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A08258
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The three English brothers Sir Thomas Sherley his trauels, vvith his three yeares imprisonment in Turkie: his inlargement by his Maiesties letters to the great Turke: and lastly, his safe returne into England this present yeare, 1607. Sir Anthony Sherley his embassage to the Christian princes. Master Robert Sherley his wars against the Turkes, with his marriage to the Emperour of Persia his neece.
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Nixon, Anthony.
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1607
(1607)
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STC 18592; ESTC S110177
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34,437
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82
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THE THREE ENGLISH BROTHERS Sir Thomas Sherley his Trauels vvith his three yeares imprisonment in Turkie his Inlargement by his Maiesties Letters to the great Turke and lastly his safe returne into England this present yeare 1607. Sir Anthony Sherley his Embassage to the Christian Princes Master Robert Sherley his wars against the Turkes with his marriage to the Emperour of Persia his Neece LONDON Printed and are to be sold by Iohn Hodgets in Paules Church yard 1607. TO THE RIGHT HOnourable Thomas Lord Howard Earle of Suffolke Lord Chamberlaine of his Maiesties houshould and one of his Highnes most honorable Priuie Councell WEaknes Right honorable hath need of helpe and supportance as wel in Politick as naturall bodies the like in studies labors of the mind Caesars commentaries needed no Apologie because his power was able to defend thē Nor his Triū verborū literae to the Roman Senate Veni vidi vici craue any other inlargement because his fame went stil before him to dilate his acts In priuate inferior studies that want countenance in themselues the extensiue power of greatnes and authoritie giues strength and encouragement to intensiue weaknesse when our indeauours though vnworthy of acceptation are suffered in their minoritie and insufficient age to grow vp and prosper in the defensiue bulwarke of protection against the stormes of enuious and calumnious tongues that by continuāce through vse and practise they may happely afterwards proue worthie of regard In the want therefore of mine own worth I haue presumed to shield my selfe vnder your worthines and finding cause to distrust mine own strēgth I haue aduentured to shrowd my selfe vnder your power Humbly desiring your Honour so farre to grace these my labours as to vouchsafe them a passage vnder your Patronage that therby though happily they haue nothing in them to deserue your priuate reading and account they may yet the better by your countenance finde admittance and respect to publique view For I must confesse they come much short as well of the worthynes of the Subiect that they treat of as also of your regard and estimation If therefore out of your generall respect to all your Lordshippe shall bee pleased to vouchsafe mee this particular fauour I shall hereafter admit all times and pretermit no occasions to manifest my dutie Euer remaining Your Honors in all seruice Anthony Nixon Sir Thomas Sherley his Trauailes together with his three yeares imprisonment in Turkie his Inlargement by his Maiesties Letters to the great Turke and lastly his safe returne into England this present yeare 1607. IT is a naturall qualitie both customarie commendable in all Countries to enlarge their fames by divulging the memorable Actes of such worthy personages whose Noble Spirits showne by their honourable attempts and atchieuements haue drawne other Nations into admiration of their valours and emulation of their vertues It were then a fault vnpardonable in vs of the English Nation whose acts and high attempts haue not giuen place to any people to burie in obliuion the vertues of those our country Men whose noble deedes deserue for euer to liue vpon the tongues of men with honorable mention Amongst whom the Three Heroes of our Time the hopefull issue of a happy father haue so glorified their names by their honourable Actes and hostile imployments against the common Enemie of Christendome that honour by them hath added to her glory and Enuy lost the sting of her Detraction And here am I drawne into a deepe meditation of the Minde of man how infinite it is in opinion and weening and vnquiet by Nature that where it is once set vpon the desire of honour nothing can stay or limite her aduentures But as the Clowds are harried by the windes from one part of the Hemispheare to the other so the Body is carried by the Minde euen through the world by land by sea with toyle and danger making it to suffer hunger watching and cold where at home it might slepe with peace and feed with plenty The manifestation wherof is knowne in the tedious Trauailes dangerous Aduentures of these three excellent spirits that hauing no other Motiues but the honourable desire and pursuit of Glorie which indeedeis the Spurre to euery noble minde haue iustly by their deserts obtained her both for themselues and for their Countrie whose fame and renown being by them made known me thinkes they were vnkindly vsed by vs to be made strangers here at home Hauing therefore receiued some particulars of their trauels and their Occurrents in them though I must confesse I am but lame as well in the instructions of their Aduentures as also in mine owne worth to display their worthinesse I haue neuertherlesse attempted though not to satisfie yet in some sort to make knowne to expectation which euer gapes after Nouelties their variable fortunes and honorable imploiments in strange Countries and vnder great Kings so farre as my knowledge of them and hability in my selfe will giue me leaue And first to begin with Sir Thomas Sherley the yonger who as hee was eldest by the Fortune of his birth so is he not inferiour to the rest in the commendable parts and honorable qualities of his minde though happily not so succesfull in his Trauels as his other brethren Hee began his last voyage in Anno 1602. who hauing long time kept the Seas vnprosperously and with vnequall fortune to his hopes and deseruings at length landed in Italie and was for a time highly respected in the Duke of Florence his Court where hee carried himselfe in that honourable port as became both a Souldier and a Courtier in all those commendable qualities that serue both for vse and ornament But to stay there long was no life for him the State beeing setled and no imployments forraine or domesticall fit for the leuell of his thoughts and purposes which ayming at a higher proiect grew soone weary of the pleasures of Italie Which the Duke perceiuing and knowing the wants that his long vayage by Sea had before bronght vpon him did honourably furnish him with such necessaries as for his purposed imployments did fully satisfie his longing expectation Beeing thus once more at Sea full of hope and courage he lay houering too and againe a long time vpon the Straites of Giblater in a cōtinuall expectation of some purchase or other to satisfie the desires both of himselfe and of his company In whom of late hee found a strange alteration both in their countenances and behauiours towards him sauouring of Discontent the dāgerous disturber of any setled state whether it was deriued from a despaire they had of the successe of the voyage or from a desire of returne to England I know not but afterwards it turned to a mutinous reuolt He first perswaded them with faire words of hope and comfort and afterwards for the time appeased them by applying himselfe in many things to their humors but as fire cannot be hidde whose smoke betraies it so this
principall stocke whereon his state relied with a heauy heart repaired to Sir Anthony vnto whom complaining of his miserable estate by this accident besought his fauor that it would please him to extend the credite of his place for the recouery of this great somme which being lost he knew wel would be the vndoing both of himselfe his wife children protesting that in lieu thereof he should coÌ„mand what part of it it pleased him and that hee should euer hold himselfe so much bound vnto him as that he would thence forwards still acknowledge him to be the principall vpholder of his state and fortunes Sir Anthony being moued with pity of the MarchaÌ„ts mischance so charmed the watchfull kéepers of this Treasure that to his great honor coÌ„mendation without improprating any part thereof to his owne vse hee soon returned back this great summe into the MarchaÌ„ts possession who like Iason with his coÌ„panions did merrily saile homewards with this golden fléece Shortly after Sir Anthony with all his Nauy weighed anker and with a presperous gale of winde soone lost the sight of Spaine Portugall and we must now for want of further intelligence leave him vpon the Leuant Seas to that hopefull happy fortune that attends this honorable Enterprise Of Master Robert Sherleys imployment in the warres of the Persian against the Turke after Sir Anthony his departure Of his Victories and his Marriage with the King of Persia his cousin Germaine MAster Robert Sherley after his brothers departure was made Generall and possessed the chiefest place in the King of Persia his warres against the Turke wherein hee so valiantly bestirred himselfe that the Persians gaue him a crowne of Lawrell for the victorie for being armed and made ready for fight taking a Pollaxe in his hand he himselfe gaue first such an honorable attempt and so amazed and repulsed the enemies that his souldiers imitating his courage put all the foes to the edge of the sword onely reseruing aliue some thirtie of the chiefe Commanders among them whom hee led in triumph to the King hauing taken them prisoners and forthwith dispatched a messenger to the Turke with letters to this effect That for the redemption and liberty of one that he kept prisoner meaning Sir Thomas his brother who was then vndischarged hee should command the liues of those thirtie haue themsafely without danger or ransome deliuered vnto him But enuie that hangs vpon the sword point of the Turke did so stirre vp the mind to reuenge that he was so farre from entertaining this proffer as hee did not onely make refusall thereof and bid him doe his worst with his prisoners but he also returned wordes of defiance and menared that the sunne should not twice step from the bed of Aurora but he would waken him with such an Allarum as should strike his whole company into wonder and amazement This might haue daunted the mind of Robert Sherley knowing his men to bee weake and weary and ouertoyled in the late battel and victory to be so suddenly called againe vnto Armes considering the strength of his enemie and that the Turke had alwaies three hundred thousand men in readines but that honor the chiefest marke he aimed at in all his actions abandoned Feare and Timiditie for he no sooner receiued the daring threats of the Turke and the deniall of his gentle offer but he presently cut off the heads of those 30. Commanders and according to the custome of Persia caused them to bee carried in triumph about the Market place on the top of his Souldiers Pikes and swore in great choller that that day should prooue dismall vnto his enemie for either he was resolued to returne Conqueror or to leaue his carkasse in the field And thereupon set his Souldiers in array and imbattailed them with all speed who comming within view might coniecture by computation their enemies to bee ten to one which much affrighted the mindes of his men but hee perceiuing it began to giue them encouragement on this manner Master Robert Sherley his Oration to his Souldiers I Need not worthy Gentlemen and souldiers of Persia seeke to encourage you with a long discourse lest putting oyle in the flame I should adde spurs to a frée horse your former valiant resolution manifested as well in this last as in many other battailes assure me that were the enemies multitude greater yet our quarrell good and honourable and our mindes armed with true valour in despight of Fortune wee shall as hitherto we haue done returne in Triumph and victorie And for that it toucheth mine honor I will be the first man in the battaile and the last man in the field vnlesse death giue an honorable quittance to my life Let mee be this day a mirror of your Magnanimitie let my actions be your presidents presse but as farre as your Generall and courage Gentlemen the victorie is ours with that catching a strong staffe pulling down his beâ—er and putting spurres to his horse he furiously rushed vpon the Enemie his souldiers following with such a desperate resolution that the Turkes were amazed at his valour for he ran without stoppe through the troops and like alyon massacred whom he met which the Enemie perceiuing what a great slaughter hee had made amongst them many of them fled many laid down their weapons and yielded the rest hee put all to the sword without partialitie or sauour Out of this his second ouerthrow of the Turkes hee againe reserues aliue some threescore of the chiefest of them and sends the like proffer to the Turke for redemption of his brother the Kings Letters not then come for his enlargement But the Turke enraged that Fortune had thwarted his high hopes with such contrary euents vtterly refused to subscribe to his request but bad him still continue to doe his worst for he intended not to depart with his prisoner Vpon which reply Ma. Robert Sherley as he did the first so put he the last to the sword in remembrance and reuenge of the crueltie done to sir Thomas whose miseries in the time of intercourse betweene the Turke and his brother were much more aggravated and made so great as the truth vpon report will hardly be beleeued In these warres against the Turkes this yonger brother purchased such honour and estimation as the cousin Germaine to the King of Persia beeing the widowe of a Duke in that countrey entred into such liking of his worthinesse as shee resolued with Andromache to rest her whole estate vpon his prowesse saying Tu dominus Tu vir Tu mihi frater cris The which affection of hers was likewise on his part answered with equall proportion so that after their priuate interchanging of faith and troth their seuerall desires were made ioyntly happy in the honorable ende of marriage Cuius virtus valde efficax est ad concordiam faciendam quae adeò Deo placet sicut discordia multum ei displicet Whose vertue is of great force to make peace and concord with which God is as much pleased as he is displeased with discord The King himselfe also was so well pleased with this match that for many daies together he solemnized the marriage It is reported that Ma. Robert Sherley since his marriage with the Kings cousin Germaine hath had isiue by her two children both Christened in that Countrey in the Christian faith the King himselfe beeing a witnesse to one of them in Baptisme He labours the King very much to christianisme to which it is said he lends such attentiue eare that he doubteth not but by Gods assistance and his good perswasions he may in time bee brought to become a Christian. To strengthen which hope Robert Sherley hath already erected there a church called after his own name in which he hath diuine seruice as duely read as here it is on this side the seas Hee hath also obtained of the King a number of young infants of that country to be brought vp in a house appointed for that purpose that altogether estranged kept from hearing or speaking their owne Language may in time learne our English Speech and come at length to Christian knowledge being brought vp educated among Christians Howsoeuer the effect answere the intent his purpose is most honourable and religious deserues such worthy commendations that what Princes soeuer lend furtheraÌ„ce to his godly procéedings I may say with the Euangelist Merces corum copiosa est in coelis Their reward is very great in Heauen where they shall enioy the aboundant fulnes of all felicitie FINIS