to hurt the Polonian territories So that on the part of the Tartars and their armies no harme shall be done vnto the kingdome of POLONIA neither on the part of the Polonians to the territories of the Tartars And if any harme shall by the Tartars be done in the king of POLONIA his territories it shall by my commaundement be againe restored And so likewise on the part of the Palatine of MOLDAVIA or the inhabitants of the kingdome of MOLDAVIA no harme shall be done vnto the countries subiect vnto the king of POLONIA but if any be done and certainly knowne to be by my commaundement againe recompenced On the part also of the king of POLONIA and his subiects whatsoeuer harme shall be done vnto the territorie or subiects of the Moldauian Palatine or Tartars the harme so done to be recompenced and the dooers thereof punished Also that all such fugitiues as hauing done any notorious felonies or other villanies in MOLDAVIA and so are fled into POLONIA shall at my request or at the request of the Palatine of MOLDAVIA be restored and in no case denied That all the Polonian captiues within my dominions yet professing the Christian religion may by the king of POLONIA his subiects be redeemed not paying any more for them than their lords and masters paid euerie such master of the slaue taking his oath that he cost him so much But such captiues as haue receiued the Turkish faith to be forthwith set at libertie and so the Turkes slaues in the kingdome of POLONIA to be likewise manumised That our embassadours on both sides so long as we are in league and amitie may freely come and go and not be staied in any place and being willing to meet together may at their pleasure so doe And being entred into the confines of either part to be forthwith by some good and faithfull guide appointed vnto them conducted vnto the place they are to go vnto And this to be on both sides kept No man to dare to hurt or stay any Merchant hauing paied his thirtith part or lawfull custome If any of our subiects shall haue any suit with any of the king of POLONIA his subiects the iudges shall without delay be bound to administer iustice All theeues and robbers shall be diligently sought out and being found to be seuerely punished and the goods taken away without impeachment to be restored vnto the right owners their heires or to the king The Sanzacks of SILISTRIA and BOLOGRAVE the Customers and water-baylifs shall not suffer any man but merchants and such as are sent in our seruise to passe ouer the riuer Nyester who passing ouer if they shall bring with them any slaue or bondman out of POLONIA he shall be sent backe againe The shepheards if they will transport their sheepe into the iurisdiction of the king of POLONIA shall not so doe without the leaue of the Polonian Gouernours before whom they shall also number their sheepe of whom if any shall be lost the Gouernours shall cause them to be sought for and to be restored vnto the shepheards as also to pay for their hey The Zauzij Ianizaries or Posts shall not dare in time of peace or war to take any horses from the Polonian merchants or other the kings subiects comming into our kingdome The Palatines of MOLDAVIA in whatsoeuer condition they haue been towards the former kings of POLONIA they shall now also still so be hereafter The thirtiths and customes of both parts shall continue in their old manner and not be increased The Polonian kings subiects and merchants as well Armenians as of any other nation whensoeuer they shall enter into MOLDAVIA or any other part of our empire shall not trauell by vncertaine and vnknowne but by the common and high waies wherein if they shall suffer any losse or harme either in their goods or persons the dooers of such wrongs shall be sought for and seuerely punished Which merchans shall be suffered without any molestation quietly to come and go hauing paied their thirtiths and no merchant to be troubled for anothers debt If any the Polonian kings merchants or subiects be willing for readie money to redeeme and carrâ—e away any slaues taken out of the Polonian kingdome and yet professing the Christian religion the iudges shall in no case withstand them neither presume to take them from them or againe to redeeme them But if any of such slaues haue receiued the Turkish religion they shall not be againe demanded by the king of POLONIA Such slaues as haue not receiued the Turkish religion if after a certaine space they shall be set at libertie by their masters and in the letters testimoniall of their libertie it shall be declared that they haue receiued the Turkish religion yet shall they not by the iudges be therefore detained In the citie of BVRVSA the Polonian merchants hauing paied their vsuall thirtiths shall not be farther pressed with any other vnusuall payment My will is also that the territories at this present in the possession of the king of POLONIA 〈◊〉 hereafter to be by him taken from the Muscouite or any other the Christian princes to be comprised within this league and so to be royally by him possessed And for the confirmation of the articles and conditions in these our letters of confederation contained I sweare by the power of the most mightie God and of his most holy prophet and by the most cleane and pure spirits of all the prophets that for all the daies of my life and so long as nothing shall on the behalfe of the king of POLONIA be done contrarie to the peace and league nothing shall also on my part be done contrarie vnto the same Witnesse the Almightie the vpright iudge and decerner of mens actions From CONSTANTINOPLE the yeare of the holy prophet Mahomet 985 the 14 of the moneth Cziemassi Eumel and of Christ 1577. This league betwixt these two mightie princes Amurath and king Stephen thus concluded and after the death of Stephen by Sigismund the third which now raigneth renewed as it hath been euer since vnto the Polonian kingdome for the time commodious so hath it as with an Adamantine band so bound that most famous kingdome as that in the hardest distresses of the Christian common-weale and most in deed concerning it selfe it hath affoorded no more helpe than hath the members farther off which is I rue to say it none at all As in these late and present warres betwixt the Christian emperour and the two last Turkish Sultans is too plainely to be seene wherein had it in due time giuen but such reasonable helpes as it might well haue spared much no doubt might haue been done for the repressing of the common enemie and the recouerie of the greatest part of that is lost of HVNGARIE But thus bound standeth as a dead member seruing to no vse more than to the more speedie destruction of it selfe togither with the rest of the sicke bodie For what
with continuall snowes leauing on his left hand MEDIA IBERIA and CHOLCHIS and on the right hand the famous riuers of Tanais and Volga euen at his first entrance vnto the shores of the Euxine sea he was by the abouenamed twelue thousand Tartarians being apparrelled like theeues that lie vpon those wayes suddenly assailed and fought withall But like as an huge rocke lying open to tempests and waues standing fast and vnmoueable in it selfe resisteth the thunderings and rushings of the great and fearefull billowes so stood Osman fast and firme and couragiously sustained this trecherous assault turning the bold countenances of his resolute souldiors against the rebellious multitude of those traiterous squadrons who as is their manner in the beginning vsed great force but finding so stout resistance in those few whom they had thought with their onely lookes and shoutings to haue put to flight they began at length to quaile Which Osman quickly perceiuing couragiously forced vpon them and in a very short space and with a very small losse of his owne put those Tartarians to flight killing a number of them and also taking many of them prisoners by whom Osman was afterwards informed as the truth was that their king for feare that he had conceiued least when he came to CONSTANTINOPLE he would procure his destruction from Amurath had sent this armie to seeke his death Of which treason Osman caused a perfect processe to be made together with the depositions of the Tartarian prisoners which he sent the shortest way he could deuise to Amurath at CONSTANTINOPLE with letters declaring all that had passed enflaming him to reuenge so grieuous an injurie and so wicked a practise Amurath receiuing these aduertisements from Osman according to the necessitie of the matter tooke order that Vluzales his Admirall with certaine gallies well appointed should passe ouer to CAFFA to fetch Osman and withall to carrie with him Islan a brother of the Tartar kings commaunding Osman by letters that he should to the terrour of others put to death the treacherous king and place his brother in his roume This Tartar king was one of those mightie princes who basely yeelding to the Othoman power led vnder them a most vile and troublesome life as their tributaries and vassals alwayes at commaund whose yonger brother Islan presuming of the sufficiencie of himselfe and the fauour of the people going to CONSTANTINOPLE became a suter vnto the Turkish emperor to haue his eldest brother thrust out of his kingdome as a man for his euill gouernment hated of his subjects and to be placed himselfe in his roume Which his sute was so crossed by the embassadours of the king his brother who spared for no cost in the behalfe of their master that the ambitious youth was sent from the Turks Court to ICONIVM and there clapt fast vp in prison where apparrelled like an Eremit he led his life altogether conformable to his miserie with such a kind of externall innocencie as if he had beene void of all hope or ambitious desire of a kingdome but rather like a forlorne and vnhappie wretch with vaine affliction and impious deuotion to prepare himselfe to a laudable and honourable death But whilest he thus liued sequestred from all worldly cogitations vpon the discouerie of the king his brothers rebellion he was in more than post hast sent for to CONSTANTINOPLE and put into the gallies bound for CAFFA with letters to Osman of the tenor aforesaid Now in the meane time Osman had by cunning meanes got into his hands this Tartar king being as is reported betrayed by his owne counsellours corrupted with the Turkes gold whom with his two sonnes Osman vpon the receit of the aforesaid letters from Amurath caused to be presently strangled with a bowstring and Islan his younger brother to be saluted king in his place yet as vassale to Amurath This shamefull death the vsuall reward of the Turkish friendship was thought justly to haue happened vnto this Tartar king for that he not long before supported by Amurath had most vnnaturally deposed his aged father from that kingdome just vengeance now prosecuting his so great disloyaltie Osman embarking himselfe in the forenamed gallies at the port of CAFFA passing ouer the Euxine sea and entering into the Thracian Bosphorus arriued at CONSTANTINOPLE where he was receiued with great pompe and singular significations of good loue But with most euident and expresse kinds of joy was he saluted by Amurath himselfe when by his owne speech and presence he declared vnto him euery particularitie of the matters that had happened in his long and important voiage and in liuely manner represented vnto him the perils and trauels that he had passed and the conquests that he had made in SIRVAN After all which discourses Amurath who longed after nothing more than to see the Persian king somewhat brideled and the famous citie of TAVRIS brought vnder his own subjection began to enter into conference with Osman about that enterprise and in the end would needs throughly know of him what issue he could promise him of this his desire and in what sort by his aduice and counsell the forces should be employed and the armies disposed for the subduing of that citie which ouerall the nations of the world was so famous and so great an honour to the Persian kingdome To all which demaunds his answere and resolution was That for so much as the matters of GEORGIA were now well setled the trecherous passages by the new built forts assured and the prouince of SIRVAN vnder his obedience established there was now no cause why he should any longer foreslow so famous an enterprise but by the conquest of TAVRIS erecting of a fort in that proud citie to bring a terrour vpon all PERSIA and to raise a glorious renowne of so mightie a conquest among the nations of EVROPE for the accomplishment whereof he thought that either the same armie or at the most a very little greater would suffice so that it were raised of the best and choisest souldiors By reason of one of the letters which Sciaus Bassa had written to the late Tartar king and by the instigation of the young Sultan Mahomets mother jealous of the neere alliance of the great Bassa with her husband as prejudiciall and dangerous to her sonne Amurath had in the open Diuano depriued the said Sciaus from the office of the cheefe Visier and hardly pardoning him his life at the intercession of his wife being his sister had banished him the Court so that he liued afterwards about CALCEDON vpon the borders of ASIA not far from CONSTANTINOPLE in a close pallace he had there built for his owne pleasure in whose roume he appointed Osman to be cheefe Visier and to honour him the more nominated him the Generall of his armie against the Persians Such power hath vertue that euen from the very scum of the rascall sort and out of the rusticall rout of
him with a sonne to succeed him in his gouernment euery housholder should giue vnto him a good fat oxe For all which seruice they craued no more but that they might as his subjects liue vnder his protection yet so as to be gouerned by their owne auntient lawes and customes Of which their offer the prince accepting it was forthwith by them proclaimed in their campe and all the people sworne to the performance of the aforesaid agreements And hauing at that present but fiue and twentie thousand in the field they without delay sent out their officers to presse out fifteene thousand moe for the filling vp of the promised number of fortie thousand wherewith they came vnto the prince who taking a view of his armie found himselfe to be now fourescore thousand men strong to welcome the Bassa withall when he should come againe into his countrey Now had Sinan with great speed raised an armie of seauentie thousand choice souldiours amongst whom were many whole bands of the Ianizaries the strength of the Turkish empire With which power joyned vnto the reliques of his other broken forces he thought himselfe strong ynough for the subduing of the prince vnto whom came also afterwards Hassan Bassa the sonne of the great Bassa Muhamet one of the Turkes most renowned men of warre and Bogdanus the late expulsed Vayuod of VALACHIA with many others of great name With this armie the old Bassa by a bridge which he with exceeding charge had made of boats passed ouer the great riuer of Danubius at a towne called ZORZA or GIORGO with vs S. George in VALACHIA a great way beneath that place where sometime the emperour Traian built his famous bridge of stone worthily accounted amongst the rare and wonderfull buildings of the world From ZORZA he marched with his armie to TERGOVISTA sometime the Vayuod his chiefe citie but then in the power of the Turks where is a notable monasterie which he conuerted into a castle fortifying it with deepe trenches and strong bulwarks and good store of great ordinance purposing to make that the seat of his warre vntill he had againe restored those late reuolted countries vnto the Turkish empire which hee vpon paine of his head had vndertaken to performe The prince both by messengers and letters vnderstanding of the Bassaes arriuall there and hauing his armie in good readinesse set forward to meet him and to giue him battell But being come into VALACHIA and there encamped it is reported that a great Eagle descending from an high rocke thereby called The Kings rocke and houering ouer the Christian armie flew about the princes tent and there lighting was taken and presented to the prince who commaunded her to bee kept as the presage of his good fortune holding on still his way and the fifteenth of October being come within halfe a dayes march of TERGOVISTA he vnderstood by two Christians lately escaped from the Turks That two dayes before the Turks hearing of his comming were strucken with such a generall and sudden feare that Sinan had much adoe either by faire meanes or by foule to stay the Ianizaries from flight and that when he had done what he could yet that certaine companies of them were quite fled and gone But the truth was that Sinan seeing the generall feare of his armie and he himselfe no lesse fearefull than the rest vpon the princes approch fled with all his armie leauing behind him for hast his tents his great ordinance with much victuals and other warlike prouision carrying with him onely such things as were of most value As for the citie of TERGOVISTA with the castle which he had made of the monasterie he committed it to the keeping of Hassan Bassa and Bogdanus the late Vayuod now become a renegate Turke with a garrison of foure thousand chosen souldiors promising within a few daies if need should be to relieue them but fled himselfe in all hast with his armie to BVCARESTA a daies journey from TERGOVISTA From whence he presently writ backe againe to Hassan Bassa willing him if he could to defend the castle but if he should thinke it not possible to be kept against the power of the prince then be time to forsake it and to shift for himselfe But these letters being intercepted by the Christians neuer came to the Bassaes hands Not long after the departing of Sinan the prince comming to TERGOVISTA entred the forsaken campe where he found many tents with some ordinance and great store of victuals without further delay summoned both the citie and the castle which for all that were both denied him But the next day after Hassan considering the flight of Sinan the power of the prince and withall doubting if need should be to be relieued by Sinan whom he not without cause suspected not to loue him was about vpon some reasonable composition to haue yielded vp both the citie and the castle wherunto the garrison souldiors being most part of them Ianizaries would not in any case giue their consent but stood vpon the defence of the place Whereupon the prince began furiously to batter both the citie and the castle and after some few houres batterie by assault tooke both and put to sword the whole garrison onely Hassan Bassa as taken with his owne hand he spared and two other Sanzackes Bogdanus the renegate was there slaine among the rest The Christians had there a rich prey besides 42 great pieces of ordinance and good store of all manner of warlike prouision Hassan thus taken grieuously complained that Sinan had of a malitious purpose exposed him to so manifest danger for the grudge he bare vnto his dead father the Visier Muhamet vpon whom because he could neuer be reuenged he now by sinister meanes had cunningly performed it vpon his sonne yet he craued of the prince to bee well vsed offering for his ransome 100000 Hungarian duckats Whilest the prince yet thus lay at TERGOVISTA came thither 4000 Turks whom Sinan had before his departure thence sent forth to spoyle the countrey and to seeke after prey thinking to haue there found him still who now falling into the hands of the Christians were there all slaine and 60000 head of cattell recouered which these Turkes had taken out of VALACHIA and MOLDAVIA and should by Sinans appointment haue been sent to CONSTANTINOPLE For VALACHIA and MOLDAVIA doe so abound with corne and cattell that they plentifully serue the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE not onely with come and flesh but also yearely send at the least 150 ships thither by the black sea laded with other kind of victuals Of which so great commodities the Turkes were now depriued by the reuolt of the aforesaid countries The prince leauing a strong garrison in TERGOVISTA set forward with his armie towards BVCARESTA hoping there to haue found Sinan But he hearing of the losse of TERGOVISTA and thinking himselfe in no good safetie at BVCARESTA fled thence also to ZORZA The prince comming
the approch of the Sultan by the persuasion of Tarchomates one of his captaines was retired for his more safetie backe into the Romain frontiers leauing the emperour destitute of his helpe At which time also a companie of the Scythians which serued in the emperours campe reuolted vnto the Turks not without some suspition that the rest of their fellowes which remained would ere long do the like Neuerthelesse the emperour presuming of such strength as he had or carried headlong with his owne fortune resolued to giue the Turks battell and therefore putting his men in order set vpon them Who somewhat troubled with the emperours so sudden a resolution as being yet in some hope of peace yet hauing put themselues in order of battell receiued the enemies charge still giuing a little ground as men not greatly desirous either to fight or to flie This fight continuing long and the day now declining the emperour doubting least the Sultan should send part of his armie to assault his campe from which he was now drawne somewhat far and had left the same but weakly manned caused a retrait to be sounded and so began orderly to retire himselfe with them that were about him which others a far off in the battell beholding and supposing him to haue fled began themselues to flie a maine Of which so shamefull flight and sudden feare Andronicus the sonne of Iohn Ducas the late emperour Constantine his brother and by him created Caesar who with his sonnes secretly enuied at the honour of Diogenes was the cause For he commanding a great part of the armie gaue it first out vnto such as were about him that the emperour fled and to encrease the feare turning his horse about fled towards the campe as fast as he could after whom all the rest most disorderly followed which the emperor beholding and therewith not a little troubled made a stand labouring in vaine to haue staid the rest For now the Turks encouraged with the sudden flight of the Christians began hardly to pursue them as men alreadie ouerthrown by the hand of God whom for all that the emperour with such as yet stood with him for a space notably resisted But being forsaken by the greater part of his armie and oppressed with the multitude of his enemies being wounded himselfe and his horse slaine vnder him he was there taken all embrued with his owne blood and the blood of his enemies of whom he had wounded and slaine many The Sultan aduertised of his taking at the first beleeued it not supposing it rather to haue beene some other great man vntill that he was both by them whom he had but a little before sent embassadour vnto him and by Basilacius one of his captaines then prisoner with him assured that it was vndoubtedly he which Basilacius brought before him to see if he knew him fell downe prostrat at his feet as before his dread lord and soueraigne The emperour brought before the Sultan and humbling himselfe in such sort as best beseemed his heauie fortune the Sultan presently tooke him vp and thus cheerfully spoke vnto him Greeue not noble emperour said he at thy mishap for such is the chance of war ouerwhelming sometimes one and sometimes another neither feare thou any harme for I will vse thee not as my prisoner but as an emperour Which he accordingly did presently appointing him a princely pauilion with all things answerable to his estate setting him oftentimes at his owne boord and for his sake enlarging such prisoners as he required And after he had thus for certaine daies honourably vsed him and discoursed with him of many things he concluded a perpetuall peace with him vpon promise of a marriage to be made betwixt their children and so with a safe conuoy sent him away with greater honour than was at an enemies hand to haue beene expected The emperour in Turkish attire which the Sultan had bestowed vpon him comming to THEODOSOPOLIS there staid for the curing of his wounds afterwards accompanied with the Sultans embassadors set forward toward CONSTANTINOPLE But all was now there changed for vpon the report of his captiuitie Iohn the Caesar with Psellus one of the cheefe Senators and others of the same faction which alwaies enuied at the honour of Diogenes presently tooke the imperiall gouernment from Eudocia the empresse and thrusting her into a monasterie which shee had built neere vnto PROPONTIS set vp Michael Ducas her eldest sonne emperour in steed of Diogenes whose simplicitie Caesar his vncle abusing with the rest did now what they list And hearing that Diogenes was now contrarie to their expectation set at liberlie by the Sultan and comming towards the emperiall citie sent out letters euerie way in the new emperours name vnto all the gouernours of the prouinces whereby hee was to passe not to receiue him as emperour or to doe him any honour which Diogenes vnderstanding staid at the castle of DOCIA whether some of his friends with such power as they were able to make resorted vnto him Against whom Caesar with the contrarie faction first sent his sonne Constantine and after that Andronicus his eldest sonne both Diogenes his mortall enemies with a great armie by whom Diogenes with his friends and followers were ouerthrown and discomfited Diogenes himselfe flying to the citie of ADANA was there hardly besieged by Andronicus and in the end glad to yeeld himselfe vpon condition that he should resigne the empire and so for euer after to lead a priuat life For whose safetie certaine of the cheefe of the clergie sent of purpose from Michael the emperour gaue their faith So Diogenes all attired in blacke yeelded himselfe to Andronicus by whom hee was brought to COTAI then the metropoliticall citie of PHRIGIA there to expect what further order should be taken for him from the court during which time he fell sicke being as many supposed secretly poysoned But whilst he there lay languishing an heauier doom came from the yoong emperor That he should haue his eies put out which was foorthwith in most cruell manner done the clergie men that had before for his safetie gaged their faith crying out in vaine against so horrible a crueltie Thus depriued of his sight he was conueighed into the iland of PROTA where his eies for lacke of looking to putrifying and wormes breeding in them with such an odious smell as that no man could abide to come nigh him he in short time after died when he had raigned three yeeres eight months All which miserie was thought to haue hapned vnto him through the malice of Caesar without the knowledge of the yoong emperour his nephew Axan hearing of the miserable end of the late emperour Diogenes was therewith much greeued and the more for that the league which he had to his good content so lately made with him was thereby come to naught wherefore in reuenge thereof he with great power inuaded the imperiall prouinces not for spoile
aforesaid not yet fortified had not Hugh the French kings brother come in good time to the rescue who comming in with thirtie thousand horsemen after he had relieued the campe entring directly into the battell was notably encountred by a squadron of fresh soldiers of the Turks by them of purpose reserued for such euent There began a battell more terrible than the first with most doubtfull victorie But at the length the Turks wearie of the long and cruell fight and seeing most of their fellowes slaine began by little and little to giue ground and so retired into the mountaines which were not far off In this battell which continued a great part of the day were slaine of the Turks fortie thousand and of the Christians about two thousand The next morning Bohemund with the French kings brother came againe into the field in such order as if they should presently haue giuen or receiued battell where after they had staid a great while and saw no enemie to appeare they fell to the honest buriall of their dead which were easily known from the Turks by the red crosses vpon their garments the cognisance of their sacred warfare Solyman flying with the remainder of his armie notably dissembled his losse giuing it out that he had got the victorie yet by the way as hee went he burnt vp the countrey villages and destroyed or carried away whatsoeuer else he thought might stand the Christians in any steed if they should further follow after him leauing nothing for them but the bare ground After this victorie Bohemund and the Christian princes without resistance marching through the hot and drie countreis of the lesser ASIA came to ANTIOCHIA a citie of PISIDIA which they tooke with small labour so marching vnto ICONIVM the principal citie of CILICIA neere vnto the mountaine TAVRVS were there also of the citizens courteously receiued where they staid certaine daies for the refreshing of the armie From thence they set forward toward HERACLEA where a great power of the Turks were reported to be assembled But they together with the garrison souldiers vpon the approch of the victorious armie of the Christians forsooke the citie and fled The citizens being Christians as they were yet generally in all the prouinces of the lesser ASIA but in great subjection to the Turks and now rid of their cruel masters the Turkish garrisons came foorth and meeting the princes gladly yeelded themselues with their citie vnto them as vnto their deliuerers Here the Christian princes fully instructed of the great feare and desperation of the Turks who now in no place durst abide their comming for the more speedie taking in of those countries but lately oppressed by the Turks diuided their armie into two parts leauing the one part thereof with Baldwin and Tancred in CILICIA for the full subduing thereof who in short time tooke the cities of TARSVS EDISSA and MANVSSA with all the rest of the countrey the Turks not daring any where to abide their comming the other part of the armie in the meane time entring into the lesser ARMENIA tooke the same from the Turks which the princes gaue to one Palmurus an Armenian who had in that expedition done them great seruice From thence they tooke their way into CAPADOCIA which they also subdued driuing out the Turks in euerie place and tooke the cities of CESAREA and SOCOR where they staid a few daies for the refreshing of the armie with like successe they passed through the rest of the prouinces of the lesser ASIA of late possessed by the Turks still chasing them out before them and setting at libertie the poore oppressed Christians of those countreis Whereof Solyman crauing aid of Axan the Persian Sultan his cousin grieuously complained by his letters to him directed in this sort The famous citie of NICE with the countrey of ROMANIA which we by your aid and power haue gotten from the kingdome of the Greeks and of your bountie possessed the Christians of the kingdome of FRANCE haue againe taken from vs. Thus was the late erected kingdome of the Turks in the lesser ASIA by these valiant Christian champions againe brought low and they glad to retire themselues farther off into the mountaines and more Easterne countries vntill this heat was ouerpast and that they taking the benefit of the troubled state of the Greeke empire afterwards rent in sunder by ambition and ciuile discord the ruine of the greatest monarchies recouered not onely their former state but became also dreadful vnto the Greeke emperours themselues vpon whom they dayly gained in one corner or other still maintaining the honour of their estate vntill the rising of the Othoman familie as in the processe of this historie shall God willing be declared These victorious princes then and to the worlds end famous not contented to their immortall praise to haue thus driuen the Turks out of the lesser ASIA and recouered so many countries bound themselues as well the princes as the common souldiers by solemne oath neuer to return againe into their countriâ—s vntil they had accomplished that sacred war with the conquest of the Holy citie So mounting together the high mountaine TAVRVS and discending thence as into another world they came to the citie MARESIA which they tooke without resistance the Turks there in garrison being by night before for feare fled where the Christians for the refreshing of themselues certaine daies staid In the meane time Robert earle of FLANDERS with a thousand men at armes was sent out to giue summons vnto a citie called ARTASIA about fifteene miles distant from ANTIOCH when as the citizens beholding the ensignes of the Christians suddenly tooke vp armes against the Turks there in garrison which had of long holden them in subjection and preuailing vpon them slew them euerie mothers sonne whose heads they presented vnto the earle and receiued him into their citie The Turks to reuenge the death of their friends and to recouer againe the citie before the comming of the rest of the armie sent out about ten thousand men out of ANTIOCH for thither was assembled a great power of them to haue hindred the farther proceedings of the Christians and being come neere to ARIASIA they sent before certaine stragling companies of purpose to draw the new come Christians out of the citie lying in the meane time in ambush with the rest of purpose to entrap them With these stragling companies the Flemings sallying out lustily encountred easily put them to flight the Turks in deed flying of purpose to bring them within the danger of the other lying in Ambush After whom the Flemings eagerly following were before they were aware enclosed round with their enemies and there had vndoubtedly perished had not the citizens being Christians presently salied out and right woorthily relieued them Shortly after the Christian princes marching forward with their armie were encountred by the Turke at the riuer ORONTES who had there thought to haue staid
with a great power where he was by them slaine together with all his armie and the rich bootie hee had taken all againe recouered Many other hard conflicts passed after this betwixt the Imperials and the Turks the one continually seeking to anoy the other all which for that therein nothing fell out much woorth the remembrance I for breuitie willingly passe ouer In these endlesse troubles died Emanuel the Greeke emperour when he had by the space of eight and thirtie yeeres woorthily gouerned that great empire hauing in the time of his sicknesse but a little before his death taken vpon him the habit of a monke in token he had forsaken the world All the time of his raigne he was no lesse jealous of the Christian princes of the West than of the Turks in the East and therefore euer delt with them vnkindly In time of war he was so laborious as if he had neuer taken felicitie but in paine and againe in peace so giuen ouer to his pleasure as if he had neuer thought of any thing else After whose death the Turkish Sultan without resistance inuading the frontiers of the empire tooke SOZOPOLIS with diuers townes thereabout in PHRIGIA and long besieged the famous cittie of ATTALIA and so dayly encroched more and more vpon the prouinces of the empire joyning the same vnto his owne which was no great matter for him to doe the Greeke empire being then no better gouerned than was the charriot of the Sunne as the Poets faigne by Phaëton far vnfit for so great a charge for Alexius Comnenus otherwise called Porphyrogenitus being then but a child of about twelue yeeres old succeeding his graue father in the empire after the manner of children altogether following his pleasure his mother with his fathers kinsmen and friends who aboue all things ought to haue had an especiall care of his education neglecting the old emperors trust in them reposed followed also their owne delights without regard of the ruine of the common weale Some enamoured with the beautie of the yoong empresse gaue themselues all to brauerie and the courting of her othersome in great authoritie with no lesse desire in the meane time with the common treasures filled their emptie cofers and a third sort there was of all the rest most dangerous who neither respecting their sensuall pleasure neither the heaping vp of wealth looked not so low ayming at the verie empire it selfe As for the common good that was of all other things of them all least regarded Amongst these third sort of the ambitious was one Andronicus the cousin of the late emperour Emanuel a man of an haughtie and troublesome spirit whom he the said emperor Emanuel had for his aspiring most part of the time of his raigne kept in prison or else in exile as he now was being by him not long before for feare of raising of new troubles confined to liue far off from the court at OENUM who now hearing of the death of the emperour Emanuel of the factions in court of the childishnesse of the yoong emperour Alexius giuen wholy to his sports and the great men put in trust to haue seene to his bringing vp and to the gouernment of the empire some like bees to flie abroad into the countrey seeking after money as the bees do for honie some others in the meane time like hogs lying still and fatting themselues with great and gainefull offices wallowing in all excesse and pleasure to haue no regard of the honour or profit of the common weale thought it now a fit time in such disorder of the state for him to aspire vnto the empire after which he had all his life time longed That he was generally beloued of the Constantinopolitans yea and of some of the nobilitie also he doubted not for them he had long before by his popular behauiour gained together with the distrust of the late emperor jealous of his estate which as it cost him his libertie so missed it not much but that it had cost him his life also but now that he was dead wanted nothing more than some faire colour for the shadowing of his foule purpose Amongst many and right diuers things by him thought vpon was a clause in the oath of obedience which he had giuen vnto the emperour Emanuel and Alexius his sonne which oath he had deliuered vnto him in writing That if he should see heare or vnderstand of any thing dangerous or hurtfull to their honour empire or persons he should foorthwith bewray it and to the vttermost of his power withstand it which words not so to haue beene wrested as best seruing for his purpose he tooke first occasion for to worke vpon And as he was a stout and emperious man thereupon writ diuers letters vnto the yoong emperour his cousin vnto Theodosius the Patriarch and other such as he knew well affected vnto the late emperour Emanuel wherein among other things which he wished to be amended in the present gouernment he seemed most to complaine of the immoderat power and authoritie of Alexius then president of the Counsell who in great fauour with the yoong emperour and more inward with the empresse his mother than was supposed to stand with her honour ruled all things at his pleasure in so much as that nothing done by any the great officers of the empire or by the emperour himselfe was accounted of any force except his approbation were thereunto annexed whereby he was growne vnto such an excessiue pride hauing all things in his power as that no man could without danger as vpon the venemous Basiliske looke vpon him Of which his so excessiue and insolent power Andronicus by his letters now greatly complained mooued thereunto as he would haue it beleeued with the care he had of the yoong emperours safetie which could not as he said long stand with the others so great power which he therefore as in dutie bound wished to be abridged agrauating withall the infamous report of Alexius his too much familiaritie with the empresse which first muttered in court afterwards flew as he said throughout the whole world The reformation of which things as tending to the danger of the person of the emperour and dishonour of the state he forsooth as one in conscience bound with great grauitie and eloquence being a verie learned man both in open speech and writing most earnestly desired and thereby so wrought as that he was generally accounted for a man of great experience as indeed he was and a faithfull counsellor to the state a thing much to haue beene wished Wherefore leauing OENUM the place whereunto he was by the emperour Emanuel in a sort banished trauelling towards CONSTANTINOPLE he gaue it out in euerie place where he came what he had sworne and what he would for his oaths sake do vnto whom men desirous of the change of the state such as gaue credit vnto the report long before giuen out That he should at length
besieged her fathers castle of ABYDVS During which siege this gentlewoman oftentimes went vp into the high turret of the castle from whence shee might at pleasure see the marshall deeds on both sides and take full view of all the enemies campe But see the chance as Abdurachman with great courage and no lesse brauerie approched neere to the siege of the castle she thought vpon the first sight of him that he was the verie man whom she had before dreamed of and whose Idea was in her heart so deepely imprinted wherefore she fully resolued to performe what she had without witnesse with her selfe determined And waiting another time when Abdurachman approched the castle she cast downe to his feet a letter written in Greeke and made fast vnto a stone which letter he taking vp deliuered the same to the Generall Accecozza Wherein after she had discouered her passionat affection she promised to deliuer the castle into Abdurachmans power if the Turkes would raise their siege and Abdurachman himselfe with some few would secretly returne to the castle in the dead time of the night and then follow her direction Accecozza like an old fox which is seldome taken in the trap gaue small credit to these louing lines for feare of treason yet for so much as you are the man said he to Abdurachman whom she vpon speciall liking hath made choice of for the purpose will you aduenture your person And he armed with a manly courage a surer defence than any armour of proofe incited also with hope of honour riches and beautie all woorthie prises for marshall minds said he would vndertake the atchieument of that exploit if it were his pleasure so Whereupon Accecozza because nothing should be suspected by his sudden departure gaue a sharpe assault to the castle as if hee would haue taken it by fine force yet in the end retired and presently brake vp his siege as dispairing of the winning thereof The defendants of the castle thinking themselues deliuered from a great danger greatly rejoyced and as in like case it oftentimes falleth out in their great jolitie surcharged themselues that night with excesse both of meat and drinke But Abdurachman at the time in the letter appointed put himselfe vpon the way with certain select souldiors and about midnight came to the appointed place of the castle where the yong gentlewoman was attending his cōming he by her means was conueyed into the castle and so by her directed to the porters lodge where he slew the porter being fast asleepe and opening the gates let in his followers which went directly to the captaines lodging and there tooke him prisoner being before their comming ouertaken with wine and fast asleepe Thus was the castle of ABYDUS surprised by the Turks from whence they had a faire prospect out of ASIA into EUROPE The captaine with his faire daughter and the greatest part of the rich spoile of the castle was deliuered to Abdurachman to bee presented to Orchanes at his court then lying at NEAPOLIS Who wonderfull glad of so good news gaue the faire gentlewoman with the greatest part of the prey in reward to Abdurachman The posteritie of this man as they say yet remaine among the Turks Amongst others of the warlike captains there was also one Cararachman whose name was so dreadfull to thē of CONSTANTINOPLE that when their children cried they would terrifie them to make them hold their peace by saying Cararachman comes Not long after the two valiant aforenamed woorthie captaines Cunger-Alpes and Accecozza died after whose death Orchanes made his sonnes Solyman and Amurath lords and gouernours of those countries and prouinces And intending by the persuasion of Abdurachman to besiege NICOMEDIA he leuied a great armie wherewith hee tooke diuers small castles and forts as he marched towards the citie NICOMEDIA was at that time gouerned by an honourable ladie kinswoman vnto Andronicus the emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE but she seeing her citie besieged by the Turks and doubting her owne forces not to be able to hold out the siege by a trustie messenger offred to yeeld the citie vnto Orchanes vpon condition That she with so many of the citizens as would might in safetie depart with their liues libertie and goods which being graunted she with so many as would follow her departed out of the cittie by night taking shipping for CONSTANTINOPLE Orchanes hauing taken NICOMEDIA made his sonne Solyman gouernour of the same The churches of the Christians he conuerted into Turkish Meschitas or temples The greatest church being of wonderfull beautie he conuerted into a colledge or schoole for the learned professours and students of Mahomets law which is yet called in NICOMEDIA Orchanes his schoole or colledge And because the countrey neere vnto NICOMEDIA lying open vpon the sea was euer in danger to be spoiled by the gallies of CONSTANTINOPLE he placed in those countries diuers of his most experienced soldiors to defend the same appointing to euery of them possessions and pensions according to their degrees and merits After this Orchanes by the counsell of his brother Aladin commaunded all his men of war to weare white caps thereby to be knowne from others which commonly wore red Such manner of caps the Ianizaries vse at this day The Turks also in Orchanes raign long time after vsed not to cut or shaue their beards but did weare them long so that if the king would disgrace any man he would in his displeasure commaund his beard to be cut or shauen The manner of cutting and shauing their beards which they now vse they learned of the Italians of whom they haue also borrowed many other fashions not onely differing but quite cōtrarie to their antient maners customes Orchanes about this time remoued his court to NICE where he lay long time after There he built a sumptuous church appointing a preacher to preach vnto the people euery friday he erected in NICE also two faire abbeyes in the one of which he with owne hands serued the strangers and poore the first dinner He was the first that builded abbeyes or monasteries among the Turks whose example most of his successours haue imitated and is amongst them vsed vnto this day The gouernment of NICOMEDIA Orchanes committed to his eldest sonne Solyman as is beforesaid a prince of great towardlinesse giuing him in great charge to haue a vigilant eie vnto the townes of TARAXA GOVINUCA and MUDVRNE which were nigh vnto NICOMEDIA yet in possession of the Christians all which townes with the countries adjoyning Solyman in short time got without force by composition This Solyman was of a princely disposition so tempering justice with clemencie in his gouernment that many Christians allured with his vertues became of his religion and gladly put themselues vnder his subjection the politicke laws of the countrey he neither abrogated nor changed but maintained as they had ben of antient time accustomed whereby he greatly woon the hearts of the people Amurath his yonger sonne
vpon which conditions Amurath graunted him peace and so departed out of SERVIA In this expedition he also with much ado woon the great citie of APPOLONIA neere vnto the mount ATHOS and gaue leaue vnto most of the Christians with their wiues and children to depart and such part of their goods as was not in the taking thereof spoiled by the souldiors This done he returned backe to HADRIANOPLE leauing Eurenoses vpon the marches who shortly after tooke BERRHEA with diuers other townes At which time also Lala Schahin woon ZICHNE and SERES in the confines of MACEDONIA with many other strong townes vpon the frontiers of THESSALIA and THRACE In the citie SERES Eurenoses made his abode as in a cheefe frontier towne and because the Christians for feare of the Turks were all fled out of the country about SERES great numbers of people were sent for out of ASIA to inhabit that countrey by the Christians forsaken in the confines of MACEDONIA Amurath had not long continued at HADRIANOPLE but that he was aduertised out of ASIA that Aladin his sonne in law king of CARAMANIA did with fire and sword inuade his dominions in ASIA with which newes he was exceedingly troubled And for that cause sending for his counsailors and nobilitie to the court told them how that Aladin forgetting all the bonds of religion faith peace and aliance with all hostilitie inuaded his prouinces in ASIA whilest he with the great danger of his person and greater terror of his enemies sought with honour the encrease of the Mahometane sincere religion as he tearmed it in EUROPE from which godly warres said hee I am against my will enforced to turne my sword in just defence of my selfe against men joyned with vs both in religion alliance And hauing thus declared his mind he appointed Chairadin Bassa his lieutenant generall in EVROPE and also made his sonne Alis Bassa one of his counsaile although he were by some thought too yong for so great a place And so hauing set all things in order according to his mind in EUROPE tooke passage from CALLIPOLIS into ASIA and so to his court at PRUSA where he spent that winter In which time embassadors came vnto him frō the Sultan of AEGYPT for the renewing of their former amitie and friendship which Amurath tooke very thankefully and sent them backe againe loden with kind letters and princely rewards When the Spring was come in the year 1387 he leuied a mightie armie to make war vpon the Caramanian king his sonne in law Whereof Aladin certainely informed prepared no lesse power to meet him associating vnto him all the other lesse Mahometane princes of ASIA which were not vnder Amurath his obeisance to whom the Othoman kings were now growne terrible which princes brought with them great supplies to joyne with Aladin Aladin thus aided by his friends thinking himselfe now strong ynough for Amurath his father in law sent an embassadour vnto him certifying him That he was nothing in power inferiour to him and therefore did nothing feare him yet if it pleased him to haue peace that hee could for his part be content to hearken vnto the same vpon reasonable conditions but if hee had rather haue warre he should find him readie to dare him battaile in the field whensoeuer hee should come For answere of which embassage Amurath willed the embassadour to tell the perjured king his master That he had of late contrarie to his faith before giuen in most cruell manner inuaded his dominions whilest he was busied in most godly warres as hee tearmed it against the misbeleeuing Christians from prosecuting whereof hee was by his violence as hee said withdrawne contrarie to the law of their great prophet for which outrages and wrongs hee would shortly come and take of him sharpe reuenge and that therefore hee was to expect nothing at his hands but warre for which he willed him so to prouide as that at his comming he might not find him wanting to himselfe Aladin by his embassadour hauing receiued this answere from Amurath assembled all the confederate princes his allies with great persuasions and greater promises encouraging them to this warre and they againe kissing the ground at his feet as the manner of that nation is before great princes promised with solemne oaths neuer to forsake him but to to doe all things which princes desirous of honour and fame ought by their oath to do for their soueraigne to whom they ought homage and dutie In this great preparation for wars in ASIA Chairadin Bassa generall gouernor in EUROPE died which Amurath vnderstanding appointed Alis Bassa his sonne to goe into EUROPE there to be gouernour in his fathers stead But he was staied in his journey by vrgent occasions which Amurath vnderstanding sent for him backe againe in post Aladin forecasting the great dangers like to ensue of this warre sent another embassadour to Amurath with reasonable conditions of peace to whom Amurath answered That if Aladin had made that offer one moneth before hee would perhaps haue accepted thereof but for so much as he had done him great wrong and that hee had now to his infinite charge drawne him into the field so farre from home hee would not make any other end than such as the chance of warre should appoint And whereas he in disgrace had called me a heardsman or shepheard said he if he be not such a one himselfe as he saith me to be let him meet me in the field and there trie his valour Hereunto the embassadour replied saying That the king his master made this offer of peace not for any feare but to saue the effusion of innocent blood which consideration set apart he should find him not inferiour to himselfe either in number of most expert souldiours or other warlike prouision and that therefore if he rejected this offer of peace hee needed not to doubt but to meet with men of courage which would beare themselues so valiantly in the field against his Turks as that he should haue no great cause to rejoice of his comming thether Which words of the embassador so netled Amurath that in great rage he commaunded him to depart and to will his maister if hee were a man of such courage and valour as he said to shew himselfe in the field with all his forces there to make an end of all quarrels where hee doubted not but in short time to chastice him according to his due deserts So after the embassadour was departed marching forward three daies Alis Beg came vnto him of whose comming he not a little rejoyced for why he loued him deerelie and although he was yet of yeares but yoong relied much vpon his counsaile The Embassadour returning recounted vnto Aladin all that Amurath had said not omitting his hard speeches and proud threats and how that hee hoped shortly to take from him ICONIVM and LARENDA the principall cities of CARAMANIA with many things more leauing nothing vntold Which Aladin hearing
horse as he was hawking Old Amurath throughly wearied with continuall warres and other troubles incident vnto restlesse roomes resolued now to retire himselfe to a more priuat and quiâ—â— kind of life and therfore sent for his sonne Mahomet being then but fifteene yeares old to whom hee voluntarily resigned his kingdome appointing Caly Bassa his tutor with one Chosroe a learned doctor of their 〈◊〉 to be his trustie counsellors and cheefe directers And so taking with him Hamze-Beg one 〈…〉 noblemen in whom he tooke greatest pleasure departed to MAGNESIA and there as a man wearie of the world gaue himselfe to a solitarie and monasticall kind of life in the companie of certaine religious Turkish monks as they accounted of them Many great kings and princes as well Mahometanes as Christians glad before of the Hungarian victorie were now no lesse sorrie to heare of the late concluded peace betwixt king Vladislaus and the old Sultan Amurath as being of opinion That the prosecution of that warre so happily begun would haue beene the vtter ruine and destruction of the Turkish kingdome Wherefore they sought by all possible meanes to induce the young king Vladislaus to breake the league he had so lately and so solemnely made with the Turke especially Iohn Palaeologius the emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE did by letters importune the king to remember the confederation he had made with the other Christian princes for the maintenance of the wars against the common enemie of Christianitie which princes were now prest and readie as he said to assist him with their promised aid adding moreouer That whereas Amurath had diuerse times sought to joyne with him in amitie and friendship hee had vtterly rejected that offer of peace preferring the vniuersall profit like to ensue to all Christendome by that religious warre befoâ—◠〈◊〉 owne proper securitie and profit being for his part in readinesse to joyne his forces with the kings if he would presently enter into armes which he could neuer doe in better time than now whilest Amurath terrified with his late ouerthrow and still beset with doubtfull waâ— had drawne his greatest forces out of EVROPE into ASIA in such disordered hast as that 〈◊〉 should seeme he rather fled for feare of his enemies in EVROPE than marched to encounter hiâ— enemies in ASIA and now being wearie of all had betaken himselfe vnto a priuat kind of 〈◊〉 To conclude he requested the king not to leaue him and the other Christian princes of small pâ—â—wer as a prey vnto the Turke who would assuredly with all hostilitie inuade them so soone 〈◊〉 he thought himselfe safe from the danger of the Hungarians At the same time also and vpon the departure of the Turkes embassadours for the performance of such things as they had promised letters came from Francis the Cardinall of FLORENCE Generall of the Christian fleet declaring how that Amurath hauing left almost none in EVROPE was with all the power hee could make gone ouer into ASIA against the Caramanian king leauing a most faire occasion for the Christians easily to recouer whatsoeuer they had before lost in EVROPE and that hee was in good time come with his fleet vnto the straits of HELLESPONTVS according vnto promise and there lay readie to embarre the Turks passage backe againe out of ASIA Both these letters being read in the Counsell so much mooued the king with all the reâ—â— of the nobilitie of HVNGARIE there present as that they were neuer more sorrie or ashamed for any thing they had done in their liues than for the league so lately with Amurath concluded for why they saw that all the plot they had laied for their immortall glorie was now by this â—astie peace that they had made with the Turke without the good liking or knowledge of their confederats brought to nought and that they had thereby most shamefully deceiued the generall expectation thaâ— the Christian commonweale had conceiued of them and that they of long time called the protectors of the Christian faith the defendours of true religion the reuengers of Christ his name and deliuerers of the faithfull nations should now be accounted the breakers of the Christian league men forgetfull of their confederation both with the Latines and the Greeks contemneâ—s of immortalitie and louers of their owne profit onely In this doubtfulnesse of minds whilst they stood yet thus 〈◊〉 Iulian the Cardinall and Lâ—gat alwaies an enemie vnto the peace and by reason of his place a man in greatest authoritie next vnto the king tooke occasion to dissuade the same as folloâ—eth If any of you right worthie said hee shall happily maruell that I should speake of breaking the league and violating our faith let him first vnderstand That I at this present am to persuade you to nothing els but the faithfull obseruing both of the one and the other led with like repentance with you repentance I say and not sorrow when as I as from a watch-tower foreseeing all these things which were decreed against my will to sort also contrarie to your expectation am now for the dutie of my legation and the Zeale vnto the Christian religion enforced with you to doubt and so much the rather for that at this present 〈◊〉 question is of the losse and hazard of all our honours and credit in common which except we by common consent and wonted valour endeuour to amend ô how much it is to be feared least for shame neither may you goe out of HVNGARIE or I returne to ROME where all things are with most deepe judgement censured Consider I pray you into what miseries this hastie resoluâ—â—â—â— hath cast vs. We haue entred into league with the Turke an infidell to violate our faith with the 〈◊〉 and to breake the holy league before made with the great bishop and the other Christian prinâ—â—s our confederats And that for what for what profit I say Forsooth that so we might againe recoâ—â—â— SERVIA long before destroied Verily a small and wofull profit which may againe in short time be 〈◊〉 off and depriueth vs of others farre greater and of much longer continuance For what can bee more fond or inconsiderat than in our consultations to haue regard to our priuat profit only and not the publicke without respect of religion honestie or conscience It is not demaunded of you at this present right honorable what you owe vnto the periured Turke but you are by me Iulian the great bishops and the confederat Christian princes Legat and Agent before the tribunall seat of your owne consciences accused of breach of faith breach of league and breach of promise and thereof euen by your owne judgement rather than by the iudgement of God or other man I will condemne you Answere me you noble Worthies After you had happily six moneths made warres against the Turkes in BVLGARIA and the borders of THRACIA and after that triumphantly returning into HVNGARIE receiued you not honourable embassages from almost all ITALIE and from the
to lead a priuat life Which thing if he shall refuse to graunt although he neither feare the lawes of God or man yet as I haue at HIERVSALEM so will I also shortly at MECHA if by your leaue I may complaine vnto the great prophet of the iniuries done vnto me by my cruell and vnnaturall brother and afterwards make proofe of your compassion towards me all which I hope shall much auaile But if which I would not I shall proue all these things in vaine sith desperation enforceth men to all extremities I will goe with fire sword and slaughter by secret and open force by right and wrong and hated will vex my hatefull brother by all manner of mischeefe by all manner of reuenge Neither will I make an end of confounding of all vntill I be either receiued into part of the empire or els together with my life leaue those desperat and lost things for him alone to enioy For I deeme it much better quickly to die than with disgrace and infamie to protract a lingering loathed life The great Sultan in courteous manner comforted the distressed prince willing him to bee of good cheere and patiently to beare his present hap for as much as it became a man borne in so high fortune not to be discouraged with any mischance or dismaied if things fell out otherwise than he looked for commending him withall for that hee saw in him no lesse courage than might well haue becommed his better estate and willing him to liue still in hope promised to doe what in him lay to reconcile him vnto his brother and to persuade him that he might be receiued into some part of the kingdome And to that purpose shortly after dispatched away an honourable embassage to Baiazet Zemes in the meane while by the same Sultans leaue vpon a superstitious deuotion trauelled into ARABIA to visit the temple of Mahomet at MECHA and his sepulchre at MEDINA Vpon his returne to CAIRE the embassadours before sent returned also but not hauing obtained any thing they desired for Baiazet would not giue eare to any agreement but seemed altogether to contemne and despise his brother Wherfore Zemes more vpon stomacke and desire of reuenge than for any hope he had of the empire determined with himselfe to make open warre vpon him reposing some good hope in his secret friends and in the reuolt of some of the great captaines who discontented with the gouernment of Baiazet secretly wished for his returne Whilest hee was thus plotting these waightie matters a messenger with letters came fitly from the king of CARAMANIA offering with all the power he could make to joyne with him if he would take vp armes against his brother This poore titular king then liued in ARMENIA and being able by his friends to make some good force was in hope by joyning with Zemes to recouer some part of the Caramanian kingdome from whence his father was not many yeares before driuen by the force of the late Turkish emperour Mahomet the Great Baiazet his father It is hard to say whether of these distressed and exiled princes gaue the greater encouragement to the other to take this desperat war in hand being both together farre vnable by all the friends they could make to encounter with the great power of Baiazet But what is so dangerous or desperat which aspiring minds will not attempt in hope of a kingdome whose brightnesse so dazeleth their eyes that they can see nothing but it Hereupon Zemes hauing receiued great gifts of the Aegyptian Sultan with promise of aid departed from CAIRE the Sultan earnestly persuading him to the contrarie as it was before appointed met with the Caramannian king vpon the borders of ASIA the lesser where they concluded to joyne together such forces as they had and to inuade Baiazet Which they accordingly did for raising all the power they could they entered into CILICIA now called CARAMANNIA and joyning their armies together encamped betweene ICONIVM and LARENDA Neither did Baiazet in time of so great a danger sit still not so much fearing his brothers power as the reuolting of his captaines and souldiors whom he knew either to loue or at least not to hate the young prince his brother Wherfore he raised a great armie and sent Achmetes the great man of war before with the one part thereof himselfe following after with a far greater strength for at that time he had vnder his ensignes two hundred thousand men As he was marching with this great armie a rumor was raised in the campe That some of his cheefe captaines had conspired to betray him into the hands of his brother and that many of the souldiours secretly fauouring Zemes would vpon the joyning of the battell forsake him and take part with his brother Which report so troubled Baiazet that he stood in doubt what to doe or whom to trust but knowing that nothing winneth the heart of the common souldiour more than the Generals bountie he forthwith caused a wonderfull masse of money to bee deuided amongst the captaines and souldiors loding their minds with ample promises of farre greater rewards for their fidelitie and valour to be shewed in that present seruice Hauing thus assured vnto himselfe the wauering minds of his souldiours he began to draw néere to ICONIVM where his enemies lay encamped and by glosing letters and flattering messengers made shew openly as if he had beene very desirous to come to some good agreement with them but secretly went about to stop all the straits passages in such manner as that it should not be possible for them againe to retire backe into SYRIA for hee doubted nothing more but least they being but few in number so in strength far vnequall vnto him would not vpon so great disaduantage hazard the fortune of a battell but retire themselues into SYRIA and so to his exceeding trouble and infinit charge protract the warre Zemes perceiuing his brothers subtill drift and seeing no such reuolt as he had hoped for and as had before by letters to him beene promised and waighing with reason his owne weake forces retired in good time vnto the straits of the mountaine AMANVS which deuideth CILICIA from SYRIA Here despairing of all good successe in the enterprise he had taken in hand he persuaded the Caramannian king his confederat to giue place vnto the time and to reserue himselfe vnto his better fortune and so breaking vp his armie with a few of his followers came downe to the sea coast of CILICIA where he hired a tall ship to attend in readinesse that if any suddaine danger should arise he might goe aboord and so saue himselfe by sea In the mean time he sent a messenger vnto Damboys Great Master of the RHODES certifying him That for as much as he had no place of safetie left amongst his owne people wherein hee might shrowd himselfe from the furie of his brother still seeking after his life hee would vpon
a fresh charge giuen by Ferdinands horsemen who had now put to flight the right wing of Bodo his battell all Bodo his armie fighting most valiantly was disordered and put to flight Bodo the Generall labouring to restore the battell and to saue the ensigne to him before by the king deliuered was by the comming in of Paulus Bachitius with his light horsemen taken The other captaines seeing all lost and past hope of recouerie betooke themselues to flight all the kings artillerie and ensignes were taken by the enemie The king seeing the ouerthrow of his armie for safegard of his life fled into POLONIA Ferdinand his captaines following the course of the victorie entered into TRANSILVANIA where the people yeelding themselues at the first all the whole prouince submitted it selfe vnto the authoritie of Ferdinand Bodo and the rest of the noble men that were taken prisoners with the ensignes taken from the enemies were sent to Ferdinand But when Bodo hauing his libertie promised could not be persuaded to renounce his oath giuen to king Iohn and to beare armes against him he was by Ferdinand his commaundement cast into a darke dungeon where shortly after consumed with sorrow and greefe he miserably ended his life Shortly after Ferdinand the Hungarians generally submitting themselues vnto him was by their common consent saluted king and crowned with the same old crowne wherwith king Iohn had been crowned which the same Perenus a man of little constancie brought vnto him and with him was also crowned Anne his wife the only sister of the late king Lewes all which solemne ceremonies were celebrated at ALBA REGALIS the vsuall place for the coronation of the Hungarian kings Ferdinand by rare felicitie thus possessed of two kingdomes whereunto he was not borne returned into BOHEMIA and left his deputies for the gouernment of the kingdome of HVNGARIE These were Stephanus Bator whom hee appointed viceroy with whom he joyned Paulus bishop of STRIGONIVM who had also reuolted from king Iohn and made Berethsaxius secretarie and Alexius Tursonus a Morauian treasurer King Iohn thus miserably distressed and thrust out of his kingdome by Ferdinand fled to Hieronimus Lascus a man for his honourable discent and learned vertue of great fame and reputation amongst the Polonians who glad of so honourable a guest was more carefull of nothing than with all possible kindnesse and courtesie how to comfort him wrapt vp in so many calamities with the losse of his kingdome he frankely promised vnto him all his owne wealth which was not small for the recouerie of his former estate and that which more was for the reuiuing of his former felicitie the vttermost of his wit and deuise which in the compassing of all great matters was accounted wonderfull That bountifull entertainement of this poore king by Lascus was not altogether vnpleasant to Sigismund king of POLONIA although because he would not offend Ferdinand with whom he was joyned in friendship and aliance he seemed to most men plainly to forget himselfe in shewing so small kindnesse vnto king Iohn whose sister Barbara he had sometime married which was the cause that Lascus forgot no point of courtesie in entertaining his guest and yet the credit of Sigismund with king Ferdinand not toucht But when they had spent almost a month in consultation and debating of matters too and fro Lascus accustomed with his deepe wit sharply to reason and aduisedly to determine of most weightie causes at last rested vpon this one point That readie helpe in so hard and desperat a case was onely to be hoped for of the Turkish emperour Solyman being of opinion that he being a most mightie prince and of an honourable disposition answereable to his greatnesse would not reject the humble prayers of an oppressed and exiled king especially if that being by his mercie and power restored he could be content for so great a benefiâ— to hold his kingdome as of the bountie of the Othoman kings For Lascus saw that Solyman so great and proud an emperour was not so desirous of kingdomes whereof he had so many as could not easily bee reckoned then commaunding ouer a great part of the world as of glorie and renowne wherewith he vnderstood him to be wonderfully delighted aboue all other kings of the East naturally carried away with that windie vanitie This counsell as in effect it prooued was vnto king Iohn wholesome and reasonable if a man doe but respect the poore estate of a king so greatly wronged liuing in exile but respecting the Christian commonweale it was vndoubtedly most dangerous and lamentable for one mans particular profit to bring the whole state into most dreadfull and horrible danger but the sicke minds of worldly men liuing in small hope of doing well and at the point of desperation refuse no worldly remedies be they neuer so doubtfull or dangerous And not long after vpon this resolution with the king Lascus desirous by noble actions to encrease the honour of his name tooke the matter vpon him and went as embassadour from the exiled king to Solyman to CONSTANTINOPLE The report was that Sigismund did not only not stay him but secretly gaue him his safe conduct with letters of credence wherein he commended him vnto the Bassaes and other great men in Solymans court descended of the Polonian bloud as his faithfull and louing subject sent thither vpon an extraordinarie and speciall embassage Lascus as soone as he was come to CONSTANTINOPLE with wonderfull dexteritie had in short time woon the fauour not of the Bassaes only but of the other courtiers also presenting them with such gifts as might for the finenesse and rarenesse thereof rather than for the value as he thought be most acceptable and pleasing to their wiues for amongst that barbarous and corrupted people nothing is better welcome than gifts whether they proceed of simple good will or other respect is no great difference Amongst the great Bassaes at that time of greatest power and authoritie was Luftebeius or rather Lutzis who had married Solymans sister and Abraham borne at PARGA a base village in ACARNANIA brought vp in the court from his childhood with Solyman he was then visier or cheefe of the Bassaes and keeper of the emperors seale and was by his office to subscribe all such graunts or letters as passed from the emperour by which his great place and the speciall fauour he had with Solyman he in magnificence power and authoritie farre exceeded all the rest of the Bassaes doing whatsoeuer pleased himselfe and that with such soueraignetie and the good liking of Solyman that it was commonly said he was the commaunder of his thoughts Lascus thus insinuated into the court and oftentimes talking with the Bassaes without an interpretour for that hee could well speake the Sclauonian tongue the familiar speech of the Turkish courtiers earnestly solicited the kings cause wonderfully commending him for at his first comming after he had saluted Solyman and was about
the desperate assault of certaine resolute Christians whom they had now full sore against their wils receiued as it were into their bosomes fearing also to want victuall and pouder if they should longer hold out without any hope of releefe yeelded the citie castle to Auria vpon condition that they might in safetie depart thence with bag and baggage CORONE thus taken and a strong garrison of Spaniards there placed and the Christian Greekes which dwelt in the citie sworne vnto them Auria put to sea with his fleet and sayling againe by ZACINTHVS came to PATRAS another antient citie of PELOPONESVS which he easily tooke and ransacked for the Turks distrusting the strength of the citie had strongly entrenched themselues neere vnto the castle which place also together with the castle they in short time yeelded to Auria couenanting that they and especially their wiues might with their garments onely depart in safetie into AETOLIA which was by Auria so precisely performed that when three thousand of them passed along thorow the armie of the Christians raunged on both sides and some of the souldiours began rudely to handle some of the women and to take from them some of their jewels he caused them presently to the terrour of others to be hanged Auria leauing his armie at PATRAS with commaundement to follow him by land sailed alongst the coast of PELOPONESVS vntill he came to the strait of NAVPACTVM now called LEPANTO which is the entrance into the gulfe of CORINTH parting PELOPONESVS from AETOLIA with a strait somewhat narrower than the strait of HELLESPONT Vpon this strait stood two castles the one called RHIVM vpon the coast of PELOPONESVS and the other MOLYCREVM in AETOLIA which Baiazet had wonderfully fortified and stored with ordinance for the keeping of that strait Auria threatening all extremitie vnto the captaine of the castle on PELOPONESVS side if he did enforce him to plant his batterie so terrified him that he without delay yeelded to him the castle couenanting only That he and his souldiours might in safetie depart thence which graunted and the Turkes departed Auria gaue the spoile of the castle vnto his souldiors which came with him by sea whereby he so offended the minds of the other souldiors which came by land from PATRAS that they were about to haue forsaken him The other castle vpon AETOLIA side was not so easily taken being valiantly defended by a garrison of old Ianizaries appointed for the keeping thereof Yet in the end by furie of the ordinance a breach was made wherby the Christians forcibly entring slew three hundred of the old garrison souldiours not taking any to mercie the rest fled into a strong tower in the middest of the castle where seeing no remedie but that they must needs fall into the hands of their enemies they desperatly blew vp themselues and the tower with a great part of the castle with gunpouder in such sort that it seemed all the sea coast to haue been shaken with an earthquake and the gallies which lay a bow shoot off were almost ouerwhelmed with stones blowne out so farre off The great Ordinance taken in this castle was valued at seuentie thousand duckats whereof certaine peeces of a wonderfull greatnesse with Arabian letters written vpon them were afterwards by Auria brought to GENVA and in remembrance of the victorie mounted vpon the bulwarke at the mouth of the hauen All these things thus happely aâ—chieued Auria strongly fortified the citie of CORONE storing it both with munition and plentie of victuall committing the defence therof to Mendoza a valiant Spaniard with a strong garrison of Spaniards promising of his owne charge to relieue him whensoeuer he should need if the emperour should deferre to doe it The strait of NAVPACTVM laid open Saluâ—atus with the gallies of MALTA scoured all alongst the gulfe of CORINTH doing great harme vnto the Turkes which dwelt on both sides of the gulfe spoyling and terrifying them euen as farre as CORINTH Not long after Winter now approching Auria receiuing letters from the emperour of Solymans departure out of HVNGARIE returned with his fleet loaded with the spoile of the Turkes to NAPLES and so from thence home to GENVA In the beginning of the Spring following which was in the yeare 1533 it was rifely reported that the Turks were comming with a great fleet towards PELOPONESVS and not long after Mendoza Gouernour of CORONE by letters aduertised Peter of TOLEDO viceroy of NAPLES that he was both by sea and land hardly besieged by the Turkes and that he would to the vttermost of his power valiantly defend the citie so long as he had any prouision of victuall Wherefore he most earnestly requested that if the emperour would haue the towne kept hee should in time send him reliefe wherupon the oppressed Grecians taking heart were like enough to rebell and to helpe to expulse the Turks quite out of PELOPONESVS But aboue all things he forgot not to craue speedie helpe of Auria and to put him in mind of the faithfull promise he had made to relieue him at his need Vpon this newes Charles the emperour commaunded Auria his Admirall to rig vp a conuenient fleet for that seruice promising forthwith to send vnto him twelue gallies which hee had new built in SPAINE He also requested the knights of MALTA to aid him with their gallies against that common enemie Wherefore Auria hauing with wonderfull celeritie rigged vp thirtie tall ships and as many gallies came to NAPLES to take in his souldiours there the old garrisons of the Spaniards which for want of pay were risen in mutinie against the great Commaunder Vastius and the viceroy and had rifeled the citie of AVERSA and done no little harme all about in the countrey of CAMPANIA were againe pacified by a pay giuen vnto them and presently embarked for CORONE vnder the commaund of Rodericus Macicaus their Generall at which time also Frederick of TOLEDO the viceroy his sonne with a companie of braue gentlement went aboord vowing vnto the sacred warre that their first seruice The knights of MALTA came thither also with their gallies But whilest these things were a doing Auria to encourage them of CORONE for feare least they dispairing of helpe should fall to some hard composition with the Turkes sent Christopher Palauicine a resolute young gentleman of an inuincible courage with a most swift gallie to CORONE who by daylight passing thorow the middest of the Turkes fleet safely recouered the hauen to the great joy of the besieged Christians and shortly after when he had well viewed all things he was sent for with the strength and manner of the enemies lying and filled the mindes of the defendants with assured hope of speedie rescue about noone time of the day he suddenly brake out againe thorow the middest of his enemies and as it were miraculously escaped in safetie for all that they could doe although they ceased not to giue him chase so long
himselfe in PERSIA persuaded therunto as we haue before said by Abraham the great Bassa Of whom a few words that they which shall hereafter liue may in him as in others see in what slipperie place they stand and what small assurance they haue which forsaking God run headlong after these worldly vanities and swelling with the fauours of great princes are in a moment when they least feare any such fall suddenly ouerthrowne and become the miserable spectacles of mans fragilitie in the height of their supposed blisse This great Bassa called of the Turkes Ibrahim of vs Abraham was borne in a poore countrey village neere vnto PERGA a towne in that part of EPIRVS which was called BVTHROTIA who in his childhood was taken from his Christian parents by such as by authoritie did take vp the tribute children of the Christians for the Turkish emperour A tribute of all tributes most grieuous He was of countenance amiable of feature comely actiue of bodie well spoken pleasantly conceited and sharpe of wit so that he in shorter time than was thought possible to the admiration of many learned both to speake and write the Arabian tongue and other languages vsed in the Turkes court and could skilfully play vpon sundrie kinds of instruments And being yet a boy serued Scanderbassa a man of great authoritie and power in the time of Selymus the emperour in whose seruice he was instructed in the Mahometane religion but giuing himselfe to all manner of curiositie and neatnesse he was wonderfully fauoured by the great ladie his mistresse and by her commended to her husband Scanderbassa as a fit page to attemper his melancholy and wayward disposition with his pleasant conceits and deuises Wherein the Tetricall Bassa finding him to excell gaue him as a rare gift to Solyman the sonne of Selymus his grandfather Baiazet yet liuing who tooke in him such pleasure that the old emperour caused him to be brought vp in the court in all princely qualities with Solyman who was of like yeares vnto him as his companion and playfellow Where he so framed himselfe vnto the young prince his disposition in all points that he was of him alwaies exceedingly beloued and afterwards promoted to all the honours of the court and made one of the Bassaes giuing vnto him in marriage the onely daughter and heire of Scanderbassa his master then dead with an exceeding great dowrie And after that made him Gouernour of CAIRE where hee had not long remained but he was againe sent for to the court as the man which gaue thereunto life without whose companie Solyman was as one halfe dead At length he made him Vesier which is the chiefe of all the Bassaes and president of his counsell the greatest honour in the Turkish empire next vnto the emperour himselfe And to honour him yet more he deliuered him his priuat signet wherwith the Turkish emperourâ— neuer vsed to trust any but themselues he might at his pleasure grace and disgrace whom 〈◊〉 would in court or elsewhere What he commaunded was done and whatsoeuer he did 〈◊〉 â—aken for well done He might without the emperours knowledge giue any office yea the â—â—â—ernment of whole countries and prouinces vnto his fauourites his credit with the emperoâ—â—â—as so great that hee did what he list and no man durst presume to aske any reason why And 〈◊〉 say all at once he wanted nothing of the majestie of an emperour but the name onely in steed whereof he was commonly called the Great Commander of all the emperours forces His house in CONSTANTINOPLE was of all other most stately wherein was daily to be seene such a multitude of his gallant followers and such a world of wealth and royall furniture as that it might be worthely compared with the pallace of a great prince Neither was he partaker of Solymans counsailes in his waightie matters of state onely but of his secret delights and pleasures also if he were present all was well if he were away nothing pleased to be short he so possessed this great emperour that men commonly said The soule of Solyman liued in Abraham Whereat many of the great men of the court secretly repined but especially Solymans mother and Roxalana his faire concubine whom of all women hee held dearest His liuely and majesticall countenance thou maiest here behold ABRAHAM Magnus es Getici tibi gratia prona tynanni Seruit at ex alto magna ruina venit Te proceres odere Parensque regia coniux Horum ne pereas proditione caue Right great thou art and doest commaund the fauour of thy king But such great fauours oftentimes a greater fall doe bring The great kings mother wife and all the nobles hate thee sore Beware that by their wily drifts thou perish not therefore This great Commaunder which might at all times be bolde to speake what he thought vnto Solyman sought many times in his priuat discourses betwixt them two to persuade him to forbeare to vse his forces any farther against the Christians ouer whom he had sufficiently alreadie triumphed and to turne them vpon the Persians by whom he was daily injured Alleadging vnto him that the Germans were a strong and warlike people who as they both in language and manners differed from the Hungarians so were they alwaies at variance with them and therefore much cared not though they were by him subdued but if he should begin to inuade any part of their countrey he should then soone see that inuincible nation with their vnited forces vp in armes readie to make strong resistance And to prouoke Charles the emperour of all the Christian princes the mightiest were not good who of himselfe was able to bring into the field most puissant armies of valiant souldiours out of his owne dominions beside the wonderfull concourse of most resolute men out of all parts of Christendome which would not spare to lay downe their liues at his feet in that warre which was of them accounted most religious Yea what strength both of horse and foot might be raised and brought to the battell by the two brethren Charles and Ferdinand onely might as he said euen then be plainely perceiued when as they valiantly defended VIENNA besieged by vs with great power Neither did Charles afterward as it seemed and as the Christians commonly vaunt feare to haue aduentured the fortune of a maine battell with you who although I doubt not but he should haue beene ouercome by you so great a monarch with so puissant an armie a thing peculiar to your good fortune yet I cannot denie but that that victorie against such expert and resolute soldiors so strongly armed as their manner is must haue been bought with a great deale of our bloud These things in my opinion may reasonably persuade you to let the Christians alone by ciuile warres to weaken one another that so afterwards they may become a prey vnto vs without any danger of ours So that in my iudgement the
that he well perceiued he could not long endure Wherefore feeling his end to draw fast on he made his will appointing his young sonne to be his heire whom he committed to the tuition of George bishop of VERADIVM and Peter Vicche a noble gentleman and his neere kinsman vntill he came to age requesting the rest of the noble men to preferre his sonne in the succession of the kingdome before a stranger telling them That Solyman would vndoubtedly take vpon him the protection both of the kingdome and of his sonne if they would in time send embassadours vnto him with presents and promise for his sonne that he should raigne as his tributarie as he had done before and so presently after died This king was of a courteous and gentle nature bountifull and in all his doings just of no fierce and rough disposition as the Hungarians commonly are but of a most ciuile behauiour garnished with good letters and thorowly schooled in the diuers chances of both fortunes not measuring his actions by the strength of his power but by the exact rule of discretion for in time of businesse no man was more circumspect or vigilant than he nor in time of recreation any man more courteous or pleasant He vsed oftentimes to say That the fauour and loue of valiant men gotten by bountie and courtesie was the best treasures of a prince for that courteous and thankfull men did oftentimes in some one worthie piece of seruice plentifully repay whatsoeuer had been bestowed vpon them as for such as were vnthankfull they did to their shame beare the testimonie of another mans vertue The kings death was kept secret vntill such time as the noble men had agreed with Maylat that he should take an oath of his faithfull alleagance to the king and his sonne his lawfull heire and so still to enjoy his former place and gouernment which offer Maylat gladly accepted Then calling togither the counsell it was decreed to send the same embassage to Solyman which was appointed the old king yet liuing So were presently dispatched away two most honourable embassadours Ioannes Exechius bishop of QVINQVE ECLESIE and Stephanus Verbetius the Chancelor a man of great yeares carrying with them ten boles of pure gold curiously wrought six hundred of siluer gilt and engrauen fortie pieces of purple silke and cloth of gold for Turkes gownes and fiftie pound of coined gold to be paid in the name of two yeares tribute Which embassadours passing directly from SIBYNIVM ouer Danubius into SERVIA and so trauelling thorow THRACIA came to CONSTANTINOPLE In the meane time the dead body of the king was with much heauinesse carried from SIBYNIVM to ALBA REGALIS most part of the armie following it and there with great solemnitie buried After this the young child was christened and called Stephen and there presently crowned with the antient crowne of king Stephen who first erected that kingdome without which the Hungarians neuer accounted their kings lawfully crowned Yet the royall dignitie was by the common consent of the nobilitie giuen vnto the queene with condition that in all publike writings the names of the sonne and of the mother should be joyned and the kings money coined with the same inscription but the chiefest authoritie rested in George the bishop for he was treasurer and had at his commaund the castles and strong holds yet were the souldiors with their ensignes and furniture at the deuotion of Valentinus Thuracus In the middle between these two was placed Peter Vicche the kings kinsman and by the old king appointed for one of the tutors to his young sonne suspected of neither part honoured with the name of high Constable But because the name of this George the bishop was most famous in this wofull warre which we are about to write I thought it worth the labour to speake something of his nature and disposition that it may be knowne to all posteritie by what pollicie this war was managed and how this flourishing kingdome by the madnesse of the Hungarians came into the hands of the Turkes This George was borne in CROATIA and brought vp from his youth in the house of king Iohn where vertue and industrie neuer wanted reliefe when as he vnaduisedly before had entred into the orders of a monasticall life and wearie too late of the straightnesse thereof had forsaken his profession Wherefore being of a wonderfull pleasing nature and still following king Iohn driuen out of his kingdome and long liuing in exile he woon such credit and commendation for his fidelitie integritie and readie counsell in the kings most doubtfull and dangerous affaires that after Sibacchus that worthie bishop was by the treacherie of Aloysius Grittus slaine at BAXOVIA he obtained the great bishopricke of VERADIVM After that when he had strengthened his credit with great wealth he alwaies as a faithfull counsellor swaied and happily ruled both the court and kingdome to the profit of the king But he was of such a diuers and pliant nature that performing in all actions all the parts of a most readie and excellent man he seemed to be made of contrarie qualities and borne to doe any thing For in saying of his princely seruice and performing the other ceremonies of the Christian religion he shewed or at leastwise counterfeited such a contrition in his deuout countenance and speech that a man would not haue thought it could possibly be the same man who in the most waightie affaires both of warre and peace did most stoutly shew the wonderfull force of a most pregnant and couragious wit For he vsed to keepe whole companies of most excellent and ready horsemen and would oftentimes come forth into the battell armed he would with often banquets and rewards win the hearts of the souldiors and after the manner of great chieftaines maintaine the honour and credit of his name both with punishment and reward as occasion required Besides that no man looked into the wealth of the kingdome more diligently than he no man did to more profit let to farme the customes gold mines feedings and saltpits no man could deuise finer meanes to raise money of all others the readiest way to credit insomuch that king Iohn would confesse himselfe to raign by the especially industrie of that man and king Ferdinand would many times say That he enuied at K. Iohn for nothing he had but for one hooded fellow which was better for the defence of a kingdome than 10000 with helmets on their heads Wherfore this bishop hauing taken vpon him the tuition of the young king was still busied in all the waightie causes of the kingdome both ciuile martiall he laboured with great care that the Hungarians should agree togither in loue and vnitie and did what he might prouidently to foresee that no tumult or rebellion should any where arise wherby the beginning of the kingdome yet but weake might any way be troubled But king Ferdinand hearing of the death of
well liked and highly commended as full of honour and valour Others deemed it too sharpe liking of nothing that was said or done to the further incensing of the Turkish emperour being of opinion that they might haue of him obtained a more indifferent peace by courtesie than by rigour As for the decreed warre they vtterly disliked for as much as all warres were wofull but especially those which were to be maintained against them that are too strong for vs. In such diuersitie of opinions it appeared That the Senat should of that so honourable a decree reape such commendation as the euent thereof should affoord than which nothing is more vnreasonable if things fell out well then was it wisely and worthely done if otherwise then was it like to be reputed a foolish a rash and wofull resolution The greater the danger was now feared from the angrie Turke the more carefull were the Venetians of their state Wherefore they forthwith sent messengers with letters vnto the Gouernours of CYPRVS charging them with all carefulnesse and diligence to make themselues readie to withstand the Turke and to raise what power they were able in the island not omitting any thing that might concerne the good of the state and at the same time made choice of their most valiant and expert captaines both by sea and land vnto whom they committed the defence of their dispersed Seignorie with the leading of their forces Hieronimus Zanius was appointed Admirall Lucas Michael was sent into CRETE Franciscus Barbarus into DALMATIA Sebastianus Venerius into CORCYRA all men of great honour experience and valour Other meaner captaines were sent also with lesse charge into the aforesaid places as Eugenius Singliticus a noble gentleman with a thousand footmen into CYPRVS who had also the leading of all the horsemen in the island after whom countie Martinengus promised to follow with two thousand footmen moe The strong cities were now by the Venetians in all places new fortified armour ordinance and victuall prouided and whatsoeuer els they thought needfull for defence of their state And for as much as they well knew they had to doe with too mightie an enemie they by their embassadours sent for that purpose earnestly sollicited most of the Christian princes to joine with them in league and to giue them aid against the common enemie who as he was too strong for any one of them so were he not able to stand against their vnited forces But the emperour Maximilian excused himselfe by the league he had not long before made with the Turke for eight yeares which he said he might not breake yet had he before his eyes a most pregnant example what small reckoning the Turke maketh of his faith or league which he without any just cause had broken with the Venetians The like excuse vsed also Charles the French king and Sigismund king of POLONIA who both seemed to be very sorrie for that the Venetians were fallen out with the Turke but could not helpe them for that they were in league with the Turkish emperour Neuerthelesse the French king did them the courtesie to offer himselfe to be a mediator if they so pleased betwixt them and Selymus The young king of PORTINGAL Don Sebastian pretended also for his excuse the great plague which had but a little before raged in his kingdome and much deminished his people as also that he was to maintaine wars by sea against the Turks in the East Indies to the no lesse benefit of the Christian commonweale than if he should aid the Venetians in the Mediterranean Onely Pius Quintus then Pope and Philip king of SPAINE with certaine of the princes of ITALIE namely Philibert duke of SAVOY Guido Vdebaldus duke of VRBIN Cosmus Medices duke of FLORENCE and the knights of MALTA promised them aid which they afterward most honourably performed Selymus of himselfe angrie with the Venetians and firme in his resolution for the conquest of CYPRVS was vpon the report of Cubates his embassadours bad entertainment at VENICE farther enraged He deemed the majestie of the Turkish empire contemned and himselfe in the person of his embassadour disgraced seeing that they whom he had thought would haue yeelded vnto any thing rather than the league should haue beene broken had sent him such a short answere and so contemptuously vsed his embassadour vnto whom they had not affoorded so much as common courtesie It did not a little mooue him also that the Venetians had in their letters sent by his embassadour omitted the glorious titles vsually giuen the Turkish emperours Wherefore in some part to â—atisfie his angrie mood he caused Marcus Anthonius Barbarus the Venetian embassadour and all the Christian marchants of the West throughout his empire to be clapt vp in prison and their ships stayed vnder an arrest And setting all other things apart set himselfe wholly for the preparing of such things as should be needfull for the intended warre But for as much as the island of CYPRVS was the prey whereafter the greedie tyrant so much gaped and for which the bloudie warres betwixt the Turke and the Venetians with their Christian confederats presently ensued it shall not be from our purpose to spend a few words in the describing thereof as the stage whereon the bloudie tragedie following was as it were acted as also how it came first into the hands of the Venetians and by what right of them so long possessed although it be in some part before declared vntill it was now by Selymus the great Turke against all right injuriously demaunded and at length by strong hand by him wrested from them This island lieth in the farthest of the Cilician sea it hath on the East SIRIA on the West PAMPHILIA Southward it regardeth AEGIPT and Northward CILICIA now called CARAMANNIA It is worthely accounted amongst the greâ—test islands of the Mediterranean containing in circuit 427 miles and is in length after the description of Strabo 175 miles and in bredth not aboue 65. It aboundeth with corne wine oyle cotton wooll saffron honey rosin turpentine sugar canes and whatsoeuer els is needfull for the sustentation of man whereof it sendeth forth great abundance to other countries of whom it craueth no helpe againe It was in antient time called Macaria that is to say Blessed The people therein generally liued so at ease and pleasure that thereof the island was dedicated to Venus who was there especially worshipped and thereof called CYPRIA Marcellinus to shew the fertilitie thereof sayth That CYPRVS aboundeth with such plentie of all things that without the helpe of any other forraine countrey it is of it selfe able to build a tall ship from the keele to the top saile and so put it to sea furnished of all things needfull And Sextus Rufus writing thereof sayth Cyprus famosa diuitijs paupertatem populi Romani vt occuparetur solicitauit ita vt ius eius insulae auarius magis quam iustius simus assecâ—ti vz. CYPRVS famous
they were sure to endure whatsoeuer could be endured or suffered But when Mustapha had thus in vaine with hope and feare tried the minds of the defendants he called forth to parley certaine soldiors that were standing vpon the bulwarke called CONSTANTIVS of whom some were by the consent of the Gouernor sent forth vnto him vnto whom Mustapha by his interpretor complained That no answere was giuen vnto his letters he set forth vnto them the glorie power and greatnesse of the Turkish empire and debased the strength of the Venetians then he persuaded them to yeeld propounding vnto them the miseries that would fall vpon them if the citie should by force be taken which he threatened would be farre greater than the danger the Turks were to vndertake for the winning thereof and that therefore it concerned none so much as themselues whether the citie were giuen vp by composition or els woon by strong hand He shewed vnto them the profit that should arise vnto them by yeelding of it vp and offred vnto them large entertainement if they would serue him and to conclude told them that they should neuer afterwards find at his hands so much grace as was at that instant offered them The craftie Bassa did what he might to hasten the winning of the citie both for that he doubted the comming of the Christian fleet and that his great armie was exceedingly troubled with contagious and grieuous diseases arising of the immoderat heat and drought in that so hot a countrey But the souldiours thinking any thing more assured than the Turkish faith answered him That they did not as yet doubt their owne strength and that they were readie to endure any thing that could happen rather than to preferre the vncertaine friendship of an vnknowne prince before the gratious fauour of such worthie princes as they had so good experience of This answere cut off all the Bassaes hope for taking of the citie by composition wherewith being both grieued and enraged he commanded all things to be made readie for the assault and the more to encourage his souldiors promised vnto them great rewards and honors that should first or second mount the wals After that he gaue a generall assault vnto the citie with all his power wherein both he as a most worthie captaine and his souldiours fought most fiercely You haue to doe said he with the small and last remainders of your enemies which are scarce able to stand or hold their weapons in their hands rather than with enemies indeed shall you not then easily ouercome them being both few and feeble that haue vanquished them when they were many and lustie The end of all your labours is at hand your hoped rewards approch onely play you the men and faint not in this assault the spoile of this rich citie shall be the worthie reward of your labours the fruit of all your trauell consisteth in this one moment Whilest he thus encourageth some and reprooueth others they mindfull of his promises and these of the disgrace altogether with their thicke shot suffer no man to stand in safetie vpon the wals and out of their forts also with their great ordinance greatly annoyed the defendants This done they attempted by the ruines of the wall and in other places by scaling ladders to haue entred the citie Which terrible assault was by the cruell enemie maintained not for some few houres but for diuers dayes together without any intermission fresh men still comming on in stead of them that were wounded or slaine Yet did the defendants valiantly endure all that storme and in such weake case as they were worthily performed what was possible for so few to do yet still in hope the poore comfort of men in miserie that releefe might come by the approch of the Christian fleet At length when the matter was brought to this point that the Turkes were in great hope to haue gained the wals Mustapha himselfe probably guessed That the Christians were now wearie of the long assault and sore weakened with wounds and other infinit miseries not to seek in a citie so hardly distressed and was in that his opinion also confirmed by certain fugitiue Christians he neuerthelesse vpon the sudden caused a retreat to be sounded and so retiring into his trenches lay still all the next day without any thing doing The defendants thinking that he had giuen ouer the assault because of some aid that was comming to their releefe became more carelesse of the enemie and vpon the vaine hope of such aid with lesse diligence repaired their breaches and prouided for the repulsing of their enemies But the Bassa in the meane time had chosen out of his whole armie about two hundred of his best captaines and souldiors all men of approued valour and agilitie of bodie whom the next day after hee sent early in the morning to make proofe if they could with scaling ladders secretly and without any noise set vp get into the foure bulwarkes which he had before sore shaken with his great ordinance These resolute men leading the way got first vp after whom followed diuers others and so tooke the aforesaid bulwarkes when presently after other companies of their fellowes which stood readie for the purpose comming on forward did with their scaling ladders in diuers places recouer the top of the wals for now the matter was not done by secret surprise but by open force In euery one of these bulwarkes were seuentie Italians and as many Epirots who there kept watch and ward these men part asleepe as fearing no such danger and part lying lasily vpon the ground were there surprised on the sudden and slaine othersome of them awaked with the strange and vncouth noise betooke not themselues lustily to their weapons but forsaking their stations leapt downe out of the bulwarkes at such places as were next vnto them some for feare ran vnawares into the middest of their enemies Vpon this alarum some of the Christian captaines came speedily to the wals with their companies as did Eugenius who whilest he in vaine crieth out to such fearefull souldiors as he met that they should not so cowardly flie stayeth others that were flying was himselfe shot thorow with a small shot and slaine Other captaines in other places likewise laboured in vaine to haue stayed the flying souldiors whose persuasions requests and authoritie in so generall a feare nothing at that time preuailed The defendants thus beaten from the wals and bulwarkes gathered themselues into the market place but the citisens stealing home to their owne houses there stood in the entrances of the same fearefully expecting the destruction of their countrey together with their owne In the meane time the Gouernour of ALEPPO with his regiment scoured the wals of the citie round about as he had in charge from the Generall and without respect put to sword all that he met armed or vnarmed At the bulwarke called BARâ—ARVS it fortuned him to
continuall desire to be employed in any his seruice and that now being led by the same affection and assured of his fauour by the friendly and courteous offers made him in his letters he was come to shew himselfe vnto him to be the same man and so profered him whatsoeuer lay in his slender power to performe Wherunto Ebrain made no answer at all but onely asked him the cause why he liued continually in discord and brawles with the three Emirs who also sat at that time in the same pauillion Whereunto Serafadin answered That it was not long of him who as one desirous of peace had not at any time taken vp armes but in the just defence of himselfe against the injuries of those his enemies who because they were more mightie than he sought continually to oppresse him Hereat the three conspirators arose and with their grim lookes bewraying their inward hatred falsely charged him to haue beene euer the author of those brawles adding moreouer That his insolencie was at that time growne so great as that no strange vessell durst for feare of him arriue at the ports of SIDON TIRVS or BERITO nor any marchant or marchandise passe ouer the plaines but that those countries as though they were a prey and spoyle to the theeues of ARABIA were generally shunned of all trauellers both by sea and land to the great hinderance of the Sultans customes Serafadin would hereunto haue gladly replied but preuented by Ebrain and surcharged with many injurious words was committed to the custodie of the two hundred Ianizaries of CONSTANTINOPLE And so being by them brought into a rotten tent that was appointed for him was euery night from thence forward put in the stockes fast chained and continually guarded with a trustie guard of the same Ianizaries In the meane time came the answere of Man-Ogli who wrote backe vnto the great Bassa Ebrain as followeth To the Lord of Lords Soueraigne aboue the great ones the mightie the noble captaine cousin to the graund Lord and the worthiest among the elect of the Prophet Mahomet the noble and famous lord Ebrain Bassa God giue good successe to his haughtie enterprises and prosperitie in all his honour I wish euen as thou doest louingly inuite and exhort me that I might come before thee and follow thee and serue thee alwaies in any occasion that it may happen thee to stand in need of my helpe For I know that thou wouldest rest assured of the reuerence that I beare towards thy lord and of the most feruent desire wherein I liue to serue him and to employ both my substance and my life in his seruice whereof I haue also giuen some testimonie though but small in the managing of his customes that I haue receiued wherein I haue alwaies so carried my selfe as that I am not his debtor of one Aspâ—e a thing 〈◊〉 that Ebne-Mansur who is now with thee hath not done For although by his comming to meet thee euen as farre as IERVSALEM he would make a shew of his fidelitie yet doth he vsurpe more than two hundred thousand duckats of the kings which he doth most vniustly detaine from him of his customes But my hard fortune will not graunt me the fauour that I may come vnto thee for there are at this present with thee three of mine enemies who I know well being not contented to haue alwaies disquieted and troubled my estate doe now seeke to bring me into so great hatred with thy heart that if thou haddest me in thy hands thou wouldest without any consideration bereaue me of my life And I am assured that this sending for me importeth no other thing but onely a desire thou hast to imprison me and so to kill me For I know how much thou art giuen to great enterprises Besides this my comming is also hindered by mine auntient oath that I tooke when being as yet but a child I saw mine owne father so villanously betrayed by the murthering sword of Mustapha being at that time the Bassa of DAMASCO who vnder the colour of vnfeigned friendship got him into his hands and traiterously strucke off his head For in truth I carrie the image of my fathers reuerend head all pale and yet as it were breathing imprinted in my mind which oftentimes presenteth it selfe vnto me as well sleeping in the darkenesse of the night as also waking in the light of the day and talking with me calleth to my remembrance the infidelitie of the murthering tyrant and exhorteth me to keepe my selfe aloofe from the hands of the mightie And therefore I neither can nor may obey thy requests and in that respect it grieueth me that I shall seeme disobedient vnto thee being in any other action and in all my cogitations wholly addicted to doe any seruice not onely to thee who art most worthie to be reuerenced of farre greater persons than I am but also to euery the least vassale of Amuraths Thou wilt pardon me I hope and thou shalt well perceiue that if there be any thing neere me that may be acceptable to thee all that I haue whatsoeuer though in respect of thy selfe it may seeme vile and base yet is it thine and is now reserued wholly for thee and not for me Farewell and commaund me and hold me excused vpon these iust causes which thou hearest for my being so backward in comming to honour thee as my dutie requireth The poore and the least among the slaues of the graund Lord The Sonne of Man Ebrain perceiuing by this letter the resolution of Man-ogli resolued also in himselfe to goe vpon him with all his armie and either by force or sleight to get him into his hands or at least to draw from him so many arcubuses and as great gifts and tributes as possibly he might and therfore rising with his campe and turning himselfe toward the countrey of Man-ogli he burnt and destroyed foure and twentie of his townes and so mounting vp certaine rocks of LIBANVS vpon the top of a large hill that standeth ouer ANDARA and other places belonging to Man-ogli he encamped himselfe But whiles the armie was thus marching forward Veis Bassa of DAMASCO with a great part of his people and his sonne the Sanzacke of IERVSALEM with his souldiors likewise to the number of fifteene hundred persons hauing separated themselues from the rest of the armie in manner of a rereward as they were busie in raising their tents vpon the sudden were furiously assaulted by a great band of Drusians of the faction of Man-ogli and discomfited Which victorie the Drusians so prosecuted that they became lords of the pauillions the wealth and armour of the Turks and leading away with them their horses and their carriages put to the sword fiue hundred persons and scarce gaue any leasure to escape either to the Bassa the father or the Sanzacke his sonne who fled straight to IERVSALEM and neuer returned againe to Ebrain but Veis his father still followed the armie
emperour and that his purpose in bringing of him from CONSTANTINOPLE was to no other end but to haue vsed his helpe in concluding a peace betwixt the Great Sultan and the emperour and so to haue set him with all his at libertie but now that he was dead he would send them his treacherous seruants to the emperour to be by him examined and withall to tell him That he was sent from the Great Sultan whose power was not by any but God onely to be withstood to besiege VIENNA which he could as he said the last yeare haue taken with lesse labour than he had done RAB and that therefore it were best for him betime to seeke for peace before so great a power had taken the field And that for farther instructions he would referre them to his sonne the Bassa of BVDA to whom he sent them from BELGRADE togither with the new come treasurer Being come to BVDA they were forthwith brought before the Bassa and amongst them the late embassadours secretarie vnto whom after he had said somewhat of the hard dealing with the embassadour and his followers he declared that he had alwaies disliked of that manner of proceeding and oftentimes entreated his father for their libertie and now at last to haue obtained that the embassadour being dead his seruants might be set free and so put them in good hope that they should in short time be restored to their wonted libertie In the meane time that one of them should go vnto the emperours Court and there speak with one of his Secretaries whom he had before aduised to bethinke himselfe of peace vnto whom also hee afterwards writ vpon what conditions he thought peace might be at the Sultans hand obtained Which were if all the castles and strong holds taken by the emperours forces in these warres as FILEK SETCHINE and NOVIGRAD with their territories should be restored SISEG in CROATIA surrendred if the emperour should from thenceforth refuse to aid or protect the Transyluanians Moldauians and Valachians and leaue them to the Great Sultan to be chastised as rebels if finally the emperour would at once send vnto the Turkes Court his wonted tribute for the yeares past and so yearly afterwards so he could be content by the mediation of his father to attempt to appease the fierce and inueterat displeasure of the Sultan and to farther the treatie of peace This he commaunded the Secretarie to write and to send it by the young lord Perling and to require thereof answere yet that he should go with this condition That if the said Perling within the space of fiue and twentie daies returned not with answere all the rest should for his default lose their heads A subtile deuise and full of deceit wherein the craftie Bassaes both the father and the sonne sought for nothing else but to see what confidence the Christians had in themselues and to breake the confederation made betweene the emperour the Transyluanians Moldauians and Valachians and that other princes whom God had stirred vp in defence of so just a cause hearing of a rumour of peace might grow cold and deferre to send their promised aid For now the Turkes had found by experience how hurtfull and dangerous the reuolt of the three countries of TRANSYLVANIA MOLDAVIA and VALACHIA was vnto them as they which brought ten hundred thousand duckats yearly into the Great Sultans treasurie besides that those people now become their enemies were of all other fittest to intercept all manner of prouision to be brought by land either to or from CONSTANTINOPLE were it victuall or other warlike prouision Notwithstanding this motion of peace made by the two Bassaes Sinan the old Bassa in the meane time with great diligence at BELGRADE prepared all things necessarie for warre and caused three bridges to be made whereby he might in diuers places as he thought best transport his armie ouer Danubius and at the same time sent for the garrisons round about and other souldiors before billited in the countrey and put in readinesse all things necessarie for a most mortall warre Within the appointed time came Perling from the emperours Court with answere to the letters written by the embassadours Secretarie at the commaundement of the Bassa the effect whereof was That he had receiued his letters by Perling and did thereby vnderstand what had passed betweene the captiue seruants of the late embassadour and Sinan Bassa at BELGRADE and also betweene them and Sinan Bassa his sonne at BVDA and that the emperours mind was neuer other but that a firme peace might haue been made betweene him and the Sultan and that the emperour had done nothing else by his embassadour at CONSTANTINOPLE or by others in other places but that such reasonable conditions might haue been found out as might haue ended those warres and haue on both sides deliuered their innocent subjects from their great and daily calamities which might easily haue been done if Sinan the authour and fautor of this warre had with like desire furthered the peace But that it was manifest vnto the whole world that all complaints of infinit grieuances being by the embassadour yea and by the emperour himselfe by his letters laid open vnto the Sultan and his chiefe Bassaes had not onely nothing preuailed but also to haue been with great contempt rejected and the treatie of peace once begun to haue by the insolencie of the Bassa of BOSNA been interrupted That the emperour because the matter should not breake out into open warre had sent his double tribute into the confines of HVNGARIE which was a great while laid vp at KOMARA vntill the Sultans mind were knowne But when all his dessignes tended to warre and the Christian prouinces were by his robbers on euerie side spoiled the inhabitants led away into most miserable captiuitie the townes and villages burnt yea whole countries left desolat and all manner of outrages were vpon a meere pride and contempt as it were of the whole world exercised then the emperour to haue taken his refuge vnto the defence of his just cause and to haue vsed such remedies as are both before God and the world to be allowed and so by lawfull war to haue repulsed warre And that although all had not the last yeare prospered in his hand but that he had receiued some losse yet that Sinan Bassa himselfe and the Bassa of BVDA his sonne with other of the wiser sort of the Turkes must needs confesse that to haue chanced not by their wisedome pollicie or power but by the sufferance of God by a rare misfortune through the inexcusable negligence and treason of such as he had put in trust with the confines of his empire worthie most seuere chastisement And that no man could denie but that great powers of the Turkes had not once but oftentimes been ouerthrowne and discomfited by small handfuls of the Christians therefore their power not to be so inuincible as they vainly vaunted of But whereas it is
with twelue gallies who landing here and there vpon the coasts of ITALIE did much harme causing it to be reported in euery place where he landed That this was but the beginning of a greater war and that a wonderfull fleet was to follow him which raised a great feare as well in other places as in ITALIE Howbeit no such fleet afterwards appeared for why the Turkish emperor much troubled with the reuolt of TRANSYLVANIA VALACHIA and MOLDAVIA and the great mortalitie then raging both among his souldiors and their horses was not at leisure to looke into the sea hauing his hands full ynough with the troubles of HVNGARIE where his men of warre enjoyed little rest in the frontiers of his territories Sigismund the Transyluanian prince had vpon some just causes of late suspected Aaron the Vayuod of MOLDAVIA to haue intelligence not onely with the Polonians but also with the Cardinall Bator and other his mortall enemies and secretly to haue beene about to make his peace with Mahomet and so againe to fall off from him vnto the Turke Which vehement suspition growing dayly more and more was about this time manifestly confirmed by certaine letters intercepted concerning that matter For the preuenting whereof the prince caused Aaron to bee apprehended and with his wife and sonne to be sent as prisoners to PRAGE in whose roume he by the consent of the nobilitie of the countrey placed one Stephen Rozwan a wise and discreet man amongst them and such an one as had been vnto him alwaies faithfull So as much as in him was prouiding that that countrey should not be rent from him and the vnion of the other But against the secret practises of the Polonians he protested openly by letters vnto the emperour by the power of God and aid of his faithfull subjects to redresse those so great injuries himselfe by the sword In the middest of these troubles came three Chiaus embassadours from the Turkish Sultan vnto the prince to persuade him againe to put himselfe into his protection and to giue him passage through his countrey as in former time into HVNGARIE promising him that all the injuries by him or his people done should bee for euer forgotten and forgiuen and that hee should haue those three countries of TRANSYLVANIA VALACHIA and MOLDAVIA as his owne free inheritance without paying any tribute and so to be accounted as the Turkes most louing friend and vassale What the prince answered thereunto was not knowne but by his doings afterwards it was easily to be gathered that he hearkened not vnto the deceitfull charmes of the faithlesse tyrant trusting more vnto the league he had with the Christian Emperour These embassadours were scarce gone but that a secret messenger came with letters from the chiefe of the Christians in BVLGARIA to the prince declaring vnto him That if he did with any good successe prosecute his warres they would be readie to follow his fortune and to joyne hands with him against the cruell tyrant and to shut vp all the passages that way into VALACHIA MOLDAVIA and HVNGARIE Whilest these troublesome times thus passed in TRANSYLVANIA and HVNGARIE one of the old Ianizaries called Wasuode Giezi an old souldior but a confident bold spoken fellow mooued as should seeme with the discontentments of the time came vnto Mahomet the great Sultan at CONSTANTINOPLE and there openly set vpon him with this rough abrupt speech How long at last most mightie Emperour wilt thou endure thy selfe to be seduced and blinded by the great Bassaes of thy Court and commaunders of thine armies How long wilt thou suffer thy selfe to be deceiued to the great danger of thy selfe and hurt of thy subiects Seest thou not how ouerthwartly fraudulently and cunningly they mooued onely with their owne couetous and ambitious humor haue hitherto dealt with thee and thy father especially in that that persuaded by them thou hast dishonourably broken thy league and taken vp armes against the Christian emperour At length open thine eyes and see their deceit and how much they abuse thy power Sinan Bassa who must haue himselfe honoured and exalted aboue all others hath not by strong hand honourably woon RAB as hath beene the manner of thine auncestors but hath craftily bought it with thy money and thereby cast thee into a most dangerous warre and infinit troubles O RAB RAB now the cause of great triumph and reioycing as if thereby all Christendome should in short time bee subdued to thy scepter But thou art therein much deceiued thy barnes thy store-houses as are TRANSYLVANIA VALACHIA MOLDAVIA BVLGARIA and other prouinces adioyning from whence this thy imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE with the countrey about it thy Court yea thy selfe art to be relieued are by this warre shut vp so that downe the riuer of Danubius out of the West or by the Euxine out of the East thou art not to looke for any prouision From whence then ò mightie Emperour wilt thou maintaine thy selfe thy Court this populous citie and the countrey hereabout Not to speake in the meane time of thy mightie armie now in HVNGARIE flesh fish corne all manner of victuall are now at such a price that the common souldior cannot buy them In this extreame dearth of all things not men onely but euen the very beasts and cattell starue for hunger Thy horses goe fat perhaps into HVNGARIE but neither thou nor thy select souldiors can liue by grasse and weeds all that is left in that countrey This miserie and calamitie of thy people thou seest daily and yet thou wilt not with sound iudgement lift vp thine eyes to see from whence these harmes come and how that they by thee put in greatest trust studie not for thy profit or the profit of the commonweale but onely how by all meanes to enrich themselues Mahomet much moued with this confident speech of the old Ianizarie commaunded him to be forthwith committed to ward and by faire meanes to bee examined by whose setting on and for what cause he had so boldly vttered this rude speech vnto his Soueraigne and what further thing he had intended but the rest of the Ianizaries hearing thereof rise presently in a tumult and by strong hand tooke him out of prison and by solemne oath combined themselues to defend him euen to the spending of their owne bloud whereat Mahomet was glad to winke The greatest part of the aid promised by the Christian princes for the maintenance of this yeares warres against the Turke being now come to VIENNA in AVSTRIA countie Mansfelt lieutenant Generall vnder the Archduke forthwith called a counsell of the colonels captaines and other great commaunders of the armie to consult with them what course to take for the beginning of this great warre as whether they should presently lay siege to some towne of the enemies or els to expect him in the plaine field and to giue him battell All things well considered and that resolued vpon which was thought most expedient he remoued from
it the seat of a perpetuall war from whence PODOLIA RVSCIA and the lesser POLONIA might be with continuall incursions wasted euen before our faces concerning which matter they now dispersed their letters wherein they published the power and authoritie giuen them from the grand signior exhorting the people of that country to receiue the same A whole day we fought with this multitude our men alwaies by the goodnesse of God hauing not onely the vpper hand but without any notable losse also yet not without great slaughter of theirs and would to God I had had such strength as that not onely the conditions of peace but euen the enemies themselues might haue beene in my power But when we were oftentimes come to parle they still requiring the same and so at length vnto conditions of peace if such were giuen them as whereby this onely kingdome had without the wrong of any other beene deliuered from so great and sudden a danger what reasonable man could find fault therewith if we should haue preferred the health and welfare of our country whereunto all good men owe all they haue before other mens profits But now these things were so done as that it was no lesse prouided for the good of the neighbour Christians yea and happily not the least for theirs who for the same slander this kingdome vnto your Holinesse the furie of Sinan Bassa was by this meanes â—â—pressed who whilest he feared to be shut vpon the straits by our armie now come into MOLDAVIA and expected the Tartars comming spent almost all the rest of the Summer idely and without any thing doing The Tartar himselfe was not onely turned from the bowels of Christendome whereinto hee had purposed as the yeare before to haue entered we hauing with our owne breasts receiued his force and furie but being brought vnto conditions was expressely enioyned in a most short prefined time and without any more harme doing to returne againe into his country by the selfesame way he came and by no other whereby it is come to passe that vntill this day Christendome hath not this yeare yet felt the Tartars weapons But vnto TRANSYLVANIA and HVNGARIE what a space and power was giuen for them to gather their strength and forces together and out of the same places to oppose them against the enemie when as our armie kept them safe at their backes and eased not onely MOLDAVIA but VALACHIA and TRANSYLVANIA also of that care Whereas if this cause of delay had not been obiected vnto the Turks first and after vnto the Tartars not to say anything of the Turkes the Tartars at the very selfesame time that the Tâ—â—â—syluanian armie was gone into VALACHIA against Sinan might haue broken into TRANSYLVANIA before it could haue returned home or els marching directly towards that armie might haue met with it out of TRANSYLVANIA As for MOLDAVIA which together with the memorie of the Christian name yet left in it had vtterly perished was most manifestly preserued by the comming of our armie Which what end it would haue had if the enemie might at his pleasure haue raged as he did in the farther VALACHIA those most bitter remembrances in it yet at this day smoking doe well declare out of which it is well known moe thousands of Christian captiues to haue beene carried away into most wofull captiuitie than almost out of any other prouince in all the time of these miserable warres Which although it bee thus yet boast we not thereof neither send we any triumphant letters vnto your Holinesse nor brag we of our good seruice done for the Christian commonweale contenting our selues with the conscience of the thing it selfe In the meane time we are accused vnto your Holinesse but for what cause If any man complaine for the taking of MOLDAVIA I will not say it was by them before willingly forsaken whilest I was yet in the frontiers thereof but that this kingdome hath a most auntient right vnto it and such a right as that when our kings being busied in their warres against the Muscouite the Cruciat Teuronâ—o brethren or others some others also troubling the state thereof it for a time became a prey vnto the Turkish tyrants yet in all the leagues made or renewed betwixt this kingdome and them was still excepted That all such things as the Palatine of MOLDAVIA was of dutie to performe vnto the king should by him still be performed Which kings of POLONIA and namely Augustus himselfe the last of the Iagellonian race appointed diuers of those Palatines themselues Which although they be things most manifest yet hauing more regard vnto the welfare of that prouince as a Christian countrey than of our right we restored the same into the same state wherein it hath beene for many yeares before these wars Wherefore if any man thinke any thing done whereby the enemies of the crosse of Christ might be eased or strengthened or the defendors of the faith hindered it is so farre from any such thing to be done that rather as is before declared the enemies force is repressed and auerted and greater meanes giuen to the Christians afront to impugne them the enemie being at their backes by vs shut from them But I feare that they haue not fully enformed your Holinesse how these things were done who haue reported vnto your said Holinesse not onely the name of the Turkes to haue beene proclaimed together with the Polonians in MOLDAVIA but also the name of the Tartars the proper enemies of the Polonians and by the power and decrees of them three as it were confederat together things to haue beene ordered in MOLDAVIA Which their complaint if it tend to that end as if a confederation were made with them I frankely confesse certain conditions to haue been giuen them but such as whereby is prouided not only for the quiet and securitie of this kingdome but no lesse also for the whole Christian commonweale as is before declared All which things for all that although they were done for the good of this kingdome and all Christendome in generall yet were they so done that they were all by me referred vnto the kings maiestie and the states of the kingdome so that at this present the kingdome is at free libertie either to ioyne in confederation with the rest of the Christian princes or if that cannot vpon certaine and indifferent conditions be agreed vpon yet with no mans iniurie or hurt to ratifie this ioyned with the health and good of a great part of the Christian commonweale onely God graunt that the Christian princes may seriously thinke both of this so Christian a confederation against the common enemie and striue also all together against the enemie with their weapons and not with misreports and slanders one against another They are not to assaile the enemies feet but his throat neither is the seat of the warre to be placed in the borders of POLONIA where it concerneth themselues much to haue all things
rather penceable behind them but let the war be vndertaken with no lesse charge and preparation than if the enemies royall seat were to be assailed which standing in an open and plaine countrey shall alwaies without much adoe be his that being strongest can take it This haue I written at large as my purpose was all which I most humbly beseech your Holinesse with your diuine wisedome to consider of and with your wonted clemencie to accept the same and so prostrate at your Holinesse feet I most humbly commend me to your clemencie From Zamoschie the tenth of Ianuarie 1596. This much the great Chancelour in defence of himselfe and of that he had done in MOLDAVTA which howsoeuer it contented the Pope well I wote it nothing pleased the Emperour and much lesse the Transyluanian prince now not a little weakened by the taking away of the countrey of MOLDAVIA from him To end this troublesome yeare withall many sharpe and bloudie skirmishes yet daily passed in diuers places of those frontier countries the Turkes almost in euery place still going to the worse In the beginning of Nouember Leucouits gouernour of CAROLSTAT the second time surprised WIHITZ in the frontiers of CROATIA where these wars first begun but being not able to take the castle contented himselfe as before with the spoile of the citie and afterward setting it on fire departed Maximilian also attempted ZOLNOCI and the Christians in garrison at STRIGONIVM and PLINDENBVRG now become neere neighbours vnto the Turkes at BVDA did with continuall â—nâ—odes not a little molest them both all the latter end of this yeare and the beginning of the next And the Turkes in BRAILA in VALACHIA vpon the side of Danubius fearing after the flight of Sinan to be besieged by the Vayuod forsooke the citie and in â—uen hast passed the riuer that in that tumultuous passage three hundred of them perished Sinan Bassa by the Transyluanian prince of late driuen out of VALACHIA was not long after sent for to CONSTANTINOPLE but the craftie old fox not ignorant of the fierce nature of the great Sultan and warned by the late miserie of Ferat found occasions to delay the time so long vntill that he was sent for againe and after that the third time also In the meane while he had so wrought by his mightie friends in Court by rich rewards mightier than they that at his comming to the Court he was there honourably receiued as the chiefest of the Bassaes and being afterwards offered to bee discharged of the warres as a man of aboue fourescore yeares old he refused so to be saying That he was borne and brought vp amongst souldiors and martiall men and so wished amongst them to die as not long after he did dying as was thought of conceit of the euill successe he had in his warres against the Transyluanian Mahomet the Turkish Emperour exceedingly grieued with the losse of so many his cities and strong places this yeare lost as namely STRIGONIVM VICEGRADE SISEG PETRINIA LIPPA IENNA TERGOVISTA BVCARESTA ZORZA and many others of lesse name and both by letters and messengers vnderstanding daily of the slaughter of his people and wasting of his frontiers commaunded great preparation to be made against the next Spring giuing it out That he would then in person himselfe come down into HVNGARIE with such a power as neuer had any his predecessours the Othoman kings and emperours and there take most sharpe reuenge of all his former wrongs Neuerthelesse these his so hastie designes were by the plague and famine which then both raged extreamely in most part of his empire and by other great occurrents of the same time so crossed that by that time the Spring came he scarcely well knew which way to turne himselfe first For beside these troubles of the West of themselues ynough to haue filled his hands the Georgians in the East a warlike people moued with the good successe of the Christians in VALACHIA and HVNGARIE had taken vp arms against him and the old Persian king but a little before dead had left that great kingdome to his sonne a man of greater spirit than was like to endure the manifold injuries before done vnto his father by the Turks to the great dishonour of that kingdome and prejudice of himselfe Of which things the Bassa of TAVRIS gaue him ample intelligence wishing him betimes to prouide for such stormes which joyned to the rest filled his head with many troubled thoughts wherunto we leaue him vntill the next Spring The Transyluanian prince carefull of his estate and not a little troubled with the disseuering of MOLDAVIA thought it not vnfit for his affaires now after the flight of Sinan and discomfiture of the Turkes to go in person himselfe vnto the emperour to declare vnto him the wrong done him by the Polonian and farther to conferre with him concerning the mannaging of the warres against the common enemie So hauing put all things in readinesse for his journey he set forward in Ianuarie 1596 and by the way of CASSOVIA the fourth of Februarie arriued at PRAGE in BOHEMIA where he was by the emperours appointment most honourably entertained But immediatly after his comming thither he fell sicke of an ague which grieuously vexed him for the space of three weekes In the latter end of Februarie hauing somewhat recouered his health he went to the church where after his deuotions done he was by the Deane of the Cathedrall church welcomed with a most eloquent oration setting forth his worthie praises and farther animating him vnto the like exploits against the common enemie of all Christianitie Whereunto he forthwith answered in Latin so eloquently and so readily that all men maruelled that heard him protesting in his speech That as he and his subjects had not hitherto spared their liues or goods in defence of the common cause so would they not afterwards spare the same but aduenture all for the benefit of the Christian common-weale well hoping that the emperour and the other Christian princes would not as occasion should require be wanting vnto him with their forces or the cleargie with their prayers which done he doubted not as he said by the power of God but to obtaine more notable victories than he had yet against the Turkes the enemies of God Whilest he yet thus lay at the emperours Court it fortuned that the people called Siculi offended to haue their liberties in some part infringed in the late assembly of the States holden in TRANSYLVANIA in December last rise now vp in armes in diuers places refusing to yeeld their former obedience vnto the prince A matter like enough to haue wrought him much trouble and supposed not to haue been done without the priuitie of the Cardinall his vncle but by the wisedome and courage of such as he had in his absence put in trust with the gouernment of his countrey diuers of the ringleaders of this rebellion were apprehended and in diuers
losse to depart Neither went things this yeare better forward with the Christians in other places than in this side of HVNGARIE For Sigismund the Transyluanian prince by his Chancelour besieging the strong citie of TEMESVVAR in October was by the valour of the defendants and the vnseasonablenesse of the weather enforced to raise his siege and with dishonor to depart Michael also the Vayuod of VALACHIA who mooued with the example and persuasions of the Transyluanian prince had reuolted from the Turkes and done them great harme as is in part before declared now wearied with their often inuasions and the spoile of his countrey almost brought to vtter desolation many thousands of his subjects being by the Turks and Tartars caried away captiues and his townes and castles for the most part rased to giue his people a time of breathing submitted himselfe againe vnto the Turkish obeisance solemnely receiuing at the hands of one of the Turks Chiaus for that purpose sent from CONSTANTINOPLE an ensigne in token of his submission vnto the Turkish Emperour as also of his fauour towards him Which the more to assure him of he by another honourable messenger shortly after receiued from Mahomet the Turkish emperour more kind letters than at any time before with the confirmation of the Vayuodship of VALACHIA by the graund signior his solemne oath vnto Michael the Vayuod and his sonne Peter then about thirteene yeares old for the tearme of both their liues without disturbance paying but the halfe of the old yearely tribute by the Turks before demaunded so glad they were vpon any conditions to haue reduced that martiall man with his countrey vnto their obeisance and in token of further grace together with these letters hee receiued also a goodly horse most richly furnished with a faire scimitar and an horsemans mase in signe of the martiall power and gouernment committed vnto him by the great Sultan Mahomet All which goodly gifts and honours the Vayuod seemed thankfully to accept neuerthelesse not daring too farre to trust vnto the Turkish faith of the small assurance whereof he had before had sufficient experience he still kept strong garrisons vpon the frontiers of his countrey with such other forces also as he was wont excusing the same to be done for feare of the Tartars by whom he also excused himselfe for not going with the Turkes Generall this yeare into HVNGARIE as he was by speciall messengers from the grand signior himselfe requested telling them that he might not in any case so doe for feare of the Tartars most horrible incursions and the spoiles of his countrey yet knew he right well how that they were by the great Sultan his expresse commaundement charged not to do any harme either in MOLDAVIA or VALACHIA as they went into HVNGARIE But this warie Vaiuod not greatly trusting either the Sultan or them as also loth himselfe a Christian to go against the Christians his friends and late confederates excused himselfe by the necessarie care he had of his subjects and country and so requested that his reasonable excuse to be in good part of the great Sultan accepted but of him more is to be said hereafter Thus passed this yeare without any great thing done more than is before declared both these great princes the emperor and the Turkish Sultan being well warned by the last years worke what it was to put all to the fortune of a battell and therefore now contenting themselues to haue shewed their forces as not afraid one of the other countenanced this yeares wars with greater shewes than deeds What great things might by the Christian princes at vnitie amongst themselues be done against the Turks is by the considerat right easily to be gathered but especially by the notable victorie of the famous Transyluanian prince Sigismund who confederated but with his poore oppressed neighbours the Valachians and Moldauians and strengthened with some small aid from the Emperour and the Hungarians not onely deliuered those three countries from the heauie burthen of the Turkish thraldome but vanquished also their most renowned captaines ouerthrew their mightie armies burnt and spoiled their countries rased their townes and cities which as it hath beene in part before declared so if it should be all particularly set downe beside that it would be tedious so also might it happily seeme almost incredible Beside which calamities of war commonly more felt of the subjects than of the prince the great Sultan himselfe found no small wants as well in his cofers as other his necessarie supplies for the maintenance of his wars especially in HVNGARIE the onely countrey of MOLDAVIA before these troubles yeelding vnto him yearely a tunne of gold two thousand horses for seruice ten thousand great measures of wheat with as much barley and a wonderfull proportion of butter honie and other victuals the other two prouinces paying also the like or more as a yearely tribute whereof he had of late to his great discontentment by the generall reuolt of these three countries bin quite disappointed But this so wholesome a confederation to the great hurt of the Christian commonweale and benefit of the Turks now broken and MOLDAVIA by the Polonians disseuered from the rest and againe made tributarie vnto the Turke as is before declared and now VALACHIA also in a sort acknowledging the Turks obeisance the noble Transyluanian prince who hitherto with great cheerefulnesse and courage had fought the most Christian battels against the Turke now left as it were all alone and doubting how with his own small forces to be able long to defend his countrey against the Turke and the Polonian whom he feared not much lesse than him least the same should together with himselfe fall into the hands of the Turkes or some other his enemies by a wonderfull change voluntarily resigned this his country of TRANSYLVANIA vnto Rodolph the Christian emperour and his heires for euer and so leauing his wife in TRANSYLVANIA went himselfe into SILESIA there to take possession of the dukedomes of OPPELL and RATIEOR which together with the yearely pention of 50000 Ioachims or the reuenues of the bishopricke of VRATISLAVIA he had in lieu thereof receiued of the emperour wherupon the possession of TRANSYLVANIA by the generall consent of all the states of that country was in the beginning of this yeare 1598 deliuered vnto the Archbishop of VACIA the Countie Nadasti and Doctor Petzi the emperors commissioners and a solemne oath of obedience and loialtie taken of them all in generall albeit that the aforesaid commissioners as also the emperour himselfe would haue persuaded the prince either not at all or at leastwise not so suddenly to haue forsaken his country but to haue still kept the gouernment therof himselfe yet for a yeare or two well foreseeing that the same could not so conueniently bee gouerned by any other as by himselfe a naturall prince therein borne and exceedingly beloued of his subjects The same commissioners also in
Whereunto he prowdly answered That he would doe what he thought good without his appointment or the emperors either especially in that countrey which he had now with his owne sword twise conquered and that therefore Basta might commaund them that were by him to be commaunded as for himselfe he acknowledged no soueraigntie that either Basta or the emperour had ouer him Vnto which his so presumptuous a speech Basta replied not but yet much therewith discontented began to enter into a great suspition from what ground those his haughtie conceits easily by his words to be gathered might grow And so from that time better obseruing his proceedings perceiued him to haue intelligence with the Turkes with purpose to joyne hands with them that so by their helpe chasing the Imperials out of TRANSYLVANIA he might hold it to himselfe as tributarie to the Othoman emperour of all others best able to defend him Which to be true beside diuers other strong presumptions he certainly vnderstood by certaine letters of his written to that purpose intercepted by his souldiors and brought vnto him whereupon he became verie pensiue and heauie for the great power the Vayuod was of in those countries as also for the great strength he had euen then present about him and wherewith he was as it were then guarded So consulting with certaine of his Colonels and chiefe commaunders of his armie what were best to be done in that so dangerous a case whereof so much depended a Wallon captaine offered himselfe to go into the Vayuod his campe and there in his owne tent to kill him as a traitour Which his offer well liked of and he as readie to performe as he was to promise going into the Vayuods campe accompanied with some threescore men and finding him in his tent boldly stepping to him willed him to yeeld himselfe the emperours prisoner Wherat he being about to lay his hand vpon his scimitar the Wallon captain with an holbard thrust him into the breast at which verie instant another with a sword at one blow claue his head downe to the shoulders An vnworthie death for so worthie a captaine had not ambition the torment of great spirits carried him too high with the wings of immoderat desire beyond the bounds of loyaltie and reason But there he lieth now dead among his friends whom the great Turke sometime more feared euen in his pallace at CONSTANTINOPLE than he did all the rest of the emperors commaunders Presently vpon his death a great tumult and hurly burly was raised by the souldiors in his campe but Basta forthwith shewing himselfe with all his souldiors in armes and withall producing the letters declaring the treason by the Vayuod contriued with the Bassa of Tâ—MESVâ—AR against the emperour all was againe appeased but especially for that his souldiours now saw themselues without an head and too weake also for the Imperials there present and alreadie in armes In the Vayuods tent were also other letters found so plainly declaring his secret collusion with the Turke and treason against the Emperour that the Walachians who at the first were wonderfully mooued with his death and hearing the same read rested not now onely contented but said moreouer that he was worthely slaine and that if they had knowne him to haue had any such traiterous purpose they would themselues long before haue taken of him deserued punishment Now vnto his souldiors Basta offered at their choise either to depart whither they would without danger or else taking the oath of obedience vnto the emperour to enter into his pay which most part of them did The tumult appeased the dead bodie of the Vayuod was laid out a whole day for the souldiors to gaze vpon and so afterward buried So lieth he that but of late and many times before had so fortunatly ouerthrowne his enemies vnhappie man himselfe now ouerthrowne by his owne ambition and vnconstancie Basta now deliuered of the great feare he had before of the Vayuod what by force what by agreement in short time tooke in most part of the country for that the Transyluanians seeing the small power of Sigismund and well comforted with the death of Michael the Vayuod so much of them hated as also to auoid the dangers euen presently hanging ouer their heads from the Imperials if they should in any thing shew themselues obstinat against them submitted themselues wholly to the courtesie of Basta so that the places were but few that yet held out for the prince Sigismund who in the meane time was doing what he might for the raising of a new armie hauing not altogither with this late ouerthrow forthwith also lost his hope by the helpe of the Turkes Tartars and Polonians to recouer againe the possession of his state and by force of armes to chase out the Imperials But he being brought to so low an ebbe and almost the countrey of TRANSYLVANIA possessed by Basta who would not haue thought but that now after so long trauels it would haue remained wholly at the emperours deuotion and so many that thought themselues to see much said assuredly it would But see the change and what small assurance euen the greatest haue of the constancie of the vaine multitude neuer more like themselues than in disliking to morrow what they best liked to day foolish sencelesse improuident rash headstrong violent and aboue all things mutable and vnconstant So now for all that Basta had done for the assurance of this countrey vnto the emperour being so much as most men thought to haue been sufficient and indeed as much as was possible for him to doe euen in the winding vp of this yeare 1601 the Transyluanians vnderstanding that Sigismund with a great armie of Polonians Turkes and Tartars was now comming against the Imperials most part of them presently tooke vp armes in his fauour saying That their first oath voluntarily giuen vnto him as their naturall prince and Gouernour was more to be respected than any other afterwards by force extorted from them by a forrein prince Insomuch that Basta perceiuing with what a tempest he was like euen presently to be ouerwhelmed to saue himselfe and his people from the rage thereof withdrew himselfe with his followers vnto a strong towne in a corner of that countrey from whence he with all speed sent vnto the emperour for greater aid as well for the defence of the place he yet held as for the subduing againe of that rebellious people After whose departure Sigismund without resistance entring the countrey was of the people in generall joyfully receiued as their most lawfull prince and soueraigne and all the honour done vnto him that was by them possible in which his so princely but dangerous estate now twise in lesse than the space of one yeare by him regained and yet thereof no whit assured we will for a while leaue him to joy therein with his subjects But whilest the state thus turneth vpside downe in TRANSYLVANIA the
themselues in Europe Prusa yeelded vnto the Turks The death of Othoman Othoman 〈◊〉 at Prusa The wealth that Othoman left vnto his two sonnes Orchanes and Aladin When that barbarous manner of murthering their brethâ—eâ— first began among the Turkish Sultans The city of Nice with diuers other castles recouered from the Turks after the death of Othoman The emperour wounded The city of Nice surprised by the Turks Abydus besieged by the Turks Nicomedia yeelded vnto Orchanes Orchanes remoueth his court to Nice Orchanes inuadeth the country of Carasiâ—a The countrey of Carasina yeelded vnto Orchanes The castle of Maditus taken by the Turks Calipolis taken by the Turkes The death of Solyman Bassa Orchanes his eldest sonne The death of Orchanes * Lazarum Seruiae principeâ— Lazarâ—â— Despot of 〈◊〉 Amurath succeedeth his father Orchanes in the Turkish kingdome Didymotichum yeelded vnto the Turks Hadrianople yeelded vnto the Turks Rhâ—destum surâ—â—ised by the Turks Hadrianople the royall seaâ— of the Turkish kings in Europe Boga taken by Amurath and recouered again and rased by the Christians Boga new buâ—â—â— by â—he Turks Amurath inâ—â—deth Seruia Nissa taken by the Turks Appolonia woon by the Turks Amurath and Aladin prepare themselues for waâ—â—e The death of Chairadin Bassa The great battaile in the plaines of Caramania betwixt Amurath and Aladin Aladin flyeth to Iconium Iconium besieged by Amurath Lazarus the Despot by his embassadour craueth ayd of the king of Bozna Amurath maried the emperour of Constantinople his daughter The castle of Sarkiuâ— with the citie ioining vnto it taken by the Christians and rased Lazarus slaine Amurath slain Amurath burâ—â—ed at Prusa Phi. Lonicer Hist. Tur. li. 1. Baiazet iâ—â—adeth Seruia Seruia the second time inuaded by Baiazet â—â—â—ladelâ—hia 〈◊〉 by Baiazet Thessaâ—â—a inâ—â—ded by Baiaâ—et Constantinople eight yeares besieged by Baiazeâ— Constantinople the second time besieged by Baiazet Baiazet 〈◊〉 Despina the faire daughter of Lazarus the Despot Temurtaseâ— Baiazet his great 〈◊〉 â—enant in Asia taken prisoner by Alaâ—â—â— the young 〈◊〉 of Caâ—amaniâ— Amasia yeelded vnto Baiazet Sebastia deliuered to Baiazet Baiazet inuadeth Isfendiar prince of Castamona The Mahometan princes of Asia oppressed by Baiazet disguâ—sed flye vnto Tamerlane for aid Tamerlane his opinion concerning the diuersitie of religions The base opinion some haue concerning the birth and rising of Tamerlane Tamerlane honorably dâ—sceÌ„ded The cause why some haue reported him to haue been a shepheard or heardsman Tamerlane marrieth the daughter and heire of the great Chaeâ—â— of Tartariâ— Prince Axalla in great credit with Tamerlane The number of Tamerlane his great armie Sebastia besieged by Tamerlane Sebastia yeelded to Tamerlane A shepheard more happie than Baiazet The prince of Ciarcan dealeth politickly with the forerunners of the Turks armie The great and mortall battaile betwixt Baiazet and Tamerlane The prince of Ciarcan sâ—aâ—ne The Turks ouerthrowne Baiazet and his sonne Musa taken prisoners Baiazet brought before Tamerlane with his pride Baiazet like a beast shut vp in an iron cage Solyman set â—p in his fathers sâ—ead Prusa taken by Axalla Tamerlane goeth to Constantinople Tamerlan much deâ—ighted with the pâ—easures of Constantinople A great battell fought betwixt the Sultan of Aegypt and Tamberlane Damasco woon by Tamerlane Tamerlane commeth to Ierusalem Damiata taken by Axalla Tamerlane marchâ—th towards Caâ—er Caler bâ—sieged by Tamerlane Caier assaulted by Tamerlane The Sultan flieth from Alexandria Tamerlane desirous to returne into his country The misâ—rablâ— death oâ— Baiazet A comparison betwixt Baiazet and Tamerlane Baiazet in his posteâ—â—â—ie more fâ—rtunat than Tamerlane Phil. Lonicer Hist. Turc lib. 1. Diuers opinions concerning the successours of Baiazet The true posterâ—tie of Baiazet Mahomet Gouernor of Amasia Mahomet sendeth spies into Tamerlane his campe Cara Dulet slaine Mahomet his letters to Inall Ogli the Tartar pince Inall Ogli his answere to Mahomet Inall Ogli ouerthrowne by Mahomet Mahomet his speech to Tamerlans embassador The great power Tamerlane continually kept The death of Tamerlane The discription of Tamerlane Paulus Iouius Illust. virorum Elog. lib. 1. pag. 97. Mahomet goeth against his brother Isa. The answâ—re of Isa to Mahomet his oâ—â—ers The bodie of Baiazet honourabâ—y 〈◊〉 at Prusa Good counsell Isa with a great armie sent by his brother Solyman into Asia against Mahomet Prusa burnt by Isa. Isa â—lieth into Caramania and there dieth in obscuritie The castle of â—rusa besieged 〈◊〉 Solyman Musa marieth the prince of Valachia his daughter Musa in the absence of Solyman receiâ—ed at Hadrianople as king Musa goeth against Soâ—yman Solyman flyeth Solyman strangled by his brother Musa This Solyman is that same whom some call Celebinus and other-some Calepinus and reckon him for the fift king of the Turks The battaile betwixt the two brethren Mahomet and Musa Mahomet his letters vnto the prince Dulgader Ogli his father in law The answere of prince Dâ—lgader Ogli to Mahomet Hadrianople besieged by Mahomet Musa his cheefe captaines reuolt to Mahomet Musa taken Musa strangled 1415. Prusa burnt by the Caramanian king 1416 Mahomet inuadeth the Caramanian king 1417 Valachia tributarie to the Turke Burgluzes slain Bedredin hanged Mahomet dieth at Hadrianople The death of Mahomet cunningly concealed from the Ianizaries by the tâ—ree great Bassaes. Phil. Lonicer Hist. Turc lib. 1. Murat is the same that we caâ—â— Desiderius Mustapha the supposed sonne of Baiazet raiseth rebellion against Amurath Mustapha â—lyetâ— Mustapha hâ—â—ged Two Asapi sold by a Ianizarie for a sheepes head Constantinople in vain besieged by Amurath Mustapha betraied strangled Eiuases-Bassa 〈◊〉 put out The king of Caramania slaine Thessalonica besieged Thessalonica takeÌ„ by Amurath Plague among the Turks Hungarie spoiled by Amurath Amurath contrary to his faith inuadeth Seruia and subdueth it Vladislaus accepteth of the kingdome offered Belgrade besieged of the Turkâ— Belgrade in vain assaulted The notable speech of Amurathâ—â—â—ncourage 〈◊〉 souldiors to the assault of Belgrade Belgrade notably defended by the Christians Amurath his answerâ— to the embassadours 1440 Transiluania inuaded and spoiled by Mesites Bassa Huniades flieth Huniades the bishop of Alba-Iula entrapped by the Turks A great battell betwixt Mesites and Huniades Great reioicing for the victorie The speech of an old Turke in deliuering the present vnto the king Valachia grieuouslâ— spoiled by the Turks The most Christian speech of Huniades to encourage his souldiours against the Turks A cruell barrell betwixt Huniades and Abedin Bassa The Turks â—lie The effectuall speech of Iulian the Popes legate in the parlâ—ment to persuade the warre The pitifull comâ—â—â—â—â— of the Desâ—ot of tâ—e crueltiâ— of the Turks persuadâ—â—â— the Hunâ—â—â—ians to take the warre against them in hand Sophia taken Huniades with ten thousand horsemen assaâ—leth the Turks by night The meeting of Vladislaus and Huniades after the victorie The Hungarianâ— inforced with the diffâ—cultie of the passage of the mountaine Hemus retire A great battell betwixt Huniades the Bassa Carambey The Turks ouerthrowne and Carambry taken prisoner Scanderbeg reuâ—lteth from the Turks
Annal. Turcicorum pag. 95. The land of Iurie much troubled with the Arabian theeues and robbers The Subbasâ—i of Bethlehem flaine quicke The number of Osmans armie The most insolenâ— speech of the souldiors of Constantinople and Greece vnto Osman their Generall Osman wisâ—ly appeaseth his mutinous souldiors The Turkes reâ—oiâ—e vpon the discouerie of Tauris The Persian prince ouerrunneth the vauward of the Turkes armie Osman sendeth two Bassaes with 14000 souldiors to ouertake the Persian prince A great slaughter in the gates of Tauris The description of Tauris The castle of Taâ—â—ris built in 36 daies Eight Iaâ—izaries with certaine Sâ—â—â—glaâ—s â—ound sâ—â—angled in a bath at Tauris The miserie of the Taurisians Eight thousand Turks slaine The Bassa of Caraemit slaine by the Persian prince and his head cut off Giaffer Bassa of Tripolis an Eunuch made Gouernor of Tauris Osmâ—â— thâ— Generall departeth from Taâ—â—is and commeth to Sancazan The battell of Sancazan Twentie thousand Turks slain Osman the Visier and Generall dieth aâ— Sancazan The Turkes armie discharged at Van. The miserie the Turks armie endured at Tauris Ten thousand Turcomans offâ—r their seruice vnto the Persian king The Turcomans forsake the siege and fall into rebellion The Turcomans discomfited and Mahamet Chan and Calife the Sultan beheaded Giâ—ffer Bassa sâ—ndeth to Cicalâ— Bassa for aid The reuenue of Soria six hundred thousand duckats 1586 Ferat departed from Constantinople and commeth to Siuas The glorie of the Persian kingdome ouerthrown by rebellion and discord Aliculi and Emanguli Chan performe nothing against the Turkâ— as was by the prince expected Feraâ— putteth succours into the â—ort aâ— Tauris The Persian prince â—laine by one of his Eunuchs 1587 The castle of Koppan in Hungarie surprised by the Christians Aly Bassa of Buda strangled by the commandement of Amurath Sinan Bassa againe receiued into sauour Sigismund the Polonian king his letter vnto Amurath * The Turks desire to be called Mussuâ—man which in their language signifieth a right beleeuer Amurath his answere vnto the letters of Sigismund 1588 Genge taken by Ferat The Ianizarieâ— in a tumulâ— at Constantinople Great harme done by fire in Constantinople Sinan Bassa of Buda inuadeth the vpper part of Hungarie Sinan ouerthrowne 1589 Nicholaus Reusnerus epist. Turciâ— lib. 12. pag. 42. Amurath his letters vnto the queene of England * September The Polonian Cossackâ— inuade the Tartarians and Turkes 1590 The reasons wherewith the Visiâ—r Bassaâ—s persuade Amurath to make warre The causes why Amurath would not suddenly resâ—â—â—e vpon war Eight seuerall opinion of the Visâ—er Bassaes concerning the warre to be taken in hand The first opinion and reasons of them that would haue the warâ— renewed in Persia. The second opâ—nion for making of war vpon the king of Fez and Morocco the reasons thereof The third opinion concerning the conquest of Malta The fourth opinion for warre to be made against the K. of Spaine and the reasons thereof The fift opinion for the inuasion of the Venetians and the reasons why The sixt opinion for the attempting of Italie and the reasonâ— thereof The seuenth opinion for war â—o bâ— made against the Polonian the reasons thereof The eight opinion for warre to be made against the Emperor and the reasons thereof Amurath reselueth to make wâ—rre vpon the emperour with the reasons 〈◊〉 him thereâ—nto 1591 The Persian hostage dieth in the Turkes Couâ—â— 1592 Wihitz the Metropoliticall citâ—e of Croatia â—eelded to the Turks Certaine â—aine attempts of the Turkes Turopolis spoiled by the Turks The castle Saint George surprised by the Turkes The emperour prayeth aid againe of the Germane princes 1593 Diuers incursionâ— of the Turkes into the frontiers of the Christians in Croatia and Hungarie The Emperours letters vnto Amurath The Emperours letters vnto Sinan Bassa Sinan Bassa his letters to the emperour * Which is the 16 of March in the yeare of Christ. 1593. The threatening letters of Hassan Bassa of Bosna vnto the Abbot of Siseg * The Hungarian Bannes are noble men in power much like vnto the Turkes Bassaes Hassan Bassa inuadeth Croatia Siseg besieged by Hassan Bassa A great battell betwixt the Turkes and the Christians Siseg relieued Eighâ—â—â—ne thoâ—sand Turkes slaine Newes of the ouerthrow of the Turks at Siseg brought to Budâ— The proud and blasphemous denuntiation of warre giuen out by Amurath against Rodolph the Christian â—mperour Siseg taken by the Turkes Sinan Bassa besiegeth Vesprinium Palotta yeelded vnto the Turks Alba Regalis besieged by the Christians Sabatzka taken by the lord Teuffenbach Filek besieged by the Christians Filek taken by the Christians Setschine Blauenstein and Sallek abandoned by the Turkâ— The Turks in bâ—rying their dead slaine by the Christians 1594 A great tempest at Constantinople Amurath dreameth A faire present of the spoile of the Turkes sent vnto the emperour Nouigrad besieged by the Christians Nouigrad yeelded vnto the archduke The Sanzaâ—ke of Nouigrad hanged aâ— Buda Certaine castles of the Turks vpon the borders of Stirâ—a taken by the countie Serinus Haâ—â—an besieged by the Christians The copie of the letterâ— of the lord Teuffenbâ—ch to Matthias the Archduke Generall of the emperours armie against the Turkâ— Sâ—rigonium besieged by the Christians The old citie deliuered by the Rascians vnto the Christians The castle assaulted The Rascianâ— rise vp against the Turks Fiue thousand Christianâ— lost at the siege of Strigonâ—um The Archduke sendâ—th aid to the siege of Hatwan Strigonium assaulted Strigonium sore battered The new built â—ort hardly assauâ—ted by the Turkes The Archduke raiseth his siege and with his armie passeth the riuer Fiue thousand Turks slaine Hatwan in vain assaulted by the Christians Teuffâ—nbach giueth ouer the siege of Hatwan A Dice of the empire holden at Ratisbone for the withstanding of the Turke The emperour grieuously complaineth vnto the Princes Electors and States of the empire of the infidelitie of the Turke and craueth their aid Sinan Bassa with an armie of 250 thousand betwâ—ene Buda and Alba Regalis Dotis and Saint Martins yeelded to the Turkes Rab. The Turks and Tartars passing ouer the riuer ouerthrowne The Tartarians the second time ouerthrowne Rab battered A Bassa slaine A sight in the riuer betwixt the Turkes and the Tartars A great skirmish betwixt the Turkes and the Christians Two thoâ—sand Turks slaine and 17 of their ensignes taken A great spoile taken by the Turks Rhegium rased by the Turks Rab assaulted by the Turks Twelue thousand Turks slaine Countie Hardeck corrupted by the Turke yeeldeth the strong towne of Rab vnto Sinan Bassa Rab repaired by the Turks Komara besieged by Sinan Bassa Sinan Bassa raisâ—th his siege Countie Hardeck condemned and executed for betraying of Rab. Great harme â—rnâ— in Transylâ—ania by the Tartars The conspirators against the prince apprehâ—nded and executed The Ianizaries in a tumult at Constantinople Amurath sicke 1595 The â—â—â—itulations of the league betwixt the emperour and the Transyluanian Prince Valachia oppressed by the Turkâ— * Ion sigâ—ifieth with the Vaâ—achianâ—