with Ensigns displaied with Bag and Baggage depart in safety and with a safe Convoy be brought to Altenburg Which Agreement though by Oath confirmed was not on the Turks part altogether performed for when the County had the 29 th day of September at ten a Clock in the Forenoon delivered up the City to the Bassa and the Christian Garrison was all come out the County himself with a few of his Friends was with a Convoy of Turks brought in safety to the appointed place but the Italians and other Garrison Souldiers that came behind and ought to have been by the Governour protected were contrary to the Turks promise spoiled of all that they had and hardly escaping with Life came that Night to Hochstrate and the next day to Altenburg Thus was Rab one of the strongest Bulwarks of Christendom traiterously delivered unto the most mortal Enemy of the Christian Religion being even then when it was given up victualled for a year and sufficiently furnished with all things necessary for defence all which Provision together with the City fell into the hands of the faithless Enemy A loss never to have been sufficiently lamented had it not been about four years after even as it were miraculously again recovered to the great rejoycing of all that side of Christendom as in the Process of this History shall appear Sinan glad of this victory as the greatest Trophy of his Masters glory over the Christians gave him speedy knowledge therof both by Letters and Messengers Of whom he was for that good service highly commended and afterward bountifully rewarded for now had Amurath already in hope devoured all Austria with the Provinces thereabout The great Bassa because he would not with too long stay hinder the course of this victory without delay repaired the rent City new fortified the battered Bulwarks enlarged the Ditches and filled the Cathedral Church with earth in manner of a strong Bulwark whereupon he planted great store of great Ordnance and with exceeding speed dispatched all things necessary for the holding of the place In the mean time he sent certain Tartars to summon the Town and Castle of Pappa which Castle and little Town subject thereunto the Christians the night following set on fire because it should not stand the Enemy in any stead for the farther troubling of the countrey and so fled The Bassa having at his pleasure disposed of all things in Rab and leaving there four thousand Ianizaries and two thousand Horsemen in Garrison departed thence with his Army and laid siege to Komara a strong Town of that most fertile Island which the Hungarians call Schut which scituated in the very point thereof about four miles from Rab is on the East South and North inclosed with the two Arms of Danubius All these ways Sinan with his Fleet which he had there notably well appointed laid hard siege unto the Town ang gave thereunto divers assaults and by Land the Beglerbeg of Greece ceased not both by continual battery and Mines to shake the Walls and Bulwarks thereof Thus was the City on all sides both by Water and by Land hardly laid unto But the Christians within with no less Courage defended themselves and the City than did the Turks assail them shewing indeed that the Liberty of their Religion and Country was unto them dearer than their Lives Matthias the Arch-duke in the mean time not ignorant how much it concerned the Emperour his Brother to have this City defended having after his late overthrow gathered together a good Army of Germans Bohemians and Hungarians resolved to go and raise the siege and so marching forward with his Army came and encamped the 28 th day of October at Nitria about five miles from Komara Now were the Tartars a little before departed from the Camp with purpose to return home yea the Turks themselves weary of the Siege and wanting Victual both for themselves and their Horses began also as men discouraged to shrink away Which the Bassa well considering thought it not best with his heartless Souldiers and Army now sore weakned to abide the coming of the Christians and therefore upon their approach he forthwith forsook the City which he had by the space of three weeks hardly besieged and by a Bridg made of Boats transported his Army and Artillery over Danubius to Dotis where he the next day after brake up his Army Immediately after the Turks were thus departed the Arch-duke arrived at Komara where he with great Diligence caused the Breaches to be repaired the Mines to be filled up and new Bulwarks and Rampiers to be made in divers Places for the more strength of the City leaving the charge thereof still unto the Lord Braun the old Governour who in the defence thereof had received a grievous Wound in his right Knee of whom also this notable Fact is reported The Bassa in time of the late siege of Komara under the Colour of a Parley had sent five Turks into the City to the Governour but indeed to prove if he were by any means to be won to yield up the City and not to hold it out to the last The faithful Governour having given them the hearing until they had discharged their whole Treachery presently caused four of their Heads to be strucken off and to be set upon long Pikes upon one of the Bulwarks for the Bassa to look upon but the fifth the beholder of this Tragedy he sent back unto the Bassa to tell him That although he had found one in Rab to serve his turn he was much deceived if in him he thought to find County Hardeck and that he wished rather to die the Emperours faithful Servant in the blood of the Turks than to betray the City committed to his Charge County Hardeck late Governour of Rab generally before suspected to have treacherously betrayed that strong Town unto the Bassa was therefore sent for to Vienna and there by the Emperours Commandment committed to Prison Where among many things laid to his Charge as that he should in the beginning of the siege negligently have suffered many things to be done by the Enemy which afterwards turned to the great danger of the Town and that in the time of the siege he had caused some of the Canoneers to discharge certain great Pieces against the Enemy with Powder only without Shot and that seeing one Piece among the rest to do the Enemy much harm he had caused the same to be removed and so placed as that it served to little or no use beside that he as it should seem making small rekoning of the Town should oftentimes say That if the Turks should win it he should be but one Town the richer with divers other such things giving just cause of suspition The thing that lay most heavy upon him was the Testimony of one of Sinan Bassa's Chamber who being taken young by the Turks and serving in the Bassaes Chamber was now fled from the Turks and coming
and therefore commonly called him in derision a King but still with this addition Sans Ville that is to say Without a Town Now was the ten years Peace before taken betwixt the Turks and the Christians in Syria at the coming over of Simon Marquess of Mont-Ferrat as is before declared almost expired which had not so much given to those poor remnants of the Christians some time of rest and breathing as had the discord of the Turks among themselves which having for the space of nine years continued betwixt Noradin and Saphadin for the Soveraignty was now by the death of Saphadin ended Noradin contenting himself with the Government of Aleppo and Corradin and Meledin the two Sons of Saphadin dividing their Fathers Kingdom betwixt them the one taking unto himself Damasco and Syria and the other the great Kingdom of Egypt but all Enemies unto the Christians About this time also or not long after Innocentius tertius yet Pope summoned a general Council at Lateran whereunto besides a multitude of great Bishops and other reverend Prelates repaired also the honourable Embassadors of most of the Princes of Christendom unto whom so assembled among other things was propounded the dangerous estate of the Christians in Syria and how the same was by the help of the Christian Princes of the West to be relieved Whereunto all the Fathers and Princes there assembled easily gave their consent and thereupon were some appointed in every Country and Province to publish this Decree of the Council for the Relief of the oppressed Christians and to stir up the devout people for the undertaking of so religious a War. The chief Furtherers of this sacred Expedition to be thus taken in hand against the Infidels were the Bishops of Germany especially the three great Bishops of Mets Cullen and Triers whose example moved also many others all which to rehearse were tedious Out of France also were sent Henry the Count of Nivers and one Gualter the Kings great Chamberlain with a great number of the gallant Youths of France and so out of divers other places so that at length such a number of men were met together at divers Ports of the Adriatick as made up a Fleet of two hundred Sail which with a prosperous Wind carried over into Syria arrived in safety at Ptolemais the chief City of the Christians now that Ierusalem was lost After whom followed also Andrew King of Hungary long before bound both by his Fathers commandment and his own promise for the undertaking of that sacred Expedition with whom came also Lewis Duke of Bavaria and Leopold Duke of Austria with their Forces all well appointed unto whom also Iohn King of Ierusalem joyned himself with his Power Great hope and expectation there was for some great matter to have been done now that so great Forces of the Christians were thus met together Who setting forward from Ptolemais and the first day marching into Galilee by the way met with certain Companies of the Turks whom they easily overthrew and put to flight The next day they came to the River of Iordan where they also distressed certain of the Turks Garrisons There the King of Hungary bathing himself in the River forthwith as one discharged of his Vow and Promise returned with all his Power unto Ptolemais and so from thence back again into his Country all the rest of the Army of the Christians crying out to him to the contrary who after the Kings departure still marching on came to the Mount Thabor But shortly after Winter now coming on and many of their Cattel dying for cold and want of meat they returned some to Ptolemais some to Tyre and there wintred King Iohn and the Duke of Austria in the mean time took a Castle betwixt Coesarea and Caipha called The Castle of Pilgrims from whence they much troubled the Barbarians thereabouts all that Winter Upon the appearance of the Spring and the Army again met together it was thought best by all the great Commanders that for so much as the Kingdom of Egypt was the chief Maintenance of the Mahometan Superstition against the Christians in those parts and that so long as it stood upright they should not be able to do any great matter in Syria to attempt the Conquest thereof as an exploit best beseeming their Valour and so great preparation for that Kingdom being once subdued the City of Ierusalem with all the Land of Palestine would of themselves without more ado straightway yield unto them And for as much as the famous City of Damiata called in ancient time Pelusium not much inferior unto Alexandria was the first and most commodious Port for that purpose as nearest unto Syria and that by the taking thereof they should have a fair entrance into the great River Nilus with the command of a most rich and pleasant Country about it They resolved there to begin the War and thereupon embarking themselves with all things necessary for so great an Enterprise at Ptolemais and carried with a fair Wind they in short time arrived at the desired Port. Now that rich and ancient City the Key of that side of the Kingdom stood about a mile from the Sea and somewhat distant also from the great River environed with a Navigable Ditch or Cut drawn out of Nile in manner of an Island as a man cometh from Syria by Land and compassed about with three strong stone Walls the work of the good Emperor Aelius Pertinax and of him as some affirm called also Aeliopolis At the mouth of this Cut as you should enter into the City stood a strong Watch-Tower for the defence thereof and round about it a number of fair Houses in manner of a pretty Town entrenched Besides that for the more safety thereof the same Cut was barred with a great strong iron Chain in such sort as that it was not possible for any Ship without breaking of the same to enter The Christians with their Fleet entring the mouth of the River and coming to this Cut by great strength brake the Chain but thinking so to have made their passage unto the City they found a greater stay at the Watch-Tower which strongly built of square Stone and well stored with War-like Engins of all sorts and a good Garrison of valiant Souldiers stayed their further passage overwhelming them as they approached with shot fire stones timber and such like before provided for that purpose The Christians after the manner of the fight of that time had upon certain flat Vessels built certain high Towers of Wood for the assailing of the Watch-Tower in the approaching whereof they were not only troubled with the Enemy but with the tumult and stir of their own people also some crying that they should yet draw nearer unto the Tower othersome crying out as fast to have the Bridges cast out thereby to enter and the Enemy likewise with much clamour encouraging one another for the repulsing of the Christians So the Souldiers hindred
another there perished together others driven upon the Main were there beaten in pieces so that of that great Fleet before the Storm ceased perished about an hundred and twenty Sail with all the People as well Mariners as Souldiers left in them and great store both of Armor and Munition In such sort that most of the common Souldiers and Mariners which had escaped the Plague at Tunes there upon the Coast of Sicilia perished by Shipwrack Only Prince Edwards Fleet being in number but thirteen Ships escaped free without loss either of Ship or Man. Neither were they that were got to Land at Drepanum in much better case the Plague still following them whereof died Theobald King of Navar and Isabel his Wife King Lewis his Daughter Elizabeth the French Queen with a wonderful number of noble Gentlemen and other common Souldiers in such sort that Philip the French King discouraged with the greatness of the mortality and the miserable loss at Sea resolved there to make an end of the intended War and so returned into France as did the rest that were left every Man into his own Country Only Prince Edward having passed that Winter in Sicilia year 1271. with the first of the next Spring set forward again on his Voyage and in 15 days after arrived with his Fleet at Ptolemais where after he had by the space of a Month rested Himself and his Souldiers after their long travel and fully inquired of the State of the Country he with six or seven thousand Souldiers marching from Ptolemais about twenty Miles into the Land took Nazareth and put to Sword all them he found therein and so again returned After whom the Enemies following in hope to have taken him at some advantage he understanding thereof turned back upon them and killing a great number of them put the rest to flight And after that about Midsummer understanding that the Sarasins were again making Head at a place called Cakhow about forty Miles off he set forwards towards them and coming upon them early in the Morning before they were aware slew about a Thousand of them and dispersed the rest Aided also by the Nobility of Cyprus he with like success as before made a third Expedition against the Turks and Infidels insomuch that his Fame began to grow great amongst them and they to stand of him in no little dread But whilst he thus prevailed he was by foul Treachery almost taken out of the way The Admiral of Ioppa feigning himself desirous to become a Christian and willing to further the Princes proceedings had by a secret Messenger and Letters sundry times Intelligence with him as well concerning his own good Entertainment as the effecting of that which he had promised This Messenger by the Admiral thus employed was though to the Prince unknown one of the Assasines a company of most desperate and dangerous Men among the Mahometans who strongly deluded with the blind zeal of their Superstition and accounting it meritorious by any means to kill any great Enemy of their Religion for the performance thereof as Men prodigal of their Lives desperatly adventure themselves unto all kind of dangers So now this Messenger being resolved to die coming the fifth time unto the Prince and being searched for having any Weapon about him as the manner was had access unto him then lying in his Chamber upon his Bed in his Jerkin bare Headed because of the heat of the Weather where after due reverence done he pulled out certain Letters from his Lord unto the Prince which he read with great delight as penned of purpose for to please But as he was further questioning with him of many matters and all the company voided the desperate Messenger making as though he would have pulled out some other secret Letters suddenly pluckt out an envenomed Knife which he had secretly hidden about him thinking to have struck him into the belly as he lay for the avoiding of which stroke the Prince lifting up his Arm was therein grievously wounded But as the Villain was about to have doubled the stroak the Prince with his Foot gave him such a blow that he felled him to the ground and with that starting up caught him by the hand where in strugling with him for the knife and wresting it out of his hand he hurt himself therewith in the Forehead but getting it from him presently thrust it into the Murtherers Belly and so slew him The Princes Servants being not far off and hearing the bustling came running in where finding the Messenger dead on the floor one of them with a stool beat out his brains whereat the Prince took some displeasure for so striking a dead man. This danger of the Princes much troubled and grieved all the Christians in Syria and the more for that the wound in his Arm after it had been certain days well dressed by the skilful Surgeons and Physitians began to mortifie and grow black insomuch that they and others about him began to mutter among themselves and to look heavily upon the matter as not without danger Which he perceiving said unto them Why whisper you thus amongst your selves What see you in me Can I not be healed Tell me the truth and fear not Whereunto one of them answered And like your Highness we doubt not of your healing but that it will be painful for you to suffer If suffering said he may again restore my health I commit my self unto you work on me your skill and spare not So the next day they cut out all the dead and poysoned flesh out of his Arm and in fifteen days after perfectly cured his wound to the great rejoycing of all his People The great Sultan to clear himself of this so dishonourable a treachery sent three of his Noble men unto the Prince calling to witness his false Prophet That the same was done neither by him nor his consent Which Embassadors the Prince honourably used but suffered them not to come nigh him So having tarried eighteen Months at Ptolemais and no ayd coming from the other Christian Princes as was expected he took shipping and returning homeward landed first in Sicilia and from thence crossing over into Apulia and so travelling to Rome was there honourably entertained by Gregory the Tenth then Pope and from thence by the way of France arrived in England where he was shortly after crowned King in the year 1272. his Father the old King Henry the Third being a little before his return dead The year following Gregory the Tenth not ignorant of the hard estate of the Christians in Syria year 1273. as having there been of late himself with Prince Edward at which time he was in his absence elected Pope and now desirous to procure them some relief ratified the election of Rodulphus of Hapspurge unto the Empire upon condition That he should promise to take upon himself the Cross and to give them relief for the performance whereof he offered unto the
Turks were by the Christians slain in the entrance of the Camp with their Booties in their Hands and presently the Turks Trenches were now by Scanderbegs Souldiers couragiously assaulted and the Turks beaten from the top of them They having won the Trenches prevailed still upon the Turks filling all their Camp with fear and slaughter There was no use of Shot in that medly by reason of the straitness of the place for they were now come to pell mell Mustapha seeing his Souldiers put to the worst and that the Camp was not long to be defended took horse and fled by the Port which was furthest from the Enemy The rest of the Souldiers fled also making such poor shift for themselves as they could In this Battel five thousand Turks were slain and but three hundred taken for the Christians inraged with the Spoil of the Country revenged themselves with the slaughter of the Turks Scanderbeg lost in this conflict but twenty Horsemen and fifty Footmen The rest of the Turks Army dispersed in the Country hearing the tumult in the Camp misdoubting the fortune of their Fellows fled also yet many of them were in that Flight pursued and slain After this overthrow Mustapha returning to Amurath the better to excuse the misfortune of himself and the other Captains before sent greatly commended the invincible Courage of Scanderbeg and his wonderful skill in feats of Arms perswading Amurath either to send a greater Power against him or else none at all saying That to send such small Armies was but to minister matter to the increase of his Glory and the Infamy of the Turks and to use Policy against him the Master of Policy was but meer Folly. It grieved Amurath to hear the Praises of his Enemy although he knew the same to be true by the continual Fortune he had always against his great Captains Alis Bassa Ferizes and Mustapha wherefore he determined for a time not to provoke him further but to suffer him to live in Peace yet commanded Mustapha to renew his Army for defence of the borders of his Kingdom towards Epirus against the innovation of Scanderbeg but straitly commanding him in no case to invade any part of Epirus neither upon any occasion offered or conceived hope of Victory to join Battel with Scanderbeg for fear of such evil success as before At this time also the Grecians of Peloponâ—sus now called Morea having before fortified the Strait of Corinth from Sea to Sea with a perpetual Wall which they called Hexamylum and deep Trenches about six miles in length had also built five strong Castles in the same Wall of purpose to take away all passage by Land into that rich Country and began now not only to deny the yearly Tribute they were wont to pay unto the Turkish King but also to invade such Princes of Achaia their Neighbours as were content to remain still the Turks Tributaries among whom Neceus Prince of Athens and Turacan Governor of Thessalia for Amurath ceased not by continual Complaints to incense him against them of Peloponesus Who having his Army in readiness although it was now Winter and he himself very aged set forward from Hadrianople and marching through Thessalia came into Achaia where most of the Grecians were before fled for fear into Peloponesus So passing on with his Army he came to the Strait commonly called Istmus where the famous City of Coâ—inth sometime stood and there incamped his Army near unto the strong Wall and Castles lately before built hoping that the Grecians of Peloponesus terrified with the multitude of his Army would without resistance submit themselves but when he perceived them to stand upon their guard and to trust to their Strength he laid battery to the Wall four days and having made it assaultable brake through the same with his Army The Grecians having lost the Wall their chief Strength fled some to one strong Hold and some to another as their Fortune led them the Turks at their pleasure spoiling and destroying that rich and pleasant Country sometime the Nurse of worthy Wits and famous Captains where they found wonderful riches and took Prisoners without number in so much that they were sold among the Turks at a most vile Price There Amurath for his pleasure cruelly sacrificed six hundred Christian Captives to the hellish Ghost of his dead Father Mahomet and afterwards imposing a yearly Tribute upon the Peloponesians and other Grecian Princes now yielding again unto him as an induction to their further Slavery under the Turkish Tyranny he returned taking in his way the two famous Cities of Patras and Sicyone Thus the rich Country of Peloponesus and all the rest of Grecia sometime the Fountain of all Learning and Civility became tributary to the barbarous and cruel Turks in the year of our Lord 1445. Old Amurath now clogged with years and wearied with long Wars was content to take his rest at Hadrianople during which time Bajazet the Son of Mahomet was born in the year 1446. year 1446. who afterwards of long time with great Glory governed the Turkish Empire at Constantinople as in his place shall appear The Hungarians after the Calamity of Varna wherein they had together with Uladislaus their King lost most part of their Nobility also in a general Assembly of their States made choice of Ladislaus the Posthumous Son of Albertus and then in keeping of Frederick the Emperor for their King. But forasmuch as he being then but a Child of five years old and chosen King more for the remembrance of the Emperor Sigismund his Grandfather and Albertus his Father and the good hope conceived of him than for any other thing presently to be expected from him it was thought more than necessary to make choice of some notable and worthy man unto whom they might during the time of the Kings Minority commit the Government and Protection of that so great and turbulent a Kingdom Many there were in that honourable Assembly well thought of both of themselves and others but such was the Glory and Valour of Huniades and so great the remembrance of his worthy deserts both of the Kingdom of Hungary and of the Christian Common-weal in general as without his seeking procured unto him the general Favour and Suffrages of all yea so far that even they which most envied at his Honour as overshadowing their own were glad to hold their Peace for that without him it was commonly thought the state of that shaken Kingdom could not long stand So by the general consent of all the States there assembled he was with the great applause of the People chosen and proclaimed Governor as of all others most fit for so great and heavy a charge wherein he quietly spent some few years in deciding of civil Controversies in composing the quarrels of the Nobility not forgetting in the mean time the indifferent administration of Justice to all men ending many controversies far from the place of Judgment and
same and planted it against a Tower called Bactatina near unto the Gate called Porta-Romana or the Roman-Gate Which Tower shaken with continual Battery at length fell down and filled the Ditch before the utter Wall even with the ground But this Breach was also speedily and with great courage made up again by the Defendants although the Turks did what they could with continual shot to have driven them from the same At which time they also erected certain high Towers of Timber covered with raw Hides to defend the same from fire out of which they with their Shot slew many of the Christians upon the Walls and in making good the aforesaid Breach but Mahomet seeing this valiantness of the Defendants openly said That it was neither the Grecians skill nor courage but the French-men that defended the City for the Turks commonly call all the Christians of the West by the Name of Franks or French-men The chearfulness and industry of the Christians in defending and repairing the aforesaid Breach was so great that the Turkish King began almost to despair of winning the City which he could no way Assault but on one side When as a bad Christian in his Camp put him again in good hope by shewing unto him a device how to bring a great part of his Fleet over Land into the Haven and thereby to assault that part of the City by water which the Citizens least feared by which ingenious device and by the great strength of men Zoganus Bassa to whom that charge was committed brought seventy of the lesser Ships and Galliots with all their Sails abroad to the great admiration of all that saw them up a great Hill and so by dry land out of the Bosphorus behind Pera the space of eight miles into the Haven of Constantinople which running in between the City and Pera runneth into the main Land as we have said about eight miles The Christian that discovered this device unto the King is supposed to have learned it of the Venetians who not long before had done the like at the Lake of Bennacus Glad was Mahomet to see so many of his Ships and Gallies in the Haven and the Christians with the sight thereof no less discouraged Nevertheless they attempted to have burnt those Vessels as they were in launching but the Turks had so commodiously placed certain pieces of great Ordnance for their defence that the formost of the Gallies of the Christians approaching the Turks Fleet was presently sunk wherewith the rest dismayed returned back from whence they came Certain of the Christians of the lost Gally whom the Turks took up swimming in the Haven were the next day cruelly slain in the sight of the Christians in revenge whereof certain Turks before taken Prisoners into Constantinople were forthwith brought to the top of the Walls and there in the sight of the Camp with like cruelty put to death Mahomet thus possessed of the Haven shortly after caused a wonderful Bridge to be made quite over the Haven from Zoganus his Camp which lay by Pera unto the Walls of Constantinople which Bridge was built with Timber and Planks born up with small Boats and empty Cask after a most strange manner and was in length more than half a mile by which Bridge his Army came over the Haven to assault the City on that side also In the mean time three tall Genoway Ships laded with Men and Munition from the Island of Chios with one of the Emperors laded with Corn from Sicilia came with a fair Wind for Constantinople The Turks great Fleet then lying not far off within the sight of the Camp set upon them and after a great fight wherein an exceeding number of the Turks were slain with Shot the Gallies boarded the Ships but being much lower were so far from doing any good as that the Turks could not well look out but they were from above slain or wounded Mahomet from the shore beholding the unequal fight and slaughter of his Men cried out aloud swearing and blaspheming God and in great rage rid into the Sea as far as he durst and coming back again rent his Clothes faring with himself like a mad man. The whole Army of the Turks beholding the same fight at Sea was filled with like Indignation also but could nothing remedy the matter The great Fleet ashamed in the sight of their King to be overcome of so few Ships did what they might desperately to enter but all in vain being continually overwhelmed with Shot and Stones from above and valiantly beaten down by the Christian Souldiers At length weary of their loss they were glad with dishonour to fall off again and to get them farther off The report of the loss the Turks sustained in this fight is almost incredible some of the Turks Fugitives reported almost ten thousand Turks to have there perished but certain it is that such was the loss as filled the whole Army with Indignation and Sorrow many having lost their Kinsmen or Friends Three of these Ships that had made this fight arrived in safety at Constantinople the other was lost Mahomet upon this Overthrow conceived such displeasure against Pantoglâ—s his Admiral who in that fight had lost one of his Eyes that he nevertheless thrust him out of his Office confiscated his Goods and was hardly by the great Bassaes intreated to spare his life Whilst Mahomet thus lay at the Siege of Constantinople and had thereunto given many great Attempts with more loss unto himself than to the Defendants a rumor was raised in his Camp of great Aid that was coming out of Italy by Sea and out of Hungary by Land for the relief of the besieged This report although indeed it was not true with the due consideration of the danger of the Siege filled the Turks Camp with fear so that the Souldiers commonly murmured amongst themselves saying That to satisfie the ambitious humour of their young King they were led to fight against impregnable Walls and Fortresses yea against the Bars of Nature it self without all reason Whereupon Mahomet entred into Consultation with the three great Bassaes his Counsellors Whether it were best for him to continue the Siege or not When Caly-Bassa sometime his Tutor a man of greatest Authority among the Turks both for his long experience and high place and withall secretly favouring the distressed Emperor after he had with long and grave Discourse declared the difficulty or rather impossibility of the wished Success in that present War and confirmed the same by producing the examples of Bajazet his great Grandfather and of Amurath his Father who had both in vain made proof of their strength against that City at lenth concluded that in his mind it were best for him to raise his Siege and to depart before he had sustained any further loss or disgrace but Zoganus the second Bassa in great Favour also with Mahomet and secretly envying the Greatness of Caly-Bassa perswaded the King to
proceed in his honourable Enterprise assuring him of the good Success thereof and with all the reasons he could devise impugned that which Caly-Bassa had said And of the same opinion with Zoganus was also the third Bassa rather of purpose to cross Caly-Bassa and withall to sit the Kings humor than for any great hope he had in the good Success of that he so much desired Howbeit the Speech he and Zoganus delivered so well agreed with the Kings affection that he resolved to continue the Siege and thereupon gave full Authority to Zoganus to appoint a day for a great and general Assault to he given resolving at once to engage all his Forces upon the winning of the City Which charge Zoganus gladly took upon him and with his good liking appointed the 29 th day of May for the general Assault being then the Tuesday next following In the mean time he sent one Ismael the Son of Alexander Prince of Sinope Embassador unto the Emperor to offer him Peace but upon such hard Conditions as were no less to be refused than death it self Which thing he did partly to satisfie the minds of his Turks who are for most part of opinion That God will not prosper them in their Assaults except they first make unto their Enemies some offer of Peace how unreasonable soever it forceth not and partly to make proof what confidence the Enemy yet had in himself for the holding out of the Siege But that dishonourable Peace so offered together with the intollerable Conditions was by the Emperor honourably refused who no less feared the Turks Faith if he should have accepted thereof than he did the hardness of the Conditions Three days before this fatal Assault was to be given the Turks according to their manner kept their Solemn Fast eating nothing all the day until night and then making the greatest chear and joy they could devise and in the winding up of the same took their leave one of another with such kissing and imbracing as if they should never have met again At the same time Mahomet to encourage his Souldiers caused Proclamation to be made through his Camp That he would freely give all the spoil of the City for three days unto his Souldiers if they could win it and for confirmation thereof solemnly swore the Turks great Oath By the Immortal God and by the four hundred Prophets by Mahomet by his Fathers Soul by his own Children and by the Sword wherewith he was girt faithfully to perform whatsoever he had to them in his Proclamation promised Whilst these things were in doing Caly-Bassa disdaining that his counsel was rejected and the Opinion of his Adversaries followed by secret Letters advertised the Emperor of the day appointed for the general Assault together with all the preparation made against him peswading him not to be afraid of them who were themselves no less afraid of him but carefully to provide to have all things in readiness for the defence of his City and valiantly to withstand the rash and last Attempt of his Enemies This woful Emperor had already done what he could to the uttermost of his Power for defence of the City all the time of the Siege but such was the disloyalty of the Citizens his Subjects that many times they could hardly be drawn from their private Trades and Occupations unto the Walls to withstand the Enemy foolishly affirming That it was to no purpose for them to sight against the Turks at the Breaches and to starve for Food at home in their houses For which cause the Emperor commanded a View to be taken of all the Corn in the City which then began to grow very scarce but upon diligent search made such store was found in many Mens hands which was by them either altogether kept in to sell afterwards at unreasonable prizes or else so sparingly uttered as if they had none to spare as that it appeared the death and scarcity which then began to increase to proceed rather of the covetousness of men than of any true want of Grain this store the Emperor caused to be proportionably divided unto every Family at reasonable prizes according to their spending and so eased the great murmuring and grudging of the common people for Bread. The Grecian mercinary Souldiers also regarding more their own private Profit than the Publick Service refused any longer to go to the Walls than they were sure of their daily pay which the poor Emperor otherwise unable to give them was glad to convert the Church-Plate and Jewels into Money to content them For he had many times before with tears in vain requested to have borrowed money of his covetous Subjects to have been employed in the defence of the City but they would still swear that they had it not as men grown poor for want of Trade which in few days after their Enemies found in such abundance that they wondred at their Wealth and derided their folly that possessing so much they would bestow so little in defence of themselves and their Country But this had been their usual manner of dealing with their Emperors in that declining State of the Empire as well appeared in the time of the Emperor Baldwin who for lack of money was glad first to sell away many of the goodly Ornaments of the City and afterwards to Pawn his own Son unto the Venerian Merchants for Money to maintain his State as in the former part of this History is declared But to return again to the course of our History The Emperor certainly advertised of the Enemies purpose for the general Assault shortly to be given first commended the defence of himself and the City to the Protection of the Almighty by general fasting and prayer and afterwards appointed every Captain and Commander to some certain place of the Wall for defence thereof which was done by the direction of Io. Iustinianus his General in whose valour the Constantinopolitans had reposed their greatest hope But the City being on every side now beset with the Turks great Army and the Defendants in number but few for so great a City in compass eight miles the Walls could but slenderly in many places be manned and especially on both sides toward the Sea where indeed least danger was The greatest strength and best Souldiers were placed for defence of the utter Wall where the Breach was and the Assault expected by Land. Iustinianus the General himself with three hundred Genoways well armed and certain chosen Greeks undertook the defence of that part of the battered Wall near unto the Roman Gate where the fall the Tower Bactatina had filled the Ditch as is aforesaid against which place Mahomet himself lay encamped with his Janizaries and best Men of War. Near unto Iustinianus lay the Emperor himself for defence of another part of the Wall and so other Captains orderly with their Companies all alongst the utter Wall and because the Defendants should have no hope to save their
his Fleet in the mouth of Boliana a great River running out of the Lake whereupon the City of Scodra standeth These two great Commanders being met together were both as one man and with a wonderful consent did what they might for the furtherance of the Common good a thing not common first they put strong Garrisons with all things necessary into Colchinum Lyssa Dirrhachium and other Cities of their Seigniory upon the Sea coast After that they went up the River Boliana with certain Gallies and came within sight of Scodra and there by Fires in the night and other tokens of comfort encouraged the Defendants as with an assured promise of relief which thing it grieved the Turks to behold who therefore went about to have shut in those same Gallies with a great Chain drawn cross the River where it was narrowest betwixt them and the Sea but in doing thereof the Venetians out of their Gallies slew five hundred of the Turks and wounded divers others and so returned again to Sea. It was afterward attempted by the aforesaid Admirals if a new supply might have been put into the City but the Enemy had so beset the same that it was not possible to be done In the mean time Matthias King of Hungary receiving a great yearly portion of the Venetians for the defence of their Countries against the Turk hearing that Scodra was besieged began to make such Spoil in the Turks Dominions bordering upon him that Mahomet was glad to call home the great Bassa from the Siege of Scodra to defend his own Frontiers So the Bassa after he had lien three months with his great Army at the Siege and lost fourteen thousand of his men whereof the greatest part died of Sickness taken by long lying in the rotten moorish ground near unto the River by commandment from his Master rose with his Army and departed The Venetians also which lay all that while thereabout in their Gallies were toucht with the same contagion Triadanus Grittus died thereof and Mocenicus the other Admiral fell thereof dangerously sick but being somewhat recovered returned home and was shortly after for his good service chosen Duke of Venice Marcellus the old Duke being dead With this dishonour taken at Scodra Mahomet was so discontented that he appointed a yearly Fee unto one to put him in mind dayly of the Siege of Scodra year 1476. The same year that this great Bassa Solyman had in vain besieged Scodra he was afterward sent with a great Army into Valachia where he was so intangled in the Woods and Fens by Stephanus the Vayvod that he lost all his Army and with much ado escaped himself by the wonderful swiftness of a Mare whereon he rid The year following which was the year 1476 Mahomet sent out a great Fleet to Sea under the conduct of Geduces Achmetes his chief Counsellor and Man of War whose very name was dreadful in all places where he came in hope to have by Treason surprised the Island of Crete but that Plot was in good time by the Venetians perceived the Traitors executed and he of his purpose disappointed Whereupon he changed his former purpose for Crete and sent the same Achmetes with his Fleet into the Euxine or as the Turks call it the Black Sea to besiege the rich City of Caffa This City was in ancient time called Theodosia situate in the Country of Taurica Chersonesus fast by the Sea side and had of long time been in possession of the Genowaies and was a place of exceeding great Trade until that this great Emperor Mahomet having taken Constantinople and falling out with the Venetians had by his strong Castles built upon the Straits of Hellespontus and Bosphorus taken away both the traffique of Merchants into those Seas and all possible means for the Genowaies to send Succour to that City yet it is credibly reported that one valiant Captain undertook to carry his Company in number not above one hundred and fifty men by Land from Genoa to Caffa not much less than two thousand miles and worthily performed what he had undertaken Achmetes coming thither with his Fleet enclosed the City both by Sea and Land which divided in it self by reason of the diverse disposition of the Inhabitants being of divers Nations some Genowaies some Greeks some Armenians but most Tartars could not long hold out but was in short time given up to the Bassa upon condition That the Genoway Merchants who were there both in number many and exceeding rich might in safety depart thence with their Wealth Which promise the Bassa performed not but when he was possessed of the City sent such as he thought good to Constantinople and commanded the rest upon pain of death not to depart thence or to convey away from thence any part of their Substance In short time after the whole Country of Taurica Chersonesus yielded unto the Turkish Obeisance At which time also the Tartar Princes namely the Precopenses and Destenses terrified with the greatness of the Turk cowardly yielded themselves as Tributaries unto him ever since which time they have lived a most servile and troublesome life subject to every command of the Othoman Emperor for whom they have done great service many times in their Wars against the Persians the Polonians the Hungarians Transylvanians and Germans as in the process of this History well appeareth and as the aforesaid Nations their Neighbours with others also further off have even of late to their great loss felt Although the Venetians had in these late Wars lost the great and fertile Island of Euboea year 1477. with the strong City of Chalcis the surest harbour for their Gallies yet held they still divers strong Towns and commodious Havens by the Sea-Coast both within Peloponnesus and without as Methone Corone Tenarus Naupactum and others which standing as it were in the bosome of his Empire Mahomet sore longed after And therefore to satisfie his ambitious desire sent Solyman the great Bassa of Europe with a strong Fleet into Peloponnesus Who entring the Gulf of Corinth at his first coming laid Siege to Naupactum now called Lepanto a City standing in the Gulf of Corinth in the Country of Ozolae near unto Locris over against Peloponnesus Antonius Lauretanus for his late good service done in defending of Scodra made Admiral for the Venetians came with speed to Naupactum and in despight of the Enemy so furnished the City both with men and whatsoever else was needful that the Bassa now out of hope to win the City rose upon the suddain with his Army and in a great fury departed after he had lien there four months In this fret returning towards Constantinople he put certain Companies of his men to shore in the Island of Lemnos in hope to have upon the suddain surprised the City of Coccinum but as they were about to have entred they were contrary to their expectation manfully resisted by such Christians as by chance were next the Gate
Turks the Island of Aegina and landing in divers places of the Turks Dominions left unto them the woful remembrance of his being there Afterwards meeting with Gonsalvus sirnamed the Great sent by Ferdinand King of Spain to aid him against the Turks at Zacynthus he invaded Cephalenia which Trivisanus his Predecessor had in vain attempted the year before and laid hard Siege to the City which was for a space valiantly defended by the Turks yet at length by the good conduct of Gonsalvus it was by force taken when as Gisdare the Governor thereof with his Garrison of Turks had before fought it out even to the last man. The City being taken all the whole Island yielded forthwith to the Venetians Pisaurius having taken Cephalenia repaired the City and leaving a strong Garrison for defence of the Isle departed to Corcyra where he was advertised that the Turks were rigging forth a great Fleet against the next Spring whereof some part lay in the Bay of Ambracia not far from Corcyra some at Eante and the rest within the Straits of Hellespontus Wherefore purposing to do some exploit upon those Gallies which lay in the Bay of Ambracia to avert the mind of the Enemy from perceiving of that he had secretly with himself intended he sent the greatest part of his Fleet unto the Island of Neritos who suddainly landing should put the Inhabitants in fear The Captains sent about the business chearfully put in execution what the Amiral had commanded and by their suddain landing raised such a tumult that all the Countries thereabout were filled with the expectation of that which should ensue thereof The Bay of Ambracia is so straitned on either side with the Mountains of Epirus that the entrance thereof is but half a mile over but by and by opening it self into a great wideness and running up into the Land maketh a most pleasant and safe Harbour for Ships and Gallies to ride in Pisaurius with a fair Wind coming thither with eight Gallies well appointed when the Turks thought him to have been at Neritos and entring the Strait rowing farther into the Bay burnt one of the Turks great Gallies to the terror of all them that dwelt round about the Bay and carried with him eleven more laded with Munition and Victual through the Strait the Turks in vain fretting thereat and doing what they could with their great Ordnance from Shore to have sunk him in going out of the Bay. But having done what he came for he returned with his Prey again to Corcyra Not long after he also recovered the Castle of Pylos in Morea which as it was suddainly gotten so was it as suddainly lost for Camalia a notable Pirat of the Turks who had been abroad seeking after purchase putting into that Harbor by chance took three Gallies there left by the Admiral for defence of the place and so terrified the faint-hearted Captain that he fell to composition with the Pyrat to yield him the Castle so that he and his Souldiers might in safety depart which the Pyrat granting had the Castle delivered unto him which he could not with far greater strength have possibly won So was Pylos for fear twice in one year yielded up unto the Turks and was both times the death of the cowardly Captains which gave it up being both beheaded by the commandment of the Admiral About the same time Pisaurius attempted to have burnt other of the Turks Gallies lying in the River Eante upon the coast of Macedonia but not with so good success as before for the Turks made more careful by the loss they had but a little before received at Ambracia did now more vigilantly look unto their Gallies so that when Pisaurius had in certain small Vessels made of purpose for that service embarked two hundred resolute Souldiers to have gone up the River to have fired the Gallies they were by the way after they had entred a good way into the River encountred by the Turks and enforced to return But before they could get out of the River the wind rose so contrary with such a stiff gale full in the mouth of the River that the Mariners overmastred with the violence of the Weather when they had done what they could and spent all their strength were driven ashore some on one side of the River and some on the other and so fell into the hands of their Enemies of whom it booted not to crave mercy About this time Bajazet took also the ancient and famous City of Dyrrachium now called Durazo from the Venetians before ruinous and almost quite abandoned by the Inhabitants as a place of danger and not to be kept now that the Turk had got all the Country round about it The Venetians sore pressed with these Wars so long maintained against the Turk had many times prayed Aid of other Christian Princes and were well holpen by the Spaniard in the taking of Cephalenia and now Lewis the French King upon a good devotion to that War sent the Lord Ravestin with seven tall Ships and fifteen Gallies well appointed out of Provence and Genoa to aid the Venetians his Friends This Fleet departing from Naples where they had by the way put in and passing about Italy and so through the Ionian Sea came to Melos one of the Cyclades at which Island Pisaurius with his Fleet in short time arrived also from whence they by mutual consent departed together to invade the Island of Lesbos and being there safely arrived landed their Forces and laid siege to the strong City of Mytilene where by the fury of their Artillery they in short time had made a fair breach in the Wall. In the time of this battery whilst the breach was in making Pisaurius with part of his Fleet sailed to Tenedos for it was reported that certain of the Turks Gallies were then coming for that place out of Hellespontus Which report as some write was of purpose given out by the French thereby to draw the Venetian Admiral from the Siege that so in the mean time they being in good hope to take the Town in his absence might themselves carry away the honour thereof together with the rich spoil Others favouring the French blame the Venetian Admiral as if he had of purpose departed envying at the honour of the French. Which is hardly to be believed in so honourable a Personage and in an action so much concerning the good of his Common-Weal Howsoever it was the breach being made in his absence was by the French presently assaulted although that Palus Valatesius the Venetian Vice-Admiral earnestly requested the French Admiral to defer the Assault for a while and to expect the return of Pisaurius Which his Counsel the French Admiral gave him the hearing of but yet went forward with the Assault The Frenchmen after their manner furiously assailing the breach were valiantly repulsed by the Turks so that in the breach was made a deadly and most terrible Fight many
a new War except he will have the remainder of your War the fatal Plague of his Empire to prey still upon his Subjects all which strong places he shall have without slaughter without bloodshed as reason is if he should let you and us poor wretches depart in safety with a little trash Except these worldly considerations have moved him to mercy and compassion then out of doubt it is wrought by divine power and the secret favour of God towards us and of our Saviour Christ Iesus Crucified Whereunto if you be Men well advised if Religious if mindful of the duty of Christians it becometh not you to oppose any Obstacle and with the ruine of your selves to destroy this miserable People which for this half years Siege hath scarcely had so much rest as might suffice the necessity of nature standing for you in Battel enduring both Wounds and Death for your Honour and Victory by whose faithful labour and diligence you have been always holpen both at home and abroad whether you Invaded the Turk by Land in Mytilene Naupactus Methone Patras or other parts of Peloponnesus or else by Sea thrust him out of the Possession of the Ionian or Aegeum whereby it may appear even unto a Blind Man how injurious it is and far from truth to object unto us That enjoying the Fruits of Peace we refuse the Charges of Wars nay we never refused Wars But now it is come to that point that if we would never so fain make Wars we are not able so to do the flower of our youth being slain and the small remainder that is left not only weakned in Body with Wounds Sickness Watching and restless Labour but also in Mind discouraged whilst all things fall out prosperously to our Enemies and to us adverse the greatest and best part of our great Artillery being broken with continual use which if it were whole we could have thereof small use or profit for want of Powder which not only this City now wanteth but also your strong Holds Lerus Lyndus Halicarnassus Arangia I was never desirous or curious to look into other Mens doings much less into your manner of War but yet Great Master you cannot deny but it is so who have caused Souldiers to be brought from thence hither openly and Gunpowder secretly by which Policy you have withstood your forreign Enemy these six Months and deceived the treachery of one or two domestical Traitors But I gladly admit we have all these things I stand upon the truth I say not what most Men say but I speak to please a few and suppose we wanted neither Armour nor Courage I would then ask you this whether they would advise you to use them to your defence or to your destruction For unto both it cannot be no more than at once to be a Freeman and a Slave To use them to your destruction that were madness and senseless pride hateful to Goâ— and Man you should therefore use them to defence but how shall we defend a City I do not say as the truth is already lost and possessed by the Enemy wherein he reigneth rangeth and turneth all upside down But having the Walls battered down a great Breach in the Spanish Station and another not like but even now as good as made in the Italian Station how shall we be able to keep this unfortunate Town battered and rent at the French English and Avergne Stations and the Tower of St. Nicholas Which if it were not so battered and bared of all Warlike Provision but sound and throughly furnished with Munition and Victual yet necessity enforcing and reason perswading you ought to forsake it forsomuch as all power of further resistance is taken from you Do you not see how easily and almost without any trouble the Enemy by means of the Castle he hath new Built upon the Mount Philermo not past two Miles distant can take from you all manner of Provision both by Sea and Land and restrain you from going out or in Truly notable Gentlemen honâ—urable for your Martial Prowess you see and have long ago foreseen these things better than I altogether ignorant in Martial Affairs altogether busied in the Trade of Merchandise and caring for my Family yet suffer me to say the truth All the Powers whereby this Kingdom stood are departed and gone against the force of our Enemies no policy of force remaineth and to expect Armies of Angels or Souldiers from Heaven and other such like Miracles is in my judgment more and more to provoke God to anger although in his anger he be unto us merciful Wherefore being destitute of all worldly help let us as we may provide for our safety I beseech thee worthy Great Master by these my aged Tears by the natural piety ingrafted in thy noble nature expose not this miserable City to the spoil of the Enemy our old and middle aged Men to the Sword our Wives and Daughters to be Ravished our Boys and Yâ—uths to the unnatural filthiness of our barbarous Enemies and to be corrupted with the mad and gross Opinion of the ungodly Mahometan Superstition I would noble Knights you had seen with what Tears with what Mourning our heavy Families and Children crying about their Mothers sent us hither and what Prayers they made for us at our departing I would you knew with what mind and how great hope they expect their safety from your clemency and advised resolution This Speech of the aged Greek might have moved a Heart of Flint but the Great Master who in his countenance shewed a greater courage than his present state required commanding every Man to his charge after the matter had been thus most part of the night discoursed gave then no other answer but That he would be careful of all their well doing The next mornning he sent for Prejanes Martiningus and a few other of the greatest judgment and experience by whom he was fully resolved that the City in so many places by the Enemy laid open and shaken was not possibly to be long defended whereupon he caused a Common-Council to be called of all the Knights of the Order together with the Burgesses of the City where after long debating whether they should fight it out to the last Man or yield upon such Conditions as were to be obtained It was by general consent concluded that the City should be yielded and thereupon a Decree made which was by the Great Master pronounced Whilst these things were thus in doing a Truce was taken with the Enemy for four days but full of fear and danger During which time divers of the Turks presuming upon the Truce came by great Companies to behold the Walls and Rampiers of the City wherewith Fornovius the Frenchman of whom mention is before made being sore moved in his choler without further command discharged a Tire of great Ordnance among the thickest of them contrary to the Truce taken At which time also the Rhodians received into the
of the free States that they highly commended his forwardness and all other matters for that time set apart agreed all with one consent at a prefixed day to send unto Vienna such warlike Forces as they had in any time before set forth for the defence of the Christian Religion and the Majesty of the Empire Whereupon he wrote unto Alphonsius Vastius his Lieutenant General in Italy and one of the greatest Captains of that age that he should without delay call together the old Captains and to levy so many Companies of Harquebusiers as they possibly could and with them and the Spanish Souldiers to repair forthwith unto him into Austria He also enjoyned Andreas Auria his Admiral that he should with like diligence rig up a strong Fleet of Gallies and Merchants Ships and to go against the Turks Navy into Graecia At the same time he sent for his choice Horsemen out of Burgundy and the Low-Countries and many noble Gentlemen and old Souldiers out of Spain for the guard of his own person he entertained twelve thousand Germans such as had longest served in his Wars in Italy over whom commanded Maximilian Herberstene and Tamisius both famous Captains At the same time Clement the seventh then Bishop of Rome although his Coffers were greatly emptied by the late Florentine Wars which had cost him ten hundred thousand Ducats yet to make some shew of his devotion in so dangerous a time with the great good will he bare unto the Emperor after he had with grievous exaction extorted from the Clergy a great mass of Mony whereunto his rich Cardinals contributed nothing as if it had been a thing utterly unlawful for them in so good a cause to have abated any jot of their pontifical shew in the Court of Rome sent the young Cardinal Hippolitus Medices his Nephew being then about twenty years of age a Man indeed fitter for the Wars than for the Church as his Legate unto the Emperor accompanied with more good Captains than Clergy-men and his Coffers well stuffed with Treasure whose coming to Ratisbone was unto the Emperor and the Germans very welcome for besides that he was a young Gentlemen of very comly Personage and exceeding Bountiful he entertained for those Wars besides the Company he brought with him eight thousand Hungarian Horsemen of all others best acquainted with the Turkish Wars King Iohn understanding that the formost of Solymanâ— great Army were come as far as Samandria in Servia thought it now a fit time to wring from King Ferdinand such Towns as he yet held in Hungary wherefore he sent Aloysius Grittus whom Solyman had left as a helper for his Estate to besiege Strigonium which is a City of Hungary situate upon the side of Danubius about thirty Miles from Buda the Castle thereof was at that time holden with a strong Garrison of King Ferdinands whereunto for all that Grittus laid such hard Siege both by the River and by Land that the Defendants doubting how they should be able to hold out especially if Solyman should take that in his way as it was most like he would sent for relief to Cazzianer a warlike Captain then Governour of Vienna and General of all King Ferdinands Forces by whose appointment certain small Frigats were sent down the River of Danubius from Possonium well manned who suddainly setting upon the Turks Fleet which so kept the River that nothing could that way possibly be conveied either in or out of the Castle should by their unexpected coming open that way But Grittus having intelligence thereof by certain Hungarians which though they served King Ferdinand made no great account to flie sometime to the one part sometime to the other as best fitted their purpose presently resolved to send his Fleet up the River and by his suddain coming to oppress his Enemies in like sort as they had thought to have done him And the more to encourage his Souldiers he promised great rewards to all such as should perform any extraordinary piece of service in that Action and so having throughly furnished all his Fleet with good Souldiers but especially with Turkish Archers sent them up the River to seek their Enemies who fearing no such matter as Men surprised with the same mischief they had prepared for others were at the first exceedingly dismaied yet considering that they were reasonably well provided for their coming although they yet wanted such help as Cazzianer had appointed to send them they thought it a great shame to flie and therefore putting themselves in order of Battel came down the River and with great courage encountred their Enemy There began a sharp and cruel Fight many being slain and wounded on both sides but at last they of Possonium not able longer to endure the deadly shot of their Enemies and especially of the Turkish Archers who with their Arrows sore gauled both the Souldiers and the Mariners they turned their backs and fled in which Fight of sixty Frigats which came from Possonium only thirteen escaped with Corporanus the General all the rest being either sunk in the Fight or else taken by the Enemy being run ashore and forsaken by the Possonians trusting more unto their Legs by Land than their Oars by Water Besides this loss of the Frigats there was slain of the Possonians almost five hundred After this Victory Grittus hoping that they in the Castle of Strigonium despairing now of relief and fearing the coming of Solyman would not long hold out left off to batter or undermine the Castle wherewith he perceived he little prevailed purposing by lying still and keeping them in the Castle from all relief to enforce them in time to forsake the place Thus whilst the divided Hungarians with their own hands inconsiderately sought one anothers destruction with the ruin of their Country Solyman the great Enemy of all Christians was ready at their backs to devour both the one and the other as in few years after he did Much about this time the old Spanish Souldiers in Italy drawn together by Vastius as the Emperor had before commanded were come to the Alpes In this Camp of one sort of Men and other was above twenty thousand whereof almost the third part was not serviceable for the old Souldiers enriched with the long Wars in Italy and the spoil of the rich Country of Lumbardy wherein they had of late been Billited brought with them all their old gotten spoils and substance not forgetting so much as their Women and whatsoever else served their pleasure for carriage whereof they drew after them a great multitude of Carriages and unnecessary People all which served for no other use but for the Souldiers pleasure and to consume Victuals Which their licentious wantonness Vastius desiring to reform gave strait commandment through all the Camp That they should leave behind them all such unnecessary Baggage and appointed what Carriages should suffice for every Company Whereat the Souldiers began at the first to
in no case without dander refuse to take the charge upon them were they never so unwilling These were Montebellius Nerius Melcarius Sanctius and the two Twins of Millan called Glussani who drew after them eight thousand Souldiers the rest partly for shame and partly for fear stayed still with Maramaldus their new appointed General When they were thus gone Vastius and divers other great Companies hearing thereof in the City posted after them six miles and at length overtaking them requested them to stay and not to dishonour themselves with so foul a Fact telling them that their Pay was ready for them and omitting nothing wherewith they might have been moved to stay mingled their prayers with grievous threats but they resolutely set down would neither hear nor stay but as men inraged with fury and their own guilty Conscience with stern looks discharged some small Shot upon them Whilst Vastius would there have stayed the Company and did what he possibly could by threatning and otherwise to have terrified their Leaders and to have brought them back he was oftentimes in danger to have been slain In the end he was glad to forsake them and to return as he came King Ferdinand by this sudden departure of the Italians for that time disappointed of all his hope of recovering the Kingdom of Hungary from King Iohn in great choler wrote unto his Subjects of Styria and Carinthia whereby the Italians were to pass That they should shew them no manner of courtesie in their passage whereupon ensued great hurt on both sides Yet for all that these Italians in despight of what could be done at length recovered Tiliaventum in the borders of Italy where they disbanded themselves and returned every man to his own dwelling leaving King Ferdinand unto his own Forces The Emperor also breaking up his Army at Vienna and purposing now as before to return into Italy appointed Ferdinand Gonzaga to go formost with the light Horsemen with whom also he went himself after him followed Vastius with the Spaniards two days after came the Cardinal whose Train was of all the greatest last of all followed the mercenary Germans in which order he returned in safety into Italy This was the end of those wonderful Preparations made by two great Monarchs Solyman and Charles the Fifth in the year 1532. which held the World in great suspence with the fearful expectation of some marvelous alteration and so much the more for that at the same time appeared a great Blazing-Star by the space of fifteen days All which for all that God so appointing sorted to far less harm than was of most men feared Now whilst Charles the Emperor was thus in Arms against Solyman in Austria Andreas Auria by his appointment with a Fleet of thirty five tall Ships and forty eight Gallies wherein he had embarked twenty five thousand good Souldiers well appointed did in the mean time wonderfully annoy the Turks in Peloponnesus With this Fleet Auria departing from Messina in Sicilia and passing alongst the Coast of Italy into the Ionium near unto the Isle of Zacynthus met with Vincentius Capellius the Venetian Admiral with a Fleet of sixty Gallies set forth by the Venetians for desence of their Territory who offered unto Auria all possible kindness but excused himself that he could not joyn with him in that War against the Common Enemy by reason of an old League betwixt the Turks and the Venetians which Solyman had but a little before renewed So that at that time the Venetians stood as men indifferent betwixt Charles the Emperor and Solyman offering like kindness to both but taking part with neither yet in readiness to fall out with either if they should by Sea or Land offer any injury to their State wherein they bare themselves so indifferent that it was thought that they at one and the self same instant advertised Auria That Hymerales the Turks Admiral lay with his Fleet of sixty Gallies evil appointed in the Bay of Ambracia where he might easily be surprized and gave likewise warning to him of the coming of Auria with a strong Fleet wishing him in time to provide for his better safety by retiring his Fleet into some other place of more assurance which he presently did for knowing himself too weak he departed from Ambracia to the strong Haven of Calcide Which thing with other like well considered might give just cause to any Christian heart to bewail the State of that time wherein the Christian Princes being either in mortal Wars amongst themselves or intangled by Solyman with Leagues of no assurance omitted the fairest opportunity that could have been wished for the abating of the Turks greatness for if the Venetians joyning their Forces with Auria had in time pursued the Turkish Admiral it was like that not only all Solymans Power at Sea had been utterly discomfited but also most part of Grecia mindful of their ancient Empire and Liberty and then ready to have rebelled and joyned hands with the Christians might have been recovered out of the Turkish Thraldom yea and the Imperial City of Constantinople greatly indangered few or none being left for the defence thereof beside young Janizaries and effeminate Eunuchs the heartless Keepers of the Turks Concubines Solyman himself being then far off in Hungary and having drawn with him the greatest strength of his Empire Auria taking his leave of the Venetian Admiral with much Honour done at Sea on both sides was shortly after advertised That the Turks Admiral was fled to Calcide Wherefore now out of hope to do any good against him he directed his course to Corone which is a strong City upon the Coast of Peloponnesus about twelve miles distant from Modon with purpose to besiege it which when he had well viewed and considered of the strength thereof he laid Siege thereto both by Sea and Land battering it most terribly at one time with fourteen great pieces of Artillery by Land and a hundred and fifty by Sea so that a more terrible Battery had not been lightly heard of for all that the Turks valiantly stood upon their defence and manfully repulsed the Italians which under the Leading of the Count of Sarne assaulted the City by Land. The Turkish Garrisons lying about in the Country of Peloponnesus did what they might to have relieved the City who by the valour of the said Count were discomfited and Zadares their chief Leader slain whose Head with others of the slain Turks were set upon Stakes to the terror of the Defendants At length the Turks wearied with Assaults and terrified with the thundring Shot which never ceased and driven also from their greatest strength towards Sea by the desperate assault of certain resolute Christians whom they had now full sore against their wills received as it were into their bosoms fearing also to want Victual and Powder if they should longer hold out without any hope of Relief yielded the City and Castle to Auria upon condition
done omitting for a while the Expedition made in person himself against the Persians we will first declare what he did by his Lieutenants against the Moors Hariadenus sirnamed of the Christians Barbarussa who succeeding his elder Brother Horruccius in the Kingdom of Algiers in Africk had by many Victories so inlarged the Kingdom before gotten by his Brother that his Name and Power was now become terrible both to the Christians and wild Moors and his fame grown great in the Turkish Court was the chief Author and perswader of Solyman to invade Africk But it shall not as I think be far from our purpose here briefly to rehearse by what means those two Mytilene Brethren basely born crept out of a small Galliot unto the Majesty of great Kings that herein they which come afterwards may also admire the wonderful changes and chances of these worldly things now up now down as if the life of man were not of much more certainty than a stage Play. These two Brethren Horruccius and Hariadenus born at Mytilene in the Island of Lesbos weary of the poor and base estate they led at home with their Father a Renegate Grecian stealing a little Galliot committed themselves and all the hope of their good fortune to Sea where by chance they consorted themselves with Camales a most famous Pyrat of that time under whom Horruccius the elder Brother for his forwardness became a Captain and growing rich by many Purchases and also strong with Gallies and Slaves which he had at sundry times taken and at last consorting himself with Haidin Sinam the Jew Salee and other less Pyrats which afterwards became men of great fame and account over whom he commanded as an arch Pyrat came seeking after purchase as far as Mauritania At which time Selymes King of Iulia-Caesarea which now we call Algiers was in Arms against his Brother Mechemetes Competitor of the Kingdom who aided by the Numidians now commonly called Arabians put his Brother in great doubt of his Estate Selymes glad of the coming of Horruccius and the other Pyrats his Followers with a great Mass of Mony paid before hand induced Horruccius and the rest to take upon them the defence of him and his Kingdom against his Brother which thing Horruccius so happily performed especially by the means of his Harquebusiers as then no small terror to the wild Moors and Numidians that in short time he repulsed that savage People and set Selymes at peace in his Kingdom Horruccius being a man of a sharp wit and by nature ambitious noting in the time of his service the Kings mild and simple disposition void of all distrust and that the naked Moors were no Souldiers but a light and unconstant People alwaies at variance among themselves and that the wandring Numidians living barely divided into many factions were easily by reward to be won or by force constrained suddenly falsified his faith and villanously slew Selymes the King as he was bathing himself mistrusting nothing less than the falshood of the Pyrat and in the same hurl murdring such as he thought would withstand his desire and with Bounty and Cruelty overcoming the rest so wrought the matter that he was by general consent chosen King of Algiers Thus of a Pyrat become a King he shortly after by Policy surprised Circello a famous City about sixty mile distant from Algiers by his Souldiers sent thither in the habit of Merchants After that he by his Brother Hariadenus no less valiant than himself troubled all the Mediterranean Sea from Algiers with his Gallies and all his Neighbours himself by land with daily incursions leaving nothing untoucht which might by force or policy be had so that his power daily encreased men of service continually resorting unto him as the chief man in all those parts Not thus contented he to enlarge his Kingdom drave the Spaniards out of â—ugâ—a a City famous both for the great Trade thither and for the Mahometan School sometime there kept at the taking whereof he lost his right Hand with a Shot and instead thereof ever after used a Hand of Iron wherewith he obtained many worthy Victories against his Enemies for near to Algiers he overthrew an Army of the Spaniards with Diego de Vara their General And shortly after at such time as Hugo Moncada returning out of Italy with the old Spanish Souldiers landed in his Country he enforced him again to Sea where he with all his expert Souldiers either perished by shipwrack or driven on shore were slain or taken Prisoners by Horruccius and thrust into his Gallies At last having in sundry Battels overcome the King of Tremissa Charles the Emperor his Confederate and thrust him out of his Kingdom he stirred up both the Christians and Numidians against him so that coming to take Ora and Portus two strong Holds kept by Garrisons of Spaniards sent thither to aid the King of Tremissa he was by them and the Moors at the first repulsed and afterwards quite overthrown where most part of his Army being slain or taken Prisoners he with a few of his Friends sought to save themselves by flight over the desart Sands and seeing himself hardly pursued by his Enemies scattered many pieces of Gold upon the Sands as he fled thereby to have staied their hasty pursuit but they more desirous of him than of his Gold followed so fast that at last they overtook him and without further delay struck off his Head which was afterwards sent into Spain and carried upon a Launce through all the Towns and Cities alongst the Sea Coast to the wonderful rejoycing of the People unto whom he had in former time done great harm After the death of Horruccius Hariadenus inferior to his Brother neither in Courage nor Martial Prowess by the general consent of the Souldiers took upon him the Kingdom of Algiers He made Heir not only of his Brothers Kingdom but of his Vertues and haughty Thoughts and of the surname also of Barbarussa began forthwith to aspire unto the Empire of all that part of Africk accounting what he had already gotten too little and too base to answer his desires Wherefore he entred into Arms and became a terror both to the Moors and Numidians holding Peace with some and Wars with others as best served his purpose and with his Gallies robbed and spoiled the Coasts of Spain Sardinia and the Islands Baleares Fortune so favouring him in all his enterprises that he became both famous and fearful to his Enemies He slew Hamet a great Commander among the Numidians and chased Banchades and Amida two of their greatest Princes out of the Country and with like fortune at Sea overcame Hugo Moncada a famous Spaniard who sore wounded had much ado to save himself by flight when he had lost divers of his Gallies He also in Battle at Sea overthrew Rodericus Portundus Admiral of Spain in which fight the Admiral with his Son were both slain and seven of
of their known places of advantage have so cut him off in his long and painful travel by Land that they would altogether have made an end both of him and his followers before he could have come to Algiers Auria angry both with himself and those whom he had put in trust and yet not out of hope to overtake his Enemy with his own Gallies and some other of the best Ships went to Hippona but finding Barbarussa gone he took the City and overthrew the Walls thereof but in the Castle which he by force took from the Turks he placed Alvarus Gometius with a sufficient Garrison and so returned unto the Emperor This Gometius although he was a most valiant Captain yet became so infamous for his avaritious dealing both with the Enemy and his Friends that for fear how to answer such things as he knew would be laid to his charge he became the infamous Executioner of himself The Castle was afterwards by the commandment of the Emperor rased down to the ground for that it was not without a marvelous charge to be kept After that a Counsel was holden concerning Muleasses whom the Emperor placed again in the Kingdom of Tunes there to Reign as his Ancestors had done before him paying him yearly by the name of Tribute two Faulcons and two Numidian Coursers with condition that he should for ever honour the Emperor and be a Friend unto all Christians and an utter Enemy unto the Turks Besides that That he should from time to time defray the charges of a thousand Spaniards and more to be left in Garrison in the Castle of Guletta by holding whereof the Emperor kept as it were the Keys of that Kingdom at his Girdle The Emperor having thus honourably driven Barbarussa and the Turks Pyrats out of Tunes taken from their them Gallies delivered the Christian Countries all along the Sea Coast into the Mediterranean of a great fear and restored Muleasses again to his Kingdom sailed into Sicilia where he was in great Triumph received at Panormus and Messsina from whence he passed over to Rhâ—gium in Italy and from thence by Land to Naples Thus was the Kingdom of Tunes taken by Barbarussa and the Turks and by Charles the Emperor recovered again out of their hands the self-same time that Solyman was in Person himself in Wars against the Persian whom Barbarussa accompanied with Sinan the Jew after this overthrow met at Iconium in his return out of Persia well accepting of their excuse as is before declared year 1537. Solyman as well of his own ambitious disposition as following the manner of the Othoman Kings desirous by all means to encrease the glory of his Name and to enlarge his Empire determined with himself to take away from the Portugals all their Traffick into the East Indies It grieved him to hear that the Christian Religion should begin to take root amongst those Pagan Kings which had not long before received the Mahometan Religion Besides that he was credibly enformed that the Portugals in these late Wars he had against the Persians had aided them with certain Harquebusiers and also had sent them Work-men to shew them both the making and use of great Artillery But that which moved him most of all was for that the Portugals by their Traffick into the Indies had cut off all the Trade of Merchandise into the Gulf of Arabia whereby the Riches of the East were wont to be transported unto Caire and so to Alexandria from whence they were afterwards by the Venetian Merchants and others dispersed into all parts of Europe but now were carried by the great Ocean into Portugal and from thence conveied into all parts of Christendom to the great hindrance of his Tributes and Customs of Egypt For these causes and at the instance of Solyman Bassa an Eunuch born in Epirus and then Governour of Epgypt Solyman caused wonderful preparation to be made for the building of a great Fleet in the Red Sea to go against the Portugals All the Timber whereof was cut down in the Mountains of Cilicia and Shipped in the Bay of Attalia in the bottom of the Mediterranean from whence it was by Sea transported to Pelusium and so up the River of Nilus to Caire where after it was framed and ready to be set together it was with infinite labour and no less charge carried by Land with Camels through that hot and sandy Country from Caire to Suetia a Port of the Red Sea called in ancient time Arsinoe From which place eighty miles distant from Caire the ancient Kings of Egypt seeking by vain and wonderful works to eternise the memory of themselves had with incredible charge cut through all that main Land so that Vessels of good burthen might come up the same from Arsinoe to Caire which great Cut or Ditch Sesostris the rich King of Egypt and long after him Ptolomeus Philadelphus purposed to have made a great deal wider and deeper and thereby to have let the Red Sea into the Mediterranean for the readier transportation of the Indian Merchandise to Caire and Alexandria Which mad work Sesostris prevented by death could not perform and Ptolomeus otherwise perswaded by skilful Men in time gave over for fear least by letting in the great South Sea into the Mediterranean he should thereby as it were with another general Deluge have drowned the greatest part of Graecia and many other goodly Countries in Asia and with exceeding charge in stead of Honour have purchased himself eternal Infamy Yet by the singular industry of Solyman the Eunuch who with severe commandent enforced all the people of the Countries thereabouts to the furtherance of the building of that Fleet he had with wonderful celerity in short time new built eighty tall Ships and Gallies at Arsinoe and furnished them with Men and all things else needful for so long a Voyage At which time he upon a quarrel pickt without cause but not without the good liking of Solyman most injuriously confiscated the Goods of the Venetian Merchants at Alexandria and Caire and thrust the Mariners into his Gallies as Slaves With which Fleet in most Warlike manner appointed Solyman the Bassa accompanied 〈◊〉 Assan-Beg commonly called the Moor of â—â—â—â—andria a most famous Pyrat and an excellent Sea-man set forward against the Portugals and sailing through the Red Sea and so Eaâ—â—ward by the Gulf of Persia came at length as far as the great River Indus where with all his power he Assaulted Dium a Castle of the Portugals situate upon the mouth of that great River but in conclusion after he had many days besieged the Castle both by Sea and Land and tried the uttermost of his strength he was so repulsed by the Portugals that he was glad to forsake the Siege and leaving his great Ordnance behind him for hast returned back again to Aden a City of great Trade in Arabia Foelix where discouraged with the evil success he had against the
that they should without delay yield up the City and put themselves wholly to the mercy of Solyman So the Spaniard being there staid himself writ to Liscanus how he had sped willing him forthwith if he loved his own safety to yield the City without standing upon further terms Liscanus upon receit of these Letters coming forth to the Souldiers declared unto them the necessity of yielding up of the Town and what hope there was to escape with life and liberty But whilst the Souldiers filled with indignation stood as Men in doubt what to do Halis Commander of the Janizaries came unto the Gate and with chearful rather than stern countenance required to have it opened unto him according to the agreement made by Salamanca in the Camp which was forthwith opened by Liscanus and the Keys delivered unto him The Janizaries entring peaceably into the City possessed themselves of the Walls and Fortresses round about commanding the Christian Souldiers to give place out of whom they chose all the beardless Youths and commanded the rest to cast down their Harquebusies and other Weapons in a place appointed which they all for fear did expecting nothing but some cruel execution to be done upon them by the barbarous Enemy Which their fear was the more encreased by a strange accident then unluckily chancing for whilst the Souldiers did as they were commanded with their Harquebusies cast their Flasks full of Powder also one of them suddainly took fire of a Match which was by chance cast in amongst them with fire in it which firing the rest blew about all that heap of Weapons among the Turks which so filled them with anger and fear of some suddain Treachery that they fell upon the Christians and slew divers of them until such time as Halis perswaded that it was a thing hapned rather by chance than malice commanded his Janizaries to stay their fury This tumult appeased Halis caused proclamation to be made That all such Christian Souldiers as would serve Solyman in his Wars should have such place in his Army as their quality required with bountiful entertainment yet of all the Christian Souldiers were found only seventy which careful of their lives accepted the offer fearing that the Turks would upon such as refused exercise their wonted cruelty Halis entertaining them courteously sent them away with the other youths whom he had before culled out down the River to Buda the other Souldiers he took into his protection and used their labour to help the Turks to make clean the Castle But Liscanus who to save his Gold had made Shipwreck of his honour and reputation was glad to give unto Halis the fair Chain of Gold which he had most covetously and insolently before taken from Perenus when as Halis who would otherwise have taken it from him by force by way of military courtesie now craved it of him as a strange kind of ornament among the Turks with which gift he was in hope to have saved the rest of his Coyn. But fortune favoured not so much the covetous Coward for when he was about to depart away with his Horses of service which he kept very good and had cunningly stuffed the Saddles full of Gold thinking so slily to have conveyed it the Turk laughing at him took from him his Horses furnished as they were saying That he which was to go by Water needed no Horses So was the covetous Wretch at once quit of the great Wealth which he had in long time evil got The Captains with the rest of the Souldiers dispoiled of the Arms were conveyed over the River of Danubius and so travelled on foot to Possonium where the Count Salme by the commandment of the King apprehended Liscanus Salamanca and some other of the Captains for suspicion of Treason and committed them to safe custody there to answer for their cowardly yielding up of the City Solyman entred into Strigonium the tenth of August in the year 1543. and there converting Christian Churches into Temples for the Mahometan Superstition first sacrificed for his Victory as he had before done in Buda and after with all speed so strongly fortified the City as if he would thereby for ever have taken from the Christians all hope of recovering the same again deriding the slothful negligence of the Germans who possessed of it fourteen years had neglected all that time to fortifie it Not long after Solyman leaving Ossainus a valiant Captain Governour of Strigonium and sending his Tartarian Horsemen to spoil the Country on the left hand as far as Alba Regalis went himself to besiege the Castle of Tatta called in ancient time Theodota The Garrison Souldiers terrified with the loss of Strigonium and the sight of the Turks Army upon the first summons yielded the Castle without resistance and were so suffered quietly to depart That Castle after the manner of the Turkish Discipline who with few and those very strong Holds keep their Provinces in subjection was by Solymans commandment presently rased down to the Ground Torniellus General of the Italians caused Hanibal Captain of the Castle to have his Head struck off for his cowardly yielding up of the place he had taken charge of thereby to admonish others which had the charge of strong places not to refuse an honourable death in defence of their Country for fear of an ignominious death attending their Cowardise Tatta thus laid in the Dust Solyman marched with his Army towards Alba surnamed Regalis for that the Kings of Hungary by an ancient custom used there to be Crowned and also buried Buda Strigonium and Alba Regalis three princial Cities of the Kingdom of Hungary stand in manner of a Triangle almost equally distant one from another about a hundred miles in compass Buda and Strigonium are situate upon the River of Danubius but Alba standeth more into the Land strongly seated in the midst of a great Lake but not so wholsomely especially in the Summer time the Winter Waters then decreasing and gross vapours arising with the heat of the Sun. From the City through the Marish or Lake unto the firm Land lie three broad and high Causeys in manner of the streaks of a Cart-wheel well built with fair Houses and Gardens on either side and a broad way in the middle whereby Men pass in and out of the City At the end of every Causey toward the Land were cast up strong Bulwarks which the Citizens used not to watch but in dangerous times of War so that by these Bulwarks the Houses of the Suburbs standing upon these Causeys were safe from the danger of the Enemy the Lake filling up all the spaces betwixt the Causeys which what for the Depth what for Mud Flags and Bulrushes growing in it was not by Horse or Man to be passed through And the City it self standing in the midst of the Lake compassed round about with a strong Wall and a deep Ditch always full of Water was hardly to
and exercised most exquisite Cruelty upon his Enemies of whom he caused some to be torn in pieces and devoured of fierce Mastiveâ— kept hungry for that purpose Perellus he caused to be tortured his Secrets to be cut off and himself afterwards burnt to ashes in the Market place But Muleasses staid not long at Guletta offended with the Covetousness of Touarres who as he said had not faithfully restored such things as he had before put him in trust withal but had avaritiously in his misery deceived him of part of his rich Housholdstuff with certain notable precious Stones and some of his Treasure whereof the blind King so grievously complained to Charles the Emperor that for deciding the matter they were both commanded to repair unto him into Germany where in conclusion to end the strife Touarres was discharged of his Government and Muleasses sent into Sicily there to be kept of the common charge of that rich Island Muleasses by the way coming to Rome was honourably feasted by Cardinal Farnesius at which time he shewed himself both in his Apparel and Behavior not forgetful his better Fortune and being brought unto the presence of Palus the great Bishop would do him him no greater Honour but to kiss his Knee accounting it too great an indignity to have kissed his Foot. He was of Stature tall and of a Princely Disposition unworthy of so hard a Fortune had he not in the like manner before unmercifully dealt with his own Brethren Barbarussa weary of his long lying to so small purpose in Provence year 1544. requested the French King either throughly to imploy him or else to give him leave to depart offering if he so pleased to spoil all alongst the Coast of Spain from the Mountain Pyrenei to Cadiz But he not ignorant what hard Speeches ran of him already in all parts of Christendom for bringing in the Turks was loath to leave unto the memory of all Posterity the foul remembrance of so woful a slaughter besides that he was advised to disburden his Country of such troublesome Guests who roving about did much harm in the Province where they lay and as it was reported now and then snatcht up one Country Peasant or other and chained them for Slaves in their Gallies Wherefore in supply of the Turks that were dead the King gave unto Barbarussa all the Mahometan Slaves in his Gallies to the number of about four hundred and furnishing him with all kind of Provision and bestowing great gifts upon him and his Captains sent him away and with him Strozza with certain Gallies his Embassador to Solyman So the Turks departing out of Provence kept alongst the Coast until they came near unto Savona whither the Germans sent divers Presents and fresh Victuals to Barbarussa which he took so thankfully that he protested not to hurt any of their Territory From thence he kept a right Course to the Island of Elba belonging to the Duke of Florence over against Popâ—â—ona where understanding that one of the Sons of Sinan his old Friend was there kept Prisoner he writ unto Appianus Governor of the Island for his deliverance to this effect I know that a young man a Turk serveth thee the Son of Sinan sirnamed the Iew a famous Captain taken of late at Tunes him I would have thee friendly to restore which gift I will make thee to understand to be unto me most acceptable for this our great Fleet in passing by you shall faithfully forbear to use any hostility But if thou shalt in this so small a matter refuse to gratifie me expect upon the Coast of thy Country all the harms that an angry Enemy can do Whereunto Appianus shewing his men upon the Walls in token that he was not afraid answered That the young man was become a Christian and therefore might not in any case be delivered to the Turks but that he would in any other thing gratifie him in what he could and for his sake use the young man as his Son. And to molifie the unkindness of his answer he sent him fresh Victual with other Presents But Barbarussa offended with the answer landed his men round about the Island and commanded them to make what Spoil they could which they performed accordingly hunting the Island People up and down the Rocks and Mountains like Hares until that Appianus not without cause doubting the utter Spoil of the Island redeemed his Peace by delivering the young man to Salec the Pyrat who brought him to Barbarussa gallantly attired after the Italian manner of whom he was joyfully received as the Son of a most valiant Captain his old Friend and thereupon Barbarussa staied his Souldiers from doing any further harm upon the Island and gave Appianus great thanks for him This young Man Barbarussa honoured with the command of seven Gallies and afterwards sent him to his Father then lying at Suetia a Port of the Red Sea Admiral against the Portugals who greatly troubled those Seas But the old Jew overjoyed with the suddain and unexpected return of his Son whom he had for many years before given as lost in embracing of him fainted and so presently for joy died This man for Valour was accounted little inferior to Barbarussa but for discretion and just dealing far beyond him nothing of so furious and waiward a disposition as was he Barbarussa departing from Elba came into the Bay of Telamon in Tuscany and in short time took the City which he spoiled and burnt but especially the House of Bartholomeus Telamonius whose dead Body but a little before buried he caused to be pluckt out of the Grave and his Bones to be scattered abroad because he being Admiral of the Bishop of Rome's Gallies had in the Isle of Lesbos wasted Barbarussa's Fathers poor Possession and marching by night eight miles farther into the Land surprised Montenum and carried almost all the Inhabitants away with him into Captivity The like mischief he did at the Port called Portus Herculis but purposing to have taken Orhatello and there to have fortified he was by Luna and Vitellius two valiant Captains before sent thither the one by the State of Siena and the other by the Duke of Florence repulsed So though disappointed of his purpose yet having done great harm and put the whole Country of Tuscany in exceeding fear he departed from thence and landed again at Igilium now called Gigio an Island about twelve miles distant from Portus Herculis where he quickly battered the Town and carried a wonderful number of all sorts into miserable Captivity keeping on his Course he passing the Cape of Linar and coming over againg Centumcelle had burnt that City for the same reason he did Telamon had he not been otherwise perswaded by Strozza the French Embassador fearing to draw the French King into further obloquy From thence he came with a direct Course to the Island of Ischia where landing in the night he intercepted most part of the
in League with the Christian Princes repented that he had not before hearkned unto the wholsome Counsel of the Venetians and taught by his own harms wished in vain that the Christian Princes would again take up Arms and joyn with him against the Turk Mustapha the great Bassa and General of the Turks Army furnished of all things that could be desired for maintenance of his Siege and Souldiers in great number daily repairing unto him out of Cilicia Syria the Lesser Asia and the Countries thereabout beside great Supplies brought unto him by Haly Bassa from Constantinople insomuch that it was thought he had in his Army two hundred thousand Men began now that Winter was past in the later end of April to draw nearer unto Famagusta and with incredible labour to cast up Trenches and Mounts against the City of such height that the Defendants from the highest places of the City could scarcely see the points of the Turks Spears or tops of their Tents as they lay encamped which was no great matter for the Bassa to perform having in his Camp forty thousand Pioneers always ready at his command The City of Famagusta is situate in the East end of the Island in a plain and low ground betwixt two Promontories the one called St. Andrews Head and the other the Head of Graecia It is in circuit two miles and in form four-square but that the side toward the East longer and more winding than the rest doth much deform the exact figure of a Quadrant It is almost on two parts beaten upon with the Sea the other parts toward the Land are defended with a Ditch not above fifteen Foot broad a Stone-wall and certain Bulwarks and Parapets Upon the Gate that leadeth to Amathus standeth a six cornered Tower other Towers stand out also in the Wall every of them scarce able to contain six Pieces of Artillery It hath a Haven opening toward the South-East defended from the injury of the Weather by two great Rocks betwixt which the Sea cometh in by a narrow Passage about forty Paces over but after opening wider giveth a convenient Harbor to Ships whereof it cannot contain any great number and was now shut up with a strong Chain Near unto the Haven standeth an old Castle with four Towers after the ancient manner of building There was in the City one strong Bulwark built after the manner of the Fortification of our time with Palisadoes Curtains Casemets and such like in such manner as that it seemed almost impregnable All which although they made shew of a strong and well fortified City yet for that there wanted many things it was thought too weak long to hold out against the great power of the Turk but what wanted by reason of the situation and weak fortification that the Governor and other noble Captains supplied in best sort they might with a strong Garrison of most valiant Souldiers the surest defence of strong places There was in the City two thousand and five hundred Italians two hundred Albanois Horsemen before entertained by the Governour and of the Cypriots themselves were mustred two thousand and five hundred more all Men resolutely set down to spend their Lives in defence of their Country Mustapha with wonderful celerity having brought to perfection his Fortifications planted his Battery of sixty four great Pieces amongst which were four great Basilisks of exceeding bigness wherewith he continually without imtermission battered the Walls of the City in five places but especially that part of the Wall that was between the Haven and the Gate that leadeth to Amathus And with great Morter-pieces cast up hugh Stones which from high falling into the City with their weight brake down the Houses they light upon and fell oftentimes through their Vaults even in the bottom of their Cellars to the great terror of the besieged The Walls in divers places sore shaken and the Houses beaten down he began to assault the City which the Defendants their Forces yet whole valiantly repulsed and not only defended their Walls and drave the Turks from the Breaches but furiously sallied out upon them and having slain and wounded many wonderfully disturbed their Fortifications and abated their Courage neither did the Enemy with greater fury maintain the battery or assault than did the Christians the defence of the City still sending their deadly Shot into the thickest of that great Multitude insomuch that in few days the Bassa had lost thirty thousand of his Men and the Captains themselves wondering at the Valour of the Defendants as if they had not now to do with such Christians as they had before so oftentimes overthrown but with some other strange people began to despair of the winning of the City The Turks thus doubting and almost at a stand the Christians in the mean time made up their Breaches with Earth Baskets Wool-sacks and such like not sparing their very Beds and Bed-clothes Chests Carpets and whatsoever else might serve to fill up the Breach Among many wants they feared the greatest was the want of Powder which with continual shooting began greatly to be diminished wherefore to reserve some part thereof against all extremities they thought it best whilst yet some store was left to use the same more sparingly and to shoot more seldom But the Turks still drawing nearer and nearer the City and casting up Mounts higher than the Walls of the City with Earth and Faggots filled up the Ditch which done they of the broken Stones made Walls on either side to save themselves from the flankering Shot of the Christians then giving a fresh Assault they used not only their Shot and other missive Weapons but came foot to foot and notably fought in the Breach hand to hand Which manner of fight as if it had been so agreed upon they every day maintained for the space of six hours And although the Turks by reason of their multitude were divided into many parts and fresh Men still succeeded them that were weary yet such was the Courage of the Defendants that every Man requested to have the places of most danger and from thence with couragious hand repulsed the Turks with exceeding great slaughter But for all that the furious Enemy maintaining the Assault not only by day but by often Alarms in the night also kept the Christians continually in doubtful suspence and readiness as if they should have received a present Assault and as soon as it was day with fresh Men that had slept their fill desperately assailed the Christians almost spent and meager for lack of sleep and rest Force not prevailing the restless Enemy leaving nothing unattempted by a queint device was like to have taken one of the Gates of the City There was growing in the Island great plenty of a kind of Wood much of the nature of a Firre or Pitch-Tree easie to be set on fire but hardly to be quenched but differing in this that in burning it gave forth such a
and so leaving the Ships and Galeasses at Zacynthus went with the rest of the Fleet to Cephalenia whether Don Iohn was not yet come but had sent word thither That if they had any desire to joyn their Forces with his they should yet come further back unto him in Corcyra This Message which they had rather feared than expected much troubled the Venetians who readier to suspect every mischief than to hope for any good began to fret and complain That the Spaniards could very well tell the Venetians what they had to do and forget in the mean time what was on their own part to be performed A hard thing it was to say and yet to be said that now they had more to do with those their dallying Friends and Cofederates than with their Enemies for with their Enemies they were to fight but in time of Battel but with them they were to wrestle at all times and in all places They were by them as thâ—y said drawn from the fight of their Enemies when as they might have been overthrown not to the intent that with their united Forces they might more safely â—ight against them or under the conduct of Don Iohn gain the Victory but rather lest any thing should have been done which might be to the honour or profit of the Venetians and that time which was to have been bestowed in the managing of the War spent in lingring and delaying and vain going forward and backward to no purpose One only way there was as they said to have dispatched with the Turk which was by overcoming him in another notable Battel and so to have utterly broken his strength at Sea which Course the Confederates made no less difficult by their backwardness and delays than the Enemy by declining of Battel That they had long ago by many secret signs probably conjectured that the Spaniards had more care to hinder and cross other Mens doings than to do any thing of themselves That their endeavours were to frustrate those great hopes which promised unto the Christian Common-weal the greatest Felicity and Happiness together with immortal Glory and That the Turks of late discouraged with the fortunate proceedings of the Christians might again rejoyce at their mishaps The Venetians notwithstanding all these their murmuring Speeches loath to fall off from the Spaniard kept still on with the rest until they came to Don Iohn at Corcyra who then lay with 53 Gallies and 18 Ships at Spâ—lca in the uttermost end of the Island At their first meeting Don Iohn shewed himself not a little offended that they had not with more duty before attended his coming and they again not a little complained of his long stay with many other their grievances which were tedious here to rehearse The Fleet now all with much ado at length met together which consisted of two hundred Gallies nine Galeasses and thirty six tall Ships It was by general consent agreed That they should again set forward toward the Enemy They were not yet under Sail when two of their Espials brought them news that the Enemies Fleet weakly furnished both of Mariners and Souldiers was come to Navarinum which filled them all with good hope that the Turks Fleet so evil provided might in that place upon the suddain be easily oppressed and the rather if they came upon them unexpected Wherefore because they would not be descried they kept not their Course on right forth but sailing by night kept aloof upon the right hand and having passed Zacynthus came with great silence unto the Strophades where they lay at Anchor all that day In the evening they loosed thence so casting their Course that the more to terrifie the Enemy they might before day fall upon him and be seen in the mouth of the Haven where he lay before there could be any report made of their coming thither But this Course so well set the time was so evil cast that it was fair day long before they could come to the appointed place when the Turks out of their watch Towers discovered a far off the coming of the Christian Fleet gave warning thereof unto their Fellows whereupon an Alarm was presently raised in the Town and all Men in Arms ran headlong to the Walls and to the Haven But the Turks out of hope with their evil rigged Fleet to be able to withstand the Christians and not daring to trust to that weak Habor and all now in a great hurly burly ran confuseded hand over head Souldiers and Mariners aboord and whilst they had yet time got them in hast out of that Habor and as Men chased by their Enemies got them into safe Harbor at Modon a strong Town of Peloponnesus about six miles off Columnius was sent before the rest of the Fleet to have pursued them but they were got so far before him that they had recovered the Harbor before he could overtake any of them The Christian Fleet coming before the Harbor and leaving a space as it were of purpose for the Enemy to come out into there lay in the face of the Town daring the Turks Battel But when they had so lien almost all that day and no Man durst come out and now towards the evening certain signs of Tempest appeared the Christians fearing to be by force of Weather driven on ground put farther off again to Sea. Then at length Uluzales sent out certain light Gallies to follow in the tail of the Fleet when the Confederates suddainly staying their Course and turning their Prows upon them drave them headlong again into the Harbor and afterwards retired themselves with the whole Fleet into the Islands Oenusae now called Sapientia right opposit against Modon The next day wanting fresh Water they removed unto the Bay of Messina there to water in the mouth of the River Pamisus which there falleth into the Sea where in passing by Corone they were oftentimes shot at out of the Town and landing their Men to water were encountred by certain Troops of Horsemen sent for that purpose by Uluzales There was Water dearly bought with the Lives of many there slain on both sides in the end the Christians prevailing watered and so again returned unto the Oenusae from whence they came Methoâ—e or Modon for it is by both Names known standeth almost in an Island stretching far into the Sea where towards the West runneth out a long point of the Land a great way into the Sea in the uttermost part thereof standeth a great round Tower. The Town it self is on the one side enclosed with the Sea and toward the Land so strongly fortified as that it seemeth almost impregnable Towards the South cometh in a fair Bay about three miles wide safe from all Winds except the Northerly Wind only and shut up by a little Island in the mouth of the Bay maketh a safe and quiet Harbor with two entrances thereinto on either side of the Island Within this Bay lay the Turks Fleet
Bassa of Tauris and that the Magistrate and Judge of that City called the Cady should be sent from Constantinople We shall see in the following year the Effects of these Propositions by the Ambassadour of Persia whom Nassuff shall bring to Constantinople in the mean time let us return to the Mediterranean Sea to take a survey of the valiant Exploits of the Knights of Malta against the Turks On the twenty sixth day of April a Turk having lent a good Sum of Money to a Christian to be paid at a certain day he came before the appointed day with another Turk and willed the Christian to pay the Money to that other Turk when the day came which the Christian promised to do and performed it accordingly but the Turk denied the receit thereof whereupon he to whom the Money was properly due came and demanded it to whom the Christian answered that he had paid it to that Patty to whom he had assign'd it whereunto the Turk replied that if it were so he was satisfied but yet the other Turk denied it whereupon the matter was brought before the Judge and the Turk who had received the Money taking an Oath to the contrary the Christian according to the Turkish Justice was enforced to pay the Money again the which he did but withal he praid God to shew some publick sign which of them had done the wrong And thereupon the Turk going forth to repair home to his House fell down dead in the Street The Great Master Vignancourt continuing his generous Designs to ruine the Turk had an Enterprise against Navarrin a place importing this common Enemy of Christians for the Execution whereof he sent the five Gallies of his Order under the charge of Vaqueras great Commander of the Order and chief of the Nation of Provence They came within some miles of the Shore but found their landing very difficult for that they had been discovered by one of the Castles of Navarrin which had given the alarm unto the whole Country so as they were forced to pass on to some more easie Conquest to the end their Voyage might not prove unprofitable wherefore they sailed into the Archipelague and came near to the Coast of Morea ten Leagues from Corinth where in the Night they landed 800 Men under the Conduct of the Commander of Cremeaux General at Land this Troop marched towards Corinth and an hour before day were at the Town Gates to force them Some Turks took Arms but their weak resistance could not stay the Knights from entering with their Troops they sack'd the Town and having taken what spoil was portable they carried away with them 500 Slaves After this Triumph the Christians made a happy retreat and in good order notwithstanding all the attempts of the Turks Horse and Foot who were drawn together in great numbers making 10000 Souldiers for the Country is very populous in view of whom they imbarked their Spoil and Slaves Hereby it appears that this was one of the most desperate Enterprises that hath been of long time seen For to attempt a Place so far from their retreat in so populous a Country which upon the least alarm may draw together ten or twelve thousand Turks and to make their retreat with so small a number against such great Troops which pursued them doubtless we must confess that as they shewed great Valour and had good Fortune so they undertook a very dangerous Enterprise Thus the Knights of Malta vanquished whom we might term the Masters of the Mediterranean Sea if the Revenues of their Order would suffer them to set forth Shipping and Forces equal to their Valour But to follow the variable course of the History let us observe the different Occupations of Christians At Prague the Germans entertained themselves with the consideration of a Crown which appeared in the Firmament over that City about the midst of October giving a very great Light and about it Armies of Men fighting who should have it At that time the Emperour Rodulphus was upon the West or declining of his days and Matthias who succeeded him in the Empire then King of Hungary was upon the Sun-rising of his Triumphs Many expounded this heavenly Apparition as a Presage of Happiness and good Fortune to Matthias he enjoyed the Crown of Hungary already and by Designation that of Bohemia and now they did prognosticate unto him that of the Romans Doubtless men which aspire after great Fortunes do rather adorn the Sun-rising than the setting and Mans Life when it declines tasts of the Lees. The flourishing Glory of Matthias his Age and his Actions in the Wars did add nothing to the Authority of other Men in the Country but did mightily settle his own Three Suns which were seen in the Firmament over Vienna the chief City of Austria confirmed the Germans more in this their hope that he should have the third Crown of the Romans This last Apparition happened the year following About the end of the year some of the English Ambassadors Men entering into quarrel with certain Iamoglans of the next Serail from words they fell to blows during which tumult one of the Ambassadors Men threw a Stone and smote a Iamoglan on the Fore-head whereof he died within few hours after The Aga of the Serail complained hereof to the Grand Visier who presently sent the Subbasâ—a of Galata to make inquiry of the Fact the Ambassador went himself to the Serail and sent for his Men which had been in the quarrel willing the Turks to design the party which had thrown the Stone who all with one shout ran upon one Simon Dibbius a man that was newly come from Candy where he had served in the Venetian Garrisons and was now entertained into the Ambassadors Service This Simon was not he that threw the Stone notwithstanding the Turks would none but him on him they laid hands and dragged him away The Ambassador interposing himself and offering to pledge for him was thrust away by them his Men Beaten and one of his Pages wounded whereupon he complained to the Grand Visier but prevailed little for to Prison they dragged this Simon and there kept him a whole Month neither could he be released albeit the English Nation offered great Sums to ransom his Life for the Turks would needs have Blood for Blood The day of Execution being appointed the Ambassador sent his Chaplain to the Prison where this Simon was to prepare him for Death unto whom examining him how he had formerly lived he confessed that in England some few years before he had killed a Man for which fact he fled thence into Candy from whence he came to Constantinople where he was to suffer for that which he did not the just Judgment of God pursuing him to the shedding of his Blood in Constantinople among Turks undeservedly for the Blood which he had shed in England wilfully He was hanged at the Ambassadors Gates his Head and Heels the next Night were stolen
the shore they encountered the Turkish Horse-men yet notwithstanding Montano commanded they should finish their landing leaving twenty men for the Guard of every Gally This Fort of Agliman is seated upon a little pleasant Hill which looks towards the South It extends from the Hill unto the Sea-shore the form is oval that part which is next to the Sea is altogether Meridional and the other which riseth upon the top of the Hill looks towards the North. The Walls are built of good Stone and Lime the which are five Fathom high and one broad Within there was a Wall drawn from the East to the West which divides it into two unequal parts the which they enter by a Port set in the midst The Circuit of the Wall is fortified with eight Towers whereof five be whole and three are but half Towers those which be whole are of a square form and have five fathom in breadth on either side the half Towers have the same greatness on the one side and half as much on the other their height exceeds not the Wall unless it be that which is built on the top of the Hill which is raised about eight foot above the Wall. Within the place were above three hundred fighting men with store of Victuals Munitions for War and many pieces of Ordnance without there were an hundred Horse scouring up and down for the Guard of the Place and within the Port there were two Gallies a Caramousal and a Greek Brigandine with some hundred and fifty fighting men The Order of the Combate was divided after this manner by the Seignior Montano General at Land. For the principal Port and that of the Retreat he sent two Companies of Foot which were those of the Admiral 's Gally of the Captains Gally and of S. Stephen with the Petards all under the charge of the Earl of Candale who leading this forward discovered a Corps de gard of Turks Horse and Foot together whereof he presently advertised the General sending him word That he would march on towards the Fort and if the Turks came to charge him he would cut them all in pieces Many advised him to return to the Gallies but Montano allowed the Resolution of the Earl of Candale who past on without Charge untill he came within one hundred and twenty Paces of the Wall where he was charged before by the Musket-shot of the Fort behind by the Gallies and in flank by them of the Mountain with such horrible howling and crying out as the Marriners which carried the Petards being wonderfully amazed and terrified let them fall to the Ground and fled away The Baron of Mont Terault and Tiel a Souldier of Langueza took them up They continued their way untill they came within fifteen Paces of the Walls whenas twenty Turks sallied forth with a shew to make Head against the Earl of Candale's Troops but seeing themselves too weak they fled presently again back to the Town The Earl advanced to enter with them but the Port was so soon shut as they were in wherefore they must of force set the Petard to work But whilst they were making it fast unto the Gate there fell a shower of great Stones upon the Troop wherewith Don Pedro de Medicis who would needs be present was overthrown and half slain Callonge Mont-terault La Tour Davanes and Deltour had taken upon them the Charge of the Petard every one carrying a part to put it speedily in Execution Whilst they were thus busied to force the Port the Serjeant-Major came unto the Earl of Candale and told him that there was a Troop of three hundred Musqueteers come to charge him these were two Beys which came out of the Gallies with their Troops by reason of the bad Guard which the two Companies that Montano had left to hinder their Landing had kept The Earl of Candale had left part of his Troop with the Petard and turned Head with the rest against these Beys to charge them but they had no meaning to fight but only to make a shew and seeing they should be forced if they staid longer they took their way towards the Mountain and in their Retreat made many shot The Christians pursued them not holding it fitter to return to the Petard the which played so happily as it made a Breach capable for three men to enter in front The Squadron of the Knights of S. Stephen commanded by the Commissary Lenzoni and the Company of the Gallies of S. Mary Magdalen with two Ladders were to assault the High Tower. The Company of the Admiral-Gally with one Ladder had Charge to force the Port of the Retreat and the Company of the Gally of S. Iean was to fight with the Gallies and Vessels in the Haven all these Troops being led by the General Montano and by Captain Alexander of Tarentum Serjeant-Major marched in order towards the Fort. But the Petard having effected as we have said the Earl of Candale entered first with all his Troop and suddenly ran unto the Port of the Retreat there to apply a Petard the which also very fortunately made a Breach The Turks amazed at the noise and forcing of their Gates fled unto their Walls some retiring into their Towers and others into the Barricadoes which they had made in the Street At the same instant they planted two Ladders on the lower part of the Town somewhat near adjoyning to the Sea whereof one was broken with the loss of them that were upon it by the other notwithstanding that the Turks Horsemen charged them behind a good number of Christians got up to the Walls making their way by their Arms whilst that the rest put the Turks to rout having taken their Cornet they forced the rest for to flie unto the Mountains The squadron of Knights with the Company of the Gally of Saint Mary having had a longer way to march came not to the Tower upon the Hill until that after the Petards had wrought their Effects so as the Turks being retired thither they found very great resistance besides the attempts of the Enemies Horse which charged them behind thrice they planted their Ladders against the Wall and could not make them hold Wherefore the Commissary Lanzoni having performed as much as a brave and resolute Man could do in that Extremity resolved to leave that Place and go unto some other where he might be more necessary but being the last to make the retreat he was shot through with two Musquet Bullets and suddenly slain The Company of the Gally of Saint Iohn vanquished the two Gallies in the Port whereof Inghirami the Admiral at Sea went to take possession as soon as they had given him a sign having the other two Vessels at Liberty Within the Fort in the Towers and at the Barricadoes the Combat was hot and dangerous the Turks had despair and the advantage of the place on their sides The Christians thrust on by their Valour and
Empire The Emperour Ferdinand with greater force than success undertook the unfortunate Expeditions of Bada and Possega which so evil fell out not for that his Forces were not sufficient or strong enough but for that they wanted Agility and Dexterity The truth is those his Armies were strong enough and sufficiently furnished with all things necessary but consisted for the most part of Germans and Bohemians slow and heavy People unfit to encounter with the Turks a more ready and nimble kind of Souldiers The Venetians also confrontier the Turks by many hundred miles both by Sea and Land and defend themselves rather by peaceable Policy than force of Arms notably fortifying their Strong-holds upon their Frontiers declining by all means the Dangers and Charges of War by Ambassages and rich Presents leaving nothing unattempted their Liberty and State preserved rather than to fall to Wars To say the truth of them although they had both Coin and Warlike provision sufficient yet want they Men and Victuals answerable to so great a War against so puisâ—ant an Enemy There remaineth onely the King of Spain of all other the great Princes either Christians or Mahometans bordering upon him the best able to deal with him his yearly Revenues so far exceeding those of the Turks as that they are also probably thought to countervail the greatest part of his Timariots and his great Dominions in Spain Portugal Naples Sicilia Millain Sardinia and the Low Countries if they were with him at unity able to afford unto him so great and powerful a Strength both by Sea and Land as might make him dreadful even unto the Great Turk when he swelleth in his greatest Pride but considering how his Forces are distracted for the maintenance of his Wars at once in divers places as also for the necessary defence and keeping of his so large and dispersed Territories not all the best of themselves affected to the Spanish Government he is not to be thought of himself strong enough against the united Forces of the Great Turk whensoever they shall chance to be imployed upon him So that by this we have already said is easie to be gathered how much the Turk is too strong for any one of the neighbour Princes either Mahometans or Christians bordering upon him and therefore to be of them the more feared Yet lest some mistaking me might think What is then the Turk invincible Far be that thought from me to think any Enemy of Christ Jesu be his Arm never so strong to be able to withstand his Power either quite to devour his little Flock rage he never so much about it As for the Turk the most dangerous and professed Enemy of the Christian Common-weal be his strength so great yea and haply greater too than is before declared the greatness of his Dominion and Empire considered yet is he not to be thought therefore either Invincible or his Power so great as it in shew seemeth for to be his Timariot Horse-men his greatest strength dispersed over his whole Empire being never possibly the one half of them by him to be gathered into the body of one Army neither if they were so possible in such a multitude long to be kept together living upon no pay of his but upon such Store and Provision onely as they bring with them from their Timari never sufficient to maintain them long Besides that the policy of his State hardly or never suffereth him to draw above a third part of his Timariots out of his Countries where they dwell for fear lest the rest of the People by them still kept under should in their absence take up Arms against him in defence of themselves and their ancient Liberty whereafter the greatest part of those poor oppressed Souls as well Mahomâ—tans as Christians in every Province of his Empire awaiting but the opportunity most desirously longeth So that more than two parts of them being always to be left at home for necessary defence of the spacious borders of his so large an Empire as also for the keeping in Obedience of so many discontented Nations it is a great matter if he even in his greatest Wars draw together of these kind of Souldiers the full number of an hundred and fifty thousand strong making up the rest of his huge Multitude with his Acanzii living of no pay of his but upon the spoil of the Enemy onely the fifth part whereof they pay unto him also All which put together what manner of men they be and of what Valour not onely the small Armies of the Christians under the leading of their worthy Chieftains Huniades Scanderbeg King Matthias and others have to their immortal Glory in former times made good proof but even in this our Age and that as it were but the other day the Transilvanian Prince with divers other Captains and Commanders yet living have done the like also as well witnesseth the late Battel of Agria wherein the Christians in number not half so many as the Turks by plain Valour drave the Great Sultan Mahomet himself with Ibrahim Bassa his Lieutenant General out of the Field and had of him had the most notable Victory that ever was got against that Enemy had they not by too much carelesness and untimely desire of spoil themselves shamefully interrupted the same But thus to let his Horse-men pass the chief strength of his Foot-men are his Janizaries never in number exceeding twelve or fourteen thousand yet seldom times half so many even in his greatest Armies except he himself be there in Person present in the midst of them who beside the small number of them in the time of these their late voluptuous and effeminate Emperour corrupted with the Pleasures of Constantinople and for want of their wonted Discipline have together with their ancient Obedience and Patience lost also a great part of their former Reputation and Valour all the rest of his Foot-men filling up the Body of his populous Army being his Asapi rather Pioneers than Souldiers men of small Worth and so accounted of both by the Turks and their Enemies also So that all things well considered his best Souldiers being the least part of his greatest Armies and they also far unlike their Predecessors the stern followers of the former Ottoman Kings and Emperours but Men now given to Pleasure and Delight it is not otherwise to be thought but that he bringeth into the Field far more Men than good Souldiers more bravery than true Valour more shew than Worth his Multitude being his chiefest strength his supposed greatness the Terrour of his Neighbour Princes and both together the very Majesty of his Empire Which although it be indeed very strong for the reasons before alledged yet is it by many probably thought to be now upon the declining hand their late Emperours in their own Persons far degenerating from their Warlike Progenitors their Souldiers generally giving themselves to unwonted Pleasures their antient Discipline of War neglected their
to come ib. b. made Governor of Temeswar 841 a. Zembenic Castle the place where the Turks began first to settle themselves in Europe 129 a. Zemes riseth in Rebellion against his elder Brother Bajazet 298 a. overthrown in battel by his Brother flieth to Caytbeius the Sultan of Egypt ib. b. he with the Caramanian King goeth against his Brother Bajazet 300 a. flieth to Sea ib. b. delivered unto Pope Innocent the Eighth 303 b. by Pope Alexander delivered to Charles the French King 307 b. dieth within three days after being before by the Pope poysoned as is supposed ib. b. his dead body sent to Constantinople and honourably afterwards buried at Prusa 308 a. Zenza the Persian King in a great battel overthrown and slain by Usun-Cassanes 279 a. Zerbi Island invaded by the Christian Fleet set forth for the recovery of the City of Tripolis in Barbary 529 b. the Castle of Zerbi yielded unto the Spaniards 530 a. a great part of the Christian Fleet oppressed at Zerbi by the sudden coming of Pial Bassa the Turks Admiral ib. b. the Castle of Zerbi besieged by the Turks 531 a. yielded unto the Turks ib. a. the Turks in Triumph return with Victory to Constantinople 531 b. Zingis passing over the Mountains Caucasus and Tauris conquereth the Turks Dominions 53 a. Zoganes Bassa by the device of a wicked Christian bringeth seventy of the Turks Gallies eight miles over Land into the Haven of Constantinople 233 b. perswadeth Mahomet to continue his siege 234 a. Zolnoc a strong Fortress of the Christians in the upper Hungary taken by the Turks 511 a. October the 4 th 1687. ADVERTISEMENT IN Michaelmass-Term next will be published Mr. MIEGE'S large Folio DICTIONARY in French and English and English and French. Lately Reprinted THE History of Philosophy containing the Lives Opinions Actions and Discourses of the Philosophers of every Sect. Illustrated with the Effigies of divers of them by Thomas Stanley Esq the Second Edition THesaurus Brevium containing Forms of Writs in the Kings-Bench the Second Edition very much inlarged in Folio REgister of Writs the Fourth Edition very much enlarged to which is added Thelloal's Digest of Writs Folio A TABLE To the Continuation of Mr. KNOLLES's Turkish History Written by Sir PAVL RYCAVT c. Note that a signifies the first Column of each Page and b the second A. ABaffi's Conduct not satisfactory to the Grand Signior 280 a. Afterwards sends him a Sable in Token of his Favour ib. a. He receives a Mandate from the Grand Seignior to assist the Rebels in Hungary 281. a. He discovers a Conspiracy against his Life suspected the Germans and thereupon revolts 278 b. Abassa Pasha of Erzirum his Rebellion 1 b. he advances towards Constantinople 5 b. is reconciled to the Grand Signior 11 b. and madâ— Pashaw of Bosna 12 a. made General in the War with Poland 24 a. â—e is strangled by command of the Grand Signior 26 b. Abermont the Captain of the French Man of War whereon Monsieur de la Haye arrived at Constantinople incurs great danger of his Life and wherefore 170 a. Achmet Great Vizier deprived of his Office and â—â—rangled 78 b. Aleppo the Merchants thereof more subject to troublesom Avania's than others and an Instance given 130 a. b. Alexandria a Plague there 54 b. the Alexandrian Fleet encountred by the Veneâ—ians 122 b. taken by the Maltâ—ses in 1673 235 a. Algierines infest the Seas casting off their Reverence to the Sultan 9 b. land at Scanderone and rob the Ware-houses and then set them on fire ib. b. infest the Gulf of Venice 38 b. are blocked up by the Venetian in Valona 39 a. make Complaints at the Port of the English Fleet commanded by the Earl of Sandwich but find no Encouragement 115 a. they make a Peace with the English 129 a. the Articles signed by the Grand Signior 136 b. they are carried by the Author to Algier with a Relation of two pleasant passages in his Iourney 137 a. they except against an Article of the Peace and sâ—nd a Letter to His Majesty whereupon the War breaks out afresh 139 a. the inconstancy of their Government ib. a. Ali Pasha slain in Mesopotamia by the Persian and his Army routed 6 a. An Alliance entred into between the Emperor the King of Poland and the Venetians 308 a. The French Ambassador threatned to be sent Prisoner to the seven Towers 284. b. Sultan Amurat advanced to the Throne at fourteen years of age 2 a. described ib. b. his lewd debaucht life 14 a. 15 b. like to have been killed by Lightning which works some Reformation in him for the present 17 a. he sends an Ambassador into Persia ib. b. A Peace made with the Persians but quickly broken 20 b. several Acts of his Tyranny 23 a. he destroys Taverns ib. b. makes War on the Poles ib. b. sues to them for Peace 24 a. more Acts of his Cruelty 28 a. forbids all Houses of Entertainment ib. a. goes in person with his Army into Persia ib. b. musters at Erzrum three hundred thousand fighting Men 30 a. his Patience and Labours ib. a. causes his two Brothers Bajazet and Orchan to be strangled ib. a. he returns from Persia to Constantinople 31 b. his aversion to Tobacco 32 a. more Instances of his Cruelty ib. a. 37 38 a. he resolves again to march in person into Persia 37 a. he begins his March in May 1638. 38 a. the History of his March 41 b. 42 a. the whole Army arrives before Babylon or Bagdat 42 b. he takes it 43 b. his braving Letter to be King of Persia 44 a. he returns to Constantinople ib. b. he dyes of a Fever contracted by a Debauch 47 b. his Character 48 a. Colonel Anand an English-man and one Stefano Cordili made Plenipotentiaries to treat with the Great Vizier about the surrender of Candia 217 b. Michael Apaâ—i constituted Prince of Transilvania by the Turks 110 b. his Letter to the Earl of Winchelsea English Ambassador at the Port 121 a. b. he is beloved of his People 146 a. Prince Thomas of Aremberg slain 289 a. Asac besieged and taken by the Moscovites and Cossacks 35 b. besieged by the Turks in the year 1641. but not taken 52 a. again besieged in 1642. and then taken being abandoned by the Inhabitants 53 b. After it had been sacked by the Moscovite in 1674. the Turk rebuilds it 240 b. Asan Pasha of Aleppo rebels and marches towards Constantinople 91 a. he joyns Battel with the Great Vizier and discomfits him ib. b. he is treacherously strangled by Mortaza Pasha 92 a. Asan Aga the Mosayp or Favourite his Story 134 a. Austria spoiled by the Turks in the Year 1663. 143 a. B. BAbylon or Bagdat taken from the Turks by the Persians in 1626 6 a. the Turks laying siege to it to recover it are beaten off ib. a. likewise the second time 9 a. a third time 16 a. the Grand Signior himself commanding the Army takes it
Islands of the Archipelago and of those Seas shall remain in the State they were before the beginning of this last War in the possession of the Sublime Empire and the Republick shall not pretend from 'em any Duties or Contributions or any thing else introduc'd in the time of the present War. VII For the time to come the Sublime Empire shall not pretend from the Republick of Venice or from the Inhabitants any Pension pass'd or future upon account of the Island of Zante The Island of Egina with its Fortress being adjacent to the Morea and in possession of the Republick of Venice shall in its present State remain in the Possession and Dominion of that Republick VIII In Dalmatia the Fortresses of Cnin Sing Ciclut and Gabella being at present in the Possession and Dominion of the Republick of Venice shall remain in the quiet Possession and Dominion of the same but because the Limits ought to be put into such a Form that Possessions may be distinguish'd and the Subjects of both Parties rest in Quiet and Tranquillity and that they may not come to any sort of imaginable Difference which might Disturb the Peace of the Confines it is agreed that a streight Line be drawn from the Fortress of Cnin to the Fortress of Verlika and from that to the Fortress of Sing and from that to the Fortress of Duare call'd Zadveria and from that to the Fortress of Vergoratz and likewise from that to the Fortress of Ciclut and Gabella a streight Line shall be drawn and thus the Confines shall be separated so that within the Lines towards the Venetian Dominion and the Sea all the Lands and Districts with the Castles Forts Towers and inclos'd Places shall remain in the sole Possession and Dominion of the foresaid Republick and the Lands and Districts which shall be without the said Line shall remain in the Possession and Dominion of the Sublime Empire with all the Castles Forts Towers and inclos'd Places that are there and for the time to come no sort of Encroachment Extension or Restriction on one side or other shall be permitted And the said Lines according to the nature of the Place shall be made plain and manifest by the Boundaries either of Hills or Woods or Rivers or Currents and where the place won't afford the evidence of such Marks there shall these Distinctions be made by Ditches or Pales or Pillars as shall be agreed by the Commissaries of both Parties by common consent design'd for this purpose and that these Fortresses might have in the Front of 'em a convenient space of Territory The Commissaries shall assign a quantity of Land of about one Hour about three miles to the Fortresses of Cnin Verlika and Sing Duare and Vergoratz and Ciclut to be measur'd either in a right or semicircular Line according as the Convenience and Circumstances of the Land will permit the Fortress of Cnin shall have its Flank towards the Parts of Croatia even to the Confines of the Caesarean Dominion without any prejudice to those Three Potentates the Boundaries of whose Dominions terminate thereabouts but the Rights accorded to each of these Three Governments by this Universal Peace shall always be observ'd The soresaid Line shall be observ'd by each Party but if in the Neighbourhood of it or within it there happens to be any Fortress belonging to the Sublime Empire which just behind it has an entire Territory belonging to it then shall it enjoy from the Front the quantity of Land of an Hour Circumscrib'd within Semicircular Circumference and as to the Fortress of Ciclut that shall likewise have from the Front a Territory of one Hour and in the Flank besides that Line the space of two Hours of Land to be measur'd by a right Line to the Sea. And in this Form and by this Regulation the Confines distinguish'd and the Limits settled and the Lands of each Possession separated shall be inviolably observ'd and without any alteration and if any one shall have the Boldness to violate these Marks for Boundaries or commit Trespasses on these Limits and even Officers that shall be wanting of a due Care in punishing Delinquents shall be severely punish'd as well on one side as on the ' tother And in Case the Commissaries shall meet with any Difficulty which they can't Agree they shall truly and sincerely inform their Patrons to the end that by the good Offices of the Representatives to the Fulgid Port of their Caesarean and Britannick Majesties and of the High and Mighty States General of the United Provinces the matter may be amicably determin'd and from any such like Difference about the Confines no Hostilities shall ensue nor shall the peace of the Subjects be disturb'd nor shall it be interpreted to break the Peace concluded with the Sublime Empire IX The Territory and Districts of the Signory of Ragusa shall continue joyned to the Territories and Districts of the Sublime Empire and all Obstacles shall be remov'd that may hinder the Continuation and Communication of the Lands of the said Signory with the Lands of the foresaid Empire X. All in the Neighbourhood of Cattaro Castelnuovo and Risano that is actually in the possession and Dominion of the Republick of Venice shall remain in the peaceable Possession and Dominion of the said Republick with all the Lands appertaining and this same is to be understood of any other Fortress on that side being now actually in the possession of the said Republick And the Commissaries that shall be appointed on one side and the other shall be Men of an Experienc'd Probity that they may without partiality and prejudice equally decide this important Affair And here two Separations shall be made by evident Signs that all occasions of Disturbance may be remov'd but good notice is to be taken that the said entire Continuation of the Lands of Ragusa be not interrupted XI The Distinction of the Limits on both sides in Dalmatia and about Cattaro being to be set on foot as soon as ever the Season will permit the Commissaries design'd for this work giving previous Advices they shall indeed have a Military Attendance but a peaceable and quiet one of equal number on each side and by the help of God they shall enter upon this Office on the day of the Equinox of this instant Year viz. 12 2â— March and shall in the foresaid Places use all their Diligence in distinguishing and separating one Confine from the other that they may with Expedition finish the matter in two Months and sooner if it be possible XII As the Continuance of the Friendship and Quiet of the Subjects on both sides is earnestly desir'd so ought those to be equally abominated who carry'd on by their own ill Disposition or Custom do in the time of Peace with Robberies and other hostile Acts disturb the Tranquillity of the Confines therefore no Reception nor Encouragement shall be given to these Banditti of what sort soever by either Party but they shall
Turks Mahomet maketh prâ—paration for the besieging of Constantinople Constantius the Emperor in vain craveth aid of the Christian Princes 1453. Vide Leonardi Chiensis Archiepiscopi Mitylen hist. de captivitate Constâ—ntinopoliâ—â—nâ— Mahomet encampeth beâ—ore Constantinople The situation of Conâ—â—antinople Constantinople built by Pausanias dâ—stroyed by Severus re-edified by Constantine the Great and now taken by Mahomet the Turk The magnificient Temple of S. Sophia The Frugality of the Turks in their private Buildings The Turks Fleet. Constantinople undermined by the Turks Seventy of the Turks Galliots brought eight miles over land by the deâ—ice of a Christian into the Haven of Constantinople A wonderful Bâ—idge made by the Turks over the Haven of Constantinople A notable fight between four of the Christians Ships and the Turks Fleet. The Citizens of Constantinople without cause murmur against the Emperor A bare shift for money Constantinople assaulted by the Turks The Christiaâ—s forsâ—ke the â—alls Conâ—â—antinople won by the Tuâ—ks Mahomet solemniseth his Feasts in Constantinople with the blood of the Grecian Nobility Pâ—ra yiâ—â—ied â—o the Turk Mahomeâ— notably dissembleth his haâ—red against Caly-Bassa Mahomet placeth his Imperial Seat at Constantinople and is worthily accounted first Emperor of the Tuâ—ks Thomas and Demetrius rebel against Mahomet and arâ— by him spoiled of part of their Dominion Mâ—homet câ—mâ—th again into Pelopoâ—nesus Demetrâ—us submitteth himself to Mahomet Peloponnesus subdued by the Turks The death of George Despot of Servia Servia yielded to the Turk Belgrade besieged The Turks Fleet overthrown by the Christians Carazias Bassa slain Belgrade assaulted by the Turks The Turks notable repulse Mahomet wounded and carried away for dead The death of the most famous Captain Huniades 1461. Usun-Cassan the Persian King sendeth Embassadors with Presents to Mahomet Mahomet invadeth Ismael Prince of Sinope Trapezond besieged by Mahomet Trapezond yâ—elded â—â—to the Tâ—â—ks The ruâ—ne of the Empirâ— oâ— Trâ—pezond Mahomet sâ—â—keth to entâ—ap Wladus Prinâ—â— of Valachia Chamuzes Bassa and the Turks Secretary hanged Mahomet himself in Person invadeth Valachia A most horrible Spectacle Two thousand of the Valachies slain The death of Wladâ—s Mitylene besieged Mitylene yâ—elded to the Turks The great Wars betwixt Mahomet and Scanderbeg are at large written by Marinus Barlecius in 13 Books De vita gestis Scanderbegâ— from whence this History is taken and were done betwixt the years 1450. and 1467. Vide Marinum Barletium lib. de vita gestis Scanderbâ—gi Debreas sent with fourteen thousand Horsemen to invade Epirus A skirmish betwixt the Christians and the Turks A Battel betwixt Scanderbeg and Debreas Debreas slain by Scanderbeg and his Army overthrown A pleasant contention betwixt Musachius and a Turk for his ransome The crafty proceeding of the Turks Messenger Moses corrupted Scanderbeg craveth aid of Alphonsus King of Napâ—es Alphonsus sâ—ndeth aid unto Scanderbeg Scanderbeg bâ—sâ—â—ngeth and disâ—resâ—eâ—h Belgrade Muscachius slain and the Epirots put to Flight Scanderbeg seeth his men slain and is not able to relieve them Scanderbeg flieth by night into Epirus Mahomet sendeth Moses with fifteen thousand select men to invade Epirus A Combat betwixt a Turk and a Christan The Battle betwixt Scanderbeg and Moses Moses contemned of the Turks Moses 〈◊〉 from Constantinople Amesa his first speech uâ—â—o Mahomet Amesa hohonourably entertained by Mahomet A notable speech of Scanderbeg unto his Captains how the Turks were to be withstood at their coming to Epirus The Epirots remove all their things out of the Country into the strong Towns before the coming of the Turks Amesa is by the Bassa created King of Epirus The Tâ—â—â—â— Camp buried in security Scanderbeg suâ—denly assaileth the Turks A notable Victory of the Christians The Speech of Amesa to Scanderbeg The answer of Scanderbeg to Amesa The death of Amesa A Peace for a year concluded betwixt Mahomet and Scanderbeg The Letters of Mahomet to Scanderbeg The answer of Scanderbeg to the former Letters of Mahomet The Letters of Mahomet to Scanderbeg for the concluding of a perpetual Peace betwixt them A Peace concluded betwixt Mahomet and Scanderbeg The notable Speech of Victâ—r Capella to peâ—swade tâ—e Venetians to take up Aâ—ms against Mahomet The Venetians take up Arms against the Turks The Venetians enter into confederation with other Christian Princes against the Turk The Letters of Maâ—omet to Scanderbeg Scanderbeg his Answer to the Letters of Mahomet Ten thousand Turks slain The Venetians attempting to win Patras receive great loss Mathias of a Prisoner chosen King of Hungary Mahomeâ— sendeth Balabanus to invadâ— Epirus Balabanuâ— goeth against Scanderbeg The Battel betwixt Balabanus and Scanderbeg Moses and other worthy Captains cruelly executed by Mahomet The Battel at Sfetigrade betwixt Balabanus and Scanderbeg Scanderbeg his Scouts traiterously flie to Balabanâ—s Jacuppe slain by Scanderbeg and his Army discomfited Mahomet cometh to the siege of Croia Scanderbeg surpriseth Ionima the Brâ—ther of Balâ—banâ—s and Hedar his Sâ—n. Scanderbeg falleth sick The death of Scanderbeg Scanderbeg huried at Lyssa The body of Scan-derbeg digged up by the Turks and of them greatly honoured Paulus Jovlus Illust viroâ—um Elog. lib. 8. Mathias King of Hungary takeâ—h the Kingdom of Bosna from the Turks Chalcis the chief City of Euboea besieged by the Turks Treason in the City Chalcis is taken by the Turks The fruitful Island of Euboea taken by the Turks The Veneâ—iâ—ns aided by King Ferdinand the Biâ—hop of Rome and the great Master of the Rhodes do the Turks great harm all alongst the coast of the lâ—sser of Asia Mahomet no less troublesome unto the Mahometan Princes than to the Christians Usun-Cassanes in a great battel overthoweth the King of Persia. Two huge Armies of the Turks and Persians in field together The death of the noble Mustapha Mahomet his eldest Son. Solyman Bassa besiegeth Scodra with an Army of eighty thousand men Matthias King of Hungary inforceth the Turks to forsake the Siege of Scodra Croia besieged by the Turk Contarenus the Venetian General slain The Turks shew themselves at the River of Sontium The Couâ—try of Frâ—ulâ— spoiled by the Turks Vid. Marinum Barletium de expug Scodrensi The poor Country People flie for fear of the Turks Two of the Turks attempting to touch the Walls of Scodra are both slain and one of their Heads sit upon the Wall. Mahomet in person himself cometh unto the siege of Scodra The order of Mahomets Camp. Mahomet purposing to give a general Assault incourageth his Captains and Souldiers thereunto The City of Scodra assaulted by the Turks the fourth time A most terrible Assault Twelve thousand Tâ—rks slain in the last Assault The Turks superstitiously reverence the new Moon Scodra again most fâ—riously assaultâ—d by the Turks The assault â—enewed again fiercely by the Turks A woful sight A doubtful Fight Lyssa taken by the Turks and the Bones of Scanderbeg digged up by them and had in great reverence A hard choice Scodra yielded unto the Turks Mahomet longeth after the Rhodes A death right
be published That no man should go out of his House nor keep any Light in it after the ordinary Cry which is made an hour within night when as the Talismans crying from the tops of their Mosques invite the People to make the Sala or Prayer After the Publication of this Ordinance he sent certain Chaoux to intreat all the Ambassadors residing at the Port not to suffer their People to go out by night to the end that their liberty might not serve as a dangerous Example to others But notwithstanding all the Bassa's Entreaties and Prohibitions three English-men of the Ambassador's Train went out by night into the Street where they were met by the Provost of Pera who took them and presently without respect of the quality caused either of them to have an hundred and fifty blows with a Cudgel and then committed them to Prison the doors whereof are never opened but with a silver Key so strictly do they observe in Turkey the orders of the Princes Lieutenants without exception of Persons About the end of the Year the Patriarch of Constantinople by reason of divers Complaints made against him was deprived by the Grand Visier and one Cyrillus Patriarch of Alexandria a learned and religious Bishop was much against his Will preferred to the place The former Patriarch hereupon excommunicated all such as had wrought his Overthrow but he himself was banished into the Isle of Rhodes In his Passage the Bark wherein he went was cast upon Mytilene in which Place he renounced all Right and Claim to the Patriarchship before the Bishop of that Place and resigned it to the Bishop of Patras whereupon the Bishop came from Patras to Constantinople and laboured with the Visier Nassuf for the place who upon promise to pay him fifteen thousand Chequines which is ten thousand more than they were wont to pay made him a Grant thereof which Cyrillus the late elected Patriarch understanding he came with all the Grecians to expostulate the Business with the Grand Visier who answered That he was to do what he could for the Emperour's Profit and nothing against it wherefore if they would give so much as the other had promised Cyrillus should continue in the Place which the People were very willing to perform but Cyrillus refused it and so the other was made Patriarch who presently sent for the old Patriarch to come from Rhodes to make Peace with him for that they held not his Excommunication just being not deprived by a Council but only by the King. About the same time Nassuf the Grand Visier sent for the four Ambassadors of England France Venice and the States of the Low-Countries and the reason why he sent for them was to raise their Custom One in the Hundred more than the Merchants had formerly paid Whilst that the Sultan Achmat's Army drew near to Transilvania and fortified the Places which he held in those Countries Cosmo de Medicis Great Duke of Tuscany bent his generous Designs against the Fort of Agliman in Caramania in old time called Cilicia a Province which in the Writings of Antients hath been honoured with two famous Cities that is to say Tharsis the Country of St. Paul and Seleucia the Fort and Port whereof is called Agliman a Haven which in old time hath contained within its bosome the fearful Forces of the Pyrates of those days from thence in former times hath come forth a powerful Army of Pyrates with a thousand Sail so proudly rigged as many of them had their Sails of Purple the Tackling of Gold Thread and the Oars garnished with Silver marks of the Spoils of above four hundred Cities ruined by those Pyrates who struck a terror even to the Romans and forced them to avoid their Fury to set to Sea that great Fleet whereof Pompey the Great was General The Trophy year 1613. erected â—pon the Walls of Agliman of the Heads of forty Florentines lost in a Ship called the Prosper by the ignorance of the Captain which commanded in it made the Great Duke to study to have his Revenge for this Affront and his desire to abate the Pride of the common Enemy elevated his Mind to generous Enterprises In the end of March this present Year 1613 he armed six Gallies under the Command of the Admiral Inghirami the which he manned with six Companies of Foot commanded by Iulio de Conty called Montano General at Land besides forty Knights of the Order of S. Stephen and a good number of Gentlemen Adventurers among the which was Don Petro de Medicis This Fleet parted from Ligorne and came to Civita Vecchia In the beginning of April they took in many Noblemen and Gentlemen of France which attended them and would be Partakers in the Enterprise the which were the Earl of Candale eldest Son to the Duke of Espernon Cipierre Themines De Vic Monterrault De la Tour and his Brother Boissiere Villandre Vernegue Du plessis De la Motte magnus Avenes Del Tour Sainct Cyre Monplaisir and Loyres About mid April the Gallies landed in the night near unto a little Town in Asia the Less called Ieronda held for that Geronda of the Antients but their Descent was fruitless they found it desart by the flight of the Inhabitants who had prevented all Surprises They returned again to their Gallies and sailing towards the East they encountred three Vessels like unto their Caramousals the which they set upon and took and about the Fifteenth of May having scoured the Levant Seas they resolved to attempt Agliman Upon the way they took a Vessel called Grippe which instructed them of the Estate of the Fortress They understood there were two Gallies of Cyprus in the Port that the Place was well furnished with all things necessary and guarded without by a good number of Horse-men and that within few days after one of the said Gallies should come out of the Port of Agliman and go to the Island of Pappadula to fetch a new Mast. Inghirami thought to prevent it carrying his whole Fleet thither the which he laid close in the Island to surprise the Turkish Galley but it having discovered his Fleet put out to Sea and with speed returned to the Port of Agliman to give the alarm unto the Country Notwithstanding the Christians resolved to assault it they went with their Fleet to the Port Cavalier twelve miles from Agliman from whence they sent a Long-boat to discover the which brings them word that the whole Country was in Arms. These News might well have daunted the Courages of some that had been less generous yet they pass on and about three of the Clock in the Morning they came near the Shore being covered with the silence of the Night so as before six of the Clock they had made their Landing about a mile and a half from the Port. The Seignior of Montano and the Earl of Candale with some few choice men landed first to discover a mile from