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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.