spede possyble with their batterie contynning it withoute cease bothe daye and nighte gyuinge them of the towne no tyme at all to repose but helde them contynually occupied bothe daye and nighte with scaramoshes alarmes and false assaultes notwith standing that they of the towne repulsed them w t great assurance and slewe manye of them and also they loste of thers some tyme notwithstandinge their smale losse was more preiudiciall vnto them forthat they had not meanes to be supplied with newe men then the great numbre of the partie of the assailants which were slaine was to them of y e campe the numbre of them of y â— of towne consumed and decaied daylye when the Mahometistes had in this sorte contynued their seege by the space of two monethes it semed to the Captaines Bascias y â— thei had made sufficient breache whervpon thei thought them selues suer of the towne whenseuer they shoulde assayle it and vpon this they made redie for the assulte all kinde of necessaries determined to gyue y â— assaulte whervpon they deuided their people and gaue order to their Coloneles who shoulde begyn the assaulte and whiche they were that shoulde from tyme to tyme supplie it when this was done they put their peopel in order and approched the towne the. xx daye of Iulye in y â— breake of the day with greate noyses and cries and they emploied their greatest force vpon that syde of y e towne where the towre stode that was called Giudeca whiche was so flatte betyn to the grounde that the spoyle and roobishe therof so fylled the dyke that men moughte ea syly clyme vp to y e heighte of the breache as sone as this was knoweÌ„ they that were withoute began y e assaulte placed their shotte to beate their defenses and breaches to the ende they shoulde not be able to stande to the defence of their breaches and immediatly entred the dike and as they were comming vp the breaches they were encountred by them of the towne with great Valiantize whoe appeared in all places where nede was throwing oute vpon their enemies continually great stones peces of tymber castinge speres and with their shotte they dyd maruelously anoie them they th rewe them downe contynually from the walles makinge excidinge greate flaughter of them notwithstandinge the Turckes contynued styll the assaulte and renewed it with freshe bandes from tyme to tyme in suche sorte as the fighte contynued still withoute cease and was maintyned a great pece of y e day with great assurance on bothe sides but in the end y e Turckes through their great number and also throughe their meanes which they vsed to supplie y e fighte with freshe regimentes and bandes preuayled murche and in the ende certaine thousandes of y e Turcks serred them selues and charged with their hole force vp on the Christians which not beinge able to endure the force of their enemies were constreyned to abandone the breaches whervpon by lytle and lytle they retired them selues towarde the market and the enemies entred the towne and folowed them on wel towarde that place Giudeca and soddenly they stated not beinge charged at all by the enemies and shewed suche a token of fearefulnes that it semed they trembled with feare the cause therof was not certainly knowen althoughe there were some founde and chiefely certaine sonnes of one GeÌ„tile de Bardi a Florentine which affirmed that they sawe steppe forthe before them a man on horsebacke armed at all peces with an vpper garment of whyte vpon his armour whiche when the enemies sawe they were abashed and durste not deale with him the Christians perceuing the cowardize of the enemies called againe to them noble myndes and put them selues again in order and then charged the enemies which fled from the Christians abandoned the towne leuing y e victorie at that time to their enemies and therfore that day they of the towne were preserued contrarie to their owne expectation beinge clerely oute of hope of their helthe thervpon comforted them selues and all they that were in the towne bothe men wemen children laide to their handes for the reparing of the breaches for the space of certaine dayes tyll that they had made it somewhat defensyble the enemies on thother syde endeuoured them selues by all meanes possyble to supplie their bandes to furnishe them with all kinde of necessaries for to assayle the towne againe In this meane tyme the kinge Ferrante dispaiched from Naples two great shippes w t commision to sayle towarde the coaste of Gretia and to succour the towne of Rhodes which shippes being wel furnished with men set sayle and sayled toward y e coaste of Gretia and the .xxx. of Iulye they arriued within the sighte of Rhodes and holdinge on their course towarde the hauen mouthe the lesser of the two passed with fylled sayles throughe y e middest of y e turckishe Nanie which came and assayled him thincking to denie him y e passage as he passed throughe their Nauie he slewe manie of the infideles and so arriued safely with his shyppe and people in the hauen of Rhodes where he was receiued by theÌ„ of the towne with incredible ioye Franzino pastore that commaunded the other shyppe seing the peryll that the other shyppe that was arriued at y e towne had ben in was discoraged durste not folowe but made aboute from the Nauie of the enemies to the sea againe toward the middest of the chanel the nexte morning being enforced by his souldiours mariners he set sayle agayne hauing a prosperous wynde and made towarde the hauen soddenly the wynde fayled him by meanes wher of he coulde make no sayle but laie styll in greate daunger of the enemie who seinge the ship encaulmed weid their ancres and made toward her with al their Nauie determinig to burne her and loded a â—alandre w t pytche and towe meaning that whilest certaine of their galleis dyd assayle her others shoulde set her on fire whervpon they tawed the palandre after them at y e sterme of some of their galleys in their meane tyme the wynde arose began to blowe a handsome gale not withoute a manifest token of the fauour of God whervpon the Captaine commaunded to packe on all the sayles and directed his course full vpon the Nauie of the infidels and sayled on with greate furie passing throughe the middest of them arriued safely in the hauen to the great content as wel of those of his shyppe as of them of the towne for the which good happe they of theâ— towne triumphed for the space of two dayes shewinge signes of great ioye in ringinge of belles making of bonefires shoring of artillerie and suche lyke whervpon y e Turckes began to dispaire of the takinge of the towne thincking that the two shippes had broughte farre greater number of men and monition then in dede they dyd Then began they to attempte the towne but slenderly and deuised rather howe
came messagers oute of al the cities and townes of the prouince and he sate in the myddest of the market place with dyuerse graue and discrete councellours aboute him whiche he vsed alwaye when he gaue audience openly and there he herds and determyned many controuersies and when he had appointed gouernours and officers to euery towne and citie and had abolished dyuerse of the custumes of the ancient Soldanes as vniuste and intollerable to the people he dyd moderate them with newe lawes and when he had contynued in Damasco a longe tyme aboute the reforming of the countre and had well reposed his armye he then determyned in him selfe to make warres a gainst Egipte for so muche as he vnderstode that al the Mamalukes that were dispersed abrode into al the coūtres were comme to Cairo to create a newe Soldane beinge once togyther they chose Tomombeio the great Diadaro a man of great reputation and credite and of great experience and excellent in the discipline of the warres Selim being vpon the pointe of his departure sent before him to make suer the waye Sinan Bassa gaue him in commissyon to passe on to the Citie Gaza and there to tarie hym and he in person departed from Damasco with the reste of his armie and folowed and beinge desyrous to visyte that most famous temple of Ike rusalem toke with him his garde of Gianizzaries and a certaine number of his horsemen and entred into Iudea and passed on to Iherusalem and when he had visyted y e temple and other holly places of the Citie he retorned agayne to his armye the nexte waye And Sinan Bassa with his companie which was .xv. thousand horsemen hauinge ouerthrowen the Arabianes and repulsed their inuasyones whiche often tymes they had attempted against him and had made the passage free with much a doe and was comme on to Gaza which stode neare vnto the sea vpō the confynes of Egipte in y e place where men enter into the sandie deserte passinge from Iudea to Eairo and when he came before the Citie with his armye they of the Citie willinge to auoide the sacke spoyle therof gaue place to tyme and yelded y e Citie vnto him where he contynued and taried for commissyon from his lorde to directe him in those affaires As sone as Tomombeio had receaued the gouernement he determyned forth with to supplie the bandes of Mamalukes which were maruelously spoyled and consumed wherfore he caused to enrolie all their slaues y e were of lawful yeres and apte to vse armes he prouided armour and weapō for them and also horses also he had entertained in his paie a great number of Arabianes and loste no tyme but contynually prouided artillerie and Monition with all other necessaries and beinge aduertized by those of Gaza whiche dyd very well affecte the Mamalukes of the comminge of Sinan Bassa and in what sorte he lodged there The Soldane at their request de termyned to send a power to encountre him hauinge great hope in the good wyll of the Citizens whervpon he dispatched Gazele and sent him with syre thousande horses and a greate number of Arabianes and as sone as Sinan Bassa was aduertized of his comming by his bandes that he had alwaie vpon the feelde not trusting them of the Citie he determyned to goe against hym to encountre him and when he had rydden xv myles he staied at a village where he mought well lodge for that that in the vilage their was a fountaine very plen tuouse of pure watter whervpō he commaūded to lodge there and began to appointe the quartiers and before that they had done the alarme was gyuen and he was aduertized by the scoultes of his vantgarde y ◠they sawe afarre of a great duste wherfore they Iudged the enemy to be there cōming toward them Sinan Bassa had scarcely tyme to put his people in order before that Gazele was cōme with his began to assayle his vantgard and after that they had foughte a certaine space Gazele seinge his peopble ouerlaide with uumber and a rtillerie and that they began to recule and seing y ◠they of Gaza apeared not in his fauour in hope of whose ayde he had taken in hand the battayle with his sworde in his hand dyd make his waye thorowe his enemyes so retorned to Cairo with the losse of his cariage and a great number of his souldiours and when Selim was departed from Iherusalem he came to his armye and broughte them to Gaza where he founde Sinan Bassa retorned with great victorie and had put to deathe many of y e Citizens which had procured y e Soldane to send his people thyther when Selim had reposed his souldiours for a tyme in Gaza he determyned to marche on towarde Cairo and wolde not gyue the newe Soldane time to furnishe him selfe of newe bands and to put him selfe in good order wherfore he made great prouision of hogges hedes to carie watter with him and sent Sinan Bassa before him with his bandes of Europe and he folowed him alway within one dayes iorney w t his whole armye aud in this sorte passed on throughe the deserte and came neare to Cairo within fewe myles a lytle frō a villadge named Macharea where the Soldane had a garden where that most precious licour called Balsme dyd growe which is a certaine goome that distillethe throughe certaine clestes made in the barcke of y e trees in the tyme of the gathering therof by the gardeners which cut them with exceding fyne knynes made of yuorie Tommobeio determyned to tarie the enemye in y ◠village whervpon he entrenched it very stongly wyth great rampares and depe Dykes and had bent al his artillerie vpon the waye where the Turcks shoulde cōme and as sone as he herde of the comminge of the Turckishe armye he departed from Cairo with twelue thou sand Mamalukes and a great number of Arrabianes other souldiours on horsebacke and on fote and came lodged in his lodginge that was fortified for him of purpose where whē he had put his people in order he taried the comming of the enemye and as sone as Selim vnderstode of the Soldanes order he refused the waye that the Soldane had bent all his artillerie vpon and wolde not assayle hys enemye vpon the frounte of his battaile but determyned to assayle him on the flancke where he was not so well prouided whervpō he disvanded agreat nūber of shotte sent them to assayle the trenches of y ◠Soldane immediatly the Soldane marched forthe w t his people in order and there began betwene them a notable fyghte and a furious and hauing fought from the fourthe houre of the daye to the sunne goinge downe in very doubtfull sorte euen to the darcke nighte Tommabeio caused to sounde the retreicte and lefte the village and marched to Cairo and the Turckes as victoriouse entred into the Soldanes lodginges and their lodged that nighte
victorie as sone as he came to his father he commaunded to strike of his hed so carefull was he to se order obserued that he preferred it before the life of his sonne the contynuance of his house and all that euer he possessyd in the worlde The like did Posthumius Torquatus beinge Consul to his sonne in the warres of Italie who gaue battayle to the enemies withoute commaundement from his father defeicted them and slewe a great number of them and alson toke from them a maruelous riche spoile and retorned with the victorie yet at his retorne his father commaunded the offycers to take him and so was he executed Also Papirus the dictator did marueloussy embrace order And wheÌ„ he made warres against the SaÌ„nites he had with him general of the horsemen Q. Fabius Rutilianus who seing his enemy in battaile charged him ouerthrewe the Samnites and retorned with the victorie yet notwithstandinge Papirus respected not the victorie his vertue his force nor yet his house but commaunded him to be spoyled of his garmentes and to be beaten naked with roddes a maruelouse straunge â—yghte to se Q. Rutilianus generall of the horsemen a man of great worthynes victorious to be beaten naked and to haue hys fleshe torne by the handes of the Iusticiers and also hys bloude shed and althoughe the souldiours desyred Fabius to flee to Rome where in vayne he made request to the Senate for pardon Papirous perseuered in punnishinge hym and wolde in no wyse for gyue it the father of Fabius who had been Dictaour and thre tymes Consul was enforced to comme in humble sorte to declare the matter to the people desyrynge them to craue the aide of the Tribunes in the behalfe of his sonne yet notwithstanding Papirus perseuerid styll in his purpose tyll at the last being desyred by the Citizens the Tribunes people he sware that he wolde forgiue it not for the loue of Fabio but for the loue that he bare to the office of the Tribunes and to the people of Rome this Ordre directe the euery braunche of this disciplyne maketh them to worcke their effecte What shoulde I saye anye more of order the histories are full of the nedefulnes therof Besyde thâ—se there is also seueritie which causeth the souldiours to dwell in obedience it chaseth all disorder from them it hath ben executed in all ages Cesar that worthy Emperour whose naturall inclination to pardone offences was suche that I doe preferre his coâ—tezie before them al that I haue redde of yet you shal see in his commentaries that he vpon occasyon hath taken the tenthe man of his legiones and put them to deathe also Vallo a famous and worthye Captayne who hath wryten very substancially thre Bookes of the arte of the warres exhorteth all men of charge to be seuere when occasion dothe require for one or two sometime punished doe saue great numbers from distruction Wherfore Vallo in his first Boke and third chapter willeth that he that disobeythe his Captaine he that dothe mutine he that beynge appointed to the stand watche or scoute doth leue his place with oute license of his Captaine or he that departeth from his enseigne in the felde withoute leue of his Captayne shall not onely lose horse armour weapones and all that he possessyth in the warres and so escape the punishment but he shall be condempned to deathe and shall passe the pikes in maner as foloweth There shalbe a squadrone ordered and in the myddest of the same shalbe a voyde space throughoute the squadrone almost as brode as the lengthe of two pykes then shall the offendour be broughte into the middest therof and before that they shal abase theyr pykes he vpon hys kneese shall demaunde pardone at hys Captaynes hand thre tymes and at the thyrde tyme the Captayne shall take the enseigne from his enseigne berer vndispâ—aide taking the hed therof in his hand and with the but ende therof shall stryke hym on the hed in token that the â—nseigne throughe his euell behauiour hathe ben in peryll and dishonored and that he dothe condempne him there to die that done the Captaine withdraweth him selfe oute of the place then the souldiours abase theyr pykes and sley him Also Selim faâ—her to Solyman Emperour of Turchie beinge at Iconio after that he had broughte his armye oute of Persia determyning there to winter for that he wolde be at hand to vndertake the enterprise in the spring nexte folowing against the Sophie wherevpon hys Gianizzaries being desirous to passe that winter in Grecia made request at the perswasion of some of their leaders to Selim that they mought goe into Gretia that wynter and when they sawe that they coulde not obtayne they rebelled against theyr lorde wherevpon Selim disguysed sent into Spayne to make warres vpon the Numantianes and to daunt theyr prowde spirites which were puffed vp throughe the wante of vnderstanding of the Romane counsulles and legates whiche had made warres against them and receaued dyuerse ouerthrowes at their handes Scipio receaued the same armye which they had so often defeicted and as sone as he had possessed this army he forthewith purged it of all vnprofytable people such as procured men to delicacie as those that solde all kinde of Marchandize and delicate meates and drincks such as were rather to satisfie appetite then to preserue helthe and maintaine force also he banished from his campe two thousand whâ—res wheÌ„ he had this done he restored to tbe armye perfite discipline and then beseged the Citie of Numantia toke it and brought it into ashes The lyke may be sayd of Metellus who being Consul made warres in Affricke against Iugurthe he receaued his armie of Spurius Albinuus throghe whose negligence and want of vnderstanding discipline was clerely extincte and forgotten and the armye vtterly corrupted through ease and delicatie by meanes wherof the enemy obtained against them many victories And the consul determyning to purge his armie and to restore it to perfecte disciplyne remoued from his campe all Tauerners and cookes he wolde not suffer that any priuate souldiour shulde haue any horse or seruante to carye his armour and victuall but that he hymselfe shoulde carrie it then he marched with his campe and remoued in maner daily fortified his campe entrenched it as strongly as yf Iuguith had ben present also he sawe them daily exercised acordiÌ„g to the order of the Romane disciplyne and in the ende brought them to that perfection that to that same enemy of whom they had receaued many ouerthrowes in tyme before and neuer coulde giue any they gaue sondrie and great ouerthrowes and triumphed ouer him as witnesseth the aforesaid Valerius Besyde these Appian Alexandrine in his fourth Boke of the cyuyll warres of the Romanes doth righte well declare the price and necessite of the IudgemeÌ„t of the Captaines in the persones of Bâ—â—ius and Cassius who fled oute of Rome after that they had slayne Cesar and
baÌ„des encountred the enemy and chased them home to theyr very lodginges flewe a great number of them the bruite of this came fleeing to Rome and forthewith it was holdeÌ„ for a great victorie immediatly the people woldâ— nedes that the gouernement shoulde be equally deuided betwene Fabius and Minurius a thinge or that tyme neuer seen Fabius endured al these thinges patiently and retorned to his campe they were then two dictators Minutius throughe this lytle sparke of good happe dyd clene forget him selfe and toke vpon him withoute the aduise of Fabius to giue battaile which Anibal being often victorious durste scarcely doe Minutius being an arrogante ambitious and prowde man and not of great iudgment in the discipline of the warres caused Fabius to stand in great doute lest that he being thus excidingly puffed vp in pride shulde take in hand some matter that mought greatly hurte the coÌ„mon welth wherfore he came to Minutius and deuided with him the armye thinc king it better for him to gouerne only some parte of the army then coÌ„fusedly with his insolent companion to gouerne the whole WhervpoÌ„ he toke to him the first and fourth part of the Romane souldiours and gaue to Minutius the second and third part the lyke dyd he by the souldiours that they cal aydes when Minutius sawe him self dictator equal with Fabius and that he had an armie at his commaundement he was in great triumphe Fabius badde him to take hede and to confider that nowe it was not with Fabius that he must haue to doe but with Aniball and vpon this Fabius caused his drommes and trompetts to sound and marched oute of the campe and went to a grounde that he lyked and there encamped with his people Anibal vnderstanding of this approched neare to them both and encamped in a ground of strength and had betwene him and his enemies grounde very apte to ambushe his people in and when he sawe Minutius deuided from Fabius he thought it good to present the battayle to Minutius and in the night ordained and placed his ambushes and appointed them a signe at the which they shoulde salie When the daye came he sent certaine bands to take a hill not far from Minutius to prouoke him to battayle Minutius forthwith sent forthe his lighte armed men and attached the scaramoche and seing Anibal to supplie froÌ„ tyme to tyme with freshe bandes those souldiours that he had sent to take the hâ—ll he put his whole armie in order and marched forth and ioyned with the enemy in battaile the fyght was cruel the Carthaginenses retired and fought contynually vntyll such time as they had drawne him past their ambushes then Aniball gaue his sygne wherâ—pon the ambushes discouered them selues and assayled the Romanes behinde them with great rumor noyse and slaughter when Minutius torned him and sawe the disorder that was amonge his people and his Captaines fleing he soughte to saue hym selfe also by flyghte whervpon the Numidan horsemen folowed the chase and made great slaughter of the disorderid Romanes When Fabius sawe the Romanes in this extremitie the which he suspected in the begynning of the battayle he went to a certayne place from whence he mought beholde the whole mattet and seing the Romanes gathered in the middest of their enemies strake his hand vpoÌ„ his thyghe and with a great sighe sayd in the presence of al those that were with him O Hercule soÌ„ner then I wolde haue wished not so sone as he him selfe wolde Minutius hath vndone him selfe and his whervpon he commaunded his armie to marche and said O souldiours whosoeuer doth nowe thincke vpon Minutius let him make hast and consider that he is a worthy man one that loueth his countâ—e and although it hath not happned acording to his desyre that he moughte put the enemies to flyght we shall here after haue time to blame him for it Then he encountred the Numidianes charged them and put them to flyght and marched on and encountred those that were laide in ambushe in the nyght and assayled the Romanes behynd them in the battayle he slewe them that the reste of the Carthagtnenses seyng this began to fle When Anibal sawe his people fle and Fabius a farre of very fiercely amoÌ„ge the Carthagynenses he left of any furder executing of the Romanes and commaunded to sound to the standard and then retorned to his lodginge and suffred the Romanes to passe to their campe withoute any further slaughter it is said that beiÌ„g at his lodging talking of Fabius he said haue not I often times told you that yonder mist that laie alway vpoÌ„ the hill wolde make vs one day very foule wether I haue this day ouercome Minutius and Fabius hath ouercome me When the battaile was ended Fabius coÌ„mauÌ„ded his souldiours to take the spoyle of the ded enemyes and then retorned to his campe and notwithstanding this great victorye he neuer caste in the tetle of his companion his euill gouernement When Minutius came to his campe he spake to his souldiours in this sorte My companions in armes there is nothing more peryllous to a man then to fayle in gerat matters and wheÌ„ he seith his owne default it is the part of a wise maÌ„ to obey vnto him that hath giueÌ„ him good admonition althoughe that I haue good occasioÌ„ to be offended with fortune yet I must confesse that I am much bounde to her for that she hath gyuen me to vnderstand eueÌ„ in an instante that I not beyng able to commaunde others shoulde submitte my selfe to the rule of others Wherfore let vs goe to the fyrst dictator and render hym thancks and I promyse you that I wyll be the fyrst both to thancke him and to yelde him obedience when he had thus spoken he commaunded to take downe the Egles which were the banners of gouernement and marched with them to the lodgings of Fabius and being comme to the market place he went streight to his tent and there dyd set vp the Egles with great noyses and when Fabius came forth of his tent he came called him father and his sâ—uldiours saluted the souldiours of Fabius by the name of patrones or Maisters When silence was commaunded Minutius sayd to Fabius thou hast in one instante obtayned two victories thou hast ouercomme thyne enemye by force and thy companion by counsell and cortezie wherfore I maye iustly call the most worthy father who hath saued both me and my people then serued vnder him as generall of the horsemen as before Hereby it appereth that where thinges shall take good effecte â–ª it must nedes be that the souldiours be broughte vp in discipline and that the generall be able to iudge of discipline as for example liuie in hys thirde Boke of his fyrst decade dothe well declare that it was not onely an armie of trained souldiours that dyd ouerthrowe the people called Volsci and Equi but that also the consules chiefe officers of the
the hed not onely of Gretia but also of the greatest part of the worlde had at that tyme fallen into hands of the most cruell and Barbarouse natione of Turques had not ben Tamerlano a parthian borne who with a great power entred y e lesser Asia and assailed it with such furie that he coÌ„strened Baiazith to abandone Constantinople and to passe with his armie in to Asya for the defence therof And hauing nowe occasion to speke of the actes of Tamerlano and his people I haue thought it not inconuenient to make some litle digressyon and to declare from whence this puissant captaine had his original and by what meanes he dyd attayne to the hygh and supreme degre of honor in the which he then was when Baiazith was chiefe prince and king of the Turkes thys Tamerlano was borne in Parthia of base and simple parents he was exerised in armes euen from his childehed and did so profyte therin that it was harde to saye which had greater place in him eyther strength and lustines of his bodye or els his wisdome and other vertues of the minde so that amonge the souldiors he was had in great reputatyon and honor in such sort that a great multitude folowed him and cheifely those which were most experimented in the warres and thus in shorte time he became prince of a mightye armie both of horse men fotemen whoÌ„ he had gayned to folow him by his vertue good dysposytion and lyberalytye by whose aide he fyrste delyuered hys contrey of Parthya from the bondage of the saracenes and then became prince therof after that wyth greate violence he assailed the contreis neare vnto hym and in fewe yeares possessyd them and broughte to his obedience Scithia Asyatyca Iberia the Albaneses the Persyanes the Assyrianes and Medes aâ—d last of all he broughte vnder his yoke Mesopotamia and the greater Armenia and then passed ouer the floode Euphrates aboute the yere of our Lord 1390. with a farre greater army then was that of Dario or that which Xerse broughte into Grecia for it is sayde that he had in his campe 400000. horsemen 600000. fote men with whom he assayled the lesser Armia vpon whose confines Baiazith the Turke king of Asia encountred him with a mightie power both of horsmen fote men and trusting in the vertue and discipline of his people whose labour he had a long tyme vsed w t great felicitie did not refuse to accepte the battayle notwithstandyng he knewe him selfe to be farre inferiour in number Then these two mightie princes approching the one towardes the other so neare as they mighte discerne the one the others order omitted no time but ioyned in battayle in the which for the greatest parte of the day there were flayn great numbers on both sydes and thei fought wyth such assuraunce nether parte geuynge place to the other that it was harde to saye where the victorie should incline tyll at the last the Turkes beyng werye and not able to endure the force of the Parthians who continually supplied their squadrones with freshe bandes soughte to retyre them selues in order tightynge continually in their retreicte but the Prince beynge ware hereof commaunded certayne great troupes of horsemen to geue charge vpon them who charged them wyth suche force that they disordered them and then the Turkes began to flee leauyng the victorie to theyr enemies and Baiazith fought valiantlye a longe tyme in person tyll he had lost a great multitude of hys people and also laste of all his horse was stayne vnder hym and then was taken and presented to Tamerlano who commaunded him to be encheined and ledde him with him thorow out al Asia for a spectacle and it is sayde that whylest he did dine and fuppe he had him alwayes tyed vnder his table lyke a dogge and so fedde him and when he went to horse he caused him to be brought and to sit him downe vpon his knees elbowes And thus vsed him in stede of a block to go to his horse on And thus he helde him prisoner during his life in most miserable calamitie All those which at any time haue written of Tamerlano haue greatlye commended hym for the discipline and order which he obserued in the conducting of his armyes for they declare that euery occupation had hys streate appoynted him in the campe wherein he might vse his exercise euen in lyke order as it had bene in a famous citie there was in it greate abundaunce of all thynges for the commoditie of man which proceded of hys seueritie and iustice for he woulde not leaue vnpunished the ieast violence that was committed not so much as the takyng away of one handful of grasse agaynst y e owners good wil whereupon it folowed that he had as great abundance of all necessaries in his campe as if it had bene in great faires and markettes brought thither voluntarilie from the countreys aboute him as he passed his seueritie also was such that it helde hys Souldyours so wythin the bandes of modestie that there was neuer sene nor head any kynde of sedicion amonge them and they saye further which is greatlye to be merueyled at that he neuer fought with man but he had the victorye ouer hym so that he neuer tasted of Fortunes bitternes Thus when he had spoyled and conquered all Asia euen to the floode Nilo had taken by force Emirua Antiochia Sebastia Tripoli and Damasco with a greate number of other cities moe and put the inhabitantes of them to the sworde caried away theyr spoyle and consumed them into ashes leauing them desert and plained to the grounde Then entred he into Egypte where he gaue many ouerthrowes to the Soldanes people and constrained them to flee beyonde Pelusyo and wolde haue folowed them hade not the scarcenes of victuales ben for it was not possyble for him to prouide cariage for to transporte sufficientie of victual for the norrishing of so populouse an armie as his was throughe the sandie and deserte contreis his corrage was suche that he delighted cheifely in those enterpryses which semed most difficile to be acheued in the opinion of others as it cam to passe in the taking of Damasco where a numbre of the defendants conueyed them selues oute of the towne into the castle where in there owne opynyon in the common opynyon of others they were safe consyderyng the naturall force of the seate and also y e artificisalâ— force of the place notwithstanding being desyrouse to auoide the miserie and trauaile of a sege and to saue their liues they gaue out a token signifiynge that they were desyrous to talke with him and vpon condicion to yelde him the place but he refused vtterly to heare of any appoyntment although his captaines woulde gladly haue persuaded him there vnto but went and considered thorowly the seate and force of the place and seyng the walles to be such that no ladder might attayne the heyght of
two one proffited so well in the exercise of armes and also in gouernance that the Turcke had him in great estimation And in Albania the whiche is that part of Macedonia that lieth toward the weste and stretche the oute frō Durazzo to the ancient Citie Appolonia the langage of the Albaneses is propre to them selues and dothe differ from the speche of all those people that dwell aboute them for neither the Greeke ne yet the Schiauonese vnderstandeth it and we are not certaine in what sorte nor by what meanes they fyrste arriued in those partes ne yet of their ancient originall althoghe it be sayde that this nation with diuerse others came oute of Scithia Asiatica from that ancient Citie Albania not farre from Colchide and so went on wandring to seeke newe habitacions and seates and fynally occupied that parte of Macedonia whiche beareth their name aboute the tyme of the losse of Constantinople the prince of their contrey happened to dye whose name was Camusa whoe beinge discended of christian parents became so beastly that of his owne acorde he lefte the christian faythe and embraced the folisheand beastly religion of Mahometh but hauinge smalle affiance in it euen as he had raishely forsaken Christe so vnaduisedly refused he Mahomet he and retorned to the religion of his ancestours willing althoughe he had no great affiance nether in the one nor other rather to dye beringe the name of a Christian then of a Mahometiste vnto whome George Scanderbag succided in gouernaunce as lawfull heire whoe was discended of a noble parentage in his contrey and when he had haunted the warres along time he became an excellent and famous Captaine and spent the reste of his lyfe in the defence of the Christian religion when Mahomethe vnderstode the deathe of Camusa he sent one of his Bascias with an armie to Valona whiche standeth vpon the sea bancke and althoughe it be but a litle Towne it hathe a suer and a goodly hauen from whence in to Italie the passage is but shorte and withoute daunger and manye yeres before that tyme it was possessed and holden by Baiazithe and when he died they threwe from them the Turquishe yoke but Amorathe within shorte space after toke it againe and from thence for the was it contynually holden by the in fydels to the greate reproche and dishonour of the Christian princes and to the greate terrour of all Italie it is possessyd euen at this daye by the infidels when this Bascia had broughte his people to valona he assayled Scanderbeg whoe althoughe he dyd alwaies worthilye defende him selfe and his people and diuers tymes with his power had encountred the Turckes and departed from them alwayes with the victorie yet notwithstandinge he sent for ayde to the kinge Alphonso of Aragone then kinge of Naples and obtained of him dyuers bande of men at armes well furnished in euery respecte whiche passed in to Albania by the waye of Durazzo not farre from the Cytye of Croia and with the helpe of George Scanderbeg they defendyd that contre for alonge tyme from the Tyrannie of the infydels when Calixto the Romishe Byshoppe vnderstode the danger that Scanderbeg was in Scanderbeg was in weinge his power w t the vnspekeable power of his enemye he wolde not se him wāte but supplied him with a great some of money to entertaine his souldiours and with these aydes he de fendyd y ◠contrey of Albania very skylfully and valiantly In this meane time their was a practize discouerid y e whiche a Nephewe of his his brothers sonne whoe hauing intelligence with Mahometh agreed with him vp oncertaine condityones to sleye his vncle by treason or els if he coulde by any meanes bring it to passe to delyuer him on lyue in to Mahomethes handes when this practeze was discouered by one of the menagers of this same he laid handes on him and so caused him to be examined in the which he confessyd the whole wherupon he thought it not conueniēt to shed his owne bloude but banished him sending hym with his processe to the king Alphonso whoe commaunded to put him into the Donge on called Miglio there to continewe during his naturall lyfe And whileste Scanderbeg lyued he defended Albania from the tirany of the infydels fyghting onely for the zeale he bare to the Christian religiō caused his subiectes to perseuere in the faith of christe and his worde notwithstanding the contynuall inuasious and courses that his enemies made vpon his cotre impouerishing his subiectes vtterly spoiling y ◠laborers of the earthe lainge waste a greate pece of his contrey bringing it into vnspekeable miserie and calamitie whē Mahometh vnderstode the death of Scanderbeg he sent forth with his armie in to Albania and toke the citie of Croia with all the reste of the contrey except those places that the venetianes held aboute that tyme after the taking of Constantinople he dyd maruelously vexe the religion of Rhodes both by sea and land but the greate master of the Hospitall of Iherusalm vnto whome the Isle dyd appertaine with his souldiours defended it cōtynnally euen to these our dayes and whan Calixto the gre at Byshope was called vnto for ayde he put his Nauie of Shippes Galleys to y ◠sea sent them to Rhodes vnderthe conducte of y ◠patriarcke of Aquileia who being in those seas had often to doe with the Turckes toke and drowned manye of their Galleys and fustes drowned and slewe their people and departed alwaye from them with the victorie when he had taken from the Turkes y ◠Isle of Salaminā whiche in ancient tyme was called Lēno and also that that is called Tasso w t the Isle of Nēbro and certaine other litle Isles nere vn to them he went and spoyled all alonge the sea coastes from helesponto euen to the confynes of Egipte to the great impouerissing of the inhabitants there of holding them in contynuall doute and feare and it semed that if he mought haue contynued he wolde with time haue greatly preuailed but as sone as Calixto was deade he departed from thence with his Nauie in to Italie leauing Rhodes with all others places that y ◠Christianes possessid in those partes in great peryl And in Acarnia which lieth in the myddeste betwene Epiro and Boetia and is called at this daye the Duchie and the Dispotto which then raigned in Acarnama and Epiro whiche at this daye is called Arta which begynning towarde the weste at the permontories of Acrocera doe stretch oute toward the easte to the baie Ambrachio whiche at thys daye is called y ◠golfe of Arta this Dispotto being maruelously vexed with Mahomethes souldiours and being desyrous to purchase some forien amitie by meanes of the king Alphonso he toke to wyfe a daughter of y e lord Iohn Vnitimiglia a Captaine of great fame that came into Italie with the king Alphonso of Aragone to the winning of the
he had he gaue to as many as shoulde be staine in that iorney eternall lyfe and by these meanes and with the helpe of y e preachinge of freere Caprestano he had assembled an armie offortie thousande men of Almaynes Bohemes and Hungarianes all crossed mē not of the welthiest sorte or men of estate but pore men of the common sorte y ◠which for the zeale of y ◠christian faithe were contented to offer them selues to the daunger of the deathe for the name of Christ Iesus hopinge in this worlde to obtaine forgyuernes of their synnes in the worlde to comme foye euerlasting which matter is harde for preachers to perswade princes and great rulers of the worlde vnto for so much as many of them setting their hole felicitie vpon these transitorie vanities haue no care for the lyfe to comme which Christe hath promised to as manie as walke in his ordynances for the great ones of the worlde for the moste parte will not hazard them selues to loose this life for that they cā not assure them selues of the lyfe to come wherfore they doe not only not frame them selues to heare the worde of god but forasmuch as in them is they flee from it as from a thing mostedispleasante and contrarye to their natures like wise Iohn Vaiuoda had assembled an armie of valiāte men oute of Hungarie Bohemia both of horse men and fotemen Mahometh was in such a triumphe by meanes of the good successe that he had had that he thoughte there was no power in Europe able to encountre him And beinge puffed vp in this sorte with pride with great furie presented his campe to the citie of Alba which standeth vpon the mouthe of the ryuer Sauo not farre from the Danubio and at this daye is called Belgrado and at the lodging of his campe he gaue a great brauado and a notable charge vpon them of the towne and when he sawe the towne well furnished with defendantes and his assaultes receaued with great assurance and that the Hungarianes durste not only to defend their towne but also to holde the feelde contynually in armes within the shotte of the Cannon whervpon he thought good to assure him selfe frō outeward insultes and to plante his batteries wherefore he gaue order w t all spede to fortifie his campe with greate dykes and stronge rampares also they of the towne applied them daye and nighte in reparing them selues that in shorte space they were so fortifiede that notwith standing the greatest part of the walle was by y t Turckes batterie laid flatte on the earth yet stode they vpon their newe fortificationes and ripares y ◠they had made within the towne in farre greater assurance for the defence of the towne then if the walles of the towne ha◠contynued in their former state and the Turckes being at handes with them contynually both daye and night were entred the breaches and then the towne fought with them of the towne vpon grounde of equall aduantage with their newe fortificationes and defenses and coulde not enforce them to gyue vnto them one fote of y ◠grounde which they had determined to defend such was their valewe in armes When the Turckes had in this sorte batterid the towne for a longe tyme in vaine Mahometh being kendled with great furie and rage determined to holde them occupied daye and night continually and so to werye them And when he had embattayled all his people deuided them into regementes or squadrones apointīg to euery squadrone for conducte therof a man of great Iudgement in marcyal affares to the ende that they shoulde one succide an other in y ◠assaute with their battailones and so to kepe occupied continually them of the towne to the ende that they shoulde haue no tyme to fortifie them selues against them and then they began on euery syde to assayle the Christians whoe also put them selues in battayle and appointed also certaine extraordinarie bandes to be emploied where necessitie shoulde require and thus came on nobly and encountred their enemies there was betwene them a longe fyghte the assaulte was full of bloodshedde and crueltie and also doubtefull for some tyme the Turcks preuailed as thoughe they wolde forthewith becomme lords of the towne on the other syde the Christians suppliing the fyght often tymes with newe bandes and calling to mynde their wonted valiantize dyd so repulse y ◠enemies that some time they enforced them clerely to abandone the walles so that the victorie semed aparently to be theirs and in this sorte the battayle contynued so doubtefully y ◠it was harde to saye where y e victorye shoulde lighte and by meanes of the great obstinatie on both partes the matter was lyke to continewe doubt full tyll the darcke nighte wherupon Mahometh determined to proue whether his presēce mought anyething preuaile to encorage his souldiours or no imediatly came among them thincking by his presence so to encorage his souldiours that forthwith they shoulde inforce the Christians to abandone the walles whervpon he came to that place where his garde of Gianizzaries dyd assayle and as he approched some thinge neare was strycken with an aroe vnder the right pappe whervpon he was taken and caried to this lodging which so discoraged his people that immediately they lefte y ◠assaulte vpon the soodden abandoned their artillerie to their enemies in proie and with spede conueid them selues to their lodginges and the nigth folowing they leuied their campe with greate sylence and marched on with great spede tyl they came into Seruia and from thence into Romania when the Christians sawe the seege raised and the enemie gone they gaue god great thankes and were ioyfull and meruelouse glad Then they endeuored to cure their hurte men and to distribute the proye to euery man acording to his place this great rare victorie was attributed to there men in especiale which is to Iohn Carafagio Legate Apostolique in whose name the iorney was taken in hand To Iohn Vaiuoda and to freer Caprestano which two were present in all these affares althoughe that Vaiuoda in all his letters that he wrote to the Emperour and to other princes and frendes of his neuer made anie mencion of Caprestano nor Caperestano in his letters which he wrote to the Byshoppe of Rome and also to the Generall of his order and other prelates made anye mencion of Vaiuoda notwithstanding either of them affyrmed in his letters that god throughe him had gyuen to the Christianes that glorious victorie wherin it was apparantly seene that the nature of man being most gredie and desirous of honor wyll more easyly depart with kingdomes contreys riches and such like to approue this it was euidently seen in Caprostano whoe in time before coulde easyly contempne and dispize all wordly riches set at naught all erthely pleasures vanquishe ouercome the desires and motiones of the fleshe and yet coulde
to abandone the seege then otherwise and finally conueyd their artillerie and monitions aborde their Nauie and abandoned there seege the xvii of Auguste sayled towarde the straite of Gallipoli and in this sorte was Rhodes delpuered froÌ„ the seege of the Turckes In this mean time Mahometh sent Acomath one of his Bascias with a Nauie of an hundred sayles beinge furnished w t xv thousand souldiours towardes the Golfe and vpon the sodden he assayled the Isle called Saincte Maura anciently called Eucadia and toke it and from thence he passed on towarde Cephalonia and Hiacinto â— in shorte space became lorde of them bothe and he determined to sayle backe againe by the Golfe and from thence into Pulia in intention as diuers men thoughte but to land and spoyle the contrey consideringe the greate riches y â— â—here was bothe of men treasure and catell and cheife â—y for that he had intelligence that y e contrey was lefte withoute garde of men of warre and also that the king was where he coulde not annoie him when the Nauie of the infideles was come within fighte of that pointe of â—ande that the Italianes call Cauo de Ottranto they made towarde the lande and came into the hauen of Ot â—ranto and seinge them of the towne to make no resysâ—ance but beinge afearde showed moste shamefull Cowardize and shutte the gates of the Citie holding them â—clues within the walles therof and durste not once to â—okevpon him in the feelde whervpoÌ„ he landed his men â—andhorses and firste he proied all the contre aboute Ot â—tranto and then spoyled it and broughte to his shyppes â—an excyding great proie without any resystance at all wherevpon he was the more bolde presuminge vpon the Cowardize of them of the towne and thoughte to attempte to take it whervpon he fortified his campe to defend him from outwarde inuasion and enuironed the towne in suche sorte that they of the towne coulde nether receaue in nor sende forthe anye thinge oute of it wheÌ„ this was done he planted his batteries and began to batter the walles and tormented them with his batteries daye and nighte he arriued at Ottranto xxviii of Iulye in the yere of our helth M. CCCC.lxxix and the xi daye of Auguste nexte folowing he gaue an assanlte to the towne and chased them of the towne from the breaches and toke the towne by force master frauncis Zurlo who was there for the kinge being fled with the Arche byshoppe of the Citie into the Cathedrale church where vnto all the the chiefe of the citie were fled also for succour was with the reste cut in peces and all the reste of the people with the wemen and children were sent into Gretia to be sold as slaues when the king Fer rante vnderstode that the Turckes were arriued at Ottranto he caused to arme all the shyppes and gallyes of the realme with maruelouse celeritie and sent also for his sonne the Duke of Calabria into Toscane who at that tyme had made peace with the Florentynes was in Siena making great preparation for solemne Iustes and triumphes to celebrate the feaste of our ladie not withoute greate suspition y e he was procured by diuerse noughtie Citizenes of his faction that daye to take the citie and to vsurpe it when the Duke had receauid this commaundement from his father he departed forthe w t oute of Tuscane with all his armie and marching on w t great spede broughte them into Pulia and entertained also as manye fotemen as he coulde gette and appointed them to Captaines he gathered togyther also all the men at armes and horsemen of all sortes that were in the kingdome and then marched on with his armie encamped not farre froÌ„ Ottranto the Nauie was made redie with maruelouse expedition by the great industris of the countie of Sarni and was alredie departed from Naples towarde Pulta the Duke of Calabria fortified his campe with stronge rampares depe dikes douting the furie of the enemie and durste not to approche the towne so neare as he moughte laie batterie vnto it but laie some things farder of and presented him selfe dayly to the towne and they of the towne sorted forthe contynually and scaramoshed with him and often tymes repulsed them and made great slaughter of them And one daie they attached a scaramoshe and it was maintained in suche order from tyme to tyme with freshe bandes y â— the whole power of the campe was at it and it grewe to a battaile coÌ„tinued by the space of certaine houres there was great slaughter and it was foughte w t great assurance on bothe sydes in that battayle was slayne the countie Iulio de Aquaiua one of the kinges chiefe conductours of his men at armes the fotemen being discoraged fled Loys de Capua beinge generall of them with certaine of his companie thincking to saue him selfe fled to a certaine towre whiche was of some force not farre from Ottranto the Turquyshe horsemen folowed him and when they came to the towre they deter myned to assayle it and prepared pitche and towe and other necessaries to let fire vnto it the afore saide Loys being destrous to lyue yeldyd him with all his companie to the Turckes and was caried prisoner into Ottranto after this there was daily scaramoch betwene them of y e campe y e towne but they of y e campe had alwaies y e worse there was slaine before Ottranto Mattheo de Capua y e counte Iulio de Pisa and diuers other Captaines officers of y e Italian armie y e king bycause he wolde make the iorney the more famous went w t his courte to Barletta he sent for aide to al y e ChristiaÌ„ princes y e king of Hungarie Mathia sent him a Colonell w t a regimeÌ„t of eight huÌ„dred HuÌ„garian horsemeÌ„ y e king of Portugale sent him manie Carauelles well armed and furnished there came also oute of Spaine Arragone and Catalona many gentlemen of their owne charges and good wil to aide the kinge notwÌ„standing these aides y e Turckes dismaied not at all but assured them selues fortisied their towne did not only defend it but went forth of y e towne dayly scaramoched w t y e Christians slewe many of them also brought of them to y e towne prisoners And when they had thus in vaine consumed both y e soÌ„mer y e Autome winter approched constrained them to abandone their seege to laye them selues in garnisonnes in y â— townes nearest about eit and in y â— same winter y e Nauie of y e Turcks spoiled al y e coaste of Pulia eueÌ„ to y e veri mouÌ„te of S. Agnolo for that y â— Acomathe Bassa desired to speake w t his lord Mahometh before y â— coÌ„ming of y â— springe of y â— yere he lefte in Ottran to for y e defence therof eight thousand choseÌ„ souldiours furnished theÌ„
spoyled all the contrey and wolde not suffer the subiects of Caromano other to sowe and plowe the grounde orels to doe anye thinge in the feeldes that moughte befor their commoditie whervpon they that dwelled vpon the plaine were in suche distresse that of their owne acorde they reuolted from Caromano for the greatest number and became subiectes to Baiazithe when the springe of the yere was cōme Caromano consideringe the inclination of his people and being in feare to be forsaken of his souldiours or els to be delyuered by them into the hands of Baiazithe obtaine of the Soldane of Egipte Caribeio a man of much fame and worthines a great sume of money and also certaine bandes of Arrabianes he sent into all partes of his dominions for such ayde as there was to be had and ioyned them all with his armie and made it of as great number as he coulde and determyned to se howe fortune wolde fauour hym and rather to Hazard the battayle then to gyue place to his enemie and in tyme to be delyuered by his owne mē into the handes of his enemyes whervpon beinge furnished with all necessaries he toke the feelde and chose a place of great strengthe and apte for the seruice of horse men when Baiazithe vnderstode that the enemey was come to the feelde and in campe he sent to all his garnisones commaūdinge them to repare vnto hym wyth spede with them to bring their whole furniture and when he had taken reuewe of them he marched to the feelde and put his souldiours in battayle and then marched towarde Caromano and when he came w tin sighte of him he sent his vauntgarde toward his enemie some thinge spedyly to begyn the battayle and he in person dyd conducte the battayle and folowed the Vauntgarde he also was folowed by the rierewarde and all his bagagers and when he came where the enemies were they refused not the battayle he came towarde them in good order and ioyned with them and notwithstanding that the force of Baiazithes people was greate and that a troupe of ten thousand horsemen of his went and serred them selues and with great furie assayled the enemies perswading them selues that in the first encoūtre they woulde disorder them but the Ciliceanes recauid theyr charge with great assurance in suche sorte that there was not one of them that gaue one fote of grounde to his enemie After this when they were entremelled there began a very braue and blooddie fyghte men fell downe dead and hurte contynally on bothe sydes and their places were alwaies supplied with freshe men and in this sorte they contynued for the greatest parte of the daye with great assurance nether partie gyuinge place to the other so that it coulde not be Iudged on whiche parte the virtorye shoulde lighte for the battayle contynued doubtefull euen to the darcke night Abraham Caromano shewed that daye of what value he was for in his order he shewed him selfe a Capten of great Iudgement and afterward in his fyghte he shewed him selfe a valiante and stoute souldiour and laste of all by the prouidence of god his tyme beinge at hand seinge his people to gyue place beinge charged by a greate numbre of his enmies whose force they were not able to endnre be thruste on spedilie towardes them with his garde a good number of other of his souldiours and gaue in vp on them in suche sorte that he perced euen in to myddest of their squadrone and beinge knowen by the enemies was by thē forth with enuironed and charged on euery syde with suche furie that they slewe his horse vnder hym where vpon he was constrayned to fyghte on fote in the whiche he behaued him selfe so nobly that w t his owne hande he slewe dyuerse of those which assailed him in the ende throughe the great losse of his bloude which contynually fell from him throughe his dyuerse and sondrie woondes whiche he had receauied in the battayle not beinge able to endure anye longer fell downe deade in the place as sone as his people vnderstode of his death they were so amazed and discouraged that immediatly they dysorderid them seules and lefte the fyghte scatteringe them selues all the the feelde ouer hoped to make flighte their sauetie but being folowed by y e Turckyshe horsmen the greatest number of them were slaine and a great parte of the rest were taken on lyue and delyuered to Baiazith when he had in this sorte obtained so greate a victorie he determyned forthewith to vse the same whervpon he began to occupie the reste of Cilicia campestre and marching on ouer all the contrey the cities and fortellezes yeldyd vnto him enerie where as he came withoute makinge anye resystaunce and hauing in shorte tyme broughte vnder his obeisance all that contrey that Caromano possessed in Cilicia he deuised then with his Captaines what was beste to be done fynally it semed beste in the opinion of euery mā first or he toke in hand to passe the mounte Tauro and so to goe on to conquere that which Caromano possyd in the lesse Armenia and Capadotia to possesse the other Cilicia called Thrachea to the ende to leue no enemie behinde thē y e mought empeche them whervpō he caused to moostre and paie his men and then gaue them a litle tyme to repose that done he vnited them and sent them towarde Setalia which is a Citie in that prouince then newlye inhabited a citie of greate traffique maruelously well inhabited by meanes of the decaie of the trade that was in Delo whiche in tyme passed was a Citie of the greatest traffique of all Asia and chiefely for the great number of slaues that then were there boughte and solde which were in nūber in maner infinite wherof it grewe into prouerbe marchantes make your voyage to Delo and there vnshippe for whatsoeuer is broughte thither is redie money when the traffique of this Citie was decaied the whole traffique and trade of marchandize was put ouer into Setalia and throughe the greate repaire of marchauntes it was become the cheife and beste in habited Citie of the lesse Asia in so muche that the sea coaste all there aboute losynge his olde name is called the golfe of Setalia euen at this daye vpon the whiche golfe directly ouer againste the Isle of Cipres standeth a noble Citie and a popolouse called Scandoloro the lorde wherof beinge a Turcke borne and all wayes in doubte of them hath euer ben an enemie to y e house of Ottomano and also to Caromano and confede rate with the greate maister of Rhodes and the King of Cipres dyd preserue his state vntyll that daie standing as a newter betwene them both but whē he sawe Baiazith come vpon him withe so populouse an armie vpon the sodden Iudginge him selfe not of power to witstand his force for all the power that he was able to make did not excede the number of xx M. men on horsbacke
wher vpon examining him selfe he determyned to proue rather y ◠clementie then force of so mightie a prince whē they had talked vpō certaine articles of agrement they concluded that vpon condition that Baiazithe shoulde gyue him certaine reuenewe in Natolia he wolde delyuer vnto him all his possessyon and dominion of the contrey of Cilicia called Trachea whervpon it came to passe that when Baiazithe was become lorde of bothe the contreys called Cilicia al y t townes of the sea coaste from propontide or straicte of Gallipoli euen to the confines of Soria were vnder his obeisance so that all was his euen from the one to the other whē Baiazithe was in this sorte agreed with the prince of Scandaloro and become prince of both the one and other Cilicia and also of a great parte of the mounte Tauro he contynued there vntyll that he had made y e whole one gouernaūce or prouince and appointed vnto it for gouernour one of his Bascias leuing with him for garde therof an armie sufficient this done he determined to precide in hys enterprise and to subdue the reste of the state possession of Caromano which was in Armenia the lesser and in Capadotia whervpon he passed the mounte Tauro and descended into the lesse Armenia and became lorde withoute any difficultie of all the countres and townes that there had ben possessyd by Caromano all the people came and yeldyd them selues to him of their owne a corde when he had thus done he marched on by the syde of the mounte Tauro toward the northe and al the people and townes y ◠restid of the Iurisdiction of Caromano came and renderid them selues wholly vnto him and when he had thus in shorte tyme acheuid so great an enterprise he determined to leade home warde his armye and entred into Licaonia and in Iconio and Tocato be lefte his Astatique armye in garnison vnder y e charg and conducte of Mustaffa his Bascia and then he entred into Galatia and from thence into Bithinia the nearest waye to Bursia and from thence went downe into the Golfe of Nicomedia and there embarcked him selfe with the rest of his armie and sayled towarde Romania and there landed with al hys people sately when he had this done he toke the sea agayne with his souldiours of Gretia and sayled on and landed in the hauen of Constantinople where he was receauyd of all the people w t exciding great ioye and there toke his horse and rode aboute al the Citie and thus with great pompe acording to their custume he went to lodge in hys palace called Seraglio which standeth vpon that pointe that is called Cauodi santo Demetrio beinge determined in the nexte springe folowing to goe againe into Cilicia with all his power to make warres against y ◠Soldane chiefely for that he had ayded Caromano against him contrarie to the order of a league betwene them wherefore he was much offended with the Soldane departed from thence with his courte and went to Andrinople and all that winter he was occupied in making preparation for that iorney and gaue order to lenie oute of all his dominions of Europe newe bandes The number of his artillerie which he caried with him was great and when y e springe was cōme in the begynninge of Apryll he assemblyd his armie embarcked them and passed them in to Asia And when he had passed throughe Bithinia and Galatia he broughte them into licaonia to Iconio and ioyued them with hys armye that he had lefte there w t Mustaffa his Bascia at his departure from thence whē he had this done he entred againe into Cilicia toward the mounte Tauro and Armenia and there receauid aduedtizement that the Soldane as sone as he herd of the death of Caromano fearing lefte Baiazithe being puffed vp in pride throughe the great victorie that he had obtained against Caromano in the reuenge of the ayde y ◠the Soldane had sent him shoulde attempte some great enterprise in Soria whervppon he sent all the Mamalukes that were in his courte vnder the conducte of the great Diadaro to the confines of Cilicia acompanied w t a great numbre of Arrabianes wherfore Baiazith was some what in doubte what was to doe considering the great preparatiō of the enemy althoughe he were acompained with an armie of well trayned souldiours had broughte wyth hym moe then one hundred thousande souldiours on horsebacke besyde hys garde of Gianizaries and other bandes of fotemen yet notwithstanding fearing y ◠vertue discipline of the Mamalukes whose name was feared throughe all Asia for as much as they were counted a people inuincible in battayle wherfore he thought it good not raishly to trye his fortune in battayle nor on the other syde to showe any token of feare wherby he moughte encorage his enemye to deale with him but admisedly put his armie in order and then marched on towarde Tarso the Mamalukes beinge aduertized of the Turckes comming towarde them thoughte it not good to tarie and suffer them to enter Soria but marched toward them to mete them vpon the waye and when they were entred Cilicia marchinge towarde the Turcks of whom thei made smalle acōpte approchinge neare vnto Tarso as sone as they came within syghte of them they put them selues in battayle and marched on towarde them when Baiazith behelde y e comminge of his enemies he also presented his people embattailed and as sone as the Mamalukes came anye thinge neare vnto them Woute deferringe of tyme the great Diadar◠aduaunced him selfe with asquadrone of xv thousande horsemen when the battayles were ioyned he gaue in vpon the Turckes with suche force that not wythstandinge they receaued the charge beinge well serred and prepared with great assurance gaue to their enemies no place at all yet for all that they had much to doe to preserue their order that the Mamalukes had not broken it after this when they approched the one the others squadrones they were so ioyned that they coulde vse no long weapon but were driuen to vse there Scimitarres and so continued they in so streyte order fighting with great assurance for a longe tyme y ◠no man coulde see of eyther syde anye aduauntage and Baiazithe althoughe there were farre greater slaughter of hys people then of the Mamalukes and Arrabianes yet dyd he alwayes supplie his weried and spoyled squadrones w t newe and freshe bandes and hauinge farre greater number of souldiours then the Diadaro had he continued the fyghte in this order from the myddaye tyll after the go ing downe of the sone whervpon the great Diadaro determined to vse all force possyble to the ende y ◠the night shoulde not sonder them withoute victorie whervpon he chose oute of his a nūber of souldiours in whom he had great truste and when they were some what reposed he renged them in battayle very closely then ladde them in person and
on the pointe of a launce and then sent it to be showed in euery place throughe oute his countrey in token of victorie he then beinge whollye occupied in makinge his prouisyon of men bothe on horsebacke and fote of money and other monition which he ment to vse in his enterprise that he determyned to take in hand the springe nerte folowing callinge oute of Asia and Europe all such of his subiectes as had ben wel trained in y e warres and had determyned to winter at Iconio for y e he wolde be at hand to take in hande againe the enterprise in the springe folowing the Gianizzaries beinge determined to goe home into Gretia went vnto him and when they sawe that they coulde not perswade hym to passe into Gretia for that winter they began to threaten him and declared vnto him that yf he wolde not goe with them they wolde them selues goe and when they came there they wolde swere obedience to his sōne with the which wordes Selim was marueiously troubled and began to suspecte and the nighte folowing disguised him selfe and with certaine of his familiers with him toke the poste and ran daye and nighte vntyll he came to Scuta ro and passed y e straite and discouered him selfe to none vntyl he came within his Seraglio where he continued three dayes and wolde gyue audience to noe man and in the ende beinge enforced by Pernio Bascia and y e Cadi to declare the cause of his great melancholie answered that he was no more an Emperour for so muche as the Gianizzaries wolde haue enforced him whervpon they desyred him to be of good chere and declared vnto hym that he shoulde haue good meanes to punished them and to be reuenged vpon them for their rebellion and when they vnderstode of him the cheife auctours of this disorder they wrote to all the bandes of the Gianizzaries in generall and gaue them to vnderstande the whole matter and the auctours of the disorder also whervpō they so sturred them vp that soddenly they toke their weapones and then laide hande of those whiche began this matter and broughte them in cheynes to Constantinople and presented them before the gates of the Serraglio and with lowd voice asked pardone puttinge the whole defaute in their leaders and delyuered them all in cheynes requiringe him to put them to deathe in example to those that shoulde come after them Selim accepted their exceuse and pardoned them and put to death all the chiefe of the sedition which seueritie wroughte so great terrour that Solimano his sonne fcaring leste his father shoulde haue him in any sospition by meanes of the wordes of the Gianizzaries went to kysse his fathers fete being moruelously affraied and excused hys innocentie when Selim had lefte his frontiers of Europe well garded and had prouided hoth men and money for his iorney he retorned againe to Icomo to hys garnisones In this meane time the Sophie sent his ant bassodours to y e Soldan for aide declaring vnto him the great peryll wherin he was praied him that he wolde haue regarde to their comon welthe and send his armie to vnite with him The Soldane was maruelousty moued by the perswationes of the Persianes and vnderstandinge the great confusion and disorder into y e which the Sophie was broughte with all his countre of Persia fearinge leste that he beinge thus affraied shoulde seke suche peace at the handes of Selim as he moughte obtaine and that when the Turckes had broughte the Sophie vnder fote they shoulde employe their whole force against Soria whervpon he gaue them to vnderstande that he wolde in no wyse fayle them but wolde for their welthe hazarde bothe his person and al that he had els and that they shoudle wyll their prince to be of good cheare and as sone as the springe shoulde comme on he wolde in person with all his power of Mamalukes and other souldiours that he coulde make descend into Soria to vnite his force with his to the ende that when they had had vnited their forces they mought prenente the enemye and goe to seeke him and make the warres at his owne dore and for that y e Soldane wolde detract no time he began immediatly to leuie his bands and gather his armye and to make redie for y e enterprise on the other side when Selim retorned to his garnisions he began to supplie his bandes with freshe souldiours and to see them thorowlie furnished with money and al other necessaries and as sone as the springe of the yere tame he assembled his armye and put to the feelde marthing towarde the mounte Taurs to passe into Armenia and as he approched neare the mountayne he had aduertizement that the Soldan was departed from Cai ro with all his ordinarie bandes and a great number of Arabianes and came downe into Soria to ayde the Sophie and to vnite his force with him wherupon he caused to state the marche and then called to councell hys Bascias and other Captaines declaringe vnto them y e comminge of the Soldane into Soria and when they had thorowlye discoursed of the matter what was to be done therin they allowed the opinion of Selim whiche was to preueut the enemyes and not to suffer them to vnite their forces but to goe and encountre the one of them Iudginge it more easye to ouerthrowe one then bothe their powers beinge once vnited and discoursing in him selfe which of them it were better fyrst to assayls he thoughte the enterprise againste the Soldane mostemete and easyer then it of Persia against the Sophie for that the Soldane beinge an olde man and not trayned in the warres was more weake and for that his armye had ben a longe tyme at reste and had dealed wyth no enemye of great experience in warres but that their name was feared in all y ◠easte for y e actes which thye their predecessours had done in time past being in this sort persuaded he determined the enterprise against the Soldane marched w t his armie a long by the fote of the mounte Tauro holdinge the waye of the righte hand so passed into Cilicia where he vnderstode that the Soldane had entertained in his paie a great number of Arrabianes and that he was entred into Soria wyth xv thousand Mamalukes comming towarde Aleppo wher vpon he made the greater haste and went towardes him and when he came neare to Aleppo he vnderstode that y e Soldane was encamped vpon the ryuer of Singa tenmyles from that place whervpon he put hys people in battayle and marched on toward the enemie with great furie and when he came within syghte of them he foude that the Soldane began to disiodge and to take y e feelde puttinge his people in order in the myddest of the feelde declaring him selfe redie to the battaile whervpon withoute delaie they ioyned in battayle and there began a very braue and bloudie fyghte and it contynued a
greate pece of the daye withoute anye aduantage of eyther side but at the laste a certayne number of the Mamalukes marched on so closely in order that they were as stronge as a mightie walle and charged the Turckes with such force that they not beyng able to endure the force and power of the Mamalukes and their horses were enforced to disorder and breake their ranckes and by meanes therof gaue them waye to enter their squadrone when they were comme to the Gianizzaries they disordered them also and passed on vntyll they came to their enseig nes where the Turcke was in person and he seinge his people thus in disorder and that there was no meanes to holde them togyther and to kepe them in order he cōmaunded his maister Cannoniers to discharge all their artillerie at one Instante vpon them the noyse of the artillerie was suche that the horses of the Mamalukes coulde not endure it but retorned backe and ran awaye scattering all ouer the feelde in dispite of those that rode them and thus by flighte lefte vnto their enemyes that victorie which they had all redie in their handes they had not loste of their people before the discharge of that volee of shotte scarcely one thousand The souldiours of Scilin seinge the flyghte of their enemyes began to encorage them selues and folowed them making great flaughter of them The Soldane behaued him selfe that daye lyke a worthie man and dyd not omitte any thing that appertained to a worthy Captaine and had sondrie tymes that daye supplied with great discression where nede was and where his people were in disorder and began to flee whervpon he was enforced to vse both sayre wordes pro messes and threatinges by these meanes had dyuerse tymes that day staied them from roning awaye and putting them in order agayne soughte to renewe the fyghte but he founde them so amased stonied by meanes of the noyse of the artillerie to the whiche they were not acustomed that they lainge a syde all reuereuce dyd not once hercken to any worde y e he speake but contynued styll their flyghte and disorder and when the Soldane sawe that he was lefte of his souldiours and alone vpon the feelde he wolde not comme on lyue into the handes of his enemyes wherfore he folowinge after his people soughte to saue him selfe by flighte but being ercedingly hote and faintie in his armour for so much as he had taken vpon him y e day great trauaile and had continued the hole day on horsebacke withoute receauing meate or dryncke in the ende beinge vtterly weried and with the force of the presse of those y e came after him who being so affraied that they flede continually in a confused sorte hauing no regarde to their duetye but euery man made shyste for one amonge them he was ouerthrowen both horse and man and beings once downe being an aged man his armour of great weyghte he coulde no more ryse and hauinge loste hys force sensses gaue vp his spirite amonges their horses fete and this was the end of Campsone Cairo Soldane of Babilone a noble personage and of greate vertue who founde the kingdome of Egipte and Soria so consumed and spoyled by cyuyll dissention and warres y ◠in shorte tyme their were staine amonge them selues in these esmotiones foure Soldanes when this man had accepted the gouernance he so reformed it by his great wysdome and Iustice encreasyng it both with reputation and obedience in such sorte that he brought it to an exceding great quietnes and tranquilitie so that for y ◠space of .xvi. yeres wherein he had gouerned they had not onely not experimented what the warres were but also not herde them once named amonge them in all y ◠kingdome of Egipte and Soria After this when the nighte came the enemyes fled faste towarde Aleppo lefte the feelde and also their campe withoute defence in proie to the enemies but Selim mistrusting y e fynesse of the Mamalukes wolde not that nyghte enter into their campe but encampted where the battayle was soughte and helde a great pece of his armye all y ◠nyght in battayle and when it was day he sent certaine vante corriers to vewe the campe of the enemyes who fynding it withoute defendantes gaue suche aduertizemēt whervpon Selim marched with his armye and entred y ◠campe and founde the lodginges of the Soldane full of riches and gaue it in proie to his souldiours and when he vnderstode that Gazzele with the rest of y e Soldanes Captaines were departed from Aleppo in the fourthe watche and gone to Dammasco he marched on to Aleppo and when he came thyther Caserbeio whiche was gouernour there for the Soldane withoute making any resystance at all went forth to hym and yelded hym the towne and being maruelously embraced and honoured by Selim confyrmed the opinion of many which was y e he had alwaye ben a traitour to the Soldane and had in telligence with Selim and also that he had aduertized him of the comming of the Soldane into Soria and exhorted him to leue the enterprise of Persta and to take in hand that of Soria against the Soldane when Selim was entred into Aleppo he graunted y e Citizens many liberties and being greatly oppressyd by the impositiones and taxes which the Soldane laid vpon them he meaning to gratifie them and to preserue the great traffique and encourage the marchantes that there were others also to comme thyther with their marchandize he released dyuerse of the impositiones and also diminished a parte of the custumes of the marchandize when he had contynued there certaine dayes he receaued aduertizement that all the Mamalukes that were lefte liuing at the ouerthrowe of Aleppo with Gazzele which was y e cheife Captaine amonge them then considering that the lorde of Damasco was slayne in the battayle were determyned to goe and to create a newe Soldane whervpon they departed from Soria and rode towarde Cairo Selim departed from Aleppo and marched on to warde Damasco and when he was comme before the Citie with hys armye they of the Citie thought it not good by resystance to put bothe them selues and y ◠they had in peryll whervpon they sent forth to Selim Oratours and graunted him the Citie vpon condittion to enioye bothe their lyues and goodes when Selim had accepted their offer he entred into the Citie beinge accompained onely with his garde leuinge all the rest of his armye withoute in campe bycause the Citie shoulde not by molested nor greued nor the straunge marchantes that there were oute of all partes of the worlde the Cities of Soria which stande vpon the sea coaste folowed the example of Aleppo and Damasco and the principall of them were Tripolli Sindonia Baruti and Tolemarde which yeldyd and receaued dyuerse bandes of the Soldiers of Selim into them Selim determyniing to establishe the gouernement of Soria called a coū cell in Damasco and thyther
ducates and yf thou shouldest nowe dye not gyue order in that behalfe they shoulde be conueyd and stollen awaye were it not better that thou shoulde bestowe them vpon soÌ„me hospitale whervnto Selim answered woldest thou that I shoulde honor my selfe with the goodes of other men to bestowe them in vertuose worckes in the remembrance and commendation of me I wyl neuer doe it whervpon Perino replied sayinge what woldest thou then that there shoulde be done with them He answered that they be delyuered to them froÌ„ whom they were taken and also he called to his remembrance y â— there were thre thousaÌ„d ducates of a Florentyne sonne to one Thomaso de Aiolfo he commaunded also that they shoulde be delyuered vnto him Whervpon after that the money marchandize and sylkes that were arrested in Bursta were delyuered to the owners and he that reported this was one of them and had receaued a great quantitie againe and had brought of the same salkes to Florence two fardells this is spoken to confounde manye of our Christian princes amonge whom in the lyke case it is a very harde matter to fynde one that shal haue such remorse of conscience but nowe to our historie when Selim was in this sorte consumed with his disease in the ende of the monethe of Septem her the vere of the Christian helthe 1520. hauinge in righte yeres which was the time of his raigne brought to passe so manye maruelouse enterprises he ended his lyfe in whose place succeded Solimanno his onely soÌ„ne a yonge man of great worthines in whome their was great hope for the great modestie that was in him he was of the age of xxviii yeres and beinge in Natolia y â— newes were brought him fleing of the deathe of his father wherfore in the begynninge he was in doubte of them fearing leste it had ben fayned by the commaundement of his father wherfore he wolde not sturre at all oute of Natolia tyll suche tyme as Perino Bassa came into Natolia to him who dyd not onely assertaine him of it but also constreyned him to passe ouer into Gretia to Constantinople where as sone as he was arryued he was receaued and coronned withoute any coÌ„tradicti on at all and accepted Emperour with the vntuersall ioye and contentacion of his subiectes and in this sorte he accepted the gouernement vsing in all his determynations y â— councell of Perino Bassa whom he honored as thoughe he had ben his natural father in this meane tyme wheÌ„ the death of Selim was published in Egipte and Soria it dyd greatly moue the people of those countres and Gazelle beinge pricked with ambition perswaded him selfe that he moughte recouer both Egipte and Sorta and erecte againe y â— of state the Mamalukes acording to y â— ancient order therof vnder the Soldanes whervppon he caused the Citie of Damasco firste to rebelle and possessyd it callinge him selfe openly lord ther of and vtterly caste from him all obedience towardes y e house of Ottomanno which brute when it was sprede abrode throwe the prouince caused all the Mamalukes that were lefte which were hidden in Asia and Affrica to comme vnto him and then according to their anient custume they created him Soldane who made all preparation possyble to defende his state and gathered togyther a great number of Arrabians and of the counâ—res neare aboute him and sent his ambassadours to Cairo to desyre Carerbeio to ioyne with him to helpe to restore the Mamalukes state to his ancient libertie offering him to gyue him what parte of the domynion y â— he wolde yea to resigne vnto him his place and to make him Soldane when Carerbeio had gyuen publique audience to his ambassadours vnderstode their demauÌ„de withoute gyuing them anye answer caused his Ministers to cut them in peces hauing also proued Aleppo and dyuerse other Cities of Soria he founde none that wolde ioyne with him in this enterprise whervpon he determyned to defend him selfe as well as be moughte and leuied in all countreys suche bandes as he coulde get to serue him when the newes of the rebellion of Da masco was comme into Gretia Solimanno commaunded forthwith the Bellagarbei of Cillicia which was appointed for the garde of the lesser Asia with .xl. M. horsemen to goe thyther who entred into Soria acompained with the lieutenantes of Aleppo and of the rest of the cities of that prouince and came before Damasco with his armie in battayle he was not so sone comme before the Citie but Gazzelle hauing determyned for onely remedie to hazarde the battayle and wolde rather dye honorable w t his sworde in his hande then to be delyuered by some practize lyuinge into his enemyes hands whervpon he marched forthe of the Citie with his armie and put his people in battayle and then marched on with a noble mynde to encountre his enemye who marched also towarde him and withoute delaie ioyned in battaile and foughte for a longe tyme with greate assurance on bothe partes the vertue and discipliue of Gazzelle and of those fewe Mamalukes that were with him was such that notwithstanding they were excedingly ouerlaid w t nuÌ„ber yet for y â— space of certaine houres they so endured the force of their enemyes that they were nothing at al disordered nor gaue to their enemyes one fote of place in the end hauinge slayne a great number of their enemyes and manie of them beinge flayne also and the rest in maner all hurte beinge ouercomme with very wery nes and not able to vse their weapones Gazzelle fyndynge hym selfe enuironed by the Turckes foughte valiantly against them tyll at the laste he fell downe deade from his horse amonge them the Mamalukes beinge in the ende disordered and seynge no way by flighte howe to saue them selues determyned to dye lyke worthy men with their weapones in their hande and so foughte to y â— vttermoste in suche sorte that very fewe were taken lyuing by the enemyes As sone as Mustaffa Bassa had obtained this victorie he came forthwith w t his armie be fore the Citie the Citizens made no resystance but openned the gates and receaued the Bassa with such people as he wolde with him into the towne who entred acompanied with fewe for that he wolde not haue the Citie spoyled nor y e marchantes which were there oute of all partes of the worlde to exersyse their traffique he pardoned the Citizens and confirmed their liberties and freedomes which Selim had giuen vnto them he lodged his armye withoute the Citie and in this sorte dispatched the rest of the Mamalukes And established Soria and all y e prouinces of Egipte in perfecte peace which were wont to obey vnto Selim leuinge them vnder y e reule of Solimanno Ottomanno their lorde FINIS A COMMENTARIE OF THE WARRES OF THE TVRCKES MADE against George Scanderbeg prince of Epirro and of the victories obtained by the sayde George as well against the Emperoures
of Turchie as other princes and of his rare force and vertue worthy of memorie SCanderbeg prince of Epirto was sonne to the lord Iohn Castrioth y e which possessid y ◠part of Albania that was called Emathia and Tumenestia and the mother of Scander beg was named Volsaua she was daughter to the prince of Pollogo whiche is a part of Macedonia and also of Burgaria this Iohn was a worthy man and of great Iugement experience in the warres and hauinge warres with Amorathe Ottomanno prince of the Turckes and seing him to be wexed very stonge in Gretia and Albania in such sorte as in the ende he was not able to encountre him wherfore he made peace with him and for hostages deliuered him his sonnes which were Repossio Stanissa Constantino and this Scanderbeg whiche was then named George but when this tiran Amorathe caused him in his chyldhod to be circumcised he gaue him the name of Scanderbeg which in our speche is lord Alerandre and after that the Turcke caused him to be instructed acording to the rite and custume of the Mahometane secte Amorathe truely semed to be exceding glad when Scanderbeg being a childe but of eyghte yeres of age was broughte to his presence and seinge him beautifull and to haue a maiestie in his countenance he iugged in hym selfe that yf he shoulde lyue longe he wolde proue a worthye man wherfore he determyned neuer to suffer him to retorne home againe but to kepe him in his courte to the ende that when he was comme to y ◠state of a mā he shoulde serue him and therfore appointed him worthy masters to instructe him and to be carefull for him and to se him broughte vp in lerning and ciuilitie he alowed bothe for his table and apparell euen as yf he had ben his owne sonne After this when Scanderbeg was somethinge growen he delighted to ryde and to ronne and also with his cōmpaniones to vse the launce and y ◠rabattued sworde and he dyd excede them all bothe on horsebacke and on forte and chiefely yf it were in y ◠presence of Amorathe who had greate felicitie of se litle boyes in suche exercises and dyd maruelously reioyse to se suche force towardnes in Scanderbeg who alwaies remayned victoriouse After this whē the Turcke made warres against anye prince he commaunded to bringe Scanderbeg alwaies with him whythersoeuer he went and when so euer he soughte with his enemys Scander beg behaued him selfe so well that all the Turckes maruellyd at his doinges and wolde saye amonge them selues that yf he mought lyue tyll he came to perfecte age no man shoulde be able to continue against hem When Scanderbeg was come to y ◠age of .xix. yeres y ◠Turcke made him a Sangiacco which is as muche to saye as a conductour of sondrie bandes and gaue him y e leadinge of fyue thousand horses and some tyme the title of geuerall of an armye which in the Turckishe speche is called Bassa sending him against his enemyes accompanied with mani other Sangiachi which were appointed to be directed by him and to be at his commaundement and beinge in that parte of the lesser Asia that is called Natolia and hauing many rencountres with his enemyes he alwayes made great slaughter of them and departed from them with the victorie by meanes wherof he toke manye townes and Cities of that countre and brought them vnder the obedience of the Turcks who from that tyme forth wolde alwayes saye that Scanderbeg was his righte arme his harte and his eye and his moste assured defendour and augmentour of his dominions whervpon all the reste of the Turckes dyd marueloslye loue him and had him in great estimation After this Scanderbeg beinge of the age of .xxv. yeres and attending vpon his lorde in Andrinople beinge in the companie of many noble men there came thither a Tartare of a great stature and an exceding force and chalenged to fyghte with anye man in all the Turckes courte to y e vtterance and there was no man that durste to aunswer his chaleng for that the brute was that he neuer foughte with anye but that he ouercame him and had staine manye men in the lyke combattes when Scander beg sawe this he went to the prince and declared vnto him and to all the noble men there that he wolde encoūtre him and fyghte with him to the death but his lord with all the reste of the noble men wolde in no wyse agree vnto it but were all very sorye to see him so disposed yet for all that he made so ernest requeste and contynued it with suche Instancie that in the end with great difficultie he obtained his requeste and then made him redie and went in the presence of them all with great as to encountre this Tartarre who disdained him euen as Goliathe dyd Dauid and sayd that it greued him much to fyght with so yonge a man wherfore Scanderbeg was excedingely wrothe with him and strake at him and so behaued him selfe in the combatte that in the ende he obtained y ◠victorie slewe the Tartarre Shortly after Amorathe went to Bursia a Citie of Bithinia where two souldiours of Persia one named Iaia and y ◠other Zāpsa which made a like chalenge to that that y ◠Tartarre made sauinge that they wolde fyghte on horsbackes with launce sworde and Targe whervpon as sone as the chalenge was made Scanderbeg made redie and encoūtred with Iaia and as they were ernestly fightinge this cruell Zampsa assayled him in treason but Scanderbeg discoraged not at all for that but assured him selfe in god and put on a noble mynde and within shorte tyme he slewe them bothe for the which notable acto he was muche praysed of all those that were there present after this y ◠Hungarians came to make warres vpon the Turckes and to enuade their countrey wherfore Scāderbeg was sent Captaine generall with a greate armye against them in that enterprise he behaued him selfe so discretely and circumspectly that the Hungarians retorned againe withoute battaile He alwaies had that attended vpon him Christianes of his fathers subiectes who alwayes in structed him in the Christian faythe which he had receaued at his Baptesme wherfore he founde the meanes that the Hungarianes retorned withoute battayle and be also retorned with his armie safe to Andrinople where he was excedingly embraced of the Turcke and honored with great presentes he sayd to his most famylier fryndes that the Hungarianes feared the vertue and worthynes of Scanderbeg and therfore retorned and wolde not gyue battayle he desyred Scanderbeg to require some great gyfte of him but Scanderbeg aunsweringe very modestly sayd that he required nothinge but to dwell in his good grace and fauour wherwith he shoulde holde him very well satisfyed whē they had ended these discourses newes came that the lord Iohn father to Scanderbeg was deceassyd whervpon Amorathe in all haste dispatched a Captaine of
and then he caused them to set saile and in shorte space he arriued at Ragusio and he with certaine with him landed there and was by the chiefe of that place honorably receaued And when they had a longe tyme talked together he wente to the churche to heare seruice and then toke his leaue and went aborde and set sayle hauinge a prosperouse wynde in shorte tyme approched neare to Barletta when the Duke Iohn and the countie Iames and the rest of the nobilitie sawe so manye sayles they Iudged Scanderbeg to be there for it was bruted that Scanderbeg wolde comme and ayde the kinge whervpon they raysed their campe and went to encampe at a certaine place from thence farre of In this meane tyme Scanderbeg landed and the kinge forthewith went oute of Barletta and came and embraced Scanderbeg weping for ioye gyuinge thanckes to God and then to him for so great cortesie and grace after this Scanderbeg caused to vnshippe his furniture to comforte the king and all the rest of his people and the nexte morowe he rode into the countre whiche had rebelled against the kinge aforesayde and broughte from thence and exceding great proie of cattell of all sortes and draue it to Barletta and for the space of all that daye there was made great ioye in hope of victorie and the morninge folowing he made an oration to his souldiours in forme as foloweth My deare frinds the cause of oure being here as nowe is to ayde and succour the kinge Ferrante oure frynde whom in one momente by godes helpe we haue delyuered from a perillous sege hithervnto w toute drawing oure swordes wherfore to make an ende of this enterprise it is nedefull to vse oure weapones very skylfully and to kepe very good order in suche sorte as the kinge maye recouer the countre that he hathe loste whiche thinge can not be done withoute gyuing battayle fyghtinge the same with great assurance and in maruelouse perfecte and stronge order but I thincke not that you wyll doe otherwise here in Italie then you haue done in Albania against the Turcks and other oure enemies notwithstandinge this maye not be vnaduisedly taken in hande forsomuche as these the kinges enemyes are Italianes and Frenshe men and are armed suerly euen from the hed to the fote hauinge launces of great force and stockes bothe stronge and wel piercinge wherfore yf we shoulde stande fyrmly and receaue their charge they wolde handle vs very rudely and we shoulde be able smally to anoie them for that oure armour is slender in comparyson of thers we were Iackes of mayle Targes longe and slender launces and althoughe that oure swordes and Scymytaries be heuy and that some of them wyll cut anye kynde of yron yet all thys is in maner nothinge consyderinge that their number dothe farre excede ours and they be men of greater vertue and force then are the Turckes wherfore with suche enemies it behoueth vs to deale discretly and valiantly puttinge oure truste in God to obtaine victorie acording as we are acustmed to doe wherfore it behoueth you to obserue this order thorowly that I shall nowe gyue you we wyll goe and seke these the kinges enemyes and when we shall fynde them we wyll withoute delaye offer to charge them yf they wyll offer to countrecharge vs we wyll then seme to rone awaye and after y e wyll torne suddenly vpon them for when they haue folowed vs a lytle tyme they wylbe sone wery for they can endure no great trauayle for they are loded with heuy armour and their horses are great and heuye and wylbe sone wery but we are able to endure to the ende of anye trauayle and then wyll we with oure swordes Scymytars and Mases so beate them aboute the heddes that we wyll enforce them to fall from their horses halfe dod and vsing the matter in this sorte there is no doubte but that we shall obtaine the victorie truethe it is for that they are baptized it greueth me muche but there is no remedie for euery man is bounde to defende him selfe we haue the ryghte on oure syde and the popes blessing and grace who is lord of the whole worlde both in spirituall and temporall matters for that he is Christes lieutenante wherfore I praie you and also commaunde you that euery man enforce him selfe more nowe then euer he dyd to doe well for that we are in a strange coū trey and are enforced to obtaine this victorie for the glorye of God and the welthe and cōmoditie of oure frindes and for oure owne honor and to the losse and dishonor of oure enemies The nexte morning folowinge Scanderbeg w t hys souldiours went with great assurance to se the kynges enemies and he attempted a scaramothe to se the maner of his enemyes and in what order they fought but they behaued them selues valiantly for a longe tyme and in the ende they wered werye and there were xxx of them ftayne and xx taken prisoners and of those of Scanderbeg there were only iiii hurte in this sorte Scāderbeg retorned victoriously to Barletta The nexte daye folowing in the morning Scanderbeg retorned againe to the enemyes determyninge to fyghte with them all that day and the nighte folowing he deuided his armie into thre squadrones y e one of them he wolde leave in person the other he comitted to y e conducte of Moises a notable Captaine of his and the other he gaue in charge to the countie Gintrizza his most valiante Nephewe and he presented these thre squadrones and assayled the enemye in thre sondrye places at once and the battayle continued all that daye and in the ende the enemyes wered wery wherfore that most subtile countie Iames determyned to fynde a remedie for that most eminent peryll wherin he was and therfore wente forthe of his squadrone and with a lowde voyce called sayinge most noble prince Scanderbeg maye it please the that I maye safely comme to speake with thyne excellentie of matters that shall in no wyse displease the Scanderbeg aunswered that he shoulde goe and comme safe vpon his faythe then the countie replyed requiring him that it moughte please him to comme forthe of his squadrone and he wolde doe the lyke to the ende y ◠they mighte talke together from their companies whervpō Scanderbeg withoute anye difficultie went forthe from his squadrone acompanied with a fewe souldiours and when he came neare where the countie was he caused his souldiours to staie a parte from him then Iames sayde my lorde oure talke wyll require some tyme wherfore maye it please your highnes that for this daye the battayle cease and that commaundement be so gyuen to bothe the armies Scanderbeg was well contentyd then the countie was very glade and began to talke of peace and amitie bothe to the honor of the kinge Ferrante and also to the honor of Scanderbeg And as they were thus talkinge Moyses and Gintrizza two of hys
When Scanderbeg vnderstode this piteouse case he sent immediatly and ambassadour to the great Turcke to desyre him that he wolde be contentyd to restore to him those prisoners safe and in exchaunge of them he shoulde haue others or els as much money as they dyd weighe but he beinge full of furie crueltie and being aduertysed by Balaban of their worthynes wolde in no wyse gratifye Scanderbeg but in greater dispite caused them to be flayed by lytle and litle for the space of xv daies contynually and in thys sorte they dyed After this the Turcke supplied his armie and commaunded Balaban in any wise to contynue the warres against Scanderbeg notwithstanding Balaban durste not to make anye attempte against him but soughte to qualifie the matter and to be at peace with Scanderbeg who neuer put any truste in him nor yet graunted him peace for anye gyfte that he coulde send but contynually made his courses into the Turcks countre brought from thence great proyes and spoyles and euer retorned to his confynes when Balaban sawe that he coulde by no secrete practise pacyfy Scanderbeg he determyned to proue yf that he moughte by treason surprise him and so vpon the sudden to defeicte him for he was oute of all hope to ouerthrowe him in battayle wherfore he discoursed in him selfe by what meanes in executinge hys intent he mought defeicte Scanderbeg with his armie also and in the ende he founde meanes by gyuing an exceding great sūme of money to corrupte his garde that he helde contynually withoute his campe to gyue aduertizement from tyme to tyme of the comming of the enemye In this companie were certaine Albaneses hys kynsmen in whom Scanderbeg had great affiance not thincking it a possibilitie for anye suche treason to haue had place in them Balaban toke his iorney in the night with xv thousande horsemen and .3 thousand fotemen to assayle Scanderbeg and marched vntyll it was with in an houre of daye and then approchinge neare to the campe Scanderbeg by meanes of the greate noyses of their horses suspected the treason of the aforesayd garde and made him redie most spedyly with his iiii thousand horsemen and one thousand fiue hundred fotemen euen as thoughe he had ben aduertized of the whole practize so that his enemyes thincking to take him vtterly vnprouided founde him in very perfyte and good order at the which the enemies were excedingely astonied notwithstanding throughe the great encoragementes of Balaban they encounteryd with Scanderbeg and charged him in terrible sorte with greate furie but in the ende throughe the prouidence and conducte of Scanderbeg they were all disordered and put to flyghte in such sorte that fewe of them caried anye newes home but of the armie of Scanderbeg there were onely ten flayne When the great Turcke had aduertysement of this he determyned in anye wise to procede against Scanderbeg and knowing Balaban to be of no lesse valiantize and experience in warres then the best of the reste of his Captaines and also y ◠he was an Albanese borne and a great enemye to Scanderbeg he sent him agayne with xviii thousande horsemen and iii. thousande fotemen with whō he arriued at the Citie of Aelcria where he contynued for a longe tyme withoute gyuing any at tempte against Scāderbeg and dyd contynue his secrete sendinge of presentes vnto hym and declared vnto hym that he was his very frynde and seruante at commaundement But Scanderbeg who dyd well knowe him to be a great murtherer and Traytour and that it was his onely sute to be sent againe with charge against him dyd not onely not truste him but also to declare that he made none acompte of him and besyde that that he had receaued his presentes sent him in change somptuose presents growing aboute the villages wherein Balaban was borne which was sacks of a litle yelowe graine and also of cocle and such like of vile price w t a ploughe harrowe pycke axe spade van and flayle with such like instrumentes Then Balaban well vnderstanding his meaning by this was marueloufly offendyd and knowing that Scāderbeg laye contynually vpon his confynes with viii thousande horsemen and ii thousand fyue hundred fotemen he marched with his whole armie against Scanderbeg and when he sawe Balaban comming he made him redie put his people in order and marched towarde him and ioyned with him in battayle the fyghte beyng terryble Scanderbeg with his owne hand slewe y ◠daye many of his enemies and as he was in the prease fyghting with his enemies throughe ille fortune his horse was slayne vnder him and fell downe to the grounde w t him and in the fall Scanderbeg lighted vpon y ◠troūcke of a tree that was cut downe and by meanes of y ◠great fall he was greatly brused and chiefly in his right arme in suche sorte that he coulde not in maner stirre it at al. Then the Turckes thincking that he had ben ded caused certaine to discend from their horses to stryke of hys head whervpon he called vnto him his wonted magnanimitie and notwithstanding his exceding great bruse he lepte vp and stode vpon his fete and with his sworde flewe all the Turckes that were so lyghted from theyr horses and as many moe of others that enuironed him to y ◠intent to haue slayne him his actes that he then did were maruelouse At the laste one of his souldiours brought vnto him one of his best coursers and whē Scāderbeg was mounted on horse he gaue in amonge the Turckes in such furie as in his lyfe he had not done the lyke and alwaye one stroke was the price of one enemy with him and he assayled the enemies with so great assurance and force that he constrained them to disorder to torne their backes and to flee in the chase he flewe them in maner all but the sayde Balaban with a very smale nūber with him dyd flee into y ◠Citie of Orchrida aforesayde After this Scā disposed y ◠whole spoile to his souldiours very liberally according to his custume but after y ◠victorie he endured such paine in his arme y ◠he was iii monethes coulde not ones lifte it to take of his cappe to gratifie suche as dyd salute him ne yet to reuerence y ◠Image of oure Sauiour nor of the virgyne Marye ne yet of the saincts And also when he herde masse he was serued as is the highe Byshoppe when he dothe assyst in solempne feastes for he coulde not helpe him selfe at all with one of his hands In this meane whyle Balaban beinge very sorowfull and asshamed retorned with fewe with him to Constantinople and was greatly blamed reuyled and condempned by the great Turcke but he lyke an olde Ape and subtyll foxe endured all thinge patiently and whē the furie was past he founde suche meanes that he so excused him selfe attributing his ouerthrowe to the prouidence of God that the Turcke was well satisfyed w
gentle wordes pacifyed and contentyd them all lainge for his excuse the olde prouerbe that to the enemy that fleeth a man must make a brydge of golde and then gaue to euery man presents and gyftes acording to his place In this meane tyme many Albaneses of the Venetians countre and of the countres of other princes came presented to Scanderbeg a great number of the heddes of Turckes with horses armour and other spoyle in the ende Scanderbeg very honorably licensed his armie Sauing onely his two thousande horsemen and one thousande fotemen wyth whome he went forthewyth to his confynes When Mahomethe the Turckyshe prince vnderstode that Scanderbeg had raysed the seege of Croia w t so muche honor to his great shame and losse of his people he was muche gryued there with wherevpon the yere folowing he retorned into Albania w t two hundred thousande Turckes and went to besege Durazzo a noble City and of great antiquitie which had ben a garnison towne of the renomed Romaines he did greatly molest it notwithstandinge he departed from thence withoute it with spoyle of his people and great dishonor froÌ„ thence he went with spede to Croâ—a beseged it rouÌ„de and sent his messager to signifie to them of the towne y â— yf they wolde delyuer him the Citie he wolde aduaunce them and deale liberally with them all and otherwyse it shoulde be to their paine for he was determyned not to departe thence withoute it and wolde be reuenged vp on them to the vttermost The aunswere of the beseged was not farre to seeke but was gyuen by the mouthe of the Cannon Colueryne harquebuze and suche like instrumentes Scanderbeg on the other syde dyd often tymes assayle the Turckyshe armie nowe in one quarter and then in an other makinge great spoyle of them holding them in continuall feare and doubte wheÌ„ the Turcke sawe that he coulde by no meanes obtaine the towne he departed with all his armie thence and marched to a place called capodelli Rodane neare vnto the Admatique sea where Scanderbeg had buylded a Citie named Chinril which was not fully fynyshed nor replenished with inhabitanes he toke it and raised it to the very foundation after this he passed thorowe the countre of Scanderbeg thincking to take it from him but he coulde not take the symplest forte that he had he went also into certaine mountaines of Albania where there were multitudes of Albaneses with their whole familes and substances and assayled them but he was repulsed with great dishonor spoile and slaughter of his people but Scanderbeg who was euer vigillante and folowed the Turckyshe armie daye and nighte making great spoyle of them in such sorte that Mahomethe being in maner oute of al hope was constrained to retorne to Constantinople by the shortest waye When the Turcke was comme to Constantinople be apointed Alibeg and Alesbeg his Captaines to haue the conducte of xxviii thousande men and sent them to his confynes with expressyd commaundement that in no wyse they shoulde goe to fyght with Scanderbeg nor to enter his countrey vnles that he firste began but onely to garde well his confynes These Captaines came to the frontiers and obeyd the commaundement of their lorde and secretly soughte to haue fryndshippe w t Scanderbeg and sent vnto him presentes of greate price and value he also vsed them very cortesly and fryndly not in that that he feared them but bycause he wolde not be counted ingrate for he neuer trusted them but stode alwaye vpon his garde In the ende Scanderbeg vnderstanding certaynely that these Captaines had expressed commaundement from their lorde not to make anye attempte against him but onely to garde his confynes also howe that they were desyrous to be in peace with him he lefte the one parte of his souldiours vpon hys confynes and toke the rest with him and went to visyte his countre and to administer Iustice and reason to such as had nede therof and to se that none were oppressed After this Scanderbeg came to Alessio aboute certaine affares that touched bothe his state and the state of the Senate of Venise and chiefely for order howe to take a certaine newe Citie called Valma whiche the Turcke had builded and there fel sicke of a feruant feuer in such sorte as he was enforced to lye longe in that place and seing his deathe at hand he called vnto him all his Captaines and had a longe discourse with them who shed not a fewe teares to see him in that case and in the ende he called vnto him Iohn his onely sonne and in the presence of his mother the lady Doneca and of y â— rest spake vnto him in this sorte My good sonne knowe thou that I fynde my selfe so euyll disposed in my body that I am assured y â— the tyme of my departure oute of this worlde is at hande whiche thinge seing it is by the prouidence of God his wyll be done but for that thou arte very yonge and not able to defende oure state for that oure enemye is of excedinge great power I haue determined to leue it in the protection of the Senate of Venise as my deare brother good father Paulo Angelo the Arche Byshope oure hope whom I leaue in my stede of the gouernaunce therof hath often tymes perswaded me And further I doe commaunde the my sonne that thou be alwaye aduised by him for in so doing thou shalte not doe a mysse consydering his great wisedome and experience to be suche as I can not but hope well of the and of the reste of my subiecttes yf that you be gouerned by him for I am assured that for my sake he wylbe as carefull for the and thyne as yf thou were his owne sonne wherfore when thou hast shutte vp these myne eyes and buryed me goe thou then into Apuglia to oure Castles and townes y â— we haue there and contynue there vntyll thou comme to age able to gouerne and then goe to Venise and be alwayes aduised by the Senate therof who wyll gladly see the and set the safely into thy state and dominion I commend vnto the all my subiectes whoÌ„ I haue alwaye founde faithefull and obedient vse them so that they maye rather loue the then feare the which thou maiest easyly doe if thou se iustice truely admynistred Scanderbeg had scarcely gyuen ful order for his testament when a messager from the gouernour of Scutari came with a letter signifiyng vnto him howe that Hamathbeg one of the Turckes Basas was comme froÌ„ Seruia with x. M. horsemen and v. M. foteâ—en and had passed a very sharpe and difficulte mountaine named Illugi which dyd appertaine to the Venetianes was comme downe into their countre and had made greate spoyle there Then that noble and magnanime prince Scanderbeg beinge greatly moued with these newes caused to make him redie and appointe his souldiours to make them redie to ryde in this meane tyme his desease dyd so encrease vpon
he wolde not suffer y â— anye other shoulde sley them but drewe his sworde and with one onely blowe he cut them both in peces in such sorte that they fell downe ded to the earthe not withoute maruell trembling of all those y â— behelde it The Turcke on a time vnderstanding by reporte that ScaÌ„derbeg had a sworde wherewith he wolde stryke of some tyme a mannes arme beinge well armed and wolde cut in peces a helmette or anye other kynde of armour made of yron sent vnto him desyring him to gyue him y â— sworde Scanderbeg had moe then thre of that temper and goodnes sent the Turcke franckly one of them the Turcke was very glade of suche a present and caused the sworde to be proued by certaine of his most valiante men to se yf that they coulde cut yron w t it but they dyd not much hurte the yron with it no more dyd their strokes the sworde Then the Turcke sent to Scanderbeg that his sworde was no suche sworde as it was named to be but Scanderbeg aunswered that the sworde was sufficiently good to doe more then had ben reported of him so that it were gouerned by his arme whiche he kepte to hys owne vse And for testimonie of his force I thincke it not inconuenient to recite certayne strokes that he gaue for pleasure to the ende that suche as be of Iudgment may thincke what he moughte doe beinge well armed and kyndled against his enemye Scanderbeg hath ben seen to chase the Beare the wylde Goate the Wolfe the Harte the Bore and suche lyke beastes of great spede ouer the playnes on horsebacke and with one onelye blowe to haue stryken anye of the afore named beastes ridinge to the grounde ded And on a tyme it happened the kynge Ferrante to hunte in Apuglia beinge acompained with manye noble men acording to the vse of that countre and when anye beaste came forthe of the woodes to the playne the kinge vsed to apointe some noble man to sley it with his sharpe Gianetton and it happened that a greate Bore came forthe to the playne the kinge smyling sayed that that chase belonged to his deare father ScaÌ„derbeg who then withoute saying anye more or taking anye Gianeton with him which is a weapon appointed for that purpose put spurres to his horse and galloped after y â— boare in the syghte of them all hauinge no armour vpon him and ouergate the boare drewe his sworde and running with one stroke cut him a sonder in the myddest put vp his sworde and retorned agayne to his companye where at the kinge and Quene with all the nobylitye maruelied muche to see a man of a goodly stature vpon an highe Courser runing to doe suche a myracle An other tyme in a woode of the ladie Mamizza his syster in albania their was a wylde Bufallo a bull very great of bodye and he was much feared he had done much hurte to dyuerse valiant men hunters and others that passed that waye and chiefely to suche as dyd were redde garmentes Scanderbeg dyd alwaye vse to were on his hed a scarlatte cappe after the maner of Carmannola and on a tyme beinge in this woode at the chase and seynge this Bufallo comminge oute of the woode all they that were wyth hym began to flee where at he smyled and thruste his horse towarde the Bufallo and dealte with him with such agilitie that at one stroke he smote of hys hed wherat all men maruelled and especially his valiante Captaines which before fledde from the beaste but in the ende they dyd greately reioyse at that straunge blowe the sworde that Scanderbeg strake the beste with was a Scimitar bending lyke vnto a falchion he was a righte damaskyne he vsed sometyme to weare two in one scaberde and sometyme to breake them both in one battayle or els so to spoyle them y â— he mought no more with his honor were thâ—m At the laste there came an excellent Maister oute of Italie who made him thre Scimitaries not onely good but excellent wher of he gaue one to the Turcke they wolde cut all kynde of yron and neuer hurte the edges of them Scanderbeg dyd w t these swordes great actes against y â— enemies of the catholique faythe in the honor and seruice of the almightie God it was neuer seen that Scanderbeg fled from any man on les it were once from a souldiour of his owne on whom he had compassyon This souldiour on a tyme as Scanderbeg was debating with his Captaines of certaine seruices of importance aunswered so vnaduisedly with suche insolencie that he moued him in such sorte that he laide hand on his swerde and ran at him but the souldiour torned his horse redyly and fled ScaÌ„derbeg folowed him vntyl that he came to a ryuer then the souldiour torned him and drewe his sworde and spake vnto him very aduysedly saying that he coulde flee no further for the ryuer wherfore he was enforced to defend his lyfe wheÌ„ Scanderbeg vnderstode this who wolde not haue loste such a man for his weighte of syluer he considered both howe reuerently and manfully he behaued him selfe towarde him he was moued with compassyon and sayde vnto him be of good corage doubte not comme on with me I wyll not hurte the and in this sorte repressed his furie and retorned to the companie gyuing greate commendations to this worthye man and plased hym in the number of those that he most fauored When the Turcke vnderstode the newes of y e death of Scanderbeg he wolde in no wyse belyue it but sayde to his visiri and chiefe Captaynes that it was a fynesse of his enemie to fayne him to be ded meaning therby to doe some straunge facte wherfore he was in great feare and stode more vpon hys garde then before and wolde not attempte any thinge at all against Scanderbeg nor against any other neighbour of his vntil one whole yere was paste but as sone as that most cruell enemie of the Christianes was assured of the deathe of Scanderbeg he was more glad then euer he was before at anye tyme immediatly assembled his armie and sent them not onely into the countre of Scanderbegs and of the Venetianes but also into the countres of all y â— reste of y â— princes of Albania not once but often tymes as to the siege of Croia Scutari Driuasto and sondry other places making warres vpon them for the space of .xi. yeres withoute cease notwithstanding throughe the helpe of God that countre dyd alwaye defend it selfe not w toute great spoyle and slaughter of the Turckes aforesayde In the ende this mightye Tyran came into Albania in person with all his power and all the princes therof that fled not were other slayne or lad awaye in miserable captiuitie he toke in maner the whole countre of Albania in a very shorte tyme but the victorius Citie of Scutari not fearing his longe seege dyd alwaye defend it selfe not w
I wishe al men of honest spirites to seke to vnderstand the effecte of this discipline for it doth as muche more helpe to the obtaining of victorie then doth the greatnesse of the number as Ceser Appian Vigetius Plutarcke chiefly doe declare PeradueÌ„ture some maÌ„ wil say why sir we nede not this discipline wherof you speke we can haue for oure money straungers which are good souldiours to serue vs wheÌ„ we nede But such as are of that opinion I wishe to rede the histories Chronicles of Fraunce for Fraunce hath well felte the coÌ„moditie of the seruice of staungers which nether serue for honor of their countre prince ne yet for their wiues children goodes possessions but they seke onely to leade the warres at length to make their ptoffytt of it beside this I thincke it not inconuenient to showe an example or two of the good seruice of straungers Mounser de Lautrec being in Italie generall of the Frenshe armie at the sege of Pauie the Suissers came vnto him and required him eyther to gyue them license to repare home in to their couÌ„tre or els to goe encountre the enemies for they wolde no lengar tarrie in Italie whervpon fearinge that the Suissers shoulde leaue him he was enforced to goe encouÌ„tre the enemy in the which â—ncountre he was ouerthroweÌ„ beside Mylan at a village called the Pico â—ue all his armie put to flight as witnesseth paradyne in his first Boke of his historie The lyke dyd Andre Dorie at the sege of Naples being in the paie of â—he Frenshe king in his seruice at the seege before Naples and kepte â—heir victualles and reliefe from them whervpon they furnished the Naâ—ie of the towne then the chiefe princes rulers of the towne emâ—arcked them selues went and gaue battayle to the sayd Dore and afâ—er longe fyght Dorie obtained the victorie toke prisoners the prince of Orenge the Marques of Guasto Camile Colona â—cardo and a gentle man of Spaine named Gogna he slewe two worthy Captaines Feramus â—a and Gabone toke thre Galleys from the enemies after this he lefte â—he seruice of the Frenshe king caried with him his Galleys and the prisoners that he had taken went and serued the Emperour immediatly set his prisoners at libertie the Emperour gaue him the principalitie of Melphe with dyuerse other castls lordshipes The like did â—he Marques Brandenburge wheÌ„ he departed froÌ„ the seruice of Henry â—he Frenshe king caried not he the Duke Domerle with dyuerse others prisoners with him Also to comme to oure warres when the towne of Haddington in Scotland was holden for oure king Edwarde the vi did not the Almaignes Mutyne there and put them selues in armes against â—s which yf the enemies had vnderstode mought haue ben the losse of the towne Let these fewe examples fuffyse for this tyme and although that I haue in this litle preface briefely touched the worthynes of discipline yet am I well assured that victorie commeth not onely by it but by the gyfte of God wherfore I must saie with Saincte Paull Paull planteth Appollo watreth but god giueth the encrease eueÌ„ so the Generall commaundeth the souldiours obey but God gyueth the victorie wherfore let all men seke to knowe him and serue him as he him selfe hath appointed and then shall all thinges goe well with them Your honors most humble seruant Iohn Shute The translatour to the reader I Haue good reader turned into Englishe out of the Italien these two Bokes folowing the one is a coÌ„mentarie of Andrewe Lambine â–ª the other a commentarie betwixt George Scanderbeg the Tâ—tckes althoughe they be not done in an exquisite and curious stile whiche I leaue to those that haue bene brought vp in scoles and are seen in oratorie yet is the matter of importance and to such as delite in martiall affaires both pleasant and profitable the knowledge wherof is very necessarie forasmuche as no countrie can promesse to it selfe perpetuall peace and quietnes Wherfore take in good parte I beseche the this my traueill and vse it so that therby thou maist be the better able to serue to the maintenauÌ„ce of Godes glorie and common wealth of thy couÌ„try I haue added in thende of the bokes folowing a table which declareth the principall matters conteyued in them what the princes were that brought them to passe and the yeres wherin they were done I haue also noted the principall matters of the bokes in the margente which myne author hath not A Comentarie of Andre CAMBINO A FLORENTINE BORNE OF THE originall of the Turques and Empire of the house of Ottomanno The first Boke THE Turquish nation after the opinion of diuers writers chiefly of these ofâ—ate yeres for that they haue sene them rule in those partes where the citieof Troy once was and hauynge regarde to their name haue affirmed that thei are discended from Teu cxi from whence the Troians bad their originall the which is vtterly false for in dede that natioÌ„ which at this present dwelleth in the lesser Asia vnder the rule of the house of Ottomannâ— beinge of nature cruell and barbarous toke originall from the Scithianes and as the philosopher Etico dothe declare had their abidinge beyonde the montaines called Pyrithei not far froÌ„ the Isâ—es Tarraconite directlye towarde the Northwest sea And as Otho brother to Federyckes father of Austriche being Emperour doth declare that at the tyme when Pâ—pine raigined in Fraunce these people departinge from the confines of Caspie were aboute the yere of Christe 760. beinge encontred with the people Auari which in oure time are Hungarians and fighting betwene them a cruell battayle and great slaughter on bothe sydes done The Turques not withstanding continuing their enterprise ouerran and spoyled the contreis of Poutho and Capadocia with other prouinces to them adioyinge And in the beginning they gathered them selues togither secretlye and dwelled vpon montaynes and in stronge places perillous to assayle and maynteyned them selues and lyued of pâ—oie and spoyle as occasion was offered them After that when they grewe to some strength and were prouyded of captaynes and discipline they began with open warres to molest and trouble y â— people of those countries neare vnto them adioyning and to become lordes of their contreis and these people not being able to stande against and to endure their force and crueltie were enforced forced to giue place so that the Turques within shorte space possessed not only Pontho and Capadocia but assailed the lesser Asia which takinge his name of theÌ„ is at this daye called Turchia in such sort that in short time they became lordes and maisters of Galatia Bithinia Pamphiâ—ia Pisidia of the one and other Frigia of Cilitia and of Caria enlarging the coÌ„fines of their dominion euen from the sea called Ionio to the banckes of the sea Egeo and then appointed to euery faction and contrey hys
the councell had debated sondrie opinions they agred vpon none but were in great confusion consuming the time in discourses of none effect growing to no point at all at the last by the aduise of Calibasso here was their onely remedie they agreed to call Amorath oute of Asia and to enforce him to come yf that with good wil he wold not take in hand the enterprise for the defence of his sonnes state beinge assured at that time that the Gianizzeries wolde fighte vnder rhe conducte of none but only of Amorathe and also they thought it not conuenient to committe the fortune of the warres into the hands of anye man Amoonly exceptedvnder whose conducte they were alwaies accustomed to embrace victory this councell of Callibasso very much displaysed the yonge king Mahomethe whoe aboue all other thinges desyred to haue gouerned that iorney to get him reputacien and to giue them to vnderstand that he was sufficient to gouerne of hym slfe moreouer he suspected that yf Amorathe wcâ—â— called againe to gouerne he moughte continewe in the same for so muche as the myndes of men are mutable When the ambasssadours were come into the presence of Amorathe they perswaded him ernestly to the iourney broughte hym wyth them to Andrinople where with great diligence he assembled his souldiours and furnished them of al kinde of necessaries In this meane tyme was Vaiuoda come on toward Sophia and encamped at a place called Basylia where it was declared vnto him that Amorath was not farre of with the Turkishe power whiche when he vnderstode althoughe it were contrarye to his expertacion caused hym to put on a noble mynde determyninge not to tarie there the comming of the enemye but to march on towarde him and so to encountre with him as sone as Vaiuoda had discouered him forthe with he put his men in battayle and marched on towarde him with spede ioyned with him in battayle their began a terrible fyght which contynued y â— space of certaine houres with great obstinatie on both partes that nether gaue to the othe one fote of grounde the battayle was so doublefull that of neyther syde was there seene any aduantage for againste that corner or wingne of the battayle wherein Vaiuo da was the Turckes were not able to endure the force of the Hungarianes and for a longe tyme gaue place gyuing ouer the victorye in to the handes of their enemyes And in contrary wise wheare Amorath was in person the Hungaianes were not able to make good the place after this Vaiuoda and Amorathe mette face to face and drewe vnto them all the whole weight of the battayle in so much y â— the Christians were not a ble to endure y â— great force of y â— Turks although y â— Hungarians did farre excide y â— Turks in vertue discipline of the wars yet not w t standing being ouer laid w t nuÌ„bre and not with force but being vtterly weried were constrayned to giue place and Vaiuoda coulde nether with praier nor threating cause them to make hed but fled continually wherupon he with drewe him with a fewe of his trustie fryndes with him very skylfully from the vattaile and so saued hym selfe there dyed in that battayle many noble men cheifely of the Hungariane nation and some prelatz y â— fote men were in maner all slaine vpon the place and on the Turckes part the losse was not lesse when he came to his reuewe when Amorathe had thus with the great effusion of the blood of his people bought the victorie he retorned home againe wyth his armie and restored his sonne Mahometh againe to his place and continuing in his firste purpose conueied him selfe to Bursia and there liued priuatly euen to his death in the which he committed to the faith of Callibasso a yong sonne of his of the age of syxe Monethes which he begat of SpoÌ„derbei a noble princes in Penderacia the childs name was Calapino when he had thus done he died was buried iÌ„ Bursia in y e prouince of Bithinia which was then the seate of the kingdome of the house of Ottomanno Calibasso being desirous to gratitifie the newe kinge deliuered into his hand the child of Amorathe with the mother therof also whereupon he commaunded the chylde to be straÌ„gled and when it was done he restored the dead body to his mother and commaunded to celebrate his funerales with princelye honour in this sort dyd he consecrate the beginning of his raigne w t the death of his innoocent brother not wythstanding somme are of opinion y â— Calidasso dyd chaunge the child and presented an other in his place and that y â— frewe childe was brought vppe in Constantinople and after ward sent to Venise and that it was he that was holden prisoner in the palace at Rome by Calixto y â— bishope but we refarre the trouthe of this matter to the Iudgement of other for we wyll affyrme nothinge in this behalfe but men may wel thincke that somtime or it doth happen the sonne of a Barbor or of a Surgion of such like base condition by such subtil meanes to haue bene aduaunced to great honour yea and some tyme to succid in the seate of kings and of others of excellent titles and gouernement The seconde boke of Andre CAMBINE FLORENTINE OF THE ORIGInall of the Turckes and Empire of the house of Ottomanno AS SONE AS AMORATHE WAS DED Mahometh hys sonne caste from hym all kinde of subiection and toke vpon him absolutely to gouerne the kingdome and determining to reforme thinges that were oute of order he made newe lawes he alâ—â— corrected suche of their ancient constitutions as were â—edeful to be corrected with great diligence he dyd marâ—elouslye enriche his treasurie by augementing his reâ—enue with newe gabells impositiones he did greatâ—y increase the numbre of his Gianizzaries and horseâ—en he caused the acompte of his Bascias and such like â—s gouerned in his fathers time to be perused wherupâ—n he put certaine of them to death and from manye of he reste he toke their goodes and liuinges and hauing â—n ambitiouse hed coulde not be contented with that â—mple dominion y â— his father lefte vnto him but sought â—o take in hand somme glorious enterprise wherby he nought be thought not onely to be equall with his an â—estors but farre to excede them wherupon he fully deâ—ermined to take Constantinople by force and to make â—im selfe lorde therof perswading him selfe y â— he coulde not lawfully be called Emperour of Gretia vnto y â— time â—hat he possessed that Citie beinge the cheyfe citie and â—eate of the same Empire and more ouer by thesi meâ—â—es he thought to make his fame gloriouse with ther â—ations yf that he scarcely creapte ouer of his câ—yldâ—â—ede moughte ioyne to his Empire so mightye and famous a citie and so much the rather for that it had ben â—ttempted by certaine of his ancestours to their
he had ment nothinge at all that waye and wolde not discouer his practize by the sodden vnrigging of his Nauie and so to losse the greatest parte of the charges that he had ben at whervpon he determyned to take in hand the enterprise which he had bruted and put his Nauie to the sea and sent them towarde the sea called mare magioro and he in person with his armie went by land thorowe Burgaria towarde the prince of Valachia who dwelled in the loer partes therof towarde the sea Eusino he entred into his cauÌ„tre inuading and spoyling a great part therof the prince therof knowing him selfe not able to withstande the force of this mightie prince determined to proue yf he mighte by anye meanes growe to an appointment with him and so to saue hym selfe hauinge greate hope in the cortezic and goodnes of Baiazithe wherof the fame was spred all the countrey ouer and fylled so the myndes of men that all men had good hope of him and sendinge his Oratours vnto him in very huÌ„ble sorte to demauÌ„de peace of him y e whiche when Baiazithe had herde he graunted their request withoute difficultie vpon condition that he shoulde paie vnto hym yerely a certaine summe of money in the name of a tribute whervpon he wolde receaue him into his protection when he had thus done he passed the ryuer of Danubio and marched on vntyll he came within the syghte of Moncastro where he had also syghte of his Nauie Moncastro standeth vpon the sea bancke neare to the mouthe of the Ryuer Nester where he entrethe into the sea called Maremagiore the seate of it is naturally stronge the towne is also artificially stronge and of great emportance by meanes of the commodities of the conntre of the ryuer and of the sea and it is of greate reputation in all the countres aboute it which it wone in the tyme of Sultane Mahometh who went thyther w t his campe and besegyd it and when he had batterid it by the space of a moneth he was enforced by meane of y â— great colde to leuie his campe and to departe thence withoute it when Baiazithe had spoyled and proied all the countre aboute it and sawe that they of y â— towne came not forth to the feelde he caused his Nauie to approche neare to the towne and forthewith besegyd it bothe by sea and land in suche sorte that they of the towne were nether able to send forthe nor receaue into them any man and when he sawe the inhabitantes therof determyned to defend it he planted his batteries and began to batter make sondrie breaches and when he had contynued his batterie by y e space of many dayes he had made so great breaches that it semyd vnto him that his men moughte enter the towne at their pleasure wherfore when he had appoynted his Colonels howe they shoulde succede the one the other in the assaulte y â— nexte morning folowing at the pointe of the daye they presented them selues in battayle before the towne Those of the towne were redie at the breaches had maruelously fortified againste the cannon with stronge rampares and excedinge depe dykes and defended them selues nobly in suche sorte that when the enemies presented them selues to the breaches to enter the towne straight way they were with them at the pushe of y e pâ—ke and bestowed vpon them suche store of shotte artifeciall fyres casting speres and great stones that they enforted them to leue the breaches and they bare them selues so worthily in their defence that they stewe and hurte an exceding great number of y e enemyes and repulsed them often times clene from the breaches but y e enemies were alway supplyed wyth newe regymentes and renewed styll the assaulte and gaue them of the towne no tyme at all to repose and they had of their people slayne and hurte contynually and had not meanes to be supplied w t newe wherby the defendantes began excidingly to decaye and not to be able to answere all places whervpon they receauyd greater hurte of y â— fewe whych they loste then dyd the enemye of the great slaughter y e was made of his when Baiazithe had in this sorte contynued the assaulte the greatest parte of the daye he commaunded to sounde the retreicte and broughte his people home to their lodgings determyning the nexte morning so to deuide the regymentes of his armie that he wolde apointe the Colonelles of the first assaulte so to be supplied from tyme to tyme with newe regymentes that they of the towne shoulde reste nether daye nor nighte and in this sorte he ment to consume them to cut thorowe their newe workes which they had made against y e Cannon and so to enter the towne and beinge in this determination he commaunded hys people to goe to reste wylling them to be redie in battaile the next morning before the rysing of the sunne to assayle the towne againe and neuer to leue the assaulte til thei had repulsed the enimies and taken the towne of force or els there to leaue their lyues when they of the towne vnderstode the great preparation of the enemie for the assaulte they dyscoraged not at al not withstanding the great peryll y â— they were in for that they wanted defendantes consydering their people were maruelously spoiled and consumed but laid to their handes as men of noble myndes repared those places that were nedefull prepared them selues wyth suche force as they had to defende there towne to the vttermost The daye folowing Baiazithe brought his people againe in order to the walles with great noyses and cries and vndoubtedly they assured them selues of the victorie they taried for nothinge but for the token of y e assaulte Baiazith being desyrous to saue both the people and the towne determined to praue if that he coulde by making them to vnderstand the peryll wherin they were cause them to yelde the towne vpon condityones and to saue their liues whervpoÌ„ he fignified vnto them that he wolde talke with theÌ„ sending his messager vnto them gyuing them to vnderstand that be came in ful purpose neuer to leue the assaulte day nor night vntyl he had taken the twone by force and also that yf they taried the assaulte he had gyuen the Towne in proie tâ— his souldiours and wolde not spare age nor kinde but that he wolde put to the sworde all that euer he founde there but yf they wolde yelde vnto him he wolde gyue them both their lyues and goodes and also it shoulde be in their choise whether they wolde contynue there styll or els departe the towne when they of the towne had herde the offer of this noble prince and had no meanes to saue their lyues consydering that their people were so consumed that they had not number sufficient to furnishe the breaches that were made wherfore they toke a tyme to answere whervpon the cheife of the citie gatheryd togyther and
the towne and assayled hym with greate furye charginge him in suche sorte that hys force was suche that the soul diours of Acomathe not beinge able to endure them were in the fyrste encounter dysordred and put to flyghte and beynge folowed by the horsemen of Selim the greateste parte of them were taken and slayne and Acomathe hauynge hys horse stayne vuder hym and lyinge vpon hym on the grounde coulde not shyfte hym selfe from hym and beynge enuironned wyth a greate number of enemyes was taken he desyred to be broughte to the presence of hys brother and as he was on hys waye goynge towarde him there mette hym certayne that were sent from Selim whyche stayed hym and strangled hym moste miserably Acomathe broughte to the feelde wyth hym two sonnes Amorathe and Aladino whyche in the rencountre that they had wyth Selim as sone as they sawe theyr people begin to recule in y e begining of the battaile conueid theÌ„ selues away wolde not come in hys handes but toke sondrie wayes the one of them fled into Persia to the Sophie who entertained him honorably and gaue him great prouision and a wyfe thinckinge to ayde him against Selim but in the ende he became so insolente that he was in tollerable wherfore he put him to deathe the other toke his waie alonge the sea coaste and passed into Sorta and came to Cairo and Selim after this great victorie had against his brother hauinge taken awaye all occasi ones of Cyuyll warres retorned into Gretia hauing determyned in his mynde a iorney against the Sophie and coulde not endure that he shoulde enioye a number of townes in the lesser Armenia whiche were wonte to be gouerned by the princes of the Turckishe nation and besyde that that he shoulde enlarge his dominiones eueÌ„ to the confines of Turchie doubting muche the fait he of those people for so muche that the greatest number of them were infected with the superstition or heresie y â— the Sophie is beinge deuided from the reste of the Mahometistes into a peculier secte also he wolde not that the subieces of the Sophie shoulde trauaile into his countre nor traffique anye more with his people and when he had arested all the sylkes and goodes of y e marchantes that were subiectes to the Sophie whiche dwelledin Bursta were called aggiammi he sent them to dwell in ConstaÌ„tinople And Iudginge the enterprise against the Sophie to be of greate importance consydering hys great force and power he thoughte to take the matter in hande by great aduisement and to make greate preparation and to goe strongely wherfore be determyned by al meanes possyble to augement the number of his Giantz zaries whervpon he sent into Turchie for all his slaues that he had there that were sufficient to vse weapones and caused them to be enrolled amonge the reste of his Gianizzaries and appointed them to ordinarie masters to showe them howe to vse their weapones and knowinge that his enemie was nothinge so well furnished w t artillerie as he was he determined to alter the artillerie that his father lefte and to make it into suche peces as moughte more easyly be caried and lyke vnto y e whiche the Christianes vse at this daye wherfore he caused to breake all the greate Bombardes and to make them in to halfe cannonnes falcouetes and passe volantes and caused to make a great number of cariages for them and prouided for a great uÌ„mber of Cannonters to vse them oute of Almaigne Hungarie and Fraunce and gaue them greate entertainement he prouided also for other maisters of artillerie as makers of pouder of shotte of fyre woorcks and suche lyke besydes that Iudging harquebuziers on horsbacke very mete to encouÌ„ter hys ene mies for so muche as they had sene no suche in tyme before by meanes wherof they sholde be a great terrour to the enemie cheifely to those of the easte partes whose horses not beings acustumed to heare the lyke noyses as sone as they shoulde heare the cracke and thondre of the harquebuzrie they wolde be so affraied that they wolde ronne awaye and disorder all maugre those that rode them and therfore he prouided a great number of them and chose them yonge men and caused them to be daily erercised in the vse therof and made perfytte he prouided them of horses and appointed to euery newe bande a certaine number of olde souldiours suche as had ben well trayned to gouerne and leade them vnto whom he gaue greate entertainement by meanes wher of there came vnto him oute of all partes of christendome in suche sorte as in a sorte tyme he had moe then a thousand on horsebacke besyde a greate number that he had on fote then he determyned also to amend and encrease his Nauie and caused to make in al places vpon the sea syde where he vsed to haue any Naute arseuales to the ende that in tyme of peace his shippes moughte lye coâ—ered wherin time before they were wonte to lye alway at the rode and so within a fewe yeres to rotte and conâ—ume and wheÌ„ he had made these preparationes he then â—etet mined to prouide howe to maintaine al these thigs and with all diligence encreased his reuenue and railed newe impositions vpon all kynde of marchandizes in â—anye places whiche they call Comechi he also cut of â—ll superflouse charges suche as appertained onelye to â—ompe and brauerie and when he had in this sorte reâ—ormed his state and augmented his bandes bothe of fotemen and horsemen when he sawe tyme conuement he went to the feelde with his armie and wolde no len gar defer the tyme but caused to passe his armie oute of Gretia into Asia and ioyned them with his souldiours of Asia he had then in his campe moe then a hundred fytie thousand horsemen besyde his Gianizzaries and a great number of fotemen then he caused them all to marche on towarde Persia and passed on throughe Capadotia and Licaonia into Armenia the lesse and wheÌ„ he had broughte it vnder his obedience he determyned or that he wolde passe the ryuer Euphrates to make suer all the passages of the mounte Tauro to the ende that y e passage of his victualles shoulde be free without empechement and therfore sent his ambasciadours to the prince of Adola who possessed manye places in the mountaine to require him to ioyne with him in league who answeryd that he wolde be enemye to nother of them nor wolde deale in there differences betwene the Sophie and him but wolde stande frinde to them both and wolde gyue to ether of them free passage thorowe his countrey and also suche victual as he had which conditiones at that tyme Selim was contented to accepte bicause that he coulde obtaine none other and to auoide the losse of tyme dyd not meane as then to take the couÌ„tre of force for so muche as the prince possessed in y e mouÌ„taines manye places of greate force both naturall
and artificiall and excedingly well furnished both with men and monition and also was able to bringe to the feelde of his owne subiectes armed thirtie thousande men on horsebacke whervpon when the conditiones were artified and othe gyuen on bothe sydes for the performance of the same he marched with his armie to the floode Euphrates then fastenned he his botes frō the one bancke to the other of the same and layd his brydge vpon them and passed ouer his armie and when he was entred into his enemyes countre he began to spoyle and proie it when then Sophie was aduertized of the aryuall of the Turckes armie he deferred no tyme but toke hys horse and marched with his armie toward the ryuer Euphrates to encountre Selim and mete with him in the myddeste of the plaine one this syde of y e Citie Tauris foure dayes lorney and withoute any delate put their people in order and then came on with great furie and ioyned in battayle the fyghte was terrible and bloudie it contynued longe in good order withoute anye aduaūtage seen of other syde but at the laste the Persians serring them selues and comminge on hauynge their horses of more force and better armed then the Turckes horses were began to preuaile whiche when Selim perceued he caused his squadrone to open and to suffer the Persianes to passe al most into the myddest of the squadrone and when they came there he caused vpon the sodden to discharge certaine peres of artillerie whiche he had placed in y e myddest of his squadrone which made so great anoyse that the aire dyd ringe and the earthe dyd shake with it and hauing stayne in the discharge of that volee an excedinge great number of men horses it so feared the rest of the horses whiche were not vsed to thondringe and noyse of artillerie that they ran awaie and scattered all ouer the feelde and they y e rode them were not able to gouerne them when the Turckes horsemen sawe their enemies flee in that sorte they folowed them with all spede possyble and when they ouergate them they slewe and toke an infinite number of them y e roste fled euery man his waye and suffred there enemyes to enioye the victorie and at the fyrst discharge of the artil lerie the Sophie with a great number of his nobilitie with drewe them selues seinge their people in so great disorder Selim determyninge to vse the victorie lodged his armie that nighte where the Persianes lodged the nighte before and gaue al the spoyle of their campe to his souldiours The next morning as sone as it was day he toke his horse and rode towarde the citie Tauris and when he was comme neare vnto it the Citizens being discoraged throughe the ouerthrowe of their prince and seinge no man to apeare vpon the feelde in their defence wolde not by defendinge them selues hazaro both their lyues and goodes determyned amonge them to yelde the citie whervpon they sent forthe certaine of their Citizens to talke with Selim and in the ende agreed to delyuer hym the Citie sauinge their lyues and goodes when this was agreed they receaued him into the towne and his people also and there is no doubte but yf that Selim had had prouision in Tauris for the sustenance of his armie but that he shoulde easyly haue possessed the kingedome of Persia and banished the Sophie the countre but he had sone consumed all the countre and prouisyon that there was and on the other syde the princo of Adule as sone as he vnderstode that y e Sophie had his armye vpon the feelde Iudginge that he sholde haue the better brake his promes with him and toke the feelde with his armye occupied al the straites and passages by the which men must passe oute of the Turckes dominions into Persia and toke from all the victuallers that came their victualles warned them that from thence forthe they shoulde no more cōme there whereof it folowed that hauing consumed the victualles whiche they founde there and hauing no releefe oute of their countre they were brought into great penurie intollerable famine in such sorte as they were enforced to stey their horses and eate them aud also to eare both rootes and herbbes that were vnholesome for man to eate by meanes wherof they were not onelye vnable to folowe the victorie against y e Persians but also to stand vpon their feete throughe the which incommoditie Selim beinge excedingly afflicted and seing his people daily to consume with the great losse of horses also that he had and seing no way howe to remedie this mischefe being of necessitye constrayned he determyned to put of this enterprse and to retorne into his countre meaning that when he had assured him selfe of the passages and made better prouisyon to retorne thyther againe y e yere folowinge and to renewe the warres and when he had taken oute of Tauris a great number of the cheife Citizens with their whole families and substanes and also all suche as coulde make armour he sent them to Constātinople and departed with his armye oute of Tauris and passed the ryuer Euphrates and detormyning some what to recreate his afflicted armie he assayled y e towne of Mascuall and toke it of force gaue it in proie to his souldiours and in this sorte contynuinge his voyage by smale and easye iorneys for that manye of his horses were so feble that they coulde scaresely goe he broughte his armie into Licaonia and sent them to garnisones into y e countre aboute Iconio at this day called Cogni so spoyled that they showed them selues not onelye not victoriouse but rather defeicted ouerthrowen spoyled when Selim had in this sorte placed his people in garninifones he then soughte howe to supplie and furnishe them againe whervpon he made a reuewe of his armys and sent into Gretia all those that had endured and suffred most miserie to reliue them selues and caused newe and freshe men to be sent in their places and the Sophie beinge vpon the consynes of Persia and hauinge intelligence of the departure of Selim from Tauris was so discouraged that he durste not deale with him by meanes of the ouerthrowe which he had receaueo and also the feare that he had of the artillerie and cheifely for y e that he had loste y e greatest nūber of his olde souldiours he durste not attempte anye further Selim determined to be reuenged of the wronge that the prince of Adula had done him and also to assure him selfe of the passages wherefore he sent Sinan Bassa with a great number of horsemen and fotemen to spoyle his countre as sone as he came into his countre the prince encountred with him and after longe fyghte was taken by him and al his people ouerthrowen whervpon he possessed all the state that he had in the mountaines and sent him prisoner to Selim who caused to stryke of his head and to sett it
and multiplied that of all those prouinces was made one Region and gouernement and was called Albania for that it was inhabited by y ◠Albaneses who so named it other some saye that the Albaneses are descended frō Fraunce peraduenture for that they see a natural frindshippe betwene the noble men of both the coūtres which thinge is perfectly knowen by certaine of their princes as by the lordes of Durazzo surnamed Thopia whiche are discended from Charles the greate some other frō Meschino and somme from others and for a token of good wyll Charles is made in the Citie of Croia of an excellent stone engrauen with great skyll and arte and set in the chiefe place of the Citie others saye they are discended frō Griffon de Altafoglia as the house of Ducagine and the house of Spagni as y e noble men of both houses them selues saye Let all men knowe that this newe Albania which is this discribed liethe in Europa it is very fertile plentyfull of al thinges nedfull to y ◠maintenance of mānes lyfe as is possyble it bringeth forthe men naturally so stronge valiaunte of noble myndes and apte to anye thinge that they take in hande chiefely for the warres as is possyble they are constant and faythfull to their naturall lordes and wyll rather committe them selues to all kynde of daunger and peryll then to haue their displeasure the fardest part of this Albania is neare to the seas Adriatico and Ienio and liethe ouer against Puglia froō Durazzo to Brindizio is an hundred myles and from Valoua ouer to Ottranto thre score myles by sea Nowe to oure purpose After all these thinges there came aspiall from Andrinople to Scanderbeg declared vnto him y ◠Alibege one of the Turckes Bassas came against him with .xl. M horsemen then Scanderbeg withoute delaye rode to his confynes with .xv. M. Albaneses and when y ◠Turckes were comme within two myles of him he made an oration to his armie wherby he dyd so encorage his souldiours that they desyred nothinge so muche as to encoūtre with the enemye in this meane tyme the Turckes came on with suche a noise that it semed that the heauens shoulde fal but Scanderbeg with his worthy souldiours refused not to encountre them but made y e signe of the crosse vpon hym and then he cried folowe me thruste towarde them and was the fyrste that strake charged them with sucke force and vertue that in shorte tyme he disordered them and when the battayle was ended there were founde deade on the place .xxii. M. Turckes and there were taken a thousand of the Christians manye were hurte and one hundred stayne vpon y e place all the spoyle of the Turckes as money Iuelles horses and suche lyke was presented to Scanderbeg who cansed it wholly to be disstributed to his souldiours whiche were all very ioyfull The nexte daye Scanderbeg commaunded to sounde to horse and rode into the Turckes countre a great dayes iorney and cut in peces as many Turckes as he mette or coulde fynde and raysed fire in all places where he wente In this meane while Alibeg Bassa retorned to Andrinople and was greatly blamed by the Turcke for his euell gouernement Laodislao king of Hungarie who then made preparatiō to goe against Amorathe w t an armie sent to Scanderbeg vnderstādīg of y ◠great victorie y ◠he had obtained against him to desyre him that he wolde goe in his companie w t such bandes of souldiours as he should thincke good wherfore when Scanderbeg had redde his letter he called vnto him his Captaines showing them the letter and asking their aduise in y ◠behalfe who aunswered by one consent that he mought in no wyse refuse y e king in so reasonable a demaunde for y ◠it was for the distruction of the common enemye of our faithe then Scanderbeg wrote vnto the kinge Laodislao that he moughte assure him of all the ayde that he shoulde be able to gyue him and then Scanderbeg by y e helpe of Paulo Ducagino and other princes of his nation had leuied other xv M men besides those that he had alredie vnder his conducte with whom he defeicted the aforesayde Alibeg which amounted in the whole to the number of xxx M. and then he began to marche but George Vucouich dispotto of Seruia a man valiante ynoughe but of a traitorouse mynde and regarded not anye religion neither Christian nor Mahometane for that he had gyuen Amorathe to wife his daughter named Hierenia and of some Catagusina which was syster to the wyfe of Alessio Spano called Isabetta and of some others Milizza which was sister to Lazaro Stephane and Georgio Nephewes to Andrea Augelo by there mother side for certaine hatred that the Dispotto bare to the Hungarianes and chiefely to Iohn of Transyluania who had ben the cause that certaine castles and townes of his were holden frō him whervpon the Dispotto fortyfied all the passages of his countre wherby he troubled Scanderbeg in suche sorte that he coulde not passe withoute great losse of his people into Hungarie In this meane tyme Iohn with the Hungarians and Polonianes beinge ayded also by Iuliano Cesarino Cardinall S. Angelo made redie his armie to marche towarde Varna where they muste nedes fyghte and Amorathe loked for ayde oute of Asia to comme to hym and therfore auoyded by al meanes possyble the battaile and prolonged the warres as much in him was wolde not comme to the battayle whiche when the worthye Vayuoda vnderstode he procured him to the scaramoche in so skylfull sorte that in the ende he enforced hym to come to the battayle and in the ende after longe fyghte the vertue of the Hungarianes was suche that y e Turckes were disordered and put to flyghte when Laodislao vnderstode this he became excedingly wrothe by meanes of the talke of certaine folyshe and ambitious yong◠men who sayde that Iohn Vaiuoda soughte to haue al the glorie of the victorie to him selfe which was y ◠cause that he appointed the kinge alwaye to tarie within his squadrone the kinge beinge moued with these wordes marched forwarde with his troupe of ten thousand Hungarianes which was very stronge and fronted y ◠Turckes great squadrone where after longe and cruel fighte Laodislao was stayne by meanes wherof the Hungarianes which were euen redie to folowe the victorie were constrained to torue backe againe and to loose al-in such sorte that Iohn Vaiuoda their Captaine generall was enforced to flee to the house of the aforesayde Dispotto of Seruia as to a place of securitie but he being the onely cause of thys ouerthrowe for so muche as he suffred not Scanderbeg to passe thorowe his countre caused Vaiuoda to be kepte vnder good garde forthe with vntyll suche tyme as he restored him to al his townes Scāderbeg soughte contynually to passe throughe the countre of the Dispotto and hearing of this miseral le chaūse was in such
wore alwaies course clothe onles it were vpon solēpne feastes then he wolde shewe him selfe very richely apparelled Whylest Scanderbeg was in this sorte vpon his confines there came a spyale vnto him declaringe that the Turcke vnderstanding that he had disolued his armie licensed them to repose them at their houses howe y ◠he with a fewe souldiours with him laie vpon the confines of his countre had cōmaunded Ferisbeg one of his Captaines to take with him .ix. M. Turckes horsemen and to departe with al spede towarde the frontiers to take Scanderbeg vnprouided and the spial was of opinion y e they wolde be with him that daie when Scanderbeg vnderstode of this he sent for no aide but made him redie with al spede possible with his two thousande horsemen and one thousand fotemen embattailed and then taried his enemies and as sone as they came he signed him selfe with the signe of the crosse and charged them with suche furie that althoughe the Turckes resisted for a time yet in the ende they were disordered put to flight Ferisbeg Bassa aforesaide gallopped vp and downe the feelde and with manie iniuriouse wordes chanlenged to fighte with Scanderbeg he of the other parte commaunded to folowe the chase and to execute by al meanes possible and went forthewith and encountre with Ferisbeg and slewe him at the first stroke that he gaue with the which the feare of the Turckes so encreased y ◠happie was the formost man when this was done Scāderbeg retorned with the victorie to his confines and the nexte daie folowing he entred the Turckes coūtrey and brought an exceding great proie from thence When the Turcke vnderstode these doleful newes he appointed forthewith and other Sangiacho named Mustaffa and made him his Captaine general of .x. M Turckishe horsemen with commission not to encountre Scanderbeg but to enter his countrey by an other waie and to spoile and proie the same but Scanderbeg hauīg intelligence hereof and of the place where the Turcks determyned to enter he forthe with made him redie and sent for two thousand horsemen moe which made in nūber 4. thousand horsemē and one thousand foremen with these he went as secretly as possyble to imbosque him selfe neare to that place where the Turckes determined to begyn their forcy and as sone as they were comme thyther they began to scatter ouer al the countrey and Scanderbeg toke his tyme and charged them and there began a cruel fighte on both sydes but in the ende Scanderbeg with his souldiours so behaued him selfe that the Turcks were disordered and put to flight the greatest number of them were slayne vpon the place and Mustaffa their Captaine with certaine of his principal souldiours fled there were slaine of Scanderbeg souldiours xx vpon the place in the ende of this rencountre al the spoile was presented to Scanderbeg who distributed al to his souldiours and then licensed y e two thousand horsemen that came last and with the rest he retorned againe to his accustumed confines The Turcke for all this lefte not but sent Mustaffa afore said with a greater companie then before to y e confines of his countre with commission not to sturre from thence withoute a special commaundement from him but that he shoulde stande wel vpon his garde and loke diligently that Scanderbeg dyd not endomage his people and spoile his countrey which when Scanderbeg vnderstode he determined also not to moue onles that the Turckes dyd firste begyn but stode alwaies vpon his garde acordinge to his order in this meane tyme there came newes to Scanderbeg that leche Ducagino fonne to the lorde Paulo had slaine Leche Zacharia lorde of y e Citie called the Dagnio whiche standethe in Albania neare vnto the Ryner call Drino for whose death Scanderbeg was very sory for y ◠there had ben alwaye gréate fryndshippe betwene them and for that he dyed withoute children Scanderbeg determyned to succede hym in his state after y e decease of the ladie Bossa his mother by vertue of certaine couenantes y e were betwene them notwithstanding the Ladie Bossa by meane of the lieutenante of Scutari agreed with the Senate of Venise vpō certaine conditions and delyuered them y e Dagnio with the rest of her state for the which Scanderbeg was greatly offendyd and assembled al hys power and went in person and beseged Dagnio and lefte not withstanding vpō his confines his trustie frind the countye Vurana one of his Captaines for the garde therof w t thre thousand souldiours when the lieutenante of Scutarie vnderstoode this he aduertized the Senate therof and receaued commission from them to leuie an armie wher vpon he toke oute of Scutarie many bandes of Italians and leuied a great number of Albaneses and made general of the armie the worthie Damel Sebenico as sone as he had al thinges redie he marched towarde Scanderbeg who as sone as he herde hereof passed the ryuer Drino with al his armie to goe towarde the Venetian armie and to encoūtre them and then spake to his souldiours in this maner that foloweth My compainons in armes if it be so that a man maye lawfully demaunde his righte withoute doing wronge to anye man truely in that that I haue demaunded my righte and beseged Dagnio and taken the straicte or valley therof I doe beliue I haue done no iniurie at al to the Senate of Venise but am rather wronged notw tstanding I haue them partely excused consideringe the false information that hath ben made vnto them in the absence of the contrarie partie and truely I can not perswade my selfe but that they being iust and most Christian and knowing the great affection and good wyl y e I haue alwaye borne them wolde neuer haue concluded in my preiudice yf they had first vnderstode my right notwithstanding for that they haue nowe addressyd their armie against me we must nedes this daye fighte against the Christians which in dede is greatly against my wyl wherfore nowe I say vnto you that it behoueth you to fighte more circumspectly and valiantly then you haue done at anye tyme els consydering that you haue to doe with men that doe farre excede the Turcks in valewe but yet I hope in God that the victorie shalbe ours wherfore I doe commaūde you that when we shal haue broken them that no man after that sley anye of them but to take them prisoners and to folowe the chase euen to the gates of Scutari and when he had thus sayd he spake on highe sainge folowe me and then marched on with his armie in battayle and ioyned with the Venetianes the fighte betwene them was contynued w t great obstinatie but in the ende Scanderbeg disordered them and put them to flighte folowing the chase euen to the gates of Scutari and dyd sley none of them in the chase but toke a great number prisoners and especially men of acompte which were al presented
redie certyfyed me by his letters of y e reste Wherfore I doe determyne to make prouisiō and to vse my whole force against him wherfore I giue you to vnderstande that I wyl goe thyther in person firste I wyl besege the Citie of Croia and take it and then al the reste of his state wherfore make you redie for woe shal he be that is not redie at my mustres Scanderbeg was spedyly aduised of this great preparatiō and with al spede furnished the Citie with al kynde of necessaries and good souldiours Albaneses of great experience and faith he gaue them for their general Vurana aforesaid and he in person stode wel vpon his gard in this meane tyme there came a great number of Turckes into Scanderbegs coūtre and encampdd before Sfetigarde a citie that standeth from Croia 58. myles when Scanderbeg vnderstode of this he went forthewith as secretly as he coulde and encamped within .vii. myles of y e Turckishe armie w t. 4. thousand horsemen one thousand fotemen and being thus encamped wolde not suffer day nor nighte any fire to be made within his campe by meanes wherof the enemye vnderstode nothinge of his beinge there in this meane tyme Scanderbeg determyned to put in vse a Strategeme whervpon he wylled the valiante Moises and his Nephewe Musachie de la Angelina to take with them .xxx. horsemen and to disguise themselues and the nexte morninge to attempte as thoughe they wolde goe into Sfetigard leadinge with them certaine Asses loded with corne it was so done acording to his commaundement and in the morninge as sone as the garde of the Turcks campe sawe them thincking y ◠they had ben victuallers they hasted to encountre them and when Moises with his companiones had fled a litle waye he torned and charged the Turckes and forthew t slewe .viii. of them and hurte manye whervpon the rest suddenly fled and hasted them to the campe to declare the newes but the Bassa beinge very circumspecte mistrusting as it was in dede that they were no rascalles consyderinge the woundes and great blowes that they had gyuen commaunded 4. thousand horsemen to folowe them and to take them lyuinge Moises which alwaies had regarde to his seinge them comme began to flee and to hide him in a certaine depe valey the Turcks folowed their tracte with great furie In this meane whyle Scanderbeg who dyd attende suche an occasion furnished the entres of the valey and then with certaine bandes with him entred the valley and charged them flewe the greatest number of them and the reste fled in maruelouse disorder and had it not ben that the Bassa loked for Amorathe in person he had then retorned againe with al his armie into the Turckes countrey After this the. 14 of Maye 1449. this Tiran came to his campe in Albania with 160. thousande Turckes with manie great bombardes and a great quantie of other artillerie beseged Sfetigarde very straitly where Pietro Parlato was Captaine who with his souldiours that he had oute of highe Dibra and the reste that were with him in that seege behaued them selues so valiantly that althoughe they were contynually occupied in y e defence of their towne and in scaramoche yet they alwayes lefte with the best but in the ende a certaine traitour dyd caste a ded dogge into their chiefe cisterne of y e towne by meanes wherof the people were greatly consumed and the Tiran Amorathe toke the towne and in the begynninge he dyd entertaine this traitour very honorably and gaue him greate presentes but after certaine daies he was no more seen of anye for in dede princes doe oftē times loue the treason but not the traitour nor neuer truste them after and therfore it is not to be maruelled at that the Turcke seinge suche horible villanie in a man wolde neuer trust him after consydering that for his priuate lucre he coulde be content to shed not onely the bloude of his countremen but also to destroie his religion and betraie his countre After thys Amorathe went and beseged Croia rounde and planted his batteries and battered for the space of 4. montthes notwithstandinge he did them of the towne smale hurte for that the Citie was very stronge on euery syde and y t they had within the towne a plentuouse fountaine of goodly water and an other very faire fountaine behind the Castle which the enemyes coulde neuer possesse In the meane tyme that the Turcke beseged Croia in thys sorte the noble prince Scanderbeg nowe in one place then in an other assayled the Turckes campe and spoyled contynually al such victuallers as came to his campe notwithstandinge for that his number was very smale he coulde not enforce them to rayse their sege In y e ende of y e fourthe monethe aforesayde Amorathe commaunded to gyue a general assaulte to y e towne and to assayle it rounde in the whiche he preuayled not but retorned from the assaulte with great spoyle and losse of his people for the whiche he toke so greate an inwarde grefe y t forthewith he died Then the soroweful amased dishonored and confounded Turckishe armie abandoned y e sege and retorned home in great disorder and were folowed and spoyled in manye places as they passed and were very euel handled in such sort as they came home greatlye diminished and Scanderbeg remained in hys countre with great triumphe and victorie contynully praisinge the Almightye God When Amorathe prince of the Turckes was deade Mahomethe his sonne succeded him in his kingdome he that was sōne to Hierenia or Catagusma daughter to George the Dispotto of Seruia and for that he was not yet suerly established in his seate he coulde doe no great hurte wherfore Scanderbeg beinge desyrous to leaue somme heire of his boddie after him toke to wyfe that excellent faire vertuouse ladie named Doneca daughter to Aranithe Conino but as sone as Mahomethe the newe Turckyshe prince was established in the seate of his father he began immediatly to threaten Scāderbeg and coulde not endure that he shoulde possesse Croia Epirro then Scanderbeg with his 2. thousand horsemen and a thousand fotemen which were his ordinarie garde went to his confines determyning not to enuade at all onles that Mahomethe fyrste began and being in this sorte vpon his cōfines he vnderstode that y e Turcke had no armie in redynes to send against him and consydering that it was nedeful to visyte his countre he toke with him his aforesaide wife and made a visitaciō in his countre mynistring Iustice in suche sorte with mercy that he was bothe honored loued and feared of both◠more and lesse a man mought safely haue gone through all that countrey with horses loded with golde no mā wolde haue touched it After this Scanderbeg sent for a great number of masonnes and laborers and went to a certaine highe mountaine ouer the which there liethe awaye that leadethe from Turchie downe into
the couÌ„tre of Scanderbeg and vpon the heighte of the same mountaine he buylded a forte of an excedinge force and named it Medrissa and then furnished it with all kynde of necessaries and a good garde of fotemen which sholde at all tymes when they sawe the power of the Turcke comme shote of certaine peces of Artillerie to aduertize the countre of their comminge to the ende that they moughte be redye to defend them selues when Scanderbeg had in this sorte fynished and furnished his forte he passed on with his armie to his wonted confynes but fyrst he entred the Turckes countre and sackaged it putting al to fire and sworde withoute compassion Then the aforesayde Mahomethe prince of y e Turckes desyring greatly the vtter ruyne and spoyle of all y e countre of Scanderbeg sent against him a worthy Captaine of his named Amesabeg with .xii. 〈◊〉 chosen Turckes on horsebacke and as sone as this most vigillante Scanderbeg harde the sounde of the cannon he lept forthewith on horse with his ordinarie thre thousand souldiours and passed on towarde the Turckes as sone as he was comme neare vnto them he sygned him with his wonted signe of the crosse and with great furie charged them and after that he had foughte with them a certaine tyme he enforced them to disorder and to flee folowinge the chase with al spede possyble executinge the enemyes with great terrour and force In the ende Amesabeg was taken with dyuerse other Turcks of great acompte and were presented to Scanderbeg TheÌ„ Amesabeg with teares spake to him in this sorte Ah thou worthye Scanderbeg thy highnes dothe knowe righte well that we doe eate the breade of oure maister and lorde wherfore wee can not but serue him wherfore we beseche thyne honor to vse some kynde of mercye cortesy towardes vs for the loue of God which thou doest worshyppe for al the vertues of y e same Then Scanderbeg as a magnanime prince auÌ„swered in suche sorte as he caused not onely the prisoners but also al those that were preseÌ„t with them to shede teares after that in token that he pardoned them of their lyues he caused them all to eate at his owne table and Amesabeg to eate at his owne messe and in one dyshe w t him and when he had in this sorte comforted them he caused them to be safely kepte and appointed vnto them honorable prouision In the ende acording to the couenantes betwene them there were paied for Amesabeg x. M. ducates and for the rest .iii. M. and in this sorte they were delyuered Then Scanderbeg called his souldiours vnto him and acordinge to his custume distributed these sommes of money vnto them notwithstanding certaine of his chiefe souldiours who for their obedience towarâ—â— him dyd not refuse to receaue it yet in his presence spake franckly and vnder correction saying that not to seme to directe him but to declare their opinion vnto his highnes maruellinge muche that he folowed not the councell of the olde prouerbe which sayeth deade men doe make no warres but that he did alwaies suffer his enemyes so to depart with their liues by meanes wherof they mought retorne an other time and annoie them But ScaÌ„derbeg aunswered them in suche sorte that he satisfyed them all very wel but his conclusion was that yf they came againe an other tyme he wolde also take them and distribute their ransome to his souldiours also he partly excused them for that they lyued by their lorde he sayde it was reason that they serued him when these wordes of Scanderbeg came to the Turckes cares and also his cortesye towarde all suche as were taken prisonners and howe that he toke ransome of suche as were riche and gaue money to those that were pore and sent them home freely to their countre their common voice was in all places that there was but one Scanderbeg in the worlde and after him their shoulde not coÌ„me suche an other and in this sorte it dyd growe into prouerbe amongest them and contynuethe to this daye When Mahomethe had receaued this difeicte he sent forthewith an other Sangiacho named Debreambeg for his generall with .xiiii. M. Turckes and as sone as Scanderbeg vnderstode that they began to approche to his confynes he toke his horse with his souldiours and rode in the nighte thorowe a great valey and at the last came vp the hill where the Turckes laie withoute any suspection and charged them vpon the sudden whiles his souldiours were fyghtinge with the Turckes he in person went directly to the tente of the Captaine Debreambeg and founde hym in order redie to comme forthe whervpon he assayled him and with his launce strake him clene throughe the belly and then he retorned to him and with his sworde strake of his hed as sone as the Turckes vnderstode of this immediatly they disordered them selues fledde notwithstandinge it proffyted them smally for the greatest nuÌ„ber of them folowed their Captaine Debream WheÌ„ this was done ScaÌ„der beg distributed the spoyle to his souldiours and retorned safely into his countre with all his souldiours with victorie and triumphe After this Scanderbeg beinge muche offended with Mahomethe prince of the Turcks went and encamped before a Citie of his called Belgrado not that of Hungarie with .xiiii. M. souldiours on horse and fote lefte for the garde of his confynes a famous and worthy Captaine named Moises whiche was of highe Dibra with 2. thousand souldiours fotemen and horsemen and wheÌ„ he had of a longe tyme continued his seege and batteries Scanderbeg lefte his cosyn the lorde Musachio Topia which was soÌ„ne to the aforesayd Andre Captaine generall of all his armie before that towne and appointed a garde alwaie to be forth of his campe to that ende that the Turckes shoulde not take them vnprouided then he departed from thence and toke with him 3. thousand horsemen and a thousand fotemen and went to visete certaine places of his In this meane tyme a Bassa of y e Turckes called Sebalia came with .xl. thousand Turckes to raise the seege and hauinge by meanes of corruption had intelligence with those traitours of the garde that was withoute the campe vnto whom he gaue an exceding great summe of money by meanes wherof the garde suffred them to passe withoute gyuing any aduertisement to them of the campe therof whervpon immediatly they slewe the generall of the armie Musachio put all the campe to flyghte in maruelouse disoder and folowed them doinge great execution vpon them with great noyses and cries And by the prouidence of God Scanderbeg was alredie on horsebacke comming to visyte his campe with his three thousand horsemen and one thousand fotemen as sone as he herde this greate noyse he suspected the treason of the garde Then he put spurres to his horse and with all spede came into hys campe where he sawe the Turckes making great spoile of his people he charged them with
lesser for that he commaunded them before hand to flee with their goods and cattell into places of force and securitie so that the Turckes founde them selues greatly deceaued and abused the same nighte they lodged vpoÌ„ the syde of the ryuer called Mathia and rested them as thoughe they had ben at home in their countrey but Scanderbeg enemye of all sluggishenes the daye folowinge aboute nonne came with his 7. thousand horsemeÌ„ to a mountaine whiche ioyned to the plaine where they encamped then with certaine of his Captaines went vp to the toppe of the hill to consyder and beholde in what strengthe his enemyes dyd lye and whether he moughte haue anye occasyon to assayle them vpon the sudden When Scanderbeg was vpon the heighte of the mountaine he sawe the Turckes lying withoute garde vnder the trees in shodowe and in their tentes for it was in the hotest tyme of the sommer and in the myddest of the daye wherfore he departed from the mountaine and went to horse with all his souldiours and began to ryde in greate hast towarde the Turckes met with their scoute and slewe them immediatly al sauing one who with the spede of his horse escaped to y e campe crying in this sorte Scanderbeg is bere Scanderbeg is here But ScaÌ„derbeg in person folowed him and coulde not ouergett him for that he had so muche grouÌ„de before him at the first Then ScaÌ„derbeg coÌ„maunded to sownde the alarme with all suche instrumentes as they had and then gaue in vpon them with suche force vnprouided as they were that in the fyrst charge he put them in suche disorder and flyghte as was meruelouse to se so that he slewe of them there 30. thousaÌ„d vpon the place and all y e euer y e Sangiacho Amesabeg neuewe to Scanderbeg rebelle against him coulde doe or saye coulde not staye them from ronning awaye wherfore in the ende thys same Amesabeg with Mesithebeg bothe Sangiachi w t 500. Turckes moe were taken prisoners and Isaach the Bassa with suche scatered Turckes as were lyuing fled and was folowed for a certaine tyme and great execution done vpon his people After this Scanderbeh deuided the spoyle to his souldiours acording to his acustumed order there were slayne of his souidiours 60. This done he retorned to his confynes and made acourse into the countre of his enemies and sacaged it burned a greate parte therof and retorned into his countre with an exceding great boutie safely gaue thancks to God for his great victorie The Turcke rested not for this but sent newe bands to garde his confynes with two other Captaines y e one of them was named Hannebeg and the other Sinanbeg with expressed commaundement not to deale with Scanderbeg nor to enter his countre onles they receaued froÌ„ him other commissyon and this he dyd for that he sawe he coulde not ouercome Scanderbeg and therfore he determyned to proue yf he moughte preuayle against some other princes wherfore he toke in hand fyrst the enterprise against the Imperiall Citie of Constantinople in shorte tyme toke it flewe the Emperour therof with an infinite number of Citizens and other Christians then conquered al his state in the yere 1453. After this he went against the afore named Dispotto of Seruia a prince of great welthe possessinge a maruelous masse of golde and siluer by meane of certaine mines that he had not withstandinge he chased him oute of his countre in the yere 1459. After this he went against the kinge of Bossina and toke him caused him to be sawed a sonder in the middest and toke his state Then Scanderbeg beholdinge the great prosperitie of his enemye in the preiudice and subuersion of the Catholique faithe threating also to take the countres of dyuerse Christian princes determined to goe and encouÌ„tre with the two Captaines aforesayd In this meane tyme the ambassadours of the pope Pio the. 2. and of the kinge Ferrante kinge of Puglia and of Scicile passed the Fero and went to Scanderbeg saying moste noble prince we gyue thyne excellentie to vnderstande in the behalfe of oure lordes and Masters that the Duke Iohn soÌ„ne to the king Renato of FrauÌ„ce is comme with a great power of Frenshe men into the kingdome of Sicille against your deare frinde the king Ferrante and there are reuolted against the kinge takinge parte with the aforesayde Duke the princes of Taranto and Bossano with the greatest part of the nobilitie of that kingdome and he hathe entertained in his paie y e CouÌ„tie Iames Piocinino with all his regiment so that his armie is very great and stronge and he hath alredie conquered the whole kingdome sauinge onelye Napls Capua Auersa Gaieta Troia and Barletta where the king is nowe straitely beseeged and in daunger to be taken and the power of the pope and y e kinge can not passe ouer to succour him wherfore the popes hollynes and oure kinge also desyre your highnes in most ernest wise that it maie please you to comme into Puglia in his fauour and when the ambassadours had this sayde they presented vnto him the popes bulles w t the kinges letters wherin there was conteyned y e lyke of that which they had declared by mouthe Then Scanderbeg beinge greatly affected towardes the popes hollynes and the holly catholique churche of Rome and for that also he was entred into great fryndshippe with the kinge Alfonso father to Ferrante fermer and tributarie to the aforesayde Byshoppe he determyned to ayde him with all his power possyble and so after great entertainemeÌ„t made to the ambassadours he licensed them in very cortese sorte and forthe w t sent one of his chiefe Captaines his Nephewe named Cairo Stroisio a man of great vnderstandinge and worthines with 500. chosen horsemen who passed the sea and landed in that parte of the countre that yet helde for the kinge Ferrante where he dyd great good by meanes of his worthines In the meane tyâ—e Scanderbeg made a treues forone yere with the Tâ—â—cke by meanes wherof he had as good oportunitie as he coulde haue wyshed for so muche as shortely before the ariuale of the ambassadours aforesayd there came a messager from y e Turcke to demauÌ„de peace of Scanderbeg but he was departed w toute grauÌ„t therof for he was fully determyned to deale with the Turckes Captaines that laie vpon the confynes but as sone as he vnderstode of this he sent his curreuers after the ambassadour and caused him to retorne and then concluded the aforesaid trewse After this he committed his state into the handes of his welbeloued wife and others his most faithful frinds and appointed to defend them a worthie Captaie with sufficient number of souldiours and when he had hired a greate number of shyppes and galleys and other vesselles for y e sea he caused his armie to embarcke in them beinge well furnished of horses and coursers of greate price and with aboundance of virtuall
Captaines broughte in foure squadrones of souldiours which they had taken prisoners and presented them to Scanderbeg Then the countie began to be affraied suddenly fayned a Iollitie and sayde he doubted not at all but trusted wholly in the prome◠of Scāderbeg who aunswered beholde I gyue them all to you notwithstandinge that they were all taken before the commaundement was giuen to the armies and then he caused them to be set at libertie in the ende When Scanderbeg had vnderstode the opinion of the coūtie in certaine pointes he aunswered that it was nedefull to take good aduise vpon these matters and to vnderstande the kynges pleasure in that behalfe and to giue aunswere the nexte day folowinge when he had thus sayde they toke leue the one of the other for that it was very late In y e meane tyme as Scanderbeg made hym redye to goe towarde Barletta a souldiour of the counties came to Scanderbeg and showed him that all the parliament that the countye helde with him was but very disceite onely to to delyuer his armye which was so wery that of necessitie they must haue ben ouerthrowen and also for that he had practized with some of his souldiours to se yf y ◠they coulde betraye Scanderbeg and take him lyuinge and this was the onelye cause why he came forth in person oute of his squadrone for yf Scanderbeg had not gyuen eare to him but contynued styll the battayle there is no doubte but that he had ouerthrowen all the armie for they were all redie so wery that they were determyned to yelde them selues Then Scanderbeg more furious then anye Lion cried oute with a terrible voice sayinge O y ◠moste wicked murderer thou countie Iames thou traitour Ganio was it not snfficient for the with crafte and subtilitie in this sorte to auoide the distruction of thy flugguyshe and vnproffitable armie but that thou muste vnder pretence of so poysoned a frindshippe seke to betraie me whiche am innocent Wherfore loke well to thy selfe for to morowe thou shalte be recompensed for thy well doinges when he had thus sayde he departed with his people and went to Barletta and when he had supped he commaunded to gyue his horses prouender and rewarded the souldiour that reueled this matter and departed in the night by the mone lighte w t all his souldiours with him towardes the enemye and whē he came to the place where they encamped y e night before he founde all the armie gone for Zachuria Groppa one of the countes souldiours declared vnto y e coūtie euen as it came to passe wherfore the counte with hys armye departed with spede and went to enrampe to a place that was farre of Then Scāderbeg retorned and the nexte morninge he toke the kinge in companie with him and myngled their souldiours to auoyde strife and then went on folowinge the tracte of the enemie and in shorte tyme they discouered them he caused to marche on the one syde Frederick Duke of Vrbine lieutenante of the popes armie and Alexandre Sforza lieutenante brother to the Duke of Milane who desyred ernestly y ◠they mought so passe ouer then whē they had al things in order they marched on to a Citie called Troia The Duke Iohn with the countie Iames and all his armye were in a Citie called Nucera from Troia viii myles acordinge to the mesure of Apulia betwene whiche two Cities their was a moūtaine called Segiano frō Troia two myles and from Nucera viii myles Scanderbeg therfore knowinge that y e armies must fighte betwene those two Cities rose vp in the nighte and w t his souldiours went and toke that hill and furnished it w t men sufficient to defende it to the ende that yf peraduenture the kings power shoulde be ouerthrowen they mought take that hill and defend them selues the coūtie Iames who in dede was skylfull and of greate experience in warres ment also to take the same hyll and therfore he departed also in the morninge betyme to take the hill when he founde that Scanderbeg had alredye taken it where with he was very sorie and sayde to certaine of his most trustie frinds that he was then oute of al hope of victorie notwithstandinge he lefte not of for that but dyd in euery respecte the office and duetie of a good Captaine exhortinge and encoraginge his souldiours puttinge them also in order acordinge to the tyme place The nexte morning they determyned to gyue battayle and made them redie on bothe sydes enbattayled their people and encountred the fyghte was betwene them most terrible and contynued tyll the euening in y e ende the Dukes armie was so ouerthrowen and spoiled that he was glad that he moughte retorne into Fraunce w t shame and dishonor and with the losse in maner of all his Frenshe bandes in lykewyse the countie Iames w t all the infortunate noble men of Apuglia fled thorowe most difficulte passages euery man his waye and it was the greate grace of god y ◠they escaped with their lyues Then the kynge was deliuered from his enemies with great glorie and triumphe throughe the worthynes of the magnanime puissante and victoriouse prince Scanderbeg After this the aforesayde king Ferrante rode w t Scanderbeg to see yf that he coulde recouer his Cities and townes which he had loste he entred into Naples in great triumphe and afterwarde wente on their iorney notwithstanding manye Cities and townes continued in their former purpose and wolde in no wise obey the king Ferrante but sayde that they wolde rather dye with their weapones in their handes then to yelde them into his wycked handes for they were wel assured that he wolde be reuenged on them and wolde obserue no promise with them but they were contented to yelde them to Scanderbeg vpon his faithefull promes in the ende when the kyng and Scanderbeg had talked togyther it was agreed that the kyng shoulde swere to performe all promes that shoulde be made in his name and that Scanderbeg shoulde promes his subiectes and assure them therof otherwyse they wolde not yelde but wolde fyghte it oute to the vttermost for it semed vnto him a thinge most vnsemely for a Christian prince to breake his faythe which is the seale of his saluation euery Christian is bounde to obserue it euen to his enemyes Then the kyng swore openly that he wolde performe in euery respecte what so euer hys good father Scan. shoulde promise when this was done Scanderbeg wente and assured them all that the kyng shoulde performe his promes in euery respecte and shoulde vse them all as his very fryndes and louinge subiectes by meanes wherof al places whersoeuer he came yelded vnto him but as sone as Scanderbeg entred into any place he caused to set vp the enseignes of the kinge Ferrante and made them swere fidelitie and obedience to y e king In this meane tyme Fusano a Sicillian a man of great prowes a
hym that it troubled him in suche sorte that he was enforced to send his souldiours awaye to Scutari and to tarie that daye in his lodging commaunding them to doe whatsoeuer the lieutenante shoulde commaunde them and that he wolde the nexte daye be with them to deale with Hamathbeg and hys power when his souldiours vnderstode this they rode on their iorney sheding of teares and came to Scutari and forthewith by commaundement of the lieutenante afore sayde passed on ouer the plaines vntyll they came to the ryuer named Cliâ—o Then a certaine of the Turckes which were on the other syde of the riuer making garde as sone as they sawe them knewe them to be of Scanderbegs souldiours and maruelling at their sudden aryuale called vnto them asking where Scanderbeg was it was aunswered that he was in Alessio and that the morning folowing he wolde loke vpon them where vpon the Turckes repared to their Captaine Hamathbeg who laye in campe vpon the territorie of Driuasto and declared vnto him the newes that they had herde WheÌ„ Hamathbeg vnderstode these newes he was excedingly affraied so that he was enforced to stande al that night in battayle and in the morning very tymely to marche awaie and to passe ouer Mountaignes by very difficulte passages and wayes so y â— it was the iorney of all y â— daye to attayne to the highte of that hill and that same night folowing there fell so muche snowe dryuen with a vehement wynde beinge in the monethe of Ianuarie that y â— greatest number of those poore and fearefull Turckes died in that night and they which were lefte on liue the daye foloing marched awaye in exceding great feare loked often tymes behinde them yf that they mought se Scanderbeg to folowe them and had determined yf they had seen him comme to fall vpon their knees to yelde vnto him as it was declared to the Driuastianes by sondrie Turckes which they toke and in euery place where these poore Turckes passed they were cut in peces and spoyled miserably handled in sorte y â— fewe of them euer retorned to their dwelling place This same very daye that the Turckes thus fledde not beinge folowed by anye enemie this most Christian prince Scanderbeg lefte this earthly lyfe yeldinge hys soule to God in the yere of oure helthe 1467. and in the yere from his birthe 63. he was buried in the Cathedral Churche of Saincte Nicholas in Alessio with greate solempnitie and honor for whose death the bewaylinge was so vniuersale as the lyke was neuer seen in those partes of Epirro for in all places a man shoulde haue harde them wepe betterly of all estates and chiefely the nobilitis and Captaines cryed oute in most piteouse wyse saying O Scanderbeg oure good kinge oure defendour oure onely comforte oure father and brother why hast y u thus lefte vs Orphanes as shepe withoute a pastor howe maye we nowe anye lengar escape the handes of those most cruell and wycked Turckes oure enemyes woe shalbe vnto oure pore people woe to both great and smale woe to Albania and to all the prouinces therof and to all the prouinces neare aboute it In lyke sorte dyd the princes and people of other countres neare aboute it morne and lament for ScaÌ„derbeg was their eye and watche man the defendour of the states of all faitheful Christianes and of his owne he was entirely beloued of all Christianes onles it were of y â— false Christianes disciples of Iudas Also the vnreasonable creatures lamented his deathe for one of his best horses vpon whoÌ„ he had done great actes and ben also in perillause battayles which was a very well doing horse and of great trauayle in battayle lyke a Lyon of such fearcenes as it was marueled at of all the noble men and Captaines that had seen the doinges of the horse and oute of battayle he was as gentle as a lambe this horse as fone as his Maister was dead began forthewith to braie terribly and to bete him selfe from the one syde to the other w toute taking anye rest daye nor nighte he wolde neuer after that daye suffer bridle nor sadle to be put on him nor wolde neuer taste anye kynde of hey prouender or other sustenance but contynually braying beating him selfe daye and nyghte tyll at the last throughe very fayntnes he fell downe to the earthe and neuer rose agayne vpon his fete but dyed the signification hereof I committe to the secrete purpose of God who knowethe all things notwithstanding I wyshe all Christians not to cease but contynually to gyue thanckes vnto his diuine Maiestie for his great benefites bestowed vpon vs and to praye him to delyuer vs from the cruell and wicked handes of the Turckes and to gyue vs victorie against them and all other infydels as he alwayes dyd to his faithefull souldiour Scanderbeg which was not vnlyke in victorie to Iudas Machabeus Scanderbeg was muche lyke to the Emperour Eracleo which by the helpe of God dyd ouerthrowe the proude hethen prynce Cosdroe Scanderbeg in all the afore named battayles and others wherof there is no mencion made in this treatyse was neuer â—hurte nor maymed at anye tyme excepte once that he was hurte in the righte legge with an arowe but the poore souldiour which shotte it was forthe with espied of him and flayne at one onely stroke and cut in two peces his armes were alwayes couered with armour he was not enchaunted as the folyshe ignorante people dyd affirme for yf he had ben echaunted he coulde not haue ben hurte by the arrowe and it is writen y â— he neuer fought but his arme was well armed his vse was euer to throwe of his braciall as sone as he had put his enemyes to flyghte to the ende y â— he mighte the more franckly stryke for he bestowed neuer more then one blowe vpon one enemye in chase at all other tymes he was very well armed and dyd ioyne with his rare force wisedome and experience and wolde neuer at tempte God After that he was ded the worthy Captaines peiche Emanuell Zacharia Groppa Leche Cucca Paolo Manesi with dyuerse other worthy men and worthy of credite who had ben with him in maner in all his doinges dyd affyrme howe that Scanderbeg in those battayles wherein they had accompanyed him had slayne with his owne hande moe then 3. thousand meÌ„ his order was suche that his enemye dyd neuer longe stande against hym but spedyly he put them to flighte and as touching his naturall force it was not muche vnlyke to y â— moste rare force of Orlando and Rynaldo with other famous Knyghtes of the myghtye kinge Charles he gaue ones a great blowe in the presence of all his armie beinge in a greate furie for otherwyse I belyue he shoulde hardly haue done it there were taken in battayle ii souldiours of Balabanes kynsemen which were rebelles vnto ScaÌ„derbeg these were presented vnto him and had done him muche hurte and displeasure
of good order â—nd aboue all thinges he fauored religion in suche sort â—hat the was contente to yelde his lyfe for the mainte â—aunce of the Christian faithe when Iohn Vaiuoda was escaped from the defeicte as we haue sayde before â—e came in to Seruia where the dispotto met him reâ—eauing him very honorably and the daye folowing â—e apointed to him garde and in no wise wolde graunt â—im libertie onles he wolde cause to be deliuered vnto â—im all suche townes and castles as the saide Iohn Vainoda and his fryndes then helde of hys the Veneâ—ian Cardynall whyche was lyuetenante of the Nauys â—t the sea was also blamed for thys ouerthroe and charged to be neglygent in the doyng of his duetie and â—yd not that that was to be done in defendynge the â—trayte and forbyddynge the passage of the armye â—ute of Asya in to Europe and also for that that when he knewe them to be passed he dyd not â—duertise the Christians therof to y e ende they mought â—he better haue prouided for them selues as touching â—he number of those that were slayne I can not certenlye saye but y t the slaughter spoyle of the Turkes did farre exceade that of the Christians but coÌ„siderynge y e inequalitie of the armies the losse of the Christians weyng their number did farre excede that of the Turkes When Amorathe had thus obtained the victorie and rested wholly maister of the fielde he had no great desire to folow the chase of his fliyng enemies nor yet did glorie wyth great wordes as the maner of the Turkes is ne yet sought in any kynde of sort to amplifie the victorie nor shewed in his coÌ„ntenaunce anye kinde of ioye and being demaunded by certayne of his familiers the cause that after so great a victorie he shewed him selfe so melancolicke he answered I desyre not often to obtayne victorie in this sorte After this he raysed hys canipe and desolued it and suche souldiours as he had lefte aliue he sent agayne to the places from whenre they came and he in person retourned to Andrinople wher he accomplished sundrie vowes that he had made to God And after thys he called to mynde the great peryl and danger that he had bene in and also the great cares that are incident to gouernement in the whiche he concluded that no man mought call him selfe happy for as much as it hath in it more of the bitter then of the swete and iudging also by examples passed the inconstantie of Fortune who rarely accompanieth anye man fauourablie throughoute to the ende and beyng desirous to prouide for his securitie and quietnes called to hym all hys Bascias and chyefe gouernours and councellours of his Empire and by theyr consent appoynted in his stede Mahometh his eldest sonne to be their prince and lord and to be gouerned vntyll he came to lawfull age to gouerne by Calibasso Bascia who for his power and wisedome was the chiefe counseller that the Turke had and when he had disburdened him selfe of gouernement and was become priuate he passed ouer into Asia accompanied w t certen of his familier frendes and there lyued religiouslye geuynge him selfe to solitarine Al hys sonnes Mahometh only excepted were by y e aduyse of the Bascias put to death to auoide all occasions of tumultes sturres and alteracions that mought happen as often times it doth among the Turkishe nation with whom the children of priuate meÌ„ are more happie then they of Emperours the battayle of Varna did so diminishe and consume the force of bothe the Tukes and Hungerianes that withoute any conuenante of peace at all they helde them of bothe sydes with in the frontiers of of their contreis for the space of many yeres after and neyther of them durste to enter the others contrey ne yet to prouoke by anye maner of iniurie the one the other to warres thys quietnes was so much the more perfecte for somuch that neither in Turchia ne yet in Hungaria was there any king of age able to gouerne him selfe but ether of them were gouerned by other men for among the Turkes dyd Callibasso gouerne and among the Hungarianes dyd Iohn Vaiuoda gouerne both men of great reputacyon and credite among their owne people Calibasso had gouerned a long time vnder Amorathe and being a man very graue and modeste hauing also greate experience was Iudged of al men a very wise man Vaiuoda being a maÌ„ of a percinge Iudgement and valiannt in warres was holden in the opinion of all men to be the more skylfull of both it semid to him that he had loste great reputaci on by y e ouerthrow receaued at Varna which dyd much disquiet him wherfore he denised in hym selfe daye and night howe to recouer his loste credite and to be reuenged of the dishonour that he had receaued he iugged the quiet being of the Turcks who are ambitiouse and desire to enlarge their dominions to procede only of want of gouernance and force wherupon he thought to preuent them to assaile them vnloked for and althoughe he knewe well that they were able to leuye a great power yet he perswaded him selfe that they had no gouernor able to commaunde and also he was not ignorante that a great armie inobedient and wanting a discrete leadre was lesse to be feared then a wise and experimented Captaine with oute an armie wherupon he determyned to make warres againe against the Turcks w t all spede and with grea deligence assembled his people of Hungaria and Bohemia he entretained in paie also diuerse regiments of Almaignes and other strangers fote men and so marched on towarde the Turkes with his armie thincking to entre their contre and to take some place of importance with in the contrey and so to passe one with his armie to Andrinople before the enemie sholde vnderstand of his departure out of Hungarie which he was like to haue done had not the fylthie treason of George dispotto ben whoe as sone as he harde y â— Vaiuoda leuied bandes in Hungarye he sent to Calibasso Bascia and to all the Sangiachii of Gretia making the numbre of the Christians far greater then in dede it was reporting the matter to be more perillous then of it selfe it was which wheÌ„ they vnderstode they were so amased that they knewe not whither to torne them for they were oute of al hope that Amorath wolde euer stand them in any stede for so much as he was olde and had giuen ouer all charge and wholly giuen him to religion wherfore he wolde no more deale in warres and for that Mahometh was so yonge they thoughte it not good to commytte so weightie a matter in to hys hands as the leadyg of an armie against so puissant skylfull an enemye as Vaiuoda was and they feared that if Calibasso shoulde leade their armye he shoulde not haue due obedience which is a thinge moste perillous in all armyes Thus when
they gaue such some as he demaunded wherupon he toke his iourney and passed throughe y e contrey of Friule in Italie after through the contrey of Hungarie then throughe Polonia from thence throughe Scithia whiche at this daye is called Tartarie and in this sorte conueid him selfe into Caffa while these thinges were doinge Mahomethe had put a great Nauie to the sea to passe into Candie where mē supposed he had alredie framed certaine practizes with the Candiottes that he should be receyued by them whēsoeuer that he came and vnderstandinge the Venetian armata to be alredie ariued there and that the chiefe conspiratours were taken and put to death immediatly he chaunged purpose and directed his Nauie into the greater sea and commaūded a great number of horsemen to passe into Valachia and to spoyle destroye there what they coulde as they were doinge of this he beseged the Citie of Caffa both by sea and lande he planted his batteries and began to tormente them ercidingly with his shotte the Genoueses which there were whoe were many in number possessid great riches bothe of marchandize and treasour whoe being amased by this sodden assaulte and seing them selues oute of al hope of succour after that they had defendyd it nobly by the space of certaine dayes thoughte it not good there to loose bothe lyfe and goodes wherupon they practized an appointement And agreing vpon the same delyuered the towne vpon condition to enioye al their goodes which promis was but euell obserued for somuche as they toke from thence manye of the principall families with that they had and sent them to Constantinople and constrained them there to dwell and made the Citizens of Caffa his tributaries and forbadde them vpon paines of lyfe to departe from thence or to send away from thence any of their substance or riches And in this sorte the Citie of Caffa standing vpō the sea called Eusino which had ben of a longe tyme possessyd by the Genoueses became subiecte to the tiranouse gouernance of the Turckes when Mahomethe acordinge to his determination had clearely banished y e Christians oute of Gretia he leuied an armie of a hundred thousand men and sent them into Albania to beseege the towne of Scutarie which standeth neare the riuer called Buiana not farre from the ancient Citie Appollonia which then was possessyd by the Venetianes and furnished with dyuers Constables and bandes of Italianes bothe fotemen and horsemen when the infydels were comne before Scutarie they enuironned the towne with their campe and planted their batteries contynewing them daye and night with oute cease with maruelouse furie and they of the towne dyd w t no lesse corage defend them selues And throughe the noble myndes and discipline of the Christian Captaines all the Turckes preparationes and attemptes were renderid vaine and of none effecte they were enforced to consume all that sommer in vaine before that towne and when the Autoume drewe on the Turckes throughe the sharpnes of the aire and y e pestilent winds which bette vpō them contynually throughe the mouth of the ryuer fell into diseases in such sorte as they were enforced to abandone the seege and to with drawe themselues into those mountaines of Macedonia that were nearest to Scutarie in intention to retorne thyther againe as sone as the infection of the aire shoulde cease and whileste they wintred there the lieutenante of the armie toke with him certaine of his chosen bandes and made warres vpon Iohn Gernoi whiche possessyd dyuerse townes in the mountaines of Albania he toke frō him the towne of Sabiaco and when he had by force taken the Citie of Diuastro and Lisso he put to death all the men that were within them with sondrie torments and tiranouse deathes he made the wemen and chyldren slaues which he there founde and went in y e spring folowing againe to the sege of Scutarie althoughe he were oute of hope to take it by force yet he thoughte in time throughe famine to possesse it whervpon he cnnironned the towne with his campe in such sorte y e they coulde nether send forth to their fryndes anye aduertise ment nor receaue from them anye in telligence or relife on the other side the Venetianes coulde neuer perswade the pope to abstaine from the warres which he had begone in Tuscane againste the Florentynes to vnite hys force with them and so to enuade the infidels for so muche as they alone withoute the ayde of any other had borne the whole charge of the warres in Gretia by the space of 25. yeres being w t the intollerable charges therof weried for that they were enforced to holde contynually a greate Nauie vpon the Coaste of Gretia for the defence of suche fortes and townes as they possessed there and beside that they dyd contribute very largely to y e pope for y ◠manitenance of his warres in Tuscane against the Florentines whervpon lyke wise men they Iudges that yf the Florentine shoulde happen to be subdued the enemie moughte also easyly take frō them all suche places as they possessyd in the maine lande of Italie wherfore they thought it good to disbordē them selues of so greate a charge and by meanes of certaine Greekes practized an appointemente with Mahometh and concluded a peace with him for manye yeres vpon conditione that for his honours sake they shoulde be contented to delyuer into his hands the towne of Scutarie and besydes that that they shoulde paie vnto him in consideration of the charges that he had ben at acording to the entreatie had bytwene his and their commissioners two hundred thousand ducates within the space of two yeres then nexte ensuing and in consideration of this he gaue vnto them she libertie to haue in Constantino ple a Bailo to determine the differences that shoulde happen betwene y ◠Venetianes there when Mahometh had in this sorte concluded peace with the Venetianes he deuided his armie sending the one parte therof into Hungarie which made a great course there and the other whiche was his Nauie he sent to lande in Pulia where they raised a great proie both of men and catell after that he made warres againste them of the Isle of Rhodes sent thyther one of his Basrias with a great power and when he had landed his people which was y e xxi of Maie in the yere of our helthe M. CCCC.lxxiiii he proied and spoyled all the circuite of the Isle whiche is a hundred and twentie myles and when he had thus done he presented his campe to the Citie of Rhodes assayled it bothe by sea and lande planted his batteries and ceased them nether daye ne nighte the great master of y e order wyth his kinghtes and souldiours and other Christianes that there were defended the towne so nobly repaired it with such industrie as it was a maruel they salied forth daiely and scaramoshed with them the enemies vsed all