Selected quad for the lemma: order_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
order_n	ambassador_n	king_n	send_v	2,284	5	6.0361	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33328	The life of Tamerlane the Great with his wars against the great Duke of Moso, the King of China, Bajazet the Great Turk, the Sultan of Egypt, the King of Persia, and some others ... : wherein are rare examples of heathenish piety, prudence, magnanimity, mercy, liberality, humility, justice, temperance, and valour.	Clarke, Samuel, 1599-1682.	1653 (1653)	Wing C4535; ESTC R3775	50,971	60

all offering him his only daughter in marriage sent him word that he would proclaime him heir apparent to his Empire as in right he was being his brothers son and the daughters not using to succeed in those Empires which so great an offer Tamerlane gladly accepted and so the marriage was afterwards with great triumph at the old Emperors Court solemnized and consummated and our Tamerlane according to promise and his right was proclaimed heir apparent of that great Empire Thus was Tamerlane indeed made great being ever after this marriage by the old Emperor his Uncle and now his father in Law so long as he lived notably supported and after his death succeeded him in that so vast and mighty an Empire Before his marriage he would needs be crowned to the intent that none should think that the Crown came to him by the right of his wife but by his own and during his abode in the City of Quavicai where the old Emperor was he was entertained with all kinde of triumphs wherein he alwayes carried away the Bell whether in shooting in the bowe in changing of horses in the middest of their courses in Tiltings and in all other exercises which required agility or strength and so after two moneths returned with his wife to Samarcand in which City he delighted exceedingly to remaine because the situation thereof was fair and being watered with a great River was a place of great Traffick whereby it was made richer then any in that Country And whensoever he received intelligence from the Emperor his Uncle he still imparted the same to Odmar whom he used as his right hand in all his great affaires There was also in his Court a Christian whom he loved much and every on greatly respected called Axalla a Genovois by birth brought up from his youth about his person for he countenanced all that worshiped one onely God that was the Creator of all things And about this time the old Emperor sent to him to stir him up to war against the great King of China who stiled himself Lord of the world and Son of the Sun who had exceede his bounds and incroached upon the Tartarian Empire This was no small enterprise and before he would begin the same he sent Ambassadors to the King of China to demand restitution of his lands and the passages of a River called Tachii which were within the Tartarian border and on this side that stupendious wall builded on purpose by the Kings of China for the defence of their Country against the incursions of the Tartars and whilst he attended for the return of his Ambassadors expecting a Negative he caused his forces to be assembled together from all parts appointing their rendevouz to be in the Horda of Baschir The old Emperor also assembled for his aid two hundred thousand fighting men wherein were all the brave men of his Court who were accustomed to the wars for this Emperor had greatly encreased his limits and conquered a great Country so as all these men were well trained up in the wars and had been accustomed to travel and paines These were to joyn with Tamerlanes Army in the Deserts of Ergimul at a certain day In the mean time the Ambassadors which were sent return and informe the Prince that this proud King of China wondred how any durst denounce war against him making this lofty answer That Tamerlane should content himself with that which he had left him which also he might have taken from him c. This answer being heard our Prince marched directly to his Army gave orders for conveiance of victuals from all parts sent to hasten forwards his confederates imparted the answer to the old Emperor caused the insolence of the King of China to be published that all the world might know the justness of his cause yet before his departure he went to take leave of his own father who endued with a singular and Fatherly affection kissed him a thousand times made solmne prayers for his prosperity drew of his Imperial Ring and gave it him telling him that he should never see him againe for that he was hasting to his last rest and calling Odmar bad him farewell requiring his faithfulness to his son The Prince having performed this duty returned to Samercand where the Empress his wife remained whom he took along with him in this journy as the maner of that Country is and so presently departed committing the charge and care of his Kingdome in his absence to one Samay a man well practised in Affaires who also had had the charge of our Prince in his youth These things being dispatched he marched forwards in the midest of his Army which consisted of fifty thousand horse and a hundred thousand footmen relying principally on the Forces of the great Cham his Uncle yet he left order that the rest of his Forces should be ready to advance upon the first command as soon as he should be joyned with his Uncles Army In his march he was stayed by the way in regard of some distemper of his body contracted by reason of his change of the aire yet the forces which Catiles Captain of the Army of the great Cham conducted went daily forwards Now the newes of his distemprature was bruted abroad in all places yet did he not neglect to send to the great Cham and often to advertise him of the state of his health to the end that the same should not cause any alteration which might arise in that great Empire whereunto he was lately advanced for he was very suspicious of a great Lord named Calix who was disconted therewith and had not yet acknowledged him as all others his subjects had and indeed it was not without cause that he suspected him for Calix being informed that the forces of the great Cham were advanced beyond the mountaines having passed the River of Meau and were encamped at Bouprou and that Tamerlane was sick he thought it a fit time for his enterprize and thereupon assembling the greatest part of his most faithful followers he told them that now was the time for them to shake off the yoke of the Parthians who otherwise would enslave them and seeing that now their Prince was so badly minded as to translate the Empire to Tamerlane of his own minde without calling them to Councel which had interest in the election that this was the onely means to assure their liberty which otherwise was like to be lost He caused also a rumor to be spread that Tamerlane was very sick the Emperor old and crazy and that his forces were far separated from him yet like cunning Traytors they dispatched away a messenger to the great Cham to assure him that they bended not their forces against him but were his faithful and obedient Subjects and they onely Armed them selves because they would not be governed by the Parthians their ancient enemies As soon as our

the City there he continued two or three dayes giving the City many Alarms till the Infantry led by that brave Christian Genuois shewed themselves in the plaine of Paguinfou Then was the City summoned but they returned answer That they were resolved to live and die in the service of their Prince By the way you must understand that about fourty yeers before the Father of this present King of China had conquered this City and Country from the Tartars and had so planted the same with new Colonies that but few of the Tartarians remained but onely in the flat Country and some small walled Towns who all came with their keyes and willingly submitted to Tamerlane whereby he had great plenty of victuals in his Army which made him hope for good success there being nothing that doth sooner overthrow great Armies then the want thereof Thus was Paguinfou besieged round the footmen lying within a slight-shoot of the walls the Citizens and souldiers using their best indeavours for their defence and Tamerlane doing the like for their offence Axalla having viewed a great Suburb which was in length almost half a league supposed that the Citizens kept no watch there therfore acquainting the Emperor with his purpose in the first watch of the night his men being all ready with sealing ladders he assaulted the same in sundry places and after a great fight entred and cut in pieces at least eight thousand men which were within the same yet on one side where they expected to be assaulted he lost many of his men The tkaing of this Suburb did greatly astonish the Citizens who observing the valour of the Tartarians began to suspect their own safety by this Suburb there ran a river which being now under the command of Axalla he stopt all provision from going to the City In the mean time the King of China's Army approached which was very great whereupon the Emperor determined to go in person and meet him with the greatest part of his horsemen but to leave most of his foot to continue the siege being very desirous to take the City for the accelerating whereof he caused his Engines for battery to approach as Rams and such like so that the City was assaulted on two sides very couragiously and in the end thorow the valour of Axalla who gave an assault with twenty thousand of his best souldiers he won the wall and at the command of the Emperor lodged there who desired rather to have the City by Treaty then storme the City being great and rich and the enemy but thirty leagues from thence and therefore he feared lest his Army should be found in disorder and knowing also that rich souldiers never fight well Besides he intended to draw out of that wealthy City such things as he stood in need of and to make it his magazine for the time to come Yet though the wall was won the enemies wanted not heart to defend themselves valiantly hearing that their King was coming for their reliefe but it so happened that an Engine shooting a bullet slew the governour whereupon the Citizens were so discouraged that they resolved to yield saving their lives and the souldiers to march away with horse and armes The conditions were admitted and there came out of the City eighteen thousand souldiers almost all the inhabitants remaining behind This siege had lasted two moneths and the City had in it at first thirty thousand souldiers Axalla had the honour of winning this City and therefore was made Governour of it and all the Country belonging to it but he beseeched the Emperor to bestow it upon some other person reserving for himself the hope of his Master in whose fortune he would take part This gave great content to Tamerlane who much desired the service of Axalla and upon this refusal the charge was conferred upon the Prince of Thanais with the title of Vice-Roy Then did Tamerlane give notice of his affaires to the old Emperor and having paid his souldiers and settled all things in the best manner he could he marched forward and taking a general Muster of his whole Army Horse and Foot he found them to be diminished ten thousand men only And so with his Army he spent one whole day in prayer calling upon the immortal invisible and invincible and incomprehensible God and then went directly to meet the enemy who was at Sintehu with all his own the forces of his allies and as soon as he received news that Tamerlane's Army was advanced over the River of Chulifu the King of China marched directly to them with great magnificence there was nothing to be seen in his Army but Gold and precious stones He himself usually rode in a Chariot whereof every part shone with Gold Pearles Rubies and Diamonds He was of the age of about three and thirty and had been brought up in pleasures not under the bloody Ensigne of Mars So that he was very insolent in threatenings bravadoes and defying to the battel He often accused Tamerlane for surprizing him before he was ready not giving him warning c. The rumour of his riches sired the spirits of the Tartarians that they longed to be at the battel and so both sides hasted forwards and in the way there was a City called Tunichevoy surrendred to Tamerlane which afforded him much refreshing for his Army and thus the two Armies drawing neer together Tamerlane made choice of a place in his judgement most advantageous for the battel and having set down to Odmar the order which he would have to be observed he longed to see his enemy then did he send before him five or six thousand horse as Scouts under Calibes and himself went with them and having viewed the great confused Army of his enemies which came continually forward he commanded Calibes to retire himself so soon as they drew neer to him And bring saith he this great cloud to me which I hope soon to disperse and so retiring to his Army he encouraged them assuring them of the victory He placed all his footmen which were about a hundred and twenty thousand along a mountaine planting great store of Artillery for their guard many of his foot-souldiers were armed after the Christian manner who were all commanded by Axalla His horsemen were in Battalia in a great plaine who upon any disadvantage could retire to the assistance of the Footmen the horsemen were eighty thousand Calibes with the Scythians were in the Avantguard being thirty thousand horse who were to receive Odmar when he should retreat from the enemy as he was commanded thirty thousand more were appointed for Odmar and Tamerlane himself remained in the Areare at one of the wings of his footmen His purpose was to let that sixty five thousand horse under two such gallant Captaines to break the force of the enemy hoping after them to have a good market causing his foot to march forward and reserving

grateful to Tamerlane for that he being a Scythian was greatly beloved of his Nation These things being dispatched he sent unto Axalla to bring forth his prisoner the King of China and when he approached the Emperor issued out of his Tent and went to receive him This King came with a very proud and haughty countenance and approaching neer to the Emperor he by his Interpreter asked of Axalla which was he and being shewed him he spake in an haughty language after this manner The gods whom I worship being provoked against my Nation and people have conspired against my good fortune and made me this day thy prisoner But for as much as it is reported over all the world that Tamerlane maketh war for the honour of his Nation thou shouldest be content with this glory that the Lord of the world and childe of the Sun is in thy power to receive such laws as thou pleasest to prescribe unto him This he spake in a brave manner without any other humbling of himself The Emperor on the other side saluting him very courteously led him into his Tent This King of China was a great Prince having two hundred famous Cities within his Kingdome which also is a fruitful and plentiful Country wherein are Mines of Gold and Silver much Musk and Rhubarb It abounds in Fish and Fowl and hath much Silk and Porclane with Cotton and Linnen c. Then did Tamerlane assemble his Captaines to consult about the disposal of the King and how the victory should be best improved At the same time he received news by Odmar that the Kings brother who escaped out of the battel was at Quantou which he had strongly sortified and that great store of forces began to adjoyn themselves to him Hereupon he commanded two thousand Parthian horse to convey the King to Paguinfou and from thence to Burda where he was to be kept carefully Then did he resolve upon the besieging of Quantou and if it were possible to shut up the Kings brother therein it being one of the principal seats that belonged to the King of China It was fourty leagues from the place where the battel was fought Thither therefore he sent a good party of his Army under Odmar who pitched his Tents about the City But the Kings brother was gone The Emperor in the mean time summoned and took in many lesser Cities which yielded wholly to his mercy making great lamentation for their Captive King yet the gentleness of the Conqueror made them to take all their losses with patience and the rather because they heard that he used their King courteously The Kings brother also sent Ambassadors to Tamerlane craving leave to see the King and to know of his health which the Emperor willingly assented to Now the Kings brother hearing of the estate of the besieged in Quantou he resolved either to relieve it or to fight a battel for which end he advanced strait unto Porchio making a bridge of boats to pass over the River But Odmar being informed when about fifty thousand of his men were come over suddenly set upon them being out of order and not informed of their enemies approach also to prevent the coming over of the rest to their assistance he sent a fir-boat down the stream against their bridge of boats which brake it in sunder and where it was resisted set all on fire and so in a great battel overthrew them the King of Cauchin-China who was amongst them fighting valiantly was slaine The Kings brother who was on the other side of the River not yet come over saw his men slaine and drowned and could not relieve them This second overthrow was of no smal importance though it was but the third part of the Kings brothers Army For the Citizens of Quantou hearing of it and despairing of relief sent out some proposals for their surrender Axalla which received them presently dispatched away a faithful messenger to the Emperor to know his pleasure therein This was more welcome news to him then the overthrow of his enemies wherefore he referred all to the sufficiency and fidelity of Axalla So that upon treaty the City was surrendred to Axalla who caused the Garison to come out and received the Inhabitants into the Emperors protection and all that would might continue in it unarmed afterwards he entered into it and was received with great signes of joy by the inhabitants who resolved to entertaine the Emperor with all the solemnity that might be Axalla put thirty thousand men into it for a Garrison injoyning the Citizens to pay the Emperors Army four hundred and fifty thousand Crowns Presently after he received a command from the Emperor to stay in the City himself and to send all the rest of his foot men unto him which he commanded the rather because he understood that Ambassadors were coming to him from the Kings brother to treat of peace and he presumed the sight of all his Army together ready to march would strike such a terror into them as would cause them the readilier to assent to good termes The Ambassadors sent by the Kings brother were of their chiefest men whom Tamerlane entertained with all humanity causing his greatness to appear to them as also the activity of his horsemen whereby they might discerne that it would tend to the destruction of their Country if they agreed not with him Then did the Ambassadors deliver their message which consisted of two branches One was for the delivery of their King the other for the preservation of their Country The Emperor answered that they should deliver their message in writing and he would give a speedy answer Their Propositions were to leave Paguinfou and all the Country beyond it with all the Fortresses of the mountaines in Tamerlanes possession That they would pay all the charges of his Army from that day forward And that they would give two millions of gold for the ransome of their King To this the Emperor answered that he would keep that which he had conquered within the Country being his own as taken by his Arms That he would have the River by which his Army was now encamped and so along to the Sea to be his Frontiers That the King of China should pay him yeerly two hundred thousand Crowns which should be delivered at Paguinfou for acknowledgement of his submission to his Empire That he should pay five hundred thousand Crowns in ready money for the charge of his Army That the King of China should be delivered and that all the other Chinois prisoners should pay ransomes to particular men that took them except those which carried the names of Kings who should pay ten thousand Crowns for their liberty and peace And that no Chinois should be kept for a slave nor sold for such hereafter being under the Emperors obedience That Traffick and entercourse of Merchants should be free between both the Nations That the

that they should receive them into their squadrons and so retire altogether He in the mean time with the other part stood close in a valley neer unto a wood-side wholly unseen where having suffered two thousand of the enemies horse the vant-curriers of the Turks army to pass by him he following them in the taile charged them home the other also which before retired now turned again upon them so that the Turkes seeing themselves thus beset and hardly layed to both before and behind as men discouraged fled but in their flight were most of them slaine the rest of them taken prisoners This was the first encounter between the Turkes and the Parthians All the prisoners taken were by the Prince sent as a present to Tamerlane and amongst the rest the Bassa of Natolia who led those Troops of whom Tamerlane earnestly demanded what caused his Master Bajazet so little to esteem him as to shew so great contempt of his Army Which saith he he shall finde strong enough to abate his pride To this the Bassa answered That his Lord was the Sun upon earth which could not endure any corival And that he rather was astonished to see how he from so far a Country had undertaken so dangerous a journy to hinder the fortune of his Lord in whose favour the heavens as he said did bend themselves to further his greatness and unto whom all the world subjected it self and that he committed great folly in going about to resist the same Unto this proud speech Tamerlane replied That he was sent from Heaven to punish his insolency and to teach him that the proud are hated of God whose promise is to pull down the mighty and to advance the lowly As for thy self said he thou hast already felt though I pitty thy mishap what the valour of my Parthian horse is against thy Turkish and I have already caused thy Master to raise his siege before Constantinople and to look to his affaires here in Asia He also asked him whether his Master did come resolved to give him battel Assure your self said he that there is nothing that he more desireth and would to God that I might acknowledge your greatness in giving me leave to assist my Lord in that battel Good leave have thou said Tamerlane go thy wayes and tell thy Lord that thou hast seen me and that in the battel he shall finde me on horseback there where he shall see a green Ensigne displayed The Bassa thanked him and swore that next unto his Lord he vowed unto him his service And so returning he related unto Bajazet how he had seen Tamerlane and reported to him truly all that he had willed him to say not forgetting above all to praise his courtesie and bounty who besides that he had frankly set him at liberty had also given him a very faire horse well furnished although he well knew that he was to serve against himself To this Bajazet answered no more but that he would shortly make trial of him and that he doubted not but before he had done with him he should make him acknowledge his folly The next day the two Armies drew neer together and encamped within a league the one of the other where all the night long you might have heard such noise of horses which filled the heavens with their neighings and the aire with sounds and every man thought the night long that they might come to the trial of their valours and the gaining of their desires The Scythians a people no less greedy then needy talked of nothing but the spoile the proud Parthians of attaining honour the poor Christians of their deliverance from an insulting adversary all to be gained by the next dayes victory Every man during the night-time speaking according to his humour All which Tamerlane walking privately up and down in the Camp heard and much rejoyced to see the hope which his souldiers had already conceived of the victory and so after the second watch returning into his Pavilion and there casting himself upon a carpet he purposed to sleep a while but his cares not suffering him so to do he then as his manner was called for a book wherein was contained the Lives of his Fathers and Ancestors and of other valiant worthies which he used ordinarily to read in as then also he did not vainly to deceive the time but to make use of it by imitating that which by them was worthily done and declining such dangers as they by their rashness or over-sight fell into After having slumbered a little he commanded Axalla to be sent for to him who presently came accompanied with diverse other great Lords and Captaines of the Army with whom after he had consulted a while about the order of the battel himself presently mounted on horseback and sent each of them to their charge to see their orders put in execution At which very instant he received intelligence that the enemy was marching forwards and come to chuse his ground for the battel whose order of marching Tamerlane was very desirous to see that so he might marshal his own Army accordingly For said he I do not so much trust to the Lions skin wherein I wrap mine arme but that withall I will make use of the Foxes therein to wrap mine head which my grandfather neglected to his overthrow in a battel against the Persians for being in a place of advantage he went out of it to seek his enemy that was lodged strongly contrary to the advice of all his Captaines which proved his ruine Then did he cause three thousand horsemen to advance forward with charge to begin the skirmish himself following after to lodge every part of his forces in such places as he had foreseen to be fittest for his advantage And seeing the Turkish Janizaries marching in a square battel in the middest of the Army and upon the two Fronts two great squadrons of horsemen which seemed to be about thirty thousand and another which advanced before and covered the Battalion of the Janizaries he thought this their order to be very good and hard to be broken and therefore turning himself to Axalla he said I had thought this day to have fought on foot but I see that it behoves me now to fight on horseback to encourage my souldiers to open that great Battalion of the enemies And my will is that my men come forwards to me so soon as may be for I will advance forward with a hundred thousand footmen fifty thousand upon each of my two wings and in the midest of them fourty thousand of my best horsemen And my pleasure is that after I have tryed the force of these men that they come unto my Avantguard of whom I will dispose and fifty thousand horsemen more in three bodies whom thou shalt command which I will assist with eighty thousand horse wherein shall be mine own person having a hundred thousand footmen

so noble a Prince as the Greek Emperor into his subjection He answered Even the same cause which moved thee to invade me namely the desire of glory and sovereignty But wherefore then said Tamerlane doest thou use such cruelty towards them that thou overcomest without respect of age or sex That did I said he to strike the greater terror into mine enemies Then did Tamerlane aske him if he had ever given thanks to God for making him so great an Emperor No said he I never so much as thought upon any such thing Then said Tamerlane It s no wonder that so ungrateful a man should be made a spectacle of misery For you saith he being blind of an eye and I lame of a leg was there any worth in us that God should set us over two such great Empires to command so many men far more worthy then our selves But said Tamerlane what wouldest thou have done with me if it had been my lot to have faln into thy hands as thou art now in mine I would said Bajazet have enclosed thee in a Cage of Iron and so have carried thee up and down in Triumph thorow my Kingdome Even so said Tamerlane shalt thou be served And so causing him to be taken out of his presence turning to his followers he said Behold a proud and cruel man who deserves to be chastised accordingly and to be made an example to all the proud and cruel of the world of the just wrath of God against them I acknowledge that God this day hath delivered into my hands a great enemy to whom therefore we must return thanks which he caused publikly to be performed the same day for the battel was ended about four a clock and there were diverse hours yet of day-light The next day he caused the dead to be buried where amongst the rest was found the body of the prince of Ciarchan dead in the middest of the Janizaries where he lay enclosed with their dead bodies shewing that he dyed not unrevenged whose untimely death Tamerlane much lamented causing his dead body to be Enbalmed and with two thousand horse and diverse Turkish prisoners chained together to be conveyed to Samercand untill his coming thither All other dead bodies were with all honour that might be buried at Sennas This great bloody battel was fought in the yeer of our Lord 1397. not far from mount Stella where formerly the great king Mithridates was by Pompey the great in a great battel overthrown It continued from seven a clock in the morning till four in the afternoone victory as it were all the while hovering with doubtful wings over both Armies as uncertain where to light until at length the fortune of Tamerlane prevailed whose wisdome next unto God gave him that days victory for that the politick tiring of the strong forces of Bajazet was the safeguard of his own whereas if he had gone unto the battel in one front assuredly the multitude finding such strong opposition had put it self into confusion whereas this successive manner of aiding his men made them all unto him profitable The number of the slaine is variously reported The Turkes themselves say that Bajazet lost there his noble son Mustapha with two hundred thousand of his men and Tamerlane not many fewer Others say that the Turkes lost about sixty thousand and Tamerlane not past twenty thousand But likely it is that the carnage was very great in so long a fight between two such Armies as probably never before met a in field together By this dayes event is plainly seen the uncertainty of worldly things and what small assurance even the greatest have in them Behold Bajazet the terror of the world and as he thought superior to fortune in an instant by the event of one battel thrown into the bottom of misery and despaire and that at such time as he thought least of it even in the middest of his greatest strength It was three dayes before he could be pacified but as a desperate man still seeking after death and calling for it Neither did Tamerlane after he had once spoken with him at all afterwards use him courteously but as of a proud and insolent man made small account of him And to manifest that he knew how to curb the haughty made him to be shackled in fetters and chaines of Gold and so to be shut up in an Iron Cage made like a grate that he might be seen on every side and so carried him up and down as he passed thorow Asia to be made a scorn and derision to his own people over whom he had before Tyrannized And to his further disgrace upon festival dayes he used him for a footstool to tread upon when he mounted on horseback and at other times scornfully fed him like a dog with fragments that fell from his table A rare example of the uncertainty of worldly honours and greatness that he unto whose ambitious minde Asia and Europe two great parts of the world were too little should now be carried up and down cooped up in a little Iron Cage like a dangerous wild beast How might he have taken up that speech of Hecuba in Seneca Quicunque Regno fidit magna potens dominatur in aula me videat Non unquam tulit Documenta Fors majora quàm fragili loco starent superbi Tamerlane used this severity not so much out of hatred to the man as to manifest the just judgement of God against the arrogant folly of the proud And when on a time he was requested by one of his Nobles to remit some part of this rigour to so great a man he answered I do not use this rigor against him as a King but rather to punish him as a proud ambitious Tyrant polluted with the blood of his own brother and many other innocents This so great an overthrow brought such a fear upon all the Countries possessed by Bajazet in Asia that Axalla being sent before Tamerlane with fourty thousand horse and a hundred thousand foot without carriages to prosecute the victory came without resistance to Prusa whither all the remainder of Bajazet's Army was retired with Bassa Mustapha all places as he marched along still yielding to him Yea the great Bassa with the rest hearing of his coming and not thinking themselves in safety in Asia fled over the streit of Hellespont to Callipolis and so to Hadrianople Axalla coming to Prusa had the City without resistance yielded to him which by his Army was plundred and there with other of Bajazet's wives and concubines he took prisoner the faire Despina Bajazet's best beloved wife to the doubling of his grief Emmanuel Paleologus now hearing of Tamerlanes coming to Prusa sent honourable Ambassadors thither before to Axalla by whō they were entertained till the coming of Tamerlane who received them with all the honor that might be shewing them all his magnificence and the

order of his Camp to their great admiration For it resembled a most populous and well governed City by reason of the order that was therein which brought it plenty of victuals and of all manner of Merchandise as well for delight as necessity By these Ambassadors the Greek Emperor yielded his Empire together with his person unto Tamerlane as his most faithful subject and vassal which as he said he was bound to do for that he was by him delivered from the most cruel Tyrant of the world as also for the long journy he had undertaken for his sake and the discommodities he had endured with the hazard of his person and loss of his subjects which could not be otherwise compensated but with the offer of his own and his subjects lives to him which for ever he therefore dedicated to his service with all the fidelity loyalty that so great a benefit might deserve besides that his so many virtues and rare endowments which made him famous thorow the world did oblige him the more hereunto and that therefore he would attend him in his chief City to deliver it into his hands as his own together with all the Empire of Greece Now these Ambassadors expected no less then to fall into the bondage of Tamerlane judging that which they offered to be so great and delicate a morsel as that it would not be refused especially of such a victorious Prince as was Tamerlane and that the acceptance thereof in knindness and friendship was the best bargaine they could make therein But they received an answer from this worthy Prince far beyond their expectation For he with a mild countenance beholding them answered thus That he was not come from so far a Country nor undertook such paines for the enlargement of his dominions big enough already too base a thing for him to put himself into so great danger and hazard for but rather to win honour and to make his name famous to future posterities And that he would make it appear to the world that he came to assist their Master as his friend ally at his request and that his upright intentions therein were the greatest cause that God from above had favoured him and made him instrumental to bruile the head of the greatest and fiercest enemy of mankind that was under heaven and therefore to get him an immortal name his purpose was to make free so great and flourishing a City as was Constantinople governed by so noble and ancient an house as the Emperors That he had alwayes joyned faith to his courage which should never suffer him to make so great a breach into his reputation as that it should be reported of him that in the colour of a friend he should come to invade the dominions of his ally That he desired no more but that the service he had done for the Greek Emperor might remaine for ever engraven in the memory of his posterity to the end they might for ever wish well to him and his successors by the remembring the good he had done for them That he wished that long might the noble Emperor live happily to govern his estate and that before his return he would so well consider for the establishing of the same as that he should not lightly fall into the same jeopardy Easie it is to judge what joy the Ambassadors did conceive upon hearing this so gracious an answer from the mouth of Tamerlane who rather then he would break his Faith refused an Empire offered him together with one of the stateliest and magnificentest Cities in the world After the testification of their joy and thankfulness these Ambassadors were by the command of Tamerlane royally feasted by Axalla having all the honour done to them that might be And one of them being sent back to carry this unexpected news to the Emperor filled both him and all the City of Constantinople with exceeding joy and gladness which both he all his subjects testified by making of Bonefires and other signes of joy and pleasure And the Emperor the more to shew his gratitude by the advise of his Councellors passed over the streit into Asia to see Tamerlane in Prusa and in person himself to give him thanks who hearing of his coming being glad thereof presently sent Prince Axalla to meet him and to certifie him of the joy he conceived to have the good hap to see him as also to conduct him to Prusa where those two great Princes with the greatest magnificence that might be met and so spent one whole day in conversing together and the Greek Emperor the next day taking his leave was by Tamerlane with mach honour conducted out of the City Now had Tamerlane himself conceived a great desire to see the famous City of Constantinople from which he was not now far yet would he not go thither as a Conqueror but as a private person which by the meanes of Axalla was accomplished and he thereinto by the Greek Emperor privately received and with all familiarity possible entertained the Emperor shewing unto him all the rare and excellent things that were contained therein and the other Greek Princes devising all the meanes they could to do him pleasure and them that were with him who were all in a manner clothed after the Greek fashion The Greek Emperor was curious to shew him all the beautiful Gardens along the Sea-cost and so privately conducting him about spent five or six dayes with all the mirth that mighty be Tamerlane by the way often saying that he had never seen a fairer City and that of all others considering the scituation of it it was right worthy to command all the world He wondred at the costly buildings of the Temples the faire engraven pillars the high Pyramides and the excellent gardens afterwards saying often that it nothing repented him to have undertaken so long and dangerous a journy if it had been only to preserve so notable a City from fire and sword In the Greek Emperor he greatly commended his mild nature courtesie who knowing that above all things he took pleasure in fair serviceable horses gave unto him thirty of the fairest strongest and reddiest that were possibly to be gotten all most richly furnished He sent likewise great presents to all the Princes and great Commanders of the Army and bountifully caused to be delivered to them all things which he thought necessary for the army So after these great kindnesses and a strict bond of friendship made and by solemne Oath confirmed by these two great Princes Tamerlane with great contentment took leave of the Emperor and returned to his Army at Prusa wherewith now at pleasure he spoiled and wasted all the dominions of Bajazet in Asia no man daring to make head against him The winter now drawing on Tamerlane dispersed his Army into diverse Provinces of the lesser Asia expecting daily when some of Bajazet's sons or great friends should