having raised a most puissant Army of two hundred thousand fighting men and aided by the Armenians and Georgians passing over the Mountain Amanus into Syria not far from the City Hama met with Melcenasar the Egyptian Sultans Lieutenant with a mighty Army whom he overthrew in a great and mortal Battel wherein forty thousand of the Egyptians are reported to have been slain and so drave him quite out of Syria sending Molais one of his Captains with part of his Army to puââue him who never left him until he had chased him over the desart Sands into Egypt The victorious Tartar after this Battel took the City of Hama where lighting upon the great Treasures of the Sultan he bountifully divided it together with the Spoil amongst his Souldiers reserving nothing thereof unto himself more than a Sword and a Casket full of secret Letters The Egyptians thus put to flight he without resistance took in most of the Cities of Syria with the City of Ierusalem also which in many places by the Turks and Egyptians defaced he again repaired and together with the Temple of our Saviour gave it to the Armenians Georgians and other Christians repairing thither out of Cyprus Crete and other places to inhabit And having himself honoured the holy places with great gifts returned with his Army to Damasco which was forthwith delivered unto him But lying there with purpose in Autumn following to have gon into Egypt and to have utterly destroyed that Kingdom he was certified of new troubles arising in Persia and some other parts of his Empire for repressing whereof he with the greatest part of his Army returned himself into Persia leaving one Capcapus Governour of Damasco who after the overthrow of the Sultans Army had revolted unto him and Molais of whom we have before spoken Governour of Ierusalem commanding them at his departure to re-edifie the City of Tyre and to send Embassadors unto the Christian Princes of the West to joyn in League with them for the more sure holding of those new gained Countries And so Tyre was indeed repaired as he had commanded and delivered to the Christians with a convenient Garrison for the keeping thereof but the Embassadors coming to the proud Bishop Boniface the Eighth then Pope whom of all others it beseemed to have furthered their buisiness they could of him obtain nothing but returned as they came For he at the same time fallen out with Philip the French King thundering out his Excommunications discharging his Subjects of their Loyalty and so much as in him was depriving him of his Kingdom had given the same unto Albertus Duke of Austria whom he had declared Emperor whereof arose great troubles Besides that he being of the Guelphes Faction was not in any thing more careful than of the utter extinguishing of the contrary Faction of the Gibellines especially of the most honourable Family of the Columnij of whom some he had slain some he had deprived of their honours some he had imprisoned and driven other some into Exile so that thus wickedly busied for the maintenance of his own proud Estate he had no leisure to further the good of the Christian Common-Weal which his intollerable pride and forgetfulness of duty long escaped not the revenging hand of God being when he thought least suddenly taken prisoner at his Fathers house in the City of Anagnia where he was born by Sara Columnius his mortal Enemy whom but lately before redeemed out of a Pirats Gally the French King had sent for that purpose with one Longaret or as some call him Nogaret a French Knight by whom the proud Prelat brought to Rome in the Castle of S. Angelo within five and thirty days after most miserably died in his madness as some report renting himself with his Teeth and devouring his own Fingers This worthy Tartar Prince Cassanes by whom the Christian Common-Weal might have again risen in Syria and the Land of Palestine had not the pride of the great Bishop and the dissention of the Christian Princes hindred the same was as Aitonus writeth who was present in this War following his Uncle the Armenian King a man of a very short Stature and exceeding hard Favour but with Valour Bounty and other Vertues of the Mind plentifully recompencing what wanted in the Feature of his Body After whose departure into Persia Capcapus Governour of Damasco considering that the power of the Tartars there left was not great and that no aid was to be expected from the other Christian Princes of the West to recompence his former Treason of revolting from the Sultan with a new revolt from the Tartar rose up into open Rebellion drawing after him not only the City of Damasco but the greatest part of Syria also Whereof Molais Governour of Ierusalem understanding was about to have gone against him with his Tartars but advertised by his Espials that Capcapus in this his Conspiracy had compacted with the Egyptian Sultan also perceiving himself too weak to withstand so great a power retired with his Tartars into Mesopotamia there expecting new Supplies both from Cassanes and the King of Armenia Of whose departure out of Syria the Egyptian Sultan understanding came directly with his Army to Ierusalem which he took being forsaken of the Inhabitants and prophaned the Temple sparing only the Sepulchre of our Saviour at the humble suit of the Religious making there a greater shew of Devotion than of Cruelty After that he won all the other lesser Towns which the Tartars had either kept for themselves or given to the other Christians and utterly rased all the Forts of the Hospitalers and Templars which valiant men without other help for the space of almost a year held out against the Tyrant in which time most of them were honourably slain the rest that were left alive being taken by the Enemy had nevertheless leave given with bag and baggage in safety to depart having before by solemn Oath for ever abjured the Country of Syria and so these worthy men the great ornaments of the Christian Common-Weal the Hospitalers and Templars which to the utmost of their power had by the space of three hundred years right worthily defended both the Christians and the Christian Religion against the Infidels in Syria and the Holy Land were now for ever driven out thence about the year of our Lord 1300 year 1300. to the great dishonour of all Christendom Wherefore with them now taking our leave of Syria and the Holy Land leaving the same in the possession of the Egyptian Sultan and the Mamalukes although it were shortly after like enough to have been again recovered from them by the Tartars had not the death of the great Tartar Prince Cassanes and their domestical troubles letted we will again return to the troubled Affairs of the Turks in the lesser Asia whither the course of the time had somewhat before called us with the occurents thereof more proper to our purpose and the argument we
for that he had in time of the Siege shot off the Hand of the Clerk General of the Army brought him into the Town and when they had cut off his Hands and his Nose put him quick into the Ground to the Wast and there for their pleasure shot at him with their Arrows and afterward to make an end of him cut his Throat The Bassa shortly after departing out of Barbâry left Dragut the Pyrat Governour of Tripolis honouring him with the Title of the Sanzack of that place from whence he many years grievously molested the Moors near unto him by Land and the Christians by Sea. The same year 1551. Solyman notwithstanding the five years Peace before taken with King Ferdinand at his going into Persia sent Achomates his Lieutenant in Europe with a great power into Hungary who with Halis the Bassa of Buda invaded the upper part of Hungary and first took the City of Temeswar and contrary to their Faith given slew the Garrison Souldiers after that they took also the Castle of Zolnok forsaken by the Christians and certain other small Castles But laying Siege to Ersaâ they were partly by the valiantness of the Defendants and partly by the coming on of Winter enforced to forsake the Siege and to get themselves into their Wintering places Queen Isabel King Iohn his Widdow seeing the Turks daily encroaching upon that little they had left her and that she was not able by any means to defend Transylvania against them by the advice of George Bishop of Veradium her old Counsellor agreed with King Ferdinand to deliver unto him the Government of the Country with all the Royal Dignity of Hungary for which she was to have of him Cassovia and a yearly Pension of an hundred thousand Ducats Which agreement made and throughly concluded by Baptista Castalius an Italian whom Charles the Emperor had but a little before sent to aid King Ferdinand the Queen returned into Polonia her native Country and so King Ferdinand by that means obtained almost all the Province of Transylvania and what else the Queen had in Hungary But the Bishop a little before made a Cardinal being suspected by Baptista the Italian that he favoured the Turks Faction more than King Ferdinand and by that means sought to get the Government to himself was by the Italians device suddainly murthred in his own House at Veradium an end good enough for so troublesome a Prelate Halis the Bassa of Buda proud of the good success he had the year before year 1552. understanding that divers of the chief Hungarians had withdrawn themselves into the Castle of Agria purposed in himself with all his power to besiege it and there to take them So aided by Achomates Chasan and other of the Turks Sanzacks and Captains by Solymans appointment ready at his call he came with an Army of thirty five thousand Turks and the tenth of September in the year 1552. encamped round about the Castle where after he had placed his Artillery he began a most furious Battery But doubting to prevail that way he attempted also to undermine the Castle omitting nothing that could be devised for the taking thereof but all in vain for the Hungarians by the good direction of Stephanus Dobus their Captain couragiously endured the Siege and very manfully repulsed the Enemy At length the twenty ninth of September the Enemy with twenty eight Ensigns of select Souldiers gave a fresh assault to the Castle and were by the Defendants enforced shamefully to retire at which time four and twenty Barrels of Gunpowder by mischance caught Fire and besides that it blew up divers Captains and Souldiers did much harm in the Castle to the great dismaying of the Defendants After that the Turks with incredible pertinacy the twelfth of October fiercely assaulted the Castle from morning until night and for desire of revenge and hope of spoil left nothing unattempted for the gaining of the place but were by the greater valour of the Hungarians beaten back and with great loss enforced at last to give over the assault Thus the Bassa nothing prevailing by force attempted by great promises and large offers to have brought them out which he understanding to be nothing regarded and his Letters scornfully burnt brought on his Souldiers again and gave unto them in the Castle a most furious assault but with no better success than before for having lost many of his best Souldiers he was enforced to retire So after he had in vain six weeks besieged the Castle he was glad to raise his Siege and to retire to Pestum After whose departure there was found twelve thousand great Shot wherewith he had battâred the Wall. In this Siege six thousand Turks were slain and of the Hungarians but three hundred King Ferdinand glad of this Victory made Stephanus the worthy Captain Vayvod of Transylvania and bountifully reâarded the other Captains and Souldiers as they had well deserved Henry the French King who together with his Kingdom had as it seemed received the hereditary Quarrels of Francis his Father against Charles the Emperor had by his Embassador the Lord of Arramont so wrought the matter with Solyman that the more to trouble the Emperor he sent a great Fleet into the Tyrrhenum or Tuscan Sea which in the year 1553 and the year following year 1553. did great harm upon the Coasts of Calabria Sicilia Sardinia as also in the Islands of Elba Corsica Cerbe and Maiorca and such like places on the Frontiers of the Emperors Dominions yet were the Turks in most places notably again repulsed by the people of those Countries The same year Solyman seduced by Roxolana sometime his fair Concubine but then his imperious Wife and Rustan Bassa his Son in Law most unnatuââlly murthred his eldest Son Mustapha the mirrour of the Othoman Family Which tragical Fact the like whereof both for the treacherous contriving and inhuman execution hath seldom times been heard of I have thought good here in due time to set down in such sort as it is by most credible Writers of that time reported Solyman after the manner of the Othoman Kings who to avoid the participation of their Sovereignty use not oftentimes to Marry but otherwise to satisfie their pleasure with such beautiful Concubines as it pleaseth them to make choice of out of the fairest Captives of all Nations most daintily brought up for that purpose in the Court had by a Circassian Bondwoman a Son called Mustapha who for his wonderful towardliness and rare perfection was amongst the Turks had in such expectation and admiration as that they in nothing accounted themselves more happy than in the hope laid up in him whose noble carriage was such as thereby he so possessed the minds of all Men in general but especially of the Men of War that he was reputed the glory of the Court the flour of Chivalry the hope of the Souldiers and joy of the People Whilst he thus grew encreasing
pittied and pardoned for as much as he was of necessity enforced either to take up Arms or else shortly after to yield himself to the slaughter But he still exclaming against him I said unto him You blame poor Bajazet of great wickedness for bearing Arms against his Brother but Selymus Solymans Father you blame not who upon like occasion took up Arms both against his Father and his Brethren yet he therein did nothing amiss nor in your judgment blame worthy And rightly saith the Chiaus for the event of the matter sheweth sufficiently that that which he did was done by the appointment of God and that he was from Heaven predestinated thereunto whereas in Bajazet the event sheweth the clean contrary So that which falleth out well be it by never so wicked means compassed or brought to pass they take it as done according to the will of God but if it fall out otherwise they judge it as a thing condemned by God himself depending wholly upon the good or bad event of things and therefore judging them to be well done or otherwise This year 1558 year 1558. Charles the Fifth that noble Emperor of whom we have in the course of this History so often spoken who weary of the World had two years before delivered all his hereditary Kingdoms and Principalities to his Son Philip did now the twenty fourth of February on which day he was born by his Embassadors solemnly sent for that purpose resign that Empire with all the Honours and Titles thereof unto his Brother King Ferdinand requesting the Princes Electors to confirm the same unto him which they did the thirteenth of March next following So living as a private Gentleman in that solitary life whereunto he had to the wonder of the World certain years before retired himself from all worldly Affairs the one and twentieth day of September following died of a Fever when he had lived eight and fifty years and thereof reigned thirty nine a Man no doubt to be worthily accounted amongst the greatest Christian Emperors that lived before him About which time also died his two Sisters Mary the Queen of Hungary and Elenor the French Queen both Ladies of great Honour The Knights of Malta year 1559. who of long had been Suitors to the great Bishop and the King of Spain for the recovery of Tripolis in Barbary about nine years before taken from them by the Turks at which time they also surprised the Island of Zerbi upon the Coast of Barbary betwixt Tripolis and Tunes from whence they much troubled the Christians travelling by those Seas had now at length so much prevailed that the King commanded a great Fleet to be now forthwith made ready in September in the year 1559 to meet together in Sicilia and from thence to go directly against the Enemy by Malta Unto which Fleet the great Bishop the Duke of Florence and the Knights of Malta with many other valian Men out of divers parts of Christendom joyned their Forces also so that at length there was a hundred Gallies and Ships met together under the conduct of Andreas Gonzaga the General But whilst this Fleet from divers places was long in coming thither the Duke of Medina Celi came before with part of the Fleet to Malta and in the Haven of Marza Moxet expected the coming of the rest who about the end of the year came thither But whilst they were wintered expecting the Spring many of the Souldiers fell sick and died At length the time of the year fit for their setting forward being come the Captains consulted amomg themselves Whether they should first set upon Tripolis or the Island of Zerbi otherwise called Mening The Knights of Malta being of opinion that it were better first to besiege Tripolis and that with all speed before Dragut should come thither to furnish it with Souldiers and Provision Others thought it better first to invade the Island of Zerbi where the Army might be relieved with plenty of all things necessary and from whence they might at all times of danger in safety retire and from thence afterward as time should serve to go to Tripolis year 1560. Which unfortunate counsel was by the greater part agreed upon Wherefore in Februnary the year following they departed from Malta and sailed directly to Zerbi In the mean time Dragut the most famous Pyrate of that time amongst the Turks and Governour of Tripolis was come thither with eight hundred of the Turks Janizaries and had notably strengthned the City with Men Victual and new Fortifications and presently sent Messengers to Solymân at Constantinople to certifie him of the arrival of the Christian Fleet in Africk But the Christians coming to the Island of Zerbi were at the first landing encountred by the Moors whom they repulsed and so at pleasure landed This Island is not far from the Main here and there full of Bogs and Marishes other River hath it none and in the midst is somewhat Hilly It was inhabited with about thirty thousand Men which dwelt in low Cottages simply apparelled yet is the Island reasonably fertil yielding Dates Olives Barley Mill and such like When the Christians were there landed they sent for Caravanus a poor King amongst the Moors from whom Dragut had before taken that Island to use his counsel for their better proceeding in that War. In the mean time they agreed with eight thousand Men to besiege the strongest Castle in the Island in going whereunto the Spaniards went foremost the Germans next and last of all the Italians By the way as they went they light upon ten thousand Moors which lay in ambush in a Wood to have upon the suddain set upon them unawares but being discovered and seven hundred of them slain in skirmish by the Spaniards the rest fled So coming to the Castle they planted their Battery and laid hard Siege unto it The Captain of the Castle finding himself too weak long to hold out fled secretly with his Turks leaving the Castle for the Moors to defend who upon condition that they might in safety depart yielded the Castle to the Spaniards for keeping whereof Varona and Cerda two Spanish Captains were there left with their Companies Whilst these things were in doing Caravanus the Moor King came to the Camp of the Christians and there talked with the General in whose hoary Countenance rested a reverend Majesty his Apparel was after the Moors fashion of white Linnen with him came also the King of Tunes his Son. In talking with the General his manner was to sit flat upon the Ground and wisely discoursed how the Turks were to be removed out of Africk But in the midst of these discourses when such a thing was least feared suddainly a Pinnace brought news from Sea That Pial Bassa the Turks great Admiral was coming thither with a great Fleet of eighty five Gallies and that more were daily repairing unto him on every side Which was indeed true for Solyman understanding from
That the Burghers and Citizens shall be continued in their Privileges of guarding the Gates and the Keys of the City shall be committed to the hands of the Saxon Consuls the which Gates notwithstanding are to be shut and opened at all times when the Imperial Governor shall command These Articles being agreed and concluded between the Duke of Loraine and the Prince and Estates of Transilvania and afterwards ratified by the Emperor the Troops marched into their Winter-Quarters and it was hoped that Moldavia and Walachia being Neighbouring Provinces would follow the Example of the more powerful Principality This Year's Campaigne being thus gloriously ended to the great and lasting Honour of the Emperor and to the Welfare and Safety of the Empire and of all Germany and as we may justly say of all Christendom The Emperor the Empress the Arch-Duke and the Arch-Duchess Elizabeth his Sister on the 26 th of October left Vienna attended only with their ordinary Guards and Ministers and Officers of their Court and began their Journey towards Possonium at which place against this time circular Letters had been sent to convene a General Diet of the Nobles and States of Hungary This August Family were met on their way near that City by Two thousand of the Hungarian Nobility all well mounted with a splendid Equipage in the Plains of Chitzé not far from Possonium as also by two Imperial Regiments which attended their Majesties to the Gates of the City where the Recorder met them and having Complimented their Majesties with a most florid Oration offered the Keys of the City to the Emperor in the Name of the People who with loud Acclamations and firing all the Cannon on the Walls testified the Joy they conceived for the appearance of the most August and Illustrious Family The day following after the Mass was Celebrated the Assembly of the States of Hungary were convened where after divers Points were debated all Difficulties were overcome and agreed to the common satisfaction and with the general consent That the Hereditary Succession of that Kingdom should descend to the Eldest Son of his Cesarean Majesty and from him to all those who shall spring or be derived from him and for default of Issue in case that Line should come to fail which God forbid then the Crown should descend unto the Family of the King of Spain The day appointed for the Coronation being come the Emperor and Empress attended with â Noble and an Illustrious Train came to the Temple of St. Martin where the Ceremony was to be performed and at the Gate thereof were met by the Archbishop of Strigonium Primate of that Kingdom assisted by all the Bishops who were Twelve in Number besides Fourteen Priors and Abbots clothed in their Pontifical and Canonical Habits who with the Sound of all sorts of Musical Instruments conducted their Imperial Majesties habited in their sacred Garments wearing their Crowns attended with a most pompous Train and with all the Signals of Empire unto the Altar and there seated them on their Thrones After which the Bishops and other Prelates returned to receive the new King before whom first marched the Heralds of the Kingdom of Hungary in their Coats After them followed the Guards next went the Lacquies and Pages all clothed in new Liveries these were followed by the Bishops and Chief Officers of that Kingdom with Ten Hungarian Knights each carrying a Standard in his hand representing the Ten Kingdoms anciently appertaining to the vast Dominion of Hungary After all which came the King clothed in the Hungarian Habit accompanied with Prince Esterhasy the Palatine and the Counts Stephen Ciaky Lord Chief Justice Nicholas Erdeody Ban or Prince of the Kingdom of Croatia Iohn Drascoviz Steward of the Royal Houshold and Adam Zrini Marshal of the Kingdom the King himself being between Two Bishops was conducted to the Throne prepared for him not far from the High Altar at which Mass was Celebrated by the Archbishop of Strigonium Lord Primate of Hungary the which being ended all the Nobility did Homage to the King who having made profession of his Faith before the Altar he was Blessed and Consecrated by the Archbishop and Anointed in the Palm of his Right-hand on his Arm and Shoulders and then the Palatine holding up the Crown in his hand asked them with a loud Voice saying Coronabimus Iosephum Archiducem Austrioe in Regem Hungarioe which is Shall we Crown Ioseph Arch-Duke of Austria King of the Romans which being done Three times and answer made as often Coronetur or let him be Crowned the Crown was delivered by the Palatine to the Archbishop who set it on his Head and was clothed by him with the Royal Mantle of St. Stephen Then was the Sword delivered to one Hand and the Scepter to the other and thus being adorned with all the Ensigns of Majesty he was Proclaimed King with the sound of Drums Trumpets Acclamations of the People and all sorts of Musick the Cannon being at the same time Fired round the Walls and in the Fortresses Then was the King conducted again to his Throne and Te Deum sung In the mean time the Mass was continued by the Archbishop who being come to the Gospel the Emperor himself arose and taking the Scepter in his Right Hand and the Globe in his Left he held the same in that manner until the Gospel was ended and then the Young King received the Sacrament All the Ceremonies being ended the King descended from his Throne and walked in Procession habited in his Royal Garments the Bishops and all the Orders of State marching before him to the Church of the Franciscans discalced all the Streets being hung with White and Red and Green Cloth and crouded with an infinite Number of Spectators Being come into the Monastery several Ceremonies were performed and the King having conferred the Honour of Knighthood on divers Gentlemen he was entertained with a Dinner and some Refreshments after the Solemnities of Four hours in the Refectory of the Convent After which the King mounted on Horse-back and being attended with aNobleCavalcade ofmost of the Nobility of the Kingdom and always accompanied by the Prince of Salm his Tutor under Title of Lord High Steward of his Houshold he was conducted through the Gate of St. Michael to a Theatre erected against the Monastery called the Brothers of Mercy on which the King ascended and being Seated under a Canopy all the Guns from the Walls of the City and Fortresses were Fired and then the King in the face of all the People took an Oath to conserve all the Privileges of that Kingdom as lately agreed by the Estates in several particulars After which the Palatine turning to the People cried with a loud Voice Vivat Rex Hungariae Then the King descended and went in like manner as before to another Theatre raised on a little Hill near the Fish-gate where unsheathing his Sword he therewith made Four Crosses towards the
the Country about Rama where betwixt them and the Christians was fought a most cruel battel wherein the Christians received a most notable overthrow many of their great Commanders being there slain and among the rest Stephen Earl of Charters but lately returned home from the former Expedition and now come back again and Stephen Earl of Burgundy and Tholous yea the King himself hardly escaped the Enemies hands and after many dangers came at length to Ioppa after it had been constantly before reported him to have been in that battel also slain Who having there in hast repaired his Army came again speedily upon his Enemies fearing as then nothing less and overthrew them with such a slaughter as that they had small cause to rejoyce of their former Victory Neither were the rest of the Christian Princes in the other parts of Syria and Palestine in the mean time idle but sought by all means to inlarge their Territories Tancred Prince of Galilee having raised a great Power took Apamea the Metropolitical City of Coelosyria and after much toil won also the City of Laodicea Baldwin also the Governor of Edessa besieging the City of Carras had brought the besieged Turks to such extremity that they were about to have yielded the City when suddenly he was set upon by a great Army of the Turks sent from the Persian Sultan for the relief of the besieged and being there overthrown was himself there taken with Benedict the Bishop and one Ioscelin his Kinsman who after five years Captivity found means with the Turk that had taken them to redeem themselves to the great offence of the Persian Sultan and of the Sultan Solyman King Baldwin after the late Victory lived for a season at some good rest in Ierusalem unmolested of his Enemies but knowing his greatest safety among such War-like people to consist in Arms he upon the sudden raised the whole strength of his Kingdom and laid siege to Ptolemais otherwise called Acon a City of Phoenicia standing upon the rivage of the Sea where he found such resistance that he was glad to raise his siege and depart having done nothing more than spoiled the pleasant places about the City By the way in his return back again it fortuned him to meet with certain Companies of the Enemies Adventurers by whom he was in a Skirmish mortally wounded although he died not thereof in long time after for albeit that the Wound was by his Surgeons healed up yet was the grief thereof so great that at length it brought him to his end Yet he notwithstanding the former repulse the next year incouraged by the coming of the Genoa Fleet laid hard siege again to Ptolemais both by Sea and Land which after twenty days siege was by Composition yielded unto him Shortly after the Governor of Aleppo with certain other of the Turks great Captains in those Quarters having joyned their Forces together and so invaded the Country about Antioch were by Tancred whom Bohemund at his departure into Italy had left Governor of that City notably incountred and put to flight At which time also the Chaliph of Aegypt sending great Forces both by Sea and Land against the King of Ierusalem was in both places discomfited at Land by the Christians and at Sea by Tempest Bohemund in the mean time with a great Army of voluntary men and others wherein he is reported to have had five thousand Horse and forty thousand Foot returning towards the Holy Land in revenge of many Injuries done by Alexius the Emperor unto the Souldiers of this sacred War contrary to his Faith and Promise to them before given by the way landed his men in Epirus and grievously spoiled the Country about Dirrachium part of the Emperors Dominion Neither made he an end of spoiling until he had inforced the Emperor for redress of so great harms to make peace with him and again by solemn Oath to promise all security and kindness unto all such Christian Souldiers as should have occasion to travel too or fro through his Countries during the time of this Religious War. After which agreement he put to Sea again and so returned for Ierusalem but whilst he stayed at Antioch he shortly after there died in the year 1108. leaving the Principality thereof unto his young Son Bohemund a Child under the tuition of his Nephew Tancred Yet were the Cities of Berytus Sidon and Tyre alongst the Sea-coast in the Enemies possession for the gaining whereof Baldwin the King raised a great Army and so came and laid siege to Berytus which after many sharp Assaults he at length won the 23. day of April in the year 1111. and put to Sword most part of them that he found therein The same year also he assisted by a Fleet sent unto him out of Norway besieged the City of Sydon which the Citizens seeing themselves now beset both by Sea and Land at length yielded unto him by composition the 19 th day of December After which Victory he dismissed the Fleet and returned himself in Triumph to Ierusalem Now of all the famous Cities alongst the Sea-coast of Phoenicia and Palestine from Laodicea to Ascalon was only the City of Tyre that remained in the Enemies hands which City Baldwin also hardly besieged nevertheless it was so well defended by the Turks that after he had all in vain lien before it by the space of four months he was glad to rise with his Army and depart It fortuned that within two years after the Turks with a mighty Army sent from the Persian Sultan invaded the Country of Coelosyria where spoiling all before them as they went they came and incamped upon the Sea-coast near unto Tyberias Against whom Baldwin gathered the whole strength of his Kingdom with whom also Tancred who now reigned in Antioch the young Bohemund being dead with the Count of Tripolis and the rest of the Christian Princes joyned their Forces who all together marching forward came and incamped not far from the Enemy being in number far more than they Mendus General of the Turks Army for so I find him called understanding of their approach sent out certain Companies of his Men to skirmish with them against whom the Christians also sent out others who incountring them easily put them to flight being before commanded so to do of purpose to draw the Christians into the danger of a great strength lying in ambush to intrap them which according to the Turks desire fell out for the Christians fiercely pursuing the flying Enemy fell into the ambush and so before they were well aware were beset on every side with their Enemies unto the rescue of whom other Companies of Christians coming in and others likewise from the Turks both the great Armies were at length drawn into the field where betwixt them was joyned a most fierce and terrible battel with great slaughter on both sides but at length the multitude of the Turks prevailing the Christians were put to
effeminate People resting for the most part upon forraign Strength had purposed himself to invade the Kingdom and so if possible he might to joyn it to his own For colour whereof it was pretended that the Sultan contrary to his faith before given had secretly sought to joyn in League and Amity with Noradin the Turk King of Damasco The chief stirrer up of the King unto this War was one Gerbert Master of the Templars who in respect of the aid by them of his order to be given had obtained of the King after the Victory gained to have the City of Pelusium with all the rich Country about the same given unto him and his Brethren the Knights of the Order for ever upon which hope he contrary to the mind of many of the Knights for the furtherance of that War gaged his whole Wealth and Credit with all the Treasure of his House So all things now in readyness for so great an Enterprise Almericâs with his Army set forward in October and having in ten days passed the sandy Desert came to Pelusium which City he after three days Siege took by force and put to the Sword all them that were therein without respect of Age Sex or Condition which City he according to his promise before made gave unto the Templars After that he began also to besiege Caire at which time his Fleet sacked the City of Tapium In the mean time Sanar the Egyptian Sultan considering the danger he was in to satisfie Almericus his greedy desire offered to pay him twenty hundred thousand Ducats to withdraw his Forces and forthwith sent him one hundred thousand for the ransom of his Son and his Nephew taken Prisoners at Pelusium and for the rest to be paid within five days after he gave two of his Nephews Hostages Nevertheless the payment he deferred from day to day of purpose in the mean time to raise the whole power of Egypt also to receive aid from the Turks by Saracon which he daily expected of whose speedy coming Almericus understanding left part of his Army at Pelusium and with the rest went to have met him but missing him by the way Saracon with his Turks came in safety to Caire unto the Sultan as he had desired Wherefore Almericus dismaid with the multitude of two so great Armies now joyned together retired back again to Pelusium and there taking with him the Garrison before left returned home to Hierusalem having in that expedition begun with the breach of Faith laid the foundation of the ruin of his Kingdom as in few years after it by proof appeared by the evil Neighbourhood of the Turks by that means brought down into Egypt Saracon the Turk after the departure of Almericus easily perceiving a most fit time and opportunity to be offered for him now to obtain that which he had in vain before both sought and sought for encamped with his Army near unto Caire and notably counterfeited himself of all others the most devoted Friend of the Sultans so that betwixt them two passed all the kind tokens of Love and Friendship that could possibly be devised the Sultan oftentimes feasting the Turk and in kindness likewise being feasted of him but at length going as his manner was unto the Camp to visit him he was by the Turks slain So Saracon having brought to pass what he desired and entring the City with his Army was by the great Caliph from whom the Egyptian Sultans as from their Superiors the true Successors of their great Prophet Mahomet took their Authority appointed Sultan the first of the Turks that ever enjoyed the same which Royal Dignity he had not possessed fully a year but that he was taken away by death In whose stead Saladin his Brothers Son by and by stept up who altogether a Martial Man not regarding the reverend Majesty of the Caliph as had his Uncle Saracon and all the Egyptian Sultans before him with his Horsemans Mace struck out his Brains and not so contented utterly rooted out all his Posterity the better to assure himself and his Successors the Turks in the possession of his new begotten Kingdom and after that divided the great Treasures of the Egyptians among his Turks to encourage them the more to follow him in his Wars against the Christians This glorious Kingdom so much spoken of in Holy Scripture and renowned of the Learned Historiographers of all Ages after the Ruine of the Roman Empire was sometime part of the Constantinopolitan Empire and a notable Member of the Christian Common Weal until that about the year of our Lord 704 the Egyptians weary of the Pride and Covetousness of the Grecians revolted from them unto the Sarasins whose Superstition they also received and so under the Government of the Sarasin Caliphs the Successors of the false Prophet Mahomet lived about 464 years until that now being invaded by Almericus they prayed aid of Noradin the Turk Sultan of Damasco who to their relief sending Saracon with an Army repulsed indeed the Christians but oppressing their liberty took to himself the Kingdom which he left unto his Nephew Saladin in whose Posterity it remained until it was from them again taken by the Circassian Slaves the Mamalukes under whose servile Government it was holden of long time till that by the great Emperor of the Turks Selimus the first it was again conquered and the Mamalukes utterly destroyed In the Government of whose Prosperity the mighty Emperors of the Turks it hath ever since remained as part of their Empire until this day as in the process of this History God willing shall appear year 1170. Saladin thus possessed of the great Kingdom of Egypt and all things set in such order as he thought best for the Newness of his Estate with a great Army entred into the Land of Palestine in the year 1170. and there besieged Daron which Town he won and overthrew such as were sent by King Almericus to have relieved the same with which small Victory contenting himself as with the good beginning of his rising Fortune he returned back again into his Kingdom yet was his Army so great and populous as that the like Army of the Turks had never before been seen in the Holy Land. Wherefore Almericus considering in what great danger he stood his Kingdom now being on both sides beset by the Turks sent out his Embassadors unto the Christian Princes of the West to crave their Aid for the defence of that Kingdom which their Fathers had won and for the same purpose went himself in Person unto the Emperor of Constantinople of whom he was Royally entertained and afterward sent back loaded with the promises of great matters as were also his Embassadors from the Princes of the West All which for all that sorted unto nothing but vanished into smoke The year following viz. 1171. Saladin besieged Petrea year 1171. the Metropolitical City of Arabia but hearing that Almericus with a great Power was coming to
the Country about Sidon For the repressing whereof the King put himself in Arms and going against him overthrew part of his Army as they were carrying away a great Booty Of which overthrow Saladin understanding came in such hast with the rest of his Army as if it had been a sudden Tempest upon the Christians then in great security dividing the Spoil of whom they slew a great number and put the rest to flight In which so sudden a Confusion Otto grand Master of the Templars and Hugh the Earl of Tripolis his Son in law were both taken Prisoners The Earl himself with a few fled to Tyre the King also at the same time was glad to shift for Himself and by flight to save himself as he might after which Victory Saladin besieged a strong Castle which the King but the year before had built upon the bank of the River Iordan and given it to the Templars with the Country round about which Castle Saladin took by force and put to Sword all that were therein except some few whom he carried away Prisoners By this Victory Saladin became dreadful unto the Christians in Syria which caused them especially such as had any charge with more vigilancy to look about them Yet shortly after a Peace was for a time concluded betwixt the Sultan and the King whereby their troubled Estates breathed themselves almost the space of two years But this so welcome a Calm was by domestical troubles again by the Kings Friends suddenly troubled for the Count of Tripolis to whom the Government of the Kingdom was committed coming towards Ierusalem being by the suggestion of his Enemies brought into suspition with the King as if he had affected the Kingdom was to his great disgrace by the way commanded to stay The chief Authors of which discontentment were the Kings Mother a Woman of a turbulent nature and her Brother the Kings Steward who in the absence of the Earl had wrought the Kings sick mind according to their own appetitâs But the rest of the Nobility wisely foreseeing unto what great danger that discord might tend in despight of them with much labour caused him to be sent for again and so reconciled unto the King by which means that dangerous fire of dissention was for that time appeased which afterwards brake out again to the utter ruine of that Kingdom Saladin now weary of the League he had before made with King Baldwin as no longer standing with his haughty Designs renounced the same and raising a great Power in Aegypt set forward toward Damasco Of whose coming King Baldwin having knowledge with the whole Power of his Kingdom went to have met him not far from the dead Sea and there encamped at an old Town called Petra But Saladin turning out of the way into the Kings Territory came and encamped before Mount-Royal a Castle which Baldwin had given unto the Templars about three days march from the place where the King lay There Saladin with the Spoil of the Country refreshing his Army now weary of long travel set forward again and so without resistance arrived with his Army at Damasco At the same time the Turks Captains about Damasco Bostrum and Emissa perceiving the Frontiers of the Christians thereabout to be kept with small strength passed over Iordan and spoiling a great part of Galilee besieged the Castle of Burie at the foot of Mount Tabor not far from the City of Naim which Castle they in few days took and having there made a great slaughter carried away with them about five hundred Prisoners Saladin being come to Damasco called together all the Garâisons of that Kingdom and joyning them unto the Forces he brought out of Aegypt entred into the Holy Land at which time the Count of Tripolis Governor of the Kingdom lay sick of a burning Fever Nevertheless the King encouraged by the Knights of the Order went out with his Army against him and encountring with him near unto a Village called Frobolet overthrew him in a great battel wherein afterward in the flight most part of the Sultans Army perished Saladin himself being glad by speedy flight to escape the danger and so by long marches to get him again to Damasco In revenge of this overthrow Saladin having repaired his Army and sent for his Fleet out of Egypt came and besieged Beritus both by Sea and Land at which time also his Brother whom he had left Governor in Egypt besieged Darum a strong Town in the uttermost bounds of the Kingdom of Ierusalem towards Egypt both whose Forces Baldwin being not able at once to repress by the Council of his Nobility thought it best first to relieve Beritus as the place of greatest Importance And for that purpose set forward with his Army by Land having also rigged up three and thirty Gallies at Tyre for the Relief thereof by Sea. Of which preparation Saladin understanding as also of the Kings coming by Letters intercepted by his Scouts directed to the besieged for the holding out of the siege with promise of speedy Relief he presently rose with his Army and departed whereof the King being advertised retired to Sephor Not long after Saladin according to his ambitious nature desirous above measure to extend the bounds of his Kingdom and seeing the success of his Attempts against the King of Ierusalem not answerable to his desire converted his Forces unto the Countries more Eastward and passing the River Euphrates and entring into Mesopotamia partly by force partly by corruption got into his hands the Cities of Edessa Carras and divers others In which time the King of Ierusalem took occasion first to spoil the Country about Damasco and after that divers other places of the Sultans Kingdom making havock of whatsoever came in his way and so laded with the spoil of the Turks retired to Ierusalem Saladin with Victory returning out of Mesopotamia in revenge of the injuries done unto him in his absence marched directly to Aleppo the strongest City of the Christians in that part of Syria which above all other he longed after where he had not long lien but that it was by the treason of the Governor delivered into his hands with all the Country thereabouts wherewith the Christian Princes were so discouraged that they even then began to fear greater matters to ensue The Prince of Antioch sold Tarsus the Metropolitical City of Cilicia to Rupinus Prince of Armenia for that he saw it was not without great charge and danger to be by him defended being so far from him and Saladin as it were now stept in betwixt him and it At the same time King Baldwin at Nazareth fell sick of a Fever the Leprosie also his old Disease growing daily more and more upon him insomuch as despairing of his life he called unto him Guy Lusignan Count of Ioppa and Ascalon unto whom he had before espoused Sybil his eldest Sister and in the presence of his Mother the Patriarch
and all the chief Commanders of the Souldiers of the Sacred War appointed him Governor of the Kingdom reserving unto himself only the Title of a King with the City of Ierusalem and a yearly Pension of ten thousand Ducats all which was done to the great disgrace and discontentment of the Count of Tripolis the old Governor It was not long but that Saladin having breathed himself a little after so great Labours came again into the Holy Land where he took many Castles and did infinite harm insomuch that the Country people were glad for fear to forsake their Houses and to fly into Cities The Christian Army in the mean time lying fast by at Sephor not once moving although many a fair occasion were offered for the chief Commanders affectionated unto the Count of Tripolis and envying the Preferment of Guy the new Governor were unwilling to fight but finding one excuse or other suffered the Enemy at his pleasure to spoil the Country and so in safety to depart which he had never before done in those Quarters Within less than a month after Saladin with a great Army well appointed with all the Habiliments of War needful for the besieging of a City or strong Castle came again into the Land of Palestine and passing through the Country beyond Iordan sate down at last before Petra in hope by the taking thereof to have made his passage between Egypt and Damasco more safe Of which his purpose King Baldwin having knowledge and taught by the evil success of late to what small purpose it was to commit the managing of his Wars unto a General so evil beloved and less regarded as way Guy his Brother in law sent against him with his Army Raymund the Count of Tripolis the old Governor whom he had again restored unto the Government and displaced Guy Of whose coming Saladin hearing raised his Siege after he had lien there a month and so departed A little before this Expedition the King still growing sicker and sicker his foul Disease still increasing by the common consent of the Nobility appointed Baldwin his Nephew by his Sister Sybilla a Child but of five years old to succeed him in the Kingdom and the Count of Tripolis to have the Government of the State during the time of his Minority This Sybilla the Kings Sister was first married to William the younger Marquiss of Mont-Ferrat who dying within three months after left her with child with this his Posthumus Son Baldwin now by his Uncle deputed unto the hope of the Kingdom After whose death she was married to Guy Lusignan Count of Ioppa and Ascalon the late Governor who taking in evil part this the Kings designment especially for the Government of the Kingdom by the Count of Tripolis departed from the Court as a man discontented unto his City of Ascalon whereof the Patriarch and the Princes of the Sacred War fearing and that not without cause great danger to ensue came to the King then holding a Parliament in the City of Acon most humbly requesting him for avoiding of further danger and the safety of his Kingdom to receive again into his Favour the Count Guy his Brother in law and to make an atonement betwixt him and the Count of Tripolis But this their request sorted to no purpose so that the Parliament was dissolved without any thing for the good of the Common-weal in that point concluded After that time the Kindgom of Ierusalem began still more and more to decline In the old King Baldwin sick both in body and mind was almost no hope in the young King yet unfit for so great a burthen much less and the dissention betwixt the two Counts Guy and Raymund with their Favorites was like enough to bring great harm unto the State. Besides that the Count of Tripolis fearing the Power of Guy his Enemy was thought to have secret Intelligence with Saladin the Turk insomuch as the King was almost in purpose to have proclaimed him Traytor Wherefore the King now rested only upon the Counsel of William Archbisâop of Tyre and the Masters of the Knights of the Sacred War by whose advice he sent Hâraclius Patriarch of Ierusalem Roger Molins Master of the Knights of St. Iohns and Arnold Master of the Templars Embassadors unto Lucius the Third then Pope unto Frederick the Emperor Philip the French King and Henry the Second King of England to declare unto them the dangerous State of that Christian Kingdom and to crave their Aid against the Infidels These Embassadors coming to the Council then holden at Vârona with great gravity and diligence in the presence of the Pope and of the Emperor declared the hard estate of the Christians of the East with their humble Request unto them for Aid in such sort that they moved them with all the Princes there present to Compassion From thence they were by the Pope directed unto Philip the French King with whom having dispatched their Affairs they from him passed over into England and afterward into Germany and had at length brought their Negotiation to so good pass that in every place great preparation was made for a great Expedition to be made against the Turks for the Relief of the Christians in the East with which good News the Embassadors returning to Ierusalem filled the sick King with the hope of great matters But greater Quarrels shortly after arising betwixt the Pope and the Emperor and sharp War likewise betwixt the French King and the King of England and the other Christian Princes also being at no better quiet the notable Expedition that had with the expectation thereof so filled the World was again laid aside and quite dashed Whereof King Baldwin understanding both by Messengers and Letters from his Friends oppressed with grief and heaviness more than with the force of his Disease a man for his prowess and painfulness not inferiour to any his Predecessors died without Issue the 16 th day of May Anno 1185. being but five and twenty years old year 1185. whereof he had reigned twelve His Body was afterward with the general mourning of his Subjects solemnly buried in the Temple near unto the Mount Calvary together with his Predecessors the Kings of Ierusalem King Baldwin thus buried Baldwin the Fifth of that name yet but a Boy was Crowned King. But then began the Sparks which had of long lien raked up and hidden in the ashes to break out into a great fire for Raymund Count of Tripolis contended the whole Government of the Kingdom and tuition of the King to be due unto him by the appointment of the late King and consent of the Nobility and did so much that he had almost obtained it to have been confirmed unto him in open Parliament But Sybilla a woman of a most haughty spirit Sister unto the late King and Mother unto the young King yet living prickt forward her Husband Guy in no case to give place unto his Competitor Raymund and so animated
him that by the help of his own Favorites and the countenance of Boniface Marquess of Mont-Ferrat who even then was come with a great Power into Syria he extorted from the Nobility whatsoever he desired But seven months were scarce well passed but that this young King Baldwin was dead and buried poysoned as was reported by his Mother for the desire she had of the Kingdom her self whose death she with all secrecy concealed until she had obtained of the Patriarch and other Princes of the Kingdom that Guy her Husband might be proclaimed King. So by her means it was so wrought that upon one and the self same day the young King Baldwin was buried by his Uncle and Guy the Count Crowned This young King Baldwin by reason of his tender years and short Reign is of some not reckoned amongst the Kings of Ierusalem howbeit seeing he was by his Uncle and the Princes of that time thought worthy of the Kingdom let him also have his place amongst the rest as the Eighth King of Ierusalem When Guy was thus possessed of the Kingdom the Count of Tripolis seeing himself out of all hope of the Government and highly therewith discontended did what he might by all means to cross the doings of the King whose sick and aspiring mind Saladin prickt daily more and more forward promising him his helping hand whensoever he should need which courtesie the Count desirously embraced For now the fatal period of the Kingdom of Ierusalem grew fast on and all things tended to destruction discord reigning in every place which Saladin well perceiving after that he had compacted with the Count by Messengers sent of purpose invited the Turks Sarasins and Aegyptians as men agreeing in one and the same Religion generally to take up Arms in so fit an opportunity of the discord of the Christians assuring them of great prey and spoil besides the Honour of the Conquest The City of Ptolemais was the place by him appointed where all this Power should meet whether such a multitude of the barbarous Mahometans partly for the hatred of the Christian Religion partly for the hope of the rich spoil which Saladin had promised them came flocking out of all places that in short time there was met together about fifty thousand Horsemen besides an infinite number of Foot and unto such as could not safely pass by the borders of Ierusalem to them the false Count gave safe conduct by the Countries of Tiberias Nazareth and Galilee All the Power of the Infidels thus assembled Saladin laid siege unto the City of Ptolemais which the Templars and the Knights Hospitallers had notably fortified and strongly manned as before unto them given by the Kings of Ierusalem to defend against the Infidel and therein now were both the Masters of both those honourable Orders with the whole flower of the Knights of their Profession Unto this City Saladin gave a most terrible Assault upon May-day in the morning in the year 1187. which was by the Christians notably defended year 1187. and the Enemy with great slaughter still beaten down In the heat of this Assault the two great Masters sallied with certain Troops of their most ready Horsemen assailed the Enemies Camp and bearing down all before them raised there a great tumult and by and by turning upon the backs of them that were assaulting the City made there an exceeding great slaughter Insomuch that Saladin dismaid first with the confusion in his Camp and now with the sudden danger behind him was glad to give over the Assault and to turn his whole Forces upon them where was fought a most bloody and terrible battel Amongst others that there fought the Count of Tripolis now an Enemy unto God and his Country disguised in the habit of a Turk notably helped the Infidels and meeting with the great Master of the Knights Hospitalers unhorsed him who surcharged with the weight of his Armor and oppressed with the multitude of his Enemies there died Nevertheless such was the valour of these worthy men and new Succour still coming out of the City that Saladin having in that battel and at the Assault lost fifteen thousand of his Turks was glad with the rest to betake himself to flight Neither was this so notable a Victory gained by the Christians without blood most part of the worthy Knights Hospitalers being together with their grand Master there slain Saladin by this Overthrow perceiving that by open Force he should not be able to do much against the Christians thought it good unto his Forces to joyn also Policy Wherein the false Count of Tripolis was the man he thought best to make choice of as his fittest Instrument to work by Him he compacted withall to seek for grace at the King of Ierusalems hands as of his dread Soveraign and after so long discord to sue to be reconciled unto him as now weary of the Turks Amity with whom he should make shew to be utterly fallen out At which time also to give the matter the better grace Saladin of purPose with a great Army came and besieged Tiberias a City of the Counts Jurisdiction for the relief whereof the traiterous Count craved Aid of the King and the other Princes of the Sacred War. Who with an Army though not great yet very well appointed came according to his desire and encamped near unto the Fountain of Sophor where they had not long stayed but that they met with the huge Army of the Turks being in number one hundred and twenty thousand horse and one hundred and sixty thousand Foot with whom they joyned a most sharp and terrible battel which by reason of the extremity of the heat of the weather it then being the twelfth of Iuly and the approach of the night was again given over both Armies as if it had been by consent retiring The next day the battel was again begun wherein the Turks by the treason and shameful flight of the false Count of Tripolis gained the Victory In this Battel Guy the King himself with Gerard Master of the Templars Boniface Marquess of Mont-Ferrat and divers others Men of great mark were taken Prisoners And to say the truth in this Battel was broken the whole Strength of the Christians in the East The Christian Commonweal by the Treason of the false Count thus betrayed unto the Infidels Saladin without any great resistance had the Cities of Ptolemais Biblis and Berithus delivered unto him in all which places he used his Victory with great moderation not enforcing any Christian more than the Latines to depart thence but suffering them there still to remain as before yielding unto him their obedience with such Tribute as he had imposed upon them With like good fortune he within the space of one Month took all the Port-towns betwixt Sidon and Ascalon alongst the Sea-coast excepting only the ancient City of Tyre unto the City of Ascalon also he laid Siege by the space of nine days but
funeral Pomp buried in the Cathedral Church at Tyre Frederick the Emperor thus dead Frederick his Son Duke of Suevia was by the general consent of the Princes in the Army chosen General in his stead upon whom with the rest of the Army yet mourning for the death of the Emperor the Turks gave a sudden and fierce Charge in hope so to have overthrown them but finding greater resistance than they had before supposed and having lost some of their men they with like speed that they came retired again Now began Famine one of the ordinary Attendants of great Armies to increase in the Camp for why the Turks for that purpose had before destroyed or carried away all that was in the Country leaving nothing for the Christians more than the bare ground Wherefore Frederick turning a little out of the way came to Antioch which was easily delivered unto him and his hungry Souldiers well refreshed by the Citizens being as yet for the most part Christians But he had not there stayed past fifteen days for the refreshing of his Army but that the Plague the Hand-Maid of Famine and another Scourge of the greatest multitudes began to rage among his Souldiers in such sort that he was glad with his Army to forsake the City and to get him abroad again into the open field where forthwith News was brought unto him that Dodequin General of such Forces as Saladin had sent for out of Egypt which were not small was by great Journeys coming towards him against whom he in good order set forward with his Fathers Corse still carried in the midst of his Army These two Armies meeting together and both willing to fight joyned a great and doubtful battel fortune now inclining to the one side and by and by to the other the Christians exceeding their Enemies in valour and they them again in number At length the Christians in the Vantguard began to retire and they that seconded them were also hardly charged when Frederick mindful of his Fathers valour with a Troop of valiant Horsemen brake into the Enemies battel with such force that the Turks were glad to give ground after whom Leopold Duke of Austria coming presently on with his Footmen brought such a fear upon the whole Army of the Turks that they betook themselves to speedy flight In this battel were four thousand of the Enemies slain with small loss of the Christians and about one thousand more taken Prisoners with fifteen of their Ensigns After which Victory Frederick marching further in Coelo-Syria pacified Laodicea then in mutiny and like to have been delivered unto the Turks He also with a little labour took Berythus with divers other Cities of Syria which before belonging unto the Kings of Ierusalem were now revolted unto the Turks So afterward coming to Tyre he there solemnly buried his Father dead as is before said and from thence certified Guy the King still lying with the other Christian Princes at the Siege of Ptolemais of his coming who forthwith sent the Marquess of Mont-Ferrat with part of the Fleet to transport him with his people that were left by Sea for that by Land he could not so safely have come being now but weak for meeting with Saladin who with a great Army lay still hovering about his besieged City intentive to all opportunity So was Duke Frederick with his Souldiers yet left safely by Sea conducted from Tyre to the Camp at Ptolemais and there joyfully received by the King and the other Princes with the general Applause of the whole Camp. In the mean time the Turks sallying out of the City of Ptolemais had done great harm among the Christians by whom they were not without some loss again repulsed But after the coming of Duke of Frederick and his Germans it was thought good by the general consent of all the great Commanders in the Army that the City should be assaulted round and to that purpose was every mans Regiment appointed what place to assail The King himself with the Templars and the Italians from Pisa undertook that part of the City which was toward the Sea unto Duke Frederick and his Germans was allotted all betwixt the Bridge over the River Bele and the Bishops Palace the Venetians Genoways and Knights Hospitalers were appointed unto the rest of the Wall as far as the Court of Raymund the Frieslanders Flemings and Hollanders took up all the rest of the Wall unto the Sea-side Thus was the City at once on every side assailed by the Christians with such fury as if they had thereon purposed to engage their whose Forces seeking by a thousand Wounds and a thousand kinds of death to have by their scaling-Ladders gained the top of the Walls the Turks with no less courage still beating them down again But in the heat of this so dreadful and desperate an Assault Saladin still hovering aloof came now upon the sudden and assailed the Camp of the Christians filling the same with fear and tumult whole charge they that were left for the defence of the same at the first notably received but finding themselves too weak began to give ground by which means the Turks took certain Tents with some Ensigns and fired some other of the Pavillions of the Christians having slain somewhat more than an hundred of the Defendants The Christians in the mean time little prevailing in the Assault and troubled with the danger of their Camp retired to the Relief thereof But the Turk perceiving himself too weak for the whole Power of the Christians retired also yet not with such hast but that he had there almost lost himself This notable Assault was given the fourteenth of October after which many light skirmishes passed betwixt the Christians and the Turks but more for booty than for any other great purpose In the mean time divers great Princes of the West that had vowed themselves unto this Sacred War came thither whose number rather increased the want of Victuals than furthered the Service At which time also the discord betwixt Guy the King whose Wife and Children were now dead and Conrade Marquess of Mont-Ferrat who had married âââbel the late Queens Sister by whom he preteâââd a Claim unto the Title of the imaginary ââââdom did much harm unto the proceedings ãâ¦ã Christians so pleasing a thing these haughty styles be unto the losty minds of the ambitious Shortly after the Christians yet lying at the Siege the Contagion and Famine still increasing it fortuned that Duke Frederick fell sick of the Plague whereof he died and with the great mourning of the whole Army was afterward solemnly buried fast by his Father in the Cathedral Church at Tyre after whose death the Christians attempted no great matter against the City although they were oftentimes by the Turks provoked but lay still strongly intrenched expecting some greater Aid from the Princes of the West Now all the hope of the Christian Affairs in Syria and in the Land of Palestine
grant or accept Whereupon Saladin forthwith caused such Christian Captives as were in his power to be beheaded which albeit King Richard understood yet would he not prevent the time before agreed upon for the execution of his Prisoners being the twentieth day of August upon which day he caused the Turks Prisoners to the number of 2500. or as the French and Germans write to the number of 7000 in the sight of Saladins Army to be executed The loss of the strong Town of Ptolemais much empaired the reputation of Saladin even among his own People as it commonly falleth out that the evil success of a great Commander in his affairs altereth the good Will Affection and Opinion especially of the Vulgar Sort which judge of all things by the Event And albeit that his losses were great and such as much daunted him yet he thought it best as the case then stood to make them greater and with his own hands as it were to ruinate and overthrow such Towns and Cities as he saw he could not keep rather than to suffer them whole and undefaced to fall into the Enemies Hand So carried headlong with despair he caused all the Towns he had along the Sea coast in Syria and Palestine to be sacked and ruinated and their Walls overthrown especially such as were of most importance and like to stand the Christians in stead namely Porphiria Cesarea Ioppa Ascalon Gaza and Elam with divers other Castles and Citadels in the Countries thereabouts most part whereof were again by King Richard and the Templars fortified and repeopled although Saladin in the mean time did what he might to have letted the same Nothing more hindred the good proceeding of the Christian Princes in this and other their most honourable expeditions against the Infidels than the discord among themselves one still envying at anothers Honour and every one jealous of his own Great strife and heartburning there had been between the two Kings of France and England during the time they were together in this sacred Expedition to the great hindrance of the same No less contention had there been betwixt Guy the late King of Ierusalem and Conrade Marquess of Mont-Ferrat about the Title of that lost Kingdom whereby the whole power of the Christians in Syria was divided into two Factions Richard King of England Baldwin Earl of Flanders Henry Earl of Champaine the Knights Hospitalers of St. Iohn the Venetians and Pisans taking part with Guy And Philip the French King Odo Duke of Burgundy Rudolph Earl of Claremont the Templars the Genoways the Lantgrave of Thurin Leopold Duke of Austria and Robert Count of Nassau taking part with Conrade the Marquess But Conrade shortly after the taking of Ptolemais being slain by two of the desperate Assassins or as some others say by two desperate Ruffians suborned thereunto by the Prince of Torone in revenge of the despight done unto him by the said Marquess by taking from him Isabel his Espoused Wife as he was walking in his City of Tyre and doubting no such Treason King Richard seeing now a fit occasion offered for the utter extinguishing of that claim and how to entitle himself unto that Kingdom perswaded the aforesaid Isabel the Widdow of the late Marquess and in whose right he had laid claim unto the Kingdom to relinquish that so troublesom a Title and to take to her Husbnamd Henry Earl of Champain his Nephew unto whom he gave the City Tyre Guy the King exclaming to the contrary as of a wrong done unto himself Shortly after he began also to tamper with Guy perswading him to resign unto him that little right and interest he had in the Kingdom of Ierusalem and in lieu thereof to receive at his Hands the Kingdom of Cyprus which his offer the poor King was glad to accept By which exchange Guy became King of Cyprus and Richard King of Ierusalem which honourable Title he afterwards as some report used in his Stile as did some others his Successors the Kings of England after him So Guy with all his Wealth passing over into Cyprus took possession of the Kingdom where he long lived not Nevertheless that pleasant Kingdom continued in his Family of the Lusignans by the space of about 283 years afterwards untill that at length that Family failing in the Posthumus Son of Iames the Bastard last King of that Island it fell into the Hands of the Venetians by whom it was holden as a part of their Seigniory almost an hundred years until that it was in our fresh remembrance again from them taken by Selymus the Second great Emperor of the Turks in the year 1571. as in the process of this History shall in due place God willing be declared Now was King Richard for the increase of his honour more desirous than before of the City of Ierusalem as the most precious and honourable prize of all that religious War. And thereupon with all the power of the Christians then at his command set forward from Ptolemais and was come on his way as far as Arsuâ a Town situated betwixt Cesarea and Ioppa In the Vauward was King Richard himself with the Englishmen after whom followed Odo Duke of Burgundy with his French and in the Rereward Iaques de Avenes with the Flemings Brabanders and Wallons who after the death of their Count Philip at the Siege of Ptolemais had put themselves all under his Regiment Saladin with a great Army still at hand and as it were tending upon them first with certain Embuscadoes charged the Rereward and so afterwards came on with his whole power upon whom Iaques turning himself with his Flemings received the charge with great assurance and so long themselves endured the same until the French came in to their succors and after them the English also There was fought a notable Battel and great Valour shewed both on the one side and on the other but especially by them of the Turks part who knew well the purpose of the Christians for the besieging of Ierusalem and that thereupon depended their only hope and that he that could hold the same might almost assure himself to carry away the glory of that War. The French and the English in that âattel honourably strove who might shew the greatest Valour neither would the low Countrymen under Iaques their General seem to be any thing behind them This sharp conflict began about Noon and continued until the going down of the Sun. King Richard as some write was there wounded with an Arrow and Iaques valiantly there fighting was slain having sold his life dear to the great admiration of the Infidels and dying left the Victory unto the Christians It is reported that in this Battel was slain more Turks and Sarasins than in any one Battel within the memory of man before of the Christians were not lost any great number either any man of name more than the aforesaid Iaques the valiant General of the Flemings The next day the Christians
and therefore commonly called him in derision a King but still with this addition Sans Ville that is to say Without a Town Now was the ten years Peace before taken betwixt the Turks and the Christians in Syria at the coming over of Simon Marquess of Mont-Ferrat as is before declared almost expired which had not so much given to those poor remnants of the Christians some time of rest and breathing as had the discord of the Turks among themselves which having for the space of nine years continued betwixt Noradin and Saphadin for the Soveraignty was now by the death of Saphadin ended Noradin contenting himself with the Government of Aleppo and Corradin and Meledin the two Sons of Saphadin dividing their Fathers Kingdom betwixt them the one taking unto himself Damasco and Syria and the other the great Kingdom of Egypt but all Enemies unto the Christians About this time also or not long after Innocentius tertius yet Pope summoned a general Council at Lateran whereunto besides a multitude of great Bishops and other reverend Prelates repaired also the honourable Embassadors of most of the Princes of Christendom unto whom so assembled among other things was propounded the dangerous estate of the Christians in Syria and how the same was by the help of the Christian Princes of the West to be relieved Whereunto all the Fathers and Princes there assembled easily gave their consent and thereupon were some appointed in every Country and Province to publish this Decree of the Council for the Relief of the oppressed Christians and to stir up the devout people for the undertaking of so religious a War. The chief Furtherers of this sacred Expedition to be thus taken in hand against the Infidels were the Bishops of Germany especially the three great Bishops of Mets Cullen and Triers whose example moved also many others all which to rehearse were tedious Out of France also were sent Henry the Count of Nivers and one Gualter the Kings great Chamberlain with a great number of the gallant Youths of France and so out of divers other places so that at length such a number of men were met together at divers Ports of the Adriatick as made up a Fleet of two hundred Sail which with a prosperous Wind carried over into Syria arrived in safety at Ptolemais the chief City of the Christians now that Ierusalem was lost After whom followed also Andrew King of Hungary long before bound both by his Fathers commandment and his own promise for the undertaking of that sacred Expedition with whom came also Lewis Duke of Bavaria and Leopold Duke of Austria with their Forces all well appointed unto whom also Iohn King of Ierusalem joyned himself with his Power Great hope and expectation there was for some great matter to have been done now that so great Forces of the Christians were thus met together Who setting forward from Ptolemais and the first day marching into Galilee by the way met with certain Companies of the Turks whom they easily overthrew and put to flight The next day they came to the River of Iordan where they also distressed certain of the Turks Garrisons There the King of Hungary bathing himself in the River forthwith as one discharged of his Vow and Promise returned with all his Power unto Ptolemais and so from thence back again into his Country all the rest of the Army of the Christians crying out to him to the contrary who after the Kings departure still marching on came to the Mount Thabor But shortly after Winter now coming on and many of their Cattel dying for cold and want of meat they returned some to Ptolemais some to Tyre and there wintred King Iohn and the Duke of Austria in the mean time took a Castle betwixt Coesarea and Caipha called The Castle of Pilgrims from whence they much troubled the Barbarians thereabouts all that Winter Upon the appearance of the Spring and the Army again met together it was thought best by all the great Commanders that for so much as the Kingdom of Egypt was the chief Maintenance of the Mahometan Superstition against the Christians in those parts and that so long as it stood upright they should not be able to do any great matter in Syria to attempt the Conquest thereof as an exploit best beseeming their Valour and so great preparation for that Kingdom being once subdued the City of Ierusalem with all the Land of Palestine would of themselves without more ado straightway yield unto them And for as much as the famous City of Damiata called in ancient time Pelusium not much inferior unto Alexandria was the first and most commodious Port for that purpose as nearest unto Syria and that by the taking thereof they should have a fair entrance into the great River Nilus with the command of a most rich and pleasant Country about it They resolved there to begin the War and thereupon embarking themselves with all things necessary for so great an Enterprise at Ptolemais and carried with a fair Wind they in short time arrived at the desired Port. Now that rich and ancient City the Key of that side of the Kingdom stood about a mile from the Sea and somewhat distant also from the great River environed with a Navigable Ditch or Cut drawn out of Nile in manner of an Island as a man cometh from Syria by Land and compassed about with three strong stone Walls the work of the good Emperor Aelius Pertinax and of him as some affirm called also Aeliopolis At the mouth of this Cut as you should enter into the City stood a strong Watch-Tower for the defence thereof and round about it a number of fair Houses in manner of a pretty Town entrenched Besides that for the more safety thereof the same Cut was barred with a great strong iron Chain in such sort as that it was not possible for any Ship without breaking of the same to enter The Christians with their Fleet entring the mouth of the River and coming to this Cut by great strength brake the Chain but thinking so to have made their passage unto the City they found a greater stay at the Watch-Tower which strongly built of square Stone and well stored with War-like Engins of all sorts and a good Garrison of valiant Souldiers stayed their further passage overwhelming them as they approached with shot fire stones timber and such like before provided for that purpose The Christians after the manner of the fight of that time had upon certain flat Vessels built certain high Towers of Wood for the assailing of the Watch-Tower in the approaching whereof they were not only troubled with the Enemy but with the tumult and stir of their own people also some crying that they should yet draw nearer unto the Tower othersome crying out as fast to have the Bridges cast out thereby to enter and the Enemy likewise with much clamour encouraging one another for the repulsing of the Christians So the Souldiers hindred
and that most part of their Victuals were therewith spoiled With which unseasonable rising of the River the Christians not a little troubled by commandment of Pelagius the Popes Legate gave themselves to fasting and prayer by the space of three days But the Wind falling the fourth day and the River again decreasing they gave themselves more earnestly to prayer than before thanking the Almighty that as he had put them in a great fear so he had in mercy again comforted them Now with long lying began Victuals to grow scant in the Sultans Camp so that he was glad to send away half of his Army up again into the Country of Caire At which time also it chanced as if it had been in an extream and common danger of the Mahometan Superstition that Embassadors sent from Corradin Sultan of Damasco and Ierusalem unto the Princes of the Christian Army came to sue for Peace both for Himself and his Brother the Egyptian Sultan promising in regard thereof again to restore unto them the Holy Cross and whatsoever else himself his Father or Sultan Saladin had before taken from them of which their Offer most part of the Army liked well saying That they had therefore taken up Arms for the recovery of that which had been before gotten and gained by the Valour of the worthy Christian Captains and had of late been taken from them and to blot out tbe Ignominy of the loss thereof to the end it should not be said that they could not leave whole and entire unto their Children what their Fathers had got when they had the keeping thereof neither having lost it be able again to recover it that all these things being restored there rested not any further occasion of War or let to stay them as most victorious Conquerors to return home Nevertheless Pelagius Pope Honorius his Legate for Innocentius in the preparation of the Wars was before dead at Pelusium with King Iohn the Masters of the Knights Hospitalers and Templars the Duke of Austria and the Germans were of opinion to the contrary alledging That this Sacred War was undertaken generally against the Infidels and for Religions sake against the Mahometan Superstition whereof the Kingdom of Egypt was the chief Seat and stay and that therefore they ought especially to impugn that Which perswasion together with the Authority of the Perswaders so prevailed that the Sultans large Offers were rejected and so the Embassadors dispatched without any thing obtained of that they came for Whereupon Corradin fearing that the Christians would at length come to Ierusalem as the place they most desired and doubting how he should be able to defend the same forthwith rased the Walls thereof and the more to deface it overthrew and pluckt down most of the goodly Houses and other stately Buildings therein sparing yet the Tower of David and the holy Sepulchre which he is said to have done at the humble Request and Intercession of the Christians of divers Countries which yet dwelt there mixt with the Turks and Sarasins Whilst the Christians thus lay at the Siege of Damiata the Plague began to rage in the Camp whereof so many died that it began to repent the great Commanders of the Army that they had so much hearkned to the perswasion of the Legate a man making no profession of Arms rather than to the sound Advice of others who by long experience taught the sudden alteration of matters of War would willingly have accepted of the Sultans large Offers so began Pelagius the Legate to be generally evil spoken of There were now already six months past since the beginning of the Siege and the Sultan lying in sight had not with him so great an Army as before but only the flower and choice of his people having as we have before said for want of Victuals sent away the rest up again into the Country now it fortuned that the Christians as men weary of the long Siege stood not so carefully upon their Guard with Watch and Ward as before but gave themselves more to ease which the Sultan perceiving drew nearer to the Town in hope under the covert of the silent night to send new Supplies unto the besieged which Companies by him appointed for that Service couragiously set forward in hope to have deceived the Christian Sentinels and so indeed came near unto the Town unseen or discovered and now the foremost of those Companies were already entred the Town when the Christians perceiving them and raising an Alarm put themselves in Arms and so furiously assailed the hindermost of them and in such sort that they which were before within and those that were but now entred fearing lest the Enemy in that hurly burly should pell mell enter in with the rest shut them out of the Gates exposed to the butchery where all were presently cut in pieces The Christians encouraged with this Victory the next day leaving a great part of the Army before the Town to continue the Siege presented themselves before the Sultans Camp to give him battel who for all that well considering that the loss of a battel might endanger the whole State of his Kingdom would by no means be drawn out of his Trenches but lay still wherewith the Christians especially the French-men in the first charge naturally furious greatly encouraged attempted to have forcibly entred their Rampiers but not with success answerable to their courage For the Egyptians perceiving the small number of their Enemies notably repulsed them and in fine inforced them to retire having lost Gualter one of their chief Commanders with divers others yea King Iohn in assailing the Camp lost many of his men and grievously burnt in his face hardly escaping himself with life After which discomfiture they resolved not to think of any thing else but of the Siege and above all things to provide that no Succours should be brought into the Town They in the City more straitly beset and besieged than before and now brought unto extream necessity and famine and out of all hope of Relief assembled themselves to consult of their Affairs and what were best for them to do in so dangerous a state some one or other of them by night or otherwise secretly flying into the Camp. And that more was the City had undoubtedly been yielded by the greater part had not the chief Commanders within mured up the Gates and commanded that none of the Inhabitants upon pain of death should come upon the Walls or Rampiers to the intent they should not get out or cast themselves from above the Walls into the Ditches The chief Commanders and Captains went here and there up and down the City to search and view all things especially the shops and store-houses where finding small store of Wheat they divided it in small portions among themselves the common people enforced with want eat whatsoever came to hand were it lawful or unlawful or forbidden by their Superstition wholsome or unwholsome good
pleasure to water them by Channels and Sluces out of the River of Nile which now pluckt up and opened the River began to rise and overflow all Then too late they perceived themselves ãâã as in a Grin without power to defend themselves or to make any resistance or by any other means to shew their Valour So the River still arising and overflowing gave unto the Turks and Egyptians good hope of their Wars and of a Victory more desired than hoped for over a warlike and victorious People All the ground where the Christians lay encamped was covered with Water so high that the Victuals were corrupted and no place left for a man to stand or lie dry in Now at the same time the Egyptians had taken the high places with the passages upon the Walls and Banks in that drowned Country to the intent that the Christians should not be able to retire or to save themselves out of the Bogs and Marishes covered over with Water So was their rash Valour and presumptuous Confidence in themselves exposed unto the Enemies Shot and Fury and when they would by force have defended themselves their hardiness was overcome by the crafty Subtility of the weak Enemy Then began every man to cry out against Pelagius the Legat accusing condemning and rayling at him the King himself they blamed not for that he had done his duty in disswading of this expedition and was contrary to his good liking himself drawn into this War the charge whereof he had not without great intreaty taken upon him neither might he with his credit well complain of this misfortune lest in so doing he might seem to have had no comfort in himself But as for the Legate what Counsel could he then give what Counsel could he then take for himself They of Venice Pisa and Genoa left at Damiata were indeed strong at Sea but how could they come to relieve him at Caire And how or by what Forces could the Christians break out of the Banks and Sluces of the Cuts and Channels which winding in and out with a thousand inextricable turnings inclosed them beset also on every side with the victorious Enemy After they had been thus coupt up and environed with the Waters three days you might have seen the poor Souldiers in every place fall down dead for want of Food and Sleep and so perish in the Water the like miserable kind of death the rest were also in short time after to expect other help there was none but to yield unto necessity and to accept of such conditions as it should please the proud Enemy to propound Now the Sultan desired not so much their lives as the Liberty of his Country and therefore required to have the City Damiata again restored unto him and all things else in such sort as were before the besieging thereof and so the Christians without more ado to depart his Country Hard Conditions if a man respect the hope whereupon the Christians had undertaken this War and were so come into Egypt with the toil there by them endured but unto him that will but enter into consideration of mens affairs and especially in Martial matters it will seem but an accident to be yielded unto the like whereof hath oftentimes happened unto the greatest men in the World. These Conditions such as they were were by the distressed Christians accepted of But when they were brought to Damiata and there propounded to the Christians there left a great contention began to arise among them some said they would not accept of them or surrender the Town which being kept would be a stay for all the affairs of the Christians in the East and a most commodious place for them to have recourse unto but being restored and lost carried away with it all the hope of the Christians and that therefore it were better to endure all extremities than to receive such dishonourable and hurtful a peace Others of the contrary opinion said That they ought not to forsake them that were in danger before Caire nor to expose them to the butchery but to have a Christian compassion of so many thousands of Souls as there lay distressed seeing they might be saved by the surrender of that one Town Towns they said consisted of the number of men and not Men of the Inclosures of Walls and Ditches They that were of this opinion for the delivering up of the Town seeing the other obstinately set down to the contrary withdrawing themselves from the Council presently took up Arms and by force entred the Houses of them that were of the contrary opinion and took from them their Weapons by that means and perforce to constrain them to yield to their desire As soon as they that lay before Caire almost drowned in the Waters understood of this dissention at Damiata about the delivery of the Town they sent them word that if they would not yield the Town to the Sultan they would forthwith send to Ptolemais which would not fail to do what should be commanded to have it instead of Damiata surrendred to the Egyptians So was Damiata again yielded to the Infidels and so great labours of the Christians taken at the Siege and winning thereof all lost That which made this indignity more tolerable was that Sultan Meladin having without bloodshed gained so great a Victory did neither by word or deed any thing in despight or reproach of the Christians but used them with all courtesie relieving them also with Victual and such other things as they wanted and by faithful Guids conducting them in safety out of the Country In like manner also Coradin his Brother Sultan of Damasco made truce with the Latines for eight years Whereupon the King of Ierusalem went over into Italy and there by the perswasion of Honorius the Pope his Wife being now dead gave his Daughter Yoland now crowned Queen of Ierusalem in the right of her Mother in marriage to Frederick King of Sicilia and Emperor of the Latines the rather thereby to stir him up for the taking in hand of the sacred War. Ever since which time he and the Kings of Sicilia his Successors have been called Kings of Ierusalem albeit that they have evil prosecuted that their pretended Right and Title as still busied in more prophane Wars against other Christian Princes King Iohn afterwards departing from Rome for France was by the way honourably entertained at Pisa but arriving at the French Court he found Philip the French King desperately sick who by his last Will and Testament gave unto the Knights Hospitalers and Templars sixty thousand Crowns for the maintenance of their Wars against the Infidels which Mony was to their use afterward paid unto King Iohn Who shortly to discharge himself of a Vow he had made to visit the Pilgrimage at Compostella going into Spain by the way married Berengaria the King of Castile his Daughter and there staying a great while returned again into France where he lay long expecting
conceits then running in his weak brain is uncertain the first thing he asked for was the Cross the Cognizance of such as vowed themselves unto the Sacred War which he solemnly received at the hands of the Bishop of Paris At which time also his three Brethren Alphonsus Count of Poitiers Charles Count of Anjou and Robert Count of Arthois with Hugh Duke of Burgundy William Earl of Flanders Hugh Count of Saint Paul and afterwards most of the Nobility of France to accompany the King took upon them the same charge Nevertheless it was not by and by taken in hand but some few years let pass in the consultation and preparation for so great an Enterprise many in the mean time discharging their Vow by dying before at home in peace their own Countries At length the devout King still resolute in his former determination having taken order with Blanch his Mother for his affairs at home and put all things in readiness for his Journey came to Lions to take his leave of Pope Innocentius the Fourth who for fear of the Emperor Frederick then lay there for his more safety and from thence to Marseilles where imbarking himself with his Army the five and twentieth day of August in the year year 1248. 1248. he the twentieth day of September following arrived in safety in the Island of Cyprus and was there royally entertained by Guy Lusignan then King of that Country Now was the French King desirous to have gone directly for Egyyt without longer stay in Cyprus had he not been otherwise perswaded both for that his whole Fleet was not yet come and the time of the year began to grow unseasonable and the Weather tempestuous But whilst he there stayed passing the Winter the Plague one of the ready Attendants of great Armies began to arise in the Camp which daily increasing had in short time taken away a great number of men and those not of the meanest sort Amongst whom were Robert Bishop of Beauvais Iohn Count of Montfort the Counts of Vendosme and Dreux Archambaut Lord of Burbon with divers other Knights and Gentlemen to the number of 240. so that by force of the infectious Contagion the King was constrained to divide his Army into divers places of the Island attending until the Infection should cease In the mean time the Templars having in suspect both the French and the Turks the Turks for fear they should overrun all the French lest having gotten the Victory they should take all into their own hands and so diminish their Power and Authority wherewith they tyrannized over the other poor Christians sent Embassadors secretly unto Meledin Sultan of Egypt ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã perswade him betimes to come to some good agreement for peace so to avert the Power of the French King from doing him further harm or proceeding further in that War. Of which motion the Sultan well liking sent one of his Noblemen to intreat with the Master of the Templars concerning a Peace so that it might be by consent of the French. The Templars glad of so honourable a Message writ unto the French King out of Syria how the matter stood perswading him to accept of the Peace offâred setting out in great words the Sultans great Preparations and Power And so indeed had abused the King had not the King of Cyprus acquainted with his doings perswaded him that it was but a fineness of the great Master and that he had first sent unto the Sultan and procured that Nobleman to be sent which the King upon consideration perceiving to be true fed the Turks Embassador with hope of peace but writ unto the Master of the Templars upon the price of his Head from thenceforth not to receive any Embassy from the Enemy or have any further Intelligence with him Winter now past and the Plague well ceased divers noble Gentlemen and great Commanders which following the King and setting forth somewhat late or for fear of the Plague had stayed by the way and wintred some in one place some in another began to repair unto Cyprus as Robert Duke of Burgundy who having wintred in Achaia came now in the beginning of the Spring unto the King with a number of good Horsemen and with him William Prince of Achaia with a great Fleet out of Peloponnesus which Country with most part of Grecia was then under the Command of the Latines amongst others came also William sirnamed Longespy Earl of Salisbury with a Band of lusty tall Souldiers So the Army being met together and all things again in readiness King Lewis departing from Cyprus and tossed at Sea with contrary Winds about five days after fell on the coast of Egypt and there with all his Fleet came before the strong Town of Damiata being as we have said the Key of that Kingdom The Sultan long before understanding of the French Kings purpose for the Invasion of his Country had strongly fortified his frontier Towns and put into them strong Garrisons beside the great Power he kept with himself in readiness at all assays as occasion should require Upon the approach of the Christians the Governor of Damiata was ready upon the shore with a number of brave Souldiers to keep them from landing who nevertheless resolutely before set down for the performing of that they came for manning forth their long Boats with their Archers and Cross-bows to beat the Enemy from the shore ran aground with their other small Boats made of purpose for the landing of men and so without longer stay came to handy-blows where for a while was fought a most sharp and cruel battel the Christians striving to land and the Turks to keep them off many falling on both sides But what should an handful do against so many The Turks oppressed with the multitude still landing more and more and having done what was possible for them to do fled into the Town leaving behind them their Governor with five hundred of their best Souldiers dead on the shore year 1249. This City of Damiata was exceeding rich and populous and had in the former Wars not been taken but by more than a years Siege as is before declared and that not so much by the valour of the Christians as by the extremity of the Plague and Famine since which time it had been strongly fortified by the Turks with deep Ditches High Walls and strong Bulwarks and was at that time well stored with Victuals also and all things else for the induring of a long Siege Nevertheless the Souldiers that were left and the Citizens discouraged with the loss of their Governor and remembrance of the miseries before indured in the former Siege and seeing the Christians now ready again to besiege the same the night following a little before the break of day set fire every man upon his own house and so by a Bridge which they had made of Boats fled over the great River breaking the Bridge when they were over for fear their Enemies
from the Spoil of others as well Christians as Turks whereby it came to pass that the old Inhabitants which had for the most part forsaken the Country by reason of the great troubles therein repaired now again to their ancient dwellings and not only they but many other Strangers also supplying the places of them whom the late Wars had consumed So that by his good Government that wasted Country in short time grew to be again very populous The civil Government of his Country well established he besieged the City of Isnica in ancient time called Nice a City of Bithynia famous for the general Council there holden against Arius in the time of Constantine the Great This City he brought into great distress by placing his men of War in Forts new built upon every passage and way leading unto the same so that nothing could be brought out of the Country for the relief of the poor Citizens They in this extremity by a secret Messenger certified the Emperor of Constantinople under whose obedience they were in what distress the City stood and that except he sent them present relief they must of necessity either perish with Famine or yield themselves into the hands of their Enemies the Turks The Emperor moved with the pitiful complaint of this Messenger with all expedition embarked certain companies of Souldiers from Constantinople to relieve his besieged City But Othoman understanding by his Espials where these Souldiers were appointed to land in secret manner withdrawing most of his Forces from the Siege lay in ambush near to the same place where the Emperors Souldiers casting no peril landed who before they could put themselves in order of Battel were by Othoman and his Turks in such sort charged that most part of them were there slain and the rest driven into the Sea where they miserably perished Othoman having thus politickly overthrown the Constantinopolitan Souldiers returning to the Siege continued the same in straighter manner than before The besieged Citizens driven into great penury and now despairing of all help yielded themselves with the great and rich City of Nice into the hands of Othoman with the Spoil whereof he greatly enriched his men of War. Aladin the great Sultan of Iconium glad to hear of this good success of Othoman against the Christians in token of his Favour and Love sent unto him a fair Ensign with certain Drums and Trumpets a Sword and Princely Robe with large Charters That whatsoever he took from the Christians should be all his own and also that publick Prayers should be said in all the Turks Temples in the name of Othoman for his health and prosperous estate which two things properly belonged to the dignity of the Sultan These extraordinary favours gave occasion for many to think that Sultan Aladin having no Children intended to make Othoman his adoptive Son and Successor in his Kingdom The Presents and Charters sent him Othoman humbly accepted sending unto Aladin the fifth part of the Spoil of Nice taken from the Christians but the Princely Honours due to the Sultan only he used not during the life of Aladin intending not long after to have gone himself in person to visit the Sultan and so to have grown into his further Favour But having prepared all things for so honourable a journey at what time as he was about to set forward he was certainly informed of the death of Aladin and that Sahib one of his great Counsellors had taken upon him the dignity of the Sultan as is before declared which news much discontented the aspiring mind of this Oguzian Turk in good hope to have succeeded him in the Kingdom or at leastwise to have shared the greatest part thereof unto himself whereof he was now altogether disappointed Yet immediately after the death of Aladin he thought it now fit time to take upon him the Princely Honours before granted unto him by the Sultan in his life time which he for modesty sake had forborn Aladin yet living wherefore he made one Drusu sirnamed Fakitche that is to say a man learned in the Turkish Law Bishop and Judge of Cara-Chisar commanding the publick Prayers which were wont to be made for the health and prosperous Reign of the great Sultan to be now made in his own name which was first openly done by the said Bishop in the Pulpit of Cara-Chisar At the same time also he began to coin Mony in his own name and to take upon him all other Honours belonging unto a Sultan or King which was about ten years after the death of his Father Ertogrol year 1300. and in the year of our Lord 1300. unto which time the beginning of the great Empire of the Turks is under the fortune of this Othoman to be of right referred as then by him thus begun When Othoman had thus taken upon him the Majesty of a King he made his Son Orchanes Prince and Governor of Cara-Chisar promoting his principal Followers to be Governors of other strong Castles and Forts divers of which places retain the name of those Captains at this day He himself made choice of the City Neapolis about twenty miles from Nice to seat his Regal Palace in where also divers of his Nobility built them Houses and changed the name of the City calling it Despotopolis as who should say the City of the Lord or Prince For all this Othoman ceased not to devise by all means he could to augment his Kingdom and for that cause being accompanied with his Son Orchanes made many rodes into the Countries adjoyning upon him surprizing such places as might best serve his purpose for the enlargement of his Kingdom all which in particular to rehearse were tedious The Christian Princes rulers of the Countries bordering upon this new Kingdom fearing lest the greatness of Othoman might in short time be their utter confusion agreed to joyn all their Forces together and so to commit to the Fortune of one great Battel their own Estates with his according to which resolution the Christian confederate Princes which were for the most part of Mysia and Bithynia levying the greatest Forces they were able to make with Fire and Sword invaded Othomans Kingdom Who having knowledge beforehand of this great preparation made against him had in readiness all his Captains and Men of War and hearing that his Enemies had entred his Dominion in warlike manner marched directly towards them and meeting with them in the Confines of Phrygia and Bithynia fought with them a great and mortal Battel wherein many were slain on both sides as well Turks as Christians and after a long Fight obtained of them a right bloody Victory In this Battel Casteleanus one of the greatest Christian Captains was slain another called Tekensis of the Country which he governed in Phrygia chased by Othoman unto the Castle of Ulubad not far distant from the place where the Battel was fought was for fear delivered unto him by the Captain of the same Castle
then abroad in the Country whom they ill intreated taking from them their money After that and yet seven days not expired almost an incredible number of Horsemen Footmen Archers and others departed from Hadrianople toward Constantinople under the leading of Syrgiannes in good hope at their first coming to take the City being at discord in it self and most part of the meaner sort in hope of gain favouring their rebellious proceedings such as the seditious find in such rebellious tumults So having marched four days they came and incamped at Selyrbia but as they were about to have gone on farther the old Emperor doubting lest the Citizens seeing so great an Army before the City should therein raise some tumult or stir to the indangering thereof thought good before to send Embassadors unto his Nephew to prove if happily these so dangerous troubles might by their means in some good sort be appeased The chief of these Embassadors was one Theoleptus Bishop of Philadelphia a man no less famous for his Vertue than his Wisdom and yet for both of all men honoured and with him also was sent Syrgiannes his Mother as of all others most fit to appease her Son and to perswade him not to approach the City for that thereof might ensue much bloodshed and the destruction of the City or at leastwise the utter undoing of many whereof if he should be the Author how could he ever after live in conscience quiet but that the torment thereof would follow him even into his Grave and therefore to request him to retire a little and so to come to talk and to demand what he pleased Syrgiannes moved as well with the presence of the reverend Bishop as the prayers of his Mother retired to the young Prince which lay then about Orestias whither the Emperors Embassadors came also with whom after long debating it was agreed That the young Prince should in all Royal manner hold all Thracia from Cristopolis unto Rhegiura and the Suburbs of Constantinople and withall That such Lands as the young Prince had already given unto his Followers in Macedonia should still remain unto them which were such as yearly yielded unto them a right great Revenew And that the old Emperor should hold unto himself the Imperial City with all the Cities and Provinces of Macedonia beyond Cristopolis and that he alone should have the honour to hear the Embassadors sent from forreign Princes and to give them their dispatch for that the young Prince took no pleasure in those weighty Affairs as by nature more delighted in Hawking Hunting and his other youthful Pleasures Upon which conditions a Peace was concluded better liked of the young Prince than of the old Emperor who although he was desirous otherwise to have redrest so great wrongs yet wanting Power was glad to yield to what his Nephew would request Thus was the Greek Empire in Europe as then all or the most part inclosed within the bounds of Macedonia and Thracia now divided betwixt the Grandfather and his Nephew Asia in the mean time wherein the Greek Emperors their Predecessors sometime held great Kingdoms being left for a Prey to the greedy Turks Othoman on the one side even in the heat of these troubles laying the foundation of his Empire in Phrygia and Bithynia and the other the Turks Princes the Successors of Sultan Aladin encroaching as fast upon the Emperors Territories and Countries on this side the River Meander And not so contented at the same time also built great store of Gallies wherewith they robbed the Christian Merchants trading to Constantinople and spoiled the Coasts of Macedonia and Thracia and the Islands of the Aegeum and among others took the famous Island of the Rhodes which they held not long before they were again driven out of the same by the Knights Hospitalers under the conduct of William Willaret aided by the Genowaies and the King of Sicilia which they from that time held to the great honour and benefit of the Christian Commonweal by the space of 214 years known by the name of the Knights of the Rhodes until that in the memory of our Fathers it was I say no more but grieve therefore shamefully lost unto the Turk for want of relief never place being more honourably defended as in the process of this History shall appear ever since which time those honourable men the flower of Chivalry have seated themselves in the Isle of Malta which they to their immortal glory and the comfort of all good Christians have most notably defended against the mighty Sultan Solyman and all the Fury of the Turks as shall be also in due place declared But to return again unto the troubled estate of the Greek Empire Syrgiannes the Greek Captain and Author of all the aforesaid stirs betwixt the old Emperor and his Nephew had even from the beginning thought as a Companion to the young Prince to have ruled all with him at his pleasure and that nothing either great or little should have been done without him but seeing it now to fall out far otherwise than he had before expected and the Prince to be wholly ruled by Catacuzenus and himself of all others least regarded and not so much as called to any Council inwardly tormented with grief and envy he began secretly with himself to devise how he might be revenged of the ungrateful Prince which unmindful of his former promises had so unthankfully cast him off Wherefore he resolved again to revolt to the old Emperor not doubting but so in short time to overthrow all the Councils and Devices of the young Prince together with his State also by himself before raised For he as worldly wise excluding God from his Councils had such an opinion of himself that which way soever he went thither must all things follow also Wherefore by one of his trustiest Friends he secretly made the old Emperor acquainted with his purposed revolt and how all things stood for the greater Credit thereof alledging That he could not abide the sight of him that sought to corrupt his Wife meaning the young Prince This news from Syrgiannes was unto the old Emperor most wellcome for it grieved him as an old man of a great Spirit to see himself so contemned and deluded by his Nephew his Empire rent and his old Servitors of all sorts by him spoyled of their Lands and Possessions in Macedonia and Thracia So a solemn Oath in secret passed from the one to the other Syrgiannes without longer stay secretly fled to Constantinople which there bruted abroad rejoyced many now well hoping the whole Government would again come unto the old Emperor and that so they should again recover their Possessions wrongfully taken from them by his Nephew But God not seeing it so good all this hope was but in vain as ere long it appeared for the young Prince who of long knew how much he was beloved of the Constantinopolitans and by them secretly sent for taking
Feet suddenly stabbed him in the bottom of his belly with a short Dagger which he had under his Souldiers Coat of which Wound that great King and Conqueror presently died The name of this man for his courage worthy of eternal memory was Miles Cobelitz who before sore wounded was shortly after in the presence of Bajazet cut into small pieces The Turks in their Annals somewhat otherwise report of the death of Amurath as that this Cobelitz one of the Despot his Servants in time of the Battel coming to Amurath as a Fugitive offering him his Service and admitted to his presence in humbling himself to have kissed his Feet as the barbarous manner of the Turks is stabbed him into the belly and so slew him being himself therefore shortly after as is aforesaid in the presence of Bajazet most cruelly hewen into small pieces Whereupon ever since that time the manner of the Turks hath been and yet is that when any Embassador or Stranger is come to kiss the Sultan his hand or otherwise to approach his Person he is as it were for honours sake led by the Arms unto his presence betwixt two of the great Courtiers but indeed by so intangling him to be sure that he shall not offer him the like violence that did this Cobelitz unto Amurath The dead body of Amurath was presently with all secrecy conveyed into his Tent by the Bassaes and Captains present at his death whether Bajazet was also brought with an Ensign before him as the Successor in his Fathers Kingdom His younger Brother Iacup sirnamed Zelebi or the Noble yet ignorant of that had hapned was by the great Bassaes sent for as from his Father who casting no peril but coming into his Fathers Tent was there presently by them strangled by the commandment of Bajazet as most Histories report howbeit the Turks Annals charge him not therewith This was the beginning of the most unnatural and inhumane custom ever since holden for a most wholsome and good policy among the Turkish Kings and Emperors in the beginning of their Reign most cruelly to Massacre their Brethren and nearest Kinsmen so at once to rid themselves of all fear of their Compââitors This Amurath was in his Superstition more zealous than any other of the Turkish Kings a man of great courage and in all his Attempts fortunate he made greater slaughter of his Enemies than both his Father and Grandfather his Kingdom in Asia he greatly inlarged by the Sword Marriage and Purchase and using the Discord and Cowardise of the Grecian Princes to his profit subdued a great part of Thracia called Romania with the Territories thereto adjoyning leaving unto the Emperor of Constantinople little or nothing more in Thracia than the Imperial City it self with the bare name of an Emperor almost without an Empire he won a great part of Bulgaria and entred into Servia Bosna and Macedonia he was liberal and withall severe of his Subjects both beloved and feared a man of very few words and one that could dissemble deeply He was slain when he was threescore and eight years old and had thereof reigned thirty one in the year of our Lord 1390. His dead body was by Bajazet conveyed into Asia and there Royally buried at Prusa in a fair Chappel at the West end of the City near unto the Baths there where upon his Tomb lieth his Souldiers Cloke with a little Turkish Tulipant much differing from those great Turbants which the Turks now wear Near unto the same Tomb are placed three Launces with three Horse-tails fastned at the upper end of them which he used as Guidons in his Wars a thing in ancient time not strange There standeth a Castle with a Tomb made in remembrance of him in the Plains of Cossova where he was slain and his Entrails buried which giveth occasion for some to report that he was there also himself enterred FINIS Christian Princes of the same time with Amurath the First Emperors Of the East John Paleologus 1354. 30. Andronicus Paleologus 1384. 3. Emanuel Paleologus 1387. 30. Of the West Charles the Fourth 1346. 32. Wenceslaus Son to Charles King of Bohemia 1378. 22. Kings Of England Edward the Third 1327. 50. Richard the Second 1377. 23. Of France John Valois 1350. 14. Charles the Fifth 1364. 16. Charles the Sixth sirnamed The welbeloved 1381. 42. Of Scotland David Bruce 1341. 29. Robert Stewart 1370. Bishops of Rome Innocent the VI. 1354. 10. Urban the V. 1364. 8. Gregory the II. 1372. 7. Urban the VI. 1378. 11. The LIFE of BAJAZET The First of that NAME The FOURTH and most UNFORTUNATE King of the Turks BAjazet or as the Turks call him Baiasit of his violent and fierce Nature sirnamed Gilderun or Lightning succeeded his Father Amurath in the Turkish Kingdom his younger Brother Iacup being strangled immediatly after his Fathers death as is before declared He in the first year of his Reign invaded Servia and there besieged Cratova a City of the Despots whereunto the Silver Mines of Servia not the least cause of that War belonged Which City was yielded unto him upon condition That the Christian Inhabitants might with Life and Liberty depart Who were no sooner gon out of the City but that by his commandment they were all most cruelly slain by his men of War for that purpose sent out after them At this time he also won Uscupia with divers other Castles in the Country near unto Cratova Sigismund at the same time King of Hungary a young Prince of great hope and Brother to Wenceslaus then Emperor of the West advertised from the Servians his Allies and Confederates of these proud proceedings of Bajazet by his Embassadors sent of purpose requested him That as he was a just Prince and wished to live in quiet with his own to desist from doing of such open wrong and from invading of such Countries of his Friends and Confederates as he had no right in Which Embassadors so sent Bajazet detained without answer until such time as he had overrun a great part of the Despot his Country and therein done what he thought good Then calling the said Embassadors unto him into one of the strong Towns which he had in every corner filled with his own Souldiers told them that they might there see that his Right both unto that Town and the rest by him taken was good enough for as much as the very Walls acknowledged the same And so giving them leave to depart willed them so to tell their Master Which his proud answer by the same Embassadors reported unto the young King no less troubled him than if open War had by them been denounced unto him seeing the Tyrant as it should seem pretended Right unto whatsoever he could by force get nevertheless being himself not yet well setled in his Kingdom and in doubt of the contrary Faction that altogether liked not of his Election into Hungary for their King he was glad at that time to put it
inclosed round first retired and presently after betook themselves to plain Fight But they which were already shut in betwixt the Waggons and them that fought before them perished every Mothers Son. They which fought in the left Wing also discouraged with the Flight of their Fellows fled likewise after whom the Hungarians fiercely followed The Bassa himself seeing both the Wings of his Battel put to Flight and his own Battel sore broken also strucken with despair fled with certain Companies of the Ianizaries which he had still kept about him against all Events for the safeguard of his Person after whom followed also so many other of the Turks as could the rest dispersedly flying through the Woods Forests and Mountains either there perished with Hunger or falling into the Hands of the Valachians were by them slain Of so great an Army as the Bassa brought into Transilvania scarce the one half returned again over Danubius It is reported by some that were in that Battel that if Huniades having them in chace had pursued them to Danubius scarcely one of them had escaped over the River But he contented with so great a Victory and to have driven his Enemies out of the Field pursued them not far but entring into their Camp with the Spoil thereof greatly inricht both himself and his Souldiers Beside the great multitude of the Turks here slain five thousand more were taken Prisoners and an hundred of their Ensigns Long it were to rehearse and reckon up the rich Spoil there taken the gilt Armor and goodly Furniture both of Men and Horses besides the rich Pavilions and Tents there standing In brief the Wealth there found was so great as that there was no man in Huniades Army which was not thereby for ever enriched Huniades for this so great a Victory and for his Country delivered from so great a fear caused general Prayers with Thanksgiving for the space of three days to be made in all Churches of those three Provinces unto whom that danger was threatned and at Vascape where the Battel was fought hanged up certain of the Turks Ensigns as Trophies of the Victory there gotten This was the famous Battel of Vascape wherein Huniades got the greatest Victory that ever any Christian Prince before that time obtained against the Turkish Kings The Fields thereabouts lay covered with the dead bodies of the slain Turks whose Carrion Carkasses so infected the Air that many of the better sort of the Inhabitants of the Country were glad for a season to leave their Dwellings and to get them further off for fear of infection Afterwards he in great Triumph came to Buda and there presented to King Uladislaus the Enemies Ensigns with such a part of the Spoil as might both well declare the greatness of the Victory and beseem the greatness of so great a Prince which the King thankfully received highly commending his great Valour the fame whereof had in short time filled every corner of Europe Amurath a little before this great overthrow of his Army in Transilvania assuring himself of the Victory had sent a proud Embassage to King Uladislaus into Hungary offering him Peace upon condition That he should deliver unto him the strong City of Belgrade or else yield to pay him a yearly Tribute to which upon the first report of the Victory answer was given by the King answerable to the proud demand That according to the issue of matters in Transilvania he would shortly in person himself come and give him farther answer With which short answer the proud Embassadors were dismissed and gone a little before the coming of Huniades to Buda How much this late overthrow grieved the great King Amurath Uladislaus was not ignorant either of his power and desire of revenge as sufficiently warned thereof by the worthy Huniades for the withstanding whereof he thought it good not to be unprovided Wherefore calling together the States of his Kingdom and with them Iulian the Cardinal of S. Angel the Popes Legate at such time as they were all assembled he propounded unto them the greatness of the danger threatned by the angry Turk leaving unto their grave consideration to determin how the same were by strong hand and plain force or otherwise to be averted In which most honourable Assembly Iulian the Cardinal on purpose sent thither by Pope Urban to stir up the Hungarians against the Turks being requested by the King to deliver his opinion first spake unto them as followeth Since the time that the Turkish Pestilence began to rage in Europe no news was ever more welcome unto the great Bishop unto the Apostolical Senate and other Princes of Italy most mighty King and you other most worthy Princes then when it was told them That Uladislaus King of Polonia was by you also chosen King of Hungary For a fitter Governor of the Hungarian State and Leader of their Power could not the Hungarians any where have found As he in whom Iustice Religion Wisedom Valour and Martial Skill doth so abound that he seemeth rather for the good of this Kingdom by God sent from Heaven than here in Earth chosen by Men. By this happy and fortunate choice the minds also of all the Italians which before lay heavy and discouraged were lightned and revived and therefore that this choice might be unto the Christian Common-weal both glorious and fortunate they made their solemn Vows and Prayers At such time as the most holy Senate understood if the civil Discord of this Kingdom and the danger of the Turks fast by it sent me hither to deal with you for the appeasing of those troubles and repressing of that mischief as you have oftentimes heard me say The Kingdom is by your Force and Valour by my Mediation and the Death of the Queen well pacified but yet the other remaineth full of Honour full of Profit full of Safety Glory and Immortality best fitting Uladislaus Conduct and Fortune and the Valour of the Hungarians The Turkish Tyranny and their proud Command worthy Princes is to be repressed yea their servile yoke hanging even now ovâr our Necks is to be shaken off and to be driven away What you are to dare to do the Valour and Fortune of Huniades foretelleth you the Fortune said I of Huniades nay the Fortune of the Christian Common-weal and present Mercy of our Blessed Saviour which suffereth his People to be up and down tossed but not quite drowned If so great an Army of the Enemies was vanquished and put to Flight by the power of one of thy Captains and that but small what is to be hoped of thee most mighty King if thou shalt lead forth thine Armies thy self in Person under thine own Conduct and the Protection of Christ Iesus The Eyes of all Christian Princes are cast upon thee upon the Hungarian and Polonian Forces upon thee have they reposed all their hopes they all expect that thou shouldst be the revenger of the Barbarian Cruelty the Defender of the
Wherefore for God his Cause I request you above all things to continue the Christian League and with your happy and victorious Forces to march forward into Macedonia and Thracia as is before by you with the other Christian Princes your Confederates agreed In conclusion having much spoken of the Authority and Power of the great Bishop he in his Name disannulled the League whatsoever by the King made with the Turk and absolved him with the rest whom it might concern from the Oath they had given and the Promise they had made Which so well contented both the King and the rest that there was now no more question of the Oath or of the lawfulness of the War but a Decree made for the continuation of the League with the other Christian Princes their Confederates and for the prosecution of the Wars against the Turks as was with them before agreed whom they could now say they were not to forsake and to leave them as a Prey unto the Turk their greedy Enemy now for nothing more in danger than for that at their request they had taken up Arms in their quarrel Unto which unfortunate Decree both the Despot and Huniades the chief Authors of the late Peace betwixt the King and Amurath easily consented the Despot induced with the great hope he had conceived of the good success of the War and Huniades with the desire of the Kingdom of Bulgaria promised unto him by Uladislaus and by fair Charter also as some said assured unto him Of this the Kings Resolution for the breach of the Peace with the Turks notice was with all speed given unto the Constantinopolitan Emperor and Francis the Florentine Cardinal then lying with a Fleet of seventy Gallies at the Straits of Hellespontus for fear lest they hearing of the former concluded Peace should alter also or else quite desist from their former purposes In the mean time whilst these things were yet in plotting the Turk ignorant hereof according to his promise had withdrawn all his Garrisons out of Servia and other places before agreed upon in the late concluded Peace restoring the same unto the Despot and others the lawful Owners although it was not done at the very prefixed day at which it should have been done In which time also he set at liberty great numbers of Captives and amongst the rest the two blind Sons of the Prince of Servia faithfully performing whatsoever he had before upon his Religion promised in the League with the Christians before concluded so desirous he was of Peace with the Hungarians Howbeit Uladislaus by the Counsel of Huniades detained to his own use certain of the strong Holds in Servia for which cause George the Despot ever afterwards bore a secret grudge against Huniades Now as King Uladislaus having by the perswasion of Iulian the Cardinal renounced the League betwixt him and Amurath was preparing his Forces the fame of the Epirot Prince Scanderbeg was also by the recovery of his Fathers Kingdom of Epirus out of the Turks hands and by the late Overthrow of Alis Bassa grown great every one speaking of him honour and praise Wherewith Uladislaus moved and reasonably perswaded what a furtherance it would be unto his haughty designs aiming at no less than the utter overthrow of the Turks Kingdom in Europe if he might unto his own great preparations joyn also the strength of that so fortunate a Prince by the consent of his Nobility with all speed dispatched away his Embassadors with Letters unto him certifying him of his honourable purpose for the rooting out of âhe Turks and in that common cause praying his Aid against such a dangerous and dreadful enemy The purport whereof here followeth Vladislaus King of Hungary and Polonia unto the noble Scanderbeg Prince of Epirus greeting IT may be that some good hap hath deferred this our late Congratulation until this present to the intent we might at this time together with you rejoyce in the double success of your Prosperity first for the happy recovery of your Estate and then for that the same hath by your wisdom and valour of late been so notably defended Wherefore in this we rejoyce not only in your behalf but in the behalf of all good Christians that it hath pleased God of his goodness by your valour to have given so great an increase and comfort unto the Christian Commonwealth for as much as amongst others our great Evils the loss of the Albanian people hath not been to be accounted the least at such time as John Castriot a worthy Prince your Father oppressed by Amurath and by the ungrateful Destinies taken out of this world had neither the means to leave unto you his Kingdom and Scepter as unto his Son then living in his Enemies Power either was able yet otherwise to provide for his Affairs And would to God this your Father most happy in such a Son might have till now lived whose felicity had in that surmounted all others if he might have seen you before his death For as you seem unto me above all other Princes in the World without offence be it said most accomplished with all the good Graces and Perfections both of body and mind so are you indowed also with a certain divine and wonderful Fortune under the good Conduct whereof not only the whole Kingdom of Epirus may think it self in security but all the rest of the other Nations also lately by the detestable fraud and violence of the Othoman Kings dismembred from the Realm of Macedon may also recover the former beaâty of their ancient Laws and Liberties For to say nothing of those things which even from your Childhood having continually made you envied have herâtofore purchased unto you an immortal Fame and Glory even amongst the Barbarians themselves what can be more glorious than this Victory which as we have heard and believe you to your singular admiration have obtained by the overthrow and uâter discomfiture of Alis Bassa with his so great and mighty a Power But now O Scanderbeg God so appointing it who in his deep and secret Wisdom hath reserved you unto these so dangerous times for the Publique Good and Comfort of the Christian Commonweal there offers it self unto you an object of far greater Glory with a fair and fit occasion for you to revenge your self of all the Wrângs and Injuries both new and old by Amurath the Turkish Sultan done not in private to the person of your self only but unto the whole State and Kingdom of Epirus also and not the domestical and civil Miseries of your own Country only but the Publique Calamities also and those approbrious Disgraces done against the Christian Faith and Religion in general now oppressed I will not say extinguished and that is if you with your victorious Forces will succâur us in this extremity of our Affairs not yet altogether desperate Hereunto do all the Princes of Hungary and Polonia and all other men of courage invite you
but the King laid Siege to both the said places and took them by assault where he put to the Sword five thousand of the Turks The Turks Bassa's terrified with those unexpected troubles advertised Amurath thereof requesting him to leave his obscure Life and to levy the greatest Power he could in Asia for the defence of the Turkish Kingdom in Europe which otherwise was in short time like to be lost blaming also his discretion for committing the Government of so great a Kingdom to so young a Prince as was Mahomet his Son unto whom many of the great Captains did half scorn to yield their due obedience Amurath herewith awaked as it had been out of a dead sleep left his Cloister and with great speed gathered a strong Army in Asia and came to the Straits of Hellespontus where he found the passage stopped by the Venetian and Popes Gallies and was therefore at his Wits end But marching alongst the Sea side unto the Straits of Bosphorus he there found means to convey over his whole Army using therein as some write the help of the Genoway Merchants Ships paying unto the Genowayes for the passage of every Turk a Ducat which amounted to the sum of an hundred thousand Ducats or as some others affirm corrupting with great Bribes them that were left for the defence of this passage And being now got over joyned his Asian Army with such other Forces as his Bassaes had in readiness in Europe and so marching on seven days encamped within four miles of Varna a City pleasantly standing upon the Euxine Sea side in Bulgaria where the Christian Army lay for Uladislaus hearing of Amurath his coming with so great an Army had retired thither having but a little before taken the same City of Varna from the Turks with Calachrium Galata Macropolis and others upon the Sea Coast. Upon the first report that Amurath was with such a mighty Army come over the Strait of Bosphorus Uladislaus who before was in good hope that he could not possibly have found any passage entred into Counsel with the Commanders of his Army what course he was now best to take where many which before had been most forward in that action presuming that Amurath could by no means have transported his Army were now so discouraged with the fame of his coming that they advised the King in time to retire home and not to oppose so small an Army against such a world of People as was reported to follow the Turk But other Captains of greater Courage and especially Huniades said It was not for the Kings honour first to invade his Enemies Dominions and presently to turn his Back upon the first report of their coming wishing him rather to remember the good Fortune of his former Wars and that he was to fight against the same Enemy whom he had victoriously overthrown the year before as for the multitude of his Enemies he had learned by experience as he said not to be moved therewith for that it was the manner of the Turkish Kings more to terrifie their Enemies with the shew of a huge Army than with the Valour of their Souldiers which were nothing to be accounted of but as effeminate in comparison of the Hungarians Whereupon the King resolved to trie the fortune of the Field Uladislaus understanding by his Espials that Amurath the night before encamped within four miles was now putting his Army in order of Battel committed the ordering of all his Forces unto the valiant Captain Huniades who with great care and industry disposed the same garding the one side of the Battel with a Fen or Marish and the other side with Carriages and the Rereward of his Army with a steep Hill. Therein politickly providing that the Christian Army being far less than the Turks in number could not be compassed about with the multitude of their Enemies neither any way charged but afront The Turks Army approaching began to skirmish with the Christians which manner of Fight was long time with great courage maintained and that with diverse Fortune sometime one party prevailing and sometime the other but with such Slaughter on both sides that the ground was covered and stained with the dead Bodies and Blood of the slain At length the Battel being more closely joyned the Victory began to incline to the Christians for Huniades had most valiantly with his Transilvanian and Valachian Horsemen put to Flight both the Wings of the Turkish Army and made great Slaughter wheresoever he came Insomuch that Amurath dismaied with the Flight of his Souldiers was about to have fled himself out of the main Battel had he not been staied by a common Souldier who laying Hands upon the Rains of his Bridle staid him by force and sharply reproved him of Cowardise The Captains and Prelates about the King whom it had better beseemed to have been at devout Prayers in their Oratories than in Arms at that bloody Battel encouraged by the prosperous success of Huniades and desirous to be Partakers of that Victory foolishly left their safe Stations where they were appointed by him to stand fast and disorderly pursued the chase leaving that side of the Battel where they stood open unto the Turks but they were not gon far before they were hardly encountred by a great part of the Turks Army for such purpose placed in a Vally fast by In which Fight Lesco one of the most valiant Captains of the Hungarians was slain and the Bishop of Veradium a better Church-man than Souldier and the first man that disordered the Battel seeking to save himself by Flight through the Fen was there strangled in the deep Mud after he had with his Horse therein strugled a great while The Bishop of Agria a man of greatest Authority with the King was at the same time also lost with many other Church-men more The Cardinal with some other of the expert Captains retiring toward their former standings were hardly assailed by the Turks who by the coming in of the King and Huniades were with great slaughter forced to retire and even ready to flie Amurath seeing the great slaughter of his men and all brought into extream danger beholding the picture of the Crucifix in the displaied Ensigns of the voluntary Christians pluckt the Writing out of his Bosome wherein the late League was comprised and holding it up in his Hand with his Eyes cast up to Heaven said Behold thou crucified Christ this is the League thy Christians in thy name made with me which they have without cause violated Now if thou be a God as they say thou art and as we dream revenge the wrong nâw done unto thy Name and me and shew thy Power upon thy perjured People who in their deeds deny thee their God. The King with Huniades furiously pursued the chased Turks with bloody execution a great space when as the King in his heat hardly perswaded by Huniades to return again unto his Camp at his coming thither
found the Cardinal Iulian with Frank one of his chief Captains and others overcharged with the Turks which had again made head against that part of the Christian Army and there yet fought couragiously by reason of their multitude being also backt by the Ianizaries which all this while had stood fast with their old King as his last and most assured refuge but were now come in There began a most cruel and fierce Fight in the success whereof the Turks well saw the whole state of their Kingdom in Europe to consist many were there slain on both sides the Turks feeling their loss less than indeed it was by reason of their Multitude and the Christians by reason of their Courage A great while the Victory stood doubtful insomuch that at length the Turks began to shrink back in that part of the Battel where the King and Huniades fought But in the left side they prevailed so upon the Christians that they were even ready to have fled Which when Huniades having a vigilant Eye unto every part of the Army perceived he with speed made thither and there again with his presence restored the Battel almost before lost Which done he returned again towards the King who in the mean time had most valiantly repulsed a great number of the Turks and now was come unto the Ianizaries Amurath his last hope There was to be seen a thousand manners of death whilst both the Armies fought more like wild Beasts in their rage and fury than wary and politick Souldiers In this confused medly the young King Uladislaus with greater Courage than Care of himself brake into the Battel of the Ianizaries at which time Amurath himself was by a valiant Frenchman a Knight of the Rhodes first wounded with a Pike and after assailed with his Sword and had there ended his days but that he was speedily rescued by his Guaâd by whom this worthy Knight after great proof of his Valour was there slain in the midst of his Enemies Uladislaus being got also in among them valiantly performed all the parts of a worthy Souldier till such time as his Horse being slain under him he was forthwith oppressed by the multitude of his Enemies and slain his Head being struck off by Ferizes one of the old Ianizaries was by him presented unto Amurath who commanded it presently to be put upon the point of a Launce and Proclamation to be made that it was the Head of the Christian King which was afterwards so carried through the principal Cities âf Macedonia and Grecia as a Trophy of the Turks Victory Huniades after he had in vain given divers brave attempts to have rescued the Kings Body retired with a few Valachian Horsemen and seeing no hope of better hap for all the Christians being discouraged with the death of the King had now taken themselves to flight gave place to necessity and reserving himself to his future Fortune fled over the Mountains into the thick Woods from whence with much difficulty he got over Danubius into Valachia and was there as some write by Dracula Prince of that Country taken Prisoner In revenge whereof after he was inlarged by the Hungarians he so aided Danus against Dracula that in fine Dracula and his Son were both slain and Danus placed in his room Iulian the Cardinal flying out of the Battel was found by that worthy man Gregory Sanose lying in the desart Forrest by the way side mortally wounded and half stripped by whom he was in few words sharply reproved as the wicked Author of that perfidious War and there left giving up the Ghost Many of the Christians which fled out of that Battel fell into the Enemies hands and so were slain but greater was the number of them which were drowned in the Fens or that by Hunger and Cold perished in the Woods or else after long and miserable travel finding no passage over Danubius fell at length into the Turkish Slavery This great and mortal Battel as it was with diverse fortune fought so was also the present report thereof most uncertain for the Turks that were at the first put to flight reported in the Towns there by as they fled that the Battel was lost and they which had all the day endured the Fight not altogether assured of the Victory and not knowing whether the Hungarians had retired themselves whilst they suspected some deceit in the Kings Camp by reason of the great silence therein staid two days before they durst adventure to take the Spoil thereof The number of them that were slain in this Battel as well on the one side as th' other was great as the Mounts and little Hills raised of the Bones and Bodies of those that were there buried do yet at this day declare Howbeit the certain number was not known some reporting more some fewer Yet in this most agree that of the Christian Army being not great scarce the third part escaped and that the Turks bought this Victory with a far greater loss although it was of them less felt by reason of their multitude made less by that slaughter as they that report least thereof affirm by thirty thousand Which may well seem rather to be so for that Amurath after this Victory neither farther prosecuted the same nor shewed any tokens of Joy at all but became very melancholy and sad and being of them about him demanded Why after so great a Victory he was no merrier answered That he wished not at so great price to gain many such Victories Yet in memorial thereof he erected a great Pillar in the same place where the King was slain with an inscription of all that was then done which as they say is yet there to be seen at this day This bloody Battel was fought near unto Varna in antient time called Dionisiopolis a place fatal unto many great Warriors and therefore of them even yet abhorred the tenth day of November in the year of our Lord Christ 1444. Some maliciously impute the loss of the Battel of Varna and the death of the King to Huniades who as they said fled out of this Battel with ten thousand Horsemen but this report agreeth not with the noble disposition of that couragious and valiant Captain but seemeth rather to have been devised to excuse the foul dealing of the Clergy who as most Histories bear witness were the chief Authors both of the War and of the lamentable calamity ensuing thereof From the Battel of Varna Amurath returned to Hadrianople having lost the greatest part of his best Souldiers and there with great Solemnity buried the body of Carazia Vice-Roy of Europe slain in that Battel and then calling together all his Nobility again resigned up his Kingdom unto his Son Mahomet retiring himself unto Magnesia where he lived a solitary and private life having before vowed so to do in the great fear he was in in the Battel against Uladislaus but after he had a short time performed these his Vows
advice of his Bassaes encamped fast by the Sea-side and there presently began to build a great strong Castle close unto the Straits of Bosphorus near unto Propontis on Europe side directly over against the other Castle in Asia For the speedy accomplishment of which work he assembled thither all the workmen he could possibly get out of Europe and Asia apportioning unto his Captains and Souldiers of his Army part of the work also by whose industry and labour that great building was in shorter time brought to perfection than was by any man at the first expected This Castle which for the greatness thereof is of most Writers reputed for a City was by the Turks named Genichisar and of the Grecians Neocastron or New Castle and also Laemocastron or Castle upon the Straits and was there by the Turks built as well for the safety of their own passage too and fro as for to hinder the passage of the Christians through those narrow Straits they now possessing the strong Forts on both sides and thereby also to distress the City of Constantinople from whence this Castle was not above five miles distant When Mahomet in the second year of his Reign had finisht this great Castle with some other small Forts about the same and also repaired the other Castle in Asia over against it he placed therein strong Garrisons and furnished the same with Attillery in such sort that no Ship could pass through the Strait of Bosphorus into the great Euxine or Black Sea but she was in danger to be sunk whereby the rich trade which the Marchants of Venice Genoa and Constantinople had to Caffa and other places lying upon the Euxine were almost quite cut off to the great hinderance of those Estates Now Mahomet by Nature ambitious and withal desirous to do some such thing as the glory whereof might far pass the Fame of his Predecessors thought nothing more answerable to his high conceipts than to attempt the winning of Constantinople and the utter subversion of the Greek Empire whereupon his Father Amurath and his great Grandfather Bajazet had before in vain spent their Forces Besides that it grieved him to see that goodly City the ancient Seat of the Christian Empire to be so commodiously situated as it were in the midst of his Kingdom and not to be at his Command Hereunto the small power of the Greek Emperor himself and the other Christian Princes at the same time at mortal discord among themselves ministred unto his greedy desire no small hope of success and served as Spurs to prick him forward unto so great an enterprise Wherefore all the Winter he caused great preparation to be made of shipping and other warlike provision both for Sea and Land and gave out Commissions for the levying of a mighty Army to be in readiness against the next Spring But whither he would imploy the same no man could certainly tell some guessing one thing and some another as the manner of men is when such extraordinary preparation is at hand Constatinus the eighth of that name then Emperor of Constantinople a Prince of a mild and soft Spirit fitter for the Church than for the Field hearing of the great preparation made by the Turkish King and fearing lest that tempest then growing should upon the suddain break forth upon himself first made such preparation as his own small ability would extend unto And then sent his Embassadors unto other Christian Princes earnestly craving their Aid and Assistance in that his dangerous Estate But that labour was lost and all his suit vain for they being at variance one with another and having more care of private revenge than how to repulse the common Enemy of Christianity could not or would not afford him any help at all Nicholas the fifth of that Name then Bishop of Rome with Alphonsus King of Naples and the State of Venice promised to have sent him thirty Gallies but none for all that came There were by chance at Constantinople certain Ships and Gallies of Venice Genoa Crete and Chios of whom the Emperor made stay at which time also it chanced that Iohannes Iustinianus an Adventurer of Genoa who had been scouring those Seas came to Constantinople with two tall Ships and four hundred Souldiers where he was entertained by the Emperor And forasmuch as he was a man honourably descended and supposed to be both of great Courage and Direction was by the Emperor appointed General of all his Forces next unto himself He also entertained six thousand Greeks which with three thousand Venetians Genowaies and others whom he had made stay of joyned unto the Citizens was all the weak Strength he had to relie upon for the defence of his State and Empire Against the beginning of the Spring the Turkish King had in readiness a great and puissant Army of three hundred thousand men of whom the greatest part were taken out of Bulgaria Servia Rascia Thessalia Macedonia and Grecia which as yet were called the Christian Countries and were themselves either indeed Christians or else such Renegates as had not long before forsaken the Christian Faith unto these also were joyned divers other Christians which came out of Germany Bohemia and Hungary to serve the Turk in his Wars This hath been none of the least means whereby the Turkish Kings have grown so great and their Kingdom so mightily inlarged by inforcing and alluring Christians to fight against Christians to the utter confusion of themselves Among the great multitude of the Europeian Christians were mingled his effeminate Souldiers of Asia and his natural Turks and Ianizaries which were in number fewest and yet commanded all the rest With this great Army well appointed with all warlike provision came Mahomet the Turkish King from Hadrianople and the ninth day of April in the year 1453 encamped before Constantinople and with the multitude of his Army filled all the main Land before the City from the Sea side of Bosphorus unto the place where the same Sea compassing in the City on two parts and running far into the Land betwixt Constantinople and Pera maketh there a goodly Haven betwixt them This City of Constantinople called in ancient time Bizantium is in form of a Triangle situated in Europe in the pleasant Country of Thracia upon a point of the main Land shooting out towards Asia called of Pliny and Solinus the Promontory Chrysoceras where the Sea of Propontis joyneth unto that Strait of Sea which divideth Asia from Europe called in ancient time Bosphorus Thracius sometime the Strait of Pontus and the mouth of Pontus and of the modern Writers the Strait of Constantinople and about two hundred years past or more S. George his Arm. This point of the main whereon the City standeth lyeth about two Italian miles more Northward than doth the ancient City of Calcedon on the other side of the Strait in Asia more than thirty miles distant from the Euxine or
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 Peloponnâsus 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
Italians upon whom he shewed his Tyranny with most exquisite and horrible Torments Paulus Ericus Governor of the City with a few others who with him were fled into the Castle without resistance delivered the same unto him upon his faithful Promise that they might in safety depart but after he had got them into his Power the perfidious Tyrant without regard commanded them all to be cruelly murthered The Governors Daughter a Maiden of incomparable beauty was amongst the rest taken Prisoner and for her rare Perfection by them that took her presented to Mahomet as the Mirrour of Beauty The barbarous Tyrant greedy of so fair a Prey sought first by flattering words and fair perswasion to induce her to consent to his desire but when he could not so prevail he fell into another vain and began to shew himself in his own nature threatning her with Death Torture and Force worse than Death it self if she would not otherwise yield unto his Appetite Whereunto the constant Virgin worthy eternal Fame answered so resolutely and so contrary to the Tyrants expectation that he being therewith enraged commanded her to be presently slain The horrible and monstrous Cruelty with the filthy Outrages by that beastly and barbarous people committed at the taking of that City passeth all credit Chalcis thus won the rest of that fruitful Island without further resistance yielded unto the Turish slavery under which it yet groaneth This Calamity happened unto the Venetian State or rather to say truly to the general hurt of the Christian Common-weal in the year of our Redemption 1470. Canalis the Venetian Admiral who all the time of the Siege had in the sight of the City lien at Anchor as a looker on fearing now the City was lost to be set upon by the Turks Fleet hoised Sail and laded with dishonor returned in haste unto Venice where he was by the Commandment of the Senate committed to Prison and afterward with all his Family exiled to Utinum year 1471. Shortly after when Mahomet was departed with his Army out of Euboea and his Fleet returned to Constantinople the Venetians with their Gallies attempted to have upon the sudden surprised the City a little before lost But Mahomet had therein left so strong a Garrison that when the Venetians had landed their Men they were again enforced to retire to their Gallies and to forsake their Island Chalcis thus lost with all the Island of Euboea the Venetians chose Petrus Mocenicus a valiant and discreet Gentleman Admiral of their Fleet in stead of Canalis and by their Embassadors solicited Sixtus the Fourth of that Name then Bishop of Rome and Ferdinand King of Naples with Lewis King of Cyprus and the grand Master of the Rhodes to joyn their Forces together with theirs against the great and common Enemy which thing all the aforesaid Christian Princes promised them to do And the more to intangle the Turk they at the same time sent Caterinus Zenus their Embassador with rich Presents unto Alymbeius Usun-Cassanes the great King of Persia to incite him on that side against the Turk in which Negotiation Zenus so well behaved himself that the next year following that great King took up Arms against Mahomt and had with him mortal Wars as shall be in convenient place hereafter declared Mahomet not ignorant of the proceedings of the Venetians and that they did what they might to stir up as many Enemies as they could and to bring him if it were possible into hatred with the whole World and well knowing how much he had offended the minds of the Christian Princes with the cruelty he had of late used against them of Chalcis thought it not best as then further to provoke them and so happily to bring all at once about his ears but for a season to lie still at Constantinople as if he had been desirous now to live in peace not meaning further harm hoping therâby that although he concluded no Peace with any of them which inded he was not desirous of yet that tract of time might mittigate the hainousness of the fact and cool the heat of their displeasure whereby it came to pass as he wished that nothing worth the speaking of was that year attempted against him and because the Persian King was the man of whom he stood most in doubt he sought by his Embassadors to pacifie him and to withdraw him from the League of the Christians requesting him if it were for nothing else but for the Community of the Mahometan Religion wherein they well agreed and were thereby the professed Enemies of the Christians to withdraw his hand and in their cause to cease to take up Arms urging now for that it so stood with his purpose the zeal of Religion whereas otherwise he regarded as was thought no Religion at all But Zenus the Venetian Embassador lying continually in the Persian Court so wrought the matter with Usun-Cassanes that he told the Turks Embassadors plainly That he could nor would not longer endure the manifest injury and wrong done unto him by the Turkish King and farther that he had made a faithful League with the Christian Princes and therefore would to the uttermost of his Power make it known unto the World that he would effectually perform what thing soever he had promised and so dismissed them now no less discontented than were before the Persian Embassadors at such time as they returned from the Turks Court having obtained nothing they then requested concerning the Emperor of Trapâzond The year following year 1472. Mocenicus the Venetian Admiral with his Fleet arrived in the Isle of Lesbos where he did great harm From thence he passed the Bay of Adramittium into the lesser Asia and so spoiled the Country about Pergamus After that he landed again at Cnidus upon the coast of Caria where he took a great Booty and so having done the Turks exceeding much harm in Asia all alongst the Sea coast opposite to Graecia he returned laden with spoil towards Peloponnesus In his return about the Promontory of Malea upon the coast of Peloponnesus he met with Richaiensis coming unto him with seventeen Gallies from King Ferdinand by whom he was certified that the great Bishops Fleet was ready to come forth also After mutual Gratulation as the manner at Sea is the Admirals joyning their Fleets in one landed at Methone now called Modon then a City of the Venetians in Peloponnesus where after they had well refreshed their Souldiers and taken in fresh Victuals they put to Sea again and sailing through the Islands landed in Asia where they were at their first landing encountred by the Country Turks whom at last they put to flight and by the space of four days took what pillage they could in the Country where the Souldiers found great store of rich Booty especially of Turky Carpets which are there made in great abundance From thence they sailed to Halicarnassus which is part of Caria where sometime stood
the Honourable Family of Michael Ogli disswaded him from attempting any such thing alledging first That the Janizaries were in number many Souldiers of great courage and experience resolute men and such as would sell their lives dear Then admitting that he should kill all them about the Court and in Constantinople yet for as much as all his strong Towns and Castles especially in the Frontiers and chief places of his Dominions were possessed and holden by strong Garrisons of other Janizaries Fellows and Friends of these who would undoubtedly take up Arms in defence of themselves and revenge of their dead Friends it were a thing very like to endanger himself together with the whole State of his Empire beside the great dishonour which would grow unto himself thereby for ever This so dangerous an Exploit wherein the hands of so many were to be used was not kept so secret but that the vigilant and wily Janizaries had got an inkling thereof and thereupon began daily more and more to suspect the matter both by the often and secret repair of the great Men to the Court more than they had before seen and also by the unwonted multitude of those Acanzij which were daily brought unto the Imperial City by great Troops Wherefore fearing to be suddenly surprized they banded themselves together and openly stood upon their Guard and by chance lighting upon Alis Beg as he came from the Court who was indeed their best friend after their barbarous manner with many opprobrious and contumelious words demanded of him if he were not one of them who had conspired their destruction and without more ado had presently slain him had he not as a well spoken man with great Protestations and Oaths perswaded them that he never consented to any such thing or that they needed to fear any such thing from him and so with much ado rid himself out of their hands Bajazet seeing his purpose discovered and that he could not without great bloodshed and danger both to his Estate and Person work his will upon the Janizaries by the counsel and advice of them that saw further into the matter to colour his former intention commanded by open Proclamation That the Janizaries and other his Men of War of whom he had a great Power now assembled at Constantinople to be in readiness against a certain prefixed day to go with him into Moldavia as if he had raised that Power for that purpose only But when the time was come that he should set forward the Janizaries put themselves in order of battel by themselves and would in no wise joyn themselves with the rest of the Army or receive the Emperor into the midst of their ranks as they had always before accustomed but furiously shaking their Weapons at him told him plainly that he had sought their destruction and bid him therefore if he thought it so good to set his Executioners to work upon them whom he should find both ready and able to defend themselves To pacifie their fury Bajazet was glad to give them good words and to use all the means he could by his great Bassaes and other Captains which were able to do any thing with them to perswade them to be quiet swearing unto them by the holy Soul of his Father a solemn Oath amongst the Turks that he would not harm or wrong the meanest of them So with much ado they were at length appeased and received Bajazet into the midst of them as their wonted manner was This dangerous Tumult so quieted Bajazet set forward and passing over Danubius entred into Moldavia where he first laid siege to a strong Town standing upon the Euxine Sea called of the Turks Kele but in ancient time Achilleia which was at length delivered unto him by composition From thence he went to Ac-girmen otherwise called Asprocastron which after a months siege was also delivered up by Composition which two strong places so won he returned again to Constantinople Many great Princes desirous of Zemes laboured by their Embassadors to have obtained him of the Great Master of the Rhodes first Bajazet his Brother fearing lest he should at one time or other again break forth upon him or else set up by the Christian Princes trouble his Estate offered great Sums of Money to have had him delivered into his hands and Charles the French King purposing the Conquest of Naples which he in few years after performed and after that to have invaded Graetia thought Zemes a most fit Instrument for the furtherance of those his high Designs and was therefore wonderful desirous to have had him Matthias also King of Hungary a Fortunate Warrior againsâ the Turk perswaded that the having of him might be unto him a great furtherance in the course of his Victories sought by all the means he could to have obtained him At which time also Innocentius the eighth of that name Bishop of Rome no less desirous than the rest to have in his keeping so great a pledge of Peace and War the bridle of the Turks fury together with the large Pensioâ he was sure to receive yearly from Bajazââ âoâ the safe custody of him so wrought the matter by Lyonel Bishop of Concordia his cunning Legate that the Great Master fearing on the one side to be constrained by the great Power of Bajazet to grant that he had so often refused and now so earnestly solicited on the other side by the Bishop caused Zemes to be delivered to him at Rome in the year 1488. for which doâng he was by the Bishop honoured with the honour and title of a Cardinal So Zemes to the great profit of the Bishop who received from Bajazet a yearly Pension of forty thousand Ducats remained in safe custody at Rome all the time of Innocentius and also of Alexander the Sixth his Successor until that the French King Charles the Eighth passing through the heart of Italy with a strong Army against Alphonsus King of Naples in the year 1495. and making his way through the City of Rome so terrified the great Bishop who altogether favoured and furthered the Title of Alphonsus that he was glad to yield to such Articles and Conditions as pleased the King and amongst the rest to give in Hostage unto the King his graceless Son Caesar Borgia Valentinus and also to deliver unto him Zemes his honourable Prisoner as shall be afterwards in place convenient at large declared In the beginning of Bajazet his Reign whilst he was busied against his Brother Zemes in Asia Iohn Castriot the Son of Scanderbeg aided by the Venetians after he had fortunately overthrown the Turk in battel near unto Croia recovered a great part of Epirus out of their possession At which time also Iohn Chernovich a Christian Prince of Albania casting off the Turkish yoke imposed upon him by the late Emperor Mahomet suddenly took up Arms and by the help of the Venetians valiantly repulsed the Enemies out of that part of Albania and so
he had recovered that Kingdom he would forthwith from thence invade the Turks Dominions in Grecia Which great attempt the haughty King was enduced to take in hand by the perswasion of divers of his Nobility but especially the solicitation of Lodovious Sfortia Duke of Millan whereby the whole state of Italy was in short time after sore shaken and Sfortia himself Author of those troubles at last carried away by the French miserably ended his days as a Prisoner in France Alphonsus the Neapolitan King doubting the greatness of the French King his Enemy entred into a confederation with certain of the States of Italy against the French but especially with Alexander the Sixth then Bishop of Rome for the better assurance whereof he gave his base Daughter in Marriage to Godfrey Borgia the Bishops Son and made him Prince of Carinula his other Son Francis he entertained also in great pay to serve him in his Wars And by his Embassador Pandonius Camillus lately returned out of France gave Bajazet to understand what the French King had purposed against them both requesting him to aid him with six thousand Horsemen and as many Foot against their common Enemy promising to give them honourable entertainment during those Wars And to futher the matter Alexander the great Bishop sent George Bucciard a Ligurian skilful in the Turkish Language Embassador to Bajazet to declare unto him with what great preparation both by Sea and Land the young French King desirous of honour and the enlargement of his Kingdom was about to invade Naples and then with what great power after he had dispatched his Wars in Italy he purposed to pass over into Grecia and that he had to that end earnestly travelled with him to have Zemes his Brother delivered into his hands whom he desired to use as a most fit instrument for the troubling of his State and Empire by reason of his many Friends yet that his Holiness having the French in distrust as a proud and ambitious People as also careful for the danger of the City of Rome and of the State of Italy in general had entred into a confederation with Alphonsus King of Naples with their united Forces to withstand that proud Nation both by Sea and Land wanting nothing more for the accomplishment thereof than Mony by which means only Bajazet might as he said provide for the safety of his Kingdom in Grecia if he would put to his helping hand to furnish them with Mony for the entertainment of Souldiers forasmuch as the City of Rome and the Kingdom of Naples were the surest Walls of that side of the Othoman Empire if he not altogether refusing the charge would not spare for a little cost to maintain the War rather in that forreign Country than to receive it brought home to his own door concluding That it were much more commodious and easie with his Treasures to repress his Enemies in a strange Country afar off than by dint of sword and plain battel in his own A thing by experience well known That they which have neglected and set at nought remote dangers for sparing of charge have afterwards been inforced with greater danger to receive the same into their own bosoms when as they were become desperate and past remedy Bajazet who both by his Espials and often Letters and Embassadors from Alphonsus knew all this to be true gave great thanks to the Bishop by his Embassador for that he sitting in so high place did so friendly and in so good time admonish him both a Stanger and of a contrary Religion of things of so great consequence yet for answer he willed him to return again unto his Master with one Dautius his Embassador who should carry with him both Mony and other his secret resolutions concerning those matters Among other things given him in charge was an Epistle written in Greek wherein the barbarous King with great cunning perswaded the Bishop to poison Zemes his Brother as a man of a Religion altogether contrary to his for indeed of him alone for his great Vertues Bajazet stood in fear and doubt lest he should by some chance escape out of Prison to the troubling of his State. For the performance of this his request he promised faithfully to pay unto the Bishop two hundred thousand Ducats and never after so long as he lived to take up Arms against the Christians Otherwise than had his Father Mahomet and his Grandfather Amurath done who both as deadly Enemies unto the name of Christians never ceased by continual Wars to work their woe But George the Bishops Embassador and Dautius travelling towards Italy and having now happily passed the Adriatick as they were about to have landed at Ancona were boarded by Io. Rovereus Brother to Iulianus the Cardinal a man of great account in those quarters and clean quit of their Treasure and whatsoever else they had aboard Rovereus pretending for the defence of the Fact That the Bishop did owe him a great sum of Mony due unto him for his good service done in the time of Innocentius his Predecessor for which he now paid himself Neither could the Bishop much troubled with that injury ever after recover one part thereof although he threatned vengeance with Fire and Sword and also sought for recompence of the Venetians whom it concerned to save the Turks harmless in those Seas for why Rovereus bearing himself upon the French which were now upon coming whose faction he followed kept the Mony and set at nougt the Bishops thundering Curses and vain Threats Dautius himself Bajazets Embassador being set on shore was glad to go on foot to Ancona and so from thence passing up the River Padus came to Franciscus Gonzaga Duke of Mantua of whom for the ancient Friendship betwixt him and Bajazet he was courteously entertained and furnished both with Mony and Apparel and so spoiled returned into Grecia to carry news unto his Master how he had sped When Bajazet understood by Dautius the evil success he had in his late journey he forthwith sent Mustapha one of the Bassaes of the Court unto the great Bishop Alexander with like instructions as he had before given to Dautius who with better hap arrived in Italy and came to Rome in safety where he forgot no part of that was given him in charge by his great Master But amongst many other things the life of Zemes was that he most sought for at the Bishops hands At the same time which was in the year 1495 the French King Charles the Eighth of that name year 1495. passing through the heart of Italy with a strong Army against Alphonsus King of Naples and taking his way without leave through the City of Rome so terrified Alexander the Bishop who as we have before said altogether favoured and as much as in him lay furthered the cause of Alphonsus that he was glad to yield to all such Articles and Conditions as it pleased him then to demand not purposing
in himself at all the performance of any of those things which for fear he had with great solemnity promised as the sequel of the matter afterwards declared Amongst other things he was inforced to give unto the King his graceless Son Caesar Borgia Valentinus then one of the Cardinals in hostage for the performance of the other of his promises Which disgrace the crafty old Bishop sought to cover by gracing his Son with the title of his Legate and with him he was also enforced to deliver Zemes the Turk Bajazets Brother his honourable Prisoner who to the great profit of the Bishop and his Predecessor had remained in safe custody at Rome about the space of seven years But Zemes within three days after he was delivered to the French died at Cajeta being before his deliverance poisoned as it was thought with a powder of wonderful whiteness and pleasant taste whose power was not presently to kill but by little and little dispersing the force thereof did in short time bring most assured death which pleasant poyson Alexander the Bishop skilful in that practice corrupted by Bajazets Gold and envying so great a good unto the French had caused to be cunningly mingled with the Sugar wherewith Zemes used to temper the Water which he commonly drank His dead Body was not long after sent to Bajazet by Mustapha his Embassador who to the great contentment of his Master had thus contrived his death with the Bishop Not long after this dead Body so far brought was by the appointment of Bajazet honourably interred among his Ancestors at Prusa Caesar Borgia also the Bishops Son a little before given in hostage unto the French King deceiving his Keepers at Velitras returned again to Rome before the French King was come to Naples This wicked Imp come of an evil strain not worth the remembrance but by way of detestation the very monster of Nature if a man should well consider the course of his whole life shortly after his escape envying at the honour of Candianus his Brother who then was General over the Bishop his Fathers Forces which were at that time great when he had one time merrily supped with his said Brother with their Mother Vannotia traiterously caused him to be unawars murdred in the Streets as he was going home and his dead Body to be cast into the River of Tiber. Then casting off his Priestly Habit with his Cardinals Robes he took upon him the leading of his Fathers Army in his Brothers stead and gave himself wholly to Martial Affairs a vocation best fitting his fierce and bloody disposition and with exceeding Prodigality wherewith he exhausted his Fathers Coffers and the Treasures of the Church bound fast unto him desperate Ruffians and Souldiers especially Spaniards his Fathers Country men such as he knew fittest to serve for the execution of his most horrible devices Which manner of his proceedings although they were such as all good men detested yet the old Hypocrite his Father winked thereat fearing as it was thought to be murdred of the Viper himself when it should serve for his purpose Now when he had thus strengthned himself and that he was become a terror to all the Nobility of Rome and the Seigniories thereabout he by the advice and help of his Father who desired nothing more than to make him great first drave the most honourable Family of the Columnij out of the City and afterwards out of Latium and by most execrable Treachery poisoned or killed the honourable Personages of the great Houses of the Ursini and Caâtani taking to himself their Lands and Possessions With like cruelty he strangled at one time four Noblemen of the Camertes and drave Guido Feltrius out of Urbin He took the City of Pisarum from Io. Sfortia who with much difficulty escaped his bloody hands and drave the Malatestaes out of Ariminum The great Lady Katharine Sfortia he thrust out of Forum Livij and Forum Cornelij and shamefully led her in triumph through Rome And never satisfied with blood which he without measure shed he took the City of Faventia from Astor Manfredus a young Gentleman of rare perfection whom after the beastly Tyrant had most horribly abused against Nature he caused to be cruelly strangled and his dead body to be cast into Tiber. Having thus filled the measure of his iniquity and as a fretting Canker having either devoured or driven into exile most part of the Roman Nobility and purposing by the supportation of his Father to make himself Lord and Sovereign both of the City and of all Latium in the pride of his thoughts he was by the hand of the most High attached and cast down and that by such means as he least feared for being with his Father at a solemn Supper in the Vatican of purpose prepared for the destruction of certain rich Cardinals and some other honourable Citizens they were both poysoned by the fatal error of one of the Waiters who mistaking of a Flaggon gave the poisoned Wine to the accursed Bishop and his Son which was prepared for the Guests whereof the old Bishop in few days after died But his Son who had drunk the same with Water although he died not of long time after yet presently fell into such an extream sickness that he was not able to help himself or to command his desperate Followers whereof he had great store but lying sick in short time saw himself of them forsaken and two of his Enemies Pius the Third and Iulius the Second one after another sitting in his Fathers place Of which two Pius enjoyed that Pontifical Dignity but sixteen days and Iulius succeeding him caused this Caesar Borgia who of right had deserved a thousand deaths to be shut up in the Castle called Moles Adriani from whence he set him at liberty upon the delivery of certain strong Holds which were yet holden by his Garrisons After he had thus rid himself out of Iulius the Bishops hands he fled to Ostia and so by Sea to Naples where he was by the commandment of Ferdinand King of Spain apprehended by Gonsalvus the Great and transported into Spain for fear lest he being of a most troublesome Nature and much resorted unto by his old Favourites should raise some new stirs in Italy He was no sooner arrived in Spain but he was cast into Prison in the Castle of Medina where after he had lien three years he deceived his Keepers and with a Rope which he had gotten let himself down from an high Tower of the Castle and so escaping fled to the King of Navar whom he afterwards served in his Wars and was in an hot skirmish against the Kings Enemies wherein he had obtained the Victory slain with a small Shot Unworthy after so many horrible Villanies to have ended his days so honourably His dead Body was found stript and so brought unto the King upon a bad Beast as if it had been a dead Calf all naked which was by his
Naples where he found the Gates now shut against him and all the Citizens up again in Arms and not willing to receive any of the Souldiers which came from Capua more than the King himself for flying Fame preventing his return had filled every corner of the City with report That all the chief Captains of his Army were either gone over to the Enemy or else for safeguard of their lives fled That the whole Army was broken up and Capua yielded to the French. Wherefore the Neapolitans framing their fancies according to the condition of the time began now also to fawn upon the good fortune of the French and to have King Ferdinand in contempt which he well perceiving and fetching a compass farther off from the City came unto the Castle whereinto he was received with his Followers by his faithful Captains therein before left But providently foreseeing that he could not there long stay but that he should be besieged by his Enemies both by Sea and Land he commended the keeping of that Piece unto Alphonsus D'avalus a most valiant Captain and departed himself with 20 Gallies well appointed unto Aenaria an Island not far from Naples having in it a commodious Harbour and a strong Castle where Fortune never firm but in misery seemed again to deride the poor remainder of his Honour for coming thither the Captain of the Castle unworthily named Iustus forgetting his duty towards his Soveraign of whom he had before received many extraordinary favours most traiterously now in his so hard distress shut the Gates of the Castle against him at his landing and unkindly refused to receive him With which unexpected ingratitude the poor King was wonderfully perplexed and almost abashed yet with earnest intreaty and ample commemoration of the benefits and preferments which both his Father and himself had in times past bestowed upon him he prevailed so much with this unthankful man that he was content to receive him into the Castle so that he would come but himself alone of which his offer when no more could be got the King seemed to accept So the Captain having opened a Port to receive him in was in the very entrance thereof suddainly stab'd to the heart with a Dagger by King Ferdinand and slain in the midst of his armed Souldiers which was done with such a Countenance and Majesty that the Warders with their Weapons in their hands dismaid with his look forthwith at his commandment opened the Gate and received him in with all his Followers Whereby it appeareth That in the Countenances of Princes resteth a certain Divine Majesty in all Fortunes above the common course of Nature which is of power to daunt the Hearts of most disloial Traitors in the performance of their unnatural Treasons The next day after the departure of King Ferdinand from the Castle of Naples Charles the French King was received into the City with such Pomp Triumph and Acclamation of the Neapolitans as if they had even then by the benefit of that forraign King been restored to perfect Liberty and delivered out of some long and hard Bondage Shortly after the Castle of Naples with all the strong places thereabout were yielded unto the French and Embassadors sent from all the Princes and People of that Kingdom yielding themselves into the power of the French King. Then Ferdinand seeing all lost and gone departed from Aenaria where he lay expecting the event of his hard fortune and sailed into Cicilia Thus the House of Aragon in less than five months lost the Kingdom of Naples about sixty three years after it was first taken from the French by Alphonsus the elder this Ferdinand his great Grandfather The report of the great preparation made by the French for this War had long before filled the Ears of them which dwelt in any part of the Turks Dominions in Europe but when they saw the French Ensigns displaied upon the Walls of the Castles and strong Towns alongst the coast of Calabria and Salerne such a suddain fear fell upon the Turks Garrisons alongst the coast of Epirus and Macedonia on the other side of the Adriatick over against that part of Italy that many of them forsook their charge the Christians in those places as also in Grecia and Peloponnesus beginning then to lift up their heads in hope of their deliverance and to make the best preparation they could to joyn with the French against the Turks but especially the rough and wild People inhabiting the high Mountains called Acrocheraunij in the borders of Epirus who presently took up Arms refusing to be any longer tributary unto the Turkish Emperor This prosperous and speedy success of the French King in the conquest of Naples filled the minds of most of the Christian Princes as also of the Turkish Emperor with a doubtful expectation whither his greatness would grow many being of an opinion that he covertly affected the Empire of Rome and to make himself the sole Monarch of Italy Which conceit no little troubled both the great Bishop Alexander and Maximilian then Emperor Bajazet also feared much lest he should upon the suddain turn his Forces into Epirus or Grecia to his no small disquiet And Ferdinand the advised King of Spain was no less careful for the safety of Silicia Lodovicus Sfortia also shortly after created Duke of Millan the chief occasion of the French Kings coming into Italy and a great aider of him in those Wars began now to consider better of the matter and to stand in doubt of the King whom he well perceived to make small reckoning of his word or promise so that he might thereby enlarge his Dominions And the Venetians who in all these Wars had stood looking on as neuters in hope that when the Aragonians and French had with long Wars which they vainly imagined well weakned one another that they might then at their pleasure share out something for themselves were now in doubt with the rest of the States of Italy to lose some part of their own Territory for now there was no Prince or State in Italy able to oppose themselves against the French but stood all as it were at his devotion Wherefore the aforesaid Princes namely Maximilian the Emperor Ferdinand King of Spain Alexander Bishop of Rome the State of Venice and Lodovicus Sfortia Duke of Millan for the more assurance of their Estates by their Embassadors speedily sent from one to another concluded a strong League among themselves whereof the chief Capitulation was That if any of these Confederates should upon their own accord make War upon any other Prince they should do it upon their own charges but if any of them should chance to be invaded by any other that then every one of these Confederates should of their own charge send four thousand Horse and ten thousand Foot in aid of their Confederates so invaded until the Wars were ended which League was to endure for twenty years The fame of this League was
welcome to many other Princes but especially to Bajazet who now feared nothing more than the Forces of the French and had therefore offered unto the Venetians to aid them both by Sea and Land against the French if their Affairs should so require This League so much pleased not other Princes but it troubled the French King more as of purpose made against him although it was by the Confederates pretended to be made only for their own safety Wherefore he with all expedition placed his best Captains with strong Garrisons in all the Cities and strong Holds of the Kingdom of Naples and left Mompenser his Viceroy in the City of Naples and with the rest of his Army returned into France purposing by the way as he went to terrifie the dissembling Bishop so if it were possible to draw him from the League and afterwards to deal with Sfortia and the rest as he might But when he was come near unto Rome the Bishop for fear fled out of the City to Perusium intending from thence to have fled to Venice if the French King should have farther pursued him Charles deceived of his purpose in peaceable manner entred the City and there staid three days and so departed using violence against none but against such as were well known to be of the Aragonian faction From Rome he marched to Pisa and so with much pain passing the Appenines was at the River of Tarrus not far from Parma set upon by Franciscus Gonzago Duke of Mantua General of a great Army which the Venetians and Sfortia had raised upon the suddain to have stopped his passage in which Battel he was in great danger to have been taken or slain and there lost his Tents with all the rich Spoil gotten in the rich Kingdom of Naples yet having at length with great slaughter valiantly repulsed his Enemies he afterwards returned in safety home About the same time that this Battel was fought at Tarrus the young King Ferdinand lately driven out of his Kingdom by the French King returned again out of Cicilia to Naples where he was joyfully received of the Neapolitans and by the help of his Friends but especially of the great Gonsalvus sent in his aid by Ferdinand King of Spain in less than a years space recovered the Kingdom of Naples again from the French and then dying without issue left the same to his Uncle Fredericus Wherein the uncertainty of worldly Honor the chief felicity of ambitious minds is well to be noted when as in that one Kingdom the chief Government was six times changed in less than the space of three years for first Ferdinand the elder dying left that Kingdom unto his Son Alphonsus at such time as the French King was making preparation for those Wars Alphonsus despairing of his own Forces resigned the Kingdom to his Son Ferdinand when he had scarcely reigned fully a year Ferdinand in less than three months was driven quite out of Italy by Charles the French King Charles possessed of the Kingdom in short time after was again dispossessed by the same Ferdinand Ferdinand having with much trouble thrust out the French died within less than a year After whom succeeded Fredericus his Uncle no less unfortunate than the rest and Charlâs the French King himself lived not long after but died suddenly as he came from playing at Tennis being then but seven and twenty years old leaving the flourishing Kingdom of France with the troublesome Title pretended to the Kingdom of Naples year 1496. unto Lewis his successor who lived with great trouble to Conquer the same and with greater grief to lose it again But to return again to the course of our History year 1497. from whence the great Occurrents of that time not altogether impertinent to our purpose have a little too far led us Bajazet delivered of two great fears first by the death of his Brother Zemes and after by the casting out of the French out of Naples began now to turn his Forces upon the Christians and by his Lieutenant Bali-beg Sanzack of Silistra invaded the Countries of Podolia and Rassia being part of the Kingdom where the Turks did great harm and carried away many Prisoners But coming again the second time and making such like spoil as before they stayed so long that the cold of Winter which in those Countries is very extream was now come on and in their return as they were about to have passed through Moldavia they were by Stephanus Prince of that Country denied both passage and victuals and forced to take the way alongst the Sea coast where many of them stragling from their Army were by the way cut off and slain by the Moldavians and the rest what by the extremity of the cold what for want of food and foulness of the way perished so that of that great Army very few returned home The Turks Histories report That in this expedition were lost forty thousand Turks He sent also Cadumes one of his Bassaes into Illyria who spoiling that Country with a part of Croatia was encountred by nine thousand Croatians and Hungarians near unto the River Morava under the leading of Count Bernard Francopaine where after a cruel and bloody Fight the Christians were put to the worse and above seven thousand of them slain the rest saved themselves by flight through the Mountains and Woods Of the Christians that were lost many were drowned in Morava chusing rather so to end their days than to fall into the hands of their cruel Enemies This overthrow was imputed to the General who would needs give the Turks Battel in plain Field although he was earâestly entreated by Count Io. Torquatus to have kept the Straits of that Country whereby he mighâ have had great advantage of the Enemy Torquatââ himself having lost all his Horsemen in that Battel and his Horse killed under him fought valiantly on foot until he was by the multitude of his Enemies oppressed and slain The Bassa to give Bajazet a sure testimony of the victory caused all the Noses of the slain Christians to be cut off and put upon strings and so by Waggon sent them as a barbarous Present to Constantinople After the death of Charles the French King Lewis the Twelfth of that name having obtained that Kingdom wrote himself also Duke of Millan as descended of one of the Daughters of Io. Galeatius first Duke of Millan in which his supposed right he was fully resolved to make War upon Sfortia then Duke of Millan And for his better success in those Wars sought by all means he could to draw some other of the Princes and States of Italy into the Fellowship of that intended War but above all others the Venetians as most commodious for his purpose with whom he made a firm League and for the aid they were to give him covenanted that they should have for their share the City of Cremona with all the pleasant Country about Abdua then part of Sfortia his
return again into her own Country Which her purpose she discovered unto one of her Eunuchs to whom she had also delivered certain Letters to be by him conveied unto such of her Friends as whose help she was to use in her intended flight which Letters the false Eunuch opened and for the more manifesting of the matter delivered them unto the Bassa his Master Who therewith inraged and calling her unto him forthwith in his fury with a Dagger stab'd her to the Heart and slew her so together with the death of his Love having cured his tormenting jealousie But leaving this great Bassa with fair Manto unto their rest his course thus run to return again unto Selymus who now come into Syria was by Letters from the Himbracor-Bassa or Master of his Horse whom he had left upon the Frontiers of his Kingdom to attend the motions of the Persians advertised That the Persian preparations which had raised such a hot rumor of Wars in the beginning of Winter was grown cold in the heat of Summer and that he had seen in all the time of his abode in those quarters none but certain stragling Companies making shew as if some greater power had been coming which had many times made suddain roads into the Country with whom he had sundry times prosperously encountred and it was generally reported by such Prisoners as he had taken and by his own Espials also that Hysmael troubled with the Hyrcanians and Tartars had converted the greatest part of his Forces against those Nations so the Winter now drawing fast on and deep Snows already fallen upon the Mountain Taurus he could not though he would that year look after Asia the less or Syria There were that reported that the Tartars which dwell between the two Rivers Tanais and Volga were by Selymus his procurement and money set at work to keep Hysmael busied by invading the Iberians and Albanians which were under his protection which thing he wrought by the means of Mahomet his Father in Law the Bosphoran King who being of the same Language and Nation by rewards easily induced the needy Captains of the Tartars his Friends and Confederates to take up Arms against their Neighbours Many men marvelled that Hysmael the Persian King neglected so fair an opportunity whereby he might as most men thought have thrust Selymus quite out of Asia and Syria whilst he was thus busied in Egypt yea and easily have destroyed him shut up with all his power especially at such time as the Egyptian Sultans Campson and Tomombeius made so great resistance But they which could better judge of the matter saw that Hysmael was not of so great Power and Strength abroad as at home for his Army for most part consisted of Gentlemen or such as were by custom bound to serve him in his defensive Wars voluntary men and such as served without Pay. These as they were the most valiant Horsemen of the East so did they with singular Valour worthily defend the Kingdom of Persia and also as occasion required make War with their near Neighbours but if any longer expedition were to be taken in hand that they could by no means away withal accounting it a grievous thing to depart from their Wives unto whom they are so addicted that oftentimes they carry them with them into the Wars and being a wanton and fine kind of People are not able without Wages to draw after them according to their accustomed manner so many Carriages and Horses as might serve both for their necessary and wanton uses With which difficulty the great King Usun-Cassanes Hysmael his Grandfather by the Mothers side was much troubled in his Wars against Mahomet the Great but was now much harder for Hysmael to do for that he having obtained his Grandfathers Kingdom by the meer good Will of the People easing them forthwith of their heavy impositions always thought the love of his Subjects which is easily gotten with Bounty and Justice the surest riches of his Kingdom and that to command only over the Bodies and Goods of his People theiâ Hearts altogether alienated and lost by most heavy and grievous exactions seemed not the part of a gracious and natural Prince but of an outragious and momentary Tyrant Whereas Selymus on the contrary part who had by force mischief and most detestable practices stept up into his Fathers seat had after the manner of the Othoman Kings reposed his greatest and most assured strength in a servile and mercenary kind of men whom he might for pay as his own Creatures at his pleasure draw far from home and as he best liked lead them from place to place and Country to Country for the enlarging of his Empire and eternizing of his Name and therefore according to the quality of his People deemed true and ready power to consist only in mony and the severity of his own command whereby he had learned with most happy success in short time to obscure all the Victories of the former Othoman Kings with the greatness of his own All the Winter following Selymus staied with his Army in Syria spending the time in visiting the Ports and Cities of that Province year 1518. and setting of things in order for the better assurance thereof But upon the approach of the Spring when he certainly understood that by the procurement of Leo the Tenth then Bishop of Rome the Christian Princes were entred into consultation to make War upon him and that supplications with great solemnity were made for that purpose and honourable Embassadors sent into all Provinces to stir up the greatest Kings of Christendom against him he leaving Gazelles his Lieutenant in Syria by great journies returned to Constantinople from thence as at hand to behold the devices and motions of Christian Princes his Enemies In the mean time fearing no alteration of arise in the Provinces of Syria and Egypt forasmuch as he well saw that Cayerbeius and Gazelles his Lieutenants being at deadly hatred betwixt themselves as well for old grudges as for the late Treason of Cayerbeius the great cause of the ruin of the Mamalukes Kingdom would never agree in one against him but rather with a certain emulation strive betwixt themselves with diligence faithfulness and moderation who should deserve best in well governing the Provinces by him committed to their charge as indeed they did during the short time of his Reign Selymus being arrived at Constantinople and purposing from thenceforth to turn all his Forces upon the Christians year 1519. caused wonderful preparation to be made for his Wars but especially at Sea whereby it was thought that he would have either attempted the strong Island of the Rhodes a great moat in his Eye or else some part of Italy But as he was hatching this mischief or some other of no less importance and in the mean time delighted himself with visiting the Cities of Grecia and Thrace and solaced himself in the pleasant Country about Hadrianople he was suddainly
carefully and considerately devised mine age and experience would exhort you by Gifts Promises Rewards and all other means whatsoever to corrupt if it were possible the very chief and principal Citizens of the Rhodes thereby to enter into their most secret devices and counsels which how it may be wrought I will in few words give you to understand I as a Man indifferent desirous of peace and quietness will by Messengers and Letters induce the Great Master to send some honourable Embassage to our dread Sovereign which if I can once bring him unto then let me alone with the rest This counsel of the old Fox pleased all the hearers well but above others the Emperor himself who gave him in charge with all diligence and speed to prove what he could do the other Captains he commanded to prepare the greatest Forces they could both for Land and Sea service Which preparation was so great both at Constantinople and others places that it could not long be kept so secret but that news thereof was brought to the Rhodes the fourth day of February which news daily increasing and still confirmed by more certain reports Villerius the Great Master for more certain intelligence sent a Christian of Epidarius who could perfectly speak the Turkish Language as a Spy to Constantinople who by secret Letters from thence gave him knowledge that the Turks were preparing a great Fleet and raising a mighty Army advertising him also of a wonderful proportion of Artillery prepared for Battery but against whom was not commonly known some deeming it to be for the Invasion of Italy some for the Rhodes others supposing it to be for Cyprus or Corcira which diversity of conjectures made many whose conceits averted from themselves the fortune of that War to be more careless and secure But whilst every Man was of Opinion that it was made against any Man rather than himself certain advertisement was given to the Rhodians from divers places by Letters from their friends and confederates That the Turks did with extraordinary diligence keep strait Watch and Ward in all their Ports thereabouts along the Sea Coast otherwise than theâ were before accustomed which seemed to Prognosticate some farther matter than the defence of their Frontiers Villerius careful of his charge as the Mark whereat the Enemy aimed provided with all possible diligence great store of Victual Armor Weapons Shot Pouder and whatsoever else necessary for the defence of the City The new Walls of the City and Avergne Fortress by Basilius Engineer to the Emperor Charles the Fifth a work begun in the time of Fabritius Caractus the late Grand Master but not yet finished was now with all diligent labour set upon every Man putting his helping hand unto so necessary a Work. Whilst these things were with so great endeavour and labour a doing a Messenger came from Constantinople sent from the old Bassa Pyrrhus a sharp Witted and cunning Fellow who with much filed speech in most ample manner doing his Message by the way painted forth the great towardliness and courteous nature of the Turkish Emperor Solyman with the great commendation of Pyrrhus Bassa his Master delivering from both of them Letters unto the Great Master to this purport Solyman by the Grace of God King of Kings Lord of Lords c. To the reverend Father Philippus Villerius Liladamus Great Master of the Rhodes and Legate of Asia Greeting I Am certainly informed that my Letters are delivered unto thee which for that thou understoodst them aright I cannot express how much it pleased me Trust to it that I am not contented with the Victory I got at Belgrade I hope for another nay I assure my self thereof which I will not hide from thee whom I am always mindful of Farewell from Constantinople Pyrrhus great Counsellor to the mighty Emperor Solyman to Philippus Villerius Liladamus Great Master of the Rhodes and Legate of Asia Greeting YOUR Letters greater in meaning than Character I have delivered unto our most mighty Emperor but the Bearer thereof I would not suffer to come to his Presence lest he should be too much offended with so base a Messenger Unto whom from henceforth send Men of worth commendable for their years and discretion with whom his Majecty may if be so please confer and conclude of matters concerning the common Good which thing if you shall do it shall neither repent you of the doing thereof nor me of my Counsel The Messenger I send bringeth Letters unto you also from our great Emperor to whose divine Excellency how you are to answer you are already admonished Farewel from Constantinople These Letters being openly read drew the minds of the Rhodians diversly Such as altogether wished for peace measuring others after their own plain meaning and integrity commended the Counsel of Pyrrhus saying That he being an old Man of great experience was not so desirous of our quiet as of the quiet of his Prince and Country and therefore wished by wisdom to order that which the young Prince sought for by War fearing the uncertainty of Mans fragility the common chance of War the violence of Fortune which hath oftentimes in a moment with a handful of Men overthrown most mighty Kings with their strong Armies The perswasion of these men took such effect that one of the Knights of the Order called Raimund March a Spaniard a Noble Gentelman of great Courage and very eloquent skilful also in the Turkish Tongue and then Muster-master was appointed to have been sent Embassador unto the Turkish Emperor Many there were of a contrary opinion which suspecting fraud and deceit said it were good to beware of the Enemies Counsel asking to what end this Embassage were For should we proclaim War say they against the most mighty Tyrant not yet our professed Enemy who writeth all Peace Or should we intreat for peace no War as yet proclaimed that he which as yet is afraid himself may now understand that he is of us feared Besides that with what security with what face can our Embassadors go unrequested of the Turkish Emperor without his safe conduct through those Countries which we dayly burn and spoil But they shall shew Pyrrhus the great Bassaes Letters forsooth his protection his Credit and Authority shall defend them from all injury and wrong as though the servant should prescribe Laws to his Master and such a servant as is most like unto his Master that is cruel false of Faith a hater of all Christians but especially of us Rhodians whom the merciless Tyrant having in his power with his Navy and Army in readiness shall with cruel torture inforce to discover unto him our provision the secrets of our City and Order This opinion of the wiser sort was greatly confirmed by the too much curiosity of the Messenger which was sent who with all diligence enquired of the State and Situation of the City of the number and strength of the Order Wherefore in
constantly endured For they of Petelinum besieged by the Carthaginensians for want of Victual thrust their Parents and Children out of the City the longer to hold out the Siege and lived themselves with Hides and Leather sod or broiled and Leaves of Trees and many other homely things by the space of eleven months and could not be overcome until they wanted strength longer to stand upon the Walls and to hold their Weapons in their hands They of Cassilinum besieged by Hannibal held out until a poor Mouse was sold for much Mony. You must of necessity keep Watch and Ward in your Stations if your Houses chance to be beaten down with the Enemies Artillery you must have patience for why they shall be repaired again and it is not a matter of such importance that we should therefore yield unto our Enemies in whose Courtesie and Fidelity no assurance is to be reposed For besides that he is by Nature cruel and unfaithful he can by no means be gentle and faithful towards us which have done him so much harm who only as he himself saith have oftentimes to his grief interrupted the course of the Victories of him the Conqueror both of Sea and Land whom he hath so many times assailed by open force with all his Strength Wit Craft Deceit and Policy yet alwaies hitherto in vain Almighty God still protecting us whom above all things most dear Citizens I wish you to serve and call upon for except he keep and defend the City the Watchmen do but watch in vain This chearful Speech wonderfully encouraged the Hearers especially the Vulgar sort easily carried away with pleasing Words But whilst they in their jollity dream of nothing but of Triumph and Victory the Wiser sort possessed with care ceased not to do what in them lay to procure That the good commonly forewished might in fine come to effect Among others Clement Bishop of the Greeks a man both for his place and devout manner of living had in great reputation amongst them laboured earnestly by daily exhortations to perswade the Greeks his Countrymen in that great and common danger with heart and hand to joyn with the Latines in defence of the City for although the Government was altogether in the Great Master and his Knights which were Latines yet the People both of the Island and City were for most part Greeks who liked not altogether so well of the Latine Government but that they did many times repine thereat Howbeit the matter was at that time so ordered by the good perswasion of the Bishop and good Government of the Great Master that they all agreed as one man to spend their lives in defence of the City and were so far from fear of the coming of the barbarous Enemy that many of the Vulgar People in whom appeareth commonly more Heat than Wit wished rather for his coming than otherwise But look what they had fondly wished proved afterward to their costs over true For within a few nights after the Turks by fire made in the night time upon the Main gave sign of parly unto the Rhodians Whereupon a Gally well appointed with a long Boat was presently sent forth to see what the matter was which drawing near unto the shore was hailed by a Turk accompanied with a Troop of Horsemen desiring the Captain of the Gally to send some on shore with whom they might more conveniently parly which thing the Captain refusing What said the Turk art thou afraid of Xaycus Fortune to whom the Captain in threatning manner answered again Xaycus whom you have contrary to your Faith and Oath taken troubleth me not neither am I afraid of you whom I trust not but if you have any thing to say let me hear it or else get you further off otherwise I will speak to you by the mouth of the Canon Then one of the Turks coming to the Water side laid down Letters upon a Stone saying that in them was contained that they had in charge which said he presently set Spurs to his Horse and departed with the rest of his Company The Captain sending out his long Boat for these Letters found them directed in this sort Solyman by the grace of God King of Kings Lord of Lords most Mighty Emperor of Constantinople and Trapezond c. unto the reverend Father Philippus Villerius Liladamus Great Master of the Rhodes to his Knights and all his People in general The purport of which Letter was as followeth THE compassion I have of my distressed Subjects and the great injury you do me hath moved me to Wrath. Wherefore I command you without delay to yield unto me the Island and City of the Rhodes willingly and charitably granting you leave safely to depart with all your Riches or to tarry if you so please under my Obeisance your Liberty and Religion in no part infringed with any Tribute or imposition If you be wise prefer Friendship and Peace before bloody War for unto them which are by Force subdued are reserved all extremities which the miserable vanquished use to suffer of the angry Conqueror from which neither your own Force nor forreign Aid nor huge Walls which I will utterly overthrow shall be able to defend you fare you well All which shall assuredly be performed if you shall make choice rather of my Friendship than of my Force wherein you shall neither be deceived nor circumvented I take to witness God the Creator of Heaven and Earth the four Writers of the Evangelical History the fourscore thousand Prophets descended from Heaven and amongst them our highest Prophet Mahomet the reverend Ghosts of my Father and Grandfather and this my sacred and imperial Head. From our Palace at Constantinople When these Letters were openly read in the Counsel Chamber at the Rhodes some were of opinion That it was good to answer the Turkish Tyrant roundly thereby to give him to understand that they were not afraid of his Threats othersome thought it no Wisdom with hard words to provoke so great an Enemy to further displeasure Thus whilst every man would have framed an answer according to his own disposition in conclusion it was agreed upon to give him no answer at all The same day these Letters came to the Rhodes which was the fourteenth day of Iune one of the Turks great Commanders at Sea with thirty Gallies the Forerunners of the Turkish Fleet arrived at the Island of Cbos famous in antient time for the Birth of Hippocrates the great Physitian and the wonderful Picture of Venus left there unperfect by Apelles which for the excellency thereof never man durst afterward take in hand to perfect which fruitful and pleasant Island was then at the arrival of the Turks part of the Dominion of the Rhodes The Admiral of this Fleet here landing his Turks began to burn the Corn which was then almost ripe with the Country Villages round about With which injury Prejanes the Governor of the Island a man of great Courage
his Palace and unto every one of the Knights attending upon the Great Master was given a rich Garment in token of Solymans Favour Within a few days after Solyman coming into the City went to visit the Great Master also whom he found busie in packing up his things against his departure Here when the Great Master falling down upon his Knees would have worshipped him he would in no case suffer him so to do but with his hand putting aside the Vail of Majesty which manner of Reverence the Turkish Emperors give only to God and their Great Prophet Mahomet took him up and Saluted him by the Name of Father To whom the Great Master for his Wisdom and Discretion now to him no less admirable than he was before in time of War for his Valour and Courage spake in this sort If my Fortune and Success had been answerable to my Heart and Courage I should here be in this City rather as a Victorious Conqueror than a Man Conquered But sithence the fatal Destinies would needs overthrow the Rhodian Estate I am glad that you are the Man before all other by Fortune assigned of whom I shall receive both Force and Grace And unto you amongst many other your rare and worthy Praises this shall not be the least That you vanquished the Rhodes and shewed Mercy By this means you have joyned unto your dreadful Power the Fame of Clemency and Courtesie an Honour not of the Highest to be dâspised by which alone we come nearest unto God. Wherefore I doubt not but you will keep the conventions of the late Peace inviolated which your own clemency perswaded you to grant and necessity inforced us to take I shall now be an eternal example to the Turkish Emperors Clemency and Vertue more than if I had by and by at the first yielded my self Obstinate wilfulness hath made thy Glory and Mercy now Famous through the whole World and unto the Worlds End. Whereunto Solyman by his Interpreter answered It is to me a great pleasure that God at length hath put into thy mind to make choice of Peace before War which I would thou couldst have liked of from the beginning then truly thou shouldst at this time have received of my great and mighty Majesty more good than thou hast endured harm Which that I have done unto thee not for any hatred but only for desire of Sovereignty thou mayst gather by this That I suffer thee and thine to depart hence at liberty with all your Wealth and Substance for I make not War thereby to heap up Wealth and Riches but for Honour Fame Immortality and enlarging of mine Empire For it is the property of a King royally descended by strong Hand to take from others and to invade others not upon a greedy and covetous Mind but for the honâurable desire of Rule and Sovereignty which whilst my Neighbour withstandeth I count it enough by force of Arms to remove him But the Tyrant as many supposed spake all this by way of dissimulation having as it was commonly bruted given order for the rigging up of a great Ship and certain Gallies for the suddain transporting of the Great Master and the Knights of the Order to Constantinople which report seemeth to have been but feigned either of malice or else by such as least knew Solymans Mind for if he had so purposed who should have let him having them all in his Power Iovius in his little Treatise Rerum Turcicarum dedicated to Charles the Fifth reporteth that he himelf heard Liladamus the Great Master say That when Solyman entred into the Rhodes attended upon with thirty thousand Men there was not any Man heard to speak a word but that the Souldiers went as if they had been observant Friers and that when he came to ask leave of Solyman that he might depart he was so courteously used of him that turning himself to Abraim the Bassa whom he above all Men loved said Truly I cannot but grieve to see this unfortunate old Man driven out of his own dwelling to depart hence so heavily The Great Master embarking himself with his Knights and such other as were willing to depart in Vessels and Gallies prepared for that purpose departed out of the Island on New-years day at night and after long and dangerous Travel by Sea in that Winter weather landed at last at Messina in Sicilia from whence he afterwards sailed into Italy and so travelled to Rome where he was honourably received by Adrian the Sixth of that Name then Bishop there a Hollander born sometime School-master to Charles the Fifth and his Vicegerent in Spain who if he had been as forward in the short time of his Papacy to have relieved the Rhodes as he was to maintain Charles his Quarrel against the French King it is not unlike but that famous City had been relieved and the Island in possession of the Christians at this day Thus Solyman whilst the Christian Princes were at discord amongst themselves to his great glory and no less grief of all good Christians entred the Rhodes the 25 day of December a day dedicated unto the Nativity of our Saviour Christ in the year 1522 after it had been by the Knights of the Order valiantly kept and defended against the Infidels by the space of 214 years since the time they by force took it from the Infidels in the year 1308 and now being so long holden as was possible against all the power of the Turks was yielded up when it had been six Months besieged At this Siege Solyman lost a great part of his Army for besides them that were slain at the Assaults which were many thirty thousand died of the Flux Whilst Solyman thus lay at the Siege of the Rhodes Ferhates Bassa Governour of the Marches of the Turkish Empire alongst the River of Euphrates by the commandment of Solyman went with a great Army against Alis-Beg whom the Turks called Sâhach Suar-Ogli that is to say King Suar his Son which P. Iovius corrupting calleth him by the name of Saxovar-Oglis This Alis after he had betrayed his Uncle Aladeules the Mountain King unto Sinan Bassa was by Selymus left chief Governour of that large and wild Country alongst the borders of Armenia and Cappadocia wanting nothing of the honour of a King but the Name only as is before declared in the life of Selymus Solyman jealous of his Honour and fearing lest he should take upon him the absolute Government of that Country which indeed of right belonged unto him the Children of Aladeules the late King being now all dead and so to make himself King especially if he should joyn in friendship with the Persian King after the manner of ambitious Men purposed by any means to have him taken out of the way and had therefore sent Ferhates to ease him of that care The Bassa without making any shew of Hostility marching with his Army along the Confines of his Country as
more fierce or cruel Battel But by a fresh charge given by Ferdinands Horsemen who had now put to flight the right Wing of Bodo his Battel all Bodo his Army fighting most valiantly was disordered and put to flight Bodo the General labouring to restore the Battel and to save the Ensign to him before by the King delivered was by the coming in of Paulus Bachitius with his Light-Horsemen taken The other Captains seeing all lost and past hope of recovery betook themselves to flight all the Kings Artillery and Ensigns were taken by the Enemy The King seeing the overthrow of his Army for safeguard of his life fled into Polonia Ferdinands Captains following the course of the Victory entred into Transylvania where the People yielding themselves at the first all the whole Province submitted it self unto the Authority of Ferdinand Bodo and the rest of the Noblemen that were taken Prisoners with the Ensigns taken from the Enemies were sent to Ferdinand But when Bodo having his liberty promised could not be perswaded to renounce his Oath given to King Iohn and to bear Arms against him he was by Ferdinand his commandment cast into a dark Dungeon where shortly after consumed with sorrow and grief he miserably ended his life Shortly after Ferdinand the Hungarians generally submitting themselves unto him was by their common consent saluted King and crowned with the same old Crown wherewith King Iohn had been crowned which the same Perenus a man of little constancy brought unto him and with him was also crowned Ann his Wife the only Sister of the late King Lewis All which solemn ceremonies were celebrated at Alba Regalis the usual place for the Coronation of the Hungarian Kings Ferdinand by rare felicity thus possessed of two Kingdoms whereunto he was not born returned into Bohemia and left his Deputies for the Government of the Kingdom of Hungary these were Stephanus Bator whom he appointed Viceroy with whom he joyned Paulus Bishop of Strigonium who had also revolted from King Iohn and made Berethsaxtus Secretary and Alexius Tursonus a Moravian Treasurer King Iohn thus miserably distressed and thrust out of his Kingdom by Ferdinand fled to Hieronimus Lascus a man for his honourable descent and learned vertue of great fame and reputation amongst the Polonians who glad of so honourable a Guest was more careful of nothing than with all possible kindness and courtesie how to comfort him wrapt up in so many calamities with the loss of his Kingdom he frankly promised unto him all his own Wealth which was not small for the recovery of his former estate and that which more was for the reviving of his former felicity the uttermost of his Wit and Device which in the compassing of all great matters was accounted wonderful That bountiful entertainment of this poor King by Lascus was not altogether unpleasant to Sigismund King of Polonia although because he would not offend Ferdinand with whom he was joyned in Friendship and Alliance he seemed to most men plainly to forget himself in shewing so small kindness unto King Iohn whose Sister Barbara he had sometime married which was the cause that Lascus forgot no point of courtesie in entertaining his Guest and yet the credit of Sigismund with King Ferdinand not toucht But when they had spent almost a month in consultation and debating of matters too and fro Lascus accustomed with his deep Wit sharply to reason and advisedly to determine of most weighty causes at last rested upon this one point That ready help in so hard and desperate a case was only to be hoped for of the Turkish Emperor Solyman being of opinion that he being a most mighty Prince and of an honourable disposition answerable to his greatness would not reject the humble Prayers of an oppressed and exiled King especially if that being by his mercy and power restored he could be content for so great a benefit to hold his Kingdom as of the bounty of the Othoman Kings For Lascus saw that Solyman so great and proud an Emperor was not so desirous of Kingdoms whereof he had so many as could not easily be reckoned then commanding over a great part of the World as of glory and renown wherewith he understood him to be wonderfully delighted above all other Kings of the East naturally carried away with that windy vanity This Counsel as in effect it proved was unto King Iohn wholsome and reasonable if a man do but respect the poor Estate of a King so greatly wronged living in exile but respecting the Christian Common-Weal it was undoubtedly most dangerous and lamentable for one mans particular profit to bring the whole State into most dreadful and horrible danger but the sick minds of worldly men living in small hope of doing well and at the point of desparation refuse no worldly remedies be they never so doubtful or dangerous And not long after upon this resolution with the King Lascus desirous by noble actions to encrease the honour of his name took the matter upon him and went as Embassador from the exiled King to Solyman to Constantinople The report was that Sigismund did not only not stay him but secretly gave him his safe conduct with Letters of Credence wherein he commended him unto the Bassaes and other great men in Solymans Court descended of the Polonian Blood as his faithful and loving Subject sent thither upon an extraordinary and special Embassage Lascus as soon as he was come to Constantinople with wonderful dexterity had in short time won the Favour not of the Bassaes only but of the other Courtiers also presenting them with such Gifts as might for the fineness and rareness thereof rather than for the value as he thought be most acceptable and pleasing to their Wives for amongst that barbarous and corrupted People nothing is better welcome than Gifts whether they proceed of simple good Will or other respect is no great difference Amongst the great Bassaes at that time of greatest Power and Authority was Luftebeius or rather Lutzis who had married Solymans Sister and Abraham born at Praga a base Village in Acarnania brought up in the Court from his Childhood with Solyman he was then Visier or chief of the Bassaes and Keeper of the Emperors Seal and was by his office to subscribe all such Grants or Letters as passed from the Emperor by which his great place and special favour he had with Solyman he in Magnificence Power and Authority far exceeded all the rest of the Bassaes doing whatsoever pleased himself and that with such Sovereignty and the good liking of Solyman that it was commonly said he was the commander of his thoughts Lascus thus insinuated into the Court and oftentimes talking with the Bassaes without an Interpreter for that he could well speak the Sclavonian Tongue the familiar speech of the Turkish Courtiers earnestly solicited the Kings cause wonderfully commending him for at his first coming after he had saluted Solyman and
his forward Captains and best Souldiers Of the Defendants few or none of name were lost but of the Country People it is supposed that there was about sixty thousand slain and carried away into Captivity all the Country about Vienna was miserably spoiled all their Trees and Vines being by the Turks cut down to the ground Solyman according to his promise restored Buda unto King Iohn who by solemn writing acknowledged himself his Vassal and to hold the Kingdom of Hungary of him as his Lord and Sovereign Unto him Solyman joyned Aloysius Grittus as his Legate to help him to provide such things as should be needful for the defence of that Kingdom It hapned one day whilst Solyman lay at Buda and had given King Iohn with divers of the Nobility of Hungary access into his Pavillion that he fell earnestly in hand with King Iohn to pardon Paulus Bishop of Strigonium and Petrus Parenus who had taken part with King Ferdinand and to receive them into his favour again which Men King Iohn in no case liked of because that they as Traitors unto their Prince and Country forgetting their Faith and Oath had performed the like duty to Ferdinand as they had but a little before done unto him at the time of his Coronation wherein he shewing himself unwilling to be entreated said That their mutable Minds fraught with Infidelity would never contain themselves within the bounds of Loyalty but find occasion to commit some fouler Treason than they had before Whereunto Solyman straining his Voice a little as one somewhat moved most honourably replied Can any thing said he happen unto thee in thy life better or more honourable than if by this kindness thine Enemies shall be of all Men accounted Ingrateful that is to say Men noted with eternal Infamy when as in thy self the commendation of a good and courteous Prince shall for ever remain And so not long after fearing the cold of Winter then approaching dangerous for his Beasts for Carriage especially his Camels bred and brought up in the hot Countries of Asia he set forward to Belgrade and so travelling through Thracia returned to Constantinople All this while that Solyman thus raged in Hungary and Austriaâ Charles the Emperor lately reconciled to Clement the seventh of that Name then Bishop of Rome with a strong Army besieged Florence by his Lieutenant Davalus who might have done much against the Turks if he had been so well imployed labouring by all means to repress the liberty of the Citizens whereunto they had but a little before aspired and to bring them again under the subjection of the Family of Medices whereof Clement was the chief Which thing with much ado he brought to pass investing Alexander the Bishops Nephew in the Dukedom of Florence and afterward giving him his base Daughter in Marriage forgetting his Brother Ferdinand in the mean time thrust out of the Kingdom of Hungary by Solyman and the Dukedom of Austria wasted by the Turks with the City of Vienna in danger to have been lost Which common calamities might well have moved both the Emperor and the Bishop to have had more regard of than by oppressing the liberty of one free City to seek how to serve their own private respects The year following which was 1530 year 1530. Solyman with great Solemnity and Triumph after the Turkish manner Circumcised three of his Sons Mustapha Muhamet and Selymus at Constantinople Solyman hardly disgesting the dishonour he had before received at Vienna and oftentimes solicited by King Iohn for aid against Ferdinand who with greater stomack than power ceased not continually to molest him but most of all prickt forward with the insatiable desire of inlarging his Empire after the manner of the Othoman Kings accounting his Neighbour Princes always his Enemies and their Dominions the objects of his Victories and spoil for his Souldiers raised such an Army as for the greatness thereof might worthily have been a terror unto the World not so much purposing the protection of King Iohn which he in shew most pretended neither the Siege of Vienna as was commonly bruted as the conquering of Austria Carinthia Croatia Styria and the rest of King Ferdinands Dominions and so afterwards of all Germany For the accomplishment whereof he had in his immoderate desire prefixed unto himself the space of three years which the great Monarchs of Rome could not perform in more than so many Hundreds It was commonly reported that the proud Tyrant would many times say That whatsoever belonged unto the Empire of Rome was of right his forasmuch as he was rightfully possessed both of the Imperial Seat and Scepter of Constantine the Great Commander of the World which his great Grandfather Mahomet had by law of Arms won from Constantine the late Christian Emperor whom he slew at Constantinople And therefore both in his common talk and writings as oft as he had occasion to make any mention of Charles the Emperor he would proudly and as it were in disdain term him by the name of the King of Spain but never by the name of Emperor The discord of the Christian Princes and the great troubles even then arising in Germany about matters of Religion did not a little encourage the barbarous Tyrant to take in hand this great expedition King Ferdinand certainly advertised that Solyman was in person himself setting forward with his huge Army sent unto him three Embassadors whereof Leonardus Negarola a noble Gentleman well learned and skilful in divers Languages was chief with rich Presents and reasonable offers to entreat with him for Peace Who meeting him upon the borders of Servia were by him courteously received and patiently heard yet obtained of him no other answer but that they should follow his Camp and attend his further pleasure The report whereof brought a general fear upon all Germany but especially them of Austria in whose fresh remembrance as yet remained the bleeding Wounds of their Country their Brethren and Friends slain their Wives and Children led away into Captivity their Goods and Cattel lost their Houses and Fields burnt and thousands of other grievous calamities which they had endured in the late Invasion of the Turks Charles the Emperor had in very good time a little before for a while well appeased the dissention then arising in Germany about matters of Religion putting them in hope of a free and general Council to be holden for the deciding of all such matters and in a great Assembly of the States of the Empire to be holden at Ratisbon shewing the greatness of the imminent danger so puissant an Enemy threatning unto them all the calamities of War with the manifold mischiefs like to ensue if they should in so unfit time fall at variance amongst themselves offering with great resolution to go in person himself with all his old expert Souldiers in defence of the common Christian cause so much prevailed with the Princes of the Empire and the Embassadors
behind them upon their Horses but whilst he sought eagerly to be revenged upon his Enemies and with too much heat pressed on with the foremost he was shot in the Body with a Bullet and slain So the Horsemen which had before received a great loss as they lay in their lodgings accounting it in their good haps that they were not there all slain and having now lost their Captain ceased any further to pursue their Enemies but returned The Spaniards and Greeks although they were wearied both with their long march and evil success retired still as resolute men ready to fight and so returned to Corone Presently after the Turkish Garrison removed from Andrussa to Megalopolis now called Londarium after whose departure the Christian Souldiers of Corone came thither and buried the dead bodies of their slain Fellows which till then lay unburied and brought back with them the Head of Macicaus their late General which the Turks had there set up upon a long Pole which they honourably buried at Corone Not long after the Plague began to grow hot in Corone so much the more grievous for that it came accompanied with many other hard difficulties For which causes the Spaniards as men at once inforced with many extremities imbarked themselves with all the great Ordnance and such Greeks as would go with them in certain Ships which came with Corn out Sicilia and so departed leaving the Town empty for the Turks to come unto It was commonly reported that the Spaniards left Corone not without the secret consent of the Emperor which was the rather thought to be so because that they which forsook the place received thereby no disgrace and the Emperor himself had offered to give the Town to Clement Bishop of Rome the Venetians and the Knights of Malta who all refused to receive it as loath to be at so great a charge in keeping a place serving for no greater purpose the very cause why the Emperor was so willing to part with it Now Clement the great Bishop had by means of Aloysius Grittus made a motion of a Peace to have been concluded for ten years betwixt Solyman and the Christian Princes and thereupon the Town to have been again delivered unto the Turks which Peace Solyman was not altogther unwilling to grant being then wholly bent to invade the Persian King. Ferdinand was also in good hope that his Brother Charles the Emperor would for the yielding up of that Town have covenanted with the Turk some great matter for his benefit in Hungary which as was thought would also have been easily obtained But whilst the Emperor drawn diversly with the consideration of his honour in keeping it and of his profit in giving it up stood too long in resolving the Town in the mean time was by the Spaniards their necessity dayly increasing abandoned and so left to the Turks for nothing Solyman now purposing to turn his forces against the Persians year 1534. of whom he had in the Frontiers of his Dominions received great hurt especially in Comagene renewed the League he had with the Venetians and some other Christian Princes but of all other his Affairs with the Christians he was most careful of the interest he had already gotten in Hungary For it was reported that King Iohn his Vassal induced by the continual solicitations of his Subjects was desirous of Peace with King Ferdinand upon condition that he might quietly enjoy the Kingdom during his life and after his decease it to remain to King Ferdinand and his Heirs Wherefore Solyman that nothing should be there done in his absence without his knowledge sent Aloysius Grittus the Duke of Venice his Son of whom we have before spoken a man both for the honour of his House the good carriage of himself and the special commendation of Abraham the chief Bassa in great credit with him with Commission as his Lieutenant to be assistant unto King Iohn in such magnifical sort as that without him the King might conclude nothing in matters of State concerning either Peace or War with any other the Christian Princes With this proud Commission from the grand Seignior Grittus entred into Transylvania then a part of the Kingdom of Hungary much about the same time that Solyman set forward from Constantinople against the Persian attended upon with seven thousand persons of one sort and other among whom were Urbanus Batianus and Ianus Docia two famous Hungarian Captains with their Companies and many of the Turks Janizaries also At his first coming to make his Authority the more known he sent out his proud command unto the great Men and Governors of the Cities of that warlike Province charging them forthwith to repair unto him as great Solymans Deputy authorised by him to hear and determin all the controversies and matters of State concerning the Kingdom of Hungary At that time Americus Cihachus Bishop of Veradium a man of great Nobility and Power withal singularly well qualified was Vayvod or Governor of Transilvania an honour next unto the King he understanding that Grittus was come into his Province and making small hast to wellcome him as one not greatly moved with his coming or much regarding the commandment of Solyman wonderfully offended Grittus who desired nothing more than at his first entrance to have confirmed the opinion of his Authority in the minds of the Vulgar People by the prest and ready attendance of the Vayvod But it was commonly bruted that the stout Bishop upon a Christian Zeal detested the Friendship of the Turks and could not well brook that they should be too much acquainted in his Province for fear lest that fruitful Country abounding with Men and Horses should by one means or other fall into their hands Grittus was come to Baxovia when he understood by many Messengers that the Vayvod was coming with a great Train and lay about ten miles off encamped with divers gallant Troops of Horsemen in warlike manner appointed for the Bishops of Hungary being wonderful rich were by old custom bound to keep great numbers of Horsemen which as occasion served they used to bring into the Field against the Turk accounting it great honour with their religious hands to defend the cause of Religion But then especially the Nobility of the Country well appointed resorted on every side on courtesie to honour and contenance their great Bishop and Governor at whose commandment they were insomuch as the Bishops retinue made shew of a good Army Which thing moved Grittus exceedingly that he should be enforced contrary to his expectation to parly with the Bishop in the open Fields as with an Enemy in sight of all their Followers Hereof rose envy a deadly mischief always repining at another mans honour when as the one swelling with Turkish Pride could not then abide any equal and the other jealous of his honour could by no means endure any superior in such place as he had the Sovereignty of When these two
great men had met together in the open Fields and there dined more like Enemies than Friends without any shew of friendship or good will Grittus inwardly chasing at his bare entertainment covertly threatned to be revenged upon all such as should make so light account of his Authority and immediately as he departed from the Banquet taking his Cap from his Head which was after the Turkish manner made of a high fashion of rich Sables and opening it with both his Hands said This Cup will not hold two Heads and therefore it must be fitted to one and so put it on again Iohn Docia one of the Hungarian Captains his Followers who deadly hated the Vayvod for that he had long time before for his malepert Speech in a great Assembly given him a blow with his Fist took hold of that Speech of Grittus as a fit occasion for him to work his revenge and said Your honour maketh a fit comparison neither can this Province contain two equal Governors or Commanders nor you ever enjoy your Power and Authority except you do this day with speedy and manly resolution defend both Solymans credit and your own You know not this proud Beast Americus whose Pride and Insolency if you but say the word I will quickly put down for he hateth Solyman he regardeth not the King and of you he maketh no account at all for why he aspireth unto the Majesty of a King and saith that the Vayvodship of Transylvania well beseemeth a King for that in this Country Decebaldus the Dacian sometime reigned whom the warlike Emperor Trajan with all the force of the Roman Empire hardly subdued No man can more proudly or arrogantly set himself forth than he neither more craftily or cunningly dissemble to serve his turn Indeed he hath for fashion sake presented your honour with a few simple Presents and given you his Hand also better known for his Falshood than his Faith to the intent that when you are once past his Country he may scoff and jeast at your Decrees verily he deadly envieth at your Honour and Felicity and grudgeth in his heart that you should set down the Laws of Peace and War in Hungary and whereas he doth manifestly aspire unto a Kingdom he feareth you above all others lest you should trouble his designs abate his credit and chastise his insolency Verily he that thus maligneth your happyness and contemneth your Authority is not to be suffered but by good reason to be taken away thereby at this your first entrance to defend the credit of your Commission and honour of your Name For nothing is more dangerous than a faithless Companion and a secret Enemy especially when you shall leave him at your back behind you for when he shall as occasion serves shew forth his hidden malice he shall so much the more slily and desperately endanger your Person Grittus enraged with his Speech more than before thought it best to make hast and to use his Authority to the full he commended Docia and promised him in short time to requite his good will towards him especially if he would by some notable attempt abate the Bishops Pride It is reported that Grittus gave him no other charge but to take the Bishop that so he might after the Turkish manner have sent him in Chains to Constantinople and bestowed the honour of the Vayvod upon Hieronimus Lascus the Polonian who in hope of that honourable Preferment unto him promised by King Iohn had done unto him great and faithful service as his Embassador both unto Solyman and also unto the French King. But when King Iohn perceived that he could not conveniently without manifest danger place him being a Polonian who could scarcely speak the Hungarian Language Governor over such warlike People he as it were enforced by necessity preferred this Americus the Bishop of Veradium a man of them both reverenced and feared Which so grieved Lascus a man of great Stomach and Experience and thereunto excellently learned that he would never admit of any excuse of the Kings but alwaies after complained that he was by the King deluded Yet for all that he kept himself within the bounds of Loyalty and enjoyed certain Lands and Towns which the King had given him in the Borders of Polmia and estranged nevertheless from him in mind was now become one of Grittus his Followers hoping of his better Preferment by his means unto Solyman and for that cause was not so forward to do the King such service as he had in times past Now by the commandment of Grittus a strong Company of Turkish Horsemen and certain Troops of Hungarians were delivered to Docia who secretly departing that night from Baxovia came suddenly to the Vayvods Camp having a little before by his Hungarian Spies learned that he lay in the open Fields in his Tent by reason of the great heat without any watch or guard attended on only with his Pages and Houshold Servants as a man without fear and that all the rest of his retinue lay dispersed in the Country Villages round about All which served so well for Docia his purpose that the Vayvod ignorant of his death so nigh at hand who rather contemned than feared his Enemies was suddainly oppressed by Docia his Souldiers so that whilst he was yet lying in his Bed and scarcely well awaked by his Chamberlains and the noise of the Enemy Docia breaking into his Tent cut off his Head as he lay All they which lay near amazed with the suddainness of the matter fled away for fear and left their Horses and other things for a Prey to the Turks and other of Docia his Followers Docia having done so great an outrage returned to Grittus presenting unto him the Vayvods Head which he brought in his Hand by the Ear. Lascus was then present but altogether ignorant of the murder who as a man moved with a natural compassion in so suddain and horrible a Fact and forgetting all former grudges as in like case it oftentimes chanceth stood as one dismaid nothing rejoicing at the unworthy death of his Enemy To whom Grittus turning himself said Lascus Dost thou not know this shaven Pate truly it is a great Mans Head but of such an one as was very ambitious rebellious and proud To whom Lascus replied Truly though I loved him not yet I thought it not so whilst it stood upon his Shoulders disallowing therein the Cruelty of the Fact. Which thing Grittus perceiving began to repent him of that was done and said openly that although he was worthily slain yet he could have wished rather to have had him taken Prisoner The report of this horrible murder once bruted abroad the Bishops Kinsmen and Friends yea almost all the People of that Province rise up in Arms against Grittus to revenge the death of the reverend Bishop whom living they had both loved and feared Never did any People in revenge of a common wrong enter
Kings Mony coined with the same Inscription but the chiefest Authority rested in George the Bishop for he was Treasurer and had at his command the Castles and strong Holds yet were the Souldiers with their Ensigns and Furniture at the devotion of Valentinus Thuracus In the middle between these two was placed Peter Vicche the Kings Kinsman and by the old King appointed for one of the Tutors of his young Son suspected of neither part honoured with the name of High Constable But because the name of this George the Bishop was most famous in this woful War which we were about to write I thought it worth the labour to speak something of his nature and disposition that it may be known to all posterity by what policy this War was managed and how this flourishing Kingdom by the madness of the Hungarians came into the hands of the Turks This George was born in Croatia and brought up from his youth in the House of King Iohn where vertue and industry never wanted relief when as he unadvisedly before had entred into the Orders of a Monastical life and weary too late of the straitness thereof had forsaken his profession Wherefore being of a very pleasing nature and still following King Iohn driven out of his Kingdom and long living in exile he won such credit and commendation for his Fidelity Integrity and ready Counsel in the Kings most doubtful and dangerous Affairs that after Sibacchus that worthy Bishop was by the treachery of Aloysius Grittus slain at Baxovia he obtained the great Bishoprick of Veradium After that when he had strengthned his credit with great Wealth he always as a faithful Counsellor swaid and happily ruled both the Court and Kingdom to the profit of the King. But he was of such a diverse and pliant Nature that performing in all actions all the parts of a most ready and excellent Man he seemed to be made of contrary qualities and born to do any thing for in saying of his Princely Service and performing the other Ceremonies of the Christian Religion he shewed or at leastwise counterfeited such a contrition in his devout Countenance and Speech that a Man would not have thought it could possibly be the same Man who in the most weighty Affairs both of War and Peace did most stoutly shew the wonderful force of a most pregnant and couragious Wit for he used to keep whole Companies of most excellent and ready Horsemen and would oft-times come forth into the Battel armed he would with often Banquets and Rewards win the Hearts of the Souldiers and after the manner of great Chieftains maintain the honour and credit of his Name both with punishment and reward as occasion required Besides that no Man looked into the Wealth of the Kingdom more diligently than he no Man did to more profit let to farm the Customs old Mines Feedings and Salt-Pits no Man could devise finer means to raise Mony of all others the readiest way to credit insomuch that King Iohn would confess himself to reign by the especial industry of that one Man And King Ferdinand would many times say That he envied at King Iohn for nothing he had but for one hooded Fellow which was better for the defence of a Kingdom than a thousand with Helmets on their Heads Wherefore this Bishop having taken upon him the Tuition of the young King was still busied in all the weighty causes of the Kingdom both Civil and Martial he laboured with great care that the Hungarians should agree together in Love and Unity and did what he might providently to foresee that no Tumult or Rebellion should any where arise whereby the beginning of the Kingdom yet but weak might any way be troubled But King Ferdinand hearing of the death of King Iohn thought it now a fit time for him to recover again the Kingdom of Hungary which he had so long desired Whereunto he was also the more prickt forward by the perswasion of Alexius Torso Ferentius Gnarus Petrus Bachit Balthazar Pamphilus Francus Capolnates Ianus Castellamphus and Casparus Seredus all Noblemen or Gentlemen of great account in Hungary who in the former troubles followed the part of King Ferdinand against King Iohn and lived now in Exile these all with one consent told King Ferdinand That now or never was the time when they might be again restored unto their Country with honour and that the War might that Autumn be dispatched if he would make haste for as much as Winter coming fast on would stay the coming of the Turks and such Noblemen of Hungary as took part with the Queen did not very well agree together being unwilling to be commanded by George the Apostate Monk who as they said with great cunning and dissimulation seducing the Queen and possessing the Treasure enjoyed all alone the power of a King and that they which for taking part with the right had long lived as banished Men might now safely return into their Country and be honourably preferred by the Queen the Bishop which commanded all assuring them thereof if they would return unto the young Kings Court unto their Friends and ancient Houses But they had as they said before given their Faith unto him as to a vertuous and faithful Prince whom they had preferred before one that was an Hungarian born wherefore he should do both unadvisedly and unkindly if letting slip the occasion presented he should defer to make War. For what could be more dishonourable to him so great a King and also Emperor elect than by shameful delay to forsake them being noble and valiant Gentlemen which had followed his part and were then ready with strong Troops of Horsemen to do him the best service they could The German Captains in like manner perswaded him to take the matter in hand who as Martial Men expecting some one preferment some another in the Army were desirous of Honour Pay and Prey the chief comforts of their travel and peril But Laschus the Polonian who in matters concerning Peace and War saw more than all they as he that knew the dispositions of many Princes and had seen the Manners and Fashions of divers Nations having travelled through a great part of the World and oftentimes been Embassador in the Courts of the greatest Princes was of a contrary opinion and told King Ferdinand plainly That the Kingdom of Hungary was to be obtained rather by policy than by force by craving it at Solymans Hand to hold it of him by Tribute as King Iohn had done For said he that may by petition and fair entreaty be easily obtained of that Heroical Prince who in his vain humor oftentimes fondly seeketh after honour which will never be got from him by force of Arms. I throughly know said he Solymans haughty mind and the proud disposition of his Bassa 's he contemneth Wealth and is cloyed with so many Kingdoms but they upon their insatiable covetousness and exceeding pride desire nothing nor perswade
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
the Realm and as Men desirous of credit and gain had rather be the Governours of the young Prince than the Servants and Waiters of a great and mighty Foreign King all which he said he had both heard and seen Wherefore all the hope was in War wherein such speed was to be used as that the Queen with her Son unprovided and expecting the event of their Embassage from Constantinople might be driven out of Buda before they could take up Arms or well advise themselves what to do and that the Queen sought delay but to make her self the stronger and in the mean time to call in the Turk and so to make a more dangerous War. Wherefore if ever he purposed to Reign in Hungary he should forthwith cast off all other Cogitations and make ready his Forces with all speed possible Hereupon King Ferdinand furnished with Mony from Charles the Emperor without delay raised a great Army which he sent down the River Danubius to Strigonium which City had all the Reign of Kign Iohn continued faithful to King Ferdinand The General of his Army was Leonardus Velsius a Nobleman of Rhetia who for many causes thought it expedient first to open the way to Buda for almost in the middle of the way stood Vicegrade with a goodly Castle upon the top of an Hill by the River which Town but not the Castle Velsius after nine days Siege took with the loss of about two hundred of his Men all the Garrison Souldiers therein being either slain or taken Prisoners with Valentinus Litteratus their Captain From Vicegrade he passed over the River Danubius to Pesth which he took being forsaken of the Enemy With like success he took the City of Vachia without loss and removing thence and crossing again the River with his Fleet came and encamped before Buda so to terrifie the Citizens and to discover as far as he could the purpose of the Queen Where Perenus Stephanus Rascaius and Franciscus Francopanes Bishop of Agria all Men of great Nobility amongst the Hungarians revolted from the Queen to King Ferdinand the Bishop was reputed for a Man of great Integrity and upon meer conscience to have gone ove to Ferdinand yet was he by Letters from George the Kings Tutor challenged to have revolted in hope by means of Charles the Emperor to be made a Cardinal Velsius lay with his Army at the hot Baths about a mile and a half from the City as if he would rather besiege it than assault it The Germans lying there did fetch in Booty round about the Country which waâ taken in evil part by the Hungarians on their side who seeing their own Cattel or their Friends driven away the Villages burnt and the poor Husbandmen bound and taken Prisoners fell together by the Ears oftentimes with the Germans On the other side they of Buda sending out their Troops of Horsemen skirmisht with the Germans if they did but stir out of the Camp and well defended the Villages from the injury of the Enemy for Valentinus Thurracus General of the Queens power had taken into the City a wonderful number of light Horsemen Whilst the Army lay thus encamped it fortuned that Balthazar Pamphilus a noble Hungarian straying out of the Camp even unto the Gates of Buda desired the Warders at the Gate to give him leave to talk with Valentinus their General for that he desired to see his old Friend and to confer with him of certain matters concerning the good of the Common State. Which thing being granted by the General he was immediately received into the City with his Troop of Horsemen Shortly after returning again into the Camp he reported how he had been entertained by his old acquaintance in the City where viewing the Garrison the great Artillery and Fortification of the City he perceived it was not to be taken without a greater power and in a more seasonable time of the year Which thing so moved Velsius by nature suspicious and doubtful of the fidelity of a Stranger that he commanded him in anger to avoid the Camp because he had without his leave gone into the City and upon his own private insolency had conference with the Enemy and by amplifying their strength to have discouraged the Army by putting them out of hope of Victory Wherefore Velsius never attempting to assault the City returned again to Vicegrade to besiege the higher Castle wherein the ancient Crown of King Stephen wherewith the Hungarian Kings were ever after him Crowned was kept which Castle he also took with something less loss than he had done the lower Town Not long after he marched with his Army to Alba Regalis the City where the Hungarian Kings were usually Crowned and Buried which by the means of Perenus was delivered unto him and a Garrison put into it for King Ferdinand These things thus done Velsius retired again to Strigonium which he did the rather because the Germans and Hungarians two rough Nations could by no means agree together in so much as that Velsius the General in parting them was wounded in the Thigh and Perenus hurt with a Stone besides that Winter was now come far on and the Souldiers cried out for Pay. For which causes Velsius being also sick of the Stone billeted his Souldiers for that Winter about the Country Yet before that he new fortified Pesth and left therein a Garrison because it was reported that the Turks upon their Frontiers were making preparation to come to aid them of Buda At such time as King Ferdinand was levying his Forces for the invasion of Hungary the Queen by the Counsel of the Bishop had in good time craved aid of the Turks Lieutenants in the Countries bordering upon Hungary especially of Ustref Governour of Bosna a very aged Man and of great Honour who had married one of the Daughters of Bajazet the old Emperor as also of Mahometes Governour of Belgrade and Amurathes who had the charge of the Frontiers of Dalmatia from whom she received one answer That they might in no case without express commandment from Solyman depart from the places committed to their charge Besides that Mahometes was by rewards overcome by Laschus as he passed by Belgrade to Constantinople not to stir or aid the Queen Wherefore she rejected by these great Captains certified Solyman by her Embassadors what danger her self her Son and the Kingdom was in craving his speedy aid Laschus was not yet come to Constantinople being faln sick by the way but had sent before Ptolomeus his Physician to the great Bassaes and especially to Lutzis his old acquaintance upon whom he had bestowed great Gifts and was in hope by him to have obtained what he desired but all in vain for Solyman who thought it much for his honour to defend his own right and that he had before given unto King Iohn thought also that it would redound both to his great profit and glory if he should as it were
upon charity take upon him the protection of the Widow and Fatherless Child in their so great distress and danger Wherefore calling unto him the Embassadors the three great Bassaes standing by he said That he had of his meer bounty before given the Kingdom of Hungary unto King Iohn to descend to his posterity so long as they should retain the kind remembrance of so great a benefit wherefore to declare his constancy inseparable from his bounty he said he would take such a course in the matter as that the Germans his Enemies should not long rejoyce of the Wars they had begun And in token of friendship and that he had taken upon him the protection of the young King he caused to be delivered unto the Embassadors a royal Robe of Purple and Gold a Buckler with the Boss most curiously wrought a Horsemans Mace with a handle of Gold and a Scimiter with the Scabberd richly set with Stones and afterwards wrote effectually to Ustref and Mahometes his Lieutenants That they should without delay aid the Queen and not to make excuse because it was Winter threatning them that if she took any harm through their default and negligence it should cost them their Heads The Queens Embassadors glad of their good dispatch were scarce departed from the Turks Court when Laschus came to Constantinople and understanding by his Physician the success of the Hungarian Embassadors proceeded for all that in his business and delivered his Message and upon reasonable conditions requested the Kingdom for King Ferdinand But when he in speaking had oftentimes made mention of Charles the Emperor as if he would with all the power of Germany aid his Brother Solyman was so moved therewith that he was presently taken away and committed to Prison the great Bassaes but especially Rustan Solymans Son in Law a proud and furious young Man chiding him and taking him up as worthy of death for offending with his liberal Speech the Majesty of so courteous a Prince and as it were mocking the King of Kings requiring friendship when in the mean time his Master most impudently made Wars in Hungary Ustref and Mahometes the Bassaes aforesaid having received such strait commandment from Solyman assembled their dispersed Souldiers and by shipping brought them down the Rivers Savus and Dravus into Danubius for it is a hard matter to perform any great thing by Wars in Hungary without the help of a great Fleet for conveying of the great Ordnance Victual and other such necessaries of the Army frome one side of the great Rivers to the other as occasion requireth but as then being the midst of Winter and the North Wind blowing hard Danubius was so Frozen on both sides that the middle of the River was scarce open so that the Turks not able to pass for the extremity of the Weather not daring to return for the strait command of Solyman were enforced in their Tents there to abide the hardness of Winter to shew their readiness It is almost incredible to be spoken with what patience and resolution the Souldiers endured all the extremities of the time in so bare a place their Horses which of all other things they hold most dear starving for Cold and want of Meat The Spring at length coming on year 1541. right welcome both to the Turks and the Queen Mahâmetes with his Turks and wild Illyrians and Ustref with his Souldiers of Bosna entred into Hungary with whom Valentinus General of the Queens Forces joyned also with an Army of Hungarians brought from Buda And the Queen to further the matter sent Presents to the Turks Generals victualled the Camp and furnished them with great Ordnance for the besieging of such Cities as were holden by King Ferdinand her Enemy They passing over Danubius took the City of Vacia being but badly defended for King Ferdinand and putting many to the Sword after the manner of their barbarous Cruelty burnt the City From thence they removed to Pesth which was so valiantly defended by Barcocius and Fotiscus the one a Hungarian Captain the other a German that the Turks despairing of the winning of the City and not well relieved with Victual by the Queen then fearing future want passed again over Danubius and faithfully restoring the great Ordnance without any more doing returned again into their own Countries but in their retiring the Hungarians by the leading of Ferentius Gnarus slew many of them amongst whom was one Achomates one of their best and valiantest Captains King Ferdinand advertised of the Turks departure returned again to his old hope of recovering the Kingdom perswading the Emperor his Brother not to give over the War so fortunately begun especially now that the Turks having forsaken the Queen were departed and gone Wherefore the new Forces lately before raised in Austria Bohemia Silesia and Moravia for the new supply of Velsius his Army were presently sent into Hungary under the leading of the Lord William Rogendorff Steward of the Kings House who was then gone as far as Possonium to have relieved them of Pesth unto whom as a more ancient and honourable General Velsius gave place He furnished with these new Supplies three months Victuals and great Artillery from Vienna joyning with the old Army marched directly to Buda and besieged it Overagainst the stately Castle of Buda wherein the Queen lay was a great Hill called St. Gerrards Mount so high that the middle thereof was equal with the highest place of the Castle and from the top thereof they might look into the Streets of the City betwixt which Hill and the Castle was a great Valley and a deep Ditch Upon this Hill Rogendorff to beat the Castle and to terrifie the Queen planted his Battery and so shook a new built Tower thereof that it was thought that it would have suddainly fallen which if it had yet was it supposed a dangerous matter to have assaulted it because it was walled about with a treble Wall. But the sumptuous Turrets and the princely Galleries of the Kings Palace in the Castle which every Man saw Rogendorff might have beaten down with his great Ordnance he spared but whether of himself or else commanded by the King as loath to destroy so goodly Buildings as could not without great charges be in long time again repaired was uncertain Wherefore by divers Heralds sent unto the Queen he wished her to break in sunder those Gyves and Fetters wherein the Bishop under colour of protection had fast bound her Son and her and to accept of King Ferdinands offer who was ready to bestow upon her a goodly Seigniory wherein she might most honourably live in quiet and bring up her Son in safety Which thing if she as a simple Woman and ignorant of her own danger should refuse and obstinately contemn the peril wherein she stood he would forthwith in most terrible manner beat down the Palace about her Ears Whereunto the Bishop in the Queens behalf answered That she
was not such a Fool to exchange the Kingdom of Hungary for the Principality of Sepusia and that she thought Rogendorff a very doting and mad old Man who being once before well beaten in those Ditches came now again like a Fool to receive his utter destruction in full guerdon of his rash Folly wherefore he should cease to terrifie valiant Men fighting with discretion for their natural King and Country against his drunken Company for that they were nothing troubled with the noise of his great Shot but yet he said that he would above all the rest by way of private courtesie gently request Rogendorff to discharge his Pieces with a little less noise because he had a Sow at home great with Pigs which terrified with the thundring of his Guns would farrow he doubted before her time to the grief of his Guests For the Bishop was of a sharp and taunting Spirit and such a contemner of the Germans that when two of them were taken in the Kings Orchards burning certain Houses he in derision caused two Hogs to be hanged upon the same Gallows with them Not long after Rogendorff removed his Camp from St. Gerrards Mount to a more convenient place for the battering of the City called the Iews Graves near unto the Gate called the Iews Gate Which thing the Bishop seeing after his quipping manner requested of Rogendorff to pardon him in that he had of late wrongfully called him a doting old Man for that in removing his Camp into a more commodious place he seemed to be a proper wise Man and of good discretion now that he had pitched his Tents in a most fit place amongst the dead both for himself being an old Man and almost worn with vain labour and for his Army there condemned to die with him Rogendorff thus encamped begun in two places to batter the Walls Perenus and the Hungarians with the Bohemians near unto the Gate called Sabatina in one place and he himself with the Germans betwixt the Iews Gate and the Castle in another which was done with such violence that a great part of the Wall was beaten down and another part thereof overcharged with Earth which the Defendants had cast up on the inner side for the strengthning thereof was at the same time born quite out and so fell down to the wonderful dismaying of all that were in the City Which fair opportunity to have taken the City Rogendorff let slip either not well aware thereof by reason of the great smoke of the Artillery on both sides and the Dust arising with the fall of the Wall which covered all or else according to his natural disposition doing all things leasurely and suspitiously so that a little delay bereft him of the present apprehension of so suddain a resolution and the Germans used more to standing battels than to assaults were not to be so easily brought on to assault the Breach upon the suddain as were the Spaniards Italians or French. The Wall was opened in that place almost two hundred Paces in length yet standing almost the height of a Man which might easily have been scaled with short Ladders but night was coming now fast on wherein the Germans would not willingly attempt any dangerous matter so that the assault was deferred until the next morning Whereas they of Buda in the mean time taking the advantage of the Enemies delay with incredible diligence and labour in that night raised up a new Rampier in stead of the Wall that was fallen every Man without exception putting his hand to the Work. In the morning the Germans coming to the Breach gave such a fierce assault unto the new made Rampier that Otho Fotiscus desperately entred into a shattered House which joyned unto the Wall and certain other Companies one Souldier helping up another had almost recovered the top of the Rampier and were there ready to have set up their Ensigns when they of Buda with wonderful constancy and resolution withstood the assailants George the Bishop encouraging them and fighting amongst them who having laid aside his Hood was now to be seen with his Helmet on his Head running too and fro as need required all alongst the Rampier At length the Germans seeing themselves to strive in vain against resolute Men were enforced to retire In this assault Rogendorff lost above eight hundred Men. Perenus was also in like manner but with less loss repulsed at the other Breach he had made at the Gate Sabatina After that Rogendorff attempted by undermining to have taken the City but was by Countermines disappointed of his purpose Yet for all this they in the City began to feel the want of many things so that it seemed they were not able to endure any longer Siege the common People pinched with Hunger crying openly out in mutinous sort that it was time to yield and make an end of those common miseries but such was the Authority of the Bishop with his provident foresight of all urgent events that once shewing himself in the Market-place as if he would have Preached he could turn the peevish minded people which way he pleased After all this it missed but a little but that this City which could not by Enemies force be won had by shameful Treason been lost there was at that time in Buda one Bornemissa a Lawyer who had in former time been Maior of the City this Bornemissa exceedingly hated the Bishop for taking part with a Bankrupt Jew against him and being full of malice and desirous of revenge promised to Revalius Martial in the Enemies Camp to deliver to him the blind Postern in St. Maries Church-yard whereby he might enter the City which Gate served the Citizens in time of Peace to go through to the River Rogendorff the General made acquainted with the matter so liked thereof that he in himself thought it not good in a matter of so great importance to use at all the service of the Hungarians Quite contrary to that Bornemissa had requested of Revalius who desirous to have the matter brought to pass without the slaughter of so many guiltless People as was by him to be betraied would have had it altogether performed by the Hungarians who he was in good hope would shew mercy unto their Country-men and Kinsmen and use their Victory with more moderation than the Germans who provoked with many despights and coming in by night were like enough to make great effusion of Blood. But Rogendorff after the manner of his Nation to be counted politick using to keep promise with no Man and hoping by excluding the Hungarians to have all the glory of the conceived Victory wholly to himself made as if he would have used only the Hungarians and glozed with Revalius whose Son for the more assurance he took as a Pledge For against the appointed hour which was about midnight having before given straight charge that no Man should stir in the Camp he sent four select Companies of Germans
then sick in mind lay in his bed wounded by a wonderful and fatal chance for as he was writing Letters to the King a Faulcon-Shot out of the Enemies Camp falling in his Tent and striking in sunder a Chest which stood there wounded him grievously in the left Shoulder with a Splinter of the same The other Captains of the Footmen envying that the Horsemen were so well escaped stood as men more careful of themselves than of the common danger faintly resisting the Enemy The uppermost Tents wherein Pârenus lay were first taken by Mahometes of Belgrade and Valentinus and the German Footmen chased all over Saint Gerrards Mount. They of Buda also sallied out and entred the Camp on that side which was next unto the City and with Wild-Fire burnt the Tents a little before forsaken by the Germans And the Bishop at the same time caused a great Stack of Straw standing by the Kings Stables near unto the Rivers-side to be set on fire which gave such a light that a man might have seen all over Danubius unto the Walls of Pesth as if it had been light day whereby the great confusion of the Christian Army by Land as well as the shameful flight by Water was of the Turks plainly discovered Then was the great Artillery from every place discharged upon the flying Fleet as well from Buda as the Turks Camp. And to increase the fear Cason the Turks Admiral rowing with his light Boats against the Stream set upon the Ships crossing the River to Pesth where he took certain Boats loaded with Souldiers and with his great Ordnance sunk divers others so that the River was filled with dead Bodies and the miserable Company of Souldiers and Mariners laboured to save their Lives by swiming for at such time as the Janizaries having slain the first Companies were broken into the lower Camp and the rest of the Germans flying over the Bridge into the little Island were there slain without mercy by the Turks pursuing them many of them leaping into the River and there perished Three hundred Sail of one sort of Ships and other were so confused and mingled together that Danubius seemed that night to have been covered over as if it had been with a great Bridge But the Christian Fleet seeing all lost cleared themselves so soon as they could of the Turks and so beating them back with their great Ordnance out of the Poups of their Ships got up the River to Comora The rest of the Land Forces endured the same Fortune in the Camp of whom the Bohemians died most honourably slain by the Enemy in Fight Many falling into the hands of them of Buda were saved or slain as was their Fortune to fall into the power of a merciful or merciless man. But the Sun rising plainly discovered the Slaughter of the Christians and the Victory of the Turks not so well before known There were about three thousand men of one sort and other who in warlike manner had taken a little Hill by Saint Gerrards Church and there stood upon their guard until such time as more than two thousand of them were slain the rest casting away their Weapons yielded in hope of life and were reserved for a spectacle more grievous than death it self At the same time Cason with his victorious Fleet coming to the Shore of Pesth brought such a fear upon them that were escaped thither and might easily have defended the Walls only with the cry of his Souldiers and the thundering of the Artillery that the Horsemen for haste to get out were like to overrun one another The Germans had at that time so much forgot their wonted Valour and so trembled at the name of the Turks that as soon as they saw their white Caps in their Ships they ran away as men dismaied unarmed leaving behind them their Plate their Carriages and whatsoever good thing they had else Yet some of the Hungarian Horsemen more desirous of the Spoil than afraid of death staid behind rifling the Merchant Shops for Pesth was become a very rich Mart Town for all kind of Merchandise Merchants resorting thither from all other places of the troubled Country as to a strong and commodious City and of more safety than the rest But Cason now entring without resistance slew some of those greedy Hungarians and ran through the Town with such barbarous Cruelty and Thirst of the Christian Blood that he spared neither Man Woman nor Child except some few which either for their Beauty or Strength of Body were reserved for the Turks beastly Lust or slavish Labor so that in this War it is reported more than twenty thousand Christians were one way and other by divers chances slain There was taken at Pesth in the Camp and in the Island thirty six great Pieces for Battery of wonderful Beauty and of lesser Field Pieces an hundred and fifty As for Shot Powder Armour Weapons and Victual provided for Winter such store was found that the Turks accounted it for the greatest part of their Victory Rogendorff the unfortunate General at such time as the Turks having won the Trenches were fighting in the midst of his Camp desiring rather to be slain in his Tent than to live after so great an overthrow was against his Will by strong hand carried aboard a little Pinnace by his Physician and Chamberlain which would not leave him as he lay and was so conveyed up the River to the Island of Comora where he shortly after partly for the painfulness of his Wound but more for grief of mind died in a little Country Village called Samarium leaving unto the Germans a woful remembrance of his accursed obstinacy and pride Solyman still doubting the coming of Charles the Emperor and King Ferdinand to Buda was coming with his Army from Hadrianople in such haste that he caused the Janizaries his best Footmen contrary to their manner to march as fast as his Horsemen but understanding by the way of the late Victory obtained by his Captains he took more leasure and came with a great power to Buda in August and there incamped on the other side of the City to avoid the noisome favour of the dead Bodies which lay yet unburied Where calling unto him the other Army and making one huge Camp of both he highly commended all his Captains but especially the two Mahometes And understanding that the Victory was especially gotten by the means of Mahometes Governor of Belgrade he made him General of all his Europeian Horsemen one of the most honourable Preferments of the Turkish Empire the other Captains he rewarded according as they had deserved and withal augmented their Pay. After that he caused the Prisoners in number about eight hundred to be brought out who bound in long Ropes were in derision led all alongst the Army ranged in order of Battel and afterward by his commandment slain by his young Souldiers saying with severe countenance that they were worthy of such
death which by Embassadors dissemblingly entreating of Peace had in the mean time craftily waged War. Amongst these Prisoners was one Souldier of Bavaria of an exceeding high Stature him in despight of the German Nation he delivered to a little Dwarf whom his Sons made great account of to be slain whose head was scarce so high as the Knees of the tall Captive with that cruel spight to aggravate the indignity of his death when as that goodly tall man mangled about the Legs a long time by that apish Dwarf with his little Scimeter as if it had been in disport fell down and was with many feeble blows hardly at last slain by that Wretch still heartned on by others to satisfie the Eyes of the Princes beholding it as their Sport. This barbarous and cruel execution done Solyman sent his Embassadors with Presents to the young King which were three beautiful Horses with their Bridles of Gold and their Trappings richly set with precious Stones and three Royal Robes of Cloth of Gold and unto the chief of the Nobility he sent rich Gowns and Chains of Gold. The Embassadors which brought these Presents in courteous manner requested of the Queen to send the young King her Son attended with his Nobility into the Camp and without all fear to hope that all should go well both with her and her Son for that Solyman who exceeded all other Kings not in Power and Fortune only but in Vertue and upright dealing also was of such an heroical Disposition that he would not only defend the Child whom in the right of his Father he had once thought worthy his Protection and Favour Victory confirming the same but would also augment his Estate with the largest Bounds of his ancient Kingdom Wherefore he was desirous to see the young King and to behold in him the representation of his Father and with his own hand to deliver him to be imbraced of his Sons that of his Protection renewed so happily begun might be grounded a firm and perpetual Friendship with the Othoman Kings and that he would always account of her as of his Daughter But the cause why he came not to see her which he did in courtesie desire was for that by ancient custom the Othoman Kings were forbidden that point of courtesie to visit other mens Wives in their Houses Besides that Solyman they said was not so forgetful of his Modesty and Honour as to receive into his Pavillion the Daughter of a King his Friend and Ally and she the late Wife of a King his Friend and Tributary and the fair young Mother of a Son growing in the hope of like Regal Dignity for fear he should draw into any suspition the inviolate name of her Chastity which in Queens was to be guarded with an especial and wonderful care Whereunto the Queen a manifest fear confounding the tender Senses in her Motherly Affection answered very doubtfully but the Bishop perswading her and instantly requesting her not to give the Turks occasion to suspect that she had them in distrust by her little and unprofitable delay sent her young Son in Princely swathing Clothes in a rich Chariot with his Nurse and certain great Ladies unto the Camp attended upon with almost all the Nobility to whom Solyman had sent Presents In his coming to the Camp he was for honours sake met upon the way by certain gallant Troops of the Turks brave Horsemen and all the way as he passed in the Camp orderly stood the Janizaries of Solymans Guard. As soon as he was brought into the Camp Solyman courteously looked upon him and familiarly talked with the Nurse and commanded his Sons there present to take him in their Arms and to kiss him in certain token of the love they would bear him whom they were in time to have their Friend and Tributary when he was grown to mans estate these were Selymus and Bajazet begotten of his fair Concubine Roxalana bearing the Names the one of his Grandfather the other of his great Grandfather As for Mustapha his eldest Son by his Circassian Wife he then lived in Magnesia a great way off who though he was a Prince of so great hope as never any of the Turkish Kings had a Son of greater and was therefore exceedingly beloved of the Men of War yet was he not so well liked of his Father brought out of favour with him by Roxalana as if he had traiterously gone about to take the Empire from him yet living as did Selymus his Grandfather from Bajazet for which cause Solyman secretly purposed to take him away as afterwards he did and to appoint Selymus for his Successor as hereafter shall appear But Solyman at such time as the Noblemen of Hungary were dining merrily with the Bassaes had commanded certain Companies to whom he had before given instructions what he would have done under the colour of seeing the City to take one of the Gates called Sabatina and the chief Streets which was done so quietly and cunningly that a wary Watchman standing there and beholding the manner of the Turks coming and going too and fro could hardly have perceived how the Gate was taken until it was too late For many of the Turks walking fair and softly by great Companies into the City as if it had been but for pleasure to have seen it and other some to colour the matter walking likewise back again as if they had sufficiently viewed the City by that means they without any tumult or stir quickly took the appointed Gate with the Market place and chief Streets of the City Which so finely done the Captain of the Janizaries caused Proclamation to be made in all parts of the City That the Citizens should without fear keep themselves within their Houses and forthwith as they would have their Lives Liberty and Goods saved to deliver all their Weapons which they seeing no remedy did and having delivered their Arms and taken the Turks Faith for their security they received them into their Houses as their unwelcome Guests But such was the quietness and modesty of the Turks by reason of the severity of their Martial Discipline that no Citizen which took them into their Houses was by them wronged by Word or Deed. Solyman understanding that the City was thus quietly and without resistance taken sent the Child back again unto the Queen although it was now almost night but the chief Noblemen he retained still with him these were George the Bishop and Treasurer Petrus Vicche the young Kings nigh Kinsman and one of his Tutors Valentinus Turaccus General of the Queens Forces Stephanus Verbetius Chancellor and Bacianus Urbanus Governor of the City of Buda This suddain and unexpected change exceedingly troubled all their minds and so much the more for that the great Bassaes with changed countenance began to pick quarrels with them and as it were straightly and impudently to examine them and to call them to account for all that they
Christian state was sore shaken and a way opened for the Turk The Emperor at his coming to Luca was honourably received by the Cardinals and Bishops and lodged in the Court the great Bishop was before placed in the Bishops Palace whither the Emperor came thrice to talk with him and the Bishop to him once But the Bishop having nothing at all prevailed with the Emperor and the French Embassador for the appeasing of the troubles even then like to arise betwixt him and the French King did what he might to perswade him to employ such Forces as he was about to pass over with into Africk against the Turks in defence of his Brother Ferdinand and of the Country of Austria if Solyman should happily pursue his late obtained Victory at Buda But he still resolute in that fatal determination of invading of Africk rejected that the Bishops request also So the great Bishop having moved much and prevailed little in the greatest matters which most concerned the common good taking his leave of the Emperor returned by easie journies to Rome The Emperor in the mean time with certain Bands of Italians under the leading of Camillus Columna and Augustinus Spinola and six thousand Germans came from Luca to the Port Lune and there imbarking his Souldiers in certain Merchants Ships provided for the purpose and five and thirty Gallies departed thence commanding the Masters of the Ships to direct their Course to the Islands of Baleares but after they had put to Sea they were by force of Tempest suddainly arising brought within sight of Corsica where after they had been tossed too and fro two days in the rough Seas and put out of their Course the Wind something falling they put into the Haven of Syracusa now called Bonifacium The dispersed Fleet once come together into the Port of Syracusa and the rage of the Sea well appeased he put to Sea again for the Islands Baleares now called Majorca and Minorca where in his Course he met with a Tempest from the West more terrible and dreadful than the first wherein divers of the Gallies having lost their Masts and Sails were glad with extream labour and peril in striving against the rough Sea to get into a Harbor of the lesser Island taking name of Barchinus Mago the famous Carthaginensian whose name it retaineth until this day From hence the Emperor with all his Fleet passed over to the greater Island being wonderful glad that Ferdinand Gonsaga his Viceroy in Sicilia was in good time come with the Sicilian Gallies and Ships of Italy in number an hundred and fifty Sail wherein he had brought such store of Bisket and Victual as might have sufficed for a long War. Mendoza was also expected to have come thither with his Fleet from Spain but he by reason of contrary Winds being not able to hold that Course altered his purpose according to the Tempest and so happily cut over directly to Algiers So the Emperor nothing misdoubting the careful diligence of Mendoza and thinking that which was indeed already chanced and the Wind now serving fair by the perswasion of Auria his Admiral hoised sail and in two days came before Algiers and there in goodly order came to anchor before the City in the sight of the Enemy Whilst the Fleet thus lay two of the Pyrates which had been abroad at Sea seeking for prize returning to Algiers not knowing any thing of the Fleet fell into the Bay amongst them before they were awar the bigger whereof Viscontes Cicada stemmed with his Gally and sunk him the other with wonderful celerity got into the Haven In the mean time Mendoza with his Gallies had passed the Promontory of Apollo now called the Cape of Cassineus and in token of honour saluting the Emperor after the manner at Sea with all his great Ordnance gave him knowledg that the Spanish Fleet was not far behind In this Fleet was above an hundred tall Ships of Biscay and the Low Countries and of other smaller Vessels a far greater number In these Ships besides the Footmen were embarked a great number of brave Horsemen out of all parts of Spain for many noble Gentlemen had voluntarily of their own Charge gallantly furnished themselves with brave Armor and couragious Horses to serve their Prince and Country against the Infidels Over these choice men commanded Ferdinand of Toledo Duke of Alva for his approved Valor then accounted a famous Captain These Ships going altogether with Sails were not able to double the Cape as did Mendoza with his Gallies for now it was a dead Calm howbeit the Billows of the Sea went yet high by reason of the rage of the late Tempest and did so beat against the plain Shore that it was not possible to land the Souldiers but that they must needs be washed up to the middle which thing the Emperor thought it not good to put them unto and so to oppose them Sea-sick and through wet against the suddain and desperate Assaults of their fierce Enemies He also staied for the coming of the Spanish Ships for two causes first that he might with his united Power more strongly assault the City and terrifie the Enemy then to communicate the whole glory of the action with the Spaniards at whose request and forwardness and greatest Charge he had undertaken that War. Which fatal delay of two days although it was grounded upon good reason did not only disturb an assured Victory but to the notable hurt of the whole Army opened a way to all the calamities which afterward ensued In the mean while the Emperor sent a convenient Messenger to Asanagas otherwise and more truly called Assan-Aga or Assan the Eunuch who with a little Flag of Truce in his hand making sign of a Parly and answered by the Moors with like as their manner is went on shore and was of them courteously received and brought to Assan This Assan was an Eunuch born in Sardinia brought up from his youth in the Mahometan Superstition by Barbarussa a man both politick and valiant and by him left for the keeping of his Kingdom of Algiers in his absence with Solyman This Messenger brought into his presence required him forthwith to deliver the City first surprised by Force and Treachery by Horruccius and afterwards to the destruction of mankind fortified by Hariadenus Barbarussa his Brother to Charles the mighty Emperor come in person himself to be revenged on those horrible Pyrats which if he would do it should be lawful for the Turks to depart whether they would and for the natural Moors to abide still with their Goods and Religion wholly reserved unto them untouched as in former time and for himself he should receive of the Emperor great Rewards both in time of Peace and Wars so that he would remember himself that he was born in Sardinia and was once a Christian and accept of the fairest occasion which could possibly be offered for him to return again
to Medices the Admiral to be conveied up the River to Vienna Liscanus at the time of his apprehension most covetously and uncourteously took from him his Chain and a rich Cloak lined with Sables which indignity done to so noble a Gentleman so much offended the minds of the rest of the Hungarians that above twelve thousand of them thereupon presently returned home to their own dwellings cursing the Germans to the Divel This Perenus was one of the greatest Peers of Hungary but of a most haughty and magnificent mind so that he would sometime have almost a hundred goodly spare Horses fit for service led before him without their Riders and would sometime speak too liberally against the bareness of King Ferdinands Court who polled by his Courtiers hardly maintained his State which his surpassing magnificence and princely Port was cause enough for the other great Courtiers to envy at his Estate and to seek his overthrow who as Men overcharged with the burthen of another Mans vertue whereof they never bore the least part and always gaining by the depraving of other Mens perfection conspired together his overthrow and oftentimes pointing at him with their fingers would say That he favoured of a Crown This notable Man as he had many worthy Vertues so was he not without cause noted of ambition and unconstancy for after that King Lewis was lost he disdaining the preferment of Iohn the Vayvod to the Kingdom of Hungary took part with King Ferdinand against him in hope as it was thought to be next in honour unto himself but after he saw King Iohn again restored and his State strongly supported by Solyman and that all things stood doubtful and fickle with Ferdinand he with like levity sought means by Abraham the great Bassa to be reconciled to King Iohn which was hardly obtained of him by the intercession of Solyman himself as is before declared to whom he gave his Son as a Pledge of his Fidelity After which time he lived in great Honour and Loyalty all the Reign of King Iohn but after he was dead and saw George the Bishop the Kings Tutor doing what he list to reign like a King he disdained his Government and solicited by King Ferdinand revolted again unto him and furthered him in what he could for the obtaining of the Kingdom But now falling into the envy of the Court Malice found out matter enough to work his confusion First it was given out That his Son who had many years been detained in Solymans Court as a Pledge of his Fathers Faith was even then under the colour of a fained escape come into Transylvania when as he had secretly agreed with Solyman that his Father being a Man much favoured of the People should by promising them all possible Freedom allure them to the Turkish subjection in reward of which good service he should be made Governour of the Kingdom of Hungary and put in hope also to be made the Tributary King thereof if it should fortune the young King to die Besides that it was accounted a thing very suspicious that he had the Winter before used great kindness and friendship toward the Turkish Captains by sending them great Presents and receiving the like again And last of all his Letters directed to certain Hungarian Captains were produced wherein he seemed to promise them as his Friends and Followers greater entertainment than agreed with his present Estate All which things King Ferdinand of his own disposition not easily to be perswaded to conceive evil of the Germans his Countrymen were it never so apparent or true but of Strangers any thing quickly believed and therefore caused him as is before said to be apprehended But Perenus as he was brought by Medices the Admiral to Vienna when he was come near unto the Gate of the City and heard that Philippus Torniellus with certain other brave Captains of his acquaintance were come to meet the Admiral he requested that the close Coach wherein he rid might be opened and that he might have leave to speak to those noble and valiant Gentlemen Which thing was easily granted for that the Nobility and approved valour of the Man seemed unto them which had the charge of him unworthy of such restraint of liberty or imprisonment yea or of the least suspicion thereof So he turning himself towards them spake unto them in this sort Wretched I noble Gentlemen said he whom despightful envy hath circumvented guiltless but much more miserable King Ferdinand whom domestical Thieves bereave of Substance of Friends and Honour all at once For so it cometh to pass that by this inconsiderate wrong done unto me he shall utterly lose the love and fidelity of the Hungarian Nation and may therefore for ever not without cause despair for the obtaining of the Kingdom of Hungary sithence that it is not lawful for me inferiour to nââe of my Nation in Birth and having for my good and faithful service well deserved râward of a just King so much as to rejoyce for the deliverance of my Son from the Captivity of the Turks but that by my sinister fortune dreadful death in stead of incomparable joy must be presented to mine Eies For will these malicious Pick-thanks guilty of thâir own Cowardise the wicked Contrivers and Witnesses of my wrongful Accusation spare me being laid fast and indurance which never spared the Kings Honour For every Man of what Nobility soever be he never so guiltless when he is once in hold must be content to endure not what he hath deserved but what his hard fortune assigneth Yet my upright mind and clear conscience which thing only God the most just Iudge leaveth as a comfort to Men in misery wrongfully accused delivered me of this care and so will the Marquess our General to whom I before upon a mistrust foretold that such a danger would shortly befal me and that I had rather be slain guiltless than to withdraw my self from Trial which thing I told him at such a time as I was so guarded with mine own strength that I feared no Mans force I beseech you do me this honourable favour as to request King Ferdinand in my behalf quickly and honourably to proceed to the Trial of my Cause and according to his own princely disposition and the will of others to discern betwixt his faithful Friends and fained Flatterers Truly we are too too unfortunate Captains if for a little evil success we shall be so adjudged as Men that had overthrown their Fortune Cazzianer peradventure received the just punishment he had deserved for the shameful forsaking and losing of the Army at Exek when as he possessed with an uncouth fear forgot the duty of a General more afraid of death than dishonour for when he had voluntarily committed himself to safe custody he was so generally condemned of Cowardise that despairing to defend his Cause he brake Prison and as wickedly as unfortunately revolted to the Turks But neither was I
Gentlewoman of exceeding Beauty had with her good Grace so warmed the withered affection of the old Pyrat Barbarussa that he now fitter for the Grave than for Marriage became amorous of her person so that taking her from her Father and entring her into the Mahometan Superstition he made of her as of his Wife insomuch that certain Months after he welcomed and bountifully entertained the Captain as his Father in Law coming to see his Daughter at the Port called Portus Herculis in Tuscany where the Turks Fleet then lay Barbarussa sailing alongst the Coast of Italy came to Ostia in the Mouth of the River Tibur and brought such a fear upon the City of Rome that the Citizens were ready generally to have forsaken the City had not Polinus by his Letters to Rodolphus the Cardinal then the great Bishop Paulus his Legate in the City in part staied the suddain Tumult The Bishop himself was then at Buxetum a Town betwixt Cremona and Placentia travelling in shew with the Emperor to have made a Peace betwixt him and the French King but labouring in secret to have bought of him the Dukedom of Millan for Octavius his Kinsman the Emperors Son in Law. Polinus his Letters written to the Cardinal at Rome and sent by the Governour to Tarracina were to this effect This Fleet which is by Solyman sent for the defence of France by Barbarussa his Admiral is by his appointment at my command so that it is not to hurt any but our Enemies Wherefore make it known to the Romans and others dwelling alongst the Coast of the Popes Territory That they fear of us no Hostility for the Turks will never violate the Faith of their Emperor solemnly given unto me and you know most assuredly that the French King desireth nothing more than that the Estate of Rome might not only be kept in safety but also flourish most gloriously and be therefore preserved from all injury Farewel In like manner he also comforted up them of Neptunianum and Ostia so that they brought unto the Turks all manner of Victual and sometimes for four Sheep or a couple of Oxen redeemed a good Prisoner taken in some place of the Kingdom of Naples Yet for all this the Romans did not so much credit the Embassadors promise in the behalf of the Turks good dealing but that many of the weaker sort fled out of the City into the Country by night although the chief Magistrates did what they might to have staied them When Barbarussa had thus lien three days in the Mouth of the River Tibur and there watered he passed alongst the Coast of Etruria and Liguria without doing any harm and so sailed directly to Marseilles Where leaving him with his Fleet for a while expecting the French Kings further pleasure we will again return unto Solyman who at the same time that Barbarussa was spoiling the Frontiers of the Emperors Dominions in Italy came with a great Army into Hungary for the more assured possession of that Kingdom whereafter he saw King Ferdinand so much longed And because he would make all sure before him he sent Amurathes Governour of Dalmatia and Ulamas the Persian Governour to Bosna to besiege Walpo a strong Town situate upon the River Dravus not far from Exek famous for the overthrow of the Christian Army under Cazzianer after whom followed also Achomates the great Commander of his European Horsemen This Town part of Perenus his possessions was against all these Forces kept and worthily defended by Perenus his Wife her Husband then lying in Prison at Vienna and her Friends by the space of three Months but was at last by the treacherous Souldiers delivered to the Enemy together with their General whom when they could by no means perswade to consent to the yielding up thereof but that he would needs hold it out to the last they took him perforce and so delivered him with the Town to the Turks who received him with all courtesie and used him honourably but those traiterous Souldiers whether it were in detestation of their Treachery or for the spoil of them were all put to the Sword the just reward of their Treason The rest of the Citizens were taken by the Turks to mercy and well used The Bishop and chief Men of Quinque Ecclesiae a famous City not far off on the other side of Dravus hearing of the loss of Walpo and terrified with the greatness of the Turks Army fled for fear leaving none but the meaner sort of the People in the City who willingly yielded the same unto the Turks The next Town of any strength was Soclosia belonging also to Perenus which for a while held out against the Turks for that divers Gentlemen of the Country which were fled into the City encouraged the Citizens to stand upon their defence But after much harm done on both sides when they were no longer able to hold out they retired into the Castle in hope to have so saved their lives and liberty by yielding but Amurathes was so offended with them that he would come to no reasonable composition or promise them any thing more than that they should at their pleasure come forth and so as they came out at the Gate slew them every Mothers Son thereby to terrifie others from making like resistance Solyman understanding of all these things gave those Towns which were taken to Amurathes the General and having put all things in readiness departed from Buda with all his Army to besiege Strigonium which was then kept by Liscanus and Salamanca two proud covetous Spaniards with a Garrison of one thousand three hundred Souldiers whereof some few were Spaniards and Italians and the rest Germans Paulus Bishop of Strigonium got himself out of the City betimes despairing of all mercy if he should have fallen into the power of Solyman by whose intercession he had been once before reconciled to King Iohn and had again revolted from him to King Ferdinand The Castle of Strigonium was situate upon a high Hill overlooking Danubius running underneath it the Walls were built even without any Flankers after the old manner of building before the invention of Guns for which cause Vitellius and Torniellus two expert Captains the year before sent from the King to view the place and the manner of the Fortification were of opinion that the City could hardly be defended if it were besieged by any strong Enemy being subject also unto a Hill not far from the Gates of the City Against which inconveniences the old Garrison Souldiers which Wintred in Strigonium cast up new Bulwarks and Fortifications and after the manner of windy headed Men making great boast before the danger what they would do seemed to wish for the coming of Solyman But after that the Barbarous Enemy had with his Tents covered the Fields and Mountains round about the City and withal brought a gallant Fleet up the River all those brags were laid in the Dust and every Man
it could could it long feed them Wherefore unto this expedition we have determined with the first of the Spring to send a most strong Fleet and even now we have already commanded all our Sea Captains and Adventurers which acknowledge our command to be there present with their Ships The King of Algiers will be there the Garrisons of Alexandria are in readiness so also is Dragut with his appointed Fleet. As for our own it is by mine own appointment rigged up unto which Fleet I doubt not but that all the strength of the West will give place Which thing worthy Captains we speak trusting upon the help of Almighty God and Muhamed his great Prophet with your known and approved Valour Now remaineth only that every one of you think with us how this War may best be mannaged and so to refer your devices unto us which that you may the better do Lo I here deliver unto you the situation of the whole Island and project of all their Fortifications which we have received of most expert and skilful Men. Solymans purpose thus made known and the matter well considered after that they which best knew the strong places and manners of the Malâaeses had declared their opinions what they thought to be most expedient it was decreed That they should with all speed set forward wherefore Victual and other things necessary for such an expedition being with wonderful celerity prepared they expected but Wind. Of these things Iohn Valetta a Frenchman Grand Master of Malta and of the Knights of the Order being both by Letters and Messengers advertised for he had always fit Men his Intelligencers at Constantinople who warily noted the purposes and actions of Solyman was not afraid but knowing that of God depended the Victory and that Men were to watch labour and foresee he assembled a Council of his Knights and in few words spake unto them in this sort What Solyman prepareth most noble and valiant Knights and what a great War he provideth against us you with me of late right well understand wherefore it is needless for me to use any long Speech with you concerning that matter The Enemy is known his insatiable ambition is known his strength is known and his mortal hate against us and the Christian Name is sufficiently known Wherefore let us all as one first âeconcile our selves to God and then provide all things as shall be needfâl for the War. In brief noble Knights to reconcile our selves unto God and to appease his displeasure two things are of us to be performed whereof the one consisteth in amendment of Life with a holy Conversation the other in the religious worshipping of him with a firm and constant trust in his help with Prayer which is called Godliness By these means our Ancestors obtained many Victories against the Infidels in the East Neither is it to be doubted but if we shall in these things joyn together we shall also frustrate all the force and fury of this proud Tyrant But forasmuch as God usually helps them which labour and take pains and not the negligent and sloathful we must of necessity joyn unto them those helps which both our profession and the course of War requireth which partly consisteth in our selves and partly in the other Christian Princes For Victual Armor Mony and other such things as in Wars are requisite we will so provide that no Man shall justly complain that we spared either cost or pains I will pour out all my store neither will I for desire of life refuse any danger As for the Christian Princes I cannot perswade my self that they will lie still in so fit an opportunity and in so great a danger not of our estate only but much more of their own Verily I will not spare to exhort every one of them both by Letters and by Messengers which in part we have already done and I doubt not but we shall have aid enough from the Pope the Emperor and the King of Spain such is their Christian Zeal and they I hope shall move the rest As for you the Princes and very Light of this sacred Order and the rest of our Brethren most valiant Knights I am well assured you will so fight for the most holy Christian Religion for your Lives and Goods and for the glory of the Latine Name against a most cruel Tyrant the rooter out of all true Religion of all Civility and good Learning the Plague of the World hated of God and Man as that he shall feel the sting of the Cross which he so much contemneth even in the City of Constantinople yea in his Houses of Pleasure For we shall not have now to do with him in the Island of the Rhodes far from the help of our Friends from Asia from Europe from Egypt enclosed with our Enemies both by Sea and Land but in the Eies of Italy and Spain in places strongly fortified from whence the Enemy may easily be circumvented which that it may so fall out let us not cease to pray unto Almighty God and to crave his ready help When the Grand Master had thus said all that were present promised with one assent rather to lose their Lives than in any part to fail the Common Cause or to come into the power of Solyman After that publick Prayer and Supplication was made in every Church through the Isle and three Colonels chosen out of all the Knights one an Italian sirnamed Imperator another Borneas a Frenchman and Quatrius a Spaniard the third all advised Men and most expert Souldiers who should with all diligence provide all things necessary for the War. By whose appointment the Suburbs and Trees which might any way be hurtful to the fortified places were overthrown the Fortifications were throughly viewed the Garrisons strengthned and all manner of Provision most plentifully distributed and Letters from the Great Master sent unto the Great Bishop and other Christian Princes requesting their aid against the Common Enemy Messengers were also dismissed into divers places to certifie both the Knights of the Order and others of the Turks great preparation Solymans Fleet departing from Constantinople the two and twentieth day of March in the year 1565 kept a direct Course towards Peloponesus and so came to Methone where Mustapha Bassa one of the Turks greatest Captains a Man of seventy five years and General of the Land Forces mustred the Army wherein were numbred seven thousand Horsemen of them which are of the Turks called Saphi out of the lesser Asia conducted by the Governour of that Country and two Lieutenants of Cicilia five hundred and of the Island of Lesbos now called Metylene four hundred he had of the Janizaries four thousand five hundred led by two Colonels appointed by Solyman for that the chief Captain of the Janizaries which they call the Aga never departeth from the City but when the Sultan goeth himself Besides these was a certain kind of Men amongst
been hanged Wherefore he gave him choice either to tarry still in the Town if he thought so good or else forthwith to return and tell his Companion that if he got him not Packing quickly he would send him farther off with a great shot With this short answer the Turk suddainly returned into the Camp. Whereupon Mustapha fell into such a rage that he openly protested never from that time to forbear any kind of cruelty against the Christians There was then with Mustapha one Philip of the most noble Grecian Family of Lascaris who of a Boy taken Prisoner by the Christians in Patras a City of Achaia and by them honestly and courteously used was therefore ever after well affected toward the Christians he privy to many of Mustapha's designs by a certain divine motion thought he should not a little profit the Christians by revolting unto them wherefore he resolved to flie unto the Castle of Saint Michael Which thing when he had oftentimes attempted at length the first of Iuly he cast himself into the Sea for by Land he could no way escape and swum to the Castle not without danger of his life for discovered by the Turks he was many times shot at both with their Arrows and small Shot He brought to the Great Master revealed unto him many of the Enemies Secrets and also advised him what was best to be done at the point of Saint Michaels to frustrate the Enemies purpose for the assailing of that place with many other things which were unto the Defendants no small hlep and afterwards as often as need was during the Siege fought valiantly against the Turks Whilst these things were in doing Codonellus sent as we have before said into Sicilia came in safety to Messana where he found the Christian Fleet not yet ready to relieve the distressed Maltaeses for the Spanish Ships were not yet come and Iohn Andreas Auria with eight and twenty Ships was ready to return to take in four thousand Footmen taken up in Etruria by Capinus Vitellius Which backwardness the Knights of the Order considering and what danger was in delay after they had well debated the matter amongst themselves they resolved by the power of God by all means possible to help their Brethren And for this expedition chose two most fit Generals of their own Fellows the Commanders of Messana and Baroli who forthwith went to Garzias the Viceroy declaring to him what things the sacred Knights of their Order had done not for the King of Spain only but for the Christian Common-weal and also what great charge they had been at the year before in the Pinionian expedition wherein they had neither spared Ships Victual nor Munition neither their own Lives to profit the King and the Christian Common-weal Besides this they besought him well to consider that the loss of Malta concerned not the sacred Knights only but all Italy and especially Sicilia for the nearness of so troublesome and puissant an Enemy For these and other like reasons which the shortness of the time suffered them not to rehearse they requested of him four thousand Footmen with whom all the Knights of the Order which were there and many other noble and voluntary Men would make all possible speed to relieve the besieged which they had before in vain attempted with which strength they were in good hope if not to repulse the Enemy or to recover that was already lost yet at least to stop and stay his farther proceeding untill such time as he having rigged up and brought forth all his Fleet might set upon the Turks and as was to be hoped vanquish and disperse them But whilst the Viceroy having heard their request considereth what answer to make a Messenger came unto him from Spain but with what command from the King although Meâ guessed diversly could not be known But upon his coming the Viceroy gave the Knights this cold answer That he could not grant what they requested for that in so doing he should disfurnish his Fleet and not be able afterwards to relieve them as he desired but if it pleased them to transport the Knights with part of the Bishops Souldiers into the Island they might so do with their own two Gallies they had already whereunto he would also joyn another of his own The Knights when they could obtain no more accepted of that which was offered Whilst these Gallies were letting forward those four Gallies whereof we have before spoken wherein were embarked eighty Knights and six hundred other Souldiers having at Sea suffered many troubles by the space of twenty days could not as yet arrive at Malta and because the Viceroy had commanded that they should not land except they first knew whether the Castle Saint Elmo were still holden by the Christians they sent out a Frigot to land promising that day and the next to tarry in the Sea for her return In the mean time a great Tempest suddainly arising it so fell out that the Frigot could not at the appointed time return wherefore the Gallies which expected her coming fearing lest she had been either by Tempest lost or by the Enemy intercepted retired unto Pozalo a Port upon the Coast of Sicilia nearest to Malta there to expect some good News where as soon as they had put in they understood that Saint Elmo was yet defended whereupon they put to Sea again with purpose to have arrived at Malta But when they were within two Leagues of the place where they thought to have landed they saw a Fire there which caused them to mistrust that the place was possessed of the Enemy and that he lay thereabout to intercept them wherefore they returned again to Pozalo where now understanding of the French Knight come from Malta that that Fire was by his commandment as a sign that they might without fear come forward they with all speed made again for the same place and at length the nine and twentieth day of Iune about midnight landed at the Black Rocks on the South side of the Island toward Africk and unseen of any got in haste to the City Malta where they were joyfully received and there staid to expect what the Great Master should command In the mean time it fortuned a great foggy Mist which seldom times there chanceth to arise so thick that a Man could hardly see for it at which time a Boy of twelve years old looking by chance out of a Window in the Castle of Melita suddainly as one afraid cried out that he saw a Turk going from the City to the Castle of Saint Michael Which thing some of the Knights hearing ran presently out that way and found a Greek of the City Melita who brought back and examined for that without the Governors pass it was not lawful for any Man to go out of the City confessed That his purpose was to have advertised the Turks of the coming of those Souldiers that so they might have intercepted them as they
you and plainly and openly to protest that we attribute this so notable and wonderful a Victory to our Lord Christ Iesus the greatest King of all Kings and Author of all good things Which that you may the more worthily and willingly do we will declare the whole matter not at large for that were to write an History but briefly and in few words Sultan Solyman the most mortal Enemy of the Christian Name and especially of our Society not contented to have spoyled us of the most famous Island of the Rhodes the Castle of Tripolis and almost whatsoever we had else commanded a great and strong Fleet to be made ready against us which departing from Constantinople the one and twentieth day of March arrived here the eighteenth day of May Which Fleet consisted of almost two hundred and fifty Gallies Galliots and other Ships The number of the Enemies that bear Arms according to the truth was about forty thousand more or less General of the Land Forces was Mustapha Bassa and of the Fleet Pial Bassa was Admiral who having spent a few days in landing their Forces viewing the places pitching their Tents and setting things in ordââ as the manner of War is they began first to assail the Castle of Saint Elmo situate in the mouth of the Haven with great Force and most furious Battery Which when they had many days done without intermission and had opened a great part of the Wall and with all kind of Weapons assaulted the Breach yet was it by the Valour and Prowess of our Knights and other worthy Souldiers kept and defended by the space of thirty five days with the great loss and slaughter of the Enemy although the Castle it self in the Iudgment of many seemed not possible to be but a few days defended against so great a Force At length the four and twentieth day of June when our Men could no longer endure the multitude and fury of the Enemy environed and shut up both by Sea and Land and destitute of all help the Castle was taken by the Turks those few of our Men which were left being all slain Of which Victory they being proud began to besiege the Castle and Town of Saint Michael and this new City especially at the Castle and Portugal Bulwark and as their manner is with great diligence and greater force and number of great Artillery and Warlike Engins they began in divers places at once to batter and beat down the Walls Which Siege the dreadful Army of the Turks by Sea and Land made to be most fearful and terrible with such huge great Ordnance as the like for bigness and force was in no place to be seen day and night thundring out their Iron and Stone Shot five and seven hands about wherewith not the thickest Walls but even the very Mountains themselves might have been beaten down and overthrown by fury whereof the Walls in many places were so battered that a Man might easily have entred as on plain ground Where when the barbarous Enemies had with wonderful Force and hideous Outcries oftentimes attempted to enter so often were they with great Slaughter and Dishonour repulsed and beaten back many of their Men slain or wounded Their Generals as well at Sea as Land after that they had in so many places with all their Forces in almost four months Siege and Assault with exceeding fury in vain attempted the Breaches and lost the greatest part of their old Souldiers especially Winter now coming on wherein all Wars by Law of Nations ought to cease thought of nothing else but of departure or rather of flight which the coming of Garzias of Toledo Viceroy of Sicilia and Admiral of the King of Spain his Fleet with ten thousand select Souldiers amongst whom were at the least two hundred and fourteen of our Knights and many other noble and valiant Gentlemen which only with a Christian Zeal voluntarily met together from divers parts of the World to help and relieve us caused them to hasten So have you summarily and in few words the proceedings and flight of the Turks Fleet and the Victory by us by the power of God thereof obtained It shall be your part to consider and conjecture in what state our Order and this Island now standeth into what poor estate we are brought how many things we want wherein except we be relieved by the help and aid of our Brethren especially such as you are as we well hope and assuredly believe we shall our State will quickly take end Fare you well From Malta the ninth of October 1565. The Great Master thus delivered of so great a Siege and bountifully relieved by the Christian Princes and the great Commanders of his Order speedily repaired the Breaches and places battered and with new Fortifications strengthned those places as he had by the late passed dangers perceived to be most subject to the Enemies Force After the return of the Turks Fleet to Constantinople Solyman being exceeding angry with the Governor of the Island of Chios his Tributary as well for that he had during the late Siege of Malta had intelligence with the Great Master and revealed unto him many of the Turks Designs as also for detaining of two years Tribute which was yearly ten thousand Ducats and had also neglected to send his wonted Presents to the great Bassaes who therefore the more incensed the Tyrant commanded Pial Bassa his Admiral to make ready his Fleet and by Force or Policy to take that fruitful and pleasant Island wholly into his own hand Who without delay with a Fleet of eighty Gallies the fifteenth day of April in the year 1566 being then Easter day year 1566. arrived at Chios The chief Men of the Island upon sight of the Fleet forthwith sent Embassadors to the Bassa with Presents courteously offering unto him the Haven and whatsoever else he should require Pial with great kindness accepted their offer and presently possessed himself of the Haven in three places and afterward landing sent for the Governor of the City and twelve of the chief Citizens to come unto him as if he had some special matter to confer with him about from the great Sultan before his departure thence for Malta or Italy Who having a little conferred together went to him with great fear and that not without cause for as soon as they were come before him he commanded them to be laid hold upon and cast fast into Irons which done the Souldiers forthwith took the Town Hall and without resistance pulling down the Towns Ensign wherein was the Picture of Saint George with a red Cross instead thereof set up one of the Turks the like whereof was done with great rejoycing of the Turks through the whole Island After that they rifled the Churches and again consecrated them after their Mahometan manner The Governor of the City and the Senators with their Families the Bassa sent in five Ships to Constantinople as for the Vulgar People they were at
and Territories now in this Treaty for Peace the Turks amongst other their unreasonable Requests demanded to have their Subjects freed and yet the Subjects of the Emperor to pay as they were before accustomed Which as it was a request nothing indifferent so was it no less prejudicial and hurtful unto the Emperor his Subjects in Hungary for which cause the Embassadors would not by any means consent thereunto before they knew the Emperors farther Pleasure concerning the same Whereupon they dispatched one Sig. Odâârdo a Gentleman of Mantua very skilful in the Turkish-Language and in such like affairs by reason that as well about this business as at divers times before about other the like he had been employed from Vienna to Constantinople in the Emperors Service So Selymus shortly after viz. the twentieth of October departing from Constantinople in great Magnificence passed by the Gate where the Embassadors lay with his whole Court in Arms and in the same order that is usually kept when he goeth to War or taketh any great Journey After whose departure the Embassadors having sufficiently viewed the City of Constantinople and then at good leisure to pass the time and to see the Countries they had so often both heard and read of together with the Ports and Havens on both sides that narrow Sea which divideth Europe from Asia embarking themselves and crossing the mouth of the Haven betwixt Constantinople and Perâ passed all alongst the Coast on Europe side unto the Euxin or Black-Sea and so back again by the other side of that Straight Sea curiously noting the great ruines of the ancient Cities of Bithynia with some others alongst the Asian shore together with the pleasant situation they in former times had whilst they yet flourished in their glory but now for most part or rather for altogether laid in the Dust and brought to nought and so returned again to Constantinople But whilst they thus deceived the time and lay long expecting the return as well of their own Messenger unto the Emperor as of Selymus himself they were advertised in all hast to repair unto him to Hadrianople whether the aforesaid Messenger was now come with full Instructions of all things concerning the Treaty for Peace For which cause they with great speed making themselves ready and taking their leave of Pial Bassa who for that he was Selymus his great Admiral then lay at Constantinople âet forward the first of Ianuary in the year 1568. and so after nine days travel year 1568. at length arrived at Hadrianople about an hundred fifty three Italian miles distant from Constantinople Here they stayed until the Peace was concluded which was the seventeenth of February the chief Capitulations whereof were That either of those great Princes should still hold what they had got each from the other in the late Wars That the Emperor should yearly pay thirty thousand Ducats to the Turkish Sultan as a Tribute for Hungary the Tribute to begin in the beginning of Ianuary last past this year 1568. That the Subjects of the Turk should pay nothing to the Subjects of the Emperor neither the Emperors any thing to the Turks but to be both of those Payments free And that upon these Conditions there should be a firm and sure Peace betwixt these two great Monarchs for eight years next following wherein the Vayvod of Transylvania was as the Turks Tributary to be also comprehended Nevertheless all things at this time thus agreed upon the Turks after their subtil manner finding sundry Cavillations and raising many doubts about the aforesaid Capitulations did what they might to have in some sort altered what they had before agreed upon to the bettering of themselves and the hurt of the Christians and so with many their unreasonable Demands stayed the departure of the Embassadors until the twentieth of March following At which time having their Dispatch and taking their leave of the Great Turk and the Bassaes accompanied with Hebraim-Beg Selymus his Embassador unto the Emperor they by Land returned towards Vienna where they with the joyful News of Peace the tenth of May arrived being there two days after at the Court most honourably received And five days after Audience was given unto the Turks Embassador who well heard and better rewarded shortly after returned with a full conclusion of Peace from the Emperor to Constantinople But whilst this Peace was thus in concluding and the Embassadors yet resident at Hadrianople the sixteenth of February came an honourable Embassage from Shach Tamas the Persian King unto the Great Sultan Selymus to intreat a Peace betwixt them or rather to conclude the same being before agreed upon the Controversies for which they afterwards fell to open War. Which Embassage for that it is no less truly than plainly set down in a Letter sent from Erzirum a City then in the Confines of the Turks Dominions towards the Persians written by a Chiaus to Mâhamet Chief of the Visier Bassaes which Chiaus was of purpose sent from Constantinople to meet the said Persian Embassador I thought it not amiss for the better understanding thereof to set down the effect of the same Letter as it was translated out of the Turkish into the Italian by the Emperors Embassadors Interpreter The effect of the Letter written to Muhamet Bassa the Chief Visier by a Chiaus sent of purpose to meet the Persian Embassador AFter due Salutations this is the effect of that which we thought good to make known unto your Lordship Now at this present to wit in the beginning of the month Giuma Sulacchir is in good health arrived the Embassador of Persia the Kings Chief Counsellor called Schach Culi Soltan attended upon with a hundred and twenty Gentlemen with gilt Turbants on their Heads and well furnished with spare Horses led in Mens hands Besides whom he was accompanied also with two hundred Knights all apparelled in Cloth of Gold with four hundred Persian Merchants in all above seven hundred Persons with a thousand nine hundred Beasts Camels Mules and Horses five couple of Drums every couple being placed upon a several Camel five Nacars three Trumpets five Flutes and other Instruments in all about thirty Musicians playing upon these Instruments There were also two Queristers or Chaunters of the Alcoran one Organist one playing upon a Turkish Instrument like a Lute two Players upon Sagbuts with two other Musicians eight in all There were also four Bondwomen serving in the Embassadors own Chamber Who when he was with all this Magnificent Pomp come within one days journey of Erzirum the Sayms and Spahies assembling themselves together to the number of eight thoâsand Men went to meet him amongst whom were an hundred and more all apparelled in Cloth of Gold and Saltin two thousand Men with gilt Morrions on their Heads in which bravery we marching forward the Persian Embassador amazed to see so great Majesty and Pomp said that all the Army of Constantinople was come to meet him
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 Câramania 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
man surprised with fear made what shift he could for himself the Enemy in the mean time entred the Trenches took their Tents their great Ordnance the Shot and Powder and all the Money which but a little before was brought for the Souldiers Pay besides about a thousand Waggons and two hundred Boats well loaded with Provision for the Camp and ten Gallies wherein were an hundred and twenty pieces of great Ordnance The loss received this day was valued at 500000 Duckats And albeit that this Victory cost the Turks two thousand and five hundred of their lives yet thereby they gained the mastery both upon the River and the Land so that now roming far and near without resistance they spoiled the Country all about and burnt certain Country Villages not far from Vienna so that for many miles space the Country Towns were for fear of the Enemy forsaken by the Inhabitants of whom some were taken and slain some carried into Captivity and some others reserved to a better Fortune with such things as they had got themselves farther off into Places of more security And the more to increase these calamities the Tartars shortly after passing over Danubius near unto Altenburg first sacked Weisenburg and after burnt it with certain Towns thereabout but adventuring to have gone farther into the Country they were with loss inforced to return Whilst the Turks thus prevailed in Hungary Cicala Bassa the Turks Admiral then at Sea with a Fleet of Gallies landing his Men in divers places of Italy did exceeding much harm but especially in Calabria where he upon a sudden surprised Rhegium rifled the Town and afterwards burnt it From thence taking his course towaâds Sicilia he in the sight of Messana landed certain of his Men who adventuring too far a shore were by the Country People overthrown and put to flight So the Turks returning again to Regium utterly razed what they had before left of that Town In the mean time not far from Messana even in the sight of the Garrison of the Town they took a certain Ship coming out of the East Countries and three other coming from Apulia Afterward chancing upon certain Gallies of the East they changed some few shot with them but to no great purpose and so turning their course and sailing along the Coast of Calabria they oftentimes landed certain Companies which skirmishing with the Calabrians had sometime the better and sometime the worse and so with such Fortune as befell them were again received into their Gallies They of Messana unto whose eyes those dangers were daily presented both by Letters and speedy Messengers gave the Viceroy knowledge thereof who then for his pleasure lay at Palermo requesting his present Aid but he dallying off the time they for the more safegard of the City and of the Sea Coast of themselves raised five hundred Horsemen whom they committed to the Leading of Philip Cicala the Renegade Turkish Admiral 's Brother and beside stored the City with all such things as they thought necessary for the enduring of a Siege if it should chance the Turk to have any such purpose of all which they certified the King of Spain as also of the negligence of the Viceroy requesting his speedy Aid against these Terrours of the Turks In the mean while the Neapolitans for safegard of their Coast put to Sea thirty Gallies unto whom the Pope the Duke of Florence the Genowaies and the Knights of Malta joyned also theirs in all to the number of about eighty Gallies under the conduct of Auria The provident Venetians also although they were as then in League with the Turk yet for the safety of their State put to Sea a Fleet of about an hundred Sail some Ships some Gallies under the leading of Foscarin their Admiral Which two Fleets sailing up and down those Seas delivered Italy Sicily Dalmatia with many Provinces and Islands of the Christians of a great fear Sinan Bassa having before encouraged his Souldiers with great hope and large Promises commanded an Assault to be given to the City of Rab which was accordingly by them begun the twenty third of September the Sun being as yet scarce up and furiously maintained all that day from Morning until Night But they of the Town so valiantly defended themselves that at last the Turks were glad to give over the Assault and with loss to retire Nevertheless the next day the Assault was again renewed and most desperately continued by the space of two days wherein twelve thousand of the Turks there lost their lives the other with shame retiring themselves into their Trenches In few days after the Turks by a Mine blew up one of the Bulwarks of the Town with the fall whereof the Town-Ditch was in that place somewhat filled whereby the Turks with all their Power attempted thrice the next day to have entred but were by the Valour of the Defendants still notably with loss repulsed Yet notwithstanding all this cheerfulness and courageousness of them in the Town the Puissant Enemy ceased not with continual battery and furious assaults to attempt the City until that at length he had gained two of the Bulwarks from whence he might to his great advantage by the rubbish and earth fallen out of the battered Bulwarks and Rampiers have access unto the Town to the great terrour of the Defendants Whereupon County Hardeck the Governour who corrupted by the Turk had of purpose many times before said that the Town could not possibly be long defended now took occasion to enter into Counsel with the other Captains of the Town divers of whom he had already framed to his purpose what course were best to take for the yielding of it up And so after a little Consultation holden more for fashion-sake than for that he doubted what to do resolved to send a Messenger unto the Bassa for a Truce to be granted for a while to see if haply in the mean time some reasonable Composition might be agreed upon Yet the Governour considering into what scorn and danger he should expose himself by yielding up of so strong a Town to colour the matter and to excuse his doings unto the rest of the Nobility and Garrisons of Hungary caused a publick Instrument to be made in his and all the rest of the Captains Names conceived in Writing wherein they solemnly protested unto the World That forasmuch as it was impossible by reason of the weakness of the Garrison for them longer to defend the Town against so mighty an Enemy without new Supplies instead of them that were slain which they had oftentimes in vain requested they were therefore of necessity inforced to come to Composition with the Enemy Which Protestation so made the Governour with the chief Captains confirmed with their Hands and Seals So after a Truce granted and Pledges given on both sides at length it was agreed upon That all the Garrison Souldiers together with the County and other Captains should in Arms
the root of Bitterness and Displeasure to be utterly pluck'd out of your Minds This have I writ unto you my Son frankly and from a sincere Heart though truly much grieved because we love you and are much careful of your Honour and Good Shew you again in Deed that you take it so as written from your Father and that you altogether prefer our fatherly and wholesome Exhortations before the sinister Perswasions of others Farther concerning these matters you shall understand by the same Bishop our Nuntio now with you to whom you may as you have done give credit in all things as to our self These Letters dated from Rome the eighth day of November were delivered to the King in December with others to the Cardinal and Chancellor whom the Pope sharply reproved as the Authors and Contrivers of all these Mischiefs The Tartar Cham before stirred up by the Turkish Emperour Mahomet for the Invasion of Moldavia as is already before declared about this time sent his Ambassador also unto the Polonian King for the Confirmation of such Articles as he had before argeed upon with the Chancellor which because they manifestly declare the ground and purpose of his intended Expedition into Moldavia with the foul collusion of the Chancellor with the Turks and Tartars against the Transilvanian Prince I thought it not amiss or from our purpose for the more manifestation of that which is already said here to set them down as they are translated out of the Tartar Language C Ham Kazikiery unto the King of Polonia and Sweden our Brother one of the great Lords among the Christians humbly boweth his Head. First we signifie unto you that Aaron Palatine of Moldavia was a forsworn Traitor who having gathered a Power of the Valachians and joyning unto him the Polonian Cossacks spââled the Territories of the great Sultan But afterward Dissention arising among them the Hungarian Cossacks living in Valachia sent Aaron in bonds unto the King of Vienna after him followed another Traitor called Rozwan who also having raised certain Companies of Souldiers began in like manner to forrage the Countries of the Turkish Emperour thereabout which as soon as he had knowledge of he writ unto me his Brother That I should with all possible speed go into Valachia to chastise these Rebels to burn their Houses and Towns and having with the edge of the Sword slain their men to carry away with me their Wives and Children into Captivity Having this in Charge I the great Cham of the great Territory of the great Lord Karyktery with my Brother Letikerry Galga and other my Brethren and Counsellors warlike and valiant Captains and Murzis mounting my Horse came with mine Army into Valachia unto the River Prut where it meeteth in another River called Cocoza here we chanced upon a faithful Servitor of yours our Brother the Chancellor who was also come a little before us into Valachia with whom after some light contention when we began to be mere tractable he declared unto us that he was of purpose come into Valachia to place there a new Vayvod which as he said of ancient Right belonged unto the Polonians without any wrong or prejudice therein to be done to the Covenants and League they had with the Emperour of the Turks and farther that his desire was that one Jeremias whom he had appointed Vayvod might have the Command of that Province and that the ancient Amity such as was in the time of Sultan Solyman and Cham Dawlethgerd might be faithfully kept Which when I had for my part faithfully sworn to do and he likewise had caused the same to be done by such of his as he had therefore sent unto me we decreed together that the Cossacks on the farther side of Nijester disordered and rebellious men should be utterly rooted out that they should not hereafter do any harm in the Territories of the great Sultan and that the Presents usually sent unto us of long even since the time of Sultan Solyman should no more be detained nor any harms be hereafter done in any part of our Dominions And therefore when the Chancellor had promised unto us that he would take order that these Cossacks should be utterly destroyed I also consented that according to the Pleasure of the Royal Majesty of you my Brother Hieremias should held the Vayvodship of Valachia which I forthwith by Letters signified unto the Turkish Emperour Now if it be so that your Majesty shall give your Consent unto those things which we have here agreed upon with your Chancellor you shall then for ever find brotherly Friendship with me my Brother and all other our Captains and Murzis but if you shall not destroy these Cossacks you shall not then perform the Oath and Covenants made These things we have commanded to be declared unto you by our Ambassador our Brother Gianach Metagra whom we request your Majesty courteously to entertain and by him to send the Presents unto us for we will not now this Year send any other Given at the River Prut in the Year of Mahomet 1004. After the Tartar Ambassador had delivered those Letters unto the King with a Speech in effect to the same purpose he in the Name of the Cham gave unto him an Horse and an Arrow for a Present and afterward being brought to a Lodging appointed for him was commanded there to expect his Answer At length his Dispatch was given him in Letters sealed up which he took much against his Will requesting the King to send an Ambassador unto the Cham and farther by word of mouth to tell him what to answer unto his Lord. But other Answer could he get none than was already delivered him in writing and so rewarded with a Gown furred with Sables was dismissed without the Present requested by the Cham or any Ambassador to accompany him Thus the Transilvanian Prince on the one side mightily impugned by the Turk and on the other by the setting on of the Turk ready to have been no less endangered by the Invasion of the Tartar received greater harm from the Polonians being Christians than from both those great Mahometan Princes the Polonian in some sort performing for the Turk what he had plotted to have been done by the Tartar and so by the taking away of Moldavia from the Prince not only weakened his strength but also opened a way for the barbarous Enemies into his Country Howbeit much it is that the Polonians alledge for the excuse of themselves and the defence of that which was by the great Chancellor then done in Moldavia which for that it cannot be better told than by the great Chancellor himself let us hear how he by his Letters answereth the matter even unto Clement the Pope himself Iohn Zamoschie unto Clement the Eighth the Great Bishop MOST holy and blessed Father in Christ and most gracious Lord after the kissing of your most blessed Feet and my most humble Commendations I have by your
most forward men dead in the Trenches unto which Siege the Bassa of Agria came also afterward with three thousand Horse-men and a Number of Janizaries so that the besieged partly with Mines partly with Shot and often Assaults distressed were so wasted and wounded that there were scarcely two hundred whole and sound men left in the whole Garrison beside that both Victuals and Powder begun now to grow scarce also so that they were brought unto such extremity as that well they could not be in a worse case and yet armed with a constant Resolution they seemed not to be any thing therewith daunted or discouraged but still valiantly held it out The Hungarians dwelling in the Isle of Shut in the River of Danubius having before submitted themselves unto the Rebels did with their help much trouble the Passages unto the Towns of Rab and Comara and the City of Strigonium unto whom certain Messengers were sent on the Emperour's behalf to perswade them to forsake the Rebels and to return again unto their ancient Obedience Who so well used the matter with them that taking a Truce for eight days they in the mean time sent five of the chief men amongst them by Ship to Presburg offering unto the Governour there That if they might be secured of their Goods and Safety and that the Haiducks that were with them might be entertained in Pay they would be ready again to take the Oath of Allegiance and faithfully to serve him as became his loyal Subjects and valiant Souldiers and for the assurance thereof to leave their Wives and Children as Pledges at Presburg Which their Offer was unto the Governour very acceptable and welcome who yielding unto their Request in friendly sort dismissed them But they being returned home and having declared to the rest of their Fellows what they had done it was by general consent agreed That four thousand of them should joyn themselves unto the Emperours Power under the Regiment of Collonitz who to be known from others wore in their Crests certain special Feathers their Wives and Children being carried to Presburg as Pledges of their Faith but this Agreement by them made with the Governour of Presburg being once known the rest of the Rebels in the Country thereabout together assembled with the Turks invaded the Isle in hope upon the sudden to have surprised them but deceived of their Expectation were by the Inhabitants of the Isle and by the help of certain German Troops overthrown and put to flight and three thousand of them there slain About the beginning of Iuly certain Commissioners were sent on the Emperour's behalf to Cassovia to intreat with Botscay concerning a Pacification to be made who being by him there honourably entertained and having with him stayed almost a whole Month were at length the nine and twentieth of the same month again dismissed Now the Articles which Botscay propounded unto these Commissioners to be considered of for the making of a Peace and which for the most part were agreed upon in the Peace afterward concluded betwixt the great Sultan and the Emperour were these First that it should be lawful for all such as would to have the free exercise of the reformed Religion For although as he said he was not ignorant that there was an ancient Decree amongst the Hungarians whereby all that professed not the Catholick Religion or that revolted from the same were to be burnt and that he desired not to have that Article repealed yet that his Request was That the Emperour having regard unto the Troubles of the present time would promise and assure That from thenceforth no man should be troubled for his Religion or called in question for his Conscience and Belief Besides that he requested to have the Principality of Transilvania during his Life yet with this Condition That after his death it should again return unto the Emperour so that the Emperour in his Absence should appoint a natural Hungarian to govern the same as also to have the chief Government in Hungary That there should no more Bishops sit in Council but one and that he if it should be so thought meet should bear the Office of the Chancellor That the Liberties and Priviledges of that Kingdom should be kept whole and inviolate That it should be lawful for him only to make choice of the chief Palatine of the Kingdom That Goods confiscated for any offence committed should not be dispersed or sold but given to men of desert That all Offenders against the State from thenceforth should be judged by the Council of Hungary That none should be preferred to Bishopricks in Hungary but such as were of the noble Hungarian Blood. That all Injuries heretofore done should be absolutely pardoned forgiven and forgotten All which things if they might be granted he promised to labour to the uttermost of his power upon the best Conditions he might to procure a Peace betwixt the Great Sultan and the Emperour Last of all he requested That the Charters of Peace containing these Articles thus agreed upon might be subscribed and confirmed by the Bishop of Rome the Emperour the King of Polonia and all the Imperial Kingdoms and Provinces The Turkish Sultan understanding of this Treaty of Peace betwixt the Emperour and Botscay by a Messenger sent in haste to Botscay sought by great Offers and Promises to hinder the same putting him withall in remembrance That a little before this Treaty made he had not only by Words but by Letters also subscribed with his own hand promised unto Botscay's Ambassadors sent to Constantinople That he would bring to pass that Botscay rewarded with such Priviledges as King Iohn in former time enjoyed should in short time be proclaimed and crowned King of Hungary and that to that purpose he was even now ready to send a Scepter and a Crown the Ornaments of a King to Alba Regalis But for the present he by these Messengers sent unto Botscay two goodly Horses with Furniture of Gold glistering with precious Stones He sent him also a rich Scimitar a pair of golden Spurs and a long Horsemans Coat garnished with Gold and precious Stones of great price persuading him valiantly to persist in his former course and purpose Which he failed not to do for immediately after he with a gallant Train went from Cassovia into Transilvania there to take of the Nobility of that Province the Oath of their Fidelity unto him accounting no pains or labour great which he took to turn the People from their Obedience unto the Emperour and to strengthen himself At which time he also sent Redeius his Chancellor with some others into Polonia to renew the Confederation which was sometime betwixt the Polonians and the Hungarians who being admitted unto the King's Presence and Audience given him first declared the Causes of the Discord and Civil War that then was in Hungary which he imputed chiefly unto the Oppression of Religion the free exercise thereof
Horse-men of Vienna each of them consisting of two hundred Horse were all entred into the City and afterward fifteen hundred of Bucheime's Horse-men and the aforesaid eight Ensigns of Germans going before and the Emperour's Counsellors following them the King himself with the Arch-duke his Brother and all his Train set forward and passing over the Bridge whereon three triumphal Arches were most sumptuously erected he was by three thousand Citizens of Vienna gallantly apparelled and armed with much thundering of the great Ordnance and Vollies of small shot most magnificently received divers other Triumphs and Sports to manifest the Joy of the People being there made also which for brevity sake we pass over But being gone a little farther he was by the Senators of Vienna on Horse-back received under a rich Canopy borne up by six of the ancientest of the said Senators and so brought to Saint Stephen's Church whither he was no sooner come but that lighting from his Horse he was there received by the whole Clergy and under a Canopy brought into the Church where after Service done he was wâth like Triumph and Magnificence through divers other triumphal Arches brought to the Castle the great Ordnance on all sides still thundering off from the Castle the Walls and Bulwarks of the Town But these Triumphs and Solemnities ended shortly after whenas they began to consult about such things as concerned the good Government of the Kingdom of Hungary and the crowning of the King and that the Protestant States of Austria in many Places began to Exercise their Religion according to the manner of the Confession of Augusta and that the Ministers began openly to Preach in the Churches there Leopold the Arch-duke and Bishop of Passavia coming to Vienna with Melinus the Popes Nunââo but a little before come to Prague with Cardinal Forgatsius and the Bishop of Vienna with earnest and importunate solliciting of the King obtained from him a Commandment That that Exercise of Religion should be again abrogated the Churches shut and publick Preaching forbidden Which thing forthwith brought forth new stirs and troubles in Austria For the Protestant States forthwith calling a Counsel among themselves by general consent refused by Oath of Loyalty and Allegeance to bind themselves unto the new King until they had of him obtained the liberty for the free Exercise of their Religion and combining themselves together resolved even with the loss of their Lives and Goods to maintain the free preaching of the Word and the Exercise of their Religion according to the Confession of Augusta and to that end commanded all their Subjects and Tenants to be ready in Arms that need so requiring every thirtieth man tenth or fifth might be press'd to come forth unto the Wars But having sent a Supplication unto the King whereunto 180 of the Nobility had set their hands and receiving no answer but that they should desist from their purpose and without delay to make their appearance to take the Oath of their Allegeance unto the King they forthwith the fourteenth of September going to Horne by Letters sent unto the rest of the Roman Catholick States protested themselves to be clear before God and the whole World of all the evils and mischiefs that were afterward to ensue if those States not regarding the appeasing and ending of those Troubles or the safety of them their Country-men should take their Oath of Allegeance unto the King. And so forthwith raising an Army lest upon the sudden they should be at Horne oppressed they began by all means to provide for their Affairs But the report thereof coming unto the States of Bohemia and Moravia their Neighbours they were from them given to understand that they would become Intercessors for them unto the King and yet not to be wanting unto them at their need as occasion should require In the mean time Letters were brought from Constântinople to Vienna declaring King Matthias's Embassadors having audience with the Great Sultan to have in an Eloquent Oration on the King's behalf promised religiously to keep the Peace of late made betwixt him the Othoman Emperour and the Hungarians and afterward in the King's name to have offered his Presents unto the Sultan and he in the presence of his chief Bassaes to have received them But when he came to request the Government of Transilvania he would in no wise thereto consent but gave the same to Gabriel Bathor with commandment unto the Bassa of Buda for the establishing of him in this Principality About the beginning of October the Counties of Trautseme and Furtsenburg were from King Matthias sent unto the Protestant States at Horne and shortly after them Maximilian the Arch-duke followed also who although they with most glorious promises sought to appease them and by all means to draw them to take the Oath of their Allegeance yet could they with them no whit prevail without granting of them the free Exercise of their Religion But the sixteenth of October the Catholick States not expecting the consent of the Protestant States at Vienna took the Oath of Allegeance unto Matthias the new King of Hungary the great Ordnance in the mean time thundering off with Drums and Trumpets in every place of the City sounding and the rest of the day being with great Feasting Triumph and Solemnity spent King Matthias having thus at Vienna received the Oath of Allegeance of the Catholicks shortly after departing thence the twenty second of October coming to Presburg was there by the Nobility of Hungary received and brought into the City with ten thousand Souldiers which States afterwards viz. the sixth of November offered in writing unto the King certain Articles whereof they desired to be by him assured most of which Articles were drawn out of the Pacification made at Vienna the twenty third day of August in the year 1606 the chief effect whereof was this That the free Exercise of Religion should be permitted unto all Men in all the Cities and Towns of Hungary not so much as that City excepted wherein the King should be resident That no German Captain should be suffered in any the strong Forts of Hungary but that the strong Towns of Rab Comora Vivaria and others should be committed unto the Government of natural Hungarians born That the Crown of Hungary should still be kept in Hungary and committed to the keeping of temporal Men That first and before all other things a Count Palatine should be chosen That the King himself should always reside in Hungary or if not that the Palatine should in his absence have full power with the Counsellers of Estate of Hungary to determine and conclude of all things and that the King should therewithal hold himself contented That no publick Office should be bestowed upon any but upon such natural Hungarians as had of their Country well deserved nor permitted unto any for Money That no Jesuits should be suffered in the Kingdom neither that
Ecclesiastical men should be so much favoured as formerly they had been That Officers should not be bound to give account of the Administration of their Offices but before the Treasurers of Presburg being natural Hungarians born That from henceforth Money should not be carried out of the Kingdom as hitherto it had been That the Palatine being dead the King should within a year chuse another the chief Justice in the mean time after the old manner supplying his room The Protestant States of Austria had a little before sent their Ambassadors unto the Nobility and States of Hungary then gathered together at Presburg with request that forasmuch as they could not by any intreaty obtain of the King the free Exercise of their Religion as well within their Cities as without and that very necessity had driven them by force of Arms to seek for the same that they would by sending of them Men afford them such Aid as was unto them due by the former Pacification made at Vienna in the year 1606. Which troubles of Austria the Nobility and States of Hungary desiring to have appeased sent George Turson and some others with Letters of Intercession in their behalf unto the Arch-duke Maximilian which when they had delivered unto him they received from him this answer That King Matthias never thought to disturb the common quiet of that Country or to attempt any thing against the Priviledges thereof granted by the Emperour Maximilian of happy Memory but to grant unto the Cities the liberty of Religion he could by no means partly in respect of Conscience partly for the danger that might thereof ensue from the Pope and the King of Spain and yet nevertheless that he would promise to suffer and tollerate the free Exercise of Religion without the Cities and in the bestowing of publick Offices to have no respect of Religion yet with this Condition that they should lay down Arms submit themselves unto the King acknowledge their Fault and crave Pardon for the same for that in so doing the States should haply prevail more than by force of Arms. With which answer seeing no better could be got the Hungarian Ambassadors going unto the Protestant States of Austria began by divers reasons to perswade them to submit themselves unto the King. If the Hungarians should as they said give aid unto them of Austria they should in so doing instead of helping them but do them more harm for that the Hungarian Power could not be brought into Austria but to the utter destruction thereof That the League betwixt the Hungarians and them of Austria was a general League and concerned as well the Catholicks as the Protestants That the Christian Religion was never with the Sword planted or defended Christ himself saying them to be happy which therefore suffer Persecution and commanding Peter to put up his Sword into his Scabbard That it was an easie matter for every man to raise Stirs and Tumults but that again to appease them was a far harder matter That by the taking up of Arms the free exercise of Religion could not be furthered or provided for it being rather dangerous lest the contrary part prevailing it should be utterly suppressed That by this means Hungary it self should be exposed to many dangers for that not only new Stirs might upon this occasion by the Subjects thereof be raised but other foreign Princes take up Arms against it also the Emperour by force of Arms seeking for his Right and the Turkish Sultan by a new Invasion going about to bring the same under his Subjection and telling them farther the Arch-duke to have promised to take good order for all things so that they would lay down Arms and that the Clemency and Bounty of those Princes being known they were not to doubt but that they would indeed perform what they had in word promised and that the Hungarians could not now do or attempt any thing against the King but that if it should happen these two Arch-dukes being dead without Heirs-male the Government of these two Provinces should come unto the Arch-duke Ferdinand that then they should have more cause to help them of Austria against him Moravia they said to be a free Country and yet the King to have thereunto given no more assurance for the liberty of Religion more than his bare promise Wherefore seeing that both the fortune and chance of War was doubtful and that War was not without the great expence of Money to be maintained that they were of opinion it to be best for the Protestant States of Austria to lay down Arms and by way of request to sollicite their cause with the King. In the mean time the Griefs whereof the Hungarians complained being taken away and all Controversies happily ended Illishascius was by a general consent chosen to be Palatine and Matthias the 14th of November openly proclaimed King of Hungary and the 19th of the same Month in St. Martins Church at Presburg in this manner crowned first the Royal Crown was in a stately Chariot carried out of the Castle unto the Church with a great number of the Counsellers and Nobility of Hungary attending the same in which Chariot were also carried ten Ensigns with the Arms of the Kingdom in them frilled up four of the Hungarian Counsellers taking it out of the Chariot in a little Chest covered with Cloth of Gold and so carrying of it into the Chancel of the Church After which King Matthias together with the Arch-duke Maximilian his Brother followed on Horse-back both attired in Hungarian Apparel and so going into the Chancel there stayed about half an hour until that he was by two Bishops brought forth unto the Altar before whom ten of the Hungarian Nobility carried the ten aforesaid Ensigns after whom followed the Palatine with the Crown Endeodius with the Royal Scepter Forgatsie with the Apple of the Kingdom Turso with King Stephens Sword Tsechius carrying the Pax as they call it Budian the Cross the Cardinal Forgatsie saying Mass with divers Bishops and Prelates helping of him by whom the King was at the beginning of Service anointed with Oyl where while the Epistle and Gospel were in reading the Cardinal set the Crown upon the King's Head all the People crying out Long live Matthias the King of Hungary But the King with the Crown upon his head taking a drawn Sword out of Sigefred Collonitz the Marshal's hand thrice brandished it a cross over the Clergy-mens heads and received the Sacrament at the Cardinals hand The Mass being ended he by an high-way covered with Cloth going in his royal Robes from S. Martins Church unto the Bare-foot Friers Church as he went caused money to be cast abroad among the People In which Church after the first Chapter of the Gospel of St. Iohn being read he made 28 Knights From thence the King with the Crown yet on his Head and in his stately Robes went out of the City at St. Michael's Gate and there on
to the Arsenal he called the Visier Bassa the Admiral and the great Treasurer before him where it was concluded to make ready at least an hundred Gallies for the preparation whereof sixty thousand Chequines were then delivered the Visier promising to furnish the rest of the whole charge with expedition of his own purse and to take it up upon the King's Assignations Whereupon the Grand Seignior with great content did vest them as a mark of favour and gave present Commission to the Admiral to be ready to depart by the midst of April following and for his better strength he gave a command to send for Aids to Tunis and Algier which was thought requisite because it was reported that the Prince Philibert of Savoy then Viceroy of Sicily had in readiness sixty Gallies and six Gallions at Messina which force was doubted would be employed to give Succour to the Emir of Sidon or to revenge the attempt and late sack of Manfredonia so that they were with all expedition rigging and preparing the Armado in the Arsenal and for provision and prevention of the worst there was ordained twelve small Gallies and the ordinary Fleet of Frigots to keep the black Sea from the incursion of the Cossacks And though it was given out that this Army was only prepared against the Emir yet many that understood the secrets of that Empire knowing it to be too great did believe it should be sent to prevent a general revolt which was then murmured and suspected in Asia About this time contrary to the counsel and will of all his Ministers the Grand Seignior married the Grand-child of a Sultana Wife to Pertau Bassa only for her Beauty without any Pomp which was ill interpreted in that Court his Ancestors of late years not usually taking Wives especially of a Turkish race for respect of Kindred This and other inconstancies with extream Avarice made him odious with the Souldier and his daily haunting the Streets on foot sometimes disguised with a Page or two prying into houses and Taverns like a petty Officer increased his contempt even in the City Secret Order was given about the same time to Diac-Mahomet the Bassa of Canisia and to Gelut-Emirze a Tartarian to unite themselves with Bethlem Gabor against the Emperour of Germany But the Bassa of Buda did advertise the Grand Seignior that Bethlem Gabor had concluded Peace with the Emperour which news did greatly displease him being ardent in the desire of War. The Peace between the Grand Seignior and the King of Poland was not yet fully concluded but Ambassadours were weekly expected at the Port from Poland and other places to hasten a full consummation thereof Amongst which Sir Thomas Roe Knight Ambassadour in ordinary from his Majesty of Great Britain to the Grand Seignior arrived there the first of Ianuary and had his first audience of him speedily when he made this Speech unto him in English which immediately followeth MOst High and Mighty Emperour his sacred Majesty the King of Great Britain France and Ireland my most gracious Lord and Sovereign according to the antient League of Friendship and Amity of long time begun and continued between the most noble Ancestors of your Majesties and in his Royal Person confirmed by his sundry Ambassadors and Letters both to your renowned Father and your Imperial Majesty being fully determined on his part to maintain and inviolably to hold a fair and good Peace and Correspondency with your Majesty hath commanded and sent me with his Letters of Credence and friendly Present to reside as his Ambassador in your Royal Court Not doubting but your Imperial Majesty will accept them and receive me his unworthy Servant with your wonted Honour and Favour and that you will give Credit unto me in divers matters of importance which he hath commanded me to deliver in his Name comprehended in five Articles written in this Memorial And that you will be pleased to do therein according to the Royal Friendship of his Majesty and your Princely Wisdom and Iustice. The particulars whereof I desire your Majesty to read and consider at your ease and leisure and to afford me your Royal answer his Majesty resting assured he shall receive Content and Satisfaction worthy his Royal Friendship The Letter of Credence sent by Sir Thomas Roe IAMES by the Grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Christian Faith against all those that falsly profess the Name of Iesus c. To the most High and Mighty Prince Sultan Osman Han chief Lord and Commander of the Ottoman Kingdom and Empire of the East sendeth Health and Greeting WE doubt not but you received our Letters sent you by our Subject John Chapman whereby we signified unto you our Royal Pleasure to recall and discharge our Ambassador Sir John Ayre from his Employment and Residency in your Court whom we desired you in your Frincely Favour to dismiss for our especial Service and to receive the bearer of our said Letters as Agent to remain in your Protection for the better support and maintenance of our Subjects which do trade and abide in your Dominions and for the advancement and continuance of the mutual Commerce and Friendship which hath been a long time contracted between your Predecessors and ours until the arrival of our Servant Sir Thomas Roe of whom as then we made choice to send unto your Port as Ambassador as well to propound unto you divers things necessary for the general Peace as to reside in your Court for our particular Service Notwithstanding lest the said Letters should not come safely to your Royal Hands we have thought sit again to make known our purpose of recalling our former Ambassador Sir John Ayre and to desire you to discharge and dismiss him from your Port and to receive and admit in his room our trusty and well beloved Servant Sir Thomas Roe one of the principal Gentlemen of our Court and of our Privy Chamber whom we have now expresly sent and whom we authorise under our great Seal of England as our Ambassador to reside at your Port and to negotiate in our Name and in the behalf of our Subjects abiding within your Kingdoms of whose Fidelity and Discretion as we are well assured so we doubt not but he will give you good content in his Demeanour and Negotiation with you We have also thought fit to put you in mind of those common Rovers upon the Seas who are Enemies to the Laws of Nations and spoilers of the quiet and peaceable Merchant by whom Amity and Friendship is maintained between Kings and Princes That you would please to exercise your Great and Mighty Power to chastise and destroy them as Traitors to your Honour and infringers of the sacred and publick Peace In full assurance that you will extend the same good respect unto us as your Royal Ancestors have done unto our most renowned Predecessors whereby that antient League and Commerce may be
make any such Additions as should be requisite agreeable to their Law and conformable to the antient League and that therein his Majesties Ambassador should find no Difficulty for they honoured his Majesty and were resolved to give him assurance of their will to maintain a true Friendship and therefore desired the Ambassador to draw and prepare the Capitulations and send them to him and the Chancellor who would consider them and being such as were fit to be granted the Ambassador should have speedy order To the Second the Visier answered with great Subtilty First justifying the occasion of the War and imputing the Fault to the Cossacks maintained by the Pole to rob even at the Port of Constantinople therefore that the Emperour could not in Honour but chasten and destroy them having first by message demanded Justice against them and now his Master being ingaged with great charge and in his Honour he could make no Peace with them who had beguiled him pâetending that they had no other intention but the War because having raised his Camp and dissolved his Army the Polacks now scorned him and kept no Faith neither sending Ambassador nor Messenger no not any Letter since their return That therefore they could not hearken to any Condition and that his Majesty of Great Britain did not value the Honour of the Grand Seignior in this motion To the Third he replied That the motion for the Prisoners was unseasonable because in order it should follow the general Treaty and making Peace which if finished his Majesty of Great Britain should find that for his sake all those mentioned in the Memorial should be free except only the Prince Coreskie who had been the cause of many Troubles and had made escape from Prison formerly To the Fourth he made Protestation in the Grand Seignior's name against the Pyrats offering that his Majesties Ambassadors should have what Commands what Message he would desire in company of any Englishman To the Fifth he replied It was an old obsolete Quarrel and that the Ambassador did him Injury to press him when in the time of three former Visiers his Predecessors could obtain no Relief therefore he would not look back upon the Actions of other Men nor rake among the Bones of the dead but he desired the Ambassador should rest satisfied that while He had the Honour to govern there should no wrong be done unto the English Nation and that he would hear all Complaints so as no man should need to look back upon his Actions This perfunctory Answer did not much satisfie his Majesties Ambassador but that he desired some other of Effect being loth to accept of Generalities and therefore required a direct reply for his own discharge which was promised after much pressing by the Visier who had first undertaken the same The long stay of the Duke of Sbaraskie chosen extraordinary Ambassador by the King of Poland to consummate the Peace between him and the Grand Seignior did much trouble the Emperours Court and especially the Visier who procured the Cessation of Arms but that a Letter was writ by the King of Poland which did a little prolong their hopes In the mean time the Emperour divulged a pretence to visit Mecha the Tomb of Mahomet his great Prophet contrary to the Counsel and instance of all his Visiers that knew not the secret and even to the hazard of a general revolt for they were jealous that under colour of that Voyage he had some other design and it was feared the Duke would not proceed to follow him at random nor treat with his Deputies left at the Port For the Polacks seemed in performing and assuring the Peace a little too glorious of their good Success year 1622 and the Nobility not so obedient to the King as that he could absolutely command which did both trouble their Agents at the Port and discontent the Turks so that a little motion of the Cossacks or Tartars at that time spoil being both their livelihoods had kindled new Fires and had disturbed or quite broken the Peace In the mean space the Grand Seigâior writ his Letter to his Majesty of Great Britain in answer to his Royal Letter by his Ambassador wherein was contained a Satisfactory reply to all the particulars of those five Articles delivered unto him And the Grand Seignior made such demonstration of great care to give his Majesty all content and satisfaction that his Letter was presented to the Ambassador with Ceremonies of Honour requiring that it should be sent by an express Messenger and gave command for a safe conduct for that purpose The true translated Copy whereof doth immediately follow Prince Osman ever victorious To the Mighty Prince renowned among the Majesties of the Princes of the Law of Iesus obeyed of the great Potentates followers of the Messiah the only director of the important Affairs of the Nazarene People Sovereign of the Limits of Power and Honour Lord of Advancement and Authority the most Glorious IAMES King of Great Britain France and Ireland to whose last days We wish all Felicity THIS our Imperial Letter arriving you shall know that your Honourable and Famous Ambassadour and worthy Knight Sir Thomas Roe is with your Royal and acceptable Letter come unto our happy Port the refuge of the Princes and Commanders of the World. Whereof the sincere Contents and Substance was That our antient Capitulations should be renewed and divers Articles therein reformed and explained and some others inserted And whereas certain Customers and other Officers of our Empire have often transgressed our Royal Agreements and done many Violences and Injuries to the Merchants your Subjects that for the time to come they may be secured from all Oppression and concerning the Affairs of the Polacks that the Enmity and War lately begun between us and them might be converted into Peace and Friendship and that there should be established a sincere League and Amity as in the Time of our Ancestors And that divers Noblemen of Poland and one of your Majesties Subjects now detained in our Captivity should be set at Liberty Complaining also against the Inhabitants of Tunis and Algier That they who have violated our Imperial Capitulations Amity and League ought to be duly punished And lastly That whereas one of your Subjects named Arthur Garaway from whom upon a pretension there was a great fine taken and other wrong done unto his Person you desire that his cause may be with Iustice renewed All which being made known unto us with prudent and mature Deliberation we have duely weighed and perfectly conceived them Wherefore by the favour of the great and prosperous God we do promise that in all these matters propounded we will imploy our Imperial Care and Diligence And we have already given our high and express Command that our antient Capitulations should be renewed and confirmed And such Conditions as are correspondent to the Peace Amity and League between us shall in due form be granted
goods and Mony taken on the Martin and Hunter should be made good to Sir John Narbrough in Mony or Goods and Slaves To which was adjoyned such a submission recantation and acknowledgment for their late offence and outrage as testifyed the sorrow of their true repentance as we shall see more at large in their following Articles And now the peace being concluded Sir Iohn Narbrough returned to Malta and soon after came back to Tripoly to receive the remainder of the monies and goods agreed for the Slaves being delivered already In this interim the six Ships which had foâmerly broken out of the harbour and sailed to the Levant hearing of the peace returned to Tripoly where great feuds and dissentions arose the Souldiery accusing Ibrahim Dei nick named Misser ogli as the beginner and Author of the War and for continuing it so long with obstinacy until they were reduced to their last extremity In fine they threatned to cut him in Peices but at length they were contented to cashier him only from his Office after which he fled into the Morea and their Vice-Admiral Mustapha Grande was made Dei in his place with whom and with the Souldiers in general now returned Sir Iohn Narbrough renewed the Articles of Peace and dated them the first of May 1676 which are these that follow Articles of Peace and Commerce between c. Articles of Peace and Commerce Between the most Serene and Mighty Prince Charles the Second by the Grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Christian Faith c. And the Most Illustrious Lords Halil Bassa Ibraim Dei Aga Divan and Governors of the Noble City and Kingdom of Tripoly in Barbary concluded by Sir Iohn Narbrough Knight Admiral of his Majesties Fleet in the Mediterranean Seas I. IN the first place It is Agreed and Concluded That from this day and for ever forward There be a true firm and Inviolable Peace between the Most Serene King of Great Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Christian Faith c. And the most Illustrious Lords The Bassa Dai Aga Divan and Governors of the City and Kingdom of Tripoly in Barbary And between all the Dominions and Subjects of either side And that the Ships or other Vessels and the Subjects and Peace of both sides shall not from henceforth do to each other any harm offence or Injury in word or Deed But shall Treat one another with all possible respect and Friendship II. That any of the Ships or other Vessels belonging to the said King of Great Brittain or to any of his Majesties Subjects may safely come to the Port of Tripoly or to any other Port or Place of that Kingdom or Dominions thereunto belonging freely to buy and sell without the least Disturbance paying the usual Customs as in former times hath been payd for such goods as they sell And for the goods they sell not they shall have free Liberty to carry on Board their own Ships without paying any Duties for the same And when they please they shall freely Depart from thence without any stop hindrance or molestation whatsoever III. That all Ships and other Vessels as well those belonging to the King of Great Brittain or to any of his Majesties Subjects as also those belonging to the People and Kingdom of Tripoly shall freely pass the Seas and traffick where they please without any search hinderance or molestation from each other And that all Persons and Passengers of what Country whatsoever And all Monys Goods Merchandize and Moveables to whatsoever People or Nation belonging being on board any of the said Ships or Vessels shall be wholly free and shall not be stopped taken or Plundred nor receive any harm or Damage whatsoever from either Party IV. That the Tripoly Ships of War or other Vessels thereunto belonging meeting with any Merchant Ships or other Vessels of the King of Great Brittains Subjects not being in any of the Seas appertaining to his Majesties Dominions may send on board one single boat with but two Sitters besides the ordinary Crew of Rowers and no more but the two Sitters to enter any of the said Merchants Ships or any other Vessels without the Express from the Commander of every such Ship or Vessel And then upon produâing them a Pass under the hand and Seal of the Lord High Admiral of England the said Boat shall presently Depart And if the Merchant Ship or Ships Vessel or Vessels produce no Pass from the Lord High Admiral of England yet if the Major part of the said Ships or Vessels Company be Subjects to the said King of Great Britain The said Boat shall presently Depart And the Merchants Ship or Ships Vessel or Vessels shall proceed freely on her or their Voyage And if any of the said Ships of War or other Vessels of his said Majesties meeting with any Ship or Ships Vessel or Vessels belonging unto Tripoly if the Commander or Commanders of any such Ship or Ships Vessel or Vessels shall produce a Pass Signed by the chief Governor of Tripoly and a Certificate from the English Consul living there Or if they have no such Pass or Certificate yet if the Major part of their Ships Company or Companies be Turks Moors or Slaves belonging to Tripoly Then the said Tripoly Ship or Ships Vessel or Vessels shall proceed freely V. That no Commander or other Person of any Ship or other Vessel of Tripoly shall take out of any Ship or Vessel of his said Majesties Subjects any Person or Persons whatsoever to carry them any where to be examined or upon any other pretence nor shall use any Torture or Violence to any Person of what Nation or quality whatsoever being on Board any Ship or Vessel of his Majesties Subjects upon any pretence whatsoever VI. That no Ship-wrack belonging to the King of Great Brittain or any of his Majesties Subjects upon any part of the coast belonging unto Tripoly shall be made or become a Prize And that neither the goods thereof shall be seized nor the Men made Slaves But that all the People of Tripoly shall do their best endeavours to save the said Men and their Goods VII That no Ship or any other Vessel of Tripoly shall have permission to be Delivered up or to go to any place in Enmity with the said King of Great Brittain to be made use of as Cosairs or Sea Rovers against his said Majesties Subjects VIII That none of the Ships or other smaler Vessels of Tripoly shall remain Cruising near his Majesties City and Garrison of Tangier or in sight of it nor any other way Disturb the Peace and Commerce of that place IX That if any Ship or Vessel of Tunis Argier Tittuan or Salli or any other place being in War with the said King of Great Brittain bring any Ships or Vessels Men or Goods belonging to any of his said Majesties Subjects to Tripoly or to any Part or Place within that Kingdom The Governors there shall
the commandment of his Brother Selymus strangled 542 b. Achomates the great Bassa appeaseth the Souldiers up in Arms for the unworthy death of Mustapha 516 a. his miserable end 517 a. Achmat the great Sultan crowned 837 b his disposition 839 a. sick of the small pox 845 a. contemneth good counsel ib. b. his first son born 857 b. seeketh in vain to make peace with the Persian 881 a. makes Gambolat General of his Army into Asia and suddenly commandeth him to be slain 897 a. his extreme severity 905 b. beats his Sultana 907 b. in danger to be slain by a Deruice 908 a. cometh in state to Constantinople 912 a. admonisheth the Transilvanians to obey Gabor 920 b. commands all the Christians to be slain 933 b. entertains four Armies 942 b. his death and disposition 943 b. Adom Castle abandoned by the Haiducks 820 b. Agria in vain besieged by the Turks 511 b yielded unto Mahomet the Third 767 a. Aladin the son of Kei-Husreu of the Selzuccian Family driven out of Persia seiseth upon Cilicia 54 a. Aladin his Modesty about the division of his Father Othomans Inheritance and Goods with his Brother Orchanes 125 a. Aladin the Caramanian King hanged 144 a. Aladin Amurath's eldest Son slain with a fall from his Horse 197 a. Alba-Regalis yielded to King Ferdinand 472 b. besieged by Solyman 500 a b. the lake and ditches with incredible labor filled up by the Turks ib. b. the suburbs won ib. b. the miserable slaughter of the Christians in their âlight 501 a. yielded unto Solyman 501 b. besieged by Duke Mercurie 793 a. the suburbs of the City surprised by Lord Russworm ib. b. the City taken by the Christians ib. b. besieged by the Turks 799 b. terribly assaulted 800 a. won by the Turks ib. b. Alba-Regalis the suburbs by the Christians sacked and burnt 820 a. Aladeules his Kingdom 353 a. the battel betwixt him and Selymus ib. b. he flyeth into the Mountains ib. b. taken by Sinan Bassa and brought to Selymus is put to death 354 a. his head sent to Venice for a present and his Kingdom brought into the form of a Province ib. a. Albuchomar discovereth unto Selymus the power of Tomombeius and the treason intented by them of Caire 372 a. Aleppo in Syria betrayed and taken from the Christians by Saladin Sultan of Damasco 43 a. by the Tartars taken from the Turks and by them sacked and rased 79 b. by Cayerbeius the Traitor delivered to Selymus 361 a. Alessandro the Georgian submitteth himself unto Mustapha 660 b. Alexius the great President of Constantinople committed to Prison 32 b. his Eyes put out by the commandment of Andronicus ib. b. Alexius Comnenus otherwise called Prophyrogenitus succeedeth his Father Emanuel in the Empire 30 b. by the practice of Andronicus is deprived of his Empire and strangled 35 b. Alexius the young Prince craveth Aid of Philip the Emperour and the Latine Princes against his Vncle the Vsurper 54 a. cometh to the Army of the Christian Princes going towards the Holy Land 55 a. arriveth with a great fleet of the Latins before Constantinople ib. b. taketh land and after a hot skirmish forceth the old Tyrant Alexius to âlie out of the City ib. b. seeketh to bring the Latins again into the City 56 b is betrayed and strangled by Murzufle 57 a. Alexius Philantropenus by Andronicus the Emperour made Governour of the frontiers of his Empire in Asia against the Turks 103 a aspireth ib. b. betrayed hath his Eyes put out ib. b. Alexius Strategopulus with a small power sent into Graecia by the Emperour Michael Palaeologus by the treason of two Greeks taketh the City of Constantinople from the Latins 80 b. 81 a. Alexander proclaimed Prince of Moldavia 930 a. sendeth Ambassadors to Sultan Achmat ib. a. another to Prince Michna 931 a a third to Bethlem Gabor ib. b. 800 of his Souldiers slain by their hosts for their Insolency 932 b. he receiveth new Aids some whereof are defeated 932 b. 933 a. treacherously forsaken by his General 936 b he and his confederates invironed by the Turks Army 937 b. taken Prisoner and carried to Constantinople 938 b. Algiers described 486 a. in vain besieged by Charles the Emperour ib. a. Aliculi Chan taken 668 a. in hope of liberty conducted Hassan Bassa through the straight passages of Georgia ib. b. cast in prison at Erzirum ib. b. escapeth from Ferat 685 b. by the Persian King to the great discontentment of the Turcomans made Governour of Tauris 686 a. killeth the Bassa of Maras and doth the Turks great harm and so flieth from Tauris 698 b. conspireth with Abas Mirize against the Persian Prince 704 a. being by the Prince sent against the Turks performeth nothing 705 a. Alis Bassa with a great Army overthrown by Scanderbeg 196 b. Alis Bassa sent by Bajazet with an Army ouâ of Europe against Techellis slain 323 a. Alis Beg and his four Sons treacherously slain by Ferat Bassa 404 b. Alis Bassa of Buda by the commandment of Amurath strangled 706 b. Alis Beg Governour of Strigonium coming down into the lower Town is there stayed by the Ianizaries 748 a. his resolute answer unto the Message sent him from the Lord Palfi 750 a. slain with a great shot 757 a. Almericus Earl of Joppa after the death of his Brother Baldwin chosen the sixth King of Jerusalem 39 a. with a puissant Army entereth Egypt and in plain battel overthroweth Dargan the Sultan ib. a aideth Sanar the Sultan against Saracon Noradins General whom he overthroweth in Egypt ib. b. taketh Alexandria 40 a. winneth Pelusium ib a. dieth 41 a. b. Aloysius Grittus the Duke of Venice's Son sent by Solyman as his Lieutenant into Hungary to oversee King John 426 a. contemned by Americus causeth him to be murthered 427 b. besieged by the Transilvanians 428 a. taken and beheaded ib. b. the great Riches found about him ib. b. Alphonsus King of Naples sendeth aid unto Scanderbeg 252 a. with Alexander Bishop of Rome craveth aid of Bajazet the Turk against Charles the French King 307 a. Alphonsus resigneth his Kingdom of Naples unto his Son Ferdinand 309 a. Alphonsus Daualus Vastius Lieutenant-General of the Emperour's Land-forces in his Expedition for Tunes 441 a. his Speech unto the Spanish Captains 443 b. commandeth the Emperour 448 a. with Hannbaldus sent Ambassadors from the Emperour and the French King to the State of Venice for a confederation betwixt that State and them to be made against Solyman 468 a. his Oration in the Venetian Senate the Answer of the Duke the Senators diversly affected towards the Confederation 466 b. Alteration of Religion in the Greek Church the cause of great troubles 100 b. Althems Regiment in mutiny 841 a. Altensol yielded to the Hungarian Rebels 873 a. Amesa with his Turks overthrown and taken prisoner by Scanderbeg 249 a. Amesa employed by his Vncle Scanderbeg for the recovery of Croia out of the hands of the Turks 183 b
b. joyneth a great and mortal battel with Tamerlane 151 a. forsaken of his own Souldiers ib. b. overthrown and taken Prisoner by Axalla 152 a. brought to Tamerlane ib. shut up in an Iron Cage like a beast ib. b. dieth miserably 157 a. his issue as also his immediate Successor uncertain 159 a. his true posterity 159. b. Bajazet the Second excluded from the succession in the Turkish Empire by his Son Corcutus commeth to Constantinople 297 b. by the mediation of the Great Bassaes obtaineth the Kingdom of Corcutus 298 a. goeth against his Brother Zemes up in Rebellion against him ib. a. in doubt to have been betrayed by his Souldiers 300 a. reviled by the Ianizaries 302 a. putteth some of them to death 302 b. purposeth their utter destruction 303 a. glad to dissemble his purpose and to reconcile himself unto them ib. a. sendeth Dautius his Ambassador to Alexander Bishop of Rome 307 a. glad to hear that divers of the Christian Princes had combined themselves against the French King 310 b. in danger to have been slain by a Deruislar or Turkish Monk 315. b. Bajazet by nature peaceable ib. b. his Children 324 b. sendeth Ambassadors with presents unto his Son Selymus 327 a. seeking to prefer Achomates his eldest Son to the Empire himself yet living is mightily withstood by the Souldiers of the Court before corrupted by Selymus ib. b. he forbiddeth Selymus to come unto him and threatneth him 328. b. fearing to lose Constantinople departeth from Hadrianople ib. b. his resolute speech unto the Ianizaries and other Souldiers of the Court 338 a. in plain battel overcometh his Son Selymus at Tzurulum 331. a. willing the second time to have resigned his Empire to Achomates is again withstood by his men of War 332 a. his resolute answer unto Mustapha and the other traiterous Bassaes after that Selymus was by their practise by the Souldiers of the Court saluted Emperour 337 a. poysoned by Hamon his Physitian a Iew ib. b. dieth 338 a. Bajazet Solyman's younger Son seeketh to aspire unto the Empire his Father yet living 519 a. setteth up a counterfeit Mustapha to make an head to his intended rebellion ib. a. the subtile and crafty dealing of the supposed Mustapha to deceive the People ib. a. forsaken of his followers is taken and brought to Solyman at Constantinople 520 a. secretly with his complices drowned Bajazet sent for by his Father goeth unto him in fear ib. b. in few words comforted by his Mother 521 a. sharply for his disloyalty reproved by his Father and so by him pardoned ib. a. returneth again to his charge ib. b. after the death of Roxolana his Mother raiseth new stirs ib. b. admonished of his duty by his father 521 b. unwilling to go to Amasia the Province appointed him by his Father seeketh delays 522 a. by a Chiaus requesteth his Father not to intermeddle betwixt his Brother and him 523 a. making shew as if he would go to Amasia stayeth at Ancyra and there raiseth his forces ib. b. his quarrel generally favoured of the Souldiers 524 a. his purpose ib a. he goeth against his Brother towards Iconium ib. a. fighteth a bloody Battel with his Brother Selymus wherein were forty thousand Turks slain ib. b. put to the worse retireth and so goeth to Amasia ib. b. more commended by the Souldiers in his overthrow than was his Brother in his Victory ib. b. seeketh again for his Father's favour 525 b. despairing thereof flyeth into Persia deceiving by the way the Basa of Sebastia and Erzirum 526 a. at the first well entertained by the Persian King 527 a. his Followers by the cunning of the fearful Persian dispersed and slain ib. b. he himself with his Sons imprisoned ib. b. his miserable estate in Prison 528 b. with his four Sons at the instance of his Father by the Persian strangled 529 a. Bajazer Bassa sent by Amurath against Mustapha the Rebel forsaken of his Souldiers yieldeth 173 a. upon a false surmise executed ib. b. Baldwin County of Edessa and Brother to Godfrey second King of Jerusalem 18 a. winneth Caesaria from the Infidels ib. a. overthroweth the Turks hard by Rama ib. a. besiegeth Ptolemais and in retiring thence is mortally wounded ib. b. besiegeth it again and hath it by composition yielded unto him ib. b. after many sharp Assaults winneth Berythus ib. b. taketh Sidon by Composition and in vain besiegeth Tyre ib. b. maketh an Expedition into Aegypt and near unto Laris dieth 19 a. Baldwin sirnamed Brugensis County of Edessa besiegeth Carras and there taken Prisoner after five years Captivity redeemeth himself 18 a. after the Death of Baldwin the First chosen King of Jerusalem and called Baldwin the Second 19 a. overthroweth the Turks and joyneth the Principality of Antioch to his own Kingdom 19 b. by Balac the Persian Sultan overthrown and taken Prisoner after eighteen Months Captivity for the ransom of 100000 Duckets set at liberty 20 b. in three notable Battels overthroweth the King of Damasco 20 b. Dieth 21 a. Baldwin the third of that name crowned King of Jerusalem 22 a. hardly distressed by Noradin the Turk ib. a. he fortifieth Gaza and taketh Ascalon by Composition 24 b. in a set Battel overthroweth Naradin the King of Damasco at the Castle of Sueta 25 b. falleth sick and dyeth ib. b. Baldwin the fourth of that name seventh King of Jerusalem 41 b. with a great slaughter overthroweth Saladin invading his Kingdom ib. b. putteth him with his great Army again to flight 42 b. resigneth the Government of his Kingdom to Guy Lusignan County of Joppa and Ascalon 43 a. sendeth Ambassadours unto the Christian Princes of the West and immediately after dyeth 443 b. 444 a. Baldwin the fifth of that name yet but a Boy was crowned eighth King of Jerusalem and within seven Months after dyeth 44 a. Baldwin County of Flanders and Henault chosen by the Latines Emperour of Constantinople and so solemnly crowned 59 a. subdueth Thracia and besiegeth Hadrianople ib. b. overthrown in a Battel by the Scythians and taken Prisoner is by the commandment of their barbarous King most cruelly put to death 60 a. Baldwin the second of that name fifth and last Emperour of the Latines in Constantinople 68 a. pawneth his Son unto the Bruges Merchants for money 79 a. flyeth out of the City of Constantinople being surprised by Alexius Strategopulus sent from Michael Paleologus the Greek Emperour 81 a. Balabanus sent by Mahomet against Scanderbeg 269 b. put to flight taketh divers of Scanderbegs best Captains Prisoners at Alchria 270 a. with his Army overthrown at Oronicheum the third time overthrown in the Battel at Sfetigrade 270 b. overthrown by Scanderbeg the fourth time in the Battel at Valcha 271 b. left by Mahomet to continue the Siege of Croia 273 a. slain ib. b. Barbarussa succeedeth his Brother Horruccius in the Kingdom of Algiers 429 b. his wonderful success ib. sent for by Solyman ib. b. envied in the Turks Court
of his Sister Periaconcona himself murthered ib b. The Italians left by the Emperour for the Aid of King Ferdinand in his Wars in Hungary arise in mutiny 420 b. eight thousand of them forsake their Captains and return into Italy 421 b. Julia Gonzaga a fair Lady of Italy put in great fear by Barbarussa 432 a. Julian the Cardinal sent by Pope Urban to appease the dissention in Hungary and to stir up the Hungarians against the Turks 187 b. his effectual speech in Parliament to perswade the War 187 b. cunningly perswadeth King Uladislaus to break the honourable and solemn League he had before made with Amurath 198 a. disanulleth the League absolving the King and the rest from their Oath before given to Amurath 199 a. himself slain 203 b. K. The KIngdom of Hungary by Solyman converted into a Province of the Turkish Empire 481 a. The King of Spain's Edict for the banishment of the Morisques or new Christians 899 a. The King of Fez besiegeth Morocco and is defeated 914 a. The Knights of Malta crave Aid of Garzias the Viceroy of Sicilia 543 a. his cold answer 544 b. Komara besieged by Sinan Bassa 734 b. Koppan surprised by the Christians 706 a. L. LAdislaus a Child crowned King of Hungary at Alba-Regalis 177 a. Lazarus Despot of Servia becometh tributary unto Amurath the First 134 a. purposing to make war against Amurath craveth Aid of the King of Bosna 136 b. in a mortal battel overthrown in the Plains of Cossova and slain 139 a. League betwixt the Turks and Hollanders 916 b. Leopold the Arch-duke his proceedings in Bohemia 897 b. Lepanto yielded to the Turks 312 b. Letters Of Achmet Bassa to Collonitz concerning a Peace 821 b. of the Bassa of Buda to Collonel Althem 835 a. another 844 a. of Hassan the Visier and of Begedes Bassa to the German Soldiers besieged in the Castle of Vicegrade 859 a. of Collonitz to a certain Nobleman concerning the Troubles in Hungary 861 a. of Botscay to the Nobility and States of Hungary 862 a. from a Citizen of Vienna declaring the miseries of Hungary 864 b. of the German Emperour to the Persian King 873 a. from the Persian to the Spaniard 881 a. of Confederation betwixt the States of Austria and Hungary 885 b. of the Emperour to the Reformed States of Bohemia for the free exercise of their Religion 894 b. from Sultan Achmat to the Emperour and his answer thereunto 923 a. from Sultan Osman to the French King 949 a. to the King of Great Brittain 951 a. from Halil Bassa to the English Ambassador ib. b. from the King of Great Brittain to Sultan Osman 966 a. from the Grand Seignior to the King of Great Brittain 968 a. Lewis the Eighth of that Name the French King making an Expedition into the Holy Land is by the malice of Emanuel the Greek Emperour therein much hindered 24 b. he besiegeth Damasco where by the envy of the other Christian Princes he was enforced to raise his siege and so to return home into his Country 25 a. Lewis the Ninth the French King making an Expedition towards the Holy Land arriveth ãâã Damieta 71 b. 72 a. taketh the City forsaken by the Turks 72 b. with his whole Army overthrown and himself taken Prisoner 74 a. undertaketh a second Expedition toward the Holy Land with his Sons and most of his Nobility 83 a. overthroweth the Moors and besiegeth Tunes ib. b. falleth sick of the bloody flix and dieth ib. b. Lewis the Eleventh the French King giveth Aid unto the Venetians against the Turks 314 a. Lewis King of Hungary with an Army of five and twenty thousand fondly goeth against Solyman being two hundred and sixty thousand strong 405 a. overthrown in his flight drowned in a ditch 406 a. Liscanus the covetous Spaniard dealeth uncourteously with Perenus 495 a. himself in like sort served and merrily stripped of his wealth by Halis Captain of the Ianizaries 499 a. Lissa taken by the Turks and the bones of Scanderbeg digged up and by them worn for Iewels 290 b. Lodronius encourageth his Soldiers 461 a. jested at by an old Soldier ib. a. âlain and his Head with the Heads of two other Captains in a Silver Bason presented to Solyman at Constantinople 462 a. Losses of the Turkish and Polish Armies in Sultan Osmans's Expedition against them 963 a. Lugaze a strong place delivered to Basta 828 a. M. MAhomet the First sendeth spies into Tamerlane's Camp 160 a. becometh famous in Tamerlane's Court 161 a. in battel overthroweth his Brother Isa 162 a. honourably buried the body of his Father Bajazet at Prusa 163 a. again overthroweth his Brother Isa supported by his Brother Solyman 163 b. giveth him a third overthrow together with the other Mahometan Princes his Confederates 164 a. besieged by his Brother Solyman in Amasia 165 a. upon report of his Brother Musa's evil Government goeth against him into Eutope 167 a. overthrown flieth back again into Asia ib. b. cometh again into Europe 168 a. besiegeth Hadrianople ib. b. overthroweth his Brother Musa in battel and causeth him being taken Prisoner to be strangled 169 a. wholly possesseth the Othoman Kingdom both in Europe and Asia ib. b. oppresseth Orchanes his Brother Solymans Son and putteth out his Eyes 170 a. taketh the Caramanian King and his Son Prisoners ib. a. enforceth the Valachian Prince to become his Tributary ib. a. dieth at Hadrianople 171 a. his death cunningly concealed by the three great Bassa's ib. a. he worthily accounted the restorer of the Othoman Kingdom almost quite overthrown by Tamerlane ib. b. Mahomet the Second sirnamed the Great an Atheist of no Religion 229 a. murthereth his Brethren ib. b. reformeth the Turks Common-wealth ib. b. subdueth Mentesia 230 b. winneth Constantinople 236 a. solemniseth his Feasts in Constantinople with the Blood of the Grecian Nobility 237 a. notably dissembleth his hatred against Caly Bassa ib. b. first Emperour of the Turks 238 a. amorous of the fair Greek Irene ib. b. with his own hand striketh off her Head 240 b. besiegeth Belgrade 243 a. wounded and carried away for dead 244 a. falsifieth his Faith with David the Emperour of Trapezond 245 b. seeketh to entrap Wladus Prince of Valachia ib. b. in danger to have been slain by Wladus Dracula his Ganymede 247 a b. his Letters to Scanderbeg 262 a. sueth to Scanderbeg to have the League renewed betwixt them 266 a. cometh himself in Person to the Siege of Croia ib. forsaketh the Siege of Croia 274 b. breaketh his faith with Paulus Ericus Governour of Chalcis 276 b. he is no less troublesome unto the Mahometane Princes than to the Christians 278 a. cometh himself to the Siege of Scodra 284 b. notably encourageth his Captains and Souldiers to a generall assault 285 b. melancholy for the repulse of his men 287 a. blasphemeth 289 a. curseth Epirus and so returneth to Constantinople 290 b. by Mesites Palaeologus one of his great Bassa's besiegeth the Rhodes 291 b.
advanced with Two thousand Five hundred Men to Vitrovitz a Place about a League distant from the Camp expecting Four hundred Men more under Command of the Bei of Gradisca with design to force their way into Buda To prevent which the Duke detached Four thousand Croats under the Command of Count Transmandorf to march against them and ordered the German Forces to stand all Night to their Arms to avoid a Surprise Transmandorf marched until seven a Clock in the Morning always a-trot and having about that time met the Pasha of Marotz he immediately engaged with him and charged him so furiously that after some small Resistence the Turks fled of whom about a Hundred were killed in the Pursuit and several Prisoners taken After which Success Transmandorf returning back to the Camp fortunately Encountred the Governour of Gradisca with his Four hundred Men who going to joyn with the Pasha of Marotz of whose ill Success he had as yet received no Intelligence was engaged and defeated by him upon the first Charge or On-set and had all been cut in pieces had they not been favoured by the shelter and thickness of some neighbouring Woods On this Occasion the Croats took fourteen Colours with several of their Cymbals and Trumpets and twenty Prisoners They lost only fourteen of their Men and had the Pillage of the Camp with great store of good Provisions with which they feasted themselves and nourished their Horses And now let us leave the Duke of Loraine for a while before this City employed in an Enterprise which could not be effected until two Years afterwards thô all that time a constant course of ill Fortune ran against the Turks And let us see what Preparations were making at Venice and recount the Actions and Atchievements which this Republick carried on this Year against the Turks pursuant to the Proclamation of War lately published The Doge of Venice called Marco Antonio Gustiniano who entred upon the Governmernt the 26 th day of April of this Year year 1684. together with the Council made choice of these General Officers for carrying on the War Namely Francisco Morosini Captain General Dominico Mocenigo Proveditor General of Dalmatia the Prince of Parma General of the Infantry Alessandro Molino and Antonio Bembo Captains extraordinary of the Ships Paulo Michiel Matthew Pisani and Iohn Morosini Commanders extraordinary of the Galeasses and General Strazoldo quitted the Imperial Service for that of the Republick The whole Venetian Fleet consisted of Sixteen Gallies six Galleassas and sixteen Sail of Ships to them were joyned five of the Pope's Gallies and seven of Malta and four Gallies belonging to the Great Duke of Toscany With part of this Fleet the Captain General Morosini put to Sea from the Coast of Italy on the 10 th of Iune for the Island of Corsu where the general Rendezvous for the whole Fleet was appointed At this Place a Council of War was called where all the General Officers were present together with the Proveditor General Cornaro and General Strazoldo and by them it was unanimously resolved to Attack the Island of Santa Maura This Island of Santa Maura was formerly joyned to the Continent of Greece and reckned amongst the Western as those of the Archi-pelago were amongst the Eastern Islands it was anciently known by the Name of Leucas and was part of the Kingdom of Ulysses It was once a Peninsula adjoyning to Epirus by a narrow Isthmus of Land but at the great Charge and Labour of the Inhabitants of Corinth it was cut off from the Continent and made an Island It is near the Morea at the entrance into the Gulf of Lepanto where was fought that famous Battle in the Year 1571. Sultan Mahomet the Son of Sultan Amurath took this Island from the Venetians in the Year 1457. But with the Aid and Assistance of some Vessels from the Pope King Lewis the 12 th of France and the Knights of Rhodes it was after a bloudy Fight recovered out of their Possession in the Reign of Bajazet the II in the Year 1499 Benedetto Pesaro being General But the Year following a Peace being made it was restored to the Turks conditionally That the Island of Cephalania should remain to the Venetians for ever This Island being the chief Harbour at present and Refuge of all the Pyrates and Corsairs of Barbary which much infested the Gulf and rendred the Navigation very unsecure and which hindred the Venetians from being the absolute Masters of those Seas this Enterprise was resolved to be the most necessary and methodical in order to more important Adventures Accordingly on the 19 th of Iuly the whole Fleet together with Tartanas and Felucas carrying Land-forces set Sail from Corfu and the next day arrived at Little-more then Cannon-shot distant from Santa Maura where they cast Anchor and landed their Forces which consisted of two Battalions of the Pope's and of Malta Six hundred Men each and Eight hundred Men drawn out of other Troops Amongst those of Malta were a Hundred Knights who clad in their Coat-armours of red Sattin with the white Cross of their Order made a splendid Appearance The next day the whole Fleet entred the Port of Demata which lies to the Eastward of the Town and is capable to receive great numbers of Vessels and the Captain General MoroÌsini went in Person on shoar taking a view of the several Posts in which the Forces had lodged themselves and of that particularly called Chiche which was a House of Pleasure belonging to the Aga's Son possessed by Captain Manetta But before Morosini thought fit to commit any Act of Hostility he sent to Summon the Place and in a Writing set forth the Cause and Reasons which moved the Venetians to raise a powerful Army against the Turk who had violated the Peace by harbouring the Corsaires of Barbary and practised other Hostilities against the Subjects of that State And that in case they did not Surrender up their Town and Island the next Morning he would proceed to force them and make use of the Priviledge and Power of a Conqueror To which the Governour returned no other Answer Than that God would punish the Venetians for violating the Peace and making an unjust War upon the Grand Seignior Whereupon the Admiral-Flag being spread which was the Signal of Battle the Gallies and Galleasses made above Twelve hundred Shot against the Town which did great Damage to the Houses and Fortifications and entirely ruined one of the Moschs Nor were the Turks idle but fired continually thô with no great hurt for their Cannon being mounted too high did not hinder the Forces of the Pope Malta and Toscany from possessing themselves of the Suburbs nor the Batteries from raising which by direction of Lorenzo Venier plaid on the Walls with good Success and did great Execution and the Bombs which were thrown into the Town put all the Defendants into a Consternation For on the first of August
to settle matters in a better state then before And being come to Hermanstadt he was informed that the German Troops were not provided and accommodated according to Agreement whereupon he dispatched a resolute Message to Apafi and the States of the Country giving them to understand that in case better Provisions were not made for the necessary Quarters of the Soldiers he should be forced to take such Measures as were most adequate to the present occasion Apafi considering that Carafa was resolute and not to be opposed in his Demands made a vertue of necessity and sent his Chief Minister Telecky the most esteemed and most honoured Person of the States and Nobility unto him to make him a Complement with all the high Expressions of Submission and Compliance In pursuance whereof the General took into his consideration the particulars of the several Quarters and thought fit to advance the Allowance one Third more than what hath been agreed in the former Treaties And having made some alterations amongst the Officers belonging to certain Imperial Garrisons he fixed his own Head-Quarters at Hermanstadt as being not only the strongest Garrison but the most proper and convenient place from whence he might most easily succour and relieve the other Quarters as occasion served The Name of the Germans was become now so dreadful over all Hungary that many strong Fortresses at the first appearance of the Imperial Forces surrendred themselves as did Halmet a Castle on the Frontiers of Transilvania encompassed with a deep and broad Ditch and furnished with Draw-Bridges and Garrison'd by Turks yield up it self to General Magni who proceeding forwards in his March took in the Fortress of Felsiat with as much ease and facility as he had done that of Halmet by which means he brought above Two hundred Villages under Contribution and excluded the Turks from all Communication with the parts of Transilvania All things being setled in Transilvania to the satisfaction of the Emperor Baron de Pace was detached with Three Regiments and reinforced with some other Troops under General Saurau with Orders to march towards Stephanopolis a Frontier Garrison of Valachia to prevent the designs of that Despot in case he should attempt any thing to the prejudice of the Emperor But the Imperial Court being sufficiently satisfied that the Despot had no other but sincere intentions to preserve his own Dominion and benefit Christendom His Imperial Majesty was pleased to send the Bishop of Nicopolis unto him giving him to understand that he should receive his gracious Assistance in all his designs and that he would cause the Succession of that Principality to descend upon his Son acknowledging only that Homage which from ancient times was paid to the King of Hungary Whereupon the Despot sent an Envoy to General Carafa at Hermanstadt to receive Orders and Instructions in what manner to behave and govern his Affairs In the mean time the Turks in Alba Regalis finding themselves without all relief and no returns made to those Messages which they had dispatched by various ways began again to be very mutinous and unruly towards their Governors howsoever they still held out resolving as yet to hearken unto no terms which should be offered them by the Enemy Notwithstanding which the Marquess of Baden who was President of the Council of War for his Imperial Majesty being commanded to pass from his Government of Iavarin or Rab unto Ratisbon there to reside as Plenipotentiary for his Imperial Majesty at that Diet did think fit before his departure to regulate some Affairs within his Jurisdiction and particularly to appoint Count Ricceardi accompanied with an Interpreter and a party of Hungarian Horse to view and observe the State of Alba Regalis and to try if he could incline and persuade the Turks to surrender but they being quite of another humour not being reduced as yet to the utmost point and extremity of Famine cryed out with a loud Voice that they would maintain their City to the last drop of Blood and even to more violent necessities than those of Agria Ricceardi returning with this report to Giavarin the Marquess of Baden issued out new Orders to straiten the Town with more rigour and closeness than before and not only reinforced the Castles of Palotta Zioccha and Schambegh warning them to be more diligent and watchful for the future to prevent all Communication between Alba Regalis and the Neighbouring Villages and to make the Blocade more formal General Batthiani was not only commanded to march into those Quarters with his Hungarian Troops but likewise caused them to be reinforced by some of the Militia belonging to the Circles of Franconia and other Troops under the Command of Count Erdeodi Lieutenant-General at that time of Giavarin Moreover the Marquess of Baden before his departure disposed the March of the Militia and ordered their several Quarters in parts adjacent to Oseck there to oppose the passage of the Enemy over the Drave After which all matters being well ordered with excellent Methods and Rules of Government the Marquess took Post for Vienna where having received Instructions from the Emperor for better Government of his Presidency at Ratisbon he proceeded thither and there he held several publick and private Conferences for the better Regulation of the Military Affairs for the Ensuing Campaigne In the mean time Recruits were made and Horses provided to Remount such as wanted them and whilst it was doubted Whether the Elector of Bavaria could be present in Person to conduct his Army this Year into Hungary upon a jealousy that the French would fall into the Palatinate yet the Treaty was concluded for the Bavarian Troops to continue in Hungary and serve with their best assistance to forward the Progress of the Imperial Arms. Mareschal Caprara commanding now in Chief in Hungary provided Oseck with all things necessary for their Subsistence and gave Orders to those Captains who commanded upon the Save to provide great Numbers of Boats and Barges and Floats for making Bridges over that River and as occasion served therewith to Transport Provisions and Materials for War. The Turks on the other side had also Erected another Bridge for the better security of Bosnia and assembled at Costanovitz on the River Unna with design to make Incursions into the Confines of Croatia but that Country was so well guarded and defended by the vigilance of Count Erdeody the Banno or Chief Governor thereof that all attempts of the Turks on that side were wholly disappointed and defeated And farther to render the Actions of the Turks fruitless and ineffectual in Sclavonia where they had made Provisions of Victuals and Ammunition and had laided therewith Lighters and Barges to supply their smaller Garrisons on the River Save Baron de Tunkel was dispeeded with a Detachment of Two hundred Horse and a Regiment of Dragoons with some Haiducks to oppose the intentions of the
a Rock refused to Surrender unless compelled thereunto by Fire and Cannon Tho' the Disease of Piccolomini increased yet he could not be perswaded to take a longer rest and repose which is necessary in Fevers but being full of Zeal and desire of Triumph he marched with his Regiments towards Panni on the way to which Advices came to him That the Commander of Pyroth with a Party of Germans and 800 Hussars had taken the Field in the Enemies Country where at the first they had the good fortune to defeat a Party of 1500 Turks which they found encamped near Dragoman a place distant about six or seven Hours from Sophia where they had posted themselves to observe the Motions of the Imperial Forces but that soon afterwards the Turks being Alarm'd in all their Quarters near Sophia they appeared in several Bodies on both sides of the Mountain with Reserves both of Turks and Tartars and having with their Numbers surrounded the Germans after a great Slaughter on both sides the Christians were forced to give back and betake themselves to Flight To repair the damage and prevent the ill Consequences of this Surprize Piccolomini without any delay dispatched positive Orders to Colonel Strasser to desist from his Enterprises in Bosnia and return to Nissa least the Enemy encouraged by this Success should adventure to make an Attempt upon that place In the mean time Piccolomini continuing his March on the 6th of this Month came early in the Morning under the Walls of Prisseren where he was met by the Archbishop of Albania and the Patriarch of Clementa carrying a Standard in which a Cross was painted and followed by 8000 Arnouts Geeeks of Albania Turks and Christians with other Natives of those Countries who having given their Salvoes with three Vollies of Muskets they joyned with the Germans declaring their Resolutions to live and die with them in the common Cause Count Piccolomini tho' in a languishing Condition was yet much relieved by such a surprising appearance of People who came with humble submission to devote themselves to the Imperial Soveraignty but being acquainted with the unsetled and voluble Temper of that People he knew not what to think of this suddain Revolution until he had first satisfied himself by the Archbishop and some of the Officers who were the first of those that were come in that this People would prove obedient and constant to the Emperor's Interest with which Report Piccolomini remaining satisfied he caused all the Soldiers to be listed under his Banner with this Temperament howsoever that all those who were desirous to retire and live like orderly Citizens within the Walls of Towns or in the Fields to cultivate the Ground should have a free liberty so to do and be protected by the Imperial Arms But as to those who were willing to follow the Camp and be formed into regular Troops should be obliged to take the Military Oath binding themselves to all Obedience and Respect towards their Commanders and to live according to the rigour and exact Rules of Military Discipline So soon as Piccolomini had made this Declaration and given this Charge to the new Soldiery his Disease increased upon him of which being sensible he sent to the Archbishop to perform all those Offices which were to be done in the time of the last Agony which being administred with great Devotion this brave General expired his last to the unexpressible Lamentation of the whole Army and Sorrow of the Imperial Court. The Command and Government of all the Conquered Countries having been promised to General Veterani upon News of the Death of Piccolomini he prepared to take possession thereof but in the mean time that the Army might not be destitute of a General the Conduct thereof was committed to the care of the Prince of Holstein to maintain and support the Conquests of those parts until Veterani should come and take possession thereof Thus ended the Campaign of 1689 glorious in the whole progress thereof to the Imperial Arms the Victories whereof over the Turks being scarce to be numbred filled Vienna and the Hereditary Countries with Joy and Triumph And here it had been happy for the Empire and all Europe had the Germans fixed the Conclusion of the War at this period before the Air of Fortune which had blown for some Years with a prosperous Gale in favour of the Germans had changed her Kindness which we shall find in the following Year inconstant and favouring the Enterprize of the Turks It is a most unaccountable Infatuation That the Imperial Court observing before their Eyes the vast Preparations of France to attack the Empire should not have endeavoured to quench the Fire of War on one side an Opportunity for which so fairly offered it self by the Arrival of Mustapha Aga sent with Letters from the Ottoman Port to the Turkish Ambassadors detained in the Castle of Puttendorf to renew the Treaty which had for some time been laid aside The Imperial Court was at this time at Auspurg busied in the Election and Coronation of the King of the Romans and therefore the Emperor appointed Count Quintinio Iergher Knight of the Golden-Fleece and Counsellor of State and Lord Lieutenant of the Hereditary Countries of Austria together with Baron Dorsch Secretary and Counsellor of War to enter into Conference with the Turkish Ambassadors to whom also was joyned the Cavalier Girolamo Venier who was Ambassador to the Emperor from Venice and there attending the Interest of that Republick in regard to this Treaty But before the Turks would enter into the Particulars they dispatched a certain Bey to the Congress with some Considerations and Reflections which might represent the State and Temper of the Ottoman Empire not to remain in so vile and debased an Estate as to beg a Peace but that they were still able with their Swords in their Hands to Treat and in case of failure of an Agreement to maintain a War. The Considerations offered were these Considerations Offered by the Turks I. THAT they should conceive a right Notion of the great Power of the Ottoman Port. II. That the Christians favoured rather by Fortune than by the strength of their own Power had gained all those Victories of which they now Triumph III. That all the Insurrections in Asia and Civil Commotions amongst themselves were now appeased IV. That the Sultan had diminished much of his Expences and reduced the Number of useless Officers in his Seraglio whereby vast Sums were spared for Maintenance of the War. V. That the Taxes on the People were raised from five Dollars on every House unto a hundred VI. That it might now be hoped that the Anger of God being appeased for the Sins of the Believers the Christians turn would shortly come when they also should be punished for their Offences VII That the Ottoman Empire was still powerful both in Men and Money VIII That the Sultan
Turks Mahomet maketh prâparation for the besieging of Constantinople Constantius the Emperor in vain craveth aid of the Christian Princes 1453. Vide Leonardi Chiensis Archiepiscopi Mitylen hist. de captivitate Constântinopoliâânâ Mahomet encampeth beâore Constantinople The situation of Conââantinople Constantinople built by Pausanias dâstroyed by Severus re-edified by Constantine the Great and now taken by Mahomet the Turk The magnificient Temple of S. Sophia The Frugality of the Turks in their private Buildings The Turks Fleet. Constantinople undermined by the Turks Seventy of the Turks Galliots brought eight miles over land by the deâice of a Christian into the Haven of Constantinople A wonderful Bâidge made by the Turks over the Haven of Constantinople A notable fight between four of the Christians Ships and the Turks Fleet. The Citizens of Constantinople without cause murmur against the Emperor A bare shift for money Constantinople assaulted by the Turks The Christiaâs forsâke the âalls Conââantinople won by the Tuâks Mahomet solemniseth his Feasts in Constantinople with the blood of the Grecian Nobility Pâra yiââied âo the Turk Mahomeâ notably dissembleth his haâred against Caly-Bassa Mahomet placeth his Imperial Seat at Constantinople and is worthily accounted first Emperor of the Tuâks Thomas and Demetrius rebel against Mahomet and arâ by him spoiled of part of their Dominion Mâhomet câmâth again into Pelopoânesus Demetrâus submitteth himself to Mahomet Peloponnesus subdued by the Turks The death of George Despot of Servia Servia yielded to the Turk Belgrade besieged The Turks Fleet overthrown by the Christians Carazias Bassa slain Belgrade assaulted by the Turks The Turks notable repulse Mahomet wounded and carried away for dead The death of the most famous Captain Huniades 1461. Usun-Cassan the Persian King sendeth Embassadors with Presents to Mahomet Mahomet invadeth Ismael Prince of Sinope Trapezond besieged by Mahomet Trapezond yâelded ââto the Tââks The ruâne of the Empirâ oâ Trâpezond Mahomet sââketh to entâap Wladus Prinââ of Valachia Chamuzes Bassa and the Turks Secretary hanged Mahomet himself in Person invadeth Valachia A most horrible Spectacle Two thousand of the Valachies slain The death of Wladâs Mitylene besieged Mitylene yâelded to the Turks The great Wars betwixt Mahomet and Scanderbeg are at large written by Marinus Barlecius in 13 Books De vita gestis Scanderbegâ from whence this History is taken and were done betwixt the years 1450. and 1467. Vide Marinum Barletium lib. de vita gestis Scanderbâgi Debreas sent with fourteen thousand Horsemen to invade Epirus A skirmish betwixt the Christians and the Turks A Battel betwixt Scanderbeg and Debreas Debreas slain by Scanderbeg and his Army overthrown A pleasant contention betwixt Musachius and a Turk for his ransome The crafty proceeding of the Turks Messenger Moses corrupted Scanderbeg craveth aid of Alphonsus King of Napâes Alphonsus sândeth aid unto Scanderbeg Scanderbeg bâsâângeth and disâresâeâh Belgrade Muscachius slain and the Epirots put to Flight Scanderbeg seeth his men slain and is not able to relieve them Scanderbeg flieth by night into Epirus Mahomet sendeth Moses with fifteen thousand select men to invade Epirus A Combat betwixt a Turk and a Christan The Battle betwixt Scanderbeg and Moses Moses contemned of the Turks Moses ãâã from Constantinople Amesa his first speech uââo Mahomet Amesa hohonourably entertained by Mahomet A notable speech of Scanderbeg unto his Captains how the Turks were to be withstood at their coming to Epirus The Epirots remove all their things out of the Country into the strong Towns before the coming of the Turks Amesa is by the Bassa created King of Epirus The Tââââ Camp buried in security Scanderbeg suâdenly assaileth the Turks A notable Victory of the Christians The Speech of Amesa to Scanderbeg The answer of Scanderbeg to Amesa The death of Amesa A Peace for a year concluded betwixt Mahomet and Scanderbeg The Letters of Mahomet to Scanderbeg The answer of Scanderbeg to the former Letters of Mahomet The Letters of Mahomet to Scanderbeg for the concluding of a perpetual Peace betwixt them A Peace concluded betwixt Mahomet and Scanderbeg The notable Speech of Victâr Capella to peâswade tâe Venetians to take up Aâms against Mahomet The Venetians take up Arms against the Turks The Venetians enter into confederation with other Christian Princes against the Turk The Letters of Maâomet to Scanderbeg Scanderbeg his Answer to the Letters of Mahomet Ten thousand Turks slain The Venetians attempting to win Patras receive great loss Mathias of a Prisoner chosen King of Hungary Mahomeâ sendeth Balabanus to invadâ Epirus Balabanuâ goeth against Scanderbeg The Battel betwixt Balabanus and Scanderbeg Moses and other worthy Captains cruelly executed by Mahomet The Battel at Sfetigrade betwixt Balabanus and Scanderbeg Scanderbeg his Scouts traiterously flie to Balabanâs Jacuppe slain by Scanderbeg and his Army discomfited Mahomet cometh to the siege of Croia Scanderbeg surpriseth Ionima the Brâther of Balâbanâs and Hedar his Sân. Scanderbeg falleth sick The death of Scanderbeg Scanderbeg huried at Lyssa The body of Scan-derbeg digged up by the Turks and of them greatly honoured Paulus Jovlus Illust viroâum Elog. lib. 8. Mathias King of Hungary takeâh the Kingdom of Bosna from the Turks Chalcis the chief City of Euboea besieged by the Turks Treason in the City Chalcis is taken by the Turks The fruitful Island of Euboea taken by the Turks The Veneâiâns aided by King Ferdinand the Biâhop of Rome and the great Master of the Rhodes do the Turks great harm all alongst the coast of the lâsser of Asia Mahomet no less troublesome unto the Mahometan Princes than to the Christians Usun-Cassanes in a great battel overthoweth the King of Persia. Two huge Armies of the Turks and Persians in field together The death of the noble Mustapha Mahomet his eldest Son. Solyman Bassa besiegeth Scodra with an Army of eighty thousand men Matthias King of Hungary inforceth the Turks to forsake the Siege of Scodra Croia besieged by the Turk Contarenus the Venetian General slain The Turks shew themselves at the River of Sontium The Couâtry of Frâulâ spoiled by the Turks Vid. Marinum Barletium de expug Scodrensi The poor Country People flie for fear of the Turks Two of the Turks attempting to touch the Walls of Scodra are both slain and one of their Heads sit upon the Wall. Mahomet in person himself cometh unto the siege of Scodra The order of Mahomets Camp. Mahomet purposing to give a general Assault incourageth his Captains and Souldiers thereunto The City of Scodra assaulted by the Turks the fourth time A most terrible Assault Twelve thousand Târks slain in the last Assault The Turks superstitiously reverence the new Moon Scodra again most fâriously assaultâd by the Turks The assault âenewed again fiercely by the Turks A woful sight A doubtful Fight Lyssa taken by the Turks and the Bones of Scanderbeg digged up by them and had in great reverence A hard choice Scodra yielded unto the Turks Mahomet longeth after the Rhodes A death right
worthy such a Traitor The oration of the Gâeat Masââr to the rest of the Knights aâd Souldiers to encourage them valiantly to withstand the Turks Eight hundred Turks slain Treason against the Great Master discovered and the Traitors executed Two thousand âive hundred Turks slain in the Assault The resolute answer of the Great Master A fair Breach made by force of the Turks battery The Bassa raiseth his Siege Achmetes landeth his Army in Apulia near to Otranto and spoileth the Country Otranto taken by the Turks Mahomet dieth at Geivisen in Bithynia not without suspition of poison He is buried at Conââantinople The description of Mahomet The Sons of Mahomet Mustapha Bajazet and Zemes Otranto yielded by the Turks upon composition Dissention among the Turks about the Succession Bajazet comeââ Conââtinople Zemes riseth against his Brother Bajazet Bajazet goeth against Zemes Achmetes made General of Bajazet his Army Zemes flyeth in into Syria Zemes his Speech to Caytbeâus Sultan of Egypt Catââius the Egyptian Sultan sendeth Embâssadors to Bajâzât The King of Caramania soliciteth Zemes to take up Arms against Bajazet Zemes flieth to Sea. Zemes his Letters to his Brother Bajazet Zemes flieth to the Rhodes The description of Zemes. Aâhmetes his death contrivâd Achmetes his Son stirreth up the Ianizaries to help his Father Bajazet for fear delivereth Achmetes to the Ianizaries Achmetes slain Bajazet purposeth to destroy the Ianizaries Bajazet invaâeth Moldavia Mary great Princes sâe to the Master oâ the Rhodes foâ Zâmes Bajazet invadeth Carâmania Tarsus in Cilicia yieldeth to Bajazet A long and terrible battel betwixt Bajazet and the King of Caramania Achmetes being discomfited is taken Prisoner and sent to Caire A long and terrible Battel betwixt the Turks and the Mamalukes The Turks flie away by night A Peace concluded betwixt Bajazet and Caytbeius Alphonsus King of Naples and Alexander Bishop of Rome crave aid of Bajazet against Charles the French King. Bajazet sendeth Dautius his Embassador to Alexander Bishop of Rome Jo. Roverâus robbeth the Turks Embassadors Zemes dieth poisoned by Alexander Bishop of Rome The evil life of Caesar Borgia The death of Caesar Borgia The French King invadeth Naples Ferdinand departeth from Capua to pacifie an uprore at Naples A most resolved act of King Ferdinand Charles the Frânch King received into Naples A great League made by divers Christian Princes against the French King. Ferdinand recovereth his Kingdom of Naples from the French and dieth The death of Charles the French King. The Turks invade Podolla and Rassia and in their return are for the most part lost Friuli part of the Venetian Territory spoiled by the Turks A Fight at Sea betwixt the Turks and the Venetians Lepanto yielded to the Turks Methone besieged both by Sea and Land by Bajazet Methone taken by the Turks Corone Pilus and Crisseum yieldeth to the Turks Cephalenia taken by âhe Venetians Pylos taken from the Târks and again yielded unto them Dyrrachium taken by the Turks Mytâlene besieged The Siege of Mytilene broken up Neritos taken by the Venetians A Peace concluded betwixt Bajazet and the Venetians Bajazet in danger to have been slain by a Dervislar or Turkish Monk. Bajazet by nature peaceable The Turks and Persians diââer not about the interpretation of their Law but about the true Successor of their great Prophet Mahomet Haider marrieth Martha the daughter of the great King Usun Cassanes Haider Erdebil secretly murdred The beginning of the Cuselbassas Hysmael his behaviour in the time of his exile Hysmael retârneth into Armenia and recovereth his Inheritance Sumachia taken by Hysmael Hysmael cometh to Tauris Hysmael taketh the City of Tauris and defaced the Tomb of his Uncle Jacup Hysmael goeth against the Persian King. Elvan the Persian King slain Hysmael goth against Moratchamus Hysmael exceedingly beloved and honoured of his Subjects Chasen Chelife and Techellis invade the Turks Dominions Hysmael sends Embassadors unto the Venetians to joyn in League with them against Bajazet Orchanes and Mahometes two of Bajazet his Nephews overthrown by Techellis The battel between Caragoses and Techellis Techelliâ besiegeth Caragoses the Viceroy in the City of Cutaie Caragoses the Viceroy with his Wives and Children taken by Techellis in the City of Cuâaie Bajazet sendeth Alis Bassa out of Europe against Techellis The batâel betwixt Alis Bassa and Techellis Chasan Cââlife slain Alis Bassa slain Jonuses Bassa ãâã by Bajazet General ãâã his Army against Techellis Techellis burnt at Tauris A great Earthquake at Constantinople The Children of Bajazet Mahometes disguised as a seafaring man cometh to Constantinople and so to the Court. Mahometes poysoned by Asmehemedi Asmehemedi justly rewarded for his Treachery Selymus aided by Mahometes his Father in law riseth against his Father Bajazet sendeth Embassadors to Selymus Presents given to Selymus by his Fathers Embassadors Bajazet would appoint his Successor whilst he yet lived Bajazet seekeâh to prefer Achomates unto the Empire Selymus marcheth with his Army toward Hadrianople Selymus his dissembling Embassage unto his Father Selymus overtaketh his Father The chief men about Bajazet secâetly favour Selymus and disswade him from giving him Battel Cherseogles Bassa the only great man faithful to Bajazet pârswadeth him to give Battel to Selymus Bajazet's Speech to the Souldiers and Ianizaries of the Court. The common sort of the Ianizaries faithful to Bajazet desire battel The battel betwixt Bajazet and Selymus Selymus his Army discomfited The âstiâation Selymus ââd of his horse whereon he escaped from his Father Bajazet willing to prefer Achomates to the Empire Achomates inciteth his two Sons Amurathes and Aladin to take part with him against their Grandfather Bajazet Bajazet sendeth Embassadoâs âo Achomates Achomates killeâh hâs Fatâers âmbassador Achomates proclaimed Traitor The crafty oration of the great Bassa Mustapha to Bajazet for the bringing home of Selymus Corcutus cometh to Constantinople Corcutus his oration to his Father Bajazet Bajazet comforteth Corcutus and promiseth to resign to him the Empire aâter that Selymus was passed over into Asia Bajazet his crafty Speech unto his Son Selymus The crafty dissimulation of Selymus The blunt speech of Mustapha to Bajazet persuading him to resign the Empire to Selymus The resolute answer of old Bajazet to Mustapha and the other Bassaes Corcutus flyeth Selymus practiseth with Haman a Iew Bajazet his Physitian to poyson him Bajazet poysoned by the Iew. The ãâã of Bajazet Selymus causeth two of his Faâhers Pagis to be put to death for mourning for their Master Haman the Iew justly rewarded for his treachery Paluus Jovius Illust. virorum Elog. lib. 4. Selymus going into Asia against his Brother Achomates Selymus murthereth five of his Brothers Sons Selymus seeketh after the lives of Amurat and Aladin the Sons of Achomates his Brother Ufegâ Bassa taken Prisoner Mustapha Bassa shamefully murthered Ufegi Bassa put to death Selymus tâketh the spoil of his Brother Corcutus Corcutus taken The lamentable death of Corcâtus Treason against Selymus discovered Sinan Bassa discomfited by Achomates
The Rhodians valiantly defend the City The Spanish Bulwaâk taken by the Turks The Spanish Bulwark again recovered The Turks give over the assaulâ Solyman in his âury commandeth the two great Bassaâs Mustapha and Pyrrhus to be pât to death The Bassaes spared at the intercession of the other Counsellors Solyman displaceth his Admiral and puniââeth him as a Slavâ Solyman exceedingly grieved with the repulse and loss received at the Siege of the Rhodes was upon point to have lâft the same Achimetes promiseth to make a way for Solyman into the City Solyman comforteth his Souldiers and perswadeth them with patience to endure the Siege Achimetes winneth the Vaumures of the Avergne Bulwark raiseth a strong Penthouse against the Wall and so undermiâeth the same The miseâable state of the Common Souldiers of the Turks and the small account is made of them Solyman encourageth his Souldiers to a fresh Assault The distressed estate of the Rhodians and their couragious resolution therein The Turks trouble the Rhodians with continual Alarms and by casting up of Trenches got into the City Parley offered by the Turks to the Rhodians Secret parley rejected The Great Master at the instance of his People sendeth Embassadors to Solyman Solymans Letter sent to the Great Masteâ and the Rhodians by their Embassadoâs The Great Master his opinion concerning that Solyman demanded by his Letters A notable Speech of a Greek Priest perswading the Great Master to yield A most resolute Speech of a common Souldier disswading the yielding up of the Rhodes The former Speech notably answered by a Greek and the yielding of the City urged The Great Master resolâed that the City was not to be defended calleth a Common-Council of his Knights and the Burgessâs of the City A Truce takân with the Turks for four days A barbarous Fact. Solyman his Speech unto the Great Master The resolute answer of the Great Master to Solyman Solyman cometh inâo the City unto the Great Master The Speech of the Great Master to Solyman The notable answer of Solyman to the Great Master Solyman entreth into the Rhodes on Christenmas day in the year 1522. Solyman sends Ferhates Bassâ against Alis-Beg the Mountain Prince Alis and his four Sons treacherously slain Solyman returneth to Constantinople Solyman upon the discord of the Christian Princes and disordered state of âungary taketh occasion to invade that Kingdom Solyman cometh against Lewis King of Hungary The vanity of Tomoreus Wholesome Counsel not followed The battel of Mohatchz Tomoreus slain King Lewis drowned in a ditch The Heads of slâin Christian Bishops and Captains presânted to Solyman The Bishop of Veradâum too true a Prophet The honourabâe Speech of Solyman concerning his coming into Hungary Joannes Sepusius Vayvod of Transylvania aspireth to the Kingdom of Hungary King Lewis buried John Sepusius the Vayvod chosen and crowned King of Hungary Ferdinand King of Bohemia layeth claim to the Kingdom of Hungary King Ferdinand taketh Buda The battel of Tocai between the Armies of King John and King Ferdinand King John ãâã into Polonia Ferdinand crowned King of Hungary at Alba Regalis Lascus counselleth King John to crave aid of Solyman Lascus goeth Embassador for King John to Solyman Abraham Bassa Lascus his request of Solyman in the behalf of King John. Solyman granteth Lascus his request Ferdinand sendeth an Embassador to Solyman Solymans answer to Ferdinânds Embassadors Solyman cometh into Hungary with a great Army King John cometh to Solyman at Belgrade Solyman enters Buda without resistance and besieged the Castle Solyman contrary to his promise causeth the Garrison Souldiers after they had delivered the Castle to be slain Austria spoiled by the Turks Altenbourg taken Solyman cometh to Vienna Vienna badly fortified Solyman releaseth the Christian Princes without ransome Eight thousand Turks lost in the Mines The Walls of Vienna blown up The Turks repulsed from the breach A most terrible Assault The Turks the third time repulsed The Lord âillââm âogendorffe Vienna ãâ¦ã The Turks repulsed Solyman raiseth his Siege Eighty thousand Turks lost at the Siege of Vienna Solyman restoreth the Kingdom of Hungary to King John. The honourable saying of Solyman to King John Solyman Circumciseth his three Sons King Ferdinand sends Embassadors to Solyman The preparation of Charles the Emperor against Solyman Strigonium besieged by King John. Mutiny among the Spanish Souldiers Solyman cometh into Hungary Genza besieged by the Turks The huge Army of Solyman Solymans proud Letters unto the Emperor Charles and King Ferdinand Abraham Bassa perswadeth Solyman to leave the Siege of Gunza The Governor cometh to the Bassa His answer to the Bassa Solyman departeth from the Siege of Gunza Cason sent with fifteen thousand Horsemen to spoil Austria Four thousand Christian Captives murdred by Cason Cason discomâited by the Palatine and slain The slaughter of the Turks Charles the Emperor his power at Vienna The Order of the Christian Army Solyman retârneâh The Italians left for the aid of King Ferdinand arise in Mutiny The seditious Oration of Titus Maâconius to ãâã mutinous Italians * At tâis very tiâe a gââat Blazing Star was sâen in the Firmament at Vienna Eight thousand of the Italians in mutiny forsake their Captains and return into Italy Charles the Emperor returneth into Italy Auria goeth against the Turks Auria besiegeth Corone in Peloponnesus Corone yielded to Auria by the Turks Patras taken and ransacked by Auria Auria returns to Italy The Turks besiege Corone Auria sent by the Emperor to relieve Corone The order of Auria his Fleet before Corone The Christian Fleet disordered Auria arriveth at Corone The Turks Fleet flies to Modon Corone relieved by Auria Auria returns and before Modon braveth the Turks Fleet The Moor of Alexandria well beaten and taken by Câââlis the Venetian The Garrison Souldiers of Corone desire of their General to be brought to some service Macicaus Governor of Corone goeth out to surprise Andrussa Macicaus slain Corone forsaken by the Spaniards Aloysius Grittus the Duke of Venice his Son Solymans Lieutenant in Hungary to oversee King John. Americus Bishop of Veradium and Vayvod of Transylvania contemneth Grittus Janus Docia incenseth Grittus against the Vayvod The cause why Lascus the Polonian fell from King John. The Vayvod murdred in his Tent by Docia and his head presented to Grittus The Transylvanians rise up in Arms against Grittus to revenge the death of the Vayvod Grittus besieged by the Transylvanians Grittus taken and brought to Maylat Grittus beheaded The Riches sound about Grittus Solyman at one time purposeth to invade Persia and Africk The poor beginning of Horruccius and Hariadenus who of base Pyrats aspired to the Kingdom of Algiers Horruccius his success Horruccius slain and his head carried about in Spain Hariadenus sirnamed Barbarussa succeedeth his Brother Horruccius in the Kingdom of Algiers His wonderful success Solyman sends for Barbarussa Barbarussa cometh to Constantinople Barbarussa envied in the Turks Court. Barbarussa rejected to Abraham the great Bassa
braveth the Christians Castronovum taken by the Christians Auria neglecting to pursue Barbarussa returns into Italy to the grief of the Venetian Admiral Barbarussa sent by Solyman to besiege Castronovum Castronovum hardly besieged by Barbarussa Castronovum taken Sarmentus slain Alphonsus Vastius and Hanebaldus sent Embassadors from the Emperor and the French King to the State of Venice Vasââus his Oration to the Venetian Senate The answer of the Duke to Vastius Vastius his answer to the demand of the Venetian Senators The Venetian Senators diversly affected towards thâ confederation with the Emperor and the Frââch ââng against Solyman Foscarus a grave Senator Foscarus disgraced by the mâltitude The Venetians sent Aloysius Badoerius their Embassador to Solyman to conclude a Peace The most secâât decree of the Vetian Sânate made ãâã to Sâlyman A Peace concluded betwixt the Venetians and Solyman The Traitors which revealed the secrets of the Venetian state to Solyman executed The secret confederation betwixt King Ferdinand and King John revealed King John in his old years marrieth Isabella King Sigismunds Daughter The Queen with Child Queen Isabella delivered of a Son. The death of King John. The honourable saying of King John. Embassadors sent out of Hungary to Solyman A young Child Crowned King of Hungary George Bishop of Veradium one of the Kings Tutors a notable Man. The fugitive Hungarians perswade King Ferdinand to invade Hungary Laschus disswadeth King Ferdinand from seeking for the Kingdom of Hungary by force perswading him rather to request it of courtesie of Solyman Laschus sent Embassador from King Ferdinand to Solyman King Ferdinand sendeth an Embassador to the Queen to demand of her the Kingdom of Hungary The Queens answer to the Embassador King Ferdinand invadeth Hungary Vââegrade taken Pesâh and Vachia taken Buda besieged King Ferdinands Army departs from Buda Alba Regalis yielded to King Ferdinand The Queen câaveth aid of Solyman against Ferdinand Solyman promiseth to protect the Queen and her Son against Ferdinand and sends Presents to the young King. Laschus King Ferdinand his Embassador imprisoned by Solyman The Queen joyneth her Forces with the Târks and burneth Vacia Peââh in vain besieged by the Turks Kinâ Fârdinânâ ãâ¦ã with ãâã Army inââ Hungâry Buda besieged Rogendorff threatns the Queen The Bishop his scornful answer to Rogendorff A great Breach in the Walls of Buda The Germans assaulting the Breach are with loss repulsed Bornemissa practiseth to betray the City of Buda Bornemissa receiveth in the Germans by a Postern supposing them to have been Hungarians The Germans not conducted are discovered and discomfited Solyman at one time maintainâth Waâs in diâers places of the World far distant Mahometes Bassa cometh with the Turks Army to relieve Buda The order of King Ferdinands Army The Bassa entrencheth his Army within half a mile of the Kings Army Skirmishes betwixt the Christiaâs and the Turks Rayschachius for sorrow of his Son slain by the Turks suddainly dieth The Turks suddainly assail the Christians in the Island Valentinus General for the Queen in Buda certifieth Perenus of the coming of Solyman The Christians Army departeth by night from Buda The Târks assail the Christians in their Camp at their departure A mischievous practise of the Bishop Great slaughter of the Christians Pesth taken by Cason Admiral of the Turks Fleet. Rogendorff against his Will carried away by his Physician and Chamberlain to Comora there dieth Solyman cometh to Buda Turkish Cruelty Solyman sends for the young King into the Camp. The Queen sendeth the young King her Son to Solyman in the Camp attended with the Nobility Solyman courteously receiveth the young King. Solyman craâtily taketh the City of Budâ Solyman detaineth the Noblemen of Hungary in his Camp. The great Bassaes of divers opinions for the disposing of the Kingdom of Hungary The Oration of Mahometes of Belgrade to Solyman concerning the disposing of the Kingdom of Hungary Mischievous Counsel Solyman entreth Buda the thirtieth of August 1541 and there first sacrificeth after the Mahometan manner The Doom of Hungary The Queen departeth out of Buda with her Son. King Ferdinand sendeth Embassadors and Preâenâs to Solyman The frugal Chear of the Turks The request of the Embassadors in the behalf of King Ferdinand Solymans proud answer to King Ferdinand his Embassadors The Turks Camp well ordered Solyman retuâneth towards Constantinople Lascus set at liberty by Solyman shortly after dieth Maylat the Vayvod not able to keep the Field against Achomates and the Prince of Moldavia flieth to Fogaras Maylat cometh into the Turks Camp. Maylat tâeâcherously tâken Prisoner by the Moldavian Transylvania given by Solyman to the young King. Charles the Emperor returneth out of Germany to invade Africk The French Kings Embassadors slain by the Emperor The Emperor and the Bishop of Rome meet at Luca. The Emperor driven by tempest into Sicilia Tâe Emperor cometh to Algiers The Emperors Fleet out of Spain and the Low Countries The Duke of Alva Delay in great actions hurtful The Emperor sendeth a Messenger to Assan-Aga Governor of Algiers for Barbarussa The scornful answer of Allan the Eunuch to the Empârors mâssenger The Emperor landeth his Army at Algiers The description of Algiers The Numidians skirmish with the Spaniards The Spaniards put the Numidians to flight and gain the Hills The description of the Numidian Footmen and Horsemen A marvellous Temâest The Moors put to flight by the Italians The Italians discomfited by the Moors flie and indanger the whole Camp. The notable courage of the Emperor in staying the flight of his Army An horrible Tempest The Christian Fleet perisheth by Shipwrack A hard choice Many Gallies lost by saving of one Man. The misery of the Christian Army The chearfulness of the Emperor comforteth the whole distressed Army Horses good Meat in the Emperors Army The Emperor dâparteth from Algiers He enbarketh his Army Horses of great price drowned by the Emperors command to make room for the common Souldiers Two Spanish Ships full of Souldiers driven by Tempest to Algiers Assan taketh the Spaniards to mercy The Emperor cometh to Buzia The Emperor arriveth in Spain The French King the more to trouble the Emperor soliciteth Solyman to invade his Countries Polinus the French Embassador meeteth Solyman coming from Buda and offereth unto him âresen from the French King. The request of the French Embassador to Solyman Polinus return into France Polinus sent back again to Solyman cometh to Venice and notably soliciteth the Venetians to take up arms with the French King against the Emperor The crafty answer of the Venetians to the French Kings Embassador Solymans Embassador cometh to Venice Polinus coming to Constantinople findeth not the Turk so ready to send his Fleet to aid the French King as he had hoped The sharp Oration of Solyman the Eunuch Bassa to Polinus the French Embassador Polinus by the means of the âapiaga is brought to the Speech of Solyman himself Solymans answer to Polinus The Princes of Germany jâyn their
Holiness's Letters directed both unto the Kings Majesty and my self understood as well his Royal Majesty and my most gracious Lord and Master as also my self as his Servant to be both accused unto your Holiness as if by those things by us done in Moldavia the Endeavouâs of the Christians had been hindered and the Power of the Enemy confirmed Whereof I am not with many Words to purge my self unto your Holiness forasmuch as I assure my self your Holiness to have already fully understood both what the things were that were done in Moldavia and how they were done partly by the Kings Majesties Letters and partly by his principal Secretary for that cause especially sent unto your Holiness Yet doubt I not to request this one thing of your Holiness that if it hath known me for a man I will not say of any Capacity or Wit but even of the least Experience in the World or of any Religion at all so to perswade it self of me nothing to have been done especially in this matter either rashly or to the hinderance of the Christian Common-weal I will not now repeat what mine Opinion was concerning the League and Confederation to be made with the rest of the Christian Princes for the combining of their Forces against the common Enemy especially his Sacred Majesties as also what mine own Labour and Endeavour was in the last assembly of the States in the high Court of Parliament Which thing after it was even by them whom it most concerned either delayed or neglected or utterly cast aside and yet his Majesty had still a great desire to do the Christian Common-weal some great good I also to the uttermost of my Power laboured to that end that by the common decree of the Kingdom an Expedition might be made into Tartaria not so much in revenge of the Injuries done by that Enemy in these late years past as so in the mean time to turn him from the Necks of the Christians as that he should not joyn his Forces with the Turks or if it so pleased God to bless those our Endeavours utterly at length to root out that so great a Mischief But how it came to pass that this Expedition so much by the King desired yet scarcely begun or taken in hand took not effect it is not needful for me to declare for that I suppose your Holiness hath by others especially your Nuntio understood the same In the mean time by others and often Messengers News was brought That Sinan Bassa with a great Army was already come over Danubius and I by Letters from the Vayvod of the farther Valachia was advertised how that he not able to encounter him had forsaken that Province which at the first Impression taken and almost utterly wasted by Sinan he was now come fast upon Transilvania and in Moldavia the Tartar was still expected insomuch that Roswan who having taken Prisoner Aaron the Palatine whom he secured in his House and so himself invaded the Palatine began now also to quake for fear and to crave help of me or rather to seck how he might fly away as not long after he did neither having any great strength about him or expecting any greater from the People of that Country for why that Province was brought so low by the Miseries of the former years but especially by such as had evil governed the same that at such time as I entred into Moldavia I assure your Holiness there were not in it of Housholders above 15000 and those also for the most part poor Country People of the basest sort in whom there could neither be any great help neither if they had been able to have done any thing durst Roswan have trusted himself with them upon whom he had with all kind of Cruelty tyrannized Chotiim a Castle in the very Confines of this Kingdom was kept with no greater Garrison than 200 Hungarians who perceiving themselves neither of sufficient strength to hold the Place nor to withstand the Enemy they also by and by followed after Roswan All the rest of the Province was not only unarmed but altogether poor and naked without any certain Government without Counsel without Strength and without any Defence at all two Castles only excepted which standing upon the Confines of Polonia might have served better for the Enemy out of them to have infested us than for the defence of Moldavia against them so that had the Enemy once set foot into that Province neither could it without a great Power have been recovered neither being recovered could easily have been defended against so puissant an Enemy and that which worse was was not it self alone to have been consumed with that Fire but like enough to have carried away with it Podolia also bordering upon it with a great part of Ruscia Wherefore in this state of things when as both that Province was in greatest danger to have been lost and so many Enemies hovered not more over the Heads of all Christendom than over this Kingdom what was of us to be done I know to whom I speak these things even unto him not only whose divine Wisdom but singular Love also towards my native Country is to me most known Verily I entred into Moldavia with no great Army yet such an one as haply as in like case it often chanceth Fame had made amongst the Enemies a very great one so that Sinan fearing if he should thrust himself with his Army into the Streights whereby he was to break into Transilvania to be shut in by our Army stayed his Journey and the Tartar the more earnestly he was called upon by Sinan by reason of the Fame of this our Army resolved to make himself so much the stronger So that whilst he assembled the Nogaian Tartars and others farther off and so from all parts raised the greatest Power he could the matter was delaied almost unto the end of November at which time he with a most huge Army accompanied with Sendziak Iehivense and a great power of the Turks raised out of their Provinces thereby came directly upon me in the Fields of Coroce Sendziack the Tartar Cham's Sisters Son now called himself the Bassa of Moldavia as did the Tartars eldest Son name himself Prince of another part of that Province also for so that Country was to have been divided betwixt them that that part which was next unto the Tartars Dominions should be allotted unto the Tartar and the other part confining upon this Kingdom to be governed by Sendziak as Bassa thereof and so to make it the seat of a perpetual War from whence Podolia Ruscia and the lesser Polonia might be with continual Incursions wasted even before our faces concerning which matter they now dispersed their Letters wherein they published the Power and Authority given them from the grand Seignior exhorting the People of that Country to receive the same A whole day we fought with this multitude our men always by the goodness of God having not only
Enemy of whom the greatest Slaughter was made that ever was known between Two such small Bodies And indeed Reflexion being made on the Numbers of the Imperialists it will appear a Miracle that Three thousand three hundred men should defeat Fifteen thousand killing Five thousand on the place amongst which was the General Topal Pasha Two Agas and the Kahya to the Pasha The Foot made a brave defence for some time but at length were dispersed About Two hundred of them were drowned in the River and lost in the Bogs and such as escaped the Sword submitted to Quarter The Imperialists had the advantage to be covered by the side of a Hill when the Enemy attacked them In this great Action the Imperialists lost not more than One hundred and fifty men amongst which was Captain Maraville and Two Lieutenants the Prince August of Hannover was slightly Wounded in the Hand by a Lance and the Count de Cronsfelt Sergeant-Major of the Regiment of Holstein in the Neck Prince August was Colonel of a Regiment of Curassiers and conducted a Detachment of Two thousand men with which he was commanded to march from Peter-Waradin and joyn with Prince Lewis of Baden the which he performed and behaved himself with incomparable Valour which is natural to that Illustrious Family In this manner Prince Lewis Exalted with Glory and laden with Spoils returned with many Standards and Colours taken from the Enemy to his former Camp at Proot where Dedicating the Day following to the Repose and Refreshment of his Soldiery he retorned Thanks to the God of Hosts for so signal a Victory which happened to fall out on the very same day that the Elector of Bavaria sang the Te Deum at Belgrade for the Conquest and Subjection of that place These Two great and signal Actions being performed so near to each other in time filled all Vienna and Christendom France only excepted with extraordinary Joy and Triumph Prince Charles of Vaudemont was chosen by the Elector to be the joyful Messenger of this Glorious Action of taking Belgrade to the Imperial Court which was immediately followed by Baron Schlick year 1688. dispatched by the Prince of Baden with Advice of that wonderful Victory obtained over Topal the Pasha of Bosnia In this glorious manner did the Campaigne end in Hungary which might have been farther improved and a progress made by the Imperial Arms to the utmost extent of those Dominions which the Turks possess in Europe had not the most Christian King being displeased at the prosperous Course of the Imperial Arms against the Turk thought it time to make a diversion by waging War upon Germany And indeed it had been no wonder to have seen the Imperial Eagles as a consequence of the present Consternation Erected on the Walls of Constantinople and the Turks driven over the Bosphorus to possess their more Ancient possessions in Asia had not the Menaces of the French King recalled the Elector of Bavaria from his intended Enterprize which was very probable and likely to have succeeded For the Rascians were got into a Body of Eight thousand men between Semandria and Nissa being besides their old Feuds lately exasperated by the burning of their Houses and destroying of their Fields by Yeghen Pasha which he did to hinder the Imperialists from following him in his late Flight from Belgrade In revenge of which they desired the Germans to furnish them with experienced Commanders to direct and discipline them not questioning but to become Masters of all that Country and to possess Sophia it self promising also to bring the Bulgarians and Greeks into the Interest of the Emperor But the Elector of Bavaria as we have said being obliged to return he arrived at Vienna the 18 th day of September and Three days afterwards was followed by the Duke of Loraine who by reason of his late indisposition could not move so vigorously as the Elector The arrival of the Elector at Vienna happened on the Day of Thanksgiving for the late Successes where nothing was omitted to render that Day solemn and full of Joy and Triumph The Procession came forth from the Royal Church of the Augustines discalced and proceeded to the Cathedral of St. Stephen's being followed by all the Clergy Gentry Nobility and Ministers of the Court and last of all with Exemplary Devotion and Piety came the Young King of Hungary and their Imperial Majesties attended with the Queen of Poland and the Electress of Bavaria This most August Train being entred the Church an Eloquent Sermon was Preached before them agreeable to the present occasion after which Te Deum was Sung and Mass Celebrated by the Bishop of Vienna with the Harmony of the most exquisite Musick both Vocal and Instrumental that Human Art could arrive unto All which Jubilee and Triumph was much augmented by the appearance of his Electoral Highness whom the Fatigues and weariness of his Journey could not hinder from bearing part in the Festival of this day and indeed the People beheld him with such Admiration that their Eyes had scarce time to fix on any other Object than his person who had atchieved Two such memorable Actions that Year namely in passing the Save and subduing Belgrade as may compare with the most memorable and Heroick Acts of Alexander or the Caesars Whilst these Triumphs were celebrating in Austria and over all Germany and Messengers dispatched to all Courts of Christendom to carry the happy News of so many Victories the Ottoman Dominions lay disconsolate and low and exposed to the Incursions of their Enemies had the Imperialists been inclined to push forward their Victories even to the Walls of Constantinople But the Councils of France judging it necessary to support the Turk resolved to break into Germany which was accordingly performed and such a diversion made thereby as protracted the War for several Years afterwards Wherefore thô it be my purpose only to relate the Wars between the Emperor and the Turks carried on in the famous Kingdom of Hungary yet considering that by the French Machinations and Contrivances a stop was put to the free Course of the Imperial Arms it may not be from our purpose to make a small digression and describe the Original of that War which afterwards involved all Christendom to the great Advantage and Conservation of the Turks We must therefore understand that King Lewis the 14 th had on Account of Madam d' Orleans and a pretended Title arising from her swallowed in his mind a right to the whole Palatinate and nourished for a long time a hatred to that most August Family watching all Opportunities to seize on those Lands and Cities which he thought were unjustly detained from him Howsoever his Enmity burst not into open Violence so long as the Cardinal of Furstemburg was joyned in a Coadjutorial power with the Elector of Cologne But that Bishop being dead and Fustemburg disappointed of his Election by the Choice of Prince
Ioseph Clement of Bavaria the King passing the bounds of all moderation breaks with the Emperor and writes this following Letter to the Pope Most Holy Father WE have resolved to Write with our own Hand unto your Holiness desiring you to do justice to Cardinal de Fustemburg who hath been chosen Archbishop and Elector of Cologne on the 19th Current of this Month of September by such plurality of Voices that this Cardinal doth not doubt but to obtain the Approbation and Confirmation of your Holiness in this Election which hath been performed according to the strict Rules of the Cannon especially since amongst all those who stood Candidates for this sublime Office none is or can be so capable to govern and worthy the Dignity of an Archbishop as this Cardinal What therefore I desire of your Holiness is but a meer Act of Iustice But since we could never as yet obtain the least point of favour from you we find our selves obliged to lay before your Holiness that in case your denial of Constituting the Cardinal of Fustemburg Elector by your Bull should be the Cause and Original of a War which cannot be other than bloody and miserable we protest before God that your Holiness is liable to answer for all those wretched and fatal Accidents which shall trouble and disquiet the repose of Christendom which you as the common Father are obliged to prevent And lest it should be Objected That the Bishoprick of Argentina with which the Cardinal of Furstemburg is invited is incompatible with the Archbishoprick of Cologne We declare That the said Cardinal shall readily quit that See for which we Present one of the most considerable Subjects of our Kingdom who is the Bishop of Metz against whom your Holiness can have no Objection considering that your Holiness once gave him the Character of being the Scourge of the Hereticks Which being the only Occasion and Sum of this Letter we crave Holy Father the Apostolical Benediction Given at Versailes September 22. 1688. Subscribed Lewis King of France the Eldest Son of the Church This Letter being delivered to Pope Innocent ââth by Cardinal de'Estrees received not the Answer which the King expected for this Pope being a person of Courage just and severe in Observance of the Canonical Cannons and Constitutions would not be induced out of fear or dread of those Menaces pronounced in the Letter to disannul or make void the Lawful Election of Prince Ioseph Clement of Bavaria to the Archbishoprick and Electorate of Cologne Whereupon the King being highly displeased made a solemn Protest against the Validity of that Election with which he dispatched Messengers and Curriers with a thousand Menaces into all parts of Germany as also into Holland enjoyning them not to intermeddle or concern themselves in the Electorate of Cologne declaring that he was resolved to vindicate the cause of the Cardinal of Furstemburg by force of Arms and at the same time commanded his Troops to march into the Eccleasiastical State near Avignon and into Germany upon which Philipsburg was attacked and taken Some Manifestos were likewise published at the Diet at Ratisbon and other places declaring That the King did not design to act any thing against the Truce made at Nimeguen but rather intended to Convert it into a perpetual Peace in case the Cardinal of Fustemburg might be established in the Electorate Offering also to demolish Philipsburg and restore it to the Bishoprick of Spire and Freibourg to the Emperor it being first demolished But then as to the pretensions of Madam d' Orleans relating to her Demands upon the Palatinate the same should be amicably debated which not being agreed in the space of one year they should then be referred to the impartial Mediation of the King of England and the Republick of Venice But no sooner was this Declaration published than the French by Force of Arms made themselves Masters of several Cities seizing and fortifying Castles miserably burning and destroying the Palatinate and exacting Contributions in Suevia Franconia and other places upon pain of military Execution raging over all those Countries with such barbarous Inhumanity as if men had laid aside all sense of Bowels or Compassion to each other waging War in a manner unknown to Tartars Scythians or other more salvage People of former Ages This surprizing Irruption of the French into Germany being carried by an Express to his Electoral Highness at Belgrade gave as we have said a stop to the progress of his Victorious Arms against the Turk so that having committed the Command of the Imperial Forces to the auspicious Conduct and Care of General Caprara he returned with all Expedition to Vienna commanding his own Forces to follow him At Vienna having passed some few days and diverted himself with his most Serene Consort at the Imperial Court of his most August Father in Law he hasted with all expedition to Monaco the place of his Electoral Residence there to take such Measures as might secure his Brother in the Electorate of Cologne to which he had been fairly chosen and confirmed therein by the concurrence of Pope Innocent the Eleventh And likewise guard his own Countries from the Incursions of the French who now like a Torrent carried alâ before them burning and laying all places desolate even to the very Borders of the Bavarian Dominions Thus were the Ottoman Dominions in Europe rescued from the fatal Blow of an entire Conquest year 1688. For not only were the Bavarian Troops recalled but the French pressing hard upon the Upper Germany the Emperor was forced to give Licence to the Militia of the Circles to return home and to remand back from Hungary some of his own Regiments for security of the Empire and of the Electors and other Princes who now judged it time to unite themselves against the common Enemy which tho' once esteemed to be the Turk only yet now the French being become more formidable more cruel and bloody than the Turks themselves when they came first from Scythia it became the common Interest of all Germany to unite in a Body in opposition to the dreadful power of their mighty Foe So the Elector of Saxony joyning with the Princes of Lunenburg Brunswick Hanover and Hesseâcassel they vigorously made Head resolving to oppose all the Attempts which the French made upon the Empire In this manner the Turks being relieved from imminent destruction by a stop given to the Current of the Christian Arms they had time to take some breath and respite and recover themselves a little as will appear in the course of the following Year The Pasha of Belgrade taken Prisoner as we have said was carried to Vienna where he was treated with Respect and permitted the liberty of the City under the care of Cavag re Marc Ant o the Empeperor's principal Interpreter because he was a man of Years a great Soldier and one chosen for his Valour and Bravery for the defence of Belgrade