SIR ANTONY SHERLEY HIS RELATION OF HIS TRAVELS INTO PERSIA THE DANGERS AND DIStresses which befell him in his passage both by sea and land and his strange and vnexpected deliuerances HIS MAGNIFICENT ENTERTAINEment in PERSIA his Honourable imployment there-hence as Embassadour to the Princes of Christendome the cause of his disapointment therein with his aduice to his brother Sir ROBERT SHERLEY ALSO A TRVE RELATION OF THE great Magnificence Valour Prudence Iustice Temperance and other manifold Vertues of ABAS now King of PERSIA with his great Conquests whereby he hath inlarged his Dominions Penned by Sr. ANTONY SHERLEY and recommended 〈…〉 brother Sr. ROBERT SHERLEY being now in proâ—â—cution of the like Honourable Imployment LONDON Printed for Nathaniell Butter and Ioseph Bagfet 1613. TO THE READER MAny haue beene desirous to vnderstand on what hopes helpes and grounds Sir Anthony Sherley with his brother Sir Robert Sherley and many other friends and followers of our Nation could not onely be induced to vndertake to trauell into a Kingdome so farre remote and to liue amongst a people so farre different in Religion Language and Manners as that of Persia is from ours but also he supplied of all necessaries for life in a plenteous and magnificent manner and so highly endeare his seruice and industry to that King and State as to bee esteemed and called a Mirza or Prince of Persia and to bee employed within few monthes after his comming thither as Embassador from so great a Potentate in a matter of such maâ—ne consequence and trust to many of the greatest Princes and States of Christendome And no lesse haue many meruailed how after his failing in the accomplishment of so great an enterprise for want of due correspondence in an Instrument hee had taken vnto him out of that Country for his better credence his Brother Sir Robert Sherley whom hee left behind him in Persia could not onely maintaine his reputation but win so much credite with that King as to be honoured with the Title of his Embassadour to the Princes of Christendome in the like employment newly reuiued At his late being here in England where hee hath beene so accepted as in the Courts of other great Princes of Christendome a Gentleman of some vnderstanding conuersing oftentimes with him and being desirous of true information concerning that action whereof he had formerly heard and read some incoherent and fabulous reports conferred with him often concerning the carriage and circumstances of their proceedings and thereby gaue him occasion to discourse vnto him as well of the motiues of that enterprise as of many accidents that befell him and his Brother in the conduct of that affaire Wherein al-be-it hee receiued good satisfaction in diuers particularities yet because the questions occasioning such discourse were but incidently moued and by many occasions that happened their conferences were often interrupted On the entreaty of the said Gentleman for the better satisfying of himselfe and such others of his friends as might bee desirous out of their curiosity to vnderstand the whole progresse dependance and prosecution of the said voyage into Persia hee obtained of the Persian Embassadour a Copy of this discourse penned by his Brother Sir Anthony Sherley as it seemeth since his returne out of Persia into Europe for the better satisfaction of his friends and preseruing the memory of so memorable an action To these labours of his Brother Sir Robert Sherley himselfe as time and opportunity shall giue him leaue hath promised some addition of his owne endeuours which being not yet in such readinesse as his friends haue wished and desired This discourse being but the former part yet containing the Register â—f so rare an attempt whatsoeuer the sucâ—sse hath bene or may bee as hath seldome bene seene in this or any former age by a priuate Gentleman to haue beene enterprized the same being recorded by his owne pen who hath beene the first and chiefe Actor in it hath bene thought by men of mature iudgement to whom it hath beene communicated besides the History it selfe which is pleasing and delightfull to containe many fruitfull aduertisements So that hauing in it both the eleuations of a high spirit and the obseruations of a man experienced and versed in great affaires it is the rather vnto thee re-commended THE TRVE History of Sir Anthony Sherleys Trauels into Persia Penned by himselfe SINCE men are brought forth vpon the earth for good ends the principallest of which is the glory of God and then to better the world in which many haue had bands either of necessity or other occupations to haue lesse experience by their knowledge I thinke I should mightily erre if I should not deliuer as well to others what I haue seene and learned by my passing so many and so strange countries as I should haue done if had not giuen my time and the expence of it to the first end which was and is God his great glory In my first yeares my friends bestowed on mee those learnings which were fit for a Gentlemans ornament without directing them to an occupation and when they were fit for agible things they bestowed them and me on my Princes seruice in which I ran many courses of diuers fortunes according to the condition of the warres in which as I was most exercised so was I most subiect to accidents With what opinion I carried my selfe since the causes of good or ill must be in my selfe and that a thing without my selfe I leaue it to them to speake my places yet in authority in those occasions were euer of the best in which if I committed errour it was contrary to my will and a weakenesse in my iudgement which notwithstanding I euer industriated my selfe to make perfect correcting my owne ouer-sights by the most vertuous examples I could make choise of Amongst which as there was not a Subiect of more worthinesse and vertue for such examples to grow from then the euer-liuing in honour and condigne estimation the Earle of Essex as my reuerence and regard to his rare qualities was exceeding so I desired as much as my humility might answere with such an eminency to make him the patterne of my ciuill life and from him to draw a worthy modell of all my actions And as my true loue to him did transforme me from my many imperfections to bee as it were an imitator of his vertues so his affection was such to mee that hee was not onely contended I should do so but in the true Noblenesse of his minde gaue me liberally the best treasure of his mind in counselling mee his fortune to helpe mee forward and his very care to beare mee vp in all those courses which might giue honour to my selfe and inworthy the name of his friend in so much that after many actions into which peraduenture he prouoked my owne slackenesse The Duke of Ferrara dying and leauing Don Cesare D'Este Inheritor of that Principality who by his birth could indeed challenge nothing
with commandement to tell their Maisters that as the poore men were not culpable which obeyed their Princes authority by whom they were sent against him and for that innocency hee had giuen them their liues so that hee would not bee long from seeking his reuenge vpon their Maisters which had more iustly deserued it by his neuer prouoking them to any offence And when hee came with his Army thither hee would proue by those mens acknowledgement vnto him whether they could discerne by the benefites they had already recieued of him in the gift of their liues which they had forfeited vnto him by bearing Armes with Rebels against him what better hopes they might conceiue of him if they would dispose themselues to deserue good of him In this meane time the same of this great successe flew to both the Armies about the Mountaines of Hamadan which as it comforted the Kings with exceeding ioyfulnesse so it entred into the others with such a terror that they presently vanished euery man retyring to his best knowne safe-gard that part of the warre ending with the blast onely of the fortune of the other with little expence of time labour and bloud which being vnderstood by the King hee raised Oliuer-Dibeague to the title of a Can and sent him with those forces which hee had to Hamadan to settle the Country in a good forme of gouernement and to ease it from the oppression of the other dispersed troupes Zulpher hee also called Can and sent him to Ardoutle which frontireth vpon Tauris with an Army consisting of twenty and foure thousand men in shew to quiet the Countrey but indeed to preuent any moouing of the Turkes And because hee knew that as his state stood then weake raised as it were freshly from a deadly sickenesse it was not fitte for him at that time to bind himselfe to wrastle with such an enemy by taking knowledge of his ill disposition towards him hee dispatched Embassadours to Constantinople to Tauris and to the Bassa of Babylon to congratulate with them as with his friendes for the felicity of his fortune and to strengthen himselfe by alliance also the more firmely against the proceeding of any thing which the Turke might designe against him either then or in future time he required the daughter of Simon Can one of the Princes of the Georgians to wife which was with as ready an affection performed as demanded Whiles that Lady was comming from her father the King vnderstanding that the Cans sonne of Hisphaean held yet strong the Castle and whether he gaue it out to amaze his Army which now beganne to looke for satisfaction for the great trauels and dangers which they had passed or whether hee had heard so indeed true it is that hee gaue out that the most part of the treasure of the former Kings of Persia was by the consent of the Rebels for security kept together in that Castle to receiue the which and to chastice that Rebell the King marched thither with a part onely of his Army leauing the rest at Casbin which was Frontier to Gheylan against which his purpose carried him Without much trouble hee expugned the Fort at Hisphâ—â—an being a large circumference onely of Mud-wals some what thicke with Towers and certaine ill battlements and suppressed that Rebell but Treasure hee found none for the indignation whereof hee made the world beleeue he dismantled the Castle His owne necessity to content the Army and his Armies necessity to aske contentment drew him suddenly back from thence to Casbin where he had not stayed many daies for daily satisfaction with hope hauing no reall meanes but that the Queene arriued honourably accompanied with 2000 horse and Byraicke Myrza her brother The Marriage was soone dispatched those countries vsing few ceremonies in such cases and God blessed them both so happily that within the tearme of lesse then one yeare shee brought him a gallant yong Prince who is now liuing called Sophir Mirza The King vnwilling to oppresse his countrey and desiring to reuenge himselfe vpon the kings of Gheylan and Mazandran to enlarge his Empire and to content his Souldiers hauing a flourishing Army both in men and the reputation of his present victory resolued all vnder one to increase his stare honour himselfe ease his countrey and satisfie his Souldiers with the enemies spoyles Gheylan is a country cut off from Persia with great mountaines hard to passe full of woods which Persia wanteth being here and there onely sprinkled with hils and very penurious of fuell onely their gardens giue them wood to burne and those hils which are some fagots of Pistachios of which they are well replenished betweene those hils there are certaine breaches rather then vallies which in the spring when the snow dissolueth and the great aboundance of raine falleth are full of torrents the Caspian sea includeth this Countrey on the East betweene which and the hils is a continuing valley so abounding in Silke in Rice and in Corne and so infinitely peopled that Nature seemeth to contend with the peoples industry the one in sowing of men the other in cultiuating the land in which you shall see no peece of ground which is not fitted to one vse or other their hils also which are rockes towards Casbin are so fruitfull of herbage shadowed by the trees as they shew turned towards the sea that they are euer full of cattell which yeeldeth commodity to the countrey by furnishing diuers other parts In this then lay the difficulty most of the kings enterprize how to enter the countrey for the rest there were great reasons of his hopes the kings of those countries being amazed with these first great successes of the king of Persia their people discouraged many Princes which though they might vnite themselues against a common enemy yet their deliberations could not be so speedy as from one alone nor so firme many accidents happening which might either absolutely dis-ioyne or diuert them one from the other or cast suspition amongst them which might giue the way to a good occasion against one by which the victory against the other might be also facilitated Besides his owne Army was so much raised in courage by their last happy successes and those so animated through an opinion in themselues of that reputation which had first followed the King and the rest so desirous to wash away the ignominy of their offence by some great and good act ioyned to the hope of rich preyes that there could bee almost thought of no obstacle able to withstand their valour and willingnesse Yet before the king would enter into this action remembring that before he had better setled himselfe in his owne state that he thrust himselfe vpon a cast of fortune to seeke after the winning of others yet since hee was forced vnto it by a certaine great necessity hee resolued to take the best wayes for the securing all dangers which might rise against himselfe at home and setting his countrey
Aduocates should euer be resident there who receiuing those relations presenteth them to the Viseire and hee to the King The Viseire sitteth euery morning in counsell about the generall state of all the Kings Prouinces accompanied with the Kings Councell Aduocates resident and the Secretaries of State there are all matters heard and the opinions of the Councell written by the Secretaries of State then after dinner the Councell or such a part of them as the King will admit present those papers of which the King pricketh those hee will haue proceed the rest are cancelled which being done the Councell retire them againe to the Viseirs and then determine of the particular businesse of the Kings house The King himselfe euery Wednesday sitteth in the Councell publikely accompanied with all those of his Councell and the fore-said Aduocates thither come a floud of all sorts of people rich and poore and of all Nations without distinction and speake freely to the King in their owne cases and deliuer euery one his owne seuerall Bill which the King receiueth pricketh some and reiecteth other to be better informed of The Secretaries of State presently record in the Kings Booke those which he hath pricked with all other acts then by him enacted the which booke is carried by a Gentleman of the Chamber into his Chamber where it euer remaineth and woe bee to his Viseire if after the King hath pricked Bill or Supplication it bee againe brought the second time When he goeth abroad to take the aire or to passe the time in any exercise the poorest creature in the world may giue him his Supplication which hee receiueth readeth and causeth to bee registred and one request or complaint is not ordinarily brought him twise and though these bee great waies wise waies and iust waies to tye vnto him the hearts of any people yet the nature of those is so vile in themselues that they are no more nor longer good then they are by a strong and wisely-tempered hand made so The Countrey not being inhabited by those nobly-disposed Persians of which there are but a few and those few are as they euer were But being mightily wasted by the inundation of Tamberlaine and Ismael afterward making himselfe the head of a Faction against the Ottomans and by that reason forced to re-people his Countrey to giue himselfe strength of men against so potent an Aduersary calling in Tartars Turcomans Courdines and of all scum of Nations which though they now liue in a better countrey yet haue not changed their bad natures though as I said so carefull and true Princely a regard of the King for the establishment of good and iust orders for the gouernement of this Countrey in equity generall security and tranquility had beene of sufficient ability to haue bound the hearts of people vnto him Yet knowing what his were and to leaue no meanes vnacted which might both assure them more and himselfe with them because he knew that their owne dispositions which were euill would neuer rightly iudge of the cause of many rigorous examples that had passed which by that fault in them had ingendred him hatred amongst them to purge their minds from that sickenesse and gaine them the more confidently hee determined to shew that if there were any cruell act brought forth it did not grow from himselfe but from necessity Wherfore hee displaced by little finding particular occasions daily against some or other all the whole Tymarri of his estate as though from them had growne all such disorders as had corrupted the whole gouernment sending new ones and a great part of them Gheylaners to their possessions with more limited authority and more fauourable to the people the old ones part he casherd part he distributed in Gheylan and Mazandran which he had new conquered so that by that Art the people began to rest exceeding well satisfied and himselfe the more secured those which succeeded them being bound to his fortune and those which were remoued also being disposed in the new conquered Prouinces which they were bound to maintaine in security for their owne fortunes which depended onely vpon their preseruing them for the King When all these things were done and the King began to thinke himselfe throughly established for a long time both from intrinsicke and extrinsicke dangers The Turkes forces being so occupied in the warres of Hungary that hee had no leasure to looke to his increasing the Tartarres of Corrasan his friendes by the old hospitality which hee had receiued from their King and if not his friends yet cold enemies such as would bee long resoluing before they would attempt any thing to his preiudice There fell out a new occasion to trouble both the peace of his minde and Countrey if it had not beene preuented with great dexterity celerity and fortune For Ferrat Can not regarding his benefites done to the King knowing too well his owne worthinesse and attributing vnto that the successes of all the kings fortunes and for so great causes not being able to limit his mind within any compasse of satisfaction not resting contented with the place of Generall nor Gouernment of Gheylan nor with the honour to be called the Kings Father but despising that Haldenbeague should bee Viseire and not himselfe all which had giuen the king all began to take counsell to innouate and alter things with the Bassaes of Seruan and Tauris So dangerous are too great benefites from a subiect to a Prince both for themselues and the Prince when they haue their minds only capable of merit and nothing of duty These practises of his were most dangerous for which hee did more assure himselfe to haue layd a strong foundation for the discontentment of those Timari which the King had sent into his Gouernement and so had they beene questionlesse if Oliuer di-Can through his true zeale to his Maisters seruice and perhappes a little enuy at the others greatnesse had not made him so watchfully diligent that hauing gathered his intentions by very momentuall circumstances hee gaue the King from time to time notice of them which at the first were negligently receiued and rather taken as matter of emulation then truth But when those very same aduertisements euer continued and Oliuer di Can was not at all terrified from sending of them neither by the kings neglecting them nor rebuke and that Mahomet Shefia was also secretly arriued in the Court with more particular and certaine aduice that the Bassa of Seruan had sent a great summe of money to Ferrat which was receiued on a certaine day and in a certaine place The king hereupon presently sent Xa-Tamascoolibeague his chiefe fauourite to will Ferrat Can for very important affaires for the determining of which his presence was requisite to repaire to the Court which hee excused through his indisposition which he said to bee such that he could not possibly trauell so that persisting in that deniall when Xa-Tamas Coolibeague perceiued that he would not be
him into the mountaines so escaped the present danger persecution of that tyrant Diuers other also as they had been in estimation or fauour with the old king fearing for that the violence of the present authority and others onely discontented with the alteration and the wicked meanes of it fled into Persia by whom the king hauing largely and perfectly vnderstood the state of things hauing so faire a way both to shew an infinite royall point of gratitude to that one poore posterity of the murdered king for great obligations to the father and withall to assure himselfe in future times and occasions from that certaine enemy which had euer hung like a dangerous cloud ouer his state vsually breaking into terrible tempests as it was or should bee carried against him by the breath of the Turke though he knew those Tartars so obstinate enemies to his Gouernment and Religion that if they had the most odious reasons of dis-union amongst themselues yet that they would combine against him without reposing himselfe vpon any hope to be holpen by those partialities which the refuged vnto him seemed to promise but confident onely in the iustice of the cause which he intended in his owne force vertue wisedome and fortune hee resolued to gather his Armie and to goe for those parts to which hee was besides his owne disposition mightily instigated by Ferrat Can whose feare ambition being without meanes of end gaue him assurance by the place of Generall which hee held to haue some faire opportunity giuen him to end them with the kings ruine and without his owne danger Thirty thousand men the king tooke with him for that warre twelue thousand Harquebusiers which bare long peeces halfe a foote longer then our Muskets sleightly made the bullet of the height of Caliuer which they vse well and certainely and eighteene thousand horse which may seeme a smal troop in these places where the wars are carried with innumerable multitudes But the king of Persiaes iudgement agreeth with that of the best experienced Captains that multitudes are confusers of orders deuourers of time and of those meanes which nourish the wars and are good for no other vse but to make a war soone breake off and to consume the world This Armie being chosen out from all his forces of elected good men hee carried into Corasan with wonderfull expedition had taken it vtterly vnprouided if Ferrat Cans aduertisement had not preuented his celerity who had not onely giuen notice to them but to the Bassa of Tauris of the kings purpose and his owne resolution promising them a certaine victory and the deliuery of the kings owne person A dayes iourney the king passed peaceably into the Countrey without the sight onely of an enemy himselfe with fiue thousand of the best men accompanied with diuers of the principal lest was a kinde of vauntguard to the rest which followed with Ferrat Can Zulphir Can and Oliuer di-Can which marched softly The king by that meanes was farre aduanced and being almost assured in himselfe that through the celerity of his comming he should find yet no enemy sufficiently able to resist him more confidently by the perswasion of Ferrat Can some sixe hundred horse vnder the leading of Vseph-Aga which were sent to discouer before the kings troope fell vpon fifty thousand of the enemy vpon which sight he would faine haue retired but being so farre ingaged that he could not and vnable to resist so great a force with the losse of almost all his cōpany he was beaten back to the Kings grosse who by the dust rising a farre off and the great noyse following imagining what it was indeed with a great ready courage prouided himselfe ready to fight and dispatched Messenger vpon Messenger to command Ferrat Can to aduance vnto him To the first Ferrat answered that it was but a troope of some few rascals and desired the king to march on and not trouble himselfe nor his Army and to diuers the like At the last when yong Hassan-Can came from the king and told him the kings danger and that certainely the whole force of the enemy had charged him he began to shew feare to call a Councell of the Commanders then to know what they were best to resolue of for the sauing of the Army since the king had so rashly lost himselfe Which when Oliuer di-Can heard vpbraiding him of treason called vpon all those which loued the king to follow him and putting spurs to his horse being followed by Courtchibassa most of the kings Guard many other with all possible haste speeded to the king who by this time was forced to sustaine and retire as well as he could without disorder or shew of feare But when this Troope of Oliuer di-Can was seene his men receiued new courage and the enemy which depended more vpon Ferrats treason then their owne valour began to be exceeding amazed doubting that it had bin the whole Army and that Ferrat had exchanged his treason from his Maister to them Wherefore slacking their first fury and rather standing at a gaze then fighting the king commanded Vseph-Aga to charge them throughly afresh and not to giue them time to take new courage which hee did with so good fortune that lighting vpon the vsurper of Corasan and his sonne hee slue them both with his owne handes from which grew the first maine flight of the enemy and the beginning of the victory for the king The chase was desperatly followed so that in that battell the chase were slain 30000 men with the vsurper king and his son and diuers of the principall of the country taken That night the king pitched his Tents in the place of the battell and being informed by Oliuer di-Can and the whole army which cried out with open mouth of Ferrats treason tēpering the outward shew of his indignation with a compassionat feeling of mans errours and frailty excused the constraint and necessity of the iustice which he was forced to do protesting that though for his states and owne preseruation he was at last compelled to giue his iustice place aboue the power of his loue and obligation yet what the father had rent from himselfe by the violence of his owne misdeeds his sonne should find ripened for him who should bee heire of what his father had well merited by his former seruices as he hoped he would be of his vertue praying God that his fathers vices onely might die with himselfe Which when he had said he gaue Oliuer Di-Can the Generalship of his Army and appointed him to do execution vpon Ferrat who being resolued of that iudgement which his double offence had brought vpon him attended ready in his Tent without feare to die or desire to liue and there receiued that punishment which was vnworthy of his excellent parts if hee had made that true vse of them which he should Zulpher Can his brother knowing that he had as
highly and as much offended as his brother had yet wanting the same courage to receiue the iudgement which he had to offend fled to the port of the Kings Tent and there prostrated himselfe on the ground whence being called by Oliuer Di-Can he denyed to die any where but there that the King when hee should come forth might tread vpon that bloud which had so vilely and vndeseruedly offended him which being brought to the King by a Page that wished well to Zulpher and had some good hope of the Kings nature that hee might doe the poore Prince some good after a little pause the King came forth and beholding Zulpher lying grouelling on the ground pittied him and despising withall his little valour Behold said he to those which stood by how weake a foundation reputation hath which is not erected from a mans owne vertue This man was so great yesterday that you all honored him and now lyeth despised before you all through his owne wickednesse He hath bene aduanced by me for his brothers vertues and with the death of his brother he doth shew you all that no worthinesse of his owne but that which abounded in his brother if hee could haue made good vse of it gaue him courage also to seeme capable of those honours which I bestowed on him Zulpher God forgiueth mee as great sinnes hourely which I commit against him as thy fault can be to me and since it hath pleased him that I hold so great a place by him here I will also vse the example of his infinite goodnesse for the patterne of this mercy and referre my vengeance to him and giue thee time to repent and the rather because thy abiectnesse taketh all apprehension from me of cause to doubt thee Hee neuer dareth hurt a King which feareth to die And remember that this is the first day of thy life in which thou must take more vertuous waies then thou hast hitherto walked in that I may haue honour by the mercy which I haue shewed thee and profite by thy good seruices and thy selfe maist cast away farre from thee by honest and good deedes the shamefull memory which men will haue of thy past wicked Treason This was the end of that great and foule conspiracy which gaue great hope to the Kings enemies and ending by such a prouidence was the meanes of the Kings greater and better security which could neuer haue bene perfect so long as so great a man had liued both hauing cause to feare by that giuing continuall cause to be feared Next day the King marched farther into the Countrey and so daily aduanced on without obstacle the keyes of all their Townes meeting him by the way and at the last an Embassage from the whole state with a generall submission which when hee had receiued hauing spent some time in the setling of such a gouernement as was securest for himselfe and hauing receiued the yong Rrince sonne to the first King and diuers others of the principall of the Countrey hauing left order with Xa-Endibeague whom hee left there with the best part of his Army which he increased afterwards to 30000 men to extirpate all those which were likeliest either through their obligation to the vsurper or through their owne particular interest to make innouation he returned with that yong Prince and those prisoners into Persia. The most part of this time I was at Casbin courteously vsed by Marganobeague the Maister of the Kings house and not amisse by any When the King was come within sixe miles of Casbin he stayed there some three dayes to the entent to make his entry with such an estimation of his victory as was fit for so great and happy a successe of fortune and in truth I thinke that hee did it most to declare the greatnesse of it to vs that were strangers by such a strange demonstration The night before hee entred there were 30000 men sent out of the Towne on foote with horse-mens staues vpon which were fastened vizards of so many heads All those in the morning when we were commanded to meet him the Gouernour hauing proâ—ided vs horses we found marching in battell aray towards the Towne and before the two heads of the King and his sonne foure Officers of Armes such as they vse bearing in their hands great Axes of shining Steele with long helues after those battalions followed the Xa-Hammadagacs horse-men after those a number of Gentlemen of the Kings Court after those a 100 spare-horses with as many of the Kings Pages after those the prisoners accompanied with Bastan-Aga then a great rancke of his chiefe Princes amongst whom were all the Embassadours which vsed to bee resident in his Court then followed the yong Prince of Corazan accompanied with Xa-Tamas-Coolibeague the Kings principall fauorite and then the King himselfe alone and after him some fiue hundred Courtiers of his Guard Marganobeague was with vs and making vs large passage through all those Troupes When we came to the King we alighted and kissed his Stirrop my speech was short vnto him the time being fit for no other That the fame of his Royall vertues had brought me from a farre Countrey to be a present spectator of them as I had beene a wonderer at the report of them a farre off if there were any thing of worth in mee I presented it with my selfe to his Maiesties seruice Of what I was I submitted the consideration to his Maiesties iudgement which he should make vpon the length the danger and the expence of my voyage onely to see him of whom I had receiued such magnificent and glorious relations The Kings answere vnto me was infinite affable That his Countrey whilst I should stay there should be freely commanded by mee as a Gentleman that had done him infinite honour to make such a iourney for his sake onely bid mee beware that I were not deceiued by rumors which had peraduenture made him other then I should finde him It was true that God had giuen him both power and mind to answere to the largest reports which might bee made good of him which if hee erred in the vse of hee would aske counsell of me who must needs haue much vertue in my selfe that could moue mee to vndergoe so much and so many perils to know that of another And that hee spake smiling willing me to get on horse-backe which when I had done he called Haldenbeague his Viseire and Oliuer Di-Can his Generall and commanded them to take my brother and me betwixt them and my company was disposed by Marganobeague amongst the rest of the Kings Gentlemen of his Court and in that ordâ—r the King entred Casbin and passing to the great place he alighted with the cheifest of his Princes Officers whoÌ„ he caused to bring vs with them went into a kind of banquetting house in which there were staires to ascend by into a Tarras where the King â—ate down the greatest of those Princes
we among theÌ„ This Tarras looked vpon the place where after we had ben a litle beheld some of the Court exercising theÌ„selues at giuoco-di-canna that great troupe was suddenly vanished so without all sort of rumor that it bred infinite wonder in me coÌ„sidering how much tumulte we made in these parts in the disposing of a far lesse coÌ„pany Whilst we sate there the King called me againe vnto him when I had confirmed in more words the very same I had before said vnto him TheÌ„ said he you must haue the proofe of time to shew you either the errors or the truth of these rumours since you can make no iudgement of what you haue yet seene which is but the person of a man and this emineÌ„ce which God hath giuen me for any thing you know may be more through my fortune theÌ„ my vertue But since your pains trauel hath had no other aspect but to know me we must haue a more intrinsicke acquaintance to perfect that knowledge how you wil indure the fashions of my couÌ„try you can iudge best your selfe which are maister of your owne humor This I will assure you of you shal want no respect froÌ„ my people nor honor from my selfe therwith bid me fare-wel for that present comitting me my coÌ„pany to Bastan-Aga to be conducted to my lodging Next morning I sent the King a present of sixe paire of Pendants of exceeding faire Emerauldes and meruailous artificially cut and two other Iewels of Topasses excellent well cut also one cup of three peeces set together with gold inameled the other a Salte and a very faire Ewer of Christall couered with a kind of cutworke of siluer and gilt the shape of a Dragon all which I had of that Noble Florentine which his Maiesty accepted very graciously and that night I was with my brother inuited by him to a banquet where there was onely Byraicke Myrza and Sultan Alye with Xa-Tamas-Coolibeague his cheife Minion there he had diuers discourses with mee not of our apparell building beauty of our woemen or such vanities but of our proceeding in our warres of our vsuall Armes of the commodity and discommodity of Fortresses of the vse of Artillary and of the orders of our gouernement in which though my vnskilfulnesse were such that I knew my errours were greater then my iudgement yet I had that felicity of a good time that I gaue him good satisfaction as it seemed For in my discourse hauing mentioned the hauing of certaine Models of Fortification in some bookes at my lodging which were onely left me in the spoile which was made of me at Babylon Next day after dinner he came thither with all the principallest of the Court where hee spent at least three howers in perusing them and not vnproperly speaking of the reasons of those things himselfe Next night hee sent for mee againe into a place which they call Bazar like our Burze the shops and the roofe of which were so full of lights that it seemed all of a fire There was a litle Scaffold made where he sate and as euery man presented him with diuers sorts of friuts so hee parted them some to one some to another and there hee continued some foure howers in which time hee tooke mee aside with my Interpreter and asked mee very sadly whether I would content my selfe to stay with him not for euer for that were too a great wrong to my friends who should loose mee from their comfort being diuided so farre from them for my owne fortune hee would not speake of but onely thus much since I had told him I was a subiect to a Prince he knew that then my fortune also must depend vpon the will and fauour of that Prince and hee assured himselfe that he was as able and more desirous to do me good then any therefore if I would resolue to giue him that litle satisfaction he should perswade himselfe the more confidently that the cause of my comming was such as I told him the loue of his person and nothing else I answered him I could say no more â—o his Maiesty then I had already done that a report onely of his excellent vertues had brought mee thither that a better experience had bound me so fast to him and them that as he was Maister of my minde so hee should bee of my person and time which were both subiect to his command For those things of fortune they were the least things that I regarded as his Maiesty well saw by my great expence thither onely to satisfie my sight but as I knew my selfe infinitely honoured by his Maiestie vouchsafing to serue himselfe of mee so that was to me aboue all other fortunes and satisfactions His Maiesty seemed wonderfully well content with my answere and that night began to shew me extra-ordinary publicke fauour and so continued all the time of his being in Casbin daily increasing by some or other great demonstration Sixe weekes hee stayed there giuing his accustomed audience to the people In which time I saw the notablest example of true vnpartiall royall iustice that I thinke any Prince in the world could produce The Gouerner of Casbin was appointed to that administration in the maine seruice of the Kings state when the Rebels were first suppressed A man exceedingly and perticularly fauored of the King he taking the adantage of the time which being troubled gaue him liuely colour to make great profite vpon the people and confident in the Kings fauour abused both the one and the other by extreme extortions thinking because of his owne greatnesse and the Countries offence against the King the memory of which euery man would feare to receiue that what he did by violence and force should by as great power of terrour remaine vnknowne but some to whoÌ„ he had offered so much that they thought no extremity could happen them of a worse conditioÌ„ made desperate through that hazard to put vp lamentable supplications to the King who hauing read them as his fashion is commanded the parties to-speake freely with this caution that they should beware that they charged nothing falsely for as he would not that any minister of his shold abuse his authority by any vniust burthen vpon the worst of the people so hee would also prouide by seuere example that none should presume to impose false accusations vpon any whom he had thought worthy to carry authority vnder him Notwithstanding those poore men did not onely mainetaine their accusations but brought forth diuers witnesses and others perceiuing so iust a course held by his Maiesty emboldned by it laid before him also in their humble sort their owne oppressions suffered by the like violence Vpon which hee commanded Marganobeague to be sent for who was the Maister of his house in Casbin demanding of him whether he had heard of those things he answered no being priuate acts of the Gouernour publicke causes which were brought before the President
part and so to linke himselfe the stronglier with them by such a bond then in his owne necessitie in which condition there is a great question whether he shall be heard Lastly how strange a conclusion you haue made I will desire you to behold with better consideration You will not haue the King to make warre with the Turke to auoid expence of money and munition where the best parts and most plentifull of both countries are confining which would giue abundance and cheaper liuing to an Armie but you will haue him go to Larre to Ormus sterile countries farre remoued where the charges onely of supplying victuals to an Armie would be of more cost then all other munition and expence of the Armie besides And besides there is no danger of the King of Spain who hath euer held a fashion of maintaining himselfe rather then encreasing Besides the nature of his force is of a contrarie qualitie to giue vs feare of his too great inlargement hauing neither abundance of horse nor men but only gallies which assure his forts with which also he is sufficiently contented And how wearying out a warre to his Maiesties treasure and men that must be where he must fight but at the enemies pleasure and aduantage the strength of his enemie standing vpon the Sea in which the King hath no sort of shew of power he submitted to his Maiesties wisest consideration besides the infinite danger by the nature of the lying of the state of the Turkes and the King of Spaines and the essentiall of their potenties were of such a condition that whatsoeuer was diminished from his Maiesties or the King of Spaines was an absolute addition to the Turke who by that aduantage of the weakening each others forces should haue a more facile entrie vpon any one or both of them And that it was wel proued by his Maiesties predecessors that there was not a more maine vpholder of the beginning and foundation of their state nor manner of preseruing it which was all they could doe then that league which vnited both their forces euer against the common enemie And now that God and the great vertue of his Maiestie had so augmented the limits of his dominion that he had power ioyned with true iustice and necessitie to recouer those vsurped Prouinces which the Turke held from him In which action nothing could more secure him then first an assured relatiue friendship betweene the Princes Christian and him generally and particularly the forces of the King of Spaynes by Sea in those parts it should be a strange Counsell to perswade his Maiestie to make warre with him whom he had euer profited by and to offend all in offending him and voluntarily to inâ—ble the Turke in whatsoeuer hee would vndertake against him which must needs be by all reason iudgement his enemy Which made him beseech his Maiestie to continue that so commodious friendship vnto him and to strengthen himselfe with new to fomentate those rebellions which were no rumours one of those that were in Armes being Moombaregue a Prince tributarie to his Maiesty the others though no men of great qualitie yet of great happinesse in their proceedings and to prouide for all things necessary for so great an enterprise for which though the Vicesire were otherwise perswaded nothing did more facilitate the iudgement of his good successe then the Prince of the Turkes owne incapacitie Nothing hauing euer beene proued more certaine then that the Ministers of any Prince do euer symbolize with their Masters vertues or vices and that men of extraordinary vertue with them haue euer little power or little time suspition being the best preseruer of their defects which euer aymeth at those who haue more vertue then themselues as fearing them most A discourse proued true by the miserable end of all those named and by many examples which he would leaue vnrehearsed as things that neuer bare more credit then the faith of the hearer gaue them And so left off humbly beseeching his Maiesty to pardon his boldnes and freenes which were euer the birth of true zealous deuotioÌ„ he had onely expressed what he thought his Maiesty might please to resolue of that hee thought honourable secure and profitable for his state and person The causes of his danger from the Turke he spake not of first touched by me and apparant to all The king then commaÌ„ded Baslan-Aga to speake freely also what he thought who after a reuerence vnto him hauing repeated the arguments past commended them all as it is his fashion apparantly to offend no bodie but what he doth in that qualitie is secretly and then as though he meant no such matter diuiding what he would speak into two points the warre and my person he proceeded thus This proposition by the wisedome of his Maiesty resting doubtful so that none of vs by knowing which way his owne disposition inclineth haue any sort of constraint either by fearing to oppose our opinions against what his will intended or by a desire to raise our iudgements into a better conceit of fâ—uour by making them to symbolize with his giueth vs so great libertie of deliberation that if we speake not well to the purpose at least we shall speake truly what we thinke I say then that all warres are eyther made vpon the Confines of the States which moue them or farre from the Confines of the maker of them by penetrating further into the maine bodie of him vpon whom they are made And it is not possible for any to vse great Armes or small a long time which haue not a fountaine of great reuenewes from at home and a foundation of great plentie in the field For as without sinewes the members of this compact of our bodie cannot moue and if they doe shew a stirring onely for a testimonie of their life which may be in them yet that mouing is vnperfect both in vigour and continuance So Armes neyther can be gathered neyther can they be appropriated to necessarie dessignes nor maintained vnited in any enterprize without a Riuer of money which may refresh them in conuenient time and make swimme after them munitions victualles and other necessarie prouisions both for the sustenance of euery particular bodie and importing to the good purpose and effect of the mannagement of their Armes And because the reuenewes of iust and good Princes as the faculties of the subiects from whom they are deriued are limited and drawing without measure for one yeare or two huge quantities of money out of their estates their countries will remaine poore and exhausted of gold and siluer From whence proceedeth that warres of such a condition as cannot be ended neere at hand but draw through the necessitie of perfecting them well when they are once begun the Prince and the Armie a farre off neyther can be vndertaken nor continued but by Princes who haue infinite treasures acumulated through long times prouidence or neuer-ending mines for other sort of ordinarie
iustly being a Bastard notwithstanding in the worlds opinion hee was most likely to haue bene established in that succession through the long continuance of the gouernment in that name and the Princes of that name hauing euer through their temperate and iust condition of Ruling wouen themselues into a sincere affection of that people which was well proued by that great league made against it in former time by the Pope the French and the Venetians frustrated by the true deuotion of those Subiects to their Prince besides the great expectation which was generally had of that Don Cesare and the extreme bondage of the gouernment of the Church which those that haue liued in another quality do vtterly abhorre Which that excellent Earle also considering and besides hauing no thought in him euer separated from those circumstances which might bring to an happy end his infinite desire of her Maiesties Honour Seruice and prosperous good of his Country iudging that the Pope would not giue his claime vnto the Dutchy without words and actes and by the impotency of both those Princes in themselues both to make and continue so great a warre as that was likely to haue bene by former examples but that it must grow to great partiallities The lesser Princes of Italy being not likely to endure the Churches so great encrease of Temporality which errour was so greatly reprehended by them all in Lewis the twelfth King of France And that giuing place to the right of that title they should interesse him in the same iudgement for Vrbine also and many other places so that the war by these reasons in all appearance likely to bee somented and that the King of Spaine both in hope to better his estates in Italy by that trouble and by necessity to preserue those which hee had already and for being Vicar to the Church and obliged for his kingdome of Naples must be imbarked fully in that action which would haue bene both a great diuersion from his other designes and a facillitating of any enterprise which that generous spirit of that Earle was euer framing and vndertaking against him and holding opinion that the Dukes greatest necessity at the first must bee of incouragement and Captaines sent mee presently though the least amongst many accompanied with diuers Souldiers of approued valour and procured the Count Maurice Generall of the States Army to write him letters of as much comfort as could bee giuen from so braue a Prince and so famous an Estate and though my iourney was vnder-taken in the dead of Winter and I left no paines vntaken to accelerat it yet before I could arriue in Italy I found the Duke giuen ouer to quieter resolutions and Ferrara yeelded to the Pope himselfe satisfying himselfe with Modona and Rhegium of which hee now beareth the Title Which when I had aduertised the Earle of as he who neuer had his owne thoughts limited within any bounds of honourable and iust ambition So he also desired that those whom he had chosen into a neerenesse of affection should also answere both his owne conceipt of them and satisfie the world in his election of them wherefore not willing I should returne and turne such a voice as was raised of my going to nothing as vnwilling that I should by a vaine expence of my time money and hope bee made a scorne to his and through him to my enemies Hee proposed vnto me after a small relation which I made vnto him from Venice the voiage of Persia grounding of it vpon two points First the glory of God to which his excellent religious mind was euermore deuote Then if God would not please to choose me as a worthy instrument to that great end yet by making a profitable experience of my seeing those Countries limitting vpon the King of Spaines vniall parts and answering to her Maiesties Merchants trades in Turky and Muskouy and besides being not vnlikely but some parts might haue bene found fit for the Indian Nauigation then principiated in Holland and muttered of in England It might proue a subiect to extract great and good matter out of for the honor of her Maiestie and the perticular good of our Country Besides some more priuate designes which my fortune being of the condition which my persecutions haue brought it vnto counselleth mee not to speake of though they were most worthy ones and honourable and honest in him as a great Subiect and maine Piller of that State which hee was bound to serue by all meanes and all industry Hauing with these Aduertisements receiued strength to my owne minde large meanes and letters of fauour and credit to the company of Merchants at Aleppo without opening the secrets of my deliberation to any as fearing the strange humour of the world rather inclined to mis-iudge of all actions then to giue them onely a charitable construction not willing to be scorned if it effected not and assuring my selfe of all sort of reputation if it proceeded well I imbarked my selfe at Venice for Aleppo in a Venetian ship called the morizell the foure and twentieth of May 1599. Fiue and twenty daies the Ship was sailing betweene Malmocko the Port of Venice and Zant in which space one of the worst in the Ship a passenger to Ciprus vsed most scandalous speeches of her Maiesty which being brought vnto mee not onely moued with the dutifull zeale which a Subiect oweth to his Prince but euen with that respect which euery Gentleman oweth to a Lady I commaunded one of my people to giue him a fit reward for so vile an abuse which was no sooner done but the Shippe was all in an vprore And though the cause of the act was iust and so vnderstood by diuers principall Merchants which went to Zant and that the punishment was nothing proportionable to the sceleratnesse of the fact yet through the instigation of one Hugo de Potso a Portingall Factor which was going to Ormus though they shewed all to bee satisfied because they durst do no other yet when wee were to haue departed in the ship from Zant they would no more receiue vs so that wee were forced to hire a Carramosall to carry vs to Candy where wee receiued most honourable entertainement the comming of strangers thither being a thing so vnsuall that the Duke desired to shew the Magnificence of the great Signory to vs that came first and peraduenture should bee the last for a long time From thence in the same Carramosall wee departed to Cyprus and Paphos where wee found nothing to answere the famous relations giuen by ancient Histores of the excellency of that Iland but the name onely the barbarousnesse of the Turke and time hauing defaced all the Monuments of Antiquity no shew of splendor no habitation of men in a fashion nor possessors of the ground in a Principallity but rather Slaues to cruell Maisters or prisoners shut vp in diuers prisons so grieuous is the burthen of that miserable people and so deformed is
dispositions And as they are all made a prey to the greatest so euery one according to his power doth deale with the lesser like a forrest of wilde beasts liuing all vpon rapine without any sence of humanity more then an appearance This violent humour in them hath brought disobedience Couetousnesse and Luxury dissoluing the bonds of all respect our willes euer carrying vs from our selues from all awfulnesse and all Lawes when they are ouer-maistered by those two mighty enemies to perticular men much more then to generall states So that the Princes commandement is no more esteemed in any part farre remoued from his owne presence then it fitteth with the honour and profite of him to whom it commeth From whence haue growne so many and so dangerous rebellions so huge wasts in Countries and caused through all those parts those Ianizaries which were appointed for the safety of the prouinces and had their first priuiledges not onely for a reward to their vertues but to binde them by such rewardes to answere the Princes confidence in them to obey no authority which calleth them to other warres but by combining themselues in a strength together to tyrannize the Countries committed to their charges in such a sort that they are not onely Princes as it were ouer the people but do also terrific the greater Ministers And though this be a great weakenesse in the very Basis of so huge an estate which can by no meanes be held together but by such an vnite compaction as may iustly and euer moue by the heads intentions lest it should sway this way or that way and so either breake or bend by his owne great weight or bruise it selfe which in so ouer-growne a body must come to dangerous vlcers where no care is taken for the curing of the parts Yet it doth not onely shew that Gods iudgement hath determined it a short time of continuance by that one great signe but by many other as their negligence of the maintaining of a strenth by Sea which did as it were knit together many great parts of it farre diuided and gaue an essentiall strength in force and reputation to his whole state His want of necessary prouision for the warres in all those parts not speaking of those for peace sithence the ruine of the Prouinces for the most part and the misery of those poore flocke of people which doe liue in the parts inhabited are onely the meanes to giue him peace Yet the negligence of the Princes Christian will not make vse of these extreame defects of his to amplifie their Dominions to eternize their Honours and that which is the greatest to glorifie God which hath made them Princes onely to execute his iudgements none of which now can bee more iustly inflicted vpon any then vpon that great blasphemer against his Holy one and tyrant of the world giue peace to their inique passions which giue cause to the very earth to sigh to all good hearts to groane and kindle Gods indignation against them and their people and turne first their aspects to that which they owe to God and then to the true ambition of a Prince to doe great and iust things which with their honour might also bring profite to their present estates and are of such a condition that the effecting of them is vtterly without danger or difficulty seeing with the very sight of a compleat Armie his Souldiary in those parts would be terrified through their inability to resist and the people who cannot change possible to worse fortune would all follow those Ensignes which their extremity doth already force them to wish for And let all iudgement giue themselues but a small time of truce with other passions and wee shall see not onely what shame it is to the very Name of Christianity to suffer that great Sepulcher of our Redemption to bee possessed to our eternall ignominy by his professed enemies who vouchsafed to giue his deerest bloud to buy vs from perdition Religion is that which euer moueth the blindest hearts of men to the most resolute enterprises and an awfull loue hath euer beene the strongest band to binde men to their Princes to their Countrey and to common society Romulus when his people fled before the Sabines so that the victory shewed it selfe vndoubtedly on their side and ouerthrow on his the very remembring them of leauing Iupiter and the rest of the Gods in the Capitoll to the possession of their enemies was sufficient to turne that desperate fortune And when the French had sacked and burnt a great part of Rome the same awfull reuerence to their Gods and loue to their Countrey could binde them rather to re-build their ruinated Citty then to go to Vejes a Towne ready and magnificently builded But we can leaue in the Turkes possession not onely the Countrey of our Sauiour which should be deerer vnto vs then our owne for his great name sake but this the Sepulcher of his precious bloud which he gaue freely an oblation to giue vs by that sacrifice that which is aboue all eternall life without compunction of loue or Religion So much are our hearts hardened against the appearing mercies of God which hath made him for a great a weake enemy to giue vs corage by such an vnhoped fore-signe to produce that supreme act of our duties Where are those generous spirits of the fore-passed Princes and men which against all humane reason to reuenge iniuries and wrongs done to the holy name of God thrust themselues into most dangerous enterprises onely trusting in the true worthinesse of their cause which they iudged God would miraculously prosper being vndertaken with so good and true hearts for him The successes of which also we may reade to haue beene most prosperous God striuing in mercy with mans intentions And though it be true that the dayes of Visions and such apparant Miracles are finished yet let vs not by too great precisenesse mistake the things which indeed are but take this for a great miracle in regard of our manifold sinnes which deserue all bitter vengeance and no good that God yet hath pleased whilst we deuoure one another in this poore small flocke of Gods Church and by our cruelly resoluing to our ciuill destruction do open the breach for the common enemy to enlarge his power and greatnesse by his onely breath to shake him with such infection that his ouerthrow is most facille if we will vse the time pointed vnto vs by his mercifull finger which also may turne vnto vs as heauy a iudgement if we do not with the best councell and most desirous affection of our hearts and soules embrace the beames of his compassion But since Princes hearts are in the hands of God and he turneth them either for their own chastisements or for those of the people to a certaine secret point of direction from the which they cannot diuert as those which are too great iudgements for me to penetrate into I will leaue them
inhumane in their natures and adicted to get by all meanes iust and vniust But I will leaue my selfe a little in that great straight and speake of Babylon not to the intent to tell stories either of the huge ruines of the first Towne or the splendor of this second but because nothing doth impresse any thing in mans nature more then example to shew the truth of Gods word whose vengeance threatned by his Prophets are truely succeeded in all those parts which were once so swolne with the pride of the greatnesse of their state which they possessed with their felicity their magnificencie and their riches that as they were the heads of the world by their power and by their excellency so were they by that opinion in themselues blowne vp to a conceipt of eternity As though any earthly foundation let it be grounded neuer so firmely vpon councell vpon force and reputation could possibly be perpetuall Niniuy that which God himselfe calleth that great Citty hath not one stone standing which may giue the memory of the being of a Towne one English mile from it is a place called Mosul a small thing rather to bee a witnesse of the others mightinesse and Gods iudgement then of any fashion of Magnificency in it selfe All the ground on which Babylon was spred is left now desolate nothing standing in that Peninsula betweene the Euphrates and the Tigris but onely part and that a small part of the great Tower which God hath suffred to stand if man may speake so confidently of his great impenetrable Counsels for an eternall testimony of his great worke in the confusion of mans pride and that Arke of Nebuchadnezar for as perpetuall a memory of his great idolatry and condigne punishment nothing else shewing the figure of any thing which hath bene either of ornament or of greatnesse or of place inhabited So truely doth God iudge the huge sinnes of the world and maintaineth so iustly the credit of his Messengers that though they speak great things they neuer speake vaine things The Towne which is now called Bagdat and is on the other side of Tigris towards Persia onely a small suburbe in the Peninsula but remoued from any stirpe of the first to which men passe ordinarily by a bridge of Boates which euery night is dissolued for feare either of the Arabs or some storme vpon the Riuer which might carry away the Boates when there were no helpe ready The buildings are after the Morisco fashion low without stories and the Castle where the Bassa is resident is a great vaste place without beauty or strength either by Art or Nature the people some-what more abstinent from offending Christians then in other parts through the necessity of the trade of Ormus vpon which standeth both the perticular and publique wealth of that State Victuals are most aboundant and excellent good of all sorts and very cheape which was a mighty blessing for Mee which had nothing but a generall wardrope of cloaths not in our Coffers but vpon our backes which wee were forced to make mony of by peece-meale according to the falling of the lot and our necessity and with that liued and if feeding-well had bene all which wee had cause to care for we also liued well But after one month was past and time fastned euery mans eies more firmely vpon vs One day a Florentine Merchant whom I had onely knowne in the way betweene Aleppo and Babylon by a riding acquaintance came vnto mee and after a little other discourse told me that there was a great muttering amongst diuers great men there what I was and what my designes might bee that hee found me to bee dangerously spied after and wished me to haue regard if not to my selfe yet to so many which he did imagine were impawned in that misfortune by my meanes And though it were true that hee came vpon the motion of an honest pious and charitable heart yet I was so fearefull of an Italian Merchant that I did rather imagine him to be the spy then lightly to haue bene an instrument of his preuention Therefore agreeing with him in the complement onely I answered determinately in the rest that I knew no iust cause of perill therefore I feared none and if there were any curious eies vpon me because of the number of my company the Carauan comming they should see good vse made of them all and vntill that time I would haue patience with their looking and speaking Him I thanked for his kindnesse and offered my selfe largely vnto him as though I had least suspected him though in truth I did most and most vniustly For two daies after hee returned to me againe and as a man moued in his very soule with anguish told mee that within ten daies the Carauan of Aleppo would arriue in the meane time beseeched mee not to couer my selfe longer from him who did truely wish me well not so much for my person which hee could know little but because his conceipt was that I would not haue hazarded my selfe in such a iourney but for some great end which he did beleeue well of and besides in charity to a Christian and so many Christians with me saying that there was a Carauan of Persian Pilgrimes arriued two daies since from Mecca without the Towne who were forced to take that way though the longest by reason of the Plague which raigned very exceedingly in those places by which they should haue passed He was not ignorant of my wants for which hee also had prouided and taking me by the hand beseeched me againe to beleeue him and to go presently with him to the carrauan which I did not being able to answere through admiration of so generous a part in him and an amazement with a thousand diuers thoughts spred vpon me When I came there he brought me to a Vittorin of whom he had already hired Horses Camels and Moiles for me and I found a Tent pitched by his seruants and then opening his gowne hee deliuered me a bag of Chakins with these very words The God of heauen blesse you and your whole company and your enterprise which I will no further desire to know then in my hope which perswadeth mee that it is good My selfe am going to China whence if I returne I shall little need the repayment of this courtesy which I haue done you with a most free heart if I die by the way I shall lesse neede it But if it please God so to direct both our safeties with good prouidence that we may meete againe I assure my selfe that you will remember mee to bee your friend which is enough for all that I can say to a man of your sort And almost without giuing me leasure to yeeld him condigne thanks if any thankes could be condigne for so great and so noble a benefite he departed from me And as I heard afterward from him by letters from Ormus hee receiued much trouble after my departure
out at the port for iustice and the ambition of other competitors for so great a place and so large a breach already made to enter into honour by the time ran so far in length that the peace brake between the Emperour the Turke and the warres reuiued in Hungary so that the age of the king of Persia his being broken with those first troubles and suspition of intestine answering iust to the desire of the Turke there was a truce concluded betweene those two potentates vpon no other condition But that each should be contented with that they had The eldest son of the king remained at the Court of his father administring all that which his fathers defect of light vnabled him to doe Abas the second sonne twelue yeares of age vnder the gouernment of Tutors held the prouince of Yasde and as Courts are full of rumors and suspition neuer wanteth in Princes especially which haue such imperfections as they are coÌ„pelled to take knowledge of the vertues of Abas by which he bound to him the hearts of his prouincials spred themselues further and so to the Court where they were increased to such a condition as altered the father brothers reioycing in them to an opinion that his winning of the affections of the people proceeded not from any other worthinesse but artifice which had the intent of it stretching to the Crowne which tooke such hold in the fâ—thers mind worne with age and griefe and sore with his late misfortunes that hee resolued secretly his death The newes of which being brought to Abas speedily by the meanes of secret friends not onely to himselfe but to his Gouernors which as they were the greatest of the state so they were not vnfriended in the Court being so farre from any such designe that he had no sort of prouision at hand to defend himselfe he fled to the king of Corasan a countrey of the Tartars limiting vpon the east of Persia euer infestu o us to that state not more in their owne disposition being a people giuen to spoile vnquiet and which cannot liue in rest then through their depeÌ„dance vpon the Turke whose religion they professe which the Persians do not but much altered and whose petnionaries they were by which they were bound in all seasons when the Turke was tied to the Christians wars to diuert the Persian from looking to the commodity of such a time besides on occasions the Turke vsed to transport great forces of them ouer the Caspian sea into Siruana and from thence passed them into Hungary either the longer way by land or the shorter by sea ouer Negropont To this king Abas was exceeding welcome and cherished and honored like his owne sonne Shortly after the flight the father died and Sultan Hamzire Mirza his sonne succeeded him who renued the truce with the Turke through the necessity which he had to vse the most which his strength and power could yeeld him to suppresse a great rebellion of the Turcomans whom at the last he so brake with diuers battels and all other sort of afflictions that they deliuered him vp their Princes and then themselues Their Princes he beheaded and of them slue twenty thousand of the ablest for the warres assuring his peace with them by their extremest ruine and as he was by all reports a most braue warlike Prince hauing pacified his owne state and desirous to recouer not onely what was freshly lost but all which was formerly taken from the Sophies kingdome by the power of the Ottomans vnited all his thoughts and all his Councels to that one great end which all finished with his life ending it selfe by treason of his Princes not without perswasion of the Turke when he had fit yeares mind and courage and meanes ioined with ocasioÌ„ to haue made himselfe the greatest Prince of many ages all which though they made his death miserable yet the manner was more miserable being vilely slaine by his Barber retiring halfe drunke from a banquet to which he was prouoked by the conspirators which presently parted the state between them euery man making himselfe absolute Prince of those prouinces which they had in gouernment and parting the royall treasure amongst them for their reciprocall maintenance disposed themselues vnitely to resist the comming in of Abas whom notwithstanding they did not much feare hauing promise of the Turke that he should be detained in Corassan where he was refuged knowing that he had neither men nor money nor years to giue him any incoragement to attempt against them who had soone confirmed themselues both with giuing good satisfaction to the people and with liberality to the Souldiary and their entrance into the state being without opposition and so without offence made the foundation both more sure and more facile The Turkes Councell also was exceeding good for his ends for hauing dissipated the vnite power of that great dominion into so many branches which though he knew could continue together to maintaine their wrong against the true kings right yet that their owne ambitions in short time would stirre them to debate amongst themselues by which as he was out of doubt of perill during the trauels of his warres so he was assured that at his conuenient occasion either by their owne quarrels or by his power they should be all subiected to him Abas in the meane time whose iust Title made him king assured himselfe that both the murder of his brother and this parting of the state had the Turkes counsell concurring with those Princes impiety and not doubting but the king of Corasan was also perswaded to deteine him resolued notwithstaÌ„ding by his necessity began to deale boldly with him for his assistance against his rebels laying before him how preiuditiall the example was to all Princes and most to him who was chiefe of all those Tartar Princes rather by their voluntary election then his states surpassing them in power that as ambitions were vnlimited generally so were they euer most in those which had most power to vse them largely that all the states of the Tartars were held by great Princes and absolute which had obeyed him so long rather because they would then they could do no other If this rebellion of naturall subiects proceeded to a happy course much more would they bee animated to do the like which were Lords and no subiects besides though the counsell of the Turke had not palesated it selfe openly yet in all iudgement it might be perceiued that he had onely raised this as a Pageant to fill the world with gazing whilest hee fitted his designes to impatronize himselfe of the state which if he should do how terrible a neighbour he would be to the King of Corassan he submitted to his wise consideration For himselfe that he had bin so bound to him in his first calamity that without other re asons he did not doubt but the same royall and generous spirit which moued him then to take compassion of him
would also moue him to the like now And the more hauing greater hopes of meanes for a gratefull acknowledgement from him which hee which had the management so long of his disposition could not doubt of and if he had begun to perswade him with other reasons hee did it rather in the duty of a true friend to lay before him his owne interest then in any diffidence of his free inclination to his good Whereupon the king of Corasan though pre-occupied by the Turke yet desirous to bee his friend a farre off and also doubting the successe of Abas neither hauing yeares nor experience nor friends In fine beeing destitute of all reasonable hope not to moue the Turks displeasure vpon such a disaduantagious condition was notwithstanding contented to see whether something might be moued by such a helpe as should not appeare to giuen by him but rather voluntary followers of Abas his fortune hee gaue him three thousand horse onely to put him in possession of that state which by his vertue and fortune is growne now so great that it hath deuoured all the states of the Tartars extended it selfe so farre as Cabull to the East the Arabian gulfe downe to Ballsarack on the South within three dayes iourney of Babylon on the West and to Tauris on the North embracing the whole circumference of the Caspian sea vnto Astracan which is the vttermost of the Moscouites Dominion and Seruane of the Turkes which lyeth vpon that sea an Empire so great so populous so aboundant that as it may compare with most of the greatest that euer were so is it terrible to the Turkes which is the greatest that now is though I doe thinke verily That in Asia the Persian hath as great an extent of Territories as the Turke and better inhabited better gouerned and in better obedience and affection I am sure he hath With this small troope the King of Persia guided by his infinite Royall courage entred Persia. But as those which are wicked are euer so well instructed in the Art of their profession that they neuer want instruments in themselues to deuise and in others to act those counsels which must euer bee waking to maintaine what they haue gotten by their sceleratenesse So their Spyes hastened with such diligence to giue those Rebels notice of their Kings beeing on foote that the next of them to him had time to arme great forces and incountred him in a Prouince called Sistane and though his inuincible spirit without any sparke of feare made him aduenture to fight vpon so vn-equall termes as was three thousand against twenty thousand hee found by his experience that Maiesty and right is nothing without power to beare them vp and that no exquisite vigour of the minde can resist the violence of sinister fortune nor oppression of many hands Yet did fortune so much care for so great vertue that shee gaue him way to escape to to the Mountaines all the rest of the small troupe being cut in peeces This victory assured the Rebels as they thought from all further danger supposing that these small forces were all which then their King could or hereafter should bee able to lead against them Imagining that the King of Corrasan if hee would haue succored him indeed that hee would neuer haue cast a way those few to increase the strength of their foundation and to diminish the others reputation which is so effectuall in a not well confirmed Princes first actions especially in a Prince who must come to his right by his vertue and fortune But the King of Persia whose owne minde euer comforted him with a stedfast assurance of his greatnesse to which hee is now growne hauing recouered the Mountaines liued amongst the Heardes-men for three months vnknowne changing continually from place to place without any certaine abode accompanied onely with ten or twelue followers which were of his first Gouernours and other yong Gentlemen brought vp with him from his child-hood But being now no longer able to temporize with his great desire resoluing to proue the last and the vttermost of his fortune and remembring how much loue and affection those of Yasd had shewed towards him in the time of his gouerning them and how much he had truely deserued of them determined to shew himselfe in that Prouince and proue what effect the Maiesty of his person the iustice of his cause and former obligation would worke in them which though it were a foundation proued euer false almost by all experiences The peoples affections euer raising mens hopes and ruining their persons Yet it proued otherwise with this King who was no sooner certaine knowne in those parts but numbers of people came flocking to him armed and appointed for the wars in such sort that before any prouision could bee made against him this being an accident so farre remoued from all sort of suspition he had a power together too strong to be easily suppressed which was no sooner heard by Ferrat Can a great Prince and discontented with the alteration of the gouernement to whose share none of that partition had falne his fortune being such that at the time of the other Kings death he had none of the Prouinces to administer and they were parted onely betweene them which held them he I say with his brother and a company of some ten thousand came and ioyned themselues to the forces of the King Neither were the men so welcome as that Ferrat Can being a wise Prince and a great Souldier grew a party and such as the King also stood in need of Neither did the King loose any sort of opportunity but hearing of the Assembly which certaine of the Princes were making in the neerest Prouinces vnto him with all speed fell vpon them and ouer-throwing them followed them as farre as Casbin In the meane time those of Shyras Asphaan Cassan assisted by the Kings of Gheylan and Mazandran gather mighty forces the Turkes armed at Tauris and the Prince of Hamadan hauing called in a strength of the Courdiues to his assistance was marching also towards Casbin So that the King was likely to be so inclosed with all these Armies that his first victory would rather haue proued a snare to his intrapment then important as he hoped to the some of his affaires Whence he resolued to helpe with Art that which he was much too weake to accomplish by strength Wherefore he leaueth Ferrat Can in Casbin with some fiue thousand men accompanied with Zulpher his brother and himselfe with the rest of his power marched towards the Can of Hamadane Ferrat Can according to the deliberation taken betweene the King and him thewed himselfe altered from the Kings part writeth to the Rebels which were all in a grosse aduanced as farre as the mid-way betweene Cassan and Casbin and offereth not onely to ioyne that strength which hee had with them but to mutine the Kings army which was lodged in the Mountaines towards Hammadane in a shew
to keepe those straights to giue impeachment to the passage of that other Army but indeed to protract time onely and to expect the euent of his other counsels The other Cans rebelled easily and desiroâ—sly imbraced Ferrat Cans proposition hasted the Army towards Casbin which they entred without difficulty both by the nature of the place which is not of any strength and conueyance of Ferrat There were many daies spent in Counsell and at last it was concluded since the suppression of the King was certaine being abandoned by him which was his onely Captaine and Counsellour by so great a part of his strength and vpon the confidence which Ferrat gaue them to mutine the rest that it would proue too dangerous to call in those forces of the Turkes which were in readinesse for their succour Not knowing whether they should so easily free themselues of them againe if they were once entred They feared the Turkes purposes and as much feared to know them therefore to auoide the danger of being compelled to experience them they determined to write to the Bassa of Tauris that the war was so certaine to bee finished by themselues that they would reserue his fauour till a more vrgent opportunity and with that deliberation a principall man was dispatched with a present for the Bassa Of this the King had present aduice by a confident messenger and also that few nights after the principals of the Army were to meete together at Ferrats house inuited to a great banquet which being vnderstood by him electing fiue thousand of his best men and best horsing with great and close iourneies he came to Casbin where hauing secretly disposed his people in the Mountaine couered with the quarter of Ferrats troupe hee expected the signe which was to bee giuen him The Prince as it was appointed failed not of comming nor hee of his signe to the King nor the King to accomplish his resolution For Ferrat hauing protracted the banquet the most part of the night when the whole company was heauy with wine and sleepe the King was receiued into the house with three hundred men where without any vp-roare he slew all those which were inuited to the number of three score and ten the seruants and Pages being so suddenly taken hold of and with such dexterity that without any mouing of other rumors the same fashion of feast of singing and of dancing continued all the night and in that space all the rest of those people which the King had with him were appointed in the breaking of the day to make the greatest shew and the greatest noise that they could vnder the foote of the Mountaine as though all the Army had beene there marching to the Towne When the Alarum beganne to bee hot in the Towne and euery man fell to his Armes and repaired to Ferrats lodging where they supposed their Princes to haue bene the King hauing disposed his three hundred men which were shut fitly in the house and Zulpher hauing his fiue thousand all in a Troope in the great place the threescore and ten Cans heades were shewed all laced vpon a string and hung out of a Tarras vpon which the King presently shewed himselfe accompanied with Ferrat Can whereas the Maiesty of the King the terrour of the sight represented before them the feare of the Army which they saw as they thought at hand Zulpher and Ferrat Cans power amongst them which they perceiued turned against them their being destitute of Commanders and the guiltinesse of their owne consciences for their rebellion stroke them into so dead an amazement that they stood ready rather to receiue all mischiefe then that they had either courage or mindes or counsell to auoide it The King as though he had a while aduised with himselfe what he would both say and do at last after a good pause seeming that his royall mercy had preuailed against his iust indignation hee told them that the wickednesse of their vniuersall conspiracy against him was such that hee was distracted in himselfe what to say or doe against them for though they might excuse themselues vpon those Princes which had seduced them yet they knew that the others authority had no more force vpon them then their own willing obedience which called as great a punishmeÌ„t vpon the one as the other What cause they should haue generally to desire such an innouation of gouernement as they by their owne conuenence had erected amongst them he could not deuise his Grand-father Father and Brother hauing euer guided the Helme of their State with that integrity of iustice and that vniuersall satisfaction that it was not to be wished of any to find more tranquility for those which desired to liue onely quietly nor more iust measure of honour or due reward then was magnificently giuen to those which had deserued them and why they should haue lesse hope of him he knew not neuer hauing made willingly any other demonstration of his minde then such as might be proportionable to their best expectations But since his true feeling of humane frailty made him well vnderstand how easie mens mindes are to be abused by others artifice and their owne corruption hee to oke so great a compassion of the calamity into which they had either wilfully or misled by others errors cast themselues that if he could haue any confidence that they would truely repent of their past wickednesse and bend their mindes to serue him with a perfect heart hee could also easily perswade himselfe to change the seuerity of the iudgement which they had merited into mercy forgiuenesse and forgetfulnesse of their offence and content himselfe that this iniurious great disorder which had hapned as all other of that kind do through the ignorance of many and malice of few should also be expiated by the bloud of those few who had already concluded the greatnesse of their vsurped authority and their long hopes with a short and iust death This being spoken by the King with courage and maiesty and being so far from that which their guilty consciences did cause them to apprehend facily brought forth the ordinary effectes of a multitude which being easily inclined to hope more then they should and to suffer lesse then is fit as though the King with his royall mercifull speech had giuen them as great a present good as if hee had discharged them from the terrour of the punishment of almost an vnpardonable offence cryed out let the King liue let the King liue we are all King Abas his slaues and will not suffer to liue any of his enemies and there was more trouble to defend the poore people of Casbin from sacking by them their Towne euer hauing bene a wel-disposed harbour for the Rebels then to turne their heartes and armes to the Kings part Besides the succours which the Kings of Gheylan and Mazandran had sent the Rebels were with great difficulty saued and returned to their countries by the King of Persia
in a reposed state from so many tempests which had contrarily moued it as well as to make due and confident prouisions for his intended warres First then he called vnto him to Casbin all gouernors all administrators of Iustice whosoeuer had occupyed those functions during the vsurped rule of the Cans through all his prouinces with the kinsmen friends and children of the said Cans besides that all men of power as Mirzaes Cans Sultans and Beagues which are principall Titles of Dukes Princes and Lords should repaire thither without excuse of age sicknesse or any other pretence whatsoeuer which being done he appointed new Gouernors and Officers of all sorts he cleared all his prouinces for three yeares from paying any tribute-custome or any other ordinary or extraordinary exaction whatsoeuer His chiefe Viseire he made one Haldenbeague a wise man excellently seene in all affaires of great experience but such a one as was onely his creature without friends or power him hee commanded to passe through all his prouinces accompanied with the Xa-Hammadaga who is as it were Knight Marshall to cleare them from vagabonds robbers and seditious persons Ologonlie which had followed him in all his aduersity a man of great worthinesse he made bearer of his great Seale which is an office there liker the Lord priuy Seale then Chancellor The place of the Viseire comprehending in it the office of Chancellor and high Treasurer him he also aduanced to the dignity of a Can. Bastana an ancient approued man both for fidelity and other worthinesse he made principall Aga of his house which is as great Chamberlaine Curtchibasschie Captaine of his Guard which is a general-ship of twelue thousand shot who attend at the Port by turnes two hundred and fifty euery quarter except when the King goeth to the warres that they are all bound to be present Ferrat Can hee made his Generall Thus hauing wisely and prouidently placed through all his estates those who must be most assured to him their fortunes depending onely vpon him hauing no more strength nor authority in themselues then they receiued from him and hauing all the great ones in his Army with him or such of them as could not bee able to follow him either by their few or many yeares or sickenesse so securely left at Casbin that they could not by themselues or any other moue any innouation And moreouer hauing dispatched all those and keeping their persons with him which had any obligation to the former Cans secured by that meanes as much as the counsell of any man could secure him from perill at home hauing called Oliuer di Can from Hamadan and appoynted him a successor for that Gouernement with ten thousand new men hee set himselfe forward to his enterprize with his old Troopes and great part of his rebelled Army with no greater courage and counsell then fortune for those men which were remitted by him to Gheylan and Mazandran as those which had beene somewhat exercised in the warres hauing with some more adioined vnto them the guard of the straights from which the maine Army of the Kings was some foure leagues remoued remembring the benefite of the King better then their faith to their Princes at the very sight of the first Troopes retired themselues from the places left to their confidence in charge which aduantage being followed by Ferrat with the Alarum giuen fell so iustly vpon that Army that what with the vnexpected terror of the straights abandoning and their being surprised in disorder the Army was facily broken with the death of two of the Kings and an infinite slaughter of people which had beene much greater if the woods had not couered them from the fury of their enemies The greatest of those kings hauing escaped with much difficulty accompanied euer with the terror of the perill from which he had escaped neuer ended his flight vntill hee came into Seruane and from thence went to Constantinople to desire succour from the Turke where he yet liueth The other which remained being but one without any great difficulty or alteration of fortune was suppressed The Countrey being first spoiled and ransomed at a great rate which they might well beare by reason of their great riches which they had gathered together through a long peace and the Kings Army excellently well satisfied he dispatched instantly Embassadours to the Turke the Georgians and his old friend the King of Corassan to giue them an account of this new victory not doubting but as it would bee exceeding pleasant to some so it would bee as bitter to others and leauing Ferrat Can to gouerne the Countrey and Oliuer Dibeague as his assistant but to bee commanded by him hee returned himselfe full of glory and great victory into Persia disposing himselfe to reduce his state to that excellent forme of gouernment which now it hath First then after his arriuall in Casbin hauing heard by his Viseire the relation of Xa-Hammadaga of some who had not onely spoyled the Subiects in their substances but the country of all orders iust forme of gouernement which now it hath and giuen them by that meanes more matter of dis-vnion then vnion insomuch that they were ful of theeues of vagabonds of factions such like insolencies he iudged it fit to reduce it the more peaceable and obedient to giue it in those cases a good condition of gouernment Whereupon he presently dispatched that Xa-hammadaga a terrible and resolute person with full power and authority for the reformation of those disorders who in short time though with most terrible examples reduced all the Prouinces to a vnite tranquility with mighty reputation Whilst hee was busied in that administration the King to shew that it was necessity that counselled to giue him that excessiue authority and to preserue it from being odious to himselfe appointed in the chiefe city of euery Prouince a Gouernour elected of those of most valour to him he ioyned two Iudges of criminall and ciuill causes a Treasurer two Secretaries with an excellent president and two Aduocates generall for the causes both particular and generall of the whole Prouince Besides the particular Aduocate of euery Citty which should be resident in that Metropolis These determined all causes within themselues of those Prouinces in which they had the administration and because they should neither be burthensome to the Prouinces nor corrupted in paritializing the King paid them their stipend enioyning them vpon paine of life to take no other sort of reward And because such things and causes might fall out as by reason of the importance of them or appellations of the parties might be brought before himselfe because hee would euer know what he did and be continually informed not onely of the generall state of the Prouinces but of their particular administration hee ordained Posts once euery weeks from all parts to bring all sort of relations to the Court for which cause also hee willed that one of the two generall
Iudges Aduocates and his Maiesties Councell appointed for the good of the Prouince hauing euer taken those direct waies which were fit for his Maiesty and benefite of the Prouince if the Gouernour in his particular acts had taken counsels with his particular appetites and executed them according to the same neither he nor any of the Councel were blameable neuer hauing heard a voice onely to that effect which those men also who were a great number falling downe vpon their faces confessed to the King and that their long silence had giuen the Gouernour the more boldnesse to vse the vtermost of extortion and tyrannous exaction vpon them The Gouernour denied some maintained other to bee done vpon iust causes but all so confusedly and with so vnstable a fashion of proceeding as hee bewrayed his owne guiltinesse notwithstanding the king stayed his iudgement either of him or the causes vntill another day of hearing In the meane time hee appoynted Marganobeague Bastan-Aga and one Maxausebeague which is as it were Treasurer of his house to take some secret wayes to finde the true carriage of the Gouernour during the whole time of his function Which they did with great vprightnesse and dexterity And hauing related what they had approuedly found there were so many and so great causes brought against him I meane of wresting of Money bribery monopolizing and such things as more could not bee imagined which had beene small matters in a Princes state whose fauours and graces are priuiledged aboue the common good of the people and who change by their owne conniuence their Royall estate to a tyranny of fauourites and a few Counsellors who concurring in the spoyle of the people concurre also in so cruell a suppression of their iust cryes that their lifting vp their voyces for Iustice is as great a sinne as almost a perfect Rebellion and the same Iustice which should protect them against inique oppression inflicteth seuere chastisement onely for presuming to palesate such oppressions A miserable calamitie for the poore flocke where the Sheepheards heareth the wooll and the Brambles rent the flesh But this King whom wee call barbarous though from his example wee may learne many great and good things knowing that the true care of a Prince must bee euer the publique good and the capablenesse of his ruling would bee iudged by his true Iustice and election of his Ministers and distribution of his fauour vpon the worthiest which also should make a worthy vse of it The next day that hee sate in iudgement hee called the Gouernour then hauing told him that hee which had liued with him in the time of his greatest calamity must needes bee so well acquainted with the inwardnesse of his disposition that all the world would imagine as Princes euer are examples of good or euill to their subiects so they are most to those which are neereliest conuersant with them And according to that opinion hee had giuen him his authority for the great fauour and confidence hee reposed in him that hee knew well the errour which they had both committed the one not making a true iudgement of the others disposition That the transgression of Lawes and Orders in any State was the first naturall corruption which grew in it to prouide for which good Princes did both watchfully industriate themselues and dispersed part of the care which grew too great for themselues to the trust they had in the vertue of their Ministers who should euer as the very greatest and truest causes beware of those courses of Iustice which should bee of least terrour and procure themselues and their Princes most hatred which was to pill the subiects goods a thing of no example but to euill and of infinite odiousnesse especially when there was no iust cause why any sort of punishment should bee inflicted And because these acts of so great a Minister as hee was both for the place hee held of authority and fauour with him might giue the world cause to suspect his owne inclination the which since no former example could make him knowe hee would now shew the world and teach him that the wickednesse of Princes and great Men are worse in the example thâ—n in the fault since by the euill custome of the world to follow them they generate great corruptions by the imitation of others And because in a man of his place there could bee no more wicked acts then hee had committed nor in a Prince nothing more proportionable with his place nor fitter for his security then the chastisement of such wicked acts And if hee should pardon so great extortions and scelerate wronges as hee had inflicted vpon the poore people committed to his charge besides that hee should verifie the worst suspicions men might haue of him he should by so ill a president trouble the mindes of his whole state cast many good men and their goods into ruine multiply the like or worse scandals oppressing the causes of Iustice and so draw into the world without shame or feare all sort of excesses this should bee his iudgement That all his Goods and Lands should bee sold for the satisfaction of those men whom hee had spoyled And if any thing wanted since the King by giuing him that Authority was partly the cause of those excesses hee condemned himselfe to pay the residue out of his Treasury That if any thing aduanced it should be giuen to his Children with a grieuous Edict that no succour should bee ministred vnto himselfe For that since Death was a concluder of his offence shame and the memory of it hee should not dye but goe during his life with a great yoke like a Hoggesyoke about his necke haue his Nose and Eares cut off and haue no charitable releefe from any but what hee gained with his owne hands that he might feele in himselfe the misery which poore men haue to get and what a sinne it is to rent from them by violent extortion the birth of their sweat and labour This Iudgement strooke a mighty amazement into all the great men present and gaue an infinite ioy and comfort to the people The Turkes Embassadour which was there after he had stood silent a great while as a man halfe distracted sware publikely that hee saw before his eyes his maisters ruine being impossible that such fortune and vertue as the king was accompanied with could receiue any obstacle That night hee made Marganobeagus Gouernour of Casbin beeing well admonished by that great example of his duty Constantino a braue yong Gentleman being a Christian of Georgia hee called Mirza and gaue him the gouernement of Hisphaan and mee also hee called Mirza telling mee that hee would prouide condignely for mee And because hee had an vrgent occasion to goe post to Cassan I should receiue his pleasure by Marganobeague who brought mee the next morning a thousand Tomanas which is sixteene thousand Duckets of our Money fortie horses all furnished two with exceeding rich
euer so ready against his State in all occasions especially now that his Maiesties vertue and fortune ministred to the Turkes will too great maine causes First to stop the course of his too fast rising greatnesse which hee could by no reason willingly suffer Then to recouer his reputation which his Maiesty had taken from him by assubiecting the Tartars which were vnder his protection And if with both these hee saw his subiects also fall from him to his Maiesty in so great troopes it might bee a mighty effectuall working-reason to hasten him to a conclusion vpon indifferent tearmes of those warres in Hungary his Maiesty being much more dangerous vnto him not onely through his power the reputation of his late victories and such a floud of fortune ioyned to his great vertue and wisdome but also by the symbolizing of religioÌ„ which would more facilitate an entry into his state then the sword when there should grow no more mutation in the maine points of gouernement lawes nor orders but the person of the Prince onely The obstinate warres and resistances of the progresse of the one and the other betweene the Turkes and the Christians grew from the maine alterations of all Lawes Orders and forme of gouernment with the vtter ruine of the conquered being so diuerse in all those and more in the principall point of religion by which he was euermore assured of vs generally infestuous to the very apprehension of his Subiects But his Maiesty from whom there was none of these generall dangers was questionlesse the more perticularly feared by him And euer hee that is feared wrongeth his iudgement if hee liue into great and carelesse security I concluded it would please his Maiesty to pardon me that I said so much that if I had erred it was in my iudgement not in my zealous affection vnto him neither had I presumed to looke into such high matters if his Maiesty by his discourse had not directed my sight which if it had bene amisse his Maiesties benignity and great wisedome could pardon the fault for the true affection which caused it He answered that he was so far from mis-liking my liberty of speech that he thanked me for it desiring me to continue it For Princes said hee are indeed more then men when they find faithfull friends which will freely aduise them and lesse them men when they are without such the brightnesse of their greatnesse so dimming their sight that they haue much more neede of helpe then priuate men who being conuersant in all things gather experience of euery thing which a Prince cannot haue Nature onely bringing forth a man his perfection following by his owne vertue learning and experience the two first a Prince might haue the last hardly and euer vnperfect Which made him euer carefully desire such friends as might minister a faithfull helpe to that defect but because we are now in iourney we shall leaue those things for a more reposed time to be spoken of at Hisphaan where we shall haue leasure enough both to deliberate and resolue of some good things and with that called some other who entertained him with discourses of Hunting and Hauking in which he is much delighted and vseth them with great magnificence Neuer going to any of those sports but that he carrieth forth aboue fiue hundred dogges and as many Hauks nothing rising before him but it is game For flies he hath sparrowes for Birds Hobbies and Marlins for the greatest sort some Hawke or other and for Roe-deare Eagles hee hath particular Agaes for his Hawkes and Dogges and other Officers to them a great number The next day I singled out Oliuer Di-Can with whom after a few complements I communicated the Kings discourse with me of his first troubles and latter fortunes extolling his Maiesty as it was fit and besides giuing the greatest honour to himselfe without flattery that I could deuise then I told him of my answere to the King and on purpose I said I feared that it might turne to my harme being newly planted in the Kings fauour subiect to the enuy of the Court and wanting a tongue to speake for my selfe and that to entermeddle in so great and perrilous matters it could not choose but awake some couered malice to take occasion to worke me some damage But my confidence was such first in the Heroycke minde of the King himselfe then in the generous disposition of his excellency that I should bee protected from perill for this fault as I would preserue my selfe with more cautel heereafter Hee answered me that the Kings affection vnto me was such that no man durst lift vp a thought against me which the Court knew well For himselfe as he knew not the conditions of our Courts so I might mistake those of theirs if enuy bare so great a sway with vs wee had lighter Princes and men of more presumption In this Court there was not a Gentleman but the King the rest were shadowes which moued with his body But in this which I had said to the King if I had entended it to moue him to warre in so fit a time against the Turke I had done well and assured mee that both he and Xa-Tamas-Coolibeague would with all their powers concurre with me to bring it to an essentiall deliberation though said he there be three dogges Haldenbeague Bastan-Aga and Courtchy Bassa that will mainely oppose themselues against it yet in the conscience of my duty which I owe to his Maiesty I assure my selfe that there is no secure way either for the preseruation of his person or state but that Therefore since you haue begunne in so happy an houre to breake the Ice of so great and so good an enterprise follow it without feare since God will prosper your good intention in it and we will second you with all the strength and industry which wee haue This was all which I desired to be assured of some friend especially such a one as might haue both opinion and credite of wisedome and fauour with the King For being a stranger if I had vndertaken the bearing of so weighty a businesse my selfe alone I should hardly haue escaped the being ouer-weighed with it knowing that the best propositions haue euer oppositions mens humours neuer concurring all to one end and the nature of men being alwaies opposite to a strangers aduancement Which since it must proceed in such a place from a speciall act of his owne vertue which could neuer be produced without a subiect to worke by the next way to wash away insensibly such a growing reputation was to keep me from any other meanes of establishment then bare Fauor which as it is very transitory in priuate men so is it much more in Princes the volubility of whose natures maketh them easily glutted and most mutable in their kinds of satisfaction and if once I had declined in the height of my fortune I knew there was no bayting place â—etweene mediocrity and precipitation so
dangerous are the â—aies of Princes and all men so foolish to striue to runne â— them The Kings entrance into Hisphaan was there of the same fashion that it was at Cassan differing onely in this that for some two English miles the waies were couered all with Veluet Sattin and cloth of Gold where his â—orse should passe After hee had bene setled there foureâ—eene daies remembring what Oliuer Di-Can had said vnto me I determined to loose no more time but to try the vttermost of my fortune in bringing to a resolution that enterprise the imagination of which had cost mee so much time and so much danger and was the chiefe mouing-cause at the first and now the onely mouing cause of comming thither And I was the more encouraged to do it by the fresh memory of God his mighty prouidence ouer me past and by the exceeding great fauour of the King which I knew to be his great worke who moueth the hearts of Princes to make them instruments of his iudgements which by all apparant demonstrations I conceiued determined against the Turke Therefore taking the opportunity of the Kings being alone with me and my brother in a Garden with my Interpreter onely and Xa-Tamas-Coolibeague I spake vnto him to this effect That my affection growne onely vpon the fame of his Maiesty had guided me from a farre Countrey into his presence by which I found his royall vertues so far exceeding the relation which I had heard that as I did admire them so I had a kind of forceable mouing in my nature to desire condigne fortunes to accompany them Besides my particular obligation to his Maiesty was so great that I was bound not onely to say what I thought fit for his seruice but to do as much as my life might accomplish for the same More-ouer being emboldned by his royall gracious answer vnto me vpon the way which I did take for a kind of commandement I would presume to say some-thing more largely then I did then of that which I tooke to concerne his Maiesty as much as any thing else could Neither would I speake any thing of other condition then such as he in his great iudgement should find so well grounded that nothing could bee added either to the iust cause honour vtility or facility of the enterprise which I would propose And because I would cleare all clouds which might hang about it my selfe which propounded it was such that I was onely a shadow which by the vrging of my owne nature and delight should follow the body of his victories rather then haue or hope for any other perticular interest in them my selfe For the first points There could no deliberation bee grounded vpon a greater foundation of equity then that which had his end onely directed to the recouery of that which was by force and violence vsurped from his State nor nothing more honourable for a Prince then to bee able without hazard not onely to reuenge priuate and publicke wrongs but to recouer their members againe to his seates by his wisedome and vertue which haue bene separate either by the defect or fortune of his Predecessors All this both publicke and priuate profite followed so great an encrease of State increasing in all points the force of his State and his poore Subiects which were throwne out of their possessions either through their true deuotion to his Maiesty which could giue them no peace vnder another gouernement or through the extreme tyranny of the Turke should be recouered againe to their owne with his infinite glory and vtility The facility shewed it selfe diuers waies principally in his owne fortune wisedome and vertue against which there was no likely resistance especially when there was no equall obstacle then the reputation of his late victories ioyned with the other would find or make a way through all difficulties then his Militia which was fresh and vncorrupted then the incapacity of the Turke his corruptions of gouernment want of obedience sundry rebellions and distractions from any possibility of being able to make any potent resistance against his Maiesties proceedings by his warres in Hungary which his Maiesty might assure the continuance of if it pleased him to inuite the Princes Christian to his amity which hee should offer vpon that condition by which also hee should receiue one other worthy benefite fit for such excelling parts as hee was most richly aboundant in not to conclude the true knowledge of them in that one corner of the world but with making these great Princes knowne vnto himselfe hee should make his owne worthinesse like-wise knowne vnto them Neither as I said at the first to his Maiesty though these were great points to moue so high a spirit intending to glory and great things as his was that they were so important as other were For these might either be deferred or not at all acted being bound vnto them by no greater necessity then his owne will counselled by good reason But his case was such that hee must resolue both for the security of his estate and person to make or endure a warre As I was proceeding Haldenbeague the Viseire Bastan-Aga and Oliuer Di-Can came in the King presently called them and told them what I was propounding vnto him vpon which the Viseire swelling against me answered instantly Your Maiesty may now perceiue that true which some of your seruants haue beene bold to tell you at the first comming of these Christians and many times since that they were sent to disquiet your Maiesties tranquility of your state and to embarke you in dangerous enterprises for others interresses For what likely-hood was there that a Gentleman of quality without some great disaster fallen him should take such a voyage so full of dangers and expences vpon a fame of a Prince spread by ordinary Merchants Since I know hee could neuer haue spoken with men of better quality in those parts which could haue knowne your Maiesty And if it were true that such a motion onely had brought him why should hee not giue time to the growing of his better fortunes by your Maiesties Munificencies and fauours without drawing himselfe into the danger to bee a perswader of a perrilous enterprise then which hee cannot bee so ignorant as to vnderstand no way to bee so precipitious for himselfe But because it is inioyned him hee must do it without regard to your Maiesty to whom hee is onely newly bound for present benefites which hee careth but to enioy vntill he hath intangled you in his designes and then will hee relye vpon those to whom hee oweth greater obedience for more permanent benefits and greater through so great a merite God keepe your Maiestly from giuing care to his perswasions which carry nothing with them but extreme peril The Turke hauing bene a heauy neighbour to your Maiesties state when it was found through a long peace and when your Predecessours were aboundant in money which is the heart of the warres
and the sinewes which bind together an estate Your Maiesty hath now a certaine peace with him and that the more certaine through his necessity which assureth you of time to gather treasure and all kind of strength against him if hee should breake the faith of his truce or moue against you hereafter That it is iust honourable and profitable for your Maiesty perhaps I may agree though it bee a question whether it be iust or honourable to breake a peace without a iust occasion giuen But howsoeuer it is more wisedome for your Maiesty to find a better and more fit time which shall furnish you with all necessary prouisions for so great an enterprise And further I say if the Turkes gouernement bee corrupted giue it more time and the sicknesse will encrease Is hee incapable his yeares are too many to make him amend therefore by giuing your selfe time you loose nothing he will be incapable still But Sinan Bassa was a great name So was Mustapha and so was Osman and so hath hee many now so that his state doth neither stand nor decline with his defects as long as hee hath worthy men to maintaine it His Countries are full of rebellion These are Rumours with which wise men are neuer moued since they grow by reportes and diminish by experience And if they bee true let him consume with his owne malady and your Maiesties designes whensoeuer you shall resolue of them will passe with the more facility How dangerous a thing it is to embrace diuers and continuall action your Maiesties greatest wisedome can better tell you then I your Tartars haue but newly felt the offence of your Armes they are farre from being well tasted or at all secured with your Maiesties gouernement Beginne a warre with the Turke in which must bee ingaged the vttermost of your strength what other opinion is to be had of them but that like old enemies and freshly more then euer offended they will rebell and infest you with the greatest resolutions that extreme enemies can And againe Where is your Maiesties treasure where is your munition and where is your Artillery all which must bee had for a warre and though your fortune and the nature of the country which hath no strong places did not require them against the Tartars yet of necessity you must haue them against the Turke who hath a Fortresse in Tauris Tifflis and Vannes strong places and neuer moueth his Armies but full of Artillery which you must also haue if you meane to proceed honourably and with condigne fortune against him Moreouer for you to send and begge an Amity of the Christian Princes what a sit perswasion is it for your Maiesties greatnesse which notwithstanding if you were compelled by necessity somewhat from your selfe yet necessity would make it tollerable But for you to seeke them which haue need of you there is so litle reason that he hath sinned against your power person and state which hath propounded it Your Maiesty may in your too great benignity passe ouer your iust indignation for such acouncell but we know what it meriteth There is behinde you Lar and Ormus the one a kingdome fomentated as a bar between you and the Portugals and the other which is vsurped from a king anciently tributary to your predecessors Whilst your Maiesty maketh your selfe ready for the greater begin with the lesser enterprise Nothing will giue you more honour then that First to vindicate those places in which your religiō is oppressed and by that iustifie the more whatsoeuer you shal enterprize If this Christian can giue you these if he can giue you aboundance of all other wants if he can giue you Hostages from his Kings that they shall not in Hungary alone but in other places also fasten vpon that huge body of the Turke and that they shall neither make peace nor truce with him except your Maiesties consent concurre that nothing may be defectiue in so great an action And that your Maiesty may be secure that the weight of all shal not wholly fall vpon your selfe then your Maiesty shall haue some foundation to deliberate on Otherwise I thinke neither his perswasions to be harkened to nor himselfe to be retained who sheweth by his sudden beginning that no fauour grace nor benefits from your Maiesty can acquiet his mind from stirring you against your owne peace tranquillity and security of your state and person Oliuer di-Can answered that there was difference between a proposition which was only moued to be councelled of and a perswasion That he thought I councelled nothing much lesse perswaded but onely propounded that to the king which if it were not then fit to bee executed for reasons that I knew not in the present condition of the kings affaires yet I deserued not so bitter a censure since Princes ought to heare all and elect the best and for that elections sake to animate all to speake freely And because it hath pleased his Maiesty to giue you and me and all of vs leaue to speake as it is all our duties to say what wee thinke so our places are of such a condition that our powers are nothing in resoluing but onely in discoursing before his Maiesty those things which in the truth of our consciences wee thinke meetest for his seruice And if conuenient and necessary things be propounded by a Christian by a Iew or by the worst man liuing not onely in religion but the very disposition of his life I see no cause why you nor I nor any should reiect that which is good for the illes sake since Princes must and ought make their benefite of all men not regarding what they are but how they may serue them This Christian hath come from farre and through great dangers he faith through his affection growing from the excelling fame of his Maiesty and should not I thinke that his glory is worthy to be carried as farre as tongues of men goe And shall not I thinke also that a Merchant speaking of his vertues is not inabled beyond his spirit raised by such a subiect to shew it like it selfe not like his owne Merchandize And why should I iudge him sent by any when hee hath not assumed to himselfe the honour dignity nor priuiledges of an Embassdour in a strange Countrey where no man would neglect any thing which might aduance his quality or security But hee hath onely put himselfe vpon the Kings fauour and what hee hath proposed hath proceeded rather from a minde to merit by some good act that fauour then a demonstration of other dependance for hauing giuen himselfe to the king to serue him without limitation of time but as long as it shal please his Maiesty to serue himselfe of him hee sheweth plainely that hee hath included his hope of fortune and benefite by this or any other action within the compasse only of his Maiesties gracious benignity And seruing his Maiesty in this or any other imployment which his Maiesty
aboundance of what greatnesse soeuer it be will be dried vp and vanish and a short time bringeth it to an end the times of peace gathering by minutes that which the warre spendeth by houres and one yeare of warre consumeth the fruits of many yeares of peace Mustapha Bashaw when Soliman deliberated of the warres which he made with our great king Ismael told him that before he resolued of it that there were foure torrents to be opened the one of men the other of victuals the other of munition the other of money and in all he said well but in the last best For if euery sort of warre require mightie expence questionlesse such a one doth it most which is carried farre from your owne home where the nourishment of your owne countrie may subminister abundance and cheapnesse to your people which the Turke proued true for hauing vndertaken that warre more vpon the Confidence of his resolution then good Councel being a Prince of so great power he so consumed his treasure that hee was compelled to abase the allay of his Gold and Siluer and for all that to raise the price to the double value and to comport it with the falsification of monie and many such great inconueniencies for which the Ianizaries rushed into strange mutinies and many perrillous successes followed yet had he Timarri as your Maiesty hath but wheÌ„ the length quality of the war deuoured theÌ„ faster theÌ„ their abilitie was to beare the Prince was constrained if he would vse them to giue them means of sustenance also your Maiestie which hath a state as yet exceeding feeble and scarce recouered from a mortall sicknesse is so much vnable to beare the burthen of such a warre that by ouer weakning it in drawing from it that small vital sustenance which it hath it may which God forbid occasion the last ruine of it like a sicke bodie which aggrauated with the ill of the disease looseth his naturall vigour Therefore great fortunes and victories sometimes when they meete not with aâ—â—rude of that excellent wisdome and vertue that is able to vse them iudiciously and temperately are the most powerfull meanes of the ruine of the Prince and state when being carried away with the confidence soly of a continuing felicitie they embrace more then they can possibly claspe and the mischiefes which succeede of such ill measured warres fall not only vpon the Prince but are pernicious also to his poore people when through their ambitions and cupidities they are Authors and stirrers of new perturbations Your Maiestie hath now assured your selfe from all such ruines as heretofore kept you from vniting your selfe either for your defence against the Turke or offence when your generall force might make you able for such a resolution and that which is more those men which were accustomably vsed against you are added to your owne power your wants are mony munitions artillarie which you haue time enough to prouide abundantly by the greatnesse vnitie and wealth of your owne Dominions and the Turkes present distractions troubles and generall corruptions which in naturall discourse are likelier to encrease by time then decrease For Good and I 'd haue in the gouernment of men this difference between themselues that Good though it be brought forth by time yet it is not renued by time and though by our studies and industries it be maintained it corrupteth not-withstanding by degrees of it selfe and finally of it selfe also extinguisheth as we may read and see in the succeedings of all states and of all Sects the contrarie of which appeareth in Ill since it doth not wast by little and little through the wearing of time as Good doth but rather increaseth to a more powerfull validitie and by easie passages riseth to the extremitie of declination So that hauing such assurance of the working of time in that qualitie with which the Turke is alreadie infected Your Maiestie may reponder and resolue at leisure of the proceeding of your enterprise only prouide meanes to establish and perfect it when it shall bee concluded This Christian hath brought with him a Founder of artillarie let him bee vsefull to your Maiestie in something and let vs your seruants haue the comfort to see some good fruit of your infinite magnificencie In the meane time by deferring your deliberation Your Maiesty shal euer haue aduaÌ„tage to determine by the progresse and successe of thinges and so shall you either moue or stand what way soeuer you incline vnto more surely founded For your Maiesties sending to the Princes Christian I giue also the same counsell to beware of errour by acceleration since if they be great and haue neede of colligating themselues with your Maiestie as your need of them shall neuer bee without theirs of you both rising from the same either the Turkes potencie to sustaine him ioyntly or his impotencie to dissolue him ioyntly they I say without once measuring obligations honour done or benefits past for their present interest will euer imbrace your fauour and friendship at what time soeuer it shall bee offered If they be Princes of no great power in themselues their suspition feare and iealousie will naturally induce them to combine themselues with your Maiestie or any Prince of a porportionable power for such an effect for the ruine and destruction of a more powerful enemie That this Christian doth insist to haue it done now I cannot discerne his reason for if his condition be good in his owne Countrie it is vnlikely that for the enioying of any other fortune he will perpetually banish himselfe from thence and would be glad to haue such a demonstration there of his valour and fortune to haue bin able to perswade a great King of Persia to such an act in which if the books of our former Kings erre not many great Kings or at least Kings haue faiâ—ed For the present vsing of your Maiesties Souldiers to keepe them in practise and not to suffer their courage to be ouercome with too much and too long ease You haue two wayes one to change often your Armie in Corassane the other to employ them toward Larr and these parts which is a most iust facile and profitable enterprise For taking of Larr you shall bring those of Ormus to an acknowledgement both of tribute and homage to you which will giue a great satisfaction to your Subiects by that beginning conceiuing a hope of greater things and bee the more assured of them and their helpe if you neede it hereafter by the neerer you are to preiudice them if they should not be apt to serue you and the expence can be nothing against a smal King the Tymarri onely of Syraz sufficing for that enterprise But as I haue said thus much by your Maiesties commaundement only so I will neuer make my selfe an obstinate Authour of a Councell but humbly submit what I haue said to your Maiesties excelling iudgement and the resolution of your determination to Gods direction and
your wisedome and the execution to his great prouidence and your Maiesties infinite vertue And laughing vpon me sonne said he haue I not said true of your mind When he had ended I beseeched his Maiestie to vouchsafe to heare me once more which he said was needlesse the day faâ—e spent therefore since euery man had already spoken their opinion he would also say somewhat of his owne and referre the farther deliberation of things vntill an other time The proposition which Mirzâ— Antonio saith he made vnto me is questâ—onlesse in iâ—selfe such an one as I must not only thanke him for propounding it by which it hath receiued life but I must also prouide for the execution of it that the life which it haâ—h may be vsed to good purpose The force of the Turke consisteth in cauallerie infantery gallies artillery munitions money And the cause why they proceeded not in their warre against this state in my fathers time was not eyther the death of Osman Bassa nor their diuersion into Hungary but that ancient art by the which they euer carried their warres which hath beene alwaies to offend and preuent an enemie to vse exceeding celeriâ—ie in all their enterprises to haue their forces in perpetuall readinesse not to attempt two enterprises at one time and if it were possible not to be troubled with theÌ„ at one time not to spend the benefit of time and their men treasure vpon matters of small importance and not to continue a waâ—re long with any to auoid by such a meanes the informing by practise any Prince or his people in the exercise of armes Which if it haue otherwise hapned in Hungary it proceedeth rather from the obstination of the Princes Christian then from any part of his owne desire I said the king want footmen artillery and money which I must make readie the Turks neuer hauing aduantage vpoÌ„ my people through thâ—ir vaiour but onely by that defect Gallies I haue none therefore since they must be necessary for some purpose of which the warres may bring forth the occasion and perhaps also of necessitie and I can only hope for them of the Portugeses it will be an ill counsell to offend them in any point and then afterward vpon a new treatie to relie vpon them in so great a case and in which my necessitie may also concurre For the Turks present state and the iudgement of his future it is a thing facile to make and hard to erre in since by the ordinarie course of the working causes of mutations of states when a gouernment doth proceed from suffering the first abuses to confirme them in the most part of the state a few intelligent instruments are not sufficient to beare the weight of the disorders and to correct them being the nature of men when they flie from one extreeme to runn headâ—ong without any mediocritie into another by which the Turks extreeme obedience is become a direct despisablenesse of his person and authority And this Princes incapacity must be in this point the ruine of their state diffusing the like infection into the members for such as is the Prince such are his greater ministers such are his people Then whether I giue my selfe time or no time for what belongeth vnto him that may perhaps be all one since his being as he is or worse sheweth facilitie enough for the well proceeding of any enterprise fundamentally designed against him Yet many times generall rules faile in particular subiects and a new Prince may can reforme those disorders but the time in truth which my owne wants force me to take and not these arguments which are no other then arguments shall shew that I am not defectiue in those points in which he is But that which I begin shal haue the extract of it from sound counsell and the ending from as perfect vertue if I or my people haue it For the flame of our warre once breaking forth beleeue it will not be so facily extinguished both because great Princes difficilly speak of peace while they feele themselues able to make warres and the diuersity of our religion will striue with a more mortall rancor then contraries Therefore I must strengthen my selfe by all possible waies to beare the furie of it which must be done by the inabling and augmentation of my forces changing the orders of my owne militia to such as are properest for the enemy which I propound to my selfe establishing the gouernment of my countrie in such a sort that the generall abundance may without the feeling of a heauie exaction replenish my treasures cause plentifull prouisions of artillerie armes and munitions and adde to these internal powers of my owne those of the Princes eyther by protection or league of which the first sort I meane I haue alreadie the Georgians being all vnder my protection but it is a weake helpe I being bound by that condition to defend them vpon my charge and they vnable to assist me except vpon the same also And though it be true that they bring me a fashion of reputation yet is it such a reputation as hath no essentiall point of foundation but onely serueth me by ignorance of the quality in which they are vnto me rather then in the substance and strength Leagues are vsually of more appearance then effect and of more splendor in the beginning then of profit or durablenesse in the end so many accidents causing disunion suspition or some other ill quality amongst confederates yet when a league is made for preseruation against the common perill rising from a potent enemie and when diuers bodies are moued to one end and with one consent and not one bodie with diuers consents and euerie one of these hauing particular respect to a diuers end and when if there be any thing acquisited the distribution of the members of that bodie is such vpon whom the acqueit is to be made that there is no possible pretendence from one to the others getting I doe not see but that such a league must bring substantiall reputation and generall commoditie that wil not be subiected to any common accident of dissolution For the Tartars which I haue as subiected if I were Oliuer Di-Chan Haâ—denheaguâ— â—r Basâ—an-Agâ— I could thinke of few better meanes to assure my selfe of their rebellions then those which they haue propouÌ„dâ—d except one addition of suffering them to enioy their ancient order lawes and their particular course of iustice But as I am borne with a mindâ— of another constitution I can secure them better by giuing them to their owne naturall Prince and him to them For to whose father I was â—o much bound that through the royalty of his disposition I hold my life had the beginning of what I am I can do little for the son no gratefull act at all for the memory of the father if I cannot giue him a kingdom which is the least part of what I am To conclude as
then diminish such manner of people euermore easily consenting in vnitie in warre then in peace to be commaunded or yeeld obedience And the greatest powers which are haue beene or may bee which vnited beare all before them the violence of their strength once diuided eyther by time by pâ—tâ—â—â—â— or by diuersitie of fortune which cannot bee at all times and in all places alike may bee and are subuerted The warre it selfe will open and disclose many hidden and swelling wounds which are now onely couered by ignorance and others detracting of their determination And though it be true that the Princes Christian be farre deuided and some of them incombred with particular designes amongst themselues through the passions of their priuate interests yet the Emperour who is the greatest in title and by his alliance of the most power is already ingaged against the Turke which warre hee will more or lesse prosecute according as hee shall haue more or lesse hopes And what greater almost assurance of prosperous successe can be haue then the coniunction with your Maiestie whose power and vertues hee shall know And the mouing of both your ends being the same can loose no propertie in their working by the large separation or distinction of places The Pope also who carrieth a Supreme authoritie among Princes to mooue them to those thinges which shall best preserue or augment the limits of his Church animated by your Maiesties great name and offer will assuredly vse the vttermost of the strength of his authoritie and industrie to reconcile all particular enmities and to combine all hearts to that Generall warre in which euerie particular is truly much interessed if they consider their conscience to their profession and the danger wherewith they all haue beene threatned by that great Enemies potencie diuers Princes hauing alreadie by it suffered the vttermost of ruine Neither shall your Maiestie despaire but that all may be perswaded to so honourable and pious an action being a propertie in mans nature to follow that which hath beene contrarie to their disposition to begin And if they all should not yet the Emperour Pope and King of Spaine absolutely will embrace the amitie honour the name of your Maiestie and vnite themselues in any termes of Princely alliance and your Maiestie shall haue an eternall glorie amongst all for inviting them all to so Noble Generous and Royall an action and at the least draw great intercourse of Merchants of all those parts which will giue an entrance to a kinde of sociablenesse and that will proceed to a common respect and so to a mutuall friendship which will giue the communication and knowledge of many things hidden both in the knowledge vse and profit of them for want of such an intercourse Your Maiestie also wisely desireth to take away all reputation from the Turkish Religion through your Dominions both by scandalizing it publikly punishing it in particular persons Sithence Heresie in all Religion causeth Diuiâ—ion the corrupted part becommeth a pernicious enemie to the Prince who supporteth the contrarie From it arise as from a maine turbulent Spring Treasons Conspiracies secret Conventicles and Seâ—â—tions Besides the greatest and largest way which the Turke hath into your Dominions is the faction of his Sect as Ismael your Predecessor had of that which your Majestie professeth to deuide your state from him He is an absolute and Tyrannous enemie to the Christians Your Maiesties Religion hath a charitable opinion of them and if drinking of Wine burning of their Prophets Images and such lesse apparances be in your Maiesties opinion effectuall things to estrange the peoples heartes from that Religion by a contrarie vse with those opprobries to the other a greater meanes your Maiestie may worke by in giuing libertie of Christian ReligioÌ„ so much abhorred of their part and securitie of trade goods and person to Christians by which you shall bind their Princes expresse the charitie of your Law serue your selfe in diuers thinges of them which haue been hidden vnto you both for your vtilitie strength and pleasure and more invre your people to despise the other Religion by so contrarie so apparant and so great effect Neither can they euer bee dangerous to your Maiestie their increase being alwayes to be limited by your will This also will giue your Maiestie great fame since by their meanes you shall recouer auaileable instruments both to preserue and augment your estate by as Founders of Ordinance Makers of all sortes of Armes and Munition So that though it may seeme a strange act in your Maiestie to bee contented to inlarge to Christian so new and so great a fauâ—ur yet since all great examples euer haue in them some thing oâ— an extraordinarie qualitie those are to bee made vse of that repaire by publique profit those particular disguâ—ls which priuate men may receâ—â—e of them I know that it is for the most part a fâ—â—lâ—cious ambition which imbraceth greedily new and dangerous thinges but to determine and execute fit and conuenient thinges is the proper effect of wisedome and courage Your Maiestie knoweth your present estate remembreth the courses of the times past and the excellencie of your iudgment weigheth that which may succeede hereafter No man receiueth harme but from himselfe nor your Majestie can suffer none but from that which your selfe wil determine of your selfe you are inuited to no act depending vpon fortune but such a one as shal haue his fundation vpon Councel reason and iudgment My satisfaction shall be aboue all other greatest if your Maiestie resolue of that which will bee most secure honourable and commodious for your person state and particular Subjects Well said the King you would then haue me to write to as many of the Christian Princes as are greatest amongst them who if they will apply themselues to our purpose may draw all other lesser vnto it by the example of their authoritie or at the least if they will not consent in that point wil command their Marchants to repaire to our Dominions so that we and they may haue some good friendly vse the one of the other The letters you shall appoint to be written to as many and to whom you will with priuiledge for Marchants and the secure profession of their Religion and peaceable possession of their goods and persons in as ample sort as your selfe will deuise and not onely for them but for al Christians whatsoeuer which for curiositie to see or loue to me wil take pains to come hither or for any purpose so euer being impossible their purpose can at anie time bee ill towards vs which wish them in all things so well And because you haue been the Mouer and Perswader of this businesse you also shal be the Actor of it assuring my selfe that my Honour cannot be more securely reposed many mans hands then your own both in that I iudge of your owne disposition and more in that which I know of your obligation to me besides
There is none so proper an Executor of any enterprise as hee which is the first deuiser of it I humbly thanked his Maiestie for his confidence and excused my inhabilitie to performe so great a charge Many men being more fitte to propound then to execute That requiring a particular valour and experience which I had not Notwithstanding since I would not giue his Maiestie cause to suspect that I had intimated such a thing vnto him as either was so dangerous to carry or impossible to effect that I durst not for those causes vndertake it I would onely beseech of his Maiestie one of his Princes either to be my superior or equall in the Ambassage or such a one as might be aâ—solutely my inferior for a testimony onely of my assured comming from his Maiestie The first I did require because equall authority where there is the selfe same power is commonly pernitions to all actions being impossible to fit two minds of so 〈◊〉 a temper that they should not haue some motions of dissenâ—â—â—g Yet if I must be ioyned through the gratious fauour 〈◊〉 Maiesty who had no more end of his honouring me thâ—n my affection had in seruing him I desired it might 〈◊〉 a noble man whose mind being made to greatnes could not feele the ill working of a sudden alteration The last I required not that such a one could hold any condition in the former reason but as an Armor against enuie and malice beeing a thing incident and almost certaine in all mens natures to behold with sore eyes the new growne felicitie of others and to exact a sharpe account of their fortunes especially in home they haue seene either inferiour or in equalitie with themselues All which hee promised commended my reason and prouidence in that point and offering also presents of great valew and worth to accompanie his Letters which should be goodly Carpets Swords and Daggers couered with Gold and Iewels Plumes according to their Countrey fashion and other things worthy to be esteemed both for the price and rarenesse Then he told me I must recouer my selfe strengthen my minde and come abroad that hee might feast mee before my departure And though it is likely that the disposition of the World euermore inclined to detraction then to a generous beholding of mens actions will in the iniquitie of that nature hardly beleeue the magnificent fashion of that King held towards me then in all points and confirmed by his infinite Royall fauour continued and increased to my brother now Yet the act he did doth plainely demonstrate part of the one and amongst Honourable minds I shall be beleeued for the rest And though that viper of malice which I so much feared did bite me in a maine member of my Honour and infeebled it so much that it remained lame from being able to passe forward in that pase of reputation which so great a labour so many dangers so great an enterprise and so pious an action merited yet it is impossible that malice it selfe much lesse the infusion of it in wicked spirits can take from me the true knowledge to this time and memorie to posteritie that I was a zealous author of so Christianlike a purpose They much mistaking my mind which iudged it rather capable and desirous of apparant then the true substance of things though it be true that euerie man will contend for both when both are his right For thirty dayes continuallie the King made that feast in a great garden of more then two miles compasse vnder tents pitched by certain small courses of running water like diuers riuers where euerie man that would come was placed according to his degree either vnder one or other Tent prouided for abundantly with meate fruite wine drinking as they would some largelie some moderatelie without compulsion A roialty and splâ—ndor which I haue not seene nor shall not see againe but by the same King Our Princes abhorring such vaine expences desiring rather to haue the power of dominion then to make those sorts of ostentation but such is and hath beene anciently the custome of that Country as the holy Booke of God sheweth vs. And if with so great authority itâ—were needfull or comely to produce other histories there are diuers which speake also of many magnificences of those Kings and of that amongst the rest therfore it is euer to be praised for the constant antiquite if not for the reason of the expence The ioy of the feast was much augmented by two great fortunes which gaue themselues at that time to the King which were these The Tartars of Buckehawrd which haue euer beene of greatest reputation amongst all those of the Orient both for their valour in armes and wealth moued vnto it through their owne diuisions the Captaines of which being of validity and proper industrie to enflame the ciuill dissentions and vnfit to temper their alternate good successes It being the condition of troubles and disorders to giue most power and authority to those of the worst sort and most mischieuous spirits whereas to appease them requireth great art and reposed spirits wearied with the vexation of their owne troubles in such a state of things as produced nothing but disorders amongst the factious a desperate rage amongst the vanquished and no authority amongst the victors â— neither the vigour of the lawes standing none almost of the Princes liuing when all these extremities could not bring them to consent to the erecting of their owne estate as it first was of an absolut principality yet by the fame of the king of Persiaes iustice in gouernment the felicity which followed all his enterprises they were brought to consent vnitely in one to send and deliuer themselues and their Country vnder his subiection And the great Moghor King of Labor moued by the like fame sent a great Ambassador to desire a marriage between his eldest sonnes daughter and Cephir Micza a eldest sonne to the King of Persia with a mighty present and as mighty offers both of ready money to pay 30000. men in any warre which the King of Persia should vndertake for seuen yeeres Such a quality hath prosperity when it beholdeth a man or State with affectionate eyes to intruâ—e it selfe vpon him or it though themselues would not anâ— somtimes in things which the wisdom of men holdeth impossible to be intimated and â—nfeasible to be executed which maketh wise men often rather to desire them then to hope for them In this time came vnto me a Portingal Frier named Alphonso Cordero of the order of the Franciscans Secular and an other Armenian Frier of Ierusalem with a message from an other Frier of better estimation called Nichola Di-Meto the effect of which was this that hee had beene Inquisitor generall of the Indies and his time being finished as also hauing receiued commandement from the Pope and King of Spain to return for som other important causes to the