time came in the dawning of the day to one of the gates of the citie accompaâ—ied but with ten of his followers as if he would haue gone forth to hunt as he had before accuâ—tomed But so soone as the gates were opened he with the other ten well appointed for the purpose furiously set vpon the warders whom they slew and being aided by the rest of the fugitiue Turks which with all speed by appointment before made resorted vnto them they possessed the gate vntill a great power of the Turks whom Amurath the night before had placed in amâ—ush neere vnto the citie hauing knowledge what was done and hearing the alarme speedily â—ame on and by that gate entred the cittie where was fought a cruell fight all that day euen from morning vntill night But in the end the Turks preuailing tooke the citie which they haue euer since possessed vnto this day These great cities of THRACIA thus takeÌ„ or otherwise as aforesaid for that I leaue for the Reader to thinke of as he pleaseth Amurath appointed the seat of his royall Court at HADRIAâ—OPLE as a place of all others most fit for the further inuasion of the Christians and enlarging of his kingdom in EVROPE from whence such a world of mischiefs woe hath since that time ouerflowed a great part of Christendome drowned so many goodly kingdoms in EUROPE as that both they and most part of the rest that yet remaine dayly in dread of like destruction might iustly accurse and detest the wofull carelesnesse and degenerate cowardise of the Greekes were not they themselues together with the glorie of their church and empire swallowed vp in the same gulfe of calamitie and woe and so become of all others most miserable but what auaile vaine complaints but to encrease old griefes wherefore againe to that we haue in hand The prowd Sultan Amurath hauing to his great content thus seated himselfe at HADRIANOPLE in the middest of THRACIA presently sent out his tutor Lala Schahin with a great power to inuade the countrey about PHILIPPOPOLIS with the countrey of ZAGORA which lyeth â—owards the great mountain HoeMUS where the best Turkish Scimitars were made giuing like charge vnto Eurenoses for the subduing of the territorie of IPSALA who both notably performed what hee had commaunded and in short time brought all those countreys vnder his subjection wherein hee shortly after placed diuers sanzacks or gouernours for the better assurance thereof being so lately gayned About this time by the suggestion of Cara Rustemes a doctor of the Mahometan law Zinderlu Chelil then Cadilesher or chiefe Iustice amongst the Turks but afterwards better knowne by the name of Cairadin Bassa by the commaundement of Amurath tooke order that euerie fifth captiue of the Christians being aboue fifteen yeeres old should bee taken vp for the king as by law due vnto him and if the number were vnder fiue then to pay vnto the king for euerie head 25 aspers by way of tribute appointing officers for collecting both of such captiues and tribute mony of whom the aforesaid Cara Rustemes himselfe was chiefe as first deuiser of the matter By which meanes great numbers of Christian youths were brought to the court as the kings captiues which by the counsel of the same Zinderlu Chelil were distributed amongst the Turkish husbandmen in ASIA there to learne the Turkish language religion and manners where after they had been brought vp in all painefull labour and trauaile by the space of two or three yeeres they were called vnto the court and choice made of the better sort of them to attend vpon the person of the prince or to serue him in his warres where they dayly practising all feats of actiuitie are called by the name of Ianizars that is to say new souldiers This was the first beginning of the Ianizars vnder this Sultan Amurath the first but had great encrease vnder Amurath the second in so much that Iouius with some other Historiographers attribute the beginning of this order vnto him which neuerthelesse as appeareth by the Turks owne histories had the beginning as is aforesaid and hath euer since been continued by the Turkish kings and emperors by the same and some other greater meanes so that in processe of time they be grown to that greatnes as that they are oftentimes right dreadfull vnto the great Turke himselfe after whose death they haue sometimes preferred to the empire such of the emperours sonnes as they best liked without respect of prerogatiue of age contrarie to the will of the great Sultan himselfe and are at this day the greatest strength of the Turkish empire and not vnlike in time to be the greatest cause of the ruine thereof the finger of the highest oftentimes as wee haue before said turning euen those helps which were by mans wisedome prouided for the establishing of kingdoms vnto their more speedie destruction and especially these continuall garisons of martiall men no lesse to be feared than trusted as in the course of this historie may appeare When Amurath had thus a great while continued at HADRIANOPLE determining now to returne vnto ASIA he made Schahin his tutor Beg-Lerbeg or viceroy of ROMANIA and Eurenoses lord gouernour of the marches Zinderlu Chelil hee made Vezir Azemes or lord president of his counsell and changing his name called him Cairadin Bassa that is to say The Bassa that had well deserued his name witnessing his good desert After this hee returned into ASIA where he spent that winter at PRVSA These two great men Cairadin Bassa Cara Rustemes before named sometimes two doctors of the Mahometan law were as the Turkish histories report the first that corrupted the Turkish court with couetousnesse and briberie and are therefore of them euen yet much blamed Whilst Amurath thus wintered in ASIA news was brought vnto him That the Christians of SERVIA and BULGARIA had gathered a great armie for the besieging of HADRIANOPLE which caused him to prepare great forces in ASIA to aid his captaines in EUROPE But in returning out of ASIA hee by the way tooke the towne of BOGA where hee put to sword all the Christians that were therein able to beare armes leading the rest into captiuitie and with the spoile rewarded his souldiours This strong towne was not long after againe recouered by the Christians who requited the Turkes with like measure and doubting the keeping thereof rased it downe to the ground yet was it afterwards reedified by the Turks as it is at this present to be seene which was done in the yeare of our Lord 1365. In the meane time the Christian armie of SERVIA and BULGARIA in number betwixt fortie and fiftie thousand marching towards HADRIANOPLE and now come very neere the same fell in mutinie among themselues Whereof the Turks by their espials hauing intelligence suddainely in the night set vpon them who blinded with inward hatred and no lesse fearing one another than their enemies neglected to joyne
forewarned of his death at HADRIANOPLE and some others that he died in ASIA strucken with an Apolexie proceeding of a surfet taken of the immoderat drinking of wine But Marinus Barlesius who liued in his time in SCODRA fast by EPIRVS whose authoritie in report of the warres betwixt him and Scanderbeg we follow setteth it downe in such maner as is aforesaid Presently after his death Mahomet his sonne for feare of some innouation to be made at home raised the siege and returned to HADRIANOPLE and afterward with great solemnitie buried his dead bodie at the West side of PRVSA in the suburbs of the citie where he now lieth in a chappell without any roofe his graue nothing differing from the manner of the common Turks which they say he so commaunded to be done in his last will that the mercie and blessing of God as he termed it might come vnto him by the shining of the Sunne and Moone and falling of the raine and dew of heauen vpon his graue He whilest he liued mightily enlarged the Turkish kingdome and with greater wisedome and pollicie than his predecessours established the same insomuch that some attribute vnto him the first institution of the Ianizaries and other souldiours of the court the greatest strength of the Turkish empire before indeed begun in the time of Amurath the first his great grandfather as is before declared but by him greatly augmented and the pollicie of that state whereby it hath euer since in his posteritie flourished euen by himselfe plotted For the better establishing whereof in his owne housâ— and to cut off all occasions of feare as also to leaue all such as might haue the heart to arise against him all naked and bare of forces to resist but especially the other ancient and noble families of the Turks still secretly repining at the great honour of the Othoman kings he as a man of great wisedome and judgement to keepe them vnder in the beginning of his raigne by manifold fauours began to bind vnto himselfe men of strange and forraine countreys his seruants and by ordering of his most waightie affaires by their authoritie so by little and little to cast off the seruice of his naturall Turks they in the meane time little or nothing at all looking into this his practise And whereas the Othoman kings his predecessours had for the most part or rather all together raised their Ianizaries and other souldiors of the court of such children of the Christians as were taken in the warres he seeing by experience how seruiceable those new kind of souldiors were began forthwith to plot in his head how to make himselfe an armie all together of such able persons his owne creatures and so to bring in a new kind of warfare wholly depending of himselfe And to that end by his officers appointed for that purpose tooke from the Christians throughout his dominions euerie fift child the fairest and aptest of whom he placed in his owne Seraglio at HADRIANOPLE and the rest in other like places by him built for such purpose where they were by sufficient teachers first instructed in the principles of the Mahometan religion and then in all manner of actiuitie and feats of armes Of these when they were grown to mans state he made horsemen gaue them great pensions and sorting them into diuers orders appointed them also to guard his person honouring the better sort of them with the name of Spahi-Oglani that is to say His sonnes the knights And of these he began to make his Basâ—aes his Generals of his armies and the Gouernours of his prouinces and cities with all the great offices of the state The rest and farre the greatest part of these tribute children taken from their Christian parents and not brought vp in these Seraglioes hee caused to bee dispierced into euerie citie and countrey of his dominion in ASIA there for certaine yeares to be brought vp in all hardnesse and painfull labour neuer tasting of ease or pleasure out of which hard brood so enured to paines he made choise of so many of the most lustie and able bodies fittest for seruice as he thought good who kept in continuall exercise and by skilfull men taught to handle all maner of weapons but especially the bow the peece and the Scimitar were by him as occasion serued added to the other Ianizaries and appointed for the guarding of his person calling them commonly by the names of his sonnes The remainder of these tribute children as vnfit for the warres hee put vnto other base occupations and ministeries But vnto those martiall men of all sorts so by him ordained hee appointed a continuall pay according to their degrees and places and by great benefits and liberties bestowed vpon them bound them so fast vnto him as that he might now account himselfe to haue of them so many sonnes as hee had souldiours For they together with the Christian religion hauing forgot their parents and countrey and knowing no other lord and master but him and acknowledging all that they had to come and proceed of his free grace onely remained euer bound and faithfull vnto him and so kept others also as well the naturall Turks themselues as the other oppressed Christians within the bounds of obedience and loyaltie A great pollicie proceeding from a deepe judgement first to weaken the Christians by taking from them their best children and of greatest hope and then by them depending wholly of himselfe to keepe in awe and dutifull obedience his naturall subjects also hauing them alwaies as a scourge readie to chastice the rebellious or disloyall Now the other Othoman kings and emperours the successors of Amurath keeping this custome and also increasing it one after another haue therby not onely kept the empire still in their house and familie where it was first gotten but also so maintained the majestie of their state as that they are of their subjects feared obeyed and honoured not as kings but as gods For the naturall Turks their subjects loosing courage continually and daily growing more base and dastardly by reason they are not suffered to practise the knowledge of armes and the souldiours in whose power all things are knowing nothing of their owne but holding and acknowledging all that they haue to come of their lord account them as kings and lords of all ruling much after the manner of the Pharaohs the antient kinges of AEGYPT who were absolute lords and masters both of the publick and priuat wealth of their subjects whom they kept vnder as slaues and villaines And hereof cometh it to passe that the better part of them whom we call Turks but are indeed the children of Christians and seduced by their false instructors desire to be called Musulmans that is to say right beleeuers hold it a reproachfull and dishonourble thing to be called Turks as it were peculiarly and aboue other people For that they knowing right well that there is not one naturall Turke among all those that
Cutlu-Muses vnto whom and his posteritie he had yeelded the absolute honour of a Sultan or king ouer such countreis and prouinces as they should winne from the Christians but vnto these others his kinsmen he gaue the gouernment of the aforesaid cities of DAMASCO and ALEPPO in the frontiers of his dominion in SIRIA conditionally that they should still remaine his vassals and hold of him as of their soueraigne whatsoeuer they had who neuerthelesse in short time mightily preuailed vpon the Aegyptian stil increasing the Turkish territorie with the losse of the Sarasins whose name together with their empire was now by the Turks almost quite driuen out of ASIA But these proud branches of the Turkish empire thus ouerspreading the lesser ASIA with the greatest part of SIRIA were in short time after by the mercie of God and the valour of the most Christian and religious princes of the West cut shorter and brought againe into some better order The full discourse whereof worthie eternall memorie by others inrolled in the antient records of fame I purpose not at large to follow but in briefe to touch for the orderly continuation of the present historie hasting to the doings of this victorious nation of later times wherein we are to make a longer stay as more pertinent vnto the dangerous estate of the present time It fortuned that whilest Cutlu-Muses and his sonnes supported by the Sultan Axan their kinsman thus mightily preuailed against the Christians in the lesser ASIA on the one side and Melich with his cousin against the Aegyptian Caliph in SIRIA on the other that one Peter a French Heremite mooued with a deuout zeale according to the manner of that time went to visit the sepulcher of our Sauiour with the other holy places at IERVSALEM who comming into SIRIA then for the most part possessed by the Turks and Sarasins diligently noted by the way as he trauelled the manners and fashions of these barbarous nations their gouernment their cities their power and strength but aboue all the grieuous miseries of the poore oppressed Christians that there liued in most miserable thraldom amongst them without hope of release all which he in the habit of a poore pilgrim at libertie safely viewed in the midst of these miscreants being withall a little low hard fauoured fellow and therefore in shew more to be contemned than feared Yet vnder such simple homely feature lay vnregarded a most subtill sharp and pearcing wit fraught with discretion and sound judgement still applying to some good vse what he had in his long and painfull trauell most curiously obserued He comming to IERVSALEM and performing his deuotions there saw the grieuous miserie of the poore deuout Christians so great and heauie as that greater or more intollerable could none be wherewith not a little grieued he entred into a deepe discourse thereof with Simon the Patriarch and Abbot of the monasterie of the Christians there before built by certaine deuout Italian merchants and with the master oâ—â—he Hospitalars by whom he was fully enformed thereof as of whatsoeuer else he required After much graue conference it was at length agreed vpon amongst them That the Patriarch and the Grand-master should in their owne and the names of the other oppressed Christians write their letters vnto the Pope and the other Christian princes concerning their miseries and to craue their aid for the recouerie of those holy places out of the hands of those cruell infidels of which letters the deuout hermit promised himselfe to be the trustie carrier and of their petitions the most carefull soliciter Whereupon the Patriarch and Grand-master in the name of the poore oppressed Christians wrote their letters vnto this effect We the citizens of the Holy citie and countreymen of Christ Iesus dayly suffer those things which Christ our king suffered but once in the last daies of his mortalitie We are dayly buffeted scourged and pierced euerie day some of vs are brained beheaded or crucified We would flie from citie to citie vnto the remotest parts of the earth and remooue out of the middle of that land where Christ our Sauiour wrought our redemption to lead a poore exiled and vagrant life were it not impietie to leaue the land sacred with the birth doctrine death resurrection and assention of our Sauiour without inhabitants and priests and that there should first lacke such as would endure death and martyrdome than such as would inflict the same and that there should not be which would willingly die for Christ as in battell so long as there were any that would fight against them These things truly we most miserably suffer yet was there a time when as our ancestors feared no such thing either to themselues or their posteritie And now perhaps the Christian kingdomes of the West liue likewise without the least suspition of feare but let them bee mooued by our example and testimonie The strength of the Turks is dayly encreased ours diminished The continuall gaining of new kingdoms giueth them courage They haue already deuoured the whole world in hope The forces of the Turks are fiercer and stronger than the forces of the Sarasins their policies deeper their attempts more desperat their endeuours greater and their successe fortunater Yet haue the Sarasins attempted both ROMES they haue besieged CONSTANTINOPLE and haue wasted not only the Sea coasts of ITALY but euen the heart of the land also Then why should the kingdomes of the West presume themselues to stand in safetie and out of all perill when as the chiefe fortresses of the world haue beene so endangered What may the rest of Christendome promise vnto it selfe seing that IERVSALEM the seat and spectacle of the Christian religion hath beene besieged taken sacked rased and triumphed vpon Seeing that of the Christian profession remaine but the poore and weake reliques in comparison of the ancient whole entire bodie This land which is dayly be sprinkled with our blood yea the blood it selfe crieth out for reuenge And we your most humble suppliants prostrate at your feet call vpon the helpe aid mercie faith and religion of you most blessed Father of the kings princes and potentates Christians not in name and profession onely but in heart soule and spirit Before the tempest thunder before the lightning fall vpon you auert from you and your children the storme hanging ouer your heads defend vs your poore suppliants deliuer your religion from most wicked and accursed slauerie You shall in so doing deserue immortall fame and God shall requite your so great valour in this world with terrestriall kingdomes and in the world to come with eternall blisse whose sacred inheritance you shall haue defended from the rage of hell With these letters and plentie of other secret instructions the deuout hermit returning into ITALY and comming to ROME deliuered his letters vnto Vrban the second of that name then Pope with a full discourse of the miseries of the Christians vnder the
their farther passage with whom Robert duke of NORMANDIE who had the leading of the vauntguard had a hard conflict vntill that the Turks discouraged with the sight of the armie still comming on forsooke the bridge and betooke themselues to flight So the Christians passing the riuer came and encamped with their armie before the famous citie of ANTIOCH the one and twentith day of October in the yeere 1097 the gouernour whereof vnder the Persian Sultan was one Cassianus of some also honoured with the name of a king who at the comming of the Christians had with him in the citie seuen thousand horsemen and twentie thousand foot of the Turks with great store of victuals and all manner of other prouisions necessarie for the defence thereof This citie called in antient time EPIDAPHANE or EPIPHANE and of the Hebrewes REBLATHA sometime the seat of the Sirian kings and afterwards the Metropoliticall citie of SIRIA hauing vnder it an hundred and fiftie bishops famous for many things and amongst others for that it was the seat of the blessed Apostle Saint Peter and first place whereas the professours of the Christian religion tooke the name of Christians is situate vpon the riuer ORONTES about twelue miles from the sea and was then strongly fortified both by nature and art being compassed about with a double wall the vttermost whereof was of hard stone and the other of bricke with 460 towres in the same and an inpregnable castle at the East end thereof whereunto was joyning a deepe lake comming out of the great riuer which watred the South side of the citie Round about this strong citie one of the most assured refuges of the Turks although it were in circuit great lay the Christian princes encamped except on that side which being defended with the high broken mountaines is not there to be besieged Vpon whom the Turks out of the citie duing the time of the siege made many a fierce desperat sally being stil by the Christians most valiantly repulsed especially at the bridge which the Christians had made of boats for their more commodious passage too and fro ouer the riuer In this sort was the siege continued vntill the beginning of Februarie with many a bloodie skirmish At which time such abundance of raine sell as that hardly could a man find any place to lie drie in and the scarsitie of victuall grew so great in the campe that many horrible it is to say to assuage their hunger were glad to eat the dead bodies of their late slaine enemies In these extremities many died of hunger and cold yea their horses also perished for want of meat so that in the whole campe were scarcely left two thousand horses fit for seruice the rest being either all dead or brought so low as that they were altogether vnseruiceable These miseries dayly increasing diuers men of great account whom no terrour of the enemie could haue dismaid began secretly to withdraw themselues out of the campe with purpose to haue stolne home among whom were Peter the heremit authour of this war and Tancred the nephew of Bohemund who taken by the way and brought backe with the rest as fugitiues were sharply reprooued by Hugh the French kings brother as cowards and traitors to their brethren and fellow souldiers and so enforced to take a new oath for their fidelitie and perseuerance Bohemund in the meane time going to ARETHVSA a towne not far off by good fortune cut off a great part of the Turks there in garrison who after their vsual manner sallying out to haue cut off the forrages of the Christians were now themselues caught tardie whereby the countrey for a time was more open for the distressed Christian souldiers to seeke abroad for reliefe But this libertie so lately gained lasted not long when newes was brought vnto the campe That the Turks in great number out of the prouinces about ALEPPO and DAMASCO were comming to the reliefe of their besieged friends in ANTIOCH Neuerthelesse the Christians trusting vnto their owne strength the strength of the place wherein they were encamped lay still and at their comming so encountred them that they slew 2000 of them and put the rest to flight In which conflict the Christians got great store of prouision victuals which the Turks had thought to haue put into the citie The heads of the slaine Turks the Christians set vpon stakes before the citie to the more terrour of the defendants This ouerthrow of the Turks wherein Cassianus had lost his eldest sonne with others of his best captaines so daunted the besieged that they requested a truce for a time of the Christian princes which granted they of the citie came oftentimes into the campe and they of the campe likewise into the citie Cassianus still expecting reliefe from the Persian Sultan Whilst the Christian princes were thus busie in ASIA the Venetians with a great fleet of two hundred gallies scouring the seas vnder the conduct of Henrie Contarenus the bishop and of Vitalis the dukes sonne meeting with the gallies of Pisa at the RHODES and falling out with them had with them a great fight wherein the Venetians hauing the vpper hand tooke eighteene of their gallies and in them fiue thousand souldiers whom they seeing to be marked with the red crosse the cognisance of the sacred warre they presently set at libertie together with the gallies detayning onely thirtie of the better sort as hostages After that the Venetians sayling into IONIA tooke the citie of SMYRNA and spoiled all along the costs of LYCIA PAMPHILIA and CILICIA before for feare abandoned by the Turks The truce before taken betweene the Turks and the Christians at the siege of ANTIOCH being in short time after broken by the death of one Vollo a French man slaine by the Turks the war was againe begun and the citie more hardly laid vnto than before At which time the gouernour who in the time of this long siege which had now continued nine months had lost most part of his best souldiers was glad for the defence of so great a citie to vse the seruice of diuers Christians then dwelling in the citie Amongst whom was one Pirrhus a citizen of great reputation vnto whom he had committed the guarding of a tower called the two Sisters but afterward saint Georges tower This Pyrrhus had secret intelligence with Bohemund prince of TARENTVM with whom he agreed to giue him there entrance into the city vpon condition That he should of the other Christian princes procure the gouernment of the citie vnto himselfe and that he with the rest of the Christian citizens in the citie might be at his hands well vsed Which thing being easily obtayned and all things agreed vpon Bohemund with his souldiers were by night by Pyrrhus let into the citie who made way for the rest of the armie to enter The citie thus taken many of the Turks fled into the castell the rest were put vnto the
forkes rakes sythes plowes and harrowes which he had brought ouer with him and why he set them not to work but suffered them like an euill husband to rot and rust beside him All which with much more the good king was glad to put vp For now his forces greatly deminished as well by sicknesse as by the former losses finding himselfe farre too weake he would faine haue retired backe againe to DAMIATA which the Sultan foreseeing got so betwixt him and home that now there was no remedie but either to fight it out or yeeld The king himselfe had been often before intreated by his nobilitie whilest the riuer was yet vnpossessed by the enemie to haue conueyed himselfe by water to DAMIATA for that in the safetie of his person consisted as they said the safetie of his kingdome whatsoeuer became of them whereunto hee could neuer bee persuaded saying That he would neuer forsake his people because he would not be forsaken of them but was resolued to endure with them whatsoeuer it should please God to lay vpon him So passing the riuer by the same foord whereby his brother had not long before vnfortunatly passed and comming to the place where the battell was fought hee might see the dead bodies of the Christians pitifully mangled with their heads and hands cut off For the Sultan the more to encourage his soldiors had before the battell proclaimed That whosoeuer should bring him the head or hand of a Christian should haue a great reward for his labour in hope whereof they had so dismembred them But long he had not there stayed but that the Sultan began suddainely to appeare with a most huge great armie as if he would euen with the sight thereof haue discouraged the Christians against whom for all that the Frenchmen in good order opposed themselues for the space of three houres made great resistance but what could one doe against ten and he also fainting for sicknesse and food the hard plight wherein the greatest part of the French armie then was In conclusion oppressed with the multitude of their enemies and no way left to flie they were all ouerthrowne and slaine except some few saued in hope of great ransome The king himselfe with his two brethren Alphonsus and Charles and some few others were taken prisoners brought vnto the Sultan who demaunding of him What had mooued him so to make war against him was answered by the king That it was for religion the defence of the name of his God In this vnfortunat battell fought the fift of Aprill in the yeare 1250 besides the common souldiors were slaine most of the nobilitie of FRANCE and all their rents taken The Sultan presently vpon this ouerthrow sent of his owne souldiors the like number that the French were of with French ensignes and disguised in the attire of the slaine Frenchmen to DAMIATA where the duke of BURGUNDIE the French queene and the Popes Legat lay in hope to haue been so let in for Frenchmen but they were not so well masked but that they were by them of the citie discouered for enemies and so kept out and deceiued of their purpose The Christians thus ouerthrowne and the French king taken prisoner Melech-sala the Sultan taking compassion vpon him and yet minding of his life to make his owne gaine cheering him vp with comfortable speeches began to talke with him of his deliuerance and of a good attonement to be made betwixt them The conditions whereof propounded by the Sultan were That the king should foorthwith deliuer againe vnto him the citie of DAMIATA and moreouer pay vnto him for the ransome of himselfe and his and for the charges of the war eight thousand pound of gold That all prisoners should on both sides be frankly set at libertie and so a peace to be taken for ten yeares For the more assurance whereof the Sultan offered to sweare That if he failed in the performance therof to renounce his Mahomet requiring likewise of the king to sweare If he failed in any thing that he had promised to denie his Christ to be God Which prophane oath the king detesting and wishing rather to die than to giue the same the Sultan woondring at his constancie tooke his word without any oath at all and so published the league But whilest they were comming together to DAMIATA Melech-sala now in the pride of this victorie feaâ—ing nothing lesse than the sudden change of fortune or the mischiefe hanging ouer his head was in the presence of a number of his noble men suddenly slaine by two desperat Mamalukes and one Turqueminus a sturdie slaue of their owne order and vocation by whose procurement it was supposed to haue beene done by the consent of the whole armie created Sultan in his stead who reuoking the league before concluded by Melech-sala made another in his owne name with the king much vpon the same conditions that the other was which after he had receiued DAMIATA he caused to be openly proclaimed Neuerthelesse after that king Lewis had paied his ransome and was with the remnant of his armie by the Genowaies transported from DAMIATA to PTOLEMAIS the false miscreant performed not the halfe of that he had promised of twelue thousand Christian captiues that should haue been set free scarce enlarging foure thousand and killing all the sicke souldiers whom by his promise he ought to haue reliued neither suffring any Christian to carrie any of his goods with him out of AEGYPT which by the league he ought to haue done also The French king comming to PTOLEMAIS and purposing to haue returned home was intreated by the master of the Templars and Hospitalars and other the nobilitie of the Christians to stay which he did almost by the space of foure yeares in which time he repaired the cities of CESAREA and IOPPE and fortified many strong places for the defence of the Christians against the infidels And so commending the protection thereof vnto the knights of the sacred war and sending his brethren away before him followed after himselfe greatly lamented for by all the Christians in SIRIA and so arriued in FRANCE the sixt yeare from the time of his departing thence This was the end of this long and vnfortunat expedition of Lewis the French king wherein as some write were eightie thousand Christians lost howbeit the French Chronicles extenuating their losse report of two and thirtie thousand French six thousand to haue returned againe into FRANCE The citie of DAMIATA in the space of a few yeares twice woon and twice lost by the Christians was shortly after the deliuering vp thereof by the Sultan rased downe to the ground because it should no more serue the Christians for an entrance into his kingdome The late Aegyptian Sultans thus oftentimes inuaded by the Christian princes and reposing no great assurance in the prowesse of the effeminat Aegyptians a people fitter for marchandize and other base occupations than for chiualrie and war had for the
not regarding greatly whether so it were out of the emperours jurisdiction and something fitting their owne humors neither conforming themselues vnto the religion then commonly by the emperour established neither yet agreeing among themselues but taking vnto them diuers names some as the disciples of Arsenius some of Ioseph and some of others some of them themselues deceiued and deceiuing others also Thus for the auoiding of forraine danger out of the West was the empire at home no little indangered and the state thereof shaken Wherewith the emperour was so encombred as that he had no leisure to prouide for the tempest arising by the Turks out of the East but was inforced wholly to imploy himselfe and all his indeuours vnto the keeping of his people subjects in their due obedience at home All whose deepe deuises first in aspiring vnto the empire no way vnto him due and great trauels afterwards for the assuring of the same vnto himselfe and his posteritie against all right euen with the alteration of the religion of his fathers yeelded him in the winding vp of all not so much as the credit of an honourable sepulture But dying in these troubles not far from LISIMACHIA as he was making preparation against the prince of THESSALIE was there by his sonne Andronicus his commaundement for whose aduancement he had strained both his faith and honour obscurely buried in the field a good way from his campe as vnworthie of a better sepulture for reuolting from the antient religion of his ancestors although his obsequies were for fashion sake afterwards with some solemnitie celebrated This was the end of the great emperour Michaell Paleologus in whose time the Turks the successors of Aladin greatly incroched vpon him in the lesser ASIA as is in part before declared a man greatly adorned with the good gifts both of the bodie and the mind had he not for the aduancement of himselfe and his posteritie stained the same with foule trecherie and apostasie for which as some say he euer after liued in conscience troubled and dying was euen by his owne sonne not thought worthie of an honourable funerall A notable example vnto all such as with greedinesse seeke after vaine glorie and foolishly expose themselues vnto such aduentures as oftentimes ouerwhelme their deepest deuises hauing in themselues no certainetie preferring their inordinat desires either for themselues or their posteritie before that which is good and vertuous Twice wretched in so doing first in their folly and then in their indeuours Who beside that they find God himselfe against their designes and purposes they by and by also euidently meet with other things than what they had forecasted contrarie vnto them and so themselues oftentimes contrarie to their expectation cast headlong into extreame miserie for loe euen he of whom we now speake otherwise a man of great wisdome and happie in his doings ouercome with his affection towards his children in desiring to leaue vnto them the empire when as he ought to haue cast all the care both of himselfe and of them especially vpon the prouidence of God he like a blind man following his own deepe conceits not grounded vpon the fear of God but mans wisdome only cast himselfe before he was aware into miserable troubles and became odious euen vnto his subiects them also for whom he had so forgot himselfe For wheras God had euen from his childhood alotted vnto him the empire as was by many euident signes tokens to haue bin gathered if he could haue moderated his vntimely desires kept his tongue from periurie and his hands from blood and not turned out of the way after strange doctrine he had by many degrees excelled euen the best emperours his predecessors whereas now he lieth obscurely buried shrouded in the sheet of defame the report of his foule faithlesse dealings far exceeding all his other worthy vertues Andronicus Paleologus succeeding his father in the empire and thinking by restoring again the gouernment of the church together with the rites and customes of the Greeks to haue appeased all such troubles as were before by his father raised by bringing in those of the Latines found himselfe therein much deceiued and his troubles no lesse than his fathers they which had before receiued the Latine customes and well liking of them with great obstinacie defending the same and the other of the contrarie faction now countenanced by the emperor without modestie or measure insulting vpon them whereof arose exceeding great stirs and troubles especially in the beginning of his raigne to the great benefit of the encroaching Turks who in the meane time ceased not by all meanes to increase their territories in ASIA and not onely there but in the islands of the Mediterranean sea also For Andronicus by the death of Charles king of SICILIE deliuered of the greatest feare for which both he and his father before him had to their great cost and charge both built and maintained a strong fleet of gallies now persuaded by some whose actions and speeches were after the manner of the court all framed vnto the princes appetite as the readiest way to thâ—iue without respect of the coÌ„mon good to spare that needlesse charge as they tearmed it which yearely cost him more than any other thing else had discharged all his mariners and sea men and commanded all the gallies to be laied vp some in one creeke some in another where neglected not looked vnto they in time for most part rotted and perished As for the mariners they went some one way some another as their fortunes lead them to seeke for their liuings in forreine countries euen with the emperours enemies and some gaue themselues to husbandrie thinking it better by doing something to liue than by sitting still to perish which good husbandrie at the first seemed to be verie profitable vnto the emperour but especially vnto such as being neere vnto him and couetously giuen made small reckoning of all other the most necessarie defences of the empire in comparison of hoording vp of money vntill that it was afterwards too late by experience found hereof to haue sprung many great mischiefes vnto the great weakning of the Greeke empire For besides that the Turkes without lette did great harme on the sea the pirates now out of feare of the emperours gallies at their pleasure tooke the spoile of the rich Islands in the Mediteranian and robbed the townes all along the sea coast to the vnspeakable griefe of the poore countrie people And yet not so contented came with their gallies sometime two sometime three and sometime moe as it were in contempt euen close vnto the imperiall citie Yea the Venetians were so bold as vpon a right small displeasure to rifle and afterward to set fire vpon the suburbes thereof which they would hardly haue aduentured had the emperours fleet bene preserued and maintained in the woonted strength At the same time also Andronicus the emperour to the great hinderance
mistie and the Moone giuing no light many of them vnawares came vnto the Greeke gallies and there flying the smoke fell into the fire for being lightened of their money they were by them forthwith without any pitie slaine also But the Genowaies slew not all their prisoners but onely such as had brought with them the greatest store of coine least afterwards bewraying the same it should haue beene sought after by the Greekes the rest they cast into bonds of whom some they sent vnto the emperour othersome they kept to themselues as their owne prisoners Thus by the valour and good conduct of this worthie deuout captaine the Turks were for that time againe chased out of EUROPE and the countrey of THRACIA deliuered of a great feare Now by that we haue alreadie written is easily to be seene the chiefe causes of the decay and ruine of the Greeke empire to haue been First the innouation and change of their antient Religion and ceremonies by Michael Paleologus whereof ensued a world of woes then by Couetousnesse coloured with the name of good husbandrie the vtter destruction of the chiefe strength of the empire next vnto that by Enuie the ruine of the great False suspect the looser of friends Ambition honours ouerthrow Distrust the great minds torment and Forreine aid the empires vnfaithfull porter opening the gate euen vnto the enemie himselfe wherunto foule Discord joyned as shall be foorthwith declared what wanted that the barbarous enemie could desire for the helping of them in the supplanting of so great an empire But againe to our purpose Michael companion with his father Andronicus in the empire had by his wife Marie two sonnes Andronicus who was afterward emperour and Manuel surnamed the Despot and two daughters Anne maried vnto Thomas prince of EPIRVS and Theodora married to the prince of BVLGARIA of all these the old emperour Andronicus their grandfather so entirely loued Andronicus his nephew as that in comparison of him he little seemed to regard either his owne children or the rest of his nephews wishing them all rather to perish than him which many supposed him to do as purposing by him the better to establish the succession of the empire in his house as also for his excellencie of wit and comelinesse of person the likenesse of name also happily furthering his kind affection For which reasons he caused him to be alwaies honourably brought vp in his court as not willing to spare him out of his sight either day or night But when he was out of his childhood and growne to be a lustie youth at which time mens hot desires are commonly most vehement he began to contemne all chastisement and gouernment especially in so high a calling and in the prime of his youth Besides that his companions became vnto him the ministers and persuaders of all those vaine delights which vnstaied youth most desireth and at the first began to lead him foorth to walke the streets to hauke to hunt and to haunt plaies and afterwards to night walks also not well beseeming his state which riotous course of life when as it required great expence and his aged grandfather gaue him but a certaine spare allowance for his conuenient maintenance he acquainted himselfe with the rich marchants of GENOVVAY which dwelt at PERA Hereof rose hard taking vp of money great debt fine deuises how to come by coyne with secret consultations and purposes of flight For when hee saw his grandfather old Andronicus long to liue and his father Michael like to succeede him he had no hope of aspiring to the empire whereupon his ambitious thoughts and impotent desires long time tormenting his haughtie heart suggested vnto him such purposes For when as hee would not obey his grandfather as his tutor nor follow other mens counsels as a child hee sought after the emperiall libertie and abundance of wealth that he might haue that was sufficient for himselfe and wherewith to reward others as the followers of an emperour Which seeing he could not doe his grandfather yet liuing and his father raigning he sought after the soueraigntie of other principalities and countries one while after ARMENIA as belonging vnto him in the right of his mother the king of ARMENIA his daughter another while after PELOPONESVS and sometime hee dreamed of LESBOS and LEMNVS and other the fruitfull Islands of the Aegean sea which when it was secretly told sometime to his father and sometime to his grandfather he was now crossed and reprooued of the one and afterwards of the other And to passe ouer many other his youthfull prancks hee vsed in his night walks secretly to repaire vnto a certaine gentlewomans house more honourably borne than honestly quallified which woman a certaine gallant and another Adonis no lesse affected than himselfe wherewith he highly offended as with his riuall appointed certaine ruffians and fencers to watch her house But vpon a certaine time about midnight Manuel the Despot his yoonger brother seeking after him chanced to passe that way where these watchmen lay who seeing him hasten by and not knowing him in the darke and supposing him to haue been the man they looked for the gentlewomans best beloued set vpon him and so wounded him that he fell downe for dead from his horse but being by and by after known by others comming in he was taken vp and so halfe dead carried vnto the court Which outrage in the morning being knowne vnto the emperour cast him into a great heauinesse as beholding not the time present onely but wisely considering what was like to ensue in the time to come also But Manuel the Despot being dead of the wounds there receiued and the report therof brought vnto Michael the yoong emperour his father then lying at THESSALONICA strooke him to the heart with so great a griefe that falling sicke with the conceit thereof hee shortly after died Andronicus the vnstaied youth neuerthelesse holding on his woonted course with a secret purpose to haue fled became thereby still more and more suspitious vnto his aged grandfather not a little carefull vnto what end those his violent passions would at length tend And therefore appointed one Syrgiannes a man of great credit and authorie in the court in whom as in a reconciled enemie he had most vnaduisedly reposed too much trust to insinuat himselfe into the youthfull princes acquaintance and fauour that so sounding him and his secret designes he should not possibly be able without his knowledge to step aside which of all things the old emperour feared most as the beginning of greater troubles This Syrgiannes being a man of great place and of a subtill wit was sometime himselfe suspected of aspiring and therefore as vpon the misprision of treason was by the old emperor imprisoned but afterwards by him again inlarged and receiued into fauour was now put in trust warily to obserue the doings of the yoong prince But he not vnmindfull of the wrong before done vnto him and in
and great glorie of this victorie by God assigned who often times with a small power yea and that sometime against all hope haue with a notable slaughter ouerthrown them vanquished them put them to flight Neither is there any men in the world whom they more feare and stand in dread of than you whom though in number but few they haue by their daily slaughter and losses learned no lesse to feare than if you were many And now to trie the vttermost of their power they are come with their innumerable legions but are not for that of you any thing the more to be feared than before seeing that we all beare armes vnder the conduct of the most mightie God and are by daily victorie long experience and approoued valour taught what we are to dare besides that the greatest part of their armie is of common souldiours slaues or rude countrey pesants or men by force by them compelled more than the Ianizaries are no good souldiours among them the rest as men enforced serue them for feare and against their wils and they by their cowardize brought into that bondage and slauerie What Greeks Macedonians or Sclauonians soeuer are sent to their aid forasmuch as they are not yet reuolted from the Christian faith deeme them not to stand for them but for vs they long for vs the reuengers of their wrongs and for you as victorious conquerours in this warre they haue giuen vnto the Turkes their names but vnto vs their hearts and power and pray heartily for our victorie wherefore you ought so much the more valiantly and couragiously to fight by how much greater you see the victorie the honour the prey before your eies We are not to fight for other mens houses and altars but for our owne so our present necessitie requireth in such sort that if wee our selues deliuer not our selues and beare our selues vpon our woonted hope and valour wee shall this day bee enforced to endure the greatest miserie that men may possiblie First the losse of our goods and substance the captiuitie of our children the deflouring of our daughters the rauishing of our wiues the slaughter of our parents the burning of our houses and churches and that which worse is than all this the scorne of our Sauiour Christ Iesus and his saints whose images you shall see in despight broken or dragged in the durt or moulten and conuerted into other prohane vses all religion trodden downe and God himselfe if it were possible with violence and dispaire driuen out of our hearts if we stand not manfully vnto it as becommeth worthie champions God is able with his little finger if he so will forthwith to destroy all the Turks in the world but seeing he hath committed vnto our right hands the defence of his name he first maketh proofe of our courage and valour that finding the same faithfull and readie hee may strengthen and defend it with his owne right hand He neuer yet forsooke any faithfull or deuout man neither will our Sauior Christ be wanting vnto you if you be not wanting vnto your selues in the power of his name which is aboue all names he shal tread down his rebellious enemies and exalt the righteous that put their trust in him Moreouer the causes that we and they combat for are diuers and our hopes much stronger They fight for their Prophet a most prophane man author of all impietie for spoile and prey for the destruction of nations and countreys for other mens kingdomes for the enlarging of their dominions and territories for worldly praise and glorie But wee contrariwise beare armes for the sauiour of the world for our faith and religion for the Christian commonwealth for our natiue countrey for our wiues and children for our fortune and state than which nothing can bee more excellent more commendable or honourable What reward is laid vp for them in heauen which haue worthily protected or deliuered their countrey or laid downe their liues in defence of their faith and religion Neither hauing often prooued are we ignorant that God will neuer forsake them that honour feare and serue him Whereby fellow souldiors you may plainely perceiue how farre your hopes are beyond theirs Beleeue our Sauiour promising vnto you an eternall reward and shew your fidelitie and valour vnto God and your countrey together Wherefore seeing without the power of God wee can do◠nothing before the signall of battaile be giuen I beseech you collonels captaines and lieutenants by your effectuall and Christian exhortations in your regiments and companies to encourage your souldiors valiantly to fight the Lords battaile and for the present euerie man by taking a little earth in his mouth to prepare himselfe according to the necessitie of the time as it were to the receiuing of the lords supper so hauing clensed your soules embrace you one another plight your mutuall faith with your right hand and a kisse and make a perpetuall couenant among your selues none of you to forsake one another in this holy battaile but for your religion and countrey valiantly to fight it out euen vnto the last man And a little refreshing your selues with a short repast as you stand vpon the signall giuen thrice calling aloud vpon the mightie name of Christ Iesu fight with the like valour and courage so neere as you can that he in the agonie of death fought for your redemption and libertie which that you will willingly do I request and charge you this for our sauiours sake for the loue of our countrey and for the faith you owe both to God and man I also pray and beseech you so to fight as men resolued either to gaine a most glorious victorie whereof I doubt not or else if it should otherwise chaunce this day to purchase vnto your selues a blessed life in the kingdome of heauen not to sup in Hell with the Turks but with the blessed wights in heauen For Christ Iesus our Sauiour will be alwaies present with vs who beleeue me and so hope will this day not onely deliuer vs out of the hands of the Turks but to our immortall glorie lode vs with the rich spoyles of our enemies and so in safetie bring all home againe with much ioy and triumph The Bassa on the other side likewise encouraged his souldiors putting them in remembrance of their former victories exhorting them not to degenerate from their worthie ancestours and themselues by whose great valour the glorie and empire of the Turkes had been so mightily encreased and vnto whom their great prophet Mahomet the interpretor of the gods had foretold the empire of the whole world to be by all the gods allotted and had by diuine inspiration prophecied that antient and stately nation in time to become the terror of the world the scourge of the wicked and commander of all nations He farther declared vnto thē what an increase of kingdomes they had got in that short time since which they first passed ouer into EVROPE and
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
but vnto the whole state and kingdome of EPIRVS also and not the domesticall and ciuile miseries of your own countrey onely but the publicke calamities also and those opprobrious disgraces done against the Christian faith and religion in generall now oppressed I will not say extinguished and that is if you with your victorious forces will succour vs in this extremitie of our affaires not yet altogether desperate Hereunto doe all the princes of HVNGARIE and POLONIA and all other men of courage inuite â—ou Iulian the Cardinall of S. Angell entreateth you with all those deuout and courageous Christians which long since here with vs and readie in armes wish for nothing more than the presence of your victorious ensignes Which so faire an occasion by God himselfe now offered if you refuse not will in all mens judgement bee a sure meane to vanquish and ouerthrow our common enemie the Turke and to driue him quite out of EVROPE wrongfully by him of so long time possessed I neede not therefore as I suppose to vse any kind of persuasion vnto you in this cause and quarrell the defence whereof doth purchase vnto vs health light and libertie but being neglected I feare and abhorre to forbode what may ensue thereof Wee Christians haue beene too too slacke and backeward in helping one another the flame hath now well neere consumed vs all whilest no man thought it would haue come neere himselfe What doe we see of the Greeke empire what of the Bulgurians and Seruians yea mine owne losses and manifold calamities alreadie and yet also to bee endured who is able to recount The braue and most valiant princes the surest bulwarkes and defences of the kingdome of HVNGARIE from time to time lost and the puissant armies with one and the same fatall chaunce of warre consumed and brought to nothing who is able to reckon vp Insomuch that there is no house wise or matrone in all HVNGARIE which is not in some measure partaker of this heauinesse All this doe the Christian princes heare of and yet the miserable estate and condition of their allies can nothing mooue any one of them but suffer vs thus as a sacrifice for the rest to be on all parts exposed to the rage and furie of the common and mercilesse enemie Onely Eugenius the most holy bishop of ROME and Philip duke of BVRGVNDIE haue not refused to beare a part of the burthen of this our afflicted fortune The one hath sent hither his Legâ—â— Iulian the Cardinall with notable and puissant succours and the other with his fleet at sea and comâ— as farre as HELLESPONTVS so much as in him lieth doth notably hinder the Turkes passage into EVROPE And one other hope there is not now farre from vs and that is your helpe whereof we are so desirous which we require of you mooued thereunto partly by your valour so well knowne and partly in regard of the imminent perill and common danger of vs all And albeit we are not ignorant how euill you may be at leisure to take such an expedition in hand for the late troubled estate of your affairs and your new recouered kingdome as yet scarcely well established yet notwithstanding let it not withhold you or keepe you backe assuring you that as this expedition cannot be but vnto you most honourable euen so this your present desert shall not be bestowed vpon vngratefull or thankelesse men but that which you shall now first begin and vndertake for our preseruation dignitie we will from henceforth and euer continue for your glorie and for the increase of your greatnesse Fare you well from our regall citie of BVDA the fourth of Iuly 1444. Of this the kings motion Scanderbeg liking well and thinking it farre better now in so fit a time with his owne forces joined vnto the Hungarians his friends throughly to busie Amurath than in short time after himselfe alone to sustaine his whole power by the generall consent of the Albanian princes his confederats and allies yeelded vnto his request in liberall tearmes promising him by his letters in good time to be present with him with thirtie thousand good souldiors The copie of which letters I thought it not amisse here to set downe also Scanderbeg prince of the Epirots vnto Vladislaus king of HVNGARIE and POLONIA greeting Your letters most inuincible king I haue with like joy and contentment receiued which I in the generall assembly of my cheefetaines hauing caused publickly to be read there was not any one of them which was not of opinion but that so just an occasion of war by you offered was forthwith to be joyfully on our behalfe also embraced And so euery man doth both publickly and priuatly affirme That nothing could haue happened vnto them more acceptable from God than that they might by some notable seruice testifie their gratefull minds and bind vnto them so excellent a prince as also to giue so fit succors vnto the Christian commonweale In which forwardnesse of my people I my selfe tooke great contentment and pleasure both in regard of your selfe and in the behalfe of the publicke and common cause seeing my men of warre and all other my subjects of what state or degree soeuer without any persuasion vsed on my part to be so cheerefully and couragiously minded in defence of the faith and of the Christian religion and so well affectioned towards your most royall majestie And to say the truth who is he if he be not hatefull vnto God and man albeit there were no question of religion or of the common danger that would refuse so just and lawfull a warre for such a king as vnto whom alone we 〈◊〉 and ought to attribute That we Christians doe not onely raigne but euen liue breath and enjoy the libertie of our speech Who would not willingly take vp arms and aduenture himselfe into most manifest and certaine danger for the people of HVNGARIE by whom in all ages the Christian commonwealâ— hath with their so many trauels and so much of their blood beene so mightily supported and defended who euen from the very cradle haue beene continuall enemies vnto our enemies and haue as it were euen vowed themselues for the honour of the Christian religion and name Would God most mightie and redoubted Vladislaus it had beene in my power to haue brought vnto you such forces to this honourable warre as were answerable vnto my courage and desire then happily EVROPE should not longer lie in this ignominious estate oppressed by Amurath neither should the fields of VARNA or BASILIA so often smoke with the blood of the Hungarians nor euery corner of MACEDONIA with the blood of the Epirots both nations being as it were become the expiatorie sacrifices of others sinnes and offences we all now by turnes perish whilest euery man thinketh himselfe borne but for himselfe alone But why do I vnto my selfe poure forth these vaine complaints Truly it neither repenteth me of my forces neither as I suppose
the forme of a Mahometan Moschie and whether the great Turk goeth often times to heare seruice being indeed but the Sanctuarie or chauncell onely of the great stately and wonderfull church built by Iustinian the emperor is most beautifull and admirable That which standeth of it now is both round verie high built after the fashion of the Pantheon in ROME but much greater fairer and not open in the top as is that the wals thereof being of the finest marble and the floare all paued with faire marble also In the middest there is a verie great and large circle compassed in with high and huge pillars of most excellent marble of diuers sorts and these support a mightie vault that beareth vp as many moe pillars aboue standing after the verie same order and in a downe right line almost of the like greatnesse and goodnesse of the marble with the other below vpon which aboue the second vault in manner of a looâ—ar resteth the great round roofe which couereth all that space of the church which is compassed with the aforesaid pillars being all enameled and fillited with the pictures of Saints after the antient manner of some great churches in Christendome but that the Turks who like not to haue any puctures in their churches haue put out their eies onely as loath to spoile such a rare peece of worke and vtterly to deface it In like manner the wals of the vpper vault are wrought painted or portraied after the same order though in some part decayed by reason of their long continuance and standing About this church are eighteen or twentie dores of brasse right faire and costly well declaring the magnificence and greatnesse thereof in more antient times when as it had as is reported more than two hundred dores of like making and greatnesse and beside the hugenesse of the frame and building it selfe had also diuers faire monasteries and houses of religion joyned vnto it whereunto belonged six thousand priests whose houses and lodgings extended almost all ouer the place where now the Turke his pallace standeth and the other places adjoyning to this great church which is now their cheefe Moschie and called by them by the proper name of S. Sophia because they hold euen as we do the wisdome of God to be incomprehensible and infinit The next in magnificence vnto this is the Moschie of Solyman wherin he lyeth buried with his welbeloued wife the faire Roxolana a worke well beseeming the majestie of so mightie a monarch There are beside these also many other faire Moschies Seraglioes for the Turke his wiues and concubines Bezestanes or Burses for marchants Obeliskes Bathes and other publicke edifices and buildings of great majestie and state all well worth the beholding wherein consisteth all the beautie of this so auntient and renowned a citie farre vnlike to that it was in the time of the first Greeke emperours and before it was spoiled by the Latines For the Turkes priuat houses in this so great and imperiall a citie so much renowned through the world are for the most part low and base after the Turkish fashion built some of wood some of stone and some of vnburnt bricke layd with clay and dyrt which quickly decaieth againe they after their homely manner by long custome receiued neuer building any thing sumptuously for their owne priuate vse but contenting themselues with their simple cottages how meane soeuer commonly saying them to be good inough for the short time of their pilgrimage and yet not sparing for any cost vpon the publicke buildings and ornaments of the commonwealth which they build with great majestie and pompe but especially their Moschies wherein they excell Neuerthelesse there yet are in CONSTANTINOPLE some other houses also built high and comely inough but these bee few and verie old all inhabited by the Christians and Iewes and not by the Turks But of this inough and so againe to our purpose Mahomet with his puissant armie thus encamped before the citie placing his Asian souldiors on the right hand toward the BOSPHORVS his Europeian souldiors on the left hand toward the hauen lay himselfe with 15000 Ianizaries and other souldiors of the court in the middle betwixt both against the heart of the citie On the farther side of the hauen also by PERA hee placed Zoganus one of his cheefe counsellors with another part of his armie At which time also Pantologes his Admirall came to the siege with a fleet of thirtie gallies and 200 other small ships and a number of other lesser vessels which were rowed with three or fiue oares a peece full of Turkish archers fitter for shew than seruice But for defence of the hauen and so of the citie on that side the emperour had caused the hauen to bee strongly chained ouerthwart from the citie to PERA and within the chaine had orderly placed his small fleet the greatest strength whereof was seauen great ships of GENVA with three gallies and two galliots of VENICE three of CREET and a few others of the Iland of CHIOS all which were there rather by chance vpon marchants affaires than that they were prouided for any such seruice yet by this meanes the Turks fleet was shut out of the hauen and so the citie put in good saftie on that side When Mahomet had thus conueniently encamped his armie and surrounded the citie both by sea and land he first cast vp great trenches as neere as hee possibly could vnto the wals of the citie and raised mounts in diuers places as high as the wals themselues from whence the Turks with their shot greatly annoied the defendants After that hee placed his batterie against one of the gates of the citie called CALEGARIA and terribly battered the same especially with one peece of ordinance of a wonderfull greatnesse which with much difficultie was brought from HADRIANOPLE with an hundreth fiftie yoke of oxen caried a bullet of an hundred pound waight made as his other shot was of a kind of hard blacke stone brought from the Euxine sea For as yet as it seemeth so soone after the inuention of that fatall engine the vse of bullets of mettall was vnknowne There with continuall batterie he terribly shooke the wals which although they were verie strong yet were they not able to withstand the furie of so great a batterie The Christians also out of the citie discharged their great artillerie vpon the Turkes but so sparingly as if they had beene afraid to shake their owne wals or loath for good husbandrie to spend shot powder which was vnto the canoniers verie sparingly allowed yet that which was spent was so well bestowed that the Turks were therewith greeuously annoyed The breach also which they had made at the aforesaid gate was by the defendants with great and dangerous labour againe repaired with faggots and earth and such like matter best seruing for that purpose and so made stronger than before In which most dangerous work they were
against thy state and will in short time be present to destroy thee thy kingdome Wherfore worthie Mahomet I haue thought it good in regard of our old friendship although the same hath by you been greatly empaired and violated to â—orewarne you of all these things that you might gather your wits together and in time prouide for the safetie of your selfe and of your kingdome You see the force and power of so many great princes from which whether you can escape or no I know not yet you may if you will follow my aduise you may â— say make both your name and empire of great greater of famous most renouned of fortunate most happie and blessed if casting off from you the grosse errours of the Mahometane superstition you will embrace the â—aith and truth of Christ Iesus and at length haue regard of your soules health And you which excell all your predecessours in highnesse of spirit and pregnancie of wit suffer not your selfe and your subiects as it were by inheritance to be longer blinded in your wilfull errours but doe that as a wise prince of your owne accord which otherwise you will shortly of necessitie be constrained to doe To say Had I wist hath euer been accounted a great disgrace from the mouth of an emperor At length amend and measure your selfe Behold Almightie God doth offer you means whereby you may quiet the whole slate of your kingdome and all our kings and princes loue honour and reuerence you Neither let the ambitious desire of soueraignetie or immoderate care of those things you possesse trouble you from so doing For whatsoeuer you haue vniustly and vnlawfully vsurped the Christian princes will grant confirme and establish vnto thee as if they had been your owne by antient inheritance So shall you be a true monarch indeed and rule and raigne lawfully if you shall embrace this faith and worship God aright which so soone as you shall feele the sweetnesse of you will be sorrie that you knew it no sooner you will greeue at the time you haue lost and vtterly detest and abhorre all that filthie superstition which the most filthie false Prophet Mahomet hath left amongst you From our campe the 26 of May 1463. With these letters Scanderbeg dismissed the Turks embassadour About which time he receiued letters from the great bishop That he accompanied with the Christian princes would without delay come ouer into EPIRVS with a strong army of valiant Christians to joine their forces with his against the common enemie of the Christian religion exhorting him in all their names to denounce war against the Turkish king Which thing Scanderbeg most joyfully vndertooke and without delay with all his power brake into the Turkes dominion burning and destroying the country before him as he went from whence he returned laded with the spoile there gotten When Mahomet had perused Scanderbeg his letters and certainely vnderstood of the great preparation made against him in ITALIE as also of the great spoile of late made by Scanderbeg hee became exceeding melancholie as a man much troubled in mind which dayly more and more encreased for that hee saw not the wonted cheerefulnesse in his men of war but all full of heauinesse and dispaire as if they had beene men alreadie vanquished Neuerthelesse he speedily took order for the leuying of a great armie fortifying his cities and strong holds leauing nothing vndone that was possible for the assurance of his state And to represse the furie of Scanderbeg sent Seremet Bassa with fourteene thousand souldiours to lie vpon the borders of EPIRVS with charge onely to attend vpon him Who mindfull of his charge came into MACEDONIA vnto the citie OCRIDA now called ALCURIA in the verie confines of MACEDONIA towards EPIRVS and there lay with his armie some part thereof lodged in the citie and the â—est in places more conuenient neere about the same The comming of the Bassa as also the manner of his lying was not vnknowne to Scanderbeg who desired nothing more than to bee doing with him Wherfore he secretly in the â—ight marched towards OCRIDA with twelue thousand souldiours and being come within three miles of the towne lay close in ambush and vpon the breaking of the day sent out 500 horsemen towards the enemie vnder the conduct of Peicus Emanuel and Petrus Angelus two valiant and expert captaines to draw him if they could into the field But Scanderbeg had before commanded them that if the enemie did come foorth to fight they should make but small resistance but retire backe as if they had fled and so to traine him on to the place where the armie lay Which was so well performed by the two skilfull captaines that the Bassa with all his power was according as they could haue wished drawne into the field and brought to the verie place where Scanderbeg lay Who suddenly rising vp with all his armie assailed the Turkes on euerie side and slew them as deere enclosed in a toile In this battell ten thousand of the Turkes were slaine the treasurer of the armie with twelue other of great marke were taken prisoners and brought bound to Scanderbeg who were presently ransomed for 40 thousand duckats Scanderbeg hauing obtained the victorie returned with triumph into EPIRVS daily expecting the comming of the great armie out of ITALY but fatall destinie the mightie controuler of mens highest designes had not so appointed For when Pius the great bishop had out of all parts of Christendome assembled a great armie wherof the greatest part were voluntarie soldiors and all things were now in such readinesse that he had put himselfe vpon the way and was come to ANCONA a citie vpon the sea side where Christophorus Maurus duke of VENICE came vnto him with ten gallies well appointed to haue accompanied him in those warres and all men were now in expectation of some great matter to haue beene done suddenly he fell sick of a feuer and died in the yeare 1464. Whereupon the armie was forthwith dispersed and all that great preparation frustrated to the exceeding griefe of many Christian princes and no lesse joy of the Turks who now rejoiced to see themselues deliuered of so great a feare About this same time Victor Capella chiefe persuader of this warre betwixt the Venetians and the Turkes was by the Senat sent Generall of their forces at sea in stead of Lauretanus whose yeare was then expired He hauing receiued the charge from Lauretanus and sayling out of EVBoeA in short time tooke from the enemie the citie of AVLIS in PELOPONESVS ouer against CHALCIS and also the cittie of LARSVM in the gulfe of THESSALONICA with the isle of HIMBER Afterwards landing his men by night at PYRaeVS he suddenly surprised the cittie of ATHENS now called SETâ—INae sometime the mother of learning and most noble cittie of GRaeCIA and from thence caried away with him into EVBoeA all the people he there found as his prisoners togither with the rich spoile
Neither was it to be thought as Cherseogles said that the naked Tartarian horsmen although they were in number moe would euer be able to abide the first charge of Baiazet his well armed pensioners As for the Ianizaries of whose approued faith and valour tried in manie dangers hee had before had good experience there was no doubt but that they would now to the vttermost of their power defend the person and honour of their aged and victorious emperour who had of long time so well of them deserued and also reuenge his quarrell vpon disobedient Selymus who neither fearing God the just reuenger of such vngratious dealing neither the infamie of men had most vnnaturally lift vp his sword against his father wickedly to depriue him of life of whom he had receiued life Wherefore he persuaded him in his owne just quarrell to go forth vnto his souldiours with cheerfull countenance and putting them in remembrance of the benefits they had from time to time most bountifully receiued at his hands as also of their alleagance and duetie to make them to vnderstand that reposing his trust in their fidelitie and valour hee had resolutely set downe with himselfe in that place before he went any farther by their faithfull hands to chastise the presumptuous insolencie of his vnnaturall sonne togither with his rebellious followers But now that we are fallen into the remembrance of this Cherseogles it shall not be amisse both for the honour of the man and the great loue he alwaies bare vnto the Christians to step a little out of the way to see the cause why he being a Christian borne turned Turke For hee was not as almost all the rest of the great men about Baiazet were of a child taken from his Christian parents and so brought vp in the Mahometan religion but being now a man grown turned Turke yet so as that he neuer in heart forgot either the Christian religion or loue toward the Christians a thing not common among such renegates He being the sonne of one Chersechius a small prince of ILLYRIA neere vnto the Blacke mountaine and going to be maried vnto a ladie whom he most entirely loued and vnto whom he was alreadie betrothed honourably descended of the house of the Despot of SERVIA his intemperat father with lustfull eye beholding the young ladie of rare feature and incomparable beautie desired to haue her for himselfe and regarding more the satisfying of his owne inordinat desire than his owne honour or the fatherly loue of his sonne tooke her in marriage himselfe all his friends labouring in vaine to dissuade him and with open mouth crying shame of so foule a fact Wherefore the young man moued with the indignitie of so great an injurie and driuen headlong with despaire fled first to the Turkes garrisons which lay not farre off and from thence to CONSTANTINOPLE where the fortune of the man was to bee wondred at For being brought before Baiazet who with cheerefull countenance entertained him for that he was honourably descended and well liked both of the man and of the cause of his reuolt smiling vpon him said Be of good cheere noble youth for thy great courage is worthy of farre greater fortune than thy fathers house can affoord thee now in steed of thy loue wrongfully taken from thee by thy father the kinswoman of a poore exiled prince thou shalt haue giuen thee in marriage the daughter of a great emperour of rare and singular perfection And not long after abjuring his religion and changing his name of Stephen to Achomates and Cherseogles hee married one of Baiazet his daughters a princesse of great beautie and deserued to haue a place amongst the Bassaes of greatest honour in the court Yet still retaining the remembrance of his former profession with a desire to returne thereto againe insomuch that he kept in his secret closet the image of the crucifix which he shewed to Io. Lascaris as to his trustie friend as he himselfe reported This man at such time as the citie of MODON was taken by the Turkes and a multitude of poore Christian captiues cruelly put to death in the sight of Baiazet by earnest entreatie saued the Venetian Senatours there taken and afterward by earnest sute deliuered Andreas Gritti being prisoner at CONSTANTINOPLE and condemned to die who not manie yeares after was chosen duke of VENICE He was the chiefe meanes whereby the Venetians to their great good obtained peace of Baiazet He also by his great authoritie and of his owne charge redeemed innumerable Christians from the seruitude of the Turkes and set them at libertie Neither is his kindnesse towards the furtherance of good learning to be forgotten for at such time as the aforesaid Io. Lascaris the notable and learned Grecian by the appointment of Leo the Tenth sought for the antient works of famous writers he procured the Turkish emperours letters patents that he might freely at his pleasure search all the libraries in GRaeCIA to the great benefit of good letters Now Baiazet encouraged by this mans persuasion as is aforesaid and hearing as hee lay in his pauilion the alarum of the enemie with the tumult and clamour of his owne souldiours as if they had been men afraid and sundrie messengers also at the same time comming vnto him with newes That Selymus with his Tartarian horsemen had almost enclosed the reareward of his armie and alreadie taken some of his baggage grinding his teeth for verie madnesse and griefe of mind with teares trickling downe his hoarie cheekes got him out of his pauilion in his horselitter for hee was at the same time so troubled with the gout that he was not able to sit on horsebacke and turning himselfe vnto the pensioners and Ianizaries standing about him as their manner is said vnto them Will you foster children valiant souldiours and faithfull keepers of my person who with great good fortune haue serued me in field aboue the space of thirtie yeares and for your faithfull and good seruice haue both in time of peace and warre of me receiued such rewards as by your owne confession and thanksgiuing farre exceeded your owne expectation and the measure of our treasures Will you I say suffer the innocent father to be butchered by his gracelesse sonne And your olde emperour tormented with age and diseases to be cruelly murthered by a companie of wild Tartars little better than arrant roagues and theeues Shall I be now forsaken in this my heauie olde age and last act of life and shall I be deliuered vnto mine enemies by them by them I say who many yeares ago with great faithfulnesse and inuincible courage defended mine honour and right against my brother Zemes and haue manie times since not onely valiantly defended this empire against most warlike nations but also most victoriously augmented the same But I will not so easily beleeue that which to my no small griefe is brought vnto mine eares concerning the reuolting of mine armie neither if I did
this the grauer sort of the counsell without whose consent the master might in such cases doe nothing thought it not good in so dangerous a time to aduenture any great part of their forces which they should afterwards want for the defence of their citie The Turkish generall deceiued of his expectation and perceiuing that the Rhodians would not be drawne forth to battell at sea withdrew his fleet twelue miles off vnto a place called VILLANOVA where casting anchor and landing his men he burnt the corne all thereabouts which was now almost ripe but forsaken of the people as a thing desperat as for the people themselues they were all fled and had retired themselues either into the citie of the RHODES or els into strong castles in other places of the island At the same time certaine troupes of horsemen sent forth to haue skirmished with the Turks that were burning of the corne were by a messenger sent from the Great master commanded to retire For the prouident Generall sought by all meanes to reserue his soldiors for greater dangers which he justly feared in the expected siege during which time he shewed himselfe a most politike captaine and braue soldiour he would many times by day eat his meat with his soldiors as one of them and most part of the night keepe watch himselfe walking vp and downe resting himselfe when he was wearie vpon some stone or piece of timber or other homly seat as it chanced In time of assault he was alwaies more forward and aduenturous than the graue counsellors wished fearing neither shot nor enemie yet did he alwaies more commend discreet counsell grounded vpon reason than prosperous actions commended but by their euents And that which a man would wonder at amongst so many cares in middest of such diuers and dangerous chances he carried alwaies such a grace and majestie in his cheerfull countenance as made him to be of the beholders both reuerenced and loued All the time he could spare from the necessarie cares of his waightie charge from assaults and the naturall refreshing of his bodie he bestowed in prayer and seruing of God he did oftentimes spend the greatest part of the night in the church alone praying his headpiece gorget and gauntlets lying by him so that it was commonly said that his deuout praiers and carefulnesse would make the citie inuincible The six and twentith day of Iune early in the morning newes was brought into the citie from the watch-tower standing vpon S. Stephens hill about a mile from the citie That a most hugie fleet was descried at sea making thitherwaâ—ds all alongst the Westerne coast of LYCIA This bad newes much troubled the citie although it was not of most men vnexpected all places was filled with tumult and hurly burly euerie man measured the greatnesse of the danger by the measure of his owne feare and such a pitifull crie was in euerie place as is vsually in cities presently to be besieged Hereupon publike praiers were made through all the citie and euerie man with great deuotion besought the God of heauen That as it was his pleasure that the Rhodians should at that time be the champions of the Christian religion so he would giue them strength and victorie against their enemies and to turne the calamities of warre vpon the enemies of his name Their deuotion ended the gates of the citie were shut vp and people from all places ran vnto the wals great flocks of women children and aged men not able to stand without a staffe going forth of their houses to gaze vpon that dreadfull fleet wherein was aboue 200 sailes as is reported filled the streets the tops of the high towers and houses The formost of the fleet was the Admirall of CALIPOLIS to whom Solyman had committed the charge of all his name and to assaile the citie by sea The rear admirall was Cara Mahometes an arch pirat who was afterwards slaine with a great shot out of the citie The viceadmirall in the middle of the fleet with a great squadron of gallies hauing a faire Westernly wind strucke saile directly before the mouth of the hauen which was on both sides defended with two strong towers well furnished with great artillerie and began to row towards the citie whereupon an alarum was raised the trumpets sounded and many hasted vnto the bulwarke which defended the left side of the hauen which the enemie seemed to direct his course vnto and was indeed more subject to danger than the other But the Turke seeing himselfe in danger to be sunke with shot from the bulwark was glad to get himselfe farther off vnto the rest of the fleet the Rhodians from the wals with lowd outcries scornfully deriding him for his foolish attempt This great fleet in exceeding brauerie and triumph passing by the citie in sight of the Rhodians standing vpon their wals with ensignes displaied did not more terrifie them than they were themselues terrified to behold the strength of the citie and cheerfulnesse of the defendants But passing on they came to the promontorie which the inhabitants call Bo about three miles distant from the citie Eastward which small harbour being not able to receiue so great a fleet many of the gallies were enforced to ride it out at sea where they were by shot out of the citie oftentimes endangered and enforced to get them farther off Whilest the enemie was there landing his great ordinance and other instruments of warre prepared for the siege chusing a place for his campe transporting his land souldiours from the maine into the island viewing the strength and situation of the citie and in what place he might with most ease assault the same the Rhodians in the meane time were not idle but sunke diuers deepe sounds in many places of the citie neere vnto the wals to discouer the enemies mines and fortified their bulwarks with greater rampiers in which worke euerie man put to his helping hand without respect of age or calling The Graund master about that time sent Lodouicus Andugus one of the knights of the Order into SPAINE to Charles the emperour and Claudius Ducenuillus another of the Order also to ROME to the Cardinals and Italian knights of the Order and from thence into FRANCE vnto the French king with letters crauing the aid of these Christian princes for reliefe of the citie by sea and land besieged But all in vaine for they carried away with the endlesse grudge of one against another or respecting only their owne estates returned the embassadors with good words without reliefe At this time Preianes Gouernour of CHIOS of whom we haue before spoken a man comparable with any of the captaines of that age an excellent souldiour both by sea and land valiant and thereto fortunat of an inuincible courage brought vp in the wars from his childhood when he had by the space of two or three daies hid himselfe in the rocks at sea for feare of the Turkes great fleet
of the RHODES the antient bulwarke of Christian religion vnto our mercilesse enemies polluted with the infamous superstition of Mahomet who besides the insatiable thirst they haue of our bloud how faithlesse and mischeeuous they are by nature if we know not we need not make example of our selues but wee may take example by the calamitie of CONSTANTINOPLE the late miserie of EVBoeA and that which later was of METHONE as also by the Mamalukes at CAIRE miserably slaine contrarie to the league contrarie to the faith and promise by the Turkish emperour himselfe before giuen What doe you not remember how the death of the most noble captaines at BELGRADE was of late procured by the falshood craft and deceit of these same faithlesse miscreants Let vs then being men of wit and vnderstanding trust these mad beasts let vs giue our selues into their power which haue no regard of right or reason of religion or any thing els whose couetousnesse and crueltie it is hard to say which is greater which for these many years haue plotted and laboured nothing more than how by policie or force they may vtterly root out the very name of the Rhodians which they so deadly hate They keepe vs shut vp and besieged now the sixt moneth feeling together with vs extreame dangers and endlesse labours slaine by heapes before our wals and fortresses and cannot be remoued hence with thunder lightening stormes tempests and all the calamities of Winter a time which giueth intermission to all warres both by sea and land so desirous they are of reuenge and greedie of our bloud and that not altogether without cause for we haue also shed theirs and gladly would still so doe if it lay in our power But seeing it seemeth good vnto God otherwise and that we are surprised with ineuitable necessitie yet let vs whilest we are at libertie and haue power ouer our selues by honourable death amongst the Christian ensignes eschew the torments and reproches which our cruell enemies hope to inflict vpon vs so shall wee enioy eternall fame and glorie prepared both in heauen and earth for such as honorably die in defence of their prince and countrey Which honour it becommeth not them to enuie vnto thy most noble name and vertue worthie Grand Master which hauing for many yeares enioyed the commoditie and profit of peace and greatly enriched by bountie of this sacred militarie Order refuse now to beare this last burden of war At these words an antient Greeke for his wisedome and discretion of great reputation both with the Greekes and Latines perceiuing his countreymen wrongfully touched and the desperat holding out of the citie vainely persuaded tooke hold and interrupting this yong gallant in answere of that he had said spake as followeth That greefe of mind and desparation can make men rather eloquent than wise as you haue many times heard before this so you might this day perceiue also most valiant gentlemen for aduised modestie neuer falleth into obloquie neither confoundeth falshood with truth it desireth not the slaughter of the citisens it persuadeth not furie nor exhorteth men to madnesse but it is by nature so engrafted in many that when they cannot by their owne wisdome and policie deliuer themselues from their troubles they yet seeke to draw others into the fellowship of the same danger so greedie haue mallice and miserie alwaies been of companie But if you worthie Commaunder will giue me also leaue to speake a man amongst his countreymen not of meanest place or authoritie which thing both the present calamitie and vrgent necessitie might of you easily obtaine I would alledge such reasons and lay down such matter as should not only refell the copious and glorious words of this sharp witted Orator scrapt together of purpose to flourish out the matter but also such as might stir vp your mind to that which is â—onest profitable and necessarie expulsing hatred feare trouble or despaire This gentleman whom we all know not only to be a vehement Orator but somtime a man most terrible wheras for all his great words he is by nature mild and so mild that he neuer had the heart to kill nay not so much as lightly to wound any one of them whom he calleth barbarous mad cruell whose perfidious dealing he detesteth whose cruelty he accuseth whose maner of liuing he exclaimeth against as altogether without law without reason without order without regard and now in time of truce and whilest the showers of arrows yroâ— bullets fire and stones doth cease creeping out of his caue maketh much adoe and keepeth a great stir and not knowing in what danger he is doth now with glorious words call vpon death whereof he hath hetherto shewed himselfe too much afraid and all forsooth as he saith least he should be enforced to endure the mocking and scorning of the enemie But this is meere pride not Christian fortitude or humilitie But our enemie neither threateneth nor purposeth any such matter nothing so perfidious or cruell as he would make him rubbing vp the slaughters at CAIRE EVâ—oeA METHONE and CONSTANTINOPLE cities taken either by force or warlike policie and not yeelded vp by composition vpon faith giuen betwixt the besieger and the besieged who because he would spare vs will not suffer vs to doe that wherby we should vndoubtedly perish But wherof proceedeth this new found clemencie this vnwonted fauor towards the people of the RHODES I am not of the tyrants priuie counsell neither euer curiously sought after the reason of another mans bountie but am glad to receiue it when I need it Yet for all that I will not dissemble what I thinke in a matter so doubtfull He is willing as I suppose in this siege and conquest of the RHODES to shew vnto other nations whom he purposeth to inuade both his power and his patience least alwaies satisfying his cruell nature he should make desolation in places he would raigne ouer and so for euer alienating the minds of men be enforced to fight with all men with fire and sword by which rigour he hath not so much hurt his enemie as himselfe For this cause as I suppose he leaueth vnto vs life goods least whilest he in going about to take them from vs by force we seeking to keep theÌ„ by desperatnes we should both fall into great destruction no lesse lameÌ„table to the conqueror than to the vanquished Besides that if he should kill all here truly he might then enter the breaches of the citie on the bodies of the dead no man now left aliue to resist him But LERVS is shut vp ARANGIA is strongly fortified LINDVS is by situation impregnable here he knoweth are weapons armour and men here he must begin a new war except he will haue the remainder of your war the fatall plague of his empire to prey still vpon his subiects all which strong places he shall haue without slaughter without bloudshed as reason is if he shall let you and vs
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
meane time Barbarussa surprised with an exceeding feare and distracted with many cares and now become more cruell than himselfe had in his mind purposed a fact full of exceeding and inhumane crueltie which was at once to haue killed all the Christian captiues in the castle of TVNES fully resolued to haue put the same in execution had not Sinan the Iew dissuaded him from that most execrable fact protesting such a practise to be vnseemely for a man of his valour famous for his many victories and carrying with him the majestie of a king whereas he would shortly after wonderfully repent him for doing so shamefull a fact The doing whereof what was it else as the Iew said but a manifest demonstration of his extreame feare and desperation which two things were most dangerous to him that was to maintaine so doubtfull a warre and would much deface the glorie of his former life wherefore he should doe well to beware that by the fame of such a most horrible fact he did not prouoke Solymans heauie displeasure against him who deuoid of all humane crueltie had vsed both to detest and reuenge such outrages Wherefore he should suffer the Christian captiues to liue bound in their fatall chaines so long as it were their fortunes who being well kept and vnarmed might shortly after serue him to good purpose and could no way without most certaine danger moue themselues if they should vnaduisedly lust after their vnluckie libertie for by them the expected victorie could neither be giuen to the enemie nor taken from him or yet so much as hindred At which speech the tyrant was ashamed and so sparing the liues of the poore wretches went out of the castle into the greatest church of TVNES whither he had caused to be assembled all the chiefe men of the citie to tell them what he would haue done for the defence of the citie and now by persuasion to encourage them to fight from whom as men by him holden in distrust he had but a little before the comming of the Christians taken all manner of armour and weapon Whilest Barbarussa was thus busied the most joyfull and happie day appeared to those miserable captiues by fortunes change no lesse black and dismall vnto the Turks and Moores For that hainous purpose of the cruell tyrant could not long be couered or kept secret so that a constant report of a danger so imminent was run thorow the whole castle euen into the deepe dungeons by the compassion of certaine manumised slaues who detesting the sauage crueltie of Barbarussa their master and touched with deuotion had in heart returned to their old and true Christian religion encouraging by secret speeches the chiefe of the captiues with whom they were acquainted to lay hand now vpon their libertie Amongst these well minded men was one Francis a Spaniard whom Barbarussa had from his youth brought vp as his minion hauing him alwaies in great esteeme by the name of Memis and another called Vincentius Catareus of DALMATIA an eunuch These two aduenturing a most memorable and godly attempt set open the prison doores and gaue instruments vnto the poore prisoners readie to take the occasion offred who boldly starting vp breake off their chaines and giues and so by the great goodnesse and mercie of God about six thousand poore naked Christians armed with that came first to hand but especially with stones brake forth suddenly vpon the Turkes that were in the castle Ramadas a renegate Spaniard captaine of the castle stirred vp with the vnexpected and terrible noise of so many prisoners breaking their irons with a few souldiours whom he had suddenly called vnto him ran to the castle gate where one of the prisoners a lustie young man of SICILIA had with one of the bars of the gate strucke downe one or two of the warders and hauing bolted the gate was become master thereof him Ramadas slew and opening the gate made way for himselfe and his few followers with whom he went to Barbarussa to carrie him newes of that his hard mischance But the Christians now losed from their bands and hauing suddenly slaine diuers of the Turks possessed themselues of all the castle brake open the armorie and so seizing vpon the kings treasure armour and prouision from a high turret gaue signes of victorie to the Christian armie by smoake and false fires made with gunpouder and lastly by displaying of Sarmentus his ensigne which as we haue before declared was by Tabacches taken from the top of the trenches at the siege of GVLETTA These signes although the Christians in the armie could not well perceiue as being too farre off yet by the fugitiues which came oftentimes out of TVNES to the emperour and Muleasses they were both persuaded that some great tumult was risen amongst the enemies Wherefore the emperour sent two of his captaines with their companies who going as neere as they could to the citie and the castle should discouer what the matter was In the meane time Barbarussa almost mad for anger in his furie blaspheming his vaine gods and bitterly cursing and banning the Iew for dissuading him from killing the captiues came to the castle gate and with teares standing in his eyes pitifully requested the late Christian captiues which then stood vpon the top of the wals and the gate with weapons in their hands That they would forthwith let him in faithfully promising them their libertie with a generall and free pardon for all that they had done But they mindfull both of their former and present fortune and mooued with just hatred cast stones at him and with many opprobrious words rejected his request so that hee enraged with sorrow and madnesse shot at them with his owne hand and seeing all past remedie and the citie not possible now to bee kept shamefully betooke himselfe to flight After him followed the Turks in number seuen thousand with purpose to flie to the citie HIPPONA now called BONA famous with the bishopricke of that reuerend Father and great Diuine Augustine For there as in a most sure harbour had Barbarussa left foureteene gallies in the lake neere vnto the citie to serue his turne whatsoeuer mischance should happen but the tacklings sailes oares and ordinance he had laid vp in the castle fast by which was kept with a garrison of his owne The emperour vnderstanding that Barbarussa with his Turkes was fled came with all his armie vnto the gates of TVNES where the magistrates of the citie were readie to submit themselues vnto him and to deliuer him the keyes of the citie only requesting of him that he would keepe his souldiors encamped without the citie and not to seeke the vtter spoile and ruine thereof promising that the souldiours should want nothing that was there to be had Muleasses also carefull of the safetie thereof earnestly intreated the emperour in the citisens behalfe But he although he was of his owne honourable disposition readie ynough to haue graunted what
pioners and wagoners wherefore euery captain was commanded to haue his soldiors in readinesse to set forward vpon the signe giuen which was by the sound of a shalme or hoboy which when it should be giuen was referred to the discretion of the Generall There were many which wonderfully disliked of this resolution and said openly that the enemie was fewer in number than their horsemen and pinched almost with like want of victuall besides that that the Turks durst neuer in just fight encounter with the Christian men at armes but like theeues assaile them vpon a sudden at some aduantage and by and by be gone againe and that the towne of GARA where the enemie lay encamped was not so strong but that it might be woon wherefore all things were to be proued and some great matter to be attempted of valiant men pâ—â—ched with wants for that to run away would be not onely a dishonour vnto the captaines themselues who ought alwaies to preferre their honor before their liues but also dangerous to them which respected nothing but life And if they should set forward in the night many would be lost in the woods and valour in the darke could not be knowne from cowardise besides that the Turkes as they said lay so nigh that it was not possible to depart without their knowledge especially if they should burne the powder or breake the great ordinance For which causes they thought it better to fight a battell with them and not to beleeue the false reports of new supplies come vnto them and that God would vndoubtedly giue them aid which were readie to lay downe their liues for their religion and glorie of the Christian name After all this they began to consult what was now to be done with the sicke and wounded souldiors which were before carried in wagons or amongst the other baggage of the armie for it was like that so great a multitude of sicke and wounded men vnderstanding what was decreed concerning the departure of the armie would as miserable forsaken men fill the campe with lamentation and mourning which it was thought would be also increased by the weeping and wailing of them which should neuer afterwards see their brethren kinsmen fellowes or friends so miserably and shamefully left behind and forsaken the noise whereof must needs come to the eares of the Turkes which lay within a small gun shot Wherefore it was determined that these sicke and wounded souldiors should be carried vpon the wagon and cart-horses and that such as were not able to stay themselues should be holden vp by other of more strength riding behind them vpon the buttocks of the horse In fiue to colour the matter they which were so desirous to go said that this their manner of departure grounded vpon good reason was not to be accounted a shamefull flight as some would tearme it but a right honest and necessarie manner of retiring for as much as they were stronger than their enemies in horsemen and equall also if not stronger in footmen although they were sore weakned with sicknesse Whilest these things were in counsell diuersly discoursed and the resolution set downe as is before said the matter was brought to this passe that euerie captaine with troubled judgement conceiued in himselfe secret cogitations far from the common good and without regard of shame and dishonour bethought himselfe how he might betake himselfe to flight the vncertaine hope of desired life On the contrarie part Mahometes vsing most certaine spies and aduertised euerie houre of all the distresses of the Christians and thereby presaging his future victorie did by most diligent watch and troupes of horsemen besetting the passages farre and neere most vigilantly attend euerie motion in the Christian campe of purpose that when the armie should rise and set forward he after his wonted manner might in the straits fit for his purpose set vpon them being deuided and dispersed one from another as they must needs in those troublesome passages for he had so placed his horsemen and footmen in the knowne tracts of those woods that he had shut vp the Christians as it were in a toile It was now almost midnight and the armie taking no rest so carefully expected the signe of setting forward that euerie little delay seemed to most men both tedious and dangerous so that many great captaines vpon a cowardly conceit would stay no longer but hasted to depart and to go before the rest without any leaue of the Generall The beginning of this mischieuous departure is reported to haue been begun by the common Hungarian horsmen which knowing the passages and waies thorow the woods made most hast to WALPO Ladislaus Mâ—rcus dishonourably following their example went the other way to his castle ZENTHVERZEBETH After them followed in great hast the Stirian horsemen without regard of shame led by Iohn Hanganot their Generall who was appointed to haue guarded the rearward Symon bishop of ZAâ—HAâ—IA fled in like manner knowne by his great lanterne wandring in the wood yet with lesse shame than the rest because he being a clergie man thought it not to belong to his vocation to put on armes or to go into battell In the meane time it was fearefully told to Cazzianâ—r That the Hungarian horsemen were fled and that Ladislaus and Hunganot with the Sâ—irian troupes were gone also and that all the rest of the armie not expecting the appointed signall were in like manner vpon flying With which report the cowardly and dismaied Generall waâ— so â—â—rrified that he presently got to horse quite forgetting the signall he should haue giuen for that he thought all the rest as he afterwards said to haue been gone before and as he was vnarmed betooke himselfe to flight leauing behind him for hast his tent stored with plate and other rich furniture In this tumult of them which so disorderly fled Lodronius that famous captaine was called vp and told by his seruants that the Generall was fled and gone to whom he answered againe without doubt it cannot be so that I should be so shamefully and perfidiously betraied of him and so as a man megred with long watching painfull labour laid himselfe downe againe to sleepe Not long after Mahometes hearing the stir that was in the campe rise with his Turks to assaile his enemies yet to be better assured what the enemie did he thought it good to stay for day light causing his men to stand still in order of battell and with wonderfull silence to expect the signe of setting forward which was giuen by the soft sound of a horsemans drum passing thorow euerie companie For the old captaine acquainted with many battels against the Christians doubting of their faigned flight would not vnaduisedly be drawne into battell but in a place commodious for his souldiours as one before â—ully set downe after his wonted manner to performe that seruice not by the hazard of one set battell but by dallying off the time with often
their fellowes and confederates in this sacred wore and hoped victorie and thinke you worthie which should enioy the especiall fruit of all that labour For as much as the Christian forces once renewed so great and strong a fleet once assembled euery man seeth that the Turkes must needs be too weake although they brag that they carried away the victorie of late at ACTIVM when as they then escaped the victorious â—ands of our men not by their own valour but by the vnexpected hap of a sudden storme For all the powers of heauen and earth and of the sea also will be propitious vnto vs vniting so great forces in the regard of our sacred religion and will so take away the hearts of the Infidels that they shall learne to be ouercome As for our land forces we are to hope nothing but well for as much as vnto those which the emperour of late brought into the field at VIENNA and caused the Turkish emperour to flie shall be ioyned not onely all the horsemen and infanterie of FRAVNCE a wonderfull strength but Sigismund also king of POLONIA will without delay bring forth his armies wherewith he hath beene vsed in the quarrell of the Christian religion happily to fight against the Infidels so that it is not to be doubted of a most certain and assured victorie Wherefore the victorious emperour and most Christian king Francis most instantly request you to enter into the like godly cogitations conceiued for the generall good of the Christian name and religiously to embrace the hope of a most true glorious victorie and further exhort you by a wholesome decree to auert your religious and courageous hearts from the friendship of the Infidels For it may worthely seeme vnto your most honourable minds a most foule and shamefull thing to haue renewed your league and to haue preferred an infamous and vncertaine peace before a most religious and iust warre Neither doth it beseeme this most wealthie State to be terrified from that which is good and right with any charges of war â—e they neuer so great for if we shall once ouercome which is incident to this present and long wished occasion we shall by the profit of one victorie either by sea or land to your incomparable praise recompence all the losses by vs in former times receiued Whereunto the duke in the name of the whole State answered That there neuer happened any thing at any time vnto the Venetian Senat more honourable for the manner of the embassage or for the publicke securitie of their estate more to be desired than the hope of such a peace after that two most mightie kings by two such famous captaines their embassadours did certifie them of their attonement and assured peace most glorious to themselues to their eternall praise wholesome also to the Venetian state beset with so many dangers and wonderfully to be wished for of all the other princes of Christendome if they would sincerely religiously with their forces by common consent vnited resolue vpon that sacred war for then would not the Venetians be wanting to themselues or the Christian commonweale but end the league they had with the Turke not with a dishonourable peace but with armes and victorie Wherefore it was to be requested of Almightie God by prayer That those puissant kings would with religious and happie euent speedily and seriously fulfill all that hope of peace which they had by their mutuall discourses and embracings in shew promised vnto the world In few dayes after certaine of the select Senatours sitting in counsell after the manner of that State called the embassadors vnto them and asked them Whether they knew any thing of the articles and capitulations wherein that league and confederation was to be concluded and by the way whether they thought the emperor in regard of that peace would giue vnto the French kings sonne the dukedome of MILLAN as was reported Whereunto Hanebald the French embassador answering nothing Vastius said That he knew nothing more but that the two great princes had agreed thereof betwixt themselues and that the emperour had desired the peace as one willing to helpe the afflicted and declining state of the Christian commonweale which thing any man might see could not be effected or brought to passe but that the emperour must in many things yeeld to the requests of the French king and redeeme his good will For the noble mind said he worthie Senatours can easily make light of the greatest losse of his owne things when it foreseeth a large way opened thereby to eternall fame and glorie These words were very glorious and gracious to the hearers but they as men of great experience could not let it sinke in their minds that the emperour whom they had often deepely sounded would euer depart with the dukedome of MILLAN which only thing the French king required and had for the recouering thereof vnfortunatly striuen almost twentie yeares to the trouble and disquiet of a great part of the world The nobilitie and authoritie of this embassage more mooued the Senat than did the other former embassadours Didaco Mendoza a Spaniard and Guilielmus Pellicerius a Frenchman then both present yet was it much suspected by the Venetians because it contained no certaine resolution but onely the bare hope of a future peace so that it was by many men supposed to be but a matter deuised to deceiue others and to serue the emperours turne to his greater profit Yet all the cunning seemed to rest in this point That the Venetians led on with the hope of this league should neglect the renewing of the league they had the yeare before taken with Solyman which was now almost expired Vpon which vncertainetie of other mens resolutions the graue Senatours thought too dangerous a matter to depend Vpon this question of this new league and confederation to be made with these Christian princes against the Turke the Senat was wonderfully deuided some fauouring the emperours request inueighed against the renewing of that shamefull league with the infidels which they said was nothing els but as much as in them lay to betray vnto them the other parts of Christendome and especially ITALIE destitute of their helpe and yet not to be obtained without great charge and with many reasons vrged the honourable confederation with these Christian princes others of a deeper reach considering what infinit harmes they had from time to time receiued by falling out with the Turks and suspecting also the emperours drift and joyning thereunto the consideration of the great dearth then raigning in the citie which was not to be relieued but out of MACEDONIA and GRaeCIA the Turks countries the emperour hauing at that time as it were of purpose imposed so great a custome vpon all corne to be transported out of SICILIE that the very custome came to as much as both the price of the corne and the fraight together all which mischeefes they said were to be
phrophet with your knowne and approued Valour Now remaineth onely that euerie one of you thinke with vs how this warre may best be managed and so to referre your deuises vnto vs which that you may the better doe Loe I here deliuer vnto you the situation of the whole island and proiect of all their fortifications which wee haue receiued of most expert and skilfull men Solymans purpose thus made knowne and the matter well considered after that they which best knew the strong places and manners of the Malteses had declared their opinions what they thought to bee most expedient it was decreed that they should with all speed set forward wherefore victuall and other things necessarie for such an expedition being with wonderfull celeritie prepared they expected but wind Of these things Io. Valetta a Frenchman Graund master of MALTA and of the knights of the Order being both by letters and messengers aduertised for he had alwaies fit men his intelligencers at CONSTANTINOPLE who warily noted the purposes and actions of Solyman was not afraid but knowing that of God depended the victorie and that men were to watch labour and foresee he assembled a counsell of his knights and in few words spake vnto them in this sort What Solyman prepareth most noble and valiant knights and what a great warre he prouideth against vs you with me of late right well vnderstand wherefore it is needlesse for me to vse any long speech with you concerning that matter The enemie is knowne his insatiable ambition is knowne his strength is knowne and his mortall hate against vs and the Christian name is sufficiently knowne Wherefore let vs all as one first reconcile our selues to God and then prouide all such things as shall be needfull for the warre In breefe noble knights to reconcile our selues vnto God and to appease his displeasure two things are of vs to be performed whereof the one consisteth in amendment of life with a holy conuersation the other in the religious worshipping of him with a firme and constant trust in his helpe with prayer which is called godlinesse By these meanes our auncestors obtained many victories against the Indels in the East Neither is it to be doubted but if we shall in these things ioyne together we shall also frustrat all the force and furie of this proud tyrant But for as much as God vsually helpeth them which labour and take paines and not the negligent and slouthfull we must of necessitie ioyne vnto them those helpes which both our profession and the course of war requireth which partly consisteth in our selues and partly in the other Christian princes For victuall armour money and other such things as in warres are requisit we will so prouide that no man shall iustly complaine that we spared either cost or paines I will poure out all my store neither will I for desire of life refuse any danger As for the Christian princes I cannot persuade my selfe that they will lie still in so fit an oportunitie and in so great a danger not of our estate onely but much more of their owne Verely I will not spare to exhort euery one of them both by letters and by messengers which in part we haue alreadie done and I doubt not but wee shall haue aid ynough from the Pope the Emperour and the king of Spaine such is their Christian zeale and they I hope shall moue the rest As for you the princes and very light of this sacred Order and the rest of our brethren most valiant knights I am well assured you will so fight for the most holy Christian religion for your liues and goods and for the glorie of the Latine name against a most cruell tyrant the rooter out of all true religion of all ciuilitie and good learning the plague of the world hated of God and man as that hee shall feele the sting of the crosse which he so much contemneth euen in the citie of CONSTANTINOPLE yea in his houses of pleasure For we shall not haue now to doe with him in the Island of the RHODES far from the helpe of our friends from ASIA from EVROPE from AEGIPT inclosed with our enemies both by sea and land but in the eyes of ITALIE and SPAINE in places strongly fortified from whence the enemie may easily be circumuented which that it may so fall out let vs not cease to pray vnto Almightie God and to craue his readie helpe When the Graund Master had thus said all that were present promised with one assent rather to lose their liues than in any part to faile the common cause or to come into the power of Solyman After that publicke prayer and supplication was made in euery church through the Isle and three colonels chosen out of all the knights one an Italian surnamed Imperator another Borneas a Frenchman and Quatrius a Spaniard the third all aduised men and most expert souldiors who should with all diligence prouide all things necessarie for the warre By whose appointment the suburbes and trees which might any way be hurtfull to the fortified places were ouerthrowne the fortifications were thorowly viewed the garrisons strengthened and all manner of prouision most plentifully destributed and letters from the Great Master sent vnto the Great Bishop and other Christian princes requesting their aid against the common enemie Messengers were also dismissed into diuers places to certifie both the knights of the Order and others of the Turkes preparation Solymans fleet departing from CONSTANTINOPLE the two and twentith day of March in the yeare 1565 kept a direct course towards PELOPONESVS and so came to METHON where Mustapha Bassa one of the Turkes greatest captaines a man of 75 yeares and Generall of the land forces mustered the armie wherein were numbred seuen thousand horsmen of them which are of the Turkes called Spahi out of the lesser ASIA conducted by the Gouernour of that countrey and two lieutenants of CILICIA fiue hundred and of the Island of LESDOS now callled METYLENE foure hundred he had of the Ianizaries foure thousand and fiue hundred led by two colonels appointed by Solyman for that the cheefe captaine of the Ianizaries which they call the Aga neuer departeth from the citie but when the Sultan goeth himselfe Besides these was a certaine kind of men amongst the Turkes who liue of the reuenewes of the church of them there was in the armie thirteene thousand who had at CONSTANTINOPLE vowed their liues for their superstition Out of THRACIA and PELOPONESVS were come two colonels and one lieutenant with twelue hundred horsemen and three thousand fiue hundred voluntaries out of diuers countries There also Piall Bassa Solymans Admirall tooke view of the fleet wherein were found a hundred and thirtie gallies two and twentie ships for burthen some greater some lesser besides one that was cast away neere vnto METHONE wherein was losâ— six thousand barrels of pouder thirteene thousand great shot and foure hundred Spaâ—â—â—â— besides these
countries by the prince Who if he had not then gained the victory the Chancelour had not now holden MOLDAVIA but the Turke whose quarrell he seemed rather to fauour than the princes The Chancelour to colour this his inuasion pretended That the countrey of MOLDAVIA did of auntient right belong vnto the kingdome of POLONIA which the Transyluanians tooke to be no other but meere and open wrong This supposed title such as it was the Chancelor had so fashioned out vnto the king and the states of that kingdome that they referred it to his discretion to inuade the countrey and remoouing the Vayuod placed by the prince to place another in his stead and the rather to persuade them laboured by many forced reasons to shew the power of the Transyluanian prince to be so far inferiour vnto the Turks that it was to be feared he should at length be thrust out of all his dominions and so they together with MOLDAVIA become subject to the Turke Which if it should so come to passe then should the Polonians haue an vntrustie and troublesome neighbour And that therefore it were better that MOLDAVIA were possessed by them that were better able to defend it than was he that so the Turke might be kept farther off from POLONIA Which occasion he said was not longer to be delaied but now betime to be laid hold vpon persuading himselfe to find such grace and fauor with the Turkish emperor as that he should be therewith right well contented which was like ynough for a time to be for that the Transyluanian should thereby be much weakened By these and such like reasons framed to serue his owne turne the Chancelour so preuailed with the king and the states of the kingdome that he receiued from them as I said full authoritie to proceed in the matter as he did and as is before declared to the great trouble of the prince and benefit of the Turke the late chosen Vayuod not long after opening a way in three places for the Tartars into TRANSYLVANIA one by the countrey of SICVLI another by the way that leadeth to ALBA IVLIA and the third by VALACHIA The Transyluanian prince seeing the countrey of MOLDAVIA by the practise of the Chancellour thus taken from him and disseuered from the other vnited prouinces to the great weakening of his state after the flight of Sinan sent certaine companies both of horse and foot to Stephen the late Vayuod but now driuen out by the Polonians to prooue if happily he could by that meanes driue out the Polonians againe and recouer his former dignitie With this aid sent from the prince and others that fauoured his quarrell he joyned a bloudie battell with the Polonians but being therein by them ouercome and taken and for a space kept as the prince feared to haue beene deliuered vnto the Turke he was by them as is reported cruelly afterwards put to death This foule dealing of the Polonian in MOLDAVIA much grieued many good Christians as tending to the generall hurt of the Christian commonweale For which cause the Emperour by his embassadours sent for that purpose vnto the Polonian king sought to persuade him to desist from such inuasion of the Transyluanian prince by his Chancellour as nothing standing with his honour and that some good reconciliation might be made betweene the prince and the Cardinall Bator and his brother the princes vncles authors of all these troubles To which purpose also the Pope sent a messenger with like instructions and letters vnto the king persuading him not so to prosecute his warres against the prince but to turne his thoughts vnto a more peaceable and Christianlike course especially with him with whom he was so neere linked in mariage To the like effect he writ also vnto the Cardinall Bator and after many graue admonitions peremptorily cited him to ROME But for as much as the proceedings of the Polonian against the prince are more plainely to be gathered by the Popes letters vnto the king it shall not I hope be mistaken if I here set them downe thus as I find them by others reported Pope Clement the eight to our best beloued sonne in Christ Sigismund by the grace of God king of POLONIA with the benediction Apostolicall sendeth greeting By how much greater affection of fatherly loue we embrace your maiestie in the Lord so much the more feruently we wish all your actions to be adorned with the greatest commendation of true godlinesse and wisedome both before God and men Whereof it proceedeth that we are so much the more vehemently and grieuously moued if we heare any such thing of you as may seeme not agreeable to your vertue and approued zeale toward the Catholike religion or tending to the obscuring of the glorie of your name as is now brought vnto vs concerning the affaires of MOLDAVIA whereof not without great griefe we write vnto you And to rehearse things a little before past With what earnestnesse and feruencie dealt I with you that for Gods cause and the defence of the health and libertie of the Christian commonweale against the tyrannie of the Turkes you would combine your selfe with our most dearely beloued sonne Rodolph the Emperour and diuers other Christian princes and that you should not let slip so notable an occasion so worthily to deserue of God of the Catholike faith and of the Christian commonweale in generall And albeit we then thought as well for many your owne priuat respects as also of your kingdomes That you were to be borne withall and excused if you did not now openly descend into this confederation of the Christian princes against the most mortall and common enemie neither apertly ioyne your forces or giue aid for the repressing of his insolencie yet we alwayes assured our selues that no let should in any case proceed from you whereby either the Emperour or the other Christian princes should be the rather hindered iustly to prosecute their iniuries or to cast off from their necks the heauie yoke of the most cruell tyrant whose desire of soueraignetie is not comprised within the compasse of any bounds But that you should in fauour of the Turkes impugne the Catholike princes and defendors of the Christian faith and so ioyne hands with the enemies of the Crosse of Christ as that by your helpe their force and furie should be encreased and ours not only weakened but in the very course of victorie hindered and cast into most grieuous perils this we haue not onely not thought of you but not so much as once suspected yea and can now scarce be persuaded to beleeue those things to bee done by you which are reported vnto vs as most true and vndoubted For the report goeth That you hauing intelligence with the Turkes and Tartars haue with them conspired and namely against our welbeloued sonne Sigismund prince of TRANSYLVANIA who with inuincible courage fighteth the battels of the Lord and least he should be able to abate the
into ASIA and by the same ships returned souldiors as fast as he could into EUROPE so that he had in one day two hundred souldiors more brought ouer vnto him And manning such small vessels as hee had left about the castle sent Ezes-beg alongst the coast on EUROPE side to burne such shipping or vessels as he could find least the Christians should by them hinder his passage vpon the strait of HELLESPONTUS So in a few daies Solyman had transported into EUROPE two thousand good souldiors of the Turks whom he so gouerned that they did not in any violent sort injurie the vulgar Christians by reason whereof the common people began to like reasonable well of the Turks and to conuerse with them without feare This was the first comming ouer of the Turks into EUROPE with purpose there to conquer and inhabit vnder the fortune of the Othoman kings For albeit that some of that nation had at sundrie times before come ouer as men seeking after spoile or otherwise sent for yea sometimes by the Greeke emperours themselues yet neuer stayed they long but hauing done that they came for or els lost themselues returned back againe into ASIA vntill that now conducted by Solyman and possessed of the little castle of ZEMBENIC as is aforesaid they there tooke so fast footing as that they and their posteritie after them were neuer thence to be since that time remoued but still more and more encroching vpon the Christians haue vnto their Asian kingdome joyned a great part of EUROPE also to the terrour of the rest that yet remaineth as in the processe of this Historie shall if God will at large appeare About two miles from ZEMBENIC in CHERSONESVS was another castle called MAITO or more truely MADITVS which Solyman also tooke so that now he had gotten two castles in EVROPE both which he stongly manned After which time the Turkes in great numbers came out of ASIA into EVROPE ouer that narrow strait of HELLESPONTVS to dwell in CHERSONESVS and Solyman in stead of them to make roome for his Turkes sent Christians out of EVROPE to be placed amongst the Turkes in ASIA The report of this comming ouer of the Turkes into CHERSONESVS and of the taking of the castle of ZEMBENIC carried in post to CONSTANTINOPLE was sufficient to haue stirred vp any prouident or carefull men presently to haue taken vp armes for the recouerie of the lost castle and the driuing out againe of the barbarous enemies out of EVROPE before they had gathered any greater strength or setled themselues in those places but such was the carelesse negligence and great securitie of the proud Greekes that in stead thereof they to extenuate the greatnesse of the losse commonly sayd That there was but an hogstie lost alluding vnto the name of the castle and vainely as sayth a graue Father of their owne jeasting at that was not to be jeasted at and laughing at that was not to bee laughed but lamented for as in few yeares it prooued their foolish laughter being not without good cause conuerted into most bitter teares Solyman his strength so still increasing by the dayly comming ouer of the Turkes hee proceeded farther to spoyle the countrey of CHERSONESVS almost as farre as CALLIPOLIS distant from the castle ZEMBENIC about two and twentie miles after which pleasant citie the proud Turke began now to long Which the gouernour thereof perceiuing by the Turkes continuall encroaching vpon him raysed what power he was able to make and so went out against them all the rest of the Greekes in the meane time lying still as if they had beene a sleepe or that the matter had not concerned them but meeting the Turkes he was by them after a great conflict ouerthrowne and for sauegard of his life glad to flie into his citie after whom the Turkes following spoyled the countrey round about and in their returne by plaine force tooke the citie together with the castle also which hapned in the yeere of our Lord 1358 Where the madnesse of the Greeks was againe more than before to bee wondred at for the newes of the losse of CALIPOLIS being brought to CONSTANTINOPLE the people there made small account thereof although it was indeed a right great losse and much concerned the state but to extenuate the matter when they had any talke thereof in jeasting wise commonly said That the Turks had but taken from them a pottell of wine but by taking of such hogstyes and pottels of wine as they termed it the Turks in a few yeares after had gone so farre in THRACIA that Amurath this same Solyman his Nephew which now tooke from the Greekes the citie of CALLIPOLIS euen in the heart as it were of the Greeke empire placed his royal seat at HADRIANOPLE and immediately after him Baiazet his sonne hauing subdued all the countrey euen to the walles of CONSTANTINOPLE for certaine yeares layd hard siege vnto the imperiall citie it selfe and had no doubt then carried it had not the great expedition of the mightie Tartar prince Tamerlaine vnto Baiazet fatall in the meane time hapned whereby God so appointing it the prosperous succeedings of the Turkes were for a space well stayed that they should not before the time by him prefined deuour the reliques of the Greeke empire And it were to be wished that the Christians of our time also by their example warned would at length awake out of their dead sleepe who of late haue lost vnto the same enemie not the castle of ZEMBENIC or the citie of CALLIPOLIS but whole kingdomes as HVNGARIE and CYPRVS and are still faire in the way I say no more for greefe and foreboding of euill fortune But againe to our purpose Solyman hauing made this prosperous entrance into EVROPE and there got strong footing by speedie messengers certified his father what he had done and that it was expedient for him with all speed to send vnto him a great supplie of men of warre as well for the sure defence and keeping of the castles and forts by him alreadie gotten as for the further inuasion of the countrey This message was woonderfull welcome vnto Orchanes and whereas many families of the Sarazins at that present were come into the countrey of CARASINA to possesse the dwellings and places of them which in hope to better their estate were before gone ouer into EVROPE all these Sarazins hee commaunded to passe ouer into EVROPE likewise which they did accordingly seating themselus for a time in the countrey neere to CALLIPOLIS In the meane time Solyman omitted no oportunitie to enter further into the countrie winning small forts and holds and still peopling the same with his Turkes And on the other side they of CARASINA passed ouer into EUROPE placing thēselues as it were in a new world For which cause and for the great desire they had to extend the Turkish dominion and religion they refused no paines of warre so that all things at that time prospered with the
Turkes and went backward with the Christians In the time of these warres not farre from CALLIPOLIS was a little castle called CONGERE the captaine whereof was by a Greeke name called Calo Ioannes a valiant and painefull man this captaine continually molested and troubled the Turks which lay on that side of CALLIPOLIS vnder the leading of Ezes-beg many of whom he slew and tooke prisoners as hee could find them at any aduantage Solyman much angred herewith by craftie and secret espials learned a certaine time when he was gone out of his castle to doe some exploit vpon the Turks whereupon he presently so beset the castle with souldiors that hee could by no meanes returne thither but hee must first fall into their hands and for more assurance placed others also in by-waies least he should by any way escape The captaine ignorant of all this prosecuted his enterprise and hauing taken a Turke prisoner thinking to returne to his castle was hastely pursued by Fazill-Beg for which cause making the more hast he suddainly fell into the danger of the Turks laid in ambush where his men were all slaine and he himselfe taken and brought before his own castle and had there his head presently strucke off whereupon the castle was forthwith by them that were therein hauing now lost their captaine surrendred and Chazi Ili Beg a valiant captaine of the Turks placed in the same who from thence neuer ceased to trouble the countrey euen to the wals of DIDYMOTICHUM as did Solyman also out of CALLIPOLIS Thus in the space of one yeare the Turks got strong footing in EUROPE possessing diuers castles and townes with the countrey about them which Solyman gaue in reward vnto his captaines and souldiors as appeareth by the 〈◊〉 and tombes of Ezes-beg and Fazill-beg the two which first came ouer into EUROPE which 〈◊〉 there yet well knowne About this time it fortuned that as this maâ—â—all prince Solyman was for his disport hawking in the fields of BOLAYRE on EUROPE side galloping in to his faulcon was with his horse ouerthrowne in a ditch of which fall he being sore brused shortly after died The newes of his death being brought to Orchanes his father 〈◊〉 him then being sicke just occasion of great sorrow so that within two moneths after he died also being fourescore yeares old when hee had thereof raigned 31 yeares and died about the yeare of our Lord 1359. Some histories report otherwise both of his death and of the time wherein he liued as that he should beslaine in a battell against the Tartars or as others write with an arrow at the siege of PRUSA in the yeare of our Lord 1349. But Ioannes Lâ—unclauiâ—â— in his historie collected out of the Turks owne chronicles whom we follow as most probable reporteth it as before This Orchanes was wise courteous and bountifull more ingenious than his father in deuising warlike engins He built diuers princely Churches Abbeies Colledges and Cels and was in his superstitious religion very zealous insomuch that he appointed pensions to all such as could in the church say the booke of Mahomets law by heart and appointed competent maintenance for all Iudges of his courts because they should not take any thing in reward of his subjcts for the peruerting of justice He greatly inlarged his kingdome in ASIA and not content to bee inclosed with the seas of EVXINUM and HELLESPONTUS set fast footing in EVROPE which some attribute to his sonne Amurath He was vnto the Christians alwaies a most mortall enemie and so 〈◊〉 FINIS Christian princes of the same time with Orchanes Emperours Of the East Andronicus Palaeologus the younger 1325. 29. Iohn Palaeologus 1354. 30. Of the West Lewes of Bauaria 1314. 32. Charles the fourth sonne to Iohn king of Bohemia 1346. 10. Kings Of England Edward the third 1327. 50. Of Fraunce Philip Valois 1328. 22. Iohn Valois 1350. 14. Of Scotland Robert Bruce 1306. 24. Dauid Bruce 1341. Bishops of Rome Iohn the XXII 1317. 18. Benedict the XII 1335. 7. Clement the VI. 1342. 12. Innocent the VI. 1354. 10. AMVRATH AMVRANTHES PRIMVS TERTIVS TVRCARVM REX FLORVIT AN o 1350 Scauâ—s Amurathes animo dum maxima versat Discordes Graecos sternere Marte parat Totus intentus fines extendere regni Europam penetrans obuia quaeque rapit Attoniti trepidant nimia formidine Thraces In medio quorum sceptra superba locat Hinc Moesos premit ille feros miserumque Dynasten Cossoui in campis obruit atque necat Sed non longa fuit sceleris tam dira voluptas A seruo caesus concidit ense ferox RICH. KNOLLEVS Whilest Amurath in his deepe thoughts of greatnesse plots the ground The wrangling Greekes by force of arms he seekes how to confound And wholy bent for to extend his kingdome with his power Piersing the confines of EVROPE doth what he meets deuour As men dismaid the Thracians quake to see their foule disgrace Amiddest whom the tyrant stout his scepter proud doth place The fierce Bulgarians he did meet and in the field subdue And in COSSOVAS fatall plains the wofull Despot slue But long is not the wickeds joy which they in mischiefe take Stabd by a Slaue the wretch his end in that same place did make R. K. THE LIFE OF AMVRATH THE FIRST OF THAT NAME THIRD KING OF THE TVRKES AND THE GREAT AVGMENTOR OF THEIR KINGDOME AMurath the yonger sonne of Orchanes succeeded his father in the Turkish kingdome his elder brother Solyman being dead a little before his father This Amurath with greater zeale than any one of the Turkish kings aduanced the Mahometane religion and had therein wonderfull successe In the beginning of his raigne he gathered a great armie out of all parts of his kingdome to PRUSA purposing to passe ouer HELLESPONTUS to inuade the Christians in THRACIA But vnderstanding that the other Mahometane princes in ASIA had combined themselues against him hee was thereby enforced to â—eaue his former determination for EUROPE and to turne his forces vpon them In which wars â—e mightily preuailed against them and returned with victorie to PRUSA But hauing so subduâ—d those confederat princes he the next yeare after prosecuted his warres before intended against â—he Christians in EUROPE For which purpose hauing leuied a strong armie in ASIA he passed ouer to CALLIPOLIS accompanied with his tutor whom the Turks call Lala Schahin whose graue aduice and counsaile he most followed in all his waightie affaires being at that time one of his cheefe counsellors From CALLIPOLIS he marched to the castle of BENUTUM which was by composition yeelded vnto him From thence he went to TZVRVLUS where the Christians gaue him a sharpe encounter but in the end he wan the towne and caried away the victorie And so proceeding farther tooke diuers other small castles and townes in that part of THRACIA which of the antient Romane Colonies was then called ROMANIA and now of the Turks RUMILIA namely MESINE BURGOS and