the councell had debated sondrie opinions they agred vpon none but were in great confusion consuming the time in discourses of none effect growing to no point at all at the last by the aduise of Calibasso here was their onely remedie they agreed to call Amorath oute of Asia and to enforce him to come yf that with good wil he wold not take in hand the enterprise for the defence of his sonnes state beinge assured at that time that the Gianizzeries wolde fighte vnder rhe conducte of none but only of Amorathe and also they thought it not conuenient to committe the fortune of the warres into the hands of anye man Amoonly exceptedvnder whose conducte they were alwaies accustomed to embrace victory this councell of Callibasso very much displaysed the yonge king Mahomethe whoe aboue all other thinges desyred to haue gouerned that iorney to get him reputacien and to giue them to vnderstand that he was sufficient to gouerne of hym slfe moreouer he suspected that yf Amorathe wcâ—â— called againe to gouerne he moughte continewe in the same for so muche as the myndes of men are mutable When the ambasssadours were come into the presence of Amorathe they perswaded him ernestly to the iourney broughte hym wyth them to Andrinople where with great diligence he assembled his souldiours and furnished them of al kinde of necessaries In this meane tyme was Vaiuoda come on toward Sophia and encamped at a place called Basylia where it was declared vnto him that Amorath was not farre of with the Turkishe power whiche when he vnderstode althoughe it were contrarye to his expertacion caused hym to put on a noble mynde determyninge not to tarie there the comming of the enemye but to march on towarde him and so to encountre with him as sone as Vaiuoda had discouered him forthe with he put his men in battayle and marched on towarde him with spede ioyned with him in battayle their began a terrible fyght which contynued y â— space of certaine houres with great obstinatie on both partes that nether gaue to the othe one fote of grounde the battayle was so doublefull that of neyther syde was there seene any aduantage for againste that corner or wingne of the battayle wherein Vaiuo da was the Turckes were not able to endure the force of the Hungarianes and for a longe tyme gaue place gyuing ouer the victorye in to the handes of their enemyes And in contrary wise wheare Amorath was in person the Hungaianes were not able to make good the place after this Vaiuoda and Amorathe mette face to face and drewe vnto them all the whole weight of the battayle in so much y â— the Christians were not a ble to endure y â— great force of y â— Turks although y â— Hungarians did farre excide y â— Turks in vertue discipline of the wars yet not w t standing being ouer laid w t nuÌ„bre and not with force but being vtterly weried were constrayned to giue place and Vaiuoda coulde nether with praier nor threating cause them to make hed but fled continually wherupon he with drewe him with a fewe of his trustie fryndes with him very skylfully from the vattaile and so saued hym selfe there dyed in that battayle many noble men cheifely of the Hungariane nation and some prelatz y â— fote men were in maner all slaine vpon the place and on the Turckes part the losse was not lesse when he came to his reuewe when Amorathe had thus with the great effusion of the blood of his people bought the victorie he retorned home againe wyth his armie and restored his sonne Mahometh againe to his place and continuing in his firste purpose conueied him selfe to Bursia and there liued priuatly euen to his death in the which he committed to the faith of Callibasso a yong sonne of his of the age of syxe Monethes which he begat of SpoÌ„derbei a noble princes in Penderacia the childs name was Calapino when he had thus done he died was buried iÌ„ Bursia in y e prouince of Bithinia which was then the seate of the kingdome of the house of Ottomanno Calibasso being desirous to gratitifie the newe kinge deliuered into his hand the child of Amorathe with the mother therof also whereupon he commaunded the chylde to be straÌ„gled and when it was done he restored the dead body to his mother and commaunded to celebrate his funerales with princelye honour in this sort dyd he consecrate the beginning of his raigne w t the death of his innoocent brother not wythstanding somme are of opinion y â— Calidasso dyd chaunge the child and presented an other in his place and that y â— frewe childe was brought vppe in Constantinople and after ward sent to Venise and that it was he that was holden prisoner in the palace at Rome by Calixto y â— bishope but we refarre the trouthe of this matter to the Iudgement of other for we wyll affyrme nothinge in this behalfe but men may wel thincke that somtime or it doth happen the sonne of a Barbor or of a Surgion of such like base condition by such subtil meanes to haue bene aduaunced to great honour yea and some tyme to succid in the seate of kings and of others of excellent titles and gouernement The seconde boke of Andre CAMBINE FLORENTINE OF THE ORIGInall of the Turckes and Empire of the house of Ottomanno AS SONE AS AMORATHE WAS DED Mahometh hys sonne caste from hym all kinde of subiection and toke vpon him absolutely to gouerne the kingdome and determining to reforme thinges that were oute of order he made newe lawes he alâ—â— corrected suche of their ancient constitutions as were â—edeful to be corrected with great diligence he dyd marâ—elouslye enriche his treasurie by augementing his reâ—enue with newe gabells impositiones he did greatâ—y increase the numbre of his Gianizzaries and horseâ—en he caused the acompte of his Bascias and such like â—s gouerned in his fathers time to be perused wherupâ—n he put certaine of them to death and from manye of he reste he toke their goodes and liuinges and hauing â—n ambitiouse hed coulde not be contented with that â—mple dominion y â— his father lefte vnto him but sought â—o take in hand somme glorious enterprise wherby he nought be thought not onely to be equall with his an â—estors but farre to excede them wherupon he fully deâ—ermined to take Constantinople by force and to make â—im selfe lorde therof perswading him selfe y â— he coulde not lawfully be called Emperour of Gretia vnto y â— time â—hat he possessed that Citie beinge the cheyfe citie and â—eate of the same Empire and more ouer by thesi meâ—â—es he thought to make his fame gloriouse with ther â—ations yf that he scarcely creapte ouer of his câ—yldâ—â—ede moughte ioyne to his Empire so mightye and famous a citie and so much the rather for that it had ben â—ttempted by certaine of his ancestours to their
and then he caused them to set saile and in shorte space he arriued at Ragusio and he with certaine with him landed there and was by the chiefe of that place honorably receaued And when they had a longe tyme talked together he wente to the churche to heare seruice and then toke his leaue and went aborde and set sayle hauinge a prosperouse wynde in shorte tyme approched neare to Barletta when the Duke Iohn and the countie Iames and the rest of the nobilitie sawe so manye sayles they Iudged Scanderbeg to be there for it was bruted that Scanderbeg wolde comme and ayde the kinge whervpon they raysed their campe and went to encampe at a certaine place from thence farre of In this meane tyme Scanderbeg landed and the kinge forthewith went oute of Barletta and came and embraced Scanderbeg weping for ioye gyuinge thanckes to God and then to him for so great cortesie and grace after this Scanderbeg caused to vnshippe his furniture to comforte the king and all the rest of his people and the nexte morowe he rode into the countre whiche had rebelled against the kinge aforesayde and broughte from thence and exceding great proie of cattell of all sortes and draue it to Barletta and for the space of all that daye there was made great ioye in hope of victorie and the morninge folowing he made an oration to his souldiours in forme as foloweth My deare frinds the cause of oure being here as nowe is to ayde and succour the kinge Ferrante oure frynde whom in one momente by godes helpe we haue delyuered from a perillous sege hithervnto w toute drawing oure swordes wherfore to make an ende of this enterprise it is nedefull to vse oure weapones very skylfully and to kepe very good order in suche sorte as the kinge maye recouer the countre that he hathe loste whiche thinge can not be done withoute gyuing battayle fyghtinge the same with great assurance and in maruelouse perfecte and stronge order but I thincke not that you wyll doe otherwise here in Italie then you haue done in Albania against the Turcks and other oure enemies notwithstandinge this maye not be vnaduisedly taken in hande forsomuche as these the kinges enemyes are Italianes and Frenshe men and are armed suerly euen from the hed to the fote hauinge launces of great force and stockes bothe stronge and wel piercinge wherfore yf we shoulde stande fyrmly and receaue their charge they wolde handle vs very rudely and we shoulde be able smally to anoie them for that oure armour is slender in comparyson of thers we were Iackes of mayle Targes longe and slender launces and althoughe that oure swordes and Scymytaries be heuy and that some of them wyll cut anye kynde of yron yet all thys is in maner nothinge consyderinge that their number dothe farre excede ours and they be men of greater vertue and force then are the Turckes wherfore with suche enemies it behoueth vs to deale discretly and valiantly puttinge oure truste in God to obtaine victorie acording as we are acustmed to doe wherfore it behoueth you to obserue this order thorowly that I shall nowe gyue you we wyll goe and seke these the kinges enemyes and when we shall fynde them we wyll withoute delaye offer to charge them yf they wyll offer to countrecharge vs we wyll then seme to rone awaye and after y e wyll torne suddenly vpon them for when they haue folowed vs a lytle tyme they wylbe sone wery for they can endure no great trauayle for they are loded with heuy armour and their horses are great and heuye and wylbe sone wery but we are able to endure to the ende of anye trauayle and then wyll we with oure swordes Scymytars and Mases so beate them aboute the heddes that we wyll enforce them to fall from their horses halfe dod and vsing the matter in this sorte there is no doubte but that we shall obtaine the victorie truethe it is for that they are baptized it greueth me muche but there is no remedie for euery man is bounde to defende him selfe we haue the ryghte on oure syde and the popes blessing and grace who is lord of the whole worlde both in spirituall and temporall matters for that he is Christes lieutenante wherfore I praie you and also commaunde you that euery man enforce him selfe more nowe then euer he dyd to doe well for that we are in a strange coū trey and are enforced to obtaine this victorie for the glorye of God and the welthe and cōmoditie of oure frindes and for oure owne honor and to the losse and dishonor of oure enemies The nexte morning folowinge Scanderbeg w t hys souldiours went with great assurance to se the kynges enemies and he attempted a scaramothe to se the maner of his enemyes and in what order they fought but they behaued them selues valiantly for a longe tyme and in the ende they wered werye and there were xxx of them ftayne and xx taken prisoners and of those of Scanderbeg there were only iiii hurte in this sorte Scāderbeg retorned victoriously to Barletta The nexte daye folowing in the morning Scanderbeg retorned againe to the enemyes determyninge to fyghte with them all that day and the nighte folowing he deuided his armie into thre squadrones y e one of them he wolde leave in person the other he comitted to y e conducte of Moises a notable Captaine of his and the other he gaue in charge to the countie Gintrizza his most valiante Nephewe and he presented these thre squadrones and assayled the enemye in thre sondrye places at once and the battayle continued all that daye and in the ende the enemyes wered wery wherfore that most subtile countie Iames determyned to fynde a remedie for that most eminent peryll wherin he was and therfore wente forthe of his squadrone and with a lowde voyce called sayinge most noble prince Scanderbeg maye it please the that I maye safely comme to speake with thyne excellentie of matters that shall in no wyse displease the Scanderbeg aunswered that he shoulde goe and comme safe vpon his faythe then the countie replyed requiring him that it moughte please him to comme forthe of his squadrone and he wolde doe the lyke to the ende y ◠they mighte talke together from their companies whervpō Scanderbeg withoute anye difficultie went forthe from his squadrone acompanied with a fewe souldiours and when he came neare where the countie was he caused his souldiours to staie a parte from him then Iames sayde my lorde oure talke wyll require some tyme wherfore maye it please your highnes that for this daye the battayle cease and that commaundement be so gyuen to bothe the armies Scanderbeg was well contentyd then the countie was very glade and began to talke of peace and amitie bothe to the honor of the kinge Ferrante and also to the honor of Scanderbeg And as they were thus talkinge Moyses and Gintrizza two of hys
hym that it troubled him in suche sorte that he was enforced to send his souldiours awaye to Scutari and to tarie that daye in his lodging commaunding them to doe whatsoeuer the lieutenante shoulde commaunde them and that he wolde the nexte daye be with them to deale with Hamathbeg and hys power when his souldiours vnderstode this they rode on their iorney sheding of teares and came to Scutari and forthewith by commaundement of the lieutenante afore sayde passed on ouer the plaines vntyll they came to the ryuer named Cliâ—o Then a certaine of the Turckes which were on the other syde of the riuer making garde as sone as they sawe them knewe them to be of Scanderbegs souldiours and maruelling at their sudden aryuale called vnto them asking where Scanderbeg was it was aunswered that he was in Alessio and that the morning folowing he wolde loke vpon them where vpon the Turckes repared to their Captaine Hamathbeg who laye in campe vpon the territorie of Driuasto and declared vnto him the newes that they had herde WheÌ„ Hamathbeg vnderstode these newes he was excedingly affraied so that he was enforced to stande al that night in battayle and in the morning very tymely to marche awaie and to passe ouer Mountaignes by very difficulte passages and wayes so y â— it was the iorney of all y â— daye to attayne to the highte of that hill and that same night folowing there fell so muche snowe dryuen with a vehement wynde beinge in the monethe of Ianuarie that y â— greatest number of those poore and fearefull Turckes died in that night and they which were lefte on liue the daye foloing marched awaye in exceding great feare loked often tymes behinde them yf that they mought se Scanderbeg to folowe them and had determined yf they had seen him comme to fall vpon their knees to yelde vnto him as it was declared to the Driuastianes by sondrie Turckes which they toke and in euery place where these poore Turckes passed they were cut in peces and spoyled miserably handled in sorte y â— fewe of them euer retorned to their dwelling place This same very daye that the Turckes thus fledde not beinge folowed by anye enemie this most Christian prince Scanderbeg lefte this earthly lyfe yeldinge hys soule to God in the yere of oure helthe 1467. and in the yere from his birthe 63. he was buried in the Cathedral Churche of Saincte Nicholas in Alessio with greate solempnitie and honor for whose death the bewaylinge was so vniuersale as the lyke was neuer seen in those partes of Epirro for in all places a man shoulde haue harde them wepe betterly of all estates and chiefely the nobilitis and Captaines cryed oute in most piteouse wyse saying O Scanderbeg oure good kinge oure defendour oure onely comforte oure father and brother why hast y u thus lefte vs Orphanes as shepe withoute a pastor howe maye we nowe anye lengar escape the handes of those most cruell and wycked Turckes oure enemyes woe shalbe vnto oure pore people woe to both great and smale woe to Albania and to all the prouinces therof and to all the prouinces neare aboute it In lyke sorte dyd the princes and people of other countres neare aboute it morne and lament for ScaÌ„derbeg was their eye and watche man the defendour of the states of all faitheful Christianes and of his owne he was entirely beloued of all Christianes onles it were of y â— false Christianes disciples of Iudas Also the vnreasonable creatures lamented his deathe for one of his best horses vpon whoÌ„ he had done great actes and ben also in perillause battayles which was a very well doing horse and of great trauayle in battayle lyke a Lyon of such fearcenes as it was marueled at of all the noble men and Captaines that had seen the doinges of the horse and oute of battayle he was as gentle as a lambe this horse as fone as his Maister was dead began forthewith to braie terribly and to bete him selfe from the one syde to the other w toute taking anye rest daye nor nighte he wolde neuer after that daye suffer bridle nor sadle to be put on him nor wolde neuer taste anye kynde of hey prouender or other sustenance but contynually braying beating him selfe daye and nyghte tyll at the last throughe very fayntnes he fell downe to the earthe and neuer rose agayne vpon his fete but dyed the signification hereof I committe to the secrete purpose of God who knowethe all things notwithstanding I wyshe all Christians not to cease but contynually to gyue thanckes vnto his diuine Maiestie for his great benefites bestowed vpon vs and to praye him to delyuer vs from the cruell and wicked handes of the Turckes and to gyue vs victorie against them and all other infydels as he alwayes dyd to his faithefull souldiour Scanderbeg which was not vnlyke in victorie to Iudas Machabeus Scanderbeg was muche lyke to the Emperour Eracleo which by the helpe of God dyd ouerthrowe the proude hethen prynce Cosdroe Scanderbeg in all the afore named battayles and others wherof there is no mencion made in this treatyse was neuer â—hurte nor maymed at anye tyme excepte once that he was hurte in the righte legge with an arowe but the poore souldiour which shotte it was forthe with espied of him and flayne at one onely stroke and cut in two peces his armes were alwayes couered with armour he was not enchaunted as the folyshe ignorante people dyd affirme for yf he had ben echaunted he coulde not haue ben hurte by the arrowe and it is writen y â— he neuer fought but his arme was well armed his vse was euer to throwe of his braciall as sone as he had put his enemyes to flyghte to the ende y â— he mighte the more franckly stryke for he bestowed neuer more then one blowe vpon one enemye in chase at all other tymes he was very well armed and dyd ioyne with his rare force wisedome and experience and wolde neuer at tempte God After that he was ded the worthy Captaines peiche Emanuell Zacharia Groppa Leche Cucca Paolo Manesi with dyuerse other worthy men and worthy of credite who had ben with him in maner in all his doinges dyd affyrme howe that Scanderbeg in those battayles wherein they had accompanyed him had slayne with his owne hande moe then 3. thousand meÌ„ his order was suche that his enemye dyd neuer longe stande against hym but spedyly he put them to flighte and as touching his naturall force it was not muche vnlyke to y â— moste rare force of Orlando and Rynaldo with other famous Knyghtes of the myghtye kinge Charles he gaue ones a great blowe in the presence of all his armie beinge in a greate furie for otherwyse I belyue he shoulde hardly haue done it there were taken in battayle ii souldiours of Balabanes kynsemen which were rebelles vnto ScaÌ„derbeg these were presented vnto him and had done him muche hurte and displeasure
TVVO very notable Commentaries THE ONE OF THE ORIGINALL OF THE TVRCks ks and Empire of the house of Ottomanno written by Andrewe Cambine and thother of the warres of the Turcke against George Scanderbeg prince of Epiro and of the great victories obteyned by the sayd George aswell against the Emperour of Turkie as other princes and of his other rare force and vertues worthye of memorye translated oute of Italian into Englishe by Iohn Shute PROVERBE .xxi. The horse is prepaired against the daye of battayle but the lord giueth the victorie PRINTED AT LONDON by Rouland Hall for Humfrey Toye dwelling in paules Churche yearde at the signe of the Helmette 1562 To the right honorable and HIS SINGVLER GOOD LORDE AND MAISTER syr Edwarde Fynes lorde Clynton and Say Knight of the order and highe Admirall of England and Ireland Iohn Shute wisheth longe life with increaceof godly honor FOR AS MVCHE RIGHTE HONORAble as the office of man standethe chyefely in two poyntes the one to serue God as he him selfe hathe appointed the other truely to serue his countrey and to wishe wel to the same in al that he mai I thought it good to turne into oure Englishe tonge these two Bokes folowing therby to proffyte suche as are not of seruile spiryte and when I had endyd the same I beth oughte me of some worthye patrone to whom I moughte dedicate the effecte of my smale trauayle in that behalfe and discoursynge in my selfe of dyuerse men I thoughte your honor a very meete man to accepte my symple present not for that I am your man and you my very good lorde and Maister but in respecte of those rare vertues whyche in your honour I knowe to reste Wherfore my humble request is that your lordshyppe wyll take this my poore trauaile in good parte which beinge graunted maye be an occasyon to styrre me vp to take in hande here after some greatter matter The one of these Bokes is writen in the Italian by Maister Andre Cambine a Citizen of Florence which declareth froÌ„ whence the Turckes came when they fyrste came into the lesse Asia of what condition they were the warres that they made and vpoÌ„ what nations they made them the victories that they obtayned and howe they vsed them the whole meanes wherby they attained to that mightie seate in the whiche they nowe sytte and commaunde to the great dishonor of the Christian princes The other is a Commentarie wryteÌ„ also in the Italian by whom I knowe not for that the name of the auctor is suppressed but whatsoeuer he be that dyd it he hathe deserued to be well thoughte of for his trauayle for it is well worthe the redding It intreatethe of the warres betwene Amorathe the seconde Mahomethe the second his sonne Emperours of Turckye and the moste worthye prince George Castrioth otherwvse named Scanderbeg prince of Albania in the which Boke is euidently seen to howe great purpose and effecte it is to haue a Captaine of perfect iudgement and a â—ouldiour of tryid disciplyne And for so much as I haue here occasion to speke of such knowledge as makes a souldiour I terme discipline I thincke it not encouuenient some thinge to saye therof not at large for that it wyll sufficiently fyll a great volume but briefely as I maye of so weightie matter This disciplyne conteyneth in it the whole force of the warres the roote therof is the perfecte iudgement of the Captaine the braunches are these the good choise of the newe souldiours obedience of the souldiour the contynuall exercise of the souldiour order wherin the souldiour must be instructed furniture wherwith the souldiour must both defend and offend and then the seueritie of the Captaine in seinge this discipline truely obserued and kept A. worthye generall is of that perfection that he caÌ„ vse any of these in his kinde and I desyre of god that this disciplyne maye be better knowen in oure countre then it is so shall we not haue so manye as we haue that shall saye giue me the vntrayned souldiour and take the trayned that lyste of whose opinion I for my parte nether am ne wylbe for so muche as I thincke I shalbe able to proue both in these oure daies and also in the olde worldes that the disciplined souldiour hath alwaye acheuid the great enterprise the vntrained hath often ben ouerthrowen but seldome or neuer hath gyuen ouerthrowe And to proue this true these men are redie whose names doe here folowe besyde the whole troupe of historiens els Liuie Plutarcke Cesar Appian Alexandrine Valerius Maximus Vigetius Blondus Herodian Paulus Iouius the CoÌ„mentarie of George Castrioth as here after more playnely shall appeare I thincke these sufficient to perswade anye man that is of a modest spirite in that behalfe And for so muche as this disciplyne is of so greate valewe I thincke it not vnâ—itting or vnfrutfull to touche euery braunche briefely in particular and fyrst I wyl begynne with the electioÌ„ choise of the newe souldiour Sertorius a worthy Romane who being the chiefe gouernour in Spaine after the death or Silla and beinge a man of a noble corage and of great iudgment in Martiall affares as Appian Alexandrine witnesseth of hym in his fyrste Booke of the Ciuil warres of the Romanes was not more honored for anye of the rare vertues that were in hym tâ—en for his greate iudgement in the choyse of newe souldiours his opinion was that the youthe which shoulde be chosen to defend theyr countre shoulde discend of honest parentes they shoulde be honestly broughte vp they shoulde be modest they shoulde also feare shame as wytnessyth Vigetius in his fyrst Booke of the arte of the warres the 7. Chapter Plato that noble Philosopher is of opinion that the newe souldiour must be chosen of the age of xx yeres Seruius Tullius kynge of the Romanes wolde haue them chosen of the age of xvii yeres blando sayethe that others are of opinion to chose them at xvi yeres of age Vigetius in his fyrste Booke and iiii Chapiter of the arte of the warres is of opinion to chose them wheÌ„ their berde dothe fyrste showe Saluste is of opinioÌ„ to chose them yonge for as muche as in their youthe they are apte to be taught anye kynde of exercyse and beinge acustumed in their youthe to great trauayle they shall the better when they comme to greater age endure the trauaile and miserie of the warres he saieth also that it is better that the souldiours wante yeres then exercyse moreouer Vigetius saieth that whatsoeuer they lerne in theyr youth dothe contynue longe in theyr memorie perfectely All these worthye men are of opinion that yf he be vntrayned and passe the age of thirtie yeres he is not to be accepted into a bande for sondrie respects This weighty charge to chose newe souldiours was not committed to any Captaine but to those that were of greatest iudgement and best seen in the disciplyne of the
of good order â—nd aboue all thinges he fauored religion in suche sort â—hat the was contente to yelde his lyfe for the mainte â—aunce of the Christian faithe when Iohn Vaiuoda was escaped from the defeicte as we haue sayde before â—e came in to Seruia where the dispotto met him reâ—eauing him very honorably and the daye folowing â—e apointed to him garde and in no wise wolde graunt â—im libertie onles he wolde cause to be deliuered vnto â—im all suche townes and castles as the saide Iohn Vainoda and his fryndes then helde of hys the Veneâ—ian Cardynall whyche was lyuetenante of the Nauys â—t the sea was also blamed for thys ouerthroe and charged to be neglygent in the doyng of his duetie and â—yd not that that was to be done in defendynge the â—trayte and forbyddynge the passage of the armye â—ute of Asya in to Europe and also for that that when he knewe them to be passed he dyd not â—duertise the Christians therof to y e ende they mought â—he better haue prouided for them selues as touching â—he number of those that were slayne I can not certenlye saye but y t the slaughter spoyle of the Turkes did farre exceade that of the Christians but coÌ„siderynge y e inequalitie of the armies the losse of the Christians weyng their number did farre excede that of the Turkes When Amorathe had thus obtained the victorie and rested wholly maister of the fielde he had no great desire to folow the chase of his fliyng enemies nor yet did glorie wyth great wordes as the maner of the Turkes is ne yet sought in any kynde of sort to amplifie the victorie nor shewed in his coÌ„ntenaunce anye kinde of ioye and being demaunded by certayne of his familiers the cause that after so great a victorie he shewed him selfe so melancolicke he answered I desyre not often to obtayne victorie in this sorte After this he raysed hys canipe and desolued it and suche souldiours as he had lefte aliue he sent agayne to the places from whenre they came and he in person retourned to Andrinople wher he accomplished sundrie vowes that he had made to God And after thys he called to mynde the great peryl and danger that he had bene in and also the great cares that are incident to gouernement in the whiche he concluded that no man mought call him selfe happy for as much as it hath in it more of the bitter then of the swete and iudging also by examples passed the inconstantie of Fortune who rarely accompanieth anye man fauourablie throughoute to the ende and beyng desirous to prouide for his securitie and quietnes called to hym all hys Bascias and chyefe gouernours and councellours of his Empire and by theyr consent appoynted in his stede Mahometh his eldest sonne to be their prince and lord and to be gouerned vntyll he came to lawfull age to gouerne by Calibasso Bascia who for his power and wisedome was the chiefe counseller that the Turke had and when he had disburdened him selfe of gouernement and was become priuate he passed ouer into Asia accompanied w t certen of his familier frendes and there lyued religiouslye geuynge him selfe to solitarine Al hys sonnes Mahometh only excepted were by y e aduyse of the Bascias put to death to auoide all occasions of tumultes sturres and alteracions that mought happen as often times it doth among the Turkishe nation with whom the children of priuate meÌ„ are more happie then they of Emperours the battayle of Varna did so diminishe and consume the force of bothe the Tukes and Hungerianes that withoute any conuenante of peace at all they helde them of bothe sydes with in the frontiers of of their contreis for the space of many yeres after and neyther of them durste to enter the others contrey ne yet to prouoke by anye maner of iniurie the one the other to warres thys quietnes was so much the more perfecte for somuch that neither in Turchia ne yet in Hungaria was there any king of age able to gouerne him selfe but ether of them were gouerned by other men for among the Turkes dyd Callibasso gouerne and among the Hungarianes dyd Iohn Vaiuoda gouerne both men of great reputacyon and credite among their owne people Calibasso had gouerned a long time vnder Amorathe and being a man very graue and modeste hauing also greate experience was Iudged of al men a very wise man Vaiuoda being a maÌ„ of a percinge Iudgement and valiannt in warres was holden in the opinion of all men to be the more skylfull of both it semid to him that he had loste great reputaci on by y e ouerthrow receaued at Varna which dyd much disquiet him wherfore he denised in hym selfe daye and night howe to recouer his loste credite and to be reuenged of the dishonour that he had receaued he iugged the quiet being of the Turcks who are ambitiouse and desire to enlarge their dominions to procede only of want of gouernance and force wherupon he thought to preuent them to assaile them vnloked for and althoughe he knewe well that they were able to leuye a great power yet he perswaded him selfe that they had no gouernor able to commaunde and also he was not ignorante that a great armie inobedient and wanting a discrete leadre was lesse to be feared then a wise and experimented Captaine with oute an armie wherupon he determyned to make warres againe against the Turcks w t all spede and with grea deligence assembled his people of Hungaria and Bohemia he entretained in paie also diuerse regiments of Almaignes and other strangers fote men and so marched on towarde the Turkes with his armie thincking to entre their contre and to take some place of importance with in the contrey and so to passe one with his armie to Andrinople before the enemie sholde vnderstand of his departure out of Hungarie which he was like to haue done had not the fylthie treason of George dispotto ben whoe as sone as he harde y â— Vaiuoda leuied bandes in Hungarye he sent to Calibasso Bascia and to all the Sangiachii of Gretia making the numbre of the Christians far greater then in dede it was reporting the matter to be more perillous then of it selfe it was which wheÌ„ they vnderstode they were so amased that they knewe not whither to torne them for they were oute of al hope that Amorath wolde euer stand them in any stede for so much as he was olde and had giuen ouer all charge and wholly giuen him to religion wherfore he wolde no more deale in warres and for that Mahometh was so yonge they thoughte it not good to commytte so weightie a matter in to hys hands as the leadyg of an armie against so puissant skylfull an enemye as Vaiuoda was and they feared that if Calibasso shoulde leade their armye he shoulde not haue due obedience which is a thinge moste perillous in all armyes Thus when
determined to chose to their prince a noble man a Greke borne who pretennted title â—o it did so attempt it that they entred into warres aâ—aut it wherupon on both sides thei addressed theÌ„selues or aide to Mahometh who when he harde the matter â—horowly debated Iudged y e two brethren to haue the â—ight wherevpon he graunted them his frendshipas to â—hose that had the right on their side sent in their aide â—ertain bands of men by whose good helpe thei sone reâ—ressed the force of the Albaneses enforsed theÌ„ to dwel â—nder y e rule goueruance of Thomas Paleologo there Dispotto who agreed w t Mahometh to paye him yerely â—euentine M. ducates in this sort commended himself â—nd his state to his protection for asmuche as y e ryght was descended vnto him by the death of his brother the â—mperour he mought lawfully haue called himself emâ—erour of Gretia in the which his auÌ„cestors had coÌ„mauÌ„â—ed many yeres but fearing to offend Mahometh he abâ—tained from that title contented himselfe w t the only â—itle of the Dispotto of Morea But shortly after when â—e vnderstode that Calixto the thyrde a Spaniarde â—ucceded Nycholas the fyfte in the Romyshe seate who forthe wyth sente hys Legates and Cardynalles â—o all the Prynces of Christendome to perswade â—heym to make warres agaynste the Turckes for â—he recouerye of Gretia And also vnderstanâ—ynge the greate preparatyon that was made in â—talie for the Sea and the leauiynge of the armye in Hungarye denyed flattelye to paye anye Trybute vnto Mahometh and also ouer rashly refused his frendship and protection being deceyued in his imagination perswadiuge himselfe that forthwith the Turkes shoulde haue bene chased out of Gretia but after when he sawe the bishoppes preparation toke none effect he was enforsed with great gyftes and paiment of the tribute for two yeres before hande at one paiment to reconcile him selfe to Mahometh and to renewe the league betwene them wherevpon Mahometh dessemblynge for a tyme the iniurie that he had receyued at his hande receyued him agayne into his fauour and protection but within fewe yeres after when he perceyued himselfe to be assured in his seate in Gretia he called to mynde the foresaide rebellion and sente his armie into Peloponesso and toke the walle of Esmilia that was buylded vpon the straite called Isthmos which shutteth vp that strait of lande beynge fyue myles in breadeth stretchynge from the sea Ionio to the sea Egeo of the which seas all the rest of Morea which aunciently was called Pelâ— ponesso is enuironed And when the Turks had wonne the walle they entred into Morea and toke the citie of Corintho and made bothe the Dispotts his vassalles the one being deuided from the other and toke froÌ„ them their state and patrimonie The prouince of Peloponesso is the chiefe parte of Gretia for the commodiousnes thereof and also for the great wealth and power of the nobilitie and commons that in the olde worlds inhabited the same that piece of grounde well considered will declare it selfe to be the foundation of the Greke Empyre for as muche as in it there are manye godlye goolfes many large and great caues and promontories manye manifique and sumptuos cities and they saye that the forme of the platte therof is like vnto that of the leafe of a platane the length and breadeth therof are almost equall and from the one ende to the other it conteyneth a hundred seuentie and fyue miles and in circuite accordyng to the opinion of Pollible it conteyneth fyue hundred myles and Anthemidoro addeth vnto it fyftye miles and and we haue declared it is enuironed with two seas sauynge that piece of lande called Isthmos which confyneth vpon the seas afore sayd and containeth in lengthe v. miles nere where vnto is the noble and famous citie Corintho and their is contayned in y â— same Peloponesso nowe called Morea Achaia Messenia Licaonia nowe called Lacedemonia Largolica and Arcadia which lieth in the middeste of them but nowe retorning to the declaration of our historie beginning where we lefte when Mahometh was becomme lorde of Constantinople and beinge determined there to appoint the seate of his Empire the firste thing that he toke in hand was to amend and repare the walles of the citie and to make them defensyble also to repare the spoyled buyldings of the towne and also to furnishe it with inhabitants for that it wanted a great number by meanes of y â— great slaughter that there had ben wher vpon he caused inhabitants to come oute of all partes and gaue to them greate priuileges and liberties to vse what traffique and also what religioÌ„ they wolde wher vpon within shorte space there came thither an infinite numbre of inhabitants namely of Hebrues or Iues which were chased oute of Spaine besyde thys he vsed the custume that the princes of the easte partes of the worlde doe vse which is that when soeuer he toke anye Citie or Towne after that tyme he woulde take oute of them the chise and most noble housholdes and families with al their treasure and substance and send them to Constantinople to inhabite there he vsed the matter so that at y e tyme of his death he lefte it a Citie of great traffique and also maruelously replenished with inhabitants as sone as he was become Emperour of Constantinople he determyned in him selfe the warres against the hungarianes Iudging it a great assurance to his state of Europe yf that he mought bring to passe to subdue Hungarie and make it subiecte to him which he greatly defired consideringe the propinquitie thereof also the valiantize of y â— people he determined to prouide him of aptaines of great Iudgement and of good soul diours and to assure him in his seate of Gretia whervp on he deferred the enterprise for thre yeres and began to make warres vpon the citie of Athenes which onelye rested oute of his handes of all the prouince of Attica which Citie althoughe it were then of no great circuite ne yet anye thing in comparysson so Populouse or riche as it had ben in tyme before yet notwithstanding thei had builded a forte vpon the walles that were lefte of the ancient Temple of Minerua whiche was thoughte inprennable bnt the lorde therof which was a florentine borne and of the noble house of Acciauolli seing no waye howe to defende it for so much as he had attempted the princes of Italie in sondrie sorte for aide but all was in vaine wherupon he fel to composition w t him and agreed to delyuer him the Towne in exchauÌ„g of certaine houses and yerly rentes that y e Turcke had promised him for the maintenance of him felfe and his familie and herupon yelded the Towne to the Turcke when the Turke had recompensed him he toke froÌ„ him two of his sonnes and brought them vp in his Seraglio to serue him of the which
they gaue such some as he demaunded wherupon he toke his iourney and passed throughe y e contrey of Friule in Italie after through the contrey of Hungarie then throughe Polonia from thence throughe Scithia whiche at this daye is called Tartarie and in this sorte conueid him selfe into Caffa while these thinges were doinge Mahomethe had put a great Nauie to the sea to passe into Candie where mē supposed he had alredie framed certaine practizes with the Candiottes that he should be receyued by them whēsoeuer that he came and vnderstandinge the Venetian armata to be alredie ariued there and that the chiefe conspiratours were taken and put to death immediatly he chaunged purpose and directed his Nauie into the greater sea and commaūded a great number of horsemen to passe into Valachia and to spoyle destroye there what they coulde as they were doinge of this he beseged the Citie of Caffa both by sea and lande he planted his batteries and began to tormente them ercidingly with his shotte the Genoueses which there were whoe were many in number possessid great riches bothe of marchandize and treasour whoe being amased by this sodden assaulte and seing them selues oute of al hope of succour after that they had defendyd it nobly by the space of certaine dayes thoughte it not good there to loose bothe lyfe and goodes wherupon they practized an appointement And agreing vpon the same delyuered the towne vpon condition to enioye al their goodes which promis was but euell obserued for somuche as they toke from thence manye of the principall families with that they had and sent them to Constantinople and constrained them there to dwell and made the Citizens of Caffa his tributaries and forbadde them vpon paines of lyfe to departe from thence or to send away from thence any of their substance or riches And in this sorte the Citie of Caffa standing vpō the sea called Eusino which had ben of a longe tyme possessyd by the Genoueses became subiecte to the tiranouse gouernance of the Turckes when Mahomethe acordinge to his determination had clearely banished y e Christians oute of Gretia he leuied an armie of a hundred thousand men and sent them into Albania to beseege the towne of Scutarie which standeth neare the riuer called Buiana not farre from the ancient Citie Appollonia which then was possessyd by the Venetianes and furnished with dyuers Constables and bandes of Italianes bothe fotemen and horsemen when the infydels were comne before Scutarie they enuironned the towne with their campe and planted their batteries contynewing them daye and night with oute cease with maruelouse furie and they of the towne dyd w t no lesse corage defend them selues And throughe the noble myndes and discipline of the Christian Captaines all the Turckes preparationes and attemptes were renderid vaine and of none effecte they were enforced to consume all that sommer in vaine before that towne and when the Autoume drewe on the Turckes throughe the sharpnes of the aire and y e pestilent winds which bette vpō them contynually throughe the mouth of the ryuer fell into diseases in such sorte as they were enforced to abandone the seege and to with drawe themselues into those mountaines of Macedonia that were nearest to Scutarie in intention to retorne thyther againe as sone as the infection of the aire shoulde cease and whileste they wintred there the lieutenante of the armie toke with him certaine of his chosen bandes and made warres vpon Iohn Gernoi whiche possessyd dyuerse townes in the mountaines of Albania he toke frō him the towne of Sabiaco and when he had by force taken the Citie of Diuastro and Lisso he put to death all the men that were within them with sondrie torments and tiranouse deathes he made the wemen and chyldren slaues which he there founde and went in y e spring folowing againe to the sege of Scutarie althoughe he were oute of hope to take it by force yet he thoughte in time throughe famine to possesse it whervpon he cnnironned the towne with his campe in such sorte y e they coulde nether send forth to their fryndes anye aduertise ment nor receaue from them anye in telligence or relife on the other side the Venetianes coulde neuer perswade the pope to abstaine from the warres which he had begone in Tuscane againste the Florentynes to vnite hys force with them and so to enuade the infidels for so muche as they alone withoute the ayde of any other had borne the whole charge of the warres in Gretia by the space of 25. yeres being w t the intollerable charges therof weried for that they were enforced to holde contynually a greate Nauie vpon the Coaste of Gretia for the defence of suche fortes and townes as they possessed there and beside that they dyd contribute very largely to y e pope for y ◠manitenance of his warres in Tuscane against the Florentines whervpon lyke wise men they Iudges that yf the Florentine shoulde happen to be subdued the enemie moughte also easyly take frō them all suche places as they possessyd in the maine lande of Italie wherfore they thought it good to disbordē them selues of so greate a charge and by meanes of certaine Greekes practized an appointemente with Mahometh and concluded a peace with him for manye yeres vpon conditione that for his honours sake they shoulde be contented to delyuer into his hands the towne of Scutarie and besydes that that they shoulde paie vnto him in consideration of the charges that he had ben at acording to the entreatie had bytwene his and their commissioners two hundred thousand ducates within the space of two yeres then nexte ensuing and in consideration of this he gaue vnto them she libertie to haue in Constantino ple a Bailo to determine the differences that shoulde happen betwene y ◠Venetianes there when Mahometh had in this sorte concluded peace with the Venetianes he deuided his armie sending the one parte therof into Hungarie which made a great course there and the other whiche was his Nauie he sent to lande in Pulia where they raised a great proie both of men and catell after that he made warres againste them of the Isle of Rhodes sent thyther one of his Basrias with a great power and when he had landed his people which was y e xxi of Maie in the yere of our helthe M. CCCC.lxxiiii he proied and spoyled all the circuite of the Isle whiche is a hundred and twentie myles and when he had thus done he presented his campe to the Citie of Rhodes assayled it bothe by sea and lande planted his batteries and ceased them nether daye ne nighte the great master of y e order wyth his kinghtes and souldiours and other Christianes that there were defended the towne so nobly repaired it with such industrie as it was a maruel they salied forth daiely and scaramoshed with them the enemies vsed all
w t al kinde of monitiō sufficiently for y e space of xviii monethes then passed on w t his armata to Valona frō thence he passed by lande to Constantinople to y ◠courte whē he had thorowlye discoursed w t his lord Mahometh determined to goe in persō into Natolia to ayde his sōne Batazith against Caromano who had alredi giuē Baiazith a great ouerthrowe destroed the greatest part of his armie his pleasure was that Acomathe shoulde goe w t him y ◠iorney entendinge to make quicke Dispatche of y e same thē to retorne into Gretia to haue good time to goe into Italie against the kinge Ferrante whē Mahometh had passed his armie īto Asia was come nere to Scutaio he fel sike of a feruent feuer w tin fewdais died it was suspected y ◠he was poisōed The thirde boke of Andre CAMBINE FLORENTINE OF THE ORIGInall of the Turckes and Empire of the house of Ottomanno MAHOMETHE DIED THE LVI YERE of his age in the xxvii yere of his raigne he lefte behinde him two sonnes the one named Gemma y e other Baiazithe The Turckishe nation beinge deuided after y e death of Mahomethe the one parte especially the nobilitie fauoring Sultan Gemma and y e Gianizaries the partie of Baiazithe and therfore immediatly vpon the death of Mahomethe the Gianizzaries marched wyth all spede to Constantinople and for somuch as Baiazithe was at that tyme in Natolia they toke a yonge sonne of his named Corcuthe when they had saluted him Emperour they bare him aboute thorowe all the citie to shewe him to the people and caused them with loude voice to crie the name of Baiazithe who aboute the middest of Maye when he was retorned to Constantinople caused him selfe to be saluted and confirmed Emperour beinge assured throughe his maniefolde rewardes and liberalitie of the fauour and ayde of y e Bascias and Gianizzaries and being in doubte of his brother Sultan Gemma He began to se his souldiours verie wel furnished and to prouide for his owne securitie Gemma departinge from the confynes of Soria where he was lefte by his father to make warres vpon the Soldane broughte his armie into the lesser Asia when he vnderstode howe y e affaires had passed in Constantinople beinge oute of hope to enioye anye parte of gretia he chaūged his purpose determined to occupie y ◠Empire of the lesse Asia whervpon he conueyd hys armie into Bithinia to the Citie Bursia which when he had fortyfied he determyned to call togyther all the rulers of the people of Asia and when he had consulted w t them to send for y e reste of his bandes that were in Asia and to vnite them with his armie Baiazithe gathered togyther all y e olde bandes of Gretia and assembled hys armie and passed them into Asia and sought his brother Gemma and mette him vpon the plaine not farre from Bursia the armies beinge renged the battaile was presented they ioyned y e fighte contynued for a longe time and after great slaughter on bothe sydes Baiazithe became master of the feelde Gemma beinge broken and abandoned of his people fled with certaine of his trustie fryndes with him to Rhodes and the great maister of y e religion fearing leste by holding of him he mought purchase the innimitie of Baiazith and so prouoke him to warres sent him wel garded with certaine shippes into Fraunce from whence afterward by commaundement of Innocentio the viii Byshoppe of Rome he was sent to Rome and beinge receauid by the Byshoppe had his lodginges appointed in the heighte of the Palace and was there for a longe tyme garded with great diligence the pope agreed with Baiazithe for a yerely pension of thirtie thousand ducates so to kepe hym garded duringe the lyfe naturall of Gemma In this meane tyme the king Ferrante being in Italie receauid Aduertysement of the death of Mahomethe and caused it to be declared to those of Ottranto offeryd them that yf they wolde delyuer into his handes the Citie he wolde sett them al safely into Gretia with all such goodes and treasure as they had there The infideles wolde in no wyse agree to this demaunde forsomuche as they knewe not whether theyr lorde was deade or noe or els for that they staied to se which of the two bretheren sholde be their lord and whether he wolde send them succours or no beinge assured that yf Acomathe were lyuing he wolde not abandone them nor breake promes with them The Duke of Calabria seinge their perseuerance in the promes to Acomathe dyd with his campe approche y e towne more neare then in the tyme of Mahomethe he durste doe he began to entrenche toward the towne and so from trenche to trenche conueyed his people to y e very bancke of the towne dyke and then planted his batteries and batterid it for certaine dayes they determyned to giue an assaulte whervpon he sawe his people furnished w t all kinde of necessaries and then deuided them into battaylones and gaue order for the beginninge and contynance of the assaulte and then commaunded the trompettes drommes and cornetts to sounde to the assaulte and thervpon began to assayle the breaches with great furie and in shorte space became lorde of them and whē they entred the towne they founde in it suche newe fortifycation as they were oute of all hope of wynning of it whervpon they retyred from the assaulte with the losse of manye of their moste valyante men after thys they attempted newe practizes and agreed with them of the towne that they shoulde safely send their messagers into Gretia to vnderstand whether Mahomethe were lyuing or no and howe the affares passed there vpon this there was a trewes taken for a certaine tyme the Captaines of Ottranto dispatched their messangers into Gretia when they came there they vnderstode y e Acomathe was in Asia and had taken parte with Gēma and Baiazithe made redie with greate celeritie to goe against thē in person where vpō they retorned to Ottranto and declared what they vnderstode of the affares of Gretia whervpon the generall with the Captaines consulted and forasmuche as they sawe the state of Turchie so deuided leadinge and mayntaining Ciuile warres among them selues and that Acomathe in whom was al their truste had declared him selfe enemie to Baiazithe and was in Asia and they being oute of hope of al succour entred againe into talke of appointement with y ◠Duke of Calabria and messagers both went and came on both sydes and at the laste with much a doe they agreed that the towne shoulde be delyueryd into the Dukes hands vpon condytion that the kyng shoulde safely set them in Gretia with al the substance and artillerie that they presently possessyd there and in this sorte the peace was made and the performances of the promes confyrmed by othe and when the kinge
charged the Turckes againe with suche force that he thoughte veryly in that charge to disorder them but notwithstandinge that the Turckes receaued the charge with great difficultie yet they maintained their order styll and brake not and althoughe that they in dyuerse places makinge hed to the enemye they defendyd them selues but slenderly and were in maner redie to breake yet Baiazithe throughe his good order relyued them in suche sorte with his presence and his reposed garde of Gianizaries that he encoraged his people renued the fyghte and repulsed some what the Mamalukes and fearing that yf his people shoulde be charged againe by the Mamalukes he sholde not be able to maintaine their order whervpon he thoughte it good to preuent this mischeife and with all his force to charge the enemie and then retiring by litle and litle to abandone the fighte thincking in this forte to gyue place and to a noid the losse of his whole armie rather then to make good the place to be charged by the enemye and so put to fighte whervpon he retired his people in that same order wherin they had foughte all the daye before with their faces to warde the enemie fightinge cōtynually in their retreyte in good order althoughe notw toute great losse in this forte broughte his people into his campe to their lodginges which he lefte wel fortified with trenches and rampares and also well garded with souldiours whervnto when the Mamalukes approched the nexte morninge folowing and consyderid the fortification therof the greate quantitie of the artillerie placed vpon the bulwarckes and rampares therof and also the number of the garde there vnto appointed they durste not to assayle their campe but retired them selues And it semed to Diadaro that he had for that tyme well prouided both for the securitie of Soria and also for his estimation thincking it not good to entre into furder peril whervppon he retorned againe to Aleppo from whence he came and when he had consumed the reste of the sommer in proinge and spoilinge the confines of the Turckes countrey and that Automne was comme vpon him he appointed his people to garnison vpon the confynes of Soria and Baiazithe appointed his in the lyke sorte in the prouince of Cilicia then Baiazithe practized an atonemēt with the Soldane and many Oratours were sent betwene them from the one to the other whervnto it was an easy matter to perswade the Soldane notwithstāding his victorious successe This Soldane was the cheife in degree and acompted him selfe y ◠firste prince of the Mahometane relygion and takinge vpon him the name and dignite of Soldane he is sacred in his creation with greate cerimonie and besyde that the eldeste of a noble house in Cairo and it is sayd that anciently they were the princes and helde the soueraintie therof were named Caliphi the Soldane is crowned with an Imperiall Crowne wherby he is acompted as y ◠father of all the Mahometystes they haue alwaies ben contented with their dominion of Soria Egipte they haue not vsed in tyme passed to make warres vpō any prince of their secte and relygion vnles they had ben enforced in y e defence of their owne state or els of some other Mahometyste prince there confederate and frinde in suche sorte that holdinge that principalitie and kinde of gouernement for y e space of thre C. yeres and moe they neuer enlarged their confynes nor soughte to possesse the dominions of others the which there maner and order of gouernance dyd chiefely cause for they prouided in y ◠begynninge and made a lawe that none shoulde be Soldane but be election and that also he shoulde be of their communaltie that is a slaue not yet worthye to be admitted into the order of the Mamalukes with whome was the whole gouernance and auctoritie to electe and chewse the Soldane the children of the Soldane neuer succeded their father in gouernance no more dyd they of y ◠Mamalukes succede in the place of their fathers neither in warres ne yet in anye publique prehemuinence they dyd lyue pryuately as other Citizines dyd and possessyd y ◠propre goodes and enheritaunces of their fathers which they lefte vnto them at their deathe vsed the same exercise and trade of lyfe that other of the countre dyd But nowe to our historie when Baiazithe by meanes of his ambasciadours and Oratours had pacified the Soldane renued and cōfirmed y ◠ancient league and confideracie y ◠had ben of a longe tyme betwene the Soldanes and his house and established his gouernement in Cilicia he retorned to Bursia the nearest waye then embarcked him selfe with his souldionrs of Europe and retorned into Gretia and when he be came thether he ceased from al hostilitie gaue him selfe wholly to prouide for the quietnes of his people and sent hys souldiours to garnisones and gaue order for the administration of Iustice in all places after this he gaue him selfe wholly to the studie of the Alchorane of naturall philosophie in the whiche he had greate delighte in so muche that he had alwayes aboute him of all nationes mē excellently wel seen in phisycke in whose companie he passyd the greatest parte of his time and when he had in thys sorte spent manye yeres he was moued to take in hande newe enterprises by occasion that was offery◠to make him lorde of Corcira nowe called Corfu being certifyed by certayne Greekes of the Isle who had practized with them of the fortes and so broughte to passe y ◠they wolde render the fortes vnto him at all tymes vpon condition that he shoulde consider them acordinge to their seruice and offeryd them also to take the Citie and the rest of the Isle to deliuer the whole into his hands this matter semed vnto him lykely and possyble to be broughte to passe and also that he coulde not make a conqueste more mete for the assurance of hys state nomore apte to anoie the enemyes of his religion immediatly he determyned in him selfe the order of the enterprise for that he wolde not that y ◠Venetianes shoulde suspecte him he began to make redie his Nauie and to prepare his armie by land bruted that he wolde make warres vpon the people of Valachia and Moncastro when he had made redie al thinges both by sea and land the Venetian Nauie retorninge from Candie whether it were by chaunce or els y ◠y e generall therof had some kinde of intelligence of the practize he came to Corsu acording to their custume when he had seen the moniti on vewed the gardes of the fortes townes he toke awaye the olde souldiours and put newe in their places and toke with him certaine men that dwelled in Corsu and when he had spoyled al the sea coaste of the Golfe he retorned with his Nauie to Venise which when Baiazithe vnderstode he dissembled the matter as thoughe
vsed al mea nes possyble to diswade the Gianizzaries from this vprore and in the ende offered them an infinite summe of money yf they wolde agree and consent that Acomathe shoulde be coroned and seinge that he coulde by no mea nes appease them but that the more that he entreted them the more insolente they were and began to threa ten him with proude and beastly wordes whervpon Baiazithe was enforced of necessitie to gyue ouer and to graunt their requeste yet for al that dyd he not leaue of but soughte by all meanes possyble howe to alter theÌ„ and to bringe them to his deuotion but he kepte hym selfe alwayes oute of their handes when the Agar and others of great place had receaued this graunte of their lorde they dispatched one fleing toward Selim to wyll him to comme his waye with all spede he receaued not so sone this message but he came his way with al spede and vpon the waye he mette with a thousande horses which were sent vnto him for his garde by the Gianizzaries with whom when he was entred into companie they went vpon y â— spurre to the Citie where there came to encountre and receaue him not onelye the Gianizzaries but also the greatest number of the Spachi and other ordres of horsemen with a great multitude of the people and when they had broughte him into the Citie they saluted him Emperour to the vniuersall contentation and satissying of the people and when he had riden aboute all the Citie they placed him in the Imperiall seate and coroned him with all kinde of Imperiall ceremonies and fynally they swore openly to be obedient faithefull vnto him and in this sorte Selim withoute any resystance toke vpon him the state and gouernance of the Imperiall Citie and then sent to his father wlllinge him not to dismaie for anye thinge for he was not comme to vse anye force against him but beinge called by hys souldiours and by the people he thoughte it not semely to deny so generall a consent and therfoore he signifyed vnto him that he wolde not take him onelye for his father but also for his lorde desiringe him not to deny y e vniuersall requeste of his people but to confirme and approue what they had done and that he moughte with his fauour and good wyll gouerne promising that he wolde alwayes be an obedient childe towardes hym Baiazithe seinge the offers of his sonne and that there was no meanes to altere that that was done and that yf he sholde not willingly coÌ„sent there vnto he mought sone be enforced to doe it whervpon he graunted his request and especially for that he was perswaded in hys owne opinion that this greate and sodden chaunge of mennes myndes was the very worke of god to bring to passe to reuele in time secretes which then were hid den and beinge moued in this respecte contented hym selfe wolde no lenger resyste but sent into the Citye one of his Bascias to salute Selim Emperour and to promes obedience in his name the nexte morowe folowinge he went in person into the Citie and came to hys sonne and fallinge prostrate on the grounde kyssed hys fete who arose and lyfted him vp and kyssed him in the forehed and therwas great token of frinoshippe shewed on bothe partes and then they wyth drewe them into a place seperate from the reste where when they had had great conference togither Baiazithe required Selim to graunte him that he mought lyue discharged of al cares priuately and that he moughte with certaine of his familiers departe and leade his lyfe at y e Dinaotico which is a certaine house of pleasance neare vnto Andrinople wherein y â— time of his gouernance he vsed muche to lie and had buylded there sumptouse and costly lodginges Selim answered him very franckly that he shoulde not onelye haue that house but also any other house that he wolde whervpon Baiazithe caused to make prouisyon of all such thinges as he wolde carie with him and then went againe to visite his sonne and toke his leue of him then went with his companie toward Andrinople and in hi iorney he fell syke either of thought or els of poyson acording to the opinion of manye and died in the yere of the Christian â—elthe 1512 FINIS Andre Cambine of the origiNALL OF THE TVRCKES AND EMPIRE of the house of Ottomanno The fourth Booke WHEN ACOMATHE VNDERSTODE of the comming of his brother Selim to Constantinople in what sorte thinges had passed there he thoughte not hym selfe suer at Scutaro whervpon he departed from thence to Bursia and when he vnderstode of the deathe of his father he departed from thence with his armie that he had in Natolia towarde Capadotia and when he came thyther he went nere to the mounte Tauro into that parte that Caromano had possessed and fortifyed hym selfe at the fote of mounts Tauro with great rampares depe Dykes artillerye the place of it selfe beinge stronge he had made it inprenable and had furnished it plentifully with victualls and all other kynde of necessaries in suche sorte that he moughte or a longe tyme lye safely there whervpon for asmuche as he sawe him selfe suerly encamped that Selim coulde not enforce him to battayle onles he lyste he determyned not to goe forthe of his campe for any occasyon that shoulde be offered him but to lye styll there and to se what tyme wolde doe perswadinge him selfe that god wolde not permitte amongeste men suche an one longe to enioye an astate wone so wickedly on the other syde when Selim had possessed his fathers treasure whiche was thought to be innumerable he distributed a great parte therof to the Gianizzaries and to y e reste of his men of warre towarde whome he vsed great liberalitie and gaue them excedinge largely after that he began to reforme theordynances of his predecessours as touching his men of warre and gaue them to vnder stande that their great brauerie was to no purpose for it behoued good souldiours to prouide to couer them selues and their horses with good and suer armour that beinge suerly armed they moughte hazarde them selues into greater peryll and fyghte the more valantly and not encorage the enemye to enforce them selues to all peryll for the gaine of the golde Iuelles and syluer y e they dyd weare vpon them After this he established his countrey of Gretia and then passed the straite with his armie into Bithinia and then into licaonia and Capadotia meaninge firste to take awaye that impediment his brother Acomathe and broughte his armie and encamped not far from his brothers campe the nexte day he lefte his campe and with his people toke the feelde and put them in battayle redie to fyghte But for all this Acomathe wolde not once sturre nor suffer one of his souldiours to goe forthe of his campe when Selim had consumed there a great time in vaine and coulde by no maner of Iniurie procure him to
his named Sehalia `with an armie into Albania who as sone as he came thyther toke y â— Citie of Croia with the whole state of the lorde Iohn to the behofe and vse of the hostages gyuing the people to vnderstande that the greate Turcke wolde immediatly delyuer it to one of the soÌ„nes of the prince Iohn deceased but after that the Turcke performed noe one thinge y â— the Bassa had promised in his name to the people but kepte all y â— contre to his owne vse and caused three of the bretheren of Scanderbeg secretly to be poysoned and fedde him with goodly wordes keping him alwayes in good hope desyring him to haue pacience for a litle tyme and that as sone as he had dispatched certaine affares he wolde restore him to all that which was his righte to haue and he shoulde be alwaies assured of his good wyl and frynd shyppe but Scanderbeg lyke a wyse man and one that well knewe his determynation to be full of crueltie and wickednes declared him selfe to be wâ—ll contented with whatsoeuer shoulde be his good wyll and pleasure notwithstanding in wardly he was full of sorowe and heuynes and he thoughte on nothinge daye nor nighte but howe to fynde some meanes by the which he moughte bring to passe to enioye that patrimonie which was his fathers and to lyue in libertie of consciens as a Christian oughte to doe and the rather for that he was oute of hope to be delyuered by the Turcke and to be restored to his righte After these thinges when the yere was ended the Hungarianes at the requeste of the pope Eugenio assembled a mightye armye and went against the Turcke in the behalfe of the dispotto of of Seruia which when the Turcke vnderstode he gathered togyther his armye and sent the Bassa of Romania Captaine generall of the same beinge acompanied with Scanderbeg to the ende that by his helpe he moughte the more assuredly obtane victorie contrarily Scanderbeg praied to god that it wolde please him to gyue y â— Hungarianes the victorie And in the ende the two armyes metinge neare the Ryuer called Moraua ioyned in battayle And the discipline vertue of Iohn HuÌ„niade Captaine generall of the Hungarianes was suche by the helpe of god that the Turckes after a longe fyghte were disordered and put to flyghte with excedinge great flaughter and spoyle of them Scanderbeg dyd maruelously reioyse for this victorie and yet he fled amonge the Turckes tyll he came to a secrete place where he was safe froÌ„ peryll and afterwarde when it was nighte the Turckes chiefe secretarie came vnto him and said O Scanderbeg what doeste thou here thou whiche neuer was seen to flee or this tyme Scanderbeg descretly aunswering sayd that the power of man moughte not resyste the wyll of god wherfore there was no remedie but patience and when he had thus sayd he commaunded to laye handes on the Secretarie and to set yronnes vpon his legges where with be beinge excedingely amased sayd that it semyd straunge vnto him consydering his faithfull seruice alwaies and that he had neuer offendyd his lord y â— Turcke ne yet Scanderbeg then Scanderbeg smyling auÌ„swered that he helde him so for no cause but onely for that he shoulde not stele awaye and for that he shoulde make him a letter in y â— name of the Turcke to the gouernour of Croia that forthwith vpon syghte therof he shoulde delyuer the Citie to Scanderbeg as gouernour in the name of the Turcke and he wolde also that the Secretarie shoulde goe with him and he wolde gyue him greater place then that which he had with the Turcke and wolde euer esteme him for his deare frynd and brother The Secretarie aunswered with a troubled countenance that he wolde not make suche a letter for anye thinge in the worlde whervpon Scanderbeg drewe his sworde and threatned to kyll hym yf that forthe with he made not the letter whervpon he beinge excedingly affraied toke pen yncke and paper and wrote the letter accordingly as Scanderbeg gaue him instruction in the Turckishe language he coulde not deceaue him therin for Scanderbeg vnderstode well the Turckishe tonge the Arabian the Greeke and the Schiauon when this was done Scanderbeg wylled the Secretarie to goe w t him but he refused vtterly so to doe whervpon he caused him soddenly to be slayne to that ende that he shoulde not goe and declare the matter to the great Turcke and in this sorte he was preuented Then Scanderbeg with three hundred Albaneses valiante and faithefull men who had alwaies serued him and were well trayned and experimented in the warres toke his waye and rode very secretly and spedyly and in shorte tyme aryued in Albania where he founde certaine of the Turckes souldiours whom he caused very cortesly to souppe with him and after sondrie pleasante discourses asked them if that they had herde any thinge of the cause of his comming thyther who aunswered him no then he declared vnto them that for sondrie respectes the Turcke had sent him to chaunge the gouernour of Croia to supplie that place for a season whervpon they auÌ„swered al at once franckly that they were assured that he was sent for some greatter purpose then that consydering that they were well assured that the Turcke loued him as his brother and one of them offered to goe before w t the messager that he sent to certyfye the gouernour of Croia hereof wherewith Scanderbeg was well contentyd and sent them before to Croia with spede As sone as the gouernour vnderstode the Tenour of the letter he made redie to doe all that was commaunded him in that letter Afterward when Scanderbeg came into Croia becaused to take downe the Turckes enseigne and to set vp his w t the splayed Egle of sable in a feelde of gules and they cried in euery place longe maye Scanderbeg lyue and then he caused to sley all the Turckes that wolde not be baptised in foure dayes he recouered all his fathers countre and by that twenty daies were ended he had possessyd al that which the Turcke had woonne in Albania and cut in peces as as many Turckes as he found there in sorte y â— in an in staÌ„te he became prince of Albania where he had of yerly rent two hundred thousande ducates accomptinge hys salte pittes which he hade neare to Saincte Nicolo dela Pietra where Cesare the Dictator foughte that terrible battayle w t Pompeio his father in lawe Captaine generall of the Romane armye When the Albaneses were thus delyuered from the Tiran and from his wicked and cruell gouernement from the intollerable yoke of the infydelles they thancked god in euery place they cried thorowe oute longe maye oure prince Scanderbeg lyue and in fewe dayes Scanderbeg had an armye of .xv. M. Albaneses wel trained in the warres some on horsebacke and some on fote then ho apointed officers of se Iustice duely executed
apointed Captaines to his townes and fortes in y ◠yere of oure lorde M. CCCC.xliii and in the yere from his byrthe xxxiii When the Turcke dyd vnderstande this fynosse of Scanderbeg and the victorie of the Hungarianes he had so greate sorowe as in all his lyfe he had not had y ◠lyke wherfore he determyned to be reuenged and to employe all his force against Scanderbeg but Scanderbeg being very wise and one that knowe what he had to doe being aduertized of the Turckes determination and purpose went to Alessio a Citie in Albania then vnder the gouernement of the Venetianes where at his requeste all the princes helde a councell with the reste of the nobilitie of Albania of whom these that folowe were y ◠chiefe Aramthe Conino which was afterwarde father in lawe to Scanderbeg Andrea Thopia Paulo Ducagino Nicolo Pietro Spano Lech Dusmano Leche Zacharia the honorable lieutenantes of the Senate of Venise to whom Scanderbeg spake in this forme Very honorable fathers and magnificent princes I doubte not but that it is well knowen to vs with howe great inimitie and dispite the Turckes doe persecuteour moste Christian faithe and howe greatly they are enemyes to all vertue and especially they neuer kepe anye promese that they make and yf their powre were agreable to there wyll they wolde make all Christian princes to passe by the edge of the sworde as by experience it hathe ben seen here to fore when god for our offences hathe permitted it yet I by the mightye arme of god haue chased the vsurpers of my fathers state oute of it and haue cut all the Turckes in peces that made anye resystance against me and besydes that I haue wonne all that which y e Turcke dyd possesse in Albania as it is manifeste to all men wherfore your excellenties maye be well assured that that cruell dogge wyll employe all his force possyble against me and that w t spede and yf that by chaunce which god forbydde he shoulde ouercomme me he wolde immediatly make warres vpon you wherfore I doe erhorte and erneslly desyre your highnesses that for the loue you heare towarde god our moste holly faythe and also for charitie that it will please you to vouchesafe to vnite your forces w t myne and yf it seme not good vnto you so to doe for so muche as you are at peace with the Turcke yet I shall ernestly desyre you to stande by and nether to ayde the Turcke nor trouble me and hereof I do attende your gentle aūswere for that that I hope with the mightie right hand of god to defend my selfe against y ◠great Tyran Then all the princes and noble men of Albania withdrewe them selues with the lieutenantes of the Senate of Venise and went to talke in secrete and when they had consydered and debatted the importancie of the matter they made aunswere to Scanderbeg in this sorte moste excellent prince George oure deare sonne and brother as touchinge your age but in respecte of your vertue worthynesse oure honorable father we haue very well consydered and weyed thy iuste and moste necessarie demaunde full of wysedome and worthye in euery respecte to be herde wherfore we gyue you to vnderstand by commō consent that we are determined to vnite our powers with the for euer and to esteme thy state as our owne and oure state as thyne and wyll contynue thys league according to oure promesse in welth and misery which of them that god shall send moreouer we make y ◠oure Captaine generall to defend our libertie hoping in the mightye god that there is no power that shalbe able to resyste oure most holly vnion wherfore be of good comforte and make prouision of suche thinges as shalbe necessarie and commaunde for you shall not wante and also we wyll alowe you a yerely stypende towarde your owne maintenance and you shal not lacke that that we shalbe able to doe in any respecte when this moste holly league was concluded the aforesayde princes of Albania went and dyned with Scanderbeg their newe lord and thancked god of this concord and then some of them toke leaue and retorned to their prouinces and others accompained Scanderbeg to the citie of Croia A briefe declaration of the chiefe princes of Albania included in the aforesayde league GEorge Castrioth els named Scāderbeg appointed Captaine generall by their common consent desernethe to be fyrst named after him his father in lawe Aranith Conino then the sonnes of Musachio Thopia called of many Carlnich which in the Schianuon tonge betokennethe gloriouse and they are called the sonnes of Charles for so muche as they are discended from the house of Fraunce then were the lordes of the house of Ducagini and the noble men of the hous of Spain the lordes Cernouichi and Dusmani but the Venetianes wolde not enter into this league for the good wyll they bare to the house of Angelo whiche is discended from the Imperiall house of Constantinople on the one syde and on the other from that of the dispotto of Scruia of y ◠noble princesse Margaerite of Monferato duchesse of Mantoa who besyde her other patrimonie had dyuerse parcells in Albania chiefely Driuasto Antiuari and Croia and possessethe at thys present Antiuari and Dolcigno with other places that haue not howed the knee before the Idol Baale which is Mahomethe and it maye please god to gyue them the grace to conuerte the Turckes and other infidelles to oure most holly faithe or els to ouerthro we their greate powers as dyuerse tymes Scanderbeg hath done Somme man mought aske me here from whence Albania had his name Whefore you shall vnderstande that Plinio in his Booke intitled de Hominibus Illusiris in the thyrde Chapiter dothe declare howe y ◠Tullio hostilio the thyrde kynge of the Romanes when he had destroied the Citie of Alba which was not farre distante from Rome and had ben often tymes enemye vnto it commaūded that the Albaneses shoulde come and dwell at Rome but a great number of them acordinge to the opinion of dyuerse writers went into Asia and dwelled amonge the people therof which possessed the countre y ◠lieth betwene the mountaines called hiberi and Caucast y ◠Albaneses increased multiplied from tyme to tyme so that at the laste their countre was called Albania Iberia which this same Plinio describeth in y ◠vi booke of his naturall historie and in the thyrde chapiter from whence one parte of the Albaneses departed and came downe into Europe of whom the one parte dwelled in Epirro others in Macedonia somme in one parte of Liburnia which at this present is called Esemptia y e loer neare vnto Macedonia and Epirro some dwelled in a certaine parte of Dalmatia and Illiria which is called y e hie Esemptia neare vnto that parte of Liburnia wher of we spake before when the Albaneses had longe contynued in the aforesayde countres they were so encreased
and multiplied that of all those prouinces was made one Region and gouernement and was called Albania for that it was inhabited by y ◠Albaneses who so named it other some saye that the Albaneses are descended frō Fraunce peraduenture for that they see a natural frindshippe betwene the noble men of both the coūtres which thinge is perfectly knowen by certaine of their princes as by the lordes of Durazzo surnamed Thopia whiche are discended from Charles the greate some other frō Meschino and somme from others and for a token of good wyll Charles is made in the Citie of Croia of an excellent stone engrauen with great skyll and arte and set in the chiefe place of the Citie others saye they are discended frō Griffon de Altafoglia as the house of Ducagine and the house of Spagni as y e noble men of both houses them selues saye Let all men knowe that this newe Albania which is this discribed liethe in Europa it is very fertile plentyfull of al thinges nedfull to y ◠maintenance of mānes lyfe as is possyble it bringeth forthe men naturally so stronge valiaunte of noble myndes and apte to anye thinge that they take in hande chiefely for the warres as is possyble they are constant and faythfull to their naturall lordes and wyll rather committe them selues to all kynde of daunger and peryll then to haue their displeasure the fardest part of this Albania is neare to the seas Adriatico and Ienio and liethe ouer against Puglia froō Durazzo to Brindizio is an hundred myles and from Valoua ouer to Ottranto thre score myles by sea Nowe to oure purpose After all these thinges there came aspiall from Andrinople to Scanderbeg declared vnto him y ◠Alibege one of the Turckes Bassas came against him with .xl. M horsemen then Scanderbeg withoute delaye rode to his confynes with .xv. M. Albaneses and when y ◠Turckes were comme within two myles of him he made an oration to his armie wherby he dyd so encorage his souldiours that they desyred nothinge so muche as to encoūtre with the enemye in this meane tyme the Turckes came on with suche a noise that it semed that the heauens shoulde fal but Scanderbeg with his worthy souldiours refused not to encountre them but made y e signe of the crosse vpon hym and then he cried folowe me thruste towarde them and was the fyrste that strake charged them with sucke force and vertue that in shorte tyme he disordered them and when the battayle was ended there were founde deade on the place .xxii. M. Turckes and there were taken a thousand of the Christians manye were hurte and one hundred stayne vpon y e place all the spoyle of the Turckes as money Iuelles horses and suche lyke was presented to Scanderbeg who cansed it wholly to be disstributed to his souldiours whiche were all very ioyfull The nexte daye Scanderbeg commaunded to sounde to horse and rode into the Turckes countre a great dayes iorney and cut in peces as many Turckes as he mette or coulde fynde and raysed fire in all places where he wente In this meane while Alibeg Bassa retorned to Andrinople and was greatly blamed by the Turcke for his euell gouernement Laodislao king of Hungarie who then made preparatiō to goe against Amorathe w t an armie sent to Scanderbeg vnderstādīg of y ◠great victorie y ◠he had obtained against him to desyre him that he wolde goe in his companie w t such bandes of souldiours as he should thincke good wherfore when Scanderbeg had redde his letter he called vnto him his Captaines showing them the letter and asking their aduise in y ◠behalfe who aunswered by one consent that he mought in no wyse refuse y e king in so reasonable a demaunde for y ◠it was for the distruction of the common enemye of our faithe then Scanderbeg wrote vnto the kinge Laodislao that he moughte assure him of all the ayde that he shoulde be able to gyue him and then Scanderbeg by y e helpe of Paulo Ducagino and other princes of his nation had leuied other xv M men besides those that he had alredie vnder his conducte with whom he defeicted the aforesayde Alibeg which amounted in the whole to the number of xxx M. and then he began to marche but George Vucouich dispotto of Seruia a man valiante ynoughe but of a traitorouse mynde and regarded not anye religion neither Christian nor Mahometane for that he had gyuen Amorathe to wife his daughter named Hierenia and of some Catagusina which was syster to the wyfe of Alessio Spano called Isabetta and of some others Milizza which was sister to Lazaro Stephane and Georgio Nephewes to Andrea Augelo by there mother side for certaine hatred that the Dispotto bare to the Hungarianes and chiefely to Iohn of Transyluania who had ben the cause that certaine castles and townes of his were holden frō him whervpon the Dispotto fortyfied all the passages of his countre wherby he troubled Scanderbeg in suche sorte that he coulde not passe withoute great losse of his people into Hungarie In this meane tyme Iohn with the Hungarians and Polonianes beinge ayded also by Iuliano Cesarino Cardinall S. Angelo made redie his armie to marche towarde Varna where they muste nedes fyghte and Amorathe loked for ayde oute of Asia to comme to hym and therfore auoyded by al meanes possyble the battaile and prolonged the warres as much in him was wolde not comme to the battayle whiche when the worthye Vayuoda vnderstode he procured him to the scaramoche in so skylfull sorte that in the ende he enforced hym to come to the battayle and in the ende after longe fyghte the vertue of the Hungarianes was suche that y e Turckes were disordered and put to flyghte when Laodislao vnderstode this he became excedingly wrothe by meanes of the talke of certaine folyshe and ambitious yong◠men who sayde that Iohn Vaiuoda soughte to haue al the glorie of the victorie to him selfe which was y ◠cause that he appointed the kinge alwaye to tarie within his squadrone the kinge beinge moued with these wordes marched forwarde with his troupe of ten thousand Hungarianes which was very stronge and fronted y ◠Turckes great squadrone where after longe and cruel fighte Laodislao was stayne by meanes wherof the Hungarianes which were euen redie to folowe the victorie were constrained to torue backe againe and to loose al-in such sorte that Iohn Vaiuoda their Captaine generall was enforced to flee to the house of the aforesayde Dispotto of Seruia as to a place of securitie but he being the onely cause of thys ouerthrowe for so muche as he suffred not Scanderbeg to passe thorowe his countre caused Vaiuoda to be kepte vnder good garde forthe with vntyll suche tyme as he restored him to al his townes Scāderbeg soughte contynually to passe throughe the countre of the Dispotto and hearing of this miseral le chaūse was in such
a rage that he brunte and sacaged all y ◠countre of the Dispotto and retorned into his owne countre and as he went homewarde he met with dyuerse Hungarianes that were at the battaile of Varna he declared that he was erceding sory for it and howe he was comming to ayde them and gaue money to euery of them to helpe them with After all these thinges Amorathe the greate Turcke sent an ambassadour to Scāderbeg with a letter of this tenour Scanderbeg by this my letter I Amorathe Emperour of all the easte part of y e worlde maye not salute the more nor lesse for that thou arte become my greatest enemye and haste vsed me with suche ingratitude considering that I brought the vp and norrished the euen as thou haddest ben my naturall sonne and alway sought to doe the honor and thou hast nowe rebelled against me and hast done me great displeasures as thou righte well knowest and all men maie witnesse therof and I knowe not from whence it dothe procede onlesse thou waste angrie with me bycause I dyd not so sone restore the to the dominions of thy father or els for that thou hast alwayes ben mynded to refuse the faithe of the perfete Mahomethe and to retorne as thou haste nowe done to the Christian faythe to the losse of thyne owne soule truelye yf I had vnderstode this desyre of thyne I wolde haue done what thou woldeste haue required me that thou knowest well as I haue alwaies declared vnto the that I wolde pleasure the in anye request that thou woldest make to me for I was so boūde consydering they rare vertues to fauour the aboue all others and thou knowest that I promysed the within shorte space to restore the to all thy fathers dominion and for that thou hast done contrarie to thy duetie thou arte certaynely worthye of greate blame and of my displeasure yet not withstandinge when I doe consyder the vertuouse actes which in tyme passed thou haste done in my seruice and conseruation of my state I am enforced to qualifye myne ire towardes the and am contented y ◠thou possesse the inheritance of thy father vpon condition that thou restore vnto me y ◠parte of Albania which I haue goten from others and not frō thy father which thou against all righte hast spoyled me of and holdeste it withoute my good wyll wherfore se that thou doe restore it vnto me orels I swere vnto the by god and by his prophete Mahomethe by the soule of my father and by my sworde that I wyll employe all my force against the and wyll chase the oute of that countre in dispite of the and yf that peraduenture thou escape with lyfe y u shal be enforced to begge thy breade Thou knowest wel that besyde all myne other forces I can put to the feelde moe then a hundred and fyfty thousand fightinge men and thou hauinge but a handful of souldiours arte not able to resyfte me I saie these thinges vnto the bycause I wold not hurte thee I haue set before thee the good the euell it is nowe in thy chose to take whether of them thou wylte and thou maiste credite my seruant and am bassadour Airadin and whatsoeuer he shall promyse by mouthe I wyll fulfyll from Andrinople the. 16. of Iune 1444. When Scanderbeg had redde the letter and hearde the ambassadour he made him to be entertayned very honorably and after fyue dayes he dispatched the ambassadour and delyuered him a letter of aunswere of thys tenour folowinge George Castrioth some tyme named Scanderbeg prince of the Albaneses sendethe salutaciones infinite to the lorde Amorathe prince of the Turckes by Airadin thy seruante and ambassadour I haue receaued a letter in the which for good begynning thou sayest y u canst not salute me more nor lesse wherevnto I aunswere y ◠yf it seme to the by that which I haue alredye done that I am becomme thyne enemye yet yf all thinges be indifferenly weied it shalbe rather iudged that I am thy frind and for a profe therof I saye that their is nothinge in y ◠worlde to be done to doe the pleasure that I wolde not for thy sake doe so that it be not against the wyl of god and of this thou maiest assure thy selfe for I determine to be thy frynde but yf I haue recouered my libertie w t my fathers countrey I thincke not therein to haue done the any wronge for that it apertayned to me and not to the besyde that yf the Turckes thy souldiours which laie in those partes of Albania that thou possessedst confyninge with my countre came against me with armed bandes to assayle me and yf that I acordinge to their desertes haue ouercomme them and chastized them recoueringe also that countre y ◠defaute is not myne but thers or his who sent them against me moreouer yf I haue defeicted thyne armye which thou dydste sende w t thy Bassa Alibeg against me I thincke I haue done but as I oughte to doe to defende me and myne against such as wolde offende me and to conclude yf I haue refused the most damnable and detestable secte of Mahomethe am retorned to that moste true and lyuely faythe of Iesus Christ I am well assured that I haue chosen the better part for in keping his most holly commaundements I am suer that my soule shalbe saued and not as thou sayest damned wherfore I beseche the that for y ◠helthe of thy soule thou wylte receaue one good councell at my hand whiche is that thou wylte vouchesafe to rede the Alchorane which is a briefe collection of the commaūdementes of god and there thou mayeste easyly consyder which of vs is in the wronge and my hope is that yf y ◠wylte indifferently consyder beinge vanquished by the trouthe thou wylte receaue and embrace the Christian faythe by y ◠which oneli all men y ◠seke to be saued ar saued withoute it all men are damned God graunte y ◠thou mayest suffer thy selfe to be Illumined w t his holly Spirite and to receaue his most holly Baptesme to begyn to leade a Christian lyfe and then I wolde desyre to see y ◠the greatest prince of y ◠worlde and I wolde be vnto thee euē as I haue ben here to fore a very frind and a faythefull seruante which thou mayest easyly vnderstād by these my exhortacions And I doe assure thee that althoughe I haue defendid me against y ◠I am thy frynde and I promesse thee that yf thou doe this where vnto I doe exhorte thee which is to becomme Christian that I wyll not onely restore vnto the that parte which thou requirest at my hand but also all myne owne that I doe possesse in the worlde and wylbe duringe lyfe thy trustie seruante otherwyse I doe assure thee that I may not doe it for anye perswasion that thou mayest vse and chiefely for that the Turckes be alwayes enemyes
them were slayne the Bassa was hurte in the righte arme with an arowe and for that it was late he with drewe him selfe with certaine with him in to a secrete place But Scanderbeg being aduertised her of went the nexte morning to the place where he was and then Assambeg came forthe to him withoute anye weapon and vsed so good wordes towarde him that he merited pardon After this the Bassa Iussubeg toke in hand to encoūtre Scanderbeg with an armie of .18 thousand Turckes and came neare a place called Scopia notwithstanding he had not so euel happe as the infortunate Assambeg had for Scanderbeg passed on and mette him vpon the waye as he was comminge and charged him vpon y ◠sudden and put him and his people to flyghte Yet notwithstandinge the vaine desyre of fame and glorye stirred vp the olde Carazabeg which had ben a companion with Scanderbeg in the warres of Natolia and other places who had done the Turcke great seruice wherfore he went to the Turcke and so perswaded with him that in the ende he obtained license to chose as manye souldiours as he wolde to take with him whervpon he chose 30. thousand horsemen and made him redie to goe to seeke Scanderbeg and to assayle him vpon the suddē but Scanderbeg beinge aduertised hereof went against him passinge thorowe the two countres of Dibra vntyl he came to the confynes of Triballe where it was certified vnto him that Carazabeg must passe as sone as he came there he was ware of 4. thousande Turckes which Carazabeg had sent before to discouer his passage but comminge into the bosome of Scanderbegs armie the greatest number of them were immediatly slayne which when the Bassa vnderstode he was excedingely sory and chiefely for that he was so discouered more then for the deathe of his souldiours Then this subtill olde Ruter sent to Scanderbeg a messager requiring him to fyght with him like a prince in appointed battayle and not vpon suddennes in suche sorte lyke a stradarolle and thefe seking alwaye to take the enemye vnprouided But Scanderbeg beinge as circumspecte as he and knowing well the decepte of y e olde man who wolde seme to blame that in an other man y t he him selfe wolde faynest haue broughte to passe yf y t by anye meanes he moughte Scanderbeg sent him aunswere saying I wyll aunswere the olde folishe followe well ynoughe Then whiles Carazabeg dyd consulte of the matter acording to the maner of olde men Scanderbeg with his armie in very good order came and assailed the armie of Carazabeg with suche force and noyse y ◠it was not possyble for one of them to heare an other by meanes of the great rayne and winde that then was Scanderbeg coulde not folowe the chase acordingely as he was wonte to doe althoughe he handelled them very rudely But Carazabeg beinge greatly ashamed and confounded toke the shortest waye to Constantinople where he was not a litle rebuked of the great Turcke and also mocked after that by meanes of his fryndes he was well commended of that Tiran for that he had passed the iorney wyth lesse charges and spoyle of hys people then anye of the reste of his Bascias had done brought away his people with lesse slaughter When Mahomethe sawe that he coulde by no meanes obtaine his purpose against Scanderbeg he then determyned to proue whether he mighte deceaue him or no wherfore he determyned to sende to him for peace to the ende that he might procede against other princes in the meane tyme withoute lett of Scanderbeg wherfore he sent an ambassadour to him with a letter and great presentes besyde the clothe of golde and sylke y ◠he sent him who receaued the ambassadour with his letter in very cortese sorte The tenour of his letter was The lorde Mahomethe the mightie kinge and Emperour of all partes of the worlde from the Easte to the west to the noble prince Scanderbeg greating we gyue thy worthynes to vnderstande that notwithstandinge the great offences that thou hast cōmitted against oure house and state yet when I call to mynde and consider the great trauayles and paynes and the worthy and excellente actes that thou hast so faithfully wroughte for the conseruation encrease and honor of oure state whē thou were oftage with oure father Amorathe and didest eate his breade in Andrinople and were more fauored and honored in his courte then any other Sangiacho Bassa or good seruante that he had I can not but forget all the aforesayde offences wherfore I gyue the to vnderstande that I haue determyned to pardon the all offences and to becomme thy frynde and to make a perfecte peace with the vpon this condition that y ◠wylte suffer that my people may passe safely thorowe thy coūtre to make warres vpon the Venetianes my enemies and in consideration herof I wyll franckly gyue the all that that thou possessyst in Albania which of righte did appertaine to my father and from henceforthe I wyll call the prince of the Epirotes and wyll doe the all the pleasure and honor possyble I wyll also that for performance of this peace thou send me Iohn thy sonne whō I wyll vse as thoughe he were myne owne sonne and moreouer for that that I doe desyre to se the personally for the great fryndshyppe that hath ben of a longe tyme betwene vs maye it please the to comme and visyte me that we maye reioyse togyther and god doth wel know the great entertainement that I wyll make y ◠I wolde also that thou woldest graunte that the marchauntes of myne Empire moughte safely passe thorowe thy coūtre and I wyll graunte the lyke to the marchauntes of thy countre and thou mayest credite my seruante ambassadour Mustaffa the bringer herof and whatsoeuer he shall saye vnto thee I wyll performe from Constantinople the second of May. 1461. When Scanderbeg had redde this letter he smyled and then talked a great tyme with the ambassadour by him wrote aunswere to the Turckes letter in this sorte The souldiour of Iesus Christ George Castrioth sometime named Scanderbeg prince of the Albaneses Epirotts to the moste excellent prince of the Turckes Mahomethe sendeth greating By thyne ambassadour and letter I haue vnderstode the mynde of thyne excellentie in certaine pointes whervnto I aunswere firste that the Venetianes besyde all other fryndshippes that are betwene them and me by the which we doe estime here oure states as one are so honest good Christianes and doe so well obserue their promises that althoughe there were none other hande of oure Catholique faithe vnder paine of greatter excomminycation that Christianes shoulde not wyllingly permitte the hethenes to anoye Christianes I for the aforesayde vertues goodnes that is in them maye neuer condiscend to this firste demaunde for so muche as I am not retorned to y e Christian faithe to stande a cursed nor hurte such as be faithfull As touching
gentle wordes pacifyed and contentyd them all lainge for his excuse the olde prouerbe that to the enemy that fleeth a man must make a brydge of golde and then gaue to euery man presents and gyftes acording to his place In this meane tyme many Albaneses of the Venetians countre and of the countres of other princes came presented to Scanderbeg a great number of the heddes of Turckes with horses armour and other spoyle in the ende Scanderbeg very honorably licensed his armie Sauing onely his two thousande horsemen and one thousande fotemen wyth whome he went forthewyth to his confynes When Mahomethe the Turckyshe prince vnderstode that Scanderbeg had raysed the seege of Croia w t so muche honor to his great shame and losse of his people he was muche gryued there with wherevpon the yere folowing he retorned into Albania w t two hundred thousande Turckes and went to besege Durazzo a noble City and of great antiquitie which had ben a garnison towne of the renomed Romaines he did greatly molest it notwithstandinge he departed from thence withoute it with spoyle of his people and great dishonor froÌ„ thence he went with spede to Croâ—a beseged it rouÌ„de and sent his messager to signifie to them of the towne y â— yf they wolde delyuer him the Citie he wolde aduaunce them and deale liberally with them all and otherwyse it shoulde be to their paine for he was determyned not to departe thence withoute it and wolde be reuenged vp on them to the vttermost The aunswere of the beseged was not farre to seeke but was gyuen by the mouthe of the Cannon Colueryne harquebuze and suche like instrumentes Scanderbeg on the other syde dyd often tymes assayle the Turckyshe armie nowe in one quarter and then in an other makinge great spoyle of them holding them in continuall feare and doubte wheÌ„ the Turcke sawe that he coulde by no meanes obtaine the towne he departed with all his armie thence and marched to a place called capodelli Rodane neare vnto the Admatique sea where Scanderbeg had buylded a Citie named Chinril which was not fully fynyshed nor replenished with inhabitanes he toke it and raised it to the very foundation after this he passed thorowe the countre of Scanderbeg thincking to take it from him but he coulde not take the symplest forte that he had he went also into certaine mountaines of Albania where there were multitudes of Albaneses with their whole familes and substances and assayled them but he was repulsed with great dishonor spoile and slaughter of his people but Scanderbeg who was euer vigillante and folowed the Turckyshe armie daye and nighte making great spoyle of them in such sorte that Mahomethe being in maner oute of al hope was constrained to retorne to Constantinople by the shortest waye When the Turcke was comme to Constantinople be apointed Alibeg and Alesbeg his Captaines to haue the conducte of xxviii thousande men and sent them to his confynes with expressyd commaundement that in no wyse they shoulde goe to fyght with Scanderbeg nor to enter his countrey vnles that he firste began but onely to garde well his confynes These Captaines came to the frontiers and obeyd the commaundement of their lorde and secretly soughte to haue fryndshippe w t Scanderbeg and sent vnto him presentes of greate price and value he also vsed them very cortesly and fryndly not in that that he feared them but bycause he wolde not be counted ingrate for he neuer trusted them but stode alwaye vpon his garde In the ende Scanderbeg vnderstanding certaynely that these Captaines had expressed commaundement from their lorde not to make anye attempte against him but onely to garde his confynes also howe that they were desyrous to be in peace with him he lefte the one parte of his souldiours vpon hys confynes and toke the rest with him and went to visyte his countre and to administer Iustice and reason to such as had nede therof and to se that none were oppressed After this Scanderbeg came to Alessio aboute certaine affares that touched bothe his state and the state of the Senate of Venise and chiefely for order howe to take a certaine newe Citie called Valma whiche the Turcke had builded and there fel sicke of a feruant feuer in such sorte as he was enforced to lye longe in that place and seing his deathe at hand he called vnto him all his Captaines and had a longe discourse with them who shed not a fewe teares to see him in that case and in the ende he called vnto him Iohn his onely sonne and in the presence of his mother the lady Doneca and of y â— rest spake vnto him in this sorte My good sonne knowe thou that I fynde my selfe so euyll disposed in my body that I am assured y â— the tyme of my departure oute of this worlde is at hande whiche thinge seing it is by the prouidence of God his wyll be done but for that thou arte very yonge and not able to defende oure state for that oure enemye is of excedinge great power I haue determined to leue it in the protection of the Senate of Venise as my deare brother good father Paulo Angelo the Arche Byshope oure hope whom I leaue in my stede of the gouernaunce therof hath often tymes perswaded me And further I doe commaunde the my sonne that thou be alwaye aduised by him for in so doing thou shalte not doe a mysse consydering his great wisedome and experience to be suche as I can not but hope well of the and of the reste of my subiecttes yf that you be gouerned by him for I am assured that for my sake he wylbe as carefull for the and thyne as yf thou were his owne sonne wherfore when thou hast shutte vp these myne eyes and buryed me goe thou then into Apuglia to oure Castles and townes y â— we haue there and contynue there vntyll thou comme to age able to gouerne and then goe to Venise and be alwayes aduised by the Senate therof who wyll gladly see the and set the safely into thy state and dominion I commend vnto the all my subiectes whoÌ„ I haue alwaye founde faithefull and obedient vse them so that they maye rather loue the then feare the which thou maiest easyly doe if thou se iustice truely admynistred Scanderbeg had scarcely gyuen ful order for his testament when a messager from the gouernour of Scutari came with a letter signifiyng vnto him howe that Hamathbeg one of the Turckes Basas was comme froÌ„ Seruia with x. M. horsemen and v. M. foteâ—en and had passed a very sharpe and difficulte mountaine named Illugi which dyd appertaine to the Venetianes was comme downe into their countre and had made greate spoyle there Then that noble and magnanime prince Scanderbeg beinge greatly moued with these newes caused to make him redie and appointe his souldiours to make them redie to ryde in this meane tyme his desease dyd so encrease vpon