vnhappye fortune beeing more and more sollicited by the Visier hee attempted to vnderstande if hee coulde the minde of his Sonne and if it might bee possible to gette him into his handes But the Citie of Heri was well fenced as we haue said and therefore it must needes require the spending of many daies before it could be obtained which Abas-Mirize knowing full well thought it good in the meane time to write diuers letters to his Father and his Brother wherein hee besought them that they would make knowen vnto him the occasions of this their stirre For if desire of rule had mooued them to desire the depriuation of him beeing their Sonne and Brother from the honour which hee lawfully possessed and which his Father himselfe had procured for him they ought to abandon that imagination and not to seeke the disturbance of their peace for that hee was alwaies to spende his wealth and his bloude together with his estate in their seruice and acknowledged his Father to bee his good Father and King who rather then hee shoulde pursue this resolution shoulde bee encouraged to encrease his Dominion ouer his neighbours the Indians and Bactriaus which woulde bee more honourable and profitable for that Empire and much more commodious for all Persia And if they were not induced heereunto for this cause but by a desire to reuenge some trespasse that hee had committed in preiudice either of the Crowne of Persia or his Fathers honour hee was most readie to submit himselfe to any amendes and with all reason to yelde vnto them the kingdome yea the worlde and euen his owne life also the rather to satisfie their mindes with a more full contentation With twise and thrise reading ouer were these affectionate and reuerent letters considered and digested and at last both the Brother and the father perceyuing in theÌ„ such liberalitie of wordes and beeing ouer come with pittie or if not with pittie yet with great admiration and contentment they determined to put the matter in practise and moderating their wicked desires of bloud ruine and death to attempt the reducing of the young mans minde to some good passe Wherevpon they wrote backe vnto him That no greedie desire to vsurpe his gouernement An affection that was onely raysed in the gâ—uttâ—noâ—â— minde of prophane Salmas had induced them to make so great a voyage to trouble so much the people and to shed such aboundaunce of bloud For rather then they would depriue him of that gouernement they would bee readie to bestowe vpon him newe benefites and honours of greater esteeme But onely his disobedience and impudenciâ— in that hee caused himselfe to bee called the King of all Persia and woulde not sende somuch as one Captayne to ayde them against the Turkes these were the causes why they proceeded to these great inconueniences because they thought it their duetie to roote vp such wicked and obstinate desires out of their kingdome and in Persia to preserue an vniuersall obedience and common tranquiliâ—ie among their subiectes The youngman when hee vnderstood the accusations that were laied against him was greatly comforted hoped to make it manifest before al men how the king his brother were misinformed in these particularities therfore incontinently did write back againe vnto them That if they would inuiolably promise not to put to death nor doe any outrage to any his embassadors he would sendvn to theÌ„ such euident matter so cleere informatioÌ„ touching those his accusations as they should not onely plainly perceiue there was neuer any such kind of thought in him but also that he had alwaies desired laboured the coÌ„trarie peraduenture he should open vnto theÌ„ such a matter as in respect of other men and not of himselfe would cause their comming to proue profitable and commodious to all the kingdome of Persia. Whereupon they both promised all good entertainment and were now become very desirous to vnderstand what those straunge nouelties should be and so when they had yeelded their consent and with solemne oath had offered to receiue the said embassadours with all friendly curtesie and regarde Abas sent vnto them two of his chiefe counsellours men of good accompt and reuerence both for their yeares and wisedome with commaundement That they should declare how all these stirres did arise from none other man but onelie from the Visier Mirize-Salmas who as he had alreadie laboured this daungerous plot against Abas-Mirize the kings own son so if this his designment should bee brought to passe he would not sticke to doe the like against the King himselfe to satisfie the greedy and ambitious desire which hee had to place his Sonne in lawe Emir-hamze in the soueraigne seate and himselfe to bee the man that as Lieutenant to the King shoulde commaunde the whole Empire Which notwithstanding they were to reueale without any blame or accusation of Emir-Hamze and to make it knowen to his old father that neuer any such conceits or affections were kindled in the Prince but that he was also vnwares induced thereunto by the crafte and suttlety of malignant Salmas The two Embassadours came accordingly and after many speeches in the ende swearing according to their custome by the Creator that spread out the Aire that founded the earth vppon the deepes that adorned the heauen with starres that powred abroade the water that made the fire and briefely of nothing brought foorth all thinges swearing by the heade of their vaine Master Aly and by the false religion of their impious Prophet Mahamet swearing by their children by their wiues by their own souls That such peruers thoughts neuer entred into the head of Abas-Mirize They alledged many testimonies and euident proofes that most loyally and faithfully in all due time aswell when hee was aduanced to the soueraigne degree of a king as also in his battels against the Turkes his Sonne had alwaies caused deuout prayers and supplications to bee made to God for his prosperitye neither euer desired to heare any other but happie and fortunate successe of him They brought with them a thousande and a thousand Precepts and Royall Letters which the younge man had caused to be written as occasions required to the Gouernours that were his Subiectes for the gouernement of the state wherein hee neuer named himselfe the King of Persia but onelye your King and Gouernour of Heri They prayed the King also that hee woulde cause a diligent processe which the Turkes call a Teftis to be framed against his Sonne and if there shoulde bee founde in him any signe or shadowe of so wicked a suspicion that then hee woulde take from him his estate and libertie For they woulde remaine as hostages for him But when all this shoulde be done and Abas-Mirize shoulde bee founde altogether free from these vniust and impious calumniations then falling euen to the earth and kissing it they besought him and coniured him that hee woulde not leaue
will bee encouraged to take vp armes against the Barbarians vnder whose gouernement so many famous and potent nations are already reduced A losse to say the trueth very great and not to be thought-of without shedding of teares that whereas a people so renowmed for their Nobilitie glorious in all ages for wisedome and science did in times past gouerne so many nations as though they were Lordes of the whole world Now being either driuen from their proper Colonies from their owne houses from their domesticall confines they goe wandring vp and downe poore needy of other mens helpe Orels being brought into a most vile kind of seruitude some serue as sclaues some yeeld obedience to the enimies of Christ in such sorte that euen in Greece it selfe the very name of Greece is quite extinguished and al because it was departed from the bosome of the Catholike Church But let not this my history take his beginning at these quarrels and complaintes which peraduenture to some mens humors would seeme the more vnpleasant in that they would proue more necessary to be set downe in this respect And therefore my conceit is rather that in mentioning such thinges as are neerer to our remembrance I should beginne at the death of olde Tamas the most famous king of Persia and withall discourse vpon the state and condition of that kingdome whilest it remained in the successors of the said Tamas videlicet Ismahel and Mahamet his sonnes for that by this very briefe narration euery man shall manifestly see the true occasions of this warre and so we shall auoide the inserting of any superfluous replication in the contexture of this our history I say then that Tamas after the warres which he valorously waged with Soliman the first of that name and the eleuenth Emperour of the Turkes at such time as the said Tamas did driue Soliman out of Tauris being of old called Ecbathana the very same wherein Herodotus writeth that the kings richesses treasures were then kept not Terua as P. Giouius would haue it a Citty which the same Turkish Emperour had sacked and hauing concluded a peace wherein it was agreed that the Castell Cheiseri by the Turkes called Chars by Ptolomee as a man may resonably coniecture Corso being in this great change reduced by Soliman into a fort should be razed he withdrew himselfe to the gouernment of his own kingdome Vnder whome the Persian Empire flourished in sacred redoubted lawes the people demeaned themselues after the best manner they could abundance of collections came plentifully in the Rentes of his chambers increased wonderfully Armes Artes Sciences did happely prosper and were highly esteemed neither was there any more feare that Soliman would renew the warres as one that had altogether bent his thoughtes another way When as after a few yeares wherein both Soliman and his sonne Selim which after him had enioyed that damned foelicity of his Empire departed out of this lyfe Tamas also himself died in the yeare 1576 the xj day of May hauing left behind him eleuen children one called Mahamet the eldest who passed his life a while in Heri in times past called Aria and afterwardes in Siras of old called Persepolis by the appointment of his father being nowe waxen proud for his issue of many sonnes Another named Ismahel his second sonne who for the fiercenesse of his courage was banished into a Castell called by the Persians Cahaca situate betweene Casbin otherwise called Arsacia Tauris The third who had to name Aidere was kept in the custody of Zalchan Piry Mahamet Acta Hussain and other of his kinsfolkes by occasion of the mother of the said Aidere all being cheefe Capitaines in the coast of Istigelù Other eight children there were partly by the same mother partly by other women whose names were Mamut Solimano Mustaffa Emanguli Alichan Amet Abrahin Ismahel the yonger This Tamas before he dyed did solemnely appoynt by his will that his sonne Ismahel the elder should bee set in the kingdome who although because he was yonger then Mahamet could not bee his lawfull successor yet did he yeeld great hope of his most excellent wit and singular vertues insomuch that he seemed to promise euery man an happy gouernment sufficient habilitie to defend himselfe against his enemies were they neuer so fierce and warlike Ismahel after that he was confined by his father Tamas into the eastel of Cahaca had euer sought to shew himselfe superior to his brother in the Arte milirarie and although he gaue himselfe by secret industrie to learne the preceptes of the Turkish law a thing which if it had beene publikely knowen would alone haue beene enough to haue barred him from succession of the kingdome yet had he alwayes endeuored himselfe to be an open enemy to the Turkes and thereupon with his often inuasions which was the cause of his imprisonment whiles the peace held betweene Tamas and Soliman he was so bould as now then contrary to his fathers commandement to assault the Territorie of Erzirum and beyond all honestie to spoile the townes castelles of that region withhis sodaine incursions By meanes whereof he made shew of his great valour to all people but principally to his father Tamas who although in outward shew he seemed greatly to mislike those his youthful heates yet was he dayly confirmed in the opinion that he carried of him to name him his successor thinking verily that of soe great a dignity he would proue himselfe either altogether or at lest more worthy then his brother Mahamet Which Mahamet to speake the truth aswel for the disease of his eyes whereby for his surname he was called Codabanda as also for the manner of his life altogether giuen to that ease which is proper to such as are studious and quietly mynded neuer shewed himselfe sufficient to sway the burden of the Empire and to brydle the fiercenesse of his enemies yea and he protested himselfe that hee did vtterly abhorre so great a weight and those so many cares as are wont to follow so ample and soe many-partied a kingdome And yet for all that did not Mahamet remaine altogether depryued of all the whole fauour of his father forsomuch as Abas Mirize the middlemost of his sonnes was confirmed in the Citty of Heri where he was before borne and honored with the tytle of the Visier of that remote and abundant Cuntry yea and Tamas himselfe had established Emir Hamze the eldest of Mahamets sonnes in some great dignitie if death though some what tardee yet not altogether vnlooked for had not by preuenting him bereaued him of his lyfe and taken from them all hope of greater matters King Tamas then being thus dead the said Ismahel was called by the Sultans for the execution of his fathers will to Casbin that he might as he ought be saluted proclaymed king But while the Postes whome the Turkes call
vnderstand that which Quintus Curtius wryteth touching the course thereof and that which Natalis Comes hath left written of it in his history Cirus likewyse springeth out of the same hill Taurus and yet in Armenia and so descending into the Champaines and plaines of Georgia charging it selfe and being greatly encreased with other riuers it is ioyned with Araxis and so maketh his issue also into the Caspian sea This riuer the inhabitants of the countrey at this day call by the name of Ser in their owne language but the Turkes call it Chiur the other Riuer both the one nation and the other doo vniformely call Arasse In that parte of the land where Araxis insinuateth it selfe betweene Media Atropatia and Armenia it receaueth into it diuers Riuers that spring out of the hilles of the said region of Armenia among which is Canac very famous in this history which making as it were almost an Island a little on this syde of the Citty Eres vniteth it selfe in the Channell with Araxis as in his place shall be shewed This Prouince is in habited by sundry Earles Dukes Lordes aswell in the plaine and champaine as also in the rough and mountaine cuntrey and these inhabitants are for the most part Christians yet obseruers of the rytes and schismes of the Graecians stout people stronge of complexion and obstinate in their opinions The principall Potentates of this Prouince besides many others that enioy whole Counties and diuers Lordships are the Widow and her Sonnes Manucchiar and Alessandro the Sonnes of Lauassap deceased Dauid and Simon Leuentogli who by his countrymen is called Schender and by vs Alessandro surnamed the Great Giusuf the Sonne of Gori old Sahamal of whome wee made mention afore when we wrote of the death of Aidere and the sixt is Basacchiuc Sahamal keepeth his gouernement betweene the territorie of Siruan and of Alessandro by nation rather an Alano then a Georgiano and hath one Sonne which succeeded after him when Osman Bassa depriued him of his life for his treason that was discouered whereof shall be spoken in place conuenient He dwelleth in a rough high mountaine by the Turkes called Brus whose top is couered continually with white and hoarie snowes he is in religion by his owne choice a Soffian although by nature a Georgian hee is in money poore but in shaking a launce and shooting a darte very valorouse few cities or rather no one place woorthy the name of a citie doth hee possesse but certaine Villages and some base Townes hee hath and the people that is subiect to him is altogether a fauage people and giuen to robbery and flight Giusuf is in deede by countrey by nation and by religion a Georgian although touching his religion hee hath alltogether abandoned the name of Christ and hauing voluntarily reuolted to the Turkes hath chaunged his Grecian Faith into another religion that among all wicked religions is most impiouse He hath his place at Gori and his territorie lieth on the West bordering vppon Basacchiuc diuided from him by the Lake of Esecchia and on the East vpon the Countie of Derbent He being brought into a narrow streight by Osman Bassa on the one side and by the whole Campe on Teflis side resolued himselfe to yeeld to the Turkes as in fitte oportunitie shall be declared The Widowes yonger Sonne called Manucchiar is he that came to yeeld his obedience to Mustaffa as wee haue tolde you before and the elder is named Alessandro of whome we shall speake sufficiently when we come to describe his misery She holdeth many â—ownes but hath put her elder Sonne in possession and left vnto him the vniuersall care and charge of her whole estate which afterward was fraudulently taken from him by Amurat and by his yonger brother Manucchiar Her territory lieth in the confines of Chars on the West the State of the two brothers Simon and Dauid on the East watred with a Riuer by the Turkes called Chiur which perhaps may bee some braunch of Cirus The pallace of this Dominion is Altunchala so called in Turkish and in our language may bee interpreted the Golden-Castell there is besides a very commodious and remarkeable place called Clisca and also Carachala so tearmed by the Turkes and signifying in our tounge the Obscure or Blacke-Castell and diuerse other Iurisdictions both of Townes and Castels This pallace aswell on the side of Teflis as on the side of Chars is compassed with the rough mountaines of Periardo and with horrible thicke woodes very fit for treacherous ambushes and in all respectes most daungerous for an Army But Altunchala it selfe lieth in the middest being as it were most cunningly defended by nature There follow as ye go towards the East rather in Armenia then in Iberia the places that sometimes beloÌ„ged to Lauassap but now enioyed by the two brethren Dauid Simon of their fathers valour and of their fathers estate both by nature by vertue the rightfull heires although in truth they had greatly desyled themselues with a beastly change of their religion whereby they did wonderfully obscure their glory being otherwise worthy of singular commendation and principally Simon who by his knowledge in Arte military and by his learning in matters of Poesie and Philosophie had merited the grace and familiarity of Ismahel the Sonne of Tamas whiles he was in captiuitie in Persia of whome we shall haue occasion to speake hereafter in due time But what vertue could there be in them glorious and renowmed which was not obscured by this soule fault committed by them both it being the occasion why the one and the other were not onely depriued of their goods their State and their honour but also that they abandoned wholy the most sacred and glorious name of Christ. For Lauassap their father beeing dead who by his last will and testament left Simon his Sonne to be his Successor in the kingdome not onely because he was the elder in yeares but also because he excelled his brother in valour Dauid being of an intollerable nature greatly enuying his brothers succession ouer-greedie of glory and rule began to seeke meanes how to driue Simon out of his State with force and Armes to arriue to that place whervnto neither the will of his father nor the lawes of nature could bring him And therfore withdrawing himselfe into the field being followed by a kind of people desirous of Nouelties and rather louing seditions and tumultes then easie peace and quiet rest he began to take vp those rentes which his brother did yearely expect from such places as lawfully were subiect vnto him conuerting to his owne vse whatsoeuer he could by any meanes most vnhonestly vsurpe and by these spoiles making his followers and souldiers more bounden vnto him he did in such sort increase his squadrous that being waxen very terrible to all Georgia hee put his brother Simon also in a marueilous great feare who hauing
their kings vse Swift in course fierce in battell long breathed and very docible When they are vnsâ—dled gentle and milde but when they are armed warlike hardie and manageable euen at the pleasure of the Ryder so that it is no meruaile if one of them haue bene sold for a thousand or a thousand three hundred Cocchini Those that follow attend the exercises of warre are for the most part men of noble meâ— and therevpon it coÌ„meth that they are more hardy and valiant to foyle then to flie And beeing compared with the Turkish people who for the most part are very â—ascalles of vile race ready to fly and to rauine they are by good right very worthie to be highly esteemed The Persians are great deceiuers full of craftie Stratagemes vnconstant and breakers of their word a vice that seemeth to haue beene alwaies proper to the Barbarians Neuer content with any mans gouernement and louers of nouelties wherein Persia was alwaies noted particularly specially to haue offended For testimony whereof we may vouch those ancient poysoninges and wicked treacheries which were plotted not onely by Subiectes against their kinges but also by children against their naturall father which name as Iustinus writeth was in so small estimation with those fiftie sonnes of Artaxerxes that with one consent they all conspired vpon a most wicked pretence to murther their father without that any one of them either in regard of his Fatherly Maiestie or reuerence to his age or naturall pietie did attempt to prohibite so great an iniquitie An Acte as it seemeth very well marked by the Sofian kings who as we may read of Vngher Mahamut and others and as it is written in this Historie the Children with the Father the Father with the Children and the Children one with an other haue learned it by course and dayly doe practise it to destroy one another and so weakening their owne forces do make themselues spectacles of infamy to all the world The people of Persia are afrayde of Artillery beyond measure and yet sometimes they haue not beene afraide with suddaine assaultes to assaile their enimies trenches lodginges in their Campes And although they be so timorous and fearefull of that Engine and know of what moment it is in a battell yet haue they not hetherto receiued the vse thereof being rather obstinate in their blind ambitious conceite that it is a sinne and shame to exercise so cruell a weapon against mankinde then ignorant how to make it or destitute of matter to cast it The manner of ordering their battell is after the fashion of a horne or of the Moone as a man may call it and in open battell their Squadrons are ordered on this sort In the right horne or wing by auncient custome were placed those troupes that were guyded by the captaynes of Istigelu which is now called the Traytors lyne by reason of Zalchan and the rest that were so ready resolute in the conspiracy which was made in the fauour of Aidere whereof we haue already written in this history In the left cornet or wing were placed the people that were led by the captaines Zambeluzes who vaunt of their auncient discent from Damasco and from the Tacaluzes a nation neuer greatly esteemed for any valour or knowledge that they had in warfare In the body of the battel was appointed the kings guard who was alwaies accustomed to be present at warre with his Armies although this king partly by reason of the infirmity of his eies and partly for the dissentions in his kingdome durst not venture to goe in person but in his steed sent Prince Amze a valorous good warrier In the middest of the battell also about the King went the people of Ausares which are pressed out of Persia all of them accounted very warrelike and more valiant then all the rest Neyther would it bee greatly amisse to thinke that from hence were those troupes fetched in tymes past which Xerxes was wont to terme by that proude tytle Immortall the immortall souldiers The Rere-ward was kept by those that descended from Calirchan which were neuer as yet depryued of that honour for the good desertes that Calirchan shewed to Ismahel when he strained himselfe to passe with a mighty Army euen into Cafe to performe the Regall Ceremonies at his Coronation and yet for all that neuer stirred the ordinary guarde of Casbin The people of Caribdiler and Chiaperis made-vp the Vaunt-Guarde accompted also to be men of good sort and very warlike because they haue alwaies shewed themselues ready in any occasions or troubles of warre and performed their partes very valiantly And this was the manner of ordering their battelles in late tymes Touching the reuenues of this kingdome the common opinion is that in the dayes of Kinge Tamas the crowne did yearely receaue into the Chamber of Casbin foure or fiue millions of gold which afterward he caused to be worth eight millions by a sudden enhaunsing of the value of his coyne geuing in commandment by most seuere Edictes that ouer all his Empyre for a certayne space all the money that he had receaued should bee taken and accompted for asmuch more as it was worth and accordingly made pay to his souldiers and Sultans all other that were in his pay Which example meethinkes was well followed by Amurat the now-king of the Turkes who receauing at the Citty of Cairo the Cechino of gold for xliii Maidini he put it out againe in Constantinople to pay his Capigi and Ianissaries withall lxxxv Maidini commanding that it should be of that value ouer all the Citty and countryes subiect vnto it But in the dayes of this king of Persia the reuenues of this crowne are thought to be so much diminished that it is the opinion of all men they amount to little more then two millions in all Neither is there to be found in him that industry prouidence which was in Tamas and though it were yet peraduenture it would not be regarded by his subiects it seemeth that the occasion of this decay is the losse of so many countries as Soliman conquered and particularly Mesopotamia and Assyria besydes Erzirum and the Tributes that are denyed by the people of Georgia and by other nations of this kingdome Next after this kinde of reuenue which is payed in ready money and collected into the Chamber of Casbin from among the Citties that are subiect vnto it although all the countrey that was possessed by these kinges were not appoynted by diuision to the payment of a certayne nomber of souldiers as the Turke vseth to doo in those Countries that he subdueth yet is there a great sort of towns and villages which are very Feudataries to the croune of Persia are so many that they supply a part of the pay that is due to the horsemen aboue mentioned to foure thousande of the Curchi of Casbin
the two Georgian Brethren the Widdowes sonnes who as we told you before were sent by Mustaffa to Amurath expected the end why they were come to the Court. As touching Alessandro he perswaded himselfe that no wrong should euer be done vnto him to whom by the course of his age the gouernment of his kingdom belonged or rather who alreadie was put in possession thereof by his Mother and besides that was in a great hope that some means should be deuised how he myght be established confirmed therin after a more sure and safe maner and that Manucchiar his brother should be honoured with some other Office worthy the magnificence of Amurath Wherein although he had some litle kind of doubt that troubled him yet did he euer carie a constant resolution that he would not in any case chaunge his Religion nor staine hys conscience wyth so fowle and infamous a blot On the other side Manucchiar the yonger Brother who the last yeare had followed the Campe of Mustaffa and had shewed some good tokens of manhood with an expresse kind of Militarie vertue that he might the rather enter into the gouernment of his Mothers State induced therunto by the flattering desire of Rule was vtterly resolued with himselfe to do any thing so that he might not liue as a priuate souldier but rather to take from his brother his birthright and enheritance and with the vtter losse of his countrie-Religion wherein he was borne to purchase a vyle and base kingdome yea and rather then he would liue inferiour in dignitie to his brother he would make himselfe the slaue of Amurath and the Deuill Neither is their opinion false peraduenture that thinke this agreement and conspiracie to haue beene secretelie contriued betweene him and Mustaffa vtterlie to disgrace and ouerthrow his Brother Hereupon they were both examined which of them would be content to submit hymselfe to the Religion of Mahamet whereunto Manucchiar aunswered that hee would so doo and beeing become the vassall of so great an Emperour would desire no other thing but to manage his owne State in his seruice and vnder his protection Whereas on the other side Alessandro although he should be depriued of his State which alreadie hee had begun to gouerne yet would he not consent to the vyle and infamous chaunge of his Religion but remayning constant in his former fayth he onely desired that as a priuate souldier and bereaued of that inheritance whereof Nature and God had caused him to bee borne the lawfull successour he might not be denyed at the least to goe and lyue in his owne natiue Countrie and so to be buried neere vnto the Ashes of his predecessors promising withall at all times all obedience to Amurath and loue to his brother The Turkish king willed Manucchiar therein to do as he himselfe thought good For that for his owne part he did greatlie feare least Alessandro by some treacherie myght depriue him of his lyfe and so succeeding in his former place might make that State more rebellious then euer it was before Howbeit for somuch as Manucchiar consented vnto it he was also to content himselfe withall and to commit the custodie of that State to such care as Manucchiar should take for the preseruation of himselfe Heereupon Manucchiar was circumcised and had the name of Mustaffa gyuen him wyth the title of Bassa and Gouernour of Altunchala and of all his Mothers and Brothers Countries for the which there were great signes of ioy ouer all the Serraglio and hee beeing thus created a Turke had his Brother Alessandro committed vnto him and they both returned into their owne Region But in Prrsia in the pallace of Casbin many consultations were had in this meane time For Emanguli Chan gouernour of Genge perceiuing himselfe to be in great daunger of loosing his beloued and honorable gouernment by means of the late sacke and spoyle of his Cittie made by the Tartarian and taking occasion of those plottes that were dayly in contriuing to sende people into the confines of Siruan to the ende that Osman Fassa shoulde not intend his new works and withal if it were possible shuld be hunted out of Demir Capi and out of all that prouince he purposed with himselfe to make an offer to King Mahamet that he should bind himselfe vpon paine of his head to defend Siruan and not suffer Osman to attempt any newe buildings or further conquestes in that Region and therein wrought so much with the King that his request was not denyed him Whereuppon the charge of the gouernment of Genge guarding the Prouince of Siruan from the forces of Osman was frankly committed vnto him Neither were his offers extended any further For the Persian King knew wel ynough that if the Tartarians or the Generall Mustaffa should come thither hee should stand in need of greater prouision and stronger defences And therefore he gaue order to Emir-Chan gouernour of Tauris to Tocomac Gouernour of Reiuan to Serap-Chan gouernor of Massiuan and to diuers other Captaines that were neerest that at euery instance and request of Emanguli-Chan they should be ready if need so required with their power to resist eyther the Tartarians or the Turkes when they should enter into the countrey of Siruan Neither did Emanguli forget to solicit the sonne of Sahamal who succeeded in the Lordship of Brus that he would ioyne himselfe with him and they two together woulde take occasion to reuenge the grieuous losses that they had receiued of the Turkish army and especially to chastise Osman Bassa as hee deserued for the death of Sahamal his father Howbeit the saide sonne would not by any meanes endaunger himselfe neither durst in any wise shewe himselfe an open enemie and persecutor of the Turkes but was content to beare the losse of his father in such sort as he thought most behoouefull for the preseruation of his owne estate And this was the prouision that was made for the securitie of that Prouince concerning which euerie man almost was of opinion that Mustaffa should not returne thither againe but they knew well that hee shoulde chieflie be employed about the strengthening and assuring of the conquestes of Georgia and therefore there was no further prouision made there But the King turned all his counsels and cogitations to send people towards Teflis for he knew of a certentie that either all the Turkish Armie or els some great bande of it shoulde come to bring succours thither or els it must needes come to passe that the Fort should fall againe into the hands of the Georgiani About this matter was the King verie busie and intentiue when as Simon the Georgian who was sometimes imprisoned at Cahaca of whome we made mention before and being throughlie enformed of all thinges that had happened thought with himselfe that hereby he might take opportunitie to obtaine at the Kinges hand such helpe as hee had long desired and purchase those honours
in his mind Alyculi-Chan who would not haue bene squemish to haue committed any villany so that he might thereby purchase his libertie out of prison made offer to Hassan that he wold shew him a safe and a short cut wherby he should not onlie eschue the prepared mischiefe but also auoyd all assaultes of his enemies but yet vpon this condition that Hassan shuld promise him to set him at liberty The Turkish Bassa did not stick in large maner to promise Alyculi his liberty although indeed he did not perform his promise to him afterwards which to say the truth did not a litle obscure the glory of his actions And therfore bending his iourny towards the right hand he was guided by Aliculi-Chan through strāge and vncoth waies out of those woods dangers not meeting with so much as the sword of one enemy The Persian Duke put the Turk in mind of his promise for his liberty but al in vain For the Turk dissembling the wicked intention wherby he was induced to giue him his word pretended with great deep sighs that he was very sory he could not perform asmuch as his intent was to doe for him because it lay not in his power to set any man at liberty that in battel was taken prisoner by the souldiers vassals of A murath yet for a noble magnifical pledge he gaue him his faith that so far as his intreaties fauours with captaine Mustaffa could preuaile he would not suffer him to receiue any wrong but would vse all the most earnest meanes he could to procure him al liberty return to his own cuntry In this meane while Simon perceiuing that the Turkes were remooued from those places that were neere vnto the straire could not perswade himselfe that they were returned to Teflis but imagined that they had taken this new way And being afterward certified that it was so indeed and informed of the trueth thereof by his faithfull spies he ranne all headlong and as it was desperate to meete with that so happie Armie And burning in anger and all inflamed with rage for this great fortune of the Turkes cursing and blaspheming the heauens hee arriued vpon the tayle of the Turkish hoast which with vnmeasurable sury he did wholly destroy discomfit leading away with him al the people all the horses and all the treasure of Mahamet Bassa which was brought from Teflis all the treasure of Hassan Bassa likewise putting to death taking prisoners the slaues vessals of both the Captaines and shedding the bloud of many other souldiers Among whō although he sought greedily and diligently for Aliculi-Chan of purpose to deliuer him yet could he not finde him for that he was committed to the charge and safe custody of a Turkish captaine in the front of the Army After which medley there fell againe great store of snowes so that the cold thereof biting and nipping the woundes of such as had valiantly fought in the battel the greatest part of them perished Hassan followed on his voyage and being come to Chars in the space of eight dayes after his departure from Teflis he presented Aliculi to Mustaffa declaring vnto him the battels that hapned his succors performed at Teflis the dangers that he had passed the great losses that he recerued in his return the Turks say that he did not fail most instantlie to deal for the libertie of Aliculi which notwithstanding I leaue to the iudgement of those that can iudge more profoundly than I with truth and credite can write I my selfe being one of those that do verily beleene He can not keepe his faith with man that denieth his faith to God Sufficeth it that poore vnhappy Aliculi by commaundement of Mustaffa was caried away to Erzirum and ther committed to prison in the Castell And this was the ende of the stirres of the yeare 1579. Mustaffa returned to the said Citie of Erzirum with al his Army which was presently also by him discharged And afterwards he sent aduertisementes of all these successes to the Court to Amurath recounting vnto him the deserts of Hassan aswell for the succouring of Teflis as also for the taking of Captaine Aliculi-Chan And forasmuch as the last yeare the said General had perswaded Amurah that the prouince of Georgia and the people thereof were reduced vnder his obedience to the end that he should not maruell at so many losses and so many battels and thereby doubt of some lying and false information hee declared vnto him that all these difficulties were not raised by the natural and home-bred Georgians who the last yeare had promised him al due obedience but by two certain Captaines Simon and Aliculi sent out of Persia who had mooued all these stirres prepared all these dangers and layd all these ambushes although one of them now remayned with him in prison a worthy punishment for his malapert temerity The king sent by two of his Capigi or Gentlemen Hushers to Hassan a battle-axe al gilt and setful of iewels a Target of gold and pearle and a garment of cloth of gold in rewarde of his noble enterprises atchieued commending him eat lie for his vertue and valour and with great delight did he read-ouer all that Mustaffa had written vnto him giuing order withall that Aliculi should be kept where hee was in diligent and safe custodie The King of Persia lying at Casbin was aduertised of all these successes which being added to his newe thoughts touching his sonat Heri wherof Mirize Salmas had enformed him did greatly molest him For on the one side the euident dangers wherin all Georgia stood did shrewdly trouble him considering that the Stratageme so well deuised by Simon had no better successe and the Turks had now made themselues throughly acquainted with all those passages in the difficulty roughnes whereof consisted al his hope of defence and moreouer vnderstanding that the Widowes sons wer become vassals to the Turk which course Leuentogl◠also propounded to himselfe as one that was greatly inclined to be in confederacie with the Ottamans and to bee brief perceiuing that all the Georgian Captaines had setled themselues vnder the standardes of Amurath hee could not but feare greatly that his enemies would begin to pierce into the noble cities of Medili the greater yea and peraduenture euen vnto Tauris before any of the rest On the other side he was as it were with a worm inwardly consumed for the newes that were brought him by his Visier Mirize Salmas of the euident suspition which he told him that his son Abas Mirize of Heri shuld like a rebel and an ambitious youth goe about to proclame himselfe king of the Persian empire to the great ignominy of his father and of Emirhamze his eldest sonne who only was worthy to bee named his successour in that crowne This Mirize Salmas according to his longing desire had maried a daughter of his to the
saide Emirhamze with the consent of the king his father but yet not content with that great honor he ceased not continually with ambitious deuices to seek out meanes how he might make the Persian estate free from all other Seignuries bring it to that passe as it might wholly remaine to his son vndeuided entire from the participation of his brethren And therfore little regarding the perilles that might happen from the Turks and blinded with the desire of his own greatnesse he went about to turn the King against Abas Mirize either to take him commit him to prison or at least to leaue him void of all authority to command And the better to perswade the king therunto being a man very credulous nothing considerate but putting more confidence in him than in any other he began to discourse that Abas Mirize his sonne had not greatly respected him in diuers occasions declaring vnto him that sundry times hee had very rashly scorned his commandements and because he would not shewe himself obedient inferiour vnto him he wold not send so much as one souldier towards this war against the Turks and in fine he had caused himselfe not onely to bee called king of Heri but he had also giuen it out that he meant to claime the succession in the kingdome And that therefore it was necessarie to feele the mind of the young youth and to establish the tranquility and quiet of the Empire to the end that if these stirres against the Turks went forwards Abas Mirize should not be so hardy as in the greatest heat of war to raise sudden tumults to make himselfe Lord of that which by right appertained to Emirhamze Of these complaints he gaue the king diuers euident prooffs which both in respect of the loue that he bare to Emirhamze and also of the faith that he gaue to his Visier caried a greate sway with him in his mind especially they being accompanied with the crafty packing of the said Visier who as hee was very cunning in such practises of himselfe so did hee make them much more effectuall with the effeminate king by the means of diuers Ladies other occasions that were familiar and vsual with him But the most euident prooffe of all was this that the saide Visier enformed the king that whereas both by letters and commandements he had summoned the gouernours of Sasuar Coran other places subiect to the iurisdiction of Heri to come to Casbin and so to passe with Emirhamze to Siruan yet neuer a one of them wold stir a foot answering that they were enioyned so to do by Abas Mirize their lord This euidence was the most principal occasion why euery thing that Mirize Salmas alleaged was beleeued by the King why he did continually bethink himself how he might find opportunity to represse the boldnes of his disobedient son And yet notwithstanding al these difficulties being otherwise perswaded by his most loyal and faithful Sultans he did not fayl to temper these his internal motions to tame these vnruly affectioÌ„s of his mind remaining resolute in his important cogitations against the Turks to prepare such prouision which should be sufficient to inhibit their passage to Tauris if they had had any purpose so to do Vpon which resolution arresting himself he neuer ceased til he had furnished all those prouisions whereof a litle hereafter we will make mention for that it is verie conuenient first to prosecute the history of those things that were reported of Mustaffa He being returned as we told you to Erzirum after so many external stirres troubles was surprised by certain more intrinsecal domestical quarrels at home for manie grieuous complaints were there made of him to Amurath whereupon the said king was induced to take froÌ„ him the charge of the Generalship to cal him to the court to giue account of his actions Neither did this thing happen vnto him without iust cause for that he had before raised a great discontentmeÌ„t in the mind of Amurath by sending so much people to the succours of Teflis whereby hee coniectured that the affaires of Georgia were not in such security as Mustaffa had already informed him they were Moreouer hee had also greatly displeased al the souldiers of his army who thought themselues to be much deceiued by him for that now this second year with so much adoo he had gathered together such a number oâ—armed men and made so greate prouision with such a charge and expences to their Lorde and with such a trouble of al the whole empire and yet had not any worthy or notable enterprise to performe wherby either the glorie of Amurath might receiue increase among his enemies or the souldiers themselues might be contented with some good bootie or for any other action of importance Whereupon they were all in an vprore accused him of improuidence and prodigality in that he had no regard of the wealth and subiects of his king With these accusations did they the more odiously taxe and reprooue Mustaffa for that in the space of two years wherein they had followed his wars they neuer receuedfroÌ„ him any smal sign of curtesie no not so much as the smallest reward but alwaies like a tyraÌ„t he did reserue to his own vse althose presents and tokens of gratification which by order from the king were due to all the souldiers to encourage them that they might the more lustily coÌ„tinuein this war These and such other complaints that were made of Mustaffa although they were of some moment yet woulde the king neuer haue construed them so hardly against him as for the same he wold haue bin induced to depriue him of his place and without all doubt they had bene vtterly cancelled by reason of the great fauours which Amurath did beare vnto him it the enuie which Sinan Bassa did carie towards him being now exasperated by ancient and inveterate hatred had not ministred strength force to all these accusations set as it were an edge vpon Amurath to do what he did This Sinan was a most ancient enemy to Mustaffa and thought himself to be his match in al things For if Mustaffa had broght the Iland of Cyprus into the power of the Turks within the space of so many moneths Sinan had also in very few dayes subdued La Goletta in Africa And if Mustaffa were a man of great courage and reuerend for his yeares Sinan would be his equall both in the one and the other yea and Sinan would not sticke to think himselfe to be his better which indeed was supposed to be the originall of these bitter indignations for that in the enterprise of Giamen where Arabia Felix is Sinan himselfe did an exployt which Mustaffa neither durst nor was able nor yet knew how to put in execution and Sinan alone caried away the glory and entire honour of that famous victorie and important conquest And
great stirs that were raised in the years 1580. 1581. and a good parte of 1582. wherein also followed the election of a newe generall who notwithstanding went not forward in his troublesome busines vntil the beginning of the yeare 1583. as in the next booke we wil declare vnto you The ende of the fift Booke The Sixt Booke The Argument The Persian King resolueth to ride to Heri against his sonne Abas Emir-Chan promiseth the King to defend his Territories from the Turks The Gouernour of Sasuar beheaded The King attempteth to get his Sonne Abas into his handes Abas writeth to his Father and the Tenor of his Letters The two Persian Princes reconcile themselues one to the other Salmas accused and beheaded The Persian King and the Prince his Sonne returne to Casbin Ferat chosen Generall of the Turkish Armie Ferat repaireth Aggia Chalasi and Reiuan Tocomac seeketh meanes to bee reuenged of the iniuries of the Turkes Ferat returneth to Chars and causeth a Sangiacco of the Curdi to be beheaded Manucchiar the Georgian beheadeth the Messengers and Gentlemen-vshers of Amurath and deuideth the Treasure betweene himselfe and his cosin Simon Hassan goeth to succour Teflis Ferat is at Erzirum and dismisseth his Armie The Persian King is affraide of newe stirres and commeth to Tauris with a great Armie Generall Ferat gathereth a newe Armie at Chars he goeth to Lory he passeth to the streites of Tomanis and cutâ—eth down the woods Daut Chan yeeldeth himselfe to the Turkes Simon goeth to assault Resuan the Bassa he hath his horse slaine vnder him and is strangelie deliuered from extreame daunger Tomanis deâ—ended by Hassan A great dearth in the army of Ferat Ferat is threatened by his Souldiers Ferat goeth to Clisca and meaneth to fortifie it Resuan is hardly entreated by the Souldiers who also threaten their General againe The Generalls life is saued by Amurath the Bassa of Caramania A most confused tumult in the Armie and Ferat the Generall is enforced shamefully to yeeld to his Souldiers and returneth to Erzirum The Originall occasion and manner of the escape of Alyculi-Chan The Persian king dismisseth all his Souldiers that he had gathered together Emir-Chan is imprisoned and hauing his eies put out by the kings appoinment he dieth miserablie in prison New displeasures arise among the Turcomannes for the death of Emir-Chan Amurath conceiueth great hope of the valour of Osman the Bassa Sciaus writeth to the Tartarian of the comming of Osman to Constantinople Osman with foure thousand souldiers putteth himselfe in the way to Constantinople Osman is assaulted by the Tartarians but Osman ouer commeth them Osman putteth the Tartarian king to death and appointeth his brother to be his successor Osman departeth from Caffa by Gallies and arriueth at Constantinople Osman is chosen chiefe Visier in the rowme of Sciaus and Generall in the rowme of Ferat Osman departeth from Constantinople and goeth to Erzirum Osman gathereth a greater armie then all those that haue beene hitherto gathered in these warres besides the Souldiers of Egypt and Damasco who did not goe with Osman The sixt Booke AFter that these victorious Warriers loaden with spoiles and diuerse of their Enemies ensignes were with great ioy receiued at home in Persia at the last to the greater comfort of the Persians the discord also that fell out between Mahamet Bassa Mustaffa the Georgian was declared vnto theÌ„ whereat they did no lesse reioyce then they did before fortheir obtayned victories And euerie man thought with himselfe that this newes might greatly further the matter of peace or at least if that came not to the wished ende yet it might hinder the Turkes from passing to anie place that was neere vnto them might also keepe them occupied is Teflis had hitherto done in such places as are farre distant from their Royall Cities Which coniecture of theirs might verie well be grounded vpon a reasonable foundation aswell because the iniurie was verie great that Mustaffa had done to Mahamet the Generall of the Turkish Campe as also for that the Territories of the saide Mustaffa were no lesse replenished with places most fit for treacheries and ambushes then the Territories of Sinion In these and such like good hopes remayned the Persians when by the way of Georgia there came tydinges to them that Sinan was displaced from his Office of Generalshippe and therefore the Turkes must of necessitie send foorth some newe Captaine if they were minded still to continue this warre With great griefe of minde did the Persians receiue this aduertisement knowingful well howe much Sinan was inclined to peace how deadly he hated the continuance of these long and troublesome contentions But much more greiuous was it vnto them when they vnderstoode withall how their treaties of peace were all in vayne and howe besides those indignities that so dishonestlie were offered to the Persian Nation at Constantinople their Embassador was also at the last sent prisoner to Erzirum And yet notwithstanding all these sorie newes the Persians chaunged not their former hopes but verilie perswaded themselues that these discords the outrages committed vpon the Turkes by Manucchiar might happelie hinder their enterprise which this yeare they minded to attempt to the great preiudise of Nassiuan and Tauris For they imagined that seeing their newe Generall must needes be sent as farre as from Constantinople the new yere could not serue their turne to any other purpoce but onely to succour Teflis and to reuenge the shame receyued by the outragious furie of Manucchiar In which poynt they discoursed also with themselues that euen in that respect Manucchiar and Simon would make a league together aswell because they were neighbors in Territorie and were likely both of them to run one and the selfe same course of fortune as also yea so much the rather because Manucchiar hauing taken to wife a sister of Simons they could dono lesse in these innouations but ioyne themselues together one of them be a protector and defender of the other and so vniting their forces together they shuld be able to annoy al such as should be sent to conueigh new succors to Teflis Vpon these occasions the Persian King perceyuing that he could not haue a fitter oportunitie to employe himselfe against Abas Mirize his some determined with himselfe to leaue the matters of this side of his kingdome in their present state and to march towards Heri whereunto hee was earnestly solicited by his elder son Emirhamze Mirize but principally by Mirize Salmas his Visier whom his said son in lawe did likewise dayly animate to this resolution and could not well brooke that anie other thing shoulde bee in speech but onely this And therefore seeing there was no other remedie but that the king must needs satisfie the request of these mightte entercessers and also establish all thinges in as good securitie as possibly hee might besides the great confidence and trust which
the matter thus imperfect to the preiudice of his bloude but returning to his counsellor he would likewise take information vppon what minde or consideration it was well knowen that he had aduised the King to take vpon him this vnorderly and daungerous viage For without doubt hee shoulde finde nothing in him but malignant ambitious and wicked affections and such as euen deserued that with his bloud there should be reuenged all the bloud of those which till that houre had beene brought to their vnworthie and vndeserued death And forasmuch as there remained one onely difficulty to be cancelled cleared wherof the Visier had informed the king touching a commaundement that was giuen by Abas-Mirize to the gouernors that were vnder him as namely to the gouernour of Sasuar and of other places that they should not goe to the warre against the Turkes they confessed in trueth that such an order was taken indeede but not to that vniust and slanderous end as it was related to the king by the Visier but onely in respect of the warres that were reported to be begun in those quarters by the Tartarian Iesselbas who by diuers into ades hauing robbed the Cities the Townes and the Fieldes of Heri had put such a feare in younge Abas-Mirize and all his Counsellours that they durste not emptye their Cities of their guardes and forces and thereupon as they should finde it true if they woulde enquire thereof the saide Gouernours were commanded that they should not goe to the war against the Turks but that they should expect further direction whereof they shoulde haue notice if they should be called for And that all this was signified by writing to the Visier himselfe but that hee of a malignant minde had concealed the same onely to try if in these common troubles hee coulde bring it to passe that Abas-Mirize and the king might bee bereaued of their liues and Emir-hamze succeed in their place and so hee himselfe remaine the Super-intendent of his sonne in law and Moderator of rather the Tyrant of that happie and famous kingdome Which they saide they made knowen vnto him not because they thought Emir-hamze to bee acquainted with so treacheious a traine for they knewe very well how greatly in imitation of his Fathers pietie hee hated dissension among kinsefolkes shedding of bloude but onely because it was throughlye discouered to bee the most vnlawful and vnreasonable desire of the wicked traitor Mirize-Salmas Verie graue and strange cogitations did these auncient Orators raise in the mindes of the two Princes and Mahamet the Father beeing by nature credulous and inconstant beyond measure began to make great construction of their speeches and deepely to consider of their so earnest and important requestes whose offers also seemed vnto him so vpright and equall that he could not choose but accept thereof And therefore calling vnto him the Gouernours the Captaines the Iudges and Treasurers of all the Cities that were subiecte to Heri hee demaunded of them how and in what sorte they esteemed of Abas-Mirize and how in what degree of honour he desired to be esteemed of them And of them all he receiued an vniforme aunswere that they helde him for their Lord as the Lieutenant to the king of Cas-bin and that he himselfe did alwais desire so to be taken thoughtof And euerie of them brought in diuers Letters Precepts and Orders wherein hee neuer caused himselfe to bee honoured with any other title but onely your king of Heri Hee demaunded further whether those tumults of warres were indeede attempted by the Tartarian Iesselbas or no whereof hee receiued also a large and solemne information that so it was to the greate detriment of all those territories And thus the king was throughly persuaded of the innocencie of his son who before was noted vnto him by his Visier to bee an obstinate rebell Vpon which occasion onely although hee might iustly haue put his Visier to death as one that had beene the cause of the slaughters that happened and of the bloud of so many valorous Captaines that was shed so iniuriouslie yet because he would be better informed of the trueth of the accusations laid againste him by the Embassadours of Heri the rather to ridd himselfe from so important and so iust a feare and because he doubted also peraduenture least there had beene some conspiracie plotted against him betwene the Visier and Emir-hamze hee resolued to make a curious and diligent inquisition thereof And therefore first of all in great secrecie calling vnto him Emir-hamze and demaunding of him by all faire meanes howe and wherefore hee had aduised and procured this iourney against Abas-Mirize Son to himselfe Brother to him whereas indeede he had founde him innocent of al those crimes that were layde to his charge he receaued aunswere from the Prince that hee had no other certeyntie of the pretended ill behauiour of his brother but onely that which proceeded from the greate credite that hee alwayes bare towardes his Father in Lawe Mirize Salmas to whome as to a Visier and as to his Father in Lawe and as to a Protectour of the Kingdome and finally as to a person that had beene tryed in a thousande matters to bee true and trustie hee had alwayes yeelded assured credence in all such matters as daylye were in speech betweene them Insomuch that hee discharged the whole Tempest of all these mischiefes vppon the Visier Touching whome the King made diligent inquisition aswell among those of the Courte as of the Armie and thereby founde verye straunge and vnexpected Nouelties For there was not a man almost that did not accuse him for a seditious man for a Cruell man for an vniust man and for a Tyrant and to bee briefe that did not make him guiltie of very haynous crimes and in particular for the accusation layd against him by the Embassadours of Heri they all declared that in trueth hee was alwayes made acquaynted with the true occasions which did restrayne the Gouernours subiecte to Abas Mirize from going to the Warre against the Turkes but that hee most malioiously had concealed the same of purpose onely to hatch such a straunge and dangerous stirre in hope to aduance his owne estate by the destruction of others And so at last Mirize Salmas was detected for guiltie rewarded with that punishment which he desired vniustly to conuert vpō others For the King who had nowe founde such impietie in him as besides that hee had caused manie Sultans of accompt to bee vniustly and vnworthely put to death he also went about to procure that the Father shoulde defyle himselfe with the bloude of his owne Sonne a thing so odious both to the King himselfe and all his kingdome as euer anie cruell Action coulde possiblie bee the King I saye coulde not suffer this impietie but acknowledging a fresh the innocencie of the one and the guylte of the other the one hee deliuered and
embraced as his Sonne the other he auaunted out of his presence and punishing him as an impious person hee caused his heade to bee cutte from his Carcase In this manner the ambitious Visier as though hee had voluntarily gone to his owne death tourned all these angers and tumultes against himselfe and with his owne destruction pacified the dissentions and hatredes that were fostered in the two Princes mindes And Emirhamze when hee had nowe discouered the wickednesse of his Father in Lawe tooke it also in verie good parte that hee was depriued both of his state and life And so the two brethren beeing reconcyled together and the Sonne to the Father after that Abas Mirize had agayne promised his wished obedience which hee afterwarde willinglie performed Kinge Mahamet returned with the Prince towardes Casbin where by reason of sodayne and vnexpected newes hee had nowe along time beene looked for and desired Amurath through the roughe speeches and vnluckie prognostications of Sinan was more and more settled in his purpose to continue this Warre hopinge that hee woulde cause all the threatteninge of Sinan to bee but vaine and to reape so much the more glorie by his happie successe in such an enterprise as it should fall out contrarie to the common opinion of all men And thereupon began to bethinke himselfe whome he might choose for his Generall and to him not onelie to commit such a charge but also to communicate all his deuises Till that time Osman Bassa was appoynted bee the man but Amurath thinking that Osman might prooue more seruiceable in Siruan and thereby the better assure and establish the conquest of that Region durste not so soone remoue him from thence Among the Bassaes of the Court there was one Ferat a man of ripe yeares but yet fierce of courage tough in opinion in counsell as hardie as might beseeeme his age ready for all sodeine and strange aduentures but aboue all a vassall most deuoted to the King and happely he had performed some good office why he was the rather now called forth by Amurath to this seruice Of this man at the last hee was resolued to make choyce to bee the Captaine of his Armie And therefore hee called him to him and communicated with him all his priuie dessignements and secrete deuises necessarie for this warre encouraging him to take paynes to fight battels to obtayne victories and to doe all thinges else agreeable to so worthie an enterprise Verie willingly did Ferat accept of this newe Office and thought himselfe to bee highly fauoured by the King and so disposed himselfe to performe the same so farre as he coulde employ his strength his wit and his diligence therein and thereupon made him a large promise that hee woulde put in execution whatsoeuer shoulde be offered vnto him either by occasion or by his Royall commaundement Which although the King should not haue vrged any further but onely to assure the passage to Teflis and all Georgia and principally to destroye the countrie of Mustaffa the Georgian who had so audaciouslie iniured the Lieutenant of Amurath and set his whole Armie in confusion yet beeing certified by Maxut-Chan the Rebell of Persia and being aduertised by his subiecte Bassaes that remained neere to Tauris howe King Mahamet was departed or atleast was vpon the poynt of departing to Heri to trie his Sonnes minde hee chaunged his purpose and deliberating the matter with himselfe hee commaunded Ferat to employ all his Force and diligence to erect a Fabrike at Reiuan a place belonging to Tocomac and to assure the passage that leadeth from Chars to Raiuan For so they shoulde be reuenged of manie treacheries and dammages which they had receyued by Tocomac and the way to the Citie of Tauris shoulde bee made open to the great glory of Amurath Hee aduised Ferat also that although hee knew verie well it were his duetie to chastize Mustaffa the Georgian for his rash attempt against Mahamet Bassa being then his Generall yet he thought it better that hee should dissemble and conceale his ill opinion of him and if it might bee possible to worke so as hee might conueigh the treasure and succours to Teflis For by this meanes the passage beeing made safe and secure without anye moe Fortresses or Fabrikes all Georgia woulde bee subdued and the next yeare they might attempt the enterprise of Tauris Verie highlie did Ferat commende the deuises of Amurath and shewed himselfe readie for anie attempt And nowe was the time come wherein it behooued them to set on foote these their important dessignements and therefore in the beginning of the yeare 1583. commaundedements were sent out of all the Cities of the Empire which were wont to make their appearance at these wars that vpon fresh summons they should be readie to returne against the Persians and to put in execution that which should be enioyned theÌ„ by their new captain the Fame whereof flew as far as to Tripoli in Soria to Damasco to Aleppo to all Iurie to Palestina to Mesopotamia to Babylonia to Balsara to Siuas to Maras to all Bithynia to Cappadocia to Cilicia to Armenia and to all the Sangiacchi and Curdi of them yea and beyond Constantinople to the borders of Hungarie and of Greece and to bee briefe to all their subiecte Regions that were wont to come to this Warre All which sent their Captaynes and Souldiers accordingly all readie and willing to performe the pleasure of their Lorde And so at the last Generall Ferat departing from Constantinople and passing to Chalcedon by the way of Amasia and of Siuas hee came to Erzirum where hee tooke a veiw of all his Souldiers all his Pioners his Buylders his Treasure his prouision of Corne his Munitions of Warre and leading with him the ordinarie Number of Artillarie hee gathered altogether vnder his Standerd Afterwardes in due time hee remooued from Erzirum and in the space of eight dayes arryued at Chars in which his iourney hee vsed the seruice of the rebell Maxut-Chan as his Guide who in the Turkish language is called a Calaus and from Chars hee sette himselfe on his waye towardes Reiuan Three dayes before hee came to Reiuan of certayne ruines of an olde and sleepe Castle which the Turkes called Aggia-Chalasi hee erected a newe Fortresse and left in it a Garrison of fower hundred Souldiers together with a Sangiaccho and certaine peeces of Ordinance and then went to Reiuan This Countrey lyeth neere to a Mountaine whose toppe reaching aboue the clouldes seemeth to touch the heauens and is continually charged with snowe and yâ—e At the foote of this heigh and starke mountayne there lie fayre fieldes abounding with Corne and Cattell and watered with diuers brookes that falling downe from a lofte discharged themselues into Araxis It is distant from Tauris eight or nine dayes iourney betweene which two places are situate Nassiuan Chiulfall Marant and Soffian all enriched with goodly
to serue him and to employ both my substance my life in his seruice Wherof I haue also giuen some testimonie though but small in the mannaging of the Customes that I haue receiued Wherein I haue alwaies so carried my selfe that I am not his Debtor of one Aspro A thing iwis that Ebnemansur who is nowe with thee hath not done For although by his comming to meete thee euen as farre as Ierusalem hee would make a shew of his sidelitie yet doeth hee vsurpe more then two hundred thousand Duckates of the kinges which hee doth most vniustly detain frō him of his customes But my hard fortune will not grant mee the fauour that I may come vnto thee For there are at this present with thee three of mine enemies who I know well beeing not contented to haue alwaies disquieted and troubled my estate doo nowe seeke to bring mee into so great hatred with thy heart that if thou haddest mee in thy handes without any consideration thou wouldest bereaue mee of my life And I am assured that this sending for mee doth import no other thing but onely a desire that thou hast to imprison mee and so to kill mee For I know how much thou art giuen to greate enterprises Besides this my comming is also hindred by mine ancient oath that I tooke when beeing as yet but a child I sawe mine owne father so villanously betraied by the murdering sword of Mustaffa beeing at that time the Bassa of Damasco who vnder the colour of vnfeined freindship got him into his handes and traiterousslie stroke of his head For in trueth I carie the image of my fathers reuerend head al pale yet as it were brething imprinted in my minde which oftentimes presenteth it selfe to mee aswell sleeping in the darknesse of the night as also waking in the light of the day and talking with mee calleth to my remembrance the infidelitie of that murdering Tyrant and exhorteth mee to keepe my selfe alooffe from the handes of the mightie And therefore I neither can nor may obey thy requestes and in that respect it grioueth mee that I shall seeme disobedient vnto thee beeing in any other action and in all my cogitations wholly addicted to doe anie seruice not onely to thee who art most worthie to bee reuerenced of farre greater persons then I am but also to euerie the least Vassall of Amuraths Thou wilt pardon me I hope and thou shalt well perceaue that if there be any thing neere me that may be acceptable to thee all that I haue whatsoeuer though in respect of thy selfe it may seeme vile and base yet is it thyne and is now reserued wholie for thee and not for me Farewell and command me and hold mee excused vpon these iust causes which thou hearest for my being so backward in comming to honour thee as my duety requireth The letter was subscribed in this manner The Poore and the least amongst the sclaues of the Graund Lord The Sonne of Man When Ebrain had read this letter coniecturing thereby the constant opinion of Ebne-Man that by no means he would willingly come within his power hee resolued himselfe to go vpon him with all his Armye and by burning his Townes and threatning him in all terrible manner either by force or by slight to get him into his hands and in case he could not at last bring that to passe then at least to try whether he could draw from him as many arcubuses and as great giftes and tributes as possibly hee might And therefore hee raised all his Campe and turned himselfe towardes the countrey of Manogli and leauing no place vnattempted hee burned and destroyed foure and twenty Townes that were subiect vnto him so mounting vp certaine rockes of Libanus vpon the top of a large hill that standeth ouer Andara and other places belonging to Manogli he encamped himselfe But whiles the armie of Ebrain was thus marching forwarde Veis Bassa with a great part of his people and his sonne the Sangiacco of Ierusalem with his souldiers likewise being in all to the nomber of a thousand fiue hundred persons were leaft behind in the champaines of Bocca and as it were a Rereward had separated themselues from the rest of the army But whiles they were busie in raising their Tentes by a very great band of the Drusians of the faction of Manogli that by vnusuall vnknowen waies descending downe vpon them found the said Bassa and his son with all the foresaid souldiers euen vpon the point of departing they were furiously assaulted and with the first tempest of arcubuses suddain blowes of their swords they were so annoyed and terrified that their enemies continuing their present victorie became the Lordes of the pauilions the wealth and the armour of the Turkes and leading away with them their horses their carriages in all terrible and stout manner they put to death about fiue hundred persons and scarce gaue any leasure to scape either to the Bassa the father or to the Sangiacco the sonne who fled straight to Ierusalem and neuer returned againe to Ebrain but Veis followed the army and was thought worthie to be pittied of all men and especially of Ebrain who promised him great rewards and honours at the Kinges hands for his seruice Vpon the hill aforesaid the Visier continued foure twentie daies together with aboundance of all thinges necessary for victuaill during all which tyme he attended nothing els but to trye all deuises how hee might draw money and presentes from Ebne-Man or how hee might traine him into his handes For the compassing whereof he dispatched Gomeda the Agent or Factor of Ebnemansur to the said Ebne-Man being in Andera and sent word by him that for asmuch as he would not giue creadit to the promise that was made him nor aduenture himselfe to come into the handes of his frend he should send vnto him all the Arcubuses he had For the Sultans pleasure was that his people which went not to the wars in his seruice should not be furnished with so great store of weapons to the daunger of their neighbours and of the subiectes themselues With great griefe of mind did Ebne-Man behold the said Gomeda as the man whom hee well knew to be the Factor of his deadly enemy but yet durst not in any sort doo him anie iniury nor giue him any reproach But when he heard the demand for the Arcubuses he aunswered him that all his people and weapons were dispersed abrode ouer his Territorie so that hee could not tell what Arcubuses to send him And so Gomeda returned without any aunswere that good was Which when Aly the Bassa of Aleppo before named vnderstood he offred himselfe to the Visier that hee would go vnto him and that to good purpose Many reasons did Aly Bassa vse to perswade the wary Drusian that hee would come and yeeld his obedience to Ebrain swearing that no manner of outrage should be doone vnto
expectation they were suddenly assaulted and very shrewdly handled by the Persians This was Emir Hamze the eldest sonne of king Mahamet who being accompanied with ten thousand souldiers had craftely hidden himselfe watching till some of the ennemies bands should come downe to those resting places that he might set vppon them For hee was thus come forth against the Turkes whiles his blinde father was encāped about twelue miles beyond the citty of Tauris with a fifty thousand persons or thereaboutes In Tauris was Alyculi-Chan the Gouernour of it and with him foure thousand souldiers A greater Army then this the Persian king could not possibly leauie and the principall occasion thereof was the death of Emir-Chan for which all the nation of the Turcomannes being waxen rebellious and disobedient would not by any meanes bee brought to defend that Citty which was now committed to the gouernement of Alyculi-Chan their capitall enemy From Gheilan and from Hery there came not somuch as one souldier to relieue the necessities of Persia. So that the King could scarsely gather together these threescore and foure thousand men who by reason of the vncertainety of the Turkes rumour for Nassiuan and for Tauris were plonged into a thousand disquiets and scant had leasure enough to be ready all at Tauris at the arriuall of their enemies With these forces the Persian had no stomack so suddenly to go and set vpon the Turkish Army in open battell and to aduenture themselues vpon their Artillary but sought in deed by all the meanes he could first to annoy him with as little losse to himselfe as possibly hee might and so by attempting his forces to make triall of euery way how he might in dyuerse and sundry sortes weaken and endamage him And yet afterward hee wished that he had beene assaulted when being certified of the infirmitie of Generall Osman and aduertised of the sundry losses that hee had receaued at his arriuall to Tauris and in other conflictes which shalbe told you hereafter he thought he might haue recouered the spoiles that had beene taken in the sacked and desolate Citty But the Bersian Prince thus at vnawares set vpon the Vauwarde of the Turkes who being greedy of their victuailes and desirous to discouer their enemies countrey had turned themselues vpon the gardens of Soffian This assault the discomfiture of the said Vauward was done at once for such was the speed so haughty was the courage of the Prince and so great the astonishment and strangenes of the case that as it had beene a lightning and as a man might well say without any resistanee he ouerran all the said band of the Turkes and dispersed them putting to the sworde about seuen thousande persons of all sortes Which being done he withdrew himselfe back towards his fathers Tentes leading away with him horses slaues and much apparrell besides sundry standerdes Turkish drommes that were brought after him Osman had intelligence of this discomfiture fourth-with caused his Armie to be raised and dispatched Sinan Bassa sonne to the late Cicala and Mahamet the Bassa of Caraemet with diuers other Aduenturers in all to the nomber of fourteene thousande to the end they should follow the prince abouementioned These then ranne amaine to pursue the kings sonne who had already sent newes to his father of this his first action by certaine swift horsemen and so quick they were in their marching that they ouertooke the yongman who like a ioyfull victor was iournying towardes his fathers Campe. Assoone as the Prince saw the Turkes so neere him and knew that without a daungerous and shamfull flight hee could not auoid the battell couragiously hee tourned his face vpon them and ioyned a most bloody conflict with them It was as yet two houres before night when these sharp and cruell skirmishes began from which they ceased not vntill night with her darknes did bereaue them of the vse of their swordes and enforce both the one side and the other to retire which was doon with the notable losse of the Turkes who being farre fewer in nomber then they were and also shrewdly beaten and discomfited returned to their pauilions from whence they came The like did the Persians also who were stayned and imbrued much more with the bloud of their enemies then with the spilling of their owne It is a common speech that in this second battell which notwithstanding together with the first exploitis reckoned but for one onely there wanted six thousand Turkes and that there would haue followed a generall slaughter of them all if night had not interrupted so vncouth an action well worthie in truth of a thousand day-lightes So that hitherto the Turkes haue sustained the losse of more then ten thousand souldiers yet scarce haue discouered or seene the Citty which so greedely they longed for The next morning the Turkish Campe remoued and approched within two miles of Tauris where they encamped But whiles they were about the setting vp of their pauilions Aliculy-Chan issuing out of the Citty with all his guard aboue mentioned and with all the inhabitantes that were able to fight and manage weapons he set vpon the face of the Vauward being now renued and with cunning tourninges and windinges so charged and seised vpon them that with great shedding of bloud hee made them to retire euen to the Visiers warde from whence when he espied the artillarie he withdrew himselfe againe to the Citty before he was annoyed or offended by any of them The nomber of the slaine and the confusion of the Turkes was notable For in a very small space of time the Vauward was put in a disaray almost three thousand slaine But Alyculi being not contented with this assoone as the darkenes of the night was come issued out the second tyme closely and couertly swiftly ran along all the side of the enemies Army that lay towards Tauris and besides the death of the Bassa of Maras put all that band to great damage and destruction And when he had so doone without any stay hee fled to the Kinges Campe and forsooke the defence of the sorrowfull Citty In this sort was the Turkish Captaine welcomed by the Taurisians who gathering themselues to the gates as many of them as remayned within the Citty well armed consederate together were now prepared to make it a bloody entrance for the Turks whensoeuer they came All the whole night was spent in watching both on the one side and on the other neither could the flattering entisement of sleeep procure any quiet or rest to the poore soules either of the Cittizens or of the enemies and yet there was no motion of war on either side But vpon the breake of day a great bande of the seruile sort of Turkes and of the rascall common rout without any leaue asked of the Captain armed with corslets with speares and with swordes went to the towne
the gathering together of their new men they discouered new difficulties For then they perceaued manifestly that to hire souldiers either from Heri or from Gheilan it was denied them by Abas and Amet-Chan and that the Turcoman nation which might haue been the readiest and neerest at such a neede for the late death of Emir-Chan and for the succession of Aliculi were growen very contumacious so that neither the King nor the Prince nor the presidents and gouernours of the kingdome could tell on which side to tourne them At the last foreseeing the safegarde of the Common wealth they determined to draw the Turcomani to a reconciliation hoping that if they should promise them any honest satisfaction for the wrong wherewith they challenged themselues greeued for the death of their captaine they would become more tractable to do them seruice in their common necessities And therefore the king sent letters to the heades captaines of those nations principally to Mahamet-Chan and to Calife the Sultan wherein declaring plainely vnto them the perill of his honour and the libertie of that whole kingdom he shewed vnto them that all his hope of ridding Persia from that yoke and setting free all those people which in all ages heretofore had beene so faithfull and frendly vnto them was reposed onely in their aide and assistance and that their onelie Armes was hable not onely to mainetaine but also to encrease the renown of valour in the Persian nation which estate as in yeares forepassed it wrought enuie and terrour euen in the farthest and most remote peoples of all Asia so at this present if it bee not succoured and releeued standeth in termes to become a most miserable spectacle to all the world And that therefore forgetting all thinges that are past as being doone not to worke any shame or scorne to their nation but onely for zeale and loue to the kingdome they wold demand such satisfaction as they would require for hee would bee ready to agree to any iust request they should make With these and perhaps with more affectionate and passionate letters were the wrothfull Turcomani inticed to the reuenge of the iniuries which they had receaued by the Ottoman forces To which Letters they were not a whit slacke in framing an aunswere but readily wrote back that they would come vnto hym and put in execution whatsoeuer for the common necessitie he should command Now they had already craftely concluded among themselues that they wold not suffer any other to sit in the ranke of their Captaines in the rowme of Emir-Chan lately deceased but onely the young Tamas the Kinges thirde sonne Which conclusion they had plotted to themselues with a resolute mind to cause him to bee accepted for King at Casbin in dispight of the king himselfe and of the Prince Hamze nothing regarding that by this action farre greater seditions would arise in Persia then euerwere yet heard of but onely being wholly bent to reuenge the sole death of one onely Emir-Chan So vile and so base an account did they make of the honour of their naturall King and of their auncient religion that before such matters of so great respect and importance very audaciously I will not say temerariously they preferred their owne priuate reuenge and chose rather to become most bloody and cruell against those to whome they were allied in religion in blood and in countrie then against their common enemies With this malitious and fraudulent reasolution to the nomber of tenne thousand vnder the conduct of two Captaines Mahamet and Calife they went to the king in all reuerence and offred all readinesse to bee employed in the enterpryse whereunto they were called The old credulous king not suspecting any mischeefe plotted by these rebelles was greatly comforted at their comming And although by some of his Sultanes that had felt some inkling of this conspiracie he was aduised to deale circumspectlie and warilie with them and especially not to trust them with any secret or to let any matter of importance to be in their defence yet did he thinke euerie hour to be a thousand till he had made them satisfaction hoping thereby that if they had conceaued any mischeefe in their mindes they wold lay it aside and being pacified by his amiable and courteous entertainement yeeld themselues in very truth faithfull and obedient vnto him And therevpon being more constant then hee was in this his imagination whiles hee bestowed good wordes and giftes among them at the last hee demanded of them what Captaine they wold nomiâ—ate in the rowme of Emir-Chan promising vnto them and peraduenture as some say with an oath that whomsoeuer they desired if possibly it might be they stould be satisfied Herevntoo the dissembling Mahamet-Chan made answeare that their desire was principally to doo him pleasure and seruice of whose bounty and good inclination they did so well hope as that he wold not appoint any person but such a one as should be valourous noble and deere and acceptable vnto them The King stayed not from giuing them presently to vnderstand that so hee had determined to doo and frankly declared vnto them that finding Tamas his thirde sonne to bee without any charge and being desirous to geeue them a Captaine that might please them to the end they might rest more assured of the good will which hee bare vnto them and haue a good ostage in pawne thereof hee had made choise of his childe Tamas to be the successour of Emir-Chan and that if it so pleased them they might accept of him and with one accord endeauour themselues to conquer those odious walles of the Forte which with so great ignominy and reproach of all the Persian Nation was there erected by the Turkes As soone as Mahamet-Chan heard the resolution of the king who beesides all expectation offered thus to gratify them and voluntarily of himselfe without any suspicion at all yeelded them the meanes whereby they might put in execution the worke which they had maliciously contriued against the peace and liberty of the kingdome hee became more ioconde then he was wont to be and outwardly shewed himselfe readie for whatsoeuer the King would commaund him and yeelded also in the names of all the rest large promises of fidelity and obedience so that the matter might be perfourmed for which he had now giuen his word The king who longed to see the houre wherein this assault should be begunne as a matter no lesse desired by euery man then necessary for all the more he was aduised and counselled by his Sultans and the Prince not to deliuer his sonne Tamas into their handes and the lesse they feared that the king would haue committed such an errour but rather beleeued verily that the king would haue made the conspiracy which they had reuealed vnto him to bee capitall and matter of treason in the Turcomanni the more resolute and vnwise hee was and therevppon very secretely and as it were by stealth aswell
Turks The Turkes dispersed by cold weather The Georgiansly in wait for the Turks Hossain Bey the authours frend Fruitfull Gâ—ambulat that saw 86. children aliue at once that were his heires Hossain Bey assaulted by the Georgians greatly discomfited Hala Bey the authours frend Hossain Bey escapeth to the tentes of Beyran Bassa The nephewe of Simon veeldeth himselfe faynedly to Mustaffa Hunger among the Turkes The straite of the mountaines of Georgia watred by Araxis Misery of the Turkes Their misery continued The Turkes releeued at Altunchala The widdow and her sonne Alessandro come to Mustaffa The Widdow leaueth both her sonnes in Mustaffaes handes The Turkes at Clisca Some dye for cold The Turkes at Olti The Turkes at Hassanchalasi The Turkes in their returne at Erzirum The army discharged by Mustaffa to winter themselues Mustaffa magnifyeth his owne exploites to Amurath A fortification to be at Chars The widdows sonne sent to K. Amurath Caitas Bassa at Eres and Osman Bassa at Sumachia in garrison 1 The TartaiaÌ„s neere vnto Siruan attending the commandement of the Turks Abdilcherai the Tartarian Captaine a faire young man and of noble bloud Osman calleth Abdilcherai and aduâ— seth him what to doo The Tartarians at Demircapi Ares-Chan the Persian other captatus seeke to annoy the Turkes The spyes or messengers of the Tartan ans taken by the encamped Persians The TartariaÌ„ spyes disclose their letters to Ares-Chan Ares-Chan retireth to Canac searing the comming of the Tartarians The Tartarians at Sumachia in consultation with Osman All the Persian army of Ares-Chan discomfited by the Tartarians Ares-Chan himselfe hanged Genge sacked The Tartarians encamped in certaine fieldes on the hether side of Canac fall to sleepe Emirhamze the Persian Kinges eldest sonne at Siruan Begum the Persian Prin ces mother followeth him in his Army to Siruan The Persian Prince suddenly arriued at Eres Caitas Bassa assaulted by the Persian Prince A bloody battell Caitas Bassa all his people slaine Eres recouered by the Persians Begum left at Eres The Persian prince disconereth the encamped Tartarians The Tartarians destroyed Abdilcherai taken aliue by the Persian Prince The Persian Prince vnder Sumachia threateneth Osman Osman answereth the threates of the Prince Osman determineth to slie seâ—reathe by a coueâ—t way ouer the mountains Osman flying from Sumachia seapeth to Demircapi The Persian Prince punnisheth the inhabitantes of Sumachia with diuers kindes of tortures deathes The Persian Prince deliberateth whether he should returne home or go forward to Derbent The people of Sechi Eres punnished Abdilcherai prisoner in Casbin well entertained Abdilcherai the prisoner enamored beloued of Queene Begum The report of the loose life of Begum the Persian kings wife The deep consideration of Mahamet the Persian King The Kinges purpose doth not please the Sultans of Casbin Abdilcherai slaine in the Serraglio of Casbin by the Sultans Vpon these murders there arose many calamities in Persia. Osman practiseth frendship with Sahamal the Georgian Osman marrieth a daughter of Sahamals Sahamal beheaded by the appointment of Osman at Demir-Capi The country of Sahamal wasted by Osmans people The Persian king bewayleth the deatls of old Sahamal Ali-Vcchiali buildeth a Castell in Colchis The conside rations of Amurath Mustaffa sendeth outcommaundement for a new Armie Alessandro Manucchiar aâ— Constanâ—â— nople Manucchiar consenteth to chaunge his Religion Alessandro remayneth constant in Christian Religion Manucchiar circumcised and named Mustaffa The offer of Emanguli-Chan Emanguli inviteth the son of Sahamal the Georgian to ioinc with him The Persian king mindeth to send men towards Teflis in Georgia Simon the Georgian Simon maketh a request to the Persian King The familiarity between Ismahel and Simon Simon induced to change his religion and the reasons why The powe of friendship The diuers cogitations of Simon Simon named by the Persian king the Chan of all his kingdome Artillarie appointed for Simon Alicull Chan. Simon presseth souldiers in Georgia Simons excuse why he changed his faith The meeting together of a new armie at Erzirum Aegypt sendeth souldiers whereof scarse the one half came to Erzirum Pestilent sick nesses in Soâ—â—a This Army equal with the first Mustaffa at Chars The soudiers in a tumult against the General In the space of 23. dayes Chars fensed Snowes at Chars in August The consultations of generall Mustaffa touching Teflis Hassan Bassa of Damasco chosen Generall for the succouring of Teflis with 20000. souldiers Resuan Bassa Captain of certain Aduenturers 40000. Duckats caried to Teflis Allculs-chan and Simon A noy some famiâ—â—n Teflis The warinesse of Hassan The battell wherin there was a great slaughter of the Turks The Turkissâ— stratageme The Georgians assault again the Turkish Armie Aliculi-Chan taken aliue Hassan victoriouslie arriued at Teflis A great famine in the sieged city of Teflis Hassan returneth from Teflis The entrie of the strait fenced with Artislarie Hassan seeketh to auoid the great danger of the strait Hassan promiseth to set Aliculi-Chan the Persian at libertie Hassan breaketh his promise Angry Simon destroyeth the taile of Hassans army Abondant snowes Hassan come to Chars Aliculi-Chan imprisoned at Erzirum Amurath honoreth Hassan Abas Mirize suspected of rebellion against his father by Mirize Salmas the chief Sultan of Casbin Mirize Salmas hauing ma le the PersiaÌ„ prince his son in law aduanced his estate The Persian king verie credulous inconsiderate Obiections against Abas Mirize The Persian king effeminate Mustaffa discharged of his Generalship and called home to Constantinople The occasion of the depriuation of Mustaffa from his Generalship A comparison of Sinan Bassa and Mustaffa two ancien aduersaries Sinan accuseth Mustaffa Mustaffa his two Treasurers brought to the Court. Ladies mÌ„ighty mediators with Amurath A detestation of the Turkish gouernment The death of Mahamet the principall Vice-Roy The occasions and maner of the strange death of Vic-Reoy Mahamet A custome â— the Barbaririans Mustaffa not thought worthy of the roome of the chief Visier Sinan chosen the chief Visier Mustaffa and his two Treasurers quit Sinan chosen General The purposes of Generall Sinan The Persian king resolueth to send Embassadors to Constantinople Maxut-Chan dispatched as Embassador Maxut-chan to Sinan Conditions of peace offered by the Persian king The speach of the Embassador to Sinan Sinan receiueth the Embassador AdmenitioÌ„s of Sinan to Maxut-chan the Embassador Maxut-chan fearerh that he shal not conclude any thing Maxut-chan the Embassador come to Constantinople The Persian king stirreth and maketh famous preparations The Persian King at Tauris The assembly of the Persian souldiers The consultations of the Persian king Prouision of necessaries The TurcomaÌ„ Nation followeth the Armie of the Persian King Tocomac eelected to go with an army into Georgia 3â—000 Persiand Georgians The situation of the citie of â—enge The Persians at Genge aduertise Simon what he should do The Persian Embassador brought before King Amurath The speech of the Embassador The order which Amurath gaue touching the