for want of victuals if he should there long stay leauing there his sonne Saladin or as some call him his nephew with a thousand horsemen for the keeping of the citie secretly by night departed thence himselfe with the rest of his armie and passing through the deserts did great harme in the vpper parts of AEGYPT Of whose departure Almericus vnderstanding was about to haue followed him but that he was otherwise persuaded by the Aegyptian captaines to continue his former purpose for the gaining of the citie Wherefore now after the departure of Saracon he began to approch the wals and with diuers engines of war to disturbe the defendants wherwith the citizens better acquainted with the trade of marchandize than the feats of war discouraged began now to consult among themselues for the turning out of those troublesome guests whom they had so lately receiued which Saladin perceiuing certified Saracon his vncle thereof requesting his speedie reliefe in that his so dangerous estate and with much intreatie persuaded the citizens for a while to hold it out vntill he might from him receiue answere of all which the Christians and Aegyptians without hauing intelligence laid so much the harder vnto the citie Gladly would Saracon haue done what hee was by his nephew requested but perceiuing it to be a matter of no lesse danger than difficultie he by the means of Hugh countie of CESAREA one Arnolphus another noble Christian both then prisoners with him concluded a peace with the king whereupon the citie was foorthwith yeelded vp and Saladin with his Turkes suffred in safetie to depart At which time also all prisoners were on both sides freely and without ransom set at libertie Thus Saracon for this time disappointed of his purpose for the conquest of AEGYPT returned backe againe to DAMASCO and Almericus with great glorie to ASCALON where he arriued with his armie the 21 of September in the yeare 1167. In this late expedition king Almericus on the one side enflamed with the wealth of AEGYPT and on the other encouraged with the weaknesse of that effeminat people resting for the most part vpon forreigne strength had purposed himselfe to inuade the kingdome so if possibly he might to joyne it to his owne For colour whereof it was pretended that the Sultan contrarie to his faith before giuen had secretly sought to joyne in league and amitie with Noradin the Turke king of DAMASCO The chiefe stirrer vp of the king vnto this war was one Gerbert master of the Templars who in respect of the aid by them of his order to be giuen had obtained of the king after the victorie gained to haue the citie of PELVSIVM with all the rich countrey about the same giuen vnto him and his brethren the knights of the order for euer Vpon which hope he contrarie 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 readinesse for so great an enterprise Almericus with his armie set forward in October and hauing in ten daies passed the sandie desert came to PELVSIVM which citie he after three daies siege tooke by force and put to sword all them that were therein without respect of age sex or condition which citie he according to his promise before made gaue vnto the Templars After that he began also to besiege CAIRE at which time his fleet sacked the citie of TAPIVM In the meane time Sanar the Aegyptian Sultan considering the danger he was in to satisfie Almericus his greedie desire offred to pay him twentie hundred thousand duckats to withdraw his forces and foorthwith sent him one hundred thousand for the ransom of his sonne and his nephew taken prisoners at PELVSIVM and for the rest to be paid within few daies after he gaue two of his nephews hostages Neuerthelesse the payment he deferred from day to day of purpose in the meane time to raise the whole power of AEPGYT as also to receiue aid from the Turks by Saracon which he dayly expected of whose speedie comming Almericus vnderstanding left part of his armie at PELVSIVM with the rest went to haue met him but missing him by the way Saracon with his Turks came in safetie to CAIRE vnto the Sultan as he had desired Wherefore Almericus dismaid with the multitude of two so great armies now joyned together retired backe againe to PELVSIVM and there taking with him the garrison before left returned home to HIERUSALEM hauing in that expedition begun with the breach of faith laid the foundation of the ruine of his kingdome as in few yeeres after it by proofe appeared by the euill neighbourhood of the Turks by that meanes brought downe into AEGYPT Saracon the Turke after the departure of Almericus easily perceiuing a most fit time and opportunitie to be offred for him now to obtaine that which he had in vaine before both sought and fought for encamped with his armie neere vnto CAIRE and notably counterfeited himselfe of all others the most deuoted friend of the Sultans so that betwixt them two passed all the kind tokens of loue and friendship that could possibly be deuised the Sultan oftentimes feasting the Turke and in kindnesse likewise being feasted of him But at length going as his manner was vnto the campe to visit him he was by the Turks slaine So Saracon hauing brought to passe what he desired and entring the citie with his armie was by the great Caliph from whom the Aegyptian Sultans as from their superiours the true successours of their great prophet Mahomet tooke their authoritie appointed Sultan the first of the Turks that euer enjoyed the same which royall dignitie he had not possessed fully a yeere but that he was taken away by death In whose steed Saladine his brothers sonne by and by stept vp who altogether a martiall man not regarding the reuerend majestie of the Caliph as had his vncle Saracon all the Aegyptian Sultans before him with his horsemans mase strucke out his braines and not so contented vtterly rooted out all his posteritie the better to assure himselfe and his successours the Turks in the possession of his new gotten kingdome and after that diuided the great treasures of the Aegyptians among his Turkes to encourage them the more to follow him in his warres against the Christians This glorious kingdome so much spoken of in holy Scripture and renowmed of the learned historiographers of all ages after the ruine of the Romane empire was somtime part of the Constantinopolitane empire and a notable member of the Christian common weale vntill that about the yeere of our Lord 704 the Aegyptians wearie of the pride couetousnes of the Graecians reuolted from them vnto the Sarasins whose superstition they also receiued and so vnder the gouernment of the Sarasin Caliphs the successors of the false prophet Mahomet liued about 464 yeares vntill that now being
with one consent changed their purpose for AEGIPT and turning their forces quite contrarie way miserably and without resistance wasted the countrey about EMISSA and CESARIA Whilest the Christians were thus busied in CALOSIRIA Saladin on the other side tooke occasion out of AEGIPT to inuade the kingdome of HIERUSALEM of whose comming king Baldwin hauing intelligence with such small forces as he had left hasted himselfe to ASCALON In the meane time Saladin with a great armie was entred into the holy land where burning the countrey before him and raging in the blood of the poore Christians hee came and encamped not farre from ASCALON and strucke such a feare vpon the whole countrey that they which dwelt in HIERUSALEM were about to haue forsaken the citie As for the king himselfe he lay close within the citie of ASCALON not daring to aduenture vpon so strong an enemie Wherwith Saladin encouraged and out of feare of his enemies dispersed his armie some one way some another to forrage the countrey Which the king perceiuing secretly with all his power issued out of the citie if happily so he might ouertake the Sultan vnawares Neither was he deceiued in his expectation for comming suddainly vpon him and secretly charging him he had with him for a good space an hard and doubtfull battell vntill that the victorie by the power of God at length enclining to the Christians Saladin with his Turkes fled ouerthrown with a great slaughter most part of his great armie being either there slaine or lost afterward with hunger and cold This victorie fell vnto the Christians the 25 day of Nouember in the yeare 1177 not without the mightie hand of God the Turke hauing in his armie about six and twentie thousand horsemen and the king not past foure hundred horse with some few footmen After which victorie Baldwin in great triumph returned to HIERUSALEM and there shortly after with great care and diligence repaired the decayed wals of the citie Saladin in reuenge of this ouerthrow made diuerse incursions into the frontiers of the Christians and did great harme especially in the countrey about SIDON For the repressing whereof the king put himselfe in armes and going against him ouerthrew part of his armie as they were carrying away a great bootie Of which ouerthrow Saladin vnderstanding came in such hast with the rest of his armie as if it had been a suddaine tempest vpon the Christians then in great securitie deuiding the spoile of whom they slew a great number and put the rest to flight In which so suddaine a confusion Otto grand master of the Templars and Hugh the eale of TRIPOLIS his sonne in law were both taken prisoners The earle himselfe with a few fled to TYRE the king also at the same time was glad to shift for himselfe and by flight to saue himselfe as he might After which victorie Saladin besieged a strong castle which the king but the yeare before had built vpon the banke of the riuer of IORDAN and giuen it to the Templars with the countrey round about which castle Saladin tooke by force and put to sword all that were therein except some few whom he carried away prisoners By this victorie Saladin became dreadfull vnto the Christians in SYRIA which caused them especially such as had any charge with more vigilancie to looke about them Yet shortly after a peace was for a time concluded betwixt the Sultan and the king whereby their troubled estates breathed themselues almost the space of two yeares But this so welcome a calme was by domesticall troubles againe by the kings friends suddenly troubled For the countie of TRIPOLIS to whom the gouernment of the kingdome was committed comming towards HIERUSALEM being by the suggestion of his enemies brought into suspition with the king as if he had affected the kingdome was to his great disgrace by the way commanded to stay The cheefe 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 earle had wrought the kings sicke mind according to their owne appetites But the rest of the nobilitie wisely foreseeing vnto what great danger that discord might tend in despight of them with much labour caused him to be sent for againe and so reconciled vnto the king By which meanes that dangerous fire of dissention was for that time appeased which afterwards brake out againe to the vtter ruine of that kingdome Saladin now wearie of the league he had before made with king Baldwin as no longer standing with his hautie designes renounced the same and raising a great power in AEGIPT set forward toward DAMASCO Of whose comming king Baldwin hauing knowledge with the whole power of his kingdome went to haue met him not farre from the dead Sea and there encamped at an old towne called PETRA But Saladin turning out of the way into the kings territorie came and encamped before MOUNT-ROIALL a castle which Baldwin had giuen vnto the Templars about three daies march from the place where the king lay There Saladin with the spoile of the countrey refreshing his armie now wearie of long trauell set forward againe and so without resistance arriued with his armie at DAMASO At the same time the Turks captaines about DAMASCO BOSTRUM and EMISSA perceiuing the frontiers of the Christians thereabout to be kept but with small strength passed ouer IORDAN and spoiling a great part of GALILEY besieged the castle of BURY at the foot of mount TABOR not farre from the citie of NAIM which castle they in few dayes tooke and hauing there made a great slaughter carried away with them about fiue hundred prisoners Saladin being come to DAMASCO called together all the garrisons of that kingdome and joyning them vnto the forces he brought out of AEGYPT entred into the Holy land at which time the countie of TRIPOLIS gouernour of the kingdome lay sicke of a burning feauer Neuerthelesse the king encouraged by the knights of the order went out with his armie against him and encountring with him neere vnto a village called FROBOLET ouerthrew him in a great battell wherein and afterward in the flight most part of the Sultans armie perished Saladin himselfe being glad by speedie flight to escape the danger and so by long marches to get him againe to DAMASCO In reuenge of this ouerthrow Saladin hauing repaired his armie and sent for his fleet out of AEGIPT came and besieged BERYTVS both by sea and land at which time also his brother whom he had left gouernour in AEGIPT besieged DARVM a strong towne in the vttermost bounds of the kingdome of HIERUSALEM towards AEGIPT Both whose forces Baldwin being not able at once to represse by the counsell of his nobilitie thought it best first to relieue BERYTVS as the place of greater importance And for that purpose set forward with his armie by land hauing also rigged vp three and thirtie gallies at TYRE for
Bassa of AGRIA going out with ten thousand Turkes in hope to haue surprised TOCCAIB a strong hold of the Christians in the vpper HVNGARIE was encountred by Ferrant Gonzaga the emperours lieutenant there and by him ouerthrowne and with great slaughter of his Turks chased to the gates of AGRIA Now was Mahomet the Turkish emperour this yeare also no lesse troubled with the proceedings of the Scriuano in CARAMANIA and NATOLIA than with the euill successe of his affaires in TRANSYLVANIA and HVNGARIE For the Scriuano by his last yeares victorie growne into great credit with the common people and still by them more and more followed to maintaine the reputation of his credit came now againe this yeare with a great power into the field to meet with Mahomet the great Bassa and Generall of the Turkes armie who with fiftie thousand good souldiors a power thought sufficient to haue repressed him was readie to encounter him With whom the Scriuano joyning battell in a great fight â—ut in sunder a great part of the Bassaes armie and so became master of the field forraged all the countries adjoyning almost as farre as ALEPPO still calling the people vnto libertie and causing himselfe to be proclaimed the true defender of the Mahometane faith and of the liberties of those coâ—â—tries with him combined in such sort as that it now stood the great Turke vpon to send an other great armie to the aid of Mahomet the discomfited Bassa With whom also the Scriuano presuming of his former fortune comming to a day of battell and ouercharged with the multitude of his enemies was at the first encounter with his people put to the worse but forthwith by his good direction hauing repaired his disordered battell and thereby giuen as it were new courage to his fainting souldiors he with a great slaughter disordered also the Bassaes armie Yet hauing not any other firme state or stay to rest vpon more than the fauour and reputation he held with these his rebellious followers of whom he had now lost a great many he thought it not best to aduenture too far not knowing how presently to repaire his losses but contenting himselfe with that he had alreadie done retired with his armie into the strength of the mountaines there that Winter to liue vpon the spoile of the countries adjoining and the next yeare to do more harme than euer he had done before Beside all which former troubles the plague also this yeare sore raged both in CONSTANTINOPLE and many other places of the Turkish empire At which time also the Ianizaries at CONSTANTINOPLE hauing receiued some disgrace by some of the great Sultans fauourits and with great insolencie requiring to haue their heads caused their Aga well accompanied presumptuously to enter into the Seraglio to preferre this their request Whom Mahomet to the terrour of the rest caused for his presumption to be taken into the middest of the Spahi and so by them to be cut in pieces which was not done without the great slaughter of the Spahi themselues also slaine by the Ianizaries Whereupon the other Ianizaries arising vp in armes also and euen now readie to haue reuenged the death of their captaine were yet by the wisedome of Cicala Bassa bestowing amongst them a great summe of money againe appeased without farther harme doing Which their so great insolencie Mahomet imputing vnto their excessiue drinking of wine contrarie to the law of their great Prophet by the persuasion of the Muftie commaunded all such as had any wine in their houses in CONSTANTINOPLE or PERA vpon paine of death to bring it out and to staue it except the embassadours of the Queene of ENGLAND the French king and of the State of VENICE so that as some report wine for a space ran down the channels of the streets in CONSTANTINOPLE as if it had been water after a great shower of raine Sigismund the Transyluanian prince now of late againe possessed of TRANSYLVANIA as is before declared could not yet well assure himselfe of the keeping thereof for that he with the Transyluanians of his faction alone was not able to withstand the force of Basta who still strengthened with new supplies both of men and all things else necessarie for the warres from the Emperour was now with a great power alreadie entred into TRANSYLVANIA the Polonians busied in the warres of SUEVIA and the Turkes with their other greater affaires neither of them sending him their promised aid the greatest hope and stay of himselfe in that newnesse of his state Wherefore seeing himselfe euerie day to loose one place or other and fearing also least his souldiors for want of pay should in short time quite forsake him and go ouer to Basta he thought it best betimes and whilest he had yet something left and was not yet altogither become desperat otherwise to prouide for his estate especially hauing small trust in the Turkes to whom he had before been so great an enemie Wherefore he dealt with Basta for a truce or cessation from armes vntill embassadours might be sent vnto the emperour to entreat with him for some good attonement Wherewith Basta being content and the embassadours sent the matter was so handled with the Emperour that Sigismund to make an end of all these troubles was contented to the behoofe of his Imperiall majestie to resigne vnto Basta his lieutenant all such places as he yet held in TRANSYLVANIA vpon much like conditions he had about three yeares before made with him and so in all and for all to submit himselfe vnto his majestie Which intended surrender of the princes being bruted in TRANSYLVANIA Zachell Moises his lieutenant and now in field with the princes forces not able to endure or to heare that that noble prouince should againe fall into the hands of the Germanes encouraging his souldiors went vpon the sudden to assaile Basta in hope to haue found him vnprouided and so discomfiting his armie to haue driuen the Imperials quite out of TRANSYLVANIA But he an old and expert commaunder perceiuing euen the first mouing of the Transyluanians with great sceleritie put his armie in good order and so joyned battell with them wherein hee with the losse of some fiue hundred men ouerthrew Moises with his armie of Transyluanians Turkes and Tartars hauing slaine aboue three thousand of them and put the rest to flight Moises himselfe with some few others being now glad to take their refuge into the frontiers of the Turkes territories towards TEMESVVAR But when Sigismund vnderstood what his lieutenant had without his knowledge done he in token of his owne innocencie went himselfe vnto the Imperiall campe accompanied only with certaine of his Gentlemen and there vnto Basta excused himselfe of that which was by his lieutenant against his will and without his priuitie done frankly offering to performe whatsoeuer was on his part to be performed according to the agreement made betwixt the Emperour and him And so presently calling his garrisons out of
the releefe thereof by sea Of which preparation Saladin vnderstanding as also of the kings comming by letters intercepted by his scouts directed to the besieged for the holding out of the siege with promise of speedie reliefe he presentâ—y rise with his armie and departed whereof the king being aduertised retired to SEPHOR Not long after Saladin according to his ambitious nature desirous aboue measure to extend the bounds of his kingdome and seeing the successe of his attempts against the king of HIERUSALEM not answerable to his desire conuerted his forces vnto the countries more eastward and passing the riuer EUPHRATES and entring into MESOPOTAMIA partly by force partly by corruption got into his hand the cities of EDESSA CARRAS and diuers others In which time the king of HIERUSALEM tooke occasion first to spoile the country about DAMASCO and after that diuers other places of the Sultans kingdome making hauock of whatsoeuer came in his way and so laded with the spoile of the Turkes retired to HIERUSALEM Saladin with victorie returning out of MESOPOTAMIA in reuenge of the injuries done vnto him in his absence marched directly to ALEPPO the strongest citie of the Christians in that part of SYRIA which aboue all other he longed after where hee had not long lien but that it was by the treason of the gouernour deliuered into his hands with all the countrie thereabouts wherwith the Christian princes were so discouraged that they euen then began to feare greater matters to ensue The prince of ANTIOCH sould TARSVS the metropoliticall citie 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 farre from him and Saladin as it were now stept in betwixt him and it At the same time king Baldwin at NAZARETH fell sicke of a feauer the leprosie also his old disease growing dayly more and more vpon him in so much that dispairing of his life he called vnto him Guy Lusignan countie of IOPPA and ASCALON vnto whom he had before espoused Sybill his eldest sister and in the presence of his mother the Patriarch and all the chiefe commaunders of the souldiers of the sacred war appointed him gouernour of the kingdome reseruing vnto himselfe only the title of a king with the citie of HIERUSALEM and a yearely pension of ten thousand duckats All which was done to the great disgrace and discontentment of the countie of TRIPOLIS the old gouernour It was not long but that Saladin hauing breathed himselfe a little after so great labours came againe into the Holy land where he tooke many castles and did infinit harme in so much that the countrey people were glad for feare to forsake their houses and to flie into cities The Christian armie in the meane time lying fast by at SEPHOR not once moouing although many a faire occasion were offred For the chiefe commaunders affectionated vnto the countie of TRIPOLIS and enuying at the preferment of Guy the new gouernour were vnwilling to fight but finding one excuse or other suffered the enemie at his pleasure to spoile the countrey and so in safetie to depart which he had neuer before done in those quarters Within lesse than a moneth after Saladin with a great armie well appointed with all the habilliments of war needfull for the besieging of a citie or strong castle came againe into the land of PALESTINE and passing through the countrey beyond IORDAN sat downe at last before PETRA in hope by the taking thereof to haue made his passage betweene AEGYPT and DAMASCO more safe Of which his purpose king Baldwin hauing knowledge and taught by the euill successe of late to what small purpose it was to commit the managing of his wars vnto a generall so euill beloued and lesse regarded as was Guy his brother in law sent against him with his armie Raymund the countie of TRIPOLIS the old gouernour whom he had againe restored vnto the gouernment and displaced Guy Of whose comming Saladin hearing raised his siege after he had lien there a moneth and so departed A little before this expedition the king still growing sicker and sicker his foule disease still increasing by the common consent of the nobilitie appointed Baldwin his nephew by his sister Sybylla a child but of fiue yeares old to succeed him in the kingdome and the countie of TRIPOLIS to haue the gouernment of the state during the time of his minoritie This Sybilla the kings sister was first married to William the yoonger marquesse of MOUNT-FERRAT who dying within three months after left her with child with this his posthumus sonne Baldwin now by his vncle deputed vnto the hope of the kingdome After whose death she was married to Guy Lusignan countie of IOPPA and ASCALON the late gouernour who taking in euill part this the kings designement especially for the gouernment of the kingdome by the countie of TRIâ—OLIS departed from the court as a man discontented vnto his citie 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 parlament at the citie of ACON most humbly requesting him for auoiding of further danger and the safetie of his kingdome to receiue againe into his fauour the countie Guy his brother in law and to make an attonement betwixt him and the countie of TRIPOLIS But this their request sorted to no purpose so that the parlament was dissolued without any thing for the good of the commonweale in that point concluded After that time the kingdome of HIERUSALEM began still more and more to decline In the old king Baldwin sicke both in bodie and mind was almost no hope in the yoong king yet vnfit for so great a burthen much lesse and the dissention betwixt the two counties Guy and Raymund with their fauorits was like enough to bring great harme vnto the state Besides that the countie of TRIPOLIS fearing the power of Guy his enemy was thought to haue secret intelligence with Saladin the Turke in so much that the king was almost in purpose to haue proclaimed him traitour Wherefore the king now rested onely vpon the counsell of William archbishop of TYRE and the masters of the knights of the sacred war by whose aduise he sent Heraclius Patriarch of HIERUSALEM Roger Molins master of the kinghts of S. Iohns and Arnold master of the Templars embassadours vnto Lucius the third then Pope vnto Fredericke the emperour Philip the French king and Henrie the second king of ENGLAND to declare vnto them the dangerous state of that Christian kingdome and to craue their aid against the Infidels These embassadours comming to the Counsell then holden at VERONA with great grauitie and diligence in the presence of the Pope and of the emperour declared the hard estate of the Christians of the East with their humble request vnto them for aid in such sort that they mooued
them with all the princes there present to compassion From thence they were by the Pope directed vnto Philip the French king with whom hauing dispatched their affaires they from him passed ouer into ENGLAND afterward into GERMANIE and had at length broght their negotiation to so good passe that in euerie place great preparation was made for a great expedition to be vndertaken against the Turks for the reliefe of the Christians in the East with which good newes the embassadours returning to HIERUSALEM filled the sicke king with the hope of great matters But greater quarrels shortly after arising betwixt the Pope and the emperour and sharpe 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 againe laid aside and quite dashed Whereof king Baldwin vnderstanding both by messengers and letters from his friends oppressed with griefe and heauinesse more than with the force of his disease a man for his prowesse and painefulnesse not inferiour to any his predecessours died without issue the 16 day of May in the yeare 1185 being but fiue and twentie yeares old whereof he had raigned twelue His bodie was afterward with the generall mourning of his subjects solemnly buried in the temple neere vnto the mount CALVARIE together with his predecessours the kings of HIERUSALEM King Baldwin thus buried Baldwin the fift of that name yet but a boy was crowned king But then began the sparks which had of long lien raked vp hidden in the ashes to break out into a great fire For Raymund countie of TRIPOLIS contended the whole gouernment of the kingdome tuition of the king to be due vnto him by the appointment of the late king consent of the nobilitie and did so much that he had almost obtained it to haue beene confirmed vnto him in open parlament But Sybilla a woman of a most haughty spirit sister vnto the late king mother vnto the yoong king yet liuing prickt forward her husband Guy in no case to giue place vnto his competitour Raymund and so animated him that by the helpe of his owne fauourits and the countenance of Boniface marquesse of MOVNT-FERRAT who euen then was come with a great power into SIRIA he extorted from the nobilitie whatsoeuer hee desired But seuen moneths were scarce well passed but that this yoong king Baldwin was dead and buried poysoned as was reported by his mother for the desire shee had of the kingdome herselfe whose death she with all secrecie concealed vntill she had obtained of the Patriarch and other princes of the kingdome That Guy her husband might be proclaimed king So by her meanes it was so wrought that vpon one and the selfe same day the yoong king Baldwin was buried by his vncle and Guy the countie crowned This yoong king Baldwin by reason of his tender yeares and short raigne is of some not reckoned amongst the kings of HIERUSALEM howbeit seeing he was by his vncle and the princes of that time thought woorthy of the kingdome let him also haue his place amongst the rest as the eight king of HIERUSALEM When Guy was thus possessed of the kingdome the countie of TRIPOLIS seeing himselfe out of all hope of the gouernment and highly therewith discontented did what he might by all meanes to crosse the doings of the king whose sicke and aspiring mind Saladin prickt dayly more and more forward promising him his helping hand whensoeuer hee should need which courtesie the countie desirously imbraced For now the fatall period of the kingdome of HIERUSALEM drew fast on and all things tended to destruction discord raigning in euerie place which Saladin well perceiuing after that he had compacted with the countie by messengers sent of purpose inuited the Turks Sarasins Aegyptians as men agreeing in one and the same religion generally to take vp armes in so fit an oportunitie of the discord of the Christians assuring them of great prey and spoile besides the honour of the conquest The citie of PTOLEMAIS was the place by him appointed where all this power should meet whether such a multitude of the barbarous Mahometanes partly for the hatred of the Christian religion partly for the hope of the rich spoile which Saladin had promised them came flocking out of all places that in short time there was met together about fiftie thousand horsemen besides an infinit number of foot And vnto such as could not safely passe by the borders of HIERUSALEM to them the false countie gaue safe conduct by the countries of TIBERIAS NAZARETH and GALILEY All the power of the infidels thus assembled Saladin laid siege vnto the citie of PTOLEMAIS which the Templars and the knights Hospitalers had notably fortefied and strongly manned as before vnto them giuen by the kings of HIERUSALEM to defend against the infidels and therein now were both the masters of both those honourable orders with the whole flower of the knights of their profession Vnto this citie Saladin gaue a most terrible assault vpon May day in the morning in the yeare 1187 which was by the Christians notably defended and the enemie with great slaughter still beaten downe In the heat of this assault the two great masters sallying out with certaine troupes of their most readie horsemen assailed the enemies campe and bearing down all before them raised there a great tumult and by and by turning vpon the backs of them that were assaulting the citie made there an exceeding great slaughter Insomuch that Saladin dismaied first with the confusion in his campe and now with the suddain danger behind him was glad to giue ouer the assault and to turne his whole forces vpon them where was fought a most bloodie and terrible battell Amongst others that there fought the countie of TRIPOLIS now an enemie vnto God and his country disguised in the habit of a Turke notably helped the infidels and meeting with the great master of the knights Hospitalers vnhorsed him who surcharged with the waight of his armour and oppressed with the multitude of his enemies there died Neuerthelesse such was the valour of these woorthie men and new succour still comming out of the citie that Saladin hauing in that battell and at the assault lost fifteene thousand of his Turks was glad with the rest to betake himselfe to flight Neither was this so notable a victorie gained by the Christians without blood most part of the worthie knights Hospitalers being together with their grand master there slaine Saladin by this ouerthrow perceiuing that by open force he should not be able to doe much against the Christians thought it good vnto his forces to joyne also pollicie Wherein the false countie of TRIPOLIS was the man he thought best to make choice of as his fittest instrument to worke by Him hee compacted withall to seeke for grace at the king of HIERUSALEM his
and so marching directly on to ICONIVM tooke it by force and gaue the spoile thereof vnto his souldiors in reuenge of the injuries before done vnto his vncle the emperour Conrade by the Sultan of that citie Departing thence and marching through CILICIA he in another battell ouerthrew the Turkes that hauing taken the straits of the mountaines had thought to haue staied his farther passage into SYRIA After that he tooke the citie PHILOMELA which the Sultan had strongly fortefied which he rased to the ground and put to sword all the people therein for that they contrarie to the law of nations had slaine such messengers as he had sent vnto them for the summoning of the citie In like manner he entred into the lesser ARMENIA where he took the citie MELITENE and subdued all the countrey thereabouts vnto the reliefe whereof the Turkes comming with a most huge armie were by him with an exceeding great slaughter ouerthrowne and put to flight After that entring into COMAGENA and meeting with Saphadin Saladin his sonne with a great armie of the Turks he ouerthrew him in the plaine field and discomfited his whole armie But whilest he too eagerly pursueth the enemie he had then in chace his horse â—oundring vnder him as he passed the riuer SALEPH he was so ouerthrowne and his foot hanging fast in his stirrop drawne through the deepe riuer and almost drowned and at the farther side of the riuer was so plunged by his horse at his landing that he was taken vp for dead Yet breathing a little and casting his eyes vp to heauen with much adoe he vttered these few words Lord receiue my soule and so in the hands of them that tooke him vp gaue vp the ghost vnto the great greefe and hindrance of the Christian commonweale for Saladin hearing of his approch was so afraid of him as that he began to doubt not how to keepe that he had before woon in SYRIA but how to defend himselfe in AEGIPT Thus miserably perished this worthie emperour the tenth of Iune in the yeare of grace 1190 being then of the age of seuentie yeares whereof he had with much trouble raigned eight and thirtie His dead bodie was caried along with the armie and afterward with all funerall pompe buried in the cathedrall church at TYRE Fredericke the emperour thus dead Fredericke his sonne duke of SUEVIA was by the generall consent of the princes in the armie chosen generall in his steed vpon whom with the rest of the armie yet mourning for the death of the emperour the Turkes gaue a sudden and fierce charge in hope so to haue ouerthrown them But finding greater resistance than they had before supposed and hauing lost some of their men they with like speed that they came retired againe Now began famine one of the ordinarie attendants of great armies to increase in the campe for why the Turkes for that purpose had before destroied or carried away all that was in the countrie leauing nothing for the Christians more than the bare ground Wherefore Fredericke turning a little out of the way came to ANTIOCH which was easily deliuered vnto him and his hungrie souldiers well refreshed by the citizens being as yet for the most part Christians But he had not there staied past fifteene daies for the refreshing of his armie but that the plague the handmaid of famine and another scourge of the greatest multitudes began to rage among his souldiers in such sort that he was glad with his armie to forsake the citie and to get him abroad againe into the open field where foorthwith newes was brought vnto him that Dodequin generall of such forces as Saladin had sent for out of AEGYPT which were not small was by great journeis comming towards him against whom he in good order set forward with his fathers corse still carried in the middest of his armie These two armies meeting together and both willing to fight joyned a great and doubtfull battell fortune enclining now to the one side and by and by to the other the Christians exceeding their enemies in valour and they them againe in number At length the Christians in the vauntguard began to retire and they that seconded them were also hardly charged when Fredericke mindfull of his fathers valour with a troupe of valiant horsemen brake into the enemies battell with such force that the Turkes were glad to giue ground after whom Leopold duke of AVSTRIA comming presently on with his footmen brought such a feare vpon the whole armie of the Turkes that they betooke themselues to speedie flight In this battell were foure thousand of the enemies slaine with small losse of the Christians and about one thousand mo taken prisoners with fifteene of their ensignes After which victorie Fredericke marching further in CaeLO-SYRIA pacified LAODICEA then in mutinie and like to haue been deliuered vnto the Turks He also with a little labour tooke BERYTHVS with diuers other cities of SIRIA which before belonging vnto the kings of HIERUSALEM were now reuolted vnto the Turks So afterward comming to TYRE he there solemnly buried his father dead as is before said from thence certified Guy the king still lying with the other Christian princes at the siege of PTOLEMAIS of his comming who forthwith sent the Marques 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 haue come being now but weake for meeting with Saladin who with a great armie lay still houering about his besieged citie intentiue to all opportunitie So was duke Frederick with his souldiers yet left safely by sea conducted from TYRE to the campe at PTOLEMAIS and there joyfully receiued by the king and the other princes with the generall applause of the whole campe In the meane time the Turks sayling out of the citie of PTOLEMAIS had done great harme among the Christians by whom they were not without some losse againe repulsed But after the comming of duke Frederick and his Germains it was thought good by the generall consent of all the great commanders in the armie that the citie should be assaulted round and to that purpose was euery mans regiment appointed what place to assaile The king himself with the Templars and the Italians from PISA vndertooke that part of the citie which was toward the sea vnto duke Frederick and his Germains was allotted all betwixt the bridge ouer the riuer BELE and the bishops palace the Venetians Genowaies and knights Hospitalers were appointed vnto the rest of the wall as farre as the court of Raymund the Friselanders Flemings and Hollanders tooke vp all the rest of the wall vnto the sea side Thus was the citie at once in euerie side assailed by the Christians with such furie as if they had thereon purposed to gage their whole forces seeking by a thousand wounds and a thousand kinds of death to haue by their scaling ladders gained the top of the
could not take in good part but said That it was apparant to all men that he abandoned the warres in SYRIA to returne into FRAVNCE for no other end or purpose but the more easily to inuade the prouinces of GVIEN and NORMANDIE now disfurnished of their garrisons and so subject to his mallice Which point hee so vrged that the French king could haue no leaue with his honour to depart vntill such time as he had by solemne oath bound himselfe vnto king Richard not to attempt any thing either by force or fraud against him or any thing of his vntill fiftie dayes were expired after king Richard his return home Which how well it was by the French king obserued I leaue it to the report of the hystories of that time And so the French king not to be intreated longer to stay leauing behind him the aforesaid number of men he had promised embarking the rest of his armie and accompanied with three tall ships of the Genowaies his friends and Ruffin Volta their admirall departed from PTOLEMAIS to TYRE the first of August and two daies after loosing thence alongst the coast of ASIA and cutting through the Mediteranean arriued at length in the mouth of the riuer of TYBER and from thence went to ROME where after he had visited Pope Celestine and the famous places of that most renowned citie he returned againe to his fleet and so by sea arriued in safetie in FRAUNCE hauing in that great expedition so honourably by him intertained performed nothing answerable to that the world looked for After the French king followed Leopold duke of AUSTRIA with his Germans and not long after him the Venetians also with them of PISA and GENUA Of whose departure Saladin vnderstanding and that the Christian forces were thereby much empaired refused either to pay the money or to restore the prisoners as was promised at the giuing vp of PTOLEMAIS threatning moreouer to chop off the heads of all such Christian captiues as he had in his power if the king should shew any extremitie vnto the pledges of the citie Neuerthelesse shortly after he sent his embassadours with great presents vnto the king requesting a longer time for the sparing of his pledges which his request together with his gifts the king refused to graunt or accept Whereupon Saladin foorthwith caused such Christian captiues as were in his power to bee beheaded which albeit king Richard vnderstood yet would hee not preuent the time before agreed vpon for the execution of his prisoners being the 20 day of August vpon which day hee 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 Saladines armie to be executed The losse of the strong towne of PTOLEMAIS much empaired the reputation of Saladin euen among his owne people as it commonly falleth out that the euill successe of a great commander in his affaires altereth the good will affection and opinion especially of the vulgar sort which judge of all things by the euent 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 owne hands as it were to ruinate and ouerthrow such townes and cities as he saw hee could not keepe rather than to suffer them whole and vndefaced to fall into the enemies hand So carried headlong with despaire he caused all the townes he had alongst the sea coast in SYRIA and PALESTINE to be sacked and ruinated and their wals ouethrowne especially such as were of most importance and like to stand the Christians in stead namely PORPHIRIA CESAREA IOPPA ASCALON GAZA and ELAM with diuers other castles and citadels in the countries thereabouts most part whereof were againe by king Richard and the Templars fortified and repeopled although Saladin in the meane time did what he might to haue 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 themselues one still enuying at anothers honour and euery one jealous of his owne Great strife and heart burning there had beene betweene the two kings of FRAVNCE and ENGLAND during the time they were together in this sacred expedition to the great hinderance of the same No lesse contention had there ben betwixt Guy the late king of HIERUSALEM and Conrade marques of MONT-FERRAT about the title of that lost kingdome whereby the whole power of the Christians in SIRIA was deuided into two factions Richard king of ENGLAND Baldwin earle of FLAUNDERS Henrie earle of CHAMPAINE the knights Hospitalers of Saint Iohn the Venetians and Pisans taking part with Guy And Philip the french king Odo duke of BURGUNDIE Rodolph earle of CLAREMONT the Templers the Genowayes the Lantgraue of THURIN Leopold duke of AVSTRIA and Robert countie of NASSAU taking part with Conrade the marques But Conrade shortly after the taking of PTOLOMAIS being slaine by two of the desperate Assassins or as some others say by two desperate ruffians suborned thereunto by the prince of TORONE in reuenge of the dispite done vnto him by the said marques by taking from him Isabell his espoused wife as he was walking in his citie of TYRE and doubting no such treason king Richard seeing now a fit occasion offered for the vtter extinguishing of that claime and how to intitle himselfe vnto that kingdome persuaded the aforesaid Isabell the widdow of the late Marques and in whose right hee had laied claime vnto the kingdome to relinquish that so troublesome a title and to take to her husband Henry earle of CHAMPAINE his nephew vnto whom he gaue the citie of TYRE Guy the king exclaiming to the contrarie as of a wrong done vnto himselfe Shortly after he began also to temper with Guy persuading him to resigne vnto him that little right and interest hee had in the kingdome of HIERUSALEM and in lieu thereof to receiue at his hands the kingdome of CIPRUS Which his offer the poore king was glad to accept By which exchange Guy became king of CIPRUS and Richard king of HIERUSALEM which honorable title he afterwards as some report vsed in his stile as did some others his successors the kings of ENGLAND after him So Guy with all his wealth passing ouer into CIPRUS took possession of the kingdome where he long liued not Neuerthelesse that pleasant kingdome continued in his familie of the Lusignans by the space of about 283 yeares afterwards vntill that at length that familie failing in the posthumus sonne 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 seignorie almost an hundred yeares vntill that it was in our fresh remembrance again from them taken by Selymus the second great emperour of the Turks in the yeare 1571 as in the processe of this historie shall
carried to NICE was by the emperour his son in law notwithstanding his euill deserts well intreated and vsed Whilest the Latins thus spend those forces in subuerting of the Greeke empire which should haue been imployed for the releefe of the Christians in SYRIA and that the Greeke emperour Liscaris was thus troubled with the Turks the affaires of the Christians in SYRIA and the Holy land grew still worse and worse Whereof the knights Hospitalers and Templars the cheefe champions of the Christian religion in those countries greatly blamed Americus the king of CYPRUS for that he being so neere at hand and hauing married Isabella the heire of that kingdome and so in her right taken vpon him the title of the king of HIERUSALEM gaue himselfe wholly to pleasure doing nothing for the defence or reliefe of the poore distressed Christians or repressing of the Turkes who although they were yet in league with the Christians there and at some discord also among themselues yet spared not as occasion serued still more and more to encroach vpon them and by building of new castles fortresses to cut them short Of all which things the aforesaid knights by their embassadours certefied Innocentius the Pope requesting his fatherly care for the remedie therof certefying him withall That there was yet liuing one Mary the daughter of the marquesse of MONT-FERRAT a ladie of rare beautie whom they as her tutors had brought vp in hope of the kingdome and now were readie to bestow her vpon some such man as he should thinke worthie of her together with the right she had vnto the kingdome Hereupon Innocentius discharging Almericus of the title of the kingdome of HIERUSALEM gaue it to Iohn countie de Brenne of DAULPHINIE in FRANCE a man of great fame and valour then in armes with the other Latin princes against the Greeks Who now returning home commended his earledome to his brother and with such power as he was able to make setting forward came first to VENICE where he was royally entertained and from thence sayling to CONSTANTINOPLE was with like honour receiued by the emperour Henry and so at length the fift of September arriued at PTOLEMAIS in SYRIA where he was with the great rejoycing and applause of the people receiued as their king And the last of the same moneth marrying the aforesaid ladie Marie at TYRE was there together with her with great solemnitie crowned king in the yeare 1209 which Almericus the old king of CYPRUS hearing shortly after died for griefe Neither wanted this noble gentleman thus honoured with the title of a kingdome some that enuied at his promotion and therfore commonly called him in dirision a king but still with this addition Sans Ville that is to say without a towne Now was the ten yeares peace before taken betwixt the Turkes and the Christians in SYRIA at the comming ouer of Simon marquesse of MONT-FERRAT as is before declared almost expired which had not so much giuen to those poore remnants of the Christians some time of rest and breathing as had the discord of the Turkes among themselues which hauing by the space of nine yeares continued betwixt Noradin and Saphadin for the soueraignetie was now by the death of Saphadin ended Noradin contenting himselfe with the gouernment of ALEPPO and Corradin and Meledin the two sonnes of Saphadin deuiding their fathers kingdome betwixt them the one taking vnto himselfe DAMASCO and SYRIA and the other the great kingdome of AEGIPT but all enemies vnto the Christians About this time also or not long after Innocentius tertius yet Pope summoned a generall counsell to LATERAN whereunto besides a multitude of great bishops and other reuerend prelates repaired also the honourable embassadours of most of the princes of Christendome vnto whom so assembled among other things was propounded the dangerous estate of the Christians in SYRIA and how the same was by the helpe of the Christian princes of the West to bee relieued Whereunto all the fathers and princes there assembled easily gaue their consent and thereupon were some appointed in euery countrey and prouince to publish this decree of the Counsell for the reliefe of the oppressed Christians and to stirre vp the deuout people for the vndertaking of so religious a warre The chiefe furtherers of this sacred expedition to be thus taken in hand against the infidels were the bishops of GERMANIE especially the three great bishops of METS CULLEN and TRIVERS whose example mooued also many others all which to rehearse were tedious Out of FRANCE also were sent Henry the countie of NIVERS and one Gualter the kings great chamberlaine with a great number of the gallant youths of FRANCE and so out of diuers other places also So that at length such a number of men were met together at diuers ports of the Adriaticke as made vp a fleet of two hundred saile which with a prosperous wind carried ouer into SYRIA arriued in safetie at PTOLEMAIS the chiefe citie of the Christians now that HIERUSALEM was lost After whom followed also Andrew king of HUNGARIE long before bound both by his fathers commandement and his owne promise for the vndertaking of that sacred expedition with whom came also Lewis duke of BAVARIA and Leopold duke of AUSTRIA with their forces all well appointed vnto whom also Iohn king of HIERUSALEM joined himselfe with his power Great hope and expectation there was of some great matter to haue ben done now that so great forces of the Christians were thus met together Who setting forward from PTOLEMAIS the first day marching into GALILEE by the way met with certaine companies of the Turks whom they easily ouerthrew put to flight The next day they came to the riuer of IORDAN where they also distressed certaine of the Turks garisons There the king of HUNGARIE bathing himselfe in the riuer forthwith as one discharged of his vow promise returned with all his power vnto PTOLEMAIS so from thence back again into his coūtry all the rest of the army of the Christians crying out vnto him to the cōtrary who after the kings departure still marching on came to the mount THABOR But shortly after winter now comming on and many of their cattell 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 meane time tooke a castle betwixt CESAREA and CAIPHA called The castle of Pilgrims from whence they much troubled the Barbarians thereabouts all that winter Vpon the appearance of the Spring and the armie againe met together it was thought best by all the great commaunders that for so much as the kingdome of AEGYPT was the chiefe maintenance of the Mahometan superstition against the Christians in those parts and that so long as it stood vpright 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
they could to keepe them farther off and so from landing That which most feared the Aegyptians was that as one of our ships by chance ran a ground vpon that side of the riuer where the enemie lay and being boorded by the enemie thronging in as fast as he could and there making a cruell slaughter one of the Christian souldiers going downe vnder the hatches made there a great hole whereby the water abundantly comming in sunke the ship before the enemie was aware and so drowned a great number of the Aegyptians together with the Christians At which time also the high towre built vpon the two ships joyning now close vnto the watch-tower and mating the same dismaied the defendants with the strangenesse thereof as with a miracle in such sort that they strucken with a great feare as now being to fight with a strange hardie and cruell kind of men without any great resistance forsooke the towre and fled The watch-towre thus taken and they that should haue defended the same some slaine and some fled they in the suburbs discouraged and flying away were many of them wounded from aboue out of the watch-towre but now gained by the Christians At which time also the other ships landed the souldiers who entring the suburbs put all they found there to the sword euen vnto the last man There was found great abundance of victuals but farre greater store of riches in so much that it seemed to haue beene the spoile of ARABIA PERSIA and the rich INDIES Now yet remained the strong towne of DAMIATA which was foorthwith assaulted by the Christians more to prooue if in that heat and suddaine feare it would be yeelded than for any hope they had by force to win it But hauing done what they could both by scaling and by other engines they gained nothing but hard blowes and wounds and so retired Neuerthelesse they lodged themselues in the suburbs and laied a great part of the armie betwixt the Sultan and the besieged citie to the intent that no supplie or victuals should bee brought vnto it yet both the enemie oftentimes attempted to haue entred the citie and the besieged to haue sallied out but both the one and the other were letted to doe what they would haue done and that not without the great losse of their men for why the towne was now on euery side so inclosed by the Christians as that no man could enter in or out thereof Whilest the Christians thus lay at the siege it fortuned that the riuer of NILE swelling with a great Easterne wind rise aboue the bankes and so ouerflowed the places wherein the Christians lay that they could keepe nothing drie and that most part of their victuals were therwith spoiled With which vnseasonable rising of the riuer the Christians not a little troubled by commandement of Pelagius the Popes legate gaue themselues to fasting and prayer by the space of three daies But the wind falling the fourth day and the riuer againe decreasing they gaue themselues more earnestly to prayer than before thanking the Almightie that as he had put them in a great feare so he had in mercie againe comforted them Now with long lying began victuals to grow scant in the Sultans campe so that he was glad to send away halfe of his armie vp againe into the countrey of CAIRE At which time also it chanced as if it had beene in an extreme and common danger of the Mahometan superstition that embassadors sent from Corradin Sultan of DAMASCO and HIERUSALEM vnto the princes of the Christian armie came to sue for peace both for himselfe and his brother the Aegyptian Sultan promising in regard thereof againe to restore vnto them the Holy crosse and whatsoeuer else himselfe his father or Sultan Saladin had before taken from them of which their offer most part of the armie liked well saying That they had therefore taken vp armes for the recouerie of that which had been before gotten and gained by the valour of the worthie Christian captaines and had of late beene taken from them and to blot out the ignominie of the losse thereof to the end it should not bee said that they could not leaue whole and entire vnto their children what their fathers had got when they had the keeping thereof neither hauing lost it bee able againe to recouer it that all these things being restored there rested not any further occasion of warre or let to stay them as most victorious conquerours to returne home Neuerthelesse Pelagius Pope Honorius his Legat for Innocentius in the preparation of the wars was before dead at PERUSIUM with king Iohn the masters of the kinghts Hospitalars and Templars the duke of AUSTRIA and the Germains were of opinion to the contrarie alleaging That this sacred warre was vndertaken generally against the infidels and for religions sake against the Mahometan superstition whereof the kingdome of AEGYPT was the chiefe seat and stay and that therefore they ought especially to impugn that Which persuasion together with the authoritie of the persuaders so preuailed that the Sultans large offers were rejected and so the embassadours dispatched without any thing obtained of that they came for Whereupon Corradin fearing that the Christians would at length come to HIERUSALEM as the place they most desired and doubting how he should be able to defend the same foorthwith rased the wals thereof and the more to deface it ouerthrew and pluckt downe most of the goodly houses and other stately buildings therein sparing yet the Tower of Dauid and the Holy Sepulchre which he is said to haue done at the humble request and intercession of the Christians of diuers countries which yet dwelt there mixt with the Turks and Sarasins Whilest the Christians thus lay at the siege of DAMIATA the plague began to arise in the campe whereof so many died that it began to repent the great commaunders of the armie that they had so much harkened to the persuasion of the Legate a man making no profession of armes rather than to the sound aduise of others who by long experience taught the sudden alteration of matters of war would willingly haue accepted of the Sultans large offers So began Pelagius the Legate to be generally euill spoken off There were now alreadie six moneths past since the beginning of the siege and the Sultan lying in sight had not with him so great an armie as before but onely the flower and choice of his people hauing as we haue before said for want of victuals sent away the rest vp againe into the country Now it fortuned that the Christians as men wearie of the long siege stood not so carefully vpon their guard with watch ward as before but gaue themselues more to ease which the Sultan perceiuing drew neerer vnto the towne in hope vnder the couert of the silent night to send new supplies vnto the besieged which companies by him appointed for that seruice couragiously set forward in hope
towne Townes they said consisted of the number of men and not men of the enclosures of wals and ditches They that were of this opinion for the deliuering vp of the towne seeing the other obstinatly set downe to the contrarie withdrawing themselues from the counsell presently tooke vp armes and by force entred the houses of them that were of contrarie opinion and tooke from them their weapons by that means and perforce to constrain them to yeeld to their desire As soone as they that lay before CAIRE almost drowned in the waters vnderstood of this dissention at DAMIATA about the deliuerie of the towne they sent them word That if they would not yeeld the towne vnto the Sultan they would foorthwith send to PTOLEMAIS which would not faile to do what should be commanded to haue it in steed of DAMIATA surrendred vnto the Aegyptians So was DAMIATA againe yeeded vnto the infidels and so great labours of the Christians taken at the siege and winning thereof all lost That which made the indignitie thereof more tollerable was that Meledin the Sultan hauing without bloodshed gained so great a victorie did neither by word or deed any thing in despite or reproch of the Christians but vsed theÌ„ with all courtesie relieuing them also with victuals such other things as they wanted by faithfull guides conducting them in safetie out of the country In like manner also Corradin his brother Sultan of DAMASCO made truce with the Latins for eight yeares Whereupon the king of HIERUSALEM went ouer into ITALIE and there by the persuasion of Honorius the Pope his wife being now dead gaue his daughter Yoland now crowned queene of HIERUSALEM in the right of her mother in marriage to Fredericke king of SICILIA and emperour of the Latines the rather thereby to stirre him vp for the taking in hand of the sacred warre Euer since which time hee and the kings of SICILIA his successours haue beene called kings of HIERUSALEM albeit that they haue euill 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 arriuing at the French court he found Philip the French king desperatly sicke who by his last will and testament gaue vnto the knights Hospitalers and Templars sixtie thousand crownes for the maintenance of their warres against the infidels which money was to their vse afterward paied vnto king Iohn Who shortly after to discharge himselfe of a vow he had made to visit the pilgrimage at COMPOSTELLA going into SPAINE by the way married Berengaria the king of CASTILE his daughter and there staying a great while returned againe into FRANCE where he lay long expecting the setting forward of the emperour Frederick his sonne in law for the recouerie of his wiues right vnto the kingdome of HIERUSALEM which although he solemnely vowed at such time as he with all princely magnificence married the said ladie at ROME yet otherwise letted with troubles neerer home performed not the same vntill almost seuen yeares after all which time the Christians in SYRIA enjoying the fruit of the late concluded peace for eight yeeres liued in great rest and quietnesse where so leauing them vntill the arising of new troubles let vs in the meane time againe returne vnto the troubled affaires of the Turkes Greekes and Latines at CONSTANTINOPLE and in the lesser ASIA Henry the second emperour of the Latins at CONSTANTINOPLE after he had as is aforesaid with much adoe repressed the furie of the Bulgarians and Scythes his barbarous enemies and so giuen peace vnto the miserable countrey of THRACIA died hauing raigned a most troublesome raigne about the space of eleuen yeares After whom succeeded Peter countie of AUSSERRE his sonne in law third emperour of the Latines in CONSTANTINOPLE who in the beginning of his empire willing to gratifie the Venetians and to reuenge himselfe of Theodorus Angelus a great prince of EPIRUS competitor of his empire besieged him in DIRRACHIVM which strong citie the said Theodorus had but a little before surprised belonging to the Venetian seignorie At which siege Peter the emperour lying was so cunningly by the wilie Greeke vsed that a peace was vpon most honourable conditions betwixt them concluded and a familiar kind of friendship joyned Insomuch that the emperour at his request not well aduised came vnto him as his guest who now of his enemie become his hoste entertained him with all the formalities that faigned friendship could deuise But hauing him now in his power and fearing no harme regarding neither the lawes of fidelitie or hospitalitie he most traiterously slew him as he was yet in the middest of his banquet Of whose end some others yet otherwise report as that he should by the same Theodorus haue been intercepted about the pleasant woods of TEMPE in THESSALIA as he was trauelling from ROME to CONSTANTINOPLE and so afterwards to haue been by him cruelly put to death Of whose misfortune Tepulus gouernour of CONSTANTINOPLE vnderstanding for the more safetie of the state in that vacancie of the Greeke empire made peace with Theodorus for fiue yeares and the Turks for two Shortly after came Robert the sonne of the aforesaid vnfortunate emperour Peter with his mother to CONSTANTINOPLE and there in his fathers stead was solemnely saluted emperour but not with much better lucke than was his father before him for shortly after his comming he tooke to wife a faire young ladie the daughter of a great rich and noble matrone of the citie but before beâ—rothed vnto a gallant gentleman a Burgundion borne with whom the old ladie broke her promise and more carefull of her daughters preferment than fidelitie gaue her in marriage vnto the new emperour The joy of which so great an honour was in short time conuerted not into a deadly heauinesse but euen into death it selfe For the young Burgundion more enraged with the wrong done him than discouraged with the greatnesse and power of the emperour consorted himselfe with a companie of lustie tall souldiors acquainted with his purpose and awaiting his time when the emperour was absent by night entred the court with his desperat followers and first meeting with the beautifull young empresse cut off her nose and her eares and afterward threw her old mother into the sea and so fled out of the citie into the woods and mountaines with those desperat cut-throates the ministers of his barbarous crueltie The emperour pierced to the heart with this so great a disgrace shortly after went to ROME to what purpose was not certainely knowne but in returning backe againe through ACHAIA he there died leauing behind him his yoong sonne Baldwin yet but a child begotten by his first wife to succeed him in the empire who by the name of Baldwin the second was crowned the fift and last emperour of the Latines in CONSTANTINOPLE And for
repaire vnto CYPRUS as Robert duke of BURGUNDIE who hauing wintred in ACHAIA came now in the beginning of the Spring vnto the king with a number of good horsemen and with him William prince of ACHAIA with a great fleet out of PELOPONESUS which countrey with most part of GRECIA was then vnder the commaund of the Latines amongst others came also William surnamed Long-espie earle of SARISEURIE with a band of lustie tall souldiors So the armie being met together and all things againe in a readinesse king Lewes departing from CYPRUS and tossed at sea with cōtrary winds about fiue daies after fell with the coast of AEGIPT there with all his fleet came before the strong towne of DAMIATA being as we haue said the key of that kingdome The Sultan long before vnderstanding of the French kings purpose for the inuasion of his countrey had strongly fortified his frontier townes and put into them strong garrisons beside the great power he kept with himselfe in readinesse at all assaies as occasion should require Vpon the approch of the Christians the gouernour of DAMIATA was ready vpon the shore with a number of braue souldiers to keepe them from landing who neuerthelesse resolutely before set downe for the performing of that they came for manning foorth their long boats with their archers and crossebowes to beat the enemie from the shore ran a ground with their other small boats made of purpose for the landing of men and so without longer stay came to handie blowes where for a while was fought a most sharpe and cruell battell the Christians striuing to land and the Turkes to keepe them off many falling on both sides But what should an handfull doe against so many The Turkes oppressed with the multitude still landing more and more and hauing done what was possible for them to doe fled into the towne leauing behind them their gouernour with fiue hundred of their best souldiors dead vpon the shore This citie of DAMIATA was exceeding rich and populous and had in the former warres not been taken but by more than a yeares siege as is before declared and that not so much by the valour of the Christians as by the extremitie of the plague and famine since which time it had been strongly fortefied by the Turks with deepe ditches high wals and strong bulwarkes and was at that time well stored with victuals also and all things else for the enduring of a long siege Neuerthelesse the souldiors that were left and the citizens discouraged with the losse of their gouernour and remembrance of the miseries before endured in the former siege and seeing the Christians now readie againe to besiege the same the night following a little before the breake of day set fire euery man vpon his owne house and so by a bridge which they had made of boats fled ouer the great riuer breaking the bridge when they were ouer for feare their enemies should thereby haue followed after them The Christians perceiuing their flight without resistance entred the citie and being strangers did what they could to quench the fire and to saue that which the inhabitants themselues would faine haue with fire destroyed and so afterwards found great abundance of riches with plentifull store of all manner of victuals wherewith the souldiors both enriched and refreshed themselues This so happie vnexpected a victorie happened vnto the Christians about the beginning of October in the yeare 1249. Sultan Meledin himselfe discouraged with the losse of so strong a citie offered vnto the French king for the redeeming thereof and to haue peace at his hands more territorie in SIRIA and the land of PALESTINE than the Christians had of long time before which large offer was by the French especially by the earle of ARTHOI◠the kings brother proudly rejected and ALEXANDRIA the most famous port and metropoliticall citie of AEGIPT further demaunded to the great discontentment of the Turkes and Sarasins In these troubles died Meledin the old Sultan a man not much beloued of his people in whose stead Melechsala or Melexala as some call him a valiant and couragious prince well beloued of his subjects and but euen then returned out of SIRIA and ARABIA where he had been to craue aid of the other Mahometane princes was chosen Sultan Which princes especially the Sultan of DAMASCO although they had not of long been at any good accord among themselues or with the Aegyptian yet in this common danger of their superstition which by the losse of AEGIPT was like to be greatly weakned they joyned hands together and so sent him great aid The new Sultan thus strengthened drew neerer vnto the Christians which then lay encamped not farre from DAMIATA and had with them a hot skirmish wherein hee was put to the worse and so with some losse glad to retire But the Christians the next day in hope of like successe sallying out againe were ouerthrowne with ten times more losse than was he the day before and so faine to flie vnto the campe By which victorie the Sultan encouraged began now to conceiue better hope of the successe of his wars and by stopping the passages both by water and land to prouide that no victuals could without great perill bee brought either vnto the citie or the campe insomuch that at length victuals began to grow scarce in both whereof the Sultan was not ignorant as being thereof throughly informed by such fugitiues as for want or other causes oftentimes fled out of the French campe into his Winter thus passing and wants still increasing it fortuned that the gouernour of the great citie of CAIRE vpon the fortune whereof depended the state of the whole kingdome a man not euill affected vnto the Christian religion and in his heart highly offended with the Sultan for the death of his brother by him wrongfully executed by secret messengers persuaded the French king to come on with his armie to the citie the regall seat of the Sultan promising him to deliuer it into his power with full instructions what he had in all points to do for the gaining thereof Whereupon the king who had before of himselfe purposed the same exploit but now filled with a greater hope assembled together the greatest forces he was able to make At which time also he sent for the earle of SALISBURIE with the rest of the English men who for many proud indignities offered them by the French especially by the earle of ARTOIS the kings brother whereof they could haue no redresse were gone to PTOLEMAIS without purpose to haue any more serued in those warres But now being sent for by the king with promise of better vsage and honourable recompence for the wrongs past returned againe into AEGIPT there to doe their last endeuour With whose comming the king strengthened but more by the new supplies brought vnto him by his brother Alphonsus out of FRANCE leauing the duke of BURGUNDIE with a conuenient garison with the queene his
againe into his trenches In this so terrible an assault not repulsed without some losse also of the Christians the Grand master and gouernour of the citie was wounded with a poysoned dart whereof hee in three dayes after died with whom the courage of the defendants fainted also no man being left like vnto him to vndertake so great a charge although many there were that ouerweening of themselues desired the same In the beginning of this siege the Christians had sent away all their aged and weake people vnfit for seruice into CYPRUS where they in safetie arriued But now many of the better sort both captaines and others discouraged one after another conuaighed themselues away out of the citie of whom a great number in passing thence to CYPRUS were vpon the coast of the Island together with the Patriarch drowned In the citie remained only twelue thousand which were thought sufficient for the defence thereof who afterwards as some report fled also by sea after their fellowes and so left the citie emptie vnto the barbarous enemie some others reporting of them more honourably as that they should right valiantly defend the citie against the assault of their enemies vntill such time as that most of them beeing slaine or wounded and the rest by force driuen from the wals into the market place and there for a while notably defending themselues in flying thence vnto the ships were by the way all cut in sunder or else drowned But howsoeuer it was the Sultan entering the citie by the Christians abandoned or by force taken gaue the spoile thereof vnto his souldiors who after they had rifled euerie corner thereof by his commaundement set it on fire and burnt it downe to the ground and digging vp the very foundations of the wals churches and other publicke and priuat buildings which the fire had not burnt left there no signe of any citie at all but purging the place euen of the very heapes of the stones and rubbidge left of the rased citie made it a fit place for husbandmen to plough and sowe corne in which he did both there at SYDON BERITUS and other townes alongst the sea coast because they should neuer more serue for a refuge vnto the Christians or giue them footing againe into those countries Thus together with PTOLEMAIS was the name of the Christians vtterly rooted out of SYRIA and the land of PALESTINE in the yeare 1291 about 192 yeares after the winning of HIERUSAREM by Godfrey of BUILLON and the other Christian princes his confederats This losse as tending to the great disgrace of the Christians in generall mooued not a little euen the greatest of the Christian princes wronged all or most part of them in the persons of the Templars or knights Hospitalers their subjects so shamefully now quite cast out of SYRIA and the land of promise howbeit troubled with their owne turbulent affaires at home or with their neighbour princes not farre off none of them once stirred for the redresse or reuenge thereof Onely Cassanes the great Tartar prince hauing of late subdued the Persians and married the daughter of the Armenian king a ladie of great perfection and of a Mahometane become a Christian at the request of his wife and his father in law tooke the matter in hand And for that purpose hauing raised a most puissant armie of two hundred thousand fighting men and aided by the Armenians and Georgians passing ouer the mountaine AMANUS into SYRIA not farre from the citie HAMA met with Melcenaser the Aegyptian Sultans lieutenant with a mightie armie whom hee ouerthrew in a great and mortall battell wherein fortie thousand of the Aegyptians are reported to haue beene slaine and so draue him quite out of SYRIA sending Molais one of his captaines with part of his armie to pursue him who neuer left him vntill hee had chased him ouer the desart sands into AEGYPT The victorious Tartar after this battell tooke the citie of HAMA where lighting vpon the great treasures of the Sultan hee bountifully deuided it together with the spoile amongst his souldiours reseruing nothing thereof vnto himselfe more than a sword and a casket full of secret letters The Aegyptian thus put to flight he without resistance tooke in most of the cities of SYRIA with the citie of HIERUSALEM also which in many places by the Turkes and Aegyptians defaced he againe repaired and together with the temple of our Sauior gaue it to the Armenians Georgians and other Christians repairing thither out of CYPRUS CRETE and other places to inhabite And hauing himselfe honoured the holy places with great gifts returned with his armie to DAMASCO which was foorthwith deliuered vnto him But lying there with purpose in Autumne following to haue gone into AEGYPT and to haue vtterly destroyed that kingdome hee was certefied of new troubles arising in PERSIA and some other parts of his empire for repressing whereof hee with the greatest part of his armie returned himselfe into PERSIA leauing one Capcapus gouernour of DAMASCO who after the ouerthrow of the Sultans armie had reuolted vnto him and Molais of whom wee haue before spoken gouernour of HIERUSALEM commaunding them at his departure to reedifie the citie of TYRE and to send embassadours vnto the Christian princes of the West to joine in league with them for the more sure holding of those new gained countries And so TYRE was indeed repaired as he had commaunded and deliuered to the Christians with a conuenient garrison for the keeping thereof but the embassadours comming to the proud bishop Boniface the eight then Pope whom of all others it beseemed to haue furthered their businesse they could of him obtaine 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 loyaltie and so much as in him was depriuing him of his kingdome had giuen the same vnto Albertus duke of AUSTRIA whom he had declared emperour whereof arise great troubles Besides that he being of the Guelphes faction was not in any thing more carefull than of the vtter extinguishing of the contrarie faction of the Gibellines especially of the most honourable family of the Columnij of whom some hee had slaine some he had depriued of their honours some he had imprisoned and driuen othersome into exile so that thus wickedly busied for the maintenance of his owne proud estate he had no leisure to further the good of the Christian common weale which his intollerable pride and forgetfulnesse of dutie long escaped not the reuenging hand of God being when he thought least suddenly taken prisoner at his fathers house in the citie of ANAGNIA where he was borne by Sara Columnius his mortall enemie whom but lately before redeemed out of a pirates 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 prelate brought to ROME in the castle S.
MACEDONIA beyond CHRISTOPOLIS and that he alone should haue the honour to heare the embassadours sent from forraine princes and to giue them their dispatch for that the young prince tooke no pleasure in those waightie affaires as by nature more delighted in hauking hunting and his other youthfull pleasures Vpon which conditions a peace was concluded better liked of the yoong prince than of the old emperour who although he was desirous otherwise to haue redressed so great wrongs yet wanting power was glad to yeeld to whatsoeuer his nephew would request Thus was the Greeke empire in EUROPE as then all or the most part inclosed within the bounds of MACEDONIA and THRACIA now deuided betwixt the grandfather and his nephew ASIA in the meane time wherin the Greek emperors their predecessors sometime held great kingdomes being left for a prey to the greedie Turks Othoman on the one side euen in the heat of these troubles laying the foundation of his empire in PHRIGIA and BYTHINIA and the other the Turks princes the successors of Sultan Aladin encroching as fast vpon the emperors territories and countries on this side the riuer MEANDER And not so contented at the same time also built great store of gallies wherewith they robbed the Christian marchants trading to CONSTANTINOPLE and spoiled the coasts of MACEDONIA and THRACIA and the Islands of the AEGâ—â—â— and amongst others tooke the famous Island of the RHODES which they held not long before they were againe driuen out of the same by the knights Hospitalers vnder 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 commonweale by the space of 214 years knowne by the name of The knights of the RHODES vntill that in the memorie of our fathers it was I say no more but grieue therefore shamefully lost vnto the Turke for want of reliefe neuer place being more honourably defended as in the processe of this historie shall appeare euer since which time those honourable men the flower of chiualrie haue seated themselues in the Isle of MALTA which they to their immortall glorie and the comfort of all good Christians haue most notably defended against the mightie Sultan Solyman and all the furie of the Turks 〈◊〉 shall be also in due place declared But to returne againe vnto the troubled estate of the Greeke empire Syrgiannes the great captaine and author of all the aforesaid stirs betwixt the old emperour and his nephew had euen from the beginning thought as a companion to the yoong prince to haue ruled all with him at his pleasure and that nothing either great or little should haue 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 himselfe of all others least regarded and not so much as called to any counsell inwardly tormented with greefe and enuie he began secretly with himselfe to deuise how he might be reuenged of the vngratefull prince which vnmindfull of his former promises had so vnthankfully cast him off Wherefore he resolued againe to reuolt vnto the old emperour not doubting but so in short time to ouerthrow all the counsels and deuices of the yoong prince together with his state also by himselfe before raised For hee as a worldly wise man excluding God from his counsels had such an opinion of himselfe that which way soeuer he went thither must all things follow also Wherfore by one of his most trustie friends he secretly made the old emperour acquainted with his purposed reuolt and how all things stood for the greater credit thereof alleadging That he could not abide the sight of him that sought to corrupt his wife meaning the yoong prince This newes from Syrgiannes was vnto the old emperour most welcome for it grieued him as an old man of a great spirit to see himselfe so contemned and deluded by his nephew his empire rent and his old seruitours of all sorts by him spoiled of their lands and possessions in MACEDONIA and THRACIA So a solemne oath in secret passed from the one to the other Syrgiannes without longer stay secretly fled to CONSTANTINOPLE which there bruited abroad rejoyced many now well hoping the whole gouernment would againe come vnto the old emperour and that so they should againe recouer their possessions wrongfully taken from them by his nephew But God not seeing it so good all this hope was but vaine as ere long it appeared For the yong prince who of long knew how much he was beloued of the Constantinopolitans and by them secretly sent for taking occasion vpon the flight of Syrgiannes with all the power he could make marched towards the citie being come within sight therof encamped laying ambushes vpon euery way passage thereabout for to haue intercepted Syrgiannes who was then at PERINTHUS and the third night after with three hundred select souldiors deceiuing them that lay in wait for him as if they had beene all asleepe before the rising of the Sunne came to CONSTANTINOPLE and if the old emperour would haue giuen him leaue had suddainly charged them that lay in wait for him before they were aware of his comming But as soone as it was day the prince hearing of the â—scape of Syrgiannes and no such tumult in the citie as he had expected presently without more adoe retired with his armie the same way he came backe againe into THRACIA By and by after Constantine the Despot was by the old emperour his brother â—â—nt by sea to THESSALONICA to take vpon him the gouernment of MACEDONIA and by the way to apprehend Xene the empresse the yong princes mother after with all the power he could make to inuade the yong prince in THRACIAâ— that so setting vpon him on the one side but of MACEDONIA and Syrgiannes with the Turks for the emperour in this ciuile discord was glad to vse their helpe also and the Bythinian souldiours on the other they might so shut him vp betwixt them and take him According to which resolution the Despot comming to THESSALONICA there tooke thâ— empresse whom with all her familie he thrust into a gallie and so sent her to CONSTANTINOPLE where she was in the palace kept close as too much fauouring the proceedings of the prince And afterward raising all the power he could in MACEDONIA inuaded the prince in THRACIA breaking by force through the wall of CHRISTOPOLIS The yoong prince seeing himselfe by this meanes now like to be driuen to a great strait sent Synadenus with his Thracian armie to defend the frontiers of his empire towards CONSTANTINOPLE against Syrgiannes with his Turkes and Bythinians in hope himselfe by many subtle deuises and flights to be able to encounter his vncle the Despot And first he caused diuers edicts and proscriptions to be written in hast wherein great rewards and preferments were with great
said vnto the confederate princes that were with him Verilie Amurath threatneth to take from vs our cities of ICONIUM and LARENDA but let him take heed that we take not from him his faire citie of PRVSA Then demaunding of the embassadour of what strength Amurath might be It was answered by him that he deemed him to bee about seuentie thousand strong Whereat Aladin not a little rejoycing said Assuredly when he shall see our armie he will not dare to giue vs battaile or if he do he shall fight vpon great disaduantage his men being both fewer in number than we and sore wearied with long and painefull trauaile In the meane time Amurath held on his way towards CARAMANIA daily encouraging his souldiours with persuasions and gifts bountifully bestowed vpon them filling their heads with promises of greater the warres once happily ended At length he came to the great plaines in CARAMANIA called the French plains because in former time the Christians whom the Turks for most part call Frankes in those places encamped their great armies as they went to the winning of IERVSALEM as in the former part of this historie is declared into these plaines also came Aladin with his armie and was now encamped within one daies march of Amurath and so rested that night The next morning Amurath put his armie in order of battaile appointing the leading of the right wing to his youngest sonne Iacup with whom he joyned Cutluzes Beg Eine Beg Subbassa Egridum Subbassa Seraze and Custendil two Christian princes all captaines of great experience the left wing was led by Baiazet his eldest sonne with Ferize and Hozze both valiant captaines in which wings were also placed the Christian souldiors sent by Lazarus out of SERVIA according to the late conuention of peace in the maine battell he stood himselfe the vauntgard was conducted by Temurtases and the reareward by the Sabbassa of OXYLLITHUS called also Temurtases and Achmetes Aladin on the other side with no lesse care and diligence set his men likewise in order of battaile placing himselfe in the maine battaile as did Amurath and the princes his Allies with his other expert captaines some in the right wing and some in the left as he thought most conuenient in such sort as that in all mens iudgement he was in force nothing inferiour to his father in law These great enemies thus ranged with ensignes displaid came on couragiously one directly vpon the other where approaching together the confused noise of trumpets drummes fifes with other instruments of warre the neighing of horses and clattering of armour was so great that whilst warlike minds thereat rejoyced cowards thought heauen fell But the signe of battaile on both sides giuen Samagazes one of the confederate princes with exceeding courage first charged Temurtases in the vauntguard and broke his rankes at which time Teberruses a Tartar prince and Varsacides another of the confederats deliuered their arrowes also vpon the vauntguard as if it had been a shower of haile Which Baiazet seeing and how hardly Temurtases was charged hauing before obtained leaue of his father brake in vpon the enemie with such violence as if it had been the lightening whereof he was euer after surnamed Gilderun which is to say the Lightening Ferizes and Hozza with the other valiant captaines in that wing following Baiazet with inuincible courage entred the battaile where for a great space was made a most dreadfull and doubtfull fight A man would haue thought two wrought seas had met together swaying one against the other doubtfull which way the current would at length fall In this conflict many thousands were on both sides slain so that the field lay couered with the dead bodies of worthie men and valiant souldiors yet at length these confederate princes finding themselues ouermatched by Baiazet and his souldiors reseruing themselues to their better fortunes turned their backes and fled when Aladin seeing a great part of his armie thus ouerthrowne and himselfe now readie to be charged with Amurath his whole power despairing of victorie sped himselfe in all hast to ICONIUM his strong citie The spoile which Amurath got in this battell was great most part whereof he gaue in reward to Temortases and his souldiors which had endured the greatest furie of that battaile Amurath after this victorie with all speed marched to ICONIUM and there besieged Aladin the Caramanian king in his strongest cittie giuing out proclamation in the mean time That none of his souldiours vpon paine of death should vse any violence to any of the countrey people or take any thing from them to the intent it might appeare vnto the world that he made that warre against that Mahometan king rather to propulse injurie and wrong than for desire of soueraigntie or spoile Which his so straight a proclamation the Christians sent by Lazarus amongst others transgressed and therefore by his commandement suffred many of them exemplarie punishment which was the cause of the Seâ—â—ian waâ— which not long after ensued fatall both vnto Amurath and Lazarus the Despot as hereafter shall appeare Aladin now on euerie side besieged in ICONIUM and without all hope of escape sent vnto the queene his wife Amuraths daughter bewailing vnto her his desperat estate and requesting her by all the loue that so honourable a minded ladie might beare to her miserable husband to aduenture her selfe to goe to her angrie father and to craue pardon for his great trespasse and offence The queene forthwith attiring her selfe as was fittest for her husbands present estate came vnto her father where falling downe at his feet vpon her knees with wordes wisely placed and teares distilling downe her faire cheeks from her fairer eies as if it had been from two fountaines in most sorrowfull manner craued her husbands pardon imputing vnto the heat of youth whatsoeuer he had done and would not be comforted or taken vp vntill she had obtained grace Amurath most entirely loued this his daughter and therefore for her sake not onely graunted vnto her her husbands life which in short time was like to haue been in his power to haue spilt but also his kingdome which he as a victorious conquerour might by law of armes haue of right detained She now assured of her fathers promise sent vnto her husband Aladin willing him the next day without feare to come out of the citie and in humble sort to acknowledge his fault before her father Who the next morning accordingly came out and prostrating himselfe before Amurath acknowledged his vndutifulnes of whom for his wiues sake he obtained pardon and restitution to his kingdome with many other great gifts contrarie to his euil desert The Latine histories mistaking the man report that this Caramanian warre to haue been fought against the king of CARAMANIA Amurath his owne grandfather by the mothers side and that he was by Amurath then spoiled of a great part of his kingdom but it agreeth not with the Turkish histories which make
that did this Cobelitz vnto Amurath The dead bodie of Amurath was presently with all secrecie conueied into his tent by the Basâ—aes and captaines present at his death whether Baiazet was also brought with an ensigne before him as the successour in his fathers kingdome His younger brother Iacup surnamed Zelebi or the noble yet ignorant of that had hapned was by the great Bassaes sent for as from his father who casting no perill but comming into his fathers tent was there presently by them strangled by the commaundement of Baiazet as most histories report howbeit the Turkes annales charge him not therwith This was the beginning of the most vnnaturall and inhumane custome euer since holden for a most wholesome and good policie amongst the Turkish kings and emperours in the beginning of their raigne most cruelly to massacre their brethren and neerest kinsmen so at once to rid themselues of all feare of their competitors 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 fortunat he made greater slaughter of his enemies than both his father and grandfather his kingdome in ASIA hee greatly enlarged by the sword mariage and purchase and vsing the discord and cowardise of the Grecian princes to his profit subdued a great part of THRACIA called ROMANIA with the territories thereto adjoyning leauing vnto the emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE little or nothing more in THRACIA than the imperiall citie it selfe with the bare name of an emperour almost without an empire he wan a great part of BULGARIA and entred into SERUIA BOSNA and MACEDONIA he was liberall and withall seuere of his subjects both beloued feared a man of verie few words and one that could dissemble deeply He was slaine when hee was threescore eight yeares old and had thereof raigned thirtie one in the yeare of our Lord 1390. His dead bodie was by Baiazet conuaied into ASIA and there royally buried at PRUSA in a faire chappell at the West end of the citie neere vnto the Bathes there where vpon his tombe lieth his souldiours cloake with a little Turkish tulipant much differing from those great turbants which the Turkes now weare Neere vnto the same tombe are placed three launces with three horse tailes fastened at the vpper end of them which he vsed as guidons in his wars a thing in antient time not strange There standeth a castle with a tombe made in remembrance of him in the plaines of COSSOUA where he was slaine and his entrailes buried which giueth occasion for some to report that hee was there also himselfe enterred FINIS Christian princes of the same time with Amurath the first Emperours Of the East Iohn Palaeologus 1354. 30. Andronicus Palaeologus 1384. 3. Emanuell Palaeologus 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 Fraunce Iohn Valois 1350. 14. Charles the fifth 1364. 16. Charles the sixt surnamed The welbeloued 1381. 42. Of Scotland Dauid Bruce 1341. 29. Robert Stuart 1370. Bishops of Rome Innocent the VI. 1354. 10. Vrban the V. 1364. 8. Gregorie the II. 1372. 7. Vrban the VI. 1378. 11. BAIAZET BAIAZETTHES PRIMVS QVARTVA TVRCORVM REX ANNO 1390 Fulminis in morem celeri rapit agmina motu Baizethes fidei pacis impatiens Regni Hadrianopolim sedes sibi legit vt esset Posset vt Europae iungere regna suis. Constantinopolim gemina obsidione fatigat Iam Graetas vana spe sibi spondet opes Cum Tamburlano praebet sua terga catenis Vinctus in cauea probra pudenda subit Prowd Baiazet most false of faith and loathing blessed peace His warlike troupes like lightening to shake he doth not cease Of HADRIANOPLE he makes choice for his imperiall seat That EVROPS kingdomes he might joyne vnto his empire great CONSTANTINOPLE he distrest twice with straight siege and long And vainly thought to haue possest the Graecians wealth by wrong But ouercome by Tamberlane fast bound in fetters sure Trod vnder foot and cloas'd in cage great shame did there indure THE LIFE OF BAIAZET THE FIRST OF THAT NAME THE FOVRTH AND MOST VNFORTVNAT KING OF THE TVRKES BAiazet or as the Turks call him Baiasit of his violent and fierce nature surnamed Gilderun or lightening succeeded his father Amurath in the Turkish kingdome his younger brother Iacup being strangled immediatly after his fathers death as is before declared He in the first yeare of his raign inuaded SERVIA and there besieged CRATOVA a citie of the Despots whereunto the siluer mines of SERVIA not the least cause of that warre belonged Which citie was yeelded vnto him vpon condition That the Christian inhabitants might with life and libertie depart Who were no sooner gone out of the cittie but that by his commaundement they were all most cruelly slaine by his men of warre for that purpose sent out after them At this time hee also woon VSCUPIA with diuers other castles in the countrey neere vnto CRATOVA Sigismund at the same time king of HUNGARIE a yong prince of great hope and brother to Wenceslaus then emperour of the West aduertised from the Seruians his allies and confederats of these proud proceedings of Baiazet by his embassadours sent of purpose requested him That as he was a just prince and wished to liue in quiet with his owne to desist from doing of such open wrong and from inuading of such countries of his friends and confederats as he had no right in Which embassadours so sent Baiazet detained without answere vntill such time as he had ouerrun a great part of the Despot his country and therein done what he thought good Then calling the said embassadours vnto him into one of the strong townes which hee had in euerie corner filled with his owne souldiours told them that they might there see that his right both vnto that towne and the rest by him taken was good inough for as much as the verie wals acknowledged the same and so giuing them leaue to depart willed them so to tell their master Which his proud answere by the same embassadors reported vnto the yong king no lesse troubled him than if open warre had by them been denounced vnto him seeing the tyrant as should seeme pretending right vnto whatsoeuer hee could by force get neuerthelesse being himselfe not yet well setled in his kingdome and in doubt of the contrarie faction that altogether liked not of his election into HUNGARIE for their king he was glad at that time to put it vp and so to hold himselfe content The next yeare Baiazet by Ferises Beg tooke the citie of VIDINA with many other strong townes and castles in SERVIA and afterwards returned to HADRIANOPLE But whilest that hee thus raged in EUROPE the Caramanian king inuaded and spoiled the frontiers of his countries in ASIA which although he was not then at
few years before woon for example of the like exploit Of whose counsaile Baiazet liking well returned with his armie and shortly after came and sat downe therewith before CONSANTINOPLE laying hard siege thereunto first by land and after by sea with his gallies sent from CALLIPOLIS Which hard siege continued as most histories report the space of eight yeares in which long time hee draue the emperour Emanuell Palaelogus to that straight that he was glad to leaue his citie and himselfe in person to craue aid of Wenceslaus the Germane emperour and Charles the sixt the French king and other Christian princes also At which time the cittizens were at length brought to such extremitie that they were euen at the point to haue yeelded vp the cittie and happily had so done had not Sigismund king of HUNGARIE assisted with a great armie of the French and other voluntarie Christians almost out of euery part of Christendome to the number of an hundreth and thirtie thousand vnder the lâ—ading of Iohn countie of NIVERS after duke of BVRGUNDIE for the releefe of the besieged emperour passed ouer Danubius into the Turkish dominions and there hauing recouered VIDINA with certaine other strong holds in BULGARIA laied siege to NICOPOLIS out of which citie the Turks oftentimes sallied and gaue him many an hot skirmish It is reported that the young king Sigismund beholding the greatnesse of his armie in his great jolitie hearing of the comming of the Turke should proudly say What need wee to feare the Turke who need not at all to feare the falling of the heauens which if they should fall yet were we able with our speares and halberts to hold them vp for falling vpon vs. But Baiazet vnderstanding what spoile the Hungarian king had made in his late gained countries and of the siege of NICOPOLIS commaunded the ladders and other great prouision now in readinesse for the skaling and assaulting of the citie of CONSTANTINOPLE to be burnâ— because they should not come into the hands of the Christians and so raising his siege marched with a right puissant armie to NICOPOLIS sending Eurenoses before of purpose to intercept some of the Christians thereby to learne the state of their campe and armie But they hearing of his comming so well looked to themselues that he with shame returned to his master as he came without any one prisoner taken Which thing much troubled Baiazet as fearing he should haue to doe with a warie enemie Sigismund vnderstanding of the approch of Baiazet leauing a sufficient power for the continuing of the siege rose himselfe and with the rest of his armie went to meet his proud enemie Of whose comming and approch Baiazet vnderstanding diuided his armie into two parts being now come within the sight of the Christian armie made shew but of the one halfe keeping himselfe close in secret ambush not farre off with the other The Christians deeming themselues as they were farre moe in number than the Turks which they saw deuided their armie also into two parts purposing betwixt them to haue inclosed the Turks Of all the Christians that were there present the French desired to haue the honour of the first charge to be giuen vpon the Turks and in their heat vpon good hope set forward the Hungarians with a great part of the armie not yet set in order and so began the battaile where betwixt them and the Turks was fought a right cruell fight and in a little time many thousands slaine But this fight had not long endured when Baiazet with the other halfe of his armie suddenly arising came on with such violence as wel became his surname of Gilderun or lightning and so hardly charged the French that they amazed at the suddenesse of the danger and oppressed with the furie and multitude of the vnexpected enemie stood at the first as men dismaid but seeing no remedie encouraging one another valiantly fought it out vntill they were almost all either slaine or taken prisoners still in hope to haue been releeued by the Hungarians and the rest In this hard conflict diuers of the French horsemen hauing forsaken their horses fought on foot as their manner was which horses running backe without their riders vpon the Hungarians caused them to doubt that the French were quite ouerthrown wherewith dismaied they without further comming on all turned their backes and fled in so great hast as that it booted not the king or any other great commander to goe about to staâ—e their flight The French thus by their too much hast ouerthrowne the Turks pursuing the Hungarians and the rest of the Christians made of them a great slaughter of whom also many were drowned in the great riuer DANUBIUS At which time also the Turkes tooke so many prisoners that it was thought euerie seuerall Turke had his prisoner King Sigismund himselfe who but a little before had despised euen the falling of the heauens had then also vndoubtedly fallen into the enemies hands had hee not in a little boat by good hap got ouer DANVBIUS not vnlike another Xerxes who hauing couered the seas with his ships and with a world of men passed ouer into GRECIA was afterwards by the strange change of fortune himselfe alone in a small fisher boat glad to get backe againe into ASIA Sigismund being thus got ouer Danubius and fearing the violence of the Hungarians for the losse of the battaile fled by sea into THRACIA vnto CONSTANTINOPLE from whence he â—ailed vnto the Island of the RHODES and from thence sailing through the Aegean and Ionian sea landed at length in DALMATIA and so hauing wandered from place to place tossed with many fortunes after eighteene moneths long and painefull trauaile returned againe into HUNGARIE Where hee found the state of his kingdome in his absence much troubled the contrarie faction in the meane time hauing made choice of Ladâ—slaus king of NAPLES for their king who was euen theÌ„ with a great armie going to haue taken possession of the kingdome had not Sigismund in good time by the helpe of certaine of the cheefe of the Hungarian nobilitie preuented him In this battaile called the battaile of NICOPOLIS were of the Christians twentie thousand slaine and of the Turkes threescore thousand The countie of NIVIERS the French kings neere kinsman was there taken prisoner with three hundred great commaunders more where after he had indured great contumelie and reproch in the presence of Baiazet hee was commaunded to make choice of fiue other of the captiues such as he liked best all the rest being presently cut in peeces before his face and he with the other fiue left aliue sent prisoners to PRUSA from whence they were afterwards ransomed for two hundred thousand duckats This bloodie battaile of NICOPOLIS was fought in the yeere of our lord 1396. Baiazet after this great victorie hauing worthily releeued his besieged citie returned againe to the siege of CONSTANTINOPLE laying more hardly vnto it than before building
forts and bulwarks against it on the one side towards the land and passing ouer the strait of BOSPHORUS built a strong castle vpon that strait ouer against CONSTANTINOPLE to impeach so much as was possible all passage therunto by sea This straight siege as most write continued also two years which I suppose by the circumstance of the historie to haue been part of the aforesaid eight yeares Emanuell the besieged emperor wearied with these long wars sent an embassador to Baiazet to entreat with him a peace which Baiazet was the more willing to hearkē vnto for that he heard news that Tamerlane the great Tartarian prince intended shortly to war vpon him Yet could this peace not be obtained but vpon condition that the emperour should graunt free libertie for the Turks to dwell together in one street of CONSTANTINOPLE with free exercise of their owne religion and laws vnder a judge of their owne nation and further to pay vnto the Turkish king a yearely tribute of ten thousand duckats Which dishonourable conditions the distressed emperour was glad to accept of So was this long siege broken vp and presently a great sort of Turks with their families were sent out of BITHYNIA to dwell in CONSTANTINOPLE and a church there built for them which not long after was by the emperour pulled downe to the ground and the Turks again driuen out of the citie at such time as Baiazet was by the mightie Tamerlane ouerthrowne and taken prisoner Baiazet in the beginning of his raigne presently after the death of Lazarus the Despot slaine in the battaile of COSSOUA wan part of SERUIA as is aforesaid the other part being still holden by Lazarus his sonne called Stephen the Despot who about this time sent an honourable embassadour to Baiazet with louing letters and royall presents by which embassadour also the old princesse Lazarus his widdow offred her faire daughter Despina Stephen his sister a ladie of incomparable beautie in mariage to him if it should please him to vouchsafe his handmaid as shee termed her so high a place This ladie was long before promised vnto him whilst his father Amurath yet liued Of this embassadour Baiazet was verie glad but especially for the faire ladies sake which being knowne vnto the princesse her mother and the Despot her brother she was forthwith honourably sent to Baiazet and so to him with great solemnitie and triumph shortly after maried Of all his wiues he held her deerest and for her sake restored vnto her brother Stephen the citie and castle of SEMENDRE otherwise called S. ANDREVV and COLUMBARIUM in SERUIA she allured him to drinke wine forbidden the Turks by their law and caused him to delight in sumptuous banquets which his predecessours Othoman Orchanes and Amurath neuer vsed As the Turkish kingdome grew in greatnesse so corruption the canker of great states and common weales increased likewise but especially in the men of law and judges of his courts Wherewith Baiazet greeuouslie offended commaunded diuers of the same judges to be apprehended determining to the terrour of others to haue executed them whose dangerous estate was much pitied and also fauoured of Alis Bassa and other the king his great counsellours yet for so much as Baiazet was of a furious nature and in his anger dangerous to bee spoken vnto none of them durst aduenture to intreat him in their behalfe no not Alis Bassa Charadyn Bassa his sonne sometime judge of PRUSA although he was a man in such speciall fauour with him that he was therfore of the cōmon people not only reuerenced but as the king himselfe honored There was at that time in the court an Aethiopion jeaster who vnder some couert pleasant jeast would many times bolt out that to the king in his greatest heat which his grauest counsellours durst not once speake to him of in secret this jeaster Alis Bassa requested to deuise some means to intreat with the angrie king in the behalfe of these Iudges promising to giue him what he would reasonably desire if he could appease the kings displeasure The Aethiopian without feare vndertooke the matter and presently putting vppon his head a rich hat all wrought ouer with gold after the manner of the Turks embassadours and fitting himselfe with other appparell better beseeming an embassadour than a jeaster thus attired presented himselfe before the king with a great counterfait grauitie Whereat Baiazet maruailing asked him the cause why he was so gaie I haue a request vnto your maiestie said he and wish to find fauour in your sight Baiazet more desirous than before to know the matter asked what his request was If it stand with your pleasure said the jeaster I would faine goe as your embassadour to the emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE in hope wherof I haue put my selfe in this readinesse To what purpose wouldest thou goe said Baiazet To craue of the emperor said he some fortie or fiftie of his old graue monkes and friers to bring with me hether to the court And what should they doe here said Baiazet I would haue them placed said the jeaster in the roomes of the old doting judges whom you intend as I heare to put to death Why said Baiazet I can place others of my own people in their roomes True said the Aethiopian for grauitie of looke and countenance and so would the old monkes and friers serue as well but not so learned in your lawes and customes of your kingdome as are those in your displeasure If they be learned said Baiazet why doe they then contrarie to their learning peruert justice and take bribes There is a good reason for that too said the jeaster What reason said the king That can hee that there standeth by tell better than I said the jeaster pointing to Alis Bassa who forthwith commanded by Baiazet to giue the reason with great reuerence before done shewed that those judges so in displeasure were not conueniently prouided for and were therefore enforced many times for their necessarie maintenance to take rewards to the staying of the due course of justice Which Baiazet vnderstanding to be true commaunded Alis Bassa to appoint them conuenient stipends for their maintenance and forthwith graunted their pardon Wherevpon the Bassa set downe order That of euerie matter in suit exceeding one thousand aspers the judge should haue twentie aspers fee for judgement and for euerie writing and instrument out of the court twelue aspers which fees they yet take in those courts at this day Not long after Baiazet in his furie sent for certaine of his captaines and commaunders of his men of warre with whom he was for some small occasion greeuously offended intending in his rage to haue put them all to death which was with him no great matter These captaines being brought before him the councellors seeing him all in choler sat looking vpon the ground hanging downe their heads as the manner of the Turks is not daring to looke him in the face nor to speake a
dominions in ASIA for so it was agreed betweene the Christian princes of EUROPE and the Mahometan princes of ASIA to whom the greatnesse of the Othoman kingdome was now become dreadfull That whensoeuer hee inuaded the Christians in EUROPE the Mahometan princes should inuade his countries in ASIA and that whensoeuer hee should turne his forces into ASIA the Christian princes should spoile his countries in EUROPE Against this Caramanian king Amurath transported his armie into ASIA and as he went seazed vpon the countries of SARUCHANIA MENTESIA and other prouinces which were before but tributaries vnto him driuing out the poore princes before him and so entred into CARAMANIA and inforced the king so farre that he was glad to agree to such conditions of peace as it pleased him to propound vnto him and to send his sonne to wait at his court And at the same time picking a quarrell with Isfendiar prince of CASTAMONA caused him to become his tributarie and to send his sonne to his court also By which meanes the name of Amurath became terrible to all the Mahometan princes When Amurath had thus quieted all his troubles in ASIA he returned to HADRIANOPLE and vnderstanding that the Hungarians passing ouer DANUBIUS had in his absence made diuers incursions into his dominions hee was therewith greatly offended and in reuenge thereof first sent Alis Bassa the sonne of Eurenosis with an armie to inuade HUNGARIA which he performed accordingly by the space of a moneth and returned from thence with rich bootie Not long after he himselfe in person made another road into HUNGARIE commanding the prince of SERVIA his father in law to giue his armie free passage through his countrey and charging Dracula prince of VALACHIA to aid him with his forces in that expedition which his commandement both the Christian princes more for feare than of good will diligently performed So Amurath hauing inriched his souldiors with the spoile taken in HUNGARIE returned home and wintered at his court at HADRIANOPLE The secret confederation betweene the Hungarians and the Mahometan king of CARAMANIA was not vnsuspected of Amurath which he was the rather induced to beleeue for that wheÌ„soeuer he inuaded the one he was presently set vpon by the other either in EUROPE or in ASIA of which plot he doubted not but that George prince of SERVIA his father in law was chiefe authour although in shew he was therein the least actor Wherfore Amurath intending to spill the play sent for the prince his father in law to come to the court at HADRIANOPLE but he doubting some Turkish tragedie pretended great occasions that he could not come and fearing that which afterwards fell out fortified and manned all his strong cities and castles by all meanes he could possibly especially his chiefe citie SEMENDRE otherwise called Sâ—ENDEROVIA and left therâ—in his sonne Gregorie or as some call him George as gouernour for his other sonne Stephan was long before in Amurath his court with the queene his sister The prince of SERVIA himselfe went into HUNGARIE to procure from thence some aid hauing there also himselfe certaine territories which he had in exchange of Sigismundus late emperour and king of HUNGARIE for the citie of BELGRADE It was not long after but Amurath forgetting both the affinitie and league hee had with the prince his father in law entered with a great armie into SERVIA destroying all before him and hardly besieged SEMENDRE where after long siege the young gouernour the princes sonne doubting to fall into his enemies hands by suddaine assault yeelded himselfe with the citie Which thing so discouraged the rest of the Seruians that in short time SOPHIA NOVOMONT with all the rest of the cities of SERVIA were yeelded into the power of Amurath After which conquest he returned to HADRIANOPLE and hearing that the prince of SERVIA with the Hungarians were making head against him and that the two yong Seruian princes Gregorie and Stephen his wiues brethren had intelligence with their father he commaunded them both to be cast in prison at DIDYMOTICHVM and their eyes cruelly to be burnt out with a brasen bason made red hot a coÌ„mon vnmercifull practise among the Turks About this time Albertus duke of AVSTRIA hauing before maried Elizabeth the only daughter of Sigismund the emperor and succeeding his father in law both in the empire and kingdome of HVNGARIE vnto which type of highest honour nothing more furthered him than the remembrance of Sigismund in the second yeare of his raigne before hee was well setled in those new aâ—chieued honours died of the flix as he was making great preparation against Amurath the Turkish king who hauing lately driuen George prince of SERVIA and RASCIA out of his dominions had now extended the Turkish kingdome euen vnto the borders of HVNGARIE This Albertus dying left his wife great with child The Hungarians in whose minds the remembrance of Sigismund was yet fresh could haue beene contented to haue liued vnder the gouernment of the queene his daughter the widdow of Albertus then great with child but that the Turkish king was now growne so great and come so nigh that it was thought more than needfull by Iohn Huniades and other of the Hungarian nobilitie for the defence of that kingdome not wholly to rest vpon the deuotion of the people toward the queene and the expectation of her issue wherby they should be nothing strengthened but to make choice of some great prince by whose power they might the better defend themselues and the kingdome against their dangerous enemies Whereupon with consent of the queene it was resolued vpon to make choice of Vladislaus the yong king of POLONIA then a prince of great power but of farre greater fame and expectation and by embassadors to offer vnto him the mariage of the queene with her the kingdome also This embassage being sent vnto Vladislaus the matter was too and fro debated in the Polonian court Whether it were to be accepted of or not Some began to speake of the inequalitie of the match considering that the king was but in the prime of his youth and the queene well stept into yeares vrging farther that nothing was offered in that match but wars and that the Hungarians therein sought for nothing more than by the Polonian forces to defend themselues against the Turks Others of contrarie opinion said That the vniting of those two mightie kingdoms would be to the great good of them both and to the great honour of the king whose very name would thereby become terrible vnto the Turkes and that it were greater pollicie by the forces of both the kingdomes to keepe the Turkish king from entring into HVNGARIE than to leaue that kingdome to him for a prey and afterward be inforced to fight with the same enemie in the heart of POLONIA and as for inequalitie of yeares betwixt the king and the queene it was not so great a matter that in regard thereof so honourable and
leading the maine battell himselfe The reareward was committed to Vranacontes a man renowned in those daies both for hiâ—â—rauitie in counsell and for his valour in armes fit to command or be commanded but afterwards amongst the rest most famous for the worthie defending of CROIA against Amurath being then there himselfe in person Alis Bassa contemning the small number of Scanderbeg his armiâ— seeing nothing therin to be feared more than the good order thereof gaue the first charge â—ith a small troupe of horsemen who at the first encounter retired as if they had fled of purpose that the Christians hastily pursuing their vntimely hope might disorder their battaile and so giue occasion to their owne ouerthrow But by the commaundement of Scanderbeg who easily perceiued the Bassaes meaning their dangerous forwardnesse was warily waied and all with safetie kept in good order So both armies comming on the wings beganne the battaile a fresh and Scanderbeg with great courage bringing on his maine battell in the face of the Bassa valiantly charged him But by that time that the battailes were throughly joyned Musachee and Amesa suddenly issued out of the wood and fiercely set vpon the rereward of the Turkes armie where they made great slaughter and forced many of the Turkes for feare to flie Thus was the Bassaes great armie driuen to fight both before and behind being hardly beset and laied vnto with a small number The Bassa had placed his best souldiours neerest vnto himselfe in the maine battaile as his most assured strength and last refuge these valiant men stood fast and renewed the battaile before almost lost And here Scanderbegs fortune was euen at a stand vntill that the well aduised and valiant captaine Vranacontes hauing receiued the wearied souldiors into the rereward and setting all things there in safetie accompanied with certaine troupes of fresh souldiors which he brought out of the rereward brake through the Bassaes armie with such slaughter of the Turks that hee made way for Scanderbeg and all the rest of his armie The Turks discomfited with the inuincible courage of these old souldiours and the slaughter of their fellowes which lay by heapes wallowing in their owne blood betooke themselues to flight whom the Christians fiercely pursued and slew of them two and twentie thousand at which time were also two thousand others taken prisoners with foure and twentie of the Turks ensignes whereas of the Christians were slaine not past 〈◊〉 hundreth and twentie The enemies tents with all their cariages were at the same time taken also After this great victorie when Scanderbeg had made all his seauen thousand footmen horsemen by giuing vnto them the horses of the slaine Turks he brake into the enemies countrey and entred farre into MACEDONIA where he filled the desires of his souldiours with the wealth and spoile thereof sparing nothing that fire and sword could deuoure and so with victorie returned to CROIA where he was of his subjects joyfully receiued Alis Bassa with the remainder of his discomfited armie returned to HADRIANOPLE and there by Amurath was hardly charged of cowardise and want of discretion for that he had lost so puissant an armie to so weake an enemie Wherof when he had cleared himselfe by the modest rehearsall of his former victories and the testimonie of all the other captaines present with him in that battaile he was pardoned and so againe receiued into fauour and that great ouerthrow imputed to the chance of warre Amurath hauing reciued two so great ouerthrowes first from Huniades and the Hungarians and now from Scanderbeg and seeing himselfe elsewhere beset with so many mischiefes as that he could not tell which way to turne himselfe tormented with dispaire and desire of reuenge whereof hee saw small possibilitie fell into such a melancholie passion that ouercome with the darke conceits thereof he was about to haue become the bloodie executioner of himselfe had not Cali Bassa by his graue aduice comforted vp his dying spirits by whose persuasion contrarie to his haughtie nature he yeelded by his embassadors sent for the same purpose to desire peace of Vladislaus king of HVNGARIE vsing the exiled Despot of SERVIA his father in 〈◊〉 then present with the king as a meane therein Who at the first gaue small credite vnto the embassadours or vnto such things as they told him vntill that at length better persuaded of the true meaning of the Turke he so wrought the matter both with the king and the rest of the nobilitie and especially with Huniades that there was an honourable peace concluded The capitulations wherof were first That Amurath withdrawing all his forces and garrisons should clearly depart out of SERVIA and restore the same vnto the possession of George the Despot the right lord and owner thereof deliuering also freely vnto him his two sonnes Stephen and George who bereft of their sight he had long time kept in straight prison Also that from thenceforth he should make no claime vnto the kingdome of MOLDAVIA nor to that part of BVLGARIA which he had in the last wars lost And finally that he should not inuade or molest the Hungarians or any part of their kingdâ—me during the whole time of that peace and to pay 40000 duckats for the ransome of Carambey Vnto which hard conditions when the Turkish tyrant full sore against his will had condiscended a peace for ten yeares was forthwith on both parts concluded and the same by solemne oatâ— confirmed king Vladislaus taking his oath vpon the holy Euangelists and Amurath by his embassadors vpon their Turkish Alcoran This was the most honorable peace that euâ—r Christian prince had before that time made with any of the Turkish kings and most profitable also had it been with like sinceritie kept as it was with solemnitie confirmed Amurath with this peace deliuered of his greatest feare conuerted all his forces against the Caramanian king in reuenge of the injuries by him done whilst he was occupied in the Hungarian warres This king of CARAMANIA knowing himselfe vnable to withstand so great an enemie durst neither meet him in the field nor trust himselfe to the strength of any his cities or strong castles but fled into the mountaines there fortifying himselfe more surely 〈◊〉 in any other his strong holds Amurath entring into CARAMANIA made great spoile in the country as he went and tooke great booties At last comming to ICONIVM he laid hard siege to the same The poor king seeing his kingdome spoiled and his cheefe citie in danger to be lost sent embassadours and with them his wife also which was Amuraths sister to intreat for peace offering to pay vnto him yearely the double tribute which hee before paied and for the performance thereof to giue his sonne in hostage Vpon which conditions Amurath graunted him peace and so returned In this warre Aladin Amuraths eldest sonne died to the great greefe of his aged father being slain with a fall from his
said Behold thou crucified Christ this is the league thy Christians in thy name made with mee which they haue without cause violated Now if thou bee a God as they say thou art and as we dreame reuenge the wrong now done vnto thy name and me and shew thy power vpon thy perjurious people who in their deeds denie thee their God The king with Huniades furiouslie pursued the chased Turks with bloodie execution a great space when as the king in his heat hardly persuaded by Huniades to returne againe vnto his campe at his comming thether found the Cardinall Iulian with Franke one of his cheefe captaines and others ouercharged with the Turkes which had againe made head against that part of the Christian armie and there yet fought couragiouslie 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 cruell and fierce fight in the successe whereof the Turks well saw the whole estate of their kingdome in EVROPE to consist many were there slaine on both sides the Turks feeling their losse lesse than indeed it was by reason of their multitude and the Christians by reason of their courage A great while the victorie stood doubtfull insomuch that at length the Turkes began to shrinke backe in that part of the battaile where the king and Huniades fought But in the left side they preuailed so vpon the Christians that they were euen readie to haue fled Which when Huniades hauing a vigilant eie vnto euerie part of the armie perceiued hee with speed made thether and there againe with his presence restored the battaile almost before lost Which done hee returned againe towards the king who in the mean time had most valiantly repulsed a great number of the Turks and was now come vnto the Ianizaries Amurath his last hope There was to be seene a thousand manners of death whilest both the armies fought more like wild beasts in their rage and furie than warie and politique souldiours In this confused medly the yong king Vladislaus with greater courage than care of himselfe brake into the battaile of the Ianizaries at which time Amurath himselfe was by a valiant Frenchman a knight of the Roads first wounded with a pike and after assailed with his sword and had there ended his daies but that hee was speedily rescued by his guard by whom this worthie knight after great proofe of his valour was there slaine in the middest of his enemies Vladislaus being got in also amongst them valiantly performed all the partes of a worthie souldiour vntill such time as his horse being slaine vnder him hee was forthwith oppressed by the multitude of his enemies and slaine his head being strucke off by Ferizes one of the old Ianizaries was by him presented vnto Amurath who commaunded it presently to be put vpon the point of a launce and proclamation to be made that it was the head of the Christian king which was afterwards so caried through the principall cities of MACEDONIA and GRECIA as a trophey of the Turks victorie Huniades after hee had in vaine giuen diuers braue attempts to haue rescued the kings bodie 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 themselues to flight gaue place to necessitie and reseruing himselfe to his future fortune fled ouer the mountaines into the thicke woods from whence with much difficultie he got ouer DANVBIVS into VALACHIA and was there as some 〈◊〉 by Dracula prince of that countrey taken prisoner In reuenge whereof after hee was enlarged by the Hungarians hee so aided Danus against Dracula that in fine Dracula and his sonne were both slaine and Danus placed in his roome Iulian the Cardinall flying out of the battaile was found by that worthie man Gregorie Sanose lying in the desert forrest by the way side mortally wounded and halfe stripped by whom hee was in few wordes sharpely reprooued as the wicked authour of that perfidious warre and there left giuing vp the ghost Many of the Christians which fled out of that battell fell into the enemies hands and so were slaine but greater was the number of them which were drowned in the fennes or that by hunger and cold perished in the woods or else after long and miserable trauaile finding no passage ouer DANVBIVS fell at length into the Turkish slauerie This great and mortall battaile as it was with diuers fortune fought so was also the present report thereof most vncertaine for the Turks that were at the first put to flight reported in the townes thereby as they fled that the battell was lost and they which had all the daie endured the fight not altogether assured of the victorie and not knowing whether the Hungarians had retired themselues whilest they suspected some deceit in the kinges campe by reason of the great silence therein staied two daies before they durst aduenture to take the spoile thereof The number of them that were slaine in this battaile as well on the one side as the other was great as the mounts and little hils raised of the bones and bodies of them that were there buried doe yet at this daie declare Howbeit the certaine number was not knowne some reporting moe some fewer Yet in this most agree that of the Christian armie being not great scarce the third part escaped and that the Turkes bought this victorie with a farre greater losse although it was of them lesse felt by reason of their multitude made lesse by that slaughter as they that report least thereof affirme by thirtie thousand Which may well seeme rather to be so for that Amurath after this victorie neither farther prosecuted the same nor shewed any tokens of joy at all but became verie melancholie and sad and being of them about him demanded why after so great a victorie he was no merrier answered That he wished not at so great a price to gain many such victories Yet in memoriall thereof hee erected a great pillar in the same place where the king was slaine with an inscription of all that was then done which as they say is yet there to be seene at this day This bloodie battaile was fought neere vnto VARNA in ancient time called DIONISIOPOLIS a place fatall vnto many great warriors and therfore of them euen yet abhorred the tenth day of Nouember in the yeare of our Lord Christ 1444. Some maliciously impute the losse of the battaile of VARNA and the death of the king to Huniades who as they said fled out of this battaile with ten thousand horsemen but this report agreeth not with the noble disposition of that courageous and valiant captaine but seemeth rather to haue been deuised to excuse the foule dealing of the cleargie who as most histories beare witnesse were the cheefe authors both
to lead a priuat life Which thing if he shall refuse to graunt although he neither feare the lawes of God or man yet as I haue at HIERVSALEM so will I also shortly at MECHA if by your leaue I may complaine vnto the great prophet of the iniuries done vnto me by my cruell and vnnaturall brother and afterwards make proofe of your compassion towards me all which I hope shall much auaile But if which I would not I shall proue all these things in vaine sith desperation enforceth men to all extremities I will goe with fire sword and slaughter by secret and open force by right and wrong and hated will vex my hatefull brother by all manner of mischeefe by all manner of reuenge Neither will I make an end of confounding of all vntill I be either receiued into part of the empire or els together with my life leaue those desperat and lost things for him alone to enioy For I deeme it much better quickly to die than with disgrace and infamie to protract a lingering loathed life The great Sultan in courteous manner comforted the distressed prince willing him to bee of good cheere and patiently to beare his present hap for as much as it became a man borne in so high fortune not to be discouraged with any mischance or dismaied if things fell out otherwise than he looked for commending him withall for that hee saw in him no lesse courage than might well haue becommed his better estate and willing him to liue still in hope promised to doe what in him lay to reconcile him vnto his brother and to persuade him that he might be receiued into some part of the kingdome And to that purpose shortly after dispatched away an honourable embassage to Baiazet Zemes in the meane while by the same Sultans leaue vpon a superstitious deuotion trauelled into ARABIA to visit the temple of Mahomet at MECHA and his sepulchre at MEDINA Vpon his returne to CAIRE the embassadours before sent returned also but not hauing obtained any thing they desired for Baiazet would not giue eare to any agreement but seemed altogether to contemne and despise his brother Wherfore Zemes more vpon stomacke and desire of reuenge than for any hope he had of the empire determined with himselfe to make open warre vpon him reposing some good hope in his secret friends and in the reuolt of some of the great captaines who discontented with the gouernment of Baiazet secretly wished for his returne Whilest hee was thus plotting these waightie matters a messenger with letters came fitly from the king of CARAMANIA offering with all the power he could make to joyne with him if he would take vp armes against his brother This poore titular king then liued in ARMENIA and being able by his friends to make some good force was in hope by joyning with Zemes to recouer some part of the Caramanian kingdome from whence his father was not many yeares before driuen by the force of the late Turkish emperour Mahomet the Great Baiazet his father It is hard to say whether of these distressed and exiled princes gaue the greater encouragement to the other to take this desperat war in hand being both together farre vnable by all the friends they could make to encounter with the great power of Baiazet But what is so dangerous or desperat which aspiring minds will not attempt in hope of a kingdome whose brightnesse so dazeleth their eyes that they can see nothing but it Hereupon Zemes hauing receiued great gifts of the Aegyptian Sultan with promise of aid departed from CAIRE the Sultan earnestly persuading him to the contrarie as it was before appointed met with the Caramannian king vpon the borders of ASIA the lesser where they concluded to joyne together such forces as they had and to inuade Baiazet Which they accordingly did for raising all the power they could they entered into CILICIA now called CARAMANNIA and joyning their armies together encamped betweene ICONIVM and LARENDA Neither did Baiazet in time of so great a danger sit still not so much fearing his brothers power as the reuolting of his captaines and souldiors whom he knew either to loue or at least not to hate the young prince his brother Wherfore he raised a great armie and sent Achmetes the great man of war before with the one part thereof himselfe following after with a far greater strength for at that time he had vnder his ensignes two hundred thousand men As he was marching with this great armie a rumor was raised in the campe That some of his cheefe captaines had conspired to betray him into the hands of his brother and that many of the souldiours secretly fauouring Zemes would vpon the joyning of the battell forsake him and take part with his brother Which report so troubled Baiazet that he stood in doubt what to doe or whom to trust but knowing that nothing winneth the heart of the common souldiour more than the Generals bountie he forthwith caused a wonderfull masse of money to bee deuided amongst the captaines and souldiors loding their minds with ample promises of farre greater rewards for their fidelitie and valour to be shewed in that present seruice Hauing thus assured vnto himselfe the wauering minds of his souldiours he began to draw néere to ICONIVM where his enemies lay encamped and by glosing letters and flattering messengers made shew openly as if he had beene very desirous to come to some good agreement with them but secretly went about to stop all the straits passages in such manner as that it should not be possible for them againe to retire backe into SYRIA for hee doubted nothing more but least they being but few in number so in strength far vnequall vnto him would not vpon so great disaduantage hazard the fortune of a battell but retire themselues into SYRIA and so to his exceeding trouble and infinit charge protract the warre Zemes perceiuing his brothers subtill drift and seeing no such reuolt as he had hoped for and as had before by letters to him beene promised and waighing with reason his owne weake forces retired in good time vnto the straits of the mountaine AMANVS which deuideth CILICIA from SYRIA Here despairing of all good successe in the enterprise he had taken in hand he persuaded the Caramannian king his confederat to giue place vnto the time and to reserue himselfe vnto his better fortune and so breaking vp his armie with a few of his followers came downe to the sea coast of CILICIA where he hired a tall ship to attend in readinesse that if any suddaine danger should arise he might goe aboord and so saue himselfe by sea In the mean time he sent a messenger vnto Damboys Great Master of the RHODES certifying him That for as much as he had no place of safetie left amongst his owne people wherein hee might shrowd himselfe from the furie of his brother still seeking after his life hee would vpon
to carrie newes home Calibeius and Cherseogles the Bassaes were in that flight both taken prisoners and afterwards presented to Caitbeius the Sultan at CAIRE with eighteene ensignes of the Turkes Sanzackes which are great men amongst them hauing euerie one of them the regiment and commaund of some one prouince or other and are in degree next vnto the Bassaes. Neither was the fortune of Baiazet his nauie at sea better than that of his armie at land for as it lay at rode vpon the coast of SYRIA at the mouth of the riuer Orontes which runneth by the famous citie of ANTIOCHIA his gallies were by tempest and rage of the sea put from their anchors and in the sight of their enemies swallowed vp of the sea or else driuen vpon the main and there with the surges of the sea beaten in peeces Baiazet not a little troubled with these losses both by sea and land at length with much adoe by his embassadours concluded a peace with the Sultan vnto whom he restored all such places as he had before taken from him for which the â—ultan deliuered vnto him Calibeius Cherseogles Achmetes and Ishender with all the rest of the â—urkes prisoners which he had in great number in his keeping â—hortly after this peace was concluded betwixt these two great and mightie princes Caitbeiâ—â— the Sultan died who of a Circassian slaue by manie degrees of honour and by the fauour of the Mamalukes his fellowes obtained the rich kingdome of Aegypt which he right worthely gouerned to his immortall praise by the space of two and twentie yeares commaunding at one time the great and rich countrey of AEGYPT with all AFFRIKE as farre as CIRENE Westward and IVDEA with a great part of ARABIA and all SYRIA vnto the great and famous riuer Euphrates Eastward In the latter end of his raigne he ouercome with the importunitie of his wife Dultibe an Arabian borne a woman of an hautie spirit joyned his sonne Mahomethes a young man of about foure and twentie yeares old with him in the fellowship of his kingdome that so possessed of it his father yet liuing hee might the better enjoy it after his death Contrarie to the custome of the Mamalukes who of long time had not vsed to haue their king by succession but by their free election Who grudging to be thus defrauded of their wonted choise immediatly after the death of Caitbeius slew Mahomethes his sonne and in a few moneths after foure mo who one after another without their good liking had aspired vnto the kingdome neither could they be contented vntill such time as that they had according to their wonted custome set vp a Sultan of their owne choise About the same time that the aforesaid peace was concluded betwixt the two great Mahometane princes Baiazet and Caitbeius Charles the French king was making great preparation against Alphonsus king of NAPLES giuing it out That after he had recouered that kingdome he would forthwith from thence inuade the Turkes dominions in GRaeCIA Which great attempt the haughtie king was induced to take in hand by the persuasion of diuers of his nobilitie but especially by the solicitation of Lodouicus Sfortia duke of MILLAN whereby the whole state of ITALIE was in short time after sore shaken and Sfortia himselfe author of those troubles at last carried away by the French miserably ended his dayes as a prisoner in FRAVNCE Alphonsus the Neapolitane king doubting the greatnesse of the French king his enemie entered into a confederation with certaine of the states of ITALIE against the French but especially with Alexander the sixt then Bishop of ROME for the beter assurance whereof he gaue his base daughter in marriage to Godfrey Borgia the Bishops sonne and made him prince of CARINVLA his other sonne Francis he entertained also in great pay to serue him in his wars And by his embassadour Pandonius Camillus lately returned out of FRANCE gaue Baiazet to vnderstand what the French king had purposed against them both requesting him to aid him with six thousand horsemen and as many foot against their common enemie promising to giue them honourable entertainement during those warres And to further the matter Alexander the great Bishop sent George Bucciarde a Ligurian skilfull in the Turkish language embassadour to Baiazet to declare vnto him with what great preparation both by sea and land the young French king desirous of honour and the enlargement of his kingdome was about to inuade NAPLES and then with what great power after he had dispatched his warres in ITALIE he purposed to passe ouer into GRaeCIA and that hee had to that end earnestly trauelled with him to haue Zemes his brother deliuered into his hands whom he desired to vse as a most fit instrument for the troubling of his state and empire by reason of his many friends yet that his Holinesse hauing the French in distrust as a proud and ambitious people as also carefull for the danger of the citie of ROME and of the state of ITALIE in generall had entered into a confederation with Alphonsus king of NAPLES with their vnited forces to withstand that proud nation both by sea and land wanting nothing more for the accomplishment thereof than mony by which onely meanes Baiazet might as hee said prouide for the safetie of his kingdome in GRECIA if he would put to his helping hand to furnish them with mony for the entertainment of souldiors for as much as the citie of ROME and the kingdome of NAPLES were the surest wals of that side of the Othoman empire if hee not altogether refusing the charge would not spare for a little cost to maintaine the warre rather in that forraine countrey than to receiue it brought home to his owne dore concluding That it were much more commodious and easie with his treasures to represse his enemie in a strange countrey a farre off than by dint of sword and plaine battell in his owne A thing by experience well knowne that they which haue neglected and set at nought remote dangers for sparing of charge haue afterwards been enforced with greater danger to receiue the same into their owne bosomes when as they were become desperat and past remedie Baiazet who both by his espials and often letters and embassadours from Alphonsus knew all this to be true gaue great thankes to the bishop by his embassador for that he sitting in so high place did so friendly and in so good time admonish him both a stranger and of a contrarie religion of things of so great consequence yet for answere hee willed him to returne againe to his master with one Dautius his embassadour who should carrie with him both money and his other secret resolutions concerning those matters Amongst other things giuen him in charge was an Epistle written in Greeke wherein the barbarous king with great cunning persuaded the bishop to poyson Zemes his brother as a man of a religion altogether contrarie to his for indeed of
frontiers of his kingdome to attend the motions of the Persians aduertised That the Persian preparations which had raised such a hoat rumour of wars in the beginning of Winter was growne cold in the heat of Sommer and that he had seene in all the time of his aboad in those quarters none but certaine stragling companies making shew as if some greater power had beene comming which had many times made sudden roads into the countrey with whom he had sundrie times prosperously encountred and that it was generally reported by such prisoners as he had taken and by his owne espials also that Hysmaell troubled with the Hyrcanians and Tartars had conuerted the greatest part of his forces against those nations so that Winter now drawing fast on and deepe snowes alreadie fallen vpon the mountaine TAVRVS he could not though he would that yeare looke after ASIA the lesse or SYRIA There were that reported that the Tartars which dwell betweene the two riuers Tanais and Volga were by Selymus his procurement and mony set aworke to keepe Hysmaell busied by inuading the Iberians and Albanians which were vnder his protection which thing he wrought by the meanes of Mahomet his father in law the Bosphorane king who being of the same language and nation by rewards easily induced the needie captaines of the Tartars his friends and confederats to take vp armes against their neighbours Many men maruelled that Hysmaell the Persian king neglected so faire an oportunitie wherby he might as most men thought haue thrust Selymus quite out of ASIA and SYRIA whilest he was thus busied in AEGIPT yea and easily haue destroyed him shut vp with all his power especially at such time as the Aegyptian Sultans Campson and Tomombeius made so great resistance But they which could better judge of the matter saw that Hysmaell was not of so great power and strength abroad as at home for his armie for most part consisted of gentlemen or such as were by custome bound to serue him in his defensiue warres voluntarie men and such as serued without pay These as they were the most valiant horsemen of the East so did they with singular valour worthely defend the kingdome of PERSIA and also as occasion required make warre with their neare neighbours but if any longer expedition were to be taken in hand that they could by no means away withall accounting it a grieuous thing to depart from their wiues vnto whom they are so addicted that oftentimes they carrie 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 serue both for their necessarie and wanton vses With which difficultie the great king Vsun-Cassanes Hysmaell his grandfather by the mothers side was much troubled in his warres against Mahomet the Great but was now much harder for Hysmaell to doe for that hee hauing obtained his grandfathers kingdome by the meere good will of the people easing them forthwith of their heauie impositions alwayes thought the loue of his subjects which is easily gotten with bountie and justice the surest riches of his kingdome and that to commaund onely ouer the bodies and goods of his people their hearts altogether alienated and lost by most heauie and grieuous exactions seemed not the part of a gratious and naturall prince but of an outrageous and momentarie tyrant Whereas Selymus on the contrarie part who had by force mischeefe and most detestable practises stâ—pt vp into his fathers seat had after the maner of the Othoman kings reposed his greatest and most assured strength in a seruile and mercenarie kind of men whom he might for pay as his owne creatures at his pleasure draw farre from home and as he best liked lead them from place to place and countrey to countrey for the enlarging of his empire and eternising of his name and therefore according to the qualitie of his people deemed true and readie power to consist onely in money and the seueritie of his owne commaund whereby he had learned with most happie successe in short time to obscure all the victories of the former Othoman kings with the greatnesse of his owne All the Winter following Selymus stayed with his armie in SYRIA spending the time in visiting the ports and cities of that prouince and setting of things in order for the better assurance thereof But vpon the approch of the Spring when he certainely vnderstood that by the procurement of Leo the tenth then bishop of ROME the Christian princes were entered into consultation to make warre vpon him and that supplications with great solemnitie were made for that purpose and honourable embassadours sent into all prouinces to stirre vp the greatest kings of Christendome against him he leauing Gazelles his lieutenant in SYRIA by great journies returned to CONSTANTINOPLE from thence as at hand to behold the deuises and motions of the Christian princes his enemies In the meane time fearing no alteration to arise in the prouinces of SYRIA and AEGIPT for as much as he well saw that Cayerbeius and Gazelles his lieutenants being at deadly hatred betwixt themselues as well for old grudges as for the late treason of Cayerbeius the great cause of the ruine of the Mamalukes kingdome would neuer agree in one against him but rather with a certaine emulation striue betwixt themselues with diligence faithfulnesse and moderation who should deserue best in well gouerning the prouinces by him committed to their charge as indeed they did during the short time of his raigne Selymus being arriued at CONSTANTINOPLE and purposing from thenceforth to turne all his forces vpon the Christians caused wonderfull preparation to bee made for his warres but especially at sea whereby it was thought that hee would either haue attempted the strong Island of the RHODES a great moat in his eye or els some part of ITALIE But as hee was hatching this mischeefe or some other of no lesse importance and in the meane time delighted himselfe with visiting the cities of GRaeCIA and THRACE and sollaced himselfe in the pleasant countrey about HADRIANOPLE he was suddenly attached with the hand of God and strucken in the reynes of his backe with a canker which melancholie and deuouring maladie contemning all cure did by little and little so eat and corrupt his bodie as that he before so much honoured became now loathsome and odious both to himselfe and others As he lay thus languishing his incurable disease still encreasing leaning his head in the lap of Pyrrhus the Bassa whom of all others he most loued said O Pyrrhus I see I must shortly die without remedie Whereupon the graue Bassa tooke occasion to discourse with him of many matters and amongst others that it would please him to giue order for the well bestowing of the great wealth taken from the Persian marchants in diuers places of his empire persuading him to bestow the same vpon
Master to send some honourable embassage to our dread Soueraigne which if I can once bring him vnto then let me alone with the rest This counsell of the old Fox pleased all the hearers well but aboue others the emperor himselfe who gaue him in charge with all diligence and speed to proue what he could doe the other captaines he commaunded to prepare the greatest forces they could both for land and sea seruice Which preparation was so great both at CONSTANTINOPLE and other places that it could not long be kept so secret but that newes therof was brought to the RHODES the fourth day of Februarie which newes daily increasing and still confirmed by more certaine reports Villerius the Great master for more certaine intelligence sent a Christian of EPIDAVRVS who could perfectly speake the Turkish language as a spie to CONSTANTINOPLE who by secret letters from thence gaue him knowledge that the Turkes were preparing a great fleet and raising a mightie armie aduertising him also of a wonderfull proportion of artillerie prepared for batterie but against whom was not commonly knowne some deeming it to be for the inuasion of ITALIE some for the RHODES others supposing it to be for CIPRVS or CORCIRA which diuersitie of conjectures made many whose conceits auerted from themselues the fortune of that warre to be more carelesse and secure But whilest euerie man was of opinion that it was made against any man rather than himselfe certaine aduertisement was giuen to the Rhodians from diuers places by letters from their friends and confederats That the Turks did with extraordinarie diligence keepe straight watch and ward in all their ports therabouts alongst the sea coast otherwise than they were before accustomed which seemed to prognosticat some farther matter than the defence of their frontiers Villerius carefull of his charge as the marke whereat the enemie aimed prouided with all possible diligence great store of victuall armour weapons shot pouder and whatsoeuer els necessarie for the defence of the citie The new wals of the citie and AVERGNE fortresse by Basilius enginer to the emperour Charles the fift a worke begun in the time of Fabritius Carectus late Graund master but not yet finished was now with all diligent labour set vpon euerie man putting his helping hand vnto so necessarie a worke Whilest these things are with so great endeuour and labour a doing a messenger came from CONSTANTINOPLE sent from the old Bassa Pyrrhus a sharpe witted and cunning fellow who with much filed speech in most ample manner doing his message by the way painted forth the great towardlinesse and courteous nature of the Turkish emperour Solyman with the great commendation of Pyrrhus Bassa his master deliuering from both of them letters vnto the Great master of this purport Solyman by the grace of God King of Kings Lord of Lords c. to the reuerend father Philippus Villerius Liladamus Great master of the RHODES and legat of ASIA greeting I am certainly enformed that my letters are deliuered vnto thee which for that thou vnderstoodest them aright I cannot expresse how much it pleased me Trust to it that I am not contented with the victorie I got at BELGRADE I hope for another nay I assure my selfe thereof which I will not hide from thee whom I am alwaies mindfull of Farewell from CONSTANTINOPLE Pyrrhus great counsellor to the mightie emperour Solyman to Philippus Villerius Liladamus Great master of the RHODES and legat of ASIA greeting Your letters greater in meaning than character I haue deliuered vnto our most mightie emperour but the bearer thereof I would not suffer to come to his presence least he should be too much offended with so base a messenger Vnto whom from henceforth send men of worth commendable for their yeares and discretion with whom his Maiestie may if he so please conferre and conclude of matters concerning the common good which thing if you shall doe it shall neither repent you of the doing thereof nor me of my counsell The messenger I send bringeth letters vnto you also from our great emperour to whose diuine excellencie how you are to answere you are alreadie admonished Farewell from CONSTANTINOPLE These letters being openly read drew the minds of the Rhodians diuersly Such as altogether wished for peace measuring others after their owne plaine meaning and integritie commended the counsell 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 countrey and therefore wished by wisdome to order that which the young prince sought for by war fearing the vncertaintie of mans fragillitie the common chance of warre the violence of fortune which hath oftentimes in a moment with a handfull of men ouerthrowne most mightie kings with their strong armies The persuasion of these men tooke such effect that one of the knights of the order called Raymund March a Spaniard a noble gentleman of great courage and verie eloquent skilfull also in the Turkish tongue and then moster-master was appointed to haue beene sent embassadour vnto the Turkish emperour Many there were of a contrarie opinion which suspecting fraud and deceit said it were good to beware of the enemies counsell asking to what end this embassage were for should we proclaime warre say they against the most mightie tyrant not yet our professed enemie who writeth all peace or should we intreat for peace no warre as yet proclaimed that he which as yet is afraid himselfe may now vnderstand that he is of vs feared Besides that with what securitie with what face can our embassadours go vnrequested of the Turkish emperour without his safe conduct thorow those countries which we daily burne and spoile But they shall shew Pyrrhus the great Bassaes letters forsooth his protection his credit and authoritie shall defend them from all injurie and wrong as though the seruant should prescribe lawes vnto his master and such a seruant as is most like vnto his master that is cruell false of faith a hater of all Christians but especially of vs Rhodians whom the mercilesse tyrant hauing in his power with his nauie and armie in readinesse shall with cruell torture enforce to discouer vnto him our prouision the secrets of our citie and Order This opinion of the wiser son was greatly confirmed by the too much curiositie of the messenger which was sent who with all diligence enquired of the state and situation of the citie of the number and strength of the Order Wherfore in conclusion he was sent backe againe accompanied but with one priuat souldiour to carrie the Great masters letters vnto the Turkish tyrant the tenure whereof was thus Philippus Villerius Great master of the Rhodes vnto the Turke greeting That you are mindfull of me grieueth me nothing and I am also mindfull of you You repeat your victorie in HVNGARIE wherewith not being contented you hope for another naie you promise and assure your selfe
hold their weapons in their hands They of CASSILINVM besieged by Hanniball held out vntill a poore mouse was sold for much monie You must of necessitie keepe watch and ward in your Stations if your houses chance to be beaten downe with the enemies artillerie you must haue patience for why they shall bee repaired againe and it is not a matter of such importance that we should therfore yeeld vnto our enemies in whose courtesie and fidelitie no assurance is to be reposed For besides that he is by nature cruell and vnfaithfull he can by no meanes be gentle and faithfull towards vs which haue done him so much harme who onely as he himselfe saith haue oftentimes to his greefe interrupted the course of the victories of him the conquerour both of sea and land whom he hath so manie times assailed by open force with all his strength wit craft deceit and policie yet alwaies hetherto in vaine almightie God still protecting vs whom aboue all things most deare citisens I wish you to serue and call vpon For except he keepe and defend the citie the watchmen doe but watch in vaine This cheerefull speech wonderfully encouraged the hearets especially the vulgar sort easily carried away with pleasing words But whilest they in their jolitie dreame of nothing but of triumph and victorie the wiser sort possessed with care ceased not to doe what in them lay to procure That the good commonly forewished might in fine come to effect Amongst others Clement bishop of the Greekes a man both for his place and deuout manner of liuing had in great reputation amongst them laboured earnestly by dayly exhortations to persuade the Greekes his countreymen in that great and common danger with heart and hand to joine with the Latines in defence of the citie for although the gouernment was altogether in the Great Master and his Knights which were Latines yet the people both of the Island and citie were for most part Greekes who liked not altogether so well of the Latine gouernment but that they did many times repine thereat Howbeit the matter was at that time so ordered by the good persuasion of the bishop and good gouernment of the Great Master that they all agreed as one man to spend their liues in defence of the citie and were so farre from feare of the comming of the barbarous enemie that many of the vulgar people in whom appeareth commonly more heat than wit wished rather for his comming than otherwise But looke what they had fondly wished proued afterwards to their costs ouer true For within a few nights after the Turkes by fire made in the night time vpon the maine gaue signe of parley vnto the Rhodians Whereupon a gallie well appointed with a long boat was presently set forth to see what the matter was which drawing neere vnto the shore was hailed by a Turke accompanied with a troupe of horsemen desiring the captaine of the gallie to send some on shore with whom they might more conueniently parley which thing the captaine refusing What said the Turke art thou afraid of Xaycus fortune To whom the captaine in threatening manner answered againe Xaycus whom you haue contrarie to your faith and oath taken troubleth me not neither am I afraid of you whom I trust not but if you haue any thing to say let me heare it or els get you further off otherwise I will speake to you by the mouth of the cannon Then one of the Turks comming to the water side laid downe letters vpon 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 companie The captaine 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 mightie Emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE and TRAPEZONDE c. vnto the reuerend father Philippus Villerius Lilladamus Great Master of the RHODES to his knights and all his people in generall The purport of which letter was as followeth The compassion I haue of my distressed subiects and the great iniurie you doe me hath moued â—e to wrath Wherefore I commaund you without delay to yeeld vnto mee the Island and citie of the RHODES willingly and charitably graunting you leaue safely to depart with all your riches or to tarrie if you 〈◊〉 please vnder my obeisance your libertie and religion in no part infringed with anâ—e tribute or imposition If you be wise preferre friendship and peace before bloudie warre for vnto them which are by force subdued are reserued all extremities which the miserable vanquished vse to suffer of the angrie conquerour from which neither your owne force nor forraine aid nor huge wals which I will vtterly ouerthrow 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 deceiued nor circumuented I take to witnesse God the creator of heauen and earth the foure writers of the Euangelicall historie the fourscore thousand prophets descended from heauen amongst them out highest prophet Mahomet the reuerend ghosts of my father and grandfather and this my sacred and imperiall head From our pallace at CONSTANTINOPLE When these letters were openly read in the Counsell chamber at the RHODES some were of opinion That it was good to answere the Turkish tyrant roundly thereby to giue him to vnderstand that they were not afraid of his threats othersome thought it no wisedome with hard words to prouoke so great an enemie to further displeasure Thus whilest euery man would haue framed an answere according to his owne disposition in conclusion it was agreed vpon to giue him no answere at all The same day these letters came to the RHODES which was the foureteenth day of Iune one of the Turkes great commaunders at sea with thirtie gallies the forerunners of the Turkish fleet arriued at the Island of CHOS famous in antient time for the birth of Hippocrates the great physition and the wonderfull picture of Venus left there vnperfited by Apelles which for the excellencie thereof neuer man durst afterward take in hand to perfect which fruitfull and pleasant Island was then at the arriuall of the Turkes part of the dominion of the RHODES The Admirall of this fleet here landing his Turkes began to burne the corne which was then almost ripe with the countrey villages round about With which injurie Preianes gouernour of the Island a man of great courage and valour moued with a chosen companie of footmen and certaine troupes of horsemen suddainely set vpon the Turkes in diuers places disperced abroad far into the countrey with such a terrible crie of the countrey people and instruments of warre that the Turkes being therewith amazed ran away as if they had been mad and were many of them slaine without resistance and had not the gallies lien neare the
king Iohn thought it now a fit time for him to recouer againe the kingdome of HVNGARIE which he had so long desired Whereunto he was also the more prickt forward by the persuasion of Alexius Torso Ferentius Gnarus Petrus Bachit Balthazar Pamphilus Erancus Capolnâ—tes Ianus Castellamphus and Casparus Seredus all noblemen or gentlemen of great account in HVNGARIE who in the former troubles following the part of king Perdinand against king Iohn liued now in exile these all with one consent told king Ferdinand That now or neuer was the time when they might be againe restored vnto their countrey with honor and that the warre might that Autumn be dispatched if he would make hast for as much as Winter comming fast on would stay the comming of the Turks and such noble men of HVNGARIE as tooke part with the queene did not verie well agree togither being vnwilling to be commaunded by George the Apostata monke who as they said with great cunning and dissimulation seducing the queene and possessing the treasure enjoyed all alone the power of a king and that they which for taking part with the right had long liued as banished men might now safely returne into their countrey and be honourably preferred by the queene the Bishop which all commaunded assuring them thereof if they would returne vnto the young kings court vnto their friends and auntient houses But they had as they said before giuen their faith vnto him as to a vertuous and faithfull prince whom they had preferred before one that was an Hungarian borne wherefore he should doe both vnaduisedly and vnkindly if letting slip the occasion presented he should deferre to make warre For what could be more dishonour to him so great a king and also emperour elect than by shamefull delay to forsake them being noble and valiant gentlemen which had followed his part and were then readie with strong troupes of horsemen to doe him the best seruice they could The German captaines in like manner persuaded him to take the matter in hand who as martiall men expecting some one preferment some another in the armie were desirous of honour pay and prey the chiefe comforts of their trauell and perill But Laschus the Polonian who in matters concerning peace and warre saw more than all they as he that knew the disposition of many princes and had seene the manners and fashions of diuers nations hauing trauelled thorow a great part of the world and oftentimes beene embassadour in the courts of the greatest princes was of a contrarie opinion and told king Ferdinand plainly That the kingdome of HVNGARIE was to be obtained rather by pollicie than by force by crauing it at Solymans hand to hold it of him by tribute as king Iohn did For said he that may by petition and faire entreatance be easily obtained of that heroicall prince who in his vaine humor oftentimes fondly seeketh after honour which will neuer be got from him by force of armes I thorowly know said he Solymans hautie mind and the proud disposition of his Bassaes he contemneth wealth and is cloied with so many kingdomes but they vpon their insatiable couetousnesse and exceeding pride desire nothing nor persuade him to nothing more than warre Wherefore it is good to beware that with the noise of this sudden warre you stir not vp the Turkes which lie readie as it were expecting such an occasion which cannot be withstood but by the vnited forces of the Christian princes which might by their generall consent be done but that their eyes blinded with fatall darknesse cannot see it and the vnitie of the Christians now desperate seemeth by God reserued to some better time seeing that of late the Christian kings are fallen off and cannot agree vpon the long expected peace Is not said he the French king deceiued of his hope and as he would haue it thought greatly dishonored with this late vnkindnesse which renewing his old wound will reuiue in him an endlesse hatred Away with all dissimulations enemie vnto graue counsels and let plaine truth although vnpleasant vnto princes eares preuent flatterie Vndoubtedly he being a prince of no base courage as it oftentimes falleth out with men thorowly grieued will in his anger as an enemie powre forth his gold whereof he hath good store to crosse the emperours dessignes to trouble the assemblies of the states of GERMANIE to withdraw the minds of the princes and with bountie to gaine them to himselfe who mightily enuying the imperiall dignitie woont to be indifferently giuen to them that best deserued the same to be as it were inuested in the house of AVSTRIA which in this perpetuall succession of so many emperours hath as it were got a right by long custome Wherefore they will secretly conspire togither and as notable lingerers by nature will either giue no helpe at all or else too late at such time as the Turkes garrisons shall come flying to the succour of the young king Neither is there any cause why any man should thinke that the gouernours of the Turks countries neere at hand will for the approach of Winter be slacke in this cause for they vndoubtedly making an honest and honourable shew will take vpon them the defence of the fatherlesse child and widdow of purpose to make an entrance to the secret desire they haue to gaine the kingdome to themselues for if you shall once ioyne with them in battell if the best happen and fortune fauour our first attempts truly you shall haue war without end with such an enemie which will bring with him wealth that will neuer be spent power not to be ouercome and courageous souldiors sworne to our destruction So will it come to passe and I pray God I be a false prophet that in seeking for the kingdome of HVNGARIE by warre you shall at length be glad to fight for AVSTRIA it selfe and your owne kingdome also This speech so moued king Ferdinand that although he purposed to goe on with the warre yet he thought it good by an honourable embassage to proue Solymans mind and purpose also which to doe no man was thought fitter than Laschus himselfe author of that counsell being vnto him very well knowne and familiarly acquainted with all the great Bassaes of the court which seruice Lascus refused not but being furnished with all things needfull for such an embassage departed from VIENNA towards CONSTANTINOPLE Yet for all that king Ferdinand persisting in his former purpose made withall preparation for warres trusting vpon the aid of the emperour his brother and the comming ouer of the Hungarians who euer thought it cause honest ynough for them to reuolt if it so stood with their present profit But before he would enter into open warres he sent Nicholas countie of SALMA to the queene to shew her the instruments of the last league betwixt the king her late husband and him to exhort her to yeeld vp the kingdome which by the late league was
according to promise Yet for all that when he had chafed his fill by the faire entreatance and large promises of the French Generall and Polinus together the wayward old man was persuaded to change his mind and to continue the siege But he was yet scarcely well pacified and his mind set againe vpon the siege but letters were intercepted from the great captaine Alphon sus Vastius to Paulus captaine of the castle wherein he requested him to hold out a while against the enemie vntill that he who had alreadie sent before his light horsmen might come also himselfe with his men at armes who were vpon the way alongst the Alps by the sea side and would in two dayes with the slaughter of the Turkes put him and his castle out of all feare and danger Which thing once bruted in the campe such a great and sudden feare came vpon the Turks and Frenchmen the night following the more to terrifie them prouing by chance very rainie and tempestuous that they all forsooke their trenches and great ordinance and laying downe their weapons by narrow pathes climing ouer the top of the high mountaine came downe headlong to the sea side to the fleet But the day appearing and no enemie to be seene they were ashamed of that they had done and came againe to the siege Not long after when as the castle in all mens judgement was hardly to be battered and standing vpon a firme rocke was not but in long time with hard labour and doubtfull successe to be vndermined it was generally thought good to raise the siege The Turkes vpon their departure brake into the citie and when they had taken the spoile thereof set it on fire Barbarussa retiring with his fleet to ANTIPOLIS came to anker at the Island Lâ—RINA called of the marriners MARGARITA at which time Vastius and the duke of SAVOY with Auria his fleet arriued at VILLA FRANCA in the entrance of which hauen the gallie wherein Vastius went was like to haue beene lost Foure other gallies by force of sudden tempest were driuen vpon the rockes and so suddenly beaten in peeces with the surge of the sea that the gally-slaues had not leisure to strike off their yrons but were there all drowned and all the ordinance lost Polinus vnderstanding this distresse of the enemie sent one Petrus Angelus to Barbarussa to shew him the occasion offered and to persuade him with all speed to hast thither with his fleet as to a most assured victorie Barbarussa seemed to like well of the motion and promised to goe yet he mooued not letted as it was thought with the contrarie wind which then blew hard at East and with the roughnesse of the sea But the wind being fallen and the sea become calme and he contrarie to his wonted manner making no hast set slowly forward and being a little on his way came againe to an anker and went no further the Sanzackes and other captaines first maruelling and afterward laughing thereat scoffingly said That Barbarussa did but reason to deale kindly with Auria as his brother and friend of his owne profession for that he had some yeares before receiued the like friendship at his hands in letting him escape at HIPPONA which he now honestly paid him againe Whereunto Barbarussa both then and afterwards at CONSTANTINOPLE answered no otherwise but That he being an old commander and halfe blind saw more in the matter than all those greene captaines with their sharpe sight Not long after he returned againe towards MARSEILLES and put into the hauen of TOLON called in antient time TAVRENTA Vastius and the duke comming to NICE commended the captaine of the castle and wondering at the cunning manner of the Turks fortifications preferred them in that point before the Christians Barbarussa lying with his fleet at TOLON and by the kings officers entertained with all possible courtesie deliuered fiue and twentie gallies to Salec the famous pyrat and Assanes his nigh kinsman who passing the bay of NARâ—ONA rifled certaine townes in SPAINE standing vpon the sea coast and about the promontorie of Venus called of the marriners CREVM tooke great prize and in the hauen of PALAMOS tooke one marchant ship and a gallie with which prey they passed ouer to ALGIERS as they were commaunded there to winter and with the first of the Spring to returne againe to Barbarussa in PROVINCE That Winter Barbarussa repairing his fleet was furnished with many necessaries by the Genowayes and especially by Auria himselfe who vnder the colour of redeeming of prisoners willingly furnished the Turke with such things as he wanted for although he professed himselfe one of the emperours captaines yet would he not shew an enemies mind by the vnseasonable deniall of a little sea furniture least in so doing he should haue hurt his natiue country of GENVA which he saw then subject to the injurie of so great a fleet so nigh at hand But leaue we now Barbarussa to Winter in PROVINCE and with the course of time turne a little out of the way to see in Muleasses king of TVNES the small assurance the greatest haue in highest place of worldly honour This Mahometane king once before thrust out of his kingdome by Barbarussa and restored againe by Charles the emperour as is before declared hearing of his comming with this great fleet and imagining nothing lesse than that he should come to the aid of the most Christian king doubted not without cause least it was prepared against himselfe Besides that diuers great cities of his kingdome namely CONSTANTINA MAHEMEDIA and MAHOMETA called in auntient time CYRTHA LEPTIS and ADRVMENTVM were then holden by the Turkes Barbarussa his fauourits wherefore fearing the worst about the same time that Barbarussa was sayling alongst the coast of ITALIE he passed ouer into SICILIE to haue met the emperour at GENVA and to haue obtained of him greater aid against the Turks At his departure out of AFFRICKâ— hee committed the tuition of his kingdome to such valiant men as hee supposed would haue beene vnto him most faithfull First he appointed Mahometes then Maniphaet to gouerne the citie and Corsus otherwise called Fares his old seruant to keepe the castle leauing Mahometes his brother and Fares his sonne with Touarres a Spaniard captaine of the castle of GVLETTA as pledges the one of his brothers the other of his fathers faith but vnto Amida his sonne he committed the leading of his men of war for the defence of his kingdome against the Turks and Numidians As hee was passing out of SICILIA to haue met the emperour at GENVA he was by contrarie winds driuen first to CAIETA and afterwards to NAPLES where he was by the viceroy honourably entertained and a house appointed for him richly furnished The Neapolitanes wondering at the strange attire of the people with the manner of their feeding and curious plentie of all manner of sweet perfumes for into euery dish they put in odors of exceeding price so
that it was well knowne that a peacocke and two feisants dressed after the manner of the kings kitchin cost aboue an hundred duckats so that not onely the dining chamber when they were carued vp but all the house was so filled with the strange and fragrant smell that all they that dwelt neere thereabouts were partakers of the pleasure of that vnusuall and delicat perfume From NAPLES he was about to haue trauelled by land to the emperour being then in conference with the Pope at BVXETVM fearing to aduenture the sea possessed by his enemies fleet had not the emperour by his letters willed him to stay still where hee was But whilest he made his abode at NAPLES and carefully attended what course Barbarussa would take who furnished with so great a fleet was departed from NICE disappointed of his purpose he was by certaine messengers aduertised out of AFFRICKE That Amida his sonne was risen vp against him and possessing himselfe of the kingdome had slaine his captaines polluted his wiues and taken the castle of TVNES With which newes he being exceedingly troubled determined without delay to passe ouer into AFFRICKE and though late yet as he might to remedie his domesticall troubles in hope to oppresse that rebellion in the beginning and his sonne also before he could gather any strength to rest vpon Wherefore he with all the hast hee could opened his cofers and entertained souldiors the viceroy giuing leaue to all such banished men as would to come and giue their names to passe ouer as souldiors into AFFRICKE vpon report whereof such a number of malefactors condemned persons came flocking to NAPLES that it was thought a sufficient armie might haue beene made of such kind of men euery one of them chusing rather to enter into pay and blot out the infamie of banishment and proue the fortune of warres than to liue wandering vp and downe in the woods and in danger euery houre to be hanged Of these infamous men one Ioannes Baptista Lofredius a man well borne but of a fierce and couetous disposition vndertooke the leading he couenanting with Muleasses to haue three moneths pay before hand leuied eighteene hundred men which he presently shipped and keeping the greatest part of their pay to himselfe passed ouer with the king into AFFRICKE and landed at GVLETTA But how Amida rise vp against his father and what was the end of that bloudie rebellion shall not be amisse briefely to rehearse There were certaine noble men of great authoritie about Amida when Muleasses departed which at their pleasure ruled the young prince who easily harkened vnto their counsell and followed the same the chiefe of these was one Mahometes sonne of Bohamer who in the raigne of Mahometes Muleasses his father was Maniphet whom Muleasses possessed of the kingdome put shamefully to death by cutting off his priuities because he had by hastie marriage deceiued him of Rhahamana a maiden of incomparable beautie the daughter of Abderomen captaine of the castle whom he most passionatly loued for which cruell fact Mahometes his sonne had of long time conceiued a deadly hatred against Muleasses which he had many yeares dissembled that he might as occasion serued be the more cruelly reuenged Next vnto him was another Mahometes surnamed Adulzes whom Muleasses was wont commonly to call his worst seruant These two with a few others conspiring togither gaue it out that Muleasses was dead at NAPLES and before his death had most irreligiously as they accounted it reuolted to the Christian religion With which report they perceiuing Amida moued came vnto him and persuaded him quickly to enter into his fathers seat least Mahometes his younger brother then lying in hostage with the Christians at GVLETTA should by the fauour and helpe of Touarres whose garrison was euer readie be preferred before him For Mahometes was eighteene yeares old resembling his grandfather in name fauour and disposition and therefore of the citisens of TVNES best beloued wherefore Amida came in post hast out of the campe to TVNES to lay first hand vpon his fathers kingdome The people which as yet had heard nothing of the kings death receiued him with doubtfull countenance and as many stood maruelling that he was so rashly come into the citie without his fathers commaundement Mahometes appointed by Muleasses to gouerne the citie came out and sharpely reproued him as guiltie of high treason persuading him to returne againe vnto the campe and seeing him stay by force of the multitude thrust him out of the citie Amida deceiued of his expectation got him out of the way into the pleasant country of MARTIA betweene VTICA and the ruins of old CARTHAGE But Mahometes Gouernour of the citie after he had repulsed Amida got him with all speed by water to Touarres at GVLETTA to know of him more assuredly if any such euill newes were brought from SICILIE of the death of the king and to complaine of the rashnesse and intollerable presumption of Amida Where staying somewhat long in discoursing with the captaine and afterwards returning to the citie he was suspected to haue practised with the captaine to make Mahometes the pledge in GVLETTA king in his fathers steed for so the common voice went The Moores are by nature a faithlesse people vnconstant hastie suspitious desirous of newes which true or false they for the time interpret as serueth best their factions whereunto they are exceedingly giuen So at the first there rise in the citie a doubtfull rumour of the making of a new king the suspition wherof more and more encreasing set all the citie on an vprore By occasion whereof certaine of the citisens to whom the verie name of Muleasses was odious speedily certified Amida then in the gardens of MARTIA sighing and grieuing at his hard fortune how all stood and that now was the time to doe himselfe good He reuiued with that vnexpected newes and encouraged by the persuasion of Bohamar and Adulzes and other his followers resolued to take hold vpon that good offer of fortune which would not alwaies frowne and to follow his good hap So in hast returning to TVNES and entring in at the gate which he then found open ran presently to the gouernours house and finding him not at home cruelly slew all his houshold and with his bloudie companie went presently to the castle where Fares the captaine seeking to haue kept him out and boldly laying hands vpon his horses bridle to haue thrust him backe was by a desperat Ethiopian one of Amida his followers thrust thorow with a sword and slaine ouer whose bodie yet sprawling Amida forcing his horse brake into the castle with his friends and finding Mahometes gouernour of the citie presently slew him also And so by this meanes Amida in the space of an houre a little before a man in despaire obtained the citie the castle and the kingdome togither After that he murthered his younger brethren and embrued with bloud without shame polluted his
he was fled into PERSIA wherewith he was so much moued that he could scarcely containe himselfe but would needs haue gone with all his power in all hast against the Persian to haue terrified him at hand from relieuing his rebellious sonne But these his raging fits his graue counsellors moderated by declaring vnto him what danger he should aduenture himselfe vnto by reason of the doubtfull faith of his best souldiors And what if Baiazet as he was a desperat and sudden man should in the meane time turne about aboue PONTVS and the fens of MoeOTIS and so fetching a compasse come to CONSTANTINOPLE and proclaiming a generall libertie in his absence possesse himselfe of the empire By which wholsome persuasion Solyman staied his so hastie a journey but Baiazet all the way as he went writ vpon the gates and doores That he would giue double pay to all such as should follow him which caused Solymans captaines to haue their owne souldiors in distrust and the more for that they might oftentimes heare amongst them speeches of great good will and loue towards Baiazet After long flying he was at length come to the riuer Araxis which separated the Turkes kingdome from the Persian which hauing passed ouer and yet not so in safetie he left certaine of his followers vpon the banke of the riuer to keepe the Sanzacks who still eagerly pursued him from passing ouer whom the Sanzacks easily repulsed so passing the riuer entred a great way into the Persian kingdome vntill such time as that they were met withall by certaine of the nobilitie of PERSIA with great troupes of horsemen who demanding of them what they meant and what they sought for in another mans kingdome were answered by the Turkes That they pursued their kings fugitiue sonne To whom the Persians replied That they did not well contrarie to the league with their lord and master to come in armes beyond the bounds of their owne kingdome and that there was a strong league betweene king Tamas and Solyman which it behoued them to regard as for Baiazet their king would consider what was conuenient for him to doe and not in that point forget himselfe in the meane time they should doe well to get them out of that countrey wherein they had nothing to doe Whereupon the Turks forthwith left this pursuit and retired But by and by came messengers from the Persian king to Baiazet to salute him and to demaund the cause of his comming and also to see what strength he brought with him which as some account was about twentie thousand To whom Baiazet declared That he by his brothers injurie and fathers hard dealing driuen out of his countrey was fled vnto the sacred majestie of the Persian king as his most assured refuge who as he well hoped in compassion of mans instabilitie would not reject him so distressed and otherwise destitute of all helpe Wherunto the Persian replied That he had done verie vnwisely to come vnto him that was in league and amitie with his father whereof one condition was That they should account the enemies of the one the enemies of the other and the friends of the one the friends of the other Which law to breake he accounted a thing vtterly vnlawfull neuerthelesse seeing the matter was so fallen out he was welcome as vnto his friend who in his behalfe would leaue nothing vnattempted to reconcile him to his father which he despaired not to bring to passe So Baiazet meeteth with the Persian king but in an euill houre although at their first meeting there was great welcome friendly countenance cheerfull lookes mutuall kindnesse often conference and great feasting one of another things whereby the secret thoughts of hollow hearts are best concealed there was also a motion made of a straighter bond of alliance and one of the Persian kings daughters promised to Orchanes one of Baiazet his sonnes and he put in hope that the Persian king would neuer rest in quiet vntill Solyman had made him Gouernour either of MESOPOTAMIA BABYLON or ERZIRVM which gouernments were by the Persians greatly extolled and that he might there liue without feare of his brother farre from him and his father also where if any thing should fall out otherwise than well he might haue his brother the Persian king a sure refuge to retire vnto and so safe from all danger Which speeches were happily giuen out of purpuse to auert Baiazet his thought from the feeling of the present danger who seemed vnto himselfe so assured of the loue and friendship of Tamas the Persian king that at such time as he sent his embassadours to CONSTANTINOPLE for a reconciliation to be made betweene Solyman and him as was commonly supposed he willed the same embassadour to tell his father that he had lost a father at CONSTANTINOPLE and found another in PERSIA But whether the Persian delt sincerely in this behalfe for Baiazet by his embassadours which were many may well be doubted Like it is that there was more faigned shew of double diligence than of true meaning therein and rather to feele the mind of Solyman than to doe any good to the poore distressed prince and the rather for that in the meane time all things were seriously plotted that might tend to his destruction Which were no sooner growne to their full ripenesse but there was of purpose a motion made That such a multitude as followed this young prince lay too close togither that there was not in one place victuall sufficient for them and that it was therefore more conuenient to haue them billeted in the countrey thereabouts which would be more commodious as well for the better victualing of them as for diuers other purposes also Truth was that Tamas the Persian king farre vnlike his noble father Ismaell stood in doubt least hee brought vp a Serpent in his bosome Yet there were many which thought that it was not the Persians mind at first to haue destroied Baiazet but to haue beene thereunto enforced by the practise of some of his familiars and followers who not regarding the courtesie of the Persian king nor the lawes of hospitalitie persuaded Baiazet to thrust him out of his kingdome whereof there was many euident tokens And among other things it was told king Tamas that one of Baiazets chiefe captaines should say What meane we why stay we to kill this hereticall king and to possesse his kingdome for we shall no doubt by his treacherie all come to destruction And that vpon such occasion the king was constrained to condiscend to a deuise more necessarie than honourable Baiazet had no great power but most of them were valiant men and souldiors of great experience readie to aduenture vpon any thing of whom the Persian not without cause stood in some feare He knew his kingdome to be neither auntient not yet well assured as gotten by his father by the counterfeit show of a reformed religion And who could assure him but that amongst
worldly affaires the 21 day of September following died of a feauer when he had liued 58 yeares and thereof reigned 39 a man no doubt to be worthily accounted amongst the greatest Christian emperours that liued before him About which time also died his two sisters Marie the queene of HVNGARIE and Elenor the French queene both ladies of great honour The knights of MALTA who of long had been suters to the great Bishop and the king of SPAINE for the recouerie of TRIPOLIS in BARBARIE about nine yeares before taken from them by the Turkes at which time they also surprised the Island of ZERâ—I vpon the coast of BARBARIE betwixt TRIPOLIS and TVNES from whence they much troubled the Christians trauelling by those seas had now at length so much preuailed that the king commaunded a great fleet to be now forthwith made readie in September in the yeare 1559 to meet together in SICILIA and from thence to go directly against the enemie by MALTA Vnto which fleet the great bishop the duke of FLORENCE and the knights of MALTA with many other valiant men out of diuers parts of Christendome joyned their forces also so that at length there was a hundred gallies and ships met together vnder the conduct of Andreas Gonzaga their Generall But whilest this fleet from diuers places was long in comming thither the duke of MEDINA CoeLI came before with part of the fleet to MALTA and in the hauen of MARZA MOXâ—T expected the comming of the rest who about the end of the yeare came thither But whilest they there wintered expecting the Spring many of the souldiours fell sicke and died At length the time of the yeare fit for their setting forward being come the captaines consulted among themselues Whether they should first set vpon TRIPOLIS or the Island of ZERâ—I 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 souldiors and prouision Others thought it better first to inuade the Island of ZERBI where the armie might be relieued with plentie of all things necessarie and from whence they might at all times of danger in safetie retire and from thence afterwards as time should serue to go to TRIPOLIS Which vnfortunat counsell was by the greater part agreed vpon Wherefore in Februarie the yeare following they departed from MALTA and sayled directly to ZERBI In the meane time Dragut the most famous pyrat of that time amongst the Turks and Gouernor of TRIPOLIS was come thither with eight hundred of the Turks Ianizaries and had notably strengthened the citie with men victuall and new fortifications and presently sent messengers to Solyman at CONSTANTINOPLE to certifie him of the arriuall of the Christian fleet in AFFRICK But the Christians comming to the Island of ZERBI were at their first landing encountered by the Moores whom they repulsed and so at pleasure landed This Island is not farre from the maine here and there full of boggs and marishes other riuer hath it none and in the middest is somewhat hillie It was inhabited with about thirtie thousand men which dwelt in low cottages simply apparrelled yet is the island reasonable fertile yeelding dates oliues barley mill and such like When the Christians were there landed they sent for Carauanus a poore king amongst the Moores from whom Dragut had before taken that Island to vse his counsell for their better proceeding in that warre In the meane time they agreed with eight thousand men to besiege the strongest castle in the Island in going whereunto the Spaniards went formost the Germans next and last of all the Italians By the way as they went they light vpon ten thousand Moores which lay in ambush in a wood to haue vpon the sudden set vpon them vnawares but being discouered and seuen hundred of them slaine in skirmish by the Spaniards the rest fled So comming to the castle they planted their batterie and laid hard siege vnto it The captaine of the castle finding himselfe too weake long to hold out fled secretly with his Turkes leauing the castle for the Moores to defend who vpon condition that they might in safetie depart yeelded the castle to the Spaniards for keeping whereof Varona and Cerda two Spanish captaines were there left with their companies Whilest these things were in doing Carâ—â—â—nus the Moore king came to the campe of the Christians and there talked with the Generall in whose hoarie countenance rested a reuerend majestie his apparrell was after the Moores fashion of white linnen with him came also the king of TVNES his sonne In talking with the Generall his manner was to 〈◊〉 vpon the ground and wisely discoursed how the Turkes were to be remooued out of AFFRICKE But in the middest of these discourses when such a thing was least feared suddenly a pinnaâ—e brought newes from sea That Piall Bassa the Turkes great Admirall was comming thither with a great fleet of 85 gallies and that moe were dayly repairing vnto him on euery side which was indeed true For Solyman vnderstanding from Dragut the arch pyraâ— that Island to be by the Christians now possessed and fortified thought it not in his so great power and flourishing estate to stand with his honour to suffer but rather to giue aid vnto the Moores of that Island a people agreeing in religion with himselfe and therefore commanded Piall Bassa his Admirall to take in hand that expedition Who thereupon rigged vp a great fleet well appointed and strongly manned with a number of the Turkes best and most approued soldiors as well Ianizaries as others yet all both doubtfull and fearefull of the long journey as also of the fame of the enemies with whom they were to encounter for why the Turks had conceiued a great opinion of the valour of the Spaniards as knowing great warres both of auntient and later times to haue beene by that nation to the immortall praise thereof most happily performed they remembred well Charles the fift and dayly heard much of king Philip the heire both of his fathers vertues and kingdomes which made them so carefull that many of them before their setting forth as in time of greatest danger made their wils and so departed from CONSTANTINOPLE taking their leaue of their friends as if they should neuer haue thither returned againe So that all the citie was in a confused feare neither was there any man whether he went or stayed that hung not in suspence with the doubtfull expectation of the euent of that warre Howbeit Piall with this great fleet with long sayling and a prosperous wind was at length come well neere as farre as MALTA and knowledge thereof as is aforesaid giuen vnto the Christian fleet at ZERBI With which vnexpected newes the Christians there were not a little troubled neuerthelesse they fortified the castle with new fortifications and bulwarkes and fell to agreement with the principall man
be decided and determined by discreet and indifferent men on both parts and the authors of such discord and variance to be punished as suspected persons and breakers of the league We also prohibit those skirmishes or combats which were wont to be sometimes on both sides made vpon the borders And desire that the forme of this league and peace and euerie article thereof may be publikely read and set vp in sundrie places of your dominions and commaundement giuen that they may with due obedience and reuerence be obserued and kept Which we likewise haue now before promised faithfully and assuredly to performe and your embassadour whom a few moneths agone you sent vnto vs in your name requested the same thing of vs and hath with earnest praiers moued vs by imperiall oath and these letters of credence to witnesse that we did ratifie and confirme the same as if we our selues should speake to you in presence Wherefore we haue giuen to him these our letters of pacification to you directed that your generals souldiors and subiects may be bound also to obserue and keepe all these things wherefore so long as nothing contrarie to this league shall be done on your part so long in like manner all these articles of peace shall be of me accepted and assured For witnesse and confirmation whereof I sweare this oath By the true and liuing creator of heauen and earth by the true signes of our great and reuerend prophet by my imperiall power and by my true faith that nothing contrarie or repugning vnto the aforesaid articles conditions and promises of the eight years league agreed vpon betwixt vs shall be attempted or done by any our Gouernours Generals Vayuods c. Commaunding moreouer all our sworne gouernours of our most mightie empire in WALACHIA and MOLDDAVIA and king Stephen himselfe and others which haue the gouernment of our empire confining vpon you That they all and euerie of them as well as our selues shall iustly faithfully and religiously accept reuerence and keepe these conditions of peace towards your subiects cities castles townes and other things appertaining to you and in the least thing not to hurt iniurie or wrong any your subiects In briefe we shall as farre as our part concerneth vs giue vnto this most mightie and great new made loue and friendship so great honour reuerence and authoritie that that which may euen in the least things be had shall not on our part be wanting In token whereof we haue suffered certaine Christian captiues whom by your embassadour you requested to haue set at libertie franckly to returne vnto you without raunsome out of which captiuitie they could neuer haue been redeemed if in regard of this our amitie and friendship we had not granted them libertie trusting that you will in like sort set at libertie such of ours as you haue captiues Giuen at our imperiall pallace and seat in the most mightie citie of CONSTANTINOPLE the first day of September in the yeare of our great and reuerend prophet 969. The same embassadour after he had deliuered these letters presented vnto the emperour the gifts he had brought from his Great master which was two great cups of naturall christall curiously wrought and set with stones of great price a couragious Turkie horse with a saddle and trappings wrought with gold and set with pretious stones and garnished with chaines of pure gold and foure of the fairest camels that were to be got in all CONSTANTINOPLE In deliuering of which presents the Bassa made his excuse that the horse and camels had lost their beautie being with foure moneths trauell from CONSTANTINOPLE growne somewhat leane and wearie This peace thus concluded betwixt the emperour Ferdinand and Solyman held firme vntill the death of Ferdinand who about two yeares after in the yeare 1564 vpon S. Iames his day died being sixtie yeares old whereof hee raigned as emperour not full seauen yeares In whose place succeeded Maximilian his sonne before chosen king of the Romans But immediatly after the death of Ferdinand the captaines on the frontiers of that part of HVNGARIE which was holden for the emperour on the one side and the Turkes captaines with the Vayuod of TRANSILVANIA on the other side wearie of their ease began contrarie to the forme of the league to surprise strong holds and townes one in another confines wherof ensued much trouble The authour whereof was Melchior Balas the emperours lieutenant in that part of HVNGARIE which bordereth vpon TRANSILVANIA who first surprised certaine townes vpon the frontiers thereabouts in reuenge whereof the Vayuod suddenly set vpon SACâ—MAN a town in the emperours territorie which he tooke and therein Balas his wife and children In despight whereof Balas ransacked and burnt DEBREZIN a great towne of the Vayuods But not long after the Vayuod Solymans vassall and aided by him with foure thousand Turkes and three thousand Moldauians did much harme vpon the frontiers of that part of HVNGARIE which belonged to the emperour and first tooke HADAD and afterwards besieged VNGAR In requitall whereof Maximilian the emperour sent Lazarus Suendi a valiant captaine who with an armie of eight thousand besieged the strong castle of TOKAY which he tooke the fift of Februarie in the yeare 1565 and after that tooke the rich towne of ERDEN In the meane time Solyman who had in himselfe fully purposed to be reuenged of all these injuries as well appeared by that he did the yeare following to stay the emperour from proceeding farther vntill such time as he were at better leisure to be reuenged for as then he was making great preparation for MALTA sent Marcus Lilinesius a renegat Transiluanian of CIBINIVM his embassadour to Maximilian to put him in remembrance of the league made with his father and to wish him to haue regard how he further proceeded to the breach thereof Whereupon the emperour because he would not seeme vnwillng to hearken to peace commaunded his lieutenants and captaines no more to inuade TRANSILVANIA or that part of HVNGARIE which the Turkes held Howbeit that whilest this embassadour was thus intreating of peace at VIENNA the Bassa of TEMESVVAR in the borders of TRANSILVANIA made diuers incursions into the borders of HVNGARIE and with six thousand souldiors besieged the strong castle of IVLA and the Turkes in great number came daily into TRANSILVANIA At which time also Suendi Generall of Maximilian his forces vpon the frontiers by messengers sent for that purpose wished him not to giue any credit vnto the Turks embassadour who meaning nothing but warre vnder the colour of peace sought nothing else but to take him vpon the sudden vnprouided Neither ceased these troubles thus but daily grew from euill to worse for in Iune the Transiluanians besieged ERDEN before taken by the imperials and after two moneths siege had it yeelded vnto them In the meane time Chernouich the emperours embassadour to Solyman returned from CONSTANTINOPLE assuring him that the great
phrophet with your knowne and approued Valour Now remaineth onely that euerie one of you thinke with vs how this warre may best be managed and so to referre your deuises vnto vs which that you may the better doe Loe I here deliuer vnto you the situation of the whole island and proiect of all their fortifications which wee haue receiued of most expert and skilfull men Solymans purpose thus made knowne and the matter well considered after that they which best knew the strong places and manners of the Malteses had declared their opinions what they thought to bee most expedient it was decreed that they should with all speed set forward wherefore victuall and other things necessarie for such an expedition being with wonderfull celeritie prepared they expected but wind Of these things Io. Valetta a Frenchman Graund master of MALTA and of the knights of the Order being both by letters and messengers aduertised for he had alwaies 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 victorie and that men were to watch labour and foresee he assembled a counsell of his knights and in few words spake vnto them in this sort What Solyman prepareth most noble and valiant knights and what a great warre he prouideth against vs you with me of late right well vnderstand wherefore it is needlesse for me to vse any long speech with you concerning that matter The enemie is knowne his insatiable ambition is knowne his strength is knowne and his mortall hate against vs and the Christian name is sufficiently knowne Wherefore let vs all as one first reconcile our selues to God and then prouide all such things as shall be needfull for the warre In breefe noble knights to reconcile our selues vnto God and to appease his displeasure two things are of vs to be performed whereof the one consisteth in amendment of life with a holy conuersation the other in the religious worshipping of him with a firme and constant trust in his helpe with prayer which is called godlinesse By these meanes our auncestors obtained many victories against the Indels in the East Neither is it to be doubted but if we shall in these things ioyne together we shall also frustrat all the force and furie of this proud tyrant But for as much as God vsually helpeth them which labour and take paines and not the negligent and slouthfull we must of necessitie ioyne vnto them those helpes which both our profession and the course of war requireth which partly consisteth in our selues and partly in the other Christian princes For victuall armour money and other such things as in warres are requisit we will so prouide that no man shall iustly complaine that we spared either cost or paines I will poure out all my store neither will I for desire of life refuse any danger As for the Christian princes I cannot persuade my selfe that they will lie still in so fit an oportunitie and in so great a danger not of our estate onely but much more of their owne Verely I will not spare to exhort euery one of them both by letters and by messengers which in part we haue alreadie done and I doubt not but wee shall haue aid ynough from the Pope the Emperour and the king of Spaine such is their Christian zeale and they I hope shall moue 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 liues and goods and for the glorie of the Latine name against a most cruell tyrant the rooter out of all true religion of all ciuilitie and good learning the plague of the world hated of God and man as that hee shall feele the sting of the crosse which he so much contemneth euen in the citie of CONSTANTINOPLE yea in his houses of pleasure For we shall not haue now to doe with him in the Island of the RHODES far from the helpe of our friends from ASIA from EVROPE from AEGIPT inclosed with our enemies both by sea and land but in the eyes of ITALIE and SPAINE in places strongly fortified from whence the enemie may easily be circumuented which that it may so fall out let vs not cease to pray vnto Almightie God and to craue his readie helpe When the Graund Master had thus said all that were present promised with one assent rather to lose their liues than in any part to faile the common cause or to come into the power of Solyman After that publicke prayer and supplication was made in euery church through the Isle and three colonels chosen out of all the knights one an Italian surnamed Imperator another Borneas a Frenchman and Quatrius a Spaniard the third all aduised men and most expert souldiors who should with all diligence prouide all things necessarie for the warre By whose appointment the suburbes and trees which might any way be hurtfull to the fortified places were ouerthrowne the fortifications were thorowly viewed the garrisons strengthened and all manner of prouision most plentifully destributed and letters from the Great Master sent vnto the Great Bishop and other Christian princes requesting their aid against the common enemie Messengers were also dismissed into diuers places to certifie both the knights of the Order and others of the Turkes preparation Solymans fleet departing from CONSTANTINOPLE the two and twentith day of March in the yeare 1565 kept a direct course towards PELOPONESVS and so came to METHON where Mustapha Bassa one of the Turkes greatest captaines a man of 75 yeares and Generall of the land forces mustered the armie wherein were numbred seuen thousand horsmen of them which are of the Turkes called Spahi out of the lesser ASIA conducted by the Gouernour of that countrey and two lieutenants of CILICIA fiue hundred and of the Island of LESDOS now callled METYLENE foure hundred he had of the Ianizaries foure thousand and fiue hundred led by two colonels appointed by Solyman for that the cheefe captaine of the Ianizaries which they call the Aga neuer departeth from the citie but when the Sultan goeth himselfe Besides these was a certaine kind of men amongst the Turkes who liue of the reuenewes of the church of them there was in the armie thirteene thousand who had at CONSTANTINOPLE vowed their liues for their superstition Out of THRACIA and PELOPONESVS were come two colonels and one lieutenant with twelue hundred horsemen and three thousand fiue hundred voluntaries out of diuers countries There also Piall Bassa Solymans Admirall tooke view of the fleet wherein were found a hundred and thirtie gallies two and twentie ships for burthen some greater some lesser besides one that was cast away neere vnto METHONE wherein was losâ— six thousand barrels of pouder thirteene thousand great shot and foure hundred Spaâ—â—â—â— besides these
prisoner by the Christians in PATRAS a citie of ACHAIA and by them honestly and courteously vsed was therefore euer after well affected toward the Christians He priuie to many of Mustaphaes designes by a certaine diuine motion thought he should not a little profit the Christians by reuolting vnto them wherefore he resolued to flie vnto the castle of S. Michaell Which thing when he had oftentimes attempted at length the first of Iuly he cast himselfe into the sea for by land he could no way escape and swum to the castle not without danger of his life for discouered by the Turks he was many times shot at both with their arrowes and small shot He brought to the Great master reuealed vnto him many of the enemies secrets and also aduised him what was to be done at the point of S. Michaels to frustrate the enemies purpose for the assailing of that place with many other things which were vnto the defendants no small helpe and afterwards as often as need was during the siege fought valiantly against the Turkes Whilest these things were in doing Codonellus sent as we haue before said into SICILIA came in safetie to MESSANA where he found the Christian fleet not yet readie to relieue the distressed Maltaeses for the Spanish ships were not yet come and Iohn Andreas Auria with eight and twentie ships was readie to returne to take in foure thousand footmen taken vp in ETRVâ—IA by Capinus Vitellius Which backwardnesse the knights of the Order considering and what danger was in delay after they had well debated the matter amongst themselues they resolued by the power of God by all meanes possible to helpe their brethren And for this expedition chose two most fit Generals of their owne fellowes the Commendors of MESSANA and BAROLI who forthwith went to Garzias the Viceroy declaring vnto him what things the sacred knights of their Order had done not for the king of SPAINE onely but for the Christian commonweale and also what great charge they had beene at the yeare before in the Pinionian expedition wherein they had neither spared ships victuall nor munition neither their owne liues to profit the king and the Christian commonweale Besides this they besought him well to consider that the losse of MALTA concerned not the sacred knights only but all ITALIE and especially SICILIA for the neerenesse of so troublesome and puissant an enemie For these and other like reasons which the shortnesse of the time suffred them not to rehearse they requested of him foure thousand footmen with whom all the knights of the Order which were there and many other noble and voluntarie men would make all possible speed to relieue the besieged which they had before in vaine attemped with which strength they were in good hope if not to repulse the enemie or to recouer that was alreadie lost yet at least to stop and stay his farther proceeding vntill such time as he hauing rigged vp and brought foorth all his fleet might set vpon the Turks and as was to be hoped vanquish disperse them But whilest the Viceroy hauing heard their request considereth what answere to make a messenger came vnto him from SPAINE but with what commaund from the king although men ghessed diuersly could not be knowne But vpon his comming the Viceroy gaue the knights this cold answere That he could not graunt what they requested for that in so doing he should disfurnish his fleet and not be able afterwards to relieue them as he desired but if it pleased them to transport the knights with part of the bishops souldiors into the island they might so doe with their owne two gallies they had alreadie whereunto he would also joyne another of his owne The knights when they could obtaine no more accepted of that which was offered Whilest these gallies are setting forward those foure gallies wherof we haue before spoken wherein were embarked fourescore knights and six hundred other souldiors hauing at sea suffered many troubles by the space of twentie daies could not as yet arriue at MALTA and because the Viceroy had commaunded That they should not land except they first knew whether the castle S. ELMO were still holden by the Christians they sent out a frigot to land promising that day and the next to tarrie in the sea for her returne In the meane time a great tempest suddenly arising it so fell out that the frigot could not at the appointed time returne wherefore the gallies which expected her comming fearing least she had beene either by tempest lost or by the enemie intercepted retired to POZALO a port vpon the coast of SICILIA neerest to MALTA there to expect some good newes where as soone as they had put in they vnderstood that S. ELMO was yet defended whereupon they put to sea againe with purpose to haue arriued at MALTA But when they were within two leagues of the place where they thought to haue landed they saw a fire there which caused them to mistrust that the place was possessed of the enemie and that he lay thereabout to intercept them wherefore they returned again to POZALO where now vnderstanding of the French knight come from MALTA that that fire was made by his commaundement as a signe that they might without feare haue come forward they with all speed made againe for the same place and at the length the nine and twentieth day of Iune about midnight landed at the Blacke Rockes on the South side of the island toward AFFRICKE and vnseene of any got in hast to the citie MELITA where they were joyfully receiued and there stayed to expect what the Great master should commaund In the meane time it fortuned a great foggie mist which seldome times there chanceth to arise so thicke that a man could hardly see for it at which time a boy of about twelue yeares old looking by chance out of a window in the castle of MELITA suddenly as one afraid cried out That he saw a Turke going from the citie to the castle of S. MICHAEL Which thing some of the knights hearing ran presently out that way and found a Greeke of the citie of MELITA who brought backe and examined for that without the Gouernours passe it was not lawfull for any man to go out of the citie confessed That his purpose was to haue aduertised the Turks of the comming of those souldiors that so they might haue intercepted them as they should haue come from MELITA to the Grand master for which treason he was as he had well deserued cut in foure peeces Three dayes after this new supplie come from SICILIA in the first watch of the night came all in safetie from MELITA to the Great master except two or three boyes who charged with armour and other baggage were not able to keepe way with the rest It is not to be told how much the besieged rejoyced at the comming of these their friends and especially Valetta who seeing the floure of
were no more to be discerned but all in vaine for why our men had alreadie descried them so those three gallies returned again into SICILIA For Valetta that good prince thoght it not meet to bring so many of the sacred knights so many noble gentlemen and valiant souldiors into a most manifest danger for he saw certaine of the Turkes gallies to lie by night in the mouth of the hauen MARZA MOXET at a place called the Little sands to impeach the going in or out of the hauen MAIOR About the same time they which lay in garrison in the citie of MELITA hearing of the notable sally made by the souldiors lately come and taking heart thereupon at such time as the Turkes were fetching in a certaine bootie of cattell the horsemen pursued them and hauing slaine diuers of them recouered the prey and yet not so contented chased them euen to their campe But the other Turks seeing their fellowes flying in such hast towards them raised an alarum ran to the Generals tent and for that time ceased their batterie The Great master probably conjecturing that the Turkes would in short time assault both the towne and castle of S. Michaell thought good by his presence to encourage and strengthen the garrison and therefore was about to haue gone thither by a bridge made of boats from the one point of the land to the other betweene S. Michaels and S. Angelo but quickly vnderstanding the certaintie thereof returned againe into his castle Some there be that thinke For him to haue so done had been a venturous part and full of danger and therefore to haue been discommended for that great things are performed not so much by strength of bodie as of mind by pollitike counsell and direction wherewith a Generall although absent may yet with his forces be alwaies present but the Generall once lost which may easily happen if he will present his person to the danger we see most commonly all fall togither with him no otherwise than doth all parts of the bodie when the soule departeth But othersome are of contrarie opinion That the Generals presence especially in great dangers is both praise worthie and most necessarie for that he as the soule cannot prouide for or rule the bodie except it be present yea placed therein and that Valetta in so doing followed the examples of the greatest kings and most famous Generals as of Alezander the great Iulius Caesar Themistocles Marius and others whose words vnto their souldiors were these I my selfe will be your conducter in the field in the battell partaker of the danger with you you shall be in all things as my selfe Besides that who knoweth not that as in other things so most of all in martiall affaires all things are better more orderly and more easily done when the master is present neither was the learned Poet his meaning any thing else when in the warres betwixt the Latines and the Rutilians he saith Vrget praesentia Turnâ— whereupon they concluded that the Great master in going had done both valiantly wisely and according to his dutie But this we leaue for martiall men to determine At the same time the king of ALGIERS came to aid the Turkes with seauen gallies and ten galliots and in them 2200 souldiors who sorie that he was not there at the beginning and desirous to doe some notable act and withall to make proofe of the valour of his souldiours requested the great Bassa to bestow vpon him the first place in the besieging the castle S. Michael which he not onely graunted but joyned vnto his forces two thousand of his owne best souldiors These things obtained he commaunded ninetie small vessels by deuices to be carried ouer land out of the port MARZA MOXET to AQVA MARSIA for that he purposed on that side to besiege the castle by water But Valetta perceiuing the enemies purpose both by seeing that was done and also aduertised thereof before by a Christian fugitiue presently called vnto him two faithfull and skilfull shipmasters of MALTA and imparting the matter vnto them demaunded what they thought best to be done to keepe the Turks from landing as it seemed they purposed at the wals foot They quickly conceiuing the matter answered That in their opinion if a chaine were made of masts and saile-yards or sparres joyned together with yron rings and so drawne all alongst from the corner of the castle of S. Angelo to that place where the enemie thought to land their purpose might be so defeated This their deuice so pleased the Great master that the night following such a chaine was made and fast mored in the appointed place The Turkes as soone as it was day perceiuing this barre stood as men doubtfull not knowing how by any meanes to land their men as they had before purposed Whilest they stood so abashed a Christian fugitiue a most desperat villaine in which kind of men foolish hardinesse is accounted a vertue and desperation constancie came to the king and promised him to breake the chaine and so with a hatcher in his hand cast himselfe into the sea after whom followed two or three moe to helpe him who swimming to the chaine got vp vpon it and began to hew apace with their hatchets Which the Christians beholding suddenly fiue or six of the Maltases swam thither with their drawne swords in their hands hauing slaine two of them caused the other to flie after which time none of the Turks was so hardie as to attempt the same The barbarous king for all that gaue not ouer his purpose so but with wonderfull diligence prepared for the siege which the fifteenth day of Iuly began both by sea and land But the defendants turning their great ordinance vpon that place from whence the galliots came with the furie thereof in the space of three houres which the assault endured slew two thousand Turks and sunke twelue of the galliots the rest comming as farre as the chaine when they could get no farther nor land their men turned their prows vpon the corner of the castle but were glad at last to retire and leaue that they came for vndone The assault by land also endured fiue houres wherein many of the Turkes were slaine and of the defendants two hundred amongst whom was Federicus the Viceroy of SICILIA his sonne strucke in sunder with a great shot Gordius a Frenchman Franciscus Sanoghera and his nephew Iohn Spaniards all knights of the Order Medina was also wounded whereof he afterward died But Valetta considering into what danger the state of MALTA was like to fall if he should be constrained to fight many such fights where his souldiors wearied day and night without rest were still to encounter with fresh men heard nothing of any aid or new supplie the seuenteenth day of Iuly he sent a messenger into SICILIA who swam from the castle to the farthest part of the bay to AQVA MARSIA and from thence escaped vnknowne thorow the
large for that were to write an historie but breefely and in few words Sultan Solyman the most mortall enemie of the Christian name and especially of our societie not contented to haue spoiled vs of the most famous island of the RHODES the castle of TRIPOLIS and almost whatsoeuer we had els commaunded a great and strong fleet to be made readie against vs which departing from CONSTANTINOPLE the one and twentith day of March arriued here the eighteenth day of May which fleet consisted of almost two hundred and fiftie gallies galliots and other ships The number of the enemie that beare armes according to the truth was about fortie thousand more or lesse Generall of the land forces was Mustapha Bassa and of the fleet Pial Bassa was Admirall who hauing spent a few daies in landing their forces viewing the places pitching their tents and setting things in order as the manner of warre is they began first to assaile the castle of S. Elmo scituat in the mouth of the hauen with great force and a most furious batterie Which when they had many daies 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 prowesse of our knights and other worthie souldiors kept and defended by the space of thirtie fiue daies with the great losse and slaughter of the enemie although the castle it selfe in the iudgement of many seemed not possible to be but a few daies defended against so great a force At length the foure and twentith day of Iune when our men could no longer indure the multitude and furie of the enemie enuironed and shut vp both by sea and land and destitute of all helpe the castle was taken by the Turkes those few of our men which were left being all slaine Of which victorie they being proud began to besiege the castle and towne of S. Michael and this new citie especially at the castle and Portingall bulwarke and as their manner is with great diligence and greater force and number of great artillerie and warlike engines they began in diuers places at once to batter and beat downe the wals Which siege the dreadfull armie of the Turkes both by sea and land made to be most fearfull and terrible with such huge great ordinance as the like for bignesse and force was in no place to be seene day and night thundring out their yron and stone shot fiue and seauen hands about wherewith not the thickest wals but euen the verie mountaines themselues might haue been beaten downe and ouerthrowne by furie whereof the wals in many places were so battered that a man might easily haue entred as on plaine ground Where when the barbarous enemies had with wonderfull force and hideous outcries oftentimes attempted to enter so often were they with great slaughter and dishonour repulsed and beaten baâ—ke many of their men being slaine or wounded Their Generals as well at sea as land after that they had in so many places with all their forces in almost foure moneths siege and assault with exceeding furie in vaine attempted the breaches and lost the greatest part of their old souldiors especially winter now comming on wherein all wars by law of nations ought to cease thought of nothing else but of departure or rather of flight which the comming of Garzias of TOLEDO Viceroy of SICILIA and Admirall of the king of SPAINE his fleet with ten thousand select souldiors amongst whom was at the least two hundred and fourteene of our knights and many other noble and valiant gentlemen which onely with a Christian zeale voluntarily met togither from diuers parts of the world to helpe and relieue vs caused them to hasten So haue you summarily and in few words the proceedings and flight of the Turkes fleet and the victorie by vs by the power of God thereof obtained It shall be your part to consider and coniecture in what state our Order and this island now standeth into what poore estate we are brought how many things we want wherein except we be relieued by the helpe and aid of our brethren especially such as you are as we well hope and assuredly beleeue we shall our state will quickly take end Fare you well from MALTA the ninth of October 1565. The Great master thus deliuered of so great a siege and bountifully relieued by the Christian princes and the great commenders of his Order speedily repaired the breaches and places battered and with new fortifications strengthened such places as he had by the late passed dangers perceiued to be most subject to the enemies force After the returne of the Turkes fleet to CONSTANTINOPLE Solyman being exceeding angrie with the Gouernour of the island of CHIOS his tributarie as well for that he had during the late siege of MALTA had intelligence with the Great master and reuealed vnto him many of the Turkes desseigns as also for detaining of two yeares tribute which was yearely ten thousand duckats and had also neglected to send his wonted presents to the great Bassaes who therefore the more incensed the tyrant commaunded Pial Bassa his Admirall to make readie his fleet and by force or pollicie to take that fruitfull and pleasant island wholly into his owne hand Who without delay with a fleet of eightie gallies the fifteenth day of Aprill in the yeare 1566 being then Easterday arriued at CHIOS The chiefe men of the island vpon sight of the fleet forthwith sent embassadours to the Bassa with presents courteously offering vnto him the hauen and whatsoeuer else he should require Pial with great kindnesse accepted their offer and presently possessed himselfe of the hauen in three places and afterward landing sent for the Gouernor of the citie twelue of the chiefe citisens to come vnto him as if he had had some speciall matter to conferre with him about from the great Sultan before his departure thence for MALTA or ITALIE Who hauing a little conferred togither went to him with great feare and that not without cause for as soone as they were come before him he commaunded them to be laid hold vpon and cast fast into yrons which done the souldiors forthwith tooke the towne hall and without resistance pulling downe the townes ensigne wherein was the picture of S. George with a red crosse in stead thereof set vp one of the Turkes the like whereof was done with the great rejoicing of the Turkes thorow the whole island After that they rifled the Churches and againe consecrated them after their Mahometane manner The Gouernour of the citie and the Senatours with their families the Bassa sent in fiue ships to CONSTANTINOPLE as for the vulgar people they were at choise either there to tarrie still or depart as best stood with their liking And so the Bassa when he had there placed a new Gouernour one of the Turks with a strong garrison and set vp the Mahometane superstition in that most fertile island departed
vnto the Turks Court with some resolute answere concerning that matter So it was that during the reigne of the late emperour Ferdinand that the Turke his subjects in HVNGARIE payed all their taxes and tributes vnto their old lords and masters abiding and liuing in the emperours jurisdiction as did the subjects of Ferdinand to their lords that dwelt in the Turks dominion and territories Now in this treatie for peace the Turks amongst other their vnreasonable requests demanded to haue their subjects freed and yet the subjects of the emperour to pay as they were before accustomed Which as it was a request nothing indifferent so was it no lesse prejudiciall and hurtfull vnto the emperour his subjects in HVNGARIE for which cause the embassadours would not by any meanes consent thereunto before they knew the emperours farther pleasure concerning the same Whereupon they dispatched one Sig. Odoardo a gentleman of MANTVA very skilfull in the Turkish language and in such like affaires by reason that as well about this businesse as at diuers times before about other the like he had beene employed from VIENNA to CONSTANTINOPLE in the emperours seruice So Selymus shortly after viz. the twentieth of October departing from CONSTANTINOPLE in great magnificence passed by the gate where the embassadours lay with his whole Court in armes and in the same order that is vsually kept when he goeth to warre or taketh any great journey After whose departure the embassadours hauing sufficiently viewed the citie of CONSTANTINOPLE and then at good leisure to passe the time and to see the countries they had so often both heard and read of together with the ports and hauens on both sides that narrow sea which deuideth EVROPE from ASIA embarking themselues and crossing the mouth of the hauen betwixt CONSTANTINOPLE and PERA passed all alongst the coast on EVROPE side vnto the Euxine or blacke sea and so backe againe by the other side of that straight sea curiously noting the great ruines of the antient cities of BITHYNIA with some others alongst the Asian shore together with the pleasant situation they in former times had whilest they yet flourished in their glorie but now for most part or rather altogether laied in the dust brought to nought and so returned againe to CONSTANTINOPLE But whilest they thus deceiued the time and lay long expecting the returne as well of their owne messenger sent vnto the emperor as of Selymus himselfe they were aduertised in all hast to repaire vnto him to HADRIANOPLE whether the aforesaid messenger was now come with full instructions of all things concerning the treatie for peace For which cause they with great speed making themselues ready and taking their leaue of Piall Bassa who for that he was Selymus his great Admirall then lay at CONSTANTINOPLE set forward the first of Ianuarie in the yeare 1568 and so after nine dayes trauell at length arriued at HADRIANOPLE about an hundred fiftie three Italian miles distant from CONSTANTINOPLE Here they stayed vntill the peace was concluded which was the seuenteenth of Februarie the cheefe capitulations whereof were That either of those great princes should still hold what they had got each from the other in the late warres That the emperour should yearely pay thirtie thousand duckaâ—s to the Turkish Sultan as a tribute for HVNGARIE the tribute to begin in the beginning of Ianuarie last past this yeare 1568 That the subjects of the Turke should pay nothing to the subjects of the emperour neither the emperours any thing to the Turks but to be both of those paiments free And that vpon these conditions there should be a firme sure peace betwixt these two great Monarchs for eight years next following wherin the Vayuod of TRANSILVANIA was as the Turkes tributarie to be also comprehended Neuerthelesse all things at this time thus agreed vpon the Turkes after their subtile manner finding sundry cauillations and raising many doubts about the aforesaid capitulations did what they might to haue in some part altered what they had before agreed vpon to the bettering of themselues and the hurt of the Christians and so with many their vnreasonable demaunds stayed the departure of the embassadours vntill the twentith of March following At which time hauing their dispatch and taking their leaue of the Great Turke and the Bassaes accompanied with Hebraim-Beg Selymus his embassadour vnto the emperour they by land returned towards VIENNA where they with the joyfull newes of peace the tenth of May arriued being there two daies after at the Court most honourably receiued And fiue daies after audience was giuen vnto the Turks embassadour who well heard and better rewarded shortly after returned with a full conclusion of peace from the emperour to CONSTANTINOPLE But whilest this peace was thus in concluding and the embassadours yet resident at HADRIANOPLE the sixteenth of Februarie came an honourable embassage from Shach Tamas the Persian king vnto the Great Sultan Selymus to entreat a peace betwixt them or rather to conclude the same being before agreed vpon the controuersies for which they afterwards fell to open war Which embassage for that it is no lesse truly than plainely set downe in a letter sent from ERZIRVM a citie then in the confines of the Turkes dominions towards the Persians written by a Chiaus to Muhamet cheefe of the Visier Bassaes which Chiaus was of purpose sent from CONSTANTINOPLE to meet the said Persian embassadour I thought it not amisse for the better vnderstanding thereof to set downe the effect of the same letter as it was translated out of the Turkish into the Italian by the emperours embassadours interpreter The effect of the letter written to Muhamet Bassa the cheefe Visier by a Chiaus sent of purpose to meet the Persian Embassadour After due salutations this is the effect of that which we thought good to make knowne vnto your lordship Now at this present to wit in the beginning of the month Giuma Sulacchir is in good health arriued the embassadour of Persia the kings cheefe counsellour called Schach Culi Soltan attended vpon with a hundred and twentie gentlemen with guilt turbants on their heads well furnished with spare horses led in mens hands Besides whom he was accompanied also with two hundred knights all apparrelled in cloth of gold with foure hundred Persian marchants in all aboue seuen hundred persons with a thousand nine hundred beasts cammels mules and horses fiue couple of drums euery couple being placed vpon a seuerall cammell fiue Nacars three trumpets fiue flutes and other instruments in all about thirtie musitions playing vpon these instruments There were also two queristers or chaunters of the Alcoran one Organist one playing vpon a Turkish instrument like a Lute two players vpon Sagbuts with two other musitions eight in all There were also foure bondwomen seruing in the embassadours owne chamber Who when he was with all this magnificent pompe come within one dayes iourney of ERZIRVM the Sayms and
well liked and highly commended as full of honour and valour Others deemed it too sharpe liking of nothing that was said or done to the further incensing of the Turkish emperour being of opinion that they might haue of him obtained a more indifferent peace by courtesie than by rigour As for the decreed warre they vtterly disliked for as much as all warres were wofull but especially those which were to be maintained against them that are too strong for vs. In such diuersitie of opinions it appeared That the Senat should of that so honourable a decree reape such commendation as the euent thereof should affoord than which nothing is more vnreasonable if things fell out well then was it wisely and worthely done if otherwise then was it like to be reputed a foolish a rash and wofull resolution The greater the danger was now feared from the angrie Turke the more carefull were the Venetians of their state Wherefore they forthwith sent messengers with letters vnto the Gouernours of CYPRVS charging them with all carefulnesse and diligence to make themselues readie to withstand the Turke and to raise what power they were able in the island not omitting any thing that might concerne the good of the state and at the same time made choice of their most valiant and expert captaines both by sea and land vnto whom they committed the defence of their dispersed Seignorie with the leading of their forces Hieronimus Zanius was appointed Admirall Lucas Michael was sent into CRETE Franciscus Barbarus into DALMATIA Sebastianus Venerius into CORCYRA all men of great honour experience and valour Other meaner captaines were sent also with lesse charge into the aforesaid places as Eugenius Singliticus a noble gentleman with a thousand footmen into CYPRVS who had also the leading of all the horsemen in the island after whom countie Martinengus promised to follow with two thousand footmen moe The strong cities were now by the Venetians in all places new fortified armour ordinance and victuall prouided and whatsoeuer els they thought needfull for defence of their state And for as much as they well knew they had to doe with too mightie an enemie they by their embassadours sent for that purpose earnestly sollicited most of the Christian princes to joine with them in league and to giue them aid against the common enemie who as he was too strong for any one of them so were he not able to stand against their vnited forces But the emperour Maximilian excused himselfe by the league he had not long before made with the Turke for eight yeares which he said he might not breake yet had he before his eyes a most pregnant example what small reckoning the Turke maketh of his faith or league which he without any just cause had broken with the Venetians The like excuse vsed also Charles the French king and Sigismund king of POLONIA who both seemed to be very sorrie for that the Venetians were fallen out with the Turke but could not helpe them for that they were in league with the Turkish emperour Neuerthelesse the French king did them the courtesie to offer himselfe to be a mediator if they so pleased betwixt them and Selymus The young king of PORTINGAL Don Sebastian pretended also for his excuse the great plague which had but a little before raged in his kingdome and much deminished his people as also that he was to maintaine wars by sea against the Turks in the East Indies to the no lesse benefit of the Christian commonweale than if he should aid the Venetians in the Mediterranean Onely Pius Quintus then Pope and Philip king of SPAINE with certaine of the princes of ITALIE namely Philibert duke of SAVOY Guido Vdebaldus duke of VRBIN Cosmus Medices duke of FLORENCE and the knights of MALTA promised them aid which they afterward most honourably performed Selymus of himselfe angrie with the Venetians and firme in his resolution for the conquest of CYPRVS was vpon the report of Cubates his embassadours bad entertainment at VENICE farther enraged He deemed the majestie of the Turkish empire contemned and himselfe in the person of his embassadour disgraced seeing that they whom he had thought would haue yeelded vnto any thing rather than the league should haue beene broken had sent him such a short answere and so contemptuously vsed his embassadour vnto whom they had not affoorded so much as common courtesie It did not a little mooue him also that the Venetians had in their letters sent by his embassadour omitted the glorious titles vsually giuen the Turkish emperours Wherefore in some part to â—atisfie his angrie mood he caused Marcus Anthonius Barbarus the Venetian embassadour and all the Christian marchants of the West throughout his empire to be clapt vp in prison and their ships stayed vnder an arrest And setting all other things apart set himselfe wholly for the preparing of such things as should be needfull for the intended warre But for as much as the island of CYPRVS was the prey whereafter the greedie tyrant so much gaped and for which the bloudie warres betwixt the Turke 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 bloudie tragedie 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 vntill it was now by Selymus the great Turke against all right injuriously demaunded and at length by strong hand by him wrested from them This island lieth in the farthest of the Cilician sea it hath on the East SIRIA on the West PAMPHILIA Southward it regardeth AEGIPT and Northward CILICIA now called CARAMANNIA It is worthely accounted amongst the greâ—test islands of the Mediterranean containing in circuit 427 miles and is in length after the description of Strabo 175 miles and in bredth not aboue 65. It aboundeth with corne wine oyle cotton wooll saffron honey rosin turpentine sugar canes and whatsoeuer els is needfull for the sustentation of man whereof it sendeth forth great abundance to other countries of whom it craueth no helpe againe It was in antient time called Macaria that is to say Blessed The people therein generally liued so at ease and pleasure that thereof the island was dedicated to Venus who was there especially worshipped and thereof called CYPRIA Marcellinus to shew the fertilitie thereof sayth That CYPRVS aboundeth with such plentie of all things that without the helpe of any other forraine countrey it is of it selfe able to build a tall ship from the keele to the top saile and so put it to sea furnished of all things needfull And Sextus Rufus writing thereof sayth Cyprus famosa diuitijs paupertatem populi Romani vt occuparetur solicitauit ita vt ius eius insulae auarius magis quam iustius simus assecâ—ti vz. CYPRVS famous
to hurt the Polonian territories So that on the part of the Tartars and their armies no harme shall be done vnto the kingdome of POLONIA neither on the part of the Polonians to the territories of the Tartars And if any harme shall by the Tartars be done in the king of POLONIA his territories it shall by my commaundement be againe restored And so likewise on the part of the Palatine of MOLDAVIA or the inhabitants of the kingdome of MOLDAVIA no harme shall be done vnto the countries subiect vnto the king of POLONIA but if any be done and certainly knowne to be by my commaundement againe recompenced On the part also of the king of POLONIA and his subiects whatsoeuer harme shall be done vnto the territorie or subiects of the Moldauian Palatine or Tartars the harme so done to be recompenced and the dooers thereof punished Also that all such fugitiues as hauing done any notorious felonies or other villanies in MOLDAVIA and so are fled into POLONIA shall at my request or at the request of the Palatine of MOLDAVIA be restored and in no case denied That all the Polonian captiues within my dominions yet professing the Christian religion may by the king of POLONIA his subiects be redeemed not paying any more for them than their lords and masters paid euerie such master of the slaue taking his oath that he cost him so much But such captiues as haue receiued the Turkish faith to be forthwith set at libertie and so the Turkes slaues in the kingdome of POLONIA to be likewise manumised That our embassadours on both sides so long as we are in league and amitie may freely come and go and not be staied in any place and being willing to meet together may at their pleasure so doe And being entred into the confines of either part to be forthwith by some good and faithfull guide appointed vnto them conducted vnto the place they are to go vnto And this to be on both sides kept No man to dare to hurt or stay any Merchant hauing paied his thirtith part or lawfull custome If any of our subiects shall haue any suit with any of the king of POLONIA his subiects the iudges shall without delay be bound to administer iustice All theeues and robbers shall be diligently sought out and being found to be seuerely punished and the goods taken away without impeachment to be restored vnto the right owners their heires or to the king The Sanzacks of SILISTRIA and BOLOGRAVE the Customers and water-baylifs shall not suffer any man but merchants and such as are sent in our seruise to passe ouer the riuer Nyester who passing ouer if they shall bring with them any slaue or bondman out of POLONIA he shall be sent backe againe The shepheards if they will transport their sheepe into the iurisdiction of the king of POLONIA shall not so doe without the leaue of the Polonian Gouernours before whom they shall also number their sheepe of whom if any shall be lost the Gouernours shall cause them to be sought for and to be restored vnto the shepheards as also to pay for their hey The Zauzij Ianizaries or Posts shall not dare in time of peace or war to take any horses from the Polonian merchants or other the kings subiects comming into our kingdome The Palatines of MOLDAVIA in whatsoeuer condition they haue been towards the former kings of POLONIA they shall now also still so be hereafter The thirtiths and customes of both parts shall continue in their old manner and not be increased The Polonian kings subiects and merchants as well Armenians as of any other nation whensoeuer they shall enter into MOLDAVIA or any other part of our empire shall not trauell by vncertaine and vnknowne but by the common and high waies wherein if they shall suffer any losse or harme either in their goods or persons the dooers of such wrongs shall be sought for and seuerely punished Which merchans shall be suffered without any molestation quietly to come and go hauing paied their thirtiths and no merchant to be troubled for anothers debt If any the Polonian kings merchants or subiects be willing for readie money to redeeme and carrâ—e away any slaues taken out of the Polonian kingdome and yet professing the Christian religion the iudges shall in no case withstand them neither presume to take them from them or againe to redeeme them But if any of such slaues haue receiued the Turkish religion they shall not be againe demanded by the king of POLONIA Such slaues as haue not receiued the Turkish religion if after a certaine space they shall be set at libertie by their masters and in the letters testimoniall of their libertie it shall be declared that they haue receiued the Turkish religion yet shall they not by the iudges be therefore detained In the citie of BVRVSA the Polonian merchants hauing paied their vsuall thirtiths shall not be farther pressed with any other vnusuall payment My will is also that the territories at this present in the possession of the king of POLONIA 〈◊〉 hereafter to be by him taken from the Muscouite or any other the Christian princes to be comprised within this league and so to be royally by him possessed And for the confirmation of the articles and conditions in these our letters of confederation contained I sweare by the power of the most mightie God and of his most holy prophet and by the most cleane and pure spirits of all the prophets that for all the daies of my life and so long as nothing shall on the behalfe of the king of POLONIA be done contrarie to the peace and league nothing shall also on my part be done contrarie vnto the same Witnesse the Almightie the vpright iudge and decerner of mens actions From CONSTANTINOPLE the yeare of the holy prophet Mahomet 985 the 14 of the moneth Cziemassi Eumel and of Christ 1577. This league betwixt these two mightie princes Amurath and king Stephen thus concluded and after the death of Stephen by Sigismund the third which now raigneth renewed as it hath been euer since vnto the Polonian kingdome for the time commodious so hath it as with an Adamantine band so bound that most famous kingdome as that in the hardest distresses of the Christian common-weale and most in deed concerning it selfe it hath affoorded no more helpe than hath the members farther off which is I rue to say it none at all As in these late and present warres betwixt the Christian emperour and the two last Turkish Sultans is too plainely to be seene wherein had it in due time giuen but such reasonable helpes as it might well haue spared much no doubt might haue been done for the repressing of the common enemie and the recouerie of the greatest part of that is lost of HVNGARIE But thus bound standeth as a dead member seruing to no vse more than to the more speedie destruction of it selfe togither with the rest of the sicke bodie For what
setled themselues vpon the execution and taking vnto them some other also of their faithfull and trustie friends followed him euen to the pauillion of Mahamet where Mustaffa entring into the place of counsell desired of the Generall to know what his pleasure was who presently caused the counterfeit commaundement to be read whereunto Mustaffa gaue an attentiue eare But when the other Bassaes and Sanzackes began to sit downe contrarie to the manner of the Turkes who whensoeuer any commaundement of the emperours is in reading vse alwayes to stand vp and not to sit down vntill it be full read the Georgian tooke his leaue promising to be euer readie to performe not onely that order of the kings but also whatsoeuer els he should commaund And so being about to depart the Capigi Bassi or great vsher of Mahamet came vnto him and plucking him by the sleeue would haue forced him to sit downe Then Mustaffa crying out aloud drew his sword wherewith he strucke Mahamets lieutenant that was right against him and with his left hand hauing raught the roll from his pate with his right hand suddenly to the great astonishment of all that were present at one onely blow parted his head his necke and his breast iâ— twaine euen to his very stomacke so that he died a strange spectacle to behold being thus cut in sunder with his cleft head and two shoulders hanging downe vpon their seuerall sides After this first he redoubled his second stroke aiming at the head of the Bassa of CARAEMIT but it being defended with the wrythen rolls of the turbant it slipped downe by his eare yet so that with a peece of the said turbant it carried his eare quite away with a little also of the flesh of his cheeke and all enraged eagerly assailed Mahamet Bassa the Generall who now all in confusion was risen vp in the tumult and wounded him with fiue mortall wounds which were yet afterwards by cunning hand healed when they had brought him euen to deaths dore At the crie of this Georgian all his people rushed in together vpon whose confused tumult and the feare that Mustaffa through his furie had strucke into the Turks the campe was presently raised and euery man with all speed departing thence put himselfe on his way towards CHARS whether also were brought the two wounded Bassaes and the rest that were ill handled and greatly scared with these sudden and vncouth stirres Of all this treacherie entended against him Mustaffa sent present information to the Turkish emperour finding himselfe greatly grieued at the false suspition that Mahamet had wrongfully conceiued against him to his great dishonour and wrought so cunningly that Amurath in token of his good liking and contentment sent him both cloth of gold and a battleax all gilt Mahamet on the other side entermedling here and there with all the art that possibly he could deuise all hatefull and injurious tearmes sent large aduertisements of all the misfortunes that had happened and aggrauated to the king both the treacheries of Mustaffa and also the slender securitie of those wayes and countries As soone as Amurath vnderstood the calamities of his souldiors the losse of his money the great dishonour of his people and the apparant danger wherein the fort of TEFLIS stood when it was like to be abandoned all inflamed with rage and anger he called vnto him the Bassaes of his court among whom sat as chiefe the prowd and haughtie Sinan and rated them all exceedingly reprouing their lewd counsell and recounting the losses that he had from time to time receiued as if they had happened through their defaults and especially Sinan as the principall occasion of all these mischiefes Who like an improuident foole as he said would needs relinquish the charge of his armie and like a king sit idle at CONSTANTINOPLE standing as it were at some publike triumph to behold and heare the miseries and misfortunes of others hauing before in the time that Mustapha was General most vainly boasted with the like power that he had to fetch the Persian king out of CASBIN and to deliuer him in bonds to Amurath but had in deed performed nothing worth the remembrance Sinan could doe no lesse but make answere to the wrathfull king yet not with such mildnesse and modestie as in such a case hee should peraduenture haue done but in prowd and peremptorie manner without any reuerence or regard told him plainly That as the last yeare a little before his returne to CONSTANTINOPLE succours had been conuaied to TEFLIS without any losse or trouble as in truth they were euen so had they been this yeare also if he had put his aduise in execution as much as hee despised and contemned it for he did then giue him to vnderstand that Mahamet Bassa could not be a fit man for so great a charge and that it was necessarie to haue chosen in his roome some other captaine of valour and discretion but seeing he would needs make choise of the same vnfit man he was not now to blame any other for this errour but onely himselfe As for his comming to CONSTANTINOPLE it was a thing long before thought most needfull not onely for his aduise how the matter of peace might be brought to some good passe but also because if that treatie came not to the desired issue then he had to talke with him how he might compasse the ouerthrow of his enemy which thing as yet he had no fit time to declare vnto him but was now readie to reueale it if it were so his pleasure Wonderfully was Amurath grieued with this sullen answere when he considered that a slaue of his owne should so arrogantly and manifestly reproue him of folly and improuidence Notwithstanding being desirous to know of him what that secret and important matter was which he had to reueale vnto him for the easie compassing of his commenced enterprise he dissembled his discontentment conceiued against him and commaunded him to disclose those his deuises which he had to vtter Sinan in briefe of all his aduises propounded these two things first his counsell was not to proceed in this warre as they had hitherto done by seeking with forts and fortresses to hold and keepe the enemies countries for that their treasures were not able to yeeld such store of money as was sufficient for the maintenance of so many and so great garrisons contrarie to the opinion of Mustapha of late dead who with great pertinacie had persuaded that dangerous chargeable and difficult manner of warre His second aduise was that the true meanes to bring this warre to wished end consisted especially in the resolution of Amurath himselfe who if he would go in person himselfe and against so mightie a king oppose the person of a king then might he most assuredly promise vnto himselfe all speedie and honourable victorie for that at the onely name of his comming the Persians would easily come to any agreement or if not he might
despight of the king himselfe and of the prince Hamze nothing regarding that by this action farre greater troubles would arise in PERSIA than euer were yet heard of but onely being wholy bent to reuenge the death of one onely Emir Chan. With this malitious and fraudulent resolution they to the number of ten thousand vnder the conduct of two captaines Mahamet and Calife went to the king in all reuerence offering themselues with all readinesse to be imploied in the enterprise whereunto they were called The old credulous king not suspecting any mischiefe plotted by these secret rebels was greatly comforted at their comming and although by some of his Sultans that had felt some inkling of this conspiracie he was aduised to deale circumspectly and warily with them and not commit any matter of importance to their trust yet did he thinke euerie houre a thousand vntill he had offered them satisfaction promising them that what captaine soeuer they would desire in the roume of Emir Chan if it were possible they should haue him Whereunto the dissembling Mahamet Chan made answere That their desire aboue all things was to doe him pleasure and seruice not doubting but he would appoint them such a chieftaine as should be valorous noble and acceptable vnto them The king could stay no longer but frankly declared vnto them That to assure them of his good will and to giue them an hostage in pawne thereof he had made choise of young Tamas his sonne to succeed in the roume of Emir Chan their late Gouernour As soone as Mahamet Chan heard this resolution of the king who beside all expectation voluntarily of himselfe yeelded them the meanes to put in execution what they had malitiously before contriued against the peace and libertie of the kingdome he became more jocund than he was wont to be and outwardly shewed himselfe readie for whatsoeuer the king would command him and in the names of the rest yeelded also large promises of fidelitie and obedience so that the matter might be performed for which he had now giuen his word The king who desired nothing more than to see the fort of TAVRIS rased which could hardly be done without the helpe of those Turcomans contrarie to the aduise of the wisest of the Sultans and of the prince secretly and as it were by stealth gaue his young sonne Tamas into the hands of Mahamet as chiefe of all the Turcomans Who to nourish the good opinion and credulitie of the king and to secure the prince and the Sultans gaue a lustie beginning by the helpe of his followers with trenches and rampiers to approach the fort Neither was there any great time spent therein for they had now almost made their trenches and mounts euen with the enemies wall and the ditch it selfe was almost filled vp with earth so that there wanted but little more labour to begin the desired assault when contrarie to all mens expectation the false and wicked traitour Mahamet Chan with all his Turcomans leading away with them the child Tamas departed in the night time and vpon a sudden from so noble and honourable an enterprise And blinded with desire to put in execution his ill hatched purpose couertly and without any noise remoued from the besieged wals and put himselfe on his way towards CASBIN still tearming Tamas by the name of the king of PERSIA and sundrie waies abusing and mocking the poore old king and the prince This so sudden and so dangerous a rebellion whereby not onely so honourable and so necessarie an enterprise was to be abandoned but the whole state of the kingdome like to be endangered exceedingly grieued all good men but most of all the old king and the prince his sonne who no lesse carefull of his rightfull succession than was the aged king of his present estate both now hazarded by this rebellion wholly incensed with griefe and anguish of mind began to cast a thousand deuises in his troubled head what course to take and what to resolue vpon To abandon the siege it grieued him aboue measure and to suffer so pernitious a rebellion to go forward seemed too dangerous for the state of PERSIA and to prouide for both these mischiefes at once was altogither impossible In these huge waues of contrarie thoughts he resolued at last to turne himselfe against the Turcomans and to suppresse that rebellion as most dangerous to the State And so with twelue thousand souldiors and a part also of the kings ordinarie guard all couragious and hardie men he followed after the rebellious Turcomans and marching directly toward CASBIN he ouertooke them at a place called CALISTEZA a daies journey on this side CASBIN and there joyned battell with them Wherein many of them being sorie for that they had done would not so much as draw their swords against the prince many others fled also away for feare so that he easily obtained a wished victorie ouer them The seditious Mahamet Chan was taken prisoner and by the princes commaundement presently beheaded so was also Calife the Sultan and diuers other captaines of this pestilent conspiracie Young Tamas was also taken and by the direction of the prince sent to the castle of CAHACA Fiue thousand Turcomans of the late followers of the rebell Mahamet fled out of the battell towards BABYLON by the way of SIRAS and yeelded themselues to Solyman Bassa of that citie who afterwards repenting themselues of their folly sought to returne againe into the fauour of their king but all in vaine so that being become rebels to the one and suspected to the other they did at one time loose their countrey their libertie their honour and the fauour of all men as well friends as foes The prince after this victorie held on his way to CASBIN and there staying laboured to gather the dispersed Turcomans especially those that moued with the honestie of the cause would not beare armes in so vnjust an action intending afterwards to returne to TAVRIS to attend the besieging and conquest of the fort This was the end of this dangerous rebellion the chiefe cause that TAVRIS was not againe recouered out of the hands of the Turks to the great weakning of the Persian kingdome Now Giaffer the Eunuch Bassa Gouernour of the castle of TAVRIS fearing least the Persian prince would with a greater armie againe returne to the siege perceiuing himselfe to wax euerie day weaker and weaker by reason that many of his men secretly fled from him beside them that perished with sicknesse and others slaine in aduenturing too boldly to go abroad to seeke for victuals sent aduertisement thereof to Cicala Bassa at VAN signifying farther vnto him by writing That if the prince should againe returne to assault the fort he should of necessitie be enforced to yeeld it and that therefore as he tendered the honour of his Sultan he would be carefull to send him succour whereby he might be able to maintaine the fort adding moreouer That now it
prouision for the campe and ten gallies wherein were an hundred and twentie pieces of great ordinance The losse receiued this day was valued at fiue hundred thousand duckats And albeit that this victorie cost the Turkes two thousand and fiue hundred of their liues yet thereby they gained the masterie both vpon the riuer and the land so that now roming farre and neere without resistance they spoyled the countrey all about and burnt certain countrey villages not farre from VIENNA so that for many miles space from countrey townes were for feare of the enemie forsaken by the inhabitants of whom some were taken and slaine some carried into captiuitie and some others reserued to a better fortune with such things as they had got themselues farther off into places of more securitie And the more to encrease these calamities the Tartars shortly after passing ouer Danubius neere vnto ALTENEVRO first sacked WEISENBVRG and after burnt it with certaine townes thereabout but aduenturing to haue gone further into the countrey they were with losse enforced to returne Whilest the Turks thus preuaile in HVNGARIE Cicala Bassa the Turkes Admirall then at sea with a fleet of gallies landing his men in diuers places of ITALIE did exceeding much harme but especially in CALABRIA where he vpon the sudden surprised RHEGIVM riâ—led the towne and afterwards burnt it From thence taking his course towards SICILIA he in the sight of MESSANA landed certaine of his men who aduenturing too farre ashore were by the countrey people ouerthrowne and put to flight So the Turks returning againe to RHEGIVM vtterly rased what they had before left of that towne In the meane time not farre from MESSANA euen in the sight of the garrison of the towne they tooke a certaine ship comming out of the East countries and three other comming from APVLIA Afterward chancing vpon certaine gallies of the East they changed some few shot with them but to no great purpose And so turning their course and sailing alongst the coast of CALABRIA they oftentimes landed certaine companies which skirmishing with the Calabrians had sometime the better and sometime the worse and so with such fortune as befell them were againe receiued into the gallies They of MESSANA vnto whose eyes these dangers were dayly presented both by letters and speedie messengers gaue the Viceroy knowledge thereof who then for his pleasure lay at PALERMO requesting his present aid but he dallying of the time they for the more safegard of the citie and of the sea coast of themselues raised fiue hundred horsemen whom they committed to the leading of Philip Cicala the renegate Turkish Admirals brother and beside stored the citie with all such things as they thought necessarie for the enduring of a siege if it should chance the Turke to haue any such purpose of all which they certified the king of SPAINE as also of the negligence of the Viceroy requesting his speedie aid against these terrours of the Turks In the meane while the Neapolitanes for safegard of their coast put to sea thirtie gallies vnto whom the Pope the duke of FLORENCE the Genowayes and the knights of MALTA joyned also theirs in all to the number of about fourescore gallies vnder the conduct of Auria The prouident Venetians also although they were as then in league with the Turke yet for the more safetie of their state put to sea a fleet of about an hundred saile some ships some gallies vnder the leading of Poscarin their Admirall Which two fleets sayling vp and downe those seas deliuered ITALIE SICILIE DALMATIA with many other prouinces and islands of the Christians of a great feare Sinan Bassa hauing before encouraged his soldiors with great hope and large promises commaunded an assault to be giuen to the citie of RAB which was accordingly by them begun the three and twentith day of September the Sunne being as yet scarce vp and furiously maintained all that day from morning vntill night But they of the towne so valiantly defended themselues that at last the Turks were glad to giue ouer the assault and with losse to retire Neuerthelesse the next day the assault was again renewed and most desperatly continued by the space of two daies wherein aboue twelue thousand of the Turks there lost their liues the other with shame retiring themselues into their trenches In few dayes after the Turks by a mine blew vp one of the bulwarkes of the towne with the fall whereof the towne ditch was in that place somewhat filled whereby the Turks with all their power attempted thrice the next day to haue entered but were by the valour of the defendants still notably with losse repulsed Yet notwithstanding all this chearefulnesse and couragiousnesse of them in the towne the puissant enemie ceased not with continuall batterie and furious assaults to attempt the citie vntill that at length he had gained two of the bulwarkes from whence he might to his great aduantage by the rubbish and earth fallen out of the battered bulwarkes and rampiers haue accesse vnto the towne to the great terrour of the defendants Whereupon countie Hardeck the Gouernor who corrupted by the Turke had of purpose many times before said that the towne could not possibly be long defended now tooke occasion to enter into counsell with the other captaines of the towne diuers of whom he had alreadie framed to his purpose what course were best to take for the yeelding of it vp And so after a little consultation holden more for fashion sake than for that he doubted what to doe resolued to send a messenger vnto the Bassa for a truce to be graunted for a while to see if happily in the meane time some reasonable composition might be agreed vpon Yet the Gouernour considering vnto what scorne and danger he should expose himselfe by yeelding vp of so strong a towne to colour the matter and to excuse his doings vnto the rest of the nobilitie and garrisons of HVNGARIE caused a publicke instrument to be in his and all the rest of the captaines names conceiued in writing wherein they solemnely protested vnto the world That for as much as it was impossible by reason of the weakenesse of the garrison for them longer to defend the towne against so mightie an enemy without new supplies in stead of them that were slain which they had oftentimes in vaine requested they were therefore of necessitie enforced to come to composition with the enemie Which protestation so made the Gouernour with the chiefe captaines confirmed with their hands and seales So after a truce granted and pledges giuen on both sides at length it was agreed vpon That all the garrison souldiors together with the countie and other captaines should in armes with ensignes displayed with bag and baggage depart in safetie and with a safe conuoy be brought to ALTENBVRG Which agreement though by oath confirmed was not on the Turks part altogether performed for when the countie had the 29 day of September at ten a
trecherously slaine by Ferrat Bassa 600 l Alis Bassa of Buda by the commaundement of Amurath strangled 1003 d Alis Beg Gouernour of Strigonium comming downe into the lower town there staied by the Ianizaries 1066 k. his resolute answer vnto the message sent him from the lord Palfi 1009 e. slain with a great shot 1071 c Almericus Earle of Ioppa after the death of his brother Baldwin chosen sixt king of Ierusalem 53 d. with a puissant armie entereth Aegipt and in plaine battell ouerthroweth Dargan the Sultan e. aideth Sanar the Sultan against Saracon Noradins Generall whom he ouerthroweth in Aegipt 56 i taketh Alexandria l. winneth Pelusium 57. dieth 58 k Aloysius Grittus the duke of Venice his sonne sent by Solyman as his lieutenant into Hungarie to ouersee king Iohn 631 f. contemned by Americus causeth him to be murthered 633 d. besieged by the Transyluanians 634 h. taken and beheaded l. the great riches found about him 635 a Alphonsus king of Naples sendeth aid vnto Scanderbeg 369 f. with Alexander the Bishop of Rome craueth aid of Baiazet the Turke against Charles the French king 551 a Alphonsus resigneth his kingdome of Naples vnto his sonne Ferdinand 453 e Alphonsus Daualus Vastius lieutenant Generall of the Emperours land forces in his expedition for Tunes 655 b. his speech vnto the Spanish captaines 659 b. commaundeth the Emperour 665 d. with Hannibaldus sent embassadours from the Emperor and the French king to the state of Venice for a confederation betwixt that State them to be made against Solyman 992 g. his Oration in the Venetian Senate h. the answere of the duke m. the Senators diuersly affected towards the confederation 693 d Alteration of Religion in the Greeke Church the cause of great trouble 144 m. Amesa with his Turkes ouerthrowne and taken prisoner by Scanderbeg 366 g Amesa emploied by his vncle Scanderbeg for the recouerie of Croia out of the hands of Turkes 284 h. corrupted flieth to Mahomet the Turke 375 b. his first speech to Mahomet c. honourably entertained 376 i. by Isaack Bassa created king of Epirus 378 d. taken prisoner by Scanderbeg 381 d. sent prisoner into Italie 382 h. enlarged returneth to Constantinople and there dieth â—83 b Amurath the first succeedeth his father Orchanes in the Turkish kingdome 189 c. inuadeth Europe d. taketh Hadrianople f. maketh his roiall seat in Europe 191 b. beginneth the order of the Ianizaries e. returneth into Asia 192 g. marrieth his son Baiazet vnto Hatune the daughter of the prince Germean with a great dowrie 193 c. purchaseth the principalitie of Amisum of Chusen Beg. d. inuadeth Seruia and taketh Nissa the metropoliticall citie thereof e. imposeth a yearely tribute vpon the countrey of Seruia f. in a great battel ouerthroweth Aladin the king of Caramania his sonne in law with the other Mahometane prinâ—â— his confederates 196 g. by his captaines winneth and spoileth a great part of Bulgaria 199 a. in a great mortall battell ouerthroweth Lazarus the Despot of Seruia with his confederats in the plaines of Cossoua 200 i. slaine k. buried at Prusa 201 b. Amurath the second placed in his fathers seat 255 c. afraid to goe against the rebell Mustapha 256 h. in vaine besieged Constantinople 258 g. strangleth his brother Mustapha l. winneth Thessalonica 260 g. taketh vnto himselfe the greatest part of Aetolia i. enforceth the princes of Athens Phocis and Beotia to become his tributaries h. falsifieth his faith with Iohn Castriot prince of Epirus and poysoneth his three eldest sonnes his hostages l. oppresseth the Mahometane princes in Asia 261 c. spoileth Hungarie d. contrarie to his saith inuadeth Seruia and subdueth it 262 g. putteth out the eyes of the Despots sons his wiues brethren g. besiegeth Belgrade 263 c. dealeth subtilly with the embassadors of king Vladislaus 264 g. notably encourageth his souldiors to the assault of Belgrade h. shamefully repulsed 266 h. his sullen answere vnto the embassadours of king Vladislâ—us i. sendeth Mesites Bassa to inuade Transyluania 267 f. grieued with the losse of Mesites and his armie sendeth Abedin Bassa to reuenge his death 270 l. in despaire about to haue slain himselfe 289 a. by the mediation of the Despot of Seruia obtaineth peace of king Vladislaus for ten yeares b. inuadeth Caramania d. wearie of the world committeth the gouernment of his kingdome to his sonne Mahomet and retireth himselfe vnto a monasticall life c. at the report of those preparations of the Hungarians and request of his Bassaes forsaketh his solitarie life and raiseth a great armie in Asia 296 k. by the Genowaies transported with his armie into Europe l. ioyneth battell with K. Vladislaus at Varna 297 b. about to haue sled reproued of cowardise by a common souldiour c. prayeth vnto Christ. e. in danger to haue beene slaine 298 h. wisheth not many times so to ouercome as he did at the battell of Varna m. to performe his vow resigneth his kingdome to his sonne Mahomet which he shortly after resumeth againe 299 b. his craftie letters to Scanderbeg 300 g. his passionate speech in his rage against Scanderbeg 302 i. breaketh through the Hexamylum imposeth a yearly tribute vpon them of Peloponnesus 304 h. after three daies hard fight with great slaughter of his men ouercommeth Huniades in the plaines of Cassoua 309 b. inuadeth the Despot 310 k. his graue letters of aduice to Mustapha concerning his inuading of Epirus 311 e. commeth with a great armie to Sfetigrade 316 l. in vaine with great â—urie giueth many a desperat assault vnto the citie 319 b. in one assault looseth seuen thousand of his Turks 320 i. by great promises seeketh to corrupt the garrison of Sfetigrade l. by the practise of one man hath the citie of Sfetigrade yeelded vnto him 321 e. hauing lost thirtie thousand of his Turks at the siege of Sfetigrade returneth to Hadrianople 322 h. with a great armie commeth againe into Epirus and besiegeth Croia 323 c. in two assaults looseth eight thousand of his souldiors 326 k. content to buy the life of one Christian with the losse of twentie of his Turks 327 a. seeketh by great gifts to corrupt Vranacontes the Gouernour of Croia 328 i. ouercome with melancholie tormenteth himselfe 330 g. by his embassadours offereth Scanderbeg peace h. his last speech vnto his sonne Mahomet concerning such things as at his death grieued him most k. dieth 331. b. buried at Prusa 332 g Amurath the sonne of Achomates flieth vnto Hysmael the Persian king 504 k marrieth his daughter 505 a. spoileth Cappadocia and for feare of his vncle Selymus retireth d. Amurath the third taketh vpon him the Turkish Empire 919 c. pacifieth the Ianizaries and augmenteth their priuiledges d. strangleth his fiue brethren e. his letters vnto the nobilitie of Polonia in the behalfe of Stephen Bathor Vayuod of Transyluania 920 i. attentiue to the slirs in Persia. 923 f. enformed thereof by Vstref Bassa of Van. 924 m. resolueth to take the Persian warre in hand 925 d.
b killeth him c. delaieth the Venetians 889 d. in doubt whether to send them aid or not 890 k. sendeth word vnto the confederats to meet him at Zacynthus 893 f. faileth them 894 i. meeteth them at Corcyra 895 a. offereth the Turks battell d. refuseth to follow the counsell of the Venetian Admirall 896 k. breaketh promise with him and returneth to Messana 901 a Iohn the Vayuod of Moldauia falleth into suspition with the Turks 906 g. his notable speech vnto his nobilitie and subiects concerning the Turks demaund 907 a. in vaine craueth aid of the king of Polonia 908 g. with a great slaughter ouerthroweth the Palatine and the Turks 909 a. giueth the Turks a second ouerthrow 910 b. betrayed by Czarnieuiche 911. ouerthrowne by the Turks 912 m. shamefully and perfidiously by them murthered 913 e Ionima Ballabanus his brother and Hedar his sonne taken prisoners by Scanderbeg 401 b Ionuses Bassa sent against Techellis putteth him to flight 475 e. hurt at the winning of Caire 545 f. enuieth at the vnworthie preferment of Cayerbeius 554 l. is himselfe secretly hated of Selymus 555 b. put to death 556 i Irene the faire Greeke beheaded by Mahomet the Great 153 d Isa after the captiuitie of his father Baiazet seizeth vpoÌ„ the citie of Prusa 232 bâ—punc ouerthrowne in battell by his brother Mahomet 238 i. with a great armie sent by his brother Solyman against Mahomet 240 i. burneth Prusa l. dieth in obscuritie 241 c Ismaell last of the Isfendiars yeeldeth his principalitie of Castamona and Sinope to Mahomet the Great 359 f Ishender Bassa ouerthrowne by Alaedeules taken and sent prisoner to Caytbeius to Caire 383 f Islan of a prisoner made a King 975 e Ismaell the sonne of King Tamas saluted King of Persia. 922 l. murthereth eight of his younger brethren altereth the Persian religion tyranniseth m. by the deuice of his sister Periaconcona himselfe murthered 921 b the Italians left by the Emperour for the aid of King Ferdinand in his wars in Hungarie arise in mutinie 623 f. eight thousand of them forsake their captaines and returne into Italie 625 d. Iulia Gonzaga a faire ladie of Italie put in great feare by Barbarussa 641 c Iulian the Cardinall sent by Pope Viban to appease the dissention in Hungarie and to stirre vp the Hungarians against the Turks 275 d. his effectuall speech in parliament to persuade the warre e. cunningly persuadeth King Vladislaus to breake the honourable and solemn league he had before made with Amurath 290 k. disanulleth the league absoluing the King and the rest from their oath before giuen to Amurath 291 i. himselfe slâ—ine 298 k K the KIngdome of Hungarie by Solyman conuerted into a prouince of the Turkish Empire 713 a the Knights of Malta craue aid of Garzias the Viceroy of Sicilia 805 a. his cold answere b. Komara besieged by Sinan Bassa 1045 b. Koppan surprised by the Christians 1002 l. L LAdislaus a child crowned King of Hungarie at Alba Regalis 263. a Lazarus Despot of Seruia becommeth tributarie vnto Amurath the first 193 e. purposing to make war against Amurath craueth aid of the King of Bosna 197 c. in a mortall battell ouerthrowne in the plaines of Cossoua and slaine 200 i Lepanto yeelded to the Turks 459 c Lewis the eight of that name the French King making an expedition into the Holy land is by the mallice of Emanuell the Greeke Emperour therein much hindered 34 m. he besiegeth Damasco where by the enuie of the other Christian princes he was enforced to raise his siege and so to returne home into his countrey 35 b Lewis the ninth the French King making an expedition towards the Holy land arriueth at Damiata 102 m. taketh the citie forsaken by the Turks 113 h with his whole armie ouerthrowne and himselfe taken prisoner 115 e. vndertaketh a second expedition toward the Holy land with his sons and most of his nobilitie 118 k. ouerthroweth the Moores and besiegeth Tunes 119 a. falleth sicke of the bloudie flix and dieth b. Lewis the eleuenth the French King giueth aid vnto the Venetians against the Turks 461 c Lewis King of Hungarie with an armie of fiue and twentie thousand fondly goeth against Solyman being two hundred and sixtie thousand strong 602 h. ouerthrown in his flight drowned in a ditch 603 a Liscanus the couetous Spaniard dealeth vncouâ—teously with Perenus 732 k. is himselfe in like sort serued and meerely stripped of his wealth by Halis captaine of the Ianizaries 738 l Lissa taken by the Turks and the bones of Scanderbeg digged vp and by them worne foriewels 425â— Lodronius encourageth his soldiors 684. h ieasted at by an old souldior k. slaine and his head with the heads of two other captaines in a siluer bason presented to Solyman at Constantinople 685â— M MAhomet the first sendeth spies into Tamerlan his campe 232 l. becommeth famous in Tamerlans Court 234 i. in battell ouerthroweth his brother Isa. 238 i. honourably burieth the bodie of his father Baiazet at Prusa l. againe ouerthroweth his brother Isa supported by his brother Solyman 240 m. giueth him a third ouerthrow together with the other Mahometane princes his confederats 241 c. besieged by his brother Solyman in Amasia 242 i. vpon report of his brother Musa his euill gouernment goeth against him into Europe 246 k. ouerthrowne flieth backe againe into Asia 247 a. commeth againe into Europe 248 g. besiegeth Hadrianople h. ouerthroweth his brother Musa in battell and causeth him being taken prisoner to be strangled 249 c. wholly possesseth the Othoman kingdome both in Europe and Asia d. oppresseth Orchanes his brother Solymans sonne and putteth out his eyes 250 h. taketh the Caramanian King and his sonne prisoners k. enforceth the Valachian prince to become his tributarie l. dieth at Hadrianople 251 f. his death cunningly concealed by the three great Bassaes. 252 g. he worthily accounted the restorer of the Othoman kingdome almost quite ouerthrowne by Tamerlan l. Mahomet the second surnamed the Great an Atheist of no religion 337 d murthereth his brethren 338 g. reformeth the Turks commonweale i. subdueth Mentesia 339 b. winneth Constantinople 347 b. solemniseth his feasts in Constantinople with the bloud of the Grecian nobilitie 348 k. notably dissembleth his hatred against Cali Bassa 349 d. first Emperour of the Turks 350 i. amorous of the faire Greeke Irene l. with his owne hand striketh off her head 353 d. besiegeth Belgrade 357 b. wounded and caried away for dead 358 i. falsifieth his faith with Dauid the Emperour of Trapezonâ—◠〈◊〉 i. seeketh to entrap Wladus 〈◊〉 of Valachia 361 b. in danger to haue beene slaine by Wladus Dracula his Ganymede 363 b. his letters to Scanderbeg 384 k. sueth to Scanderbeg to haue the league renewed betwixt them 390 h. commeth himselfe in person to the siege of Croia 400 i. forsaketh the siege of Croia 402 i. breaketh his faith with Paulus Ericus Gouernour of Chalcis 406 i. he is no lesse troublesome vnto the Mahometane princes