FRANCE with whom we also will repaire into the lesser ASIA whither the course both of the time and of the historie now calleth vs to see the other greater affaires of the Turks in those Eastern countries leauing for a season these poore remainders of so many Christians in TYRE and PTOLEMAIS now for a while in peace but to be ere long deuoured of the infidels their enemies as in the processe of this Historie shall in due time and place appeare The ruine of the Turks first Empire in Persia with the successe of their second kingdome in the lesser Asia vnder the Aladin Kings AS no kingdome or Empire vpon earth were it neuer so flourishing or great was euer yet so assured but that in the reuolution of time after the manner of other worldly things it hath as a sicke bodie been subject vnto many strange innouations and changes and at length come to nothing so fared it now with the Turkish empire which first planted by Tangrolipix in PERSIA and the other far Easterne countries increased by Axan his sonne and so by the Turkish Sultans their successors although their names and doings as too farre off be not vnto vs all knowne for the space of one hundred and seuentie yeareas continued must now I say giue place vnto a greater power and settle it selfe elsewhere the ineuitable destinie thereof so requiring It fortuned that about this time when in the space of a few yeares such mutations as had not before of long beene seene chanced in diuers great monarchies and states that the Tartars or rather Tattars inhabiting the large cold and bare countries in the North side of ASIA of all others a most barbarous fierce and needie nation stirred vp by their owne wants and the persuasion of one Zingis or as some call him Cangis holden amongst them for a great prophet and now by them made their leader and honoured with the name of Vlu-Chan that is to say the Mightie king commonly called the great Cham flocking together in number like the sand of the sea and conquering first their poore neighbours of condition and qualitie like themselues and easie enough to bee entreated with them to seeke their better fortune like swarms of grashoppers sent out to deuour the world passed the high mountaine CAUCASUS part of the mountaine TAURUS of all the mountaines in the world the greatest which beginning neere vnto the ARCHIPELAGO and ending vpon the orientall OCEAN and running through many great and famous kingdomes diuideth ASIA into two parts ouer which great mountaine one of the most assured bounders of nature that had so many worlds of yeares shut vp this rough and sauage people they now passing without number and comming downe as it were into an other world full of such natures pleasant delights as neuer were to them before seene bare downe all before them as they went nothing being now able to stand in their way Old Zingis their fortunate leader dead in this so great an expedition Hoccata his sonne eldest of his twelue brethren a man of great wisedome and courage tooke vpon him his fathers place who sending part of his great armie for the subduing of the countries Westward turned himselfe with a world of people towards the East where hauing subdued the Bactrians and Sogdians with diuers others he entred into INDIA and subduing that rich countrey on both sides the riuer INDUS euen to the East OCEAN there in the countrey of CATHAI built the famous citie of CAMBALU in circuit eight and twentie miles about for pleasure and plentie of all things necessarie for the life of man of all the cities of ASIA the chiefe where the great Cham of TARTARIE still resiant as in his emperiall citie commaundeth ouer one of the greatest and strongest empires of the world In whose kingdome also in the prouince of MANGY more towards the East hee hath another most famous citie called QUINSAY of all the cities in the world the greatest in circuit an hundred miles about as M. Paulus Venetus writeth who himselfe dwelt therein about the yeare 1260. It is situate in a lake of fresh water and hath in it twelue thousand bridges of which some are of such an heigth that tall ships with their sailes vp may easily passe vnder them In this populous citie the great Cham hath for the keeping thereof alwaies thirtie thousand men in garrison The Tartar kingdome thus planted in CAMBALU Hoccata contenting himselfe with the rich pleasures of INDIA afterward mannaged his wars by his lieutenants being for the most part his brethren or other his nigh kinsmen of whom hee sent out with his armies some Northward some Westward and some toward the South by whom he subdued the Arachosians Margians and diuers other great nations entring into PERSIA subdued the countrey with all PARTHIA ASSYRIA MESOPOTAMIA MEDIA At this time in the citie BALCH or BELCH in the countrey of CHORASAN in the farthest part of PERSIA raigned ouer the Turks one Cursumes of the Greekes called Corsantes who finding himselfe far too weake to stand before the Tartarians fled with all his people leauing vnto them both the citie and the countrey which he and the Turks his predecessours had euer since the time of Tangrolipix possessed which citie the Tartars rased and tooke the countrey to themselues In this generall flight of the Turks when as euery man was glad to make what shift he might for himselfe Cursumes their Sultan died the last of the kings of the Selzuccian family that raigned ouer the Turks in PERSIA whose sonne Vgnan Chan taking vpon him the leading of such mulitudes of Turks as followed his father ceized vpon the great citie of BABYLON now called BAGADAT neere vnto the ruines of the old BABYLON where hauing put to the sword all the inhabitants thereof he there and in the countrey thereabout seated himselfe with the Turks his followers but long he had not there rested but that the Tartars hearing thereof pursued him tooke him prisoner expulsed thēce all his people There was at the same time also another kingdom of the Turks at NACHAN a citie in PERSIA giuing name vnto the countrey wherein it stood not farre from CHORASAN wherein then raigned one Solyman of the Oguzian family as had diuers other of his progenitors before him who terrified with this dreadfull storme so suddenly risen out of the North and warned by the sudden fall of the Selzuccian Sultan his kingdome of farre greater fame and power than himselfe or his fled also with such his subjects as would follow him into the lesser ASIA But of him and his proceedings more shall bee said hereafter in the rising of the victorious Othoman family as lineally from him discended After this the Tartars together with their good fortune still extending the bounds of their empire conquered ARMENIA the greater with the countries of CHOLCHIS and IBERIA so that now their empire was become of all others the greatest and most
strong citie of EPIDAVRVS to commaund them in the name of the prince to deliuer vnto him the citie with the prince his wife and daughter which lay there But the Gouernour trusting vnto the strength of the citie refused to deliuer the same yet suffred the princesse with her daughter to depart out of the citie being willing to goe to her husband whom the captaine hauing receiued returned and presented them to Mahomet By whose commaundement they were presently sent into BEOTIA there to attend his returne towards CONSTANTINOPLE and an Eunuch appointed to take charge of the young ladie who had so warmed Mahomets affection that he tooke her afterwards to his wife At the same time hee also subdued the most part of ACHAIA and ELIS by Zoganus Bassa his lieutenant whether hee came not long after himselfe and laied siege to the citie of SALMENICA which for lacke of water was at length yeelded vnto him but the castle was by the space of a whole yeare after valiantly defended against the Turks left to besiege it by Thomas the prince of whom Mahomet afterwards gaue this commendation That in the great countrey of PELOPONESVS hee had found many slaues but neuer a man but him This valiant prince seeing the miserable ruine of his countrey and the state thereof vtterly forlorne after he had most notably endured a yeares siege in the castle of SALMENICA got to sea and so arriued in ITALIE where trauelling to ROME hee was honourably receiued by Pius Secundus then bishop there who during his life allowed him a large pension for the maintenance of his state Thus Mahomet hauing thrust both the Grecian princes out of their dominions and subdued all PELOPONESVS excepting such strong townes and castles as bordering vpon the sea coast were yet holden by the Venetians left Zoganus Bassa his lieutenant to gouerne that new conquered prouince and with great triumph returned himselfe towards CONSTANTINOPLE carrying away with him Demetrius the prince with his wife and daughter and many other noble prisoners But after he was come to HADRIANOPLE and placed in his royall seat he remooued the Eunuch from the faire young ladie and tooke charge of her himselfe As for Demetrius her father hee gaue to him the cittie AENVM with the custome arising of the salt there made as a pension for him to liue vpon Thus this most famous and populous countrey of PELOPONESVS fell into the Turkish thraldome about the yeare of our Lord 1460 seuen years after the taking of CONSTANTINOPLE Which I haue here togither set downe as it is reported by them who liued in that time and in the same countries omitting of purpose other great occurrents of the same time which shall also in conuenient place be hereafter declared to the intent that the fall of that great Empire with the common miserie of the delicate Graecians might appeare vnder one view which otherwise being deliuered by peecemeale as it did concurre with other great accidents according to the course of time would but breed confusion and require the Readers greater attention The Christian princes especially such as bordered vpon the dominions of the Turkish tyrant were no lesse terrified than troubled with the subuersion of the Constantinopolitane empire for they saw by the continuall preparation of the Turk that his ambitious desires were rather encreased than in any part satisfied with his so great and late victories Wherefore they with all carefulnesse fortified their frontier towns and prouided all things necessarie for defence of themselues and for the repulsing of so mightie an enemy Amongst the rest George the old Despot or prince of SERVIA whose dominions of all others lay most in danger of that tempest speedily mustred his men of warre fortified his strong citties placed his garrisons and left nothing vndone that he thought needfull for the defence of his countrey for he had many times before to his great losse endured the furie of the Turkish kings although he were joyned vnto them in the bonds of neerest allyance And hauing thus politikely set all things in order at home in person himselfe tooke his journey into HVNGARIE from thence to procure aid against such time as he should haue need But the Hungarians and especially Huniades who at that time bare greatest sway in that kingdome hauing before had sufficient triall of the vncertainty and light faith of that aged prince who had so often fashioned himselfe according to the occurrents of the time that he was accounted neither right Turke nor good Christian refused to promise him any aid but left him to his owne fortunes wherewith he returned discontented and full of indignation But shortly after he was come home he died of an hurt receiued in a skirmish with Michaell Zilugo gouernor of BELGRADE whose brother Ladislaus he had but a little before trecherously murdred as he was trauailing by wagon to BELGRADE with his said brother Michael who at the same time hardly escaped This was the end of George Despot of SERVIA when he had liued nintie yeares in which time of his long life he had plentifully tasted of both fortunes A man assuredly of great courage but of a maruellous vnquiet nature by profession a Christian yet a great friend vnto the Turkes whom he many times stood in great steed a deepe dissembler and double in all his dealings whereby he purchased vnto himselfe that credit that he was not of any his neighbour princes whilest he liued either beloued or trusted and after his death of his subjects so detested that the people of that countrey euen at this day in their countrey songs still tearme him The faithlesse and gracelesse Despot Lazarus his youngest son after his death succeeded in his place hauing depriued both his elder brethren Stephen and George of the gouernment for Amurath the Turkish king had long time before put out their eies of purpose to make them vnfit for the gouernment of so great a countrey yet these blind princes found meanes to flie away from him to Mahomet carrying with them a great masse of money and so incited him against Lazarus their younger brother that to keepe friendship with the tyrant he was glad to promise vnto him a great yearely tribute and so to become his tributarie But within few moneths after Lazarus died the last Christian prince that raigned in SERVIA after whose death great troubles arose in SERVIA for the soueraigntie The blind brethren still crauing aid of Mahomet with whom they then liued and the desolate widow of Lazarus putting her selfe with her three sons Iohn Peter and Martin into the protection of the Hungarians by which means she with much trouble held her state for a season Vntill such time as that the Seruians seeing small assurance in that manner of gouernment and wearie of the harmes they daily receiued of the Turkes yeelded themselues with their countrey vnto the obedience of the Turkish emperour Mahomet who foreuer vnited the same vnto his empire as
vnderstood that the prouince was in quiet as indeed it was and that he thereupon returned But vnto Solyman he told another tale in secret which he maliciously had deuised That he by most apparent signes and manifest presumptions had perceiued the whole armie so enclined towards Mustapha that if hee should haue attempted any thing against him by plaine force hee should haue beene vtterly forsaken and had therefore in so dangerous a case left the matter as it was to his graue further direction This tale suspitiously told raised in the wicked and vnnaturall father nothing degenerating from the naturall crueltie of his auncestors new and great suspitions whereof to disburden his disquieted mind he conceiued with himselfe a most horrible deuice Wherefore the yeare following which was the yeare 1553 he raised a great armie giuing it out That the Persians had with greater power than before inuaded SIRIA and that therefore he for the loue of his countrey and defence of his empire was determined to goe thither with his armie and in person himselfe to represse the attempts of his enemies Wherfore the armie being assembled and all things necessarie orderly prouided he commaunded to set forward and in few dayes after followed himselfe who comming at length into SIRIA presently by trustie messengers commaunded Mustapha to come vnto him at ALEPPO for there he lay encamped And yet for all these shaddowes the matter was not so closely by Solyman conueied although he was exceeding carefull thereof but that his mortall and deadly hatred against his sonne was perceiued by the Bassaes and other great men about him insomuch that Achmat Bassa by a secret and trustie messenger gaue him warning thereof that so he might in time the better prouide for the safegard of his life Neither could Mustapha himselfe but maruell that his aged father without any apparent reason should come so far with so great an armie yet trusting to his owne innocencie though wonderfully troubled and perplexed in mind he resolued although it were with the extreame danger of his life to obey and yeeld to his fathers commaund for he thought it more commendable and honourable to incurre the danger of death than liuing to fall into the foule suspition of disloyaltie In so great a perplexitie of mind after he had with himselfe much discoursed too and fro what course hee were best to take at length he boldly and resolutely asked the doctor whom as we haue before said he had alwaies with him in his court Whether the empire of the world or a blessed life were of man more to be desired to whom the doctor frankely answered That the empire of the world to him that would enter into the due consideration thereof brought with it no felicitie more than a vain shew and vtter apparance of good nothing being more fraile or vncertaine than worldly honour bringing with it feare vexation of mind tribulation suspition murder wrong wickednesse spoile ruine and captiuitie with infinit mischeefes of like nature not to be desired of him that would attaine to true felicitie by which meanes the blessed life was to be lost and not gained But they vnto whom God had giuen the grace rightly to consider and weigh the fragilitie and shortnesse of this our estate which the common sort deemeth to be the onely life and to striue against the vanities of this world and to embrace and follow an vpright kind of life had vndoubtedly a place assigned for them in heauen and prepared by the great God where they should at length enjoy life and blisse eternall This answere of the great doctor wonderfully satisfied the troubled mind of the young prince foreseeing as it were the approch of his owne end and so staying not any longer discourse forthwith set forward towards his father and making great hast came at length to his fathers campe and not farre off pitched his tents in the open field But this his so hastie comming the more encreased the suspition in the mind of his wicked father neither spared Rustan in the meane time with his craftie and subtile deuices to augment the same for by a signe giuen he caused the Ianizaries and cheefe men in the armie to goe as if it had beene for honours sake to meet Mustapha which they all without delay presently did at his commaund and so all together set forward In the meane time he the most craftie varlet with troubled countenance for he could notably dissemble as a man halfe dismayed came in hast into Solymans pauillion and falsely told him That the Ianizaries and almost all the best souldiors of the armie were of themselues without leaue gone to meet Mustapha and that he feared what would ensue thereof Which newes so troubled the old tyrant that he became pale for feare and going out of his tent and finding them gone easily beleeued all to be true that the false Bassa had told him Neither wanted Mustapha strange warning of his end so neere at hand for the third day before his setting forwards towards his father falling asleepe in the euening he thought he saw his prophet Mahomet in bright apparrell to take him by the hand and lead him into a most pleasant place beautified with most glorious and stately pallaces and most delicate and pleasant gardens and pointing to euery thing with his finger to say thus vnto him Here rest they for euer which in this world haue led an vpright and godly life following vertue and detesting vice and after that turning his face to the other side to haue shewed him two great and swift riuers whereof the one boyled with water blacker than pitch and in them appeared as he thought numbers of men wallowing and tumbling some vp some downe crying horribly for mercie And there said he are punished all such as in this fraile life haue been the malicious workers of iniquitie the cheefe of whom as he said were emperours kings princes and other great men of the world Mustapha awaking and troubled with this melancholie dreame called vnto him his doctor and hauing told him all the matter asked him what the same might signifie who standing a great while in a muse for the Mahometanes are exceeding superstitious attributing much vnto dreames full of sorrow and greefe at length answered That this vision for so it pleased him to tearme it was vndoubtedly to be feared as presaging vnto him the extreame perill of his life and therefore requested him to haue great care both of his life and honour But Mustapha as he was of a notable spirit and courage regarding nothing that answer stoutly replied What shall I suffer my selfe to be terrified and ouercome with childish and vaine feare why rather hast I not courageously and resolutely to my father and so much the more boldly because I know assuredly I haue alwayes as reason was reuerenced his majestie that against his will I neuer turned mine eyes or foot against his most royall seat
the houses and defacing the fort so much as in that sudden feare they possibly could fled into the lower towne The next day the Countie with resistance tooke the aforesaid places forsaken by the Turkes which hee manned with certaine companies of Wallons and made a bridge of boats ouer Danubius cast vp certaine mounts and did many other things for the furtherance of the siege In three daies he had againe repaired the fort vnder Saint Thomas hill abandoned by the Turkes and therein placed foure great pieces of artillerie wherewith he began to batter the lower towne and in other places to strait the besieged more than they had been the yeare before The Bassa of BVDA not ignorant of the want both of men and munition in the besieged citie and the rather for that they had but a little before sent part of their garrison with shot and pouder to RAB and DOTIS attempted thrise as he did many times after during the time of the siege to haue by the riuer put new supplies both of men and munition into the citie but was still by the diligence of the Christians excluded and enforced with losse to returne In short time the Lower towne which they call WASSERSTAT or the Water towne was with continuall batterie sore beaten so that scarcely any house or building was left whole and a counterscarfe made the last yeare beaten downe Whereunto certaine Wallons were sent only to haue viewed the breadth and manner of the ditches after whom certaine companies of the Hungarian Heidons presently followed without any commaund from their captaines who with great courage got to the top of another high counterscarfe there set vp some of their ensignes Which the Turks beholding and comming on close togither by plaine force enforced them with losse to retire Among these Hungarians were diuers also of the Wallons slaine with some others of good name and place to the great griefe of the Countie being not a little offended with that disordered seruice yet day and night the batterie ceased not and the Christians out of their trenches with their musket shot slew many of the Turks vpon the wals receiuing little hurt againe the Turkes still shooting but sparingly for feare of wanting shot and pouder at their greater need yet that they spent they bestowed so well that amongst others they had slaine foure of the Christian canoniers and one Wallon captaine About the middest of Iuly the Countie with continuall batterie had made the Water towne as he thought saultable and therefore sent certaine companies to begin the assault who hauing passed the counterscarfe found the ditch full of deepe mud and but newly cut broader certaine paces by the Turks so that it was thought scarce possible to be passed without a bridge behind which ditch was an high wall with strong bulwarkes and within all this was another new cast ditch and vpon the very brinke thereof a thicke and high parapit all which for all that certaine companies of the Wallons with great labour and danger aduentured to passe but such was the valour of the defendants and the small number of them that came on to the assault with the disaduantage of the place wherein they stood that at length they were glad to retire with the losse of many of their fellowes The Christians in the beginning of this siege had taken a little island in the riuer before the citie which was kept with some few companies of the lord Palfi his Heidons whereof the Turks hauing intelligence at BVDA with three gallies and certain other vessels landed in the island 3000 soldiors which slew the Heidons vnto whom no succour could be suddenly sent and so recouered againe the island wherein they left a sufficient garrison for the keeping thereof furnished with all things necessarie and so departed About three dayes after the former assault the Christians in hope of better successe the second time assaulted the Water towne in which assault the chiefe leaders were the lord Greis and Anthonie Zinne a famous captaine had he not stained his honor with countie Hardeck at RAâ— but being pardoned by the Emperour did now together with the rest appointed to that seruice most couragiously assault the breach but were againe by the Turks notably repulsed and enforced at last to giue ouer the assault and so to retire with the losse of an hundred and fiftie men amongst whom Zinne himselfe was slaine with one captaine Ruger and some of the counties owne guard the lord Greis was wounded in the head and the yonger lord Schuendi with diuers other captaines grieuously hurt The next day after six hundred of the mountaine people came into the campe vnto the countie with supplications to request him Not to giue ouer the siege vntill he had woon the citie promising in the name of those towns and villages from whence they were sent of their owne charges to repaire for him what harme soeuer he should doe in the citie for the taking therof yea though he should lay it euen with the ground for why the harmes they daily receiued from the garrison of that citie were wonderfull At the same time also he was aduertised by his espials of whom he maintained many for the discouerie of the enemies doings that Mahomet the Turkish Sultan had writ vnto the Bassa of BVDA carefully to prouide that his beloued citie of STRIGONIVM tooke no harme and not to spare either for men or money betime to relieue it and therein to do nothing without the aduice and good liking of his old and faithfull seruant Alis Beg who of long time had gouerned and also defended that citie and to the intent that nothing should be wanting for the performance hereof that he had sent Alexander Aga of the Ianizaries from the Court whose seruice he might euill haue spared whose approued counsell and helpe he might also vse in all things for that he had rather loose some other whole kingdome than that one citie And that therefore he should beware that it were not by the enemie woon or by any composition yielded wherein if he failed he threatned vnto him his heauie displeasure not to be appeased without the price of his head Which so seuere a commaundement of the great Sultans the Bassa sent to them of STRIGONIVM with most grieuous threats from himselfe if they terrified with any batterie vndermining or assault should yield the citie and not hold it out as became valiant souldiors vnto the last man swearing to empaile them all vpon stakes that should consent to the yielding vp thereof The old Gouernour Alis hauing receiued this so straight a commaund from him that was both able and like ynough to performe what he had threatened vtterly to deterre the souldiors from once thinking of yielding caused diligent enquirie to be made throughout the garrison if any of them had at any time made any motion of yielding vp the citie or otherwise murmured against their captaines or commaunders
man of great experience and valour was appointed lieutenant Generall for that countrey to the great contentment of the souldiors in generall all shewing themselues most readie at his commaund The lord Swartzenburg in the meane time remaining in the lower HVNGARIE at RAB with eight thousand good souldiors and the Archduke Matthias at VIENNA for the dispatch of George Basta and the hasting of him foeward for that the vpper HVNGARIE to the great hurt thereof began now to feele the incursions of the Turkes and Tartars besides that he was afterwards to returne himselfe to speake with the emperour his brother still expecting a Chiaus of the Turkes by the appointment of the Grand signior sent by the way of POLONIA for PRAGE to intreat with the emperour concerning a peace They of BVDA in the meane while seeing the delay of the Turks of whom not one band yet appeared in those quarters and on the other side perceiuing the great preparation of the Imperials and the great garrison at RAB so neere at hand began now to doubt some new resolution of the Christians wherein they were no whit deceiued for no armie of the Turks being then in field in the lower HVNGARIE and the countrey plaine and open the lord Palâ—i with a conuenient power and certaine pieces of batterie set forward to attempt the enterprise and the sixteenth of October with sixteene pieces of artillerie began to batter the citie of BVDA to the great feare and discomfiture of them within hauing first taken the fort S. Gerarde with hope to haue gained the rest also For which cause the men the women and all that dwelt in the citie most instantly besought the Bassa not to endure the destruction of the same with the inhabitants and wealth thereof altogither but being not able long to hold out against so furious a batterie in time to hearken vnto some reasonable composition that so they might yet euerie man at least with life depart Whereunto the Bassa for all that would not hearken but put them still in hope that they should be presently relieued Howbeit the batterie still continuing and they not able longer to endure the force of the Imperials nor any reliefe yet comming they were glad at length to abandon the citie with the losse of two thousand of the Ianizaries and but three hundred of the Christians slaine and eight hundred hurt the rest of the Turkes at the same time retiring themselues into the castle where they might for a space deeme themselues safe So the lord Palfi possessed of the citie with all his forces laid siege vnto the castle which although it were in some places shaken with the continuall furie of the cannon yet were the defendants still readie to make good the same insomuch that Palfi vpon good hope of successe giuing thereunto a generall assault was by their valour enforced to retire they within in the meane time with great labour and industrie repairing the breaches and gaules made by the artillerie So that Palfi considering the difficultie of the assault thought it better by vndermining to shake the rock whereon the castle stood than by a new assault to expose so many worthie men vnto so manifest a danger which his purpose by the enemie discouered was by them also by countermining disappointed yet for all that were the Christians still in good hope by an other mine not yet by the enemie perceiued to sort to the full of their desire and the more for that they saw not so much brauerie or shew of courage in the defendants as before Who now kept themselues silent and quiet as if they had been consulting about the yeelding vp of the castle as men bereft of all hope of reliefe and succour the Christians being now possessed of a strong abbey and fortresse fast by and hauing broken downe all the bridges ouer the Danubius in such sort as that the besieged could not receiue any reliefe either by land or water But forasmuch as the time of the yeare began now to grow tedious and the winter weather sharpe the Christians thought it not best there long to protract the time and therefore resolued to present vnto the castle another generall assault and at the same instant to blow vp the mine but in giuing this assault they were againe repulsed with the losse of two hundred men At which time also a number of the Turks â—allying out of the castle couragiously encountred the Christians but not with successe answerable to their valour being there almost all cut in pieces neither did the mine take the desired effect but being blowne vp did little or no harme at all So that the Christians wearie of their long suffering of the extremitie of the weather and withall considering the great courage of the defendants were euen vpon the point to haue risen yet willing to giue a fresh attempt by the mine they began againe to worke in the same and in hope to preuaile began to parley with the defendants about the giuing vp of the castle but all to little or no purpose for that the mine hauing taken no effect the souldiors could hardly be drawne on through the deepe and muddie ditches to giue a new assault In fine seeing no hope to preuaile and hearing also of the comming of a great armie of the Turkes for the reliefe of the besieged they raised their siege and at their departure burnt their suburbs carrying away with them a great bootie and so retiring towards STRIGONIVM expected farther direction where to winter Where shortly after order was taken that the forces disbanded should be dispersed some into the garrisons and some into the countrey thereabout to the intent they might so be in the more readinesse with the first of the next Spring to take the field or as occasion should serue to be otherwise imploied But Sigismund the Transyluanian prince in the mean time repenting himselfe of the vnequall exchange he had made with the emperour in disguised apparell hasting in post out of SILESIA came to CLAVSENBVRG in TRANSYLVANIA and there joyfully receiued of his subjects and taking of them a new oath of obedience by messengers sent of purpose certified Maximilian the Archduke appointed by the emperour for the gouernment of TRANSYLVANIA and now vpon his way as farre CASSOVIA of the causes of his returne persuading him rather to conuert his forces against the Turkes for the recouerie of AGRIA than to trouble himselfe to come any farther for TRANSYLVANIA now againe by him to the great contentment of his subjects repossessed as did also the princesse his wife Maximilian his cousin german wishing him to consider what hurt and dishonour he should doe vnto the Emperour his majestie himselfe the Roman empire and the whole Christian common-weale in generall if in so dangerous a time hee should attempt any thing against the prince her husband and vnto him by her so neerely allied Now the Turkes great armie being come into the vpper HVNGARIE lay