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
Setalia doth possesse that part of Cilicia that doth face the Iste of Cipres and although that Amorath had determined in his minde y e enterprise against y e hungarianes yet he thought it good to make him selfe lord of y e rest of Gretia or at y e leaste to leaue them his frynds at hys backe wherupon he entred into Peloponesso which at this daye is called morea and from thence marched on with his armies to y e straite which beig in breddeth but fiue thousād pases doth deuide Peloponesso frō the rest of Gretia in sorte that if this distraite of y e land were cut through Peloponesso shold be Isle enufroned w t y ◠seas Egeo and Ionio there rased y e walle of Esmillia y e which in tim paste was made by the Greekes for a strengeth to their contre Cōstantainte y e dispotto who at that time possessed it seing him selfe not able to defend it dyd groe to an appointment with him and agred to giue him a certaine tribute and by that meanes made peace with him When Amorathe had thus broughte to passe the affares of Peloponesso and possessid the whole prouince of Attica and was agreed with the lord of the citie of Athenes which was aflorin tine by Birth he assembled an armie of a hundred thousands of men and so passed into hungarie being there coulde by no meanes get sufficencie of corne ne victuales for such an armie for so much as y e yere before there had fallē so much raine ī hungarie y e it had in maner vtterly distroied their corne in so much that y e inhabitāts therof were enforced to leaue y e cōtery in manye places therof to seke for reliefe in other places y e which whē he considered he cōmaūded to spoyle the contrey as much as in thē was thē retorned home w t his armie This scarcety wante of victual did at y e time saue the kingdome of Hungarie for by meanes of it Amorath was cōstrained to retorne home w t his armie to cōtēt thē selues w t y e simple spoile y e they there found Thē Eugenio y e forth of y e name Bushope of Rome vnderstādig in what peril y e cōtrey of Hūgari was sent in to Almany Iuliano Cesearino his legate dalatere Cardinall S. Agnolo to perswad y e Emperour and other princes of y e almanigne nation to ayde the king of Hūgari which Cesarino when he cam into Almagnie did earnestly desire y e Emperour to take vpon him y e defence of y e Kingdom of Hungarie against y e enemies of y e Christiā faith when he had thus done he wente into Hungarie and there by his auctoritie effectuous persuasion so moued y e people y e euery man toke his furniture weapon wolde not tarye y e aide y e was promysed thē out of Almaigne but folowed Iohn Vaiuoda their captayne marched on into Gretia vntill they came to the citie of Sophia hauinge often times occasiō to deale w t the Turkes had alwayes y e victorie of thē Vaiuoda wanne so great estimatiō in this iourney in y e which he did not onely fully execute y e office dutie of an excellēt discret Captaine but also of a valiaūt and hardie souldiour so that it was growen to a Prouerbe amonge y e Turkes y e whē y e mothers woulde appease their chyldren from crying or els w t drawe them frō any fonde desyre y e they had they would say here cōmeth Vaiuoda After this all y e Sangiachi gatherid thē selues together w t y e Lieu tenaunt of Gretia which in y e Turkishe speche is called Belagarbei they vnited theyr powers marched toward the christians w t a very puysaunt armye bothe of horse men and foote men and ioyned wyth theym in battaile but the Christians in numbre were farre in feriour to the infidels who fought for a longe time verye valiantly with the hungarianes but at the laste being ouercomme through the vertue and discipline of y e hungarianes torned their backes and flied and in thys flight were flaine a great numbre of them In this acte ofarmies y e hungarian Captaines did some what augment the victorie and wrote to frederick the Emperour declaring that they had defeicted the turkishe armie and slaine thritye thousand of them vpon the place and also taken of them a greate numbre but it semeth to me rather that to be true that the Cardinall Sainte Agnolo wrote to the pope and the Emperour which was that the number of them y ◠were slaine was vpon the pointe of syre thousand and that also they had takē ix cornets of the enemies and thus attributing the glory to God and then to Iohn the Vaiuoda whose great vnderstanding and magnanimitie he doth celebrate with maruelouse praises when the turkes were retorned home frō this defeicte thei were more afraied them hurt by meanes of a brute that ran among them that the hungarianes dyd not onely make preparation to inuade them but the Almaignes and all the princes of Christendome also wherupō they being in great doute and feare sent to the hungarianes for peace who well weing y e power of y e enemye imputed the victorie as well to good happe as to their force and were willing to auoide the danger of anye more enhaxarding their force to attempte fortune whereupon with good wil accepted the conditiones offeryd vnto them and in this sorte astablished a treues betwine them for ten yeres conditionally y e they shoulde restore againe to y e Dispotto of Seruia all such townes of his as they then helde presently in their possessyon when y e agrement was thus put in writing them were they on both partes solempnely sworne to obserue and fulfill all such articles as were notified with in the said treues and thus on both sydes they ceassed from hosti litie disolued their armies and eyther retorned to hys contrey The Cardinall who had determyned to leuye a newe armie and so to folowe the victorye was verye muche displeased with the makyng of this trewes and wrote his minde to the Pope in that behalfe who was very sorowfull when he harde of it and beynge a man fully bent to chase the Infidels out of Europe wrote agayne to hys Legate that the trewes taken betwene the Hungarians and the Turkes was of no value for so much as his consent was not in it and therefore charged him to commaunde Laodislao Kynge of Polonia who at that tyme possessed Hungarie that he shoulde breake the trewes made with the enemie and reuyue the warres for so much as he and the rest were dispensed with as touchynge theyr othe by the authoritie of the Apostolike seate then the bishop sent forth hys Legates to the rest of the Christian princes desyring them to ayde the Kyng of Hungarie in this enterprise against
of Corintho and besegid it bothe by sea and land when Mahomethe was aduertized of the arriualle of the venetianes and of the great daunger that Corintho was in he put his Nauie to the sea and embarqued his armie gyuinge them commission to haste with all celeritie toward Corintho as sone as the infidele armie was landed in Morea they assailed forth with the walle of Esmilia and laide their batteries to it whervpon the Christianes not beinge able to stande to the defence therof gaue it ouer to the enemies and retired to their campe the which as sone as the Turckes Captaines espied they forthe with cut throughe the walle and entred marching on with their armie towarde the enemie who refused not y e battayle but marched also towarde them and withoute delaie ioined with them in battaile which contynuinge for the space of certaine houres was bothe terrible bloddie and in the ende the Christianes being werie and not able to endure the force of the Turckes whoe contynually supplied y â— fighte with freshe and reposed squadrones in the place of the weried and spoyled began to retire toward the sea thincking to saue them selues by fleing to their Nauie and brake their order and being folowed by the Turckes horsemen were slaine and taken in great numbre and loste also their artillerie munition and cariadge and in this sort was the sege of Corintho raised and then with great triumphe retorned the infidels to Constantinople leading with them the Christian prisoners enchayned as sone as they were there arriued they caused a great number of them with great crueltie to be cut in peces in the market place the reste they lad with them lyke flockes of shepe throughe the Townes of Asia solde them for slaues in euery place y â— they passed by The Venetianes beinge greatly discoraged throughe this defeicte and fearing that they had procured to them the Turcks indignation by y â— meanes of the soodden warres which they had made vpon him wherupon they addressed them forth with to the pope â— sent their Oratours to Rome to desire and solicite thâ— pope with greate instance to make warres vpon thâ— Turcke and to haste the iorney into Asia declaring vâ— to him that if he deferred the tyme Mahometh shoulde haue good commoditie to take all the townes in Gretiâ— that were in the possession of the Christians and cheifely those that were vpon the sea coaste by meanes wher of they shoulde not be able to maintaine any Nauie vp on that coaste hauinge no hauens nor goolfes at their commaundemente the Byshoppe althoughe he knewe that to be true which they said being very sorie to consider the peryl wherin they were dyd put them in good hope that he wolde acomplishe their request althoughe in dede he sawe no meanes howe to doe it for that he coulde get no aide from beyonde the mountaines for as much as the case eas such that after that the councell of Mantoa was licensyd all Europe was fylled with diuision and priuate innimities and regarded not at al the good determination of y e generall enterprise against the infidels agreed vpoÌ„ at Mantoa for in Almanie there was warres betwene the Duke of Bauera and the Saxons and ether parte employed their frindes and by that meane drewe to them the greatest parte of Almanie The Emperour pretending to succide in the roiall seate of Hungarie his Nephewe Laodislao kinge therof wolde not endure that the king Mathias should possesse it wherfore he emploied all his force against y â— Hungarianes The Frenshe kinge beinge much offendyd with the pope for that he crowned and admitted to the seate Royall of Pulia the kinge Ferdinando a bastarde sonne of the king Alsonso not regrading at al the righte that the kinge Renato of Angio his cosen had to the afore saide kingdome dyd not onelye refuse to send aide to this generall enterprise but threatned the pope continually to send his armie into Pulia The Inglishe men whiche were neuer wonte to fayle in anye enterprise agaist the enemies of the Christian faithe being sore vexed with Ciuile warres hauinge two kinges liuing at once which soughte no meanes but onely howe the one mought chase the other oute of the realme the people beinge deuided y e one parte fauoring henry their auncient kinge the whiche by Edward Duke of yorke was chased oute of the Realme the other sorte soughte â—o maintaine the partie of kinge Edwarde vnto whom y e Duke of Burgonie gaue aide and Loise the Frenshe kinge aided the kinge henry whose sonne with y â— counte of warwicke entred England gaue battaile to kinge Edward In Spaine the citie of Burcelona in the conâ—rey of Catalonia reuolted against their prince the king Iohn of Arragone kinge of Nauarre and were ayded maintained against him by the kinge of Castilia on the other syde the Frenshe kinge gaue ayde to the kinge Iohn of Nauarre to recouer againe his righte who was encamped before the citie with his power and for y â— that god wolde not that anye parte of Europe shoulde be at quiete he sturred vp in Fraunce the Duke Iohn sonne to the king Renato of Angio who passed into y â— kingeâ—ome of Naples with a greate Nauie of Galleys shippes and while he was there he so practized that he diuiâ—ed the whole force of Italie the one parte therof fauoâ—ing the house of Angio and the other parte the house of Aragone so that in those warres all the nobilitie of y â— kingdome as men oute of their wittes deuided them selues into sondrie factiones not onely they of the kingdome but of all the states of Italiâ— The Venetianes Genoueses with diuerse other princes fauored the parâ—ie of the Duke Iohn The pope and the Duke of Mylâ—ane discouered them selues in the fauour of y â— king Ferâ—ante and sent him diuers bandes bothe of horsemen â—otemeÌ„ The florentines althoughe generally they were â—nclyned to fauour the Frenshe partie by meanes of â— league made betwene the house of Angio and them and were bounde to the kinge Renato yet notwithstanding being gouerned by the appetite of their rules they were perswaded that it was not good for them to take parte in so gerat warres and to enter into newe charges but to stande as newtres but in dede they showed â—hem selues fryndes to the house of Aragone whervpon forthwith they cassed many of their bandes with the lorde Simonetto one of their chiefe conductours and permitted them to serue the kinge ferrante thus secretly they ayded the partie of Arragone wherupon the pope beinge empeched by meanes of these emotions determined to defer the purposed enterprise against the Turcke vntyll suche tyme as the deuisiones and tumultes of Europe and chiefly those of Italie were appeased wherupon he departed from Siena rteorned to Rome purposing to acquiet and redresse the temporall state of his church which was maruelously disordered shaken by
rebell and a mortall enemye to the kynge aforesayde was then in the Citie of Trani in the forte therof and with the souldiours that he had he made cōtynuall warres against the kyng Ferrante dyd greatly annoie him wherfore Scanderbeg beinge muche moned therwith rote to Trani and toke it and Fusano also who for that he wolde be set at libertie and mought haue meanes to escape commaunded his Nephewe to yelde the forte into the handes of Scanderbeg When this was done Scanderbeg set Fusano at libertie and suffred him to ronne his waye When Scanderbeg had recouered againe all the kynges Cities townes and fortes which were wonte to obey him he went straight to the kynge and restored him to them al praying with great instancie and modestie his highnes to performe and kepe all his promises which he had made to his subiectes which thinge the kynge promised and fulfylled for the great good wyll that he bare vnto Scanderbeg Then y e kyng caused to make soleme triumphes Iustes torneies and huntings with other sumptuouse showes After this he gaue to all Scanderbegs Captaines and chiefe souldiours great presentes and giftes to Scanderbeg he gaue certaine faire Castells in Apuglia and then after great thanckes cortese offres of both partes Scanderbeg retorned into Albania safely whē the Albaneses vnderstode of the comminge of their lorde with so great triumphe and victorie the chiefe of them went to doe reuerence vnto him and to visyte his highnes with great presentes giftes of victual as fatt Calues yonge Oxen Kiddes Lames Wethers Feisants Partridges Quailes Tortelles Thrusshes Woodcokes Snypes Pluuers Henes Pigiones Capones Hares Conniesred Deare Valoe Deare Boares Gyse and other beastes and foules bothe greate and smale wylde and tame with all kynde of other victualles and with fyshe notwithstandinge his courte was alwaye very well furnished of victualles besydes these presentes for he had in his courte that lyued by his meate and drincke 5300. persones and his custume was to gyue meate drincke to all his subiectes that came aboute anye sutes thither he entertayned very honorably all suche as came to visyte him his chiefe coūcellers sate alwaies at his owne table euery man in his degree often tymes he wolde cause them to drincke oute of his owne cuppe a thynge in that countre of great estimation as when a souldiour hath put him selfe in greate peryll for the safetie of hys prince in token of the great fauour that he bare him he wolde some tyme drincke to him cause him to drincke oute of his owne cuppe After this Scanderbeg went to his confynes to visite his Captaine that he had lefte there Whē he went into Apuglia and there he made great banckettes to his Captaine and all his souldiours and gaue to diuerse of his fryndes and thiefe souldiours great gyftes to some he gaue apparell of clothe of golde to others sylke to some scarlate other colours to some he gaue horses to others money to some one thinge and to others an other acordinge to euery mannes deseruinges so that euery man was very well pleased besyde this he neuer denyed almes to anye pore man that asked him for Christes sake and in those dayes he gaue great almes and chiefely to the sonnes of those noble men that had byn chased oute of their countres by the Turckes and to dyuerse noble straungers that came to him from farre to whom he gaue not onely money and apparell but also possessiones to maintaine them honestly to lyue lyke Christianes in the feare of god When the Turcke vnderstode that Scāderbeg was retorned safely with such triumphe and honor it greuyd him muche as it is well knowen for Mahomethe dyd neuer vnderstande that Scanderbeg had ben in Apuglia in person but thought that he had sent onely that Captaine Coico with 500. horses to the kynge aforesayde for yf the Turcke had vnderstode that Scanderbeg had gone in person he had notwithstandinge the trewse emploied all his force to destroie spoyle and conquere all his countre When the trewse was ended the Turcke gaue commaundemēt to his Captaine that he shoulde in no wise enuade Scanderbeg onles that he began with him and in this meane tyme he went with his armie against the Dispoto of Morea a man of great estimation he chased hym oute of hys countre and conquered it in the yere 1460. After this he went against the Emperour of Trebisonda he toke and conquered all his state After this he went against the Isle of Meteline and immediatly toke it after this he marched against the Duke Stephano Hierceco and toke from him all his countrey sauing y e Castell of Noui which standeth vpon the mouthe of Cataro and at this present is possessid by the Turcks The same Tiran toke also manye other places that dyd appertaine to the Christians by meanes wherof he was becomme muche more puissante then before when the Turcke sawe him selfe in this sorte victoriouse and triumphante by meanes of the greate enlarginge of hys state he determyned to make warres vpon Scanderbeg wherfore he appointed to Sinan his Bassa aforesayde 23. thousande Turckes horsemen gyuinge him cōmaundement to goe vpon the sudden and to assayle Scanderbeg wherof as sone as Scanderbeg was aduertised he sent for fyue thousand souldiours moe horsemen fotemen to the. 3. thousand which he had alredie with him then departed with great sylence in the nighte laide his people vpon the waye that the Turcke must passe toke an hill which is not farre from a place celled Mocre ouer the which hill the Turckes must in any wise passe when the Turcks were come to the fote of that hil they began to goe vp towarde the heighte therof not thinckinge anye thing at all of Scanderbeg and immediatly he caused to sounde the a larme with suche force charged those scatered Turckes in suche sorte that he put them to flyghte in suche disorder that none of them turned for his felowe But Scanderbeg continued stil the chase vntyll y ◠he had flayne the greatest partie of them besyde those that he toke prisoners After this he distributed al the proie to his souldiours who throughe their contynuall exercise in battayle were becomme inuincible so that they were of exceding noble myndes al feare was banished oute of their heddes they coulde endure al kynde of trauayle and miserie this was the onely cause whye Scanderbeg obtained so many victories I saye y e seconde cause for the fyrst was the grace of god The nexte day folowing Scanderbeg made a great course in to the Turckes countre and toke an excedinge greate proye and retorned into hys countre safely with al his After this the Turcke sent an other Captaine of his called Assābeg with an excedinge great armie into Albania and soughte a battayle with Scanderbeg with in shorte space all the chiefe conductours of hys armye were slayne whervpon the Turckes fled and the greatest number of
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
throughe theyr wysedome and policie gatherid togyther wythin the space of two yeres an armie of xx legions of foremeÌ„ and of xx M. horse men a legion acording to the opinion of Liuie had in it the number of fyue thousand foure hundred souldiours and acording to the mynde of Vigetius it was of the number of syxe thousand and some tyme of greater number besyde this they had a Nauie of two hundred great shippes at the leaste they were thorowly furnished with all kinde of Munition and well prouided of money this had they brought to passe in the space of two yeres hauing Octauius surnamed Angustus Marcus Antonius Marcus Lepidus to enemyes who then gouerned in the triumuirate at Rome and dyd contynually persecute them with warres by all meanes possyble as the aforesaid auctor plainly doth declare Also they brought vnder their gouernaunce all the countres euen from Macedonia to the floodde Euphrates besyde these examples the histories are full of the praises of worthy generalles but by the way I wolde not that any man shoulde thincke that I doe so greatly honor the iudgement of the generall that I wolde therby condempne discipline in anye respecte in the which I wolde haue the souldiour broughte vp and trained but I doe thincke it as requisite that the generall with his chiefe officers of the armie be of iudgment sufficient to directe the vse of this disciplne as it is for the souldiours to be brought vp and instructed therin and the armie that wanteth eyther of them to witt the disciplined souldiour and the generall of iudgment is not perfecte nor sufficient to take any great enterprise in hand There is nothing more proffytable nor mete to bring a generall to this perfection then to adde to his experience the reding of histories in the which he shall se plainly set before his eyes in what order battailes haue ben foughte ouerthrowes gyuen victorie vsed countres defended and conquestes made wherfore if the generall with his chiefe officers wante this perfection they are not greatly to be feared althoughe their armi be of trained souldiours Furthermore their is nothing more to be embraced by a worthy generall then modesty and there is nothinge more peryllous in a Generall then to be ambitious rashe and wilfull as for example at the battayle of Canua as plutarck declareth in the second part of his lyues in the lyfe of Fabius Maximus and also of Aniball howe that both the Romane consulles were there pesent the one was Paulus Emitius a man of great iudgment and worthynes in armes the other was Caius Terentius Varro a vaine and wylfull man full of ambition glory boasting This Terentius coulde not be contentid to gouerne iointly with his companion and to vse mutual councell but wolde haue the gouernement deuided and wolde gouerne euery other daye absolutely to auoide conteÌ„cion Paulus Emilius graunted thervnto Emilius sawe howe to chase Aniball oute of Italie withoute hazarding of any one battayle and therfore he determyned to prolong the warres and seinge Anibal in a straunge countre in great extremitie throughe want of victualles his armie being of many nations he was assured by these meanes to enforce him to abandone Italie for that tyme contraryly Terentius being a maÌ„ of smale iudgment in Martiall affares did taunte blame and openly spake euill of that noble man Emilius hauing no respecte at all to his worthynes and wisdome but sayde it was great shame to see the enemy daily in battayle and the Romanes to lye idle within theyr campe not weing what it was that constrained the enemy so to doe wherfore wheÌ„ he had brought to passe that he mought gouerne euery other day Anibal being newly comme with his army to Canua and there lodged and the Romanes beyng lodged vpon both sydes of the Ryuer Aâ—sido nowe called â—ofanto not farre from him as sone as hys daye came in the morning by the rising of the sunne he caused to set vp on the heighte of his tente a token to signifie that he wolde gyue battayle which the Italianes call Veste militare this did he directly against the wyll of his companion when Aniball sawe this he was excedyng glade for it made well for his purpose for he was in great extremetie throughe wante of victuall Terentius had double the number of souldiours that Aniball had His souldiours were well trayned and broughte vp in discipline whom he put in ordre and gaue battayle the horse of Emitius was slayne vnder him and he foughte on fote lyke a noble man when Terentius sawe his people like to be ouerthroweÌ„ he fledde Emitius lyke a noble man foughte contynually tyll at the laste seing the Romanes all slayne and fled he sate him downe vpon a stone being full of woundes and embrued with bloude that no man dyd knowe him tyll at the laste Cornelius Lentulus a noble yonge man came by him knew him he lighted immediatly from his horse aud desyred him to lepe on and to saue him selfe for the loue of his Citizens who had great nede of so worthy a Captaine as he was but he aunswered not so O Lentulus but commauÌ„ded him to lepe to horse and said declare vnto Fabius Maximus and also be thou witnesse howe that Paulus Emilius hath obserued his councell euen to the laste of his lyfe and hath not broken one iote of the promes that he made vnto him and that he was not ouercomme onely by Aniball but also by Terentius and with suche commendations he licensed Lentulus and then he fell downe amonge the ded bodyes gaue vp the spirit Here was seen to the great hindrance of the Romane Citie the difference betwyne the modestie of Emilius and the arogancie of Terenrius Liuie saith that in this battayle there were slayne xl M fote men and two thousand seuen hundred horsemen pollibie declareth of a great number but trueth it is that the Romanes nether in the fyrst nor seconde warres of the Carthagvnenses receaued a greatter ouerthrowe then this for so muche as Emilius the Cousul a man of great worthines and vertue redi in all doutes towarde his countre with Seruilius whiche was Consul the yere before and a number of worthye Citizens eles who had byn Consulles pretors Tribunes Ediles and inche lyke were there slayne The lyke happened in Puglia and other tyme Fabius Maximus being then dictator Anibal determyned to winter with his army in a Citie named Glereon a Citie of great welthe Fabius encamped as neare him as he mought conueniently and being called to Rome for sondrie great affares of the common welthe lefte his armie vnder the conducte of Marcus Minutius with expresse commaundement nether to assayle the enemye ne yet to gyue battayle in anye wyse It happened after the departure of the dictator a squadrone of the enemies to goe forthe into the countre for corne Minutius hearing of it brake the commauÌ„demeÌ„t of the dictator marched forth with certaine
felde were of great iudgement whose good order dyd not à litle preuaile in that behalfe Besyde this it was not only an armie of trained souldiours that discomfyted the Samnites not farre from the Citie Suessola where they slewe an exceding great number of them and toke 40. thousande sheldes which were of the men that were slaine and also 170. standardz Cornetts and Euseignes as wytnesseth Liuie in his vii Booke of his first decade but that also the Iudgement of the Consul dyd muche preuayle in that behalfe who when he sawe the great number of his enemies coÌ„maunded his souldiours to holde them within his campe whervpoÌ„ the Samnites presuming conteÌ„ned the enemie and neglicted order and dispersed them selues all the countrey ouer to prouyde them of corne and other victualles and lefte theyr campe vngarded in effecte which when the consul vndestode he exhorted the souldiours to behaue them valiantly and immediatly went forth of his campe and assayled the campe of his enemyes and in the first charge he slewe the greatest number of them as they were in their tentes and lodgings and then commaunded to set all theyr Cornetts Enseignes and standardz vpon the trenches of theyr campe which he had taken from them and then lefte for the gard of the campe two legions with commaundement that on payne of death no man shoulde take any thing of the spoyle of the campe vntyll his retorne whervpon he marched on with his armye in order towarde the enemy and sent his horsemen before him who charged the negligent and vnprouided enemyes being dispersed all ouer the felde and vtterly destitute of order so that they fled with great confusioÌ„ and feare not knowing whyther it were best to fle wheÌ„ this was done the counsul retorned to the campe with great victorie and then gaue the spoyle of the campe of the enemyes to his souldiours In lyke sort was the perfecte order of L. Scipion counsul no lesse helpfull to his armye when that he defeicted the mitghty army of Antioche kyng of Asia vp on the Ryuer Phrigio neare to the Citye Magnesia as wytnessyth Liui in his fourth decade and vii Booke And in lyke sorte dyd the indgemeÌ„t of AlexaÌ„dre the great helpe his souldiours iÌ„ the battayle that he fought with Darius in the which with a smale number of trained souldiours he defeicted 6. hundred thousand Persians as witnesseth Blondo in his x booke de La institution de La chose publique In the lyke sorte was the iudgment of T. Quintius Flaminius helpful to his trained atmie wheÌ„ he dyd ouerthrowe Philippe the Macedone prince besyde Scotusa in Gretia slewe viii thousands of his souldiours and toke fyue thousand of them prisoners as witnessyth Plutarck in his Boke called the seconde part of his lyues in the lyfe of the same Flaminius Besyde this it was not onely the continuall exercise and disciplyne of the souldiours of Scanderbeg that gaue vnto the Turckes so manye ouerthrowes as are declared in his Commentaries althoughe they were becomme throughe their continuall exercise as it were inuincible but his great iudgement in the arte of the warres was a greate parte of the cause therof for he knewe when and howe to take the aduantage of his enemye Also to coÌ„me to oure age in the battayle that Frauncys the fyrst of that name Frenshe king fought at Marignian with the Suysses where great skyll and valiantize was showed on both partes yet was not the victorie wonne alone throughe the discipline of the souldiours but also throughe the iudgement of the conductours The lyke may be sayd of the battayle that the Countie de Augimen fought at Serizoles wyth the Marques of Guasto in the yere of oure Lord. 1544 The lyke of the battayle of Pauie betwyne the aforesayd Frenshe kinge and the Duke of Burbone lieutenante of the Imperiall armie Also the lyke of the battayle betwyne Charles the fyrst and the Duke Iohn of Saxon the Lansgraue of â—esse in Almaigne What shulde I saye any more to proue this to be true the histories doe all affyrme that the vnderstandinge of the generall doth greatly helpe to the obtayning of the victorie and withoute it a trayned armie is but as a man mayned in comparison of a maÌ„ that hath all his liÌ„mes souÌ„d and perfecte and of all the victories that I haue here spoken of and also of all those that I haue red of besydes those that I haue seen I haue not founde one gyuen by vntrayned souldiours Wherfore no armie may be called perfecte that wanteth these two kindes of men in it which is the general of perfecte iudgement the souldiour brought vp in discipline Vigetius sayeth in his .28 chapiter of his fyrste Booke of arte of the warres that the Epirotes and Macedonines people of great power adorned with many victories and also the Thesalique nation who brought vnder theyr yoke the Persians euen to the confynes of India besydes these Lacedemonies Athenies Marsians and Samnites The Datianes Medes and Thratianes which were so warlike that it was sayd amonge them that Mars whom the hethen call the god of battayle was borne in theyr countre all these nations dyd the Romanes throughe their perfecte discipline bring vnder theyr rule Also Vigetius saithe in his fyrst Boke and fyrst chapter of the arte of the warres that the great number of the Frenshe shoulde haue denoured the smale number of the Romanes had not ben theyr discipline only besydes that it had not ben possyble for the Romanes to haue resysted the populouse mighty nations of the Germanes but only by theit disciplin moreouer they shulde not haue ben able to encouÌ„tte the lustie puisante nations of Spaine had not ben their discipline yea by what meanes preuailed they against the wise and welthy Affricanes but only throughe discipline by what meanes brought they vnder yoke the mighty and subtill nation of Grekes but only by their discipline The noble Emperour Frederick Barberouse being entred Italie with his armie to chastize the Millaneses for their rebellion wolde in no wise offer warre to his enemies vntill his souldiours had fworne vnto him to obserue the discipline of the warres Paulus Iouius saith that the Hungarians so longe as they dyd obserue discipline were well able to defende their owne gaue the Turcks sondrie ouerthrowes Valâ—ius Maximus in his second Boke calleth discipline not only the foundatioÌ„ of the Romane Empire but also the preseruatioÌ„ maintenance of the same for in dede it is a harde matter to ouerthrowe a worthy generall hauinge an armie of well choseÌ„ souldiours obedient well exercised in the feates afore meÌ„cioned doe knowe what the weapons are worthe that they beare being well furnished and well instructed in order knowing the coÌ„moditie therof so longe as in battayle they doe obserue it for it is an impossibilitie to gyue any great ouerthrowe we to meÌ„ that obserue their order in the which they are plased doe vse their weapons accordingly Wherfore
neare then to make good the place and to accepte the battaile for in giuing battaile they had great reasoÌ„ to hope for the victorie consyderinge it hath bene often seen that the lesser armie hath defeicted the greater and also that in giuing battaile the vertue and discipline of men is of more valewe then the numbre more ouer he beleued that they wolde fighte with great assurance for so much as they fought for the reale of the religyon of the most highe Monarcque God in whose hands are al armies and kingdomes who woulde ayde and fauour his faithfull considerynge the iustnesse of their cause and contrariwise he was assured that the victorie by fleyght shoulde be geuen to the enemies wythout losse of theyr bloode or well payinge for it And when he had sharpely reproued Vaiuoda of the braue and manifique words that he spake the day before being ful of yre commaunded all that were armed to folowe hym and thus very boldly thrust forwarde towarde the enemie Amorath went vp to a litle hil from whence he mought wel discerne bothe the doings of the Christians and of his people also and there seyng the Christians marche toward him already in battayle he commaunded a squadron of xv thousand horses to charge them to begynne the battell The Christians receyued the charge of the Turkes wyth greate assurance and then gaue the charge vpoÌ„ them and thrust in among them and so vsed theyr handes that there was greate slaughter on bothe â—artes but farre greater on the parte of the infidelles who not being able in the first encountre to endure the â—orce of the Christianes retired them selues and the â—ungarianes charged them with such force that they enforced them to desorder them selues and to turne their backes and flye toward their campe when Amorath be helde the shameful flighte disorder of his people cleane contrarie to his expectation he was so dismaid and ouerwhelmed with feare that he torned his horse and began to flie which wheÌ„ his Bastias and captaines of the Gia â—izzaries perceaued they laid hand of the brydle of hys horse and staied him of force and so marched towarde y e enemies with him threating him to cut him in peces yf that he refused his place and in this sorte enforced him to tarie and y e worthiest men of his armie came to him to encorage him and then restored the fighte in the wicch they emploied them selues with great obstinaâ—ie and force on both partes by the space of certaine houres the one part hauing nowe the better and then the other in suche sorte that it was hard to iudge where the victorye sholde light for the slaughter was great on both sydes but farre greater on the partie of the infidels then of y e Christians for that they were nothinge so well armed as the christians were but in the ende they so encreased with newe squadrons of men emploing them in y e place of the weried and spoiled squadrons the whiche relyfe the Christians wanted to froonte their enemies wyth and beyng thus ernesly occupyed in the battayle for the space of many houres the hungarianes wexed werie being ouercome with the ouer much trauaile that they had endured in this battaile therforce began to faile theÌ„ wherupon they retired them selfes by litle and litle y e whiche when Laodislao perceaued he toke wyth hym a mightie squadrone of horse men of Pâ—lonia in whom he had great confidence and to encorage his people disorder his enemies then in maner victorious he caused his troupe to sture them and passed on with his cariadge and monition in very strong order to the hyll afore said where Amorathe stode with his garde and assailed him with suche assurance and force that Amorathe was disordered with his garde also and being vtterly dismaieâ— determined yet once againe to flee and throughe oute his whole armye there was nothinge but disorder anâ— confusyon they were so stryken wyth feare that euery man determined by flighte to saue one And it is not to be douted that yf Iohn Vayouoda with his people had come on and folowed the king and continued y e charge which the kyng gaue vpon the enemies and so folowed the course of victorie but that the Christianes had that daie ouerthroen Amorathe with all his power and taken from hym the Empyre of Gretia but Vaiuoda as sone as he consydered the werynesse of hys people and sawe the enseignes of the Christianes begyn to declyne giue place serred him selfe with a troupe of ten thousande hungers and Valacques his trustie souldiours with drewe him spedyly from the fighte without aduertising y e king any thing at al of his departure y e enemie yet making good y e place not thorowlie disordered the victorie also yet being doubtefull he sought to saue him selfe by flight their are some that for his excuse do say y â— he being a man of great experence in the warres sawe no meanes howe to saue the Christians from the slaugh ter wherfore he thoughte it better to saue those fewe then to suffer all to passe by the edge of the sworde the Pollonianes dyd euer after that inpute this defeicte of the Christians to the cowardize of Vaiuoda And he for hys excuse sayde that hys councell was contempned and not folowed Laodyslao beynge guided by euell happe and beynge farre forwarde assaylynge valyantly the carryages of the enemyes in the whyche assaulte he hade hys horse slayne vnder hym aud he hym selfe stryken to the grounde wyth manye woundes was there â—layne whose hed Amorathe commaunded to stryke of and to be set vpon on the the poynte of a launce and caryed aboute all the campe and then throughe all the prouynces of Gretya in token of the vyctorye all the bandes of Polonia that ther were were slayne vpon the place there scaped not one of them the campe and lodgynges were sacqued and those that were wyth the caryages and munition were all cutte in pieces the â—oble men and Prelates of Hungarie that were wyth â—he Kynge were all slayne in the battayle and â—ultan Cesarino the Cardinall fledde and so escaped â—he handes of the enemyes and beynge as he thoughte â—ute of daunger stayinge at a lake to geue hys horse â—ryncke there ouergate hym certayne Venturers Hungarians who knewe hym thynkyng that he had â—ad about hym a greate summe of treasure where vpâ—on they layde handes on hym and slewe hym spoyynge hym to hys verye shyrte leauynge hym naked â—pon the grounde a foode For Byrdes and wylde Beaâ—tes this was the ende of the Apostolike Legate a man â—n dede verye honorable and of great authoritye adorâ—ed wyth greate learnynge of all sortes and naturalâ—ye verye eloquent whyche gate hym great good wyll of the people he had manye other goodlye gyftes of Nature for he was of a goodlye stature well proporâ—ioned and faced very pleasaunt and affable courtese of peache hys lyfe was cleane and full
not depresse that desire of glorie which then was in him Althoughe some man moughte saye vnto me y ◠Caprestano cared not for his owne glorie but for the glorye of god declaringe his incomprehensyble power by aiding the Christians and gyuing them victorie by the aduise and industrie of a symple poore and vn armed freer to the whiche obiection I am content at this present to gyue place when Mahomethe had receuid this great bastonade and was retorned home it is said that he became more temperate and modeste and began to consider mannes astate and to depresse his arrogance and pride and he neuer happened afterwarde to heare anye talke of the iorney of Belgrado but it wolde put him in Cholere and make him to shake y ◠hed notwithstanding that he coulde wel dissemble his cause When Calixto was ded there succided him in his seate Enea Picolhuomini a Sienese borne whoe being desyrous to prouide for the defence of Christendome wente in person to Mantoa a citie in Lombardie where he had appointed a generall councell and at the daye appointed their came manye princes and the ambassadours of all the Christian potentates and the matter being there examined and debated for the space of eighte monethes in what sort they should make warres for the recouerie of Gretta and chasing of the enemies oute of Europe and hauing there a great nūbre of Christian princes which were verie colde in that behalfe and dyd slenderly satisfie the expectation of the pope whervpon when it was decreed that y e warres shoulde be taken in hand against the Turcke he licensed the Councell and departed towarde Rome determining to goe this iorney in person with his Nauie by the sea on thother syde Mahomethe hauinge intelligence of the greate preparation that the Byshope of Rome made determining to cut of all occasyones that mought trouble his state in Gretia and calhys enemyes thyther whervpon he sent hys armye againe into Morea aboute the yere of our saluation a thousand foure hundred and thre score and in a shorte space became lorde of the greatest parte of that contrey and hauing alredie takē the Dispotto therof dimetrio and sent him prisoner to Constantinople Thomas his elder brother being then prince of Acaia was maruelously in doubte of him selfe whervpon he toke with him oute of Acaia the hed of Saincte Andre the apostle and fled oute of his contrey into Italie with the afore sayde hed and manye other reliques of Sainctes came and presented bothe the reliques and him selfe to the pope Whoe receued the reliques and caused them to be placed with great solenpnitie in the churche of Sainte Peter prince of the Apostles in a certaine Chapell whiche he had buylded with great sumptuositie to Thomas prince of Achaia he appointed such promisiō as mought honorably maintaine his state duringe his lyfe in that same yere Mahometh went with his armie against the Emperour of Trebisonda and entred into Ponto with an exceding great Nauie and beseged Trebisonda both by sea and land and the Emperour making no great defence nether of him selfe ne yet of his citie was taken and brought on lyue to Mahometh whoe sent him prisoner to Constantinople and became not onely lord of Trebisonda but also of Sinopi the reste of the townes and cities that the Christians possessyd with in the contrey of Pontho whē he had thus done he returned with his Nauie into Gretia the yere folowing he put his Nauie againe to the sea and sent it to assaile the Isle of Mitelleme in the olde worlde called Lesbo which was possessyd at that tyme by the lorde frauneys Gattalusio a Genouese borne When he had brought his Nauie thither and landed his people in shorte tyme he toke al the fortes and townes of the Isle and then he brought his armie y e to Citie of Mitilleme wherin was the lorde of the Isle with all his power the Turckes beseged the towne bothe by sea and land in suche sorte that they of the towne coulde nether receaue into the towne men ne yet victuales then planted they theyr batteries and in shorte space made an exceding greate breache and yet they contynued it daye and night without gyuing anye tyme at all to the defendantes to repose them and after manye assaultes gyuen the defendantes were maruelously consumed by death and hurtes whervpon they assayled it rounde with al their force and in the ende entred after longe fighte the repares that the defendants had made and first became masters of the walles and then of the citie they put al the men of the towne to the sworde excepte the lorde of the Isle whom they toke prisoner they deflored all the Virgines of the towne and forced all the women of the same thei spoiled the towne of all y e riches that therein was and they lefte nothing nether sacred ne yet profane vndefiled and in this sorte they obtained an exceding riche spoyle both of treasure and prisoners of all kindes and ages which they lad with Gatalusio their lorde to Constantinople and solde them in their marcketes by companies lyke herdes of swyne for slaues a piteouse spectacle to beholde a certaine people of the Isle of Scio called Manoesy vnto whome the Isle of Scio dyd apartaine in y e right of their auncestours whoe at their owne charges wanne it notwithstanding they dyd owe sertaine homage to the citie of Genoa of the which they were citizenes when they vnderstode of the losse of Mitilene fearing leste the victoriouse Nauie should be emploied against thē thought it good to make the matter suer whervpon they sent an ambassade to Mahometh and agreed to gyue him yerely ten thousand ducates in the name of tribute and thus comitted them selues to his protection When the Venetianes vnderstode of y e taking of Morea the losse of Mitilene and Trebisonda they began to be in doubte of their Isles and townes that they possessyd in Gretia and sawe then their owne folie in that that thei had not in the begynninge aided those princes and people but suffred them to be denoured one after an other Mahometh to possesse their states and contreis whervpon they thought it better to assaile then to be assailed and therfore preuented the enemye being in good hope that the popes enterprise shoulde goe forewarde and take good effect by meanes wherof Mahometh shoulde haue ynought to doe to defende his owne dominions and contreys whervpon they put to the sea a greate Nauie of Galleys of diuers ordres of ores and manye greate shippes in whom they bestowed agreate numbre both of fotemen and horsemen Italians and so sayled on towarde the Archipelago or myddle sea when they had landed their people in Morea the fyrst thinge that they toke in hande was to make againe the walle of Esmilia and to make it as stronge as they coulde after that they marched on with their armie to y ◠citie
charged the Turckes againe with suche force that he thoughte veryly in that charge to disorder them but notwithstandinge that the Turckes receaued the charge with great difficultie yet they maintained their order styll and brake not and althoughe that they in dyuerse places makinge hed to the enemye they defendyd them selues but slenderly and were in maner redie to breake yet Baiazithe throughe his good order relyued them in suche sorte with his presence and his reposed garde of Gianizaries that he encoraged his people renued the fyghte and repulsed some what the Mamalukes and fearing that yf his people shoulde be charged againe by the Mamalukes he sholde not be able to maintaine their order whervpon he thoughte it good to preuent this mischeife and with all his force to charge the enemie and then retiring by litle and litle to abandone the fighte thincking in this forte to gyue place and to a noid the losse of his whole armie rather then to make good the place to be charged by the enemye and so put to fighte whervpon he retired his people in that same order wherin they had foughte all the daye before with their faces to warde the enemie fightinge cōtynually in their retreyte in good order althoughe notw toute great losse in this forte broughte his people into his campe to their lodginges which he lefte wel fortified with trenches and rampares and also well garded with souldiours whervnto when the Mamalukes approched the nexte morninge folowing and consyderid the fortification therof the greate quantitie of the artillerie placed vpon the bulwarckes and rampares therof and also the number of the garde there vnto appointed they durste not to assayle their campe but retired them selues And it semed to Diadaro that he had for that tyme well prouided both for the securitie of Soria and also for his estimation thincking it not good to entre into furder peril whervppon he retorned againe to Aleppo from whence he came and when he had consumed the reste of the sommer in proinge and spoilinge the confines of the Turckes countrey and that Automne was comme vpon him he appointed his people to garnison vpon the confynes of Soria and Baiazithe appointed his in the lyke sorte in the prouince of Cilicia then Baiazithe practized an atonemēt with the Soldane and many Oratours were sent betwene them from the one to the other whervnto it was an easy matter to perswade the Soldane notwithstāding his victorious successe This Soldane was the cheife in degree and acompted him selfe y ◠firste prince of the Mahometane relygion and takinge vpon him the name and dignite of Soldane he is sacred in his creation with greate cerimonie and besyde that the eldeste of a noble house in Cairo and it is sayd that anciently they were the princes and helde the soueraintie therof were named Caliphi the Soldane is crowned with an Imperiall Crowne wherby he is acompted as y ◠father of all the Mahometystes they haue alwaies ben contented with their dominion of Soria Egipte they haue not vsed in tyme passed to make warres vpō any prince of their secte and relygion vnles they had ben enforced in y e defence of their owne state or els of some other Mahometyste prince there confederate and frinde in suche sorte that holdinge that principalitie and kinde of gouernement for y e space of thre C. yeres and moe they neuer enlarged their confynes nor soughte to possesse the dominions of others the which there maner and order of gouernance dyd chiefely cause for they prouided in y ◠begynninge and made a lawe that none shoulde be Soldane but be election and that also he shoulde be of their communaltie that is a slaue not yet worthye to be admitted into the order of the Mamalukes with whome was the whole gouernance and auctoritie to electe and chewse the Soldane the children of the Soldane neuer succeded their father in gouernance no more dyd they of y ◠Mamalukes succede in the place of their fathers neither in warres ne yet in anye publique prehemuinence they dyd lyue pryuately as other Citizines dyd and possessyd y ◠propre goodes and enheritaunces of their fathers which they lefte vnto them at their deathe vsed the same exercise and trade of lyfe that other of the countre dyd But nowe to our historie when Baiazithe by meanes of his ambasciadours and Oratours had pacified the Soldane renued and cōfirmed y ◠ancient league and confideracie y ◠had ben of a longe tyme betwene the Soldanes and his house and established his gouernement in Cilicia he retorned to Bursia the nearest waye then embarcked him selfe with his souldionrs of Europe and retorned into Gretia and when he be came thether he ceased from al hostilitie gaue him selfe wholly to prouide for the quietnes of his people and sent hys souldiours to garnisones and gaue order for the administration of Iustice in all places after this he gaue him selfe wholly to the studie of the Alchorane of naturall philosophie in the whiche he had greate delighte in so muche that he had alwayes aboute him of all nationes mē excellently wel seen in phisycke in whose companie he passyd the greatest parte of his time and when he had in thys sorte spent manye yeres he was moued to take in hande newe enterprises by occasion that was offery◠to make him lorde of Corcira nowe called Corfu being certifyed by certayne Greekes of the Isle who had practized with them of the fortes and so broughte to passe y ◠they wolde render the fortes vnto him at all tymes vpon condition that he shoulde consider them acordinge to their seruice and offeryd them also to take the Citie and the rest of the Isle to deliuer the whole into his hands this matter semed vnto him lykely and possyble to be broughte to passe and also that he coulde not make a conqueste more mete for the assurance of hys state nomore apte to anoie the enemyes of his religion immediatly he determyned in him selfe the order of the enterprise for that he wolde not that y ◠Venetianes shoulde suspecte him he began to make redie his Nauie and to prepare his armie by land bruted that he wolde make warres vpon the people of Valachia and Moncastro when he had made redie al thinges both by sea and land the Venetian Nauie retorninge from Candie whether it were by chaunce or els y ◠y e generall therof had some kinde of intelligence of the practize he came to Corsu acording to their custume when he had seen the moniti on vewed the gardes of the fortes townes he toke awaye the olde souldiours and put newe in their places and toke with him certaine men that dwelled in Corsu and when he had spoyled al the sea coaste of the Golfe he retorned with his Nauie to Venise which when Baiazithe vnderstode he dissembled the matter as thoughe
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
to y â— Christianes and euel neighbours also wherfore I wyl not put that in hazarde which god hath gyuen me and maruell not at it for it is my ryghte and not thyne to possesse that which dothe appertaine to the Christians althoughe it dyd not apertaine to my father it is myne for that I am a Christian and haue lawfully recouered it w t my sworde in my hand This also shoulde prouoke thee to becomme Christian for that the possession of the townes and the gouernement dothe apertaine to the Christianes and not to the infydelles wherfore againe I beseche thee that thou wylte becomme Christian for otherwyse I wyll contynually moleste and annoye the in all that I maye and I hope rather to take from the y e which thou vsurpest of the Christianes then to yelde in to thy handes one handful of grounde And as touching thyne othe that thou haste made 〈…〉 me oute of my countre and that yf I be not slayne I shall at the leaste be enforced to serue other men vnto this I aunswere y â— yf I were not a Christian I durste not encountre thee but coÌ„mitting my selfe into y e tuytion of God in whose handes are states and kingdomes I saye vnto thee y â— I haue an assured hope to defende me agaynste thy greate power where with thou hast threatned me and y u maiest well thincke that victorie consystethe not in number of men but in hauing god and righte of his syde and then in the vertue of the souldiours and disipline iudgemeÌ„t of the leaders and yf hit hervnto we haue possessyd all these thinges aforesayd as I doe belyue thyne owne people haue or nowe witnessyd wherfore to conclude I say that nother thy sugred perswasiones ne yet thy cruell threatings maye alter what I haue sayde but yf that y u wylte becomme a Christian I shall then be enforced to al that thou hast required of me further more I promise vnto thy highnes that I wyll not enuade anye parte of thy dominions onles that thy people doe firste begyn And thus I commende me vnto thee in suche sorte as shal please thee froÌ„ oure campe the xiiii of Iuly 1444. When y â— ambassadour was departed with this letter Scanderbeg called vnto him all his Captaines and declared vnto them in order what the Turcke had wryten vnto him and in what sorte he had aunswered hym wherof they were all very glad and hoped that their affares shoulde haue good yssue vnto whom Scanderbeg spake afterwarde in this sorte My deare companiones in armes I doe beleue that as sone as the Turcke shall haue consydered my letter and herde his ambassadour he wyl immediatly determine to emploie against me al his force possyble and therfore it is necessarie that we be prouided to the ende that we maye defende oure selues and also that we be vigillante and attentiue obseruing suche order as I shall appointe vnto you which is that we contynue together alwaye in armes and contynually whiles we eate or sleape our horses to stande brydled and sadled and that euery man with his horse also kepe that place of y e squadrone wherin he shall fyghte â—nd when the ordinarie tyme shall comme to gyue them prouender to gyue it then in litle sackettes and then to hange their brydles vpon the pomelles of there sadles whiles they eate to the ende that yf the enemyes shoulde comme vpon y â— soodden to assaile vs we mought be sone in order redie to auÌ„swere them and besydes that I wyl alwayes haue w toute my campe a good garde for that they shal not surprins vs wherfore I wolde that you sholde wel obserue this order but forsomuche as I am certaine that as yet no enemie wil offend vs I wyll that euery man departe to his dwellinge place and prouide him selfe of necessaries and repose him selfe for I wil forthew t with myne ordinarie bands goe to y e confines of my couÌ„trey and wil there lye nowe in one place and then in an other and wyl holde the enemies in doubte when it shalbe nedful to fighte I wyl send you worde and when so euer we shal encouÌ„tre with the enemie let this commaundement remaine alwaies with you that no man paine of lyfe take anye spoyle so longe as one enemie shal make hedde against vs vntyl the battayle be ended for I saye vnto you that a man that is loded with bagage can neuer fighte worthilie And therfore I gyue you to vnderstande that I wilbe obeid and what so euer he be that like the not this let him remaine here and not goe with me and when that god at anie time shal giue vs victorie I promise you as a faitheful souldiour that al the spoile shalbe yours Then with greate reuerence and humanitie the Captaines and chiefe souldiours aunswered that what so euer he wolde commaunde shoulde be done and then euery man toke leaue and retorned to his dwelling place and Scanderbeg with his two thousand chosen horsemeÌ„ and one thousand fotemen passed on to his confines and there continued Scanderbeg continued in this sorte vp on his confines in maner withoute ani lodgings sauing certaine tentes that he had to 〈◊〉 him from the heate he had by his good prouidenâ—â— exceding good prouisyon for al his horses he kepte taâ—â— for al his Captaines principal souldiours his 〈◊〉 to eate once a daie and acording to that ordâ—â— his tables were most plentuously furnished notwithstandinge whosoeuer dyd wel consider his stature and complexioÌ„ and the exercise that he did daily vse and also his diete mought wel perceaue that he delighted not greatlye to eate but onelye to sustaine nature and maintaine force Scanderbeg was of a goodly stature and fayre wel fewtrid of al his membres and of an excellent good complexion wel able to endure hete colde and al kinde of trauaile as touchinge y e vertues of his minde he was wise circumspect and magnanime ful of liberalitie and cortesie and iuste both in dede and worde as moughte be possyble valiante merciful apte to forgeue wronges if it were required of him he was an enemie of al vice and especially of that of the Citie of Gomorra he wolde neuer suffer his souldiours to sley women nor childreÌ„ of his enemies nor that anye woman shoulde be enforced in prosperitie he was neuer proude nor in aduersitie neuer discoraged besides these his rare vertues his experience was suche in the warres that his people neuer receaued ouerthrowe if y â— he were with them and being in the feelde he neuer laie oute of his armour nor was withoute his weaponnes aboute him but slepte on the grounde vpon a carpett fyue houres slepe suffised him In the beginninge of any battayle he neuer sayde to his souldiours on good felowes but folowe me he was alwaies the firste in giuing the charge and the laste that retorned from it his souldiours were richely apparelled in sylke and golde but he
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
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