by obstinat force although long first gained the flanker whereby they commanded all that part of the ditch towards the port MARZA MOXET In which place they with wonderfull celeritie so fortified themselues that they could not be hurt by the defendants wherein they were much holpen by their owne great ordinance planted on the other side the hauen MARZA for with it they draue the defendants from the place beat downe the corner of the rampier and battered the front of the bulwarke whose height and greatnesse troubled the enemie but was not so commodious for the defendants for that it was made without flankers But night comming on fiue thousand of the nine thousand Turkes which gaue the assault tarried there wherfore the Christians constrained to forsake the place retired themselues into the castle The Turkes in the meane time couered with the darkenesse of the night with sackes filled with tow and earth filled vp the ditch which was vnder the bulwarke but neither of any great widenesse or depth which done they gaue a fresh assault wherein aboue eight hundred of them were slaine part Ianizaries and part Spachi and besides them many wounded of whom the most part remained halfe dead in the ditch where they perished and could not be relieued Of the Christians was lost fiue and fortie amongst whom were fiue knights of the order Guardampes an Auergnois Masius a colonell of NARBONA Contilia a Spaniard Somaia a Florentine and Neinec a Germane The same night the Great master thinking as reason was that they in the castle of S. ELMO might want helpe sent two hundred of his knights and as many other souldiors into the castle who if they had beene moe together with the foure hundred which were before in the castle might happily haue driuen the Turkes both from the rampiers and the flanker and also kept the place longer But for as much as the Great master wanted souldiors and had therefore sent Saluagus into SICILIA for new supplies as we haue before said hee in the meane time couragiously expected their comming refusing no labour or paine yet bewayling sometime with himselfe the vnfortunatenesse of the Christian princes by whose negligence so fit an occasion for the ouerthrow of the barbarous enemie was let slip But aboue all things he maruelled exceedingly that no helpe yet came especially those two gallies which as we haue said were in all hast sent by Saluagus but they by the masters default kept not the appointed course for first whereas they should haue shunned the West part of the isle and haue turned towards the East they shaped their course Westward to the island of GAVLOS the master vainely affirming that he saw certaine of the Turks galliots lying before port MILIARE which was afterwards well knowne not to haue beene so for the truth was that he for â—eare whereby notable designes are many times frustrated durst not goe forward Whereby it came to passe that the Great master was disappointed of so necessarie a supplie which thing much greeued both the viceroy and others but especially Saluagus For he saw it would come to passe that if the Turkes should take the castle of S. ELMO the most assured bulwarke and defence of the island of MALTA the other places must of necessitie be brought into extreame danger all the way to relieue them being thereby shut vp And that it might be taken seemed not to him impossible the enemie hauing alreadie taken one fort and laying hard siege almost on euery side of that little pile The due consideration of these and such like things grieued the minds of skilfull men especially seeing such slacke preparation in a case requiring such present releefe Yet in the meane time souldiors were taken vp at ROME by the commaundement of Pius Quartus then Bishop to be sent to MALTA and by his example to stirre vp other princes to send aid vnto this sacred warre he gaue a hundred pound of gold to Cambianus legat for the Order and commanded gunpouder and other necessaries for that warre to be taken out of his castle S. ANGELO that so he might seeme to be wanting in nothing that was in him to performe Ouer these souldiors in number six hundred he appointed Pompeius Columna Generall and commaunded Camillus Medices his legat to accompanie him With these went many voluntarie men of purpose to lay downe their liues for the eternising of their names in so religious a warre and that with such an ardent desire as that euery little delay seemed vnto them a yeare Wherefore comming to NAPLES they there found Iohn Andreas Auria with eleuen ships the prince of POPVLONIA with nine Lanicius with three and three others set foorth by other priuat gentlemen In these ships were embarked all those footmen which came from ROME and so transported to MESSANA where the kings fleet was prouiding But whilest the Christians make slow preparation considering the greatnesse of the danger the Turkes not ignorant thereof resolued to proue the vttermost before the strength of the Christians were readie or drawne together For the castle of S. ELMO once taken they assured themselues with more ease to carrie the rest for that thereby they should first haue the hauen MARZA MOXET in their power where their fleet might in safetie ride so long as they pleased and the rising ridge betwixt the two hauens was commodious for them both to batter the towne of S. MICHAEL and to keepe the hauen MAIOR so that none could without their leaue passe in or out thereat Wherefore vpon these and other such like considerations they began againe to batter the castle of S. ELMO as if it had been with thunder which furious batterie they continued for the space of foure dayes together without intermission The night following they suddenly with great force gaue an assault and with their scaling ladders had almost gained the top of the wall when the Christians desirous of nothing more than to come to handie blowes draue them downe againe with such violence that neuer after they durst set ladder to the wall vntill the very last conflict Whilest things were thus hot at the castle of S. ELMO Dragut his souldiors vpon a brauerie as if they had been the only men went to a place called MARTIA SCALA which is betwixt the gallowes and S. Thomas roade as if they would haue done more than the rest Which the Christians beholding out of the towne of S. ANGELO to represse their insolencie sallied foorth vpon them and so welcommed them that they were glad after they had receiued a great losse foorthwith to retire to the place from whence they came Of the Christians was slaine Bonnemius a Frenchman one of the knights and seuen others The same time Monferratus was by the Great master sent into the castle of S. Elmo to commaund there as Gouernour in stead of Brolia for that he with watching and paines taken in defence thereof was fallen sicke The
of Mitylene being himselfe then present and there taken prisoner Such is the lamentable Historie of the Rhodes taken for most part out of Ia. Fontanus his three bookes de Bello Rhodio a learned man then present and in great credit with Villerius the Great Master at such time as that famous island after it had by him and the other worthie knights of the Order beene most wonderfully of long defended was to the great ruth of Christendome taken by the great Sultan Solyman Such is the most tragicall Historie of Baiazet Solyman his youngest sonne collected out of the notable Epistles of Augerius Busbequius Legationis Turcicae he himselfe then lying embassador for the Emperour Ferdinand at Constantinople and present in Solymans campe at such time as he himselfe in person went ouer with his armie into Asia to countenance his eldest sonne Selymus who succeeded him in his Empire against his valiant yonger brother Baiazet and beside well acquainted with the great Bassaes Achmet Rustan Haly and others oftentimes mentioned in the Historie following Such is also the Historie of the taking of the auntient citie of Tripolis in Barbarie from the knights of Malta by Sinan the proud Bassa written by Nicholas Nicholay lord of Arfeuile present at the same time with the lord of Aramont then embassadour for the French king vnto Solyman So might I say also of the miserable spoile of the fruitfull and pleasant islands of the Mediterranean made by Lutzis Bassa Solyman his brother in law and great Admirall with the submitting of the island of Naxos to the Turkes obeâ—sance written by Iohn Crispe at that time duke of the same island And so likewise of diuers other parts of the Historie too long to rehearse But for as much as euery great and famous action had not the fortune to haue in it a Caesar such as both could and would commend vnto posteritie by writing that whereof they might truly say They were themselues a great part many right excellent Generals contenting themselues with the honour of the field and their glorie there woon leauing the honourable fame thereof to be by others reported For lacke of such most certaine authors or rather as I before said eye-witnesses I gathered so much as I could of that remained out of the works of such as being themselues men of great place and well acquainted with the great and worthie personages of their time might from their mouths as from certain Oracles report the vndoubted truth of many most famous exploits done both by themselues and others as might Pau. Iouius from the mouth of Muleasses king of Tunes from Vastius the great Generall from Auria the prince of Melphis Charles the Emperour his Admirall and such others or els out of the writings of such as were themselues great trauellers into the Turkes dominions and withall diligent obseruers of their affaires and state as were the phisitions Pantaleon Minadoie and Leunclauius of all others a most curious searcher of their antiquities and Histories vnto which great Clarkes and some others of that learned profession we may worthily attribute the greatest light and certainetie of that is reported of a great part of the Turkish affairs But these in the course of so long an Historie failing also as by conferring that which is hereafter written together with their Histories is easily to be perceiued to perfect that I had taken in hand I tooke my refuge vnto the writings of such other learned and credible authours as of whose integritie and faithfulnesse the world hath not to my knowledge at any time yet doubted yea for these few late yeares I was glad out of the Germane and Italian writers in their owne language to borrow the knowledge of these late affaires as not yet written in Latin wherein if the reader find not himselfe so fully satisfied as he could desire I would be glad by him to be better enformed as being no lesse desirous of others to learn the truth of that I know not than willing to impart vnto others that little which I know Thus much I thought good to set downe to persuade the Christian Reader of the truth of the Historie following wherein he shall find matter enough to wonder at and no lesse strange than that whatsoeuer it is that is written of the greatest monarchies of auntient time vnto whom for power and maiestie it yeeldeth litle But so much the more worthy our consideration than they for that their periods alreadie run and so their furie ouerpast this in our time so flourisheth and at this present so mightily swelleth as if it would ouerflow all were it not by the mercie of God first and then by the forces of some few of the Christian princes neerest vnto so great a danger with their great charge to their immortall glorie and benefit of the Christian commonweale mightily checked and kept within some bounds and compasse This Historie for the most part thus as is aforesaid passed through and brought to some good perfection was yet by me againe laid aside and like ynough euen as an abortiue fruit to haue perished in the birth before it was growne to perfection had I not many times fainting in the long and painefull trauell therewith by my especiall good friend Sir Peter Manwood of S. Stephens in the countie of Kent knight of the honourable order of the Bath a louer and great fauourer of learning in whose keeping it so for the most part many yeares in safetie rested beene still comforted and as it were againe reuiued and now finally encouraged to take it in hand and so at length as I might to perfect it vnto whom being the onely furtherer stay and helpe of these my labours thou art for such pleasure as thou findest therein if it be any in courtesie beholden Now what I for my part haue in this my long trauell performed I leaue it to thy good discretion to consider contenting my selfe in so great a matter to haue bin willing to haue done somthing wishing no longer to liue than in some measure to be profitable to the Christian commonweale which long since in my nursing mother house Lincolne Colledge in Oxford where I was sometime Fellow I did purpose to persorme as it should please God in time to giue me meanes and occasion in which mind I hope by the goodnesse mercie of Christ so long as I liue to continue Only this fauor to conclude with I request of thee That if in this so long and perplexed an Historie by peecemeale of so many diuersly handled written by me in a world of troubles and cares in a place that affoorded no meanes or comfort to proceed in so great a worke thou chance to light vpon some things otherwise reported than thou hast elsewhere read them as I doubt not but thou maiest not therfore forthwith to condemne what thou here findest being happily taken from a more certaine reporter than was that whereunto thou giuest more credit or at leastwise not
him with a sonne to succeed him in his gouernment euery housholder should giue vnto him a good fat oxe For all which seruice they craued no more but that they might as his subjects liue vnder his protection yet so as to be gouerned by their owne auntient lawes and customes Of which their offer the prince accepting it was forthwith by them proclaimed in their campe and all the people sworne to the performance of the aforesaid agreements And hauing at that present but fiue and twentie thousand in the field they without delay sent out their officers to presse out fifteene thousand moe for the filling vp of the promised number of fortie thousand wherewith they came vnto the prince who taking a view of his armie found himselfe to be now fourescore thousand men strong to welcome the Bassa withall when he should come againe into his countrey Now had Sinan with great speed raised an armie of seauentie thousand choice souldiours amongst whom were many whole bands of the Ianizaries the strength of the Turkish empire With which power joyned vnto the reliques of his other broken forces he thought himselfe strong ynough for the subduing of the prince vnto whom came also afterwards Hassan Bassa the sonne of the great Bassa Muhamet one of the Turkes most renowned men of warre and Bogdanus the late expulsed Vayuod of VALACHIA with many others of great name With this armie the old Bassa by a bridge which he with exceeding charge had made of boats passed ouer the great riuer of Danubius at a towne called ZORZA or GIORGO with vs S. George in VALACHIA a great way beneath that place where sometime the emperour Traian built his famous bridge of stone worthily accounted amongst the rare and wonderfull buildings of the world From ZORZA he marched with his armie to TERGOVISTA sometime the Vayuod his chiefe citie but then in the power of the Turks where is a notable monasterie which he conuerted into a castle fortifying it with deepe trenches and strong bulwarks and good store of great ordinance purposing to make that the seat of his warre vntill he had againe restored those late reuolted countries vnto the Turkish empire which hee vpon paine of his head had vndertaken to performe The prince both by messengers and letters vnderstanding of the Bassaes arriuall there and hauing his armie in good readinesse set forward to meet him and to giue him battell But being come into VALACHIA and there encamped it is reported that a great Eagle descending from an high rocke thereby called The Kings rocke and houering ouer the Christian armie flew about the princes tent and there lighting was taken and presented to the prince who commaunded her to bee kept as the presage of his good fortune holding on still his way and the fifteenth of October being come within halfe a dayes march of TERGOVISTA he vnderstood by two Christians lately escaped from the Turks That two dayes before the Turks hearing of his comming were strucken with such a generall and sudden feare that Sinan had much adoe either by faire meanes or by foule to stay the Ianizaries from flight and that when he had done what he could yet that certaine companies of them were quite fled and gone But the truth was that Sinan seeing the generall feare of his armie and he himselfe no lesse fearefull than the rest vpon the princes approch fled with all his armie leauing behind him for hast his tents his great ordinance with much victuals and other warlike prouision carrying with him onely such things as were of most value As for the citie of TERGOVISTA with the castle which he had made of the monasterie he committed it to the keeping of Hassan Bassa and Bogdanus the late Vayuod now become a renegate Turke with a garrison of foure thousand chosen souldiors promising within a few daies if need should be to relieue them but fled himselfe in all hast with his armie to BVCARESTA a daies journey from TERGOVISTA From whence he presently writ backe againe to Hassan Bassa willing him if he could to defend the castle but if he should thinke it not possible to be kept against the power of the prince then be time to forsake it and to shift for himselfe But these letters being intercepted by the Christians neuer came to the Bassaes hands Not long after the departing of Sinan the prince comming to TERGOVISTA entred the forsaken campe where he found many tents with some ordinance and great store of victuals without further delay summoned both the citie and the castle which for all that were both denied him But the next day after Hassan considering the flight of Sinan the power of the prince and withall doubting if need should be to be relieued by Sinan whom he not without cause suspected not to loue him was about vpon some reasonable composition to haue yielded vp both the citie and the castle wherunto the garrison souldiors being most part of them Ianizaries would not in any case giue their consent but stood vpon the defence of the place Whereupon the prince began furiously to batter both the citie and the castle and after some few houres batterie by assault tooke both and put to sword the whole garrison onely Hassan Bassa as taken with his owne hand he spared and two other Sanzackes Bogdanus the renegate was there slaine among the rest The Christians had there a rich prey besides 42 great pieces of ordinance and good store of all manner of warlike prouision Hassan thus taken grieuously complained that Sinan had of a malitious purpose exposed him to so manifest danger for the grudge he bare vnto his dead father the Visier Muhamet vpon whom because he could neuer be reuenged he now by sinister meanes had cunningly performed it vpon his sonne yet he craued of the prince to bee well vsed offering for his ransome 100000 Hungarian duckats Whilest the prince yet thus lay at TERGOVISTA came thither 4000 Turks whom Sinan had before his departure thence sent forth to spoyle the countrey and to seeke after prey thinking to haue there found him still who now falling into the hands of the Christians were there all slaine and 60000 head of cattell recouered which these Turkes had taken out of VALACHIA and MOLDAVIA and should by Sinans appointment haue been sent to CONSTANTINOPLE For VALACHIA and MOLDAVIA doe so abound with corne and cattell that they plentifully serue the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE not onely with come and flesh but also yearely send at the least 150 ships thither by the black sea laded with other kind of victuals Of which so great commodities the Turkes were now depriued by the reuolt of the aforesaid countries The prince leauing a strong garrison in TERGOVISTA set forward with his armie towards BVCARESTA hoping there to haue found Sinan But he hearing of the losse of TERGOVISTA and thinking himselfe in no good safetie at BVCARESTA fled thence also to ZORZA The prince comming
lamented but hardly or neuer remedied vntill that afterwards led with a more earnest desire to know the strange and fatall mutations by this barbarous nation in former time brought vpon a great part of the world as also so much as I might to see so great a terrour of the present time and in what tearmes it standeth with the rest I had with long search and much labour mixt with some pleasure and mine owne reasonable contentment passed through the whole melancholie course of their tragicall Historie yet without purpose euer to haue commended the same or any part thereof vnto the remembrance of posteritie as deeming it an argument of too high a reach and fitter for some more happie wit better furnished with such helpes both of nature and art as are of necessitie requisit for the vndertaking of so great a charge than was my selfe of many thousands the meanest Not vnmindâ—ull also of that which the Poet keeping decorum saith in like case though farre lesse matter of himselfe Cum canerem reges praelia Cynthius aurem Vellit admonuit Pastorem Tittere pingues Pascere oportet oues deductum ducere carmen When I did sing of mightie kings or els of bloudie warre Apollo pluckt me by the eare and said I went too farre Beseemes a shepheard Titterus his fatlings for to feed And for to fit his rurall song vnto his slender reed Besides that so many difficulties euen at the first presented themselues vnto my view as that to ouercome the same if I should take the labour in hand seemed to me almost impossible for beside the sea and world of matter I was to passe through requiring both great labour and time full of the most rare example â—oth of the letter and worse fortune in men of all sort and condition yeelding more pleasure vnto the reader than facilitie to the writer I saw not any among so many as had taken this argument in hand whom I might as a sure guide or loadstarre long follow in the course of this so great an Historie many right worthie and learned men whose memorie my soule honoureth contenting themselues to haue with their learned pennes enrolled in the records of neuer-dying fame some one great expedition or action some another as in their times they â—ell out yea the Turkish Histories and Chronicles themselues from whom the greatest light for the continuation of the Historie was in reason to haue beene expected being in the declaration of their owne aâ—â—aires according to their barbarous manner so sparing and short as that they may of right be accounted rather short rude notes than iust Histories rather pointing things out than declaring the same and that with such obscurâ—tie by changing the auntient and vsuall names as well of whole kingdomes countries and prouinces as of cities townes riuers mountaines and other places yea and oftentimes of men themselues into other strange and barbarous names of their owne deuising in such sort as might well stay an intentiue reader and depriue him of the pleasure together with the profit he might otherwise expect by the reading thereof whereunto to giue order perspicuitie and light would require no small trauell and paine Not to speake in the meane time of the diuersitie of the reports in the course of the whole Historie such as is oftentimes most hard if not altogether impossible to reconcile Notwithstanding all which difficulties with many others more proper vnto my selfe hauing with long labour and diligent search passed through the course of the whole Historie and so in some reasonable sort satisfied my selfe therein I thought it not amisse as well for the worthinesse of the matter as for the zeale I beare vnto the Christian common-weale and for the satisfying also of some others my good friends much desirous of the same to make proofe if out of the dispersed workes of many right worthie men I could set downe one orderly and continuat Historie of this so mightie an Empire with the great and fatall mutation or rather subuersion of many right strong and flourishing kingdomes and states the proper worke of all mightie rising Empires still encreasing by the fall of others wherewith this proud monarchie hath alreadie daunted a great part of the world being so many and so strange as that moe or more wonderfull were not euer to be seene in any of the greatest monarchies of auntient time or memorie and so together and as it were vnder one view and at one shew to lay open vnto the Christian Reader what I was glad to seeke for out of the defused labours of many a worke so long and laborious as might well haue deterred a right resolute and constant mind from the vndertaking thereof being as yet to my knowledge not vndergone or performed by any wherein among such varietie or more truly to say contrarietie of writers I contented not my selfe as a blind man led by his guide happily of no better sight than himselfe to tread the steps of this or that one man going for a while before me and by and by leauing me againe stumbling in the darke but out of the learned and faithfull workes of many according to my simple iudgement to make choice of that was most probable still supplying with the perfections of the better what I found wanting or defectiue in the weaker propounding vnto my selfe no other marke to aime at than the very truth of the Historie as that which is it selfe of power to giue life vnto the dead letter and to couer the faults escaped in the homely penning or compiling thereof Which the better to performe I collected so much of the Historie as possibly I could out of the writings of such as were themselues present and as it were eye-witnesses of the greatest part of that they writ and so as of all others best able most like also to haue left vnto vs the very truth Such is the greatest part of so much of the Historie of the Greeke Empire as I haue for the better vnderstanding of the rising of the Turkes in this Historie set downe gathered out of the doings of Nicetas Choniates Nicephorus Gregoras and Laonicus Chalcocondiles all writing such things as they themselues saw or were for most part in their time and neere vnto them done Such are the wonderfull and almost incredible warres betwixt old Amurath the second and his foster child the fortunat prince of Epirus of the Turks commanly called Scanderbeg and by that wayward tirant at his death together with his kingdome deliuered as it were by inheritance vnto his sonne the great and cruell Sultan Mahomet all written by Marinus Baâ—letius himselfe an Epirot and in all those troublesome times then liuing in Scodra a citie of the Venetians ioyning vpon Epirus Such is the wofull captiuitie of the imperiall citie of Constantinople with the miserable death of the Greeke Emperour Constantinus Palaeologus and the fatall ruine of the Greeke Empire written by Leonardus Chiensis Archbishop
hands as of his dread soueraigne and after so long discord to sue to be reconciled vnto him as now wearie of the Turkes amitie with whom he should make shew to be vtterly fallen out At which time also to giue the matter the better grace Saladin of purpose with a great armie came and besieged TIBERIAS a citie of the counties jurisdiction for the reliefe whereof the traiterous countie craued aid of the king and the other princes of the sacred warre Who with an armie though not great yet very well appointed came according to his desire encamped neere vnto the fountaine of SOPHOR where they had not long stayed but that they met with the huge armie of the Turkes being in number one hundred and twentie thousand horse and one hundred and sixtie thousand foot with whome they joyned a most sharpe and terrible battell which by reason of the extremitie of the heat of the weather it then beeing the twelfth of Iuly and the approch of the night was againe giuen ouer both armies as if it had been by consent retiring The next day the battell was againe begun wherein the Turkes by the treason and shamefull flight of the false countie of TRIPOLIS gained the victorie In this battell Guy the king himselfe with Gerard master of the Templars Boniface marquesse of MONT-FERRAT and diuers others men of great marke were taken prisoners And to say the truth in this battell was broken the whole strength of the Christians in the East The Christian commonweale by the treason of the false countie thus betrayed vnto the Infidels Saladin without any great resistance had the cities of PTOLEMAIS BIâ—LIS and BERITHVS deliuered vnto him in all which places he vsed his victorie with great moderation not enforsing any Christian more than the Latines to depart thence but suffering them there still to remaine as before yeelding vnto him their obedience with such tribute as he had imposed vpon them With like good fortune he within the space of one moneth tooke all the port townes betwixt SIDON and ASCALON alongst the sea coast excepting only the auncient citie of TYRE vnto the citie of ASCALON also he laid siege by the space of nine daies but loath to stay the course of his victorie by the valour of the defendants resolued there to spend their liues hee departed thence and marched directly vnto HIERUSALEM the chiefe citie of that kingdome And approching the same gaue summons thereunto persuading the citizens yet whiles they had time to yeeld themselues together with the citie vnto his mercie Which they refusing to doe he inclosed the same with his armie and by the space of foureteene dayes laid hard siege vnto it leauing nothing vndone or vnattempted that might helpe for the gaining thereof At which time the citizens considering the danger they were in and that the strength of the kingdome with the flower of their chiualrie were in the late battell lost and that they were not now to expect any forraine aid agreed vpon certaine conditions to yeeld vp the citie which were That such Christians as would might remaine still with their libertie and goods and that such as would not might in safetie depart with so much of their goods as they could carie vpon their backs These conditions being by Saladin granted the holy citie was vnto him deliuered the second of October in the yeare 1187 after it had been by the Christians holden froÌ„ the time that it was by Godfrey of BUILLON other Christians woon about 89 yeares Saladin entring into the citie prophaned first the temple of the Lord conuerting it vnto the vse of his Mahometane superstition the other churches he vsed as stables for his horses onely the temple of the sepulchre was by the Christians for a great summe of money redeemed and so kept vndefiled The Latine Christians he thrust out of the citie yet with leaue to carrie with them such things as they were able themselues to beare who trauailing with heauie burdens but much more heauie hearts some to TRIPOLIS some to TIRE some to ANTIOCH for onely these three cities were now left vnto the Christians in SYRIA were by the false countie of TRIPOLIS by the way lightened of their burthens to the increasing of the heauinesse of their hearts most of them being by him and his followers spoiled of that little they had by the mercie of their enemies saued in the ruine of their state Vnto the other Christians that were naturall Syrians Greekes Armenians Georgians and such like Saladin appointed certaine places of the citie for them to dwell in where some of their posteritie were long time after to be found All the monumenss of the Christians were by the barbarous Mahometanes and Turkes defaced onely the sepulchre of our blessed Sauiour Christ with the monument of Godfrey of BUILLON and his brother Baldwin for the reuerence of the men were by them spared In these so great troubles aboue twentie thousand of the Christians perished amongst the rest the countie of TRIPOLIS was shortly after found dead in his bed and as some say circumcised a manifest token of his reuolt not from the king onely but from the Christian faith also HIERUSALEM thus woon Saladin returned againe to the siege of ASCALON which after he had by the space of tenne dayes most straitly besieged was vnto him by composition deliuered wherein amongst other things agreed vpon for the safe departure of the citizens was comprised also that he should freely set at libertie Guy the king and Gerard master of the Templars both before taken prisoners as is before declared which he afterward performed Thus the victorious Turke still vrging his good fortune departing thence attempted to haue taken TRIPOLIS but hauing made some proofe of his owne forces and the valour of the defendants he was glad to giue ouer the siege and to depart as he came Marching thence with his armie because he would leaue no place vnattempted he laid siege vnto the citie of TIRE where Conrade marquesse of MONT FERRAT was a little before arriued with Isaack Angelus the Greeke emperours fleet and a supplie of certaine companies of good souldiors Vnto which place were come great numbers of the poor distressed Christians fled from HIERUSALEM and other places so that the citie was full of men This citie Saladin most furiously assaulted but was by the Christians notably repulsed not without the great losâ—e of his best souldiors At which time also the admirall of SICILIA discomfited his fleet at sea and landing his forces came vnlooked for vpon the backe of him so that hauing his hands full before by them of the towne and charged behind by these newcome enemies he was glad to retire in such hast as that he left his tents with all that therein was vnto the spoile of the Christians Within a few daies after Saladin hauing againe repaired his armie inuaded the countrey about ANTIOCH with fire and sword destroying whatsoeuer was
of the gates but to keepe them as prisoners coupt vp within the wals of the citie This warlike captaine with this handfull of men passing ouer PROPONTIS encamped at REGIUM not far from CONSTANTINOPLE where by chance lighting vpon certaine poore labouring men Greekes borne in the citie and there dwelling he diligently inquired of them the state thereof and of what strength the Latines were with many other things such as he was desirous to know who not onely told him that the strength of the Latines was but small but also that the greatest part thereof was gone to the siege of DAPHNVSIA a towne not farre off vpon the side of the EVXINE sea and withall as Greekes euill affected to the gouernment of the Latines and desirous of the libertie of their countrey offered of themselues to shew him a meanes how to giue him entrance into the citie These poore men dwelt within the citie close by one of the gates neere whereunto by an old ruinous mine almost swarued vp was a secret vnsuspected way into the citie not knowne to any but to themselues By this blind hole they promised him by night to receiue in fiftie of his best souldiers which suddenly setting vpon the watch fast by and dispatching them out of the way might presently breake open the gate and so let in the rest of the armie whereunto they promised themselues with their friends to put to their helping hands assuring him of the good successe thereof This plot for the betraying of the citie thus laied and agreed vpon Alexius the Caesar well rewarding the men and filling them with greater promises sent them away who as if they had beene about their countrey worke were after their woonted manner receiued into the citie without suspition at all And within a few daies after according to their promise at an appointed houre receiued in by night the aforesaid fiftie souldiours who aided by them presently slew the watch and brake open the gate wherby Alexius entring a little before day in conuenient place put his men in order of battell and afterward to the greater terrour of the Latines caused the citie to be set on fire in foure places which increased with the wind burnt in most terrible manner and was in short time come almost to the emperours pallace Who scarce well awaked and seeing the citie all on a fire about his eares and the enemie comming on was about at the first with those few Latines that hee had for Greekes he had none to haue made head against them But better aduised and perceiuing it to be now to no purpose he the last of the Latine Emperours that euer raigned in CONSTANTINOPLE with Iustinian the Latine Patriarch and some other of his friends fled by sea into EVBOCA and so from thence afterwards vnto VENICE and afterwards to Lewis the French king in hope to haue beene by him and the Venetians relieued After whom fled also all the rest of the Latines Thus the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE by great fortune fell againe into the hands of the Greeks in the yeare 1261 after it had beene in possession of the Latines about 58 yeares The joyfull newes of the recouerie of the imperiall citie was in short time carried vnto Michael Paleologus the Greeke emperour at NICE who at the first beleeued it not as thinking it scarce possible so strong a citie to haue beene by so weake a power surprised where as hee himselfe not long before was not able with a right puissant armie and much other warlike prouision to win the little castle of GALATA ouer against it But afterwards assured of the truth thereof with his hands and eies cast vp towards heauen gaue most heartie thankes to God therefore causing hymnes and psalmes of thanksgiuing to bee solemnly sung in euerie church with all the other signes of joy and triumph that could be deuised So setting all other things apart he wholy busied himselfe in making preparation for his going to CONSTANTINOPLE now once againe the seat of the Greeke empire wherein and in trauelling hauing spent many daies he at length with the empresse his wife and Andronicus his sonne then but two yeares old as if it had been in solemne procession on foot entred into the citie by the gate called the Golden Gate and so after praiers and thankes giuen went to the pallace prepared for him neere vnto the tiltyard for the other imperiall pallaces of greater beautie sometime the stately dwellings of the greatest emperours of the Greekes had now of long during the raigne of the Latines lien ruinous or altogether defaced And shortly after because vertue and true desert should not want their due honour he caused Alexius Caesar by whose meanes the citie was recouered in solemne triumph in his roabs of honour with a crowne vpon his head not much inferiour vnto the imperiall crowne with great pompe to bee carried through all the citie and farther commaunded That his name for one yeare next following in all solemne hymnes and praiers of thanksgiuing should be joyned with the name of the emperour himselfe And yet not thinking to haue done him honour enough caused his liuely image afterward to be most curiouslly made and as a trophie to be set vpon a faire marble piller before the great church of the holy Apostles in perpetuall remembrance of him and that he had done for the deliuerie of his countrey which shortly after ouerthrowne by an earthquake was by his sonne againe restored Now was this great and famous citie sometime the beautie of the word by these strange and fatall mutations woonderfully defaced and brought to great desolation in euerie place was to be seene great heapes or rather to say the truth great hils of rubbidge the eternall witnesses of the ruine thereof the houses stood some quite fallen downe some readie to follow after and some other great and stately buildings now the small reliques of great fires for the great beautie thereof was before at such time as the Latines tooke it most defaced by fire who all the time that they had it ceassed not night and day to destroy some part or other of it as if they had knowne they should not long keepe it neither did this last fire raised by the Greekes themselues to terrifie the Latines a little deforme it for which cause the emperours chiefe care now was to cleanse the citie and in best sort he could to reforme so great a confusion of things not to be all at once amended first beginning with the churches which ruinous or readie to fall he repaired and next to that filled the emptie houses with new inhabitants And albeit that the chiefe of the Latines were together with the emperour fled and gone yet was the most part of the artificers and tradesmen of the citie Venetians and of them of PISA mingled together vnto whom also to joyne the Genowaies and so to fill the citie with Latines he thought it not altogether safe although
disaster fortune banished from their parents and kinred hath enforced to wander here and there with death alwayes before their eyes Let any man tell me how I came by these wounds which I yet beare in my bodie but in fight with the enemies of my countrey which passe ouer out of ASIA into THRACIA or els dwelling neere vnto ISTER doe with their incursions from thence miserably wast that side of THRACIA which is next vnto them For I to tell you the very truth seeing the old emperour by reason of his great yeares to become slothfull and blockish and not possibly to be awaked out of his drowsie sleepe neither any whit to greeue when as the poore Christians his subjects were both by day and night some as sacrifices slaine by the barbarous enemies some carried away into most miserable captiuitie and the rest poore and naked to be driuen out of their houses and cities not to speake in the meane time of the greater mischeefes in ASIA and how many cities haue beene there lost through the old emperours slouth and negligence when I saw these things I say strucken with a piercing greefe which my heart could not indure I went out for two causes Either by some kind of honourable death to end my greefe together with my life or els to the vttermost of my power to stand my countrey in some stead For by no meanes it can come to passe but that a man and he that hath of long time raigned must at length become loathsome vnto his subjects and incurre their deadly hatred For why God hath made nothing in this life immutable and firme whereby it commeth to passe as we see that all worldly things joy and delight in change But if a man will as it were force fortune to his desire and striue to bind things vnto a certaine firme and constant course he shall but lose his labour and in vaine striue against nature But whatsoeuer is contrary vnto nature or exceedeth the just bounds thereof hath in it neither comfort nor delight This was it that caused the wise men to say and to leaue vnto vs as rules Not to dwell too long vpon any thing and a measure to be the fairest vertue For you see how that my grandfather being grown to great years and hauing raigned so long I may almost say as neuer did any but he is become hatefull vnto all his people and yet regardeth not either how to discharge himselfe of so great a burthen or how to releeue the declining state of the empire or so much as greeueth to see the successours of the empire to die before him for my father is dead without any fruit of the empire except the bare title only and others also neerest to him of blood and farre yoonger than he are dead likewise and happely I my selfe may die also before I shall receiue any profit thereof For what can more easily happen especially vnto a man that shunneth no danger and regardeth not his life But some perhaps will suspect me of ambition for departing from the emperour my grandfather and for refusing to bee ruled by him Which thing I neither flatly denie nor altogether confesse for might I see the empire encrease and the bounds thereof enlarged I could willingly content my selfe and at my case take my rest cheering my selfe vp with such hope as doe they that beare with their cookes making them to stay long for their dinner in hope thereby to fare the better But seeing the state of the empire daily to decline from euill to worse and the miserable people carried away captiues or slaine by their enemies euen at the gates and vnder the wals of the imperiall cittie what deeme you mee then to thinke For most men ease their present greefe with the hope of future good although the same be but vaine but vnto mee is not left euen such vaine hope vnto my false comfort And can you meruaile at the impotent affection of the Great Alexander of MACEDON greeued and displeased to see his father to heape victorie vpon victorie and to cut off all the hope of his sonnes glorie by leauing him so few occasions of war and not thinke me to whom you see the quite contrarie is chanced and from whom not only the hope of the empire is cut off for the wasting thereof but euen the course of a quiet life to fret and greeue thereat Mooued herewith and not able longer to endure it at length I rise vp and requested of the emperour my grandfather but a thousand men at armes promising him by the power of God with them to preserue the cities in BYTHINIA and to driue his enemies farther off before that hauing them they should passe ouer the strait and besiege the imperiall citie of CONSTANTINOPLE which so small a request he not onely denied me but hath euer since taken me for his mortall enemie But this and many other things els let passe I haue now another request vnto him by you which is That he would giue me eight thousand duckats to content my souldiors withall who now of long haue from place to place romed vp and downe with mee following mine vncertaine fortune which graunted I will no more bee vnto my grandfather troublesome but dismissing my forces hold my selfe right well contented Hauing thus said he rise out of his seat and taking them apart one after another courteously discoursed with them so filling them with great hopes sent them away who departing from him comming into the citie became as it were the open proclaimers of his praises enflaming the people with a greater desire of him than before Which the old emperour hearing and perceiuing almost all his friends in the citie to be in heart reuolted from him and withall fearing to be of them in some suddaine concourse slaine was therewith exceedingly vexed Yet he thought it best before any such thing should happen to prooue their minds and to heare the counsell of the Patriarch and Asanes and the other bishops also vnto whom being by one of the Senators called together he declared his mind as followeth Were I assured that hauing deposed my selfe of the imperiall dignitie I should my self liue in safetie and see my people well gouerned I would I should neuer be of the company of the faithfull if I did not by much prefer a pleasant quiet contented life before an empire For if a man would seek for the pleasure of the mind what can be more pleasant than to be disburdened of all cares and free from such dangers as attend high estates But if for my sinne and the sins of my people as also for the sinne of mine ancestors the vengeance of God in manner of a violent tempest raging against vs subuerteth our empire and I yet but a youth by the helpe of God reformed and quieted the state of the empire greeuously troubled with discord in the Church and the often inuasion of the enemie and taught by
he caused his vauntgard to march towards ALEXANDRIA and hauing passed ouer the riuer euen in an instant turned directly vnto CAIER to the great astonishment of the Sultan who made prouision for the defence of ALEXANDRIA as the neerest vnto danger But vnderstanding of these newes vsed such diligence that he entred into the citie with fortie thousand horse and threescore thousand foot euen as Tamerlane his armie aproached purposing in person himselfe to defend it By whose comming the great citie readie before to haue reuolted was againe in his obedience confirmed to the great hinderance of Tamerlane his affaires for to remaine long before it was impossible for want of victuals for so great an armie in the enemies countrey Yet notwithstanding all this did not Tamerlane forbeare to draw neere vnto it and with all his armie to encampe neere vnto the same hauing caused a great trench to bee made for to couer his horsemen and thereby to lodge his armie more safely during which time he caused diuers onsets to be giuen as well to trie what confidence the enemie had in himselfe as to see how the people of the cittie especially the slaues which in that populous cittie are infinite were affected towards him who certainely enformed him of the state of the cittie and the armie as glad to see the same by him shut vp and the proud Mamalukes still put to the worst But thus lying still at the siege one day he thought it good to shew his armie before the citie for to trie whether the enemie had a desire to come to a daie of battaile or not as also to view what forces he had and so indeed to seeke occasion to fight In hope also that if the Sultan did come foorth with all his armie into the field some reuolt might happen within the cittie as well by the slaues vnto whom libertie was by him promised as by the cittizens themselues discontented with the insolencie of the Mamalukes entered of late into the cittie with the Sultan vnto whom he had made it knowne by certaine slaues for that purpose fled as fugitiues out of his armie into the cittie how that hee was not come to hurt them but onely for the destruction of the Mamalukes both his and their enemies But betimes standing so in battaile array no man came foorth neither was there any tumult or sturre raised in the cittie as hee had expected For the Sultan in so great a cittie well prouided of all things was resolued to wearie him out with lying still and not to put all to the hazard of a battaile Which Tamerlane perceiuing and set downe not to depart thence but victorious resolued likewise to force him euen in his greatest strength in the heart of his greatest citie although it were not to be done but with great aduenture such confidence he had in the strength and multitude of his armie Now his purpose was first to take one of the cities for CAIRE is diuided into three therin encamping himself by litle litle to aduance forward as he might stil fighting with the enemy Vpon which resolution he commaunded an assault to be giuen and hauing brought his footmen vnto the place where he would haue them to giue the onset for the citie was not walled but onely fortified with ditches and trenches he commaunded the prince of THANAIS with fiftie thousand footmen to begin the assault euen in the face of the enemie which hee most valiantly perfourmed and there began a most terrible and cruell fight Axalla in the meane time deeming as the truth was that the Sultan had drawn his greatest forces vnto the place where the prince of THANAIS sought to enter as vnto a place of greatest danger fet a compasse about and vpon another quarter of the citie with small resistance passed the trenches where he presently left thirtie thousand men to fill vp the ditches and to make way for the horsemen to enter aduancing forward himselfe against twentie thousand sent by the Sultan to haue stopped his further passage the prince of THANAIS being at the same time almost beaten backe by the Mamelukes But the way being made plaine by them that were for that purpose left by Axalla and ten thousand horse entred which charged vpon the backs of the Mamelukes where the Sultan himselfe was and they seconded by ten thousand moe sent in by Tamerlane following himselfe after with all his power the Sultan retired vnto a second strength which he had made in the next citie The fight endured full the space of seauen houres wherein were slaine of the Sultan his men aboue sixteene thousand and of Tamerlanes betwixt seauen and eight thousand Who contented to haue dislodged the enemie and gained a third part of the citie caused a retrait to be sounded in hope the next daie to winne all the rest as indeed he did For the prince of THANAIS the next daie forcing the enemies trenches in one place and Axalla in another the Sultan after a great fight finding himselfe hardly pressed by the obstinate enemie and too weake long to hold out retired and so forthwith abandoned the citie and encamped himselfe along the side of the riuer NILUS with purpose to passe the same and to flye to ALEXANDRIA his second strength and refuge Which Tamerlane suspecting followed after him with his horsemen who onely were in order and some few foot hardly drawne from the citie which their fellowes were in spoiling so as hee was glad to promise them especially to regard and reward their good seruice Against whom the Sultan vpon a narrow cawsey had opposed twelue or fifteen thousand men whom he called his slaues to fauour his passage but were indeed his best souldiours and stood fast the place seruing greatly for their aduantage who for all that at length forced by their enemies still increasing vpon them though not without great losse cast themselues into the great riuer and made a most honourable retrait euerie man hauing his weapon in the one hand and swimming with the other to the farther banke The Sultan flying with some eighteene thousand horse for the rest were sundrie waies fled or else drowned is reported in his flight to haue comforted his men by telling of them That they were not men that had vanquished them but gods there appeared in them so great wisedome force and valour diuers of the Mamelukes taken in the late fight being brought before Tamerlane and by him courteously vsed were of him demaunded if they could be content to serue him now that their maister was fled and gone which they all vtterly refused Whom notwithstanding for their fidelitie Tamerlane set at libertie to goe againe vnto the Sultan as no lesse desirous to be admired of his enemies for his bountie and courtesie than feared for his force and valour The wonderfull wealth of this so great and famous a citie became a preie vnto his souldiours who for the space of foure and twentie houres
the way towards CROIA But when he began to draw neere to the citie he sent Amesa before with two seruitours attending vpon him as if he had been his Secretarie to certifie the Gouernour of his comming This young gentleman as he was of a most sharpe wit and well spoken so had be framed his countenance and attire that he seemed to be a naturall Turke who assoone as he was come into the citie he went vnto the gouernor whom after he had saluted according to the Turkish manner hee deliuered his message as from Scanderbeg his maister with so good grace and words so well placed that all he said was verily beleeued for truth But when Scanderbeg himself came and had deliuered the great commaunders letters the Gouernour made no further question of the matter but presently deliuered vnto him the gouernment of the citie and the next day departed out of CROIA with all his houshould towards HADRIANOPLE Scanderbeg hauing by this pollicie got the gouernment of the cheefe citie of EPIRVS the night following found meanes in the dead time of the night to receiue into the citie the souldiors of DIBRA who were by this time come according as he had before appointed most part of them hee placed in most conuenient places of the citie and for the speedie suppression of the Turkish garrison hee with the rest first set vpon the Turkes which kept the watch vpon the wall and slue them and afterwards breaking into their priuate houses slew many of them in their beds the Christian citizens also taking vp armes at the same time helped to increase the slaughter of the Turks so that in the space of a few houres there was none of the Turkish garrison left aliue except some few which were content to forsake their Mahometan superstition and to become Christians Many of the Turks might so haue saued their liues and would not choosing rather to die and as it is reported also to kill themselues than to forsake their damnable superstition so small is the regard of life vnto resolute mindes in what quarrell soeuer The citie of CROIA being thus happily by Scanderbeg recouered wherein appeared both the greatest difficultie and hope of his good or bad successe in so great an attempt he presently sent Amesa backe again into DIBRA and other speedie messengers likewise into all the parts of EPIRVS to dispierce the newes and to stirre vp the people to take vp armes for the recouerie of their lost libertie but flying Fame the speedie post had preuented the messengers by him sent and alreadie filled euerie corner of EPIRVS with report of Scanderbeg his comming and of all that was done at CROIA And the oppressed Epirots which had long wished to see that happie daie were now vp in armes in euerie place wanting nothing but leaders whose comming although they greatly desired yet they stayed not therevpon but running together by heapes as the mâ—ner of the common people is in all great tumults they set vpon the Turkes garrisons which lay abroad in the countrey and slew most part of them whereby it came to passe that no Turke could stirre in the countrey but that he was snatched vp and slaine so that in few daies there was not a Turke to be found in EPIRVS but such as lay in garrisons in strong townes In this 〈◊〉 of the people the Gouernour of CROIA with all his reâ—â—nue was by the countrie people by the way as he went set vpon and slaine and all his goods taken as a prey When Scanderbeg had thus recouered CROIA and scoured the countrey yet to remooue the garrisons which Amurath had put in euerie strong citie was thought to be a matter of great importance and more difficultie For which purpose he commaunded those whom he had appointed for captaines speedily to repaire vnto CROIA with all the power they could make 〈◊〉 which time also diuers noble men his nigh kinsmen resorted vnto him with their followers so that within a few daies he had together at CROIA twelue thousand souldiours well appointed With this armie he marched from CROIA to PETRELLA a strong citie 25 miles distant from CROIA and encamped before it This citie is strongly scituate vpon the top of a steepe rocâ—e mountaine as all the rest of the cities of EPIRUS be and was by the Turks well furnished with men munition and others things needfull yet Scanderbeg was in good hope that the Turkish garison there terrified with the fortune of the garrison of CROIA and the slaughter of the Turks in the countrey round about would be glad to hearken vnto reasonable conditions Which to make proofe of as soone as he was encamped he sent one of those souldiours which had followed him out of HUNGARIE a faithfull and wise fellow vnto PETRELLA to offer vnto the souldiors That if they would yeeld vp the citie it should be at their choice either to continue in seruice with Scanderbeg with whom they should find most bountifull entertainement or else to depart in safetie with bagge and baggage at their pleasure with an honourable reward to bee diuided amongst them The subtile messenger comming thether and framing his tale according to the present occasion and necessitie of the time first declared vnto them how that Amurath of late vanquished by the Hungarians in a great battaile and looking euerie day to bee set vpon by diuers other Christian princes was so busied that he had no leasure to looke into EPIRVS or to send them any releefe after that he in the name of Scanderbeg offered them the conditions before rehearsed setting the same forth with many great words willing them oftentimes by the way to consider the dreadfull miserie that but the other day befell to the garrison at CROIA and other their fellowes abroad in the countrey whose dead bodies as then lay in euerie corner of EPIRVS for a prey to the hungrie dogs and greedie wolues which thing was easily beleeued of them of the garrison for that diuers of the Turks lately fled out of the countrey into the citie had themselues seene the same to be true The Gouernour hauing a little considered of the matter was content to giue vp the citie vpon condition that he with the souldiours might in safetie depart with such things as they had not couenanting vpon any further reward because it should not be said that he had sould the citie Which when Scanderbeg had faithfully promised to performe the Turkish Gouernour comming forth with all his garrison yeelded vp the citie and Scanderbeg mindfull of his promise gaue vnto them both meat and money and sent them with a sufficient conuoy of horsemen in safetie out of EPIRVS When Scanderbeg had thus gained PETRELLA he placed therein a conuenient garrison and set all things in order as he thought good but suffered none to enter into the citie more than the appointed garrison although it was then verie cold and frostie weather This done he presently raised his campe and
vpon any man yet is it the token of a most vnthankfull nature so easily to forget all kindnesse past as to need to be put in remembrance therof Wherfore Scanderbeg I cannot but bewaile thy hap and lament thine estate For to let passe the health of thy soule which thou a very reprobat esteemest as nothing not to speake of the lawes of Mahomet by thee despised and the holy prophet by thee contemned for the zeale thou hast vnto the Christian superstition what hast thou which now holdest thy poore and base kingdome in such price euer wanted at my hands of all those things which most delight the desires of men Diddest thou euer want armoâ—â— horses a great traine of followers and seruants money or other superfluities the allurements of all ages Or diddest thou want matter to exercise thy valour for encrease of thine honour Wast thou euer denied preferments dignities and honours of all sorts fit for thine age both at home and abroad Was any man in my court deerer vnto me than thy selfe What growing wit not of strangers onely but of them that were neerest vnto my selfe was better welcome vnto me than thine With what carefull instruction did I cause thee to be brought vp When thou wast deliuered vnto me almost a child I daily cherished and encreased thy hoped towardlinesse with learning and nurture I haue at all times honoured thee with rich rewards magnificall praises and honours of the field which of all worldly things is most glorious so that in all feats of armes no souldior was to me better knowne or captaine of me more honoured For all these great benefits Scanderbeg thou now shewest thy selfe such an one that I may be thought not to haue brought vp such a man as I hoped for but a very serpent in mine owne bosome But the loue of thy countrey did moue thee which if thou hadst asked of me would I haue denied the same vnto thee Which if thou doest well remember I so oftentimes voluntarily profered vnto thee But thou haddest rather to gaine the same by trecherie than to receiue it at my hands of courtesie So thine be it therefore on God his name and that with my very good will And verely according to my accâ—stomed clemencie towards all them whom I haue once well knowne and beene familiarly acquainted with I now pardon thee all thou hast offended me not for any thy present deserts which are none but because in this publique enmitie it pleaseth mee to remember my former kindnesse in priuat towards thee and thy faithfulnesse sometimes in my affaires especially for that the time was much longer wherein thou seruedst me than the time wherein thou hast offended me CROIA and thy fathers kingdome although thou hast gained the same by fowle treacherie I giue vnto thee vpon condition thou willingly restore vnto me the other townes of EPIRVS which by no right belong vnto thee but are mine by law of armes by my selfe honourably wonne Whatsoeuer thou hast taken from my father in law the prince of SERVIA thou shalt forthwith restore and make him an honourable recompence for the other harmes thou hast done vnto him and for euer hereafter thou shalt as well forbeare to offer violence to any our friends as to aid any our enemies So shalt thou for euer auoid the displeasure of the Turks and stand in my good grace and fauour as thou hast done before except thou haddest rather being taught by thine owne harmes then in vaine crie for mercie when thy furious outrage shall haue me in person an implacable reuenger Thou knowest thy forces thou knowest the strength of mine armes thou hast before thine eies the fresh example of the Hungarian fortune so that thou needest no further admonitions Yet I would thou shouldest write at large what thou intendest to do Thou maiest also conferre with Ayradin our seruant our trustie and faithfull messenger of whom thou shalt vnderstand more than are in these letters comprised Farewell if thou be wise From HADRIANOPLE To these letters Scanderbeg gaue small credit and lesse to the messenger but least of all to the old Fox himselfe whom he well knew to haue written nothing simply of good meaning but onely to gaine a cessation from warres vntill he might at better leasure set vpon him with all his forces wherefore calling Ayradin the messenger vnto him whom he rather held for a craftie spie than an honourable embassador after hee had many times both publiquely and priuatly discoursed with him so farre forth as was possible to sound the depth of his comming and had also further entertained him with all honourable courtesies hee shewed him all his campe with the strength thereof which hee did because he would not haue the craftie messenger to thinke that he was any thing afraid of his maisters greatnesse And at last greatly complaining of Amurath his cruell and perfidious dealing against his father his brethren and himselfe he sent him away with such answere in writing as followeth The souldiour of Christ Iesu George Castriot surnamed Scanderbeg prince of EPIRVS to Amurath Ottoman king of the Turkes sendeth greeeing Thou hast in times past as thou writest exceeded mee in many kinds of courtesies and at this present I will exceed thee in modest and temperat speech For I thinke there is no greater token of a base mind than to be able to forbeare to giue railing and opprobrious words euen vnto our most mortall enemies Wherefore we haue with patience receiued and seene both thy letters and messenger and to confesse a truth they haue ministred vnto me greater occasion of smile than choller whilest at the first thou shamest not to accuse me of much ingratitude treson and presently following a milder passion seemest carefull of my soules health being ignorant of thine own miserable estatâ— as a studious defender of a most damnable errour And at last keeping neither law of armes nor orderly course answering to our affaires doest most insolently and vnaduisedly as a valiant conqueror to his vanquished enemie propound many conditions of peace of such qualitie and condition that mine eares scorne to heare the same Truely Amurath although thy immoderat railing might mooue a man of greatest patience to intemperat speech yet I impute the same partly to thy great age and partly to the waâ—wardnesse of thy nature and the rest to thy conceiued griefe which I know thou canst hardly moderat and the more for that I haue not set downe my selfe to contend with thee in foule and vnseemly language but with armes and the just furie of warre Yet I pray thee wherfore doest thou so exclaime vpon me before God and manâ— as though thou hadst first suffered wrong and injurie from me and that thou hadst not in truth first don the same Doest thou call my necessary departing a perfidious treacherie my natiue countrey by my policie and valour recouered doest thou object to me as a villanie object the same still and spare
Erdebil whom Iouius calleth by the name of Harduelles a man honorably discended amongst the Persians who contemning worldly honour riches pleasure and whatsoeuer else belonged vnto delicacie of life commonly accounted the greatest part of humane felicitie as meere vanities and trifles led such a straight and austerâ— kind of life with such continencie and contempt of the world as that the vulgar people for most part giuen to pleasure wondering at that in him which they could not or would not themselues imitate began to haue the man in singular admiration for the opinion they had conceiued of his vpright life and rare vertues The fame of this new prophet for so he was accounted was growne so great in the Persian kingdome that people without number resorted out of all parts of PERSIA and ARMENIA vnto the great citie of TAVRIS to see the man And he the more to seduce the multitude delighted with nouelties began to inuay against the common receiued opinion of the Mahometanes concerning the true successours of their great prophet and to reuiue the opinion of Giâ—ni surnamed Soâ—i persuading the people as if he had been inspired with some diuine inspiration That none of the professors of the Mahometane religion should inherit the kingdome of heauen after they were dead but such as were the followers of Haly the true successour of the great prophet Mahomet and his fellow in writing Whom he taught them onely to honour as priuie to the mind of the great prophet and so to receiue his writings as of all others most authenticall rejecting Ebubekir Omer and Osman with their writings as most wicked accursed men whom the Turkes had euer and yet doe with the other Mahometanes honour and worship as the true successours of their great prophet Mahomet and his sincere interpretors togither with the aforesaid Haly whom the Persians doe onely acknowledge and therefore in their praiers doe commonly say Cursed be Ebubekir Omer and Osman and God be fauourable to Haly and well pleased with him Which their difference about the true successor of their prophet in whom was no truth hath been and yet is one of the greatest causes of the mortall wars betweene the Turks and Persians and not the diuers interpretation of their law as manie haue written which among the Turkes and Persians is all one Vsun-Cassanes mooued with the fame and vertues of this new prophet or rather as some thought desirous to win the hearts of the multitude of them that had receiued this new phantasie gaue him in mariage his daughter Martha begotten of the Christian ladie Despina the daughter of Calo Ioannes emperour of TRAPEZONDE Which marriage the Christian emperour made with that Mahometane prince and he also accepted thereof thereby to strengthen themselues against the Turkish emperour Mahomet the Great whose power was then become a terrour vnto all his neighbour princes but to how small purpose this policie serued them both is before declared in the life of the same Mahomet At the conclusion of this marriage the emperour had specially couenanted with Vsun-Cassanes that his daughter Despina might haue the free exercise of the Christian religion Whereby it easily came to passe that this Martha her daughter instructed by her mother became a Christian also who now married by her father vnto this precise hypocrit Haider Erdebil in short time bare him a sonne called Hysmael whom she so much as she could trained vp in the principles of the Christian religion Whereby it came to passe that afterwards when hee had by rare fortune obtained the kingdome of PERSIA he alwaies during his life had the Christians in good regard and neuer found fault with their religion Haider thus graced with the marriage of the great kings daughter Martha only for his rare vertues and puritie of life as was commonly supposed grew now into farre greater credit and estimation of the people than before So that his doctrine and opinions began to be generally receiued and the number of his followers so greatly augmented that Iacup succeeding his father Vsun-Cassanes but lately dead began to haue the power and credit of Haider his brother in law in suspect and to distrust least the Persians who secretly fauoured the remainder of the posteritie of their auntient kings should assemble togither vnder the colour of this new superstition and raise some dangerous rebellion before he were well setled in his seat For he was not ignorant that Asembeius Vsun-Cassanes his father had but by force and pollicie vsurped the kingdome hauing killed Moloonchres the lawfull king whereof there arose two factions some fauouring the vsurper and other some the poore remainder of the discent of their auntient kings of the race of Tamerlane For which causes Iacup as hee was of suspitious and troublesome nature and aboue measure jealous of his state nothing regarding the neere alliance or reputed holinesse of his godly brother in law caused him suspecting no such matter to be secretly murthered and so hauing strucke off his head with fire and sword persecuted all the professors of that new doctrine so to deliuer himselfe for euer of that his vaine and needlesse feare Hysmael the sonne of Haider who was afterwards called the great Sophi of PERSIA being then but a child as it were by fatall destinie escaped the furie of his cruell vncle Iacup and fled into HIRCANIA vnto one Pyrchales his fathers friend who then ruled in a small territorie neere vnto the Caspian sea Amongst many other of the disciples and followers of Haider which in that cruell persecution were glad to flie for safegard of their liues the two before named Chasan Shelife and Schach Culi afterwards surnamed Cuselbas in outward shew both of vertue and learning not inferiour vnto their master flying that dangerous tempest and passing ouer the riuer Euphrates came into ARMENIA the lesser and there tooke vp their dwelling at the great mountaine ANTITAVRVS at the foot whereof the broken rockes haue diuers darke and obscure caues made partly by art and partly by nature which place is of the inhabitants called Teke-Ili whereof diuers historiographers I know not whether deceiued by the name of the place or else wittingly transferring the name of the place vnto the man that liued therein haue called this Schach Culi who of the two proued of greater fame by the name of Techellis by which name we will also from henceforth call him A thing heretofore much vsed amongst the religious and also some of the children of great princes who oftentimes bare the names of the places where they were borne or where they most liued This place is both wholsome and exceeding pleasant for the varietie of fruits and liuely springs wherwith the plaines adjoyning are continually watered and the mountains at all times of the yeare garnished Here Shelife with his companion Techellis hauing separated themselues farre from the companie of men and giuen themselues wholy to a contemplatiue life for diuers
before receiued so great hurt Selymus by speedie flight thus got out of the hands of the Persians found his passing much more dangerous at the mountaine ANTITAVRVS than he had before thought of For Aladeules the mountaine king hauing now his fortune in contempt and diligently waiting for his prey had with his sauage people before taken all the straight passages of that mountaine countrey who euery night in theeuish manner assailed the Turks as they with their weake and wearie companies passed through those rough and broken wayes and robbing their carriages presently fled into their haunts and places of refuge in the thicke woods and rockie mountaines Aladeules himselfe in the meane time by whose fraud all this was done euery day excusing himselfe as if it had beene done against his will by the rude mountaine people enured to such desperate robberies whom neuerthelesse he said he would in short time seuerely chastise so soon as he could find the authors thereof In the meane while for fashion sake sending a little spare prouision for certaine dayes did euery night rob and spoile the Turkes by his souldiours as they could take them in places of aduauntage Against which mischeefes Selymus could neither by policie neither his souldiors by industrie prouide any sufficient remedie Wherfore dissembling the injuries he dayly receiued purposing to be thereof in time reuenged together with the foule and trecherous dealing of that faithlesse king holding on his way he with much adoe came at length to TRAPEZOND and from thence to AMASIA where he spent that Winter in repairing his sore weakened armie purposing with the first of the Spring to make warre vpon Aladeules and the mountaine people who in his returne had done him so great harme and injurie In this sort Iouius one of the great historiographers of that time reporteth the aforesaid wars betwixt Hysmael and Selymus whose credit in that matter other writers haue since for most part followed Howbeit Io. Ant. Maenauinus a Genoway who serued in these warres doth in his booke concerning the Turkish affaires dedicated to the French king much otherwise report the same which to satisfie the desirous reader I haue thought good here in few words to set down as it is by himselfe reported Selymus saith he with his armie in number about three hundred thousand men being come to the riuer Euphrates found the bridge broken downe by his nephew Amurat and his enemies encamped in conuenient place on the farther side of the riuer with their forces greatly encreased by new supplies lately sent from the Persian king so that there was then in the Persian armie about ninetie thousand men horse and foot the horsemen for most part furnished with two horses apeece for seruice and though Selymus did what hee might to know whether the Persian king were in person himselfe in the campe or els which hee most feared was raising of greater forces in PERSIA yet could he by no meanes learne the truth of that he desired Wherfore repairing againe the broken bridge he first sent ouer his two great lieutenants of GRaeCIA and NATOLIA who passing ouer the riuer encamped themselues as they thought conuenient The next morning about two houres before the rising of the Sunne Amurat suddenly assailed the great commander of GRaeCIA Casan Bassa in his trenches and by plaine force discomfâ—ted the Turkes and by good fortune tooke from them their tents whereupon such a terrour and feare came vpon the other great commaunder of NATOLIA that his souldiors thrusting themselues for feare into the riuer swam ouer with great danger and againe joyned themselues with the rest of the armie Selymus troubled with the great losse thus receiued caused all his great artillerie to be placed all alongst the hithermost banke of the riuer Euphrates and because the enemie should not perceiue the same raunged certaine companies of his souldiors before the ordinance as if they should presently haue passed the riuer who vpon signall giuen should forthwith withdraw themselues and giue place to the great ordinance bent vpon the enemie But when fire was giuen to these great pieces many of them being ouercharged burst in sunder and slew diuers of the Turkes many also of their horses and mules being neere vnto the riuers side and terrified with the thundering shot leapt into the riuer and were there drowned together with their riders The Persians also hauing receiued great losse retired farther off for feare of the great artillerie So Selymus without resistance passing ouer the riuer marched forthwith toward the enemie whom the Persians as men nothing dismaied notably encountered The battell was of long time doubtfull and much bloud shed on both sides and if the approch of the night had not broken off that mortall fight the Persian armie rather ouercharged with the multitude of the enemie than vanquished by valour had vndoubtedly receiued a great ouerthrow but through the benefit of the night they without further losse escaped the pursute of the Turkes Vpon this victorie Selymus left his carriages and baggage with his footmen and taking with him only his horsemen set forward with intention to haue vpon the suddaine surprised the regall citie of TAVRIS before the fame of the late fought battaile could be carried thither the Persians in the meane time being no lesse carefull of their affaires The day before ten thousand fresh horsemen well appointed which had not yet beene in the battaile were comming to Hysmaell these he craftely laied in the Turkes way commaunding them vpon the approch of the enemie to flie as if it had beene for feare Selymus in the morning hauing descried these horsemen at hand supposing them to be such of his enemies as being ouertaken with the night were not able to follow the rest of his armie exhorted his souldiors couragiously to pursue their discouraged enemies The Persians seeing the Turks of purpose betooke themselues to flight and they suspecting no deceit followed fast after them vntill that about mid day being wearie of the pursute and comming to a little riuer which was in their way they there stayed to refresh themselues and after they had taken a short repast againe pursued the Persians still leauing behind them such as were not able so fast to follow prickt forward with hope that before night they should surprise and ransacke the rich citie of TAVRIS The Turkish horsemen thus drawne farre from the footmen the Persian horsemen left in ambush in the meane time set vpon the Turkes footmen lying as they supposed in great securitie and with a great slaughter ouerthrew them at which time they also tooke all Selymus his treasure and great artillerie Which ouerthrow was by speedie posts about two a clocke in the night made knowne to Selymus who now in his mind alreadie conceiued the sacking of TAVRIS and withall that the fierce enemie was following him at the heeles Selymus wonderfully abashed with this vnexpected newes and the losse of his footmen forthwith began to
vnto him men skilfull in the lawes and customes of the countrey and calling before him the embassadours of all the cities of the countrey he heard and decided the greatest controuersies of the Syrians appointed gouernours ouer the prouinces and cities tooke view of the tributes and customes and abrogated many customes and tributes due vnto the old Sultans which seemed either vnreasonable or grieuous to the people thereby to gaine the fame of a just and bountifull conqueror When he had thus set all things in order in SYRIA and sufficiently rested and refreshed his armie and especially his horses which with long and continuall trauell were growne maigre and leane he of nothing more desirous than of the conquest of AEGYPT and the vtter subuersion of the Sultans state and Mamalukes gouernment sent before Sinan Bassa into IVDEA with fifteene thousand horsemen and a strong regiment of harquebusiers selected out of the Ianizaries and other souldiors to trie the passage of that countrey and to open the way for him to GAZA which was thought would be vnto him verie troublesome by reason of the wilde Arabians roaming vp and downe that countrey The citie of GAZA standeth neere the sea towards AEGYPT not farre from the sandie desarts whereby men with much difficultie and dangerous trauell passe out of SYRIA and so to CAIRE In the meane time the Mamalukes who vnder the conduct of Gazelles were come to CAIRE with all the rest of their order which were thither assembled from all parts of the kingdome entring into counsell togither as it often falleth out in time of danger and distresse without all contention or enuie chose Tomombeius of the Turkes called Tuman-bai a Circassian borne to be their king He was then the great Diadare and by his office next in honour and power vnto the Sultan whose prowesse pollicie was such that he only in the opinion of all the Mamalukes was thought able and sufficient to stay and vphold the afflicted and declining state of their kingdome He by their generall consent and good liking promoted to the state of the great Sultan thinking as truth was his owne majestie and the remainder of the Mamalukes hopes to bee wholy reposed in armes and the fortune of battell began with great carefulnesse and singular industrie to prouide armour weapons and horses from all places hee also caused great store of ordinance to be cast and mustered great companies of such of his slaues as seemed meet for the warres beside that he entertained for pay many of the Moores and Arabians his neighbours He also for great reward hired men skilfull of the countries to go through the desarts of the Palmyrens into MESOPOTAMIA and so to Hysmaell the Persian king with letters earnestly requesting him to inuade the Turkes dominions in ASIA the lesse or with all speed to breake into COMAGENA being by the departure of the enemie left bare and destitute of sufficient garrisons and farther to aduertise him That Selymus who then lay in the borders of IVDEA might easily be enclosed with their two armies and so be vanquished or for want of victuals distressed and the rather for that there was no fleet of the Turkes vpon that coast able from sea to relieue their armie by land or yet to transport them thence in case they should by chance of warre be distressed and so thinke to returne In which doing he should both relieue the Aegyptian Sultan his friend and confederat for his sake brought into so great danger and also without any great trouble or perill notably reuenge himselfe of so many shamefull injuries as he had before receiued from that his most capitall enemie Whilest Tomombeius doth these things Sinan Bassa the forerunner of Selymus hauing easily repulsed diuers companies of the wild Arabians who in manner of theeues and robbers lay vpon the passages had now opened the way and was come to GAZA where the citisens although they were in heart faithfull vnto the Mamalukes yet for that to shut their gates against the Bassa to stand vpon their guard without a sufficient garison seemed a matter both perillous and vnreasonable forthwith yeelded their citie vpon reasonable composition and with the plentie thereof relieued the Turkes Bassa giuing him great but dissembled thankes that by his means and the good fortune of Selymus they were deliuered from the cruell bondage of the Mamalukes promising for the remembrance of so great a benefit for euer to remaine his faithfull seruants Sinan commending their readie good will required of them all such things as he wanted or had occasion to vse which they seemed willingly to deliuer and so lodged his armie neere vnto the wals of the citie within the defence of the gardens purposing in that place to expect the comming of Selymus In the meane time as he was a man of great experience and most skilfull in martiall affaires he sought by all meanes to get knowledge of that desart and vnpeopled countrey not inhabited for lacke of water and especially of the nature of the great sands whereby Selymus was with his armie to passe he also woon by rewards the inhabitants of the countrey thereabout by large offers to procure vnto him the fauour of the cheefetaines and leaders of the Arabians neere vnto those places and also to espie what the Mamalukes did at CAIRE and wherein they reposed their cheefe confidence and forthwith to giue him knowledge thereof On the other side the citisens of GAZA in heart enemies vnto the Turkes as dayly feeling the grieuances of the present armie aduertised Tomombeius of the comming of Sinan Bassa and that that part of the Turkes armie might easily bee oppressed before the comming of Selymus if a strong power of Mamalukes were sent thither vnder the conduct of skilfull leaders promising that if the Mamalukes would at an appointed time vpon the sudden in the night set vpon the sleepie Turkes they would at the same instant sallie out of the citie vpon the campe and there with fire and sword doe what harme they could for the ouerthrow of the enemie Of this deuise Tomombeius and the Mamalukes liked well and so without delay sent Gazelles with six thousand chosen horsemen and a great number of the Arabians to performe the exploit vpon Sinan for Gazelles in that his wholesome counsell had been by Campson others rejected who being straight way desirous of battell had rashly cast themselues and the whole state into so great calamitie and afterwards in the greatest danger of the battell hauing performed all the parts of a politicke and valiant cheefetaine was growne into such credit that all men held a great opinion both of his valour and direction But he was scarcely well set forth when aduertisement was giuen vnto Sinan by his Syrian intelligencers That the Mamalukes with the Arabians were comming through the sandie deserts vpon the sudden to oppresse him and that they would be with him before two dayes were expired for as much
might to encourage his souldiours calling vpon them by name and putting them in remembrance of their former victories The Rhodians on the other side mindfull of their former honour with the greatnesse of the present danger valiantly repulsed the enemie and forced him with shame to retire In this assault many English men were slaine and Preianes also sore hurt hauing before slaine many of the Turks Mustapha beside the losse of his men had also two of his ensignes taken by Christophorus Vualderick Comendatour of the Germain knights Achimetes hauing woon the top of the wals had there set vp the Turkish ensignes but by the valiantnesse of the defendants and by meanes of certaine smal pieces of ordinaÌ„ce by Martiningus aptly placed in the houses before the new made breach and by force of shot out of the flankers on both sides of the breach whereof none fell in vaine he was againe enforced to forsake the wals and to retire The three and twentith day of September the Turkish captaines hoping by meanes of a mine which they had made against the Auergne bulwarke to enter and win the cittie approaching the wals with great multitudes of souldiours readie to haue entred vpon the blowing vp of the mine which being met with a countermine out of the citie wrought not such effect as was by them expected so that hauing receiued some harme standing in a place of great disaduantage and done nothing they returned againe into the campe Yet the expert captaines probably conjecturing that the wall might be inwardly shaken by the mine although it were not by them outwardly perceiued caused that part of the wall to be most violently battered all the rest of that day and night following and by the furie of their artillerie made a faire and large breach All that night was heard in the Turkes campe an vnwonted clattering of weapons and of men running too and fro as if there had been some great matter a doing which the Rhodians conjectured as the truth was to be a signe of some great assault to be shortly giuen Solyman resolued the next day with all his force to assault the new made breach after he had by himselfe in a melancholy mood walked vp and downe in his tent a great part of the night sent for the chiefe commanders of his armie to whom he declared his mind as followeth Your valour and wisedome worthie captaines needeth not any exhortation yet the desperat madnesse of our enemies maketh me to speake vnto you these few words Who whilest they yet doe as from the beginning as men without reason desperatly defend their citie rent with our artillerie shakeâ— with our mines their churches and houses beaten downe about their eares wearied and worne out with slaughter labour and wounds which must needs befall men so often times assaulted they wâ—rthely seeme vnto our souldiours men of inuincible force and courage which opinion to haue remoued much concerneth the happie and wished successe of our assault Wherefore I would haue you with effectuall persuasion bountifull promises to harten on our men to the winning of this citie Besides this you shall open vnto them my purpose and intent and that they should not thinke that they are brought hither to besiege one citie but that in taking this one they shall vpon the matter make a way into all the dominions of the Christians Here be the kinsmen aliance and friends of all the kings princes and potentats of Christendome here is all our enemies treasure the spoile whereof promised vnto our souldiors may serue to great purpose to encourage them forward here is store of ordinance armour and other warlike prouision which shall both furnish vs and in time to come miserably confound the rest of the Christians We shall beside this enioy a most goodly and rich citie with a hauâ—â— of all other most commodious from whence all things necessarie for warre may at all times as occasion shall require by land and sea be supplied which as they shall be to vs things of great importance so shall we despoile our enemies of farre greater This is their castle storehouse treasurie and armorie this is the verie receptacle place of refuge for all such as trouble the Turkes by sea from hence shal we haue free scope and passage into APVLIA CALAâ—RIA SICILIA and many other Christian countries But as for your selues valiant captaines when as I consider how that you haue within these few moneths by your valour and wisedome subdued vnto my empire the strong citie of BELGRADE which my great grandfather Mahomet that mightie emperour could not with all his power get I rest in great hope that these fierce and obstinat Christians shall not long be able to defend themselues in these their dens and lurking places Hauing ended this speech the captaines euerie one vnto his companie made knowne what the great emperours will and pleasure was and open proclamation made thorow all the campe wherein the spoile of that rich citie was all granted vnto the souldiours as a prey and reward for the paines they were to take Solyman heauie with sleepe and care laid himselfe downe vpon his pallet to take his rest But the Great master to whom the vnaccustomed stirre of the enemie portended some great matter all that night in armes painfully viewed euerie part of the citie cheerefully encouraging his souldiours to remember That they did watch for the safetie of their countrey their liues and libertie It fortuned the same night that a poore Christian seruing a Turke in the campe calling secretly vnto the watchmen vpon the wals gaue them warning that the Turkes prepared the next day to giue a generall assault vnto the citie Which thing when the Great master vnderstood because he would haue nothing done rashly or fearfully as it commonly happeneth in things done vpon the sudden called togither his knights and spake vnto them as followeth I am glad sacred companions and fellowes in armes that the time is come when in one battell grâ—ting vnto your selues great honour and defending your countrey you may be iustly accoâ—â—â—ed the worthie defenders and reuengers of the Christian commonweale and name The people against whom we are to fight to morrow assaileth vs onely presuming vpon their multitude But if wee measure valour not by number but by courage and prowesse vndoubtedly a few resolute men will easily ouercome a multitude of cowards You know your enemie and the manner of his fight you are to fight most worthie knights with them whom you haue alwaies vanquished at sea and in iust battell sometimes ouercome by land at such time as with their whole power they assaulted your wals omitting in the meane time manie hot skirmishes wherein you euer put them to the worst Wherefore you and they in the assault to morrow shall haue such courage as conquerours and men conquered vse to haue Neither will they fight because they dare fight but because the great tirant and violent
poore wretches depart in safetie with a little trash Except these worldly considerations haue moued him to mercie and compassion then out of doubt it is wrought by diuine power and the secret fauor of God towards vs of our Sauior Christ Iesus crucified Whereunto if you be men well aduised if religious if mindfull of the dutie of Christians it becommeth you not to oppose any obstacle and with the ruin of your selues to destroy this miserable people which for this halfe yeares siege hath scarcely had so much rest as might suffice the necessitie of nature â—tanding for you in battell enduring both wounds and death for your honour and victorie by whose faithfull labour and diligence you haue beene alwaies holpen both at home and abroad whether you inuaded the Turke by land in MYTILENE NAVPACTVS METHONE PATRAS or other parts of Pâ—LOPONESVS or els by sea thrust him out of the possession of the Ionian or Egeum whereby it may appeare euen vnto a blind man how iniurious it is far from truth to obiect vnto vs That enioying the fruits of peace we refuse the charges of wars nay we neuer refused wars But now it is come to that point that if we would neuer so faine make wars we are not able so to do the flower of our youth being slaine and the small remainder that is left not only weakened in bodie with wounds sicknesse watching and restlesse labour but also in mind discouraged whilest all things fall out prosperously to our enemies and to vs aduerse the greatest and best part of our great artillerie being broken with continuall vse which if it were whole we could haue thereof small vse or profit for want of pouder which not only this citie 〈◊〉 wanteth but also your strong holds LERVS LINDVS HALICARNASVS ARANGIA I was neuer desirous or curious to looke into other mens doings much lesse into your manner of wars but yet Great Master you cannot denie but it is so who haue caused soldiors to be brought from thence hither openly and gunpouder secretly by which prouident foresight you haue withstood your forraine enemie these six months and deceiued the trecherie of one or two domesticall traitors But I gladly admit we haue all these things I stand not vpon the truth I say not what most men say but I speake to please a few and suppose we wanted neither armour nor courage I would then aske you this whether they would aduise you to vse them to your defence or to your destruction for vnto both it cannot be no more than at once to be a freeman and a slaue To vse them to your destruction that were madnesse and sencelesse pride hatefull to God and man you should therefore vse them to defence But how shall we defend a citie I doe not say as the truth is alreadie lost and possessed by the enemie wherein he raigneth rangeth and turneth all vpside down but hauing the wals battered down a great breach in the Spanish station and another not like but euen now as good as made in the Italian station how shall we be able to keepe this vnfortunat towne battered and rent at the French English and Auergne stations and the tower of S. Nicholas Which if it were not so battered and bared of all warlike prouision but sound and thorowly furnished with munition and victuall yet necessitie enforcing and reason persuading you ought to forsake it for so much as all power of further resistance is taken from you Doe you not see how easily and almost without any trouble the enemie by means of the castle he hath new built vpon the mount PHILERMO not past two miles distant can take from you all manner of prouision both by sea and land and restraine you from going out or in Truly notable gentlemen honourable for your martiall prowesse you see and haue long agoe foreseene these things better than I altogether ignorant in martiall affaires altogether busied in the trade of merchandise and caring for my familie yet suffer me to say the truth All the powers wherby this kingdome stood are departed and gone against the force of our enemies no policie or force of man remaineth and to expect armies of angels or soldiours from heauen and other such like miracles is in my iudgement more and more to prouoke God to anger although in his anger he be vnto vs mercifull Wherefore being destitute of all worldly helpe let vs as we may prouide for our safetie I beseech thee worthie Great Master by these my aged teares by the naturall pitie ingrafted in thy noble nature expose not this miserable citie to the spoile of the enemie our old and middle aged men to the sword our wiues and daughters to be rauished our boies and youths to the vnnaturall filthinesse of our barbarous enemies and to be corrupted with the mad and grosse opinion of the vngodly Mahometane superstition I would noble knights you had seene with what teares with what mourning our heauie families and children crying about their mothers sent vs hither and what prayers they made for vs at our departing I would you knew with what mind and how great hope they expect their safetie from your clemencie and aduised resolution This speech of the aged Greeke might haue moued a heart of flint but the Great master who in his countenance shewed a greater courage than his present state required commaunding euerie man to his charge after the matter had beene thus most part of the night discoursed gaue them no other answere but That he would be carefull of all their well doing The next morning he sent for Preianes Martiningus and a few other of greatest judgement and experience by whom he was fully resolued that the citie in so many places by the enemie laid open and shaken was not possible to be long defended Whereupon he caused a common counsell to bee called of all the knights of the Order togither with the Burgesses of the citie where after long debating Whether they should fight it out to the last man or yeeld vpon such conditions as was to be obtained it was by generall consent concluded That the citie should be yeelded and therupon a decree made which was by the Great master pronounced Whilest these things were thus in doing a truce was taken with the enemie for foure daies but full of feare and danger During which time diuers of the Turks presuming vpon the truce came by great companies to behold the wals and rampiers of the citie wherewith Fornouius the Frenchman of whom mention is before made being sore moued in his choller without further commaund discharged a tire of great ordinance amongst the thickest of them contrarie to the truce taken At which time also the Rhodians receiued into the citie secretly by night a ship loaded with wines out of CRETE and in her Alphonsus a Spaniard chiefe pilot of the Rhodian gallies and with him one hundred voluntarie souldiours all Latines all which went out of
CRETE without the knowledge of the Venetian Senat for at that time the Venetians were in league with Solyman The Turkes justly offended with the breach of the truce and the taking in of new supplies which they supposed to haue beene farre greater than in truth they were without commaund of any captaine or ensigne displaied in great numbers thrust in thorow the ruines of the breaches into the citie as farre as the rampiers and baricadoes new made and furiously assailed the defendants in which conflict many were slaine and wounded on both sides But after the Turkes had to their cost againe made proofe of the courage of their enemies as without commandement they began that skirmish so of themselues they brake it off and retired After the truce was thus broken the captaine of the Turkes fencers a bloudie cruell fellow hauing taken three Christians prisoners cut off their hands eares and noses and sent them so dismembred into the citie with letters to the Great master charging him with the vnjust breach of the truce barbarously threatning within three or foure daies to make like example of him to all posteritie Amongst other none was more troubled with this sudden and vnexpected breach of the truce than Robertus Perusinus Raymundus Marchet and Raymundus Lupus three knights of the Order men of singular wisedome and grauitie embassadours at that time in the Turks campe whom the barbarous people in their furie had vndoubtedly slaine or put to torture if they had not feared the like measure to haue beene shewed to their hostages in the citie But after that Nicholaus Vergotâ—s and Georgius Sandriticus two of the Burgesses of the citie were come into the campe with articles containing the conditions whereupon the Rhodians were contented to deliuer vp the citie all their furie and rage was quickly appeased Solyman for his greater majestie and the more terror of these messengers beset round about with his great armie and guarded about with his Ianizaries in their richest attire and glistring armour gaue them audience who admitted to his presence with great humilitie offered vnto him in writing the conditions whereupon the Rhodians would yeeld vp vnto him the citie The chiefe points whereof were That the churches should remaine vnto the Christians inuiolated that no children should be taken from their parents that no Christian should be enforced to forsake his religion and turne Turke that such Christians as would tarrie still in the citie might so doe at libertie without paying any tribute for the space of fiue yeares that all they which would depart might go with bag and baggage furnished with conuenient shipping and prouision as farre as CRETE and to carrie with them so much great ordinance as they pleased and that the Christians should appoint a reasonable day for the time of their departure All which articles Solyman condescended vnto and solemnly swore faithfully to performe the same But how they were indeed performed the writers of that age doe much varrie it should seeme they were neither altogither kept nor broken but so performed as pleased the conquerour certaine it is that many great outrages were through militarie insolencie committed by the proud Turkes vpon the poore Christians contrarie to the mind of Solyman Iacoâ—us Fontanus a Ciuilian and at that time one of the judges of the citie out of whose writings this historie is for most part collected reporteth That the Turks not expecting the departure of the Christians brake into the citie vpon Christenmas day by the gate called COSQVINIVM polluted the temples shamefully abused the Christians and made hauocke of all things and that he himselfe falling into their hands after he had with such money as he had redeemed himselfe hauing not sufficient to content all their greedie desires was by them hardly entreated and grieuously beaten The Great master by the counsell of Achimetes putting on such simple attire as best beseemed a vanquished man that was to humble himselfe before the conquerour went out of the citie into the campe attended vpon with a few knights of the Order where after he had waited in the raine most part of the day before Solymans tent at last he had a rich gowne cast vpon him and so brought into the proud tyrants presence Where after they had a while at the first with piercing eies one earnestly beholden the other the Great master humbling himselfe before him was in token of grace admitted to kisse his hand and welcomed by Solyman in this sort Although said he I might worthely and iustly infringe the articles I haue prescribed concerning the yeelding of the citie with thy most wicked crossed compieres the people of the RHODES and thee especially such a capitall enemie from whose deserued punishment neither faith nor oath ought to stay a most iust conquerour yet I haue determined to be not onely gratious and mercifull vnto thee so great an offender deseruing exemplarie punishment but also liberall and bountifull who if thou wilt by well doing amend the grieuous transgressions of thy former life I promise vnto thee most honourable entertainment great preferment and the highest places in my empire in my armie iâ— time of warre and in counsell in time of peace Not to refuse this my offer both thy present estate persuadeth thee and the Christians whose quarrell thou tookest vpon thee to defend against me with better beginning than successe deserue at thy hands no better for what should let thee forsaken of all thy friends a man as it were betraied and vanquished to cast thy selfe into the perpetuall faith and protection of a most mightie and mercifull conquerour of himselfe offering thee this vndeserued grace and fauour Whereunto the Great master presently answered Most mightie and gratious emperour your offered fauours before your other worthie captaines I deserue not neither is my present estate and desert towards you such as that I dare or ought to refell the same yet I will speake freely in the middest of your victorious armie a man vanquished in presence of the conquerour whose great mercie I neuer dispaired of and whose faith I neuer doubted I had rather now I haue lost my soueraigntie forthwith to lose my priuat and vnfortunat life or else for euer hereafter to liue in obscuritie than of my people to be accounted a fugitiue rather than a vanquished man For to be vanquished is but chance of warre and of so great a conquerour no shame to him that is conquered but afterwards to forsake his owne people and to turne to the enemie I account it shamefull cowardise and treacherie Solyman maruelling at the courage and majestie of the hoarie old prince in his so great extremitie dismissed him and sent him againe into the citie guarded with his owne guard vntill he was come into his pallace and vnto euery one of the knights attending vpon the Great Master was giuen a rich garment in token of Solymans fauour Within a few daies after Solyman comming into
much noted as presaging the wofull ouerthrow which was the day before râ—receiued at BVDA but not yet knowne in ITALIE From MILLAINE he departed to GENVA where he was aduertised by letters from his brother king Ferdinand of the ouerthrow of the Germans of the victorie of the Turkes and the comming of Solyman Vpon which newes Vastius and Auria his two chiefe commaunders the one at land the other at sea would haue persuaded him to haue deferred his intended expedition for AFRICA vntill the next Spring and with such power as he had alreadie raised in ITALIE brought with him out of GERMANIE to stay still in ITALIE so to make shew vnto the Turks as if he would haue returned and holpen his brother and in the meane time to assure himselfe of his state in ITALIE against the French who as it was thought would be readie to take all occasion of aduantage if any mishap should befall him either by the force of the enemie or violence of tempest But he constant in his former resolution answered them as they sate in counsell that they had persuaded him for great reasons to stay in ITALIE but that he was for farre greater to passe into AFFRICKE for if he should then stay in ITALIE it would be thought that he was for feare of the Turkes fled out of GERMANIE which disgrace could no otherwise be preuented but by the present prosecuting of his former determination for ALGIERS and satisfying the expectation of his subjects of SPAINE and so by sea valiantly to proue their better fortune which had of late not so euill fauoured them at land in hope that ALGIERS might be woon before the seas should grow rough and dangerous with Winter tempests which if it should fall out according to his mind hee would not as he said greatly care what the French could doe Yet was it thought that the dissembling friendship betwixt the French king and him would not long endure and the rather for that there was a new grudge risen betwixt them about the death of Antonius Rinco who for certaine yeares had lien embassadour for the French king at CONSTANTINOPLE to Solyman and was a few moneths before sent backe againe by him into FRANCE to the king but returning back againe with new instructions from his master for the confirmation of a further league betwixt the Turkish Sultan and him he was by certain Spaniards of the emperors old souldiors who had knowledge of his comming belaid vpon the riuer Padus as he was going down to VENICE so to haue passed into EPYRVS and slaine togither with Caesar Fregosius or as the common report went first taken and tortured to get from him the secrets of his negotiation and afterwards slaine Which report so much touched Vastius in credit that in purgation of himselfe he offered the combat to any man of like qualitie to himselfe that durst charge him with the truth thereof But many were of opinion that he was well and worthely taken away for vndertaking so odious a charge as to stirre vp the Turkes against the Christians and to shew vnto them such opportunities as might best serue their purpose by discouering vnto them the emperours desseigns to the great hurt of the Christian commonweale But were it well or were it euill as Paulus the third of that name then bishop of ROME meeting the emperour at LVCA as he came from GENVA could not or would not determine sure it serued as no small occasion to set those two great princes againe at ods whereby the wished vnitie of the Christian state was sore shaken and a way opened for the Turke The emperour at his comming to LVCA was honourably receiued by the cardinals and bishops and lodged in the court the great bishop was before placed in the bishops pallace whither the emperour came thrise to talke with him and the bishop to him once But the bishop hauing nothing at all preuailed with the emperour and the French embassadour for the appeasing of the troubles euen then like to arise betwixt him and the French king did what he might to persuade him to employ such forces as he was about to passe ouer with into AFFRICKE against the Turkes in defence of his brother Ferdinand and of the countrey of AVSTRIA if Solyman should happely pursue his late obtained victorie at BVDA But hee still resolute in that fatall determination of inuading of AFFRICKE rejected that the bishops request also So the great bishop hauing mooued much and preuailed little in the greatest matters which most concerned the common good taking his leaue of the emperour returned by easie journies to ROME The emperor in the meane time with certain bands of Italians vnder the leading of Camillus Columna and Augustinus Spinula and six thousand Germanes came from LVCA to the poâ—t LVNE and there embarking his souldiours in certaine marchant ships prouided for the purpose and fiue and thirtie gallies departed thence commaunding the masters of the ships to direct their course to the islands of BALEARES but after they had put to sea they were by force of tempest suddenly arising brought within sight of CORSICA where after they had beene tossed too and fro two dayes in the rough seas and put out of their course the wind something falling they put into the hauen of SYRACVSA now called BONIFACIVM The dispersed fleet once come together into the port of SYRACVSA and the rage of the sea well appeased he put to sea againe for the islands BALEARES now called MAIORCA and MINORCA where in his course he met with a tempest from the West more terrible and dreadfull than the first wherein diuers of the gallies hauing lost their mastes and sailes were glad with extreame labour and perill in striuing against the wrought sea to get into a harbor of the lesser island taking name of Barchinus Mago the famous Carthaginensian whose name it retaineth vntill this day From hence the emperour with all his fleet passed ouer to the greater island being wonderfull glad that Ferdinand Gonzaga his viceroy in SICILIA was in good time come with the Sicilian gallies and ships of ITALIE in number a hundred and fiftie saile wherein he had brought such store of bisket and victuall as might haue sufficed for a long warre Mendoza was also expected to haue come thither with his fleet from SPAINE but he by reason of contrarie winds being not able to hold that course altered his purpose according to the tempest and so happily cut ouer directly to ALGIERS So the emperour nothing misdoubting the carefull diligence of Mendoza and thinking that which was indeed alreadie chanced and the wind now seruing faire by the persuasion of Auria his Admirall hoysed saile and in two dayes came before ALGIERS and there in goodly order came to anker before the citie in the sight of the enemie Whilest the fleet thus lay two of the pyrats which had beene abroad at sea seeking for prize returning to ALGIERS not knowing
them now that the Spaniards was also ouercome All which with much more the embassadours men with great greefe were enforced to heare but there was no remedie seeing God had so appointed it Shortly after in September the victorious fleet returned to CONSTANTINOPLE dragging with it the prisoners spoiles and gallies of the Christians a sight no lesse pleasant vnto the Turks than heauie vnto the Christians and that night it lay at anker neere vnto the rocks in the face of the citie with the greater pompe and glorie to come the next day into the hauen At which time Solyman himselfe was come downe into a gallerie neere vnto the hauens mouth adjoyning vnto his garden the better to see the comming in of the fleet and the Christian captains set there to shew vpon the poupe of the Admirall gallie namely Don Aluarus de Sandes Don Sanchius de Leyua and Don Bellingerus de Requesenes all of late great commaunders as for the Christian gallies all disarmed and vnrigged so to seeme the more contemptible in comparison of the Turks they were towed at the taile of the Turks gallies They which then saw Solymans countenance perceiued not in him any signe at all of any insolent joy I my selfe sayth Busbequius then the emperour Ferdinands embassadour there saw him two dayes after going to the church with the same countenance he had alwayes with the same seueritie and grauitie as if this victorie had nothing concerned him nor any thing chanced strange or vnexpected so capable was the great heart of that old sire of any fortune were it neuer so great and his mind so setled as to receiue so great applause and rejoycing without mouing Within a few dayes after the Christian captiues before almost starued with hunger were brought to the Court many of whom could scarce stand vpon their legs some others for weakenesse fell downe and fainted and othersome died outright they were all scornfully led in triumph with their Armes disordered scornfully put vpon them the Turkes in the meane time insulting round about them promising vnto themselues the empire of the whole world and vainely asking What enemie they were to feare now that the Spaniard was ouercome Aluarus Sandes as cheefe of all the prisoners being brought into the Diuano before the Visier Bassaes and demaunded by Rustan Bassa What his master meant being not able to defend his owne to inuade other mens answered That it beseemed not him to judge thereon and himselfe to haue done but his dutie with such faithfulnesse as was meet to put in execution what he was commaunded by his lord although he had no good fortune therein After that he besought the Bassaes vpon his knee to speak for him vnto Solyman for that he had at home a poore wife with certaine small children for whom he requested him to spare him Wherunto Rustan Bassa contrarie to his manner courteously answered his Soueraigne to be of a mild and gentle nature and that he was in good hope his pardon might bee of him obtained so was he commaunded away vnto Caradines his castle towards the blacke sea But he was not gone farre but that he was called backe againe for that the Great Chamberlain a man in great credit with Solyman had not as yet seene him for which cause hee was sent for backe againe wherewith he was not a little troubled fearing least the Bassaes hauing changed their minds would haue put him to death The rest of the captiues of the better sort were committed to the castle of PERA and amongst them Don Sanchius de Leyua with his two base sons and also Don Bellingerus Requesenes which two great men with Don Aluarus de Sandes were neuerthelesse afterwards with much adoe and almost beyond all hope at the request of the emperour and by the dexteritie of his embassadour by Solyman set at libertie although he had before denied them vnto Saluiat the French kings embassadour who had beene an earnest intercessour for them Yet before they were deliuered out of prison the Muphti or Turkes great priest was asked his opinion Whether it were lawfull for a greater number of Turkes to exchange a few Christian captiues for the embassadour beside the rewards he had promised vnto the Bassaes to further the matter had also vndertaken that fortie common prisoners of the Turkes should be set at libertie for them whereunto the Muphti answered That the doctors of their law were of diuers opinions concerning that question some saying that it was lawfull and some not howbeit as then it was by him resolued vpon vnto the more fauourable part and the exchange allowed There were among the prisoners taken at ZERBI besides these noble men of whom we haue before spoken two other noble gentlemen right honourably borne Don Iohn of CARDONA Don Bellinger his sonne in law and Don Gasto the duke of MEDINA his sonne to whom yet but a youth his father neuerthelesse had giuen an honourable place in the armie Of these two Don Iohn had wisely taken order for a great summe of money to be left in the island of CHIO by the way as the Turkes fleet went to CONSTANTINOPLE from whence he afterwards in safetie got into SPAINE But Gasto was by Piall Bassa vpon hope of a great raunsome purposely hid out of the way which had like to haue wrought his destruction for Solyman hauing gotten an inckling thereof by the instigation of Rustan laboured for nothing more than to haue Gasto found out so to haue a more just occasion for the putting of Piall to death being taken tardie in so manifest a fault But all that labour was spent in vaine Gasto being by death taken away but whether by the plague as some reported or by Piall his meanes as it was more like least the truth should be found out is vncertaine But certaine it was that being with great care sought for by the duke his fathers seruants he could neuer be heard of more So that it was thought Piall for the safegard of his owne life not to haue spared Gasto his prisoners life Who neuerthelesse for a long time liued in great feare and not daring to come to CONSTANTINOPLE took occasion with a few gallies to wander about amongst the islands of AEGEVM as if he had there something to doe but indeed so shunning the sight of his angrie lord for feare he should haue been compelled in bonds to haue answered the matter Vntill at length he appeased at the request of Suleiman Bassa the eunuch and Solymans great chamberlaine and of Selymus Solymans son granted him his pardon in these words well worth the marking out of the mouth of an infidell prince Well haue he from me pardon and forgiuenesse for so great an offence but let God the most iust reuenger of villanies take of him due punishment after this life So fully he seemed to be persuaded that no euill deed ought to remaine without punishment either in this life or in
that vnfortunate kingdome Maximilian the emperour on the one side and Iohn the Vayuod of TRANSILVANIA with the Turks captaines on the other renting it in pieces as if they had sworne the destruction thereof The Vayuod desiring to recouer the strong castle of TOCKAY in the frontiers of his countrey but lately taken from him by Suendi the emperours lieutenant laid hard siege vnto it and had brought it to great extremitie although it was notably defended by Iames Raminger the captaine thereof when suddenly newes was brought vnto him That the Tartars whom he had called into his countrey to haue aided him against the emperour did with all hostilitie after their barbarous manner burne and destroy his countrey before them making hauocke of all things so that the countrey people were glad in defence of themselues to take vp armes against them Wherupon he forthwith left the siege and went to aid his distressed subjects against the Tartars with whom he had many an hoat skirmish and after much bloudshed at last ouercame them and with much adoe rid himselfe of such bad guests Now in the meane time Suendi strengthened with new supplies sent vnto him from the emperor had taken the castle of ZACKMAR in the borders of TRANSILVANIA and with like good fortune had the castle of MVNCATZ yeelded vnto him and after that besieged the towne of HVSTH so that the Vayuod was glad to craue aid of the Turkish emperour Selymus vnder whose protection he was who presently commaunded Partau one of his cheefe Bassaes then his great lieutenant in ROMANIA to goe with his forces into TRANSILVANIA to relieue him But hearing that embassadours were comming from Maximilian the emperour he called him backe againe vntill he had heard the effect of that embassage At which time also the Bassa of BVDA enclining vnto peace sent presents to the emperour requesting him to remooue certaine Hungarian captaines from off the frontiers least happily they should interrupt the treatie of peace then on both sides purposed promising for his part to punish with death all such Turkes as should make any further inuasion or raise any new troubles He writ letters also to countie Salma That he could not but maruell to what end Maximilian the emperour was about to entreat with his lord master of peace whilst Suendi in the meane time was raging in TRANSILVANIA then vnder the Turkes protection which if he proceeded still to doe Selymus would thereof take occasion as he said to turne all his forces that way wherefore he requested him to persuade the emperour to take some more easie course in that behalfe promising also that he would for his part effectually trauell with his master to haue better liking of peace than of warres wishing him also to doe the like Which thing as soone as the emperour vnderstood he commaunded Suendi to giue ouer the siege of HVSTH and to keepe himselfe quiet vntill he might by his embassadours vnderstand what the great Turke purposed and how he was affected towards peace Now in deed these two great princes Maximilian and Selymus although they notably dissembled the matter were both of them in heart desirous of peace and that for diuers great and vrgent considerations Maximilian for want of money saw it not possible for him to send into the field such an armie the next yeare as he had the yeare before And Selymus beside his other troubles was to take order for the appeasing of a great and dangerous rebellion in the farthest part of his dominions in ARABIA FoeLIX where the people rising vp in armes and hauing slaine the Bassaes and Sanzacks their Gouernours were readie to haue cast off the Turkish obedience neither was he out of feare of the Persians readie as was reported to make warre vpon him For which causes he wished rather for peace with the emperor Maximilian than wars and so much the more for that it was impossible for him to send an armie of any puissance into HVNGARIE for want of many necessarie prouisions for the maintenance thereof in a countrey so much impouerished by reason of the late wars wherein no victuals were to be found for the reliefe of such a multitude of men as he was to send if he would doe any good there And truth it was as the Turkes themselues afterward reported that Maximilian with halfe the power he had in field the last yeare might haue easily recouered the greatest part of that kingdome before lost but well knowing his owne wants and ignorant of theirs he altogither enclining to peace and by countie Salma aduertised from the Bassa of BVDA That if he would send embassadors to CONSTANTINOPLE with the tribute woont to be there paid for HVNGARIE a peace vpon reasonable conditions might be easily obtained he resolued vpon that point And so certaine messengers being sent vp and downe to CONSTANTINOPLE to the same effect it was concluded That if the emperour would send embassadours to CONSTANTINOPLE with the tribute yet behind and a large commission for the treatie of peace Selymus should giue them his safe conduct with libertie at their pleasure to returne in case either of peace or warre Which agreed vpon and faithfully promised on both sides Selymus set at libertie the lord Albert de Vuis who six yeares Lieger in CONSTANTINOPLE first for the emperor Ferdinand and after for Maximilian had now been straightly imprisoned in his owne house by the space of two and twentie moneths in such sort that neither he nor any of his houshold could goe abroad watch and ward being kept both night and day about his house and his windowes also boorded vp to the end he should not so much as looke out into the citie or any whither else more than the court of his house onely So the emperour Maximilian now resolued to send embassadors to CONSTANTINOPLE with the tribute money and diuers other rich gifts and presents as well to the great Turke himselfe as the Visier Bassaes his counsellors and considering with himselfe whom to be most fit with wisedome and honour to bring this so waightie a matter about hauing to doe with so barbarous couetous and mightie a people made choise of the lord Anthonius Verantius of AGRIA of his counsell for the kingdome of HVNGARIE a prelat of great estimation who being a man of threescore and three yeares old beside his great learning had the experience of seauen and twentie embassages wherein he alwaies so discreetly bare himselfe as well contented his prince and purchased vnto himselfe the reputation of a most graue and wise man and about ten yeares before this embassage being by the emperour Ferdinand sent embassadour to Solyman and now by Maximilian to Selymus at CONSTANTINOPLE returning thence with good successe was by the emperour created a prince of the empire and bishop of AGRIA Vnto which so honourable a personage hauing the charge of this so waightie a matter the emperour the more to ennoble this
armes and that most mightie princes had oftentimes with small forces beene ouerthrowne the euent of things neuer deceiuing men more than in matters of warre no power vpon earth being sure which could not within some bounds containe the strength of it selfe and that therefore he was in good hope That he so worthie a man knowing best what belonged both to peace and warre would deuise some such course as might sort to the good and quiet both of the Venetian state and Turkish empire in which doing hee should find sufficient matter for his eternall praise and glorie if by his discreet wisedome a pacification might be made Such talke hauing passed at their first meeting Ragazonius had leaue to speake with the embassadour who then lay at PERA vnder safe keeping In passing ouer to PERA Ragazonius might see a fleet of Turkish gallies one encountering with another in manner of a fight at sea which the Turks had of purpose prouided to shew vnto him as a strange sight Whereat Ragazonius smiling said vnto the Turks that were present with him That it was a pretie childish sport for him that had neuer seene the like before but not to the Venetians who were acquainted with these matters in earnest as the Turkes should well know whensoeuer they had a mind to make proofe what they were able to doe at sea Ragazonius comming to the embassdour had conference with him at large and resolued with him what to do in his negotiation And so returning to Muhamet easily dispatched with him for the exchange of prisoners marchants goods but when they came to talke of the capitulations of a pacification to be made at the first they were so farre off as if they would neuer haue met but after much and often conference sometime the one yeelding and sometime the other the matter was brought to some conformitie so that there was no such great difference betwixt them but that they were like ynough to haue agreed Pius the Pope and Philip the king of SPAINE aduertised of the sending of Ragazonius to CONSTANTINOPLE began to imagine as the truth was that he was sent about some treatie of peace what colour soeuer the Senat pretended to couer the same And therefore doubting least the Turkish emperour hauing once made peace with the Venetians should turne his great forces alreadie prepared vpon the one or both of them they thought it good for troubling of that peace now with all speed to hasten the league which they had so long before delayed For which purpose the Pope sent the noble Columnius to VENICE who admitted into the Senat declared at large how matters had passed at ROME concerning the league and afterwards what profit might arise of such a league concluded and what harmes might ensue of the same neglected And to hasten the matter set as it were before their eyes how much it concerned the common good but them especially to haue the same with speed confirmed As for to giue any trust vnto the Turks was as he said not beseeming their deepe wisedome and judgement seeing they so often had beene by them rather deceiued than vanquished In conclusion he requested them That for his Holinesse sake moderating in some part their hard demaunds they would with speed joyne with him and the king in a most firme and Christian league Although this speech of Columnius had much moued the minds of the Venetians so that many enclined to the league yet were there many doubtfull thereof and could not be resolued whether it were better to embrace peace with the Turke or the league with the Pope and the king Peace pleased them neither did the league displease them it seemed a matter most difficult whether to resolue vpon They were fearefull of the league either receiued or rejected the hope of victorie the inconstancie of the Turkes their owne strength at sea the large promises of the Christian princes the certaine hope of the league and vncertainetie of the peace persuaded them to embrace the league On the other side the bad successe of the yeare before their forces shaken and almost spent in CYPRVS the suspected and doubtfull faith of their confederates with the vncertainetie of the successe induced them to preferre the hoped peace before the league So the Venetians in suspence betwixt both gaue the embassadour dayly more doubtfull answers than other neither by promise binding themselues neither by flat deniall cutting off the hope of the league by examples arguments rather refelling what was by others alledged than any way declaring what they themselues thought Sometime they alleadged such things as might make a man beleeue that they were willing to joyne in league and by and by againe they would seeme neither to reject nor accept of the same In which doubtfulnesse many dayes passed At length the matter being propounded in the Senate there found not vnlike disposition of minds that it had amongst the meaner sort for some of the Senatours enclined to the league whose reasons were grounded not vpon profit only but vpon credit and honour also which they wished to be cheefely regarded declaring also what great securitie honour and glorie should redound vnto them by entering into such an honourable league But the remembrance of former losses the strength of the Turke possessing a great part of the world compared vnto their owne the terrour of the enemies name the feare of euill successe the small hope of preuailing induced others to like better of peace whose opinion was also confirmed by this That the confederation with those Christians was of no more assurance or continuance than the Turks peace Besides that they alledged That leagues were therefore of lesse assurance for that confederations and amities were seldome or neuer sincerely and faithfully kept on both sides euery man commonly seruing his own turn without care of other men They also set as it were before their eyes what great occasions euen small suspitions might giue princes to breake their leagues what strange effects the feare of the losse of goods or some part of their territorie might worke After this so weightie a matter had beene thus with great contention throughly debated on both sides in the Senat it was at last put to voices and so by the consent of the greater part the league was as more honorable receiued and the Turks peace rejected and a decree of the Senat to that effect made Ragazonius by secret letters from the Senat vnderstanding of all these matters began to deale more warily with Muhamet the great Bassa in matter concerning the pacification and more hardly to yeeld to his demaunds and propounding many difficulties of purpose deuised requested of him That hee might by his good leaue returne to VENICE to be resolued of many things by the Senat wherof he was not able himselfe to judge and so to returne to him againe with more certaine instructions assuring him that the Senat would vpon knowledge of the conditions of
backe againe into the valley of ALEXANDRIA another port in the island of CEPHALENIA from whence they afterward departed to the islands CORZVLARES where by the way they vnderstood by letters out of CRETE That FAMAGVSTA was lost with which bad newes they were no whit discouraged but rather enflamed with the desire of reuenge From the islands they went to GALANGA a good harbour where they stayed one night purposing the next day to haue gone to the mouth of the gulfe of LEPANTO there to dare the Turks battell The Turkes Bassaes Partau and Haly who then lay in good safetie within the gulfe hearing of the approch of the Christian fleet began to consult with the rest of their most expert captaines Whether to giue the Christians battell or to keepe themselues still within their safe harbour vpon which doubt they were amongst themselues of diuers opinions Amongst the rest Chiroche a man of great yeares and authoritie and withall a most noble captaine exhorted the Bassaes in no case when no need was vpon a vaine glorie to aduenture all to the fortune of an vncertaine battell it was as he said the part of wise and worthie commanders to moderat with reason their happie fortunes for that therunto were incident many accidents whereby their former felicitie might be disgraced They had alreadie run alongst the enemies coasts spoyled the frontiers of his countries and were with much honour and greater spoyle in safetie returned hauing encreased the Turkish empire with many strong townes of the enemies The island of CYPRVS was with wonderfull good fortune brought vnder the Turks obeisance the enemies great prouision at sea frustrated in such sort as that hauing lost diuers of their gallies they were neuer yet able to draw their swords They had with their fleet at their pleasure romed vp and down the Adriaticke and displayed their victorious ensigns almost vnto the very citie of VENICE What could they then deuise or wish for more honourable or glorious than with the safetie of their fleet yea without any losse at all to haue performed so great matters Now the three generall commaunders of the enemies fleet to be so at discord amongst themselues as that they were readie to fall in sunder of themselues who now vpon the approch of Winter and for want of victuall must needs in few dayes returne home with their fleet neuer after to meet againe with the like strength at sea and therefore to what purpose were it by force of armes and vncertaine battell with danger to seeke for the soueraignetie and commaund of the sea which would forthwith of it selfe without any danger fall vnto them Neither should they by the doubtfull victorie so much encrease their honour as by the vncertaine euent of a battell blemish the same if any thing should fall out otherwise than well And that therefore they should doe well to take heed that in seeking to augment their former victories they hazarded not their honour alreadie gained but wholesomely delay the warre and keepe themselues in safetie with their fleet within the gulfe and not to goe out at the enemies pleasure but when they should see good themselues at such time as the enemie was not so well prouided so should they as he said without any great labour or danger attaine to the full of their owne desires Partau Bassa was of opinion That the Christians would not at all offer him battell which opinion the Christians had also of him and in this question for giuing or not giuing of battell seemed neither to approue nor dislike that Chiroche had so grauely spoken but as a man indifferent and loath to incurre any blame shewed himselfe readie either to stay or to set forward as should be thought best by the greater part But Haly Bassa a man of an hoter spirit and the great champion of the Turks could not endure to heare of any delay but of present battell The pleasure of Selymus the hope of victorie the remembrance of the displeasure Piall Bassa had the last yeare incurred for not giuing the Christians battell induced him now in no case to refuse battell but forthwith to goe out of the gulfe and to accept thereof if it were offered In which his opinion he was the more confirmed by the relation of Caracoza a famous pyrat and of great account amongst the Turks who in a swift galliot taking view of the Christian fleet had reported it to be much lesse than indeed it was deceiued as was afterward thought by not taking full view thereof by reason of his posting hast or els blinded by the island which lying behind the fleet suffered him not perfectly to descrie the same Vpon which report there was great rejoycing amongst the Turkes who now after their accustomed manner dreamed of nothing but victorie and spoyle So that Haly vainely persuaded that his fleet was both the greater and stronger would now needs fight in hope that the Christians vpon the first sight of the Turks fleet would either retire and saue themselues by shamefull flight or els in aduenturing battell at so great ods by their foolish hardinesse receiue a notable ouerthrow This opinion of the Bassa was also not a little confirmed by the persuasion of Cassanes Barbarussa his sonne Vluzales and Chais-Beg Gouernour of SMYRNA all men of great marke and experience especially in matters at sea And although Partau the other Bassa stood wauering as a man in doubt and Chiroche Gouernour of ALEXANDRIA with Carabuzes Gouernor of CILICIA and Mechmet Gouernor of EVBoeA men of no lesse worth than the other vpon better consideration were of a quite contrarie mind for not giuing the Christians battell yet such was the authoritie of Haly or rather his importunitie forced to his owne destinie that his opinion preuailed so that now out they needs must and fight Albeit that two other espials sent out after Caracoza hauing more perfectly viewed the fleet returning with speed told the Bassaes as truth was That the Christians very strong and well appointed were comming with ensignes displayed of purpose to fight and that their fleet was in number much greater than was before supposed With which newes so farre contrarie to their expectation the Bassaes were exceedingly troubled and demaunding whether the formost gallies were all Venetians or not and being answered that they were intermixt some Venetians some Spanish and of the other Westerne countries they began to doubt the worst and became exceeding pensiue Neuerthelesse knowing themselues to bee of all things well furnished hauing new victualled in the bay of CORINTH and there also taken in twelue thousand Ianizaries and Spahies drawne out of the garrisons of AETOLIA ACARNANIA PELOPONESVS and the other countries thereby all resolute men and foure thousand other common souldiors and that they could not now with their honor shrinke backe they held it still for the best to hold on their former resolution for the giuing of the Christians battell Yet before their
his souldiors to depart home yet with this charge to be alwayes in readinesse whensoeuer they should be called vpon Czarnieuiche hauing receiued his charge and promising vnto the Vayuod the vttermost of his faithfull deuoire went towards Danubius and there most carefully kept the passages with continuall watch and ward It was not long but that great numbers of the Turkes were come downe to the other side of the riuer and moe were still comming yet none of them was so hardie as to aduenture the great riuer Czarnieuiche with his horsemen lying in the faces of them readie to receiue them on the other side Which the Bassa whom Selymus had sent with his armie perceiuing sent certaine men pickt out for the purpose to Czarnieuiche to sound him if he might by any meanes be drawne to come ouer in secret to talke with him and the more to mooue him beside his conduct for his safetie sent him by the same messengers thirtie thousand Hungarian duckats for a present With which so faire a bait Czarnieuiche allured receiued the money and faithfully promised to come And so shortly after secretly passing ouer the riuer had conference with Peter the Palatines brother who then lay on the further side of Danubius with a great power of the Turkes In this conference Peter declared vnto him in how great danger the Vayuod stood and how highly Selymus was offended with him That he his tributarie and vassale should worke the destruction of his so great armies which his heauie displeasure he could no otherwise satisfie but with his head and that therfore he should no longer rule in MOLDAVIA for that gouernment was by the great emperour giuen vnto him Wherefore said he if thou be wise whilest it is yet in thy power gaine the good will of Selymus by some good desert for an easie matter it is to begin any warre but an hard matter to end the same For as much as it is not alwayes in the same mans power to begin warres and at his pleasure to make an end Euery foole may when he list enter into armes but must lay the same downe when it pleaseth the conquerour Now you haue a faire oportunitie and it is in your owne power to procure his friendship for euer better standing with your affaires than war And albeit you may hope well of the power of the Vayuod yet wisedome would not that you should preferre vncertaineties before things certaine you haue now receiued thirtie thousand duckats the earnest of your further deserts which shall hereafter haue also their due rewards in most full and bountifull measure Wherfore if you will doe your selfe good and prouide both for your safetie and preferment confound not your owne good fortune with the broken and desperat state of the Vayuod but suffer the Turks to passe as friends ouer the riuer of Danubius For I am come said he with a great and puissant armie from the mightie Selymus to take vpon me the gouernment of MOLDAVIA and to send the Vayuod in bonds to CONSTANTINOPLE and of me being once Vayuod what is it that for so great desert thou and thine may not aske and obtaine Wherefore I pray thee conceale the comming of the Turks and withdraw thy selfe from the riuer so shall we passing ouer the riuer with our populous armie easily oppresse the Vayuod with all his power and at once reuenge all the former injuries and disgraces done both vnto Selymus and vs. With greedie men what will not the foule desire of gold worke Czarnieuiche ouercome with the golden promises of Peter and forgetfull of his faith before giuen vnto the Vayuod yeelded vnto all he requested and drawing his forces further off from the riuer as if it had been for his more safetie gaue the Turks free passage There was then in the Turks armie two hundred thousand men well appointed and furnished with great ordinance and all other things necessarie both for the field and for siege who by the sufferance of the false traitour passed quietly ouer the riuer Czarnieuiche forthwith posting to the Vayuod certified him how that the Turks trusting to their multitude had passed the riuer of Danubius against whom he was not able as he said to make head and that therefore he should doe well without delay to goe against them with such forces as he had then in readinesse which joyned vnto his might easily ouerthrow them Glad was the Vayuod of this newes and filled with the hope of good successe demaunded of him what strength the enemie might be of They are said he not much aboue twelue thousand that be already come ouer but are still comming more and more and will before your comming thither be aboue fifteene thousand The Vayuod lay then at the siege of the castle of TEINA hauing before taken the citie but hearing this newes raised his siege and so in foure dayes came and encamped within three miles of the enemie and forthwith sent forth Suierceuius with his Cossackes and Veremias Generall of the horsemen with six thousand horse to take view of the enemies campe and to vnderstand what might be of their designes These two captaines marching together chanced to fall vpon the Turkes scouts in number about six thousand horsemen with whom they had a light skirmish and in a short time put them to flight Of these scouts they tooke one and him grieuously wounded who being examined of the strength of the enemie and feeling himselfe wounded to death told them dissemblingly that the Turks were not in number many But the Cossackes doubting of the truth of that report and probably conjecturing by so great a number of scouts that the enemie was of farre greater strength than was supposed or reported quickly certified the Vayuod thereof wishing him in time to prouide for the safetie of himselfe and his armie and not too much to trust Czarnieuiche whom they had a good while before suspected But the Vayuod nothing doubting of the faith of him whom he had of long time found most faithfull in the time of his hardest distresse and vsed as a most trustie companion in all his trauels answered nothing but that he knew whom he trusted and that it was not now time to stand in doubt or to be afraid and that he would ere long come and take a view of the enemies campe himselfe for that he was not come so farre to flie but to fight in defence of his countrey and subjects euen to the last gaspe And so fortifying his campe neere vnto a lake that runneth out of Danubius for the more conuenient watering of his armie he set forward with all his power against the enemie Neere vnto the enemies campe was an high hill from whence the Vayuod had thought to haue descried the number of them with the manner of their lying but comming thither he could descrie nothing but foure companies of scouts afarre off one companie from another who also vpon the sight of the
the new king being diseased in his eyes little esteemed of his subjects besotted in affection towards his sonnes the facilitie to ouerrule the cheefe Gouernours of the Georgians and the people of SERVAN euill affected towards the new king and to be breefe whatsoeuer had in truth succeeded in PERSIA and might enflame the mind of the ambitious Sultan to conuert his forces against an enemie of small counsell and much confusion adding thereunto that neuer was there greater opportunitie to ouercome that king than now was offered and therefore wished him not in any case to let slip so faire an occasion as the Othoman kings had neuer before for the obtaining of so certaine and so glorious victories Amurath of long time wholly bent to marke the euent of the troubles in PERSIA now stirred vp with these aduertisements from Vstref setled himselfe more deepely in his former conceits to proue his forces in subduing the Persian king the auntient enemie of the Othoman emperors and his onely corâ—iuall and odious competitour in the East But no one thing did more enflame him thereunto than to thinke how he should haue to his enemie a king not acquainted with deeds of armes doting vpon his children and weakened with the dissention of his subjects and on the other side entering into the consideration of his owne forces of the infinit number of his men both horse and foot of the meanes he had to find money of his artillerie and engines of warre wherein he farre surpassed the Persians he did more and more resolue with himselfe to take the occasion that was now offered him to begin thâ— warre For the compassing of which his purpose he was greatly fauoured by the present state of Christendome at that time being wholly in league and amitie with him So not finding any thing contrarie to his designements he resolued at last to conferre with the cheefe Bassaes which had the gouernement of his empire Whether it were better vpon this occasion to begin the prepensed warre or if they thought not this opportunitie to be so fit then to lay it aside and to conuert his forces and counsell against the commonwealth of Christendome For such is the barbarous pollicie whereby this empire is mannaged That it is lawfull for them to breake any league be it by neuer so many promises or solemne oathes confirmed whensoeuer any enterprise is to be attempted for the aduauncing thereof So that although this warre could not be moued either against the Persians or Christians without breach of their promised faith yet among the manifold consultations that passed among the great Bassaes there was not any man found that made any account of that defect but all with one accord without further respect sought to set forward the ambitious desire of their proud lord and master At last after long consultation and large discourses it was agreed vpon by the great Bassaes Mahomet Sinan and Mustapha That it would be better and lesse danger to attempt warre against the Persians than against the Christian princes Mustapha among the rest preferring the valour of the Latines whereof he had made good triall especially at FAMAGVSTA before the armies and forces of the Georgians and Persians Whereby it is apparent to the world that neither the zeale of their religion nor any injurie receiued from the Persian king but onely the ambitious desire of Amurath to subdue a kingdome both in his owne conceit and other mens relations euill gouerned by an effeminate and sottish king and through ciuile dissention brought into great danger was the first prouocation of making this warre Vpon this resolution there arose new consultations touching the manner thereof and vpon what coast they should begin their journey for the more honourable successe thereof Which point Amurath greatly vrged protesting before his cheefe counsellours That he would not enter into that war except he were in great hope to beare away the victorie Some thought it most conuenient to send the armie to BABYLON and from thence to SYRAS called in old time PERSEPOLIS the cheefe citie of the countrey of PERSIA others there were that gaue aduise That the armie should be directly sent to TAVRIS there to erect strong fortresses and to take possession of all the country round about it and there wanted not some as it is reported that thought it better to send two seuerall armies for both the forenamed places and so by bringing the enemie into a straight to enforce him to yeeld to whatsoeuer should be of him required But Amurath durst not repose such confidence in his forces as to thinke that with his battels deuided and so weakened he should be able to conquer that enemie who had alwayes most valiantly fought against the monstrous and puissant armies of his auncestours And therefore firmely resolued with himselfe to send one onely armie and so with his vnited forces to seeke the ouerthrow of the enemie And so preferring the strong hope he had conceiued to conquer the countrey of SIRVAN and the cheefe cities of MEDIA the great before the difficultie of making warre vpon the coast of SCYRAS reposing also great hope in the notable help that was promised him by the Tartars called Praecopenses he confirmed the great Bassaes his counsellours in the same opinion and withall discouered vnto them a matter which to all of them but especially to Sinan seemed most strange namely that he was determined not to goe himselfe in person with his army but to send one of his worthiest captaines in his stead The causes why he so did were many but especially for that he was troubled with the falling sicknesse and feared greatly and that not without good cause least his sonne Mahomet being much fauoured of the people might peraduenture in his absence be vntimely aduaunced to the empire beside the dangers that he suspected at the hands of the Christian potentates and withall persuaded it to be vnto himselfe a great honour to performe those things by his seruants which had in those countries beene vnfortunatly attempted by his most noble predecessours in their owne persons While they were thus consulting about this expedition and the great Bassaes Sinan Mustapha and others made meanes to be sent as the soueraigne ministers of their lords designement he dispatched away sundrie postes and light horsemen with order to the Bassaes and Gouernors of VAN BABILON and ERZIRVM in the frontiers of his dominions That they should by often inrodes spoyle the townes and castles of the Persians and by all meanes to doe them what harme they could Which they were not slacke to put in execution and especially Vstref or rather Husreue Bassa of VAN who with often incursions did much mischeefe as well in the countries tributarie as subject to the Persian king A forcible preparatiue for greater troubles to ensue Now in these great preparations for the Persian warre which for many yeares after notably exercised the greatest part of the Turks forces to the
Cicala Bassa and honourably accompanied sent to Sinan the Generall who very glad of his comming sent him with all diligence to CONSTANTINOPLE to Amurath And this was in effect the end of the first enterparlance of peace betwixt the Persians and the Turkes Sinan remained at CHARS eight dayes and there againe surueyed his armie and prouision and afterwards set forward towards TOMANIS with resolution there to build a fort But being come thither he could by no meanes put that his designement in execution by reason of the immoderat raine which continually by the space of eight dayes fell in such abundance as that neither did the Sunne appeare or the skie cleare Beside that Sinan greatly feared least the enemie taking the opportunitie of this raine of the straight and of the building should assault his armie and finding it in euill plight and out of order greatly endomage it Wherefore casting off his former determination for fortifying at TOMANIS he remooued thence to carrie succours to TEFLIS But as soone as he was risen with his armie and past the strait Tal-Ogli captaine of the Ianizaries of DAMASCO and Homar Sanzack of SAFFETO hauing receiued secret intelligence that hard by a little out of the way was good store both of corne and cattell resolued with themselues to goe thither to fetch in that bootie and so with two thousand souldiors greedie of prey they set forward Now Simon the Georgian and the Persians following the Turkes armie afarre off had deuided his souldiors into all such places as where there was either corne or water or any such thing as might allure the Turkes to scatter themselues from the campe and perceiuing these hungrie Turkes carelesly to run headlong to lay hold on this desired bootie he suddenly fell vpon them and cut them in pieces being disordered so that of those two thousand escaped but Tal-Ogli the captaine of the Ianizaries onely Homar the Sanzacke and all the rest being left dead vpon the ground Sinan holding on his way in two dayes came to TEFLIS where presently he called a counsell of all the cheefe men of his armie taking order That euery man vpon his oath should depose the truth touching the greatnesse of TEFLIS which he did onely in reproch of Mustapha the great Bassa who most vntruly had enformed Amurath That it was as great and populous as DAMASCO whereas in truth it was not in any respect to be compared vnto that so famous a citie After that he deuided the treasure and succours he had brought amongst the souldiours of the fortresse chearing them vp with good words and promises of great matters And because the souldiors there in garrison complained greatly against the Bassa their captaine he caused a bill of complaint to be framed against him and finding him guiltie that he had conuerted the soldiors pay to his owne vse he condemned him to the restitution thereof and so immediately discharging him of his office placed in his roome Giusuf Bey a lord of GEORGIA who for the antient enmitie betweene him and Simon had yeelded himselfe to the Turkes and was of them so welcommed that Sinan trusted him with the custodie of that fort which with so many dangers had beene maintained and defended till that day All things thus set in order at TEFLIS Sinan with his armie departed thence and hauing againe passed the strait of TOMANIS there came vnto him Mustafsad Bassa afterwards gouernour of ALEPPO declaring vnto him That not farre off was great store of corne and cattell and no bodie but only a few Georgians to keepe the same and therfore wished him to send forth some to fetch it in whereof though it had beene much more his armie then stood in great need Sinan was well affected vnto this Mustafsad and therefore the easilier enduced by him to send for the aforesaid bootie but moued with the fresh remembrance of that which had happened to Tal-Ogli and Homar he gaue order That to fetch in this corne and cattell there should goâ— out ten thousand horsemen and their seruants among whom was also the same Mustafsad as their Generall Now stood Tocomac Simon and the other Persian captaines in secret ambush waiting when any of the Turkes should come to fetch in this bootie Whereupon the aforesaid souldiors being now come as they desired and hauing almost charged all their mules and horses with that which best pleased them to make choice of the hidden Persians all on a sudden issued out of their lurking places amongst them and with great slaughter put them to flight and with such furie pursued the victorie that they slew of them seuen thousand carried away many prisoners aliue and the mules and horses laden with the stolne bootie Mustafsad was the first that fled and the first that brought the vnhappie news of that ouerthrow to Sinan which was forthwith confirmed by the report of such as had by speedie flight escaped the furie of the enemie Wherupon Sinan dispatched away the Bassa of CARAMANIA with a great power charging him wheresoeuer he should find the enemie to set vpon him and presently rising himselfe with his whole campe followed the said Bassa But all too late for the Persians after the aforesaid victory without staying had withdrawne themselues into their strong places knowne onely to such as were well acquainted with the difficult passages of GEORGIA and hauing there disposed of their prey were now returning to await some fresh occasion of new slaughter But when they descried the whole armie of the Turks vpon the rising of a certaine hill they were afraid to meet them yea and stood in some doubt also least Sinan should descend from the hill and so assault them for which cause they retired themselues againe into the strength of the mountaines yet not with such speed but that the Turkes ouertooke some few of them and slew about fiftie or threescore of them whose heads in signe of triumph they carried a good part of their way vpon the points of their speares and tooke prisoners about threescore and ten moe At last Sinan with all his armie hauing passed these dangerous places of GEORGIA arriued at TRIALA where it was told him That the Persian king in person himselfe being alreadie departed from TAVRIS with an exceeding great army was comming to bid him battell At which news he caused proclamation to be presently made through all his armie That euery man should put himselfe in readinesse for the voyage to TAVRIS whether he himselfe meant to go to meet with the king his enemie In the meane time as is reported he dispatched certaine posts to the Persian king then at CARACACH to entreat him to send another embassadour to Amurath for peace thinking by that meanes as some doe conjecture to remoue the king from the resolution of comming to assaile him if he had any such meaning After this proclamation made he descended into the open and large plains of CHEILDER where presently he mustered his
setled themselues vpon the execution and taking vnto them some other also of their faithfull and trustie friends followed him euen to the pauillion of Mahamet where Mustaffa entring into the place of counsell desired of the Generall to know what his pleasure was who presently caused the counterfeit commaundement to be read whereunto Mustaffa gaue an attentiue eare But when the other Bassaes and Sanzackes began to sit downe contrarie to the manner of the Turkes who whensoeuer any commaundement of the emperours is in reading vse alwayes to stand vp and not to sit down vntill it be full read the Georgian tooke his leaue promising to be euer readie to performe not onely that order of the kings but also whatsoeuer els he should commaund And so being about to depart the Capigi Bassi or great vsher of Mahamet came vnto him and plucking him by the sleeue would haue forced him to sit downe Then Mustaffa crying out aloud drew his sword wherewith he strucke Mahamets lieutenant that was right against him and with his left hand hauing raught the roll from his pate with his right hand suddenly to the great astonishment of all that were present at one onely blow parted his head his necke and his breast iâ— twaine euen to his very stomacke so that he died a strange spectacle to behold being thus cut in sunder with his cleft head and two shoulders hanging downe vpon their seuerall sides After this first he redoubled his second stroke aiming at the head of the Bassa of CARAEMIT but it being defended with the wrythen rolls of the turbant it slipped downe by his eare yet so that with a peece of the said turbant it carried his eare quite away with a little also of the flesh of his cheeke and all enraged eagerly assailed Mahamet Bassa the Generall who now all in confusion was risen vp in the tumult and wounded him with fiue mortall wounds which were yet afterwards by cunning hand healed when they had brought him euen to deaths dore At the crie of this Georgian all his people rushed in together vpon whose confused tumult and the feare that Mustaffa through his furie had strucke into the Turks the campe was presently raised and euery man with all speed departing thence put himselfe on his way towards CHARS whether also were brought the two wounded Bassaes and the rest that were ill handled and greatly scared with these sudden and vncouth stirres Of all this treacherie entended against him Mustaffa sent present information to the Turkish emperour finding himselfe greatly grieued at the false suspition that Mahamet had wrongfully conceiued against him to his great dishonour and wrought so cunningly that Amurath in token of his good liking and contentment sent him both cloth of gold and a battleax all gilt Mahamet on the other side entermedling here and there with all the art that possibly he could deuise all hatefull and injurious tearmes sent large aduertisements of all the misfortunes that had happened and aggrauated to the king both the treacheries of Mustaffa and also the slender securitie of those wayes and countries As soone as Amurath vnderstood the calamities of his souldiors the losse of his money the great dishonour of his people and the apparant danger wherein the fort of TEFLIS stood when it was like to be abandoned all inflamed with rage and anger he called vnto him the Bassaes of his court among whom sat as chiefe the prowd and haughtie Sinan and rated them all exceedingly reprouing their lewd counsell and recounting the losses that he had from time to time receiued as if they had happened through their defaults and especially Sinan as the principall occasion of all these mischiefes Who like an improuident foole as he said would needs relinquish the charge of his armie and like a king sit idle at CONSTANTINOPLE standing as it were at some publike triumph to behold and heare the miseries and misfortunes of others hauing before in the time that Mustapha was General most vainly boasted with the like power that he had to fetch the Persian king out of CASBIN and to deliuer him in bonds to Amurath but had in deed performed nothing worth the remembrance Sinan could doe no lesse but make answere to the wrathfull king yet not with such mildnesse and modestie as in such a case hee should peraduenture haue done but in prowd and peremptorie manner without any reuerence or regard told him plainly That as the last yeare a little before his returne to CONSTANTINOPLE succours had been conuaied to TEFLIS without any losse or trouble as in truth they were euen so had they been this yeare also if he had put his aduise in execution as much as hee despised and contemned it for he did then giue him to vnderstand that Mahamet Bassa could not be a fit man for so great a charge and that it was necessarie to haue chosen in his roome some other captaine of valour and discretion but seeing he would needs make choise of the same vnfit man he was not now to blame any other for this errour but onely himselfe As for his comming to CONSTANTINOPLE it was a thing long before thought most needfull not onely for his aduise how the matter of peace might be brought to some good passe but also because if that treatie came not to the desired issue then he had to talke with him how he might compasse the ouerthrow of his enemy which thing as yet he had no fit time to declare vnto him but was now readie to reueale it if it were so his pleasure Wonderfully was Amurath grieued with this sullen answere when he considered that a slaue of his owne should so arrogantly and manifestly reproue him of folly and improuidence Notwithstanding being desirous to know of him what that secret and important matter was which he had to reueale vnto him for the easie compassing of his commenced enterprise he dissembled his discontentment conceiued against him and commaunded him to disclose those his deuises which he had to vtter Sinan in briefe of all his aduises propounded these two things first his counsell was not to proceed in this warre as they had hitherto done by seeking with forts and fortresses to hold and keepe the enemies countries for that their treasures were not able to yeeld such store of money as was sufficient for the maintenance of so many and so great garrisons contrarie to the opinion of Mustapha of late dead who with great pertinacie had persuaded that dangerous chargeable and difficult manner of warre His second aduise was that the true meanes to bring this warre to wished end consisted especially in the resolution of Amurath himselfe who if he would go in person himselfe and against so mightie a king oppose the person of a king then might he most assuredly promise vnto himselfe all speedie and honourable victorie for that at the onely name of his comming the Persians would easily come to any agreement or if not he might
nouelties should be Whereupon Abas Mirize sent vnto them two of his chiefe counsellors men of great account and reuerence both for their yeares and wisedome with full instructions Who after many speeches in the end swearing according to their custome by the Creator that spread out the ayre that founded the earth vpon the deepes that adorned the heauen with stars that powred abroad the water that made the fire and briefly of nothing brought forth all things swearing by the head of Ali and by the religion of their prophet Mahomet that such peruerse thoughts neuer entred into the head of Abas Mirize they alleadged many testimonies and manifest proofes that most loially in all due time as well when he was aduanced to the kingdome of PERSIA as also in his battels against the Turks his sonne had alwaies caused deuout prayers and supplications to be made to God for his prosperitie neither euer desired to heare any other but happie and fortunat successe of him They brought with them a thousand and a thousand precepts and royall letters which the young man had caused to be written as occasions required to the Gouernours that were his subjects for the gouernment of the State wherein he neuer named himselfe king of PERSIA but onely Your king and Gouernour of HERI They prayed the king also to cause a diligent processe to be framed against his sonne and if there should be found in him any signe or shadow of so wicked a suspition then to take from him his estate and libertie offering themselues to remaine as hostages for him But when all this should be done and Abas found altogither free from these vnjust accusations then falling euen to the earth and kissing it they besought him and as it were conjured him not to leaue the matter thus imperfect to the prejudice of his bloud but returning to his counsellor to take information likewise vpon what mind and consideration he had aduised the king to take vpon him this vnorderly and dangerous voyage where no doubt he should find nothing in him but malignant ambitious and wicked affections and such as euen deserued that with his bloud there should be reuenged all the bloud of those which till that houre had been brought to their vnworthie and vndeserued deaths And for as much as nothing remained whereof the Visier had enformed the king against his sonne but the commaundement that was giuen by Abas Mirize to the Gouernors vnder him That they should not go to the wars against the Turkes they confessed in truth that such an order was taken but not to that wicked and traiterous end and purpose as was reported to the king by his great counsellour but onely in respect of an inuasion justly feared in those quarters by the Tartarian Iesselbas who by diuers inroads had alreadie done great harme in the countrey about HERI and put young Abas and his counsellors in such a feare that they durst not disfurnish their cities of their guards and forces and therfore had commaunded the said Gouernours not to go to warre against the Turkes but to stay and expect further direction And that all this was by writing signified vnto the Visier himselfe which he of a malicious mind had concealed onely to trie if in these common troubles he could bring to passe that Abas Mirize and the king might be taken away and Emir Hamze succeed in his place and so he himselfe remaine the Superintendent of his sonne in law and Moderator of that most famous kingdome Of which so treacherous a purpose they for all that thought Emir Hamze the young prince altogither ignorant knowing his honourable disposition and loue towards his owne kindred but imputed it only to the immoderat and ambitious desire of the wicked traitour Mirize Salmas Of these graue speeches of the embassadours Mahamet the father by nature credulous began to make great construction and deeply to consider of their so earnest and important requests which seemed vnto him so vpright and equall as that he could not chuse but hearken vnto the same And therefore calling vnto him the Gouernours the captaines the judges and treasurers of all the cities that were subject to to HERI he demanded of them how and in what sort they esteemed of Abas Mirize and in what degree of honour he desired to be esteemed of them and of them all receiued one answere That they held him for their lord as lieutenant to the king of CASâ—IN and that he himselfe had alwaies desired to be so taken and thought of for proofe whereof euerie one of them brought in diuers letters precepts and orders wherein hee neuer caused himselfe to be honoured with any other title but onely Your king of HERI He demaunded further whether any such warres were attempted by the Tartarian Iesselbas or no whereof he receiued a large and solemne information that so it was to the great detriment of all those territories And thus the king was throughly persuaded of the innocencie of his sonne who before was noted vnto him by his Visier to be an obstinat rebell Vpon which occasion only although he might justly haue put him to death as author of so great troubles and bloudshed yet because he would be better enformed of the truth of the accusations laid against him by the embassadours he resolued to make a curious and diligent inquisition thereof and therefore first of all in great secresie he examined Emir Hamze his eldest sonne wherefore he had aduised this journey against his brother Abas whom he had found guiltlesse of all those crimes that were objected against him whereunto the prince answered That he had no other certainetie of the pretended euill behauiour of his brother but onely that which proceeded from the great credit that he alwaies gaue to his father in law Mirize Salmas to whom as to a chiefe counsellor his father in law and protector of the kingdome he had alwaies yeelded assured credence and so discharged the whole tempests of all those mischiefes vpon the Visier Touching whom the king made diligent inquisition as well among those of the court as of the armie and thereby found him guiltie of all that the embassadours of HERI had accused him and that being alwaies acquainted with the true occasions which restrained the Gouernours of HERI subject to Abas Mirize from going to the warre against the Turkes he had most maliciously concealed the same of purpose to hatch such a strange and dangerous discontentment as had wrought the vnworthie death of many great men and almost defiled the hands of the father with the innocent bloud of his guiltlesse sonne For which so foule a treason the false Visier was worthely condemned to die and his wily head by the commaundement of the king strucke from his carkasse Iustly rewarded with the same punishment which he vnjustly sought to haue conuerted vpon others and with his owne destruction pacified the dissentions and hatreds that were risen betweene the two
mountaine peasants which notwithstanding cannot be truly justified of this Osman his father being Beglerbeg of DAMASCO and his mother the daughter of the Beglerbeg of BABILON it doth oftentimes in the course of this variable world draw diuers men into princes Courts and aduance them to the highest dignities Truth it is that from a priuat souldiour though well borne he by sundrie degrees grew vp to the highest honours of that so great an empire and was at one instant created the cheefe Counsellor and Generall of the Othoman forces Great was the joy that Osman conceiued hereat and great was the desire hee had to make himselfe worthie of so honourable fauours and the greater confidence he perceiued that Amurath had reposed in him the more eagerly was hee spurred on to doe any thing possible whereby he might shew himselfe to haue deserued the same And therefore aduising with himselfe that for as much as the greatnesse of the enterprise required a greater armie than was leuied in former yeares so it was necessarie also for him the sooner to send out his aduertisements into all his subject prouinces and by his owne example to stirre vp the other captaines and souldiours euen in the Winter though it were as yet somewhat troublesome to passe ouer to SCVTARI and from thence to ANGORI to AMASIA to SIVAS and there in those territories to driue out the time vntill his soldiors which were summoned were all gathered together And because vpon this his great speed it might peraduenture fall out that the enemie misdoubting his purpose for TAVRIS might prouide a greater armie than they would otherwise he caused it to be giuen out That he must goe for NASSIVAN to the end that the Persians so beguiled should not regard the gathering of so mightie an armie as they would haue done if they should haue heard of the Turkes comming to TAVRIS and so the generall cousening rumor flew not only through all the cities subject to the Turkes but into the countries of the Persian also who notwithstanding being very jealous of the citie of TAVRIS and fearing that the matter would fall out as indeed afterwards it did ceased not to make most curious and diligent enquirie about it And although the disgrace offered to his embassadour at CONSTANTINOPLE dissuaded him from sending any other for treatie of peace yet to spie out the secrets of the Turkes and to vnderstand the certainetie of their purpose for NASSIVAN or TAVRIS he sent diuers messengers to Osman as if he had meant to feele his mind touching a peace but in very deed for nothing els but to sound his designements which for all that he could not with all the cunning he could vse possibly discouer but still remained doubtfull as at the first the fame still running for NASSIVAN In the beginning of this yeare now growing towards an end Amurath sent one Mustapha one of the meanest of his Chiaus vnto Stephen king of POLONIA to excuse the death of Podolouius so shamefully murthered as is before declared as if the same had happened by the insolencie of certaine souldiors and not by his commaundement who the better to colour the matter had brought with him two base fellowes as authors of that outrage for the king to take reuenge vpon but were indeed no such men as they were pretended to be but rather as it was thought men before condemned for some other fact worthie of death and now sent thither to serue this purpose for whom the Chiaus in proud and threatening manner in the name of his master required to haue present restitution made of all such goods as the Polonian Cossackes had not long before taken from the Turks and the captaine of the said Cossackes to be deliuered also vnto him to be carried to Amurath and so hardly vrged the matter that notwithstanding the vnworthie death of Podolouius and his followers and the taking away of his horses all the goods taken by the Cossackes were forthwith restored which the Chiaus almost in triumphant manner presented vnto Amurath at CONSTANTINOPLE This Summer also Amurath disporting himselfe with his Muts was almost dead These Muts are lustie strong fellowes depriued of their speech who neuerthelesse by certain signes can both aptly expresse their owne conceits and vnderstand the meaning of others these men for their secrecie are the cruell ministers of the Turkish tyrants most horrible commaunds and therefore of them had in great regard With these Muts mounted vpon faire and fat but heauie and vnreadie horses was Amurath vpon a light and readie horse sporting himselfe as the manner of the Turkish emperours is riding sometime about one sometime about another and striking now the horse now the man at his pleasure when suddenly he was taken with a fit of the falling sicknesse his old disease and so falling from his horse was taken vp for dead insomuch that the Ianizaries supposing him to haue beene indeed dead after their wonted manner fell to the spoyling of the Christians and Iewes and were proceeding to further outrages had not their Aga or captaine to restraine their insolencie to the terror of the rest hanged vp one of them taken in the manner and certaine others in the habit of Ianizaries Neuerthelesse Amurath shortly after recouered againe and to appease that rumour of his death openly vpon their Sabboth which is the friday rid from his pallace to the temple of Sophia where I with many others saw him saith Leunclauius his countenance yet all pale and discoloured This yeare also happened such a chance as had like to haue raised new warres betwixt the Turks and the Venetians which for as much as it is worth the reporting I thought it not good in silence to passe ouer The widow of Ramadan Bassa late Gouernour of TRIPOLIS in BARBARIE with her sonne her familie and a great number of slaues of both sorts being about to depart from TRIPOLIS to CONSTANTINOPLE had rigged vp a faire gallie for the transporting of her selfe and her substance reported to be worth eight hundred thousand duckats vnto which gallie for her more safetie she had joyned two others as consorts Thus embarked she came to the mouth of the Adriaticke where sayling by CORFV she was by force of tempest driuen into the gulfe of the Adriaticke At which time one Petrus Emus one of the Venetian Senatours with certaine gallies had the charge for the keeping of that sea agaist pyrats and all other enemies whosoeuer He hearing of the Turkes comming into the gulfe without delay set vpon them and being too strong for them tooke them all and hauing them now in his power exercised most barbarous crueltie as well vpon the women as the men for hauing slaine the men in number two hundred and fiftie and the sonne of Ramadan in his mothers lap he caused the women being before rauished to haue their breasts cut off and afterwards to be cast ouerbourd into the sea being in number about fortie The brother of
many forced reasons and excuses Why they should surcease from meeting with the Turks and Emanguli as yet vtterly ignorant of the wicked purposes and mischieuous treacherie of Aliculi suffered himselfe to be misse-led by him also By the delayes and negligence of these two Persian captaines the Turkish Generall tooke leisure without any losse or hinderance at all to arriue at TAVRIS and to put the desired succours into the fort at what time the Persian prince by good hap had got knowledge of the treacherie of Aliculi and of the designements which many of the Sultans had lately contriued for the betraying of him aliue into the hands of the Turkish Generall Of which suspition he being greatly afraid durst not onely not trust himselfe to performe those battels that he had before determined to haue performed but quite abandoning this noble and honourable enterprise wholly employed all his care and studie for the safetie of his own person and so left the triumph of the matter in the power of the Turkes And thus those great hopes and expectations which the Persians had conceiued of great exploits to haue beene done against the enemie did not onely prooue vaine and come to no good issue but contrariwise by this discouerie were conuerted into most strange disturbances and all PERSIA thereby endured sundrie alterations and reuolutions of most important consequences For both Aliculi Chan and his complices were pursued by the prince as rebels and traitours and also Abas Mirize of HERI was manifestly discouered for a wicked and treacherous contriuer of his brothers death whereby the common mischiefes were encreased more than euer they were before and the publicke calamities yeelded greater hopes vnto the Turkes than they had euer before conceiued in all the course of these warres When Ferat had thus relieued them in the castle of TAVRIS leauing for the custodie therof Giaffer the Bassa with his former companies he returned towards ERZIRVM hauing first caused a fort to be erected at CVRCHIVE TAVRIS a place neere vnto TAVRIS another at COY and the third at CVM in euery one of which forts he left a conuenient number of souldiors with all things necessarie and sufficient for their maintenance and defence of the places they were to keepe He sent also succours to the fort at TEâ—LIS in GEORGIA which they had long expected and now most joyfully receiued But the Persian prince hauing hunted Aliculi Chan out of the quarters of TAVRIS thought himselfe now wholly deliuered from the great feare of treason and rebellion wherein he of late liued and therfore in as great hast as he could put himselfe on his journey towards GENGE in which place hauing gathered together a good number of souldiors he determined to remoue thence to intercept the succours that were by the Turkes to be brought to TEFLIS Now he had alwayes found Emanguli Chan to be both faithfull and wise and in him he reposed an assured confidence for performing any enterprise that he had in hand and communicated with him euery deuice that he had conceiued in these wars And therefore he made head and joyned with him and lodging most familiarly in his citie he stayed there for the setting in order and disposing of his foresaid designement being very desirous not to let such an oportunitie to ouerslip without signification vnto the world of some notable noueltie which might be correspondent to the fame that of matters passed and performed the yeare before was now spread and published abroad ouer all the world But when he was euen at the very fairest to haue put this his desire in execution and least of all feared any treacherie or treason vpon a sudden in the night time as he slept vpon a pallet he was miserably strucken through the bodie by an Eunuch of his that attended vpon him and so the most resplendent and bright lustre that euer shined in PERSIA was vtterly extinguished What was the occasion thereof and who procured his death diuers and sundrie are the opinions of men Some thinke that his brother Abas Mirize of HERI who had before conspired to haue had him betrayed into the hands of the Turkish Generall had now by force of money and gifts enduced the wicked Eunuch thereunto Others deemed it not to haue beene done without the priuitie of his father as more desirous to preferre Abas Mirize his other sonne vnto the kingdome Diuers others doe diuersly reason of the matter so that to affirme of a certainetie that thus or thus the death of so worthie a prince was procured were great rashnesse and therefore we leaue it with the further processe of the Persian state vnto the further discouerie of Time the auntient mother of truth Notwithstanding the league betwixt the Christian emperour Rodolph the second and Amurath the Great Turke many sharpe skirmishes oftentimes fell out betwixt the Christians and the Turkes vpon the frontiers of their territories and dominions especially in HVNGARIE CROATIA and STIRIA as now in the latter end of this yeare 1586 in the month of December the Turkes after their insolent manner making an inrode into the borders of CROATIA receiued a notable ouerthrow by the Christians being in number much fewer where amongst others the Bassa of BOSNA with his brother was slaine whose head with certaine prisoners was sent to VIENNA to Ernestus Archduke of AVSTRIA the emperours brother This Bassa of BOSNA and his brother slaine in this conflict as we haue said are reported to haue beene the sonnes of Muhamet the late great Visier by one of the daughters of Selymus the second Amurath his sister For diuers yeares following Amurath did no great matter worth the remembrance contenting himselfe as it should seeme with that he had alreadie got from the Persians and holding his league in some reasonable sort with the Christians yet not so but that many a bloudie broile tending at last euen to the breach of the league passed betwixt the Turkes and the Christians which for the continuation of the historie we will briefely set downe as they are vnto vs by the writers of our time reported In Februarie the yeare following which was the yeare 1587 the Christians prouoked by the often outrages of the Turkes setting vpon the castle of KOPPAN not farre from the lake of BALATON being then frozen by good fortune surprised it There was at that time in the castle three of the Turkes Sanzackes and about a thousand Turkes of whom an hundred and ninetie of the better sort with seuentie women besides diuers of the meaner sort fell into the hands of the Christians the rest sauing themselues by flight or by creeping into secret corners An hundred horses for seruice were there taken also and so much bootie as was esteemed to be worth fortie thousand duckats Of the three Sanzackes that were there present Alis Sanzacke of KOPPAN was taken and brought first to VIENNA and afterward presented to the emperour Another of them standing vpon
Sigismund the late prince might now be bestowed vpon himselfe and for his seruice done to be furnished with money for the payment of his souldiors And that the emperor with the other princes of the empire should assure him That if he were taken by the Turke they should raunsome him but in case he were by the great power of the Turke driuen out of those countries then by the emperours appointment to haue some conuenient place allotted vnto him in the vpper HVNGARIE to liue in with the yearly pension of an hundred thousand dollars All which his requests if it would please him to grant he promised this yeare to doe so much against the Turke as had not in an hundred yeares been done before with vaunt that if he had had the imployment of the money which was spent in the time of this war he would not haue doubted but to haue brought all the countries from the Euxine or Blacke sea to BVDA ALBA REGALIS and SOLNOCK vnder the emperors obeysance A large promise indeed but hardly to haue been performed by a farre greater prince than he Thus whilest things stood in discourse after the Cardinals death Sigismund the late prince in the meane time supported by the Polonians with the aid of the Turkes the Tartars and the Moldauians was readie to haue inuaded TRANSYLVANIA yea the Tartars as the forerunners of his greater power were alreadie entred the countrey and had out of the frontiers thereof carried away some bootie Whereof the Vayuod vnderstanding in great hast assembled his forces out of all places which in short time was growne to some good head the countrey people togither with the free Haiduckes an aduenturous and resolute kind of souldiors in great number daily resorting vnto him So being now eight thousand strong and most of them braue and lustie men he with them and twentie pieces of artillerie remoued to CRONSTAT the foure and twentith day of Aprill sending part of his armie which euerie day more and more encreased before him to NESSEN where all his forces being assembled to the number of almost fiftie thousand horse and foot hee with great sceleritie passed the rough and high mountaines into MOLDAVIA without resistance but yet not without some trouble his souldiors by the way being glad sometimes to eat the leaues of trees the enemie hauing of purpose before carried away whatsoeuer he could that might haue yeelded him reliefe Of whose speedie comming and great strength Sigismund and Ieremias the Vayuod of MOLDAVIA hearing and vpon the reasonable estimate of their owne forces finding themselues too weake to encounter him retired themselues out of MOLDAVIA into the frontiers of POLONIA there to gather greater strength and so to meet him for as yet Ieremias the Vayuod had not receiued from the Turke such forces as were vnto him promised and as he still expected Michael the Vayuod in the meane time his enemies thus fled with fire and sword entering into MOLDAVIA tooke in the greatest part thereof the fearefull countrey people still yeelding vnto him as he went and the rather for that Ieremias their Vayuod placed by the Polonian but tributarie vnto the Turke had laied vpon them a most grieuous imposition as vpon euerie man a duckat a moneth for which they exceedingly hated him But here in MOLDAVIA Michael the Vayuod hauing still in his companie one of the emperours commissioners in TRANSYLVANIA most trustie seruants who might faithfully report vnto them the whole manner of their proceedings after the departure of Sigismund and Ieremias his enemies staied not long but hearing that they were retired towards the confines of POLONIA without longer delay made towards them and the eighteenth of May found them by the castle OTHVNE neere vnto the riuer Nester being thirtie thousand strong Polonians Moldauians Turkes and Tartars with whom he joyned a most fierce and cruell battell which begun about ten a clocke before noone was with great courage but greater obstinacie on both sides maintained vntill the euening At which time the fortune of the Valachian preuayling his enemies at last betooke themselues to flight of whom were there slaine eight thousand beside many others of them drowned in the riuer Nester where of the Valachians were lost two thousand onely Concerning Sigismund and Ieremias diuers reports were after this ouerthow giuen out some saying that they were slaine and some that they were in flying drowned howbeit the truth was that they both by flight escaped to the greater trouble of themselues as of their afflicted countries also Michael after this so notable a victorie taking in the rest of MOLDAVIA caused the people to sweare their obedience vnto the emperour himselfe and his sonne to the great offence of the Polonians not a little as they tooke it wronged therein but especially of the great Chancellor an old enemie vnto the house of AVSTRIA Whereof ensued greater troubles in those frontier countries than before to the further effusion of more Christian bloud much better to haue been emploied against the fatall enemie in defence of the Christian common-weale Yet thus the three warlike and frontier countries of TRANSYLVANIA VALACHIA and MOLDAVIA the surest bulwarkes of that side of Christendome and most exposed vnto the furie of the common enemie were now once againe vnited vnder the obeysance of the emperour to the great benefit no doubt of the Christian common-weale and hurt of the Turkes if they might haue so continued as God wot they did not long Now the Vayuod notwithstanding this so great a victorie well considering that he of himselfe could hardly keepe this new gained prouince of MOLDAVIA against the power of the Turke pretending that to him it belonged as his own to giue to whom he pleased as also against the Polonians not more desirous to restore Ieremias againe into MOLDAVIA than the prince Sigismund into TRANSYLVANIA without the help of some other more mightie prince whom he might rest vpon by his embassadours sent for that purpose offered the soueraigntie of all those three countries vnto the emperour with condition that he should appoint him perpetuall Gouernour of the same vnder him The emperour also vnderstood how that Mahomet the great Turke had not long before againe sent vnto him another of his Chiaus commaunding him without delay to restore the countrey of TRANSYLVANIA vnto the prince Sigismund vnto whom he was by the mediation of the king of POLONIA now before reconciled threatning otherwise with fire and sword to destroy VALACHIA and by force of armes to depriue him both of TRANSYLVANIA and his life togither Wherefore the emperour doubting least the Vayuod either for feare or for the better assuring of his owne estate should to his prejudice fall to some agreement with the Turke yeelded to all that his embassadours had of him requested with condition that he should be bound as need should require to serue with his people against the Turke and that in TRANSYLVANIA neere vnto his
Silistria all in Macedonia 7 Giustandill all in Macedonia 8 Bender neere vnto the Euxine 9 Aâ—herman in the confines of Moldauia 10 Vscopia 11 Prisrem all in Thessalia 12 Salonichi all in Thessalia 13 Trichala all in Thessalia 14 Misitra of old called Sparta in Morea 15 Paloeopatra in the same prouince 16 Ioannina in Aetolia 17 Deluina both in Achaia 18 Elbassan both in Achaia 19 Auelona or Aulona in Albania 20 Ducagin in Epirus 21 Iscodra or Scodra in Albania The Beglerbeg of BVDA who there resideth in the frontiers of the Turkish empire hauing vnder his charge eight thousand Timariots beside twelue thousand other soldiors which in continuall pay lie still readie in garrison in the confines of HVNGARIE CROATIA STIRIA and other places bordering vpon the Christians but especially the territories belonging to the house of AVSTRIA He had of late vnder his ensigne and commaund these fifteene Sanzacks viz. the Sanzacke of 1 Nouigrad 2 Filek 3 Zetschen 4 Zolnock 5 Gran or Strigonium 6 Segedin 7 Alba Regalis 8 Sexard 9 Simontorna 10 Copan 11 Muhatz 12 Zigeth or Saswar 13 Petscheu or Quinque Ecclaesiae 14 Sirmium 15 Semendria Of which FILEK ZETSCHEN and STRIOONIVM are in these late warres woon from the Turkes by the Imperials and so yet by them holden as was also ALBA REGALIS which but the last yeare was by the Turkes againe recouered The Beglerbeg of TEMESVVAR in HVNGARIE who there hath his abode hauing vnder his commaund seuen thousand Timariots with these eight Sanzacks the Sanzacke of 1 Temeswar 2 Mudaua 3 Vilaoswar 4 Tschianad 5 Wtschitirni 6 Iswornick 7 Vidin 8 Lipa The Beglerbeg of BOSNA who lieth at BAGNIALVCA hath vnder him these Sanzacks the Sanzacke of 1 Bagnialuca 2 Poschega 3 Clissa 4 Hertzegouina 5 Lika 6 Sazeschna 7 Giula 8 Brisrem 9 Allatschia chissar The Beglerbeg of COFFE or CAPHA who there resideth in TAVRICA CHERSONESVS and beside the countrey thereabout commaundeth ouer all the Sanzacks neere vnto the great riuer Tanais and the fennes of Moeotis It was at first but a Sanzackeship subject to the Beglerbeg of GRaeCIA and is in truth rather a Beglerbegs place in name than in strength and power The Beglerbegs or great Commaunders of the Turkes Empire in ASIA The Beglerbeg of 1 Anatolia who hath his resiance in Cutaie the metropoliticall citie of the greater Phrigia called of auntient time Catyai and hath vnder his ensigne and commaund thirtie thousand of the Timariot horsemen with twelue Sanzacks 2 Caramania who hath his abode at Caisaria in auntient time called Caesaria a citie of Cilicia and hath vnder him seuen Sanzackes with twentie thousand Timariots 3 Siuas who hath his abiding at Sebastia a citie of the lesser Armenia and hath vnder his gouernment ten thousand Timariots 4 Tocatun who resideth at Amasia the metropolis of Capadocia and hath vnder him fiue Sanzackes 5 Dulgadir sometime part of the kingdome of Aladeules and commandeth ouer foure Sanzackes 6 Halep commonly called Aleppo a citie of Syria and one of the most famous marts of the East who hath vnder his regiment fiue and twentie thousand Timariots 7 Sham otherwise called Damasco a most famous citie of Syria who commandeth ouer fortie thousand Timariots 8 Tarapolos or Trapolos commonly called Tripolis another famous citie of Syria 9 Maras a citie vpon the great riuer Euphrates betwixt Aleppo and Mesopotamia who hath vnder his commaund ten thousand Timariots 10 Diarbekir otherwise called Mesopotamia who maketh his abode at the citie of Amida or as the Turkes call it Cara-hemid who commaundeth ouer twelue Sanzackes and thirtie thousand Timariots 11 Bagdat or new Babylon where he resideth not farre from the ruines of old Babylon who hath vnder him fortie thousand Timariots 12 Balsara not farre from Bagdat vpon the Persian gulfe who hath vnder his rule or gouernment fifteene thousand Timariots 13 Laxa towards Ormus and neere vnto the Persian hath vnder his regiment ten thousand Timariots 14 Gemen and Aden two famous cities in Arabia Foelix vpon the coast of the red sea who hath vnder him thirtie thousand Timariots 15 Chebetz or Zebet vpon the coast of the Arabian gulfe neere vnto the kingdome of the great Aethyopian king Preianes commonly but corruptly called Presbiter Iohn 16 Cyprus who lieth at Nicosia or Famagusta commaunding ouer all that great island sometime of it selfe a kingdome 17 Scheherezul in Assyria bordering vpon the Persian who hath vnder his gouernment ten thousand Timariots 18 Wan a citie in the confines of the greater Armenia towards Media who hath vnder him twelue thousand Timariots 19 Artzerum or Erzerum in the borders of Armenia towards Capadocia about foure daies journey from Trapezonde who commaundeth ouer twentie thousand Timariots 20 Tiflis neere vnto the Georgians erected by Mustapha Bassa Generall of Amurath the third his armie against the Persian in the yeare 1578. 21 Siruan or Media erected by the same Mustapha and at the same time commaundeth ouer all that great countrey sometime a famous kingdome 22 Temir-Capi or Derbent neere vnto the Caspian sea taken by Osman Bassa the same yeare 1578 who hauing slaine Schehemet Chan his father in law reduced that countrey into the forme of a Beglerbegship 23 Cars a citie of Armenia the greater distant from Artzerum foure daies journey by Mustapha Bassa made a Beglerbegship in the yeare 1579. 24 Tschilder or Tzilder in the confines of the Georgians erected by the same Generall Mustapha the same yeare 1579. 25 Fassa or Phasis in Mengrelia neere vnto the Georgians erected by Vluzales the Turkes Admirall the same yeare 1579. 26 Sochum in the borders of the Georgians erected by the great Bassa Sinan in the yeare 1580. 27 Batin there erected also by the same Sinan Bassa 28 Reiuan erected by Ferat Bassa Generall of the Turkes armie taken from Tocomac Chan the Persian in the yeare 1582 whereof Cicala Bassa was the first Beglerbeg 29 Somachia in the countrey of Media erected by Osman Bassa in the yeare 1583. 30 Tauris a most famous citie of Armenia the greater sometime the regall seat of the Persian kings but of late taken from them by Osman Bassa and conuerted into a Beglerbegship in the same yeare 1583 as it is by them yet holden But these late erected honours namely the Beglerbegships of TIFLIS SIRVAN TEMIRCAPI CARS TSCHILDER FASSA and the rest gained by Amurath from the Persians and the Georgians although they containe a great territorie are not of themselues any of them worthie of those proud titles or yet able to maintaine the same SIRVAN REIVAN and TAVRIS onely excepted but were by the great Bassaes Mustapha Sinan Ferat and Osman Amurath his lieutenants for their owne greater honour and the encouraging of them which were to defend those their new conquests erected being indeed nothing either in power or strength comparable with the other more auntient Beglerbegs either in EVROPE or ASIA But hauing thus passed through the great kingdomes and
hundred miles both by sea and land and defend themselues rather by peaceable policie than by force of armes notably fortifying their strong holds vpon their frontiers declining by all meanes the dangers and charges of warre by embassages and rich presents leauing nothing vnattempted their libertie and State preserued rather than to fall to warres To say the truth of them although they had both coyne and warlike prouision sufficient yet want they men and victuals answereable to so great a warre against so puissant an enemie There remaineth onely the king of SPAINE of all other the great princes either Christians or Mahometanes bordering vpon him the best able to deale with him his yearely reuenewes so farre exceeding those of the Turkes as that they are also probably thought to counteruaile the greatest part of his Timariots and his great dominions in SPAINE PORTINGALL NAPLES SICILIA MILLAINE SARDINIA and the Low Countries if they were with him at vnitie able to affourd vnto him so great and powerfull a strength both by sea and land as might make him dreadfull euen vnto the Great Turke when he swelleth in his greatest pride But considering how his forces are distracted for the maintenance of his warres at once in diuers places as also for the necessarie defence and keeping of his so large and dispersed territories not all the best of themselues affected to the Spanish gouernment he is not to be thought of himselfe strong ynough against the vnited forces of the great Turke whensoeuer they should chance to be emploied vpon him So that by this we haue alreadie said is easily to be gathered how much the Turke is too strong for any one the neighbour princes either Mahometanes or Christians bordering vpon him and therefore to be of them the more feared Yet least some mistaking me might thinke What is then the Turke inuincible Farre be that thought from me to thinke any enemie of Christ Iesu be his arme neuer so strong to be able to withstand his power either quite to deuour his little flocke rage he neuer so much about it As for the Turke the most dangerous and professed enemie of the Christian commonweale be his strength so great yea and happily greater too than is before declared the greatnesse of his dominions and empire considered yet is he not to be thought therefore either inuincible or his power indeed so great as it in shew seemeth for to be his Timariot horsemen his greatest strength dispersed ouer his whole Empire being neuer possibly the one halfe of them by him to be gathered into the bodie of one armie neither if they so were possible in such a multitude long to be kept together liuing vpon no pay of his but vpon such store and prouision only as they bring with them from their Timari neuer sufficient long to maintaine them Besides that the policie of his state hardly or neuer suffereth him to draw aboue a third part of his Timariots out of his countries where they dwell for feare least the rest of the people by them still kept vnder should in their absence take vp armes against him in defence of themselues and their auntient libertie whereafter the greatest part of those poore oppressed soules as well Mahometanes as Christians in euery prouince of his Empire awaiting but the opportunitie most desirously longeth so that more than two parts of them being alwaies to bee left at home for the necessarie defence of the spacious borders of his so large an Empire as also for the keeping in obedience of so many discontented nations it is a great matter if hee euen in his greatest warres draw together of these kind of souldiors the full number of an hundred and fiftie thousand strong making vp the rest of his huge multitude with his Acanzij liuing of no pay of his but vpon the spoile of the enemie only the fift part whereof they pay vnto him also All which put together what manner of men they be and of what valour not onely the small armies of the Christians vnder the leading of their worthie chiefetaines Huniades Scanderbeg king Matthias and others haue to their immortall glorie in former times made good proofe but euen in this our age and that as it were but the other day the Transyluanian prince with diuers other valiant captaines and commaunders yet liuing haue done the like also as well witnesseth the late battell of AGRIA wherein the Christians in number not halfe so many as the Turkes by plaine valour draue the great Sultan Mahomet himselfe with Ibrahim Bassa his lieutenant Generall out of the field and had of him had the most glorious victorie that euer was got against that enemie had they not by too much carelesnesse and vntimely desire of spoile themselues shamefully interrupted the same But thus to let his horsemen passe the chiefe strength of his footmen are his Ianizaries neuer in number exceeding twelue or foureteene thousand yea seldome times halfe so many euen in his greatest armies except he himselfe be there in person present in the middest of them who beside the small number of them in the time of these their late voluptuous and effeminate emperours corrupted with the pleasures of CONSTANTINOPLE and for want of their wonted discipline haue together with their auntient obedience and patience lost also a great part of their former reputation and valour all the rest of his footmen filling vp the great bodie of his populous armie being his Asapi rather pioners than souldiors men of small worth and so accounted of both of the Turkes and their enemies also So that all things well considered his best souldiors being the least part of his greatest armies and they also farre vnlike their predecessours the sterne followers of the former Othoman kings and emperours but men now giuen to pleasure and delight it is not otherwise to be thought but that he bringeth into the field farre moe men than good souldiours more brauerie than true valour more shew than worth his multitude being his chiefest strength his supposed greatnesse the terrour of his neighbour princes and both together the very majestie of his Empire Which although it be indeed very strong for the reasons before alleadged yet is it by many probably thought to bee now vpon the declining hand their late emperours in their owne persons farre degenerating from their warlike progenitors their souldiors generally giuing themselues to vnwonted pleasures their auntient discipline of warre neglected their superstition not with so much zeale as of old regarded and rebellions in diuers parts of his Empire of late strangely raised and mightily supported all the signes of a declining state Which were they not at all to be seene as indeed they be very pregnant yet the greatnesse of this Empire being such as that it laboureth with nothing more than the weightinesse of it selfe it must needs after the manner of wordly things of it selfe fall and againe come to nought no man knowing when or how