto him and to the Prince of Valachia the care of the Guards which consisted of three thousand Men. The Valachians as near Neighbours and Associates with the others seemed at first more grievously to resent the affront than did the Moldavians and therefore that Night took their Prince by force and carried him to the Polish Army The Prince that he might make a Vertue of Necessity complained of no force or violence offered unto him by his Souldiers but as if he had voluntarily revolted showed outwardly a fair and serene countenance towards the Poles until such time as with forty of his Men he found an opportunity to escape but being by next morning at break of day overtaken by five Troops of Polonian Horse his whole Retinue was slain by them expecting five of his men who with himself saved themselves by the swiftness of their Horses Howsoever the Prince received a wound on his left hand with a Sword with which presenting himself before the Great Vizier and by that testimony boasting of his Faith and Loyalty to the Ottoman House was conducted by him to the presence of the Sultan who in reward of his fidelity and valour vested him with a rich Coltan and restored him again to his Principality with addition of three hundred Aspers a day pay His Wife and Children which remained as Hostages at Constantinople being upon the News of the Princes Revolt clapt into the seven Towers were again released and conducted to their house with all imaginable honour and magnificence But the Moldavian Prince was more in earnest and heartily disdained the affront offered him by Chusaein Pasha towards whom and the other Turks though he carried a serene and calm countenance yet he nourished a secret flame and storm within himself to vent which and revenge the affront he maintained a correspondence with Sobieski giving him intelligence of all matters in the Turkish Camp how he might most easily surprize the Forces of the Pasha of Sivas and the four Generals of the Spahees of Alchaholick The Christians made use of this intelligence accordingly by making their assault on the Enemy on the weakest side when the Prince having reserved his anger until an opportune Season turned his face against the Turks and with a courage agreeable to his spirit and command he entered the Tabor or Intrenchment of Chusaein Pasha and wounded him with his own hand The heat of the Fight continued fourteen hours in which none behaved himself more valiantly than did Solyman Pasha the Beglerbeg of Bosna who though he was as brave and fought as stoutly as any man could having six Horses that day killed under him
General of the Artillery were at the head of the Foot. Count Caprara General of the Horse followed immediately by the same ways with the left Wing which contained seven Regiments of the Emperour's Lubomirski's Poles to which the King had joyned some Squadrons of his and all the Cavalry and Dragoons of Saxony The Elector of Saxony commanded the Auxiliary Troops which however of differing tempers and Bodies marched in Battalia in as much as the ground would permit it and were computed to amount to 65000 men About eleven of the clock the first Squadrons had gained the tops of Kalemberg without any opposition at all They there extended the Front of the Army above a league and a half camping on the declivity of the Mountain towards Closternewburg in three lines and some places more as the ground would permit them seizing thereby seven or eight Avenues by which they might descend and range themselves for the combat They brought at the same time some small Field-Pieces to St. Leopold and to the Monastery of Camaldoli The remainder also of the day and all the night was spent in advancing the Train which was not effected without great trouble the Mountain being so steep that none but small Field-Pieces could be brought up nor they but in some time doubling and tripling the draught Horses The Turks seeing the Christians appear about the Chappel of St. Leopold and the aforesaid Monastery drew out on their right advanced to the foot of the Mountains and extending thence to the brink of the Danube they seized the Hedges hollow-ways and heights from whence they might incommode the Enemy at the descent of the hills and first filings out of their streights The Cannon being arrived at St. Leopold and Camaldoli they quickly obliged the Turks to quit the Posts which they had taken and remove out of their shot The Troops which they had advanced consisted in Horse and another sort of Militia which fights like our Dragoons on Horse-back and on foot Of these the number was great and they had brought but few Foot out of the Camp and without Cannon in all this detachment which they opposed against the Christians The space betwixt Vienna and the 〈◊〉 of the Wood is reckoned a League and a half the Country being very difficult trenched with Vineyards Ravines and hollow ways The Vineyard was enclosed by a great Dike which covered the Turks Camp on the side of Helgstat The Duke of Lorrain had chosen this march to make use of the advantage of the heights and judging that in a situation of this nature he might secure his Flanks His design was the next day to coast the Danube and to attack the Turkish Camp on their right It was for this reason and because of the cuts in the ground that he placed a great Body of Foot to the left this Wing being designed first to charge the Enemies The King of Poland who stay'd an hour behind having encamped came to St. Leopolds Chappel from whence the Duke shewed him the descent of the Mountain the Camp of the Turks and the Troops which were advanced to oppose the descent of the Christians Their Countenance made his Majesty of opinion that they would dispute all the passages and that the Duke should do well if they could the next day seize the first heights at the entry of the Wood. He moreover desired some German Foot to joyn with his in the descent of the Mountain Having obtained four Battalions he caused them to advance on that side whereby the Poles were to descend Towards the evening of that day the Duke having surveyed the ground at the foot of Camaldoli ordered Count Lesley to command some Troops to take post at night at the going out of the Wood and to raise a Battery there the better to secure the passage of the Army the next day At first there were but two Battalions sent Count Lesley deferring to send any greater number till it was with the Artillery They laboured all Night at this work but the Turks being aware of it before it was finished they sent some Troops very early to hinder the Labourers and posted themselves near them behind a Curtain and behind Planks which well-nigh shut the descent from the Mountain before the Christians Battery Count Fontaine who commanded the Post was quick in opposing their effort and having called the men from their work and got his two Battalions together he posted them betwixt his Battery and their Barricado yet so as not to be encompassed by them who at the same time began to stretch to the right and left to gain the Christians Flanks The Duke who observed from St. Leopolds Chappel the Turks motion sent some Battalions of the Regiments next hand to the relief of his men These being commanded by the Duke of Croy arriving in time the Imperialists extended their line and took a resolution to attack the Infidels in their Post behind their blind This was executed with so much vigour that the Enemy were forced to give way They abandoned their Post and retired to another where the gross of their Body remained The Duke of Croy having his shoulder pierced with a Musket-shot in this action was obliged to retire leaving the command to C. Fontaine who disposed all things for the defence of the Post which the Enemy seemed forward to attack again but they contented themselves with shooting out of their own station the fire continuing brisk on both sides The Duke perceiving that the Turks made all that Body move which had camped beyond Neudorff to support their advanced Troops he first commanded all the left Wing to march and presently after he gave order to Prince Waldeck and to the Duke of Sax-Lawenburg to rush out of the Woods upon the Enemies who were at the head of their Camp. He sent to advertise the King of Poland of all this and understanding that his Majesty came to St. Leopolds Chappel he went to meet him there and shewing the motions the Armies were in he acquainted him with all the orders that he had given upon this occasion After they had agreed upon all things the King having performed his devotion at the Chappel mounting on Horse-back he went from Rank to Rank exhorting his Officers and Souldiers to do well and spake to them after this manner Generous Polish Cavaliers It is not only to defend the glory which your Ancestors and your courage have acquired to you of being esteemed the invincible Bulwark of Christendom against the Ottoman Power It is not the defence only of your own Country which the loss of Vienna by an infallible consequence will expose to the cruel Invasion of those against whom you are going to fight but it is the cause of God and to save the Empire of the West which does us the honour to have recourse to our Arms an honour which our Ancestors did never presume to hope for and which is reserved for your valour Think then of nothing but
of day that the Enemy had made a Gallery of Planks to pass the Miners to the middle Rondel they rolled down many Bombs threw many Granados and other artificial Fire with combustible stuff in such abundance that the Planks were burnt and the Gallery reduced to Ashes At five in the Morning the besieged sprung a Mine some Paces from the Wall betwixt the middle Rondel and that at the Gate with Success being it overturned one of the Christians Mines with the loss of seven or eight of the Miners They seconded this with a sharp Sally disordered the Workmen ruined their Labours and posted themselves betwixt the Imperialists and Brandenburgers but the reserve coming to their Aid from their place of Arms they forced them back into the Town There were above eighty of the two Attacks killed and wounded in this Adventure one of their chief Cannoneers slain and several subaltern Officers The besieged lost as many Notwithstanding this check the Works were continued with the same Vigour in the Approaches Lines and Galleries On the Bavarian side they ruined the little Port from their Battery with ten demy Cannons and the breach there was very spacious Iuly the tenth At the Lorrain Attack they work'd all Night to repair the Batteries and the Approaches which the besieged had ruined in the former Sally and to redress the Gallery which they had burnt and the Miners were again fired that Night At the Bavarian Attack the Miners worked under the Palizade of the Rondel and under the Wall with hopes of compleating their Mines in three days several were slain amongst whom was Lieutenent-Collonel Wachtenheim The Christians had Intelligence by their Spies that the Turks to the number of seven thousand reinforced with some Tartars who ravaged the Country had a design to introduce a new Commander with a recruit of Troops into Buda which obliged the Duke of Lorrain to command some Foot to post themselves on the other side of the Danube and upon occasion to joyn with the Horse that were there already and meet and fight the Enemies Iuly the eleventh This evening five demy Cannons were mounted on the two new Batteries in the Lorrain Attack and two Mortars planted in a little Fort with the loss only of two killed and five hurt The Brandenburgers placed three pieces in battery and would plant more the Night following to shoot glowing Bullets into the City The Bavarians fortified their Attack by two Redoubts Yesterday in the Evening four hundred Foot were ordered to raise some Defences on Pest side near the Danube to hinder lest any thing should pass that way into Buda Iuly the twelfth All the Batteries of Lorrain and Brandenburg were compleated and the first lines of these two Attacks were so joyned that men could pass from the one to the other undiscovered by the Enemies Fire And now they were so near the Walls the besieged did perpetually throw hand Granadoes and Stones to incommode the Workmen but without any great harm The Miner on the left found himself much advanced under the Wall but they met with more difficulty on the right and so they would inlarge the breach by force of their Cannon The Count de Souches inspected the breach by order of the Field Marshal Starenberg and it was found spacious enough to be assaulted The Brandenburgers began to shoot their inflamed Bullets and Bombs out of twenty two Cannons and two Mortars but with no great Success being the Besieged had uncovered all their Houses The Bombs and Carcasses invented by the Franciscan Frier were highly esteemed They now only plained and inlarged the Breaches and prepared themselves for the assault There were nine hurt and three slain with Granadoes and Stones The Breach in the great Rondel on the Bavarian side was large enough and the Miner was at work under the Pallizade of the Ditch The Duke having Intelligence that the Seraskier was advanced with some thousands of Turks near Hatwan commanded 3000 Horse and six Battalions of Foot Imperialists Brandenburgers and Bavarians under the Conduct of General Mercy to pass the Danube and post themselves on the other side of the Bridge to hinder the Turks to put a recruit of Troops into the City with the new designed Commander Achmet Bassa who had the Reputation of being one of the best Officers that the Grand Seignior had in his Service Iuly the thirteenth This morning the besieged sprung a Mine under the middle Rondel near the Christians Mine which was already finished which Mine did what the besiegers designed by throwing down part of the Rondel where they had no breach as yet There were two hundred Turks ready to fly into the adverse Works as soon as the Mine took but seeing it had a contrary effect to what they designed they retired All things being disposed for an assault thereby to make a lodgment upon the Wall Count Starenburg directed the attack in the manner following Count Guydo Starenburg commanded on the right of the Rondel Count Herberstein the middle of the Curtain and Count Aversberg all three field Officers on the left They had each of them two hundred and eighty Souldiers the Engineers Granadeers Fuseliers Carpenters and Pioneers were posted betwixt two and the rest to the number of two thousand were divided into three bodies of Reserves to support the Assailants the Voluntiers who had demanded the point mingled themselves with the first Betwixt seven and eight a Clock the signal for the Assault was given by a discharge from all the Batteries and a shower of Bombs and Carcasses which were discharged upon the City and the Retrenchments which the besieged had made behind the breach and notwithstanding all the resistance of the besieged the Christians mounted the breach where the Combat was very rude and obstinate on both sides for three quarters of an hour with all possible bravery The besieged sprung a Mine under the Assailants first line which buried Captain Kalkreiter and some Souldiers But seeing they could not take post for want of Earth that they could not force the Pallizado'd Retrenchment behind the breach and that the chief Officers were already all hurt or slain by the continual fire of the besieged it was thought expedient to make a retreat five or six leap'd over the Turks Retrenchment but being ill followed got off with the rest The Regiments of Souches and Mansfeld suffered most in this Action and that of Starenburg was also ill treated There were more than four hundred kill'd and wounded but the loss of so many brave Officers and Voluntiers who lost their Lives there were particularly deplored but few that were hurt escaped which begot a belief that the Turks shot with envenomed Bullets Amongst the dead were Count Herberstein Count Kuffstein and another Captain of the same Regiment the Baron Rolle three Captains more and eight Lieutenants and Ensigns Of Voluntiers that were slain there or died of their Wounds the Duke of Vexar a Grandee of Spain who was one of
the first upon the breach was one a Son of Prince Roberts with another English Lord the Baron of Scheyffer the young Count of Courmaillon a Conte of Dona and seven or eight more of Quality Amongst the wounded as well Officers as Voluntiers were reckoned Count Guydo Starenburg Count Aversperg the Prince of Veldens of the House of the Palatinat Prince Picolomini two English Lords the Duke of Escalona a Grandee of Spain the Marquess of Valero Brother to the Duke of Vexar the Prince of Commercy and more than thirty other Persons of mark The Spaniards and the English distinguished themselves by a noble Emulation opposing the greatest Fury of the Turks The English were so ill treated that of twenty of them all Persons of Quality there were but six of them that were not slain or wounded The loss of the besieged was also great for they had two hundred of their bravest men wounded and killed The Duke of Lorrain and Marshal Count Starenburg were present in this Action giving Orders every where as occasion required It was believed that the Brandenburgers would have attempted somewhat on their side but they excused it because their breach was not large enough On the Bavarian side there was a notable breach made in the Rondel and in the Wall that covers the Castle which the besieged repaired by Night with Gabions Pallizadoes and Fagots Iuly the fourteenth The whole Night and Day were imployed in inhuming the Dead and repairing the Approaches in planting more Cannon upon the Batteries and in advancing the Mines Two Galleries were likewise framed betwixt the second and third Rondel The Duke of Lorrain having also sent for three Regiments of Horse from Alba-Regalis to reinforce General Mercy they passed the Bridge this Morning to go on Pest side The besieged sprung a Mine in the Bavarian Attack on the left of the Castle Rondel which succeeded ill His Electoral Highness having caused eight Parapets of thick Oaken Planks to be made shod with Iron of a new Invention each capable of securing a hundred armed Men they were thought proper to be used in Attacks and Assaults The same day the Bavarians discovered and disappointed two Mines of the Enemies Iuly 15 th They continued to work in their Lines and being lodged close to the Wall the Besieged were heard to work under the Breach Gonzales the Spanish Engineer being now come Bombs and Carcasses were thrown into the Town which did great Execution Upon the Advice that the Duke of Lorrain had that the Turks that had passed the Tibiscus near Segedin were still encamped under the Cannon of Hatwan he caused two Regiments of Horse more to joyn Mercy to oblige the Enemy to repass the Tibiscus Iuly 16 th A new Battery was raised in the Lorrain Attack without the Wall of the lower Town to the right against the great Rondel the which was also batter'd on the other side to render the Breach larger and themselves Masters of it A Rascian with Letters which the Governour of the Place had entrusted him to carry to him of Alb-Royal came and delivered them to the Duke but they being writ in the Armenian Language and no Interpreter in the Camp they were sent to Vienna to be decyphered Some Peasants got out of the Town reported that the Janizaries had begun to murmur against the Bassa as designing to hold out to the last extremity but that he had by the Punishment of the most mutinous by his Liberality and the assurance he had given them of speedy relief reassured them to that degree that they promised to hold out with their Lives This Evening the Elector of Bavaria commanded 150 men seconded by a greater number to go and attack the Palizado which was in the Ditch at the foot of the Rondel of the Castle Lieutenant-General Count Fountain was on the right of the Attack and General Count Aspremont at the left They used three of the above mentioned wooden Parapets for the first time with Success and they attack'd this Post so vigorously that they carried it with their Swords in their Hands cutting in pieces all them that defended it but they sold their Lives dearly being the Assailants lost Count Fountaine and 35 Souldiers and Voluntiers Count Aspermont received a Contusion in his Head by the stroke of a Musquet which knock'd off his Steel Cap. The Captains Gottalinsky and Vaubon were dangerously hurt with divers others This Post gave access to the Rondel Iuly 17 th Yesterday the Besieged began to fire from a new Battery of four great Guns which they had raised upon the inward Wall but General Starenberg having commanded all the Cannon that could bear to shoot that way they were quickly silenced and disabled About Noon twenty or thirty Janizaries appeared upon the Breach of the Rondel to the right as if they had designed a Sally but those in the Trenches having given them a Volly they quickly retired The Brandenburgers and Bavarians did nothing but compleat their Works besides their continual firing from their Batteries Iuly 18 th A new line was advanced to the right the better to cover the Miners and be of use in the subsequent Assault The Brandenburgers augmented their great Battery with three pieces of Cannon Nor were the Bavarians idle their Miners working under the Wall behind the Pallizado Moat of which they were in possession The Besieged did not much appear by day but in the Night time kept continual firing killing a great many of the Besiegers with their Stones and Granadoes which they threw into their Works Iul. 19. The Cannon was mounted upon the new Battery and the Line was strengthned with two small Forts Last night the Besieged sprung a Mine behind our Miners who worked under the Wall which endammaged our Mine into which a new entry was to be made to make it serviceable Some of the Christian Miners were covered with earth most of which were pulled out again except Libert their Captain who could not be found Mr. Kerry a Scotch Gentleman with seven or eight Souldiers were killed in the approaches besides others wounded The Duke of Lorrain assisted by the General persons of his Army held a Council of War this morning but the result was kept secret Some Deserters assured the Duke that the Besieged resolved to make no composition but to expect the Relief which the Grand Visier would bring them Iul. 20. The new Line in the Lorrain attack was compleated There were three false alarms given to harass the Besieged by causing some Granadeers to run up the Breach and throw their Granado's into the place upon which the Turks hastening to the defence they were saluted with Volleys of Cannon Bombs and Carkasses not without execution These kind of attacks were frequently used to keep the Enemy in continual alarms and in ignorance of the time of the real Assault In the mean time the Mines were vigorously carried on and a certain German undertook a new one which he undertook to
the inward Gate of the Royal Lodgings with Clamours and Out-cries they made their Complaint In this Danger the Grand Signior was advisâ—d by the Capi Agasi and Solyman Aga the Kuzlir Aga or chief Eunuch of the Women that this happy Conjuncture was to be embraced for the destruction of Bectas and his Complices but fear and too much caution hindred that Design for the present only it was jâ—dged fit â—or satisfaction of the Multitude that Melek Ahmet Pashaw then Prime Vizier and yet a Slave to the Lusts of the Janisaries should be deprived of his Office which was immediately effected and the Seal taken from him was delivered to Siaus Pashaw a stout and valiant Person This Vizier being jealous of his own Honour and jealous for the safety of the Empire cast about all ways to suppress the arrogance of Bectas and his Adherents lest the like shame and misfortune should befal him as did to Murad Pashaw one of his late Predecessors in the Office of Vizier who for dissenting from Bectas in Opinion had lost his Life had he not escaped his Fury by flying into Greece The times were also troublesome and full of danger the Janisaries kept Guard in the Streets not suffering so much as two Citizens to walk together for prevention of secret Consultations many Artisans or Handy-craftsmen were imprisoned as principally in the late Tumult against the Consent and Order of the new Vizier the Court was also divided The Sultan's Party contrived to surprize and kill the rebellious Commanders of the Janisaries and that the day following the Lieutenant of the Baltagees or Hatchetmen should encounter Kul-chiachia as he came according to custom to the Divan and slay him but the Old Queen being of a contrary Faction with Threats and Menaces frighted that Officer from his design The two Queens were exasperated highly against each other one to maintain the Authority of her Son and the other her own in the City the confusion grew greater the Janisaries were not pleased with the election of Siaus Passa knowing him to be averse to their Faction but yet considering the state of the Times they endeavoured with fair Promises to allure him to their Party The old Queen by Letters advised Bectas of all Matters that were discoursed in the Seraglio intimating that the young Queen was Author of all these Disturbances and that therefore as a remedy of all these Evils it was necessary that Sultan Mahomet should be deposed and his younger Brother Solyman placed in his stead who having a Mother would be absolutely subject to her Tuition she added likewise that Solyman was a lusty Youth corpulent and Majestical whereas Sultan Mahomet was lean weakly and unable for the Crown Bectas having received this Message from the Queen Regent assembled a Council at Orta-giami that is the Janisaries Mosch where was a great and solemn appearance both of the Souldiery and Lawyers which latter are of the Spiritual Function amongst them some out of friendship to their Party and others for fear of their Power only the Vizier was wanting whom they sent to invite out of an Opinion that he might be drawn to their side and in case they found him opposite then not to suffer him to escape alive from their Councils It was then two hours in the Night when this Message came to the Vizier and though it was against the State and Gravity of a Vizier to go to any but his Master yet he thought it now time to dissemble and overcome the greatness of his Mind and so with a private Retinue went to the Mosch where the first he encountred was a Guard of Ten thousand Janisaries armed with their Muskets and Matches lighted which at first so dismayed him that he had some thoughts of returning but afterwards recovering himself and taking Courage resolved to proceed and coming to the Mosch Bectas vouchsafed not to meet him but sent another to perform that Ceremony at which neglect though the greatness of his Spirit could scarce contain it self yet suppressing his choler he addressed himself to the Feet of Bectas who scarce arising gave him a faint welcome and setting him on his left hand which is the upper hand with the Turkish Souldiery began to propound to him his new Designs and first That it was necessary that the present King should be deposed and Solyman Crowned in his place That the Canons of the Imperial Seraglio should be reformed and that whereas the Children of divers Nations were yearly collected for the Service of the Grand Signior none should for the future have admission there but the Sons of Janisaries The Vizier consented to all that was proposed professing a sincere affection and reality to them and their Party swearing upon the Alchoran with the most horrid Imprecations on himself and his Family if he were not faithful to Him and his Designs which gave Bectas that satisfaction that he began to persuade himselfe that the Vizier was really a confiding Person and one affectionate to their Interest and so partly from this consideration and partly out of a confidence of his own strength and inability of the Vizier to hurt him fairly took his leave of him and so dismissed his Kalaba Divan or his confused Council But the Chiachia Bei or Lieutenant-General of the Janisaries and Kara-Chiaus reproved very much Bectas for permitting the Vizier to escape with his Life saying he had done ill in suffering the Bird to escape out of the Cage that he had released one and permitted him to carry his Head on his Shoulders who would shortly take off theirs with many words of the like effect But Bectas slighted their Reproof as proceeding from want of Courage and the Ignorance of their own Power and that the time until morning was so short that should the Vizier intend to countermine them he was wholly unable being unprovided both of Power and Council The Vizier being got free went apace to the Seraglio with two Men only thanked God as he walked that he was freed from the Hands of those Tyrants and Villains and coming to the Iron-gate intending to pass through the Garden he found it open contrary to the custom and enquiring of the Bostangees or Gardiners the reason he could learn nothing farther from them than that it was the order of the old Queen who as it appeared afterwards expected her Confidents who might withdraw her that Night into some retirement where she might remain secure from the Dangers of the ensuing Day The Vizier being entred went softly to the Sultan's Apartments and in his way by good chance met with the Kuzlir Agasi Solyman Aga the chief Eunuch of the Women who in the dark was making his rounds about the old Queen's Lodgings by the Vizier's voice Solyman knew who he was but was amazed at his unseasonable visit yet understanding the Business thanked him for his Vigilance adding that he had also observed that the old Queen contrary to her custom was not
the Algierines always amongst other Gifts present some Youths whom they have taken by Piracy the Policy herein is very obvious because the Sons of Christians will hate their Parents being educated with other Principles and Customs or coming from distant Places have contracted no acquaintance so that starting from their Schools into Government they will find no Relations or Dependences on their Interests than that of their great Master to whom they are taught and necessity compels them to be faithful In the next place these Youths must be of admirable Features and pleasing Looks well shaped in their Bodies and without any defects of Nature For it is conceived that a corrupt and sordid Soul can scarce inhabit in a serene and ingenious Aspect and I have observed not only in the Seraglio but also in the Courts of great Men their personal Attendants have been of comely lusty Youths well habited deporting themselves with singular Modesty and Respect in the presence of their Master So that when a Pascha Aga Spahee travels he is always attended with a comely Equipage followed by flourishing Youths well cloathed and mounted in great numbers that one may guess at the greatness of this Empire by the Retinue Pomp and number of Servants which accompany Persons of Quality in their Journies whereas in the parts of Christendom where I have travelled I have not observed no not in Attendance of Princes such ostentation in Servants as is amongst the Turks which is the Life and Ornament of a Court. And this was always the custom in the Eastern Countries as Q. Curtius reports Lib. 6. Quippe omnibus barbaris in corporum Majestate veneratio est magnorúmque operum non alios capaces putant quam quos eximiâ specie donare natura dignara est But these Youths before they are admitted are presented before the Grand Signior whom according to his pleasure he disposes in his Seraglio at Pera or Adrianople or his great Seraglio at Constantinople which is accounted the Imperial Seat of the Ottoman Emperors For these are the three Schools or Colledges of Education Those that are preferred to the last named are commonly marked out by special designation and are a nearer step to Degrees of Preferment and are delivered to the charge of the Capa Aga or chief of the White Eunuchs The Eunuchs have the care of these Scholars committed unto them whom they treat with an extraordinary severity for these being the Censores morum punish every slight Omission or Fault with extreme Rigour For Eunuchs are naturally cruel whether it be out of envy to the Masculine Sex which is perfect and entire or that they decline to the disposition of Women which is many times more cruel and revengeful than that of Men they will not let slip the smallest Peccadillo without its due chastisement either by blows on the soals of the Feet or long Fasting Watchings or other Penance so that he who hath run through the several Schools Orders and Degrees of the Seraglio must needs be an extraordinary mortified Man patient of all Labours Services and Injunctions which are imposed on him with a strictness beyond the discipline that Religious Novices are acquainted with in Monasteries or the severity of Capuchins or Holy Votaries But yet methinks these Men that have been used all their lives to Servitude and Subjection should have their Spirits abased and when licensed from the Seraglio to places of Trust and Government should be so acquainted how to obey as to be ignorant how to Rule and to be dazled with the Light and Liberty and overjoyed with the sense of their present Condition and past Sufferings passing from one extreme to another that they should lose their Reason and forget themselves and others But in answer hereunto the Turks affirm That none know so well how to govern as those who have learned how to obey though at first the sense of their freedom may distract them yet afterwards the Discipline Lectures and Morality in their younger Years will begin to operate and collect their scattered Senses into their due and natural places But to return from whence we have a little digressed These young Men before they are disposed into their Schools which are called Oda their Names Age Country and Parents are Registred in a Book with their allowance from the Grand Signior of four Aspers a day the Copy of this Book is sent to the Tefterdar or Lord Treasurer that so quarterly they may receive their Pension Being thus admitted they are entred into one of the two Schools that is to say into the Bojuck Oda which is the great Chamber or the less the former commonly contains 400 and the other about 200 or 250. These two Schools may be said to be of the same Form or Rank and what is taught in one is likewise in the other neither of them hath the precedency all of them equally near to Preferment Their first Lessons are Silence Reverence humble and modest Behaviour holding their Heads downwards and their Hands across before them Their Masters the Hogias instruct them in all the Rights Discipline and Superstition of the Mahometan Religion and to say their Prayers and understand them in the Arabick Language and to speak read and write Turkish perfectly Afterwards having made proficiency in the former they proceed in the study of the Persian and Arabick Tongues which may be of benefit to them if their Lot chance to call them to the Government of the Eastern parts and is a help to the Improvement of their Knowledg in the Turkish which being of it self barren is beholden to those Tongues for its copiousness and enrichment Their Cloathing is good English Cloth and Linen neither fine nor course their Diet is chiefly Rice and other wholsom Meats which become the Table of Scholars where there is nothing of superfluity as there is nothing of want Their Manners and Behaviour are strictly watched by the Eunuchs their careful Guardians so as they cannot be familiar one with another at any time without Modesty and respect to the Presence they are in If they go to perform the necessary Offices of Nature or to the Bath they are never out of the Eye of an Eunuch who will admit none of their nearest Relations to speak with them or see them unless special Licenee be obtained from the Capa Aga or chief of the Eunuchs Their Bed-chambers are long Chambers where all Night Lamps are kept burning their Beds are laid in ranks one by another upon Safrawes or Boards raised from the Ground and between every five or six lies an Eunuch so as conveniently to see or over-hear if there be any wanton or lewd behaviour or discourse amongst them When they are arrived to some proficiency and almost to Man's Estate and strength of Body fit for Manly Exercises they are trained up in handling the Lance throwing the Iron Bar drawing the Bow and throwing the Geâ—iâ— or Dart. In all these
consenting and contenting himself to see another man enjoy her before his face which condition the Law requires as a punishment of the Husbands lightness and inconstancy and as an evidence to shew that though the Turkish Law is very indulgent and open in the free choice and enjoyment of Women yet that it punishes such as unadvisedly frustrate the solemn points thereof with remarkable notes of infamy and disgrace Notwithstanding some afterwards repenting of their Divorce have been contented with the condition and have chosen some handsome Youth to enter into the Bed of their Wife It is a merry Story that is told of one who in this case being put to a great streight resolved to call the first man he conveniently met to this Office that so as one unknown his reputation might be the less concerned the man he first lighted on happened to be a Kaickgee or Boat-man who it seems so well satisfied and pleased the Wife that she afterwards renounced all interest in her Husband and resolved to adhere to her new Lover of whom she supposed she had sufficient proof and acquaintance with already to esteem a better Husband than her former There are but few amongst the Turks though some are found who so heartily repent of their Divorce and so fond of their separated Wives as to be contented to take them with the foregoing Condition for it is reputed a kind of an Abomination and when they would signifie any matter far alienated or estranged they call it Ouch Talac something so divided and separated as to be a Sin and Prophanation so much as to covet or desire it CHAP. XXII Of the other parts of the Turkish Religion Of Circumcision CIrcumcision is not reckoned amongst one of the five Points which constitute a true Mahometan believer but 't is onely as we have said before proposed as a tryal and proof of man's obedience to the more necessary parts of the Law. This Rite of Circumcision is not received by them as an Article or Precept delivered expresly from the Alchoran but by tradition and ancient practice and use amongst the Arabians before the time of Mahomet derived originally from Ishmael or Esau whose Progeny they are and from thence give themselves the name of Ishmaelites The Arabian Doctours affirm that Mahomet himself was born with his Navel cut and naturally circumcised perhaps to equal the same Story which the Jews report of Moses and some others of the Patriarchs and it seems in those Countries where Circumcision is in practice that it is not unusual for Children to be so born who are therefore called Sons of the Moon on whom the virtue of the Moon hath more than ordinary manner of influence Credebant siquidem Arabes quod ille qui sub lunae radiis nasceretur contrahi perinde ac circumcisum praeputium The Turks never circumcise their Children untill the age of seven years and upwards and then they do it by a Barber or Chirurgion it not being esteemed a matter appropriated to the Office of the Emaun or Priests for as we have said before they make no such distinction as Clergy and Laity I mean as to any spiritual Character of Priesthood for a man may cry upon the Steeple to day and like their Pastour be the first to lead his Congregation to their Prayers and expound the Alchoran in the Pulpit and next day be expelled his Parish and become free to any other secular Employment or Profession They observe some Ceremonies amongst them on this occasion often differing according to the Countrey and place but commonly the child is set on Horseback in his best Cloaths attended with his School-fellows and Companions who with loud shouts repeat some words in the Alchoran and being brought home and the act of Circumcision performed he is carefully attended for his Cure and in the mean time there is a Feast or Banquet prepared for the Guests those who of riper years become Mahometans in some places are carried about the Town on Horseback with a Dart in their left hand pointing to their heart signifying that they will rather suffer themselves to be passed through with that Instrument than renounce that Faith they then profess And this Circumcision is an admission and introduction of them into the number of the Faithfull as it is amongst the Jews and Baptism with the Christians CHAP. XXIII Of the five necessary Points which are required to constitute a true Mahometan Of their Washings THough Mahomet saith in the Alchoran that his Religion is founded in Cleanness and that it is half of his Law yet much before Mahomet's time Washings were observed according to the same prescriptions by the Arabians who descending from Ishmael maintained by tradition the practice of Washings and he had no other share in this invention than that it was enforced by his Authority on the Professours of his Sect. The Turks are certainly a very cleanly people in their exteriour manner of living as in their Washings relating to their holy exercises and duties they are very precise and superstitious some of them believing that the very water purifies them from the foulness of their sins as well as from the uncleanness of their bodies There being three sorts of Washings observed by them The first is called Abdest which is a preparation for their Prayers entring the Mosch or reading the Alchoran they first wash their hands and armes then their neck their forehead the crown of their head their ears their teeth the face under the nose and last of all their feet but if the weather be cold not convenient to uncover them it is sufficient if they make some evidence thereof by any other outward signification The second is called Gusul which is the cleansing of the Bath after copulation or nocturnal pollutions untill which time a man is called Giunub that is his prayers are accounted abominable before God and his Society to be avoided by Men. The third is Taharet which is a Washing after the ease or evacuation of nature to this homely office they design the three last fingers of the left hand and upon this account they call Christians Taharatsis which is as much as one defiled and impure for want of this manner of cleansing And washing is so usual and frequent amongst them both before and after Meat as hath caused a common Proverb amongst them That God hath created Meat that men may have occasion often to wash their hands Secondly Of their Prayers After their Washing follow their Prayers which Mahomet to recommend to his Disciples the force and virtue of Prayer calls it in his Alchoran the Pillar of Religion and the Key of Paradise and enjoined the performance five times in the space of twenty four hours viz. between the day breaking and Sun-rising called Sabanamesse Secondly at Noon called Vlemanasee Thirdly at the middle hour between the Noon and the setting of the Sun called Kindinamasee Fourthly at Sun-setting called Acshanamasee Fifthly at an hour and half
proceeded from Mahomet himself in the second year of his Prophetick Office which he did not assume untill he fully had compleated forty years having before in imitation of the Jews Fast of Ashura Levit. 16. ver 29. in memory of the overthrow of Pharaoh and his Host in the Red-Sea enjoyned to the Arabians the same time of Abstinence but afterwards apprehending it dishonourable to be beholding to the Jews for the invention of a Fast instituted the Ramazan the time of which is governed by the course of the Moon and falls out commonly ten days sooner than in the preceding year so that this Fast with time comes to run through all the Months and is more easie to the Turks when it happens in the short days of the Winter rather than in the Summer when the days are long and hot which become tedious to the ordinary sort of people who for necessity are forced to labour and yet for the quenching thirst dare not refresh their mouths with a drop of water Fourthly Of their Zacat Which is another necessary point to the constitution of a Mahometan which is the bestowing Alms according to certain rules prescribed by four principal Doctours of their Law the word Zacat signifies as much as Encrease because the Alms procure the blessing of God and multiply the store of the Mercifull According to this command every man is obliged to give one in a hundred of all their Estate to the relief of the poor and though this Precept is enjoined as an ingredient to constitute a true Mahometan yet covetousness and Policy so much prevail with the Turks that the Rich are both unwilling to part with so much of their Estate and fearfull to evidence their Wealth by a true calculate according to the Zacat so that the Poor are the best observers of this injunction the Rich conceiving it superfluous and never intended by God to make the performance of Religion a snare to their Estates Fifthly Of their Pilgrimage to Mecha Which is enjoyned to every one who hath Riches and Freedom from great Offices and Charges of Government to perform it being a Type or signification of their passage out of this world into the next The number of those who yearly undertake this Pilgrimage is uncertain though most commonly are registred from divers parts where the Mahometan Religion is professed above Fifty Thousand Souls these Pilgrims depart about the latter end of May from Constantinople and meet with those from Anatolia Caramania and others of that quarter of the World at Damascus those from Persia assemble at Babylon those of the parts of Egypt at Grand Cairo and all unite upon a Mount not far distant from Mecha where they observe divers Ceremonies as making Corban or Sacrifice which they do by killing Sheep and sending part thereof as Presents to their Friends and distribution thereof amongst the Poor They also here strip themselves of their Garments and being covered onely with a Blanket go in procession through the Mountains in signification that they must now leave all their sins and affections of the World behind them Here also they leave their Christian Slaves that so they may not prophane the Holy City with the Uncircumcised The chief Commander over the Pilgrims for amongst so considerable a number of people there must be rule and Government is appointed by the Grand Signior and is called Sur-Emini by whom he sends 500 Zechins an Alchoran Embossed with Gold carried on a Camel and as much black Cloath as serves for Hangings for the Moschs at Mecha and this is yearly presented from the Sultan to that place when the new Hanging is set up that of the former year is pulled down and is by the Pilgrims torn in pieces some getting more and some less carry any rag of it home as a Relique and token of their Pilgrimage which serves them in place of the Caabe to which they turn their faces at the time of Prayers The Camel which carried the Alchoran at his return home is decked with flowers and other ornaments and having performed this holy Journey is ever after exempted from all labour and service CHAP. XXIV Of the Bairam and Ceremonies used at that time by the chief Officers to the Grand Signior THE Bairam is the Feast of the Turks of which there are two in the year one immediately following the Fast of Ramazan as our Easter doth the Lent which is called the great Bairam the other is the little Bairam which happens about seventy days after the former at which time the people for three days cease from their labour present one the other rejoice and take greater liberty than at other times which no question but was invented by Mahomet for relaxation of the bodies and minds of his Followers as well as in imitation of the Christian Feasts The Bairam is then conceived to begin at the first appearance of the new Moon after the Ramazan which is sometime deferred a days time if the weather prove cloudy that the Moon is not visible if longer the Sky be obscured according to the course of nature it is presumed that the Moon is begun and so their Feast begins also which is published at Constantinople by the discharge of the great Guns at the point of the Seraglio upon the Sea-shore at which time the Lights or Lamps on the Steeples of the Moschs are extinguished or omitted to be lighted and Drums and Trumpets are sounded in all publick places of the City and Courts of great Persons so that every one betakes himself to Mirth or Pastime as his own inclination or convenience leads him But that which will be most curious to the observation of the judicious Reader is the relation of the Ceremonies used in the Seraglio at this Feast by the several Officers of State to the Grand Signior and to one another which are so formal precise and constant to the least motion of every Member of the Body as will clear the Turks from that opinion which passes of them in the World of being rude uncivil and void of all Ceremony or Courtship in their comportment and behaviour which according to the best information I could procure is for the most part in this manner The Antiport leading to the Lodgings of the Kapa Agasi or chief Eunuch who commands the Pages being adorned with rich Carpets Cushions and other Furniture after their fashion on the Vigil or Eve before the Bairam all the Prime Officers of State belonging to the Empire then at Constantinople assemble themselves at the Grand Signiorâ—s Seraglâ—o three or four hours before day where as soon as day breaks the Grand Signior mounted on Horseback passes through the midst of them and goes to the Moschs of Santa Sophia where having said his morning Prayer he returns again to the Seraglio Being returned he enters the Hasoda or Royal Chamber and setting himself in his Seat of State having the chief Eunuch of the Pages on his left hand the Sons of
the Tartar Han which remain for Hostages in the Turkish Court upon signs made to them are the first who present themselves before him to wish him a happy Festival whom as I have heard reported he walks three Paces to meet and they prostrating themselves say Eiamischerif which is May these days be happy and arising kiss his hand and so retire The next who makes his address is the Prime Visier who standing on the right hand of the Grand Signior in the front of all the Beglerbegs Pashaws and other great Officers Complements the Grand Signior upon one knee and nearer approaching kisses his hand and then arising takes the station of the Kapa Agasi or Eunuch of the Pages The next who follows in this Ceremony is the Mufti who on the left hand fronts the Officers and principal Heads of the Law as the Kadelescheres or Lords chief Justices of Anatolia and Greâ—ce the Nakib Eschref principal Head or Primate of the Kindred of Mahomet the Mollahs Preachers called Seighs and others Then the Mufti bowing his head to the ground holding his hands on his Girdâ—e kisses him on the left shoulder and the Grand Signior steps one pace forward to meet him and so retires to his place then all the others in their several Orders take their turns to pass this Ceremony who are treated according to what the Prime Visier informs the Grand Signior for some kiss his Hand others the hem of his Vest some his Sleeve others his Breast thereafter as their Quality and Authority is which is so full of variety and formal niceties that there is a Book wrote expresly treating of all the particularities of this Ceremony The last of all who is called to perform his Complement is the Ianizar Agasi or the General of the Ianizaries This part being thus far passed the Grand Signior enters into a more retired Chamber of the Seraglio where the Arz Agalar or the four principal Pages are the first of the Court to do their obeysance as before then follow the Eunuchs and other Pages In the mean time a Dinner is provided in the Chamber of the Divan where the Officers of State having complied with their obligation take a plentifull repast at the Grand Signior's charge after which the Grand Signior makes a present to each of the sixteen principal Officers of Sable Vests with which the Ceremony concludes Then is way made for the Coaches of the Sultana's who having been Cloystered in the old Seraglio the whole year before are glad at the Feast of Bairam to have occasion to make their Visits to the Grand Signior in the first place as being of his Kindred and Relations and then to the Queen or Queen-Mother and to the other Sultana's and Ladies with whom they use variety of Ceremony according to their Condition and Quality and there have liberty to remain for the space of three days in Banqueting and other divertisements of Musick and Discourse It may well be observed from the premisses how generally the World is mistaken in the opinion is conceived of the Courtship used amongst the Turks commonly reputed by Travellers to be rude coming much short of that quaintness bowings cringings and reverent postures used in Christendom It is true the Turks deportment even in the most vile and mechanick vulgar though never so mean is carried with a strange kind of barbarity and rudeness towards the best of Christians in those parts which proceeds rather from a sort of pride and detestation taught them by their Religion than from any want of being instructed in their duty of due reverence to their Superiours for in their carriage one towards the other they observe the rules and niceties of Complement with as much variety and exactness as is exercised in Rome or the most civilized Courts of Christendom and amongst the chief Ministers ' there is much preciseness and caution used not to exceed the limits of that Ceremony which inferiours owe the superiours lest they should disparage their own quality or give occasion to the World to believe their disorderly submission to be a part of adulation And therefore it is worthy the study of Christian Ministers employed in Embassies in the Ottoman Court to be well informed in the rules and manner of their carriage in the presence of the chief Ministers of State for uncovering the head as in Christendom is amongst them esteemed ridiculous and affrontive and the manner of little bowings and often inclinations of the body taken as acknowledgments of the great distance there is between the Masters they represent and therefore a little Ceremony at the entrance and the like at departure with a steady and constant behaviour at the time of the Treaty or Discourse is the best rule for a Christian Minister which is interpreted amongst Turks as the effect of gravity and estimation of themselves it being certain that the contrary hath caused many Christian Ministers to fall lower in the reputation of the Turks than they had deserved for their wisedom and dexterity in the management of the more substantial points of Affairs CHAP. XXV Of the Prohibition of Swines Flesh and Wine THE five foregoing Principles already treated of are as we have said before the essential points required towards the constitution of a true Mahometan other matters are proofs and trials of their obedience amongst which none is more enjoyned than the prohibition of Swines flesh and Wine which are called Haram things abominable and forbidden The first in reality abhorred by them and as displeasing as the Flesh of a Man to civilized People or a Dogs thigh to such as have been used to Delicacies and wholesome Viands But Wine of late years though forbidden by the Law hath gained a better reputation and though accursed by them is yet accounted of so strong a temptation that the sin is the more excusable and though the Alchoran positively inhibits the use thereof and the Expositors of the Law have so far removed it from all possibility of becoming lawfull that they have determined that if Wine be spilt on the ground and in that place Grass grows and with that pasture a Sheep or an Ox is nourished those Cattel become Haram and are as abominable as the Flesh of Swine But notwithstanding the severe Prohibitions hereof by their Religion Wine is so commonly used that it is publickly drank without cautions or fear of giving scandal the great Men because in Office are more carefull how the World discovers what delight they take in that liquour lest the miscarriages of their Office should be attributed to the excess of Wine or their knowledge of the use of that which deprives them of their reason render them uncapable of their Trust and Dignity For the Turks account it impossible to drink Wine with moderation and are ignorant of the benefit of it for Concoction of crude humours and indigestions of the stomach and wonder to see it by English French or Italians tempered with Water for unless
men not knowing how to comport themselves in prosperity growing mutinous and ambitious to have a hand in the Government became Confederates with the Ianizaries in conspiracy against the Life of their true Sovereign Sultan Osman to which Treason adding other Insolencies they justly were deprived of the favour of Sultan Morat and Sultan Ibrahim the terrours also of their late Sedition remaining freshly still impressed in the memory of this present Emperour Sultan Mahomet when they complotted against his own and his Mothers Life is the cause they have gone still declining from the degree of their pristine honour and eâ—â—eem for the Prince as he is the Fountain of Honour so is his countenance and favour the spirit and life which gives a lustre and sparkling to those Titles and Riches he hath conferred other Seditions hastned the ruine of their reputation and in the year 1657. when the Visier Mahomet Kupriuli on occasion of his Expedition against Ianova summoned the Asian Spahees to the Rendezvous in Hungary who instead of yielding obedience to the command of their General elected a new Captain a Spahee of their own rank called Hassan Aga preferred to be Pashaw of Aleppo whose name at that time I remember upon the hopes of the dissentions he might create amongst the Turks was greatly famed and celebrated over all Christendom These Combustions in Asia headed by the chief Enemy to the Visier caused Kupriuli to leave many of his designs against Transilvania uneffected and to clap up a Peace on reasonable and moderate terms of honour that so he might hinder the progress of a dangerous evil which now threatned and approached the Capital City for by this time Hassan Pashaw being arrived near the Walls of Scutari began to treat by way of Petition to the Grand Signior and represent that out of his zeal to the good of his Majesty and his Empire he had undertaken a long march to inform him of the corruption of his Ministers and the miscarriages of Government his tender years as yet not having ripened his judgment to penetrate these evils which with time his understanding would discover to be too inveterate and incurable All the oppressions and aggrievances of the Soldiery he seemed to object to the cruelty and oppression of Kupriuli and in appearance had nothing but thoughts of the honour and safety of the Grand Signior's person and doubtless this man was unfit to manage such a design for he entertained scruples of Conscience and a remorse and tenderness in spilling Mahometan Bloud considerations which are incomptable with the condition of a Rebel for who hath the impiety to draw his Sword against his Prince must stop at no bars either of Divine or humane right to maintain it This gave advantage to Kupriuli to effect his design upon his Enemy for in the interim of this Treaty Mortaza Pashaw of Babylon was commanded to possess the City of Aleppo and Hassan after many fair messages and promises from the Grand Signior and the Visier was persuaded to return again to Aleppo to capitulate with Mortaza concerning those points and aggrievances he sought to have redressed it being alledged to him that Mortaza had received instructions to treat and a Plenipotentiary power to grant and firm as far as should be reasonable and honourable for the Grand Signior to condescend Hassan with this easie answer returned toward Aleppo near which place he credulously committed himself into the hands of Mortaza who no sooner had him within his Tents but he concluded all controversies and capitulations by the decision of his head from his body The whole Army of Spahees immediately with the fall of their General was scattered and divided themselves but about three hundred of them being apprehended by Mortaza were sent to Constantinople where in the presence of the Grand Signior within the Walls of the Seraglio at Scutari they were all executed since which their pride hath ever been declining and their name become so odious amongst the people that upon the very nominating a Spahee the vulgar were ready to run upon them with stones or other Weapons that came next to hand so that now the Spahees are much eclipsed in their ancient fame and honour There are besides these two foregoing sorts of Spahees other four the first called Sag Vlefigi that is appointed to march on the right hand of the Spahaoglani and carry white and red Colours The second is Sol Vlefigi whose place is on the left hand of the Selahtari which carry white and yellow Colours The third Sagureba that is Soldiers of Fortune that are to march on the right hand of the Sag Vlefigi and carry green Colours The fourth is Sol Gureba whose place is to march on the left hand of the Vlefigi and carry white Banners but these four sorts of Spahees are raised and listed according to necessity and occasions of War and are obliged to all services and duties their pay is from 12 Aspers to 20 a day and are capable according to their merits of being promoted to one of the superiour Orders There is also another sort of more elevated Spahees called Mutafaraca who issue out from the Seraglio with more favour than the ordinary sort of Spahees and are four or five hundred in number their pay is forty Aspers a day and have always the obligation or duty on them to serve and attend the Grand Signior when he goes in progress for pleasure from one Village to another And thus much shall serve to have declared in brief concerning the institution and discipline of the Spahees also of the Militia of the Turkish Horse we shall now proceed to declare something of their Infantry CHAP. VII Of the Janizaries THE next main sinew of the Ottoman Power is the Order of Ianizaries which is as much as to say the new Militia and their Antiquity may be deduced from Ottoman the first King of the Turks but because they received honours and privileges from Amurath their third King our Turkish History accounts that to be the time of the first Original it is certain that in his time they were modelized and certain Laws prescribed both for their education and maintenance when by the counsel of Catradin otherwise called Kara Rusthenes Amurath's Prime Visier it was ordained that for the augmentation of this Militia every fifth Captive taken from the Christians above the age of fifteen years should be the dues of the Sultan who at first were to be distributed amongst the Turkish Husbandmen in Asia to learn and be instructed in the Turkish Language and Religion Their number at first was not accounted above six or seven thousand now with time they are encreased to the number of twenty thousand effective men but were there a list taken of all those who assume this title of Ianizary and enjoy their Privileges though not their Pay there would be found above 100000 six or seven go under the name of one Ianizary for gaining by this
Steeple to give notice unto the Duke of Loraine of th◠great distress of the City and of the daily advances the Enemy made upon them and the hourly diminution of the Garrison The nex day to confirm these Signals the Duke of Loraine received Letters from Staremberg and Capliers representing the sad and extreme misery of the City which could not hold out much longer but must if not speedily relieved be yielded to the Besiegers Howsoever they concluded with a Resolution to defend themselves to the last drop of their Blood. The 29 th the Turks fired the greatest Mine of any they had yet done but to so little purpose that they durst not adventure to second it by an Assault as they had formerly done This day about three a Clock in the Afternoon a Mine of the Turks over-threw a great part of the right Flanker of the first Retrenchment of the Ravelin which was still defended by the Imperialists thô the outward Retrenchment was possessed by the Turks The Christians lost only two Men by this Mine who were buried in the Earth but the Turks pressing forward were repulsed with loss of twenty of their Men who were killed The Turks to conclude this Month fired their Cannon and Mortars so incessantly that it was believed a General Storm would follow And having fired a Mine in the Morning they hoped to have become Masters of the Ravelin now as it were at its last gasp and Assaulted it with such Fury that it seem'd ready to yield But the Christians fought with so great Resolution that they kill'd Sixty Ianisaries upon the Ruins and recover'd all the third and part of the first Retrenchment And thô the Defendants were well assur'd that they should be Relieved in very few days yet not knowing what Accidents might occur which none could foresee they with all diligence made another Retrenchment at the Foot of the Court Bastion and at other places Towards the Evening it was discovered that the Turkish Miners were at work under the Ravelin in which to disturb them it was agreed the next day to make a brisk Sally and to burn the Galleries by which they passed to the Mine The next Day being the first of the Month the Sally was accordingly performed by three Hundred Men who descending into the Ditch of the Court-Bastion advanced as far as to the Galleries intending to burn and destroy them with Granadoes and diverse sorts of Fire-balls but the Works being deep and the Ianisaries pressing on them in great numbers the Defendants were forced to retire with the loss of about twenty Men thô with many more on the Enemy's side Towards the Evening the Fight was again renewed by a fresh Assault of the Ianisaries purposing with full resolution to become entire Masters of the Ravelin but the Christians being spirited with the hopes of speedy Succour so valiantly opposed them that at length they were forced to retire with great Slaughter Immediately after which the Besieged made another Sally with about four hundred and fifty Men burnt their Galleries and ruined those Works which they could not repair again in less than three Days In this Action the Citizens behaved themselves with much Bravery and Dexetity in the execution of their Fire-works and thô this Sally cost them Ninety Men yet it was attended with the death of above three Hundred Ianisaries The Day before was remarkable for the Encounter of the Duke of Loraine and the King of Poland the first going to Olbrun to meet his Majesty So soon as they came in sight of each other about the distance of twenty five Spaces the Duke descended from his Horse as did also the King and coming near they embraced The King in very affectionate Terms demanded after his Health and commended his Valour and Conduct by which he had sustained so long the force of such powerful Enemies Then he presented to him his Son Prince Alexander whom he said he had trained up betimes in War to serve the Emperor and did not doubt but he would improve much more by the Guidance and Example of so great a General To which the Duke returned answer That his Majesty had not only amazed him with the heroick and generous Act of so long and tedious a March but had astonished him with the excess of his Favour and obliging Expressions towards him That next to the Service of the Emperor he desired to live that he might perform something acceptable to his Majesty and to all his Relations That as to the Forms and Rules of War no Person alive was so well versed in them as his Majesty from whom all the Generals and Captains of the World might without discredit not be ashamed to learn the Lessons of Military Discipline After which the Generals of the Army the Nobility and Vice-Chancellor of that Kingdom came and paid their Respects to the Duke of Loraine And then being mounted on Horse-back the King having the Duke on the Right-hand and the Prince on the Left they enter'd into Discourse concerning the State of the War and continued the same until they came to the Camp where in the King's Tent a sumptuous Supper was prepared at a long Table the King sate in the middle on his right-Right-hand the Duke was placed and on his Left the Prince of Poland after which the King ordered all the Nobility who came with the Duke of Loraine to sit also The Supper being ended at which various Discourses passed but most relating to the present Enterprise the Duke of Loraine returned to his own Camp much satisfied with the Courtesie and Resolution of the King who dispatched Messengers with all diligence to the General who brought up the Rear to hasten the March of the Army with all convenient speed And the next day the King dining with the Duke of Loraine at his Tent resolved to meet the Emperor at Krembs on the second of September where the Interview was appointed and there it was where all things were to be concerted about the Passage over the Danube and Conjunction of the Armies Whilest these things were projecting Count Sciamburg came from Nayburgh bringing Advice That the Elector of Saxony with his Forces could not be at Krembs until the third or fourth of this Month upon which it was computed that the Relief of Vienna could not possibly be until the 12th Intelligence of all these Matters being carried to the Emperor the Presence of his Imperial Majesty was judged necessary at Krembs where the place of general Rendezvous was appointed both to animate and inspirit the Army and to accommodate compose and silence such Quarrels and Punctilio's as might arise amongst so many Princes of different Countries concerning Place and Precedency but the Emperor in his way thither being taken ill of some Indisposition in his Health proceeded no farther than Lintz where he remained until he received the happy News of the Relief of Vienna and the Confusion of his Enemies
that he would be pleased at length to Rescue and Deliver them from the many Dangers with which they were encompassed Their Prayers were heard and towards five a Clock in the Evening some advanced Troops appeared on the Mountain near the Monastery and Castle of St. Leopold between whom and the Turks some Shot were exchanged but Night coming on the darkness put an end unto a farther Engagement which was reserved for the day following This being the day appointed by Heaven for Relief of this expiring City which could not have held out twenty four Hours longer the Imperial and Polish Army with the Auxiliaries joyned at the Foot of the Mountain of Kalemberg which before the Armies began to ascend it was judged fit in the first place to take a Survey of the Ground and the several Posts therein The Marquis Parella a Gentleman of illustrious Birth and clear Courage represented the Ground in an exact Map to the Generals and offer'd with his own Person and Followers to possess himself of the Castle Leopold and the Monastery which were very advantagious Posts on this occasion The Enterprise seemed so hazardous to the Duke of Loraine that he commended the generous offer which the Marquis had made but judging it a more fit undertaking for Soldiers of less note he drew out a Party of Sixty Granadiers under the command of a Lieutenant to whom he committed this dangerous Service The Duke having also in Person by night taken a more exact Survey of the place and judging it to be of great importance reinforced it with Three hundred Soldiers more after which he returned back to the King of Poland to inform him of the disposition of the Army After which all the Forces were ranged in form of Battail and began to March over the Mountain of Kalemberg The utmost part of the right Wing was committed to the Conduct of the King of Poland The Numbers of the Christian Forces were as follow Imperial Horse in Twelve Regiments consisted of 8200 Men Imperial Infantry in Forty two Companies 6400 Dragoons of the fame in Forty Companies 2400 Cravats Nine hundred Poles under Lubomiski Fifteen hundred 2400 In all 19000 Poles Twelve thousand Horse and Two thousand Foot Commanded by himself in person and under him by his Great General Iablonski 14000 The Bavarians Commanded by Baron de Gonfeld were Three thousand Horse and Seven thousand five hundred Foot in all 10500 Duke of Saxonies Forces Commanded by himself were Two thousand Horse and Dragoons and Seven thousand Foot 9000 Franconia Commanded by Prince Valdeck Horse Two thousand five hundred and Foot Six thousand five hundred 9000 61500 To which being added the several Princes Volontiâ—rs with their several Attendants which followed them this whole Army was computed to amount unto Sixty five thousand Men which were now Marching to Engage the Turkish Army which after after all their losses had still remaining as we said before 119456 fighting Men in this March over the Mountain of Kalemberg the Prince of Saxelawemburg General of the Cavalry with eight Regiments of Horse two of Dragoons and one of Cravats belonging to the Emperor with all the Cavalry and Dragoons of Bavaria and Franconia were placed on the Right Wing next to which Marched the King of Poland with his Army The Infantry of Bavaria and Franconia were drawn up in the third place or middle Commanded by Prince Waldeck near unto whom all that day was the Elector of Bavaria who pretended to serve as a Voluntier it being his first expedition in the War. All the Emperor's Foot and that of Saxony commanded by Prince Herman of Baden were drawn up on the left Hand and Marched directly along the Danube and towards the Monastery of St. Leopold Next to these on the left Wing marched Count Caprara with seven Regiments of the Emperor's Horse to which the Poles under Lubomiski were joyn'd with all the Cavalry and Dragoons of Saxony commanded by the Elector himself in Person In this Order the Army mounted the Hill with a slow pace to attend the Motion of the Artillery which thô consisting of small Pieces yet the Ways were so Rough and Rocky that with double Teams of Horses they ascended slowly to the Top of the Hill. And now both Armies with opening of the Morning began to take aview of each other The Stars were not with drawn from the Sky when the Christians heard the Alah Alah sound from the Turkish Camp which are the Lauds or Praises which they sing to God in their Prayers The Fires and Lights in their Camp discover'd the excellent symetry and order in the disposition of their Tents and Troops which had been the most pleasing Spectacle in the World had it not been of Enemies and Infidels who came to destroy the Christian Religion and the German Empire From hence it was that the King of Poland and the Duke of Loraine taking a view of the Enemies Forces did conceive that the orders in which they were placed did look as if they intended to dispute every Foot of Ground between each Army which they might have done with great advantage in case they had possessed themselves of the Woods in the Forest of Vienna and of Ambuscades which according to the nature of the Ground might be pleaced to hinder the descent from the Mountain Wherefore the King desired of the Duke of Loraine Two thousand German Foot to Flank his Horse at the entrance out of the Wood and to support them in the descent down the Craggy Hill and accordingly four Batalions were granted for that service Count Lesly who was General of the Artillery had received Orders to Raise a Battery at the coming out the Wood for better security of the Army in their March over the Hill which he almost effected with one nights work but before he had quite finished it the Turks made a discovery of what was there doing and were put in mind thereby of what they themselves should have done to impede the Enemies passage that way But certain it is they were so confident of their invincible strength that they thought it too mean for them to take the advantage of Posts or Situations against an Army of which they conceived so low an Esteem But finding themselves at last deceived in those imaginations and Councils they detached early in the Morning some Forces to demolish the Work which Troops came very near and posted themselves behind certain Trees which were felled and Planks which served for Barricadoes against the Shot of the Battery The Duke of Loraine observing from the Monastery of St. Leopol the motion of the Turks against the advanced Troops Ordered several Batalions under Command of the Duke of Croy to support them which coming seasonably to their Assistance caused the Imperialists to enlarge their Front in that Line and gave them Resolution to Attack the Enemy who were drawn up behind certain Banks and charged them with so much Gallantry that they forced
Turks labour'd with all possible Industry to keep off the Approach of these Galleries which most certainly threatned the Ruin of the Town to effect which they threw certain artificial Fire-works upon the Galleries composed of Sulphur and Bituminous matter which burn'd so violently that it was impossible to extinguish it until it had laid all in Ashes and so forcibly did it burn that it took hold of the next Battery and set Fire to the Powder in it with which divers of the Gunners to the number of Forty Men were Blown up Nor did the Gallery on the left Hand fare any thing better for the Turks shot such numbers of Arrows with artificial Fires into it that nothing could resist the violence of the Flames All the Gallery took Fire with the Parapet and Neighbouring Battery and burn'd with such fierceness that it became too hot for the Guards and dismounted four Pieces of Cannon The Duke of Loraine came immediately in Person to the assistance of the place and remained where the Fire was most impetuous commanding the Officers to march their Troops to that place and in the mean time employed all his Servants and Attendants who were about him even his very Pages to stop and extinguish the Fire The Example of the General was so prevalent that every one gave a helping hand with such diligence and vigour that the Fire was extinguished and a great part of the Battery was saved with the Cannon and Powder Whilst this Action was doing all those who work'd about the Fire lay open to the shot of the Enemy of which about Sixty Soldiers were killed and twelve of them near to the Person of the Duke who exposed himself without fear to the utmost Peril of his Life The Fire being extinguished Order was given to repair the Damage which the Fire had done which accordingly was executed with such diligence that on the next Night following the Parapet was repaired and the Cannon being remounted began again to Batter the Town new Galleries were also making of such matter as should not be so easily combustible as the former The Disorders being composed which were caused by these Fires the Elector of Bavaria enter'd the Camp and immediately repaired to that part where his Soldiers were lodged The Duke of Loraine having made him a Visit and passed those Complements which are due to his Person and Character he attended him abroad and showed him all the Attacks the Approaches Batteries and the whole Form of the Siege Whilest matters were thus in Action at the Siege Advices were daily brought of the Seraskier's motion that his whole Army consisted of 60.000 Men including the Tartars and lay Encamped at the Foot of St. Gerard's Mount near Buda with Twenty five Pieces of Cannon small and great On the 26 th it was certainly advised that they had passed the Danube and that the Van-guard bended towards Vaitz and the Rear-guard towards Vicegrade and Strigonium Upon this intelligence it was almost certainly concluded That the Turks intended with one part of the Army to lay Siege to Strigonium and with the other to attempt the Relief of Newhausel to confirm which two Hussars about the close of the Evening brought News that the Turkish Army about Noon of the same Day had pitched their Camp in sight of Strigonium and had made a Bridge at the Isle of St. Andrew for better Communication of their Troops It being now out of all doubt that the Turks would either Invest Strigonium or Novigrade the Duke of Loraine with the concurrence of his Electoral Highness the Duke of Bavaria resolved to leave 16.000 Men under the command and conduct of Count Caprara to continue the Siege and with the Gross of his Army to march against the Seraskier but before their departure they had the satisfaction to see the four Regiments of Infantry belonging to the Elector of Cologne to come and joyn with them all brave and stout Men well Armed and well Clothed Colonel Heusler who with Fifteen hundred Horse watched as we have said the Motion of the Enemy gave certain intelligence that on the 30 th of Iuly the City and Castle of Strigonium were Invested by the Seraskier which caused the Duke of Loraine to hasten his march towards the Relief of that place leaving all things belonging to the Siege in very good order The News sent by Colonel Heusler was confirmed on the 4 th of August by Report of the Cannon which being carried by a favourable Wind were heard at the Siege before Newhausel The Duke of Loraine being on his march passed his Army consisting of 40.000 fighting Men over the Waagh on a Bridge of Boats bending towards Comorra On their way thither intelligence was given them that the Night before the Turkish Army had been Alarum'd by a Party of Hussars which had fallen in upon their Baggage Howsoever they continued still to force the Place having given a fierce Assault upon the lower Tower Town but were bravely repulsed This News quickning the march of the Army the next Day they passed the Dâ—â—nube upon two Bridges near to Comorra and afterwards Ranged the whole Army into order of Battle The Imperial Troops were divided in the first and second Lines of the two Wings with them joyned some Dragoons and some Battalions of the Allies the Elector of Bavaria Commanded the left Wing the main Body of Bavarians and Swedes were comprehended in this Wing and that of Franconia and Lunenburg in the Right the Prince of Hanover and General Chauvet Commanded at the Head of their own Troops as the Marquis of Tutriac and other Generals of the Allies at the Front of theirs Count Rabata General of the Horse the Commissary General Count Palfi and Baron Mercy and other Chief Officers were of the left Wing Prince Lewis of Baden Count Dunewaldt Count Taaf and Stirhaim Major General were added to the right Wing Prince Waldeck and Count de Fontana one of the Major Generals marched at the Head of their Troops and Prince Lubomiski commanded the Cannon In this order the Army marched and on the 10 th of August they Encamped within three hours march of Strigonium And the next Day approaching yet nearer the Report of the Cannon and all Noise towards the Town seemed to cease so that it was concluded that either the Town was taken or the Siege raised Whilst they were in this suspense the Garrision of Vicegrade came in sight of the Camp to the great surprise of the Generals who until that time had never been informed that the place had been Invested by any part of the Ottoman Army It seem'd a little strange to meet that Garrison in the open Field marching with their Arms and Baggage with their Matches Lighted their Drums Beating and their Colours Flying but this Wonder ceased when the Officer in Chief acquainted the Generals how that the Fortress of Vicegrade had sustained a Siege for the space of sixteen
Works The Defendants also let down small Parties by Night from the Walls of the Town who covering them under the Rocks and in Holes Fired upon the Guards and being good Marks-men and shooting with Art seldom missed the Man they aimed at and being nimble and active Men skipt over the Rocks and made their Escape By Night they threw their Artificial Fires from the Walls into the Trenches which easily seized the Beams and Coverings made of Olive-tree and Rafters of old Houses taken from a Neighbouring Village which burned so impetuously that with great difficulty the Fire was quenched in doing which the Christians were exposed to the small Shot from the Walls which by the light of the Fire they poured upon them Their numbers thus daily decreasing by those who were Slain Sick and Wounded there seemed a kind of necessity of performing speedily some considerable Feat of Arms before they languished and consumed away in their Trenches and before the new Re-inforcements were come from the Captain Pasha who as it was said was already arrived with his Fleet in some part of the Morea This Council being agreed as necessary by all the Chief Officers The Captain General selected out of the Venetain Gallies and Galliots Fifteen hundred Levents or Soldiers belonging to the Fleet who were stout and robust Fellows under Command of Lieutenant Colonel Magnanin whom he commanded silently to Land after Mid-night Twelve hundred whereof were to take their way towards the Enemies Trenches on the left Hand at the opening into a Vally and the remaining Three hundred to the right Hand and to confound the Enemy the more the Fleet was ordered to weigh Anchor and move from their usual Station At the same time Three thousand choise Soldiers under command of General St. Paul were appointed to march out of their Line and on the 7 th of August by break of day in the Morning to Attack the Enemy in their Trenches who were more numerous in their Men than the Christians and had much the advantage over them by their Horse All things were punctually observed and executed accordingly And on the 7 th Day with the dawning of the Morning year 1685. the Signal was given by Firing two Barrels of Powder under the Breach which was immediately followed by all the Cannon of the Fleet and Camp and with such thick Vollies of small shot in the Front from the Three thousand Men which had Sallied out of the Line and from the Levents who had placed themselves both in the Rear and Flank that the Enemy believing the Venetian Camp to be much augmented by the accession of the Mainiotes and other Auxiliaries affrighted with a panick fear put themselves generally to Flight Those who were more couragious and stood the Brunt were not able to resist long but either were beaten and trampled down by their Fellows or killed by the Venetians who pursued the Flying Enemy as far as they could without Horse leaving the Ground cover'd with dead Bodies and with Blood. This Victory was the more remarkable because it was obtained on the 7 th of August which was the same Day of the past Year on which Santa Maura was taken The Booty was very considerable for besides the Artillery Arms and Ammunition of all sorts with store of Provisions the Turks left Three hundred Horse behind them which they had not time to mount with their Tents and Colours and two Horse Tails which are the Ensigns of Siaus Pasha who also fell in this Action All the Artillery was taken amongst which were six Pieces of Brass Cannon three whereof were marked with the Arms of the Republick The Day following the Captain of the Gulf â—mploied as we have said to bring Fifteen hundred Mainiotes to the Camp arrived with Three hundred only And on the 9 th the Commander in chief of the Forces belonging to the great Duke of Toscany alledging that the Term of his Commission was expir'd and that he was not authorized to remain longer at the Siege he was licensed by the Captain General to depart and a Farewel taken with all expressions of kindness and civility And now to complete and consummate these Successes by taking the Fortress which was the chief and principal design of this Campaign all industry and care was used to clear the Passage of the Rocks Rubbish and other impediments which lay in the Way on the side of the Attack of Brunswick and Malta And on the other side towards the Venetian Attack to lay open and widen the principal of the three Chambers of the Gallery which was formed by the Engenier Bassignani and thereby to make an entrance so far as was possible undâ—r the chief Bulwark This work was so industriously carried on that on the 10 th of this Month of August the Mine was finished and charged with Two hundred and fifty Barrels of Powder which were found in the Turkish Camp. And that Evening at a Council of War at which the Captain General and all the principal Officers were present it was agreed next Morning by break of day to give Fire to the Mine and make a General Assault Accordingly on the 11 th the Troops being drawn into Battalia the Mine was fired which had it's due effect overthrowing the Bulwark and widening the Breach and blowing up all the Garrison which defended that part into the Air and not without hurt to many of the Venetian Soldiers who were nearest to the Mine and ready to second the Mine with an Assault So soon as the Blow was given the Italian Troops commanded by Serjeant Major Iovij with much Courage and Resolution proceeded to the Assault in the Front of which was Captain Marco Ferri a Person who had greatly signalized himself at the Siege of Candia and from thence and from other places had brought many Scars and Wounds which were so many Signs and Marks of Honour The Assailants were received with Bravery by the Defendants Howsoever an opportunity was given them to Enter the City at that time had they not instead of improving the advantage contented themselves with a Lodgment on the Breach At the same time so soon as the noise of the Mine was heard the Forces of Malta who were at the Head of the other Attack seconded by the Pope's and those of Brunswick with great Vigour gained the Top of the Breach which had been some Days open thô it was of very difficult access and had been repair'd in some manner by the Defendants Here now began a very furious Fight in which the Knights behaved themselves with as much Manhood and Prowess as became their Order endeavouring to force the Retrenchment but it being well Flank'd and furnished with Artillery they fired so terribly upon them that four of them were killed on the place and above thirty wounded The Cavalier de la Barre who commanded that Battalion behaved himself with all the Courage imaginable and thô seconded with
have been done on purpose by Treachery of the Captain the which unhappy Accident gave some stop to the proceeding of the Fleet in hopes to save most of the Rigging and Materials thereunto belonging But in fine a Gale of Wind springing up the Ship was broken in pieces and no more saved than only the Men and eight Pieces of Cannon of the 50 with which she was mounted besides some Bombs and other Materials for War. This Accident hindered something of the Proceedings of the Fleet which received yet a greater Impediment from the Northern Winds which at this Season of the Year so constantly reign in those Seas as if they were Trade-Winds Howsoever when the Gale abated as it doth commonly towards Night the Galliâ—s made use of their Oars to row to Windward as high as Cape Colonna where afterwards the Ships joyned them and taking the Calm of the Night the Gallies by force of their Oars towed up the Ships and on the 11th of Iuly they entered the Channel of Negropont and on the 13th came to an Anchor in the Road called the Gardens about six Miles distant from the Capital City of Negropont Here it was that all the Soldiers Horse and Foot which were Embark'd on the Galleasses Gallies and Galleots making a Body of about 8000 Foot and 500 Horse Landed without the least opposition having only seen a Party of about 50 Turks on Horseback who presented themselves in view to take cognizance of the Motion of their Enemies amongst which Mustapha Pasha Commander of the Town was there in Person So soon as the Out-guards of the Turks posâ—ed on a Tower erected on a Neck of Land which stretched out to the Euripus espy'd the Troops which were disembarking they discharged some Guns to give an Alarm to the Town and immediately quitted the place as being not tenible into which some Soldiers were entered from the Ducal Gally being an advantageous Post wherein were found four Iron Guns and some small Provisions The Day that these Forces were Landed some Greeks of the Country together with the Câ—ptain of a French Tartana came and gave Intelligence that the whole force of the Island consisted of about 6000 Men with Iâ—niâ—â—ries and Spâ—â—ees but that they did not trust much to the Faith of the Inhabitants whom they had lately disoblig'd by taking from them the best of their Goods and â—urniâ—ure â—or their Houses That the Walls of the City were lined with Earth and fortified on all sides with Bastions well provided with Cannon That all the Gates and Entrances to the City were Mined and that the Suburbs were surrounded with a deep Ditch and Pallisadoes Besides which that there were some Out-works lately finished all provided well with Water and Provisions necessary for a long Defence That there were two Governours in chief one called Mustapha Pasha a Man of great Reputation who Commanded the Mount on which a Battery was erected towards the Sea The other was Ibrahim Pasha who defended the Outworks of the City both Men of Resolution besides these who defended the Town in which the Garrison was very strong and Seraskier lay Encamped with 4000 Men most Horse not far from Negropont On the 14th of this Month his Serenity the Doge accompanied with General Konismark and the Engenier Verneda attended with many Barges and Felucaes went to take a Survey of the Country of the Situation of the City and the Forts and Batteries which tho' more in number and furnished with Cannon beyond expectation did not yet abate the Courage of these Assailants All things being well observed by these Generals they discovered how the Turks had on the left Hand of the Bridge raised a Battery with Earth and planted many Pieces of Cannon thereon and pitched their Tents along the side of the Aqueducts And on the left Hand had formed a Line of Communication between the Suburbs and the Hill which commands the Sea from whence they could offend the Gallies with their Shot and the Venetian Tents besides which they discovered divers other Trenches in different Forms strengthned with Pallisadoes with a deep Ditch full of Sea-Water 30 Paces long reaching to the Gate of the City covered by a Hornwork And below the Mills another Battery was raised of three Pieces of great Cannon which commanded the Shoar along the Sea-side all which Forts were defended by some Christians more or less in every Work most of them of the French Nation who were skilful in throwing Bombs and all sorts of Fireworks Thus the Doge and his Generals having taken a full Survey of the several Fortifications of the City and the Situation of the Country on the 15th of the Month was the Day appointed for the March of the Army towards a rising Hill opposite to another which covers the City And at the same time the Gallies and Galleasses advanced by force of their Oars against the Northern Winds which continually blow at that Season and came to an Anchor under that rising Hill which is near to a Wood from whence they could see the new Fort of Karababa or Black Father An in regard the Ships could not enter into the Channel of Negropont by reason of contrary Winds the Doge dispatched away the Captain of the Gulf with 10 Gallies to take out the Soldiers and Transport them ashoar to joyn with the rest of the Army And for more expedition in this Work the Proveditor Pisani who Commanded the Gallies which are Manned with such as are Condemned to the Oar being returned with the nine Ships of which we have given an Account to have been ordered to the Dardanelli and by reason of contrary Winds were put into the Port of Andro was also commanded to give his Assistance for landing Soldiers Horse and all the Instruments and Necessaries for War. Whilst these things were preparing for the Siege the Baly Spinelli a Neapolitan Cavalier General of the Gallies of Malta demanded Audience of the Doge to pass his Complement of Congratulation upon his Advancement to the Ducal Throne the which being granted the General appeared with a great Attendance followed by many Boats Barges and Felucaes so soon as he was ascended into the Ducal Gally which was adorned with Flags and Streamers from Stem to Stern he was saluted with four great Guns and at the Stairs was met and conducted by Lieutenant General Pisani to the Stern of the Gally where his Serenity was seated of his Throne having on his Head his Ducal Bonnet and wearing the Senatorian Gown after the ancient Roman Fashion before him stood the four Admirals of the Seas The General of Malta being entered into the Presence the Doge arose from his Throne and received him standing The General with eight other Knights Captains of the Gallies and his Comrades made a most profound Reverence at their Entrance and having delivered the Letter to the Doge from the Grand Master of Malta full of kind and amicable Expressions all there
present stood Bare-headed whilst it was reading After which the General was caused to sit down on a Seat placed on the right Hand of the Doge and four of the Knights on a Bench on the left Hand the other four remaining without seated also on Banks the Antiport of the Cabin being drawn up the Slaves at the Oar were cloathed in White and the Soldiers clad with divers Colours armed with Half-Pikes Muskets and Swords each bearing a Burgurdian on his Head which being to the Number of 500 Men appeared very pleasant to the Eye This Complement was no sooner passed than News was brought That a Skirmish had happened between the Voluntier Adventurers and the Turks but the â—irst being reinforced by the Marquis Corloni with some of his Dragoons and Soldiers of the Greek Nation the Fight became very warm but the Turks were at length forced to retire with considerable Loss tho' this Success cost the Life of Colonel Paul Macri being shot in the Head who for his Bravery and Deserts having obtained the Honour of Knighthood was much deplored and lamented by the whole Army By this time the Ships under Veniere and the main Body of the whole Armata were come about and had doubled the Point of Kâ—raâ—aba from whence they received many Shot but without any damage so that the Ships and Gallies having taken the several Posts assigned to them and also four of the Duke of Tuscany's Ships laden with Warlike Provisions and 400 Land Soldiers being come and joyned to those other Forces belonging to the Great Duke's Gallies composed a Body of 800 Men all which being arrived and united to the Fleet and Army the Doge prepared every thing ready in order to a formal Siege The General of the Great Duke's Forces was Named Chigi who having made a Visit to his Serene Highness the Doge the same Ceremonies passed as were shown towards the General of Malta Eighteen Days after the Forces were Landed all the Approaches were finished in sight of the Town during which Time the Turks made not the least Sally to hinder or disturb the Works nor did the Venetians fire a Gun against the Turks who greatly wondered at so long silence as if on both sides a Cessation of Arms had been agreed and all remained quiet until the 30th of Iuly when the Cannon began incessantly to play about Break of Day in the Morning from the Venetian Batteries with Showers of Bombs and Carcasses which being thrown into the Town and Outwarks of the Enemy filled the City with Terrour and Consternation especially the Women whose Cries and Schreeks were heard into the Venetian Camp. The first of August a Resolution was taken to Attack a certain Fort called Loppo situate on a little Hill but upon discovery that the place was Undermined the Design was altered and Orders given to Bomb the Place with a Palandra a Vessel made for that purpose which ruined some of the Turks Trenches howsoever this Attempt cost the Life of two Mariners and the Loss of the Captain 's Arm who commanded the Palandra After which the Venetians advanced under the Mills securing their Posts with Earth and Baskets and the Malteses and Florentines endamaged the Enemy very much by the Bombs and Carcasses which they threw into a small Fort on the East-side and thereby it was as it were totally destroyed and levelled And as the Venetians were diligent in their Approaches so the Turks were not less active to give them a Repulse and to make frequent Sallies as they did one upon the Malteses of whom they kill'd and wounded about 40 and afterwards retreated but not without some loss both of Men and Horse In the mean time the Cannons play'd continually from the Batteries and Bombs thrown into the Town one of which falling into the House of the Pasha so affrighted the Women and Children that with Schreeks and Cries casting themselves at the Feet of the Pasha begged and beseeched him to surrender up the Town into the Hands of the Enemy upon Terms of Capitulation but the Pasha inflexible and refusing to hearken unto such Intreaties resolved to maintain it to the last Extremity To which End many Retrenchments were made within the Walls and Caverns digged under Ground to secure the People and Goods and Soldiers which were not on the Guard from the Desolation made by the Bombs During all this time the Seraskier with a Body of about 4000 Men remained at a Place called Petra in Livadia about six Miles distant from Negropont with design not to adventure his Men until some unavoidable Necessity happened or the City was reduced to its last Agony which as yet was not so far streightned but that there remained some hopes that it would be able to relieve it self it being esteemed better Service to keep the Passes free and an open Commerce with the Town than to hazard an Engagement with the Enemy with so unequal a Force which being overthrown would prove a certain forerunner of the Loss of the City The Venetians finding it more easie to proceed on the Attack of the Town than to lose time in taking the Fort of Carababa they raised a new Battery upon a small Rock at the Entrance of the Port under Command of the Captain of the Gulf which he effected with his own and the help of another Galley But what most incommoded the Venetian Camp was the excessive Heats for tho' the Winds were Northerly as they commonly are in those Seas yet passing over the Land they contracted such Heat and carried with them such a kind of Noxious and Sulphureous Vapour as produced Malignant Fevers amongst the Soldiers and Officers that many of them Died and the Camp became enfeebled and much weakened amongst which was General Konismark who being forced to leave the Camp to go Aboard his Ship in order to his Cure his Command was committed to the Charge of Major General Horn of Brunâ—wick The Sickness still spreading with Fevers and Tertian Agues a Sergeant General of Battallia Pietro Gasâ—ari and Colonel of the Switzers died thereof and the Count Palatine Landgrave of Hesse reduced to the last Extremity so that many Designs were neglected which might have gained the City and all the Enterprises of the Army became faint and languishing Besides Health there was nothing that wanted the Island it self being very fruitful abounded with Wines and all sorts of Victuals and Provisions for the Sustenance of Humane Life and were it not for the Depredations made thereon by Pirates it would be one of the most happy Countries of the World The Inhabitants thereof being of an Open Free and Chearful Nature of a Sanguine Complexion and Merry like the other Greeks without much Thought or Care which renders commonly the Lives of Men very uneasie to themselves and others and tho' the Country abounded with all things yet the Neighbouring Islands brought over their Cattle and Fruits thither which finding a
whole Body of the Turkish Army appeared the most part consisting of Moors and Arabs drawn up in order of Battle just fronting the Imperial Infantry which the Turks assailed with such unusual Fury and sudden Violence that Prince Lewis had scarce time to draw up his second Line into a posture of defence The Imperialists howsoever stood the Shock with great firmness and constancy and received the Fire both of their great and small Shot and tho' the Chevaux de Freeze were of great use to them at this as on other occasions yet many of the German Foot were at that time cut to pieces by the Turkish Scimetars And now the Fight became very hot on both sides and continued so for the space of two Hours within Pistol-shot by which time General Count Casselli being come up with his Cavalry and sounding without the Wood with his Trumpets Hautboys and Kettle-Drums the Enemy were put into such a Fear and Consternation that they began to retreat into the neighbouring Wood by which Prince Lewis having gained both Time and Ground drew up his Horse behind the Foot and whilst he remained in this posture a Bavarian Soldier who had been taken Prisoner at the Siege of Buda having made his Escape came and reported that the Enemy was retired to another Plain behind the Wood where for their better security they had thrown up some Earth and made new Trenches Upon this Intelligence the Generals were in great hopes of gaining an entire Victory if they could handsomely come to Charge the Enemy in the Flank to perform which they designed to open a passage by their Musqueteers but it seems there was no need of so much Labour for Count Guido of Staremberg being commanded to advance before with a Party to discover the Countenance and Disposition of the Enemy he found a way sufficiently open and wide for a March and not above 500 paces to the Plain where the Enemy was retired not far behind their Trenches Upon this News the Prince immediately detached 300 Horse and a Battallion of his own Regiment and another of Count Strasser's under Command of that Count to seize that Post which succeeded so happily that the Turks upon their first appearance cowardly abandoned the place and fled which the Imperialists possessed whilst another party of Foot came in to their Assistance and then the Cannon on both sides fired with mutual damage the which continued for the space of an Hour and half during which time several German Soldiers were killed and wounded as also four Captains killed besides Lieutenants and Subaltern Officers who were wounded And here it was thought fit to take Breath a while and enter into Consultation whether it were adviseable to prosecute the Victory farther or not and pursue the Enemy who had again posted themselves with more advantage in another Trench about 3 or 400 Paces behind the former and which was much stronger being encompassed with a deep Ditch of Water and only accessible in one place which the Turks continued to fortifie without any fear or apprehension of danger Upon due consideration of the strength of the place and the Difficulties of an Attack it was concluded that an Attempt was to be hazarded and that with all expedition and without loss of time Accordingly the Prince ordered that the first Trench should be levelled for the more easie passage of the Horse and that Count Piccolomini to whom the Command of the Van-guard was that Day committed should advance with some Regiments of Horse and some Battalions of Foot and put himself into Battalia before the Trench and Count Palfi with his Regiment of Heydukes was ordered to take the left Hand by way of the Wood and to sound all his Drums and Hautboys and other Instruments making the greatest noise he was able in the Wood and to give an Alarm as if some great Body were in motion to Attack them in the Rear which would serve to put them into greater Consternation and Disorder Matters being thus wisely ordered Piccolomini began to advance in Battalia and the Enemy endeavoured to repulse him with their Cannon but when they observed that the Germans without fear of their Fire advanced still resolutely upon them and gained ground and that the Heydukes came on desperately to the left so fearing to be engaged in the midst they abandoned this their last advantageous Post and with great Disorder marched through thick Woods to their Camp at Patoschin This Cowardly Flight of the Turks inspired new Courage into the Christians to pursue them to their ultimate Retirement which they had done to the entire Destruction of the Enemy but that the Way was so narrow that they were forced to break their Ranks and march one after the other which lost much time and gave the Turks means to escape and the Janizaries having Horses ready Sadled notably advanced in their Flight but Baron Zant having Orders to pursue the Rear-Guard of the Enemy being joyned with the Regiments of Sarau and Kisel they overtook many of them in the Woods and pursued the rest to their very Camp after which these Colonels not having Orders to follow the Enemy farther who were 25000 strong besides those which straggled in the Woods they betook themselves to the rising of a Hill where they halted until Prince Lewis came up to them with the gross Body of his Cavalry and then the Turks fled with Disorder and Precipitation as the Germans pursued with greater Heat and Courage and had not the Woods been thick and the Germans ignorant of the Ways and Passages they had made a most terrible Slaughter to the entire Defeat and Destruction of the Turkish Army Howsoever Prince Lewis continued the Pursuit with some Parties of Horse under the Command of Colonel Zant who gave so frightful an Alarm to the Turks that forsaking their Camp with Fear and Consternation they left all their Cannon Ammunition and Provisions to the Disposal of the Enemy In the Camp they found 105 pieces of Brass Cannon and three Mortars with great Numbers of Bombs Granadoes Powder and all sorts of Warlike Ammunition and Provisions with their Camels Oxen Buffalo's and Tents and in short all their Baggage became a Prey to the Victorious Germans whilst the timorous Turks fled in much Confusion towards Iagodina and Krakolovetz and many of them were taken up on the Way by the Hungarians Hussars and Rascians Great was the Joy of the Generals and Soldiers for so signal a Victory and having lodged one Night in the Enemies Camp with much Pleasure and Festivity the Day following early in the Morning they sang Praises to God for his Mercy and Blessings of Victory and as a signal of Triumph made the Camp to resound with three Vollies of Shot with Drums Trumpets Timbals and all sorts of Warlike Musick After Thanks were returned to Almighty God who is the God of Hosts and Giver of Victory the Imperial Generals thought
burnt whole Streets In this Consternation the Besieged attempted nothing by Sally but only plyed their Great Guns and set Fire to the Hay and Straw of which they had raised great Stacks in their Gardens and void Places of the City least the Enemy should serve themselves of it The Bombs continued firing whilst Barsus General of the Brandenburghers and Count Guido of Staremberg with nine Battalions placed themselves in a deep Ground where they could not be overseen by the Enemy from whence 1500 Men issued in the Night and opened the Trenches whilst others were busied in raising a Battery over-against the Gate of the Palancha Ottorsi on the Right Hand of which a Redoubt was made between which and the Battery a Line of Communication was drawn by this time a Battery of six great Guns was perfected and began to play which the Enemy answered with their Guns from the Wall firing without any intermission The six Guns being at some distance did not the execution which was desired and therefore the Night following the Battery was brought nearer to the Palanca which was on the Right Hand and next Night a New Battery was raised to the Left Hand of it on which Guns and Mortar-pieces being planted many Houses were set on Fire and a great part of the Palanca consumed by them Howsoever the Turks labouring with all Diligence possible repaired what Damage and Ruine the great Guns had done which they easily did for the Walls being for the most part made of a strong sort of Timber or Oak which doth not Shiver or Splinter the Bullet made no greater Hole in the Walls than the size of the Shot besides which the Ditch was very deep about them and six Paces broad howsoever by frequent firing the Holes became so wide and large as gave Encouragement to make a Storm on the Walls the which was ordered for the 16th at Night General Barfus and Count Staremberg Commanded the Attack which was performed with the greatest Resolution imaginable The Musqueteers with Hatchets in their Hands ran to the Gates in which the Guns having made several Holes they cut them down with the more ease On the other side Col. Mollner's Heydukes stormed the Walls with much Bravery and Resolution one of them Kneeling down supporting himself on his Hands and Arms another stood upon him whilst a third climbing over both with his Scymiter in his Mouth threw himself into the Palanca and in this manner many of them having passed the Wall began to cut down all that were before them with which the Turks being terrified abandoned the Fort and fled over the Bridge into the City This place being thus taken with the loss of very few Men some Guns were found in it with one Mortar-piece only Some Battalions being lodged in the Palanca Prince Lewis with his Army passed the Rivers of Korosch and Poze and Encamped on the other side of the Town where that Night 1500 Men were Commanded to open the Trenches which was performed with much diligence and a Battery was raised and another also in the Palanca of Ollorsi now taken The Hussars in the mean time Encamped on the other side to distress and streighten the City the more narrowly and now the Approaches being constantly carried on nearer and nearer and another Battery raised on which 11 Guns were planted they began to fire from thence and from the Palanca with a like Number into the Streets which much annoyed the Town These Batteries fired so constantly on the Walls that a sufficient Breach was made on which to make an Assault and accordingly a Storm was appointed for the 24th of this Month which the Turks perceiving by the Preparations that were made had not the Courage to stand the Shock but setting fire to the City which they believed they could not maintain retired to a Fort which they had raised between the City and the Fortress the City being now on Fire and no opposition on the Walls the Germans crowded into it with great Throngs where they took much Cattle and released some Hundreds of Rascians who were Inhabitants in that City which the Turks had they not been prevented had carried off with them The resigning this Place which was so well fortified with several Retrenchments and Works one behind the other was to the great Wonder of the Germans who hereby were well advertised and assured of the fear of the Turks by which they took fresh Courage and posted themselves in the great City over against the Fortress and in the space of two Days they advanced very near to the Ditch of the Fortress and in two Days more they finished a Work on which they planted 18 Mortar-pieces and from thence threw such quantities of Bombs into the Fortress and with that effect that one of them falling into one of the Magazines of Powder it blew up and showed a dreadful Spectacle of the Arms and Heads of Men carried into the Air. The Turks having other Magazines of Powder and Provisions remained resolute in their Defence and on the other side the Christian Army continued to throw Bombs into the Fortress by which a Steeple took fire which spread it self through the whole Fortress and in less than six Hours time one half thereof was reduced to Ashes In the mean time a Party of Tartars of about 600 fell in upon the Foragers and took both the Men and Horses and Booty which they had by them but being immediately pursued and overtaken by the Hussars all was seized again and brought to the Camp with seven Heads and three Prisoners The Month of November being now entered the Turks began to be of Opinion that the Christians could not continue long before the Place for that the long and wet Nights Snow and Frosts of that Country must needs force them to raise the Siege the Consideration of which moved the Pasha of the Place to refuse the acceptance of the Prince's second Summons saying That there would be time enough for that six Months hence This Answer obliged the Besiegers to throw their Bombs continually into the Fortress to force the Turks so soon as was possible to a Surrender But in regard the bad Weather came on and that Forage became so scarce in the Camp that many of the Horses died tho' Provision for Men was plentiful and cheap it was concluded by the General Officers that the Season of the Year was too far advanced for continuance of the Siege and therefore it was esteemed most adviseable to turn it to a Blockade but before the Germans bid a Farewell to the Place they beat down a great Tower with their Cannon on which the Turks having planted several Guns did very much annoy the Germans On the 2d Instant the throwing of Bombs was continued and a Great Fort was raised for the securing of the Posts if the advanced Season of the Year and the Obstinacy of the Turks should oblige the Prince to raise the Siege and
which being four Leagues distant from each other On the 20th of this Month they held a Council of War at which it was resolved to advance one Day nearer to observe the Countenance of the Enemy So that very early in the Morning on the 21st they marched in good Order of Battel and by nine a Clock they discovered some of the Enemies Cavalry whom they Attacked and Repulsed several times with considerable loss to the Turks And on the 22d some Parties of the Christians brought several Prisoners into the Camp amongst which was a Chiaus who reported That the Janisaries were very advantageously posted on the right side of a Morass confined and reaching to the Banks of the River Temes and another Body of them Encamped to the Left along the Banks of the Brook Begl their Cannon being pointed upon that Place where was the only Avenue or Access where the Enemy could come upon them and their Camp on all sides so fortified that the Christians could not Attack them without much Difficulty and Danger wherefore to give the Enemy room to advance and invite them to a Battle the Turks on the 24th Sallied out from their Retrenchments which was done only with Design to make other Lines which were finished in two Hours time or less and having there planted their Cannon they began to play one upon the other on both sides and as the Prisoners who had been made in several Skirmâ—â—hes â—ssured the Christian Army their Artillery was well served and had killed many of their Soldiers and several of their bâ—st Gunners tho' the loss on the Christian side had been but very indifferent On the 25th nothing very considerable was acted But On the 26th the Christians advanced Guards acquainted the Generals That the Body of the Enemies Army was in motion and marched in posture of Battle under Covert of Bushes Shrubs and some Trees and that they had already posted themselves between Temeswaer and the Christian Army the Generals of which sending to take a view of the Countenance of the Enemy they were of Opinion and saw evidently that the Body which they discovered consisted of the whole Turkish Army and not a Detachment upon which the Christian Army marched directly upon them to Attack and Engage them but before they could come so near as to Engage them they had covered and fortiâ—ied themselves under the Bushes and Ditches that it was difficult to come at them and having also a Bog behind them and a Marsh on their left Hand with three Ranks of Waggons fastned to each other with Chains of Iron in the Front made the Attack almost impossible to be made Howsoever the Generals resolved whatsoever Difficulties might offer to Attack the Enemy and accordingly about five a Clock in the Evening six Battalions of Foot sustained by two Regiments of Dragoons Charged the Enemy in the Flank under the Command of General Heusler and commanded them to march into the Wood which they performed with great Bravery and much galled the Turks with their Fire The Enemies Horse hereupon advanced and finding that the Christians had formed their Line charged them with great Fury when 1200 of their best Horse brâ—ke through the two Saxon Battalions notwithstanding the latter made a very brave Resistance but Lieutenant-General Zuiâ—endorf with some Regiments of Horse of the same Line beat back the Enemy and again closed the Line with some Saxon Battalions and Attacked the Janisaries in their Intrenchments and beat them from their Post but the Enemies Foot being reinforced and their Horse taking our Men in the Flank they were obliged to retire only two Regiments of our Dragoons Commanded by the Young Prince of Vaudemont advanced to sustain them and repulsed the Turkish Horse but the Janisaries returning and Charging them again the Dragoons suffered very much by their Fire and many Soldiers and Officers were killed and wounded but General Heusler bringing up another Regiment to their Assistance beat back the Enemy to their Intrenchments but was himself dangerously wounded Whilst this was doing another Body of the Enemies Horse Charged another Body on the second Line where the Christian Troops received them in such a manner as gave a Check to their Fury and then General Roses advancing with the Horse of the same Line drove them back and pursued them about two Hungarian Miles when the Victory began to declare it self in favour of the Christians and the Turks to put themselves into Flight when Orders came to General Roses to stop the Pursuit and to march back with the Troops howsoever some other Squadrons of Horse followed the Enemies unto their Intrenchments from whence the Turks made so great a Fire both with their Cannon and Small-shot that those Squadrons were forced to retire and being pursued by the Enemies Horse they encountred another of the Christian Regiments which they also put into Disorder which General Roses observing advanced with the Regiment of Caprara and Charging the Enemy in the Flank cut off above 1000 of them Then the whole Christian Line advanced and pushed the Enemy into their Trenches where they were in such a Consternation that the Sultan himself with much difficulty prevailed upon them to keep their Ground and defend their Intrenchments killing several with his own Hand that would have fled and at length Night coming on it put an end to the Battle Thus the Christians remaining Masters of the Field or Place of Battle intended to Attack again the Enemies Camp by Break of Day in the Morning but they laboured so hard all that Night that they fortified their Camp and made it almost impregnable which hindered the Germans from making another Attempt in the Morning The Christians lost a great many Men in this Fight amongst which were divers Officers of Fame and Renown as Heusler General of the Horse and Major-General Polland besides others who died of their Wounds The Turks lost above 8000 Men as was reported by a Pasha who was taken Prisoner in the Battel The Troops on both sides often mingled and gave no Quarter on either side A great Booty was taken from the Turks amongst which were many fine Horses with several Standards In the heat of this Action the Germans lost some Pieces of Cannon by reason that their Carriages were shot in pieces and the Horses which drew them were killed The 27th of this Month of September the whole Christian Army remained that whole Day in Posture of Battle before their Camp but the Enemy not appearing His Electoral Highness resolved to pass the Beque and to march towards the River Theysse to supply the Army with Provisions of which they began to be in want which was done the 28th when the Turks passed the River in like manner And on the 29th the Christian Army Encamped at Olasch near the Theysse where General Staremberg joyned the rest of the Army with six Regiments of Horse from Titul and Orders were sent to the Brandenburghers and other Troops
pass the Save upon the Return of the Imperial Army which happened to be on the 25th and 26th but Colonel Kyla staid as he usually did some time behind to burn and destroy every thing that remained as yet unconsumed And on the 27th they marched on until they came to the Camp which was before Seniza And on the 28th they entered into bad Defiles and at length into the Valley of Orohovitâ— where the Artillery and Waggons joyned again with the Army The 29th they Encamped near Schebze where Advices were brought to the Generals in what manner the Enemy was gathered into a Body near Belgrade consisting of several Thousands of Men. Lastly The Imperialists returned again over the Save carrying with them a great quantity of Turkish Cloth with many Turkish Women and Goods belonging to the saved Christians with a great quantity of small and great Cattle After the Return of the Christian Army under the Command of Prince Eugenius of Savoy from the Fortunate Successes in Bosnia the Troops were commanded on the 30th of October to march from Marga towards Caranzebes from whence on the very same Evening Lieutenant-Colonel Count of Herberstein was Commanded to March before with his National Militia of Rascians joyned with some Germans And the 31st was appointed for a Day of Repose and Rest for the whole Army and on that Occasion sufficient Provisions were made both for Horse and Man. When on the first of November the Body of the Army began to move from Caranzebes and in grievous Weather with Rain and Snow marched all the way so far as Soczan And then about two a Clock in the Afternoon they made a Halt near Gialuk in the Valley of Carassona And on the third they pitched near the deserted Village of Petrovizas From whence on the 4th Days March a Detachment was sent before to Invest the Fort of Vypalancha where the Lieutenant-Colonel of the Regiment of Rabutin Lord of Graser with a Body of 500 Horse had taken his Post or Possession and seated himself on the side of the Danube about 100 Paces from the River advancing to the Pallisadoes and there immediately began to fire upon the Place and to Entrench with so much diligence that in a short time they had opened the Trenches 200 Paces and having prepared the small Pieces of Cannon which they brought with them and one Mortar-piece they began therewith to make their Batteries The 5th Day in the Morning they set in order their Batteries and began also to throw Bombs into the Palanca which they found to be much more strong than it was believed at first for that it was encompassed with a double Ditch and treble Rows of Pallisadoes and a place of Retreat guarded with 400 Men and well provided of all things and for the better Security they had made some hundreds of Faggots and in the mean time the Turks in a great Body showed themselves upon another Stream of the Danube above and others at the Foot of the Mountain near to Rham together with Saicks and Frigats on the River Likewise on the other side of Belgrade near Kroska Semandria Columbas Isbeck and Gradiska which were all places so near that in 24 Hours time Succours might be brought from them at least to hinder if not totally prevent the Designs of the Enemy For which reason the General Count Rabutin resolved to lose no time but forthwith to make an Assault upon the Place and if possible to take it by force to which end he prepared 500 Germans and 200 Rascians to make the Attack upon the Place On the 6th with dawning of the Day appeared on the other side of the River a great number of the Turkish Boats battering with their Cannon as they had done all the Day before against the Christian Camp And in the mean time with the Break of Day the Attack began in two Places at the same time that is upon the left Hand of the Danube where the greatest difficulty was under the Command of Heer Viart Sergeant-Major of the Hanover Troops and then on the right Hand on the River Cerasse where the Soldiers to pass the Water Waded up to the Middle under the Command of Captain Beaumont of the Regiment of Rabutin And to give the greater Inconvenience to the Enemy they fired their Cannons continually without Intermission as also their Bombs besides Small-shot from 250 Men out of the Trenches but in regard that in the Night before certain Recruits were sent to reinforce the Place together with a Boat on Board of which were 100 Men from Columbas and Isbeck with new Ammunition so that they met with very much resistance besides they Storm'd without making any Breach and that in the sight of 20 or 30 Saicks and Frigats which appeared above and below the Place insomuch as things looked more doubtful and hazardous than with any promising Countenance of Success Howsoever General de Rabutin and Sergeant-General Count de Leiningen applyed all possible care and Industry to hinder and prevent the Enemies Succours from coming upon them by which the Soldiers at the appearance and so near an approach of their Enemies again reassumed new Courage and tho' they were at first well enough animated when they observed the Turks come upon them with their Cries of Allah Allah which they usually make upon their Charge and that 400 of their Horse remained for a Reserve the Vigour and Spirit was renewed on all sides and then with Axes and Hatchets they cutting down the Pallisadoes gained so much Ground that all things laid open before them So that after a doubtful Conflict of about an Hour and a half the Place was overcome and taken by the Valour of the Christians so that not only the Commander in Chief Hay Beigh but all the Garrison with the Inhabitants without any Exception were Killed or droven into the Danube All which was done and acted in a very short time which was well that it so happened for had it admitted of any farther delay the Christians would have encountred many more Difficulties for that the Turks were bringing over many Succours which would have caused very dangerous Diversions When on the contrary the Turks lost 800 Persons and the Christians only 10 which was almost a Miracle to consider General Rabutin was always present on the right Hand during the Assault and after it the better to Encourage the Soldiers he alighted from his Horse and having Commended and Praised every one publickly in his Place according to his Deserts and especially the Sergeant-General Count of Leiningen who had the left Wing under his Conduct and had done and acted as much as could be expected on such an Occasion and indeed both he and Sergeant-Major de Viart showed as much Bravery Conduct and Military Experience as could be desired of the greatest Captains in the World. But now in regard this Pass of Vypalancha was too far within the Territory of the Enemy to be any long time maintained for