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
and artificiall and excedingly well furnished both with men and monition and also was able to bringe to the feelde of his owne subiectes armed thirtie thousande men on horsebacke whervpon when the conditiones were artified and othe gyuen on bothe sydes for the performance of the same he marched with his armie to the floode Euphrates then fastenned he his botes frō the one bancke to the other of the same and layd his brydge vpon them and passed ouer his armie and when he was entred into his enemyes countre he began to spoyle and proie it when then Sophie was aduertized of the aryuall of the Turckes armie he deferred no tyme but toke hys horse and marched with his armie toward the ryuer Euphrates to encountre Selim and mete with him in the myddeste of the plaine one this syde of y e Citie Tauris foure dayes lorney and withoute any delate put their people in order and then came on with great furie and ioyned in battayle the fyghte was terrible and bloudie it contynued longe in good order withoute anye aduaūtage seen of other syde but at the laste the Persians serring them selues and comminge on hauynge their horses of more force and better armed then the Turckes horses were began to preuaile whiche when Selim perceued he caused his squadrone to open and to suffer the Persianes to passe al most into the myddest of the squadrone and when they came there he caused vpon the sodden to discharge certaine peres of artillerie whiche he had placed in y e myddest of his squadrone which made so great anoyse that the aire dyd ringe and the earthe dyd shake with it and hauing stayne in the discharge of that volee an excedinge great number of men horses it so feared the rest of the horses whiche were not vsed to thondringe and noyse of artillerie that they ran awaie and scattered all ouer the feelde and they y e rode them were not able to gouerne them when the Turckes horsemen sawe their enemies flee in that sorte they folowed them with all spede possyble and when they ouergate them they slewe and toke an infinite number of them y e roste fled euery man his waye and suffred there enemyes to enioye the victorie and at the fyrst discharge of the artil lerie the Sophie with a great number of his nobilitie with drewe them selues seinge their people in so great disorder Selim determyninge to vse the victorie lodged his armie that nighte where the Persianes lodged the nighte before and gaue al the spoyle of their campe to his souldiours The next morning as sone as it was day he toke his horse and rode towarde the citie Tauris and when he was comme neare vnto it the Citizens being discoraged throughe the ouerthrowe of their prince and seinge no man to apeare vpon the feelde in their defence wolde not by defendinge them selues hazaro both their lyues and goodes determyned amonge them to yelde the citie whervpon they sent forthe certaine of their Citizens to talke with Selim and in the ende agreed to delyuer hym the Citie sauinge their lyues and goodes when this was agreed they receaued him into the towne and his people also and there is no doubte but yf that Selim had had prouision in Tauris for the sustenance of his armie but that he shoulde easyly haue possessed the kingedome of Persia and banished the Sophie the countre but he had sone consumed all the countre and prouisyon that there was and on the other syde the princo of Adule as sone as he vnderstode that y e Sophie had his armye vpon the feelde Iudginge that he sholde haue the better brake his promes with him and toke the feelde with his armye occupied al the straites and passages by the which men must passe oute of the Turckes dominions into Persia and toke from all the victuallers that came their victualles warned them that from thence forthe they shoulde no more cōme there whereof it folowed that hauing consumed the victualles whiche they founde there and hauing no releefe oute of their countre they were brought into great penurie intollerable famine in such sorte as they were enforced to stey their horses and eate them aud also to eare both rootes and herbbes that were vnholesome for man to eate by meanes wherof they were not onelye vnable to folowe the victorie against y e Persians but also to stand vpon their feete throughe the which incommoditie Selim beinge excedingly afflicted and seing his people daily to consume with the great losse of horses also that he had and seing no way howe to remedie this mischefe being of necessitye constrayned he determyned to put of this enterprse and to retorne into his countre meaning that when he had assured him selfe of the passages and made better prouisyon to retorne thyther againe y e yere folowinge and to renewe the warres and when he had taken oute of Tauris a great number of the cheife Citizens with their whole families and substanes and also all suche as coulde make armour he sent them to Constātinople and departed with his armye oute of Tauris and passed the ryuer Euphrates and detormyning some what to recreate his afflicted armie he assayled y e towne of Mascuall and toke it of force gaue it in proie to his souldiours and in this sorte contynuinge his voyage by smale and easye iorneys for that manye of his horses were so feble that they coulde scaresely goe he broughte his armie into Licaonia and sent them to garnisones into y e countre aboute Iconio at this day called Cogni so spoyled that they showed them selues not onelye not victoriouse but rather defeicted ouerthrowen spoyled when Selim had in this sorte placed his people in garninifones he then soughte howe to supplie and furnishe them againe whervpon he made a reuewe of his armys and sent into Gretia all those that had endured and suffred most miserie to reliue them selues and caused newe and freshe men to be sent in their places and the Sophie beinge vpon the consynes of Persia and hauinge intelligence of the departure of Selim from Tauris was so discouraged that he durste not deale with him by meanes of the ouerthrowe which he had receaueo and also the feare that he had of the artillerie and cheifely for y e that he had loste y e greatest nūber of his olde souldiours he durste not attempte anye further Selim determined to be reuenged of the wronge that the prince of Adula had done him and also to assure him selfe of the passages wherefore he sent Sinan Bassa with a great number of horsemen and fotemen to spoyle his countre as sone as he came into his countre the prince encountred with him and after longe fyghte was taken by him and al his people ouerthrowen whervpon he possessed all the state that he had in the mountaines and sent him prisoner to Selim who caused to stryke of his head and to sett it
there were slaine of y e partie of y e Mamalukes the great Diadaro strycken with a falconete and of the Turckes partie Sinan Bassa and when the Soldane was retorned with his armys he lodged them betwene the Citie and the ryuer Nilo and determyned to supplie his armye with newe bandes and to defend him selfe and therfore sent for all the Mamalukes y t were appointed to the garde of other contreys and commaunded them to repaire to Cairo with all spede he toke oute of the Monition house of the Castle all the furniture of armour and weapon that there was and distributed it to the children of the Mamalukes and to twelue thousand slaues which they toke vp in that Citie besydes that he sent into Iudea and Arabia his Captaines to leuie and enrolle all suche horsemen and fotemen as they shoulde fynde that were trained and experimented in y e warres and for that he wolde as muche as in him was saue his people from the force of the artillerie he determyned w t all his power to assayle his enemye in the darckest of y e nighte for that he was assured that in the nyghte they coulde not well vse their artillerie withoute the slaughter of their owne people as well as of their enemyes discouering his opinion to certaine of the cheife of y e Mamalukes he prouided to put it in executioÌ„ but he coulde not vse the matter so secretly but y t amonge those fewe with whom he had debated the cause their were some traitours whiche dyd aduertize Selim therof who caused to make greate fyres withoute his campe rounde aboute it whiche made all the partes aboute the campe to be as well seen as in the myddeste of the daye and in this sorte prouided that he moughte well vse hys artillerie and then put hys armye in battayle lookinge for his enemyes Tommobeio in the nyght â–ª approched neare to the Turckes campe and when he sawe all these fires he was then assured that hys enterprise was discouered yet wolde be not so retorne but assayled his trenches in suche sorte that he entred them and synding them very well furnished be retorned agayne to his lodging froÌ„ whence he came and after that beinge enforced by the Mamalukes he was constrained to lodge within the citie and to defende it and for that he wolde prouide in euery respecte he caused with all spede to fortifye it and when he had made stronge the principall places therof he put stronge garde into them Selim as sone as he herde that the Soldane with his armie was lodged w t in the towne he marched with his armye into the towne which he moughte easyly doe for that the citie was not enuironed with walle nor rampare beinge within the Citie with his armye he foughte three dayes continually with the enemye and when he had slayne a great nuÌ„ber of them he became lorde of the greatest parte of the Citie and the Mamalukes seinge their force daily to de caie and that they were no longar able to contynue in the Citie went from thence to the ryuer Nilo and toke the boates that they founde there and passed all their armie with the Soldane ouer the ryuer into the Region Segesta which is a parte of Affrica that liethe towarde Cirene and Tomombeio for that he wolde not gyue ouer the matter sent for those Mamalukes that were appointed to grade the Citie of Alexandria and for y â— there came dayly into his campe Arabianes Affricanes and other Mores of y e prouices there abouts he began to be agayne in good hope to defende his owne whylest the matters of Cairo passed in this sorte Gazzele whome y e Soldane had sent into Thebaiade to leuie as manye bandes of both horsemen and fotemen as he coulde was coÌ„me neare to Cairo and had brought with him a gerat number of Arrabianes with their Captaines also and when he vnderstode of the losse of Cairo and that hys lorde was fied beyonde the ryuer Nilo and beinge oute of all hope of the preseruation of his countre vnder the gouernement of the Soldane seinge it paste all remedie determined to obserue time and to pronide for his safety by yelding him selfe to the victour and when he had in this sorte debated the matter with the Captaines of the Arrabianes which he had brought with him had per swaded them in that behalfe he came to the gate of Selim and required to be broughte to his presence when he came before him he fell prostrate to the grounde and ryssed his fete sainge for so muche as he had done for y â— preseruation of the Mamalukes state and of his lorde all that was possyble for him to doe and neuer brake his fait he so longe as there was any token of hope lefte for the preseruation of this same and nowe seinge his high nes possessyd of the Citie and placed in the Imperiall seate and his lorde to be fled and to haue lefte his kingdome wherfore he had determyned with him selfe no lenger to respste but trusting in his clemencie and goodnes was coÌ„me wholly to committe him selfe into his hands w t oute any maner of condition at all but to be well contentyd with all that that shoulde please his highnes to deteremyne of him Selim receuid him very corteously and willed him to be of good comforte and to assure him selfe not to wante place with him mete for a man of his worthines he caused him to be writen amonge y e reste of his chiefe Captaines appointed vnto him an honorable prouisionin lyke sorte he caused y e Captaines chiefe officiers of the Arrabianes to be broughte vnto him and gaue them very good wordes and entertained them in his ordinarie After this he vnderstode of a certaine man of Segesta which was comme to seke him of manye of the purposes of Tomombe is and howe he was contynually solycited by certaine Mores the principall and chiefe of Cairo in suche sorte as he was fully determyned to retorne thyther agayne when Selim vnderstode of these preparationes he thought good to pre uent it whervpon he determined to passe the ryuer Nilo and to seke him and to the ende that he moughte the more spedyly passe his armye and artillerie he prouided a great number of botes and fastened them to bothe the shores and then laide his bridge made of bordes and called into the Castle suche Citizens as he suspected and â—caused them to be safely kepte when Tomombe is vnder â—tode that Selim was makinge redie to passe the Nilo with his armye fearinge the inconstancie of the people and seing no way howe by flyghte he mought prolonge the warres determyned to proue what fortune wolde doe once more in battayle wherfore he thought it good to assayle the bridge and to se yf that he coulde synding his enemyes occupied in their passage ouer take them vnprouided and so to onerthrowe them whervpon he vsed greats celeritie departing
redie certyfyed me by his letters of y e reste Wherfore I doe determyne to make prouisiō and to vse my whole force against him wherfore I giue you to vnderstande that I wyl goe thyther in person firste I wyl besege the Citie of Croia and take it and then al the reste of his state wherfore make you redie for woe shal he be that is not redie at my mustres Scanderbeg was spedyly aduised of this great preparatiō and with al spede furnished the Citie with al kynde of necessaries and good souldiours Albaneses of great experience and faith he gaue them for their general Vurana aforesaid and he in person stode wel vpon his gard in this meane tyme there came a great number of Turckes into Scanderbegs coūtre and encampdd before Sfetigarde a citie that standeth from Croia 58. myles when Scanderbeg vnderstode of this he went forthewith as secretly as he coulde and encamped within .vii. myles of y e Turckishe armie w t. 4. thousand horsemen one thousand fotemen and being thus encamped wolde not suffer day nor nighte any fire to be made within his campe by meanes wherof the enemye vnderstode nothinge of his beinge there in this meane tyme Scanderbeg determyned to put in vse a Strategeme whervpon he wylled the valiante Moises and his Nephewe Musachie de la Angelina to take with them .xxx. horsemen and to disguise themselues and the nexte morninge to attempte as thoughe they wolde goe into Sfetigard leadinge with them certaine Asses loded with corne it was so done acording to his commaundement and in the morninge as sone as the garde of the Turcks campe sawe them thincking y ◠they had ben victuallers they hasted to encountre them and when Moises with his companiones had fled a litle waye he torned and charged the Turckes and forthew t slewe .viii. of them and hurte manye whervpon the rest suddenly fled and hasted them to the campe to declare the newes but the Bassa beinge very circumspecte mistrusting as it was in dede that they were no rascalles consyderinge the woundes and great blowes that they had gyuen commaunded 4. thousand horsemen to folowe them and to take them lyuinge Moises which alwaies had regarde to his seinge them comme began to flee and to hide him in a certaine depe valey the Turcks folowed their tracte with great furie In this meane whyle Scanderbeg who dyd attende suche an occasion furnished the entres of the valey and then with certaine bandes with him entred the valley and charged them flewe the greatest number of them and the reste fled in maruelouse disorder and had it not ben that the Bassa loked for Amorathe in person he had then retorned againe with al his armie into the Turckes countrey After this the. 14 of Maye 1449. this Tiran came to his campe in Albania with 160. thousande Turckes with manie great bombardes and a great quantie of other artillerie beseged Sfetigarde very straitly where Pietro Parlato was Captaine who with his souldiours that he had oute of highe Dibra and the reste that were with him in that seege behaued them selues so valiantly that althoughe they were contynually occupied in y e defence of their towne and in scaramoche yet they alwayes lefte with the best but in the ende a certaine traitour dyd caste a ded dogge into their chiefe cisterne of y e towne by meanes wherof the people were greatly consumed and the Tiran Amorathe toke the towne and in the begynninge he dyd entertaine this traitour very honorably and gaue him greate presentes but after certaine daies he was no more seen of anye for in dede princes doe oftē times loue the treason but not the traitour nor neuer truste them after and therfore it is not to be maruelled at that the Turcke seinge suche horible villanie in a man wolde neuer trust him after consydering that for his priuate lucre he coulde be content to shed not onely the bloude of his countremen but also to destroie his religion and betraie his countre After thys Amorathe went and beseged Croia rounde and planted his batteries and battered for the space of 4. montthes notwithstandinge he did them of the towne smale hurte for that the Citie was very stronge on euery syde and y t they had within the towne a plentuouse fountaine of goodly water and an other very faire fountaine behind the Castle which the enemyes coulde neuer possesse In the meane tyme that the Turcke beseged Croia in thys sorte the noble prince Scanderbeg nowe in one place then in an other assayled the Turckes campe and spoyled contynually al such victuallers as came to his campe notwithstandinge for that his number was very smale he coulde not enforce them to rayse their sege In y e ende of y e fourthe monethe aforesayde Amorathe commaunded to gyue a general assaulte to y e towne and to assayle it rounde in the whiche he preuayled not but retorned from the assaulte with great spoyle and losse of his people for the whiche he toke so greate an inwarde grefe y t forthewith he died Then the soroweful amased dishonored and confounded Turckishe armie abandoned y e sege and retorned home in great disorder and were folowed and spoyled in manye places as they passed and were very euel handled in such sort as they came home greatlye diminished and Scanderbeg remained in hys countre with great triumphe and victorie contynully praisinge the Almightye God When Amorathe prince of the Turckes was deade Mahomethe his sonne succeded him in his kingdome he that was sōne to Hierenia or Catagusma daughter to George the Dispotto of Seruia and for that he was not yet suerly established in his seate he coulde doe no great hurte wherfore Scanderbeg beinge desyrous to leaue somme heire of his boddie after him toke to wyfe that excellent faire vertuouse ladie named Doneca daughter to Aranithe Conino but as sone as Mahomethe the newe Turckyshe prince was established in the seate of his father he began immediatly to threaten Scāderbeg and coulde not endure that he shoulde possesse Croia Epirro then Scanderbeg with his 2. thousand horsemen and a thousand fotemen which were his ordinarie garde went to his confines determyning not to enuade at all onles that Mahomethe fyrste began and being in this sorte vpon his cōfines he vnderstode that y e Turcke had no armie in redynes to send against him and consydering that it was nedeful to visyte his countre he toke with him his aforesaide wife and made a visitaciō in his countre mynistring Iustice in suche sorte with mercy that he was bothe honored loued and feared of both◠more and lesse a man mought safely haue gone through all that countrey with horses loded with golde no mā wolde haue touched it After this Scanderbeg sent for a great number of masonnes and laborers and went to a certaine highe mountaine ouer the which there liethe awaye that leadethe from Turchie downe into
When Scanderbeg vnderstode this piteouse case he sent immediatly and ambassadour to the great Turcke to desyre him that he wolde be contentyd to restore to him those prisoners safe and in exchaunge of them he shoulde haue others or els as much money as they dyd weighe but he beinge full of furie crueltie and being aduertysed by Balaban of their worthynes wolde in no wyse gratifye Scanderbeg but in greater dispite caused them to be flayed by lytle and litle for the space of xv daies contynually and in thys sorte they dyed After this the Turcke supplied his armie and commaunded Balaban in any wise to contynue the warres against Scanderbeg notwithstanding Balaban durste not to make anye attempte against him but soughte to qualifie the matter and to be at peace with Scanderbeg who neuer put any truste in him nor yet graunted him peace for anye gyfte that he coulde send but contynually made his courses into the Turcks countre brought from thence great proyes and spoyles and euer retorned to his confynes when Balaban sawe that he coulde by no secrete practise pacyfy Scanderbeg he determyned to proue yf that he moughte by treason surprise him and so vpon the sudden to defeicte him for he was oute of all hope to ouerthrowe him in battayle wherfore he discoursed in him selfe by what meanes in executinge hys intent he mought defeicte Scanderbeg with his armie also and in the ende he founde meanes by gyuing an exceding great sūme of money to corrupte his garde that he helde contynually withoute his campe to gyue aduertizement from tyme to tyme of the comming of the enemye In this companie were certaine Albaneses hys kynsmen in whom Scanderbeg had great affiance not thincking it a possibilitie for anye suche treason to haue had place in them Balaban toke his iorney in the night with xv thousande horsemen and .3 thousand fotemen to assayle Scanderbeg and marched vntyll it was with in an houre of daye and then approchinge neare to the campe Scanderbeg by meanes of the greate noyses of their horses suspected the treason of the aforesayd garde and made him redie most spedyly with his iiii thousand horsemen and one thousand fiue hundred fotemen euen as thoughe he had ben aduertized of the whole practize so that his enemyes thincking to take him vtterly vnprouided founde him in very perfyte and good order at the which the enemies were excedingely astonied notwithstanding throughe the great encoragementes of Balaban they encounteryd with Scanderbeg and charged him in terrible sorte with greate furie but in the ende throughe the prouidence and conducte of Scanderbeg they were all disordered and put to flyghte in such sorte that fewe of them caried anye newes home but of the armie of Scanderbeg there were onely ten flayne When the great Turcke had aduertysement of this he determyned in anye wise to procede against Scanderbeg and knowing Balaban to be of no lesse valiantize and experience in warres then the best of the reste of his Captaines and also y ◠he was an Albanese borne and a great enemye to Scanderbeg he sent him agayne with xviii thousande horsemen and iii. thousande fotemen with whō he arriued at the Citie of Aelcria where he contynued for a longe tyme withoute gyuing any at tempte against Scāderbeg and dyd contynue his secrete sendinge of presentes vnto hym and declared vnto hym that he was his very frynde and seruante at commaundement But Scanderbeg who dyd well knowe him to be a great murtherer and Traytour and that it was his onely sute to be sent againe with charge against him dyd not onely not truste him but also to declare that he made none acompte of him and besyde that that he had receaued his presentes sent him in change somptuose presents growing aboute the villages wherein Balaban was borne which was sacks of a litle yelowe graine and also of cocle and such like of vile price w t a ploughe harrowe pycke axe spade van and flayle with such like instrumentes Then Balaban well vnderstanding his meaning by this was marueloufly offendyd and knowing that Scāderbeg laye contynually vpon his confynes with viii thousande horsemen and ii thousand fyue hundred fotemen he marched with his whole armie against Scanderbeg and when he sawe Balaban comming he made him redie put his people in order and marched towarde him and ioyned with him in battayle the fyghte beyng terryble Scanderbeg with his owne hand slewe y ◠daye many of his enemies and as he was in the prease fyghting with his enemies throughe ille fortune his horse was slayne vnder him and fell downe to the grounde w t him and in the fall Scanderbeg lighted vpon y ◠troūcke of a tree that was cut downe and by meanes of y ◠great fall he was greatly brused and chiefly in his right arme in suche sorte that he coulde not in maner stirre it at al. Then the Turckes thincking that he had ben ded caused certaine to discend from their horses to stryke of hys head whervpon he called vnto him his wonted magnanimitie and notwithstanding his exceding great bruse he lepte vp and stode vpon his fete and with his sworde flewe all the Turckes that were so lyghted from theyr horses and as many moe of others that enuironed him to y ◠intent to haue slayne him his actes that he then did were maruelouse At the laste one of his souldiours brought vnto him one of his best coursers and whē Scāderbeg was mounted on horse he gaue in amonge the Turckes in such furie as in his lyfe he had not done the lyke and alwaye one stroke was the price of one enemy with him and he assayled the enemies with so great assurance and force that he constrained them to disorder to torne their backes and to flee in the chase he flewe them in maner all but the sayde Balaban with a very smale nūber with him dyd flee into y ◠Citie of Orchrida aforesayde After this Scā disposed y ◠whole spoile to his souldiours very liberally according to his custume but after y ◠victorie he endured such paine in his arme y ◠he was iii monethes coulde not ones lifte it to take of his cappe to gratifie suche as dyd salute him ne yet to reuerence y ◠Image of oure Sauiour nor of the virgyne Marye ne yet of the saincts And also when he herde masse he was serued as is the highe Byshoppe when he dothe assyst in solempne feastes for he coulde not helpe him selfe at all with one of his hands In this meane whyle Balaban beinge very sorowfull and asshamed retorned with fewe with him to Constantinople and was greatly blamed reuyled and condempned by the great Turcke but he lyke an olde Ape and subtyll foxe endured all thinge patiently and whē the furie was past he founde suche meanes that he so excused him selfe attributing his ouerthrowe to the prouidence of God that the Turcke was well satisfyed w
baÌ„des encountred the enemy and chased them home to theyr very lodginges flewe a great number of them the bruite of this came fleeing to Rome and forthewith it was holdeÌ„ for a great victorie immediatly the people woldâ— nedes that the gouernement shoulde be equally deuided betwene Fabius and Minurius a thinge or that tyme neuer seen Fabius endured al these thinges patiently and retorned to his campe they were then two dictators Minutius throughe this lytle sparke of good happe dyd clene forget him selfe and toke vpon him withoute the aduise of Fabius to giue battaile which Anibal being often victorious durste scarcely doe Minutius being an arrogante ambitious and prowde man and not of great iudgment in the discipline of the warres caused Fabius to stand in great doute lest that he being thus excidingly puffed vp in pride shulde take in hand some matter that mought greatly hurte the coÌ„mon welth wherfore he came to Minutius and deuided with him the armye thinc king it better for him to gouerne only some parte of the army then coÌ„fusedly with his insolent companion to gouerne the whole WhervpoÌ„ he toke to him the first and fourth part of the Romane souldiours and gaue to Minutius the second and third part the lyke dyd he by the souldiours that they cal aydes when Minutius sawe him self dictator equal with Fabius and that he had an armie at his commaundement he was in great triumphe Fabius badde him to take hede and to confider that nowe it was not with Fabius that he must haue to doe but with Aniball and vpon this Fabius caused his drommes and trompetts to sound and marched oute of the campe and went to a grounde that he lyked and there encamped with his people Anibal vnderstanding of this approched neare to them both and encamped in a ground of strength and had betwene him and his enemies grounde very apte to ambushe his people in and when he sawe Minutius deuided from Fabius he thought it good to present the battayle to Minutius and in the night ordained and placed his ambushes and appointed them a signe at the which they shoulde salie When the daye came he sent certaine bands to take a hill not far from Minutius to prouoke him to battayle Minutius forthwith sent forthe his lighte armed men and attached the scaramoche and seing Anibal to supplie froÌ„ tyme to tyme with freshe bandes those souldiours that he had sent to take the hâ—ll he put his whole armie in order and marched forth and ioyned with the enemy in battaile the fyght was cruel the Carthaginenses retired and fought contynually vntyll such time as they had drawne him past their ambushes then Aniball gaue his sygne wherâ—pon the ambushes discouered them selues and assayled the Romanes behinde them with great rumor noyse and slaughter when Minutius torned him and sawe the disorder that was amonge his people and his Captaines fleing he soughte to saue hym selfe also by flyghte whervpon the Numidan horsemen folowed the chase and made great slaughter of the disorderid Romanes When Fabius sawe the Romanes in this extremitie the which he suspected in the begynning of the battayle he went to a certayne place from whence he mought beholde the whole mattet and seing the Romanes gathered in the middest of their enemies strake his hand vpoÌ„ his thyghe and with a great sighe sayd in the presence of al those that were with him O Hercule soÌ„ner then I wolde haue wished not so sone as he him selfe wolde Minutius hath vndone him selfe and his whervpon he commaunded his armie to marche and said O souldiours whosoeuer doth nowe thincke vpon Minutius let him make hast and consider that he is a worthy man one that loueth his countâ—e and although it hath not happned acording to his desyre that he moughte put the enemies to flyght we shall here after haue time to blame him for it Then he encountred the Numidianes charged them and put them to flyght and marched on and encountred those that were laide in ambushe in the nyght and assayled the Romanes behynd them in the battayle he slewe them that the reste of the Carthagtnenses seyng this began to fle When Anibal sawe his people fle and Fabius a farre of very fiercely amoÌ„ge the Carthagynenses he left of any furder executing of the Romanes and commaunded to sound to the standard and then retorned to his lodginge and suffred the Romanes to passe to their campe withoute any further slaughter it is said that beiÌ„g at his lodging talking of Fabius he said haue not I often times told you that yonder mist that laie alway vpoÌ„ the hill wolde make vs one day very foule wether I haue this day ouercome Minutius and Fabius hath ouercome me When the battaile was ended Fabius coÌ„mauÌ„ded his souldiours to take the spoyle of the ded enemyes and then retorned to his campe and notwithstanding this great victorye he neuer caste in the tetle of his companion his euill gouernement When Minutius came to his campe he spake to his souldiours in this sorte My companions in armes there is nothing more peryllous to a man then to fayle in gerat matters and wheÌ„ he seith his owne default it is the part of a wise maÌ„ to obey vnto him that hath giueÌ„ him good admonition althoughe that I haue good occasioÌ„ to be offended with fortune yet I must confesse that I am much bounde to her for that she hath gyuen me to vnderstand eueÌ„ in an instante that I not beyng able to commaunde others shoulde submitte my selfe to the rule of others Wherfore let vs goe to the fyrst dictator and render hym thancks and I promyse you that I wyll be the fyrst both to thancke him and to yelde him obedience when he had thus spoken he commaunded to take downe the Egles which were the banners of gouernement and marched with them to the lodgings of Fabius and being comme to the market place he went streight to his tent and there dyd set vp the Egles with great noyses and when Fabius came forth of his tent he came called him father and his sâ—uldiours saluted the souldiours of Fabius by the name of patrones or Maisters When silence was commaunded Minutius sayd to Fabius thou hast in one instante obtayned two victories thou hast ouercomme thyne enemye by force and thy companion by counsell and cortezie wherfore I maye iustly call the most worthy father who hath saued both me and my people then serued vnder him as generall of the horsemen as before Hereby it appereth that where thinges shall take good effecte â–ª it must nedes be that the souldiours be broughte vp in discipline and that the generall be able to iudge of discipline as for example liuie in hys thirde Boke of his fyrst decade dothe well declare that it was not onely an armie of trained souldiours that dyd ouerthrowe the people called Volsci and Equi but that also the consules chiefe officers of the
I wishe al men of honest spirites to seke to vnderstand the effecte of this discipline for it doth as muche more helpe to the obtaining of victorie then doth the greatnesse of the number as Ceser Appian Vigetius Plutarcke chiefly doe declare PeradueÌ„ture some maÌ„ wil say why sir we nede not this discipline wherof you speke we can haue for oure money straungers which are good souldiours to serue vs wheÌ„ we nede But such as are of that opinion I wishe to rede the histories Chronicles of Fraunce for Fraunce hath well felte the coÌ„moditie of the seruice of staungers which nether serue for honor of their countre prince ne yet for their wiues children goodes possessions but they seke onely to leade the warres at length to make their ptoffytt of it beside this I thincke it not inconuenient to showe an example or two of the good seruice of straungers Mounser de Lautrec being in Italie generall of the Frenshe armie at the sege of Pauie the Suissers came vnto him and required him eyther to gyue them license to repare home in to their couÌ„tre or els to goe encountre the enemies for they wolde no lengar tarrie in Italie whervpon fearinge that the Suissers shoulde leaue him he was enforced to goe encouÌ„tre the enemy in the which â—ncountre he was ouerthroweÌ„ beside Mylan at a village called the Pico â—ue all his armie put to flight as witnesseth paradyne in his first Boke of his historie The lyke dyd Andre Dorie at the sege of Naples being in the paie of â—he Frenshe king in his seruice at the seege before Naples and kepte â—heir victualles and reliefe from them whervpon they furnished the Naâ—ie of the towne then the chiefe princes rulers of the towne emâ—arcked them selues went and gaue battayle to the sayd Dore and afâ—er longe fyght Dorie obtained the victorie toke prisoners the prince of Orenge the Marques of Guasto Camile Colona â—cardo and a gentle man of Spaine named Gogna he slewe two worthy Captaines Feramus â—a and Gabone toke thre Galleys from the enemies after this he lefte â—he seruice of the Frenshe king caried with him his Galleys and the prisoners that he had taken went and serued the Emperour immediatly set his prisoners at libertie the Emperour gaue him the principalitie of Melphe with dyuerse other castls lordshipes The like did â—he Marques Brandenburge wheÌ„ he departed froÌ„ the seruice of Henry â—he Frenshe king caried not he the Duke Domerle with dyuerse others prisoners with him Also to comme to oure warres when the towne of Haddington in Scotland was holden for oure king Edwarde the vi did not the Almaignes Mutyne there and put them selues in armes against â—s which yf the enemies had vnderstode mought haue ben the losse of the towne Let these fewe examples fuffyse for this tyme and although that I haue in this litle preface briefely touched the worthynes of discipline yet am I well assured that victorie commeth not onely by it but by the gyfte of God wherfore I must saie with Saincte Paull Paull planteth Appollo watreth but god giueth the encrease eueÌ„ so the Generall commaundeth the souldiours obey but God gyueth the victorie wherfore let all men seke to knowe him and serue him as he him selfe hath appointed and then shall all thinges goe well with them Your honors most humble seruant Iohn Shute The translatour to the reader I Haue good reader turned into Englishe out of the Italien these two Bokes folowing the one is a coÌ„mentarie of Andrewe Lambine â–ª the other a commentarie betwixt George Scanderbeg the Tâ—tckes althoughe they be not done in an exquisite and curious stile whiche I leaue to those that haue bene brought vp in scoles and are seen in oratorie yet is the matter of importance and to such as delite in martiall affaires both pleasant and profitable the knowledge wherof is very necessarie forasmuche as no countrie can promesse to it selfe perpetuall peace and quietnes Wherfore take in good parte I beseche the this my traueill and vse it so that therby thou maist be the better able to serue to the maintenauÌ„ce of Godes glorie and common wealth of thy couÌ„try I haue added in thende of the bokes folowing a table which declareth the principall matters conteyued in them what the princes were that brought them to passe and the yeres wherin they were done I haue also noted the principall matters of the bokes in the margente which myne author hath not A Comentarie of Andre CAMBINO A FLORENTINE BORNE OF THE originall of the Turques and Empire of the house of Ottomanno The first Boke THE Turquish nation after the opinion of diuers writers chiefly of these ofâ—ate yeres for that they haue sene them rule in those partes where the citieof Troy once was and hauynge regarde to their name haue affirmed that thei are discended from Teu cxi from whence the Troians bad their originall the which is vtterly false for in dede that natioÌ„ which at this present dwelleth in the lesser Asia vnder the rule of the house of Ottomannâ— beinge of nature cruell and barbarous toke originall from the Scithianes and as the philosopher Etico dothe declare had their abidinge beyonde the montaines called Pyrithei not far froÌ„ the Isâ—es Tarraconite directlye towarde the Northwest sea And as Otho brother to Federyckes father of Austriche being Emperour doth declare that at the tyme when Pâ—pine raigined in Fraunce these people departinge from the confines of Caspie were aboute the yere of Christe 760. beinge encontred with the people Auari which in oure time are Hungarians and fighting betwene them a cruell battayle and great slaughter on bothe sydes done The Turques not withstanding continuing their enterprise ouerran and spoyled the contreis of Poutho and Capadocia with other prouinces to them adioyinge And in the beginning they gathered them selues togither secretlye and dwelled vpon montaynes and in stronge places perillous to assayle and maynteyned them selues and lyued of pâ—oie and spoyle as occasion was offered them After that when they grewe to some strength and were prouyded of captaynes and discipline they began with open warres to molest and trouble y â— people of those countries neare vnto them adioyning and to become lordes of their contreis and these people not being able to stande against and to endure their force and crueltie were enforced forced to giue place so that the Turques within shorte space possessed not only Pontho and Capadocia but assailed the lesser Asia which takinge his name of theÌ„ is at this daye called Turchia in such sort that in short time they became lordes and maisters of Galatia Bithinia Pamphiâ—ia Pisidia of the one and other Frigia of Cilitia and of Caria enlarging the coÌ„fines of their dominion euen from the sea called Ionio to the banckes of the sea Egeo and then appointed to euery faction and contrey hys
the councell had debated sondrie opinions they agred vpon none but were in great confusion consuming the time in discourses of none effect growing to no point at all at the last by the aduise of Calibasso here was their onely remedie they agreed to call Amorath oute of Asia and to enforce him to come yf that with good wil he wold not take in hand the enterprise for the defence of his sonnes state beinge assured at that time that the Gianizzeries wolde fighte vnder rhe conducte of none but only of Amorathe and also they thought it not conuenient to committe the fortune of the warres into the hands of anye man Amoonly exceptedvnder whose conducte they were alwaies accustomed to embrace victory this councell of Callibasso very much displaysed the yonge king Mahomethe whoe aboue all other thinges desyred to haue gouerned that iorney to get him reputacien and to giue them to vnderstand that he was sufficient to gouerne of hym slfe moreouer he suspected that yf Amorathe wcâ—â— called againe to gouerne he moughte continewe in the same for so muche as the myndes of men are mutable When the ambasssadours were come into the presence of Amorathe they perswaded him ernestly to the iourney broughte hym wyth them to Andrinople where with great diligence he assembled his souldiours and furnished them of al kinde of necessaries In this meane tyme was Vaiuoda come on toward Sophia and encamped at a place called Basylia where it was declared vnto him that Amorath was not farre of with the Turkishe power whiche when he vnderstode althoughe it were contrarye to his expertacion caused hym to put on a noble mynde determyninge not to tarie there the comming of the enemye but to march on towarde him and so to encountre with him as sone as Vaiuoda had discouered him forthe with he put his men in battayle and marched on towarde him with spede ioyned with him in battayle their began a terrible fyght which contynued y â— space of certaine houres with great obstinatie on both partes that nether gaue to the othe one fote of grounde the battayle was so doublefull that of neyther syde was there seene any aduantage for againste that corner or wingne of the battayle wherein Vaiuo da was the Turckes were not able to endure the force of the Hungarianes and for a longe tyme gaue place gyuing ouer the victorye in to the handes of their enemyes And in contrary wise wheare Amorath was in person the Hungaianes were not able to make good the place after this Vaiuoda and Amorathe mette face to face and drewe vnto them all the whole weight of the battayle in so much y â— the Christians were not a ble to endure y â— great force of y â— Turks although y â— Hungarians did farre excide y â— Turks in vertue discipline of the wars yet not w t standing being ouer laid w t nuÌ„bre and not with force but being vtterly weried were constrayned to giue place and Vaiuoda coulde nether with praier nor threating cause them to make hed but fled continually wherupon he with drewe him with a fewe of his trustie fryndes with him very skylfully from the vattaile and so saued hym selfe there dyed in that battayle many noble men cheifely of the Hungariane nation and some prelatz y â— fote men were in maner all slaine vpon the place and on the Turckes part the losse was not lesse when he came to his reuewe when Amorathe had thus with the great effusion of the blood of his people bought the victorie he retorned home againe wyth his armie and restored his sonne Mahometh againe to his place and continuing in his firste purpose conueied him selfe to Bursia and there liued priuatly euen to his death in the which he committed to the faith of Callibasso a yong sonne of his of the age of syxe Monethes which he begat of SpoÌ„derbei a noble princes in Penderacia the childs name was Calapino when he had thus done he died was buried iÌ„ Bursia in y e prouince of Bithinia which was then the seate of the kingdome of the house of Ottomanno Calibasso being desirous to gratitifie the newe kinge deliuered into his hand the child of Amorathe with the mother therof also whereupon he commaunded the chylde to be straÌ„gled and when it was done he restored the dead body to his mother and commaunded to celebrate his funerales with princelye honour in this sort dyd he consecrate the beginning of his raigne w t the death of his innoocent brother not wythstanding somme are of opinion y â— Calidasso dyd chaunge the child and presented an other in his place and that y â— frewe childe was brought vppe in Constantinople and after ward sent to Venise and that it was he that was holden prisoner in the palace at Rome by Calixto y â— bishope but we refarre the trouthe of this matter to the Iudgement of other for we wyll affyrme nothinge in this behalfe but men may wel thincke that somtime or it doth happen the sonne of a Barbor or of a Surgion of such like base condition by such subtil meanes to haue bene aduaunced to great honour yea and some tyme to succid in the seate of kings and of others of excellent titles and gouernement The seconde boke of Andre CAMBINE FLORENTINE OF THE ORIGInall of the Turckes and Empire of the house of Ottomanno AS SONE AS AMORATHE WAS DED Mahometh hys sonne caste from hym all kinde of subiection and toke vpon him absolutely to gouerne the kingdome and determining to reforme thinges that were oute of order he made newe lawes he alâ—â— corrected suche of their ancient constitutions as were â—edeful to be corrected with great diligence he dyd marâ—elouslye enriche his treasurie by augementing his reâ—enue with newe gabells impositiones he did greatâ—y increase the numbre of his Gianizzaries and horseâ—en he caused the acompte of his Bascias and such like â—s gouerned in his fathers time to be perused wherupâ—n he put certaine of them to death and from manye of he reste he toke their goodes and liuinges and hauing â—n ambitiouse hed coulde not be contented with that â—mple dominion y â— his father lefte vnto him but sought â—o take in hand somme glorious enterprise wherby he nought be thought not onely to be equall with his an â—estors but farre to excede them wherupon he fully deâ—ermined to take Constantinople by force and to make â—im selfe lorde therof perswading him selfe y â— he coulde not lawfully be called Emperour of Gretia vnto y â— time â—hat he possessed that Citie beinge the cheyfe citie and â—eate of the same Empire and more ouer by thesi meâ—â—es he thought to make his fame gloriouse with ther â—ations yf that he scarcely creapte ouer of his câ—yldâ—â—ede moughte ioyne to his Empire so mightye and famous a citie and so much the rather for that it had ben â—ttempted by certaine of his ancestours to their
spede possyble with their batterie contynning it withoute cease bothe daye and nighte gyuinge them of the towne no tyme at all to repose but helde them contynually occupied bothe daye and nighte with scaramoshes alarmes and false assaultes notwith standing that they of the towne repulsed them w t great assurance and slewe manye of them and also they loste of thers some tyme notwithstandinge their smale losse was more preiudiciall vnto them forthat they had not meanes to be supplied with newe men then the great numbre of the partie of the assailants which were slaine was to them of y e campe the numbre of them of y â— of towne consumed and decaied daylye when the Mahometistes had in this sorte contynued their seege by the space of two monethes it semed to the Captaines Bascias y â— thei had made sufficient breache whervpon thei thought them selues suer of the towne whenseuer they shoulde assayle it and vpon this they made redie for the assulte all kinde of necessaries determined to gyue y â— assaulte whervpon they deuided their people and gaue order to their Coloneles who shoulde begyn the assaulte and whiche they were that shoulde from tyme to tyme supplie it when this was done they put their peopel in order and approched the towne the. xx daye of Iulye in y â— breake of the day with greate noyses and cries and they emploied their greatest force vpon that syde of y e towne where the towre stode that was called Giudeca whiche was so flatte betyn to the grounde that the spoyle and roobishe therof so fylled the dyke that men moughte ea syly clyme vp to y e heighte of the breache as sone as this was knoweÌ„ they that were withoute began y e assaulte placed their shotte to beate their defenses and breaches to the ende they shoulde not be able to stande to the defence of their breaches and immediatly entred the dike and as they were comming vp the breaches they were encountred by them of the towne with great Valiantize whoe appeared in all places where nede was throwing oute vpon their enemies continually great stones peces of tymber castinge speres and with their shotte they dyd maruelously anoie them they th rewe them downe contynually from the walles makinge excidinge greate flaughter of them notwithstandinge the Turckes contynued styll the assaulte and renewed it with freshe bandes from tyme to tyme in suche sorte as the fighte contynued still withoute cease and was maintyned a great pece of y e day with great assurance on bothe sides but in the end y e Turckes through their great number and also throughe their meanes which they vsed to supplie y e fighte with freshe regimentes and bandes preuayled murche and in the ende certaine thousandes of y e Turcks serred them selues and charged with their hole force vp on the Christians which not beinge able to endure the force of their enemies were constreyned to abandone the breaches whervpon by lytle and lytle they retired them selues towarde the market and the enemies entred the towne and folowed them on wel towarde that place Giudeca and soddenly they stated not beinge charged at all by the enemies and shewed suche a token of fearefulnes that it semed they trembled with feare the cause therof was not certainly knowen althoughe there were some founde and chiefely certaine sonnes of one GeÌ„tile de Bardi a Florentine which affirmed that they sawe steppe forthe before them a man on horsebacke armed at all peces with an vpper garment of whyte vpon his armour whiche when the enemies sawe they were abashed and durste not deale with him the Christians perceuing the cowardize of the enemies called againe to them noble myndes and put them selues again in order and then charged the enemies which fled from the Christians abandoned the towne leuing y e victorie at that time to their enemies and therfore that day they of the towne were preserued contrarie to their owne expectation beinge clerely oute of hope of their helthe thervpon comforted them selues and all they that were in the towne bothe men wemen children laide to their handes for the reparing of the breaches for the space of certaine dayes tyll that they had made it somewhat defensyble the enemies on thother syde endeuoured them selues by all meanes possyble to supplie their bandes to furnishe them with all kinde of necessaries for to assayle the towne againe In this meane tyme the kinge Ferrante dispaiched from Naples two great shippes w t commision to sayle towarde the coaste of Gretia and to succour the towne of Rhodes which shippes being wel furnished with men set sayle and sayled toward y e coaste of Gretia and the .xxx. of Iulye they arriued within the sighte of Rhodes and holdinge on their course towarde the hauen mouthe the lesser of the two passed with fylled sayles throughe y e middest of y e turckishe Nanie which came and assayled him thincking to denie him y e passage as he passed throughe their Nauie he slewe manie of the infideles and so arriued safely with his shyppe and people in the hauen of Rhodes where he was receiued by theÌ„ of the towne with incredible ioye Franzino pastore that commaunded the other shyppe seing the peryll that the other shyppe that was arriued at y e towne had ben in was discoraged durste not folowe but made aboute from the Nauie of the enemies to the sea againe toward the middest of the chanel the nexte morning being enforced by his souldiours mariners he set sayle agayne hauing a prosperous wynde and made towarde the hauen soddenly the wynde fayled him by meanes wher of he coulde make no sayle but laie styll in greate daunger of the enemie who seinge the ship encaulmed weid their ancres and made toward her with al their Nauie determinig to burne her and loded a â—alandre w t pytche and towe meaning that whilest certaine of their galleis dyd assayle her others shoulde set her on fire whervpon they tawed the palandre after them at y e sterme of some of their galleys in their meane tyme the wynde arose began to blowe a handsome gale not withoute a manifest token of the fauour of God whervpon the Captaine commaunded to packe on all the sayles and directed his course full vpon the Nauie of the infidels and sayled on with greate furie passing throughe the middest of them arriued safely in the hauen to the great content as wel of those of his shyppe as of them of the towne for the which good happe they of theâ— towne triumphed for the space of two dayes shewinge signes of great ioye in ringinge of belles making of bonefires shoring of artillerie and suche lyke whervpon y e Turckes began to dispaire of the takinge of the towne thincking that the two shippes had broughte farre greater number of men and monition then in dede they dyd Then began they to attempte the towne but slenderly and deuised rather howe
greate pece of the daye withoute anye aduantage of eyther side but at the laste a certayne number of the Mamalukes marched on so closely in order that they were as stronge as a mightie walle and charged the Turckes with such force that they not beyng able to endure the force and power of the Mamalukes and their horses were enforced to disorder and breake their ranckes and by meanes therof gaue them waye to enter their squadrone when they were comme to the Gianizzaries they disordered them also and passed on vntyll they came to their enseig nes where the Turcke was in person and he seinge his people thus in disorder and that there was no meanes to holde them togyther and to kepe them in order he cōmaunded his maister Cannoniers to discharge all their artillerie at one Instante vpon them the noyse of the artillerie was suche that the horses of the Mamalukes coulde not endure it but retorned backe and ran awaye scattering all ouer the feelde in dispite of those that rode them and thus by flighte lefte vnto their enemyes that victorie which they had all redie in their handes they had not loste of their people before the discharge of that volee of shotte scarcely one thousand The souldiours of Scilin seinge the flyghte of their enemyes began to encorage them selues and folowed them making great flaughter of them The Soldane behaued him selfe that daye lyke a worthie man and dyd not omitte any thing that appertained to a worthy Captaine and had sondrie tymes that daye supplied with great discression where nede was and where his people were in disorder and began to flee whervpon he was enforced to vse both sayre wordes pro messes and threatinges by these meanes had dyuerse tymes that day staied them from roning awaye and putting them in order agayne soughte to renewe the fyghte but he founde them so amased stonied by meanes of the noyse of the artillerie to the whiche they were not acustomed that they lainge a syde all reuereuce dyd not once hercken to any worde y e he speake but contynued styll their flyghte and disorder and when the Soldane sawe that he was lefte of his souldiours and alone vpon the feelde he wolde not comme on lyue into the handes of his enemyes wherfore he folowinge after his people soughte to saue him selfe by flighte but being ercedingly hote and faintie in his armour for so much as he had taken vpon him y e day great trauaile and had continued the hole day on horsebacke withoute receauing meate or dryncke in the ende beinge vtterly weried and with the force of the presse of those y e came after him who being so affraied that they flede continually in a confused sorte hauing no regarde to their duetye but euery man made shyste for one amonge them he was ouerthrowen both horse and man and beings once downe being an aged man his armour of great weyghte he coulde no more ryse and hauinge loste hys force sensses gaue vp his spirite amonges their horses fete and this was the end of Campsone Cairo Soldane of Babilone a noble personage and of greate vertue who founde the kingdome of Egipte and Soria so consumed and spoyled by cyuyll dissention and warres y ◠in shorte tyme their were staine amonge them selues in these esmotiones foure Soldanes when this man had accepted the gouernance he so reformed it by his great wysdome and Iustice encreasyng it both with reputation and obedience in such sorte that he brought it to an exceding great quietnes and tranquilitie so that for y ◠space of .xvi. yeres wherein he had gouerned they had not onely not experimented what the warres were but also not herde them once named amonge them in all y ◠kingdome of Egipte and Soria After this when the nighte came the enemyes fled faste towarde Aleppo lefte the feelde and also their campe withoute defence in proie to the enemies but Selim mistrusting y e fynesse of the Mamalukes wolde not that nyghte enter into their campe but encampted where the battayle was soughte and helde a great pece of his armye all y ◠nyght in battayle and when it was day he sent certaine vante corriers to vewe the campe of the enemyes who fynding it withoute defendantes gaue suche aduertizemēt whervpon Selim marched with his armye and entred y ◠campe and founde the lodginges of the Soldane full of riches and gaue it in proie to his souldiours and when he vnderstode that Gazzele with the rest of y e Soldanes Captaines were departed from Aleppo in the fourthe watche and gone to Dammasco he marched on to Aleppo and when he came thyther Caserbeio whiche was gouernour there for the Soldane withoute making any resystance at all went forth to hym and yelded hym the towne and being maruelously embraced and honoured by Selim confyrmed the opinion of many which was y e he had alwaye ben a traitour to the Soldane and had in telligence with Selim and also that he had aduertized him of the comming of the Soldane into Soria and exhorted him to leue the enterprise of Persta and to take in hand that of Soria against the Soldane when Selim was entred into Aleppo he graunted y e Citizens many liberties and being greatly oppressyd by the impositiones and taxes which the Soldane laid vpon them he meaning to gratifie them and to preserue the great traffique and encourage the marchantes that there were others also to comme thyther with their marchandize he released dyuerse of the impositiones and also diminished a parte of the custumes of the marchandize when he had contynued there certaine dayes he receaued aduertizement that all the Mamalukes that were lefte liuing at the ouerthrowe of Aleppo with Gazzele which was y e cheife Captaine amonge them then considering that the lorde of Damasco was slayne in the battayle were determyned to goe and to create a newe Soldane whervpon they departed from Soria and rode towarde Cairo Selim departed from Aleppo and marched on to warde Damasco and when he was comme before the Citie with hys armye they of the Citie thought it not good by resystance to put bothe them selues and y ◠they had in peryll whervpon they sent forth to Selim Oratours and graunted him the Citie vpon condittion to enioye bothe their lyues and goodes when Selim had accepted their offer he entred into the Citie beinge accompained onely with his garde leuinge all the rest of his armye withoute in campe bycause the Citie shoulde not by molested nor greued nor the straunge marchantes that there were oute of all partes of the worlde the Cities of Soria which stande vpon the sea coaste folowed the example of Aleppo and Damasco and the principall of them were Tripolli Sindonia Baruti and Tolemarde which yeldyd and receaued dyuerse bandes of the Soldiers of Selim into them Selim determyniing to establishe the gouernement of Soria called a coū cell in Damasco and thyther
ducates and yf thou shouldest nowe dye not gyue order in that behalfe they shoulde be conueyd and stollen awaye were it not better that thou shoulde bestowe them vpon soÌ„me hospitale whervnto Selim answered woldest thou that I shoulde honor my selfe with the goodes of other men to bestowe them in vertuose worckes in the remembrance and commendation of me I wyl neuer doe it whervpon Perino replied sayinge what woldest thou then that there shoulde be done with them He answered that they be delyuered to them froÌ„ whom they were taken and also he called to his remembrance y â— there were thre thousaÌ„d ducates of a Florentyne sonne to one Thomaso de Aiolfo he commaunded also that they shoulde be delyuered vnto him Whervpon after that the money marchandize and sylkes that were arrested in Bursta were delyuered to the owners and he that reported this was one of them and had receaued a great quantitie againe and had brought of the same salkes to Florence two fardells this is spoken to confounde manye of our Christian princes amonge whom in the lyke case it is a very harde matter to fynde one that shal haue such remorse of conscience but nowe to our historie when Selim was in this sorte consumed with his disease in the ende of the monethe of Septem her the vere of the Christian helthe 1520. hauinge in righte yeres which was the time of his raigne brought to passe so manye maruelouse enterprises he ended his lyfe in whose place succeded Solimanno his onely soÌ„ne a yonge man of great worthines in whome their was great hope for the great modestie that was in him he was of the age of xxviii yeres and beinge in Natolia y â— newes were brought him fleing of the deathe of his father wherfore in the begynninge he was in doubte of them fearing leste it had ben fayned by the commaundement of his father wherfore he wolde not sturre at all oute of Natolia tyll suche tyme as Perino Bassa came into Natolia to him who dyd not onely assertaine him of it but also constreyned him to passe ouer into Gretia to Constantinople where as sone as he was arryued he was receaued and coronned withoute any coÌ„tradicti on at all and accepted Emperour with the vntuersall ioye and contentacion of his subiectes and in this sorte he accepted the gouernement vsing in all his determynations y â— councell of Perino Bassa whom he honored as thoughe he had ben his natural father in this meane tyme wheÌ„ the death of Selim was published in Egipte and Soria it dyd greatly moue the people of those countres and Gazelle beinge pricked with ambition perswaded him selfe that he moughte recouer both Egipte and Sorta and erecte againe y â— of state the Mamalukes acording to y â— ancient order therof vnder the Soldanes whervppon he caused the Citie of Damasco firste to rebelle and possessyd it callinge him selfe openly lord ther of and vtterly caste from him all obedience towardes y e house of Ottomanno which brute when it was sprede abrode throwe the prouince caused all the Mamalukes that were lefte which were hidden in Asia and Affrica to comme vnto him and then according to their anient custume they created him Soldane who made all preparation possyble to defende his state and gathered togyther a great number of Arrabians and of the counâ—res neare aboute him and sent his ambassadours to Cairo to desyre Carerbeio to ioyne with him to helpe to restore the Mamalukes state to his ancient libertie offering him to gyue him what parte of the domynion y â— he wolde yea to resigne vnto him his place and to make him Soldane when Carerbeio had gyuen publique audience to his ambassadours vnderstode their demauÌ„de withoute gyuing them anye answer caused his Ministers to cut them in peces hauing also proued Aleppo and dyuerse other Cities of Soria he founde none that wolde ioyne with him in this enterprise whervpon he determyned to defend him selfe as well as be moughte and leuied in all countreys suche bandes as he coulde get to serue him when the newes of the rebellion of Da masco was comme into Gretia Solimanno commaunded forthwith the Bellagarbei of Cillicia which was appointed for the garde of the lesser Asia with .xl. M. horsemen to goe thyther who entred into Soria acompained with the lieutenantes of Aleppo and of the rest of the cities of that prouince and came before Damasco with his armie in battayle he was not so sone comme before the Citie but Gazzelle hauing determyned for onely remedie to hazarde the battayle and wolde rather dye honorable w t his sworde in his hande then to be delyuered by some practize lyuinge into his enemyes hands whervpon he marched forthe of the Citie with his armie and put his people in battayle and then marched on with a noble mynde to encountre his enemye who marched also towarde him and withoute delaie ioyned in battaile and foughte for a longe tyme with greate assurance on bothe partes the vertue and discipliue of Gazzelle and of those fewe Mamalukes that were with him was such that notwithstanding they were excedingly ouerlaid w t nuÌ„ber yet for y â— space of certaine houres they so endured the force of their enemyes that they were nothing at al disordered nor gaue to their enemyes one fote of place in the end hauinge slayne a great number of their enemyes and manie of them beinge flayne also and the rest in maner all hurte beinge ouercomme with very wery nes and not able to vse their weapones Gazzelle fyndynge hym selfe enuironed by the Turckes foughte valiantly against them tyll at the laste he fell downe deade from his horse amonge them the Mamalukes beinge in the ende disordered and seynge no way by flighte howe to saue them selues determyned to dye lyke worthy men with their weapones in their hande and so foughte to y â— vttermoste in suche sorte that very fewe were taken lyuing by the enemyes As sone as Mustaffa Bassa had obtained this victorie he came forthwith w t his armie be fore the Citie the Citizens made no resystance but openned the gates and receaued the Bassa with such people as he wolde with him into the towne who entred acompanied with fewe for that he wolde not haue the Citie spoyled nor y e marchantes which were there oute of all partes of the worlde to exersyse their traffique he pardoned the Citizens and confirmed their liberties and freedomes which Selim had giuen vnto them he lodged his armye withoute the Citie and in this sorte dispatched the rest of the Mamalukes And established Soria and all y e prouinces of Egipte in perfecte peace which were wont to obey vnto Selim leuinge them vnder y e reule of Solimanno Ottomanno their lorde FINIS A COMMENTARIE OF THE WARRES OF THE TVRCKES MADE against George Scanderbeg prince of Epirro and of the victories obtained by the sayde George as well against the Emperoures
t his excuses and cōmitted the whole charge of these warres to his discresion wherevpon forthewyth he toke in hys companye the Captaine Iaguppe Arnanthe a man of great value Iagup Arnanthe signifieth in oure speche Iamez the Albaneses When he was marching he deuided his armie and wylled Iames with one parte therof to passe throughe Tracia and Macedonia into Epirro and in anye wyse to kepe him secrete and not to enuade vntyll he had aduertisement that Balaban was arriued in Albania and he that fyrst approched the confynes to tarie his companion to the ende that they moughte vpon the sudden assayle Scanderbeg Balaban on the other side toke with him xx M Turckishe horsemen and iiii thousande fotemen and came first into Epirro and encamped in the afore named place of Valcal which when Scanderbeg vnderstode being alwayes prouided and in redines sent iii. spiones into the enemies campe to consider the order of the same but one of these spiones was a kinsman of Balaban and was y ◠cause that the other two retorned not at the houre appointed whervpon Scanderbeg being a souldiour most vigillant toke with him fyue souldiours and went to discouer the campe of the enemies but that subtyl Balaban who had good experience of the vsage of Scanderbeg appointed to that place which was moste apte for suche purpose certaine souldiours on horse and beynge there encountred with Scanderbeg and were at the blowe of the sworde for a tyme. But in the ende Scanderbeg was enforced to flee and take the nearest way to his campe and passyng thorowe a straite founde by mishappe a tree lying ouerthwarte his waye notwithstandinge he put spurres to his horse and lepte ouer it and so dyd one of his souldiours but the other foure coulde not by anye meanes whervpon they turned to y ◠Turckes and charged them and slewe certaine of them but in the ende they were all foure slayne In this meane tyme Scanderbeg beinge moued with pitie torned hym and espyeing a Turcke that had lopte the tree after him folowing him he encountred him with suche furie that at the firste stroke he slewe hym and then he fled vntyll he came to Pietra Biancha which was viii myles from him where be founde his viii thousand horsemen and iiii thousand fotemen tarying for him Then he chaunged his horse and in fewe wordes encoraged his souldiours to fyghte stoutly and when he had thus done he marched on towarde the enemie and or that he wolde encountre him he toke a certaine hyll not farre from them and then ordeyned all thinges for the battayle presented his people in foure squadrones the one he committed to the conducte of Thamssio Thopia lorde of the countre neare vnto Durazzo and cosyn to the Arche Byshoppe Paulo Angelo aforesayde the seconde he committed to the leading of Zacharia Groppa the thirde to Peiche Emanuell and the fourthe he lad in person and this was his order but Balaban who taried for his companion wolde in no wise accepte the battaile wherof when Scanderbeg vnderstode he disbanded certaine men and entred the scaramoche with the Turcks augmenting it from tyme to tyme in such sorte that he in the ende enforced them to comme to the battayle and then presented all his squadrones in fronte sauing onely one which he helde hidden behinde the reste the battayles beinge ioyned the fyghte was terrible in this meane tyme the fourthe squadrone came in vpon their flancke vnsoked for and charged them with such corage that the Turckes not beinge able to endure the force of the Albaneses acording to their olde custume disordered them selues and fledde so that they were hurte flayne in maner all notwythstandinge Balaban wyth fewe wyth him conueyd him selfe in to a place of securitie This victorie beinge newely obtained their came a messager in great hast to Scanderbeg from his syster y e ladie Mānizza declaring vnto him y t Iagup was comme into Albania by the waye of Belgrado and had proied spoyled and burned a greate pece of his countrey when Scanderbeg vnderstode of this he immagined forthew t the determynation of the two Captaines to haue ben togather him in the myddest betwyne them bothe he instructed his armie and encoraged them greatly not to doute xvi thousand Turcks consydering that they had in shorte space before ouerthrowen xxiiii M. whervpon he marched towarde the lesser Tirana where Iagup w t his armye laye Scanderbeg as sone as he drewe something neare his enemye staied and chose fyue hundred horsemen to goe and prouoke the enemye to the feelde As sone as Iagup sawe this he ranged his armie in thresquadrones and with certaine disbanded horsemen charged them and put them to flyghte folowing the chase w t those disbanded horsemen marchinge after them with his whole power and when they came where Scanderbeg was he cried vnto them to turne whervpon immediatly they charged the Turckes Scanderbeg with his armie in order came on and ioyned with them and in shorte tyme put them to flyghte by meanes that he sawe where Iagup was in person whervpon he chose vnto him certaine assured souldiours seuered them selues and charged the squadrone wherin Iagup was and so of force entred it and with his launce smote him vnder the chyn thorowe the throte and flewe him wherewith the Turckes being amased and discoraged stode lyke vnto shepe withoute a shepherde and were flayne miserably and mayne of them were taken prisoners so that acomptinge fyrste those of Balaban and secondaryly these of the Bassa Iagup there were xxiiii M. slayne besydes vi thousande that they herde no newes of at all After this Scanderbeg caused to gather togyther al the golde syluer and other riches which the Turckes had gotten in his countrey and caried al into Croia in great triumphe making greate feastes to the contentacion of al that there were and he sent messagers to sondrie princes and others his fryndes that dwelled neare aboute him with the newes of this great victorie sent them also presentes of the Turckyshe spoyle as horses coursiers slaues Armour furniture of horses riche garmēts of men and suche lyke When the greate Turcke vnderstode the dolorouse defeicte of these two armies he determyned to goe in person with all his power against Scanderbeg but he hauing intelligence hereof made prouision for y ◠defence of his countre and especially furnished Croia with men and all kynde of necessaries his souldiours on fote were of the garnisons of the Senate of Venise their gouernour was a worthy man named Baldisera Perduci In those daies there was in that part of Albania which was subiecte to the Seigniorie of Venise their Proueditour a Venetian borne named Iosaphat Barbaro a man of great worthynes who by commaundement of the Senate dyd often tymes attende vpon Scanderbeg and the Arche Byshope Paulo who for the great zeale that he had towarde the Christian religiō was in those daies contynually with Scanderbeg onles
which made an armie of .13 thousand and .4 hundred chosen men with whom Scanderbeg marched toward Croia and when he came neare y ◠towne he spake in this sorte My lordes and you my good souldiours althoughe oftē times good wordes doe comforte weried and troubled myndes yet I wyl at this present as well encorage you by my dedes as by my wordes for that I doe knowe you to be of noble myndes desyrous to put oure enemie to the flighte wherfore my truste is in god that yf the Turckes whiche doe besege my Citie were as manye moe in number as they are we shall vndoutedly ouerthrowe them and put them to the sworde When he had thus sayde he deuided his armie into two partes committing the one to Nicolo Moneta Vaiuoda of Scutari and sent him ouer thorowe a playne certaine woodes to a certaine stronge place called Gionenemi not far from that place where the Turckes laie in campe before Croia he commaunded the aforesayde Nicolo not to departe from thence in anie wyse vntyll that he herde him shote of certaine Cannones which he dyd acording to his promes In this meane tyme Scanderbeg went with the reste of his armye and vpon the sudden toke the heighte of the moūte Canino in dispite of the enemies and determyned to councell with the aforesayde Nicolo of what sorte to procede Balaban hauing intelligence of the comming of Scanderbeg went forthwith to Croia requiringe them to yelde the towne vpon Conditiones making them of the towne greate promesses in the behalfe of his Maister perswading him selfe that hy these meanes he shoulde obtaine victorie acording to the intelligence that was gyuen him whervpon he had exhorted his armie to be of good chere declaring to them that yf they moughte haue the towne delyuered vnto them that then he wolde with his armie lodge in the towne and wolde not care for the comming of Scanderbeg yf that he shoulde happen to comme but yf that it so chansed y ◠they dyd not obtaine it he wolde leuye his campe and departe thence whyles Balaban loked for aunswere there sorted forthe of the towne certaine souldiours to scarmoche with his people Then he beinge exceding wrothe and oute of al hope of recouerie of the towne with his souldiours that were then with him gallopped towarde them to gyue a charge on them but the Christianes perceauing it drewe neare y ◠towne vnder the defence of the shotte whervpon George Alesy an Albanese discharged his harquebuze and strake Balaban vnder the chin into the throte and gaue him hys deathes woonde not withstanding this great blowe Balaban fel not but put spurres to his horse and gallopte to his tente when the Turckes vnderstode of this and also that the mounte Crina was alredie taken they abandoned the seege and beinge greatly affraied conueid them selues spedylye in to the feelde named Tiranna Then Scanderbeg fynding no man to resyste hym went downe into Croia and caused to bringe into the towne all the meale barly and other victuales that were lefte in the Turckes campe whiche were sufficient to sustaine them of the Towne for one whole yere when he had this done he lodged in the Citie and sent certaine bandes to take the passages and straites thorowe the which the Turckes must passe for he determyned to seke them and to gyue them battayle That same very euening came two Turckes of acompte to Scanderbeg desyring him in the name of their whole armie to gyue them their lyues and that they wolde with one consent gyue him willingly all that they had and excused them saying that they were enforced to comme to that seege by the commaundement of their prince whose breade they dyd eate so that with great humiletie they desyred Scanderbeg to graunt them that which he neuer denied to their fathers when Scanderbeg had herde y ◠requeste of the Turckes he commaunded them with a fryndly contenaunce to be well lodged in a faire pauillion and to be honorably entertayned After this the aforesayde Scanderbeg called to him the aforesayde lieutenante w t the noble lordes Ducagini and other lieutenantes mē of great vertue vnto whom he declared the request of y ◠Turckyshh armie requiring their aduise and aunswere Iosaphat Barbaro which the Venetianes had sent into Albania to be contynually in company with Scanderbeg spake fyrste and sayde that he wolde doe nothinge but what shoulde please Scanderbeg to commaūde him wherfore he wolde doe as it shoulde seme good to Scanderbeg in this matter After this spake Leche Ducagino very franckly saying Embetha which in oure tonge signifieth vpon them for that he thoughte it not requisite to vse mercy towardes infydels but to cut them in peces of the same opinion were dyuerse other noble men and Captaines of great value Then Scanderbrg spake vnto them saying you noble men and you worthye Captaines I truste in the lorde and am well assured that yf we shall happen to encountie the Turckes we shall sone defeicte them Notwithstanding for that they are y e choyse of all the Turckyshe armie and nowe becomme desperate and determined in dede to emploie their hands and for that also that the ende of warres is doubtefull and that god for oure offences shoulde permitte them to haue the victorie as it maye well comme to passe It shoulde be the ruyne of vs all Wherfore to plaie suer it semeth to me reasonable that we respecte the attempte vntyll suche tyme as Croia be supplied with victualles and other necessaries for manye yeres and then to goe on to encountre them with assurance of mynde and to ouerthrowe them for so muche as they can escape in no wyse for that the passages are alredie taken The opinion of Scanderbeg was wel lyked of many and of others not lyked at all and chiefely of suche as were subiectes to the Venetianes who desyred ernestly to be reuenged of the Turckes and of some others which had not experimented the force of y ◠Turckes very often Then Scanderbeg called for the two Turckes aforesayde and wylled them to declare vnto the whole armie that as they came not with his license to besege his Citie no more shulde they departe oute of his countre with his license In this meane tyme be sent his armie to y ◠Ryuer Isimi where he had a great number of shippes loded w t corne meale biskete and other victuales and caused all to be vnloded with spede so that in thre dayes he furnished Croia for syre yeres And then went with all spede to encountre the Turcks but he had taryed a longe for they in these thre dayes seinge them selues so assayled wyth famyne went to the passages and passed of force not w t oute greate slaughter and spoyle of their mē and in this sorte fled Then euery man in maner was sory and murmored against Scanderbeg and layd the whole faute of their escape vpon him but he with his great cortesye
warres as witnesseth Vigetius in his first Boke and vii chapter NOwe as touching the obedience of the souldiour the histories are full howe greate skyll is in it for what was the cause of the deathe of Pompey and defeicte or ouerthrowe of his Populous armie in Thesaly was it not onelye disobedience loke Cesare in his third Booke and Appian in his seconde Booke of the Gyuyll warres of the Romanes Hathe not disobedience ben also the deathe of dyuerse Romane Emperours and almost the distruction of the whole Empire loke Herodian and there you shall see the profe hereof This obedience is a bande that byndeth the rest of the braunches of disciplyne so firmely togyther that it maketh them to worcke theyr effecte and gyueth vertue power to euery of them Wherfore Andre Cambine iustly doth saye that a disobedient armie is lesse to be feared them a worthy Captayne withoute an armie THe worthye men of the olde worlde and chiefely the Romanes broughte vp their souldiours in sondrie exercyses as to runne lepe throwe the bare swyme to vse their weapons to marche the march called Passo militare which was to goe armed in the hotest of the sommer xx myles in fyue houres and vpon great occasion xxiiii myles in foure houres they had a feelde which laye vpon the syde of the Ryuer Tibre which once was of the possessioÌ„ of Tarquinus surnamed the proud and when he was banished Rome the Senate appointed that feelde for the exercyse of theyr souldiours there were in that feelde a number of greate stakes depely set into the grounde against whom the souldiours hauing their roundels made of wicker of the double weighte of those whiche they shoulde were in battayle and a staffe of the lengthe of a sworde and of the double weyghte of the sworde whiche commonly they dyd weare and beinge thus furnished they shoulde dayly fyghte against those stakes as against their enemyes In this feelde dyd they vse all theyr exercyses wherof I spake before and when they were wery they went into the Riuer and washed them and refreshed theyr weried bodies and lerned to swime as wytnesseth Vigetius in his fyrst Boke and x. Chapter To swymme wel is and exercise very commodiouse for a souldiour as for example Liure in his fyrst Decade and seconde Boke declareth that Oratius Cocleus a worthy Romane defended the ende of the brydge that putteth ouer Tiber against the whole power of the kinge Porsena whilest that they of the Citie brake the bridge behinde him and then armed as he was he leapte into the Ryuer from the brydge and dyd swymme to the lande and saued both him selfe the Citie for that tyme. Also the noble Emperour Iulius Cesare beinge in Alexandrie and assayled vpon the sudden by the Alexandrines and hauing but fewe of his people with him was enforced to flee their furie whervpon he lepte into the Ryuer and dyd swyme ouer to the other side by the which meanes he saued his life at that present as witnesseth Appian Alexandre in his seconde Booke of the cyuyll warres of the Romanes and also Aulus Hirtius in his fourthe Booke of the Commentaries of Cesar intitled de Bello Alexandrino the lyke dothe the same Aulus Hirtius declare in the aforesayde Booke of the Phâ—ritanes whiche dwelled in an Isle that standeth in the Ryuer Nilo eyghte huÌ„dred pases from Alexandrie which beinge assailed by the souldiours of Cesare and put to flyghte toke the Ryuer and did swyme to Alexandrie and saued a great number of theyr lyues The exercise of the souldiour and chiefely of the vse of the weapon that he shall vse in the feelde is a thinge of great valewe whiche the Romanes dyd so muche esteme that they appointed a number of Maisters to instructe theyr souldiours in the vse therof and euery Maister had double the entertaynement that a souldiour had as witnesseth Vigetius in his firste Booke and xii chapter and in my iudgement not withoute great reason for the felde is not the onlye place to traine souldiours in but they must also be made perfecte in the vse of theyr weapon in marching in theyr armour acustumed to order and such lyke exercyses before they coÌ„me to the felde otherwyse they be but an encoraging to the enemy and a people led to the slaughter wherfore the Romanes had their newe souldiours as perfecte in altheyr exercyses as were theyr olde souldiours before they wolde send them to the felde sauing in that that they had not seen the enemy nor felte of his force An other braunche therof is of importance which is furniture with oute the which no army is perfecte for yf a man be neuer so valiante well trayned yf he wante furniture he wyll not put him selfe in that peryll that he wyll doe beinge well armed and furnished As longe as the Romanes went wel armed and furnished to the felde their Empire dyd alwaye florishe as witnesseth Vigetius in his first Boke and xx chapter but wheÌ„ they became slouthfull and neglected discipline they then obtayned of their Emperours within shorte space license to goe to the felde first withoute their body Armour then withoute their sheldes and hedpeces and when they had obtained at theyr Emperours handes these noble demaundes within shorâ—e space after they payd well for their case the Gothes Vandales and also the Lombardes made warres vpoÌ„ them gaue them sondrie ouerthrowes Then was the difference seen betwyne the armie broughte vp in disciplyne and that wherein disciplyne was not knowen betwine the exercised souldiour and the vnexercised betwine the instructed souldiour and the ignorant betwine the armed souldiour the vnarmed betwyne the Captaine of iudgment and the vnskylfull Captaine for where as in tyme before the Romanes dwelling vnder discipline were not onely able to defend their owne most ample dominions but also that of their fryndes which laie fardest from them nowe when they had reiected discipline hauinge warres with these nationes afore named they were not onely vnable to defend their owne dominions but also to defend their Citie Rome which was twyse or thriese sacked by the aforesayd enemies as wytnesseth Carian in his historie There is also order which is of great value and withoute it an armie is but a confused multitude nether any battayle is worthily fought no towne perfectly besegyd nor any thing well done This the auncient Romanes had in suche estimation that whosoeuer dyd violate it was puÌ„nished withoute remissioÌ„ as for example Valerius Maximus in his second Boke declareth that Posthumius Tibutius being dictator hauing with him in the warres his onely soÌ„ne the only successioÌ„ that he had whoÌ„ he had very tenderly carefully brought vp yet forasmuch as he being in the warres did of him selfe not by his coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t take those bands which the RomaÌ„es called aides or helppes encouÌ„tred the enemies gaue them a great ouerthrowe theÌ„ retorned to the campe with the
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
of good order â—nd aboue all thinges he fauored religion in suche sort â—hat the was contente to yelde his lyfe for the mainte â—aunce of the Christian faithe when Iohn Vaiuoda was escaped from the defeicte as we haue sayde before â—e came in to Seruia where the dispotto met him reâ—eauing him very honorably and the daye folowing â—e apointed to him garde and in no wise wolde graunt â—im libertie onles he wolde cause to be deliuered vnto â—im all suche townes and castles as the saide Iohn Vainoda and his fryndes then helde of hys the Veneâ—ian Cardynall whyche was lyuetenante of the Nauys â—t the sea was also blamed for thys ouerthroe and charged to be neglygent in the doyng of his duetie and â—yd not that that was to be done in defendynge the â—trayte and forbyddynge the passage of the armye â—ute of Asya in to Europe and also for that that when he knewe them to be passed he dyd not â—duertise the Christians therof to y e ende they mought â—he better haue prouided for them selues as touching â—he number of those that were slayne I can not certenlye saye but y t the slaughter spoyle of the Turkes did farre exceade that of the Christians but coÌ„siderynge y e inequalitie of the armies the losse of the Christians weyng their number did farre excede that of the Turkes When Amorathe had thus obtained the victorie and rested wholly maister of the fielde he had no great desire to folow the chase of his fliyng enemies nor yet did glorie wyth great wordes as the maner of the Turkes is ne yet sought in any kynde of sort to amplifie the victorie nor shewed in his coÌ„ntenaunce anye kinde of ioye and being demaunded by certayne of his familiers the cause that after so great a victorie he shewed him selfe so melancolicke he answered I desyre not often to obtayne victorie in this sorte After this he raysed hys canipe and desolued it and suche souldiours as he had lefte aliue he sent agayne to the places from whenre they came and he in person retourned to Andrinople wher he accomplished sundrie vowes that he had made to God And after thys he called to mynde the great peryl and danger that he had bene in and also the great cares that are incident to gouernement in the whiche he concluded that no man mought call him selfe happy for as much as it hath in it more of the bitter then of the swete and iudging also by examples passed the inconstantie of Fortune who rarely accompanieth anye man fauourablie throughoute to the ende and beyng desirous to prouide for his securitie and quietnes called to hym all hys Bascias and chyefe gouernours and councellours of his Empire and by theyr consent appoynted in his stede Mahometh his eldest sonne to be their prince and lord and to be gouerned vntyll he came to lawfull age to gouerne by Calibasso Bascia who for his power and wisedome was the chiefe counseller that the Turke had and when he had disburdened him selfe of gouernement and was become priuate he passed ouer into Asia accompanied w t certen of his familier frendes and there lyued religiouslye geuynge him selfe to solitarine Al hys sonnes Mahometh only excepted were by y e aduyse of the Bascias put to death to auoide all occasions of tumultes sturres and alteracions that mought happen as often times it doth among the Turkishe nation with whom the children of priuate meÌ„ are more happie then they of Emperours the battayle of Varna did so diminishe and consume the force of bothe the Tukes and Hungerianes that withoute any conuenante of peace at all they helde them of bothe sydes with in the frontiers of of their contreis for the space of many yeres after and neyther of them durste to enter the others contrey ne yet to prouoke by anye maner of iniurie the one the other to warres thys quietnes was so much the more perfecte for somuch that neither in Turchia ne yet in Hungaria was there any king of age able to gouerne him selfe but ether of them were gouerned by other men for among the Turkes dyd Callibasso gouerne and among the Hungarianes dyd Iohn Vaiuoda gouerne both men of great reputacyon and credite among their owne people Calibasso had gouerned a long time vnder Amorathe and being a man very graue and modeste hauing also greate experience was Iudged of al men a very wise man Vaiuoda being a maÌ„ of a percinge Iudgement and valiannt in warres was holden in the opinion of all men to be the more skylfull of both it semid to him that he had loste great reputaci on by y e ouerthrow receaued at Varna which dyd much disquiet him wherfore he denised in hym selfe daye and night howe to recouer his loste credite and to be reuenged of the dishonour that he had receaued he iugged the quiet being of the Turcks who are ambitiouse and desire to enlarge their dominions to procede only of want of gouernance and force wherupon he thought to preuent them to assaile them vnloked for and althoughe he knewe well that they were able to leuye a great power yet he perswaded him selfe that they had no gouernor able to commaunde and also he was not ignorante that a great armie inobedient and wanting a discrete leadre was lesse to be feared then a wise and experimented Captaine with oute an armie wherupon he determyned to make warres againe against the Turcks w t all spede and with grea deligence assembled his people of Hungaria and Bohemia he entretained in paie also diuerse regiments of Almaignes and other strangers fote men and so marched on towarde the Turkes with his armie thincking to entre their contre and to take some place of importance with in the contrey and so to passe one with his armie to Andrinople before the enemie sholde vnderstand of his departure out of Hungarie which he was like to haue done had not the fylthie treason of George dispotto ben whoe as sone as he harde y â— Vaiuoda leuied bandes in Hungarye he sent to Calibasso Bascia and to all the Sangiachii of Gretia making the numbre of the Christians far greater then in dede it was reporting the matter to be more perillous then of it selfe it was which wheÌ„ they vnderstode they were so amased that they knewe not whither to torne them for they were oute of al hope that Amorath wolde euer stand them in any stede for so much as he was olde and had giuen ouer all charge and wholly giuen him to religion wherfore he wolde no more deale in warres and for that Mahometh was so yonge they thoughte it not good to commytte so weightie a matter in to hys hands as the leadyg of an armie against so puissant skylfull an enemye as Vaiuoda was and they feared that if Calibasso shoulde leade their armye he shoulde not haue due obedience which is a thinge moste perillous in all armyes Thus when
greate â—harge whoe neuer coulde obtaine it but departed euer withoute it and thus he determined the enterprise making fewe priuie vnto it but dissembled the matter and wyth all spede possyble caused to buylde a Castle vpon the mouth of the striate of the great sea v. miles aboue constantinople and fynyshed it with great expedityon and being finished he appointed a captaine to it and fâ—â— nished it with men and all kinde of munition when hâ— had thus done without any other denouÌ„cing of warre contrarye to the othe and effecte of the confederacye hâ—â— presented his armie as an enemie to Constantinople and when he had ouer ronne and proied the whole conâ— trey rounde aboute it he encamped neare to the citiâ— and enuironed it with his armie both by sea and land The Emperour and the princes of Gretia had a suspition of Mahometh and being affraied considering thaâ— their force was not sufficient to encouÌ„tre him sent theiâ— ambassadours and Oratours to all the princes of Euâ— rope to the Emperour and to the Bushope of Rome vsing with them al arte possible to induce them to giuâ— them aide declaring to them the manifest peryll wher in they were which was like to be the ruyne and lossâ— of that ancient and noble Empire and laste of all openned vnto them the miserye that they were lyke to en curre if they shoulde lighte in the handes of that mostâ— cruell Barharouse and bloude thirstye nation of the Turckes which more thirste for Christian bloude theâ— for anye drincke that is in the worlde thus were they inforced with plentiful streames of teres to moue them to compassyon and to craue ayde at their hande but all their trauayle was in vaine for they founde that whicâ— I doe abhore to speake of the eares of the christian princes so stopped and their eyes so blynded yea they foundâ— them not onely blynde and deafe but they were rather to be Iudged out of their wittes if y â— they coulde not disâ— cerne and consyder that yf the Turckes once moughte possesse the whole empire of Grecia the ruyne of al Europe in tyme were lyke to folowe with y â— vtter extirpation of the Christian religion but I belyue that they were occupied rather in reuenging of particulare causes and about their priuate commodities by meanes where of they contempned their vniuersale welth and commoditie But nowe to retorne to the declaration of our historye In this meane tyme Mahometh caused to leuiâ— out of all partes of his dominions an infinite number 〈◊〉 men toke with him to his campe an exceding great â—rniture of artillierie and munition and when he had â—us beseged the citie of ConstaÌ„tinople rounde he plan â—d his batteries and emploied his wholeforce to take it â—nd to the ende he woulde be suer of it he commaunded â—o make certaine mines directly vnder certaine of the â—ul warcks of y â— to ende y â— his peoplemoughte â—ghte the more aduantagiously and the more easyly w t â—heir ladders surmounte the height of the walles he cauâ—ed to make a very depe trenche rouÌ„de abaute y â— Towne â—eare to the walles with the earthe wherof he made great bancke at the fote of the walle vpon the height wherof they moughte easyly set their ladders and so enâ—er the Towne and on that syde towarde pera where â—he sea beatethe vpon the Towne he made a bridge by â—reate arte of twoe myles of lengthe where vpon he â—uylded certaine towres whiche in heighte dyd farre exâ—ede the walles of the citie and placed on euery one of these a number of men to bete alonge the walles that no man mighte stand to the defence thereof with these â—errible and greate preparations Mahomethe dyd for â—a longe tyme batter and annoie them of the Towne bothe daye and nighte with oute cease yet for all that they of y â— towne determyned rather to dye then to yelde the towne to his mercy whereupon they defended their citie with greate assurance Mahometh then considerâ—nge the great breache that he had made and also the slaughter of the Citizens was in good hope to wyn it by force wherupon he commaunded a proclamation to be made by sounde of trompet throughoute all hys campe that euery man the next day folowing whiche was the fyue and twentyth of Aprill in the yere of our helthe 1452. shoulde be in order redye to gyue the assaulte and the Towne beinge once taken he gane francklye to his souldiours all suche good des as they shoulde fynde wyth in it and be able to carye oute of it in thre dayes whiche proclamation once published so pleased euery man that happie was he y â— coulde be in the beste order furnished there was not one of them but that he fasted all the whole day tyll night that they sawe the starres appeare in the heauenes then euery man prepared hym to eate and drinke calling their frynds and kinsmen to them and made great chere togither and when the had thus in banquetting consumed a good pece of the night they toke thir leue the one of the other with embracing and kissing one an other as thoughe thei shulde neuer haue seene againe On the other syde when they of the Citie vnderstode the proclamatioÌ„ that this mighty prnice had made and the great preparation also y â— prests and other religiouse toke in hand the Images of the Crucifixe and our Ladye and also the reliques of Saincts and went in solempne procession with all the inhabitants of the Citie singing of himnes and songs with sheding of teares calling to god for aide in this sort dyd they consume all that daye in fasting praier and visiting the holly places of the Citie vntyl night came and then they made good chere and that done euery man wente to the place that he had in charge to defend the walles of the Citie were in heighte and thicknes comparable to the walls of any Citie that then was in the worlde but throughe their long contynuance and neglygence of the Greekes for wante of reparation their vauntemures were vtterlye decaied in many places but the walle was very stronge and of sufficient force to be defended wherupon the Grekes hauyng good hope in the force of theyr walles appointed their people in companies for y â— defence of theÌ„ Constantinople is in forme almoste treangle wherof the two partes that the sea beateth on are guirded aboute with walles sufficiently stronge to defend y â— force of the Armata the reste of the Citie toward the firme land besyde his walle wherof we haue alredye spoken is enuironned with a dyke deye and large when the thirde watch of the night was passed the Turckes beinge very gredye vpon the spoyle of the Citie made them redye to the assaulte and woulde not tarye for the daye lighte but presented them selues to the walles of the towne and began to assayle it from whence che arroes and stones flewe as thycke
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
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
to abandone the seege then otherwise and finally conueyd their artillerie and monitions aborde their Nauie and abandoned there seege the xvii of Auguste sayled towarde the straite of Gallipoli and in this sorte was Rhodes delpuered froÌ„ the seege of the Turckes In this mean time Mahometh sent Acomath one of his Bascias with a Nauie of an hundred sayles beinge furnished w t xv thousand souldiours towardes the Golfe and vpon the sodden he assayled the Isle called Saincte Maura anciently called Eucadia and toke it and from thence he passed on towarde Cephalonia and Hiacinto â— in shorte space became lorde of them bothe and he determined to sayle backe againe by the Golfe and from thence into Pulia in intention as diuers men thoughte but to land and spoyle the contrey consideringe the greate riches y â— â—here was bothe of men treasure and catell and cheife â—y for that he had intelligence that y e contrey was lefte withoute garde of men of warre and also that the king was where he coulde not annoie him when the Nauie of the infideles was come within fighte of that pointe of â—ande that the Italianes call Cauo de Ottranto they made towarde the lande and came into the hauen of Ot â—ranto and seinge them of the towne to make no resysâ—ance but beinge afearde showed moste shamefull Cowardize and shutte the gates of the Citie holding them â—clues within the walles therof and durste not once to â—okevpon him in the feelde whervpoÌ„ he landed his men â—andhorses and firste he proied all the contre aboute Ot â—tranto and then spoyled it and broughte to his shyppes â—an excyding great proie without any resystance at all wherevpon he was the more bolde presuminge vpon the Cowardize of them of the towne and thoughte to attempte to take it whervpon he fortified his campe to defend him from outwarde inuasion and enuironed the towne in suche sorte that they of the towne coulde nether receaue in nor sende forthe anye thinge oute of it wheÌ„ this was done he planted his batteries and began to batter the walles and tormented them with his batteries daye and nighte he arriued at Ottranto xxviii of Iulye in the yere of our helth M. CCCC.lxxix and the xi daye of Auguste nexte folowing he gaue an assanlte to the towne and chased them of the towne from the breaches and toke the towne by force master frauncis Zurlo who was there for the kinge being fled with the Arche byshoppe of the Citie into the Cathedrale church where vnto all the the chiefe of the citie were fled also for succour was with the reste cut in peces and all the reste of the people with the wemen and children were sent into Gretia to be sold as slaues when the king Fer rante vnderstode that the Turckes were arriued at Ottranto he caused to arme all the shyppes and gallyes of the realme with maruelouse celeritie and sent also for his sonne the Duke of Calabria into Toscane who at that tyme had made peace with the Florentynes was in Siena making great preparation for solemne Iustes and triumphes to celebrate the feaste of our ladie not withoute greate suspition y e he was procured by diuerse noughtie Citizenes of his faction that daye to take the citie and to vsurpe it when the Duke had receauid this commaundement from his father he departed forthe w t oute of Tuscane with all his armie and marching on w t great spede broughte them into Pulia and entertained also as manye fotemen as he coulde gette and appointed them to Captaines he gathered togyther also all the men at armes and horsemen of all sortes that were in the kingdome and then marched on with his armie encamped not farre froÌ„ Ottranto the Nauie was made redie with maruelouse expedition by the great industris of the countie of Sarni and was alredie departed from Naples towarde Pulta the Duke of Calabria fortified his campe with stronge rampares depe dikes douting the furie of the enemie and durste not to approche the towne so neare as he moughte laie batterie vnto it but laie some things farder of and presented him selfe dayly to the towne and they of the towne sorted forthe contynually and scaramoshed with him and often tymes repulsed them and made great slaughter of them And one daie they attached a scaramoshe and it was maintained in suche order from tyme to tyme with freshe bandes y â— the whole power of the campe was at it and it grewe to a battaile coÌ„tinued by the space of certaine houres there was great slaughter and it was foughte w t great assurance on bothe sydes in that battayle was slayne the countie Iulio de Aquaiua one of the kinges chiefe conductours of his men at armes the fotemen being discoraged fled Loys de Capua beinge generall of them with certaine of his companie thincking to saue him selfe fled to a certaine towre whiche was of some force not farre from Ottranto the Turquyshe horsemen folowed him and when they came to the towre they deter myned to assayle it and prepared pitche and towe and other necessaries to let fire vnto it the afore saide Loys being destrous to lyue yeldyd him with all his companie to the Turckes and was caried prisoner into Ottranto after this there was daily scaramoch betwene them of y e campe y e towne but they of y e campe had alwaies y e worse there was slaine before Ottranto Mattheo de Capua y e counte Iulio de Pisa and diuers other Captaines officers of y e Italian armie y e king bycause he wolde make the iorney the more famous went w t his courte to Barletta he sent for aide to al y e ChristiaÌ„ princes y e king of Hungarie Mathia sent him a Colonell w t a regimeÌ„t of eight huÌ„dred HuÌ„garian horsemeÌ„ y e king of Portugale sent him manie Carauelles well armed and furnished there came also oute of Spaine Arragone and Catalona many gentlemen of their owne charges and good wil to aide the kinge notwÌ„standing these aides y e Turckes dismaied not at all but assured them selues fortisied their towne did not only defend it but went forth of y e towne dayly scaramoched w t y e Christians slewe many of them also brought of them to y e towne prisoners And when they had thus in vaine consumed both y e soÌ„mer y e Autome winter approched constrained them to abandone their seege to laye them selues in garnisonnes in y â— townes nearest about eit and in y â— same winter y e Nauie of y e Turcks spoiled al y e coaste of Pulia eueÌ„ to y e veri mouÌ„te of S. Agnolo for that y â— Acomathe Bassa desired to speake w t his lord Mahometh before y â— coÌ„ming of y â— springe of y â— yere he lefte in Ottran to for y e defence therof eight thousand choseÌ„ souldiours furnished theÌ„
and the Duke had thus promysed the Turckes delyuered the towne and receauyd into it the Dukes souldiours and delyuered vnto them the gouernance of the towne when this was done contrarie to all promes they helde all the chiefe of y â— Turckes prisoners and put a great number of the souldiours into the galleys and helde them of force all sauing certaine of them beinge men of place and circumspect who wolde rather committe them selues to the faythe of the Hungarian Cononel then to the Italianes when Sultan Baiazithe had ouerthorowen his brother Gemma and put him to slyghte and receauid obeisance of all the state and dominiones of his ancestrous in Asia the lesse and had visited the contre of Pontho Capadotia and other prouinces and gyuen order for the gouernaunce of them he coÌ„tynued in Burfia for a certaine space to giue audience to the gouernours of those prouinces of Asia which were subiecte vnto him in those partes where he bare him selfe so modestly and determyned his causes w t such humanitie that in the ende he obtained great good wyll of the people when he had thus done be passyd the straite homeward and was receauid into Constantinople with great pompe acording to the order of the triuÌ„p hantes of y e olde worldes he then gaue order altered the recepte of his reuenewes and customes withoute any sparcke of auarice or rapine and when he had made a reuewe of hys Gianizzaries he dyd not onely encreÌ„se the number of his fotemen but also of his horsemen and caused them to be wel paide which was an occasion that they were wel furnished in good order for so much as they sawe their prince to haue a delight ni them that he was very liberall vnto them And then began they to be excellently wel mounted their horses richely furnished them selues and their wiues soÌ„ptuously aparellyd with clothe of golde syluer Iuelles and suche lyke in sorte that the countre was chaunged from rude grose furniture into somtuouse and magnifique ornamentes and deckings And wheÌ„ he had bestoed a time in visiting his prouinces of Gretia and was come neare to Epâ—rro whiche is that parte of Macedonia that is inhabited by the nation called Albaneses from whoÌ„ the contrei hath yet his name is called Albania amoÌ„g whoÌ„ at the death of SultaÌ„ Mahometh there arose certain leaders seditioussi caused a great parte of y e couÌ„trei to reuolte whoÌ„ by his presence he agreed y e rest be toke bâ— force and so brought theÌ„ to his deuotioÌ„ before y e he wolde departe oute of that contre he sent to protest to the kinge Ferrante of Naples that yf he sent him not his artillerie munitioÌ„ wholli that was left in Ottranto at the deliuerie therof with his people and all suche substance and treasure of theirs as he then deteyned contrarie to his sworne promes that then he wolde make warres vpon him and seke to redresse his owne cause throughe the which message the king beinge sore a ferde embarcked all his artillerie monition and men with all such riches as they there had and caused them to be landed safely at Valona after that he lad his armie into Romania and coÌ„tinued with his courte in Andrinople began to make preparatioÌ„ for the warres against Caromano prince of the one parte of Cilicia beinge desirous to reuenge the defeicte that he receauid of him a litle before the deathe of his father This Caromano was the seconde prince of the Turckishe nation that then possessid anye dominion in Asia and they say that when he neded he was able to come to the feelde with xl thousand armed horsemen his principall state wherin he did reside was in y e for dest parte of the lesser Asia toward Soria called Cilicia campestre in that part therof where the ancient and famous citie of Tarso standethe which is builded vpon a plaine and is deuided throughe the middest by the ryuer Cidna and is not farre from the Baie Issico whiche is at thys daye the golfe of Iaza he possessed also in the lesse Armenia and Capadotia those partes that confyne with y e mounte Tauro wheÌ„ Baiazith had prepared al things mete for the iorney he put his Nauie to the sea embarâ—ked all his souldiours both horsemen and fotemen and passed then into Asia then marched throughe Bithi nia bothe y e contreis of Frigia Dardania Ionia Mâ—sia Caria Licia Pamphilia and finally with his people in ordre he entred into Cilicia campestre forasmuch as the contre of Cilicia hathe very large confines it is by ancient writers deuided into two partes of the whiche the lesse is called Trachea and hathe his sea bancke or shore of no great largenes it hath standinge vpon the plaine therof neuer a great towne for that the greatest parte of it is of the mounte Tauro and is so barren y â— it is not well inhabited the campestre begynning at y e Citie of Tarso and at Magnopoli a Citie in tyme paste of great power and fame stretcheth oute to y t baie Issico nowe called the golfe of Iaza and towarde the northe it confineth with Capadotia vpon the syde of the mounte Tauro when Baiazith was entred with his armie into y e countre of Abraham Caromano who had w t great diligence fortified his townes looking for his enemies and also he had furnished the straites of his contre and to the ende he wolde not be enforced to fighte he encamped alwayes in places of strengthe and great securitie and dwelled with his people as neare the enemye as he moughte The Turckes being lordes of the feelde went and spoyled and proied all the contre finalli when Baiazithe had consumed a great pece of the sommer coulde by no meanes prouoke the enemie to battaile he deter myned to besege some of his townes whervpoÌ„ he went to Tarso and besegyd it rounde planted his batterys and began to batter the walles not ceasiing daye nor nighte in suche sorte that in shorte space he had made so great breache that he thoughte it sufficient wherevpon he made redye for the assaulte and put his menne in battaile which thinge when they of the citie perceaued refusinge to put them selues in daunger of the losse of both lyfe and goodes they practized appointement and agreed to delyuer him the Citie vpon condition that he shoulde suffer them to enioye both lyfe and goodes wheÌ„ Baiazithe was come into the Citie he vsed y e Citizenes very gently and wolde not suffer anye of his armye to enter into the towne but onely those that were appointed to y e garde bothe of his person and towne and when the Automne was come on the sharpnes of the wether was suche that he coulde not well holde his people in y e felde whervpon he appointed them to lye in Garnisones in the townes there aboute from whence he ouer ran
spoyled all the contrey and wolde not suffer the subiects of Caromano other to sowe and plowe the grounde orels to doe anye thinge in the feeldes that moughte befor their commoditie whervpon they that dwelled vpon the plaine were in suche distresse that of their owne acorde they reuolted from Caromano for the greatest number and became subiectes to Baiazithe when the springe of the yere was cōme Caromano consideringe the inclination of his people and being in feare to be forsaken of his souldiours or els to be delyuered by them into the hands of Baiazithe obtaine of the Soldane of Egipte Caribeio a man of much fame and worthines a great sume of money and also certaine bandes of Arrabianes he sent into all partes of his dominions for such ayde as there was to be had and ioyned them all with his armie and made it of as great number as he coulde and determyned to se howe fortune wolde fauour hym and rather to Hazard the battayle then to gyue place to his enemie and in tyme to be delyuered by his owne mē into the handes of his enemyes whervpon beinge furnished with all necessaries he toke the feelde and chose a place of great strengthe and apte for the seruice of horse men when Baiazithe vnderstode that the enemey was come to the feelde and in campe he sent to all his garnisones commaūdinge them to repare vnto hym wyth spede with them to bring their whole furniture and when he had taken reuewe of them he marched to the feelde and put his souldiours in battayle and then marched towarde Caromano and when he came w tin sighte of him he sent his vauntgarde toward his enemie some thinge spedyly to begyn the battayle and he in person dyd conducte the battayle and folowed the Vauntgarde he also was folowed by the rierewarde and all his bagagers and when he came where the enemies were they refused not the battayle he came towarde them in good order and ioyned with them and notwithstanding that the force of Baiazithes people was greate and that a troupe of ten thousand horsemen of his went and serred them selues and with great furie assayled the enemies perswading them selues that in the first encoūtre they woulde disorder them but the Ciliceanes recauid theyr charge with great assurance in suche sorte that there was not one of them that gaue one fote of grounde to his enemie After this when they were entremelled there began a very braue and blooddie fyghte men fell downe dead and hurte contynally on bothe sydes and their places were alwaies supplied with freshe men and in this sorte they contynued for the greatest parte of the daye with great assurance nether partie gyuinge place to the other so that it coulde not be Iudged on whiche parte the virtorye shoulde lighte for the battayle contynued doubtefull euen to the darcke night Abraham Caromano shewed that daye of what value he was for in his order he shewed him selfe a Capten of great Iudgement and afterward in his fyghte he shewed him selfe a valiante and stoute souldiour and laste of all by the prouidence of god his tyme beinge at hand seinge his people to gyue place beinge charged by a greate numbre of his enmies whose force they were not able to endnre be thruste on spedilie towardes them with his garde a good number of other of his souldiours and gaue in vp on them in suche sorte that he perced euen in to myddest of their squadrone and beinge knowen by the enemies was by thē forth with enuironed and charged on euery syde with suche furie that they slewe his horse vnder hym where vpon he was constrayned to fyghte on fote in the whiche he behaued him selfe so nobly that w t his owne hande he slewe dyuerse of those which assailed him in the ende throughe the great losse of his bloude which contynually fell from him throughe his dyuerse and sondrie woondes whiche he had receauied in the battayle not beinge able to endure anye longer fell downe deade in the place as sone as his people vnderstode of his death they were so amazed and discouraged that immediatly they dysorderid them seules and lefte the fyghte scatteringe them selues all the the feelde ouer hoped to make flighte their sauetie but being folowed by y e Turckyshe horsmen the greatest number of them were slaine and a great parte of the rest were taken on lyue and delyuered to Baiazith when he had in this sorte obtained so greate a victorie he determyned forthewith to vse the same whervpon he began to occupie the reste of Cilicia campestre and marching on ouer all the contrey the cities and fortellezes yeldyd vnto him enerie where as he came withoute makinge anye resystaunce and hauing in shorte tyme broughte vnder his obeisance all that contrey that Caromano possessed in Cilicia he deuised then with his Captaines what was beste to be done fynally it semed beste in the opinion of euery mā first or he toke in hand to passe the mounte Tauro and so to goe on to conquere that which Caromano possyd in the lesse Armenia and Capadotia to possesse the other Cilicia called Thrachea to the ende to leue no enemie behinde thē y e mought empeche them whervpō he caused to moostre and paie his men and then gaue them a litle tyme to repose that done he vnited them and sent them towarde Setalia which is a Citie in that prouince then newlye inhabited a citie of greate traffique maruelously well inhabited by meanes of the decaie of the trade that was in Delo whiche in tyme passed was a Citie of the greatest traffique of all Asia and chiefely for the great number of slaues that then were there boughte and solde which were in nūber in maner infinite wherof it grewe into prouerbe marchantes make your voyage to Delo and there vnshippe for whatsoeuer is broughte thither is redie money when the traffique of this Citie was decaied the whole traffique and trade of marchandize was put ouer into Setalia and throughe the greate repaire of marchauntes it was become the cheife and beste in habited Citie of the lesse Asia in so muche that the sea coaste all there aboute losynge his olde name is called the golfe of Setalia euen at this daye vpon the whiche golfe directly ouer againste the Isle of Cipres standeth a noble Citie and a popolouse called Scandoloro the lorde wherof beinge a Turcke borne and all wayes in doubte of them hath euer ben an enemie to y e house of Ottomano and also to Caromano and confede rate with the greate maister of Rhodes and the King of Cipres dyd preserue his state vntyll that daie standing as a newter betwene them both but whē he sawe Baiazith come vpon him withe so populouse an armie vpon the sodden Iudginge him selfe not of power to witstand his force for all the power that he was able to make did not excede the number of xx M. men on horsbacke
wher vpon examining him selfe he determyned to proue rather y ◠clementie then force of so mightie a prince whē they had talked vpō certaine articles of agrement they concluded that vpon condition that Baiazithe shoulde gyue him certaine reuenewe in Natolia he wolde delyuer vnto him all his possessyon and dominion of the contrey of Cilicia called Trachea whervpon it came to passe that when Baiazithe was become lorde of bothe the contreys called Cilicia al y t townes of the sea coaste from propontide or straicte of Gallipoli euen to the confines of Soria were vnder his obeisance so that all was his euen from the one to the other whē Baiazithe was in this sorte agreed with the prince of Scandaloro and become prince of both the one and other Cilicia and also of a great parte of the mounte Tauro he contynued there vntyll that he had made y e whole one gouernaūce or prouince and appointed vnto it for gouernour one of his Bascias leuing with him for garde therof an armie sufficient this done he determined to precide in hys enterprise and to subdue the reste of the state possession of Caromano which was in Armenia the lesser and in Capadotia whervpon he passed the mounte Tauro and descended into the lesse Armenia and became lorde withoute any difficultie of all the countres and townes that there had ben possessyd by Caromano all the people came and yeldyd them selues to him of their owne a corde when he had thus done he marched on by the syde of the mounte Tauro toward the northe and al the people and townes y ◠restid of the Iurisdiction of Caromano came and renderid them selues wholly vnto him and when he had thus in shorte tyme acheuid so great an enterprise he determined to leade home warde his armye and entred into Licaonia and in Iconio and Tocato be lefte his Astatique armye in garnison vnder y e charg and conducte of Mustaffa his Bascia and then he entred into Galatia and from thence into Bithinia the nearest waye to Bursia and from thence went downe into the Golfe of Nicomedia and there embarcked him selfe with the rest of his armie and sayled towarde Romania and there landed with al hys people sately when he had this done he toke the sea agayne with his souldiours of Gretia and sayled on and landed in the hauen of Constantinople where he was receauyd of all the people w t exciding great ioye and there toke his horse and rode aboute al the Citie and thus with great pompe acording to their custume he went to lodge in hys palace called Seraglio which standeth vpon that pointe that is called Cauodi santo Demetrio beinge determined in the nexte springe folowing to goe againe into Cilicia with all his power to make warres against y ◠Soldane chiefely for that he had ayded Caromano against him contrarie to the order of a league betwene them wherefore he was much offended with the Soldane departed from thence with his courte and went to Andrinople and all that winter he was occupied in making preparation for that iorney and gaue order to lenie oute of all his dominions of Europe newe bandes The number of his artillerie which he caried with him was great and when y e springe was cōme in the begynninge of Apryll he assemblyd his armie embarcked them and passed them in to Asia And when he had passed throughe Bithinia and Galatia he broughte them into licaonia to Iconio and ioyued them with hys armye that he had lefte there w t Mustaffa his Bascia at his departure from thence whē he had this done he entred againe into Cilicia toward the mounte Tauro and Armenia and there receauid aduedtizement that the Soldane as sone as he herd of the death of Caromano fearing lefte Baiazithe being puffed vp in pride throughe the great victorie that he had obtained against Caromano in the reuenge of the ayde y ◠the Soldane had sent him shoulde attempte some great enterprise in Soria whervppon he sent all the Mamalukes that were in his courte vnder the conducte of the great Diadaro to the confines of Cilicia acompanied w t a great numbre of Arrabianes wherfore Baiazith was some what in doubte what was to doe considering the great preparatiō of the enemy althoughe he were acompained with an armie of well trayned souldiours had broughte wyth hym moe then one hundred thousande souldiours on horsebacke besyde hys garde of Gianizaries and other bandes of fotemen yet notwithstanding fearing y ◠vertue discipline of the Mamalukes whose name was feared throughe all Asia for as much as they were counted a people inuincible in battayle wherfore he thought it good not raishly to trye his fortune in battayle nor on the other syde to showe any token of feare wherby he moughte encorage his enemye to deale with him but admisedly put his armie in order and then marched on towarde Tarso the Mamalukes beinge aduertized of the Turckes comming towarde them thoughte it not good to tarie and suffer them to enter Soria but marched toward them to mete them vpon the waye and when they were entred Cilicia marchinge towarde the Turcks of whom thei made smalle acōpte approchinge neare vnto Tarso as sone as they came within syghte of them they put them selues in battayle and marched on towarde them when Baiazith behelde y e comminge of his enemies he also presented his people embattailed and as sone as the Mamalukes came anye thinge neare vnto them Woute deferringe of tyme the great Diadar◠aduaunced him selfe with asquadrone of xv thousande horsemen when the battayles were ioyned he gaue in vpon the Turckes with suche force that not wythstandinge they receaued the charge beinge well serred and prepared with great assurance gaue to their enemies no place at all yet for all that they had much to doe to preserue their order that the Mamalukes had not broken it after this when they approched the one the others squadrones they were so ioyned that they coulde vse no long weapon but were driuen to vse there Scimitarres and so continued they in so streyte order fighting with great assurance for a longe tyme y ◠no man coulde see of eyther syde anye aduauntage and Baiazithe althoughe there were farre greater slaughter of hys people then of the Mamalukes and Arrabianes yet dyd he alwayes supplie his weried and spoyled squadrones w t newe and freshe bandes and hauinge farre greater number of souldiours then the Diadaro had he continued the fyghte in this order from the myddaye tyll after the go ing downe of the sone whervpon the great Diadaro determined to vse all force possyble to the ende y ◠the night shoulde not sonder them withoute victorie whervpon he chose oute of his a nūber of souldiours in whom he had great truste and when they were some what reposed he renged them in battayle very closely then ladde them in person and
on the pointe of a launce and then sent it to be showed in euery place throughe oute his countrey in token of victorie he then beinge whollye occupied in makinge his prouisyon of men bothe on horsebacke and fote of money and other monition which he ment to vse in his enterprise that he determyned to take in hand the springe nerte folowing callinge oute of Asia and Europe all such of his subiectes as had ben wel trained in y e warres and had determyned to winter at Iconio for y e he wolde be at hand to take in hande againe the enterprise in the springe folowing the Gianizzaries beinge determined to goe home into Gretia went vnto him and when they sawe that they coulde not perswade hym to passe into Gretia for that winter they began to threaten him and declared vnto him that yf he wolde not goe with them they wolde them selues goe and when they came there they wolde swere obedience to his sōne with the which wordes Selim was marueiously troubled and began to suspecte and the nighte folowing disguised him selfe and with certaine of his familiers with him toke the poste and ran daye and nighte vntyll he came to Scuta ro and passed y e straite and discouered him selfe to none vntyl he came within his Seraglio where he continued three dayes and wolde gyue audience to noe man and in the ende beinge enforced by Pernio Bascia and y e Cadi to declare the cause of his great melancholie answered that he was no more an Emperour for so muche as the Gianizzaries wolde haue enforced him whervpon they desyred him to be of good chere and declared vnto hym that he shoulde haue good meanes to punished them and to be reuenged vpon them for their rebellion and when they vnderstode of him the cheife auctours of this disorder they wrote to all the bandes of the Gianizzaries in generall and gaue them to vnderstande the whole matter and the auctours of the disorder also whervpō they so sturred them vp that soddenly they toke their weapones and then laide hande of those whiche began this matter and broughte them in cheynes to Constantinople and presented them before the gates of the Serraglio and with lowd voice asked pardone puttinge the whole defaute in their leaders and delyuered them all in cheynes requiringe him to put them to deathe in example to those that shoulde come after them Selim accepted their exceuse and pardoned them and put to death all the chiefe of the sedition which seueritie wroughte so great terrour that Solimano his sonne fcaring leste his father shoulde haue him in any sospition by meanes of the wordes of the Gianizzaries went to kysse his fathers fete being moruelously affraied and excused hys innocentie when Selim had lefte his frontiers of Europe well garded and had prouided hoth men and money for his iorney he retorned againe to Icomo to hys garnisones In this meane time the Sophie sent his ant bassodours to y e Soldan for aide declaring vnto him the great peryll wherin he was praied him that he wolde haue regarde to their comon welthe and send his armie to vnite with him The Soldane was maruelousty moued by the perswationes of the Persianes and vnderstandinge the great confusion and disorder into y e which the Sophie was broughte with all his countre of Persia fearinge leste that he beinge thus affraied shoulde seke suche peace at the handes of Selim as he moughte obtaine and that when the Turckes had broughte the Sophie vnder fote they shoulde employe their whole force against Soria whervpon he gaue them to vnderstande that he wolde in no wyse fayle them but wolde for their welthe hazarde bothe his person and al that he had els and that they shoudle wyll their prince to be of good cheare and as sone as the springe shoulde comme on he wolde in person with all his power of Mamalukes and other souldiours that he coulde make descend into Soria to vnite his force with his to the ende that when they had had vnited their forces they mought prenente the enemye and goe to seeke him and make the warres at his owne dore and for that y e Soldane wolde detract no time he began immediatly to leuie his bands and gather his armye and to make redie for y e enterprise on the other side when Selim retorned to his garnisions he began to supplie his bandes with freshe souldiours and to see them thorowlie furnished with money and al other necessaries and as sone as the springe of the yere tame he assembled his armye and put to the feelde marthing towarde the mounte Taurs to passe into Armenia and as he approched neare the mountayne he had aduertizement that the Soldan was departed from Cai ro with all his ordinarie bandes and a great number of Arabianes and came downe into Soria to ayde the Sophie and to vnite his force with him wherupon he caused to state the marche and then called to councell hys Bascias and other Captaines declaringe vnto them y e comminge of the Soldane into Soria and when they had thorowlye discoursed of the matter what was to be done therin they allowed the opinion of Selim whiche was to preueut the enemyes and not to suffer them to vnite their forces but to goe and encountre the one of them Iudginge it more easye to ouerthrowe one then bothe their powers beinge once vnited and discoursing in him selfe which of them it were better fyrst to assayls he thoughte the enterprise againste the Soldane mostemete and easyer then it of Persia against the Sophie for that the Soldane beinge an olde man and not trayned in the warres was more weake and for that his armye had ben a longe tyme at reste and had dealed wyth no enemye of great experience in warres but that their name was feared in all y ◠easte for y e actes which thye their predecessours had done in time past being in this sort persuaded he determined the enterprise against the Soldane marched w t his armie a long by the fote of the mounte Tauro holdinge the waye of the righte hand so passed into Cilicia where he vnderstode that the Soldane had entertained in his paie a great number of Arrabianes and that he was entred into Soria wyth xv thousand Mamalukes comming towarde Aleppo wher vpon he made the greater haste and went towardes him and when he came neare to Aleppo he vnderstode that y e Soldane was encamped vpon the ryuer of Singa tenmyles from that place whervpon he put hys people in battayle and marched on toward the enemie with great furie and when he came within syghte of them he foude that the Soldane began to disiodge and to take y e feelde puttinge his people in order in the myddest of the feelde declaring him selfe redie to the battaile whervpon withoute delaie they ioyned in battayle and there began a very braue and bloudie fyghte and it contynued a
came messagers oute of al the cities and townes of the prouince and he sate in the myddest of the market place with dyuerse graue and discrete councellours aboute him whiche he vsed alwaye when he gaue audience openly and there he herds and determyned many controuersies and when he had appointed gouernours and officers to euery towne and citie and had abolished dyuerse of the custumes of the ancient Soldanes as vniuste and intollerable to the people he dyd moderate them with newe lawes and when he had contynued in Damasco a longe tyme aboute the reforming of the countre and had well reposed his armye he then determyned in him selfe to make warres a gainst Egipte for so muche as he vnderstode that al the Mamalukes that were dispersed abrode into al the coūtres were comme to Cairo to create a newe Soldane beinge once togyther they chose Tomombeio the great Diadaro a man of great reputation and credite and of great experience and excellent in the discipline of the warres Selim being vpon the pointe of his departure sent before him to make suer the waye Sinan Bassa gaue him in commissyon to passe on to the Citie Gaza and there to tarie hym and he in person departed from Damasco with the reste of his armie and folowed and beinge desyrous to visyte that most famous temple of Ike rusalem toke with him his garde of Gianizzaries and a certaine number of his horsemen and entred into Iudea and passed on to Iherusalem and when he had visyted y e temple and other holly places of the Citie he retorned agayne to his armye the nexte waye And Sinan Bassa with his companie which was .xv. thousand horsemen hauinge ouerthrowen the Arabianes and repulsed their inuasyones whiche often tymes they had attempted against him and had made the passage free with much a doe and was comme on to Gaza which stode neare vnto the sea vpō the confynes of Egipte in y e place where men enter into the sandie deserte passinge from Iudea to Eairo and when he came before the Citie with his armye they of the Citie willinge to auoide the sacke spoyle therof gaue place to tyme and yelded y e Citie vnto him where he contynued and taried for commissyon from his lorde to directe him in those affaires As sone as Tomombeio had receaued the gouernement he determyned forth with to supplie the bandes of Mamalukes which were maruelously spoyled and consumed wherfore he caused to enrolie all their slaues y e were of lawful yeres and apte to vse armes he prouided armour and weapō for them and also horses also he had entertained in his paie a great number of Arabianes and loste no tyme but contynually prouided artillerie and Monition with all other necessaries and beinge aduertized by those of Gaza whiche dyd very well affecte the Mamalukes of the comminge of Sinan Bassa and in what sorte he lodged there The Soldane at their request de termyned to send a power to encountre him hauinge great hope in the good wyll of the Citizens whervpon he dispatched Gazele and sent him with syre thousande horses and a greate number of Arabianes and as sone as Sinan Bassa was aduertized of his comming by his bandes that he had alwaie vpon the feelde not trusting them of the Citie he determyned to goe against hym to encountre him and when he had rydden xv myles he staied at a village where he mought well lodge for that that in the vilage their was a fountaine very plen tuouse of pure watter whervpō he commaūded to lodge there and began to appointe the quartiers and before that they had done the alarme was gyuen and he was aduertized by the scoultes of his vantgarde y ◠they sawe afarre of a great duste wherfore they Iudged the enemy to be there cōming toward them Sinan Bassa had scarcely tyme to put his people in order before that Gazele was cōme with his began to assayle his vantgard and after that they had foughte a certaine space Gazele seinge his peopble ouerlaide with uumber and a rtillerie and that they began to recule and seing y ◠they of Gaza apeared not in his fauour in hope of whose ayde he had taken in hand the battayle with his sworde in his hand dyd make his waye thorowe his enemyes so retorned to Cairo with the losse of his cariage and a great number of his souldiours and when Selim was departed from Iherusalem he came to his armye and broughte them to Gaza where he founde Sinan Bassa retorned with great victorie and had put to deathe many of y e Citizens which had procured y e Soldane to send his people thyther when Selim had reposed his souldiours for a tyme in Gaza he determyned to marche on towarde Cairo and wolde not gyue the newe Soldane time to furnishe him selfe of newe bands and to put him selfe in good order wherfore he made great prouision of hogges hedes to carie watter with him and sent Sinan Bassa before him with his bandes of Europe and he folowed him alway within one dayes iorney w t his whole armye aud in this sorte passed on throughe the deserte and came neare to Cairo within fewe myles a lytle frō a villadge named Macharea where the Soldane had a garden where that most precious licour called Balsme dyd growe which is a certaine goome that distillethe throughe certaine clestes made in the barcke of y e trees in the tyme of the gathering therof by the gardeners which cut them with exceding fyne knynes made of yuorie Tommobeio determyned to tarie the enemye in y ◠village whervpon he entrenched it very stongly wyth great rampares and depe Dykes and had bent al his artillerie vpon the waye where the Turcks shoulde cōme and as sone as he herde of the comminge of the Turckishe armye he departed from Cairo with twelue thou sand Mamalukes and a great number of Arrabianes other souldiours on horsebacke and on fote and came lodged in his lodginge that was fortified for him of purpose where whē he had put his people in order he taried the comming of the enemye and as sone as Selim vnderstode of the Soldanes order he refused the waye that the Soldane had bent all his artillerie vpon and wolde not assayle hys enemye vpon the frounte of his battaile but determyned to assayle him on the flancke where he was not so well prouided whervpō he disvanded agreat nūber of shotte sent them to assayle the trenches of y ◠Soldane immediatly the Soldane marched forthe w t his people in order and there began betwene them a notable fyghte and a furious and hauing fought from the fourthe houre of the daye to the sunne goinge downe in very doubtfull sorte euen to the darcke nighte Tommabeio caused to sounde the retreicte and lefte the village and marched to Cairo and the Turckes as victoriouse entred into the Soldanes lodginges and their lodged that nighte
of Turchie as other princes and of his rare force and vertue worthy of memorie SCanderbeg prince of Epirto was sonne to the lord Iohn Castrioth y e which possessid y ◠part of Albania that was called Emathia and Tumenestia and the mother of Scander beg was named Volsaua she was daughter to the prince of Pollogo whiche is a part of Macedonia and also of Burgaria this Iohn was a worthy man and of great Iugement experience in the warres and hauinge warres with Amorathe Ottomanno prince of the Turckes and seing him to be wexed very stonge in Gretia and Albania in such sorte as in the ende he was not able to encountre him wherfore he made peace with him and for hostages deliuered him his sonnes which were Repossio Stanissa Constantino and this Scanderbeg whiche was then named George but when this tiran Amorathe caused him in his chyldhod to be circumcised he gaue him the name of Scanderbeg which in our speche is lord Alerandre and after that the Turcke caused him to be instructed acording to the rite and custume of the Mahometane secte Amorathe truely semed to be exceding glad when Scanderbeg being a childe but of eyghte yeres of age was broughte to his presence and seinge him beautifull and to haue a maiestie in his countenance he iugged in hym selfe that yf he shoulde lyue longe he wolde proue a worthye man wherfore he determyned neuer to suffer him to retorne home againe but to kepe him in his courte to the ende that when he was comme to y ◠state of a mā he shoulde serue him and therfore appointed him worthy masters to instructe him and to be carefull for him and to se him broughte vp in lerning and ciuilitie he alowed bothe for his table and apparell euen as yf he had ben his owne sonne After this when Scanderbeg was somethinge growen he delighted to ryde and to ronne and also with his cōmpaniones to vse the launce and y ◠rabattued sworde and he dyd excede them all bothe on horsebacke and on forte and chiefely yf it were in y ◠presence of Amorathe who had greate felicitie of se litle boyes in suche exercises and dyd maruelously reioyse to se suche force towardnes in Scanderbeg who alwaies remayned victoriouse After this whē the Turcke made warres against anye prince he commaunded to bringe Scanderbeg alwaies with him whythersoeuer he went and when so euer he soughte with his enemys Scander beg behaued him selfe so well that all the Turckes maruellyd at his doinges and wolde saye amonge them selues that yf he mought lyue tyll he came to perfecte age no man shoulde be able to continue against hem When Scanderbeg was come to y ◠age of .xix. yeres y ◠Turcke made him a Sangiacco which is as muche to saye as a conductour of sondrie bandes and gaue him y e leadinge of fyue thousand horses and some tyme the title of geuerall of an armye which in the Turckishe speche is called Bassa sending him against his enemyes accompanied with mani other Sangiachi which were appointed to be directed by him and to be at his commaundement and beinge in that parte of the lesser Asia that is called Natolia and hauing many rencountres with his enemyes he alwayes made great slaughter of them and departed from them with the victorie by meanes wherof he toke manye townes and Cities of that countre and brought them vnder the obedience of the Turcks who from that tyme forth wolde alwayes saye that Scanderbeg was his righte arme his harte and his eye and his moste assured defendour and augmentour of his dominions whervpon all the reste of the Turckes dyd marueloslye loue him and had him in great estimation After this Scanderbeg beinge of the age of .xxv. yeres and attending vpon his lorde in Andrinople beinge in the companie of many noble men there came thither a Tartare of a great stature and an exceding force and chalenged to fyghte with anye man in all the Turckes courte to y e vtterance and there was no man that durste to aunswer his chaleng for that the brute was that he neuer foughte with anye but that he ouercame him and had staine manye men in the lyke combattes when Scander beg sawe this he went to the prince and declared vnto him and to all the noble men there that he wolde encoūtre him and fyghte with him to the death but his lord with all the reste of the noble men wolde in no wyse agree vnto it but were all very sorye to see him so disposed yet for all that he made so ernest requeste and contynued it with suche Instancie that in the end with great difficultie he obtained his requeste and then made him redie and went in the presence of them all with great as to encountre this Tartarre who disdained him euen as Goliathe dyd Dauid and sayd that it greued him much to fyght with so yonge a man wherfore Scanderbeg was excedingely wrothe with him and strake at him and so behaued him selfe in the combatte that in the ende he obtained y ◠victorie slewe the Tartarre Shortly after Amorathe went to Bursia a Citie of Bithinia where two souldiours of Persia one named Iaia and y ◠other Zāpsa which made a like chalenge to that that y ◠Tartarre made sauinge that they wolde fyghte on horsbackes with launce sworde and Targe whervpon as sone as the chalenge was made Scanderbeg made redie and encoūtred with Iaia and as they were ernestly fightinge this cruell Zampsa assayled him in treason but Scanderbeg discoraged not at all for that but assured him selfe in god and put on a noble mynde and within shorte tyme he slewe them bothe for the which notable acto he was muche praysed of all those that were there present after this y ◠Hungarians came to make warres vpon the Turckes and to enuade their countrey wherfore Scāderbeg was sent Captaine generall with a greate armye against them in that enterprise he behaued him selfe so discretely and circumspectly that the Hungarians retorned againe withoute battaile He alwaies had that attended vpon him Christianes of his fathers subiectes who alwayes in structed him in the Christian faythe which he had receaued at his Baptesme wherfore he founde the meanes that the Hungarianes retorned withoute battayle and be also retorned with his armie safe to Andrinople where he was excedingly embraced of the Turcke and honored with great presentes he sayd to his most famylier fryndes that the Hungarianes feared the vertue and worthynes of Scanderbeg and therfore retorned and wolde not gyue battayle he desyred Scanderbeg to require some great gyfte of him but Scanderbeg aunsweringe very modestly sayd that he required nothinge but to dwell in his good grace and fauour wherwith he shoulde holde him very well satisfyed whē they had ended these discourses newes came that the lord Iohn father to Scanderbeg was deceassyd whervpon Amorathe in all haste dispatched a Captaine of
and multiplied that of all those prouinces was made one Region and gouernement and was called Albania for that it was inhabited by y ◠Albaneses who so named it other some saye that the Albaneses are descended frō Fraunce peraduenture for that they see a natural frindshippe betwene the noble men of both the coūtres which thinge is perfectly knowen by certaine of their princes as by the lordes of Durazzo surnamed Thopia whiche are discended from Charles the greate some other frō Meschino and somme from others and for a token of good wyll Charles is made in the Citie of Croia of an excellent stone engrauen with great skyll and arte and set in the chiefe place of the Citie others saye they are discended frō Griffon de Altafoglia as the house of Ducagine and the house of Spagni as y e noble men of both houses them selues saye Let all men knowe that this newe Albania which is this discribed liethe in Europa it is very fertile plentyfull of al thinges nedfull to y ◠maintenance of mānes lyfe as is possyble it bringeth forthe men naturally so stronge valiaunte of noble myndes and apte to anye thinge that they take in hande chiefely for the warres as is possyble they are constant and faythfull to their naturall lordes and wyll rather committe them selues to all kynde of daunger and peryll then to haue their displeasure the fardest part of this Albania is neare to the seas Adriatico and Ienio and liethe ouer against Puglia froō Durazzo to Brindizio is an hundred myles and from Valoua ouer to Ottranto thre score myles by sea Nowe to oure purpose After all these thinges there came aspiall from Andrinople to Scanderbeg declared vnto him y ◠Alibege one of the Turckes Bassas came against him with .xl. M horsemen then Scanderbeg withoute delaye rode to his confynes with .xv. M. Albaneses and when y ◠Turckes were comme within two myles of him he made an oration to his armie wherby he dyd so encorage his souldiours that they desyred nothinge so muche as to encoūtre with the enemye in this meane tyme the Turckes came on with suche a noise that it semed that the heauens shoulde fal but Scanderbeg with his worthy souldiours refused not to encountre them but made y e signe of the crosse vpon hym and then he cried folowe me thruste towarde them and was the fyrste that strake charged them with sucke force and vertue that in shorte tyme he disordered them and when the battayle was ended there were founde deade on the place .xxii. M. Turckes and there were taken a thousand of the Christians manye were hurte and one hundred stayne vpon y e place all the spoyle of the Turckes as money Iuelles horses and suche lyke was presented to Scanderbeg who cansed it wholly to be disstributed to his souldiours whiche were all very ioyfull The nexte daye Scanderbeg commaunded to sounde to horse and rode into the Turckes countre a great dayes iorney and cut in peces as many Turckes as he mette or coulde fynde and raysed fire in all places where he wente In this meane while Alibeg Bassa retorned to Andrinople and was greatly blamed by the Turcke for his euell gouernement Laodislao king of Hungarie who then made preparatiō to goe against Amorathe w t an armie sent to Scanderbeg vnderstādīg of y ◠great victorie y ◠he had obtained against him to desyre him that he wolde goe in his companie w t such bandes of souldiours as he should thincke good wherfore when Scanderbeg had redde his letter he called vnto him his Captaines showing them the letter and asking their aduise in y ◠behalfe who aunswered by one consent that he mought in no wyse refuse y e king in so reasonable a demaunde for y ◠it was for the distruction of the common enemye of our faithe then Scanderbeg wrote vnto the kinge Laodislao that he moughte assure him of all the ayde that he shoulde be able to gyue him and then Scanderbeg by y e helpe of Paulo Ducagino and other princes of his nation had leuied other xv M men besides those that he had alredie vnder his conducte with whom he defeicted the aforesayde Alibeg which amounted in the whole to the number of xxx M. and then he began to marche but George Vucouich dispotto of Seruia a man valiante ynoughe but of a traitorouse mynde and regarded not anye religion neither Christian nor Mahometane for that he had gyuen Amorathe to wife his daughter named Hierenia and of some Catagusina which was syster to the wyfe of Alessio Spano called Isabetta and of some others Milizza which was sister to Lazaro Stephane and Georgio Nephewes to Andrea Augelo by there mother side for certaine hatred that the Dispotto bare to the Hungarianes and chiefely to Iohn of Transyluania who had ben the cause that certaine castles and townes of his were holden frō him whervpon the Dispotto fortyfied all the passages of his countre wherby he troubled Scanderbeg in suche sorte that he coulde not passe withoute great losse of his people into Hungarie In this meane tyme Iohn with the Hungarians and Polonianes beinge ayded also by Iuliano Cesarino Cardinall S. Angelo made redie his armie to marche towarde Varna where they muste nedes fyghte and Amorathe loked for ayde oute of Asia to comme to hym and therfore auoyded by al meanes possyble the battaile and prolonged the warres as much in him was wolde not comme to the battayle whiche when the worthye Vayuoda vnderstode he procured him to the scaramoche in so skylfull sorte that in the ende he enforced hym to come to the battayle and in the ende after longe fyghte the vertue of the Hungarianes was suche that y e Turckes were disordered and put to flyghte when Laodislao vnderstode this he became excedingly wrothe by meanes of the talke of certaine folyshe and ambitious yong◠men who sayde that Iohn Vaiuoda soughte to haue al the glorie of the victorie to him selfe which was y ◠cause that he appointed the kinge alwaye to tarie within his squadrone the kinge beinge moued with these wordes marched forwarde with his troupe of ten thousand Hungarianes which was very stronge and fronted y ◠Turckes great squadrone where after longe and cruel fighte Laodislao was stayne by meanes wherof the Hungarianes which were euen redie to folowe the victorie were constrained to torue backe againe and to loose al-in such sorte that Iohn Vaiuoda their Captaine generall was enforced to flee to the house of the aforesayde Dispotto of Seruia as to a place of securitie but he being the onely cause of thys ouerthrowe for so muche as he suffred not Scanderbeg to passe thorowe his countre caused Vaiuoda to be kepte vnder good garde forthe with vntyll suche tyme as he restored him to al his townes Scāderbeg soughte contynually to passe throughe the countre of the Dispotto and hearing of this miseral le chaūse was in such
wore alwaies course clothe onles it were vpon solēpne feastes then he wolde shewe him selfe very richely apparelled Whylest Scanderbeg was in this sorte vpon his confines there came a spyale vnto him declaringe that the Turcke vnderstanding that he had disolued his armie licensed them to repose them at their houses howe y ◠he with a fewe souldiours with him laie vpon the confines of his countre had cōmaunded Ferisbeg one of his Captaines to take with him .ix. M. Turckes horsemen and to departe with al spede towarde the frontiers to take Scanderbeg vnprouided and the spial was of opinion y e they wolde be with him that daie when Scanderbeg vnderstode of this he sent for no aide but made him redie with al spede possible with his two thousande horsemen and one thousand fotemen embattailed and then taried his enemies and as sone as they came he signed him selfe with the signe of the crosse and charged them with suche furie that althoughe the Turckes resisted for a time yet in the ende they were disordered put to flight Ferisbeg Bassa aforesaide gallopped vp and downe the feelde and with manie iniuriouse wordes chanlenged to fighte with Scanderbeg he of the other parte commaunded to folowe the chase and to execute by al meanes possible and went forthewith and encountre with Ferisbeg and slewe him at the first stroke that he gaue with the which the feare of the Turckes so encreased y ◠happie was the formost man when this was done Scāderbeg retorned with the victorie to his confines and the nexte daie folowing he entred the Turckes coūtrey and brought an exceding great proie from thence When the Turcke vnderstode these doleful newes he appointed forthewith and other Sangiacho named Mustaffa and made him his Captaine general of .x. M Turckishe horsemen with commission not to encountre Scanderbeg but to enter his countrey by an other waie and to spoile and proie the same but Scanderbeg hauīg intelligence hereof and of the place where the Turcks determyned to enter he forthe with made him redie and sent for two thousand horsemen moe which made in nūber 4. thousand horsemē and one thousand foremen with these he went as secretly as possyble to imbosque him selfe neare to that place where the Turckes determined to begyn their forcy and as sone as they were comme thyther they began to scatter ouer al the countrey and Scanderbeg toke his tyme and charged them and there began a cruel fighte on both sydes but in the ende Scanderbeg with his souldiours so behaued him selfe that the Turcks were disordered and put to flight the greatest number of them were slayne vpon the place and Mustaffa their Captaine with certaine of his principal souldiours fled there were slaine of Scanderbeg souldiours xx vpon the place in the ende of this rencountre al the spoile was presented to Scanderbeg who distributed al to his souldiours and then licensed y e two thousand horsemen that came last and with the rest he retorned againe to his accustumed confines The Turcke for all this lefte not but sent Mustaffa afore said with a greater companie then before to y e confines of his countre with commission not to sturre from thence withoute a special commaundement from him but that he shoulde stande wel vpon his garde and loke diligently that Scanderbeg dyd not endomage his people and spoile his countrey which when Scanderbeg vnderstode he determined also not to moue onles that the Turckes dyd firste begyn but stode alwaies vpon his garde acordinge to his order in this meane tyme there came newes to Scanderbeg that leche Ducagino fonne to the lorde Paulo had slaine Leche Zacharia lorde of y e Citie called the Dagnio whiche standethe in Albania neare vnto the Ryner call Drino for whose death Scanderbeg was very sory for y ◠there had ben alwaye gréate fryndshippe betwene them and for that he dyed withoute children Scanderbeg determyned to succede hym in his state after y e decease of the ladie Bossa his mother by vertue of certaine couenantes y e were betwene them notwithstanding the Ladie Bossa by meane of the lieutenante of Scutari agreed with the Senate of Venise vpō certaine conditions and delyuered them y e Dagnio with the rest of her state for the which Scanderbeg was greatly offendyd and assembled al hys power and went in person and beseged Dagnio and lefte not withstanding vpō his confines his trustie frind the countye Vurana one of his Captaines for the garde therof w t thre thousand souldiours when the lieutenante of Scutarie vnderstoode this he aduertized the Senate therof and receaued commission from them to leuie an armie wher vpon he toke oute of Scutarie many bandes of Italians and leuied a great number of Albaneses and made general of the armie the worthie Damel Sebenico as sone as he had al thinges redie he marched towarde Scanderbeg who as sone as he herde hereof passed the ryuer Drino with al his armie to goe towarde the Venetian armie and to encoūtre them and then spake to his souldiours in this maner that foloweth My compainons in armes if it be so that a man maye lawfully demaunde his righte withoute doing wronge to anye man truely in that that I haue demaunded my righte and beseged Dagnio and taken the straicte or valley therof I doe beliue I haue done no iniurie at al to the Senate of Venise but am rather wronged notw tstanding I haue them partely excused consideringe the false information that hath ben made vnto them in the absence of the contrarie partie and truely I can not perswade my selfe but that they being iust and most Christian and knowing the great affection and good wyl y e I haue alwaye borne them wolde neuer haue concluded in my preiudice yf they had first vnderstode my right notwithstanding for that they haue nowe addressyd their armie against me we must nedes this daye fighte against the Christians which in dede is greatly against my wyl wherfore nowe I say vnto you that it behoueth you to fighte more circumspectly and valiantly then you haue done at anye tyme els consydering that you haue to doe with men that doe farre excede the Turcks in valewe but yet I hope in God that the victorie shalbe ours wherfore I doe commaūde you that when we shal haue broken them that no man after that sley anye of them but to take them prisoners and to folowe the chase euen to the gates of Scutari and when he had thus sayd he spake on highe sainge folowe me and then marched on with his armie in battayle and ioyned with the Venetianes the fighte betwene them was contynued w t great obstinatie but in the ende Scanderbeg disordered them and put them to flighte folowing the chase euen to the gates of Scutari and dyd sley none of them in the chase but toke a great number prisoners and especially men of acompte which were al presented
Captaines broughte in foure squadrones of souldiours which they had taken prisoners and presented them to Scanderbeg Then the countie began to be affraied suddenly fayned a Iollitie and sayde he doubted not at all but trusted wholly in the prome◠of Scāderbeg who aunswered beholde I gyue them all to you notwithstandinge that they were all taken before the commaundement was giuen to the armies and then he caused them to be set at libertie in the ende When Scanderbeg had vnderstode the opinion of the coūtie in certaine pointes he aunswered that it was nedefull to take good aduise vpon these matters and to vnderstande the kynges pleasure in that behalfe and to giue aunswere the nexte day folowinge when he had thus sayde they toke leue the one of the other for that it was very late In y e meane tyme as Scanderbeg made hym redye to goe towarde Barletta a souldiour of the counties came to Scanderbeg and showed him that all the parliament that the countye helde with him was but very disceite onely to to delyuer his armye which was so wery that of necessitie they must haue ben ouerthrowen and also for that he had practized with some of his souldiours to se yf y ◠they coulde betraye Scanderbeg and take him lyuinge and this was the onelye cause why he came forth in person oute of his squadrone for yf Scanderbeg had not gyuen eare to him but contynued styll the battayle there is no doubte but that he had ouerthrowen all the armie for they were all redie so wery that they were determyned to yelde them selues Then Scanderbeg more furious then anye Lion cried oute with a terrible voice sayinge O y ◠moste wicked murderer thou countie Iames thou traitour Ganio was it not snfficient for the with crafte and subtilitie in this sorte to auoide the distruction of thy flugguyshe and vnproffitable armie but that thou muste vnder pretence of so poysoned a frindshippe seke to betraie me whiche am innocent Wherfore loke well to thy selfe for to morowe thou shalte be recompensed for thy well doinges when he had thus sayde he departed with his people and went to Barletta and when he had supped he commaunded to gyue his horses prouender and rewarded the souldiour that reueled this matter and departed in the night by the mone lighte w t all his souldiours with him towardes the enemye and whē he came to the place where they encamped y e night before he founde all the armie gone for Zachuria Groppa one of the countes souldiours declared vnto y e coūtie euen as it came to passe wherfore the counte with hys armye departed with spede and went to enrampe to a place that was farre of Then Scāderbeg retorned and the nexte morninge he toke the kinge in companie with him and myngled their souldiours to auoyde strife and then went on folowinge the tracte of the enemie and in shorte tyme they discouered them he caused to marche on the one syde Frederick Duke of Vrbine lieutenante of the popes armie and Alexandre Sforza lieutenante brother to the Duke of Milane who desyred ernestly y ◠they mought so passe ouer then whē they had al things in order they marched on to a Citie called Troia The Duke Iohn with the countie Iames and all his armye were in a Citie called Nucera from Troia viii myles acordinge to the mesure of Apulia betwene whiche two Cities their was a moūtaine called Segiano frō Troia two myles and from Nucera viii myles Scanderbeg therfore knowinge that y e armies must fighte betwene those two Cities rose vp in the nighte and w t his souldiours went and toke that hill and furnished it w t men sufficient to defende it to the ende that yf peraduenture the kings power shoulde be ouerthrowen they mought take that hill and defend them selues the coūtie Iames who in dede was skylfull and of greate experience in warres ment also to take the same hyll and therfore he departed also in the morninge betyme to take the hill when he founde that Scanderbeg had alredye taken it where with he was very sorie and sayde to certaine of his most trustie frinds that he was then oute of al hope of victorie notwithstandinge he lefte not of for that but dyd in euery respecte the office and duetie of a good Captaine exhortinge and encoraginge his souldiours puttinge them also in order acordinge to the tyme place The nexte morning they determyned to gyue battayle and made them redie on bothe sydes enbattayled their people and encountred the fyghte was betwene them most terrible and contynued tyll the euening in y e ende the Dukes armie was so ouerthrowen and spoiled that he was glad that he moughte retorne into Fraunce w t shame and dishonor and with the losse in maner of all his Frenshe bandes in lykewyse the countie Iames w t all the infortunate noble men of Apuglia fled thorowe most difficulte passages euery man his waye and it was the greate grace of god y ◠they escaped with their lyues Then the kynge was deliuered from his enemies with great glorie and triumphe throughe the worthynes of the magnanime puissante and victoriouse prince Scanderbeg After this the aforesayde king Ferrante rode w t Scanderbeg to see yf that he coulde recouer his Cities and townes which he had loste he entred into Naples in great triumphe and afterwarde wente on their iorney notwithstanding manye Cities and townes continued in their former purpose and wolde in no wise obey the king Ferrante but sayde that they wolde rather dye with their weapones in their handes then to yelde them into his wycked handes for they were wel assured that he wolde be reuenged on them and wolde obserue no promise with them but they were contented to yelde them to Scanderbeg vpon his faithefull promes in the ende when the kyng and Scanderbeg had talked togyther it was agreed that the kyng shoulde swere to performe all promes that shoulde be made in his name and that Scanderbeg shoulde promes his subiectes and assure them therof otherwyse they wolde not yelde but wolde fyghte it oute to the vttermost for it semed vnto him a thinge most vnsemely for a Christian prince to breake his faythe which is the seale of his saluation euery Christian is bounde to obserue it euen to his enemyes Then the kyng swore openly that he wolde performe in euery respecte what so euer hys good father Scan. shoulde promise when this was done Scanderbeg wente and assured them all that the kyng shoulde performe his promes in euery respecte and shoulde vse them all as his very fryndes and louinge subiectes by meanes wherof al places whersoeuer he came yelded vnto him but as sone as Scanderbeg entred into any place he caused to set vp the enseignes of the kinge Ferrante and made them swere fidelitie and obedience to y e king In this meane tyme Fusano a Sicillian a man of great prowes a
on to the place where Scanderbeg moughte cut betwene them and the towne and so to assayle them in two sondrie places at once wherby he moughte easyly defeicte them as it came to passe for that the aforesaide Captaines were men of great Iudgment and trayned the enemyes spedyly paste the place where Scanderbeglaye in ambushe and as sone as they torned vpon them and charged they toke this custumer and immediatly vpō their charge Scāderbeg discouered him selfe and charged them on their backes and slewe x. thousande of them and toke the sonne of Seremethbeg with xii Turckes moe of acompte which were presented vnto him fearing leste they shoulde be all flayne but Scanderbeg beinge curtesie it selfe caused them to be gentylly entreated and of his great curtesie layd the greatest charge vpō y e custumer who althoughe he were very soroweful yet with a pleasant contenaunce he sent for so muche fyshe bothe freshe and salte as dyd fully satiffye the whole armie wherfore they sayde thorowe oute the armie that Scanderbeg was an Apostle of him that fedde the multitude of y ◠Iewes with v. barley loues and two fyshes After this for the ransomes of the custumer the sonne of the Bascia and the other xii Turekes there was presented vnto Scanderbeg the sūme of xl thousande ducates in Golde and money of the Turekyshe Coyne then Scanderbeg caused it all to be layde downe vpon carpettes and distributed al with his owne handes to his souldiours gyuinge euery man his offering but not as the preste dothe vpon the solempne feastes After this he suffered the prisoners to departe into the towne and he retorned into his countrey safe and with great ioye When the Turcke vnderstode this he dispatched an other fearce Captaine of his called Balaban Badera called Aga with xv thousande Turckes on horse and three thousande fotemen the which Balaban came to y ◠Citie of Ocrida or Aelcria and sent secretly to Scanderbeg dyuerse great presentes to purchase frindshyppe w t him to the ende that paraduenture he beinge taken prisoner at anye tyme moughte be assured of his lyfe as it was declared to Scanderbeg by the secret arie of Balaban which was taken by Scanderbegs souldiours in a rencountre betwyne the Turckes and him this Balaban was an Albanese borne and a coūtre man subiecte to the father of Scanderbeg and was taken in his child hed by the Turckes with dyuerse other children as they were keping of Cattell notwithstandinge hys happe was to serue men of acompte and so became a valiante man and for that he was the fyrst that entred into Constantinople when the Turckes gaue the assaulte vnto it the great Turcke exalted him to y ◠degree When he was in this sorte appointed against Scanderbeg he semyd outewardely to be muche his frynde althoughe inwardly he was the greatest enemye that he had in all y ◠worlde as by the profe it was seen for he was euer attentyue to take in hand all suche enterprises as mought tende to the distruction of Scanderbeg vnder the pretence of dissemblyd fryndshippe to the ende he moughte doe the more hurte And when Balaban vnderstode that Scanderbeg with his souldiours was in the valley called Valcal he made him redie with xv thous̄d horsemē and three thousande fotemen to goe in the nighte to assayle Scanderbeg but he beynge aduertysed hereof by his spiall went to encountre him wherof Balaban beinge certyfyed and beinge a shamed for sondrie respects and chiefely for that his treason was so discouered and also his fained frindshyppe he retorned with spede Thē Scanderbeg came ouer the valley aforesayde and encamped vpon the heighte of the same with all his people which were in number 4. thousande horsemen wel moūted and v. hundred fotemen to whom he spake in thys sorte My companions I doubte not but to morowe or the nexte daye at the fardest this moste wicked traitour Balaban wyll comme to seeke vs with all his power wherfore I thincke it good that we tarie him and when we se him comminge that we departe from hence and goe to that litle hill that is behinde vs to the ende that they maye thincke that we flee from them consydering oure number is smalle in the respecte of them and therfore maie the more boldly and assuredly chase vs and then when I shal gyue you a token euery man to make hedde and to charge them beinge so scatered by meanes wherof we maye easyly ouerthrowe them whiche yf it so happen as my truste is in God that it shall I commaunde you all vpon payne of my displeasure that you folowe the chase euen to the mounte or hill of Valcal and no furder for I am assured that they wyll leue some troupe in that valley to the ende that yf they shoulde be broken and we shoulde folowe them paste that place they moughte charge vs behinde and they whome we shoulde folowe shoulde charge vs in the face and all in an instante and by that meanes ouerthrowe vs at their pleasure for the place is very apte for an ambushe The seconde daye after that Scanderbeg had thus exhorted his souldiours Balaban with all his power came to fynde Scanderbeg who acordinge to his determynation went with his souldiours towarde the aforesayde hill then the Turckes with greate furie assayled Scanderbeg and he fled for a certaine space and then in an instante torned and charged them he beinge in very good order with suche force that after longe and terrible fyghte he enforced them to torne their backs to flee in great disorder in suche sorte that in the ende y ◠greatest number of them were founde ded vpon y ◠feelde and the victorie was folowed to the aforesayde appointed place But the aforesayde Moyses Gintrizza Musachio Dela Angelina Gino Musachio Giouaniperlato Nicolo Berisio Georgio Cucca and Gino Manesio euery one of these were able to gyue order to an armie had often tymes gouerned righte great charge These men being very ernest in executinge the enemie by meanes of the great hatred they had towarde Balaban and his Turckes dyd not remembre or els in their furie estemed not the commaundement of Scanderbeg wherfore they passed the appointed place folowing y ◠victorie fleynge and cuttinge in peces their fleing enemyes vntyll that they came to the myddest of the valley of Valcal Then the squadrone of the enemyes acording to the saying of Scanderbeg that there was layde charged wholly vpon these eighte Captaines which after longe and cruell fyght in the defence of them selues wyth the great slaughter of those amased Turckes passed of force thorowe the myddeste of that valley and clymed vp an hill vpon the heighte wherof were the Turckishe fotemen vnknowen to them wherby they were deceaued thinckinge that they had ben of their owne men they were taken by these fotemen and delyuered to Balaban who forthewith sent them to y ◠great Turcke who then was at Constantinople
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
them he determnâ—ed in any wise to haue it by force wherupon he caused forthwith neare vnto the same castel another castell to be buylded of farre greater heyght then the first from y e height wherof he did so beate his enemies day and nyght without cease that in the ende with the losse of a great number of his people he toke it of force After this hauyng intelligence that in the citie of Caphia a garison towne of the Genoueses was great store of golde and siluer in the handes of the marchantes he hauynge alreadye purpofed to take that towne by force which standeth in Cheronesso Taurico not far from the Bosphono and straite Timerico and considerynge that the treasure although he wanne the towne mought easelye be buried vnder the grounde and so saued he determined to haue both the towne treasure by this meane he called to him the skynners of his countrey such as had most riche furres as Sables Armines Genettes Martirones and suche lyke and gane them commaundement for the more spedie dispatche of y e matter that they shulde not passe for the sellyng of them at a lowe price to the ende that through the meanesse of the price the marchantes mought more gredily by them this matter beyng skilfully handlded was sone dispatched and immedialy after that he denounced warres agaynst them and forthwith presented him selfe with his armie to the towne and when he had enuironed the towne wyth his campe he planted his batteries and continued them day and nyght without ceasing in such sort that in short space he possessed the towne the marchantes the furres and the money which was an inestimable treasure It is written also that this was his ordre in beseeging of townes y e fyrst daye his owne lodgings were white and if in that day the inhabitants of the towne dyd yelde vnto him they receuid no hurte nother in body nor goodes the seconde daye his lodgings were red which signifyed to them of the towne that yf then they yelded that he wolde put to death all the masters of the families And the thyrde day was his last change which was in to blacke Pauillions and tentes and then refused he all appointments and when he had in this sorte taken any Citie or towne he put all that were in it to the sworde not sparing any of whatsoeuer age or kinde they were when he had thus done then wolde he commaunde to sack the towne and when the goodes were taken oute of it then wolde he cause fyre to be set in the towne so consume it to ashes leue it deserte And there is a bruite which coÌ„tinueth euen to this daye in those partes that on a tyme a certaine populouse citie defended them selues tyll the third day and then seing a great space of the walle laid flatte on the earth and the enemie in battaile redie to gyue y â— assaulte they were discoraged and thincking to pacifie y â— wrath of this cruel proude aud victoriouse enemie by humblyng them selues sent forth all the wemen and chyldren of the towne in white clothynge wyth oliue branches in their hands offeringe him the towne calling to him with lowde voice for mercy whom wheÌ„ Tamerlano sawe a farre of comming toward him he gaue commaundement to certaine bands of his horsemen to charge vpon them and to put them all to the sworde after this he toke the citie and sacqued it and then burned it it happened at that time by meanes of traffique of marchaundeze certaine marchante a Genouese borne to be greatly in fauor with Tamerlano and being with him at that same present discoursing of soÌ„drie matters asked him why he vsed so great crueltie towardes those people which he ouercame but he torned to him with an exceding troublouse contenance with eyes flaming like fyre and said vnto him yf thou doste thincke that I am aman thou arte much deceuid for I saye to the that I â—amthe wrath of God sent to plague and punishe the worlde and I commaunde the that yf thou woldest not receue due punnishement for thy auditiouse and folishe demaunde that thou gette the hence out of my sight that thou comme lesse in my presence the pore marchaÌ„t being much feared with the words of the Tyran departed from him was neuer sene after that by him they that haue sen Tamerlano liuing haue said that he resembled much both in face and maners Anibal of Carthage acordinge to the opinion of diurse ancient wryters and before all other offenses he shewed his seuere Iustice againste thefts in punnishing theÌ„ most sharply w tout any remission And it is thought that he dyd it to that ende that the feare of punnishement shoulde cause them to refraine to y e ende that he alone mought robbe and spoile acording to his owne desire the whole world and last of all his delighte was wholly set to gouerne in so much that he emploied him selfe continually as in an exercise most vertuouse to molest and trouble other princes with warres by the which he had subdued many kings and vtterly impouerished a greate numbre of tyranes made deserte many contreis and conuerted in to ashes an infinite numbre of cities and townes then last of al he retorned into his contrey with his army in credibly enriched with the spoyle of those natyons whoÌ„ he had subdued and also he vsed to take oute of euerye towne that yeldyed vnto him certaine of the cheife housholdes with all their substances and riches and to sende theÌ„ wholly in to Parthia When he was retorned home he builded a newe Citie very bewtifull and of a greate circuite and placed their in all those housholds afore rehersed in so much y e the newe Cytie beinge inhabyted w t these riche noble men of diuerse nationes in shorte tyme increased so in welth that yt became the cheife citie of all the Orient And yf it had happened that Tamerlano had had with him some man of excellent learning and wysedome who mought w t his writings haue celebrated the great enterprises that he dyd their is no doute but that he mought haue ben numbred amonge the cheife and princypall captaynes eyther of the olde worlde orels of this present age but god gyueth not all things to one man also it semed that his great crueltye which he vsed towarde those y â— he ouercame dyd not deserue to haue his fame celebrated by writing ne yet y e it mought long remaine to his posteritie when Tamerlano died he lefteto succide him in his Empire whiche he had thus gotteÌ„ by y e sworde two sonnes which after his death fel oute maiÌ„tained ciuil warres betwene them were the cause y e the olde and ancient parthicke fame clerely extinckte brought to obliuion and after ward by Tamerlano reuiued coulde not continewe nor encrease But nowe retorninge to our Historie where we left after that the armie of Baiazith was defeicted
he taken by Tamerlano his sonnes fled awaye before the furie of y e victoriouse enemie who had berafte them the whole empire of the lesse Asia and when they came into Gretia they happened into the hands of the Emperour of Constantinople who preserued their liues and helde them vnder good garde and after the death of Tamerâ—ano he licensid the eldest sonne Calapino to passe into Asia wheare when he was ariued he was forthe with gratfullye receued of the people and in short time recoueryd the Empire whiche once was his fathers after that retorned into his state gouernement in Gretia from thence went against y e king of hungari who went then for aide to Charles the vi Kinge of Fraunce who graunted him a greate numbre of men at armies vnder the conducte and guide of Iohn Counte of Niuerse who afterwarde succyded his father in the gouernance and principalitie of the Duchie of Borgonie and of many other Captaines as it is some thing plainely declared alredye by vs in the Frenche Historie and in the life of the afore saide Charles the syxte also that when there were defeycted in hungarye at Mychopollye eyghte hundred Frenche launces the afore sayde Iohn with manye other noble men of Fraunce was taken prysoner for the summe of two hundred thousand ducates were set at lybertye by the afore said Calapino theÌ„ died this same Calapino left Orca his sone but Moises his brother succided him in his Kingdome who berafte Orca not only of his kingdome but also of his life but he long enioyed not that kingdom so wickedly gotten but died in shorte space after lefte his brother Mahometh to succede in his place who afterwarde made warres vpon the people of Valachia a stoute nation dwelling neare the mouth of the ryuer Danubio giuiÌ„g them many ouerthroes and consuming their contrey with continuall courses and spoiles compelled them to search appointment and to giue trybute after all this he emploied his force against certaine noble men of the Turkishe nation which dwelled in Asya and he fell to agrement with some of them and the greatest numbre of them he banished from their contreys and dominions and toke them cleane from them This Mahometh duryng hys raigne handled the christians that were hys subiects very cruelly and dyd plague them with sondrye tyranies wheÌ„ Mahometh died he left his Kingdome to Amorath his sonne who was then in Natolia vpon the fronters with an armye by the commaundement of his father for the garde therof who hearing of the death of hys father came with all spede of Calcedone to passe y e straite and so to entre into his dominions of Gretia but the Emperor of Constantinople dyd prohibite him the passage for a long season with his nauie and set Mustaffa the yongest sonne of Baiazith at libertie and also gaue hym ayde to recouer hys fathers kyngdome but when Mustaffa and Amorath were once ioyned in battayll Mustaffa with his power was sone defeicted Amorath with his armie remained there with the victorie vpon y e place and easyly possessid the dominions and kingdome of his father after that he brought his armie into Gretia and with continuall courses dyd so spoyle and impouerishe those prouinces that yet rested in the handes of the christians and lad his armie to the citie Thesalonica which was then possessyd by the Venetyanes by vertue of a graunt made vnto them by Theodoro son to Emanuell Emperor of Constantinople and toke it by force and sacked it and lefte it in maner deserte and folowing on the race of his victorie entred in to Epirro which of men of this age is called Lartha froÌ„ thence into the contreis of the people called Etolli contreis in ancient time of great power and nobilitie and at thys daye are ioyned to the gouernance of Macedonia wheÌ„ he had thus taken them he annexed them to his crown And shortly after he entred into Illiria whiche at thys daye is called Schiauonia in y e which their is contained Dalmatya Croacya and Istria with the people called Iburni he ouer ran it with exceding great spoile and destruction therof also he toke there certaine townes and caried awaye from thence an inestimable proye of men and catel And bycause among the Turkes it was lawful for one maÌ„ to haue many wiues Amorath although he had alredie a great nuÌ„ber of wiues yet he ioyned him selfe in mariage with a daughter of George Dispotto of Seruia but making smal acompte of y e band of affinitie with in short space after he entred into Seruia as an enemie with his armie but George knowing his force not sufficient to resiste the power and furie of his sonne in lawe furnished with men monition the citie of Sinderonia and left in it one of his sonnes for the defence therof and he with his wife children and familie fled in to Hungarie and caryed wyth hym a greate numbre of prestes Amorath in a shorte time became lord of al Seruia then laste of all with his armie went to Sinderonia and toke it by force and finding in it the sonne of y e dispotto he plucked out both his eies caried him prisoner with him when George had thus loste his contrey he continued in hungarie many yeres in exile tell on a time Iohn the vaiuoda which then gouerned hungarie entred iÌ„to Saruia This vaiuoda was acompted for his great Iudgement in warres one of y e most famouse captaines of Europe and had giuen to diuers of the Turkes Sauigiachi many ouerthroes and recouerid out of the hands of the said Turke a great parte of the contre of the afore named Dispotto but he restored him not to all that which he had recoueryd for some parte of it he gaue to his captaines other he helde to him selfe perswading him selfe that he had great reason so to doe coÌ„sidering that it was he that had recoueryd it and therfore thought it good to holde some part of it for him self and some for his frinds and the rather for that he knew the dispotto not worthye to be trusted for so much as as he put no difference betwene the Christian relygyon and the Mahometan and for that hys contrey laye betwene the hungarianes and y e Turks and wolde nowe enter in league with the one and then with the other and deceaue them both but nowe retorning to speke of Amorath a man truely of great power also of greate vnderstanding in warres who when he had brought vnder fote those noble men of his nation that helde anye parcell of his dominion and had reduced to his obedyence all the lesse Asia with pontho and Capadotia so that all those that dwellid in it were his excepte onely Caromano prince of Cilitia Asmabeco which gouerned in Armenia neare to the floode uphrates and the lord of Scandalaro which far beionde the citie of
a rage that he brunte and sacaged all y ◠countre of the Dispotto and retorned into his owne countre and as he went homewarde he met with dyuerse Hungarianes that were at the battaile of Varna he declared that he was erceding sory for it and howe he was comming to ayde them and gaue money to euery of them to helpe them with After all these thinges Amorathe the greate Turcke sent an ambassadour to Scāderbeg with a letter of this tenour Scanderbeg by this my letter I Amorathe Emperour of all the easte part of y e worlde maye not salute the more nor lesse for that thou arte become my greatest enemye and haste vsed me with suche ingratitude considering that I brought the vp and norrished the euen as thou haddest ben my naturall sonne and alway sought to doe the honor and thou hast nowe rebelled against me and hast done me great displeasures as thou righte well knowest and all men maie witnesse therof and I knowe not from whence it dothe procede onlesse thou waste angrie with me bycause I dyd not so sone restore the to the dominions of thy father or els for that thou hast alwayes ben mynded to refuse the faithe of the perfete Mahomethe and to retorne as thou haste nowe done to the Christian faythe to the losse of thyne owne soule truelye yf I had vnderstode this desyre of thyne I wolde haue done what thou woldeste haue required me that thou knowest well as I haue alwaies declared vnto the that I wolde pleasure the in anye request that thou woldest make to me for I was so boūde consydering they rare vertues to fauour the aboue all others and thou knowest that I promysed the within shorte space to restore the to all thy fathers dominion and for that thou hast done contrarie to thy duetie thou arte certaynely worthye of greate blame and of my displeasure yet not withstandinge when I doe consyder the vertuouse actes which in tyme passed thou haste done in my seruice and conseruation of my state I am enforced to qualifye myne ire towardes the and am contented y ◠thou possesse the inheritance of thy father vpon condition that thou restore vnto me y ◠parte of Albania which I haue goten from others and not frō thy father which thou against all righte hast spoyled me of and holdeste it withoute my good wyll wherfore se that thou doe restore it vnto me orels I swere vnto the by god and by his prophete Mahomethe by the soule of my father and by my sworde that I wyll employe all my force against the and wyll chase the oute of that countre in dispite of the and yf that peraduenture thou escape with lyfe y u shal be enforced to begge thy breade Thou knowest wel that besyde all myne other forces I can put to the feelde moe then a hundred and fyfty thousand fightinge men and thou hauinge but a handful of souldiours arte not able to resyfte me I saie these thinges vnto the bycause I wold not hurte thee I haue set before thee the good the euell it is nowe in thy chose to take whether of them thou wylte and thou maiste credite my seruant and am bassadour Airadin and whatsoeuer he shall promyse by mouthe I wyll fulfyll from Andrinople the. 16. of Iune 1444. When Scanderbeg had redde the letter and hearde the ambassadour he made him to be entertayned very honorably and after fyue dayes he dispatched the ambassadour and delyuered him a letter of aunswere of thys tenour folowinge George Castrioth some tyme named Scanderbeg prince of the Albaneses sendethe salutaciones infinite to the lorde Amorathe prince of the Turckes by Airadin thy seruante and ambassadour I haue receaued a letter in the which for good begynning thou sayest y u canst not salute me more nor lesse wherevnto I aunswere y ◠yf it seme to the by that which I haue alredye done that I am becomme thyne enemye yet yf all thinges be indifferenly weied it shalbe rather iudged that I am thy frind and for a profe therof I saye that their is nothinge in y ◠worlde to be done to doe the pleasure that I wolde not for thy sake doe so that it be not against the wyl of god and of this thou maiest assure thy selfe for I determine to be thy frynde but yf I haue recouered my libertie w t my fathers countrey I thincke not therein to haue done the any wronge for that it apertayned to me and not to the besyde that yf the Turckes thy souldiours which laie in those partes of Albania that thou possessedst confyninge with my countre came against me with armed bandes to assayle me and yf that I acordinge to their desertes haue ouercomme them and chastized them recoueringe also that countre y ◠defaute is not myne but thers or his who sent them against me moreouer yf I haue defeicted thyne armye which thou dydste sende w t thy Bassa Alibeg against me I thincke I haue done but as I oughte to doe to defende me and myne against such as wolde offende me and to conclude yf I haue refused the most damnable and detestable secte of Mahomethe am retorned to that moste true and lyuely faythe of Iesus Christ I am well assured that I haue chosen the better part for in keping his most holly commaundements I am suer that my soule shalbe saued and not as thou sayest damned wherfore I beseche the that for y ◠helthe of thy soule thou wylte receaue one good councell at my hand whiche is that thou wylte vouchesafe to rede the Alchorane which is a briefe collection of the commaūdementes of god and there thou mayeste easyly consyder which of vs is in the wronge and my hope is that yf y ◠wylte indifferently consyder beinge vanquished by the trouthe thou wylte receaue and embrace the Christian faythe by y ◠which oneli all men y ◠seke to be saued ar saued withoute it all men are damned God graunte y ◠thou mayest suffer thy selfe to be Illumined w t his holly Spirite and to receaue his most holly Baptesme to begyn to leade a Christian lyfe and then I wolde desyre to see y ◠the greatest prince of y ◠worlde and I wolde be vnto thee euē as I haue ben here to fore a very frind and a faythefull seruante which thou mayest easyly vnderstād by these my exhortacions And I doe assure thee that althoughe I haue defendid me against y ◠I am thy frynde and I promesse thee that yf thou doe this where vnto I doe exhorte thee which is to becomme Christian that I wyll not onely restore vnto the that parte which thou requirest at my hand but also all myne owne that I doe possesse in the worlde and wylbe duringe lyfe thy trustie seruante otherwyse I doe assure thee that I may not doe it for anye perswasion that thou mayest vse and chiefely for that the Turckes be alwayes enemyes
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