sometymes called Palus Mantiana sent him most perfect information of all these stirres in Persia discoursing vnto him of the death of Ismahel the consultations of the Sultans the treacheries death of Periaconcona the broyles betweene the king and the Sultans the nature of the new king being diseased in his eyes little esteemed by his subiectes besotted in his affections towades his three sonnes at whose handes he foresaw notwithstanding that hee should receaue many iniuries and troubles the facility to ouer-rule the cheefe Gouernours of the Georgiani and the people of Atropatia otherwyse called Seruan which were euill affected towardes the new king and to be briefe whatsoeuer had in truth succeeded in Persia and might inflame the mynd of Ottoman to conuert his forces agaynst an enemy of small counsell and much cnofusion adding thereunto that neuer was there greater opportunity to ouercome that kyng then now was offered and that in any case hee should not let slip such an occasion as the Ottoman kings neuer had before to obtayne so certayne and so famous victoryes with so great glory and felicity in these enterpryses Amurat whose eares had along time beene filled with those stirres that Ismahel had raysed and whose cogitations were wholly bent to marke what wold be the issues thereof liued with a mynd altogether inflamed with an vnmeasurable desire of the newes and assoone as to his owne naturall inclynation and to other mens reportes there was added also this information of Vstres who peraduenture had that charge particularly enioined him he setled himselfe more deepely in his former conceytes vz to proue his forces in subduing a king of an ancient time dissenting and estraunged from the lawe of Mahamet a contemner of his maiesty and to be short his onely corriuall and odious competitor in all the East and therewithall began to call to his remembarnce how Selim father to his grandfather and Soliman his grandsyre would haue taken this enterprise to hart recording priuately to himselfe how they being captains of most mighty armies went themselues in person fought with the Persian kings sacked and tooke many of their Citties and reduced their bordering enemyes into very strait termes But no one thing did more enflame the Turkish Emperour then did so rare an occasion which he thought was now offered vnto him to haue for his enemy a king not well practysed in feats of war besotted confounded in affection conceyttowardes his children and weakened through the dissention of his subiectes he measured and weighed his owne forces he considered the peace which his people had enioyed from the taking of Goletta euen vntill this tyme he collected the infinite number of his vassalles aswell horsemen as footemen he surueighed the rentes of his customes his meanes to fynd money his engynes of war wherein he did far surpasse the Persians the citties of his enemy layde all open and without any defence of fyre or by such lyke instruments of death and in breefe when he had called to mind whatsoeuer he durst attempt and promisse to himselfe he did more and more resolue with himselfe to take the occasion that was now offered him to begin this warre For the compassing of which his purpose he was greatly fauoured by the present state of Christendome at that tyme being wholly in league amity with him and the peace yet continuing that the Emperour had made with him and the rather because he was verily perswaded that he should not haue any disturbance by the Catholike king who no doubt would graunt him a truce by reason of his warres in Flanders wherewith hee perceiued hee was shrewdly occupied which truce afterward ensued by occasion of the kingdome of Portugall The State of Venice also obseruing that faith and promise which with publike capitulations they had faithfully established in concluding a peace after that singular victory which they had obtayned neere to the Islandes Echinades against the Turkish Fleete And to be shorte the Turke assured himselfe that he should not any way suffer any annoiance or impedimenr by any prince of Europe In this generall tranquillity common peace with the Potentates of Christendome did Amurat with more security and bouldnes discourse with him selfe about the broaching of this warre in Persia and at last not fynding any thing contrary to his designementes he resohied to haue a treaty with those chief Bassaes called Visiers that vse to sit at the Court gate to take sound aduise with those that had the vniuersall gouernement of the whole Empyre in their handes whether it were better vpon this present occasion to begin the prepensed warre or if they thought this oportunity not to be so fit then to lay it aside to conuert their forces and counselles against the common wealth of Christendome So impiously and so barbarously is this Empyre managed that whensoeuer there is any treaty to attempt any enterpryse for the aduauncing thereof it is lawfull to violate any truce and to breake promisse whereupon although this warre could not bee moued eyther agaynst the Persians or agaynst the Princes Catholike without breach of theyr promised sayth altogether counterfetting and pretending capitulations of peace leagues oathes that ought to be inuiolable yet in the manifold consultations that passed among these Visiers there was not a man found that had any consideration or made any accompt of that defect but euery one of them as their manner is in all thinges preferring violence before reason thought it conuenient to set forward the wicked desyre of their Lord without any godly or honest respect at all And among the rest Mahamet the Visier being cheefest in authority experience and yeares of gouernement was of aduice that it would proue a more easy and lesse dangerous attempt to warre with the Persians then with the christian princes aswel for that the ciuil dissentions lately sprong vp in the kingdome of Persia and the condition of the new successor of the Persian Empyre in his gouerment and warre promised all fortunate victory as also for that to wage battell agaynst the Christian Princes was not to make that Prince onely his enemie against whom he should fight whose forces notwithstanding bee what Prince soeuer he may bee haue euer beene most terrible some by sea some by land but it was to bid battell to all the Potentates of Christendome at once those potentates I say that not many yeares before had discomfited a fleete of 300. Gallies mo awhile after that had put to flight another fleet either as great as it or not much inferior peraduenture was still able to performe whatsoeuer they desyred In these consultations other like discourses in the end they al agreed that it would be much better to make war in Asia against dartes agaynst swordes agaynst Citties eyther lying open or slenderly fenced then in Europe agaynst lightninges and fyres against bowes and arrowes agaynst deuouring flames agaynst
that eueninge vnder certayne mountanes now called Chielder being in myne opinion the hilles of Periardo and because he was aduertised that the Persians were in the field to make battell with him being now passed beyond their own borders which were so set out by Soliman in the peace concluded with Tamas as before we haue said doubting least peraduenture they might encounter him where he little looked for them he thought it best for the more security of his hoast to pitch his Tentes in such a place as he might well discouer them and yet not be assaulted at vnawares And therefore he planted himselfe in the plaine and gaue order that Beyran the Bassa of Erzirum should take possession of a certaine hill that was on the right hand Dreuis the Bassa of Caraemit should keepe another hill that stood on the left hand and with them Osman Bassa Mahamet Bassa Mutassade Bassa being aduenturers with many others aswell of the kinges stipendiaries as voluntary men should like wyse pitch their Tentes vpon the same hilles in such sorte as they making as it were two Cornettes or winges to the campe might discouer the comming of euery man and he himselfe being shadowed with the two hilles might be perceaued of no man But whiles all these thinges with such military preparations were made ready by Amurat the new king of Persia who was yet scarce setled in his kingdome being stirred vp by the same of these motions resolued with himselfe to send men against the Turkes for defence of his state and was content for the tyme to dissemble his conceaued and hatred which he bare to some of the Captaines of Persia and of Georgia to make some apparant shew that he was reconciled with them for that without them he could not promisse himselfe any forme of an army or defence and for all the hurley-burley wherwith his kingdome was troubled for all the disorders whereintoo both the Sultans people were fallen yet he wrought so throughly that all the Captaines of accompt tooke vpon them the protection of his honour kingdome And so Tocomac a Sultan the Chan and gouernour of Reiuan being elected generall of this expedition a souldier very famous and well knowen to the Turkes for the many embassades wherein he serued often tymes to Selim and Amurat and in Persia deemed to be a man of singular vertue he gaue him in charge that gathering together the greatest nomber of men he could out of Atropatia out of Media the greater and other places neere to the Turkes he should seeke all the meanes he was able to stop their passage into Georgia Media Atropatia And thereupon Edictes and preceptes were sent out to all the citties of the kingdome and principally to Amadan to Genge to Taiuris to Nassiuan to Marant to Ardeuil to Soffian to Carachach to Turcomania to Giaunt to many other places on this syde and beyond Casbin that all the Chans Sultans and souldiers whatsoeuer should come ready prest to follow the commandementes of their new Generall Many there came that were obedient to the kinges proclamation but many there were that would not stirre a foote for their obstinacy in the broiles begun and for the suspition which they had of vnlooked-for mischeefes wherefore the king remayned greatly discontented and much greeued at this first disobedience of his subiectes and cleerely perceaued how much better it had beene for him to haue liued in peace and amity with Amurat how be it to make the best of the matter he was inforced to take this defence vpon him as also for the satisfaction of the subiectes of Georgia which desyred the same with earnest request by certain embassadors sent particularly from Daut-Chan for that purpose to salue his owne honour and the succession of Emir Hamze his eldest sonne And therefore with those fewe which for the loue of iustice were met together in those partes being not aboue twenty thousande Tocomac was dispatched about his busines hoping that the enemyes army wherein he heard say the king in person was not might be such as with these his smal forces it were not impossible for him to oppresse them in some narrow straites where the multitude commonly vseth rather to be in confusion perplexity then ready and able to helpe one another These xx thousand were all horsemen armed with Scimitarre and bow with some Arcubuses among and which is wont to stand this nation in great steed they were furnished with very syne and well tempeted Armour but specially couragious they were and resolute and made more hardy by the vertue and valour of their Captayne And therefore with all their prouision necessary for victuall and fight keeping the way of Tauris and Genge they came to the turning of Chars where they were aduertysed that their enemyes army was passed They were now arriued within a daies iourney neere to Chielder when they were resolued to send quicke and faithfull spies 〈◊〉 might bring them certayne newes of the 〈◊〉 condition and nomber of the Turkish souldiers who 〈◊〉 thether euen at the very tyme that the Turkes were encamping themselues betweene the two hilles whereupon the two Bassaes Beyran and Dreuis with their people had already pitched their Tentes The Persian spyes discouered the Turkish hoast aloft and perswaded themselues that there were not any other battell then those which they saw vpon the two high hills whereof with all the speede they could they returned news to Tocomac who at ease had followed these his spies a farre off When Tocomac vnderstoode theyr information agreeing with his former conceit which he brought from Casbin of the nomber of his enemyes peraduenture also perswading himselfe that if a greater army were to come out of the borders the same might now bee at Chars and these onely troupes sent before to discouer the cuntrey he became very bould foole-hardy through too much desyre of glorie and determined with himselfe to go and assault them and hauing discouered his enemyes tentes he was throughly confirmed in his former opinion and the spyes relation and with so much the more confidence went forward to assayle them But Beyran and Dreuis who quickly from the hill had perceaued the Persians comming in the plaine against them although they knew them to be full of courage yet reposing great confidence in their fellow battell which did not shew it selfe with all speed mounted vpon their horses and ranne to meet them and in the foresaid plaines vnder Chielder within one houre after noone they ioined a most bloudy battell wherein there were slayne at last seuen Turkish Sangiacchi with a very great nomber of souldiers both stipendiaries voluntary without any apparant losse at all among the Persians who closing themselues together in great heat and all bee-bloudied in the battel did prosecute their happy and fortunate victory But Generall Mustaffa who perceyued all
Beyran Bassa ran out himselfe to meet Hossain Bey and shewed him the way to escape as afore And vpon this rising of the Turks the Georgiani retired themselues with their gotten pray and so the rest had leasure to withdraw themselues together into more sure safe places The next morning the Campe remoued and in the euening came to a castell called Ghiurchala where it stayed a whole day to make prouision of victuaile which was attempted by sending many of their slaues abroade into the fieldes conducted by the men of the said castell In the meane while there arriued certain embassadors from one that was then called the nephew of Simon signifying to Mustaffa that if it would stand with his good pleasure their lord would come to salute him to offer himselfe vnto him as his vassaile whereof Mustaffa was very glad and declaring vnto them that his comming should be very acceptable vnto him he sent them backe againe with presentes and curteous wordes But although hee was expected all that day yet made he not his apparance indeed all those that were sent out into the fieldes for reliefe were miserably hacked in peeces to the great griefe of Mustaffa thinking himselfe too much abused by those fained embassadors who in truth proued to bee cunning and craftie spyes rather then embassadors From this place the army departed with great hunger ouer diuers vneasy hilles and rough places of the Georgianj where they were faine oftentimes to rest themselues at last came to the confynes of the widdowes territory vpō the feast day of the Turkes Ramadan In the entrance whereof they must needes passe through a narrow strait betweene certain mountaines where the riuer crankleth it selfe with a thousand tourninges and windinges about the low valley A very difficult place and indeed so narrowe that no more then one man alone could passe through it Betweene this straite and a very thicke and hilly wood they lodged vpon the banks of the said riuer and from thence the next morning they remoued and trauelledouer very steep mountaines and wooddy Forrestes ouer ice and snow more harde then marble-pauemente and ouer other hanging rockes in such miserable sorte that many camelles mules and horses aswell for cariage as for saddle fell downe headlong into the whirle-pittes of the riuer to their vtter spoyle Through this ruinous cragges and dyuers other miseryes they iournyed all the next day and after that another day also as miserable and dammageable to the Army as the former but at last being shrewdly spoiled and ill handled by hunger foyled and slaughtered by their enemies afflicted with the harde season and situation of the place they arriued within the territories that lay vnder Altunchala the widdowes Pallace where they had all manner of desyred reliefe for all the miseries that they had endured since their departure from Chiurchala vntill this place being the space of sixe daies which ordinarily if it had beene a common trauelled way would haue beene performed in one onely daies iourney The Widdow with her elder sonne Alessandro came downe from the Castel and went to the pauillion of Mustaffa offering him dyuers presentes and promising vnto him all faithfull obedience Mustaffa receaued her curteously and declared vnto her the good entertaynement that he gaue to her yonger sonne Manucchiar that went with him to Siruan who being there present shewed euident token thereof to his mother Mustaffa dissembling for the present tyme his priuie displeasure that hee bare the widdows son Alessandro embraced him courteously and praied her that she would bee pleased to leaue him also there with him for that it should turne to both their contentmentes signifying furder vnto her that he would send both her sonnes to Constantinople to Amurath with letters of credence for their yeelded obedience for their fauour shewed to his army in giuing them so secure passage and so many helpes lastly for their good deserts the rather that by the said Sultan they might be honourably entertained and enriched with honours dignities The Widdow although her mynd was herewithall sore troubled perplexed yet outwardly in her countenance shewed her selfe to be pleased and seemed curteously to yeeld what she was of necessity constrained to grant aswell because Mustaffa had one of her sonnes already in possession as also for that her selfe her whole state were now in his power as it were at his deuotion therefore leauing both her sonnes behind her she returned to her Castell Mustaffa after hee had stayed in that place with his army two whole dayes without feeling the want of any thing departed thence towarde Chars and so did all the rest who hauing now no feare of the enemie as being in a sure and frendly countrey deuided themselues into seuerall companyes by fiues by twenties by fiftyes in a troupe as euery man thought it best and conuenyent The first day they lodged at Clisca in the widdowes countrey where they wanted no manner of necessaries but had most plentifull aboundance of all thinges From thence they tooke their next lodging vnder certain rough mountaines by which they trauelled two whole dayes through many difficulties where some of them also dyed for cold Then they came to Messeardachan sometimes belonging to the Georgianj but now to the Turkes so to Biucardacan belonging also to the Turkes where they kept the feast of Ramadan which till now they could not celebrate And from thence to Olti a Castell also of the Turkes where the Sangiacco that gouerneth those quarters is resident a countrey very fertile in all thinges well situated and very conuenient for these and greater passages From Olti by the way of Neneruan in two daies they arryued at Hassanchalasi a Castell likewyse of the Turks called also Passin and from thence afterward they came to Erzirum with the great reioicing of the whole army which was there presently discharged by Mustaffa without any numbring or mustring at all and so they returned all home into their owne countries But Mustaffa setled himselfe in Erzirum dispatching Poastes with letters of plentifull aduertysementes to the king touching all thinges that had passed but yet in such sort that he magnifyed his owne exploites without measure and among diuers other newes that were scarce true which he wrote one was That Teflis which hee had taken was in greatnes beauty equal vnto Damasco besydes the situation that was exceeding strong He certifyed him also of the battelles that he had with the Persians the obedience that he receaued of the Georgiani the Siruanians the stirres and insurrections of the people of Constantinople of Greece the Fortresse built at Eres the garrisons of souldiers left in that Citty with Caitas Bassa and in Sumachia with Osman Bassa the offers of the Alexandrians and in briefe whatsoeuer els had passed whatsoeuer he had taken from the enemy Neither
that shoulde come to succour them Howbeit the famine wherewith they were afflicted at that time could not woorke so much vpon them as induce them to issue out of the fortresse so the Persians could find no opportunity to do them any harm as they desired but hauing continual aduertisement that Mustaffa had sent succours to theÌ„ being thus besieged they stayed there watched to hear on what side any newes wold appear froÌ„ them At the last they vnderstood by certain spies that they kept the way of Tomanis that Hassan Bassa with twenty thousand men was comming to this aid This news caused them foorthi with to seatter themselues among the woods all along the length of the said straite hoping from thence to assaile the Turkes and ouerthrowing them headlong into the deep valley to bereaue them both of their goods and life But Hassan who had not so much care of any thing as he had to auoid that grieuoas daunger choserather to make his â—o urny through the woods eschuothe ambushes trecheries that his enemies might lay for him so minister means to his people to escape the perill of that headlong ouerthrow And therfore in steed of leauing the wood on his left-hand he entred within it to discouer all the wiles that might be plotted against him and so did al his souldiers with him therupoÌ„ began the battel Wherin they fought with a thousand windings turnings in and out through a thousand crooked pathes and doubtful cranks in a most confused Medley till there ensued therupon a great slaughter of the Turkes who being not accustomed to this kind of fight nor acquainted with the situation of the place were in the skirmish driuen so far that downe they fell and not being able to recouer themselues were presently slain In this confusion among others that were ill handled was Mustaffa Bey of Caisar a place in Caramania who lost his banner being taken away from him by the Georgians hauing also his Standerd bearer thrust through and all his horses surprised which he had caused to be lead out on the right hand and done many mischiefs with them And in this maner did they passe the straites of Tomamis Now although they were not very far from Teflis yet wold they needs make stay nere to the said straits faining that they wold fauour and rest their men and their cattell and peradueÌ„ture meaning to nourish a foolish opinion of fear in the minds oftheir enemies they waited to see whether they wold come againe to trouble them a fresh or no. Hassan Bassa burned til he might perform som famous and notable act thinking with himselfe that hee had receiued a great ignominy in suffring his enemies being in number so far inferiour vnto him to escape froÌ„ him remembring that in such places sleights and stratagems are more auailable than open forces he took aduice that a band of the souldiers of Greece with a certaine troupe of the Aduenturiers vnder the conduct of Resuan-Bassa should lay themselues in ambushment within the thickest shades of the strait and so being hidden should diligentlie watch euery stirre of the enemy Two dayes together did the Turkes remaine there thus diuided asunder and were now resolued the third day to remooue from thence and not to stay any longer from conducting their succours to Teflis when as Aliculi-Chan and Simon Bech vainely imagining that this stay of the Turks was for feare they had of the Persians with all their people freshly but boldly and foolishly returned and gaue a newe onset vpon the flancke of Hassans Squadrons who foorth with raising all his souldiers and giuing a signe to Resuan and the rest that lay in ambush with all speed compassed-in his enemies and straightning their wings on both sides tooke some of them aliue hacked some in peeces and put all the rest to flight Among others that were taken aliue Aliculi-Chan the Persian Captaine who ouer-rashlie ran euen vpon the face of Hassan with al his band that continually followed him was taken prisoner and so fell into the hands of Hassan Who victoriously and ioyfully arriued at Teflis the next day following being the verie Iâ— day after his departure froÌ„ Chars where hauing passed ouer the riuer and entred the fortresse he found among the poore besieged soules many miseries by occasion whereof some had died and some were yet sick For they were so plagued with famine that they had not only deuoured their horses of small price but they had also eaten the verie skinnes of the same horses of Muttons and of dogs and had passed away the time in most miserable wants But Hassan did comfort them all with the newes of victory and more with the relief that he brought theÌ„ distributing to euery one of them gifts and good words and exhorting them all to perseuere in the seruice of the King whose honour was neuer more then now to be respected For that it is no lesse commendation for a man to preserue and keep a conquered country in the midst of the enemie and the enemies forces then it is at first to conquere it And for asmuch as al the souldiers of the Fort did with one voyce request Hassan that he would appoint them a newe Captaine because they did all mislike Mahamet-Bassa who the last yeare was left by the Generall in that Forte Hassan remoued the said Mahamet and put in his place Amet Bassa Aggibeogli And when he had filled vp the places of the dead souldiers with a newe supply he tooke his leaue and recommended the charge and custody of the Fort to their trust and vertue Hassan passed ouer the riuer with all his people and put himselfe on the way backe again towards Tomanis so that he came to the very strayt without any trouble or impediment of his enemies But being come to the mouth of the strait he was aduertised by his Scoutes that it was shut vp with verie strong trenches of Artillerie and defended with a great nuÌ„ber of souldiers And these were they that remained aliue in the last skirmishes that we told you of when Hassan martched towardes Teflis For Simon thinking as in deede it fell out that Hassan shoulde returne backe by the same way of Tomanis could not find any better meanes to represse his boldnesse to reuenge the losses of his owne people and to redeeme the prisoner Alieuli-Chan but this Namely thus to shut vp the mouth of the Straite hoping thereby that the Turks being enforced to runne vpon the artillerie so laid for defence of the said strait shuld be all consumed and vtterly destroyed But Hassan as soon as he vnderstood that the passage was â—â—th it sort shut vp by Simon sought means to make his iourny some other way and declyning that great danger to frustrate and delude the ambushes and stratagems of Simon Whiles he remained thus doubtful in himself discoursing many conceits
meete with the king his enemy In the meane whole 〈◊〉 it is reported by many aswel Persias as Turks â—â—e dispatched certen Vâ—â—achi or posts to the Persian king being at 〈◊〉 to intreat him that he wuld send ouer some Ambassador for a peac thinking with himself as some doe conicture by these meanes he should remoue out of the Kings mind his resolution to come assaile him if any such meaning hee had The proclamation was put in execution according to his appointment and hauing sent away the saide cariages heauy burdens towards Ardachan he himselfe with certaine loads of corne vittels so many onely as were sufficient for the voiage descended into the open large plaines of Chielder where presently he mustred al his people that caried weapons and gaue notice that before he would settle himself towards Tauris he meant to make â—â—iall of the readines nimblenes of al his army to set forth such a shew as though they ioyned battel with their enemies which presently the next morning without any further delay he put in execution accordingly For first he set forward fiue hundred peeces of final artiliery placing theÌ„ in good order after the manner of a large trench after this shot three rows of Ianizzaries behind them he tooke vp his own place Then followed al the army which he parted into two great wide wings which after the fashion of a moone coÌ„passed about a great deale of ground entermingling also heere and there some footemen with his horsemen some harcubuses among his darts lances Behind al the armie were placed al the cariages which were requisit for the vrgent necessity of vittaile and behind the cariages went the Arrie rewarde conducted by two Bassaes with viii thousandmen The army being thus ordered and disposed hee sent out some fewe Turkes to shewe themselues vpon the top of certaine hilles and as though they had bin enemies that came to seize vpon his army he presently caused al his artillery to be discharged and commaunded euery man to bâ—irmish to bestir himselfe after the same manner and altogether with the same kinde of behauiour as if their enemie were present before them And so the tempest of the Harguebuzes being ouer passed the launces or Indian canes discharged the exceeding thicke storme of arrowes ceased there did shine round about on all sides such a brightnes of swords helmets and brest-plates yeelding forth great lightnings as it were fierie beames that it enkindled the mindes of them all to battel and then againe the drums trumpets made such a noise the Ensignes creasts liueries and deuises were so turned and tossed the aire so replenished with seuerall colours of blewe and yellowe to be briefe there was such a medly of al things as though it had been the turmoile of a very battel indeed After a while he caused the retrait to bee sounded and then setting all his army in order againe there was such another like shewe commaunded the second time and after that the third also which indeede was performed rather with the scorne and derision of all his souldiers who thought it to be as it were but children play then that any commendation did indeed arise thereby to ambitious Sinan When these counterfeit shewes of war were finished yet did he not got forwards towards Tauris as he had apointed but remained eight daies in those plains of Chielder at which time there ariued out of Persia Aider the Aga as Ambassador from the King who was entertained by the general with great ioy Diuerse and sundry things did this Embassador propounde which were likewise propounded by Maxut-Chan but the conclusion of alwas that the king of Persia would voluntarily relinquish Chars and Teflis and remaine as hee did before in amitie with Amâ—rath and therefore hee desâ—ied Sinan that he would not faile to conclude of a peace because he himselfe had commandemeÌ„t to returne back into Persia Sinan promised to deale with Amurath for this peace if king Mahamet would send a new embassador to Constantinople Vpon which coÌ„clusion the said Aider returned into Persia being accompanied with sure guids ariued at 〈◊〉 before this king to whoÌ„ he declared what things he had seene what promises he had receiued of Sinan and withal exhorted the king to send a new embassador to the Turkish Court causing him first to enter couenants with Sinan as he had promised for so it would bee an easie matter to procure a good and speedie resolution After this when the publike rumor was found to be false that was spread abroad of the comming of the Persian king Sinan in steed of going to Tauris resolued to goe to Chars so to returne into his confederate Countries At Chars he remained a whole month in very meere and absolute idlenes with the generall maruaile murmur of his souldiers who indeed were astonished when they perceiued they were come out not to fight not to passe into their enemies Countrie not to make any conquest by war but to be Idle and to play to the great dammage expenses of their Kings Reuenues and the disturbance of his whole kingdome At the last he departed from Chars for that it was now winter the frosts and shows â—ound about theÌ„ wrought his souldiers vnaccustomed miseries In Hassa-Chalassi they celebrated their most solemne feasts and afterwarde with all his Army hee withdrew himselfe to Erzirum from whence he did presently â—â—â—misse euery man to goe and winter in his own Country and he himselfe remained still in the said Citie From this place he sent diligent information aswel at the departure of the Capigilarohecaiasi as also by certaine Volacehi dispatched away by post of the succours that he left at Teflis of the losses that he receiued by his enemies of all that wherein he had found Mustaffa an arrant her of the coÌ„ming of the Persian embassador of the promise made vnto him touching a newe embassador and to be short of al his whole actions And besides all these Narrations he aduertised the king that the enterprize of Persia was a very hard long and difficult matter such a one as there needed another kind of preparation then as yet was appointed for it that if Amunath did desire to subdue ouercome Persia it was then very necessary that he should speake with him at large discourse vpon many particularities which neither might he commit to paper neither coulde they bee declared by pen without exceeding great tediousnes in this point he did write very much shewed himselfe to be very petemptorie And again besids these first Velacahi he dispatched also new messeÌ„gers to be very instaÌ„t importunate with Amurath for his returne to Constantinople continually telling him that it was not possible for him to signifie by writing what he purposed to report vnto him by word of
to depart for Tauris with a speech notwithstanding giuen out published altogether for Nassiuan Of whome seeing wee are now to continue our History without any intermission we will reserue to make further narration in the next be oâ—e following to the entent that the declaration of so famous so important actions be not in any wise interrupted by any other thing whatsoeuer The end of the seuenth booke The Eight Booke The Argument Osman departeth from Erzirum with his Army which is so great that is seemeth to be many mens powers vnited together Osman dismisseth forty thousand Souldiers out of his Army as being superfluous and needelesse Osman taketh a review of his Army departeth from the Caldaranes and in steede of goyng to Nassiuan turneth towardes Tauris wherevpon the Souldiers of Greece and Constantinople are angry with him but he appeaseth them mildely with fayre speeches and some small quantity of money Osman passeth on to Coy to Marant and to Soffian and deseryeth Tauris The Vauward of Osman is assaulted and ouerthrowne by the Persian Prince The Army of the Persian Prince The Army of the Persian king Osman sendeth out a new Company against the Prince in reuenge of the discomfiture giuen to his Vauwarde wherevpon followeth a bloudy battell which was parted by reason of the night Alyculi assayleth the Turkish Army and retyreth againe Alyculi assayleth it a fresh in the night time and returneth not into the Citty Tauris but withdraweth himselfe into the tentes of the Persian king The Persians that garde the gates of Tauris fight with a rascall band of the Turkish Army The Persians retyre themselues into the Citty and in the turninges of their streetes and places vnder the ground they worke great mischiefe vpon the Turkes that followed them into the Citty A description of the situation of Tauris Osman maketh choyce of certaine gardens for a plot to build a Fort in The Fort is finished in the space of sixe and thirty dayes Certaine Turkes are found strangled in a bathe within Tauris and Osman commaundeth that the Citty of Tauris should be sacked wherevppon there doth ensue most miserable and horrible spectacles and a mortall battell The Persian Herauldes returne to prouoke the Turkes to a fresh battell The ordering of both the Armies Most bloudy battels betweene them both The Bassa of Trebisonda and the Bassa of Caraemit with certeine Sangiacchi are slayne The Bassa of Garamania taken prisoner Osman is at the point of death by reason of a greeuous disease Giaffer Eunucho the Bassa is chosen Generall and gouernour of Tauris The Taurisians recouer the spoyle that was taken from them in Tauris Osman the Bassa Visier and Generall dieth at Sancazan The ouerthrow of the Persians The muster of the Army at Van. Teflis is succoured quietly without any trouble or hinderance Maxut-Chan is named the Bassa of Aleppo A Letter sent from the Campe to Aly the Bassa of Aleppo THE EIGHT BOOKE OSman the General of the Turkish campe departed out of the Citie of Erzirum about the eleuenth of August in the yeare 1585. vsing the Rebell Maxut-Chan for the guide of his Armie which although it was in deed at that time verie great both for men and cattell yet it appeared euery day to become more populous and daily new Souldiers were discouered in it though they were but vagarantes and of small valour The occasion whereof was not onely the multitude of warrants sent abroad through all the subiect Cities but also the affection that euery man did beare to the fame and renowme of Osman vnto whom aswell for his valour whereof all men caried a good opinion as also for his soueraigne aucthoritie whereby he ruled as Chiefe Visier but especially for the confidence which was well knowen the King reposed in him they all ran by heapes with most willing minds And he wisely cherishing and fostering them in their good forwardnesse entertayned them all with faire promises and hope of rewardes Insomuch that the Generall had gathered together about a hundred and fiftie thousand horsemen some seruing with bowes some with battel-axe or sword some with Arcubuse some with launces some stipendiaries and other some voluntaries And besides these so great a multitude of seruile people of craftes-men of pioners of cariers of Iudges of Treasurers of Clerkes of Collectors and of all sorts of men So great abundance of Camels of Mules and of Horses and to be briefe so huge an assemblie that it would make a man beleeue it was not the power of one King alone but rather the forces of many Kings vnited and confederate together Osman therefore perceauing that he had gathered too great a number of people and too huge an Armie and that it might fall out so great a multitude should want vittaile perswading himself that his prouisions could not suffice the common necessitie neither fearing his enemies forces so greatly that he needed to lead so populous an host against them he determined to discharge a great number of such as he thought to be most weak and least apt to endure trauell and to sell them their desired libertie at a good price And the common fame is that by this occasion out of that first number he drew out about fortie thousand persons who with liberall and large brybes accordingly as euery mans estate would beare it redeeming the ordinarie perills of the warres returned home to their owne dwellings And so there remayned in the Armie of Osman the number of a hundred and fower score thousand persons or there aboutes The Generall accompanied with this multitude departed from Erzirum moued towards Tauris still continuing for all that the speech for Nassiuan But scarse were there two daies passed when diuers souldiers of Grecia and Constantinople presented themselues before him and vpbrayded him with matter of great improuidence telling him that they began alreadie to feele the intollerable penurie of victuall by wanting the same day their ordinarie allowance of Corne for their horses so that if in the verie beginning and as it were in the entrance of so long a iourney they felt such a want they could not tel with what iudgment or discretion he meant to lead so great a companie so farre as Nassiuan nor by what cunning conceit he had presumed to sustain so great an Armie in the seruice of their Lord. Osman quietly heard their complaints and presently prouided for them by causing such store of Barley to be distributed among them all as they desired and seuerely punishing the Officers that had the charge for allowance of Corne who most couetously began to make merchandise of the common prouision by conuerting it to their owne priuate vses And hauing thus quieted their troubled minds he followed on his iourney and by the way of Hassan-Chalassi and of Chars he arryued vpon the Caldarane plaines a famous place for the memorable battels that were there fought betweene Selim and Ismahel the father
of Tamas surnamed the Soffi In these plaines he took a general reuiew of all his Armie wherein there wanted a number that by reason of sicknes and diuers other infirmities being not hable to continue the iourney were enforced to stay behind some in one place some in another From these plaines he afterwardes remoued and turned his course not to Nassiuan as still hitherto he had constantly kept the speech he would doo but now to Tauris Assoone as the Souldiers of Greece and Constantinople heard this sodein alteration of the Iourney they were in a great rage and comming again before the Generall spake thus vnto him And what are we thou villaine thou Turk thou dolt whom thou handlestin this sort We are neither oxen nor sheepe of the mountains for the leading of whom thou thinkest thou art come out neither can we brooke these thy lyes and deceiptes If thou hast publikely professed to leade vs to Nassiuan and by that speech hast trained vs from the furdest bounds of Grecia to what end now after thou hast wearied vs so much doest thou deceiue vs with such vanities and prolong our iourney and set before vs such strange and important dangers as our minds neuer once thought on But if this was thy first purpose and intent that now not foolishly nor by chaunce but vpon premeditation and good aduise thou changest thine opinion why diddest thou dismisse so manie souldiers that might haue made the Armie more terrible and the stronger for thy enterprise of Tauris Doest thou think that by suffering others to redeme their liberties and so to encrease thy riches thou shalt set our lyues to sale and so make vs slaues to the Persians At these arrogant speeches Osman was in a great confusion when he saw his good meaning and the earnest desire he had to satisfie the Maiestie and honour of his King to be taken in so euill part and these men so highly offended at him he was sore troubled and began to reuolue many sundrie cogitations within himself what he were best to do And although he could in deede haue readily vsed the sharpest and the hardest prouisions and remedies for it that in such occasions are ordinarily applied yet verie prudently and vpon good aduise he forbare so to doo and insteed of rigor punishment he resolued to work by entreatie by admonition by lenitie and by guiftes and by reùealing to the Captâ—â—â— and Chiefe of the rest that were so readie to rage the neceâ—â—â—â—â—e of the rumour that was giuen out for Nassiuan myldlie and featlie to pacifie them all Whereupon hauing caused manie of the said seditious persons to come before him he first perswaded them That the former speech for Nassiuan was not raysed at all by him Nor that he was minded at that time to go to Tauris but all that was done he had done to fulfill the commaundement of the Sultan who had charged him so to doo to the end they might lessen yea and peraduenture wholie frustrate the sharpe forces conflicts which otherwise they might haue found on the Persians side if the speech had bin giuen out at the first for Tauris and so leasure and time giuen to their enemies to prepare themselues and to come and encounter with them in order and well appointed For the auoyding whereof and that all glorious successe and ioyfull victorie might happen vnto them euen with the least inconuenience to the Armie that might be imagined the King so commaunded and so would he haue it who of his Princely nature did not onely not delight in the harmes and troubles of his vassals but also thought nothing to be more greeuous or ignominious to him then their losse and hinderance And therefore they for their partes also ought willingly to accomplish his good pleasure for so should they stil preserue that great opinion which both the King and all the Nations of the world had conceaued of their valour and fidelitie Neither needed they to feare that the souldiers which were dismissed might enfeeble or weaken the Armie for that they were not onely sufficient to pierce into Tauris and to open the way euen vpon their enemies but also the Persians would not endure theyr lookes and that those which were discharged had purged the hoast of all cowardise and left nothing in it but vertue and courage By this mild aunswere of the Visier the tumultuous souldiers were sufficiently pacified but much better appayed and contented they were assoone as he put his hand to the common purse and bestowed among them all a certain small quantitie of Moneis for by this gentlenesse of nature all their stomakes were ouercome and they became so willing so couragious that now they durst venture not onely to Tauris but also to Casbin yea euen to the farthest partes of all the kingdome of the Persians These importunate inconsiderate outrages being thus appeased and quenched the Generall turned himselfe with all his armie towardes Coy being a citty situate beyond Van and in the middest betweene Tauris and the Martian More subiect to the Turkes where the appetites both of the souldiers and also of their cattell were satisfied with all thinges which they could desire From Coy he passed to Marant a citty subiect to the Persians very plentifull and fruitfull also in all things that are wont to be acceptable to man and beast From thence he leaned downe towardes Soffian a little ground subiect likewise to the Persians but in all kind of fruites most aboundant fertile and from this place they began to discouer Tauris Great was the ioy of the whole Campe but principally the souldiers of Greece Constantinople when they saw themselues to haue passed so farre without feeling any annoiance of the enemy did highly commend the aduise of the Captaine or rather of the king in chaunging the rumour of Nassiuan for Tauris and did thinke verily that this their great quyet did happen vnto them because the Persians were wholly occupied about Nassiuan in somuch that euery man now being waxen more couragious and replenished with ioye without any feare at all proudly plotted to themselues nothing but sackings pillings taking of prisoners rauishments robberries and all those insolent and dishonest actions that vse rashly to proceed from the greedie affections of these barbarous victors But the chiefe of these were those of the Vauward who being desirous of a bootye and to discouer the enemies countrey rounde about them descended downe towardes certain gardens full of all sorts of trees springes and fruites and hauing refreshed their appetites with the water and other meates they withdrew themselues to a certaine little riuer neere to a bridge called The bridge of salt water and there stayed with pleasure attending the arriuall of their fellow-army But euen whiles they were thus enioying the water the fruites the shade and the greene grasse besides all their
expectation they were suddenly assaulted and very shrewdly handled by the Persians This was Emir Hamze the eldest sonne of king Mahamet who being accompanied with ten thousand souldiers had craftely hidden himselfe watching till some of the ennemies bands should come downe to those resting places that he might set vppon them For hee was thus come forth against the Turkes whiles his blinde father was encāped about twelue miles beyond the citty of Tauris with a fifty thousand persons or thereaboutes In Tauris was Alyculi-Chan the Gouernour of it and with him foure thousand souldiers A greater Army then this the Persian king could not possibly leauie and the principall occasion thereof was the death of Emir-Chan for which all the nation of the Turcomannes being waxen rebellious and disobedient would not by any meanes bee brought to defend that Citty which was now committed to the gouernement of Alyculi-Chan their capitall enemy From Gheilan and from Hery there came not somuch as one souldier to relieue the necessities of Persia. So that the King could scarsely gather together these threescore and foure thousand men who by reason of the vncertainety of the Turkes rumour for Nassiuan and for Tauris were plonged into a thousand disquiets and scant had leasure enough to be ready all at Tauris at the arriuall of their enemies With these forces the Persian had no stomack so suddenly to go and set vpon the Turkish Army in open battell and to aduenture themselues vpon their Artillary but sought in deed by all the meanes he could first to annoy him with as little losse to himselfe as possibly hee might and so by attempting his forces to make triall of euery way how he might in dyuerse and sundry sortes weaken and endamage him And yet afterward hee wished that he had beene assaulted when being certified of the infirmitie of Generall Osman and aduertised of the sundry losses that hee had receaued at his arriuall to Tauris and in other conflictes which shalbe told you hereafter he thought he might haue recouered the spoiles that had beene taken in the sacked and desolate Citty But the Bersian Prince thus at vnawares set vpon the Vauwarde of the Turkes who being greedy of their victuailes and desirous to discouer their enemies countrey had turned themselues vpon the gardens of Soffian This assault the discomfiture of the said Vauward was done at once for such was the speed so haughty was the courage of the Prince and so great the astonishment and strangenes of the case that as it had beene a lightning and as a man might well say without any resistanee he ouerran all the said band of the Turkes and dispersed them putting to the sworde about seuen thousande persons of all sortes Which being done he withdrew himselfe back towards his fathers Tentes leading away with him horses slaues and much apparrell besides sundry standerdes Turkish drommes that were brought after him Osman had intelligence of this discomfiture fourth-with caused his Armie to be raised and dispatched Sinan Bassa sonne to the late Cicala and Mahamet the Bassa of Caraemet with diuers other Aduenturers in all to the nomber of fourteene thousande to the end they should follow the prince abouementioned These then ranne amaine to pursue the kings sonne who had already sent newes to his father of this his first action by certaine swift horsemen and so quick they were in their marching that they ouertooke the yongman who like a ioyfull victor was iournying towardes his fathers Campe. Assoone as the Prince saw the Turkes so neere him and knew that without a daungerous and shamfull flight hee could not auoid the battell couragiously hee tourned his face vpon them and ioyned a most bloody conflict with them It was as yet two houres before night when these sharp and cruell skirmishes began from which they ceased not vntill night with her darknes did bereaue them of the vse of their swordes and enforce both the one side and the other to retire which was doon with the notable losse of the Turkes who being farre fewer in nomber then they were and also shrewdly beaten and discomfited returned to their pauilions from whence they came The like did the Persians also who were stayned and imbrued much more with the bloud of their enemies then with the spilling of their owne It is a common speech that in this second battell which notwithstanding together with the first exploitis reckoned but for one onely there wanted six thousand Turkes and that there would haue followed a generall slaughter of them all if night had not interrupted so vncouth an action well worthie in truth of a thousand day-lightes So that hitherto the Turkes haue sustained the losse of more then ten thousand souldiers yet scarce haue discouered or seene the Citty which so greedely they longed for The next morning the Turkish Campe remoued and approched within two miles of Tauris where they encamped But whiles they were about the setting vp of their pauilions Aliculy-Chan issuing out of the Citty with all his guard aboue mentioned and with all the inhabitantes that were able to fight and manage weapons he set vpon the face of the Vauward being now renued and with cunning tourninges and windinges so charged and seised vpon them that with great shedding of bloud hee made them to retire euen to the Visiers warde from whence when he espied the artillarie he withdrew himselfe againe to the Citty before he was annoyed or offended by any of them The nomber of the slaine and the confusion of the Turkes was notable For in a very small space of time the Vauward was put in a disaray almost three thousand slaine But Alyculi being not contented with this assoone as the darkenes of the night was come issued out the second tyme closely and couertly swiftly ran along all the side of the enemies Army that lay towards Tauris and besides the death of the Bassa of Maras put all that band to great damage and destruction And when he had so doone without any stay hee fled to the Kinges Campe and forsooke the defence of the sorrowfull Citty In this sort was the Turkish Captaine welcomed by the Taurisians who gathering themselues to the gates as many of them as remayned within the Citty well armed consederate together were now prepared to make it a bloody entrance for the Turks whensoeuer they came All the whole night was spent in watching both on the one side and on the other neither could the flattering entisement of sleeep procure any quiet or rest to the poore soules either of the Cittizens or of the enemies and yet there was no motion of war on either side But vpon the breake of day a great bande of the seruile sort of Turkes and of the rascall common rout without any leaue asked of the Captain armed with corslets with speares and with swordes went to the towne
strong places fortifyed with munition and instrumentes of death And if there were any difficultie at all therein there were but two onely that seemed to be of any weight one was the great distance and rough passage of those places through which they were to leade their horses their Cammells their artillery and their men euery man knowing that the Country of Georgia is compassed rounde about with verie roughe mountaines and thick woods where the enemy vseth all good oportunity to lay ambushes and to worke treason against such as passe that way another difficulty was money Sinan Bassa among the rest offering to their considerations that if a man would conquere a new countrey it was necessary for the mayntenaunce of the conquest to erect Castelles and Fortresses which being leaft to the defence of valiant souldiers would require large stipends without which euery souldyer willingly forsaketh his charge Sauing these two difficulties which notwithstanding were not greatly debated but in answere thereof as much spoken by the king himselfe as was thought sufficient euery man thought the conquest of the kingdome of the Cheselbas to bee the playnest easyest promised to themselues vndoubted victory of it But aboue all other Mustaffa Bassa he that reduced the Ile of Cyprus vnder the Ottoman power infamous for the cruell barbarous vniust death of Marcantonio Bragadino the stoute and valorous Captayne of Famagosta whose name shall neuer dye in the tongues and myndes of all ages hee I say with exceeding audacitie set out great hopes of glorious conquestes not concealing the vertues of the Latines the perilles passed in the wars of the said Islande and particularly in the expugnation of the Citty preferring the armes forces and valour of the Latines before the valour forces and armes of the Georgiani and the Persians and in breefe assuring more certayne hope of this warre in Asia then of any other that could possibly be raised in Europe And in this sort were the first discourses and originalles of these motions in the East begun and practised whereby all men may see that neither zeale of religion nor any iniury receaued from the Persian Kinges but onely the ambitious desyre of Amurat to subdue a kingdome both in his owne conceyte and also by other mens relation ill gouerned by an effeminate and sottish king and through ciuill dissention brought into great danger was the first prouocation of making this warre and thereby may all Catholikes learne that there is nothing more pernitions to the Christian Common wealth then ciuill discord When they had thus concluded vpon this resolution to make warre in Persia there arose new consultations touching the manner thereof and vpon what coast they should begin their iourney that so they might expect the more honorable successe which poynt Amurat did greatly vrge protesting before al his Visiers that he would not enter into a warre vnlesse he were in great hope to beare away the promised victory Many were the propositions and opinions of the Visiers and many questions did the king propound whereunto hee himselfe did readily answere On the one side some thought that it wold be very conuenient to send the Army to Babilon and from thence to Syras in old tyme called Persepolis famous for the praye that Alexander tooke there as Q. Curtius wryteth and by that way to attempt the conquest of all Persia. Others were of a contrary mind did giue aduice that the Army should bee sent by direct course to Tauris there to erect strong fortresses and to take possession of all the country subiect round about It is reported also that some there were that thought it better to send two seuerall Armyes from both the places aboue mentioned that so bringing the enemy into a straite they might inforce him to retire and to yeeld vnto them whatsoeuer they should demand But Amurat durst not repose such confidence in his owne forces as to thinke that with his battells deuided so weakened he should be able to ouercome that enemy who had alwaies fought most valiantly agaynst the monstrous and couragious Armyes of his forefathers not without some feare also of the auncyent vertue of the Persian people whereof Fame hath euer resounded an immortall and glorious report Neyther did he make slender accompt of the Georgiani the most antique tributaries and confederates of the Persians by whose onely assaultes his Army could not but suffer many inconueniences and sundry trauelles forsomuch as if they should assaile his battels behind or on both sides the Persians should set vpon his forefront though they were many in number and fenced with artillery yet being ill planted and in such difficulty as they could not vse their Artillery it would be a very easy matter to defeate them And therefore he did firmely resolue with himselfe to send one onely Army and with vnited forces to seeke the ouerthrow of his enemy And thus preferring his strong hope to conquere the countrey of Siruan in Georgia and the chiefe Citties of Media the Great before the difficultie of making warre vpon the coast of Siras reposing great confidence in the notable helpe that was promised him by the Cumani in Tartaria called Precopenfes he confirmed his counsellors the Bassaes in the same opinion and withall discouered a matter which to all of them but especially to Sinan seemed most strange namely that he was determined not to go in person with his Army about this enterpryse but was minded to send one of his worthiest Captaines in his steed The respectes that held Amurat from going himselfe with the Armye were many but principally the Falling sicknesse wherewith hee was troubled the zeale hee did beare to the kingdome fearing greatly and that not without good cause least his sonne being in fauour with the people might peraduenture vntimely be aduaunced before him and the danger that he suspected at the handes of the Christian Potentates While they were thus in parlee about this expedition and Sinan Mustaffa and some other Visiers made meanes to bee sent as Vicegerentes and soueraigne ministers of their Lordes designement he dispatched away sondry postes and light-horsemen with order to the Bassaes Gouernours of Van of Babilan of Erzirum in the borders of Cappadocia Armenia the greatter that they should by often inroades spoyle the townes and castelles of the Cheselbas and euery way doo them what harme they could Which was presently put in execution by them all and specially by the aboue named Vstref Bassa of Van who besydes the burning of dyuerse townes brought many a soule into slauery and in the countryes aswell Tributary as subiecte to the Persians made many incursions and wrought much annoyance Through these and other lyke iniuries theyr myndes were greatly incensed with anger and theyr wrathfull hartes filled with a most ardent desyre of reuenge and whiles with shame enough they romed vp and downe dayly sharpening their
hatred as it were agaynst a whetstone in the yeare 1577. the abouenamed Mustaffa was elected Generall of the Turkish Campe prouision was made ready for him and authority giuen him to prepare whatsoeuer was needefull So messages were sent and commandement giuen ouer all the countreyes heareafter named that all the Bassaes Sangiacchi Agaes Spahini Gianissaries and souldiers of all sortes that were bound by their perpetuall annuitees to go to warre should take their iourney in the beginning of the spring to the Citty of Erzirum which if it be any of the old citties it is very likely to be Simbra mentioned by Ptolomee there to bee ready for the charge that should be enioyned them by their new Generall who hauing his dispatch from Constantinople passing to Chalcedon which Herodotus in respect of the founders errour calleth Blynde and now is named Scutari through the countryes of Amasia and of Siuas the one being the natiue soyle of Strabo and the other in old tyme called Sebastopolis hee arriued in Erzirum in the very beginning of Sommer and there stayed till such tyme as all his people corne artillery and other necessarye prouision were gathered together and at last departed for Struan hauing first taken an vniuersall and diligent surueigh of all his Army whereby distinguishing the sound strong from the sicke feeble the armed from the vnarmed the couragious from the cowards weighing in equall ballance his owne forces hee might assuredly know what to looke for at their handes Then he deuided his troupes and first in order were mustred the people of Mesopotamia to the nomber of xij thousand their Captayne being well checked by the Generall for bringing so few this yeare all of them for the most parte Archers not of any great courage and accustomed to the vse of the Scimitarre The second were the Assyrians and Babilonians watered with Euphrates Tigris coming from the very confines of Balsara in old tyme called Teredon in nomber no more then xiiij thousand horsemen yet all armed with sword and darte after the manner of their neighbours the Mesopotamians The third in order were the Sorians a people more riche in apparell then stout in armour rather alluring their enemies with the goodly shew of their spoiles then terrible to them being ij thousand in nomber all of them being very cunning to vault and turne themselues round about in fighting Then were mustred the men of Siuas of Amasia of Maras of Bursia of Angori and other places comprehended vnder the name of Natolia where in tymes past were the Magnesians the Bithynians the Phrygians those of Pontus Lydia to the nomber of x. thousand hardy people and well armed but for the most part archers on horsbacke There came next after them those of Iury and Palestina vpon swift coursers continuall darters archers more ready for flight and spoyle then for fight and foyle poore in apparrel and vertue to the nomber of one thousande The Cilicians succeeded them now inhabiting Caramania to the nomber of iiij thousand armed with Scimitarre battell axe and bow a harde and rough nation giuen to spoyle and robbery Then followed the glory and hope of all the Campe the people of Grecia souldiers full of franke courage armed with arcubush and sworde mounted vpon good and valiant horses to the nomber of 10000. And after them the familiar faithfull garde of the Generall iij. thousand Gianissaries of Constantinople with arcubush on the shoulder and sword by the syde Vnder the standard of Beyran Bassa were lykewise mustred the people of the Citty and iurisdiction of Erzirum leuied out of those places where in tymes past the Cappadoces bordering vpon the Armenians did inhabite to the nomber of iiij thousand souldiers accustomed to braules and battelles and first in the field to meete their enemies armed with sword and arcubush dartes or Indian Canes and yet all of them on horsebacke Euery troupe had their seuerall Captaynes who notwithstanding were changed at the Generalles pleasure whose names seruing to no purpose we will quite leaue out the rather to auoyde the tediousnes of the reader being not acquaynted with barbarous tearmes These were then the squadrons of such souldiers as were stipendiaries to the Turkish king to the nomber of whom those which went as voluntarie aduenturers were little inferior yet better armed peraduenture and more hardy to fight so that there were found in this surueigh about a hundred and ten thousand horsemen Neither was there any stirred out of Arabia Felix out of AEgipt out of Hungarie out of Africa or out of other places remore or situate vpon the sea coastes as also those Prouinces that had sent the squadrons afore mentioned were not leaft destitute of their ordinary guards and garnisons no nor without a great multitude of idle persons yea Damasco which in old tyme carried the name and pryce for matters of warre kept backe their band of Gianissaries being Arcubusiers to take their ease at home vnder the standerds of their owne captaines Mustaffa brought with him fiue hundred peeces of small Shotte aswell for safety of his army as also for seruice in defending such fortresses and castelles as he should be enforced to erect in the new-conquered countries He had also of the king many loades of money for his souldiers pay with furder order and direction to vse the chamber of Aleppo and of other Citties if he should stand in neede He caused likewyse to be brought from the prouinces aforenamed by imposition of Tenthes for graine and taskes for cariage of camells which they call Nosul and Auaris an exceeding great quantity of corne which he made to bee transported in Gallies by the great sea in tymes past called Pontus Euxinus to the hauen of Trapezuntia or Trabizonda vnder the generall conduct of Aly-Vcchiali that for the ease of the army it might so be conueighed from Trabizonda to Erzirum being but onely foure dayes iourney distant from thence He had also gathered together a great nomber of Pioners and Myners and to be short hauing taken order for all thinges that he thought might be necessary for the warre he departed in comely manner seemely aâ—ray from Erzirum and in the end of eyght dayes arriued at the ruines of Chars where among good pasture and abundance of come frute and waâ—â—â— herested himselfe And being surprised with an excessiue raine which falling in great quantity made newe pooles and brookes and being mixed with stormes and tempesturous winds rent his tents asunder wrought great harme both to men cattell he was compelled to stay in that place three whole dayes together not without some inconuenience by meanes whereof many fell sicke were constrayned to abandon the army From Chars he departed with al his people that were not hindred with sicknes and tooke vp his lodging
Abubacher for the matter is quite contrary Likewise that Scutar was in old tyme Chrysopolis whereas it is a most cleere case that it was Chalcedon the founders whereof were termed blynde because they did not see what errour they committed in buylding a Citty there and leauinge the place where Constantinople nowe standeth as farre excelling the situation of Chalcedon as gold excelleth leade Also that Esrum or Erzirum as it should be called is a citty of Assyria whereas indeed it is not a citty of Assyria but of Cappadocia if we speake properly That Seruan is the auncient Media it being in truth Atropatia That Osman Bassa tooke Teflis Mustaffa himself being there in person with all hys hoast not as one of them saith Citra memorabile damnum without any memorable losse no not with any losse at all because he found it emptie That Mustaffa poysoned himselfe voluntarily which he did not indeede but fell into an Apoplexie And many other such tales wherof it is not now conuenient to make any particular confutation And therefore passing them ouer wee will prosecute our former order of this History The end of the second Booke The Third Booke The Argument The Turkish Armie departeth for Teflis and commeth to Archichelech A reuiew of the Armie and the nomber of those that wanted in the Army It commeth to Triala It winneth a Castell It taketh Teflis and fortifieth it and then departeth for Seruan The Sorians forsake the Armie of Mustaffa and in their returne home to Aleppo they are assayled and discomfited by the Georgians The Ambassadours of Leuentogli entertayned by Mustaffa Leuentogli himselfe also entertained Seclis a Cittie vnder Seruania yeelded to Mustaffa A Dearth in the Turkish Armie Victuallers go out for prouision of Corne and Victualles but they are discomfited and vtterly destroyed by the Persians Mustaffa with all his Armie goeth to fight with his enimies and foyleth them miserably Diuers disturbances and losses in the Turkish Armie by passing ouer the Riuer Canac A wonderful kind of â—oorde found out The Turkes being refreshed froÌ„ diuers annoyances arriue at Eres in Serâ—â—â— Mustaffa fortifieth Eres and leaueth Caitas Bassa in it Mustaffa departeth and leaueth Osman Bassa as Generall and Visier in Sumachia The people of Derbent yeeld themselues to Osman Bassa Mustaffa returneth home is in the countrey of Leuent commeth to Teflis and there leaueth succours and a gaâ—â—ison Mustaffa departeth thence in his iourney he enduâ—eth great cold and losses in his Armie through the cunning stratagemes of the Georgiani and namely Hassain Bey discomfited Mustaffa at Altunchala receiueth the Widow and her other Sonne Alessandro He goeth to Clisca and so to Erzirum He sendeth both the Sonnes of the Widow to Constantinople Abdilcherai the Tartarian Captaine commeth to succour Osman Bassa Ares-Chan withdraweth himselfe to the Riuer Canac and is discomfited by Abdilcherai Genge sacked The Tartarians pitche their Tentes in certaine champeines and there take their ease Caitas Bassa and his people vtterly destroyed by the Persian Prince The Tartarians also destroyed by the same Prince Abdilcherai taken aliue and sent to Casbin Osman Bassa flyeth from Sumachia to Demir-Capi Sumachia destroyed by the Persian Prince and the people of Sechi also chastised Abdilcherai at Casbin falleth in loue with the Queene he is discouered and both he and the Queene slaine by the Sultans Osman Bassa taketh to wise the daughter of Sahamal the Georgian He discouereth the treacheries of his Father in Law hee putteth him to death and causeth his countrey to be destroyed Aly-Vechiali returneth from Mengrellia to Constantinople and reporteth what he hath done in his Nauigation THE THIRDE BOOKE AFter the solemne entertaynment of the Georgian Manucchiar Generall Mustaffa had geuen order ouer all his Campe that the next morning they should remoue from those mountaynes And now was euery man bucklinge himselfe to accomplish the Captaines commandement when as there happened very obscure and darke stormes that couered the heauens as it were with night and terrour and being turned into raine and wind casting out flashing fyres scouring the aire with terrible lightnings did freshly afflict the Turkish armie Which raine continued so vehement for the space of foure daies together that it seemed the heauens were melted into waters by meanes whereof it came to passe that out of the dead carcasses heads before mentioned there issued a most horrible stinke so that partely thereby and partely by the myre and other filth of the Cammells Mules and horses they spoyled their armour their apparrell their deuises their plumes their pauillions and all things els that was of any worth yea all their brauery and beautie and in the bodies of the people there arose dyuers diseases and infirmities though not very pestilent but breeding rather annoyance then death to the Turkes But at last the heauens hauing ceased the raine the lightning the blustring and the stormes and the Sunne hauing cleered all the ayre Mustaffa raysed his campe to passe towardes Teflis because the ground was still very moyst and slabby with the raine that had fallen in such aboundance the Camells that carried the heauiest burdens could not go onwardes and the horses that drew the artillery were subiect to the same difficulty so the army could not that daye passe any further then the plaines where the lake called Chielder Giol standeth which if the distance of places the nouelty of names do not deceiue vs may wel be thought to be that wheÌ„ce Euphrates taketh his beginning And there they stayed to drye and trim their apparrell their weapons and their harnesse and to yeeld to their sick and wounded souldiers their due and deserued refreshing The Turkes remouing from thence the next day about noone arriued at a Castell called Archichelec sometymes belonging to the Georgiani but conquered by Soliman in his late warres against Tamas and euer sithence possessed by the Turkes Heere Mustaffa taking fit occasion of this frendly castell and hauing commodity of pasture and opportunity of faire wether by reason of the losse which happened vnto him in the last battell the necessity of continuall trauelling through his enemyes cuntry resolued to take a surueigh of all his army wherein hauing ranged them in due order marshalled them with exquisite diligence he found his nomber diminished aswel by meanes of his late battel as also of the forenamed infirmities by forty thousand persons or there aboutes Of which nomber there was not a few that fled away from the hoast and being wearie with following so rough and perrillous a iourney closely and by night departed from the Campe and returned into their owne citties to take their ease at home From hence the Army departed and lodged the next night neere to a vile filthy marish called by the Turkes Peruana-Giol which wee may well call The Lake of Slaues and the next day at Triala where there are to be seene at this
into a new countrey vnknowne to them all and where they knew not what hope to conceaue of finding any substance fitte for them And whiles they were enquiring among themselues who was able to conduct them into any place where they might finde reliefe behold there were certaine Persians taken whether they were there by chaunce or brought thither for some Stratageme I know not who beeing demaunded where they might haue corne and meate to slake the hunger of the Armie after much resistaunce and at the last told them that not farre from the Campe after they had passed certaine marishes where Canac dischargeth it selfe and runneth into Araxis they should finde many fieldes full of ryse and corne in the blade and a little farther certaine fat heardes of cattell feeding that would bee sufficient to satisfie the appetites of all their people Of this newes was Mustaffa certified and although hee greatly doubted the treacheries of his enimies and the subtleties of the Persians yet to gratifie his souldiers and to make them the more willing to follow him in his passage to Siruan hee licensed euery man that had any desire thereunto to goe and prouide them selues of victuails so suffered all that would to goe freely When the Captaine had graunted them this licence many Spahini many Zaini and some Sangiacchi also sent diuers mē to fetch this prouision of corne and cattell And there went for that purpose about tenne thousand seruile persons with many Camels horses and mules to carry the pray But the successe fel out quite contrary to their designementes for Tocomac Alyculi-Chan Emanguli-Chan Serap-Chan and all the rest of the Souldiers that escaped out of the ouerthrow giuen them by Mustaffa in the plaines of Chielder after they had with all diligence made report to their king at Casbin of the issue of this battel in those champaines hauing gathered together so many of their people as were left them able to endure the difficulties of warfare hauing recouered such places as they thought safe and frendly for them did alwayes lie in awaite to know the marching and passing of the Turkish Armie And at last beeing certainely infourmed by the inhabitantes of Reiuan and Georgia what way they kept and that of necessitie they must needes arriue at the bankes of Canac they beganne to deuise some notable Stratageme whereby they might reuenge the great boldnesse of their enimies and make this their entrie into Siruan very daungerous and dammageable to them And yet hauing neyther courage nor force sufficient to assault the whole Armie they resolued with themselues as men that had stomacke inough to attempt great matters to stay in priuie ambush at some fit place till some bande of the Turkish Armie should arriue where the pray of corne and cattell might allure some of them to descend into those fieldes to relieue their common necessities and so they sent out diuers men who fayning that they went about their owne businesses made shew as though they had suddeinly and at vnwares lighted vpon the Turkish Campe and reuealed vnto them as a great secrete what a good pray was hard-by them And so withdrawing themselues out of the way they stayed priuily to watch when the Turks would send their victuailers to fetch away the corne cattell when as within the space of three onely dayes it so fell out that the foresaide ten thousand seruile persons arriued at the place where they had no sooner begun to charge themselues with their pray but they were surprized by the Persians and sauing a very few that were nimble at flight they were all slaine and left both their pray and their liues behind them The noise of their crie and the thunder of their Gunnes was heard in the Turkish hoast which made Mustaffa to imagine that the matter was fallen out euen as in deede it was therefore presently mounting on horsebacke and raysing his whole Armie euery man desirous of reuenge ranne with bridle on the horse-necke to succour the poore people that were already slaine And although the Turkes came not in so good time as to yeeld them any aide yet came they very fitly to surprise the Persians who beyond all honesty and duetie were ouer-busie in loading themselues and carrying away the pray that they had recouered The place where the corne was gathered was as it were almost an Islande watered with two riuers Araxis and Canac which with a little compasse fetched-about dischargeth it selfe with a very deepe channell into Araxis On the side of Araxis which was the left side of the Turkish hoast Dreuis Bassa kept one wing on the side of Canac being the right side did Beyran Bassa holde another wing and Mustaffa himselfe led the middle of the battell which if the Persians would not haue encountred then should they haue beene constrayned to haue runne and drowned themselues either in Canac or in Araxis Assone then as the Persian Captaines had descried Mustaffa with all his forces making hast towardes them and saw such a multitude of souldiers of ensignes of speares and of fyreworkes and with all remembred the late ouerthrow in the Champaines of Chielder then beganne they to beethinke themselues how much better it had beene for them to haue vsed more speede in departing out of that Demy-Island and so with suddaine dispatch avoiding their enimies forces to haue contented themselues with the late slaughter of those sclauish and seruile people and not to haue stayed for so vnequall and importunate assault And being excited therevnto by a certaine intrinsicall and natiue vertue they discoursed among themselues whether it were better for them to flie or with so great disaduauntage to ioyne battell with them and rather to die with an honorable death then to liue with reproache of a shamefull flight At the last whiles euery man was thus tossed with the tempestes of thoughtes they resolued vtterly to preserue themselues for the state of Persia and to continue their liues for the great and waighty affaires of that kingdome deeming it rather to be a point of high wisedome then of shame not to lay open their security and the honour of their publike and priuate causes to most certaine and vndoubted losses and miserable issues But in taking their prepensed flight they discouered new difficulties for that they were in such sort straightened within the saide Demy-Island as they had none other ground left but onely that which beyond their expectations the Turkes had already possessed and so being greatly perplexed with these troubles euery man began to betake themselues to their owne priuate conceites Tocomac and Emir-Chan with other Capitanes of the army were the first that tourned their backes and some by wading and some by swimming passed ouer Canac beinge greatly holpen by the valour and agilitie of their aduenturous and gallant horses The example of these Capitaines moued many other to doo the lyke though
with a contrary fortune for that their horses being out of breath and windlesse there remained a great nomber of them drowned in the waters At which fearefull spectacle others being amased euen as it were in a headlong rage fury perceiuing that if they should fly vnavoydeable death was present before their eies setled all their trust in resisting and reposing all their hope euen in despaire they shewed vnspeakeable actes of valor in fighting But what can one doo against a hundred For they also without any great adoo were all destroyed though with lucke and fame farre vnlike their fellowes But what helpeth Fame in such a medley where the names of those are not knowne that either fight manfully or flie effeminately Others at last resolued to yeeld thēselues without drawing sword or bending bowe imagining that by so doing they might recouer themselues together with such spoiles and riches as they had whatsoeuer they were But what benefite can gold and precious stones be to a few in the tumult and confusion of many conquerours who being geuen rather to vniust rauening then to vpright piety doo but hardly make accompt of their promises much lesse to be liberall of that which they haue not promised In this sort did the Persian armie rest discomfited and destroied so this Demy-Island being first stayned with the bloud of the enemy afterward with the slaughter of the neighbour and proper inhabitant was the perpetuall sepulcher of a couragious and warlike people The Persian Capitaines fled away in great sorrow and affliction for their vnexpected ouerthrowe and knowing now assuredly whether the designementes of the Turkes tended who were already turned towardes Siruan they resolued in as ill plight as they were to retourne home to their places of aboad which they had forsaken and to certify the king in Casbin therof with all speed to the end that if he could he should send such prouision as might bee sufficient to annoy the enemies army whereof as Emir Sultan a Marchant of Azemia of great traffike of a very sincere mynd and affection and a man of free speech being my very familiar frend hath often tymes confessed vnto me in Aleppo Tocomac fayled not to write vnto his king that there was slaine of the Turkes a great nomber and so meaning to excuse his late ouerthrow to make his losse to seme more tollerable he made shew of a great slaughter of the Turks in this second battell also although in very deed with the miserable and totall destruction of his owne slender Armye the losse of the Turkes in this fight did not exceede the nomber of three thousande besides the slaughter of ten thousand victuailers And when this certificat was made to the King euery one of the saide Persian Capitaines with the lycence of Tocomac departed to their seuerall gouernementes as Emanguli-Chan to Genge Serap-Chan to Nassiuan Tocomac himselfe to Reiuan all the rest to other Citties to the gouernement whereof by the commandement of the king they were before appointed so remayned in expectation of new warrantes from Casbin In the meane while the Turkes had retired themselues againe to their Tentes from whence by occasion of this vnexpected battell they were sodenly raised now was Mustaffa with all his troupe arriued at the bankes of the riuer Canac on the same syde where he must beginne to passe ouer as before is mentioned For being mynded to go vp to the Cittie of Eres which first of all offreth it selfe to your sight when ye trauell on that syde to Sumachia there was no remedy but he must needes passe ouer the foresayde water of Canac a thing very displeasant to the whole Army and yet could not bee auoyded if hee would execute the commandementes of his king And therefore fall out whatsoeuer could fall making strayte proclamation ouer all the hoast that euery man should bee ready the next day to wade ouer the riuer he prepared himselfe for that passage At this proclamation sodenly all his people arose in a tumult with great pride ranne beefore the Generall with iniurious termes reprooued his folly and inhumanity protested vtter daunger to himselfe and vniuersall confusion to the whole army to be briefe praied him that he would surcease from proceeding any furder vnlesse he would replenish the whole campe with carcasses spoiles But neither could their threatnings nor yet their entreaties any thing moue the resolute mynde of the Generall who gaue them none other answere but this That so had Amurat appointed that if all the rest should shew themselues vnwilling to obey their soueraigne he would not and in duty thought hee could not doo the lyke but in truth would be the first man to attempt and performe that which all they so abhorred and reproued That not in Idlenes ease but in great paine and difficult enterprises true souldiers are discouered who ought neuer to be afrayde of chaunging brittle lyfe with euerlasting honour nor to auoide death if it should happen for the seruice of their King And for his owne part he did most earnestly pray them that after he had attempted the passage of the water if any thing hapned to him otherwise thē well and to be alyue then he might bee carried dead to the other syde of the riuer to the end that if hee could not execute the commandement of his King whiles he was alyue yet he might performe the same at least when he was but a speechlesse and a lyfelesse carcasse and for making too great an accompt of his owne lyfe the desyre of his King might not in any sorte be defrauded Diuers and sundry murmurs and whisperings followed vpon this speech of the Generall who notwithstanding the next morning imitating therein the example of Alexander in making his army to passe ouer Tigris if wee may beleeue Quintus Curtius did first of all wade ouer the deep and swift riuer himselfe and presently after him waded ouer all the Bassaes of the Campe and with them all their slaues by whose example the rest also at the last were induced to doo the lyke and so continued till by the darkenesse of the night their passage was interrupted which was the occasion why more then halfe the army could not get ouer besydes that their publike treasure artillary were yet also on this side of the water But this passage being attempted with very great tumult and disorder no regard had to the places that were wadeable it came to passe that about eight thousand persons being carried away by the violēce of the riuer were miserably drowned with the great outcry of all the hoast The lyke happened also to many mules cammelles Sumpter-horses vpon whose backs diuers persons being mounted because they were desyrous to passe dry ouer the water were likewyse headlong ouerwhelmed therein With great complaintes and blasphemous cursinges was the whole night spent on this syde
occasions to defend them from the Persians Of all these matters Mustaffa had aduertisement before he departed from Eres from which place after hee had finished his Fortresse his Garrisons and all his Rampiers beeing infourmed of these good aduenturds follioited there vnto by the Giannizzars and the people of Grecia and somwhat enforced so to do by the season of the yeare which was vnfit for so long a voyage as was yet behind perswading himselfe that he should leaue his affairs there in good and reasonable state with great confidence hee departed and turned his course to wardes the country of Leuentogli otherwise called Alexander the Great as he had entreated him to do in his late passage to Siruan and hauing traueiled a long iourney he lodged at the foote of a certaine mountaine where hee wanted no kind of good victuailes And from thence sent Engines and Pioners to make a bridge ouer Canac that his Armie might passe-ouer without any daunger On the hether side of the riuer they tooke vp their lodginges and from that place Mustaffa sent to giue notice of his arriuall to Sahamal the inhabitant and Lord of the mountaine of Brus whereof we haue heretofore made often mention who presently came to yeeld himselfe as vassall to the Turkes and being entertained with his accustomed pompe and rewarded with apparrell sword battell-Axe Target all guilt he tooke his leaue and returned to his old withdrawing places of the mountaine After that Sahamal was gone Mustaffa departed also and trauelled forward by night because hee would not loose the opportunity of faire wether but so it happened through ill guiding that hee lost his way and knew not whither he went being conducted through rough waies and vneasy and difficult passages whereby he was enforced to set vp his tentes wait for daylight which rising very cleere did manifest vnto them that they were nowe entred into the countries of Leuentogli And therefore he caused proclamation to be made fourthwith ouer all his army that vpon paine of death no man should be so hardy as to molest or disquiet anie of the subiectes of Alessandro but to haue good respect vnto them and to entreat them with all curtesy The day following he still continued his iourney in the saide country of Schender where he wanted no victuailles and the rather for that the same day there arriued from Zaghen certaine embassadors of Alessandro with great aboundance of cattell of corne of fruits of other relief which was sent by him for a presēt to the Generall with a solemne excuse that he came not himselfe because the infirmitie of his body would not suffer him Wherewithall Mustaffa rested satisfyed and leauing the cittye of Zaghen on the right hand he caused the messengers of Alessandro to guide him and so tooke his way toward Teflis and by them was so directly conducted that within the space of three daies without eyther hunger or thirst or any other inconuenience of his army they brought him to Teflis from whence they returned homewards being wel contented for their paines by Mustaffa But those that he had left at Teflis before for the custody thereof he found so miserably plagued with famyne that they were constrained to eat Cattes and Dogges and Sheepe skinnes such like vnwonted strange thinges Many of them also he found sicke and some dead by reason that they could not obtaine lycence of Mahamet Bassa their captaine to go out of the castle to prouide victuaile for feare of the enemyes By whose prouidence such care was taken for their corne fruit and cattell that although those of Teflis had issued outfor that purpose yet was it all preserued in very safe and secure places without any daunger Which thing was credibly certifyed to me not by one alone but by many of the Georgians with whom I was familiarly acquainted both in respect of my trafficke with them and also of my practise in phisicke But Mustaffa refreshed and relicued them all with words with money and with meat and gaue them plenty of all thinges And after he had remayned there two daies he raised his army and put himselfe in the way towardes the champaines that were subiect to the said citty to put all to sworde and fyre as indeede he did Onely the sepulchers wherein rested the bones and ashes of Simons progenitors and neere whereunto he tooke vp his first lodging were leaft vnhurt and vntouched by the Turkish fury The day following they trauelled ouer rough and ragged mountaines full of a thousand difficulties which were the more encreased by wonderful great snowes that were fallen by meanes whereof together with diuers other annoyances many souldiers horses cammelles and mules did perish In this distresse they continued two whole daies during which tyme all the people were fallen into such a disorder that forgetting the feare of their enemies country without any regard or respect euerye man tooke vp his seuerall lodging aparte and one on this syde and another on that syde shrowded himselfe where he might fynde either some thicke bushe or some small cottage or some quyet valley to shelter him from the winde from the snow and from the stormes But certaine Georgian captaines and peraduenture euen the same that had before so euill entreated the people of Soria hauing sent out scouts to watch the Turkish army from time to time being throughly certifyed of the disorder wherein it was did ioine thēselues together in the right approched neer vnto it secreatly quietly boldly searching out some opportunity how they might coole the burning desyres of their enemies bloud In the end hauing obserued Hossain Bey my good frend and acquaintance among many others the sonne of fruitfull Giambulat I terme him fruitfull for that in one night there were borne vnto him 7. children by diuers women he himselfe saw at on time aliue fourescore six heires of his owne body begotten that hee had withdrawen himselfe alone vnder certain mountaines to defend himselfe from the storme the wind they were perswaded that this was a sit occasion to gaine them some spoyles and hauing assaulted him they slew all his slaues and all his squadrons of souldiers tooke a great booty of many loades of mony and apparrell led away with them all his horses and whatsoeuer els they could fynde and scarce gaue him any leasure to saue himselfe by flying into the Tentes of Beiran Bassa And it may be that he had also remained for a pray to the Georgians had it not beene for Hala Bey captaine of the Zaini and Spahini of Aleppo an old man as any among the Turkes of an extraordinarie bounty of a sincere mind of free speech and well exercysed in feates of Armes from whome I liberallie receaued many particularities of these thinges that I haue written This man being wakened by the noise raising the people of
the Embassadour Maxut Chan at Constantinople His speech to Amurath The Persian king at Tauris The leauie of Souldiers in Persia. The consultations of the Persians The Turcomannes follow the Persians Tocomac chosen to goe with an Armie in to Georgia The treaty of Peace with Amurath at Constantinople Maxut Chan made Treasurer or Chamberleine of Tauris Maxut-Chan accused by Emir-Chan Maxut Chan flyeth out of Persia and runneth to the Turkes Maxut-Chan at Constantinople THE FOVRTH BOOKE ASsoone as Amurath was certifyed by the letters of Mustaffa of all that which had happened since his departure vntill his returne to Erzirum and vnderstoode the battelles that followed the obedience that was yeelded by the Georgianj the conquering of citties the building of new Fortes and to bee short so good a beginning of so desired an enterprise Of these prosperouse successes which by Mustaffa were described to bee far greater then in'deed they were hauing geuen order that Alessandro Manucchiar who were sent vnto him by Mustaffa should bee safely kept with all good entertainment he began to cast many deuises in his head touching such matters as were to bee attempted the next yeare And especially there arose at one instant many sundry considerations in his mind which told him that the manner of sending his army to a newe resting place might be altered diuers waies so amiddest so many doubtes he remayned in a mammering what to doo On the one side hee was of opinion that it must needes be necessary to passe againe into Siruan and to recouer those Citties that were first conquered by Mustaffa and after subdued againe by the Persians For by that meanes it would come to passe that the countrey of Siruan should remaine quietly vnder the gouernement of Amurath and so the great trauells the troublesome voyages the harde conquestes the bloud already spilled the dangerous perrilles the losses of the next yeare should not altogether be frustrate But this opinion of his hee himselfe euen of himselfe chaunged as it is reported for the great hope that he had in the aide that was promised him by Tatar-Chan who did faithfully assure both him and Osman that he would ouerrunne that region anew and set forwarde those notable designementes that he had intended and gaue his word to doo great matters in his seruice In respect of this hope which notwithstanding fell-out to be but vaine through the default of Tatar-Chan as in place it shalbe shewed hee laide Siruan asyde and committed the defence thereof to the false promises of the Tartarian to the valour of Osman consulting with himselfe whether it were not expedient to send his army in a straite course to Tauris to find meanes that there might be erected in that Citty a Fortresse which being well fenced with artillary and arcubuse and strengthned with the vertue of valourous souldiers should neuer be subdued by the power of Persia. And so bringing this his purpose to effecte without the other difficulties which if the warre should fall out to bee long hee must needes endure there might remaine in his possession all the cuntrey that lyeth betweene Tauris and Erzirum The easinesse and speed wherewith this his purpose might be brought to effect did fauour his conceit in this pointe wonderfully for there was no man but thought that the Forte might be built in very few daies euery man perswaded him that it was an easy matter for so great an hoast not onely to pierce into Tauris but also to passe whether soeuer hee would desire This his designement was of great weight importance neither did there want some that priuily and familiarly did aduise him that it was to be preferred before the rest and comforted the king to goe forward withall by promising prosperous successe therein But albeit that Amurath had his minde enkindled with ambitious desires and lustes burning after glorie and being pricked on with sharpe spurres of Auarice longed to carrie away the victorie ouer his enemies landes Notwithstanding laying aside all his foresaid consultations as being too eager and importunate and weighing his affaires in a more vpright ballance he deemed it better to preferre the safetie of his Armie the honor of this warre and the certaintie of victorie before the doubtfull speed in attempting the enterprise and in the end he did resolutely conclude with himself that he had rather though but slowly ouercome triumph ouer his enemies then too soone with shame to forsake and abandon his designements begun and therefore did fully determine first to assure and strengthen his owne borders to lay open the wayes that were shut against him with woods bushes to confirme his conquests that were as yet but doubtfull to discouer all secret and treacherous ambushments and to make the voiage plaine and open rather then to runne headlong with vncertain conceits into another mans coūtrie and to conquer places that were farre of fenced and defended not onely by mightie enemies but also by Nature it selfe In this his resolution he was confirmed by the state of the Georgiani whom he perceaued as yet not to be reduced to such assured obedience as he durst altogether trust them and in particular he feared the treacherie of Daut and more then that the comming of Simon For by these occasions it might fall out that his Armie going to Tauris might be assailed on the one side by the Georgiani and on the other side by the Persians and so brought into verie great miseries And this misfortune might happen vnto him as often as he should haue occasion to send new supplies to the Fortresse By these deliberations and with this resolution Amurath being moued he did absolutely signifie to Mustaffa by writing that it was his pleasure that against the next spring he should prepare all such prouision as he thought necessarie for the buylding of certayn Fortes in the waies that lead from Erzirum into Georgia to the end that hauing made all those wayes safe and secure and brought that people into due obedience the next yeare he might employ his courage to more noble and haughtie enterprises Hereupon Mustaffa presently directed out his precepts to the Cities of Aleppo of Damasco of Caraemit and to all the other places of Soria and Mesopotamia that they should take-vp cunning workmasters Pioners and other such persons to the number of twentie thousand And likewise wrote to all the Countries specified in the first Booke that all their Souldiers yea and in greater number then they were the last yeare should be in a readinesse the next Spring to returne to the warre Whereof he caused the rumour to be spread euen as farre as Egypt He commaunded likewise that they should make collection of the Taxes and Tenthes and that in greater quantitie then it was the yeare before and made such prouision of Money from the Chambres of Aleppo and other places as he thought necessarie for these purposes In this meane while at Constantinople
the two Georgian Brethren the Widdowes sonnes who as we told you before were sent by Mustaffa to Amurath expected the end why they were come to the Court. As touching Alessandro he perswaded himselfe that no wrong should euer be done vnto him to whom by the course of his age the gouernment of his kingdom belonged or rather who alreadie was put in possession thereof by his Mother and besides that was in a great hope that some means should be deuised how he myght be established confirmed therin after a more sure and safe maner and that Manucchiar his brother should be honoured with some other Office worthy the magnificence of Amurath Wherein although he had some litle kind of doubt that troubled him yet did he euer carie a constant resolution that he would not in any case chaunge his Religion nor staine hys conscience wyth so fowle and infamous a blot On the other side Manucchiar the yonger Brother who the last yeare had followed the Campe of Mustaffa and had shewed some good tokens of manhood with an expresse kind of Militarie vertue that he might the rather enter into the gouernment of his Mothers State induced therunto by the flattering desire of Rule was vtterly resolued with himselfe to do any thing so that he might not liue as a priuate souldier but rather to take from his brother his birthright and enheritance and with the vtter losse of his countrie-Religion wherein he was borne to purchase a vyle and base kingdome yea and rather then he would liue inferiour in dignitie to his brother he would make himselfe the slaue of Amurath and the Deuill Neither is their opinion false peraduenture that thinke this agreement and conspiracie to haue beene secretelie contriued betweene him and Mustaffa vtterlie to disgrace and ouerthrow his Brother Hereupon they were both examined which of them would be content to submit hymselfe to the Religion of Mahamet whereunto Manucchiar aunswered that hee would so doo and beeing become the vassall of so great an Emperour would desire no other thing but to manage his owne State in his seruice and vnder his protection Whereas on the other side Alessandro although he should be depriued of his State which alreadie hee had begun to gouerne yet would he not consent to the vyle and infamous chaunge of his Religion but remayning constant in his former fayth he onely desired that as a priuate souldier and bereaued of that inheritance whereof Nature and God had caused him to bee borne the lawfull successour he might not be denyed at the least to goe and lyue in his owne natiue Countrie and so to be buried neere vnto the Ashes of his predecessors promising withall at all times all obedience to Amurath and loue to his brother The Turkish king willed Manucchiar therein to do as he himselfe thought good For that for his owne part he did greatlie feare least Alessandro by some treacherie myght depriue him of his lyfe and so succeeding in his former place might make that State more rebellious then euer it was before Howbeit for somuch as Manucchiar consented vnto it he was also to content himselfe withall and to commit the custodie of that State to such care as Manucchiar should take for the preseruation of himselfe Heereupon Manucchiar was circumcised and had the name of Mustaffa gyuen him wyth the title of Bassa and Gouernour of Altunchala and of all his Mothers and Brothers Countries for the which there were great signes of ioy ouer all the Serraglio and hee beeing thus created a Turke had his Brother Alessandro committed vnto him and they both returned into their owne Region But in Prrsia in the pallace of Casbin many consultations were had in this meane time For Emanguli Chan gouernour of Genge perceiuing himselfe to be in great daunger of loosing his beloued and honorable gouernment by means of the late sacke and spoyle of his Cittie made by the Tartarian and taking occasion of those plottes that were dayly in contriuing to sende people into the confines of Siruan to the ende that Osman Fassa shoulde not intend his new works and withal if it were possible shuld be hunted out of Demir Capi and out of all that prouince he purposed with himselfe to make an offer to King Mahamet that he should bind himselfe vpon paine of his head to defend Siruan and not suffer Osman to attempt any newe buildings or further conquestes in that Region and therein wrought so much with the King that his request was not denyed him Whereuppon the charge of the gouernment of Genge guarding the Prouince of Siruan from the forces of Osman was frankly committed vnto him Neither were his offers extended any further For the Persian King knew wel ynough that if the Tartarians or the Generall Mustaffa should come thither hee should stand in need of greater prouision and stronger defences And therefore he gaue order to Emir-Chan gouernour of Tauris to Tocomac Gouernour of Reiuan to Serap-Chan gouernor of Massiuan and to diuers other Captaines that were neerest that at euery instance and request of Emanguli-Chan they should be ready if need so required with their power to resist eyther the Tartarians or the Turkes when they should enter into the countrey of Siruan Neither did Emanguli forget to solicit the sonne of Sahamal who succeeded in the Lordship of Brus that he would ioyne himselfe with him and they two together woulde take occasion to reuenge the grieuous losses that they had receiued of the Turkish army and especially to chastise Osman Bassa as hee deserued for the death of Sahamal his father Howbeit the saide sonne would not by any meanes endaunger himselfe neither durst in any wise shewe himselfe an open enemie and persecutor of the Turkes but was content to beare the losse of his father in such sort as he thought most behoouefull for the preseruation of his owne estate And this was the prouision that was made for the securitie of that Prouince concerning which euerie man almost was of opinion that Mustaffa should not returne thither againe but they knew well that hee shoulde chieflie be employed about the strengthening and assuring of the conquestes of Georgia and therefore there was no further prouision made there But the King turned all his counsels and cogitations to send people towards Teflis for he knew of a certentie that either all the Turkish Armie or els some great bande of it shoulde come to bring succours thither or els it must needes come to passe that the Fort should fall againe into the hands of the Georgiani About this matter was the King verie busie and intentiue when as Simon the Georgian who was sometimes imprisoned at Cahaca of whome we made mention before and being throughlie enformed of all thinges that had happened thought with himselfe that hereby he might take opportunitie to obtaine at the Kinges hand such helpe as hee had long desired and purchase those honours
that separated the one army froÌ„ the other Mahamet and Mustaffa fell into consultation betweene themselues whether they should passe ouer the riuer before night or else without any further trauel to stay on this side of the water vntill the next morning Mustaffa the Georgian aduised him to stay and not to go ouer fearing lest they coulde not possibly bee so readie haue all their coÌ„panie together on the other side so soone but that their enemies would be first vpon them finding the camp in disarray confusioÌ„ would greatly annoy them Notwith staÌ„ding Mahamet disliked this aduise of Mustaffa hauing taken a strong conceit euen vpon the very first discouery of the enemy that there was some intelligence agreement between Mustaffa the Persians that malitiously to that end he had perswaded him to come that way not by the way of Tomanis therfore Mahamet thinking if there were any deceit intended plotted between Mustaffa his enemies to set it in some confusion and disturbance would not in any case follow the counsell of the Georgian to stay that night on this side of the riuer but commaunded that with all the greatest speede that might be all his souldiers with their Casenda and their Nosul that is with their treasure and Corne should passe ouer to the ende that before night they might lande on the other side of the water in some good place to the scorne and derision of their enemies The Checaia or the Lieutenant of Mahamet Bassa a bolde young-man and a hardie was the first that went ouer and after him the carriages of money and of corne then al the whole Armie with verie great speed although some of the confused multitude were drowned in the waters being rather ouer troden with the horses camels then brought to their deathes either by the swiftnes of the waters course or by the depth of the Channel For indeede neither the one nor the other could possiblie be the cause or occasion of this mischaunce Assone as the Georgiani perceiued that the Turkes had passed the Riuer without any staying til they might settle themselues in any good order in great haste furie they ran to encounter them presently assailed them whiles they were all in a confusion and out of array by meanes whereof the Turkes durst not almost sustaine their furious assault And yet was there not in them such basenesse of courage but that they turned their faces and ioyned battel with theÌ„ wherein within a verie short time you might see the bankes of the Riuer in manie places be sprinkled with the Turkish bloud and many carcases of the Turkes here and there scattered without any apparance at all of any losse among the Georgians and the Persians that could be perceiued Among those that fell in this slaughter there were a number of Sangiacchi Curdi and certaine Mesopotamians whereby it was manifestly discouered that if the Turkish Squadrons had not vsed the greater valour out of all question they had bene all miserablie destroied with the rest of the Sangiacchi Curdi Mesopotamians fearing and coniecturing by the ouerthrowe of their owne the losse also of the others they turned their backes and put themselues to flight the like did the remnant also of Caraemit and after them at the last all the whole Armie And because the Georgians foreseeing this their flight had made a great wing and turning themselues vpon their enemies on the lands side had left them no passage to flie but sought by al meanes to driue them backe againe into the Riuer the fugitiue cowards could not choose but eueÌ„ in their flight receiue verye great hurt intermingled with shame Which notwithstanding some of theÌ„ desiring to auoyd thought it lesse harme to cast themselues into the riuer and so escape though hardly with their liues or else with desperation to bee drowned in the waters Great was their shame great was their confusion but greatest was their losse for that in the heat of the baâ—tell the Kings money and the Corne was taken in pray by the Georgians and Persians euery man sauing onely somuch for himself as he could secretely hide vpon his owne bodie or conuey by the meanes of some trustie slaue which by the helpe of their swift horses was preserued rather by fortune then by valor In this maner were the Turks handled who being thus discomfited and wounded full of shame and dishonour spoyled of all their reliefe the next morning gathered themselues together again one with another cursing the heauens their king their aduerse fortune some of theÌ„ also threatning that Georgian rinegate as though all this mischiefe had happened through his treachery secrete intelligence with the enemie Notwithstanding when they founde that they had still remaning so much money and other easements as might suffice to comfort the afflicted mindes of the souldiers besieged in the forte they re solued to goe onwardes to Teflis the day following they made so good speed in their iourney that for all the difficulties of the waies which trauellers do commonly find in those quarters they ariued there in the euening Greatly were all the souldiers of the fort astonied wheÌ„ they saw the Turks whom they had so long expected ariued in such bad order so il furnished were wonderfully grieued at this common losse by reason where of they were all in a greate confusion and protested to Mahamet that they would abandon the defence of that countrie if they had not necessary prouision made for theÌ„ yea their protestations were so vehemeÌ„t their mutinie so tumultuous that therby was confirmed a certaine generall rumour which was alreadie raised vpon this vnfortunate battel that Teflis was recouered by the Georgians the reporte whereof came also into Italy as a thing most certaine and true and yet proued to be but a lie Besides which losse of the foresaide souldiers and prouision certaine other mischiefes were also like to ensue which euery reasonable man woulde expecte vppon so happie and fortunate a successe but that they were met withal For Mahamet after he had with large promises pacified mitigated their first furies insolences presentlie in the morning he caused a Diuano to bee called within the castel where hauing the multitude of the Sangiacchi the Bassaes the Zaini the Spahini the Giannizzaries gathered together he spake vnto them in this manner Forasmuch as it hath pleased GOD that so great and so important an occasion of victorie which was offered vnto vs for the exaltation and glorie of euerie one of â—â— is nowe fallen out so infortunately that it hath not onely not ministred vnto vs anye matter of triumphing ouer our enemies as wee shoulde haue done but rather it hath made them I knowe not howe to carrie away from vs both the triumph and also our Armor our Horses our slaues and our spoiles yea and
great stirs that were raised in the years 1580. 1581. and a good parte of 1582. wherein also followed the election of a newe generall who notwithstanding went not forward in his troublesome busines vntil the beginning of the yeare 1583. as in the next booke we wil declare vnto you The ende of the fift Booke The Sixt Booke The Argument The Persian King resolueth to ride to Heri against his sonne Abas Emir-Chan promiseth the King to defend his Territories from the Turks The Gouernour of Sasuar beheaded The King attempteth to get his Sonne Abas into his handes Abas writeth to his Father and the Tenor of his Letters The two Persian Princes reconcile themselues one to the other Salmas accused and beheaded The Persian King and the Prince his Sonne returne to Casbin Ferat chosen Generall of the Turkish Armie Ferat repaireth Aggia Chalasi and Reiuan Tocomac seeketh meanes to bee reuenged of the iniuries of the Turkes Ferat returneth to Chars and causeth a Sangiacco of the Curdi to be beheaded Manucchiar the Georgian beheadeth the Messengers and Gentlemen-vshers of Amurath and deuideth the Treasure betweene himselfe and his cosin Simon Hassan goeth to succour Teflis Ferat is at Erzirum and dismisseth his Armie The Persian King is affraide of newe stirres and commeth to Tauris with a great Armie Generall Ferat gathereth a newe Armie at Chars he goeth to Lory he passeth to the streites of Tomanis and cutâ—eth down the woods Daut Chan yeeldeth himselfe to the Turkes Simon goeth to assault Resuan the Bassa he hath his horse slaine vnder him and is strangelie deliuered from extreame daunger Tomanis deâ—ended by Hassan A great dearth in the army of Ferat Ferat is threatened by his Souldiers Ferat goeth to Clisca and meaneth to fortifie it Resuan is hardly entreated by the Souldiers who also threaten their General againe The Generalls life is saued by Amurath the Bassa of Caramania A most confused tumult in the Armie and Ferat the Generall is enforced shamefully to yeeld to his Souldiers and returneth to Erzirum The Originall occasion and manner of the escape of Alyculi-Chan The Persian king dismisseth all his Souldiers that he had gathered together Emir-Chan is imprisoned and hauing his eies put out by the kings appoinment he dieth miserablie in prison New displeasures arise among the Turcomannes for the death of Emir-Chan Amurath conceiueth great hope of the valour of Osman the Bassa Sciaus writeth to the Tartarian of the comming of Osman to Constantinople Osman with foure thousand souldiers putteth himselfe in the way to Constantinople Osman is assaulted by the Tartarians but Osman ouer commeth them Osman putteth the Tartarian king to death and appointeth his brother to be his successor Osman departeth from Caffa by Gallies and arriueth at Constantinople Osman is chosen chiefe Visier in the rowme of Sciaus and Generall in the rowme of Ferat Osman departeth from Constantinople and goeth to Erzirum Osman gathereth a greater armie then all those that haue beene hitherto gathered in these warres besides the Souldiers of Egypt and Damasco who did not goe with Osman The sixt Booke AFter that these victorious Warriers loaden with spoiles and diuerse of their Enemies ensignes were with great ioy receiued at home in Persia at the last to the greater comfort of the Persians the discord also that fell out between Mahamet Bassa Mustaffa the Georgian was declared vnto theÌ„ whereat they did no lesse reioyce then they did before fortheir obtayned victories And euerie man thought with himselfe that this newes might greatly further the matter of peace or at least if that came not to the wished ende yet it might hinder the Turkes from passing to anie place that was neere vnto them might also keepe them occupied is Teflis had hitherto done in such places as are farre distant from their Royall Cities Which coniecture of theirs might verie well be grounded vpon a reasonable foundation aswell because the iniurie was verie great that Mustaffa had done to Mahamet the Generall of the Turkish Campe as also for that the Territories of the saide Mustaffa were no lesse replenished with places most fit for treacheries and ambushes then the Territories of Sinion In these and such like good hopes remayned the Persians when by the way of Georgia there came tydinges to them that Sinan was displaced from his Office of Generalshippe and therefore the Turkes must of necessitie send foorth some newe Captaine if they were minded still to continue this warre With great griefe of minde did the Persians receiue this aduertisement knowingful well howe much Sinan was inclined to peace how deadly he hated the continuance of these long and troublesome contentions But much more greiuous was it vnto them when they vnderstoode withall how their treaties of peace were all in vayne and howe besides those indignities that so dishonestlie were offered to the Persian Nation at Constantinople their Embassador was also at the last sent prisoner to Erzirum And yet notwithstanding all these sorie newes the Persians chaunged not their former hopes but verilie perswaded themselues that these discords the outrages committed vpon the Turkes by Manucchiar might happelie hinder their enterprise which this yeare they minded to attempt to the great preiudise of Nassiuan and Tauris For they imagined that seeing their newe Generall must needes be sent as farre as from Constantinople the new yere could not serue their turne to any other purpoce but onely to succour Teflis and to reuenge the shame receyued by the outragious furie of Manucchiar In which poynt they discoursed also with themselues that euen in that respect Manucchiar and Simon would make a league together aswell because they were neighbors in Territorie and were likely both of them to run one and the selfe same course of fortune as also yea so much the rather because Manucchiar hauing taken to wife a sister of Simons they could dono lesse in these innouations but ioyne themselues together one of them be a protector and defender of the other and so vniting their forces together they shuld be able to annoy al such as should be sent to conueigh new succors to Teflis Vpon these occasions the Persian King perceyuing that he could not haue a fitter oportunitie to employe himselfe against Abas Mirize his some determined with himselfe to leaue the matters of this side of his kingdome in their present state and to march towards Heri whereunto hee was earnestly solicited by his elder son Emirhamze Mirize but principally by Mirize Salmas his Visier whom his said son in lawe did likewise dayly animate to this resolution and could not well brooke that anie other thing shoulde bee in speech but onely this And therefore seeing there was no other remedie but that the king must needs satisfie the request of these mightte entercessers and also establish all thinges in as good securitie as possibly hee might besides the great confidence and trust which
in silence and that is the execution of the commaundementes that Ferat gaue to Aly Bassa before hee departed from Georgia This Aly who as wee tolde you remained in the Fort at Lory founde his opportunitie to issue out of the Fortresse and descending downe a certaine hill at the foote whereof there was a Castell called Saitan-Chalasi which in our language may bee interpreted the Castell of the Diuel with great diligence hee fortified the same Hee left therein fiftie peeces of Artillerie and a thousand men vnder the charge of a Sangiacco and so quieted the passages from forte to forte in such sorte as all the waies from Reiuan to Chars and from Chars to Teflis were made easie and safe and so all the enemies treacheries were discouered and all their meanes taken away whereby they might be able to plot any newe In this meane time the King of Persia who as wee told you before was arriued at Tauris with althose his forces perceiuing that the Turkes had changed their purpose from Nassiuan to Georgia so that there was no further need to employ his Armie against them in defense of Tauris or NassiuaÌ„ at the last resolued with himself to licence his soul diers to depart which he had brought thither with him for the repressing of those publike stirs and to apply himselfe to more priuate reuenges For calling Emir-Chan vnto him whom he had lately left for gouernour of Tauris General ouer al the Cities Captains aboue named he enquired of him the occasion why he performed not the great promises which he had made vnto him before his depaâ—tur to Heri did not his endeuor to hinder the Turkish fabrik at ReiuaÌ„ or atleast why he went not out with other souldiers appointed for that purpose and namely with the Turcomannes as hee had promised to reuenge so great an iniurie and in the best manner hee coulde to endomage the Turkish forces For if there had beene none other promise to binde him yet that had beene the duetie of euerie Persian Captaine much more had it beene his parte who had tyed himselfe thereunto by a solemne promise Sundrie excuses did Emir-Chan alledge for his manifest defaulte and principallye the speedie departure of the Turkish Armie for that in so short a time as the enemies Armie staied vnder Reiuan hee had not leasure enough to call together either the Turcomannes or the other Souldiers for that seruice but for himselfe hee was alwaies most readie to employ all his power and his life therein These and other like excuses Emir-Chan alleadged to discharge himselfe from the burthen of the Crime which the King and the Sultans had layed vpon him But the king perceiuing too manifestlie that there was no excuse sufficient to acquite Emir-Chan from so grieuous a faulte and adding also peraduenture to these indignities some auncient hatred which hee had taken of old and retained against Emir-Chan euer since the death of Ismahel determined with himself to bereaue him of his sight so coÌ„maunded that with a hot burning Iron applied to the eies of the wicked Chan all the humor that maintained his sight should be dried vp and afterwardes being thus blinded and despoiled of all his goods hee shoulde be shut vp in close prison which accordinglye without any further delay was put in execution and was the occasion that within the space of a fewe moneths hee died miserably in prisone Thus was Persia depriued of a famous and couragious man and amonge other her losses shee felte this also to be of that moment as although it were of it selfe of some importance yet in respecte of the circumstances it was exceeding great For the Turcoman Nation who among other Captaines from whence Persia receiued her protection and dignities made great accompt of Emir-Chan and by him was greatly honoured at this death of his became highly offended and were notably discontended yea their indignatioÌ„ encreased so at the last that being become rebellious and an vtter enemie to that Crowne they did absolutely denie their forces to the publike defence thereof This their wrath and anger was also much more aggrauated when they hearde that the King had bestowed the rowme of Emir-Chan vpon Alyculi the fugitiue who was escaped out of prison from Ferat as is aboue shewed Which Alyculi although in respect of the great perilles wherein he had beene deserued all preferment yet for that he was an auncient Enemie to certaine Turcoman Captaines they coulde not in any wise endure that hee should be exalted to so great an honour And therefore they waxed more disdainefull ill affected towardes the king and thereby the Persians forces became the more weakened and deuided And these were the euents of this season of the yeare 1584. An end whereof wee made at the returne of Ferat Bassa the Generall to Erzirum whose successes also doe nowe call vppon vs after we haue thus briefely described the nouelties of Persia. From Erziram hee sente a large aduertisement to Amurath of all things that had happened and besoughte him to commaund what shoulde bee attempted at the nexte Springe But besides the information of Ferat there wanted not many other that did the like also although in another manner For the King was aduertised and that in an odious sorte of all the whole proceedings of Ferat the escape of Alyculi-Chan the shamefull losse of his wemen his quarrels with the Giannizzaries the disorders that fell out through his want of wisedome amonge all the Bassaes of the whole Campe especially his enimity with Veis Bassa who by the king himselfe was thought to be a man of valour and prudence and to bee shorte all the particulars of the actions that had not altogether so honorably beene performed in that yeere which in truth of themselues onely were causes sufficiente to induce the king to remooue the saide Ferat from the Office that he exercised To these occasions there were also added sundry other priuate respectes For euer sithens the departure of Ferat out of Erzirum to builde the Fortresses at Lory and Tomanis Amurath had it still in his heade the next yeer following to attempt the enterprise of Tauris and therein to make triall of the most famous Captaines that hee had thinking with himselfe that the estate of Reiuan and Chars being so safely setled there was no reason any longer to delaye or slacke the passage to Tauris and thereby to stirre vppe through all the worlde a famous reporte of greate exploytes and a glorie correspondent to so daungerous an attempte Nowe among the Captaines whom Amurath esteemed to be worthy men to whom he might with trust commit this enterprise he bethought himselfe of Osman Bassa who wee tolde you was lefte at Sumachia in Siruan by Generall Mustaffa the first yeere of this warre and whose iourney to Demir-Capi we described afterwards together with suche other matters as hee performed
passage to Tauris And so this Generall cosening Rumour touching Nassiuan was published abroad not onely through all the Cities subiect to the Turk but the fame therof flew also euen into the Countries of the Persians who notwithstanding beeing very iealous of the Citie of Tauris and fearing that the matter would fall out as indeed afterwardes it did ceased not to make curious diligent enquiry about it And although the indignitie and disgrace that was offered to his Embassadour dissuaded him from sending any other for treaty of peace yet to spie out the secretes of the Turkes and to vnderstande certainely whether their intent were to passe to Nassiuan or to Tauris hee coulde doe no lesse but dispatch diuers Chiaus or Messengers to Osman and by making a shewe that he ment in very deed to feele his minde touching conditions of peace to try whether he could learne and discouer the trueth or no. But by all the meanes and by all the cunning that he could possibly vse he could neuer find out any certaine knowledge thereof so that there still remained in him many doubtfull and confused cogitations which were engendered and fostered by some carelesse and simple reporters that Osman had giuen out speeche for the enterprize of Nassiuan And nowe according to the commandement gone out through all the Cities of the Empire the Souldiers of all sortes beganne to flocke together and all those that either were desirous to be established in their former charges and gouernementes of Cities or sought ambitiously to bee honoured with some Office and dignitie made repaire vnto him as vnto a king and Soueraigne moderator of the Ottoman Empire presenting him with very large liberal guiftes Wherby his estate was so greatly enriched that through these meanes he had gathered together a huge heape of infinite treasure And so entertaining them with all affable curtesie and also with promising both rewardes and honours to all that woulde followe him in his purposed voiage he leauied a wonderful great number of Men and Moneyes But nowe was the time come that called him away to goe towardes Erzirum where hee was greatlye expected by his huge armie there assembled together notwithstanding the great dearth of all things belonging to vittel that commonly raigneth in those quarters yet he was enforced to make his iourny to that citie where he arriued about the latter end of the Moneth of Iuly and there with all possible speed taking a viewe of his whole Army and of all the prouision necessary for so important and famous an enterprize he dailye laboured to hasten his departure In the saide citie of Erzirum were mette together all the souldiers of the Prouinces that were woont to send helpe but yet in a greater number then euer was gathered by any Generall before for that euerie man forsooke and abandoned his own priuate busines vpon assured hopes of new rewards vnwonted honors they were al induced to follow the fame of their newe Visier Onelie the people of Aegypt and Damasco were busied with other more priuate Quarels wher of because they are both of great importance and also fel out at this verie instant it wil not be amisse to make some briefe rehearsal for a manifest and euident example heerafter how great harme and mischiefe the diuersitie of opinions and dissension of neighbours doth breed among all sortes of men The ende of the Sixt Booke The Seauenth Boke The Argument HAssan the Bassa of Cairo in Egypt is called to the Court. Ebrain the Bassa chosen to be the Kings son in Lawe is sent to Caireo in the rowme of Hassan Hassan in the companie of the Master of the Kings horse goeth to Constantinople Hee is committed to prison and spoiled of all his wealth At the instant suite of the Queene Hassan is set at libertie Ebrain is called to Constantinople to finish the mariage Ebrain commeth with an Armie of twelue thousand horse The Ofspringe religion customes Territories and weapons of the Drusians Three of the chiefe Lordes of the Drusians come to meete Ebrain Serafadin also commeth to Ebrain Serafadin being accused by his three enemies speaketh in his owne defence Serafadin is committed to prison Manogli standeth obstinate and refuseth to come to Ebrain but writeth his letters vnto him Ebrain resolueth to burne the countrie of Manogli Veis the Bassa with his sonne the Sangiacco of Ierusalem discomfited by the Drusians Gomeda is sent to Manogli but returneth without speeding in his Message Aly the Bassa goeth to Manogli and speedeth Manogli sendeth his Mother to Ebrain Gomeda goeth againe to Manogli and returneth with a verie rich present Gomeda goeth once againe to Manogli and returneth with newe presents Andera belonging to Manogli is sacked and nineteene other townes burnt Three hundred and fiftie persons belonging to Manogli hewen in peeces The Matademo or chiefe Agent of Manogli is slayed quicke The Souldiers of Serafadin slaine The Souldiers of the Turkish Gallies sacke all the Sea coast of Serafodin and Manogli Aly Carsusogli buieth the Title of a Bassa with a hundred thousand Duckats Mansurogli laied in chaines and sent to the Gallies The territorie of Mansurogli is sacked Ebrain is ioyfully receiued into Constantinople Ebrain giueth great presents to the Sultan Quarrels betweene the Arabians and the Sangiacco of Ierusalent The Subassi of Bethlehem is slayed quicke by appointment of the Sangiacco Osman the Bassa is in a readinesse to departe from Erzirum with speeche giuen out that hee woulde not goe to Tauris but to Nassiuan The seauenth Booke AMurath had heertofore taken Hassan the Eunuch out of the Serraglio from the charge that hee had there to serue in the Quenes Court and had sent him as Bassa to Cair in Aegypt in whose fauoure for recompence of his continual seruice employed in het behalfe the Queene had obtained this great Office which besides the honour belonging vnto it was also verie beneficiall and profitable vnto him as in deede it is to any other person whose good happe it is to bee aduaunced thereunto the riches and multitude of people inhabiting therein being so great that it seemeth not to be one Citie but rather that it containeth within the large Circuite of it a number of Cities This man beeing coueteous of money and desirous to handle the matter in such sorte as this place of gouernment might yeelde him so great benefit that hee shoulde little neede to seeke for any more suche grauntes at the kinges handes by all manner of meanes aswel indirectly as directly sought to oppresse al the whol Nation and spared neither any state nor age nor sexe but by all importunities and vndue courses hee would wring and extorte rewardes and bribes from euerie man By which his sinister and corrupt dealing hee had now made himselfe so odious and intollerable vnto them that there was not a man but would choose to doo anie thing possible rather then to remaine vnder these his continual tyrannies
the Visier declaring vnto him that although hee had ouer mildlie giuen order that the Taurisians should not be molested or hurt and that according to his pleasure euery man had vsed modestie towards them and obedience to him yet the Taurisians themselues who should haue remayned in quiet and in awe had most audaciously strangled in one of their baynes eight Iannizzaries and certain Spaoglanj and that in their iudgement these iniuries and insolencies were not to be suffered The Captain was exceeding wroth at this most cruell and impious action and without any further delay commaunded that the whole Citie should be sacked and that euery man should do the worst that possibly he could or might do to it Heere a man had need of a verie learned and eloquent penne to describe the fierce and cruel execution of these men who handled the matter not as though they would requite an iniurie but rather exercise an vtter vengeance vpon them insomuch as it would require great force of witt and readinesse of toung to declare it For in trouth who is hable either by writing or by speech sufficiently and liuely to set foorth the treachery the couetousnesse the wrath the crueltie the impiety the wickednesse of these triumphing Turkes And on the other side who can expresse the criyng of Infants the complaintes and howlings of weomen the groanings of the woūded the teares of parents the praiers of old men the feares the griefes and to be briefe the miserie of the Taurisians There was nothing but slaughter pilling rauishing spoiling and murdering Virgins deflowred men-children defyled with horrible and vnspeakable sinnes yonglings snatched out of their parents armes houses laied euen with the ground and burnt riches and money caried away and to be short all things wasted and ruynated Neither were these mischiefes committed once onely but the second followed worse then the first and the third vpon that worse then the second so that it was a miserie almost vnexplicable to behold that Citie which was so populous and so riche sometimes the Court and Palace of the Crowne and the honor of the Persian Empire now subiect to the furie to the rauine to the crueltie of the Turkes plonged in calamitie and vtterly destroied With the spoyle that was taken there were many thousands of Camels loaden and euery man besides the thinges of greatest value which they kept secretly caried away with him some boy or some wench for his captiue The lamentable and sorowfull aduertisement hereof was brought to the King of Persia who bewayled the miserie of himselfe and the destruction of others But the Persian prince beyond all the rest felt rising inwardly within himself the most ardent affections of griefe of disdain and of desperation being vtterly resolued to put any thing in execution whereby he might be reuenged of so great a crueltie and recouer the pray that was taken away he exhorted his whole Armie to put on the same resolution And hauing grounded and confirmed himselfe therein he commaunded that fiue hundred of his souldiers should ryde out on hors-back euen to the verie sight of their enemies Tentes and prouoke the Turkes to battell These souldiers so appointed went accordingly and made a gallant show of themselues at the discouery wherof the Turks imagining that the Persians were come in great number to assault their Armie Order was giuen by the Visier to Bassa Cicala and the Bassa of Caraemit the same two which were at first in the former blouddie conflict that with the people of Grecia and all the rest of their whole power they should go to encounter the enemie They presently gaue warning with the sound of their Trompets and straight way their standerdes were displaied Vnder which there were assembled about fower and thirtie thousand Souldiers stronge partlie stipendiaries and partlie voluntaries and besides them a number of seruile people men exercised in labour and perills so that there were gathered together in all well neere fortie thousand men The fiue hundred Persians with a meruailous cunning kind of skirmishing dallied with the Turkish souldiers and drew them forward for the space of eight miles and more And when they were brought to that point being now fore-wearied with the skirmish they were lustely assaulted by the Persian Prince who with part of his Armie which might be to the number of about twentie thousand persons couragiously valiantly seised vpon the two Bassaes betweene whom there was ioyned the deadliest and cruellest battell that euer was written of Wherein the Persians hauing giuen a most perillous onset vpon the Turkes it was thought that they would haue been contented with so luckie an encounter and so to haue retyred Which the Turkes foreseeing and beeing not minded to returne this second time but with victorie and a notable great conquest they hardilie followed vpon the Persians hoping to put them to flight and to giue them a blouddie and deadlie ouerthrow But the Persians hauing quietly and easilie endured their charge for a reasonable space at the last made head vpon them a fresh and began a new conflict with them By the vehemence of this assault the Bassa of Caraemit aboue named was put to flight who beeing wholie dismaied and difcomfited fled back to his Tentes with a manifest token of the vnhappie issue in the battell The Bassa Cicala notwithstanding sustained the furie of the Persians and valorously with great cunning skill went about to harten the Armie to fight and to doo their best endeauours shewing his notable courage in euery respect But when he perceaued that in both the winges of his people there was still great harme done in euery moment of an hower he aduised with himselfe to retyre with the least danger that possibly he might Wherein he could not so warily carie himself but that his Squadrons were shrewdlie beaten and discomfited and in the end he was enforced in the sight of euery man to with-draw himselfe to the Armie and openly betake himself to flight So that he also arriued at the campe altogether discomfited without any Ensigne bereaued of three yong men whom he loued verie deerely and without any of his horses which he had caused to be lead with him to haue serued his turne in time of neede and so speak all in a woord he was quite ouerthrowen and about eight thousand of his souldiers slaine Great was the cowardise of the one and great was the courage of the other whereby it may manifestly appeare how much more the Persians are exercised and acquainted with the doubtful conflicts perils of warre then the Turkes are With this so fortunate and happie euent the Persian Prince being somewhat encouraged he sent speedie Herauldes to the sick Visier whom he thought notwithstanding to haue been in health giuing him to vnderstand that if it pleased him to fight with him he was readie for him and in what sort soeuer he would accept
would not follow the warres of Ebrain the Visier should bee the keeper and gouernour of the said Forte And the rather to encourage him that he would take the charge vppon him he gaue him freely for the space of three whole yeares not onely the office and authority but also the rentes and reuenues of the Bassa of Caraemit in the place of him whose head we told you lately the Persian Prince had cut of and withall honoured him with the title of the Bassa of the Court where hauing finished his three yeares office of Caraemit he was to go sit among the soueraigne seates in the order and ranke of the Visiers The Eunuch seeing so faire and so nigh a way for him to mount to those high honours readily obeyed his pleasure and presently dispatching his Lieutenaunt whom the Turkes call Checaia for Caraemit to the gouernement of those countries in his absence with a hundred of his owne subiectes hee setled himselfe in the said Fort and afterwardes besides his said subiectes there were deliuered vnto him twelue thousand souldiers some voluntaries and some stipendiaries furnished with all necessarie prouision and sufficient for the warre till the new spring And when the custody of this Fortresse was thus ordered and safely prouided for the Visier departed according to his promisse made to the souldiers of Grecia and Constantinople the same morning which was the fourescore and seuenth day after his departure from Erzirum hee went to a place called Sancazan seuen miles distant from Tauris with an entent in this his returne to take another course then he tooke when he came to that Citty They were now vpon the point of their encamping as the maner is in a confused disorder hurley-burley when those that were hindermost in the armie heard the neighing of horses and the noise of drommes and trumpettes which when all the whole Campe vnderstoode by the report of the first hearers vnto them that were formost they ranne all headlong and disordered as they were to the rescue on that side where the report was that the noise of horses and warlike instrumentes was heard But while the Turks were thus intentiuely busied on that side to expect the arriuall of their enemies on the other side without any signe or token of battell was the Persian Prince ready vpon them with eight twenty thousande persons in his company who hauing discouered the Camelles the horses the Mules other cariages wherevpon their booties their spoiles and their riches were loaden which they had taken in Tauris besides their corne and much of their prouision for victuaile necessarie for the sustenaunce of the armie had turned vpon them with a prouident and safe conuoy had taken for a praye eighteene thousand of the Cammelles and Mules well loaden with the said booties and other victuailes The Prince sent away presently sixe thousand of his souldiers for the safegard of the cariages that they might lead them away in safety and he himselfe with his two and twenty thousand Persians entred into the Turkishe Army who now to withstand his assault had conuerted their anger and fiercenes against him It was a gallant thing a terrible withall to see what a mortall battell and what singular prowesse was shewed presently euen in the forefront of the army For in a moment you might haue seene the Tentes and Pauillions turned vp side downe and their encamping lodgings replenished with carcases blood and victorious death ranging in euerie corner The Turkes themselues through vnwonted astonishment became more attentiue beholders of this affray then their enemies were and to this day with great meruaile doo recounte the vertue and valour of the Persians who although they were so few in nomber and intermingled among so populous an army of warlick people yet it seemed that they couched their speares brandished their swords ouer them as though it had thundred lightned vpon them and were in deed rather like fatall ministers then humaine executioners of so generall a slaughter But these mischeefes being already foreseene and too much feared by the trusty guard of the Ianizzaries all of them doubting greatly least the Persians would forcibly inuade the very lodginges of the Visier it was commanded not by himself for he was now at the last gasp but by him who at that time had authority to command in his name that without any delay the artillary should be vnbarred by that means the valorous conflict of these fierce souldiers was vnequally parted For the Artillary wrought perchance greatter harme among the Turkes themselues then it did among the Persians For the medley and mingling of the two nations which fought together being all in a confusion and a hurley-burley the artillary entring among them without any exception or distinction of persons ouerthrewe both frendes and foes At the first thondering noise whereof the Prince was most ready swift to flie all that were with him followed presently after him so that the Turks which remained behind were moreshrewdly afflicted then the Persians were who by flying away could not feele any dammage but the Turkes must first bee well payed for their labour The Graecians the Constantinopolitanes and those that were of Natolia pursued these fugitiues making a shewe as though they would gladly haue ouertaken the stollen carriages and recouered them againe but they being already arriued in safety and the night come vpon them they feared to proceede any further then they might easily returne with the safegarde of their liues And therefore the Persians though greatly wearied and weakened thus saued themselues and the Turks also retourned into their Tentes wholly dismaied and discomfited leauing too manifest a token of the sondrie calamities which hapned in these broiles and the maruellous ouerthrowe of their whole armie So that there is no man but confesseth that in the battell of Sancazan there were slaine twentie thousand of the Ottoman souldiers and that in this enterprise of Tauris there died by this time threescore thousande Turkes with that small losse of the Persian forces which we haue before described Among the rest in the same place died also the Visier Osman Generall of the late dreadfull but now desolate Armie not by wouuds as some write nor by any such like means but being vtterly consumed by the mortall vncurable disease of an Ague and a Flix as wee haue told you before and doo now againe testifie vnto you by the certain and vndoubted report of those faithull Phisitians which were about him whose death notwithstandinge was kept secreate from the whole Armie and euery man thought verily that it was but onely the continuance of his sicknes because the charriottes wherein he lay were still kept close and in his name Cicala Bassa for so he had appointed by his will gaue out aunsweres and commandementes to all the Armie But although it was thus concealed from the Turkes
yet was it disclosed to the Persians by the meanes of three youngmen who in the life of Osman had the charge of his precious stones of his iewels and of his gold and now hauing gathered together the best the cheefest and the fairest of them and also the goodliest and the fairest horses that the Visier had were fled to the King of Persia and reuealed vnto him the death of the Generall The comming of these youngmen was most acceptable both to the king also to the prince aswell for the iewels gold as also for the aduertisement of Osmans death who reasoned among themselues that it was not possible for so great cowardise and so dishonorable a kind of fighting and ordering of an Army to proceede from the vertue and valour of Osman of whome they had had too manifest a triall and experience in times past and therefore they were thereby encouraged to put in practise some new and strange kindes of exploytes and by attempting the vtter ouerthrow of the Turkish remnant to giue them an honorable Farewell And therevppon the Persian Prince hauing gotten together fourteene thousand men went to follow the Turkes who had now raised their Campe and were remoued to pitch their Tentes neere to a certain streame of salt-water not farre from Sancazan where also the said Prince caused certain fewe Tentes to be pitched about fower or fiue miles distant from the Turkish Campe the foresaid brooke running in the middest betweene the two Enemies armies Now it was the purpose of the Sofian Prince to haue assayled the Turks in the morning whiles they were loading their cariages hoping in that confusion to haue wrought them some notable mischiefe but the Turkes had caught a certain spye of his who reuealed all vnto them And therefore they did neither arise so earely in the morning ás their maner was nor load their stuffe vntill such time as they were all armed and on hors-back trusting by that means to rebate and to quaile their enemies assaults The Persians were greatly discontented when they saw this warie and vnvsuall maner of the Turkes raysing of their Tentes and perceaued that some inkling had been giuen them of the purpose which they had intended And yet considering that if they should loose this occasion they could not haue any other good oportunitie to annoy them vntill the next Spring they vtterly resolued to venture the assault and hauing obserued that the Rankes of their Artillarie were on the right side of the Armie they began to enter in the sight of euery man vpon the left hand But the Turkes made a wing presently on that side and so vncouered and vnbarred their Artillarie against the assaylants to their great losse and danger Howbeit they were so nymble and quick to shrowde themselues vnder their Enemies armie to auoid this mischieuous tempest that being now come verie neere to the Turkish Squadrons they must needes send out people to encounter them and ioyne present battel with them They were purposed before assoone as they saw the Turkes begin to stirre to haue brought them towards their side into a verie filthy and deepe Moore which being then drie yet breathed fourth a most stinking and foggie ayre neyther was it doubted of or feared by any but onely by those that were acquainted withall and borne there aboutes and so verie boldly they went towards that place entycing their enemies to follow after them But the Rebell Maxut-Chan and with him that other Traitor Daut-Chan who had knowledge of this treacherie as being well acquainted with those places perceaued the policie of the Enemie and particularlie gaue notice thereof to Cicala Bassa who presently caused a great compassing wing to be made commaunding them to set vpon the Persians and to giue them a continuall charge The commaundement of the Captaine was put in execution and so their fore-front opened it selfe wyth verie large and spacious Cornets vpon the Prince who no sooner saw this kind of order but by and by he perceaued that his intended Stratageme was discouered Whereupon without any stay he began to retyre and called all his people after him But they could not be so readie and quick to flye but that three thousand of them remayned behind all miserably styfled and ouer-trodden in the myre with verie little dammage or losse of the Turkes And this onely battell among the fiue that were fought vnder Tauris and in those quarters was it that was lesse hurtfull to the Ottomans then to the Persians The Prince returned to the pauilions of the King his father and told him the whole action how it had fallen out together wyth the departure of the Enemie And so the Turkes came to Salmas where the death of their Visier was published From Salmas they went afterwardes to Van where they took a surueigh of their Armie found wanting therin about fower score and fiue thousand persons and some say more At Van all the souldiers were dismissed into their owne countries and Cicala gaue notice to the King at Constantinople of all that had happened I my self also was in Constantinople at the same time when the postes arryued that brought word of these great aduentures First was published the death of Osman for whom there were many signes of verie great sorrow and together with his death were blazed the blouddie and mortall actions that were performed so that it seemed all the whole Citie was greatly discomforted and diuerse times in those few dayes by sundry persons in many places and particularly in the house of Mahamet Bey one of the San-Giacchi of Cairo my verie great friend I heard much rayling vpon the King many curses of this warre and infolent maledictions of these many mischiefes Then was dispersed the great fame of the new Fortresse erected in Tauris of the sacking of that Citie and of all the losse that hapned therein And lastly there was a general Edict published in the Kings name that through all the Cities of his Empire they should make solemne feastes shew other expresse tokens of mirth and reioysing which the Turkes call Zine And therupon all the Artificers in Constantinople with diuerse goodly and sumptuous shewes with musicall instruments and bountifull banketting performed the Kings royall commaundements There was also woord sent to the Embassadours of Hungarie of Fraunce of Venice and of other countries that they should doo the like But they all aunswered with one accord that it was neuer the custome of Embassadours to make anie signe of reioysing but onely when the King himself in person returned from the like victories In the mean time great consultation was at Van how they might attempt to send succours to Teflis in Georgia whereof there was a rumour spread abroad that it was yelded to the Georgians which in deed was a lye as at an other time the like report was also And while they were thus in
opinion is that we felt the losse of more then twentie thousand persons among whom there is slaine poore Vstref the Checaia so well knowen vnto you Heere also died the Visier of his infirmitie In the first battell the Spahini of the Porta with certaine of the Kinges Chiaus brought to the Visier three hundred heads of Persians but in the second they made no great boast for in deed both the one and the other was not without great losse vnto them We remoued from Sancazan and were againe pursued by our enemies the Cheselbas and yet without any fight between them and vs sauing onely two dayes after we were departed from them they took away from the tayle of our Armie a great number of Camels and Mules loaden with stuffe slaues and munition which although they were followed yet could not be recouered but that Mahamet the Bassa of Siuas with the souldiers of the Porta and of Caraemit brought vs a thousand heads of Persians fiue Drummes and one Ensigne besides that with our Artillâ—rie they were hardly entreated and two of their Chans slaine We came afterwards in a direct course to Erzirum without hearing any word at all of the Persians And to the end you may know how we haue left Erzirum I do further aduertise you that there are remaining in it certaine Spahini of the Porta with certaine Sardari and Vlu-Bassi and two Sangiacchi the one of Bir the other of Marra who afterwards fled away both There is least for the Sardar or Generall and Capteine of these in the Fort Giaffer the Eunuche Bassa of Tripoli to whom the Visier hath also graunted that for three whole yeares together he shall be Bassa of Caraemit and afterwardes one of the Visiers of the Porta There is least also for them victuaile and munition and great store of Artillary But I may not omit to tell you that in our Armie wee haue indured such a dearth as wee haue beene enforced to giue our Camelles Biscot and Ryse and when that failed vs we gaue them Pack-saddles to eate and after that peeces of wood beaten into poulder and at last me gaue them the verie earth And this great dearth endured euen vntill we arriued at Van. And at Tauris wee were of necessitie constrained while the fortresse was in building to giue our horses their doung in very drie poulder by reason whereof there followed a greeuous mortallitie of horses Camelles mules and men and the stinke which grew of this mortallitie was so great that we were faine alwaies euerie one of vs to carrie halfe an Onion vnder our nose to auâ—yde it Yet at last we are now arryued at Erzirum from whence we hope also shortly to be deliuered for that euery bodie had licence to depart euen from Van. God be with you From Erzirum the first day of the Moone of Mucaren By this Letter it may manifestly be perceaued that the number of Turkes which perished in this enterprise of Tauris is peraduenture greater then that which we haue written And although there be therein discouered some kind of diuersitie in the actions otherwise then we haue deliuered them yet ought no man greatly to maruaile thereat for that it is a verie easie matter to varie in such a point because the maner how and the occasions why yea the verie proceedings of battels are many times not knowen to all men alike especially in so huge an Armie wherein the effectes and issues can verie hardlie be throughly knowen much lesse the causes and occasions thereof The end of the eight Booke The Ninth Booke The Argument The Occasion of the Persians perplexed cogitations The Persians resolution to assault the Forte The Persians seeke to be reconcyled with the Turcomannes The Turcomannes do deceitfully promise to helpe the Persians in their common miseries The Persian king deliuereth his sonne Tamas to the Turcomannes The Turcomannes fly from the assault of the Forte and call Tamas their king The Persian Prince pursueth the fugitiue Turcomannes The Persian Prince putteth to death Mahamet-Chan and Calife the Sultan He committeth his owne brother Tamas to prison and withdraweth himselfe to Casbin to gather a new Army Saitan-Chalasi abandoned by the Souldiers that were in it The Inhabitantes of Chiulfall giue tribute to the Bassa of Reiuan and also to Alyculâ— whereby they preserue themselues in peace Cicala the Bassa at the request of Giaffer the Bassa mindeth to succour the Forte Cicala feareth the comming of the Persian king and retyreth to Van. King Amurath at Constantinople chooseth Ferat the Bassa to bee his Generall who had once already bene Generall before Osman the Bassa Ferat goeth to Siuas and so to Erzirum where he meeteth with a very great Army which was in great distresse by reason of a dearth Ferat passeth-on to Van and there findeth the Souldiers of Soria Palestina Iury and Mesopotamia The mustering of the whole Army The Turkish Generall hath intelligence with certaine trayterous and rebellious Persians The Persian Prince commeth to Tauris The causes why the Prince would not attempt to assault the Forte The Persian Prince ouerthroweth Zeinello sacketh the Cittie of Salmas and discomfiteth the Bassa of Reiuan A treaty for the exchange of the two Prisoners Ebrain-Chan and Amurath the Bassa but nothing concluded by it The subiectes of Manogli do great harme in Soria Aly the Bassa is sent from Constantinople to Soria against the Drusians The Prince setteth his Army in array and goeth to meete and endommage Ferat The Prince discouereth the treason of the Rebelles and so retyreth The Forte is succoured by Ferat without any speech or word of any battell from his enimies The Stratageme of Simon commeth to no good issue Teflis is relieued with succours The Persian Prince commeth to Genge and is thrust through the body by one of his owne keepers THE NINTH BOOKE BVt the Persians in the meane time were all full of wrath and indignation for the Fort that was builded by their enemies For on the one side they found themselues not onely disfurnished of artillarie and of other engines to batter the walles downe to the ground but also to be much fewer in nomber then were sufficient and requisite to resist the tempest of fires which they knew they must indure in assaulting those that should be enuironed within the Castell And on the other side they reconed it too great a shame vnto them that the enemie hauing made a Fort within their owne naturall Cittie should quietly rest there and insolently threaten them with daily oppression and mischeeuous calamities in time to come And therefore being pricked on by glory by vertue and by very necessity they determined euen in the sharpenes of winter to gather fresh souldiers and reducing the forces of their armie into a coÌ„uenient order with trenches of earth to approach the ditch and to trie if they could aduaunce a countermure as high as their walls and so attain to the conquest thereof But in
Erzirum and of Van made the Wing with the Souldiers of both the Armeniaes and the Sangiacchi of the Curdi watered with the Lakes Tospite and Martiano dwelling in the middle betweene the Iberians and the Mesopotanians on the one side frozen with the colde of Taurus and on the other side warmed with the prospecte of the South in all to the number of twelue thousande This last Cornette was kept with a perpetuall watch by the Knight Marshall of the fielde and the other was defended with a continuall trench of artillery And in them both were mustered the voluntarie Souldiers that after so longwarre being greedy of spoyle and ambitious of glorie were equallie diuided betweene them to the number of twenty thousande The Vaunt garde went alwayes a mile before the Armie with two thousande Horse and foure companies of the readiest light Horsmen to the number of three thousande and before all these foure or sixe Fore-runners or Spies on horsebacke After the Auauntgarde rode the Master of the Kinges Horse called the Imbrahur Bassi with foure hundred Ianizzaries Nexte after them followed foure hundred Solacchi and then foure thousande Ianizzaries more and presently after them the Long-shot wrought in Algier and called Sciemete being the ordinarie and perpetuall Guarde of the Generall who without any company by his side sauing onely his twelue footmen came next vpon them And behinde him his Standerdes his Drummes his Trumpettes and the whole bodie of his Battell betweene vvhich and the Rere-vvarde follovved his huge carriages for the necessarie vse of his Armie and on both sides the two greate and large Cornettes before described The watch of the night whether the Armie were martching or lodged was committed to the truste of the Bassaes of Cilicia and Natolia aboue named And thus had the Generall Ferat marshalled his Armie with further direction that they shoulde not hazarde battell with the enemie but vppon certaine hope that they might shunne and auoyde such cruell and memorable slaughters as the laste yeare vnder the vnhappie gouernement of Osman had left heapes of deade Carcasses almoste euen and leuell vvith the tops of hilles And vvithall hee failed not to comforte and encourage all such as quaked in their heartes at the remembraunce of those mischances that they had seene or heard The Generall was greatlie perplexed in his minde with continuall feare least his enemies shoulde come vpon him with some sudden assaulte and the fame also that was spread before in Amasia and after confirmed in Erzirum of the arriuall of the Prince Amze at Tauris with such an Armie as was publikelie reported did euerie moment encrease his irksome cogitations But on the other side hee reposed great confidence in the conspiracy that was plotted against the life of the Prince with the priuitie of Alyculi-Chan the Protector and Champion of Abas the Mirze of Heri Who vnder collour of accompanying the Prince to assist his forces had resolutelie concluded with himselfe and absolutely promised Abas hauing also giuen intelligence thereof to the Turkish Generall that hee would rid the Prince Amze of his life or at least which he thought might more easilie be brought to passe in the sundrie reuolutions and variable chances of the battell at some time or other to make him fall aliue into the handes of Ferat and so to settle his Lord and Master Abas in his estate Vpon these treacheries Ferat grounding himselfe began with greater confidence to dispose his designementes and somewhat lesse to feare the reportes of the Fame that blazed abroad the huge preparations of Persia against him which preparations in trueth as by moste wicked deuices and malicious conspiracies they were turned quite contrarie from that end whereunto the Prince Amze had continuallie appointed them so if they had bene employd with such saith and fidelitie as so righteous a cause required without all doubt the writers of our time shoulde haue had in this four-skore and sixth yeare matter ynough to shewe and represent to the vvhole worlde such accidentes as shoulde be nothing inferiour to those of the yeare before going And Persia should haue seene some reuenge at the least of those most mischieuous iniuries that it hath receaued But forasmuch as rebellion and discorde those two infernall Ministers of the Deuill haue for the vtter vndoing and ouerthrowe of the glorie of Persia continually fauoured the Turkish Armies No maruell it is that the Persian Nation cannot vaunt of any reuenge that they haue taken of anie one indignity offered vnto them by their enemies and that our Writers cannot choose but write of the true and vndoubted victories of the Turks and the bare shadowes of the Persian exploytes Which notwithstanding but all in vaine our Christian Nations euen vntill this day although they doe see the manifest prospering and euident conquestes which the Turkes haue had in diuers States and Countreyes yet doe they easilie beleeue because they doe moste earnestlie desire them to bee true But wee vvill not fayle as trulie as possiblie wee may to reporte whatsoeuer wee vnderstande to haue happened that out of our writinges the Readers may take such aduise as out of such aduertisementes may bee gathered The Persian Prince arriued at Tauris with the greatest parte of his Armie about the twentie eighth of the Moone Regeb which may bee about the latter ende of Iulie In which place euery body thought verily he would haue stayed and attended the conquest of the Forte which now hee might haue vtterlie destroyed with more ease than before he coulde haue done because the souldiers that were in it were reduced to a very small number and those that did remayne were greatly impayred by sundrie inconueniences and withall shrewdlie terrified with the expectation of the Princes arriuall Notwithstanding this common opinion and publike conceite was vtterlie frustrated For Amze did not onelie forbeare to attempt this expugnation but hee scarse taried any while in the Citie of Tauris The cause of this his so doing is diuerslie yea and vainlie reported The Persians and all their adherentes say that Prince tooke this course not because hee was not able immediately to besiege the Forte and easilie to haue gotten the victorie ouer it for they did not sticke verie gloriouslie to vaunt that it was in his power so to doe but onelie because if hee had taken and destroyed the Forte then woulde the Turkes haue for borne to come to Tauris and so the Prince should haue loste the opportunitie of ioyning battell with them and plaguing the Turkish Armie with such losses and discomfitures as hee earnestly desired to afflict them withall meaning notwithstanding to destroy the Forte after hee should haue satisfied his longing to bee reuenged on his enemies Campe. Others cannot beleeue that the Prince woulde relinquish so necessarie and honourable enterprise for any such respect for they were of opinion that Amze could not haue had a more glorious reuenge nor more
grieuouslie endommaged his enemies then by ouerthrowing that Forte which to the greate daunger and perill of the Persians was erected euen in the middest of them yea that Forte for the building and accomplishment whereof they had compassed all those mischiefes the laste yeare Another cause also there is yeelded of this his so doing And that is the infirmitie which the Prince knew to be in himselfe as a man vnacquainted with the daungerous attemptes of a siege verie fearefull of Artillery and more corragious in anie other kinde of battell then these that are vsed to be foughten vnder the walles of any place But let it be that he was lead by eyther of these two respectes it maketh no greate matter The trueth is that Amze with all the troupes which hee brought with him the number and order whereof shall bee shortly hereafter declared vnto you did scarse make any stay in Tauris For he had vnderstood that before the Cittie of Salmas Zeinel the Bey by nation a Curdo and by office the Bassa of that Cittie had encamped himselfe whome hee determined suddenly to set vppon and chastise not onely for his rebellion whereby of a Persian hee became a Turke but also for many other his insolent behauiours which hee had diuers times vsed against the liberties and priuiledges of the Citties of Persia. This determination hee put in execution and being accompanied with twelue thousande Souldiers hee rode to Salmas where finding Zeinell with all his people hee gaue him the assault Zeinell was more readie to flie and make escape then minded to fight or make rescues and his Forces also as ready to followe his example who beeing more intentiue to saue themselues with their housholde stuffe and other implementes to resist their enemies the more they sought by all meanes to preserue their liues and slippe out of the Persians handes the more they fell into the spoyle and were woonderfully ill entreated so that the Bassa himselfe with a fewe other fugitiues coulde hardly saue themselues in the cloasest and darkest corners thereaboutes And in this sorte was Zeinello and the Cittie of Salmas that was committed to his charge and defence endommaged and left for a praie to the Conquerours Who entring into their streetes houses and Temples sacked and spoyled the same exercising thereon such cruelties and indignities as partlie the naturall desires of souldiers doe vse to practise and partely such as the Turkes themselues shewed vpon them as it were for an example howe to doe in the like case in that miserable and most vnfortunate sacking of Tauris the laste yeare The like spoyles did the Persian Armie make in all those quarters rounde aboute and so woulde peraduenture haue returned to Tauris but that certaine Spies arriued vpon them who brought aduertisement howe the Bassa of Reiuan being issued out of his Fortresse with fifteene hundred Harquebusiers had committed the like outrages in the villages and fieldes thereaboutes as the Prince had done about Salmas With this newes Amze was greatlie mooued and immediatlie raising all his Armie he iourneyed euen vntill night towardes Reiuan and not farre from the Cittie encountred the Bassa who discouering his enemies forces a farre off beganne in great disorder to flie and retire into his Fort leauing the greatest parte of his Souldies being nothing so speedie in flight as himselfe to the fury of the Prince who slewe them all and exercised all mischiefe that might be deuised and al terrible maner of crueltie in those quarters But notwithstanding all these wrathfull conflictes and broyles of warre the two famous Prisoners Ebrain-Chan and Amurat the Bassa of whom we haue made mention in the former books of this historie ceassed not by peaceable enter course and treatie about their own liberties to procure that they might interchangeably be inlarged and restored to their owne Lordes This practise continued verie hote for manie dayes together and at the laste the Turkes were contented to enlarge Ebram-Chan vppon condition that Amurat also might be set at libertie But the offer was thought to be verie vnequall For say the Persians Ebrain-Chan was emprisoned against all right by the dishonourable treacherie and infidelitie of Amurath to the great contempt and vtter subuersion of al lawes which towardes Embassadours ought most sacredlie and religiously to bee maintayned in any cause whatsoeuer and Ebrain-Chan ought not in any respect to be kept in prison but with most manifest iniustice and iniquitie Whereas on the other side Amurath the Bassa was lawfully taken captiue and brought into thraldome not by deceite of wordes nor breach of faith but in plaine battell euen with the daunger of those that tooke him prisoner and to bee shorte agreeablie and according to the lawes of warre and Enemy-Nations And therefore so vnequall and vnproportionable an exchaunge was not onelie vtterlie to bee denyed and reiected but also vnreasonable on the Turkes behalfe to be offered These sounde and effectuall reasons of the Persians coulde not be answered but eyther by money or by some other meanes that mighte supplie the defeates of the Turkes inaequalitie Whereunto they woulde neuer agree to yeelde and so the two Captaines remanyned still in prison as thy did before At the verie same time in the confines of Tripolie certaine Drusians of the territorie of Manogli who after the departure of Ebrain the Bassa were quietlie and peaceablie retired to their owne homes beganne to raise new stirres and troubles Whereuppon the Drusian Captaines that were carried prisoners to Constantinople by Ebrain the Bassa and were nowe vpon the poynt to bee set at libertie and to returne to their woonted habitations at the reporte of these fresh troubles and tumultes were againe restrayned and clapt vp in close custodie and in great daunger also to haue lost their liues Nowe the rumour of these stirres was this that Manogli perceauing all the Souldiers and garrisons to bee now departed for the warre of Persia as wee haue tolde you and none other prouision sent for the defence of those places hee determined to issue out into the fielde and not onelie to reuenge the death of his people which vniustlie and by treacherie they had suffered but also to licke himselfe whole and by a kinde of violent restitution to bee recompensed for all those bribes and presentes which with so manie shiftes and subtilties as before is declared were extorted from him by the Messengers and Stratagemes of Ebrain the Bassa For which purpose beeing issued out into the playnes and Champeignes of Tripoli and hauing first wasted and sacked all the territorie of Ebnemansur and of his other enemies hee forced all that Countrey with sudden inuasions and inroades euen verie neere to the Citties of Balbecke and Tripolie As for the defence and rescue of Balbech Acra woulde not stirre a foote fearing belike least hee might bee endaungered by the valour and resolution of Manogli wherewith hee was verie well acquainted But for Tripoli there
were diuerse Souldiers that remayned in that Cittie and liued as it were in Idlenesse which with a greate sum of money they had purchased at the handes of the couetous Officers of the Sultan Emperour And these souldiers beganne to bestirre themselues lustelie In this number of idle mates was one Mamut Bey sometime a Sangiaccho but nowe cassiered and put out of Office who by meanes of his bribes hauing auoyded to serue in these warres of Persia imagined with himselfe that such a fitte occasion whereby hee might shewe himselfe willing and readie to represse the insolent inuasions of the Drusian might make him deserue so well at the Sultans handes that hee woulde bestowe vpon him the office of Customer in that Cittie which so greatlie he desired And therefore hee before any of the rest displaying his Standerd and mustering all his bandes of Souldiers in so much that hee did not spare the verie Caddi and the Deftardar that is to say the Iudge and Chamberlaine of the Gittie but made them to ride out with him he roade to encounter the Drusians and to ioyne battell with them hoping eyther to destroy them or honourablie to put them to flight Or els as others doe discourse of the matter in deede not to meete with them at all but onelie to beare away the commendation that he was readie with his weapons in his hande for the publike defence of the Cittie and custodie of his Lordes Countreyes These Souldiers of Tripolie were not farre departed from their Cittie but the Drusians presentlie confronted them and with continuall shot of Harquebusies began to disorder and diuide them But the people of Tripolie although indeede somewhat negligently yet did they continue the skirmish a great while and would peraduenture also haue endured the battell a longer time but that in the sight of all the Armie to the generall astonishment of them all the Caddi or Iudge of their Cittie was shot starke deade with a Peece and fallen from his horse Who as among all other men that came out of the Cittie should haue bene the last man that should haue entermedled in such like actions so was he the first man that was slain in the sight At this spectacle there arose such a confused feare among the Turkes that the Deftardar or Chamberlaine of the Cittie without any longer stay fled as fast as hee could into Tripolie and all the rest after him The Sangiaccho also who was the chiefest and busiest instrument of raysing these stirres had his Standerde bearer slaine and his Ensigne taken away with manie other losses that happened besides among the baser sorte Aduertisementes hereof was sent to Constantinople and presentlie thereupon the Drusian Captaines as wee tolde you before were againe restrayned Mendel as a great confederate with Manogli that had raised all these troubles and Mansurogli with his complices as friendes vnto Acra that woulde yeelde no defence in so greate a necessitie Howbeit the Turkish King dispatched away Aly Bassa borne at Aleppo with the title of the Bassa of Damasco and with authoritie to muster fresh Souldiers and so vvhollie to attende the vtter subuersion of Manogli But comming thither hee founde no innouation at all but his presence in that Countrey serued rather for a reconciliation and peace making amongst them then for moouing any vvarre againste them And in trueth if euer at anie time there vvere good cause to auoyde newe vvarre at this time of all other it vvas moste necessarie to auoyde it because neither the common treasure nor aboundance of victualles nor the desire or readinesse of the Souldier did yeelde anie courage to enterprise such troubles Besides the huge number of Locustes vvhich vvere in such aboundance ouer all the Countrey of Soria that in the memorie of all the oldest men there liuing neuer vvas there seene so greate a multitude of those Excrementes in those Quarters did as a moste horrible specctacle mightilie encrease the vniuersall feare of grieuous calamities to ensue thereupon Nowe the Persian Prince hauing made an ende of those outroades and spoyles vvhich before wee haue mentioned retyred himselfe to Tauris and towardes his Fathers Campe gathered together all the reste of his Armye that vvas novve arriued The Order Number and Condition vvhereof it is not amisse to describe in such manner and sorte as I hearde it reported at Aleppo vvhen I made diligent and due enquirie of these nevves there They reported that vvhat vvith the Souldiers of Heri the Turcomannes and the bandes of Gheilan and vvhat vvith all the reste of the Armie sent from the Citties that vvere subiecte and obedient to the King of Persia The Prince had gathered fourtie thousande Souldiers whereof notwithstanding that I and others had some doubt and suspition yet was it commonlie maintained by conferences among the Turkes and Persians and by letters among the Persian Merchantes and afterwardes it was confirmed also to bee true in deede From Heri vnder the conduct of Alyeuli Chan they say there came an Armie of eight thousande From Ghetlan vnder the gouernment of a sonne of Amet-Chans they say there came feuen thousande Horsemen Of the Turcomannes there were gathered together about sixe thousand And all the rest leauied by the subiect and obedient Citties of Persia whereof wee haue often made mention before And besides all this multitude the King was guarded by his ordinary Guarde of Churehi and Esahul whose number and necessarie prouisions we haue already described in the second booke The companie of Heri with some part of the Turcomannes were dispatched by the Prince vnder the conduct of Alyculi-Chan to encounter the Turkish Generall And the like order giuen to Emanguli-Chan who had the Souldiers of Media and the borderers of Armenia vnder his gouernement Both these Captaines had in speciall charge that in the moste narrowe and most deceitfull places by the way they should meete and receiue their enemies Armie and worke them the gretest mischiefe and losse that possibly they coulde All which Amze did thus order and appoint because hee thought by this meanes to weaken his enemies Forces and then being so weakened to come vpon them with a fresh bartell and vtterlie to destroy them at their arriual to Tauris Both the Captaines departed accordinglie making shewe that they woulde with all affection obey and accomplish the commaundementes of their Prince But neuer was there heard any seruice of moment put in execution by them For Alyculi went about to alleage reasons and excuses why they shoulde surcease from meeting with the Turkes and Emanguli being as yet vtterly ignorant of the wicked purposes and mischieuous treacheries of Alyculi followed also his example But these excuses and delayes of these two Persian Captaines the Turkish Generall tooke leisure without any losse or hindrance at all to arriue at Tauris and to place the expected succours within the Fort. At what time by good hap but by what meanes I knowe not the Prince
and Tatar B. the Tartarians inhabiting Scythia and Sarmatia Tatar-Chan B. the chiefe Lord or Gouernour of the Tartarians He is called the great Chan of Tartaria Tauris and Taruis Read the Letter to S. Mario Corrado in the end of this booke Techisnandan B. Certain Mountaines in Caramania Deserta Teflis and Tiflis a Citie in Armenia but belonging to the Georgians Teftis T. a Processe or Bill of complaint put vp by the Plaintife Teracan B. a Citie in Parthia Tocca B. the round Roll which the Barbarians vse to weare on their heades It is also called Sessa and Turbante Tomanis a Citie in Armenia but belonging to the Georgians verie famous for the notorious treacherous straites that are neer it Trabisondo B. a Sea-coast Citie vpon Pontus Euxinus called in old time Trapezuntium A. Triala B. a place in Armenia renowmed for a number of Churches there which held of the Romish Religion Triala B. a Sea-coast Citie in Asia and 〈◊〉 Triala B. a white Roll which the Barbarians were vpon their heades Look Tocca Turbat B. a Citie in Parthia Turcoman a Citie betwixt Tauris and Casbin Turcomanni a people mingled among the Turkes and Persians Turcomania the greater of old called Great Armenia A. Tursis B. a Citie in Parthia V. UAn B. a Citie in the Martian Marish Visier B. a chiefe Counsailour or Gouernour generall of the State of Turkie Vlac and Volacchi T. Postes or Currors to run of a message in hast Vlu-Bassi B. the Captain of a certain number of Souldiers but not so high in degree as an Aga is Z. ZAffo and Giaffa B. a Citie by the Sea-side in old times called Ioppa A. Zagatai B. certain Tartarians comprehended vnder the name of the Sogdiani Zaghen B. a City in Armenia inhabited by the Georgians Zaini T. a noble companie of valiant Souldiers Zanga B. a Citie in great Armenia Zante B. an Island in the Ionian Sea called in old time Zacynthus A. Zine B certain festiual signes and shewes of publike ioy Zuiria B. a Region lying at the rootes of Mount Caucasus towards the Hircanian Sea and was called in old time Albania A. FINIS The warre in Persia commodious for the state of Christendom The causes that moue the author to wryte this historie A peace betweene Tamas Soliman the conditions thereof Soliman Selim dead Tamas dyeth Tamas leaueth eleuen children Tamas his last will The simulation of Ismahel Why Mahamet was called by surname Codabanda Mahamet lo ueth not the charge of a king Abas Mirize Mahamets sonne in Her Emir Hamze Mahamets sonne Ismahel called to Casbin to be crowned king of Persia. Stirres in Casbin Periaconcona sister to Mahamet Aidere Ismahel yet elder in yeares then they The singular boldnesse of Aidere Aidere procureth to bee made king be fore Ismahel The subtilty o Periaconcona to entertayne Aidere Aidere stalled king in Casbin Aidere acknoledging his publike derision ssieth all fearefull among certaine women Aidere beheadded by Sahamal his vncle The head of Aidere throwne among the conspirators Ismahel putteth to death many kinsfolkes and frendes of his dead brother Aidere Euery man bewaileth the cruelty of the new king Ismahel Ismahel publisheth a new superstition New publike griefes new deathes happening by occasion of Ismahel The Califfe of Casbin depryued of his eyes by the commandement of Ismahel A rumor spread that Ismahel would passe to Babilon with an army King Ismahel suddenly perished the manner of his death Periaconcona parleeth with the captaines of Persia. The answere of the Captaynes to Periaconcona Amurat at the stirres in Persia entreth into mind to make warre vpon them An auncient custome of the Turkes Amurat intentiue to the matters of Persia. Mahamet Codabanda resolueth to come and be crowned King Periaconcona beheadded New stirres and mischeefes in Persia. Sahamal the Georgian flyeth from Casbin into the mountayneâ— Leuentogli desyrous of innouation The people of Seruan euill affected towardes the new king Vstress the Bassa of Van aduertyseth Amurat of the stirres in Persia. Amurat is confirmed in his opinion to make warre Amurat in peace with the Christian Princes Amurat in peace with the Christian Princes Amurat taketh counsell of his Visiers Turkes make no accompt of breaking Promisse Mahamet the Visier aduiseth to make warre The generall conclusion of them all Two difficulties found in the resolution to make warre The difficulties aunswered Mustaffa Bassa the infamous hath great hope in this warre Mustaffa preferre th the valour of the Latines before the valour of the Georgians Persians Discord dangerous to a common wealth Amurat protesteth to the Visiers that of this warre he would both reape profit and honour The opinion of some touching the manner of the warre The opinion of others A third opinion The deliberation of Amurat Amurat goeth not in person to this warre and the reasons why Order giuen by Amurat to the borderers to annoy Persia. Vstref doth much harme to the borderers Mustaffa elected Generall of the Turkish Campe against the Persians A. 1577. Mustaffa at Chalcedon Mustaffa at Erzirum The muster of the army in Erzirum The Aâ—esâ— potamians The Assyrians and Babilonians The Sorian The Natolians The Iewes Philistims The Caramanians The Grecians The Constantinopolites The men of Erzirum Voluntary men little inferior to the number of stipendaries but better armed Places that sent no souldiers this yeare to the warres of Persia. 500. peeces of small artillary with Mustaffa 500. peeces of small Artillary with Mustaffa Many loades of money Taxes and Tenthes for corne and cariage Trabizonda but 4. small daies iourney distant from Erzirum Mustaffa departeth from Erzirum to the ruines of Chars An excessiue raine Somefall sicke Mustaffa departeth from Chars The mountaines of Chielder The artificiall manner of encamping which Mustaffa vsed The King of Persia moued by the fame of this expedition made against him dissembleth his hatted toward the Sultans Tocomac generall of the Persians Order giuen by king Mahamet to Tocomac Commandement giuen ouer all Persia to gather men against the Turke The places whence the souldiers were gathered The disobedience of many Embassadors from Georgia The army of the Persians â—x thousand and no moe The manner how the Persians are armed their conditions Tocomac with his host commeth toward Chars Tocomac sendeth spyes The errour of the Persian spyes Tocomac falleth into the same errour that the spyes did Tocomac commeth boldly to assaile his enemyes The Persians obtaine a happy and fortunate victory Mustaffa is moued against the Persian conquerors and succoureth his owne people The Persians endure the assault The Persians retire through the benefite of the night Mustaffa returneth to his rentes The Persians newes to Casbin Mustaffa sendeth postes with newes of the battell to Amurat. 5000. heades and 3000. Persians aliue presented to generall Mustaffa The arte of Mustaffa his cruelty A bulwarke made of heades Embassadors from Manucchiar the Georgiano Manucchiar honorably receaued by Mustaffa The speech of Manucchiar The aunswere
siege yet was the Fort still maintained and held in the possession of those fortunate people Which was afterwardes the matter and occasion of continuing those motions and mutations which after fell out so commodious to the state of Christendom The Embassadors excused their Lord for not comming himselfe in person to do reuerence to Sinan for that his sicknesse and certen other priuat respects did hinder him from doing that which hee both desired and also ought to haue done All which was most acceptable to Sinan who in sign therof caused the Embassadors of Leuentogli to be apparelled in cloth of gold and sent vnto himself a battel-axe and sword all gilt and set with iewels promising vnto him great matters and with gallant words declaring vnto him his exceeding affection of loue confederacie with him Yea and some say that Sinan sent letters to Alesiandro himself wherein he made a motion vnto him for some treaty of peace telling him that hee being a friend both to the Turks and to the Persians ought to trie al the means he could to pacifie these troubles and to reconcile the minds of the two kings But in truth what was done in so secrete a matter I could neuer yet learne any certenty to write and therfore without any further speach of it wee wil prosecute the progresse of Sinans armie The day following Sinan his army passed the strait of Tomanis then came before him Mutafsade Bassa borne in Aleppo now gouernor of the same city whoÌ„ I had often-times in cure declaring vnto him that not far froÌ„ them ther was great store of corne cattell and no body to keepe the same but only a few GeorgiaÌ„s therfore it wold be wel if he would send for the saide pâ—aie whereof yea though it had beene much greater his Armie stood in such need Sinan did carrie a good affection to Mutafsade and therefore was easely induced to send for the bootie but because he was in some feare that if he shoulde not send out a good Company of Souldiers for it there might haue happened to his vittailers some accustomed mishap being principally mooued with the fresh remembrance of the sinister accident that lighted vpon Talogli and Homar he gaue order that to fetch in this Corne and Cattel there should goe out ten thousand horsemen and their seruants among whom was also the said Mutafsade as Captaine of them â—ll Now Tocomac Simon and other Persian Captaines had gathered themselues together stood waiting watching when any band of the Turkish Souldiers should come down for these reliefes of Corne hiding themselues in certaine treacherous valleis neere vnto them expected occasion wherein they might make some notable discouery of themselues Whereupon the foresaide Souldiers beeing come according to the appointment of Sinan to fetch away these vitâ—aises and beeing arriued at the place where they were they beganne to load their beastes withall and whiles they were most delighted with the sweetnes of their pray and had nowe charged almost all their Mules and horses with that which it most pleased euerie man to choose the hidden Persians all on a sodaine issued out of their treacherous valley and entred among them But Mutafsade as soone as he discouered the Persians in so great number in so good time to come vpon theÌ„ foreseeing the vniuersall slaughter of all his people was the first man that fled and with an vnhappie signe of ill lucke he left the rest that either woulde not or coulde not saue themselues by flight to the furie of their enemies who pursuing their desired victorye hewed in peeces seauen thousand of them and some they carried away aliue leading with them their Mules and horses laden with their stolen bootie Mutafsade was the first that broughtto Sinan the vnhappie newes of the Persians treacherie and after him the slaughter that followed was also reported vnto him by the fugitiues that escaped by flight And thereupon Sinan dispatched away the Bassa of Caramania and a great band of Souldiers with him with commandement that in what place soeuer and in what sorte soeuer he found them hee shoulde ioyne battel with them And these squadrons of fore-runners being gone afore he him selfe presently raising all his campe withal speed followed the said Bassa of Caramania But neither the one nor the other ariued in time for the Persians immediately after the foresaide victory without any staying hauing recouered their pray had withdrawen themselues betweene the Mountaines into certaine secure places which were knowen onely to such as by daily experience had pâ—rfectlie learned the diverse difficult passages of Georgia The army of Sinan marched on for the space of some miles till they ascended a certaine hill from whence they discouered the Persians who hauing disposed of their pray in the places before named were now returned to pursue the army to watch some fresh occasioni of new battell As soone as the Persians deserved the whole army they were afraid to meere with them yea and feared also leaste Sinan would descende from the hill and so assault them to their exceeding great losse For they did well remember what dangers and losses Mustaffa had prociued vnto them wheÌ„ they too boldly carelessely had suffered themselues to be induced to carry for him with so great a multitude so many fires in the Champaines of Chieldern therefore they tooke a better course for their owne security and so resolued to returne backe into their strong places within the mountaine And yet they could not be so quit loâ—â— this their retire dont that the Turkes who following Sinan were now descended to pursue them 〈◊〉 some fewe of them destroyed about fifty or threescore of theÌ„ whose heads in signe of triumph they carried a good part of their way vpon the point of their speares and aliue they tooke not in all aboue threescore and ten At the last Sinan with all his hoast passed these trecheries of his enemies came to Triala where he vnderstood by diuers inhabitants of those villages that of sundry Persians GeorgiaÌ„s also which had trauelled that way they had secretly learned how the king of Persia in his owne person with an exceeding great army being departed out of Tauris was comming to meete the Turkish hoast to bidde it battel that his purpose was that the 4 captaines which were coÌ„bined together with Simon keeping on their way towards Georgia should set vpoÌ„ the hinder part of the Turkish army at the very same instant hee himselfe with his forces would set vpoÌ„ the forefront At this news he made present proclamatioÌ„ through al his army that al the heauy cariages such as were vnprofitable for battel should be sent before towards Ardachan that euery maÌ„ should put himselfe in order readines with armoâ— munition for the uâ—age to 〈◊〉 â—hither he himselfe ◠〈◊〉 to